It's hot in July, and Jinlin Village faces mountains on two sides and water on the other. It doesn't seem hot at all, but the noisy noise of the summer cicadas on the branches makes people feel dry.
"Your father and I are not dead yet. It's not your turn to make the decision in Lao Zhan's family!" Sharp yells rang out, and Mrs. Zhan Yao's shriveled lips opened quickly, spittle flying everywhere, which instantly reduced the arrogance of the two daughters-in-law.
It was suppressed.
"Mother, calm down and drink some water." The scolded little Yao was so shameless that he picked up the porcelain teapot on the table, poured a glass of water and handed it over, with a flattering smile on his face, "Mother, what did you say about us?
Just do it.”
"Humph, everyone is careless." Mrs. Zhan still had an old face full of wrinkles, and her cannibalistic eyes were fierce and mean.
However, facing her niece and second daughter-in-law, Mrs. Zhan smiled with a smile on her face, and drank a cup of crude tea water in a few sips.
In the lower right corner of the main room, seven-year-old Zhan Feiyu lowered his head, his big dark eyes flashing on his disc-like face, and there was a light in his eyes that did not belong to a child.
Suddenly, there was a heat on the top of his head. Zhan Feiyu blinked his dark eyes, and his chubby face raised was full of doubts, "Mother?"
The eldest daughter-in-law, Mrs. Li, was a round-faced woman, not pretty, but her smile was warm. She rubbed the top of her daughter's head soothingly and whispered, "Don't be afraid."
The Zhan family has a total of three bedrooms. Because both Mr. Zhan and his wife Yao are still alive, and their parents are still alive, there are more than a dozen people in the family living together. Today, the second and third bedrooms are quarreling over their study quota.
Once upon a time, after the reform of the empress of the previous dynasty, women could also enter private schools and take the imperial examinations. Women from wealthy families could read and write. However, it is absolutely rare for women to study hard for decades and take the imperial examinations. How can they get married when the flowering period comes?
As for poor families who can't even afford a boy to study, let alone a girl who will get married sooner or later, the Zhan family only has one daughter, Zhan Feiyu, and the three people in the first family were not the targets of Mrs. Zhan's harsh scolding just now.
Glancing at the fierce and sullen grandma, Zhan Feiyu nodded obediently. The big house had no children. The two couples were just two old scalpers in the Zhan family. They got up earlier than chickens and went to bed later than dogs. But the Zhan family
The advantage is that you can't get it at all.
With a clang, Mrs. Zhan put the empty tea cup heavily back on the table, staring at the younger members of the Zhan family below with her cloudy eyes.
The two troubled daughters-in-law shrank and hunched over, and then Mrs. Zhan said with a cold expression: "What food and clothing do we use at home that don't cost money? Mrs. Lin earns ten taels of silver a year, and I and I
Your father has taken out all the coffins. If you make any more noises, you don’t have to go to the private school. Come back and go to the fields!"
The chirping of cicadas was mixed with yelling and cursing. The 12-year-old Zhan Xiujun, the second roommate, complained impatiently, "Grandma, I went back to my room to practice my calligraphy. My husband will be checking me the day after tomorrow."
The eldest grandson spoke, and Mrs. Zhan's ferocious expression instantly turned into kindness, and she smiled with yellow teeth, "Dalang, please go back to your room quickly. Grandma will cook you an egg to eat tonight."
"Dalang, bring your brother with you, and let Sanlang learn a few more words." The second daughter-in-law, Xiao Yao, pushed her younger son, glanced at the third daughter-in-law proudly, and deliberately raised her voice, "Sanlang
Follow your brother and study hard. Master praised you two brothers for being smart last time. Maybe our Lao Zhan family will have a pair of talented men in the future."
"Okay, let's all go down and have a rest." Old man Zhan is a careless person. His grandsons are born to the second and third bedrooms, and it's the same for anyone who goes to school.
Little Yao filially helped Mrs. Zhan back to her room to rest, while the men stayed in the main room and continued to talk about the autumn planting. They were sweating. For farmers, there is nothing more important than farming.
"Sister-in-law, mother is too partial." After leaving the main room, Ma, the third wife's daughter-in-law, turned back and glanced at her, with a look of resentment on her face that she didn't even know how to hide.
"The eldest son entered school at the age of seven, so it's my second son's turn. Erlang is already eight years old this year. Could it be that the two sons born to the second sister-in-law are human beings, and the one I gave birth to is not a grandson of the Zhan family!" Ma said nervously.
With a dark and pockmarked face, she didn't dare to disobey her fierce and mean mother-in-law, but she couldn't let go of the resentment in her heart, which made her voice hoarse and her eyes red.
The eldest daughter, Ms. Li, was a kind-hearted person, but she was also very successful. She smiled and gave some advice, "It's not decided yet who will enroll in the school. When mother calms down, you and the third child can talk about it."
Zhan Feiyu let Mrs. Li lead her out and listened to her mother and third aunt talking. If she were a native girl from the Daqing Dynasty, Zhan Feiyu might have accepted her fate.
Not to mention Jinlin Village, even in Shangsi County there are not many families with girls enrolled in school. If you have the spare money, you might as well pull a piece of cloth and make some clothes for your family.
But there is a modern soul in her body... Zhan Feiyu pouted, she didn't have any great talents or plans to make a career, but she didn't want to be really blind. Even if she wanted to get married, she still wanted to get the title of female scholar. No matter what happened in the future,
With fame, you at least have human rights. The persimmon branches in the yard are lush and leafy. Under the shade of the trees, Li and her third sister-in-law, who was indignant, left after complaining. Then she said in a warm voice: "Xiaoyu, it's hot outside. Come back to mother."
Go to the house."
The Zhan family has three houses and is not divided into separate houses. Each son has three houses, which is considered wealthy in Jinlin Village.
In the room, Zhan Feiyu sat down on the square stool, raised his head and looked at Mrs. Li with a kind face, and said softly, "Mom, I also want to go to a private school."
Mrs. Li, who was pouring tea, shook her hand and the tea spilled all over the table.
After a while, Mrs. Li, who was wiping the table, said in a warm voice: "Xiaoyu, mother knows that you have been wronged."
Perhaps facing her immature daughter, Mrs. Li no longer concealed her grievances, but she still suppressed her voice so that her husband's family and sisters-in-law could not hear her, "Your father is very tired from work, and my mother also wants to send you to a private school."
, but your grandma is in charge of the house."
If Mrs. Li had a son, even if the gentle-tempered Mrs. Li was scolded by her mother-in-law for being unfilial, she would still fight for it. In the entire Zhan family, the first household is the most miserable and tiring. Why should the money they earn be given to the children of the second and third bedrooms?
Going to private school?
But she is just such a girl. Even if Mrs. Li is dissatisfied with her, there is no way she can ask her to go to a private school. No one in the entire Zhan family will agree, not even the head of the family.
The resentment and unwillingness in her eyes finally disappeared, and Li didn't speak any more, picked up the small bamboo dustpan and started to do needlework.
Zhan Feiyu lowered his head and raised his chubby fingers, unwilling to give up this only opportunity from the bottom of his heart.
The Zhan family is considered wealthy in the village, and her grandfather is a cook. Whenever there is a wedding or wedding for any family, he is asked to take charge of the cooking, and the farm work in the fields is not left behind.
Her father is also a good worker, and his father manages the Zhan family's twenty acres of land.
Her grandma, Mrs. Zhan, loves her youngest son and grandson the most, but the one she relies on the most is her second son. The second daughter-in-law is her niece, so the entire Zhan family's second house can be said to be the most nourishing.
Although Second Uncle Zhan was a bit cunning, he was still smart. A few years ago, he got a bullock cart and made two trips a day to transport people from the village to the county, and then worked as a boy in the county to haul goods.
She comes back to help when the farm is busy, which is much easier than her father's, and she earns a lot of money. The key is to buy something every now and then to be filial to her mother.
As for Zhan Feiyu, her brother-in-law learned some cooking skills from her grandpa, and he could also make some money by starting out. However, his brother-in-law has an out-of-touch personality and is lazy, so fortunately he doesn't have any serious problems.
The three daughters-in-law of the Zhan family are also hard-working. They usually take care of the vegetable plot, raise a pig and a lot of chickens at home, and occasionally use the soles to make shoes and sell them in the county to supplement the family income.
Of course, the Zhan family is relatively wealthy compared to those poor farm families who cannot afford food or clothing. It is too expensive to go to school. Not to mention Jinlin Village, even if you look at the entire Shangsi County, not many people can go to private schools.