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PWDLAW Chapter 392: Visit from Song Lu

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Chapter 392: Visit from Song Lu

They had a simple plan: if Lin Fuzi's third uncle taught well, they would study in the village. Now that Lin Fuzi had left, going to the county school was the best choice.

In the afternoon, just after Chu Liushi and Zhang finished making pickled vegetables for the day, an unexpected guest arrived.

It was none other than Song Lu and his mother, Huang Shi, who stood at the door.

Huang Shi was Song Lu's mother, and they didn't need a matchmaker to visit since the marriage had already been arranged.

"Huang Sister?" Zhang, upon seeing the visitor, concealed a hint of shrewdness beneath her smile. She transitioned from a momentary daze to a smile in an instant.

Huang Shi and Song Lu were quickly welcomed inside and seated in the main hall.

Zhang found Chu Ming in the courtyard and told her younger son to fetch Chu Lin back. She couldn't help but think of the information she had heard earlier.

Chu Liushi was already sitting in the main hall, chatting with Huang Shi and Song Lu.

Chu Qingxiang came out of the room, her eyes filled with anticipation as she glanced towards the main hall. "Mother, let me go pour tea for the guests."

Zhang, knowing that her daughter was pleased with Song Lu as a potential son-in-law, teasingly scolded, "You haven't married yet, and your heart is already running to someone else's home."

Chu Qingxiang blushed, still with a capable demeanor, "Mother, how can you make fun of me like this? No matter what, I have to listen and serving tea is a given for such matters."

"Go ahead, your mother is just teasing you."

Chu Qingxiang quickly went to the kitchen.

Zhang prepared some peanuts and the remaining pastries at home, bringing them into the main hall.

After entering, she sat down naturally.

"Huang Sister, why did you think of coming to our house? Stay for dinner tonight." Zhang spoke warmly and friendly, as was her usual manner.

Huang Shi was hesitating about how to broach the subject but seeing the favorable attitude of Zhang and Chu Liushi, her uneasiness disappeared under their reassurance.

Huang Shi spoke up, "Zhang Sister, it's like this. We as a family have discussed it and want to have Little Lu marry Xiang in July."

"We've already calculated an auspicious date for it. The sixteenth of July is a good day."

Zhang's expression changed slightly, but she hid it beneath her smile.

However, Song Lu noticed, as well as a trace of coldness that flashed in Chu Liushi's eyes.

He stood up and said, "This is all because the younger generation wants to prepare for the township examination. Madam, Aunt, if there are any requests, Song Lu will do his best."

Chu Liushi raised an eyebrow.

Looking at Song Lu, she saw his sincere expression and genuine words, feeling somewhat satisfied. She then shifted her gaze to Huang Shi's face.

Sure enough, she saw Huang Shi's faint displeasure that she couldn't maintain.

Was she dissatisfied with Song Lu's request?

Or was the reason for the early engagement not the examination?

Although Chu Liushi was puzzled, she also understood that, apart from asking Song Lu she couldn't find out. She had heard before from the neighboring village about the Song family's plan to arrange marriages earlier but they had started preparing.

Now, they were waiting for them to come and explain in person.

As for the specific reasons, the Song family kept it a secret and she had truly not been able to find out.

Upon hearing that the reason for the early engagement was to prepare for the imperial examination, Zhangi's slight dissatisfaction disappeared.

She wore a smile and praised, "Ah Lu, you're considerate. I'm relieved to have Xiang marry you."

"Thank you, Aunt, for your understanding. Coming here today, besides informing you of this matter, we also intended to discuss the matter of the betrothal gifts."

With each statement from Song Lu, Huang Shi's expression became more unsightly.

But she also feared the people of the Chu family and didn't dare to say anything openly.

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PWDLAW Chapter 391: Being Strong is Better Than Anything

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Chapter 391: Being Strong is Better Than Anything

Seeing that Chu Liushi did not object, Zhang brought up the matter of Chu Heng "Mother, think about it. Third Brother will be leaving for the capital to take the exam in less than a month. At that time, he will have to bring one or two servants with him."

"After Third Brother leaves, taking away half of the servants, Third Brother's wife will be alone at home. With the remaining servants helping us deliver pickled vegetables, it will be a bit difficult."

"Now that our family has a cattle cart, it's embarrassing to trouble Third Brother and Third Brother's wife again." Zhang knew that she could take advantage of this situation because of the two elders. However, to speak nicely she had to say it this way.

Chu Liushi glanced at her. How could she not know what Zhang was thinking?

However, regardless of what the eldest daughter-in-law was thinking, as long as the family had no conflicts, she would be happy.

"Is the eldest son also of this opinion?"

Chu Lin had gone to the fields and wasn't at home during this time, cultivating some vegetables.

"Of course, my daughter-in-law has already discussed it with my son-in-law." As soon as Zhang Shi heard this, she knew there was hope. A hint of joy flashed in her eyes.

Chu Liushi had actually considered this point. Although she hoped her third son would pass the imperial examination, she also needed to consider what would happen if he didn't.

The first family had already been promoted. The money earned from selling pickled vegetables in a year was enough to allow the two children to study until the age of seventeen.

In the future, they couldn't rely solely on the third family to promote them. If they didn't work hard themselves, even if the third son became an official, it might not be a good thing for the entire family.

Thinking of this, Chu Liushi agreed.

However, she had to warn Zhang in advance "Since you and the eldest son have thought about it, I will talk to the third son another day. Don't be dissatisfied and regret it later."

Zhang immediately understood that Chu Liushi was reminding her not to refuse now and then later feel embarrassed to ask others to deliver pickled vegetables again.

She had thought about it before. If it had been before, she would have regretted not being able to take advantage of this small benefit.

But now, the big benefits had been directly given to her by Ye Muyu.

She looked at Chu Liushi, forced a smile and said, "Mother, the way you put it, it seems like troubling the third son was a special case before. Now, it's not appropriate to continue troubling him."

"I was still thinking about inviting the third son and the third son's wife to dinner at the end of the month to show gratitude."

Zhang didn't care about this small advantage anymore. She made this decision very happily without any hesitation. Instead, she felt delighted that her family could gradually prosper.

In fact, anyone would prefer to become prosperous on their own rather than taking advantage of others.

After all, taking advantage of others meant being at their mercy, occasionally being squeezed but if she became prosperous herself, who would dare to give her a hard time?

Feeling the sweetness of prosperity, Zhang became confident.

Seeing that she was sincere and not pretending, Chu Liushi nodded, no longer making things difficult for her. "Since that's the case, then go and send Ah Ming and Ah Sheng to the county school. When Ah Heng was about twelve or thirteen years old, he also went to the county school."

"Mother, it's settled then. I'll find a time to ask about the county school, whether they can start school in September. Although generally, students can only start school in the spring, with some connections and pulling some strings, we can get them in through the back door."

This kind of thing had never been completely eliminated from ancient times to the present.

"Well, you just need to know the limits."

Zhang naturally nodded and agreed with a smile.

Chu Ming and Chu Sheng didn't expect that they would really be able to go to the county school to study. Both of them were very happy. As the eldest juniors in the family, they had been compared with their third uncle Chu Heng since they were young.

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PWDLAW Chapter 390: Zhang's Thoughts

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Chapter 390: Zhang's Thoughts

As for the afternoon break, they would naturally take it when the time came.

"Madam, I'll go to the village to see if there are any ripe pomelos." Hu Shi had changed into coarse clothes, tied a handkerchief around her head, and wore long boots. Although it was a bit hot, she wasn't worried about her clothes getting snagged by branches.

"It's too hot now. There's no rush. We can go afternoon." Ye Muyu planned to wait until tomorrow to sell the honey pomelo tea after determining the price. She would then decide whether to continue making it or not. As for the pomelos bought in the village, she would not waste them.

Understanding Ye Muyu's consideration, Hu Shi thought for a moment and decided not to go out immediately. Instead, she washed clothes in the yard.

Ye Muyu returned to the east wing, took off her outer clothes and began her afternoon nap.

During this time, the weather was quite hot in the afternoon, but Ye Muyu had a cold constitution. Sleeping inside the house with a thin quilt covering her abdomen didn't make her feel too hot.

She woke up from her nap just after the hottest part of the day had passed.

Getting up, she put on her clothes.

In the afternoon, she spent her time experimenting with making ink, while Hu Shi stayed at home making honey pomelo tea using the slightly inferior pomelos bought from the village.

As for Zhang Shu, he went out to cut grass and inquired if there were ripe pomelos available for sale.

The village remained lively, especially due to the matter involving Teacher Lin.

The old house was also bustling.

Chu Sheng and Chu Ming were at home, not going to the school in the afternoon. Instead, they were called by Chu Liushi to make pickled vegetables.

"Mom, where should Ah Ming and Ah Sheng go to continue their studies?" Zhang was an impatient person. After learning that Teacher Lin might leave, she became anxious. At noon, she went to find Teacher Lin and asked.

However, with so many people around at noon, she could only squeeze in and ask a question before being pushed out because of the heat.

Later, she had to wait until Teacher Lin said that he was willing to find another teacher to replace him. Only then did she come back from the school.

She valued her daughter's marriage and even more so wanted her two sons to study.

In fact, she had wanted to send her two sons to study in the county a long time ago.

In the county, they had a house to live in and even if they sent their two sons to study in the county school, it would still be convenient. Previously, there wasn't much silver at home and combined with Chu Heng saying that Teacher Lin taught well, it was considered young to become a xiucai at the age of fifteen. The two sons hadn't accumulated enough knowledge, so even if they took the xiucai exam, they wouldn't pass.

It was better to accumulate knowledge for a couple more years.

Although she envied Chu Heng for his high status in the family after becoming a xiucai, now that the family had a good amount of silver since Ye Muyu directly gave her the pickled vegetable recipe, she felt that what Chu Heng said made more sense and was more willing to listen.

As for the little jealousy she felt towards Ye Muyu before had disappeared without a trace.

But now, things were different. There was silver at home, and Teacher Lin was about to leave. She wanted to send her two sons to study in the county school. That's why she went to discuss it with Chu Lin first and then talked to Chu Zhiwen and Chu Liushi about it.

When Chu Liushi heard about it, she looked at Zhang and the two grandchildren beside her. She instantly understood.

"What does your husband think?" Chu Liushi threw the question to her.

Zhang, taking advantage of the situation, said, "Mother, my husband and I are thinking of sending Ah Ming and Ah Sheng directly to study at the county school."

"By then, whether they live directly in the county or are sent there daily by my husband, it will be convenient. We already have an ox cart at home which is much more convenient than before."

Zhang was also clever. She tentatively voiced her thoughts.

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PWDLAW Chapter 389: Situation

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Chapter 389: Situation

Seeing Ye Muyu start eating, Chu Jin, who didn't have such refined thoughts didn't actively pick up food for him. Instead, he described the taste of each dish one by one.

"Chong Jin, is my mother's food delicious? This meat is not greasy at all, tender and fragrant. These chicken cubes are deep-fried, making them crispy. I also added a bit of chili. I don't know if you can handle the spiciness." For Jin, a gourmet who enjoyed dishes from various cuisines, everything was delicious, and he wasn't picky.

Chong Jin, hearing this thought that the Chu family must be living quite well. Otherwise how could they afford to deep-fry chicken? Even this child could describe the non-greasy texture of the meat, indicating that he must have had a lot of good food regularly.

Having spent a considerable time in the temple, Chong Jin knew that many adopted fellow disciples led quite ordinary lives. Except for wealthy families, they couldn't compare to the Chu family.

Chong Jin nodded slightly, "Delicious."

It must be said that the food did taste really good. Even the vegetarian dishes were better than those served in some restaurants.

"Then, try this chicken piece and these cucumber slices…"

In the beginning, he had the intention of assessing the family's financial situation. However, his attention was completely drawn to the delicious food with Jin's introduction. With his guidance, Chong Jin didn't feel any injustice. He eat comfortably without any reservations.

Ye Muyu, seeing the three children getting along harmoniously, even Jin no longer closed off his heart, couldn't help but sigh in relief.

After finishing the meal, Chu Jin continued to the study to draw, while Chu Ziluo took Chong Jin to the study to read.

The news just came from the school, stating that there would be an afternoon break and classes would resume tomorrow. Master Lin was besieged by parents, forcing him to find another scholar in the county willing to come to Xingshui Village.

So, there would be no classes in the afternoon.

Ye Muyu, together with Hu Shi, prepared some red bean double-skinned milk as a dessert for the three children after the meal.

Chong Jin, who had already been amazed by the family's food, couldn't resist the temptation of fresh treats even though he wasn't hungry.

"Big brother, is it delicious?" Chu Ziluo said with a smile. Without waiting for Chong Jin's reply, she praised with a satisfied expression, "My mother's cooking is delicious. This is made with milk, a dessert we usually have in the late afternoon. Having it so early today must be because Mother wants to treat you, big brother."

Seeing her so happy, Chong Jin's mood couldn't help but improve. There was no denying that his feelings about coming to the Chu family were good from beginning to end.

Perhaps it was because he was with two children younger than him, he unexpectedly felt a bit childish.

"What is this dessert called and how is it made?" Chong Jin spoke a bit more than usual.

Chu Ziluo heard that this was a question she could answer. Although she hadn't made it herself, she had watched her mother and Hu Shi make it many times and learned how.

"Big brother, I really know this one. First, you boil the milk, then…"

"So that's how it's made. Madam Chu is indeed clever." Chong Jin couldn't help but admire.

Chu Ziluo looked at him and said with a smile, "Big brother, you should call my mother Aunt instead. Calling her 'Madam' sounds strange. You're only ten years old and in my mother's eyes, you're just a child."

"…Alright, I'll call her Aunt from now on."

"Right, that's better."

"Let's go, let's draw with my brother. We can earn some copper coins." Chu Ziluo enthusiastically suggested.

...

Ye Muyu quietly left the study room, not wanting to disturb the children.

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