Chapter 383: Watch
Editor: Atlas Studios
Liu Ting said in embarrassment, “Considering the few of them lack patience in studying and don’t have the talent, it’s better to let them stay at home and do farm work.”
Mu Yangling pondered for a moment and said, “Uncle, go back and tell your cousins. If they’re willing, I’ll send them to the academy to study for two years so that they can learn all the words first. As for the future, if they don’t want to continue studying, they can learn other skills. When the time comes, I’ll hire a teacher to teach them.”
This meant that Mu Yangling would be the one paying the tuition fees.
“How will that do?” Liu Ting said with a frown, “Ah Ling, this pie is too big and there are many cousins of yours. There must be many people in the clan who want a share of the pie.”
The Mu family had been very helpful to the Liu clan. In the past, when they were in Nearhill Village, she’d focused on helping their clan, and the entire village benefited from it. But ever since they moved out and everyone entered the military, Mu Yangling gradually did not involve the entire Liu clan in everything like before. Instead, she only took care of the two families who were closest to her by blood. Sometimes, she would also help out Liu Li and his mother. However, she hadn’t been paying much attention to the rest of the Liu clan, including the family of the patriarch, Liu He.
From time to time, Mu Yangling would send things to the Liu clan. It could be said that she was filial to Liu Daqian and Liu Erqian. Even if the people in the clan were envious, they could not say anything. After all, Liu Daqian and Liu Erqian were closest to the Mu family in terms of blood relations.
Mu Yangling did help out her uncles and cousins, but it was also a fact that Liu Ting and Liu Yuan would come over every few days to help her work in the fields. Their wages also had to be earned through hard work. It wasn’t that no one had come to look for the Liu brothers, hoping they could persuade Mu Yangling to also help the rest of the clan prosper since they, too, were from the same clan.
However, Liu Ting would send them away just by saying that she had recruited enough people. He couldn’t let Ah Ling spend money to hire people for nothing.
As for Liu Lang, he had a ready-made reason—he was indeed working under Mu Yangling, but that was because he had learned how to manage accounts.
Some people said that that ability was also taught by Mu Yangling. However, in just half a year, not only had he learned how to use the abacus, but he could by then also keep track of the accounts. Since the others in the Liu clan couldn’t even read, they could only give up.
However, if Mu Yangling sent Liu Lun and the others to study and learn craftsmanship, the temptation would be too great. This was because they had not helped Mu Yangling do anything. What would she do if all of her numerous cousins came looking for her?
Hence, although Liu Ting was tempted, he gritted his teeth and refused after hesitating for a long time.
The first principle he had learned from his father since he was young was to repay kindness. He could not trouble others, not even his own family.
“Uncle, isn’t it only right for Cousin Lang to fork out money to send his younger cousins to school?” Mu Yangling blinked and said, “If he doesn’t have enough money, he can borrow some from me.”
Seeing Liu Ting’s stunned expression, Mu Yangling advised with a smile, “Uncle, I have my selfish reasons for sending my cousins to school. I only have two younger brothers. Considering my parents are old, I’m afraid they won’t have more children in the future. Since my Mu family doesn’t have any relatives, we can only rely on ourselves, and Bowen and Bosi can only do so much by themselves. Therefore, I hope that they can have more people to help them. Just like Cousin Lang now, even if he doesn’t work by my side in the future, he can still make a name for himself when he’s capable. In the future, if anything happens to Bowen and Bosi, I can ask him for help.”
“They’re cousins and should help each other out anyway.”
“But the extent to which they can help depends on how capable they are.” Mu Yangling said, “The more capable my cousins are, the easier it will be for Bowen and Bosi in the future. Just treat it as my selfishness.”
Liu Ting looked at Mu Yangling with a complicated expression and said, “We’re the ones who benefit from your selfishness.”
Liu Ting also knew that what Mu Yangling said was true. The two families were indeed on very good terms now. If his son and nephew became successful, with the current development of the two families, the relationship between the two families would probably be even better than that of the clan in the future.
Hence, he nodded and agreed. “Then I’ll go back and tell your great-uncle and the others to send all those brats to the academy. Don’t worry, even if they don’t want to learn, I’ll force them to learn.”
Smiling, Mu Yangling nodded. In her heart, she lit a candle for her cousins who were like wild horses. She said, “Uncle, if anyone in the clan asks, just say that Cousin Lang is the one forking out the money. As for where Cousin Lang got the money, tell them that he met a benefactor in Jingzhao Prefecture. Most of it was his salary, and half of it was borrowed from me.”
“Since you want to expand Bowen and Bosi’s connections, why don’t you pick a few more children from the clan?” Liu Ting asked in confusion.
Those were clansmen from the Liu clan, not the Mu clan.
“Uncle, not everyone is grateful like you. It’s the quality, not quantity that counts when seeking helpers for Bosi and Bowen.” At the end of the day, Mu Yangling just didn’t like trouble.
Liu Daqian and Liu Erqian’s families were different. The two families were grateful and tactful. Most importantly, Liu Daqian had always been afraid of troubling them and owing them too many favors, so he had always held back his sons, nephews, and grandsons from imposing on the Mu family.
Over the years, Mu Yangling had helped the Lius a lot, and in turn the Lius had also given back a lot. As long as something happened to the Mu family, even if the Lius were busy with farming, they would abandon their work to help.
And the two Liu families had never overstepped their boundaries because of her kindness before. Also, they had never used her name to do anything and always kept a low profile.
It could be said that the reason Mu Yangling could help the two Liu families without qualms was mostly because they were suppressed by Liu Daqian and Liu Erqian. Otherwise, even if she wanted to help the Lius, she would not have put in so much effort.
Although Liu Ting felt that it was a pity, he did not mention this topic again. After returning home with Liu Yuan, he told him Mu Yangling’s words and said, “Ah Ling wants us to go to the county to find a good academy. The teacher doesn’t have to be highly-esteemed, but it’s best if he can be more flexible. Seeing as the children are not cut out for studying, if the teacher keeps criticizing them, I’m afraid it’ll turn them off from studying even more.”
Looking at his son and nephews enviously, Liu Yuan kicked their butts and said, “How dare they complain when they have the opportunity to study? I’ll beat them to death if I hear that. These boys have it way better than us.”
Liu Ting only smiled. “Let’s listen to Ah Ling. She has a way when it comes to teaching children.”
Liu Daqian nodded. “You two brothers secretly ask around about the teachers. Don’t tell anyone about sending the children to the academy first.” After saying that, he glared at the children and said, “You’re not allowed to go out and spread this news, understand?”
“Got it, Grandpa.” Liu Lun took the lead and agreed, but he asked eagerly, “Then how many years do we have to study? Grandpa, if I don’t do well in our studies, you can’t beat me up. I really am not cut out for studying.”
Liu Yang and Liu Ying, who were at the side, nodded repeatedly. Mu Yangling had gifted them books, and their big brother was literate, so they had previously studied for a while. At first, they still had some interest, but later on, they couldn’t be forced to study even when threatened with a stick.
Secretly thrilled, Madam Liu-Zhang and Madam Liu-Sun wished they could beat the three children up. To think they despised such an opportunity that others would kill to have.