Chapter 384: Help (1)
Editor: Atlas Studios
Madam Liu-Zhao also glared at her son, causing Liu Lun to shrink his neck and stand at the side. However, the Liu family had always been democratic, so although he shrunk his neck, he still looked at his grandfather with wide eyes.
Liu Daqian sighed regretfully. “Ah Lang is the best at studying in our family. In the past, when Ah Ling taught him how to read, he would squat in the courtyard and practice calligraphy stroke by stroke with a tree branch. If he had to work in the day, he would do so under the moonlight in the courtyard at night. In the past, our family was not capable enough to send him to school. At that time, the Mu family didn’t even have enough for Bowen’s tuition, let alone have an opportunity like yours. Children, you have to cherish your blessings.”
“Big Brother, if any of them doesn’t study hard in the academy, drag them back and beat them up upside down.” Liu Erqian glared fiercely at his grandsons and grandnephews and said, “Do you know how much tuition we have to pay to send you to school every year? Five taels of silver a year per person. Coupled with pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, each person will spend ten taels of silver a year. That’s thirty taels of silver for three people. Even if we put you up for sale, we won’t even be able to earn back half of that silver.”
Liu Daqian glared at his younger brother and turned to the three children standing in front of him: “His words are rough but reasonable. If this money was paid by our family, so be it. Even if it’s not worth spending the money on you, we can just regard it as paying a sin from a previous life since you were born in our family. However, this money is paid for you by your cousin. It’s 30 taels a year. Based on my understanding of your cousin, in order not to embarrass you in the academy, I’m afraid she will buy fabric and make new clothes for you. After three to four years, even 150 taels won’t be enough. Do you know how much one can do with 150 taels?”
Liu Daqian looked into the children’s eyes and said, “That’s enough to build two good houses, plus buy two oxen and six pigs. In addition, we can eat meat every other day for half a year.”
The children opened their mouths wide. Even the oldest, Liu Rong, widened her eyes in shock. Liu Daqian’s way of calculation was the most direct.
The adults often complained that the mud house at home was lousy and kept leaking. They were afraid that they would not be able to live there for long. Then, they were worried about building a house. They often said that even if they worked hard for ten years, they did not know if they could save enough to build a house…
There were also the oxen. No one in the village had an ox. If anyone had an ox, they would be a middle-class farmer and live a much better life than them.
Their family had pigs, but if they caught a little piglet, the grandmothers would suffer from insomnia. This was because they would have to spend a few bags of grains or all their money feeding them.
If not for Mu Yangling sending meat to their family every few days, they would have only eaten meat once every six months like other families…
Liu Rong and Liu Yun looked at their brothers with envy and sympathy.
The three boys standing in the middle immediately felt immense pressure. Liu Lun really wanted to say that he didn’t want to study anymore.
Seemingly knowing what his grandson was thinking, Liu Daqian pulled him over and patted his head. “Ah Lun, what do you think of your father and uncle’s lives?”
Liu Lun’s eyes were filled with confusion as he said, “Father and Uncle are doing very well. Much better than the others in the Liu clan. They’re always envious of Father and Uncle.”
“That’s because your father and uncle have your cousin’s help. If not, they can only be like the rest, or worse.” Seeing that the children were unconvinced, Liu Daqian assumed a posture and said, “Although our family’s life is better than others’ now, in terms of foundation, our family might not be the weakest, but we’re ranked near the bottom.”
The children didn’t believe it. Liu Rong whispered, “Grandpa, we have new clothes to wear and we can eat meat a few times a month.”
Liu Erqian asked with a smile, “Rong’er, where did you get the new clothes and meat?”
Liu Rong paused. The youngest Liu Jin, who was sitting on the brick bed, raised his hand and said, “I know, I know. It’s from Cousin Yangling. Last time, she even gave me a wooden horse.”
Liu Erqian hugged the three-year-old Liu Jin and said, “Since even your younger brother knows that, surely you guys do too? That was given by your cousin, not our family.”
Liu Daqian continued, “Look, Grandpa He’s family has built a new house in the village, and Fourth Grandpa’s family is also planning to build a new house. Our family saved on so many expenses and even has your cousin’s help. Yet, why can’t we afford to build a new house?”
Liu Lun was deep in thought. “Is it because our family doesn’t have any foundation?”
Liu Daqian nodded and sighed. “That’s right.”
Liu Yun was unconvinced. “Why doesn’t our family have any foundation?”
“Because our ancestors are poor. Your second great-uncle and I have no capabilities, and your father and uncles are useless, too.”
“Father,” Liu Ting called out in embarrassment. Liu Daqian glared at him. “Am I not telling the truth?”
“Your great-grandparents passed away early. I was even younger than Ah Lun at that time.” The children widened their eyes. Although the adults had told them how difficult their lives had been in the past, they really did not know about the past. The adults also deliberately avoided speaking about this to the children.
When the children heard that their eldest grandfather was going to talk about stories from the past, they were all excited.
Liu Daqian did not disappoint them and said, “Your second great-uncle is only a little older than Ah Yang. Below him are your second and third great-aunts. Your third great-aunt was only two years old at that time. The few of us were raised by your eldest great-aunt. At that time, your eldest great-aunt was even a year younger than Rong’er. Think about it, how hard must it have been for her to raise us?”
The children looked at Liu Rong’s small arms and legs. At the thought that they had no parents or elders at home and could only rely on such a young older sister, they immediately shivered.
“At that time, we didn’t have anything to eat. When we were hungry, we even ate mud. The Liu family only had a total of two acres of dry land, but your eldest great-aunt forcibly defended it. When your second great-uncle and I grew up, she married off the two of us and her two younger sisters. Not only did she spend all the two bags of grains that she had painstakingly saved, she even owed a huge debt in order to help us get married. Your eldest great-aunt even postponed her own marriage for us. We couldn’t possibly let her shoulder these debts, right? Do you know when our family’s debts were repaid?”
The children shook their heads.
Liu Daqian sighed and said, “We only paid it off when your eldest brother was six years old.”
The children were speechless. “It took such a long time?”
Liu Erqian glared at him and said, “What long? It’s already not bad that we could pay it back. Your father and the others didn’t need to spend money to get married? Did we not have to spend money when your mother gave birth to you? Also, do you think it’s possible to raise the children without money? Ask your mother how many children die prematurely every year in the village. Didn’t your eldest great-uncle and I have to shamelessly borrow the money to feed you when you were young and when you fell ill? It’s already not bad that we could fully repay the money.”