Farm Girl's Small Blessings

Chapter 9: Agreement

Mambo trotted with his small legs to find her sister-in-law, while Keke watched in silence.

Madam Zhou was clearly startled, repeatedly inquiring about what Mr. Zhuang had said to Mambo at the time. After confirming, she placed the items on the stove with a slight pause before saying, "Come, let me take you home first, we will come back later to tidy up."

Mambo had an exceptionally good memory, and as it was a recent event, she could of course recount it clearly. However, Old Zhou still asked three times, then squatted on the threshold, took out some tobacco from his waist pocket, filled his pipe in silence.

No one spoke, and Madam Qian said to Little Qian, "You should go and continue your work at the school, this is no small matter, we must wait for the return of the elders before making a decision."

Little Qian replied and went back to work in the school.

Madam Qian glanced at Old Zhou, took Mambo's small hand, and led her into the house, lowering her head to look at her.

Upon seeing her round face filled with confusion, Madam Qian realized that she probably did not understand the meaning behind it.

After some thought, Madam Qian asked, "Mambo, do you want to study?"

Mambo replied, "I have been studying all along. I have already mastered the 'Thousand Character Classic,' Mr. Zhuang said he could teach me the 'Analects,' and I can count up to one hundred."

Madam Qian gently touched her small head, "Do you enjoy reading?"

This time, Mambo nodded, happily saying, "I do, reading can be quite enjoyable. When I am in a good mood, reading the 'Thousand Character Classic' feels like singing, making my mood even better. When I am not happy, I read the 'Thousand Character Classic,' and as I continue reading, I become happy."

Madam Qian's gaze seemed distant, lost in thought, before finally saying, "It's such a pity..."

Mambo climbed onto the bed, snuggling up to her mother, tilting her little head and asking, "Mother, what's the pity?"

"It's a pity you're not a boy."

Mambo pouted, "I don't want to be a boy, boys are dirty, and smelly, and they're not as pretty as girls."

Madam Qian couldn't help but smile, "Indeed, our Mambo is clean and sweet-smelling..."

But boys can carry on the family line.

Madam Qian considered herself to have a tough heart, but at this moment, tears flowed uncontrollably.

Mambo looked at her with great distress, quickly wiping away her tears. Her own eyes turned red, and with a trembling voice, she asked, "Mother, why are you crying? Do you not want me to go to school? I can go less in the future if that's the case."

Madam Qian couldn't help but laugh, wiping her tears while pinching Mambo's nose, "You are such a clever little one, just like your father, always knowing how to say sweet words to comfort people."

Mambo's mouth fell open in disbelief, finding it hard to imagine that her father was once like that.

Although Madam Qian felt a moment of sadness, she held Mambo close and said, "Since you can study, then study. There are many benefits to education. Even though you are a girl, being educated will give you more skills than others. You won't be deceived or harmed in the future, and you can live a better life."

Although Madam Qian couldn't read large characters, and was just a village woman who had never left the county, she had her own insights. She whispered, "Look at those men, those who are literate lead better lives than those who are illiterate, those who are knowledgeable are more clever than those who are ignorant. It's the same for girls."

Mambo nodded firmly, "The teacher said that studying can bring wisdom. Bai Er, that fool, he said he won't take the imperial examinations and will just inherit his father's land to collect rent to make a living. The teacher criticized him for it. A person with understanding will never feel guilty no matter where they go, they will act righteously, and they can..."

The latter part of the conversation was a bit challenging. Mambo paused for a moment, but with Keke's reminder, she was able to continue, "One can stand undefeated, with an undefeated heart and spirit."

Although Mambo didn't fully comprehend these words, she felt that Mr. Zhuang at that moment was so noble and tall that it made her blush, almost wanting to run around the village river three times, yelling at the top of her lungs. And so, she made sure to remember it.

With shining eyes, she looked at her mother and declared, "Mother, I want to study and gain wisdom!"

Madam Qian looked at her daughter's earnest face, almost agreeing with her, but considering the current difficulties at home, she kept all her thoughts to herself and decided to listen to the head of the household.

When Mr. Zhou and the others returned during the dinner hour, the sun was just beginning to set in the west, and everyone was famished, having only had porridge for breakfast.

After a simple hand wash, they all sat at the dinner table. Mr. Zhou didn't rush to discuss important matters, waiting until everyone had finished eating before gathering in the courtyard to talk to the eldest, second, and third sons.

Little Qian glanced outside, furrowing her brows slightly, clutching a cloth without speaking. Mrs. Feng, Mr. Zhou's second wife, also glanced towards the courtyard, unable to resist whispering, "Could it be that the patriarch really wants the young miss to study?"

Mrs. He frowned and said, "Surely not, how much money would that cost? Sister-in-law, the mother-in-law wouldn't have agreed to it, would she?"

Little Qian, clutching the cloth, was also not very keen on having her younger sister go to school, but it was her who brought her sister back home at noon.

In truth, when she first heard the news at noon, her initial reaction was joy. To think that her younger sister could become Mr. Zhuang's apprentice, what a promising future she would have.

But upon returning to the school, she began to consider the expenses involved in education.

Even if Mr. Zhuang took on apprentices privately without charging tuition, there would still be the cost of the apprenticeship ceremony, and customary gifts for holidays and special occasions. These were just minor expenses compared to the cost of books and writing materials.

In reality, Mr. Zhuang's school had a relatively low apprenticeship fee, mainly due to the financial support from the benevolent landowner. However, before Mr. Zhou lost money in gambling, the Zhou family could not afford to send any of their grandsons to school. One reason was that their family resources were simply too thin to support an educated individual.

What was once unaffordable before, now seemed even more out of reach.

Furthermore, with their mother-in-law requiring expensive medicine every month, the financial burden had become even heavier.

These considerations wiped away Little Qian's initial joy, leaving only worry in its wake.

Of course, what Little Qian could think of, the other men in the Zhou family could naturally think of in a more comprehensive manner, especially the head of the household, Old Mr. Zhou. Originally, he was not very keen on letting Mambo go to school, but the conversation between his wife and Mambo in the afternoon made him hesitate repeatedly.

During dinner, he watched as Mambo held a large bowl in her two small hands, almost burying her little head in it, relishing every bite of the watery white porridge.

Looking next to her, he saw his three daughters-in-law who had just finished eating and were about to clean up the table, wash the dishes, and tidy up the house. In Old Mr. Zhou's heart, the scale slowly tipped to the other side.

His Mambo was fragile, fair, plump, and adorable, pampered by her father and brothers at home. But what about ten years later, fifteen years later?

Would she also have to marry a farmer like her brothers and become a peasant woman like her sisters-in-law?

Old Mr. Zhou took a couple of quick puffs of his cigarette, coughed, then took out his pipe to tamp it down. He said, "You all know about the matter, so speak up. What are your thoughts?"

Zhou Erlang and Zhou Sanlang exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads and said, "We will follow father and elder brother's decision."

Old Mr. Zhou cast a sidelong glance at the two of them, then turned to Zhou Dalang and asked, "Dalang, what do you think?"

Zhou Dalang clenched his teeth and said, "Since Mr. Zhuang is willing to take her as his apprentice, then we should support it. When she grows up, if she can marry into town, she won't have to toil in the fields like us."

"Yes!" Old Mr. Zhou slapped his thigh. "That's exactly what I think. How many young ladies in this world can read and do arithmetic? You all calculate it yourselves. Among the children in our family, who is as bright as Mambo? The eggs in the family are a puzzle that no one can solve, but Mambo can count them in one go. Our Mambo not only looks good now, but will surely be even more beautiful in the future. Don't mention the town, she might even marry into the county."

Zhou Erlang hesitated, "That's true, but education does cost a lot of money. She's a girl and can't take exams to become an official..."

Under the gaze of his father, Zhou Erlang's voice trailed off, so he nudged Zhou Sanlang.

Zhou Sanlang said, "I will follow father and elder brother's decision."

Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang: "..."

Unable to resist, Old Mr. Zhou took another puff of his cigarette and said, "Mr. Zhuang will definitely not charge an apprenticeship fee for Mambo. We can just give a token of respect as the apprenticeship gift."

Zhou Erlang added, "But we will need to buy books, writing materials, and supplies. Mr. Zhuang may have taken Mambo as his apprentice, but these items will still need to be provided by him. Father, we don't even know how much these things will cost."

No one in the family had received an education, so they were unaware of the specific prices, but just the mention of books, pens, ink, and paper sounded expensive.

This happened to be one of the main reasons for Old Mr. Zhou's hesitation. He smoked in silence, deep in thought.

Zhou Dalang's veins bulged on his hand, and he gritted his teeth. "Father, Mambo is a good child, and Mr. Zhuang is aware of our family's situation. I will go and plead with him. We will buy whichever book they are currently studying. Mambo is still young and does not need paper and ink for calligraphy practice yet. As she grows a little older, we should have saved up some money by then."

Seeing his eldest son speak up, Old Mr. Zhou heaved a sigh of relief and nodded. "Very well, that's the plan. You and I will take Mambo to pay respect to the master the day after tomorrow, and then discuss with Mr. Zhuang."

Zhou Erlang opened his mouth, but ultimately did not say anything else, though his heart was filled with worries.

Old Fourth was already forty-six years old and was supposed to get married soon. The original plan was to have him wed a bride for the New Year, and start farming together in the spring.

However, he gambled away all the family's money, tarnishing his reputation in the process. It was unlikely he would find a bride within the next three years.

But Old Fourth could afford to delay his marriage for a few years, as he deserved that much. But what about Old Fifth?

Old Fifth was already fourteen, and in another two years, he would need to get engaged. The expenses for the wedding were not insignificant, especially considering their mother's medical expenses.

Among the six brothers in the family, the three who were not married did not count. Of the three who were married, the eldest, though reliable, lacked intelligence, and the third brother was exceedingly honest.

The second eldest brother was a bit more clever, and because he often sold items at the market, his thoughts and ideas were a bit more abundant than the eldest brother's.

When the gambling incident occurred, he had already planned it out in his mind. In another three or four years, the family would have saved up a considerable amount of money, and then he could lend some to Old Fifth for his engagement.

After Old Fifth, it would be Old Fourth and Old Sixth's turn. Once these three younger brothers were engaged, the family would likely face another ten years of poverty before the older brothers would need to start thinking about marriage.

He had originally planned for the family to work together harmoniously. With the parents around and the brothers working together, earning money was actually faster than doing it alone.

Even though his younger brothers, nephews, and his own son would eventually take on the responsibility of getting married, he might never see any leftover money in his lifetime. But at least they wouldn't be lacking in food and clothing.

However, if Mambo's education was added to this plan, the family would truly have no extra money left.

Zhou Erlang scratched his head, then finally expressed with a headache that it was better to forget about it. After all, the family was managed by their parents, and if there were any worries, it should be on them. He would just obediently listen and take care of his own little family.