Chapter 189: Chapter 189: How Could Making Money Be Tiring?

Marrying Qi Quanjin, Yi Meng also felt she was quite blessed.

However, when someone else said it out loud, Yi Meng felt embarrassed and her face turned red.

On the other hand, Qi Quanjin chuckled foolishly and said, “I’m the one who’s blessed, being able to marry my wife is a blessing I’ve accumulated through eight lifetimes.”

“Hahaha, you’re really straightforward, hahaha!”

Everyone was amused.

This made Yi Meng even more embarrassed, and she even wanted to chase Qi Quanjin away.

Fortunately, more guests arrived, and some people finished their noodles. Yi Meng got busy and didn’t have time to be embarrassed.

The Qi Family’s noodle stall was thus set up.

In the blink of an eye, it was mid-afternoon, and there were fewer pedestrians shopping on the road. A few people discussed and decided to pack up and go home.

The first day was a bit of an adjustment, but overall it was quite smooth.

As they passed by the small courtyard, the sound of reading came from inside the closed gate.

Yi Meng asked Qi Quanjin, “Brother Jin, is that the old junior scholar teaching those children?”

“Yes, he said that in the winter, the children have nothing to do, so they might as well study. It’s not about gaining profound knowledge, just knowing some characters and arithmetic to make it easier to find work in the future.”

Qi Quanjin wasn’t surprised at all, clearly already aware of it.

Wang Daya, walking beside Yi Meng, whispered, “Sister-in-law, we have quite a few children in our family too. Shouldn’t we send them to study as well?”

Even though they could learn to read and write with the two doctors, after some observation, Wang Daya was sure that the Qi Family’s boys didn’t have the aptitude for medicine.

If they had to pick one or two, only the three boys from the fourth branch seemed somewhat promising.

Yi Meng listened and, after considering, said, “If we just want the children to know more characters and understand more principles, then studying with the two teachers would be enough.”

“But if they want to take the imperial exams, the old junior scholar might not suffice. He can teach the basics, but for the rest, they need to be sent to a formal academy.”

It’s not that Yi Meng looked down on the old junior scholar; it’s just that she never considered letting the family’s children pursue the imperial examination path.

In Yi Meng’s understanding, while passing the exams could change one’s fate, it could also make someone pedantic.

Ultimately, the Qi Family’s boys simply weren’t cut out for the exams.

Instead of forcing them to study, it’s better to let them have a happy childhood.

Moreover, Yi Meng had already taught the children at home those basic enlightenment books in the past few years.

Wang Daya pursed her lips, “Forget the formal academy, the tuition fees alone are quite a lot of silver, and with those little rascals in our family… Well, better forget it!”

She shook her head afterwards, full of disdain.

It was genuine disdain, much like Mrs. Qi’s scorn for her sons.

Yi Meng almost couldn’t help but laugh, “Sister-in-law, you can’t put it that way. It’s the children’s own path, after all. We can ask them what they want first. If they want to study, we will support them.”

“The tuition at the academy is expensive, but our family can still afford it, right?”

Not agreeing, nor opposing—this was Yi Meng’s way of handling things.

Moreover, such an important matter as education wasn’t up to her to decide; it was up to the head of the family.

Wang Daya nodded, “True, though my Dalang and Erlang are too old for that. But your Liulang, Balang, and Jiulang, I’ve heard Mr. Qin praise them several times.”

“Mr. Qin is just encouraging them to study, sister-in-law, don’t take it seriously.”

Yi Meng humbly disclaimed.

Her children were excellent, but she wasn’t about to grasp any compliments and get carried away!

Afraid that her sister-in-law might continue the topic, Yi Meng quickly changed the subject to Qi Quanjin: “Brother Jin, you and second brother, keep an eye on Ji Hu’s situation. If they run out of food, send some over. We barely managed to save them; we can’t let them starve.”

“Sure, second brother and I already keep that in mind. Don’t worry!”

Qi Quanjin turned and gave his wife a silly smile.

Wang Daya suddenly thought of something and leaned over to Yi Meng, whispering, “Sister-in-law, has the fourth brother told you what happened to Ji Hu and the others before?”

“With everything happening at home, I haven’t heard much about what happened to the people in their old village, why there are only a few of them left.”

Listening to Wang Daya’s rambling, Yi Meng’s eyes dimmed.

What Wang Daya didn’t know, she naturally did.

Qi Ercai and Qi Quanjin frequently visited the courtyard, bringing items and checking for shortages.

Ji Hu was the first to wake, and once awake, he recounted the past events.

However, the story was anything but cheerful, even uncomfortable, so Qi Quanjin and Qi Ercai, after discussing, only informed the elders and Yi Meng of the truth.

They decided not to let the family know.

Whether or not they’d learn of it later, that was a matter for the future.

Yi Meng smiled, “I didn’t hear anything specific, but it can’t be anything good. No matter what, we’ve finally settled down, and with so many things to do each day, we can deal with those matters later!”

“Sigh, I figured it couldn’t be anything good. Those people, if only they hadn’t caused trouble initially and followed along honestly, they wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

Wang Daya sighed repeatedly.

Mu Yunniang, who followed behind, felt a wave of sadness listening.

After all, they had lived in the same village for so many years; despite all the petty quarrels, they had still developed feelings.

Even a cat or dog would be missed after a long time, let alone these living people.

Yet they understood, the fact no one talked about those experiences likely meant they were gone.

The best case was that they were separated; the worst was that they had all perished.

Neither scenario was a cause for joy.

So, everyone tacitly avoided asking, and today Wang Daya had a rare lapse, casually asking.

Yi Meng didn’t respond to Wang Daya’s comments but changed the subject again, “Sister-in-law, are you tired today?”

“Tired of what, just cooking noodles, plus the warmth from the fire feels quite good!”

As soon as this came up, Wang Daya was instantly energized.

Running a stall was not as comfortable as growing vegetables at home, but it was lucrative!

With vegetables, one had to wait for the harvest to see money, but selling noodles was different; you see money with every bowl sold.

How could making money be tiring?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep