Chapter 191: Chapter 190: Jinhua Causes a Ruckus

“What’s going on?” Qin Yao asked in confusion.

The appearance of the mother and her five children slightly eased the heavy atmosphere in the courtyard.

Mrs. Qiu, seeing Qin Yao, glanced unhappily at the stubborn girl standing in the courtyard and called Qin Yao over to help persuade her.

He hurried over, pulling Qin Yao to stand in front of Jinhua, who was standing there like a wooden post,

“Jinhua respects her third aunt the most, but today this girl suddenly became stubborn. Her third aunt, you should talk to her and see which family’s girl isn’t obediently staying at home learning needlework.”

Hearing this, Jinhua glared sideways at her elder aunt, her fists clenched, as if using all her strength to resist something, tears streaming down uncontrollably.

Before Qin Yao, who was utterly confused, could speak.

Jinhua was the first to say in a not-so-loud but clear voice:

“I want to take the exam. I want to go to school. I just want to go, I absolutely want to go!”

Mrs. Qiu didn’t expect that, despite the family’s lengthy persuasion, she hadn’t given up on this idea. Usually gentle, she unexpectedly showed a rare angry expression and scolded:

“Liu Jinhua, stop fooling around. How can our family afford school?”

“The village chief said that there’s no tuition fee!” Jinhua retorted.

Don’t underestimate her because she’s young; just outside the ancestral hall, the village chief clearly said that the court would cover the tuition, and there was no need to pay.

Mrs. Qiu, annoyed, said, “And what about the other costs you didn’t hear about? How will you get to town without a ride? Won’t you have to spend on brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones?”

“Then why can my brother go? Does he go without spending money?” Jinhua pointed at Liu Jinbao and questioned.

What could a little girl understand? She just felt it was unfair, that’s all!

At this point, He dared not intervene, quickly returning to the main house, hugging her son Jinbao proudly, and said to him:

“Your brother is a boy. How can you be compared? If he studies well and succeeds, it’ll benefit you too. When you get married and move out, your brother can support you.”

Jinhua, crying, retorted, “If I study well and succeed, I can also support my brother.”

“Oh dear,” He couldn’t help but laugh at the little girl’s naivety. “Jinhua, you’re a girl. What can you achieve by studying? The school doesn’t even want girls. Why do you need to go? Wouldn’t it be better to learn needlework at home with your mother?”

Jinhua hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to respond.

Mrs. Qiu, holding her son, approached again and gently coaxed, “Don’t make a fuss. Why don’t you go inside and play with your brother? Don’t you want a red dress? Your grandmother already promised to get the fabric for it. Let’s make the red dress, shall we?”

Jinhua almost wavered, but she instinctively felt that studying was definitely something more valuable and precious than a red dress. She wiped her tears with her small hands, turned her head, and snorted:

“I don’t want a red dress. I want the same things as my brother!”

He chuckled and said, “Whenever there’s something good to eat or wear, doesn’t the family prioritize you and Jinbao? Your brother going to school and you wearing a red dress, isn’t that the same?”

“It’s not the same!” Jinhua sobbed, but her words were still clear, “After all this talk, you just don’t want me to take the exam, saying I definitely can’t pass. But how would you know if I don’t even try?”

Just as Mrs. Qiu was about to mention the lack of money again, Jinhua quickly interjected, “Mother, don’t say the family can’t afford it. Last year, Third Aunt gave you so much work money, and I know it. No one can fool me!”

Qin Yao raised an eyebrow, thinking how sharp the little girl was.

With such a good head on her shoulders, what a pity it would be not to send her to school.

Qin Yao thought she might say something, but again, she didn’t get the chance to speak.

Mrs. Qiu, perhaps having never seen her daughter so stubborn and impervious to persuasion, noticing that coaxing was useless, truly became angry. Hardening her heart, she asked sternly:

“Why can’t you listen to reason? Tell me, what use is it for you to go to school? In two years, how many words can you recognize, how many books can you read? Even if you study diligently, you can’t take the imperial exams!”

Jinhua was momentarily stunned by her mother’s stern tone, confusedly asking, “Why do I need to take the imperial exams? Can’t it just be about recognizing more words?”

“What’s the use of just knowing characters? Besides, you’re a girl. What do you need to recognize words for? Learning needlework well and finding a good husband to marry into is the proper thing to do.”

Mrs. Qiu, annoyed, said, “With that kind of attitude, let’s see which family would dare take you in the future!”

“I don’t care if they do. I just want to go to school!”

And so, they circled back to the starting point. No matter what was said, Jinhua wouldn’t listen, making Mrs. Qiu furious, so much so that her tears threatened to fall. Finally, Qin Yao managed to get a word in.

“I think Jinhua is right.” As she spoke, everyone in the old house trembled.

They had asked her to help persuade, not to stir up more trouble.

Si Niang, standing beside her mother, whispered, “It’s not about the lack but about the inequality. Either everyone goes, or no one goes. Only with harmony among the children will there be no conflicts. With family members helping each other, the family can prosper.”

Qin Yao looked gratefully at her outstanding daughter, shrugging helplessly at everyone in the old house, “You see, even Si Niang understands this simple principle.”

Old Liu and the others glanced at Si Niang in surprise, not expecting such wisdom from her.

The phrase “it’s not about the lack but about the inequality” is beyond the reach of those uneducated.

Jinhua, who was on the verge of despair, suddenly saw someone standing by her side. Feeling wronged, she mumbled, “Third Aunt, brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones don’t cost much, right?”

“My dad gave my mom two taels of silver, and two taels can buy a lot of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, right?”

The little girl, in her eagerness, accidentally revealed their savings.

Realizing what she’d done, Jinhua was shocked, quickly covering her mouth, and scrambled to hide behind Qin Yao and her children, afraid that her parents would take off their shoes to hit her.

Qin Yao looked up at Liu Zhong and Mrs. Qiu, their anxious faces trying hard to conceal their embarrassment, almost making her laugh.

He and Liu Bai exchanged surprised glances with the second couple, “Is this the ’no private money, desperate enough for needles and thread’ story you told us?”

Seeing there was no point in explaining, Liu Zhong defiantly looked back, “If we’re talking about private money, you two have earned work wages together, probably saving four or five taels, right?”

Mrs. Zhang rubbed her forehead, “Everyone, stop arguing, it’s giving me a headache. Isn’t it just about going to school? If they want to go, let them go, and each family pays their own!”

The last sentence was the key point.

Originally, Jinbao’s tuition was supposed to come from the communal funds, and with the family’s silver tight, they planned to send only Jinbao, the boy.

Mrs. Qiu had a point that the elders agreed with: only a boy can take the imperial exams, so sending him to school could bring real benefits to the family.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep