CHAPTER 259: CHAPTER 253: LITTLE SECRET_3

Yu Xiaolian asked, "Doesn’t my Uncle Daji have three sons in his family?"

Aren’t they going to school?

The Sun family said, "Mancang is already twelve, Mandun is ten, and Manfeng is a bit younger, but nine still seems too late."

Yu Xiaolian said, "It’s not too late, not too late. Our academy even has old scholars in their forties. Twelve is not late at all. If one is smart and has the potential to study, it’s never too late.

Even if they study for two years and realize they’re not cut out for it, wouldn’t they still be better than those who can’t read a single character?"

Yu Xiaolian had a plan in mind: once past this street, all the shops would be hers.

So, now she needed to nurture some trusted people who could be her shopkeepers in the future. How can a shopkeeper be illiterate?

Besides, she had an inexplicable fondness for Sun Mancang. On the road, when Sun Qiuxue couldn’t walk, Sun Mancang had carried her several times. When Sun Manbo beat the children, he stood in front to block them. He’s a kind person.

The Sun family said with difficulty, "If even the grandchildren of your Fifth Uncle go to the academy, wouldn’t your Fourth Uncle’s family come knocking on our door? Your Fourth Uncle has many grandsons."

If they let her family pay for everyone’s education, they couldn’t afford it. Supporting a scholar is very costly, after all.

Yu Xiaolian was dismissive, "Mother, why are you worrying so much? You need to learn to say ’no’ to their unreasonable demands.

You can agree to things you want to do. But things you don’t want to do—no matter how beautifully they speak—there’s just no way. It’s that simple.

Later, send two bags of coarse grains and two pounds of salt to my Fourth Uncle’s house, and don’t worry about anything else."

The Sun family frowned, "Your Fourth Uncle’s family has so many people. They need half a bag of rice for one meal. Aren’t two bags of coarse grains too little?"

Yu Xiaolian was resigned, "Mother, when we were at our house, they ate till they were full, but not half a bag of rice in one meal.

From now on, they’ll manage their own lives. Without you warning, Fourth Uncle will tell his daughters-in-law to save on food.

Besides, my Fourth Uncle has money on hand and helpers at home. If they run out of food, they can go to the Government Office to get food coupons, and let his son queue at the official store to buy food."

The Sun family wanted to say something else, but Yu Xiaolian interrupted her, "Mother, stop worrying. Can you look after them for a lifetime? How come since you had children, you seem like a different person—you weren’t like this before.

Even if you take a step back, you all live in the same village. If anything happens, you’ll find out immediately. What are you worried about?

I think you should worry about how to deal with Sun Dalin’s wife, who comes over every few days to mooch stuff."

The Sun family thought Yu Xiaolian’s concerns were not unreasonable. Just then, Sun Daji’s wife unloaded the dried red chili bags from the cart to move them to the storehouse. The Sun family hurriedly went up to remind her, "These are very important. These must be placed inside and covered with grain bags, absolutely can’t be lost."

These were the chilies Yu Xiaolian grew in the summer, and they only yielded one bag. She dried them before putting them in a sack, saving them to plant seeds next spring.

Sun Daji’s wife picked up the sack of chilies, which was very lightweight, and asked, "What is this?"

Why is it more valuable than grain?

The Sun family said, "These are chili seeds, intended for planting next spring. These seeds are very rare and expensive, definitely can’t be lost."

Sun Daji’s wife didn’t know what chilies were but, upon hearing they were expensive, immediately suggested, "Then don’t put them in the storehouse, it’s not safe. Put them under my bed, I guarantee they won’t get lost."

The Sun family said, "That works too. In a few days, let’s gather a few of us together to pour out these chili seeds, and around the start of the new year, we’ll start sprouting them indoors."

As soon as Sun Daji’s wife had hidden the bag of chilies, Sun Dalin’s wife came in with a smile.

Once inside, she went straight to Sun Chunfang, "Fangzi, unloading the cart?"

Sun Chunfang nodded, and exchanged a look with Yu Xiaolian, thinking that her daughter’s prediction was truly accurate.

Before she could call someone to deliver the food, Sun Dalin’s wife had already come asking.

Sun Chunfang had already set aside the food for Sun Fourth Uncle’s family, currently piled in the corner.

Sun Chunfang wasn’t very happy; sending it over on her own was one thing, but having someone come asking was another. She pointed to the two bags of coarse grains in the corner with a stern face, "Look, those are for you."

Sun Dalin glanced at the two bags of grain but didn’t move, still smiling at Sun Chunfang, "Fangzi, your fourth uncle plans to brew wine. Two bags of grain won’t last us two days, let alone brew wine.