Chapter 124: Teaching the Niece

Sizzle!

Flip it over.

Sprinkle chili, lots of it…

“Hurry up and eat something spicy to cover it up. We don’t want the kid to see it later.”

Liang Manshan stuffed the food into his mouth in a hurry. The extreme spiciness hit him instantly, and tears streamed down his face.

He forced a smile, trying to say something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, all that came out was a fit of coughing.

“Oh no! I put too much. Quick, drink some water!” Yan Lao’er fumbled around, searching for water.

At that moment, Yan Yu and Liang Fengnian arrived.

Seeing Liang Fengnian approach, Liang Manshan’s face turned red as he struggled to suppress his coughing. “It’s… cough… it’s nothing.”

Only after gulping down a large mouthful of water did he finally feel better.

“Brother Huai’an, you go ahead with your business. I’ll take my leave now.”

As if he wasn’t the grieving father from just moments ago, he once again put on his thick armor and left with his son.

Yan Lao’er watched them depart and let out a heavy sigh.

“Dad, how much chili did you put? You nearly burned Uncle Liang to death!” Yan Yu asked while helping herself to two pieces of meat, placing them at the bottom of the pot and eagerly waiting for them to cook.

“Your Uncle Liang has it tough!” Yan Lao’er recounted what Liang Manshan had just said.

Yan Yu was stunned. She was so dazed she even forgot to flip the meat.

Fortunately, her father acted quickly, saving the precious meat.

“Fengnian never told me.” She murmured.

You’d never be able to tell. A child so young, hiding everything so deep within.

“That kid doesn’t say a word. Whatever happened in those days, only he knows. Keeping it all bottled up isn’t good.

That’s why Manshan wants him to play with you all, have some fun, loosen up a bit. The further he can stay from the refugees and his own family, the better. If he can see them less, maybe he’ll forget that experience faster.”

“It’s not a problem if kids complain. The real problem is when they don’t say anything at all.” Yan Yu concluded.

Yan Lao’er pondered for a moment. That actually made a lot of sense.

“We should ask your mother about it later.”

Yan Lao’er suddenly realized, “Right! Why didn’t I think of that? This is exactly the kind of thing we should ask your mother about. What are we two doing here just guessing?”

“Dad, how much did you sell the wild boar meat for?” Yan Yu eyed her father, looking as if she was ready to pounce.

“What do you want to do?” He felt uneasy under his daughter’s gaze.

“I want to test something. If I hand it over to Uncle, will he pay me?” Yan Yu was very eager to try.

“No way!” Yan Lao’er refused decisively.

He said firmly, “Don’t even think about it! I won’t allow it!”

Afraid she wouldn’t take him seriously, he added, “If you don’t listen, I’ll cut off your allowance!”

Yan Yu looked disappointed. Her father had no sense of curiosity at all.

Just then, Luo San ran over cheerfully. “Brother Yan, here you go—twenty-five jin.”

A large bag of copper coins was shoved into Yan Lao’er’s hands before Luo San dashed off again to continue slicing and selling meat.

Yan Yu’s eyes widened as she looked from her father to Uncle Luo San.

“Dad! Are you seriously just standing here doing nothing and collecting money?”

Yan Lao’er looked a little smug. “Twenty wen per jin. They can pick whichever cut they want. Your Uncle Luo San handles it all, but I have to stay here to keep things in order.”

“See that?” He pointed to the iron pot and the neatly sliced meat. “I need to set an example so people know how to cook it properly and enjoy it.”

“Where’s Uncle Qi, Uncle Qi Si, and Uncle Qi Wu?” They were always with her dad, never apart.

“They went back to deliver the flour. Earlier, your mother was watching the stall, but she didn’t keep track of sales, so it got messy. Luo San says he has it all in his head, but you should help record things later.”

“I split the earnings into four shares with your uncles. They take flour, I take copper coins. You’ll help divide them later too.”

Yan Yu: …

The amount of work!!!

“Dad! I just remembered—I have something to ask Uncle! I’m leaving now!”

Without a shred of loyalty, Yan Yu turned and ran.

Yan Lao’er yelled after her, “Xiao’er! Don’t run! Come back, and I’ll grill some meat for you!”

“Hahahahaha… I don’t want any!” Yan Yu’s little voice rang out loud and clear.

Their father-daughter exchange had everyone around them laughing.

Yan Lao’er must have stuffed her with too much meat if she was refusing food.

Around here, it was usually the opposite—the parents had to pry the food from their kids’ mouths before they ate themselves sick.

—

“Uncle, Fengnian from Uncle Liang’s family wants to earn your reward. He knows how to read and write. The other kids need to memorize ten character sheets—should his goal be doubled? Also, can he work at our house?”

Yan Huaiwen gestured for her to sit.

Yan Yu obediently climbed into the cart and sat cross-legged opposite her uncle.

“He doesn’t even know what my reward is. Why would he want it?”

“His father, Liang Tongsheng, has accumulated enough learning. If there are no surprises, he’ll pass the next examination with ease. He’s more than capable of guiding a young child. Why go out of his way to seek my reward?”

Yan Yu was confused.

“Uncle, Fengnian never said he wanted you to tutor him. He just wants the reward.”

Yan Huaiwen chuckled.

“Letting the children exchange low-value work points for character sheets, allowing them to replace old ones, and accumulate them into a set—why do you think I’m doing that?”

“To help them learn to read!” Yan Yu answered without hesitation.

Wasn’t it obvious?

“No. I’m looking for talented students.”

Yan Yu: ???

Was there a hidden selection process behind all this?

“Uncle… are you planning to open an academy?”

Yan Huaiwen knocked his niece’s wooden head lightly with a book.

“I just want to see if there are any promising students. If we want to settle in the north, we can’t remain mere farmers.”

“But we have you and Brother Xiang Heng, don’t we?”

Yan Huaiwen patiently explained, “Guanzhou is remote, with a harsh climate. The barbarians invade every year, and the land is poor—only one harvest a year. It’s hard for the people to survive, let alone support scholars.

That’s why, once a scholar attains a title, even if they don’t pursue officialdom, they can still live better than most.”

Yan Yu thought for a moment, then asked, “Uncle, do you want to become an official?”

Yan Huaiwen smiled. “If one studies so hard and doesn’t aim to become an official, then what’s the point?”

“Then… will you serve in Guanzhou?”

A flicker of surprise crossed Yan Huaiwen’s eyes.

He knew his niece was clever, but he didn’t expect her to be this perceptive.

“Where I am assigned is up to the imperial court, not me.”

“So you might not stay in Guanzhou. That’s why you hope more scholars will emerge from the village to take care of the people. Is that right, Uncle?”

“Exactly.”

“Is becoming an official the only option? Isn’t there another way?” Yan Yu frowned.

“Guanzhou is a border region. Soldiers who defend the land can also rise in rank, but compared to studying, it’s much harder and more dangerous.”

His expression grew serious. “Bandits are ruthless, but compared to the barbarians, they’re nothing.”

“But if the barbarians are so fierce, what good is studying? Wouldn’t it be better to train with a bow and shoot them when they come?” Yan Yu clenched her little fists in determination.

Yan Huaiwen admired his niece’s boldness. In this aspect, Tianyou couldn’t compare to his daughter.

“Xiao’er, remember—when two strong forces collide, it’s a fight to the death. That’s the most foolish way.”

“Strategy and cunning… Winning with the smallest cost is the smartest choice.”

Our uncle isn’t just a doting elder—he’s a shrewd politician!