Chapter 107: If You’re All Coming to School, Who Will Do the Housework?

This young girl, though not very old, was righteous and capable.

She had even successfully acquired a stake in the county’s Shiwei Restaurant.

She had previously used the little White Rabbit to curry favor, and now she was successfully leveraging her skills once again.

The Bai Family now had close to a hundred taels of silver.

The children had contributed over ten taels from their findings, but the bulk of it came from Liang Tian’er.

The little White Rabbit alone was worth twenty-five taels, and there was another fifty taels from Liang Tian’er last time—ostensibly an apology, but actually meant to win over and thank them for Sweet Potato and the little White Rabbit.

That was nearly a hundred taels already.

Just now, to thank them for their help and advice, she had given them an additional one percent share of the profits.

Sweet Potato’s earnings hadn’t even been fully calculated yet.

If Sweet Potato could truly play a major role during the famine, the silver…

Jiang Dai and Bai Tian knew that as long as they didn’t aspire to the extravagant lifestyles described in ancient novels, this money was enough to keep them clothed and fed for a lifetime.

And now, with four children needing to study and learn characters, the couple also needed to become literate.

Although they really didn’t want to go to school, they had to admit that schooling was useful—truly useful!

They went with Mo Han to look at two houses outside.

One wasn’t very big, but it wasn’t too far from the private school, though the asking price was a bit high.

Bai Tian wasn’t good at much, but he had some skill at haggling, combined with Jiang Dai’s acting.

In the end, they managed to get the price lowered a little.

Seeing that it was getting late, Bai Tian and Jiang Dai hurried back to the private school to pick up the children.

They still needed to return to Niantao Village. Although they didn’t have many possessions, they had to bring what was usable and also inform the neighbors.

They didn’t want the neighbors thinking the family had run away from debts. The plot of land in Niantao Village was definitely worth keeping.

It was the original owner’s home; there was no need to sell it!

They could also ask the children how they felt about their first day at the private school.

…

In the private school.

There weren’t many girls, actually.

A group of young boys were very curious about Juanjuan’s arrival.

But, hindered by the three older brothers sitting beside the little one, they couldn’t get close.

Since the eldest child in the Bai family was only eight years old, they were all in the same room.

Children under ten years old were all in this room.

Juanjuan was probably the youngest one there.

Although she was the smallest, she was the most serious about her studies.

Being the only little girl, the teacher couldn’t help but pay her a bit more attention.

When the lesson ended.

The teacher came to Juanjuan’s side and asked her, “Could you understand what I taught?”

Juanjuan nodded: “I understood most of it!”

“One must strive for perfection in learning; you can’t just say ‘most of it’.”

Juanjuan nodded, indicating she understood.

The teacher asked, “What primer¹ have you studied?”

Juanjuan answered truthfully: “The Thousand Character Classic².”

“The Thousand Character Classic?”

“Mm-hmm!”

The teacher opened his book, found the Thousand Character Classic, pointed randomly at a character near the beginning, and asked, “Do you recognize this character?”

Juanjuan shook her head.

The teacher said, “If you don’t recognize the characters, how did you study it?”

Juanjuan wasn’t afraid of the teacher. She just said, “We don’t have the book at home, and I don’t know the characters, but I’ve heard it. I can recite it!”

The teacher gave a light laugh. “Come on then, recite it for me. Let’s see.”

Juanjuan saw the smile on the teacher’s face and knew he thought she couldn’t do it.

But…

The three big brothers sitting nearby leisurely watched the show.

They knew their little sister was truly clever and had a great memory since she was very young.

The Thousand Character Classic…

She had even reached the level where she could teach it to Da Chui next door.

“Heaven and Earth, dark and yellow; Universe, vast and chaotic. Sun and moon, full and waning; Stars and constellations, spread out in array…”

The little one recited with a distinct rhythm, perfectly mimicking the intonation Teacher Wang Xiaoshu used when teaching.

The teacher, initially indifferent, gradually became astonished as the child recited steadily.

She really could recite it?

“Virtuous deeds make the worthy; Restraining thoughts makes the sage. Virtue established, name stands tall; Form upright, bearing correct.”

Juanjuan stopped. Not feeling proud that she had recited it, she just said respectfully to the teacher, “Teacher, I’ve finished. I haven’t learned the rest yet, so I don’t know them.”

Bai Yun’an laughed quietly in his heart.

【Hah! Really, why test her of all people? Test my little sister!】

【Even if you tested me, I couldn’t recite it.】

Bai Yunxing looked at his young sister with admiration. He truly hadn’t expected that not only did his sister recite it confidently and fully, but she also wasn’t arrogant about it.

【That’s right. In all this time since coming to this family, I’ve never really seen Juanjuan act proud. She always seems this well-behaved.】

【If this were any child from the Mu Family, they’d be holding their heads high with pride, showing off every day.】

Bai Yun’an looked at his sister, feeling a sense of shared honor.

【Hmm! Good job! Makes us look good!】

Juanjuan blinked, looking at her brothers, then at the astonished teacher.

Could it be… that reciting this is something to be proud of?

Is it really that hard to memorize?

Wasn’t it just because Brother Dachui didn’t study properly that he couldn’t memorize it?

(Da Chui: …Can’t you see how hard I struggled to learn?!!!!!)

Juanjuan opened her mouth but decided against asking.

“Teacher… Huh?”

A familiar voice came from the doorway.

Hearing a familiar voice in an unfamiliar place, Juanjuan turned her head sharply.

It was Uncle Wang from next door.

The little girl’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Uncle!”

She called out in a hushed voice.

The teacher looked at the little prodigy who had just amazingly recited the Thousand Character Classic, then at Wang Xiaoshu who had come to see him.

“You know each other?”

Wang Xiaoshu nodded. “Yes, she’s the little niece from next door.”

Juanjuan said to the teacher, “It was Uncle who taught me!”

“Xiaoshu, you taught this child?”

Wang Xiaoshu nodded. “Mm. When I’m on break, I go home and tutor my nephew for his primer. But that nephew is hopeless, doesn’t have the brains for it. This little one here listened a few times and learned it. She remembers everything she learns, bit by bit!”

Speaking of Juanjuan, Wang Xiaoshu felt a particular affection.

It was like looking at his own student, discovering an uncut gem, picking her out from a pile of stones, and polishing her.

Simply put, it was the pride and satisfaction of finding a promising talent.

The teacher truly hadn’t expected a little girl to be this intelligent.

What a pity she’s just a girl.

Studying, learning characters… in the end, she’ll just have to find a husband and get married. But being literate and educated might help her marry into a wealthy family later on!

Not bad either!

Fortunately, the esteemed gentlemen nearby had no idea what was going through his mind, or they would surely have looked down on him with disdain.

How utterly pedantic.

Spotting the neighbor’s child, Wang Xiaoshu informed the teacher that he would visit him later, then led the four children toward the entrance to wait for their parents to pick them up.

It was then that Wang Xiaoshu learned all four children might be attending the private school.

“You… all of you are coming to study? What about the silver? And who will handle the chores at home?”

Translator’s Notes