Chapter 23: That Hurts!

“All right,” Meng Yao agreed smilingly. Then she pinched Zhao Dahe’s arm.

“Ouch, that hurts!” Zhao Dahe flinched. “Okay, that’s enough! That hurts, Mother!”

“Yeah, you’re not dreaming. Why are you so shocked that I asked your brother if he wants to study? Do you think you’re the only clever one here?” Meng Yao snorted.

“I-I never said that!” Zhao Dahe denied it.

“You didn’t say it, but that’s what you thought, right?” Meng Yao mercilessly exposed Zhao Dahe.

Zhao Dahe smiled awkwardly, “I was just worried about us. Aren’t you worried we won’t have enough money to survive if Xiaoshu goes to study? I can’t bear to watch you suffer, mother.”

Meng Yao nodded in agreement. “You’re right, Dahe. I’m quite nervous, but I’ve thought it through. You will have to earn money on your own.”

Zhao Dahe shrilled in shock. Zhao Dahe was still in his puberty stages, so his voice was even more unpleasant. “You must be joking, Mother!”

“Do I look like someone who likes to joke around?” Meng Yao rolled her eyes.

“How can I earn money if I’m still studying?” Zhao Dahe asked.

“Don’t you get a reward if you get good grades? Getting third would get you one tael of silver while first place would get you two taels of silver. You can get twenty-two taels of silver in eleven months. Then you can keep twenty taels and give me two.”

Zhao Dahe could place third even though he studied casually. Hence, Meng Yao used the first place as an example to motivate Zhao Dahe

“Don’t we need to buy a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone? Also, don’t I need to eat? It would cost eight taels of silver a year just to get stationery. Besides, the principal rewarded us out of the blue. Who knows if he will reward us again?” Zhao Dahe argued.

The principal said there would be a reward every month, but Zhao Dage felt there was no need for his mother to know about it. He also wanted to take first place every month to get three taels of silver, not two. Zhao Dahe wanted to save some silver for his future wife.

“Oh? I’ll ask your principal about that later,” Meng Yao said indifferently.

Meng Yao realized Zhao Dahe was self-centered when she combined her predecessor’s memories with her observations over the past two days. Zhao Dahe only cared for himself, and he was also materialistic.

Therefore, Meng Yao didn’t believe what Zhao Dahe said. Zhao Dahe could fool her predecessor, but not her.

Ying Luo’s predecessor was a kind mother who favored Zhao Dahe, so she always treated him differently and thought he was perfect. She would leave him to his devices if she could.

“My principal is a noble person, Mother. What will he think of me if you ask him if there’s a reward? I won’t be able to show my face in school again,” Zhao Dahe hurriedly said. “Can’t you wait to find out after the next exam? I’ll listen to you and study hard. Then I can save money and help you pay for Xiaoshu’s studies!”

“You’re such a good brother, Dahe.” Meng Yao pretended Zhao Dahe’s words touched her.

“It’s what good brothers do, Mother.” Zhao Dahe gritted his teeth and squeezed out a smile. “You have to study hard when you start school, Xiaoshu.”

Zhao Xiaoshu was at a loss.

“So, it’s decided?” That was a rhetorical question.

“I don’t have any objections,” Zhao Dahe spread his hands since his opinion wouldn’t matter anyway. Zhao Dahe felt that his mother was repenting for being too harsh on Zhao Xiaoshu.

‘So be it if Xiaoshu wants to study. Not everyone has the talent to be a scholar.’

Meng Yao sent Zhao Dajiang to school in the past, but he was blockheaded and couldn’t learn no matter how hard he tried. He dropped out of school shortly after.

Zhao Dahe wondered if Zhao Xiaoshu was like Zhao Dajiang. Zhao Dahe thought Zhao Xiaoshu couldn’t do it even if his mother told him to.

‘Is being a carpenter that good? Won’t Xiaoshu need to buy furniture for his home when he marries?’

“I don’t want to be a scholar, Mother. I want to return to carpentry.” Zhao Xiaoshu took a deep breath.

Zhao Xiaoshu wanted to study, but he couldn’t help but feel envious when he saw Zhao Dahe holding a book. However, Zhao Xiaoshu felt the need to help Ya’er. What if there were too many customers?

Zhao Xiaoshu would have starved to death if Ya’er didn’t secretly feed him during his apprenticeship. Zhao Xiaoshu wanted to repay her kindness and could bear to stand around doing nothing if Ya’er got into trouble.

“You should study, Xiaoshu. Your future will be bright if you can make a name for yourself. Even if you can’t, reading would broaden your horizons. You will rely on your literacy no matter what you do in the future. I know you can excel as a carpenter and earn money, but that will be all you do for the rest of your life,” Meng Yao said calmly.

“B-But…”

“I know you are kind, but there is more than one way to repay someone’s kindness,” Meng Yao said. “At most, you will help Ya’er reduce her burden. However, if you study hard enough, you can be a backer of the carpentry shop.”

Zhao Xiaoshu was confused.

“If you become a scholar, people will become curious when they discover you’ve worked in a carpentry shop. They will think of the shop you worked in if they need furniture. Also, you will become the carpentry shop’s ambassador if you go there from time to time,” Zhao Dahe said.

As expected, Zhao Dahe was a quick thinker. He excelled in his studies and constantly thought of the future. If Zhao Dahe could guide Zhao Xiaoshu well, he would also excel.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaoshu was pretty capable. With proper guidance, he could be a great man.

“Dahe is right, Xiaoshu,” Meng Yao confirmed Zhao Dahe’s words.

“Okay, I’ll study hard,” Zhao Xiaoshu said.

‘You’re too naive, young man. You can’t be smart just because you want to,’ Zhao Dahe thought.

Meng Yao was thrilled. “I will send you to school next spring.”

Studying was a tough task, and Zhao Xiaoshu’s injured body could not take it. However, winter was a good season for nourishment, and Meng Yao had to repent for treating Zhao Xiaoshu poorly. She knew a healthy body was the source of everything good.

“You must be hungry. I will make you some delicious food,” Meng Yao said.

Zhao Dahe was afraid his mother would forget about him, so he quickly said, “I’m hungry too, Mother! Can I have some food?”

Besides, Zhao Dahe was willing to make such a significant sacrifice and thought he deserved to have some delicious food.

“Of course,” Meng Yao replied and went to the kitchen.

According to Meng Yao’s memories, Zhao Xiaoshu loved eating noodles, so she decided to satisfy him and make hand-rolled noodles.

Meng Yao added an egg to some flour, added some salted water, and kneaded the mixture into a dough. Whether the noodles were delicious or not would depend on the dough, so proper kneading was a crucial step.

The noodles would be soft and delicious if they were smooth to the touch. That was one of Meng Yao’s best dishes, and she could cook it with barely any effort.