Chapter 48.2

Translated by Aviana

Under Shopkeeper Su’s cordial send-off, Lin Qingwan set off from Jinxiufang to the medical center. On the way back, she caressed the silver in her bosom merrily.

This was the first large amount of silver she had earned after transmigrating here, making her feel immensely happy and proud.

Initially, she only intended to make a small extra income to support the family. She never expected the embroidery to sell this well at such a high price, making her truly jubilant.

Recently, at home, the silver was being spent like running water. Of the 30 taels in her private house as well as the remaining ten taels for Yang Tiezhu’s medical treatment, only a little over twenty taels were left out in her hands at the moment. But now, with this large amount of earnings, Lin Qingwan can finally put her heart at ease.

While passing by a cloth retail store, Lin Qingwan suddenly remembered what she was supposed to buy but had forgotten. Seeing that the cotton here was on sale, she walked in.

She bought 10 catties of cotton along with dark-colored fabric. She intended to make two pillows for Yang Tiezhu. Recently, he was able to sit for a short while, but due to the unavailability of suitable pillows at home for the backrest, he was compelled to lay on the kang all day long, causing Lin Qingwan to feel distressed for him.

After buying all the necessities, Lin Qingwan hurried to the medical center.

By the time she returned, Yang Tiezhu’s bandages were already changed. The old doctor advised that he wouldn’t have to take medicine again once the Yang Tiezhu finished all the concoction he had prescribed this time. But currently, his utmost priority was to recuperate and heal his injured tendons and bones and not put stress on the muscles.

Once they climbed onto the ox cart, Yang Tiegen drove the cart out of the town.

Glancing at the various big and small bags Lin Qingwan was carrying, he asked what had she shopped.

With a smile, Lin Qingwan replied that she had bought cotton and fabric to make two pillows for him, aiding him to recline comfortably instead of laying on the kang all day long.

Hearing this made Yang Tiezhu feel sweet all over in his heart as he held his wife’s hand.

He felt he hadn’t lived in vain this lifetime, for he was able to find such a perfect wife, who is beautiful inside-out and cares for him! In his previous life, he must surely have had brunt best incense for the God to treat this generous in this life!

On returning him, Lin Qingwan and Yang Tiegen busily helped Yang Tiezhu into the room before carrying the remaining stuff.

Gloomy-faced, He-shi stood by the doorway of the main room while glancing at this side. Lin Qingwan paid no heed to her.

Anyway, He-shi’s face had been bad the same for the past few days. Only when facing Yang Xuezhang did she have a slight smile on her face. As for others, their nose isn’t nose, and eyes aren’t eyes.

Ever since the day when Yang Xuezhang returned, He-shi hadn’t been coming out often and was cooped up in her room all day long. Lin Qingwan, in any way, hadn’t since her this while.

Yang laoyezi’s face was also grave these days as he sat on the kang all day long with a crease in his brows while taking a drag of tobacco.

The atmosphere at home was quite awful recently. No one even took the initiative to speak. As such, it was unusually calm all day long.

As she had gone to the town this morning and didn’t have time to prepare any meals, in the noon, she brought the porridge and corn cakes made at home before the husband and wife had a simple casual meal.

After eating, Lin Qingwan took the cutlery to wash them by the well. At this time, she heard Yang laoyezi’s intermittent words mixed with Wang-shi’s and Yang Tiezhu’s voices. After seeing that there were no movements from there even after a while, Lin Qingwan didn’t pay much attention again.

While in the evening after dinner, in a rare instance, Yang laoyezi had Yao-shi call her and Yang Tiezhu to the main room.

Exchanging a look, Lin Qingwan and Yang Tiezhu followed Yao-shi.

Everyone seemed to have already gathered in here.

Yang laoyezi and He-shi were seated on the kang just like always, while next to them were Yang Xuezhang and Yang Ermei. On the left of the kang sat the eldest branch’s couple accompanied by their sons. Whereas, on the right sat Yang Tiegen. The two daughters of the third branch weren’t brought along.

Lin Qingwan, without a word, followed Yao-shi in and sat by her side after getting a stool.

Seeing that everyone had gathered, Yang laoyezi knocked on the table with the tobacco pipe and unhurriedly began speaking, “Recently quite a lot of eventful things have happened in the family—”

Speaking till here, Yang laoyezi stopped momentarily. Perhaps he himself wasn’t clear how to proceed further.

“Let’s not talk about the matters of the past and speak about what should be done from here on…” Yang laoyezi once again knocked tobacco pipe with a sigh, “Xuezhang…. Xuezhang, he is not young anymore. When he was six, he was admitted to the villages’ private school. Despite many years of trials and tribulations, even when the situation in the family became challenging, we never gave up on his education and tuition fees…. The year when our situation was most desperate, your father sold our family’s two mu of fields to pay your tuition fees…….”

亩 (mǔ): classifier for fields/unit of area equal to one-fifteenth of a hectare

All this while, Yang Xuezhang had been sitting there with his head hung low, quietly listening to Yang laoyezi.

Hearing this, He-shi’s lips trembled, wishing to say something, but didn’t say anything in the end.

“…You all know that the days at home were quite tough until lao’er came back. Gradually life became better as we built a big tiled-house and also bought a few mu of fields. Xuezhang was also able to go to the academy in the town to study—These were all possible only because of lao’er…. This time in order to gain silver to buy exam topics for you, he went hunting in the mountains only to get injured in the process…..The matter regarding exam topic also turned out to be fraud….”

老二 (lǎo èr): an appellation used to addre ss the second child in the family

As Yang laoyezi’s spoke slowly, his voice seemed to quiver intermittently amidst his speech.

“There isn’t any use of speaking all of these at the moment. I wish to say that our family now neither has the ability nor silver to support your further education. Above you, there are so many elder brothers and sisters-in-law, and also several nephews and nieces below you…. Spending all the silver at home only on you cannot be done…. From here on, you come back home and do self-study. During the period of schooling all these years, you must have learned something or the other. If you wish to continue taking the xucai-qualifying exam, your family won’t oppose you. But don’t go to the academy in the town….”

秀才 (xiùcai): a person who has passed the county-level imperial exam

Perhaps, Yang laoyezi had already discussed with He-shi and Yang Xuezhang earlier, as even though He-shi was trembling with anger from head to foot, she didn’t utter a word. Yang Xuezhang still had his head hung low without any response.

Yang laoyezi glanced up at the eldest branch’s husband and wife as well as the several children Wang-shi had brought to increase the headcount.

“Laoda, are you satisfied now?”

老大 (lǎodà): eldest child in a family

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