"Sister-in-law, your complexion looks so sallow," said Xiao Yao Shi, setting down her bamboo basket in the vegetable patch and sighing. "We haven't had any meat for over a month. Xiao Yu's tuition alone cost ten taels of silver. Before, Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law used to give Mother three to four hundred wen a month, but now not a single wen."
"Mother is getting more and more stingy, she won't even cook a simple egg drop soup!" Ma Shi, thinking of Old Madam Zhan's stinginess, was also full of anger. She had a gluttonous appetite and could occasionally sneak a bite of the snacks given to Er Lang and Niu Niu.
Idiot! Xiao Yao Shi looked at the garrulous Ma Shi with disdain. If these words were heard by Mother, she would surely hold this fool accountable.
Hiding the calculations in her eyes, Xiao Yao Shi lowered her voice and said, "Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law's private savings were all spent on brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. By next September, the family might not even be able to afford Er Lang's tuition."
"Why should that be!" Ma Shi, like a firecracker, was ignited. She whined in a high-pitched voice, "We agreed that Er Lang would go to private school next year. If Father and Mother are biased, my husband and I won't stand for it!"
Although Ma Shi disliked her cunning second sister-in-law and was closer to Eldest Sister-in-law Li Shi, the relationship between sisters-in-law was only superficial. Provoked by Xiao Yao Shi, Ma Shi's face was filled with anger. Thinking that the family couldn't even afford sesame oil for the vegetables, she developed resentment towards Zhan Fei Yu, who was attending school.
"It's because Father and Mother are biased towards the eldest branch now. My Da Lang has to take a backseat. Sister-in-law, you watch. If they can't come up with the money next year, don't expect Er Lang to go to private school." Xiao Yao Shi tutted twice, looking sympathetically at the furious Ma Shi. "What a shame for Er Lang's intelligent mind."
"I'll go ask Mother for an explanation right now!" Ma Shi stopped picking vegetables and turned to rush home, completely unaware of Xiao Yao Shi's triumphant expression behind her.
It was past noon, and the people working in the fields had not yet returned.
The Zhan family had been spending a lot of money lately, so Old Man Zhan had suppressed his idle third son, Zhan Lao San, to work with him, intending to open up more wasteland to plant some vegetables before winter, and then plant some sweet potatoes next year.
As soon as she entered the house, Old Madam Zhan smelled the strong scent of oil. Seeing the few bites of scrambled eggs on the plate, and then seeing Ma Shi, Zhan Er Lang, Zhan San Lang, and Niu Niu with oily mouths, Old Madam Zhan felt her vision blacken.
"Grandma?" Zhan Er Lang looked at Old Madam Zhan, who had a dark expression and turned to walk towards the kitchen, with fear and unease.
Seeing that the situation was not good, San Lang threw down his chopsticks and slipped out. Niu Niu, not knowing fear, was still giggling happily.
Ma Shi wiped her mouth and grumbled with her neck stiffened, "We've already eaten it!" But her words were said with a guilty conscience.
"I'll beat you to death, you spendthrift!" A sharp scolding suddenly rang out. Seeing that all eight eggs in the jar had been wasted, Old Madam Zhan grabbed a bamboo broom and rushed back.
"Mother, what are you doing... Don't hit me..." Ma Shi screamed miserably, but the broom in Old Madam Zhan's hand still rained down.
When Old Man Zhan returned with Zhan Lao Da and Zhan Lao San carrying hoes, Xiao Yao Shi also returned from the vegetable patch, holding San Lang.
"Lao San, I can't live anymore!" In the courtyard, as soon as Ma Shi saw her husband return, she threw herself at him, crying and wailing.
"Hmph!" As Zhan Lao San entered the courtyard, he saw the disheveled, crazy woman pouncing at him. Her face was covered in fine bloodstains, her nose and tears smeared all over her face, and coupled with her shrill cries, Zhan Lao San almost kicked her.
"Daddy!" Zhan Niu Niu was only three years old and had been scared before. Now her face was also covered in snot and tears.
Zhan Lao San disgustedly avoided the slovenly Ma Shi and glanced at the messy main hall. "Did you fight with someone?"
"Lao San, this life is unbearable. I want to split the family, split the family!" Ma Shi cried hoarsely. "I just scrambled a few eggs, and Er Lang, San Lang, and Niu Niu also ate them. Mother beat me like this, she's trying to force me to death!"
Old Man Zhan frowned and rebuked sternly, "Shut up! Your mother and I are not dead yet, what are you talking about splitting the family!"
"If you want to split, then split. Anyway, I'm not splitting!" Zhan Lao San glared at the hysterical Ma Shi and added ungratefully, "I worked hard in the fields all morning. You scrambled eggs and didn't even save some for me. If we split, you can go eat shit later!"
Almost choked to death by Zhan Lao San's words, Ma Shi yelled angrily, "If Yu wasn't going to private school, Eldest Brother could still hand over two to three hundred wen every month, and the family could have egg drop soup every five days. Now it's been almost two months without meat!"
Zhan Lao Da was stunned, not expecting his sister-in-law's resentment to be directed at him.
"Yes, Lao San, don't blame your sister-in-law. Let alone the adults can't stand it, even the children at home have gotten thin. Isn't this all due to poverty?" Xiao Yao Shi stroked San Lang's head and sighed.
"Your second brother, to avoid earning money, didn't even eat coarse grain buns at noon and just drank water to fill his stomach. After all, Er Lang will be going to private school next year, and the tuition is ten taels of silver. The family's three children will cost thirty taels of silver a year!"
Thirty taels of silver! The men of the Zhan family in the courtyard fell silent. Zhan Lao Er, who pulled the ox cart to deliver goods, earned the most in the Zhan family. When business was good, he only earned one tael of silver a month. If he didn't eat or drink, he could only save ten taels.
Old Man Zhan, with Lao San as the cook for banquets, could only save five or six taels in good years. The Zhan family's children could study and get an education because of the savings accumulated over the years. However, with expenses exceeding income, these savings could not last for many years.
Zhan Fei Yu, who was eating lunch at the private school, was completely unaware of the commotion in the Zhan family.
In the study, Tutor Lin reviewed the five large characters submitted by Zhan Fei Yu during his lunch break. The brushwork was immature and lacked character, but for a beginner who had only held a brush for a month, each character was written so neatly that it showed Zhan Fei Yu's diligence.
"The Yan Qin Li Stele is the essence of Regular Script, but it is not easy for beginners. Why not practice the Duo Bao Ta Stele more? Ten copies a day, can you do it?" Tutor Lin handed the calligraphy practice book on the desk to her.
Zhan Fei Yu respectfully took it and nodded heavily, "I can do it."
Even with the county magistrate's praise, Zhan Fei Yu knew that seeking knowledge was not easy, especially since she was a girl. Her second aunt was always sarcastic, and she didn't know when she would cause trouble.