Lin Shu was the kind of person who, if she put her mind to it, was very easy to like. However, she wasn’t so narcissistic as to believe she was someone “loved by all, whose presence made the flowers bloom.” Furthermore, Zhou Ye’s bond with the original female lead was quite deep; after all, if Lin Yao hadn’t returned to the Marquis’s manor, it was practically set in stone that she would have married Zhou Ye.
Combined with Zhou Ye’s behavior over the past two days—not only rarely looking her in the eye but also saying very little and constantly making an effort to avoid her—Lin Shu naturally assumed that Zhou Ye was dissatisfied with her. Perhaps there was even a tiny sliver of resentment in his heart?
Putting herself in his shoes, if the “cooked fat duck” in her hand had flown away, she would also feel some grievance. The logic was crude but sound; it was only because Zhou Ye’s character was decent and he knew she wasn’t to blame that he didn’t show his dissatisfaction on his face.
As for why Lin Shu was so friendly to him, besides having something to ask of him, it was also to follow the old saying: “One does not strike a smiling face.” No matter how poor Zhou Ye’s impression of her was, he would surely be too embarrassed to show a dark face to a gentle, kind, and innocent young girl, wouldn’t he?
To her surprise, Xiaopu suddenly dropped a bomb that left her completely stunned.
Lin Shu was dazed for a long while before her eyes flickered. With a rather subtle expression, she asked, “Why do you think Zhou Ye likes me? Elaborate on that.”
Lin Xiaopu grinned, showing her teeth. “There’s so much! For example, Sister, every time you speak to Brother A-Ye, the tips of his ears turn red!”
Lin Shu was surprised. “He’s so tanned; you can tell his ears are turning red?”
Lin Xiaopu’s tone was certain. “You still can. If Brother A-Ye’s ears get hot, that blackness can reveal a hint of red, even if it’s not obvious.”
“And besides the red ears?”
“He’s always stealing glances at you, but as soon as you look over, he looks away. And if Sister stares at Brother A-Ye while talking, he doesn’t even dare to look at you! Mother said that when Father was young, he liked her so much he didn’t dare look at her, because one look would make his heart beat faster and his chest feel tight and uncomfortable.”
The corners of Lin Shu’s mouth slowly curled upward, yet she said, “I don’t believe it. You must be overthinking things.”
“It’s true!” Lin Xiaopu said somewhat urgently. “Before, when Sister… when Sister Yao was here, Brother A-Ye wouldn’t act like this.”
Lin Shu’s gaze moved slightly as she asked, “Did Zhou Ye not know he was supposed to marry your Sister Yao in the future? Or did he find out very late?”
Lin Xiaopu: “He knew very early on. Father never hid his intentions. But both Brother A-Ye and my Sister Yao were very steady. Sister Yao was single-mindedly focused on making money; her agreeing to Father’s idea was also because she thought she’d have to marry someone anyway, and finding a man to marry into the family was better than marrying out. And Brother A-Ye had even fewer opinions; he was nearly starving to death back then, so he did whatever Father told him to do.”
Hearing this, it sounded as if Zhou Ye didn’t have even a bit of romantic interest in the female lead.
If he was a “tool,” he really was a tool; he didn’t even count as an admirer of the female lead?
“Are you sure Zhou Ye didn’t like your Sister Yao?” Lin Shu asked with some hesitation.
This was the female lead of the book, after all. How could a female lead not have a few suitors? Zhou Ye happened to be a high-quality suitor.
Although Lin Shu hadn’t recognized everyone in Tianshui Village yet, she could guarantee that you wouldn’t find another young man of higher quality than Zhou Ye in this village, and it would be hard to find one in the surrounding ten miles!
Lin Xiaopu said with the cleverness of a little ghost, “He liked her, of course. Sister Yao was diligent and capable; who in the village didn’t like her? If Father hadn’t bought Brother A-Ye so early, the matchmakers coming to our house would have worn down our doorstep! Hehe, but it definitely wasn’t the kind of ‘like’ Sister thinks it is.”
“You little rascal.” Lin Shu snorted softly. “I’ll take your word for it for now. I’ll test him later; if I find out it’s not the case, I won’t tell you bedtime stories tonight.”
Lin Xiaopu patted her chest and guaranteed that she was definitely right.
While the two sisters were having their small talk, Third Uncle Lin Dashui had reconciled with Lin Dashan and was preparing to leave. Before going, he specifically thanked Lin Shu. His solemn manner made Lin Shu feel quite embarrassed.
“Third Uncle, you’re being too polite. You are my father’s biological brother; three years ago, we were still one family. It’s only right for us to help each other.”
That one sentence made Lin Dashui feel both ashamed and guilty.
When the family was divided three years ago, he shouldn’t have listened to his wife and quarreled with his second brother. Even if he had argued for an extra acre of land, would Yushu have been able to afford school?
“Shu-lass, both your Third Uncle and Third Aunt will remember your kindness. In the future, if Yushu makes something of himself, you will be his elder sister!”
Lin Shu laughed. “I am right now, too.”
Lin Dashui quickly corrected himself: “Right, right! Always!”
Over by the stove, He Guixiang shouted, “The food is being made! Third Brother, stay and have breakfast before you go!”
Lin Dashui quickly waved his hand. “No, no, I’m leaving now. I’ll send Yushu over in a bit.”
Lin Dashan stopped him and stuffed a piece of wild boar meat—perfectly layered with fat and lean—into his hand. “Take this back and eat.”
“Second Brother, I can’t, I can’t!”
Lin Dashan didn’t wait for him to refuse further and pushed him out.
Returning from seeing him off, his weathered face relaxed with a smile.
He Guixiang was also happy today. She made dry rice, and once the rice was steamed, she left several small side dishes to Lin Shu to cook.
The fish they caught yesterday was finished, but there were still two yellow eels. Lin Shu made “Onion-Fried Eel Backs.”
She added oil to a hot pan, cut wild green onions, wild garlic, and mugwort into sections, and stir-fried them until fragrant. Then she added the eel sections and stir-fried them, finally adding soy sauce, salt, and other seasonings to simmer and reduce the sauce. If she had added aged yellow wine, the taste would have been even better, but grain at home had to be saved for eating; no one would be willing to use it for brewing. If they truly craved it, they would go to town and buy two ladles.
Once the eel was stewed, Lin Shu went behind the house to pick a handful of greens.
Behind and beside every household’s house, there were some slopes and embankments. These slopes were not good for farming, so the families usually cleared the weeds and used them to grow melons, fruits, and vegetables.
Greens and radish seeds were the cheapest and easiest to grow, so most people planted these two varieties. Some also grew “barbarian melons,” which were what later generations called cucumbers.
Like most villagers, He Guixiang only planted greens and radishes. The spring radishes had all been harvested; a portion was made into pickled cabbage along with the greens, and the rest were all dried into radish strips. The summer radishes had only just been sown, so they would have to wait to eat them, but fresh greens could be eaten anytime.
However, Lin Shu thought it was a pity; with so much empty space, they could completely plant more varieties of fruits and vegetables. Later, she would look around in town and buy more seeds.
The family was thoroughly satisfied with this breakfast.
The onion-fried eel backs was an extra meat dish, and added to the fact that He Guixiang had toasted quite a few pancakes early in the morning, after Zhou Ye took four as his rations, three were left. Lin Dashan ate one, and the remaining two were shared among the mother and two daughters. With the dry rice and vegetables, everyone ate until they were stuffed.
Lin Xiaopu touched her protruding little belly and accidentally looked toward the courtyard gate. She suddenly shouted, “Father, Mother, I think Cousin Yushu is here!”
Lin Dashan cleared his throat. “Then why aren’t you telling your cousin to hurry in? What’s he doing standing out there?”
Lin Xiaopu laughed and quickly ran outside the gate to call him.
Lin Yushu was shy by nature. After greeting Lin Dashan and He Guixiang as Second Uncle and Second Aunt, he just stood there, not knowing what to say.
Lin Dashan patted his shoulder. “Study hard with your sister.”
After saying that dryly, Lin Dashan shouldered his hoe, took his sickle, and headed to the fields to work. His steps as he left were a bit lighter than usual.
He Guixiang said gently, “The table was just cleared. Go into the main hall.”
Lin Shu placed two long benches in the hall with their backs to the door. Lin Yushu and Lin Xiaopu sat in the lower positions, while she sat at the head.
The progress was based primarily on Lin Yushu. Lin Xiaopu would listen to as much as she could, and Lin Shu would catch her up on the earlier parts later.
After Lin Yushu sat down, he was a bit uneasy at first. But once Lin Shu went straight to the point and asked about his learning progress under the old Tongsheng years ago, although Lin Yushu’s answers remained respectful, his tense body relaxed considerably.
“…The Master taught the ‘Three Character Classic.’ I could recite the whole thing six years ago, but the Master didn’t explain the entire text. I only learned up to the line: ‘We speak of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. These four classes are the pillars of the state.'”
Lin Yushu spoke calmly, but Lin Shu was already stunned by his first sentence.
The “Three Character Classic” has over a thousand characters. Six years ago, Lin Yushu was only about six years old, right? He had actually memorized the whole thing?
“Then how much do you still remember now?” Lin Shu asked.
Lin Yushu replied, “I remember all of it.” His tone was matter-of-fact.
“Recite it for me!”
Lin Yushu indeed began to recite. He recited the entire piece without a single stumble, as if it had been engraved in his mind long ago.
Lin Shu then spot-checked a few sentences he had learned before. Not only could Lin Yushu explain their full meaning, but he could also offer his own insights and ask some very high-level questions.
Not only that, but Lin Yushu could even write out from memory everything the old Tongsheng had taught him!
Lin Shu’s expression froze for a moment.
No way, no way!
She had just intended to teach casually, letting Lin Yushu recognize a few more characters and perhaps teaching him some arithmetic so that he could at least become a bookkeeper in the city later. To her surprise, Lin Yushu was a natural-born scholar.
She suddenly understood why the Third Aunt had been unwilling to give up for so many years.
He had to study. Lin Yushu had to continue his education!