Yang Taohua looked at the silver in her granddaughter’s palm, estimating it to be around six taels.
She immediately grasped her granddaughter’s hand and pulled her into the house to avoid being seen by the neighbors.
Once inside, she thought for a moment and called both her sons and daughters-in-law to her room. As for Tang Li, fearing she was too young and might accidentally reveal something, she was told to return to her room first.
Tang Li could easily guess what her grandmother wanted to discuss with them. Besides, she had the System on her side and could borrow her father’s perspective through it, so there was no way to keep her in the dark.
Before leaving, she stuffed the six taels of silver into Yang Taohua’s hands. “Grandma, you keep this money. It must be a gift from heaven to help our family.”
Given her grandmother’s nature, most of this money would likely still be spent on her anyway. By doing this, she could also earn some goodwill without losing out.
Yang Taohua was deeply moved. She had always been good to her granddaughter, and her granddaughter clearly held her in her heart, thinking of her even when she had silver. It truly felt like her affection hadn’t been wasted. “I’ll stew chicken and mushrooms for you tonight,” she said, remembering her granddaughter’s fondness for the dish. Normally, Yang Taohua couldn’t bear to slaughter the young chicks, preferring to stew older roosters. But this time, for her granddaughter’s sake, she was willing to sacrifice the chicks she had raised like treasures.
After her granddaughter left, Yang Taohua closed the door securely and vividly recounted the dream she had earlier.
“You all need to know about this, but you must not tell anyone else.”
Song Cuiyu was astonished. She never imagined her daughter had such a fate. She recalled their visit to Qingniu Temple, where they had received silk fabric from Master Liaoran. So, that goodwill had been directed at her daughter!
She quickly said, “I definitely won’t tell anyone, not even my parents.”
An indescribable emotion welled up inside her: her daughter truly suffered in this mortal world, and it was all for the sake of her family. No wonder her mother-in-law had been doting on her so intensely these past few days, even surpassing her affection for Gouwa.
Song Cuiyu wasn’t foolish enough to tell her parents about this. What if they tried to arrange a marriage for the eldest girl while she was still young? She hadn’t forgotten that her eldest nephew from her maiden family was only a year younger than the eldest girl. Her parents might love her, but they would always prioritize her brothers and their sons, especially her younger brother and eldest nephew, who were the apples of their eyes.
If Tang Zheng hadn’t witnessed the silver falling from the sky with his own eyes, he would have dismissed all this as nonsense… but he had seen it happen.
He took a deep breath and said, “This matter must indeed be kept secret. Not a single word should leak out.”
Yang Taohua rolled her eyes. “That’s exactly what I meant earlier.”
Then, with a serious expression, she turned to Tang Xun and said, “From now on, you must stop associating with those unsavory characters. If you ruin our A-Li’s reputation because of them, don’t blame me for being harsh.”
If the eldest son didn’t change his ways, she might have no choice but to arrange for her granddaughter to be adopted by the second son.
Tang Xun, who now had to attend twenty classes a day, had no time or inclination to go out drinking and eating with his old friends. He said, “I have to study. I don’t have time to fool around with them.”
Yang Taohua replied, “You cost me ten taels of silver. If you don’t study hard, you’ll have to pay me back.”
Had it been easy for her to save up that money? If it weren’t for the second son giving her money over the years, she wouldn’t have been able to afford it.
Tang Xun was now under the supervision of the System, so he had no choice but to study seriously. He swore a solemn oath, “If I don’t study hard and waste Mother’s money, may I die a miserable death.”
Seeing him go so far as to say such words, Yang Taohua’s expression softened considerably. “Mother will trust you one last time.”
Although she had been disappointed in her eldest son countless times, he was still her own flesh and blood, and Yang Taohua still hoped he would improve.
Tang Xun said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go back to my room to study.”
If he didn’t hurry, he wouldn’t be able to finish today’s twenty lessons.
He turned and ran as if a ghost were chasing him.
Yang Taohua watched with amazement.
Tang Zheng also said, “I should go back and review my books as well.”
Returning to his room, Tang Zheng pinched the flesh on his thigh hard, the pain twisting his usually calm expression—so it wasn’t a dream after all.
He sat dazedly in his chair.
Well, better get back to reading.
…
In the following hours, Tang Xun attended his lessons diligently, not even eating more than a few pieces of the fragrantly stewed chicken.
Before midnight, he completed the day’s lessons and quickly finished the test paper.
Indeed, during the learning process, he truly experienced the benefits of enhanced memory. He absorbed knowledge at an astonishing speed and even achieved his first-ever “excellent” grade on a quiz.
With today’s daily tasks completed, his Intelligence rose to one hundred twenty-two, and his silver reserves reached twenty-two taels.
There was still some time before midnight, so Tang Xun let his constantly working mind rest, enjoying a rare moment of tranquility.
His wife was already fast asleep by this time.
And he, after midnight when new daily tasks refreshed, would have to continue studying.
After resting for a while, he asked the System, “Was I chosen by you because of my daughter?”
【Your daughter is blessed with great fortune, but unfortunately, she has you dragging her down, causing much of her fortune to go to waste. That’s why your ancestors sent me here.】
The System’s meaning was clear: it was sent by his ancestors, representing them, so he had better show it some respect.
Tang Xun felt somewhat indignant. He wasn’t that bad, was he?
The System directly hit him with a heavy dose of reality, showing him the fate of his entire family. No additional information was provided.
Tang Xun was stunned: Not only did he cause his own mother’s death from anger, but he also led his entire family, including himself, to a miserable death on the streets?
Even he himself wanted to rush into that vision and beat up his future self. How could he have been so foolish, so easily deceived?
For the first time, the usually thick-skinned Tang Xun wore an expression of shame.
【Because you are the person Tang Li trusts the most, we prioritized choosing you.】
Tang Xun’s face flushed even redder. He hadn’t realized he held such a high place in his daughter’s heart.
【I understand,】 he mumbled.
【If you consistently fail to complete tasks and remain hopelessly incompetent, then our Virtuous Empress System will have no choice but to cooperate with your younger brother. He is also a member of the Tang family.】
Tang Xun couldn’t help but imagine the scenario if his younger brother possessed the Virtuous Empress System.
Ah-Zheng already loved studying; the System’s tasks would be no challenge for him. Once he had the System, he would not only become smarter but also wealthy, and might even enjoy robust health and a long life…
As for himself, without the System, he was nothing. How could he ever catch up?
The gap between them would only grow wider and wider.
As the saying goes, anything that people fight over must be good.
Just yesterday, Tang Xun had despised the System intensely, wishing to be rid of it as soon as possible. Now, in an instant, he felt a sense of urgency.
He clenched his teeth.
He would pass the Xiucai (Licentiate) exam, then the Juren (Recommended Man) exam, and finally become a Jinshi (Successful Candidate)!
As soon as midnight arrived and the new task refreshed, without needing any urging from the System, Tang Xun had already begun studying diligently on his own.
…
Watching her father, as if injected with adrenaline, studying with such fervor, Tang Li turned over contentedly.
She hoped her father’s determination would last a little longer.
By the time Tang Li woke up, her father had already left for the academy—and he had gone by rented carriage.
Yang Taohua placed a steamed egg in front of Tang Li and said, “I don’t know if he’s studying properly at the academy. I hope he doesn’t waste my money.”
Renting a carriage was much more expensive than an ox cart, but there was no choice. Walking to the county town on foot would take several hours.
The money had been provided by Yang Taohua, as the eldest and second sons had not yet divided the family property.
Tang Li said, “My father will definitely be fine.”
Well, at least for the first ten days, due to the System’s mandatory requirements, he would study diligently to avoid punishment.
Yang Taohua could only force herself to believe it.
After finishing breakfast, Tang Li played with her younger brother, who was still wearing split pants. Yang Taohua measured her for new clothes, saying, “Your mother and I will hurry to make you two new sets of clothes in the next couple of days.”
When they visited the Li family yesterday, her daughter had taken some fabrics from the storeroom to provoke the old lady. Those fabrics could still be used to make a few more sets of clothes for A-Li.
If Tang Li got to eat meat, she naturally had to let her own people have some soup too.
“Grandma, you and my mother should also make some new clothes for yourselves. Don’t just focus on me.”
Yang Taohua noted down the measurements and waved her hand in refusal. “I’m old already. What’s the point of wearing new clothes? It would just be a waste.”
Tang Li said, “If you dress too shabbily, people will say that my second uncle and I are unfilial, only caring about eating and dressing well ourselves. It would affect our reputation.”
At the mention of reputation, Yang Taohua’s expression softened. “Alright then, if there’s extra fabric.”
After taking the measurements, Second Uncle Tang Zheng called Tang Li over. He gave her a new inkstone, taught her how to grind ink, selected a brush for her, and guided her on the correct way to hold it.
In addition, Second Uncle also gave her several copybooks.
Tang Li smiled and thanked her second uncle, who circled a few characters for her to practice first.
Tang Li sat at her small desk, slowly practicing her characters, focusing mainly on writing her own name.
Because she was still unaccustomed to using a brush, she wrote quite slowly.
Whenever her posture was incorrect, the System would remind her.
Tang Li felt that the System was somewhat useful.
By evening, she could write her name in a fairly decent manner. She picked out the three best-written ones and took them to show her second uncle.
Tang Zheng circled a few characters he thought were well-written, praised Tang Li, and said that when he returned from the prefectural city, he would bring her silk flowers and handkerchiefs from there. Tang Li felt as though she was being treated like a child, but then she thought—wasn’t she a child now?
Growing increasingly aware of her status as a child, she proudly showed off her writing to her father when he returned.
Tang Xun stroked his nonexistent beard with an air of authority. “Not bad, just a little worse than mine.”
Tang Li: “…”
Did she not know what her father’s handwriting looked like? It was no better than a dog’s scrawl. The System was already planning to increase his practice in this area.
Tang Xun’s first day of class went fairly well. He appeared attentive in class, but in reality, he was following along with the great scholars in his mind. Master Jiang’s teaching level was actually quite good, but the great scholars instructing Tang Xun were all selected by the System from various parallel worlds. Not only were they erudite, but they also knew how to teach according to each student’s aptitude, explaining complex concepts in simple terms. Tang Xun naturally knew which one to focus on seriously.
With the comparison, he even felt like he had gotten a bargain. For lectures from such great scholars, the annual tuition fee would likely cost a thousand taels.
Of course, his trip to the city today wasn’t just for attending class.
Tang Xun began to claim credit: “Today, I asked a classmate and found a doctor skilled in treating blood stasis. I specially invited him and his wife, Mrs. You, to come to our home to examine my sister’s knee injury.”
After all, it wouldn’t be appropriate to let the doctor directly look at his sister’s knee. When treating female patients, Dr. Wang would usually bring his wife, Mrs. You, along. Mrs. You had learned some medical knowledge under his guidance.
“I’ve heard that Mrs. You is quite gossipy. I estimate that within a couple of days, this matter will spread. My sister’s knee injury is no lie. Mrs. You said that my sister must not continue kneeling, or her leg might be permanently damaged. That wicked mother-in-law truly has a malicious heart.” As he spoke, he grew somewhat indignant. He wanted to see whether the Li family would continue pretending ignorance once the matter blew up.
From yesterday until now, Assistant County Magistrate Li had not sent anyone to say a word.
What Tang Xun didn’t know was that Assistant County Magistrate Li was still being kept in the dark about this by his own wife.
But he would soon find out.
Yang Taohua felt somewhat relieved. “You handled this well. You’re starting to act like an older brother.”
Tang Xun shamelessly said, “Mother, I spent a hundred wen to find that doctor and another few dozen wen to treat my classmate to a meal. Altogether, it’s one hundred and thirty-four wen. Shouldn’t this money come from the family funds?”
Yang Taohua’s face stiffened. She had praised him too soon—her eldest son was still the same as before!
Author’s Note:
None