A Good Country Wife-Chapter 597 - 591_1

Zhao Erhu was well aware of Zhao Yunxiang’s intentions and goals; he was just pretending to be confused, always justifying that slice of fraternal affection. He wasn’t displeased at all when his wife spoke her mind—in fact, quite the opposite, especially after hearing her subsequent words, he felt very comforted deep inside. With a wife like this, what more could he ask for?

"Wife, I must have built up a lot of good deeds in my past life to have married such a wonderful wife as you. From now on, I’ll definitely treat you well. If you say go east, I’ll never go west. I’ll listen to you in everything, and you don’t have to consult me about the children’s matters anymore. Do whatever you think is best; I trust you."

"Don’t just say sweet nothings. No matter what, you’re the children’s uncle, and even if I have plans, you need to listen to them and pay more attention to the children. After all, they’ve just lost their mother." Lin Yue said this first before mentioning her own plans, for she was not one to silently contribute without expecting acknowledgment. Since she had made the effort, she certainly wanted Zhao Erhu to know about it.

"Youjin and Youyin are boys, so I plan to send them to study for a few years first. Since they’re still young and immature, they need the guidance of a proper teacher to set them on the right path and teach them discernment. Furthermore, studying will broaden their horizons, which will benefit them no matter what profession they choose in the future, and they won’t be easily deceived. Of course, if they’re ambitious and achieve academic success, obtaining an official title will bring honor to our family.

As for Xiangxiang, although she’s a girl and I don’t expect her to learn literature as the daughters in large families do, she still needs to learn to read and do arithmetic. In the future, when she gets married, she’ll have to manage household affairs, and this will prevent her from being looked down upon. However, she’s not young anymore and will be of marriageable age in two or three years. It’s obviously unsuitable for her to attend school outside and show herself in public with her younger brothers. I will have the literate maids at home teach her and let her learn embroidery and sewing with Lan Fang and Dong Xue. I’ll also ask Madam Xu to spare some time to teach her—Madam Xu comes from the palace and is very skillful. As long as Xiangxiang can master even ten to twenty percent of that, she won’t have to worry about her future marriage prospects."

Lin Yue’s arrangements couldn’t have been more thorough, considering and planning for the best interests of the children at every step. Even their own biological children might not receive such meticulous care. Zhao Erhu had originally just promised to look after Lin Genfa and his sons in terms of their living needs; he hadn’t thought so far ahead. His wife had really put a lot of thought into this for his sake. He couldn’t be anything but grateful for his wife’s thoughtfulness, not to mention her care for her nephews. Naturally, he repeatedly thanked her.

However, the prospect of Youyin and Youjin attending school was not so straightforward. They had not yet started their basic education and couldn’t recognize any characters, unlike Dalang and his siblings, whom Zhao Erhu had taught personally, followed by half a year under Lin Yue’s instruction. Prior to enrollment, they’d also had a tutor, so they quickly caught up with the other students in school. Later, they even managed to get into Xin’an City’s prestigious Songshan Academy, a proud achievement. In contrast, if Youjin and Youyin were sent to school right now, they would surely fall behind.

Since Lin Yue mentioned sending them to school, she intended for them to do well. Thinking of village kids of similar age who couldn’t read and only knew how to run about and play, she considered that their household was doing well financially, and they had already planned to do something for the village. It made more sense to open a school in the village and hire a teacher for the children’s education. This would be an act of merit for their family, improve their reputation, and indirectly benefit the children’s futures.

Most of all, Lin Yue wanted to find a way to send Zhao Anyu’s family away. Anyu’s wife, Qian Shi, was a constant source of worry, causing resentment among the servants and giving Lin Yue a lot of trouble, but there hadn’t been a suitable excuse to send her packing. With Erhu setting sail in two months, it was the perfect opportunity to resolve the matter before his departure.

Anyu had scholarly status, and since the village was going to have a school that needed a teacher, he fit the role perfectly. This would provide Anyu with a livelihood, removing the need for him to live off their household. Lin Yue was less concerned about supporting his family—it was merely a matter of spending some grain. It was Qian Shi’s absurd behavior that was intolerable; she had caused a scene in front of everyone and among the servants, drawing villagers to gawk, and not long after, she stirred up trouble in the kitchen again. It was entirely inappropriate, and if such a person was not dealt with swiftly, there would only be more disturbances.

Lin Yue shared her plan with Zhao Erhu. "What do you think of this idea: to build a school in the village? All we need to do is purchase some land and build a few rooms for the children’s schooling. The cost won’t be great, except for the annual salary we’d give to the teacher in silver coins. We wouldn’t need to concern ourselves further; just hand the money over to the village chief. Along with the school’s construction, we only need to discuss it with the village chief. I’m sure he’ll be more than willing to take care of everything with such an opportunity to benefit the village."

"This is a great idea, wife. I was thinking about giving back to our hometown now that our family has become prosperous. Aside from the reputation, those who were jealous will feel grateful for the benefits and drop their ill intentions, avoiding underhand actions, which would save us some worry. But I hadn’t considered the idea of building a school—it’s truly excellent. You’re so clever!"

"As for your cousin, you still need to talk to him. Although we think this is a great idea, you can’t know someone’s heart until it’s discussed clearly. If it’s not laid out plainly, who knows if he’ll get the wrong idea? As for Qian Shi, she’s a habitual instigator. Even if your cousin has good intentions, she could easily turn a good deed into a bad one, so you need to explain it thoroughly to your cousin."

"Don’t worry, wife, I’ll swing by the village chief first, get the school construction settled, then talk to Anyu. Although Qian Shi is not the best, Anyu is as sensible as they come. I see that he’s not keen on living at the mercy of others. No matter how well we treat them, there’s always an element of charity, which is different from earning a living on his own merit." Although he disliked the trouble-making Qian Shi, Zhao Erhu had faith in Anyu’s character, especially since Anyu had previously hinted at his desire for independence.

"Alright, then I’ll leave it in your hands. Just let me know once you’ve arranged everything. I’ll take care of the rest then." Seeing that Zhao Erhu had a plan, Lin Yue didn’t need to worry about it. Having a man by her side was certainly a relief, as she could leave such matters to him rather than being anxious about them herself. It was nothing like when Erhu was at sea and she had to meticulously manage every aspect of household affairs—while she might not have needed to lift a finger herself, it was still mentally exhausting.