Chapter 442: Chapter 230: Starting School_1
Old Master Lian finished the remaining half bag of dry tobacco before he slowly began to speak.
"We need to hurry up and sell the house in town; I’ll go push for that again in the next few days," Old Master Lian said, tapping his tobacco pipe on the edge of the kang, "Jizu, you should also attend school with Wu Lang and Xiao Qi. Our place isn’t far from the town, and it won’t take much time to commute back and forth every day. Staying at home is better than living in that empty and cold room in town."
The implications of Old Master Lian’s words were clear—he didn’t want Lian Jizu to move to town, and the rest of his words were simply meant to be comforting.
This was the first time Old Master Lian had overruled the main house’s opinion on matters related to studying and pursuing official ranks.
Lady He and Zhao Xiue exchanged a glance, feeling somewhat pleased, while the faces of Lian Shouren and his son Lian Jizu were not so happy.
"Grandfather, I..."
Lian Jizu wanted to say something more but was interrupted by Old Master Lian.
"Jizu, our family’s situation is what it is, and you’re the eldest of your generation. In the future, the family will depend on you. You should start thinking more about such matters from now on. This matter is settled; everyone, please disperse," Old Master Lian announced to everyone.
The crowd began to disperse, and then Old Master Lian called Lian Jizu back, saying he had a few more words to entrust to him.
...
Back in the West Wing Room, Lady Zhang began to pack the items that Wu Lang and Xiao Qi needed to take to school. There wasn’t much to pack, as Lady Zhang had already prepared everything, but she couldn’t help but fuss over it repeatedly.
"Old Master held his ground well this time," Lian Shouxin sat on the kang, pondering the recent event, "He didn’t let Jizu stay in town."
"Well, the house hasn’t been sold, it’s sitting empty all the same; it doesn’t really matter who stays there," Lady Zhang remarked.
"It’s different now with more people in the family. If our father had agreed to let Jizu and his wife move there, Erlang’s household would have exploded. Didn’t you see how Erlang’s wife was just waiting for father to say something off so she could make a big fuss?" Lian Shouxin said.
"Ah..." Lady Zhang sighed.
Compared to Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang, the children were not so subtle with their words.
"I think both big uncle and second uncle want the house in town, but neither dares to say it outright," Lian Manman whispered, "Our grandfather is certainly as clear about it as a mirror, so he’d rather leave the house empty than let them live there."
"It’s tough for grandfather to manage the family now," Wu Lang said.
"Indeed, it requires more worry than before," Lian Manman nodded in agreement.
Back in the day, when Lian Shouyi’s and Lian Shouren’s families were united, and Lian Shouli’s and Lian Shouxin’s families were particularly "understanding," Old Master Lian didn’t have to worry as much as he does now.
The shattering of Lian Shouren’s dream to become an official and Erlang’s marriage to Zhao Xiue greatly altered the overall situation of the Lian family. Whether subjectively or objectively, Old Master Lian could no longer allow Lian Shouren’s family to take whatever they wanted. For the harmony of the whole family, he had to work even harder at maintaining balance.
"Let’s not talk about this anymore. Brother, Xiao Qi, when you go to school, you must study hard," Lian Manman said, "Strive to become a Scholar, and it would be best if you could become a Graduate and return to make our family proud. So in the future, when our family earns money and buys land, we won’t have to worry about others coveting it."
"Mm-hmm," Wu Lang nodded, "Manman, with me and Xiao Qi going to school, it will be just you and sister at home; you’ll have to work hard."
"We’ll get a Hall-Runner to cover your shift at the shop, nothing else to worry about," Lian Manman replied.
Once Wu Lang went to school, he could no longer work as a Hall-Runner in the shop. The family had been looking for someone to replace Wu Lang, and they finally found a thirteen-year-old boy named Shi Wazi. Shi Wazi came from Chengdu Prefecture and had followed his father to the north. His father was a Craftsman Leader in the mountains, where there was no suitable work for Shi Wazi. Since the pastry shop needed help, they let him try his hand at it. To everyone’s surprise, Shi Wazi turned out to be quite talented as a Hall-Runner, and Lian Shouxin decided to take him on.
"Second sister, you don’t seem very happy, do you?" Xiao Qi sensed that Lian Manman was in low spirits and asked cautiously.
Amongst her own family, Lian Manman no longer hid her true feelings as much.
"I just don’t want to part with you two," Lian Manman said. It was the truth; the siblings spent all their time together, and with Wu Lang and Xiao Qi going to school, they wouldn’t be around much anymore.
"I don’t want to be apart from you either, second sister. I also don’t want to leave big sister, father, and mother," Xiao Qi nestled closer to Lian Manman as he spoke.
"Enough of that; it’s not like you are going very far. Besides, you’ll still be coming back daily," Lady Zhang interjected. Though she said this, she felt an emptiness inside; she was the one who found it hardest to let go.
