Chapter 602: Chapter 602: Experiencing Is Enough
This night was destined to be a sleepless one.
Liu Ji returned to his study, pinched his thigh hard, grimacing in pain, and only then did he believe that everything that happened in the main hall was real.
He couldn’t hold it in and bounced around in the room for a long time before his excitement slightly subsided.
Lying in bed, Liu Ji couldn’t help but think about the prosperity of the Capital City, the teachers, the reserved older junior fellow apprentice, and why the shrew at home made such a decision.
The reason didn’t come to mind right away, but—when she announced the family’s decision to move to the Capital today, she was truly stunning!
Liu Ji pulled the quilt over his head and let out a wicked laugh, wriggling on the bed like a happy little maggot.
If this isn’t love, then what is?
Over in the children’s room, Da Lang, who was gathering and sorting his treasures, perked up his ears. What was that strange ’jiji’ sound?
He tugged on Second Lang’s sleeve, suspiciously asking, "Did you hear something strange?"
Caught off guard by his elder brother’s sudden question late at night, Second Lang held his breath and listened intently, feeling more uneasy, "Brother, there’s no strange sound..."
Da Lang frowned and listened again on his own; indeed, there was nothing but the rustling of leaves in the breeze.
"It’s nothing, let’s continue packing." Da Lang waved it off, and Second Lang finally relaxed, continuing to sort his things.
To him, nothing was more important than books.
He sorted out those he had already memorized thoroughly, leaving the ones he hadn’t yet mastered for the book box, which was all he planned to bring to the Capital.
As for clothes and shoes, since Mother said there was only one cart, they could wear one set and take one set. If anything was missing, they would buy it then.
Under the expectant eyes of their younger siblings, Second Lang pulled out the siblings’ piggy banks from under the bed, a small wooden box, which felt heavy when lifted.
Sanlang leaned on his chin eagerly urging, "Second Brother, how much money do I still have?"
Da Lang and Si Niang also eagerly watched the small wooden box, which contained all the pocket money and anti-evil money they had saved over the past two years, along with valuable silver ornaments and jade ornaments given by Mother.
With limited space at home, the four siblings shared one room, so there wasn’t enough storage space for each to safeguard their important belongings separately, so it was all combined and entrusted to Second Lang.
He kept track meticulously, remembering who took out how much, returned how much, and how much remained, so Da Lang, Sanlang, and Si Niang had no objections to him managing the Silver Coin.
Second Lang didn’t do it for free, he charged a custody fee — five cents per person per month, a reasonable rate among family.
Second Lang pulled out a string of keys hanging around his neck, and used one to open the piggy box, which was filled with copper coins and broken silver coins, along with a small ledger.
Second Lang flipped open the ledger, pointing at his older brother, "After deducting those items, Big Brother, you have two taels and three maces exactly."
Then he disdainfully pointed at the eagerly awaiting Sanlang and said, "You have fifty cents left!"
The eagerly awaiting Sanlang was disappointed, distrustfully questioning, "How do I have only fifty cents? But Big Brother has over two taels?"
Si Niang gave him a look and said, "You take ten cents every day after school to buy snacks in town, you really don’t remember?"
Sanlang snorted, "You all ate too!"
Da Lang, Second Lang, and Si Niang exchanged glances and remained silent. On this point, they had to admit that Sanlang was indeed generous and always shared his treats with them.
"Alright, alright, I’ll give you fifty cents." Da Lang, realizing his role as the eldest brother, voluntarily took out fifty cents to comfort him.
Sanlang immediately beamed with joy, forgetting his unhappiness, eagerly waiting to see how much his sister had.
Second Lang glanced at the ledger, slightly surprised, "Si Niang still has three taels and five maces of silver."
Si Niang counted on her fingers, found it matched the amount she remembered, and looked triumphantly at her elder and younger brothers with a smile, "I have the most."
"That might not be the case." Da Lang pointed at Second Lang, who was actually the richest.
Second Lang chuckled modestly and revealed his account balance, "Eleven taels and eight maces plus twenty-five cents."
Sanlang and Si Niang exclaimed, "How do you have so much?!"
After all, Mother gave the same allowance to everyone, and they often saw Second Lang lending money to classmates for book borrowing, how could he have accumulated so much silver?
Sharing the same classroom with Second Lang, Da Lang, in a complex mood, revealed the truth, "He sets up a stand to copy books for others in the classroom."
Of course, copying books was a clever way to avoid getting beaten.
In reality, Second Lang would bring classmates’ assignments home and copy them directly, charging twenty cents per time, and if there was a large volume, he would charge extra.
But!
That wasn’t the main source of income.
The primary source was selling his class notes, charging five hundred cents for a thin few pages, without holding back on the price.
In the classroom, students who didn’t want praise from the teacher weren’t proper rascals!
Second Lang’s grades were always top, the teacher would commend him to other students every time during scolding, and he unwittingly became a role model.
So, unknowingly, his model student class notes became a good business.
Second Lang gathered all the money, locked the piggy box, placed it in the last bit of space in the book box, stood up, and said earnestly, "This is a gentleman loving wealth and acquiring it properly, you mortals won’t understand."
Da Lang: "Do you believe I won’t beat you up?"
Sanlang and Si Niang made faces together, turned around to pack their belongings, ignoring their Second Brother.
They never admitted to being envious and jealous.
Sanlang packed half of the book box with toys, leaving the other half for packing delicious foods from Kaiyang County, lest he find nothing to eat in the Capital City.
Si Niang ridiculed her little brother for being silly, "The Capital City is so big, surely there are more delicious things than here, there will be everything you want to eat."
When it came to herself, books had to be packed, beautiful clothes had to be packed, toys had to be brought along, and there was the guqin she just acquired. One book box was simply not enough!
In the end, Si Niang abandoned her beautiful clothes and toys, packing only books and her space-consuming guqin.
Outside, the small village lay in silence, with villagers long into dreamland. The four siblings blew out the candles, lay in their beds, closing their eyes but unable to fall asleep.
The belated excitement and joy surged within them, an unknown world awaited their exploration, with an enlightened Mother and an uninhibited Father making them look forward to this new journey.
As for when they’d return, how long they would stay in the Capital City, or where the next school would be, with Mother around, they didn’t have to worry.
Because, as Mother said, at their age, it’s enough to experience the world.
