The Lucky Farmgirl-Chapter 1942 - 1917: Hongtian Village

Manbao said, "I asked, Xia Wulang and Xia Qilang are not the children of Patriarch Xia’s family. Xia Qilang is actually the great-nephew of Patriarch Xia, and Xia Wulang is separated by several branches. Yet, Patriarch Xia still supports Xia Wulang’s studies, and usually doesn’t hesitate to help, even encouraging the family to support them. Clearly, they intend for Xia Wulang and Xia Qilang to take the civil service exams first, so that they can lift the family in the future."

Actually, this is a common strategy used by many small landowning families. As long as one family member becomes an official, it can elevate the whole family and even the entire village.

Look at Manbao as an example. Zhou Erlang wrote back saying that after the news of her becoming an official reached Qili Village, the village itself bought firecrackers to celebrate for a day, and the clan bought more to celebrate for another day. In the end, Zhou Erlang had to buy even more firecrackers. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

And last winter during the labor service, the county decided to improve the road from Qili Village to the county town, directly widening it and filling it with compact dirt. It’s said that now it’s as wide as a pipeline, and it won’t be bumpy anymore, allowing two carts to pass side by side.

Even the mountain path was simply repaired.

This is the hidden benefit that being an official can bring to a village and a family.

Not to mention the increased subsidies for seeds and farm tools during the encouragement of farming and mulberry planting. Even when paying taxes, the County Governmental Office’s assessment isn’t as harsh as before.

Previously, a jin of hemp would require two extra liang before it was accepted. Now, if there’s an extra two liang, the bailiffs would proactively return one liang...

This is a typical case of "a single person ascends to heaven, and the whole family follows," cough, cough...

Manbao said, "But I believe it’s better for everyone to be happy together than for just one person to be happy. Clearly, some elders in the Xia clan think the same, didn’t they readily agree when I proposed establishing a family school that day?"

Bai Erlang asked, "Are you trying to drag down their family?"

"Nonsense," Manbao glared at him, righteously responding, "Am I that kind of person? Though my surname is Zhou, my blood also carries that of the Xia clan. Would I harm the Xia clan? Even if the children don’t become officials by studying, there are other benefits. For one thing, wouldn’t they be more courteous after reading books, making it easier to find jobs and earn money?"

Bai Erlang said, "Their goal isn’t for their children to become clerks or earn money doing paperwork. They want to become a family of officialdom, and you are almost cutting off their path to becoming officials."

Manbao shook her head, "No, once this generation makes money, the next generation will have the funds to nurture them, so why must they use all their resources to support just one or two people now?"

Bai Shan interrupted the argument between the two, "Alright, whatever is decided in the end will be the decision of their family. We’re just making a suggestion. Why are you two arguing as if you could decide?"

Bai Erlang and Manbao stopped arguing, but Bai Erlang still commented, "You guys are really cunning."

Manbao accepted it without rebuttal.

Bai Shan didn’t argue either. They just wanted the Xia clan to be too busy to bother them for the next ten or twenty years. After that period, the Xia people probably wouldn’t want to trouble them either.

With this objective in mind, they dressed up deliberately the next day when setting off for Hongtian Village, wearing the best clothes and accessories they brought, combing their hair neatly and smoothly before getting in the carriage.

Old Zhou also wore his best outfit, determined not to lose face.

Hongtian Village is a large village, much bigger than Qili Village, and the Xia clan is the most populous family in Hongtian Village. Of course, besides the Xia clan, there are several other surnames, making it not particularly small.

In such a large village, if children have to travel three kilometers to the town for school, it doesn’t seem very far, but the school fees are high, and living costs are high, so not many families in the village can actually afford to send their children to school.

However, the Xia clan still sends the most children to school.

When Manbao and the others arrived in Hongtian Village, their carriage caught the attention of the villagers working in the fields. Their horse was impressive, clearly not from an ordinary family, so people who had heard the news immediately shouldered their hoes and went back to watch the event.

As they returned, they talked loudly, "I heard the girl of Zhou Yin and Lady Xin has returned. Could it be they’re going to have a conflict with the Xia family?"

"Looks like Zhou Yin has become successful. Why hasn’t he returned?"

"I heard from the Xia family that he passed away long ago, and it was his brother and sister-in-law who raised his daughter. If anyone’s successful, it’s his daughter."

"Who’s Zhou Yin?"

"Don’t you know him? He’s Xia Yan’s son-in-law."

Many youngsters didn’t even know who Xia Yan was, but regardless, they were eager to watch the show and would find out soon enough.

The carriage headed further into the village, and Patriarch Xia personally came to greet Zhou Man and the others. Seeing so many villagers gathered to watch the commotion, his smile was a bit forced.

Fortunately, Manbao gave him face by alighting from the carriage with a cheerful smile and greeting him courteously.

Patriarch Xia breathed a sigh of relief, then stepped aside to invite Old Zhou and Ms. Qian inside, saying, "Please come inside, family, the elders of the clan have been waiting at home."

The villagers, seeing they didn’t start a quarrel and were actually rather harmonious, found it a bit dull. Some who knew the inside story were puzzled, "Strange, didn’t she reclaim the house Xia Yi is living in and get back the fields? Why didn’t they quarrel?"

"Indeed, when did Patriarch Xia develop such a good temper?"

Residents wanted to follow them to Patriarch Xia’s house to watch the commotion, as people of different surnames in the same village are rivals, especially when their family isn’t much smaller than yours. There are always some frictions.

The young people of the Xia clan didn’t want to be watched for laughs, so they preemptively took over the walls and the entrance of Patriarch Xia’s house, leaving no room for outsiders to squeeze in.

Manbao and the others entered the courtyard of Patriarch Xia’s house and raised their heads to see the walls and doorway crowded with people, which made them pause.

Patriarch Xia probably understood their intentions, although embarrassed, didn’t drive them away. After all, being laughed at by one’s kinsmen is better than being laughed at by outsiders, right?

He awkwardly smiled at Zhou Man, then said, "The kids are naughty, family, and madam, please don’t mind."

Manbao didn’t mind at all since she was used to it. People in Qili Village also loved climbing over the walls of her house.

Maybe fewer, though.

Because there were so many people, they couldn’t all fit inside, so they sat in the courtyard.

Patriarch Xia also had Xia Wulang and Xia Qilang, who were following him, come to meet Zhou Man, "In the rush last time, madam didn’t meet Wulang and Qilang, right? They are your brothers."

Although she doesn’t bear the surname Xia, she’s still a granddaughter, definitely not an external granddaughter. This was Patriarch Xia’s last stubbornness.

Manbao exchanged pleasantries with Xia Wulang and Xia Qilang, then looked around, asking, "Where is Uncle Yi?"

Patriarch Xia didn’t expect her to bring up something so sensitive, twitching his mouth, "He went to the county to fetch his wife."

Only then did Manbao remember that yesterday Xia Yi had finished moving his things and threw the key on the street. The County Governmental Office then released his wife, informing him to fetch her the next day.

Yesterday, Zhou Dalang and Zhou Wulang didn’t bother picking up the key. After inspecting the house, they directly had the locks changed. The house was now hers.