"Yes, yes," Lady Zhang nodded repeatedly.

Wu Lang had more to say, but Lian Manman stopped him.

"Let’s talk about next year when it comes," said Lian Manman. "For now, let’s focus on the present. Regardless of what happens next year, these few months, we will seize every opportunity to shed the label of illiteracy."

"Your grandfather loves scholars," Lian Shouxin said. "Once you talk to him about this, I guarantee it will happen."

"My sister and I want to study too," Lian Manman added.

"Let Zhizhi and Manman study as well. We won’t let it interfere with our work," Wu Lang and Xiao Qi chimed in quickly.

"We’ve hired people for the workshop, and there’s not much household work left; if they want to learn, let them," said Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang, who loved their children dearly. They agreed readily without much persuasion from the children. Of course, Lady Zhang had her own plans—she thought that without studying and learning to read with Lian Shouren, Lian Huahua wouldn’t have been able to match the Song Family in marriage.

"I don’t need Zhizhi or Manman to climb any high branches. It’ll be good enough if they can marry well," Lady Zhang thought to herself, not voicing her thoughts, but her gaze towards Lian Manman and Lian Zhizhi was full of longing.

"Mother, what are you thinking about?" Lian Manman asked, noticing something unusual in Lady Zhang’s expression.

"Nothing much, your mother is not thinking about anything," Lady Zhang said, coming back to her senses and smiling.

"Oh," Lian Manman sounded somewhat incredulous but, no matter how clever she was, she couldn’t guess what Lady Zhang was thinking at the moment.

The family discussed and decided, then went to the Upper Room to talk to Old Master Lian.

"Father, we’re in a difficult situation and must trouble you to take some time during the agricultural offseason to teach the children," said Lian Shouxin. "We’re planning to send Wu Lang and Xiao Qi to school next year if things improve."

"Is it Wu Lang and Xiao Qi who want to study?" Old Master Lian asked.

"Yes," Wu Lang and Xiao Qi answered immediately.

"That’s a good thing," Old Master Lian said, taking a couple of puffs from his pipe, speaking in a heartfelt tone, "These days, watching you all work, I’ve been wanting to speak to you... Life is tough, and you figure out ways to make money, unavoidable circumstances. But you must always remember, ’scholars, peasants, artisans, and merchants’, even if you cannot become officials, you must still keep up the family tradition of farming and studying. That is the proper way. Never allow yourselves to fall so low... Ah, why do you think your father quit being a Shopkeeper, to buy land and houses, to return to the village to support your elder brother’s education? Right now, you’re oscillating between artisans and merchants. But the fact that you are considering studying shows ambition... "

Lian Manman blinked, understanding that Old Master Lian’s words were somewhat euphemistic, but his meaning was quite clear. The hierarchy of "scholars, peasants, artisans, and merchants" was well defined, and resorting to trade due to poverty was something Old Master Lian neither encouraged nor was pleased about. He hoped that even if they couldn’t become scholars, they would at least be peasants and not artisans or merchants.

"Father, I understand what you mean," said Lian Shouxin.

"Good, hang in there a bit longer until your elder brother..." Old Master Lian said a lot more, but it revolved around what would happen when Lian Shouren became an official. Lian Manman found it all repetitive and out of politeness, remained silent.

Then they moved on to the matter of hosting guests soon.

"We have invited Shopkeeper Wu and Third Brother Wu," said Lian Shouxin.

"I saw Brother Youheng at the paper shop, and I invited him to come too. Brother Youheng agreed," Lian Manman said hurriedly.

"Young Doctor Wang is back from the county? We’ve wanted to invite him for a long time; this is wonderful," Lian Shouxin said happily.

Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang discussed and decided that to show respect and seriousness, he would go to town again to invite Youheng personally.

"Young Doctor Wang has helped us a lot; he is our benefactor, and it’s the least we can do."

After Lian Shouxin left for town, Lady Zhang, together with Lian Manman and the others, hurried with the meal preparations. Aside from the chicken, fish, elbow meat, and pork bought from town, Lady Zhang also soaked some wood ear mushrooms and red mushrooms that Lady Li had brought them during her visit; additionally, there were the household staples like cabbage, sauerkraut, potatoes, spinach, dried eggplant, and dried green beans.

As the mother and daughters busied themselves in the kitchen, Lian Shouxin soon returned with Youheng. Lian Manman quickly served hot tea and snacks.

Youheng smiled as he drank the tea, handing over a gift box to Lian Shouxin.

"We invited Young Doctor Wang over for a meal, why has he brought us a gift?" Lian Shouxin hesitated to accept. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"...Congratulations on the opening of Fourth Uncle Lian’s workshop. I didn’t prepare anything special, it’s just a token of my thoughts." Youheng insisted that it was a congratulatory gift for their workshop opening and that Lian Shouxin must accept it. "If Fourth Uncle refuses, it would be like belittling my gift."

After talking for a while, Lian Shouxin finally accepted the gift.

Lian Manman opened the gift box and saw that it neatly contained an inkstone, a piece of pine soot ink, two calligraphy brushes, two sets of properly cut rice paper, and also two copybooks.

Youheng used the pretext of giving a congratulatory gift to bring over the calligraphy supplies he had picked out in the shop earlier.

Lian Manman was touched as she looked up at Youheng, thinking that his excuse of having to give instructions back at the pharmacy was probably not the real reason; he was most likely worried that they would not accept his gift of calligraphy supplies, so he made them go ahead and then brought the items over as a congratulatory gift, making it impossible for them to refuse. His thoughtfulness and consideration were truly rare.

"Those two copybooks are the ones I used when I first started learning to write," Youheng said with a smile.

Lian Manman flipped through the copybooks, which were indeed used. Youheng didn’t give new copybooks but the ones he previously used himself, stirring something within Lian Manman.

"...I might not have the qualifications to teach and solve problems, but if you have any questions while you’re learning, feel free to come to me so we can discuss and learn from each other," Youheng’s words, like a warm breeze, reached Lian Manman’s ears. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian to cast your recommended votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)