Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Back in the Heng Mansion, Han Qiao left her nephews and nieces behind to stand in the crowd.
After all, the Han family had many cousins and many children.
There were almost a hundred of them, old and young.
The oldest had already had a wife and two or three-year-old children, while her younger cousins were still running around looking for their mother.
âYouâre all here. 1 want to talk to you today about whether youâre willing to stay by my side.â
âAs for me, Iâll be going to Chenzhou in a few days. Itâs very far from Xishan Village. Itâll take five or six days by horse to go back and forth.â
âIf you follow me, you wonât be able to see Father and Mother all year round, and you canât be filial to Father and Mother. Although a manâs ambition is everywhere, every line has its own champion. As long as you are brave to think, you can always make a name for yourself.â
âAnother thing to keep in mind is the requirements for following me to Chenzhou are very high. You have to study, read, and practice martial arts at the very least. You also have to be slightly involved in accounting and medical skills. It will be very hard and tiring. If you donât meet these requirements, you will be punished. It will definitely not be as relaxing and happy as being with your parents.â
âThose who are willing to follow me, stand here. If you donât want to go to Chenzhou and youâre already 16, donât think too much about it and focus on your studies.â
Only seven people were willing to go to Chenzhou City with Han Qiao. The other fifteen kids who were 16 years old were unwilling to go. The rest had already gone to school.
The girls were also learning to cook at home now. They wanted to work in fast-food restaurants in the future. That way they could earn more and it would be helpful for their future husbands.
Ever since Han Qiao said that she would give up two acres of land when they were married off, their marriage had already reached a new level.
If they could work at a fast-food restaurant, they would be more valuable for marriage.
They wanted to go to Chenzhou, but they couldnât bear to leave home.
Even Han Mingâs children did not stand up.
Han Qiao did not have any objections to this. They had chosen their own path, and it was up to them to lead their own lives in the future.
The only thing they could do was to go to Chenzhou with her and teach them well. At the very least, she would be able to take charge of her own affairs in the future.
âAlright, 16-year-olds, come and get the money. This is my expectation and investment for you as your aunt. When you earn money in the future, you have to return it to me with interest.â
If they lost out, this deal would be over.
This was also a way to make up for their inability to study for the imperial examinations and their inability to be fated with the mansion.
Twenty taels of silver was not a small amount. It was not a problem to do a small business like picking peddlers and walking around the streets.
As long as one was willing to use their brains and endure hardships, there were still many ways to earn money. Even if they did nothing and used it to open up wastelands and farms, this generation might not be promising, but it could benefit the next generation.
They had chosen their own path, and it was up to them to decide how they wanted to walk.
Of the six children who were willing to go to Chenzhou with her, three of them were from her own family. The two brothers, Dacheng and Dayong, were from her eldest brotherâs family, and Dahu from her second brotherâs family. Then a grandson from her eldest uncleâs family, Han Guang, a grandson from her second uncleâs family, Han Kuan, and the youngest son from her youngest uncleâs family, Han Yu.
âYou boys go back and pack your thingsâ¦â
âAuntie, weâve already packed our things.â Han Dacheng laughed.
The others also smiled shyly.
Han Qiao was a little surprised, but she instantly understood that these children had already made up their minds to follow her from the start. âAlright, let Ali-Chi arrange the accommodations for you. You can start learning tomorrow.â
âWhat should we learn first tomorrow, Auntie?â
âLearn how to ride a horse.â
Heng Yi had brought back ten horses recently, all of which were strong adult stallions. There was also a black colt that was only a few months old. It was specially chosen for Han Chi.
Han Chi named it Hei Yun.
The boys still had to learn how to ride a horse and drive a carriage. It would be convenient for them to go out and run errands in the future.
Han Qiao didnât plan to let them run errands yet. She wanted them to learn some skills first.
Before she could say anything, Pucao carried the crying Ah-Yao over.
The little baby was hungry and was looking for his mother.
Han Qiao asked Han Dacheng and the others to familiarize themselves with the environment first. She hugged Ah-Yao and coaxed him for a while before taking him into the house to feed him.
This child was also very clingy. She didnât need to hug him, the baby was content as long as he was somewhere close to her.
And as long as his mother was by his side when lay down, he wouldnât cry either. If he noticed his mother left or wasnât nearby, he would wail loudly.
When the Han family came over to bid their farewell, the baby was already fast asleep.
Han Qiao didnât need to worry too much about him crying.
She placed him on the bed and tucked him in with a thin blanket.
âThis child is easy to take care of,â Han Yuan said.
âHeâs truly easy to care for,â Han Qiao said gently.
She left Pucao behind to watch the child and brought everyone to the small hall to sit.
Han Yuan wanted to go back to see Han Xiang.
Han Xiang seemed to be getting better these few days, but seeing that Han Qiao never cared about Han Xiang, she couldnât speak up right now.
Mother I Ian and the others couldnât stay in the county town forever. There were many things to be done back home.
Although there was no separation now, things had been divided clearly. In the future, they would each take care of their own affairs.
Earlier in their life, when they all still lived together, it was hard to avoid friction. Occasionally, when they start to complain, they hope to separate, but when they actually separate, they find that it wasnât easy to be the master of their house.
They had to do everything themselves and were so busy that their feet barely rooted to the ground.
If Han Qiao still lives with her parents, they could share the burden. Now, her parents were living in the county town to take care of Han Xiangâ¦
âAh-Qiao, weâll be going back now. Youâve put in a lot of effort for these children. If they donât listen to you and donât know any better, just teach them a lesson.â
Han Qiao thought of Han Dacheng and the others.
The childrenâs eyes were clear. They were all rare good children.
Han Qiao also knew that children needed to be praised.
âThey are all good children and know what they want. I donât have to deliberately remind them. They will work hard on their own. Sisters-in-law doesnât have to worry. Itâs just that this way, the family wonât have to rely on me alone.â
Han Yuan could help with the housework in the second house.
âSister-in-law, we donât have enough money at home. If we canât handle it, we can ask the sisters-in-law and auntie in the village for help. Donât tire yourself out.â
Mother Han was surprised, but she also felt heartened.
âI know.â
If she had to spend money to hire someone, she couldnât bear to.
It was not easy to earn money, but it was even harder to save it.
After sending the Han family members to the main entrance and watching them leave, Han Qiao stood there for a moment before turning around.
âAh-Qiao.â
Han Qiao turned around when she heard someone calling her.
He saw Sun Yiming in a new set of clothes.
Obviously, he had specially cleaned himself up, and his entire person looked radiant.
Han Qiao recalled that the man had just passed the academy examinations recently.
Did he get into the scholar examination?
âAh-Qiao, Iâm already a scholar. Can you give me another chance?â Sun Yiming looked at Han Qiao affectionately.
He even wanted to go up and pull Han Qiao.
However, Han Qiao was so disgusted that she almost vomited yesterdayâs meal.
Without thinking, Han Qiao lifted her skirt and kicked Sun Yiming.
She kicked him to the ground.
âSo what if youâre a scholar? Even if you have the title on the Golden Rankings and dare to show up in front of me, 1 will still beat you up!â