Chapter 9: Agreement
Man Bao hurried off on her little legs to find her eldest sister-in-law, with Ke Ke observing silently the whole way.
Zhou’s eldest sister-in-law was clearly taken aback, repeatedly asking Man Bao to recount Master Zhuang’s exact words before finally pondering briefly, setting her items down on the stove, and saying, “Come, let your sister-in-law take you home first. I’ll come back to clean up later.”
Man Bao had an excellent memory, recounting the fresh events clearly. Yet Old Zhou still asked her to repeat it three times before squatting on the doorstep, retrieving some tobacco from his waist pouch to stuff into his pipe without a word.
No one else spoke either. Mrs. Qian told Mrs. Xiao Qian, “You can continue your work for now. This isn’t a small matter, we’ll have to wait for the eldest sons to return before deciding.”
Mrs. Xiao Qian murmured in acknowledgment and went back to work at the study hall.
Mrs. Qian glanced at Old Zhou, taking Man Bao’s little hand as she led her inside, peering down at her.
Seeing the round, bewildered look on her daughter’s face, she knew Man Bao likely didn’t grasp the full implications yet.
Considering for a moment, Mrs. Qian asked, “Man Bao, do you want to study and read books?”
Man Bao replied, “I’ve always been reading books. I’ve already learned the Thousand Character Classic, and Master Zhuang said he can teach me the Analects next. I can even count up to one hundred now too.”
Mrs. Qian stroked her little head. “Do you enjoy reading books?”
This time, Man Bao nodded eagerly. “I love it! Reading is so much fun. When I’m in a good mood, reciting the Thousand Character Classic is like singing a song that makes me even happier. If I’m not feeling well, I read the Classic too, and by the end I’ve cheered right up again.”
Mrs. Qian’s gaze turned distant, as if recalling something before murmuring regretfully after a long pause, “What a pity…”
Man Bao then clambered onto the bed, snuggling up to her mother as she tilted her little head up inquiringly, “Mother, what’s such a pity?”
“What a pity you weren’t born a boy.”
Pursing her lips, Man Bao retorted, “I don’t want to be a boy! Boys are dirty and smelly, and not as pretty as girls.”
Mrs. Qian couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s true, our Man Bao is so clean and fragrant…”
But boys could carry on the family line.
Though she considered herself tough-hearted, Mrs. Qian couldn’t stop the tears trickling down her cheeks.
Seeing her mother’s distress pained Man Bao tremendously. She hurriedly wiped away the tears, her own eyes growing red as she choked out worriedly, “Mother, why are you crying? Don’t you want me to go study? Then…then I’ll go less often from now on.”
Mrs. Qian burst into laughter even as she dried her eyes, playfully pinching Man Bao’s nose. “You really are a little smooth-talker, just like your father always trying to sweet-talk people.”
Man Bao’s mouth fell open, utterly unable to imagine her father ever being that way.
After that brief moment of sadness, Mrs. Qian hugged her daughter tightly. “Since you’re able to read books, then read. There are many benefits to being literate. Even though you’re a girl, if you study, you’ll have more skills than others. You won’t be easily deceived or taken advantage of in the future, and you can live a better life for yourself.”
Though an illiterate village wife who had never even left the county town, Mrs. Qian had her own hard-earned wisdom. In a low voice she said, “Look at the men – those who can read have better lives than the illiterate. Those who understand numbers are more clever than those who don’t. It’s the same for girls.”
Man Bao nodded vigorously. “Master said reading can bring clarity of principles. That idiot Bai Er said he wouldn’t take the imperial exams, planning to just inherit his father’s land and collect rent for a living. Master really berated him, saying those who understand principles won’t feel guilt or make mistakes no matter where they go. They can…”
The following part grew too difficult, so Man Bao paused until Ke Ke reminded her, allowing her to continue, “They can stand on undefeated ground, undefeated in spirit and undefeated by others.”
Though Man Bao didn’t fully comprehend those words, she recalled Master Zhuang’s commanding presence at the time, making her face flush as if wanting to run three laps around the river at the village entrance shouting at the top of her lungs. So she committed it to memory.
Her eyes shining brightly, she told her mother emphatically, “Mother, I want to study books and gain clarity of principles!”
Gazing at her daughter’s earnest little face, Mrs. Qian came very close to acquiescing. But considering their family’s current difficulties, she ultimately swallowed all her words, deciding to wait and listen to the decision of the household head instead.
The three eldest brothers returned at the evening meal hour, just as the sun was beginning to set. Everyone was already ravenous, having only eaten porridge for their early meal.
After quickly washing their hands, they sat down to eat. Old Zhou didn’t rush to discuss the main issue, waiting until everyone had finished before calling his three eldest sons over to the courtyard to confer.
Mrs. Xiao Qian glanced out, her brow furrowing slightly as she wrung the dishrag in her hands without a word. Zhou’s second daughter-in-law Feng also looked towards the courtyard, unable to resist murmuring, “The household head can’t really be considering letting the little niece go study, can he?”
He’s wife frowned. “Surely not? That would cost so much money. Sister-in-law, Grandmother couldn’t have agreed to it, right?”
Clutching the dishrag tightly, Mrs. Xiao Qian’s own feelings were mixed about letting her little niece attend school. Yet it was she who had brought Man Bao home at noon.
In truth, her initial reaction upon hearing the news was delight, imagining the bright future that awaited her little niece as Master Zhuang’s disciple.
But on returning to the study hall afterwards, she had realized that studying required money.
Even if Master Zhuang accepted Man Bao privately without tuition fees, a ceremonial gift was still customary when taking him as a teacher, not to mention observances on holidays and festivals. Those were just minor costs – there would also be expenses for books, paper, ink, brushes and inkstones.
In reality, Master Zhuang’s tuition fees were not particularly high since the landowner covered them. But before Zhou Silang’s gambling losses, the Zhou household could not afford to send any of their grandsons to study at the hall, mainly because their means were still too meager to support a scholar.
If they couldn’t manage it before, they certainly couldn’t now.
Plus there was Grandmother’s monthly medicine expenses, adding an even greater burden.
These considerations had utterly erased Mrs. Xiao Qian’s initial joy, leaving only worry behind.
Of course, if Mrs. Xiao Qian could foresee these issues, the other men in the Zhou household undoubtedly had even more comprehensive concerns, especially the family patriarch Old Zhou himself. Originally disinclined to let Man Bao study, the conversation between his wife and daughter that afternoon had left him wavering repeatedly.
Then at the evening meal, watching his chubby little granddaughter cup the large bowl in her tiny hands, practically burying her face in the thin porridge yet still eating it with such relish.
Glancing at his three daughters-in-law who immediately set about clearing the table, washing dishes and cleaning up after setting down their bowls and chopsticks, Old Zhou’s internal scale slowly tipped towards the other side.
His precious Man Bao was physically frail yet plump and fair, so adorable. She was doted on by her father and brothers at home currently. But what about ten or fifteen years from now?
Would she then end up marrying a farmer like her brothers, becoming a farm wife like her sisters-in-law?
Old Zhou took two deep puffs on his pipe, coughing slightly before removing it to tap out the ashes. “You all know the situation. Let me hear your thoughts?”
Zhou Erlang and Zhou Sanlang exchanged a glance before lowering their heads. “We’ll listen to Father and Elder Brother’s decision.”
Old Zhou shot them a sidelong look before turning to Zhou Dalang. “Elder Son, what do you think?”
Gritting his teeth, Zhou Dalang said, “Since Master Zhuang is willing to accept her as a disciple, then we should support it. Once she’s grown up, if she can marry into a town family, she won’t have to toil in the fields like the rest of us to make a living.”
“Exactly!” Old Zhou slapped his thigh. “That’s exactly what I was thinking. How many girls in this world get to be literate and learn arithmetic? Think about it – out of all our children, who is as bright as Man Bao? That idiot Da Tou can’t even properly count eggs. But Man Bao can total them up in one go. Our Man Bao is so beautiful already, she’s bound to grow up even prettier. She may be able to marry not just into a town family, but maybe even a county one!”
Zhou Erlang pondered worriedly, “That may be so, but studying requires no small amount of money, doesn’t it? And she’s still just a girl, unable to take the civil service exams and become an official…”
His voice trailed off under his father’s intent stare, so he could only nudge Zhou Sanlang.
“I’ll listen to Father and Elder Brother,” Zhou Sanlang stated.
Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang just looked at each other exasperatedly.
Old Zhou couldn’t resist taking another puff before saying, “Master Zhuang definitely won’t charge tuition fees for Man Bao. We’ll just need to provide a ceremonial gift when she begins as his disciple.”
Zhou Erlang then pointed out, “But we’ll still need to buy books, paper, ink and brushes, right? Master Zhuang can’t be expected to provide all those things just because he’s accepted Man Bao. Father, who knows how much all that will cost?”
No one in the family had studied before, so they didn’t know the exact prices. But just hearing “books, brushes, ink and paper” made it sound quite expensive.
And this was precisely one of Old Zhou’s main hesitations as he silently puffed on his pipe, deep in thought.
Veins bulging on Zhou Dalang’s hands, he gritted his teeth. “Father, Man Bao is a good child. Master Zhuang is aware of our family’s circumstances too. I’ll go plead with him – whichever book they’ll be studying next, we’ll just buy one copy. Man Bao is still little for now and won’t need paper and ink for practice. By the time she’s older, our family should have saved up some money.”
Seeing his eldest son speak up, Old Zhou exhaled deeply before nodding. “Alright, let’s do that then. You and I will take Man Bao the day after tomorrow to formally become his disciple, and discuss further arrangements with Master Zhuang.”
Zhou Erlang’s mouth opened, but he ultimately remained silent, though inwardly his worries mounted.
Originally, the plan was for Fourth Brother, now twenty-six, to take a wife over the New Year so she could join the spring fieldwork.
But after his gambling losses drained the family funds and tarnished his reputation, it would likely take three more years before he could find a bride.
While Fourth Brother could delay marriage for a few years as karmic retribution, what about Fifth Brother?
At fourteen, Fifth Brother would need to begin considering marriage prospects in just two years’ time. Taking a wife was no small expense, not to mention their mother’s medicine costs.
With six brothers in the family, not counting the three unmarried ones, the three married brothers faced different situations. Though steadfast, the eldest lacked much discernment. And the third was as honest and straightforward as they came.
Only the second brother possessed some shrewdness, having frequented the markets to peddle wares and seen more of the world compared to the eldest.
When the gambling incident first occurred, he had calculated that after three or four years, the family could scrape together three or four dozen taels to borrow some extra funds and arrange Fifth Brother’s marriage.
Once Fifth Brother was settled, it would be Fourth and Sixth Brother’s turns, followed by the nephews starting the cycle anew. The family would remain impoverished for at least another decade.
He had originally envisioned the family remaining united, pooling the brothers’ collective efforts under their parents’ guidance to earn more rapidly than working individually.
Though his younger brothers, nephews and own son would progressively need to marry in turn, leaving him potentially his entire life without surplus money, at least their food and clothing would not be drastically lacking.
But if Man Bao’s educational expenses were added to this plan, the family would truly have not a single spare tael left.
Scratching his head in frustration, Zhou Erlang could only accept it with resignation. After all, the parents headed the household – any worries fell upon them. For now, he simply needed to obey and focus on managing his own little family’s affairs.
Zhou Dalang : Eldest Brother
Zhou Erlang: Second Brother
Order:
Da = Big = Eldest
Er – 2 = Second
San – 3 = Third
Si – 4 = Fourth
Wu – 5 = Fifth
Liu – 6 = Sith
