Chapter 3: Child Life Test

The calm days flew by, and before they knew it, the ice had melted and February had arrived, bringing with it the upcoming township examination.

Jiang Yar sat on the bed, hurriedly sewing clothes and shoes for Ping'an. The fabric at home was all reserved for Ping'an, but even so, she couldn't manage to make a completely new outfit. With the cold winter days, even with the heated room, they couldn't withstand the chilly wind. Yar had to unpick some old cotton and sew it in a grid pattern inside the clothes for extra warmth.

Her needlework was excellent, and she put her heart into it, ensuring that not a single wisp of cotton would escape. The clothes were warm and not bulky, just like new ones.

"Yar, you should rest first. It's getting dark, and you might strain your eyes if you keep sewing!" There was no light in the room, so they relied on the faint glow from outside. Yar didn't lift her head and continued sewing, "I'll be done soon, don't worry!"

After finishing the last stitch, Yar let out a sigh of relief. Although the family didn't want Ping'an to feel burdened, they all worked hard. His father hadn't fully recovered yet and had already started working in the fields. Every bit of effort in the fields could yield a bit more grain and save a bit more money for Ping'an's education.

Mrs. Wu gave Ping'an two eggs a day, one in the morning and one in the evening, fearing that he might be lacking. She couldn't afford to fall behind. While she couldn't do much else, she could at least ensure he was dressed warmly.

"Quick, try it on. If it doesn't fit well, I'll make some adjustments!" Yar handed the clothes to Ping'an and gently rubbed his tired eyes.

"Yar's work will definitely fit perfectly!" Ping'an put on the clothes, and immediately felt warm. Looking at Yar's flushed eyes, he felt both warmth and bitterness in his heart.

"So warm. Wearing these clothes, I'm sure I can earn the title of a scholar for Yar!"

"What are you saying!" Jiang Yar's face turned crimson. Ping'an was puzzled for a moment, not knowing what he had said wrong. Then he remembered what his mother had said: at least he had to pass the scholar examination for them to become a real couple. Did Yar misunderstand?

Jiang Yar realized her mistake and quickly slapped her own mouth. "I misspoke. Ping'an is so clever, he will definitely pass the scholar examination!"

Ping'an burst into laughter, and the atmosphere in the room became warm and harmonious.

On the eve of the township examination, the Chen family was unusually orderly.

The eldest son's family and the second son's family were all present.

The eldest son's family had two sons and a daughter: Chen Ziheng, Chen Zijun, and the eldest daughter.

The second son's family had difficulty bearing a son, only giving birth to a daughter, so the second son's wife had always been low-key in the family. Without a son, what use was a daughter?

The family had a fierce dispute over the division of property. The eldest son had potential, having passed the township examination, while the second son was not cut out for studying and could only work in the fields.

Knowing that Ping'an was going to take the examination the next day, the eldest son's wife deliberately boasted and patted her eldest son, saying, "Ziheng has passed the township examination. If Ping'an has any questions, he can ask Ziheng. He will definitely help you. If Ping'an luckily passes the examination, he can go to the county school examination with Ziheng. If he passes, he will become a scholar!"

Although she said this, the eldest son's wife didn't believe that Ping'an could pass the examination. How old was he? Even if he luckily passed, he definitely wouldn't be able to pass the county examination. Their Ziheng was so clever, and he hadn't even passed. After hiding away for so long and studying in the county, it was very likely that he would pass.

If that happened, she would be the mother of a scholar, and then Mrs. Wu would regret it.

Originally, only their Ziheng was studying, and the second son's family had no sons. All the money earned went to the public fund, and even their second daughter could help with household chores. The money spent on Ziheng was substantial.

But Mrs. Wu insisted on sending Ping'an to school, and she was unwilling. How much money could the two elders earn? The eldest son's family was the main source of income, and her husband was a carpenter, earning the most money. When there was no work, he could still work in the fields. Ping'an didn't do anything, so why should he eat and drink for free?

The second son had no sons, and his wife had been childless for so many years. It was likely that she had exhausted her vitality when giving birth to the second daughter. When the time came, she would send Zijun over, and the second son's property would belong to her family.

The eldest son's wife was thinking long-term, which was why she insisted on dividing the family property.

But she didn't expect that after the division, the two elders would live well, and the two families would thrive. However, she was struggling and was worse off than before the division.

Ziheng needed money for his studies, Zijun was getting older and needed money to find a wife, and the eldest daughter needed dowry. As a single woman taking care of three children, she was constantly busy and couldn't save a few coins.

The two elders had meat and fish every day, but she hadn't even seen any meat or fish. Today, she was so hungry that she had to eat her fill.

"Can't you speak properly? What do you mean by 'luckily'? Ziheng can pass the examination, why can't Ping'an? It's a good day today, let's eat!" Mrs. Wu glared at the eldest son's wife and started serving the dishes.

The biggest and fattest piece of meat was definitely for Ping'an, followed by Ziheng, the father, and the other sons, and finally the women.

The eldest son's wife hadn't tasted meat for a long time, and the piece she got was only as long as her little finger. She swallowed it in one bite, not tasting the flavor. There were still a few pieces left in the bowl, but before she could pick them up, Mrs. Wu stopped her with a chopstick.

The meat was steamed with salted vegetables, and the meat was just a complement. They only ate a little at each meal, and the next meal could still produce oil to continue eating.

The eldest son's wife's behavior was truly uncouth.

"Mother, I haven't eaten well!"

"How can you eat well with meat? I want to eat well every meal. Are you in charge now and have no money left for a meal of meat?"

"Ziheng needs money for his studies, Zijun and the second daughter need money too! The wife is indeed tight on money!"

"Why are you still arguing about splitting up? I thought that if you split up, you could live a fairy-tale life!"

As long as our parents are here, we won't split up!

The son and daughter-in-law's previous argument about splitting up really hurt Mrs. Wu's heart. She would bring it up from time to time to jab at her.

The son also felt that he had gone too far before and quickly reached out to hold his wife's hand. Nothing major had happened in the family, and he had handed over all the money he earned from work. His wife should still have some money, and they weren't so poor that they couldn't even afford a meal. It was really just his wife being stingy.

When this stinginess reached Mrs. Wu's ears, he felt even more ashamed.

After the meal, everyone dispersed, and Yar helped to clear the dishes.

"Old lady, if the son's wife wants to eat meat today, just let her eat. It's really embarrassing to make such a fuss," the father-in-law said as he took a puff of his pipe.

"Embarrassing? Does she even care about being embarrassed? She doesn't even show filial piety to us, and she's still coming here to cause trouble? The second daughter-in-law even brought over two eggs, but what about her? She just grabbed a handful of pickled radishes! I've never seen someone so shameless!"

"She only brought radishes?" The father-in-law couldn't believe it. Seeing Mrs. Wu's grim expression, he didn't say anything and took a deep puff of his pipe.

The next day, before dawn, Jiang Yar quietly got up and went to the kitchen to make dry rations for Chen Ping'an. Tong Sheng was trying to go to the county, where the magistrate would preside, and they needed to bring their own dry rations. If they had made them yesterday, they would have become hard, so she got up early to make them, so they would be soft and chewy when they ate them later.