The skilled widow is busy farming

Chapter 13 Guidance
"Grandpa, it's time to eat."

"Grandpa, uncle, and aunt, you guys should come and have something to eat too. I made mung bean soup and drank a bowl of it to relieve the heat."

"We have just eaten, and the ladies at home are just leaving. Have a bowl of soup."

Grandpa came over with a hoe and wanted to say a few words to Grandpa.

Grandpa ranks third in the family, and the younger generations call him Third Grandpa.

"Brother, you have something to tell me."

Grandpa looked at the cousin and asked.

"Well, I have something to say. I plan to send my little granddaughter to a clan school."

"I sent you in earlier, but you were delaying the child by moaning and groaning."

"I don't have much money, and I need money to study, so I can only focus on my children and grandchildren first. This is not because my eldest grandson's apprentice has started to take money home for ten years, so it will be easier to relax."

The uncle gave the old brother an angry look.

"Then what else do you have to do? Just be happy."

Grandpa talked to him while eating.

"I want my granddaughter and grandnephew to learn brocade weaving. How do you think I can pay for it?"

"You have this idea. It's up to my grandson's daughter-in-law to decide, and it also depends on talent. Brother Mao and his wife haven't learned how to do it."

"It doesn't matter if you don't know how to embroider. Women have to learn it."

"Actually, Grandma Wang is good at everything. She has been here for a few days and has restrained my little granddaughter smoothly. I watched from the side that she has great abilities."

"Don't prevaricate me. Can you tell me something?"

"Wait a moment, Xiu'er, come here."

Grandpa finished his meal three times, five times and two times, then put down his bowl and waved to Xiuniang.

Xiu Niang poured mung bean soup for everyone and came over slowly to salute first.

"Hello, Grandpa, if you have anything to tell me, just ask."

Xiu Niang greeted with a smile.

"Good boy, Grandpa has something to ask of you. I want Yingzi to learn brocade or embroidery from you. How do you calculate the money? I won't let you suffer in vain."

"Well, you have to look at your talent first. Brocade weaving is very hard, and it's not much different from embroidery. It's no problem to learn it."

Xiuniang glanced at her grandfather.

Grandpa smiled, "There are no rules, so just ask."

"Well, if you want to learn, you can teach. There are two ways. You have to pay the apprenticeship fee. If the whole village, old and young, come to learn their skills for nothing, I won't be able to work."

"You have to pay for apprenticeship fees wherever you go, as you should."

Grandpa knows the rules very well.

"Two ways, one is to pay a monthly apprenticeship fee. Ordinary brocade weaving costs [-] copper plates a month. Better tapestry paintings cost one tael of silver a month. Normally, you can make money back in three years. Kesi paintings You can have income in five years. I guarantee that if you learn how to do it, you can buy twenty acres of land in two years."

The grandpa nodded and fell into thinking.

"Second, if you don't have so much money to give me, you can choose another way. All the income in the first three years will belong to me, and after three years it will belong to me. The income from Kesi painting in five years will belong to me, and after five years it will belong to me. You. If you do embroidery, I guarantee you will be able to get money home in two years."

Xiu Niang spoke confidently.

Kesi painting is the most difficult to learn. In fact, the more sophisticated any craft becomes, the more difficult it is to learn, and it requires more talent and spirituality. "I choose the second method. Write it down in black and white, and my man will sign and fingerprint it for you."

The uncle knew as soon as he heard that Xiu Niang was taking care of him and she was from the same village and didn't ask for more money.

His grandson went to study medicine, and all his income for ten years went to the master. After studying for ten years, he took the money home. In fact, he didn't make any money in the first six or seven years, and the master didn't make any money either. Only after he became a doctor in the next few years did he make money. earn.

"You think about it, you want to learn Kesi painting. You can make money from this, but all the income for five years will be mine."

Xiu Niang confirmed again.

"I've thought about it. According to what you said, making money from Kesi painting is also the most difficult. It takes five years to get started and you can get money from home. That means you won't make any money in the first five years. If your skills are not good, who will want your stuff? It’s not like you’re being taken advantage of. I know you’re a good boy who takes care of my family, and I appreciate it. I’m not stupid now that I’m old, and I can tell who is good and who is bad.”

The uncle looked at Xiu Niang lovingly and spoke clearly.

"Okay, let's ask the family to come tomorrow. We have to write the deed. My parents and brothers have to put their fingerprints. Don't be careless about money."

"Good boy, thank you."

"You're welcome, tell your child that it's hard to learn a craft and it's hard to make money."

"Don't worry, I will make it clear to the child that my Yingzi is not a lazy child and can afford hardship."

"You are really a kind and wise elder. It is not easy to plan for a girl to this point."

There are only three or five wealthy families in Lijia Village who can send their girls to school. Others work at home. To be able to plan for a girl to this point is really a generous elder.

"I can plan for my children one day at a time. When a girl gets married in the future, there will be a lot of suffering, and she has to think a little bit in advance."

"That's right. When I learned this craft, I spent all my family's savings. Let me tell you the truth, the ten acres of land I was given as my dowry was earned by weaving my own brocade. My mother didn't even have to buy the land for me. I was married off, and my family was not well-off at that time."

It had been ten years since she got married. At that time, my eldest brother had not yet become an official. He was still a scholar studying, and the family's land was limited. I just saved money from my own pocket to teach her how to read and write, and asked my grandma to teach her etiquette and rules. This tapestry craft.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been chosen by the Li family. At the beginning, they also valued each other's family standards as being good. Li Ping was the top man in Li Family Village. He was good-looking and famous, so it wasn't like he had no other options.

"I understand what you mean. Things have to be done step by step. Next year, the ancestral field will have income. I have agreed with the clan elders that next year, grandma will be invited to study in the clan. Each school will give you a share of the money. The home is given by your family, we will not let grandma suffer, and strive to keep her in Lijia Village for a long time."

"With you and your wise old men in charge, our Lijia Village will never go wrong."

Xiuniang gave her thumb to the grandfather.

Even when the money is not rich, girls are allowed to study for free and pay their nuns to teach them. This is something that many people cannot do.

The grandpa smiled and said, "Don't put your hat on me, think about it for us, how can we make the clan learn more and make more money?"

"How about this? I thought of a way before, but I didn't know if it was suitable or not, so I didn't dare to mention it yet."

"Although we are all relatives, there is nothing we can't say. Our family doesn't have any secrets that we don't have to hide behind others' backs."

His old man nodded.

"Grandpa, don't we have wasteland in our house? Nothing can be developed in the next three to five years, and we don't have enough money. How about this, follow the method we thought of before, and enclose the land to raise chickens, pigs, and beef cattle. Let's put the manure What do you think about leaving the breeding land and doing this together with the tribe?"

"Hey, that's a good idea."

Grandpa's eyes lit up.

It would not be appropriate to let others come. After all, it is private land. Even if you have been in the same village for a long time, you can't tell clearly and it is easy to argue. But the clan is different. It represents the hope of the children in the whole village. It belongs to the public to settle accounts alone.

"It's okay if someone from the clan comes to support me, but if other families don't do it myself, I'm afraid there will be disputes over time."

"That's natural. In this way, I can have people help your family open up wasteland. The tribe will accept your kindness and be happy to work hard for you."

(End of this chapter)