Chapter 71: Livelihood ◇

◎ Preserving Fruits ◇

Without Yu Lian needing to speak, the children's excited chatter was enough for the old lady and Mrs. Chen to piece together the story.

The old lady was both amused and exasperated. "Well, it's understandable for the children, but even you, Lian'er, were up to mischief?"

Experience had made her wise, and she could tell that the children didn't understand the situation. Her granddaughter-in-law, on the other hand, also wanted to teach that deceitful barefoot doctor a lesson. Thus, she allowed the children to take matters into their own hands; after all, as an elder sister-in-law, she wouldn't have been unable to stop a few children, would she?

Sitting beside the old lady, Yu Lian nestled into her arms coquettishly. "Grandmother, people like that have wicked intentions. They deserve to be taught a lesson."

The old lady couldn't resist her granddaughter-in-law's charm and smiled affectionately. "Alright, alright, they deserve it."

Yu Lian had encountered such unscrupulous individuals in her previous life. Take the most common seafood restaurants, for instance. Some greedy proprietors would replace the live seafood chosen by customers with dead ones in the kitchen before returning the live ones to the tank. With this deceit, they swindled countless people, earning several times or even ten times the original price difference.

A barefoot doctor might earn just a few coins or at most a hundred for treating villagers. If their morals were slightly lacking, they might be tempted by medicines worth a hundred taels of silver. It was this possibility that made Yu Lian wary of the doctor switching out the ingredients or cutting corners, prompting her to make the trip.

Hua Tianqu was just a teenage farm boy, no matter how naturally clever he was. He lacked the worldliness to avoid being taken advantage of, which turned out to be true, as Yu Lian had guessed.

Hua Tianqu stood aside and bowed respectfully to Yu Lian, "Thank you for your kindness in thinking of me. Otherwise, I would not have been able to protect the Red Yuhua flower, nor would I have saved my mother."

He first bowed, then, after speaking these words, bowed again. "I deeply express my gratitude for your mercy, seeing me with no silver or grain, yet still taking care of my ailing mother by employing me as the tutor for your two young masters and lady. Sky Melody will surely devote himself wholeheartedly to educating the three young masters and lady. Should there be any accomplishments in the future, I shall surely repay your kindness!"

The young man bowed his body slightly, almost in an act of devout reverence. He thought not only was he indebted to the hero for his help, but also for the kindness shown in healing his mother and providing him with work. The cumulative weight of these favors made the debt feel overwhelmingly significant.

The hero had asked him to repay his benefactor, but not only had he failed to do so, he had received yet another favor. He felt a twinge of shame, but it only served to fuel his determination as he clenched his fists and vowed within himself that he would make a name for himself in the future!

Yu Lian helped the young lad to his feet. "It was but a small favor; there's no need to dwell on it. Focus on your studies and take good care of your mother. When you grow up and have the means, remember to extend your help to others as well."

The elder matriarch didn't quite understand the situation. "What's going on here?"

Yu Lian explained her agreement with the young man. "I thought that Tianqu has an exceptional talent and has read many books. He would be more than capable of teaching Guo'er, Yan'er, and Xing'er the basics, so I wouldn't have to look for another tutor."

The elder matriarch hadn't expected that, right after building their new home, her granddaughter-in-law would already be thinking about providing education for the three children. She knew that their daily livelihood was already challenging, and now Yu Lian wanted to pay for the children's education. Learning to read and write required a considerable amount of money, not to mention the cost of stationery for three children.

At their age, just starting to learn might seem insignificant since they could only read a few words, but precisely because they were beginners, they needed constant practice and writing to familiarize themselves and memorize what they learned. The amount of ink and paper they would consume wouldn't be less than that of students studying the Four Books and Five Classics.

Although it was good that her three grandsons could learn to read, the elder matriarch still advised, "Lian'er... We're in the countryside now. Grandmother thinks it's best not to let them study. In the future, we can find a good family for Guo'er to marry into. Yan'er and Xing'er can learn farming too."

Of course, this wasn't what she had wished for, but given their family's circumstances, it was already a blessing that her three children could grow up healthy and carry on the Hua family's bloodline. What more could she ask for?

She couldn't burden her granddaughter-in-law with all the pressure either. It was already too much to expect her to worry about providing for the entire family, let alone taking care of the upbringing of the three children. That responsibility was far too heavy.

Yu Lian held Little Guo'er's hand, whose eyes sparkled as she nestled her head on her sister-in-law's lap, filled with admiration and reliance.

"Grandmother, even though we're farmers, our lowly status shouldn't stop us from learning to read and write. Reading is the path to wisdom. They're still young and should be educated so they won't live their lives in ignorance."

"Even if we never leave this rural village, can't return to the capital, or resume our previous life, and spend our days farming in the countryside, so what? They must still study. How else will they learn to think critically, understand the truths of the world, or distinguish right from wrong?"

The old lady gazed at her granddaughter-in-law for a while, meeting her clear and bright eyes, and emotions swirled within her... A woman like her granddaughter-in-law, if not for marrying into their family, might have ended up with a different man and a different destiny. Her breadth of vision and understanding surpassed that of ordinary women from noble families.

"But then again... the weight on your shoulders will only increase," she said, considering the recent construction of the house and the hiring of laborers to till the land, which likely left their coffers nearly empty. Adding the cost of hiring a tutor would stretch them thin. "How will you manage?"

Yu Lian smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about that, Grandmother. I have a plan."

After the grandmother and granddaughter chatted for a while, Hua Zhan emerged from the house. Upon hearing what had transpired, he asked his wife to go inside and rest.

"I'll take him to the town's medical clinic."

Yu Lian glanced at Hua Tianqu, who also nodded, his eyes filled with a hint of shame. Their benefactor hadn't slept all night and was still concerned about him being deceived, going out of her way to check on him. How could they trouble her even more?

She took out five taels of silver and handed them to her father-in-law, saying, "Take your time on the road."

Hua Zhan drove the carriage, taking Hua Tianqu and the widowed Mrs. Zhao to the town's clinic. Yu Lian returned to her room to sleep. When she woke up, it was already afternoon, with the sun blazing high. The three children were in the courtyard catching insects to feed the chickens and ducks.

As Yu Lian stepped outside, Little Guo'er immediately put down her insect-filled jar and ran over. She had intended to hug her sister-in-law but, remembering that she had just touched bugs, refrained from putting her hands on her clothes.

Yu Lian asked, "Where are Grandmother, Mother, and Aunt Mei? Has Father returned?"

Little Guo'er replied, "Father hasn't come back yet. Mother is inside doing needlework. She says she wants to embroider handkerchiefs and pouches to sell in town for extra money. Grandmother and Aunt Mei went to the land by the river."

"Grandmother said you're working too hard, so she told us not to disturb your sleep. She also said we should do more work to help you."

Looking up at Yu Lian carefully, Little Guo'er continued, "Sister-in-law, does our studying really cause you a lot of stress? Then Guo'er won't study anymore. Auntie says girls don't need to study. It's fine if I marry into a modest family as their main wife. Guo'er will be obedient."

The twins, crouching nearby, echoed, "We won't study either!"

Yu Lian gently pats Little Guo'er's head. "Guo'er, let me share a secret with you. A woman should even more so pursue education and literacy, so she won't be deceived by wicked people."

"Your aunt is right in saying that you should aspire to be the main wife when you grow up. But don't make that your only life goal. After reading books and understanding the world, you'll have a clearer idea of how you want to live."

Little Guo'er blinks, not fully grasping the concept but earnestly commits her sister-in-law's words to memory. She now looks up to women like her sister-in-law as her role model and idol. In her eyes, her sister-in-law is more capable than anyone else, even her aunt and mother. Whatever Yu Lian says must hold great wisdom.

The twins clap their hands and rush over. Unlike Guo'er, they lack her attentiveness and sensitivity, recklessly tackling Yu Lian, smudging her with dirt. Swiftly, they receive two taps on their foreheads.

The twins clutch their heads and grumble, "What were you guys talking about?"

Yu Lian replies, "We were discussing how studying diligently earns praise from our teacher and top grades in exams, which come with monthly rewards."

"What kind of rewards?"

"A string of sugar-coated hawthorn berries each."

The twins' eyes light up. "A whole string for each of us?"

Yu Lian nods. "Yes, a full string each, and you can even take a stroll around the town."

The twins were already enticed by the prospect. It wasn't easy to come by sweets like sugar-coated haws, let alone the chance to visit the town for leisure. Their sister and father were always occupied with their duties, unable to bring them along. Even if they did, it would only be to serve as laborers.

Both twins asked again, "Will we have to work when we go to the town? Carry things?"

Yu Lian replied, "Yes! If you don't want to, you don't have to."

The twins hesitated before answering, "We'll go, we'll go!"

For that one string of sugar-coated haws each month, the twins retreated to discuss and ultimately decided to take on the task. They had received some education back when they lived in the marquis residence, but often slacked off. The tutor dared not discipline the young masters of the marquis household, so their studies were sporadic at best. As a result, they had forgotten most of what they learned and could barely write any characters now.

Yet, the twins were strangely confident, believing that since they had learned it before, picking it up again would merely be a matter of rehearsing. Wouldn't it be easy to top the rankings then?

Their teacher, who was only a few years older than them, would surely be astounded by their prodigious talent!

Yu Lian chuckled at their naivety but said nothing. She fetched water from the well in the yard, washed her face and hands, and prepared to inspect the fields.

Taking the three children with her, she spotted Aunt Mei supporting their grandmother, who was crouching in the field, seemingly engaged in some activity.

The children called out loudly to their grandmother, who turned around and waved at them.

As Yu Lian approached, she noticed the old lady holding a handful of soil.

"What are you doing, Grandmother?" she asked.

The old lady smiled and replied, "Grandmother thought that at my age, I still don't understand farming. I want to learn how to cultivate crops."

She felt that her granddaughter-in-law was under too much pressure to support the family. Even though she was old, she couldn't just lie around and let her granddaughter-in-law take care of everything. She needed to find a way to contribute.

Aunt Mei didn't even want to touch the soil, but the old lady held it in her hands without any disdain. If it could help feed the family, why would she be repelled by it?

Seeing this, Yu Lian understood that the old lady was worried about her, which made Yu Lian feel even more pressured. Concerned about the old lady's health due to excessive worry, she explained, "I've done some research lately and have decided to plant an orchard here. In the future, we can open a factory to make fruit preserves. Once we earn some money, we'll open a shop in town, and with more earnings, we can buy the hill behind and plant more fruit trees."

"What are fruit preserves?"

"It's a special process of preserving fruits, allowing them to be stored and sold far away. The syrup is sweet, and during hot summers, if you place a jar in cold well water and then eat it, it's incredibly refreshing. In winter, when fruits are expensive, come in limited varieties, and are cold to the mouth, a jar of fruit preserve is much more enjoyable than eating fresh fruit directly."

As Yu Lian spoke, the three children listening already had their mouths watering. The twins swallowed their saliva and said, "Sister... Are there really such jars? We really want to try them. Can they really be that sweet and delicious?"

Yu Lian replied, "Study hard, and only then will you get to taste the preserves."

The allure of an unfamiliar fruit preserve had surpassed that of sugar-coated haws. This time, without any hesitation, the twins eagerly nodded, "We'll study diligently!"

Madam and Aunt Mei also listened in astonishment. However, being mature individuals, they swiftly pinpointed the core matter at hand. "This canned food technique, do you understand it, Lian'er?"

Yu Lian hesitated before responding, "It should be fine. I'll inquire about the artisans and give it a try myself."

The intricacy of making fruit preserves does not lie in the preparation of its contents; sugared fruits are relatively simple to create. The true challenge lies in the art of sealing and sterilization to ensure maximum preservation and longevity.

Not being a professional in the sciences, Yu Lian was incapable of any groundbreaking inventions. She also had to avoid drawing excessive attention to herself, for fear of attracting the notice of the fickle Imperial Sovereign in the capital and bringing trouble upon her family. After much contemplation, she decided to make canned goods as a means to support her household.