The Daily Life of a Down-on-Hard-Life Medicine Girl Supporting Her Family

Chapter 73 Against the Theory that Reading is Useless

"But we can't ignore your contribution either," Aunt Luo said. "A teacher for a day is a father for life. Don't underestimate us just because we're rough and ignorant. We still know how to respect our teachers."

"Aunt Luo, you really don't need to be so serious."

Well, for a woman to adhere to the traditional saying "a teacher for a day is a father for life" and have such a grown son, it really seems a bit incongruous.

Just then, they heard Luo Xiaogang and the other kids come back.

"Where have you been running around like crazy again? Look at all that sweat!" Aunt Luo turned around and saw that Luo Xiaogang's pants had a long tear in them. She grabbed him and started hitting him: "You little rascal, you never stop causing trouble! Look at yourself..."

"Mother, stop hitting him! He was climbing the tree to collect cicada shells to sell, and he got scratched by a branch when he came down." Luo Sanya quickly stopped him. "Xiaogang said that the money from selling the cicada shells can be used to buy salt, so that Dad won't have to go to the dock to pull the boat."

Aunt Luo's raised hand gently fell down.

With such a sensible son, how could she bear to hit him?

"You all went to collect cicada shells?"

When spring warmed up, I noticed several children carrying baskets filled with cicada shells.

"Yes, Sister Chunnuan, we go to pick them every year at this time of year. We sell them to Baicaotang or Qianjintang and we can get some money from them."

“Sister, we went to pick some too.” Chunyan, Chunshu, and Chunan handed her their baskets to look at: “We didn’t pick as many as Xiaogang and the others. They were really good at it.”

"It's okay. This is your first time picking them up, so it's normal that you have fewer than them."

Spring warmth unexpectedly revealed that children have their own ways of generating income.

Yes, cicada shells are also a medicinal material. Picking them at this time of year and selling them to pharmacies can indeed earn you money.

Looking at Chunyan and Chunshu's sun-darkened faces, Chunnuan felt a pang of sadness: the girls who were originally the daughters of the Xiao family now had the same skin color as Sanya. Indeed, life in the countryside was the most grueling.

Back then, they all had maids and servants serving them, and each of them was as delicate and beautiful as a tender onion.

But now, in order to make a living, they have to go up the mountain to dig wild vegetables, plant crops, and collect cicada shells.

I just haven't tried hard enough.

"It's getting late, let's go home." Chun Nuan patted Chun An's head: "You're still young, so don't go out picking things up anymore. Just stay home, practice your calligraphy, and take care of your younger siblings."

The child was also covered in dirt; if Auntie San saw him, she would probably be heartbroken for a long time.

“Sister, you can’t take the imperial examinations again. What’s the use of studying so many books? Our family needs to survive. We can’t rely on you to earn money alone. That would be too hard on you.”

"Who told you these things?"

Chunnuan looked at him in shock.

“Chun’an heard what Grandmother and Mother said.”

Chunnuan sighed inwardly: It seems that her third aunt hadn't calmed down and probably got scolded by her grandmother again.

Yes, my third aunt has been holding back a lot of anger these days.

The children run around every day, coming back looking disheveled, which makes her feel very uncomfortable.

“Grandma isn’t entirely right.” Chunnuan stroked his head. “Even if you don’t take the imperial examinations, studying is still useful. You must remember, of all professions, only studying is noble. You must study hard from a young age, so you don’t regret not having enough knowledge when you need it, then it will be too late, understand?”

"But I can't take the imperial examinations, can I?"

Young Chun'an still didn't quite understand why he couldn't take the imperial examination. "When you have enough knowledge, like your Huang family's ancestor who was a master, taking the imperial examination is just icing on the cake."

"Can I be like the Huang family patriarch?"

His mother had been telling him about the fact that Huang's ancestor was a great Confucian scholar since he could remember.

Back at the Huang family home, his mother took him to his maternal grandfather's study to see the portrait of his grandfather and read his grandfather's articles. Although he didn't understand them, he could recite several of them.

The descendants of the Huang family all take pride in being able to recite their ancestor's writings.

Anyone who cannot recite it is an unfilial descendant.

This included him, a descendant of the Xiao family, who was no exception.

His mother said that he had half of the Huang family blood in his veins, so he must have inherited some of the ancestors' true teachings. He should study hard and become the top scholar in the imperial examination.

As a result, when his grandfather had an accident, they were forced to travel thousands of miles to Sichuan.

He could no longer attend school, and his mother often secretly wiped away her tears, always saying to him: "Your inability to take the imperial examinations has ruined your future. God is truly unfair."

Chun'an felt that his mother must have harbored resentment in her heart, and even God was blaming her.

I made up my mind then and there to study hard and make my mother happy.

He overheard his grandmother and mother talking and became confused, wondering what the point of studying was.
In this family, the older sister is busy with everything every day, and the older brother Chun Ning is also constantly on the go.

As the eldest son of the third branch of the family, he couldn't afford to be idle.

So when he learned that Sister Yan and Sister Shu were going to collect cicada shells with Sanya, he followed them.

Grandmother is right; we can't let my older sister suffer all by herself.

Although cicada shells don't sell for much, you can accumulate them little by little, and eventually, you can save enough to buy some basic necessities like rice, oil, and salt.

“Chun’an, you must remember, when you are not capable, you will feel that nothing is good and nothing is useful; but when you have enough ability and stand at the top, you will find that everything is good, easy and useful.” Chun Nuan said, “You have half of the Huang family’s blood in your veins, and your mother was once a famous talented woman in the capital. Our family has fallen on hard times, but her knowledge is enough to teach you and your siblings until you are ten years old. So you must study hard and not make her angry.”

"Sister, Chun'an understands." Chun'an said, "Even if it's just to make Mother happy, I will study hard."

"Yes." After saying so much, he still understood it like this. Oh well, it's enough that he has this level of understanding at such a young age.

Chun Nuan brought her younger brother and sister home, and sure enough, her aunt began to grieve as soon as she saw Chun An's appearance.

Spring is here... Never mind, I'd better not watch it. Let her scold the child.

When Chunnuan returned to the pharmacy to process her medicinal herbs, she heard her third aunt scolding her.

Just then, Madam Xu also entered the pharmacy.

"Nuan Nuan, look at your third aunt... why don't you go and try to persuade her?"

This third sister-in-law has been getting angry a lot lately, which has made the old lady quite unhappy.

Now they're scolding Chun'an again; how upset the old lady must be to hear that.

“Mother, let Third Aunt do as she pleases. It is the father’s fault if he does not teach his adopted son. Third Uncle is not home, so it is only right for Third Aunt to teach the child. Let Grandmother and Aunt pretend they did not hear anything and do not defend her.”

Chunnuan thought: Strict management also has its advantages.

(End of this chapter)