Transmigrated into the role of the matriarch, I ensured my family had enough to eat and wear during

Tang Chengyu snapped out of her thoughts, handed the copper coin given to her by Old Madam Deng to Tang Susu, and said earnestly, "Elder sister, you've already given me a monthly allowance for teaching, so I can't accept these tuition fees. Please take them."

Tang Susu didn't answer, but looked up and asked, "What if there were more people in the village who wanted their children to learn to read with you? What would you think?"

Tang Chengyu was speechless for a moment. He had only thought about teaching his eldest sister's children to pay off their debts and then leaving, without ever considering the aftermath. But he was also secretly worried that if he left, there would be no one to teach these children.

Seeing this, Tang Susu slowly said, "Why don't you open a literacy class and teach more children? You can keep all the tuition fees given by the villagers. I only have two small requests."

"First, Gousheng and Xiaobao will have separate classes, not with the other children; second, we will speed up their progress, so that Gousheng can become proficient in abacus calculation as soon as possible, and Xiaobao can memorize the Three Character Classic as soon as possible."

She had other plans in mind. She would leave Yangqu Village sooner or later. Once Xiaobao had memorized the classics, he could go to a private school in town and no longer need to rely on Tang Chengyu.

Tang Chengyu, unaware of her thoughts, nodded and said, "To speed up the progress, we need to add an extra hour of lessons during the day each day. What do you think, elder sister?"

"You decide this yourself, as long as the requirements are met," Tang Susu waved her hand.

After hesitating for a moment, Tang Chengyu said, "Eldest sister, I want to give the copper coins to second sister, and the grain given by the villagers to the Tang family. Second sister supported my schooling, and the Tang family raised me; these are all debts I should repay."

Tang Susu looked at him, appreciating his character, and nodded with a smile: "I understand your thoughts, let's do it your way, I support you."

As the setting sun cast its last rays, the courtyard was bathed in a warm orange hue.

In the evening, a number of people gathered in Tang Susu's courtyard, including Aunt Liu's little fish, Grandma Deng's little cat, and other children from the village, about ten in total.

The children lined up and sat down properly, and Tang Chengyu's literacy class officially started. The first lesson was abacus.

The abacus beads that Tang Chengyu had polished earlier had already been installed, and four brand-new abacuses were neatly arranged on the table. The children's eyes lit up when they saw them, and they all craned their necks to look at them curiously.

Tang Susu didn't listen in. She picked up the copper coin given to her by Old Mrs. Deng, turned around and went to the Yang family's old house to give Old Master Yang the fee for making the abacus.

Grandpa Yang took the copper coin but immediately handed it back, resolutely refusing to accept it: "Susu, you can't take this money. The abacus was made from trees that nobody wanted in the mountains, the tools were from our own family, and the beads were ground by the children. It didn't cost a penny, so how can I take your money?"

"Grandpa, please accept it." Tang Susu smiled. "Chengyu said that the abacus you made is more durable than the cheapest one from Renningtang. It costs fifty copper coins each, and four abacuses will have a total of two hundred coins. This is what you deserve."

After she finished speaking, she put the copper coin on the table and turned to run away. Old Master Yang quickly got up to chase after her, but was stopped by Old Mrs. Yang: "Why chase after her? Take it! Keep it for Gousheng and Dafu to get married. Ersha is only a few months older than Gousheng and he's already married. I'm just worried about the two children's marriages. This money will come in handy."

Tang Susu ran home and as soon as she entered the door, she heard Tang Chengyu meticulously teaching the children to recite abacus formulas, his voice clear and earnest.

She turned to look at Yang Gousheng, only to find his eyes vacant and his mind wandering, his hand gripping the abacus without moving, clearly not having listened to a word he said.

Tang Susu sighed inwardly, knowing that he was still heartbroken over Shen Cuihe marrying Yang Ersha, and thought she should find an opportunity to talk to him and help him resolve his inner conflict.

As night fell, the village head gathered all the villagers and, according to the previously agreed plan, lit bonfires to lure and kill the locusts that remained in the fields.

The locust eradication campaign in Yangqu Village has been proceeding smoothly in recent days. During the day, villagers boil lantana to make a medicinal solution and sprinkle it on the rice paddies. At night, they light bonfires to lure locusts and then bury them in pits. Now, there are almost no locusts to be seen in the fields, but the air still smells of burning lantana and rotting locust corpses.

On the day when it was Tang Liqiang's turn to lead the village patrol, he immediately went to hand over the duties after class.

This was his first time serving as the village patrol team leader. He was in high spirits, stood up straight, and looked very serious and responsible.

Behind him followed twelve teenage team members, each full of vigor and high spirits.

Tang Susu saw Zheng Dahu in the group.

Thinking back to when we first met, he was stealing Yang Xiaobao's pheasant and spending his days fooling around with other teenagers. Now, however, he stands peacefully in the village patrol team. The change is truly remarkable.

Behind Zheng Dahu were three or five children he usually played with. Although they were not team members, they insisted on following along, and each of them looked serious and dutiful.

The children surrounded Tang Liqiang and begged:

"Brother Liqiang, next time the village head invites more people, be sure to take me with you! I'm strong enough to beat up bad guys!"

"I'm the fastest runner, so if anything happens, I can get back to the village and call for help immediately!"

Tang Liqiang feigned seriousness and put on a stern face: "The village head hasn't said whether he'll let me be the team leader next time. You guys go back first, don't cause trouble."

But the children refused to leave, staying right behind the group and not leaving for a moment.

As the patrol team continued on, they encountered some of the village elders, who joked, "The village head really lets you kids run wild! What use are such young children patrolling the village? If a thief really comes, he could wipe you all out!"

Tang Liqiang, head held high, retorted, "The elders can just wait and see. We will definitely guard the village and keep the thieves out!"

A large group of teenagers, full of energy, toured the mountains and villages, round and round.

Tang Susu watched Tang Liqiang lead the village patrol team away into the distance, then turned to see Yang Gousheng holding an abacus, rooted to the spot as if nailed down, not even moving his eyes.

She deliberately coughed loudly twice, but Yang Gousheng didn't react at all, still lost in thought.

Helpless, Tang Susu raised her voice and called out, "Yang Gousheng!"

Yang Gousheng suddenly snapped out of his daze, his whole body trembling. He quickly stood up: "Mother, what's wrong? Is something the matter?"

"It's okay, come with me for a walk outside." Tang Susu shook her head.

Yang Gousheng thought his mother was going to check on the crops in the fields, so he quickly hid the abacus in the cabinet and started walking towards his own field. He had only taken two steps when Tang Susu grabbed his sleeve.

"Not to the fields, but to the hillside across the way," Tang Susu said with a smile. "We can see the moon more clearly from there, and I want you to come with me to see the moonlight."

Yang Gousheng was puzzled. The moon could be seen anywhere, so why did he have to go to the hillside?

He mistakenly thought that his mother was thinking of his father and was saddened, so he silently suppressed his grief and pondered how to comfort her.

The mother and son arrived at the opposite hillside, one after the other.

The place is full of rocks, making it impossible to grow crops. It's just a patch of weeds and exposed stones, a very desolate place.

Tang Susu found a flat stone stool to sit on, took out a small bottle of bayberry wine from her pocket, and lied, "This wine was brewed by your father when he was alive. It has been hidden for many years. I was planning to dig it out and let you taste it when you are older."

She uncorked the bottle, and a rich aroma of wine immediately filled the air. She then handed the bottle to Yang Gousheng.

Yang Gousheng still had some vague memories of his father, so he believed it and thought his mother missed his father. He asked softly, "Mother, my father can actually brew wine? How come I didn't know that?"

Tang Susu thought to herself, "Your father only knew how to do farm work and go to the battlefield. He would never know how to brew wine. Now that he's gone, you can make up whatever you want."

She smiled and said, "You were too young to know back then. Your father had never tasted this wine before. He said it tasted wonderful, and a sip could dispel all worries."

Yang Gousheng sat down on the stone stool next to him and handed the wine bottle back to her: "Mother, you should drink it. I heard that wine can make people drunk, and when you're drunk, you can see the people you want to see. If you get drunk, you'll be able to see Father." He paused, then added: "Mother, when you see Father, remember to ask him for me if he's doing well over there."

Tang Susu rubbed her forehead, feeling utterly helpless. She decided to cut to the chase and asked him directly, "Tell me honestly, are you still lusting after Yang Ersha's wife, Shen Cuihe?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Gousheng froze, his expression instantly solidifying.

He stared blankly at the moon in the sky, remained silent for a long time, and then sighed deeply, his eyes filled with bitterness.

Tang Susu shoved the bayberry wine into his hand again: "Have a couple of sips, then tell me slowly. I know you're usually a quiet type, and you won't get much out of me just by talking. A little wine will help you relax, and then you'll open up."

Yang Gousheng did not refuse and took two big gulps.

This wine has a low alcohol content and carries a faint aroma of bayberries. It is warm, sweet, and glides smoothly down the throat.

After a moment, his thoughts drifted away, his expression softened, and with a touch of nostalgia, he was about to recount his first encounter with Shen Cuihe.

Tang Susu immediately interrupted her seriously, saying, "Gousheng, let me remind you first, you can no longer call her Shen Cuihe, you must call her sister-in-law. She is Yang Ersha's wife, your sister-in-law, you must remember this clearly."

Yang Gousheng felt a pang of bitterness in his heart, nodded, and slowly said, "I know, it just reminded me of the past. When I first met her, she was extremely kind to me, always calling me Brother Gousheng, saying that I was the only one in her heart, and promising to wash my clothes, cook delicious food for me, and stay with me through thick and thin."

His voice lowered considerably as he continued, "But later, she said she only saw me as her brother and had no other intentions. Although I was sad at the time, I gradually stopped thinking about it."

"My low mood today is only because seeing her marry Ersha reminded me of those promises I made before, not because I still want her to be my daughter-in-law. I know that from now on she is Ersha's wife, my sister-in-law, and I won't have any more wild thoughts."

Tang Susu looked at him, gently patted his hand, and gave him an approving smile: "It's good that you can think this way. It means you've really grown up and really moved on."

Then, she changed the subject and posed the crucial question: "Let me ask you again, from now on you and Shen Cuihe will live in the same village, and you'll inevitably run into each other. If one day she needs your help, what will you do?"