Chapter Thirty-Three: Faint Sleep

  For Ya'an, life is too fragile and sudden, may the deceased rest in peace, and the living be strong.

  Opening her eyes, a strand of reddish sunset from the window reflected in, after a while, Zhen Shi Niang finally remembered that she had slept after finishing the glue. She looked up at the leaky pot on the table, "Fortunately, it's just past 4 pm." It's still possible to get up and steam the cake now, stretching her waist, she slowly sat up.

  "...... Mom, mom!" Jian Wu and Jian Wen were dozing off on one side, hearing the commotion, they quickly crawled up, pounced into Zhen Shi's arms, tightly hugging her waist, raised their small faces, tearfully staring at her, as if they had suffered a great injustice.

  Zhen Shi Niang was startled and asked, "What's wrong with Wen Ge and Wu Ge?" She looked around and said, "Who bullied you two?"

  "......Miss has woken up?" While working outside, Jian Wen and Jian Wu's voices were heard, and Ji Kuai and Qiu Jie rushed in together. Qiu Jie jumped to the edge of the bed and looked at Zhen Shi Niang from head to toe, her eyes reddening instantly.

  What's wrong with these people?

  Zhen Shiniang was perplexed and couldn't understand.

  Just as he was about to ask, Jian Wu let out a loud wail and started crying. "I never want to eat white buns again! From now on, we'll eat cornmeal every day and save the money for Mother's illness!"

  "I won't be lazy anymore, I'll study hard and grow up to take the imperial examination, earn a lot of money to cure Mother's illness!" Jianwen hugged his mother tightly around her waist, as if he was afraid that if he let go, she would disappear.

  Who said this to the child?!

  Zhen Shi Niang gave Ji Kuai a stern glance, then gently patted Jian Wen's back and said with a relaxed and cheerful tone, "...... Does our brother Wen want to become the top scholar?"

  Jianwen nodded vigorously, "Only by becoming a high-ranking official can one make a lot of money!"

  "I also want to be the top scholar!" Jian Wu nodded along, "I will become a great general like General Shen in the future, earn money to cure my mother's illness!"

  Is being a great general just for earning money to cure her illness?

  Doing business can also make money and even faster. Why did his son learn what he didn't like, but instead learned from his father to take the military exam?

  If you can't even pass the imperial examination to become a scholar in your whole life, what do you expect to earn?

  Zhen Shining wants to bang her head against the wall.

  Is this the relationship between flesh and blood, heredity?

  He sighed quietly, but didn't want to correct his son. Instead, he smiled warmly and said, "It's great that you two have such big ambitions, Wen Ge and Wu Ge. Just remember, you'll need to be prepared to suffer."

  "I'm not afraid of hardship!"

  "I'm not afraid either!" Jian Wu chimed in.

  "Alright." Zhen Shi Niang nodded, "It's better to do than to say. Wen Ge and Wu Ge go to the west room immediately and copy the second chapter of 'Cang Jie' ten times... In ancient times, children started their education early, usually at the age of four or five, using 'Cang Jie', 'Yuan Shang', 'Meng Qiu' and other primers, followed by studying the Four Books and Five Classics."

  For this kind of obscure and difficult classical Chinese, Zhen Shining remembered that even when she was in high school, it was hard to learn. Among classmates, there was a saying circulating, "First fear Zhou Shuren, second fear classical Chinese." Now letting a four-year-old child read this is simply ruining the young sprout.

  In this era, all children learn this. If they don't learn it, I'm afraid that in the future they won't even be able to read the Four Books and Five Classics. Also thinking that people's lifespan is generally short in this generation, so I found a copy of "Cang Jue" for Jian Wu and Jian Wen to start their education.

  The rules won't change just because her soul is different. Since she's come here, she and Jian Wenzheng will have to move forward one step at a time.

  After hearing this, Jian Wu's small face suddenly twitched.

  In just a moment, Jianwen nodded vigorously, "Wait for me, Mother! I'll come over to keep you company as soon as I finish writing!"

  Zhen Shi Niang quietly watched Qiu Ju and Xi Que after sending Jian Wen and Jian Wu away.

  Being stared at, Qiujie felt a bit flustered, "Miss..."

  "...I'm just exhausted and want to take a nap. How can you scare the child like this?!" Zhen Shiniang's voice was stern for the first time.

  "Miss has been sleeping for two days and two nights." Qiuju muttered softly.

  Two days and two nights?

  Zhen Shining was somewhat taken aback.

  "......Miss slept too soundly, even the servant girl couldn't wake her up when she came to help her wash. Ji Yu's eyes flickered with a hint of worry, "......When I fed you soup, you just swallowed it down without waking up, no matter how loudly I called out."

  She has always been a light sleeper, how could this be?

  Zhen Shining lowered her head and took a look at the clothes on her body.

  As expected, after changing into a set of dry clothes, her body felt refreshed and comfortable. She still remembered the discomfort of being sticky before sleep, but at that time her body was heavy like a mountain, and she didn't even want to move a finger.

  "...That can't be used to scare the kids either." Zhen Shi Niang's tone softened, "Wen Ge and Wu Ge have been thoughtful since they were young, whatever adults say, they will take it to heart." Since their father was not around when they were young, Jian Wen and Jian Wu were more sensitive than ordinary children.

  And so, even though she was still a child, Zhen Shiniang spoke very cautiously in front of them.

  "It was they themselves who eavesdropped..." Qiu Ju muttered under her breath.

  "Eavesdropping?" Zhen Shining furrowed her brow, "What's going on?"

  Just as she was about to speak, the magpie coughed, and Qiuju quickly closed her mouth and turned her head to walk outside, "......Miss must be thirsty after just waking up, I'll go get you some water."

  "I'm not thirsty, you tell!" Zhen Shining didn't look at Xi Que either, her eyes were fixed tightly on Qiu Ju, "What's going on?"

  "It's... it's Lao Taitai who died last night..." Qiuju slowly turned back, forcing herself to say.

  Luo Shu was their neighbor, living next to Yu Liang's house in the front alley. She had lost her husband a year ago and was raising her six-year-old daughter Ling Jie on her own. After giving birth, she had suffered from severe bleeding and never fully recovered, always feeling weak and ill. At that time, Zhen Shi Niang had also been bedridden with a severe case of blood collapse, and the two women often commiserated about their shared struggles as single mothers. Over the past two years, Luo Shu had been especially close to Zhen Shi Niang, who would occasionally provide her with some donkey-hide gelatin. However, both women were struggling financially, living from one meal to the next, and Zhen Shi Niang's assistance was limited.

  It is often said that without money, there is no cure for illness. Due to years of medical expenses, Luo's family had spent all their savings, and after her husband's death, she could only make a living by washing and mending clothes for others to support her daughter. It was hard for the mother-daughter pair to even get by, let alone enjoy any luxuries. With the added sorrow of missing her husband, Luo's health gradually deteriorated, and before long, she passed away. As they spoke, Qiuju's eyes grew redder... "Poor Ling'er, not yet seven years old, was taken away by her uncle to be sold to a wealthy family in the city as repayment for their debt." Before her death, Luo had borrowed money from her brother's family to buy medicine and pay for funeral expenses, leaving behind a significant amount of debt. "They said they would leave early tomorrow morning."

  “…Ling's sister was sold by her uncle?” Thinking of Ling, she suddenly flashed two big black eyes and Jian Wu Jian Wen surrounded her in front and back, laughing and playing. Zhen Shi Niang's heart skipped a beat, "Why didn't anyone take care of it?"

  "Mind your own business, who dares to intervene?" Ji Kuai sneered, "Besides, it's all over town that Ling Jie has a hard fate, first killing off her grandparents, then her father, and now her mother. Everyone can't wait for her to leave Wutong Town, who would speak up for her?"

  "But a six or seven year old child, these people...!" Zhen Shi Niang's voice was rare with a hint of injustice, "They have completely lost their conscience!"

  "This is none of our business, Miss. Don't worry about it." Zhen Shining was always calm, but Ji Wu had never seen her like this before. "Your illness is most afraid of worrying."

  Think about it, I don't even know where I'll end up tomorrow, and indeed can't control it.

  This is not modern times, in ancient times, buying and selling people was a legitimate business!

  Zhen Shining sighed, "I've also often heard that some wealthy families' maids are more dignified than ordinary people's daughters. I hope she can marry into a good family." Not wanting to discuss it further, she changed the subject, "Is it true that Wen Ge and Wu Ge were scared because they heard that Ling Jie was sold?"

  "Hmm..." Ji Kuai responded vaguely.

  "It's not..." Qiu Ju shook her head.