This change quickly beca known to the entire Zhou Family, the children didn’t think much of it, but Ms.Feng and the others were envious.
Especially Ms.Feng, aside from Daya, she was the only one in the Zhou Family who had given birth to two daughters.
So as soon as Zhou ErLang lay down, she pulled him up and quietly asked, "Why did father agree to give the shop to Daya?"
Zhou ErLang replied casually, "Manbao said it, why?"
Ms.Feng was quite jealous, absentmindedly pulling his hair and said, "Wasn’t it supposed to be kept for Manbao’s dowry?"
"Manbao said she doesn’t need the shop, and she doesn’t lack money," Zhou ErLang pulled his hair from her hand, lay down and said, "Alright, go to sleep, tomorrow we have to weed the vegetable field, Five has to go to the county to ask around about Four’s situation and see when he’s coming back for the New Year."
Ms.Feng pulled him up again, continuing to pester him about the matter, "Even if Manbao doesn’t need it, isn’t there still Datou and Second Son? Sister-in-law is really sothing, giving the shop to her daughter, why not give it to her son?"
Knowing he wouldn’t be able to sleep unless he clarified things, Zhou ErLang sat up and said, "Why do you care who Brother and Sister-in-law give it to? Regardless of who it’s given to, it won’t end up with Second Son, so what difference does it make if it’s given to Daya or Datou?"
"Why it wouldn’t make a difference? If it’s given to Datou, the shop remains within our family, providing continuous inco, right?"
"Don’t worry, even if it’s given to Daya, Sister-in-law will still be the one managing it. Daya’s skills...," Zhou ErLang paused and continued, "like Brother, I estimate it will take at least a decade to learn well, so the vegetables needed for the restaurant will still co from the family, the grains, and beans will also be purchased from the family side, and according to the old rules, so will be handed over to the public, leaving the rest for Sister-in-law and Daya."
Upon hearing this, Ms.Feng released him, but still felt envious, "It’s unknown whether the family will accompany Erya with a shop when she gets married..."
"Don’t even think about it, the family has only one shop, and if we really bought a shop, would you be willing to give it to Erya as a dowry?" Zhou ErLang shattered her fantasy and then said, "By the way, return the colorful silk to Sanya, when the child found yesterday, she was almost crying."
Ms.Feng: "...I was just afraid she’d ruin such good stuff, so I kept it for her, planning to give it to her when she gets married."
Zhou ErLang: "She’s not young anymore, she can keep her things herself. After Daya gets married, and with Erya in the capital, there’s only one girl at ho, haven’t you noticed how much kinder father has beco towards the two girls at ho?"
Ms.Feng pulled his hair and said, "I never said I wouldn’t gave her anything, the clothes she wears every year, shoes, and the expenses for attending school, the books and stationery required, aren’t we the ones spending the money?"
Speaking of this, Ms.Feng felt a pang in her heart, "She spends way more money as a girl than her brother did. When her brother was studying, the books were copied back by the sister-in-law, the ink used was leftover from her sister-in-law, and the paper was also given by her sister-in-law. So were even bought with their own money, we only paid the tuition, but when it ca to her, look at how much money she spent in a year?"
Zhou ErLang replied, "Wasn’t it because Manbao was there to help them earn money back then? Sanya and the others have no one to help them now, they don’t have a penny to their na, how can you expect them to buy?"
"Actually, I think after two or three years of studying, it’s enough, she should be sent to Sister-in-law to learn cooking skills, if she can learn to cook like Sixth, then later on she can help the family by opening a shop, right?"
Seeing Zhou ErLang lying down again, she pulled him up, gave him a punch and said, "I’m asking you, look at Erya, she hasn’t returned since she left. Manbao said she’s earned a lot of money, yet we haven’t seen her co back to honor us, what’s the point of girls studying so much?"
Zhou ErLang could only sit up again, speaking reason gently to her, "Just look at Manbao, do you think it’s useless for girls to study? We’re still strong, we don’t need the children to honor us yet, do we?"
He continued, "Erya hasn’t brought back money, but Second Son hasn’t either, right? That kid even ca back, but he didn’t get in the door, not even as good as a girl."
Ms.Feng pinched his ear, "How did he not get in the door? They turned on the road as soon as they reached Mianzhou."
Zhou ErLang wasn’t afraid of her pinching, after all, it didn’t hurt.
"But endlessly studying isn’t the solution, they need to learn skills," Ms.Feng insisted, "Girls are different from boys, Lixue can study and take exams to beco an official, what about her?"
"Erya is at least good at accounting, studying outside as a bill clerk provides a job in the future, but after Sanya graduates, what can she do?" Ms.Feng continued, "Either she learns good culinary skills like Sister-in-law; or she becos as skilled in accounting as her sister; or she gains dical expertise like her aunt. Otherwise, even if she reads a lot, she’ll end up farming and weaving after marriage, so it would have been better not to study."
After deliberating thoroughly, Zhou ErLang felt her argunt made sense, so he said, "Alright, when I have ti tomorrow, I’ll ask her what she wants to do in the future. But first you need to return the colorful silk to her, everyone else has it, but she doesn’t."
Ms.Feng:...How is this topic still ongoing?
She said, "Four Son doesn’t have it either."
"He’s a boy, can you compare a boy to a girl?"
Ms.Feng also lay down, pulled the quilt over her head, pretending not to hear.
Zhou ErLang nudged her, "I’m talking to you."
Ms.Feng began snoring, pretending she was asleep.
Zhou ErLang:...
The next day, Manbao went into her mother’s room early in the morning, squatted by a large jar and joined her mother in taking eggs out, counting them as they went.
Ms.Qian placed a layer of rice in the basket, put the eggs in, then added another layer of rice, and another layer of eggs, filling it with a total of twenty eggs before lifting the basket out.
Junior Ms.Qian caught the basket, and Ms.Qian asked the family, "We’re going to the temple to worship the Heavenly Lord, who wants to go?"
The children excitedly raised their hands, wanting to go, while Zhou Dalang said, "Mother, let Sanlang take you there, I and Two will go tidy up the vegetable field."
Ms.Qian nodded, asked Zhou Sanlang to prepare the ox cart, then asked the daughters-in-law, "Do you want to go for a visit and offer worship?"
They were also eager, especially Ms.Fang and Ms.Lu. Their families were in Dali Village, so they could visit their maiden ho on the way to the temple, and everyone nodded in agreent.
Manbao had already slipped back to her own room to pick up three books, wrapped them in cloth, and handed them to her mother to take with her, "These are the books I bought in the capital for Daohe, Mother, please carry them for first."
Ms.Qian took them, "Aren’t you going?"
"I’m going to find Bai Shan and the others and walk with them, and pay a visit to Brother Bai along the way."
Ms.Qian carefully put the books away and said, "Then be quick and try to enter the temple with us, I need to lead you to properly greet the lead monk."
Manbao agreed, then ran off towards the Bai Family.
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