Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 18

From another perspective, being fatherless could be an advantage.

Lu Baobao sighs silently. Her father has such a vivid imagination that he even references the saying, “If you have a car and a house, both your parents are dead.”

“Our mother is great. She doesn’t impose strict rules on her daughters-in-law. But look at our village—how many daughters-in-law are oppressed by their mothers-in-law and suffer in silence? The village chief’s family, which you admire, has the most rules. If the old lady of that family lives a long time, when our daughter marries, she will face three mothers-in-law. On the other hand, if we let the boy from the Tang family be a child husband, it will be different. You will be both a mother and a mother-in-law. Are you willing to let our daughter suffer? At that point, you can use your influence over the boy from the Tang family to ensure he marries our baby.”

“That would be so embarrassing.” Xu Jiaoniang speaks shyly, but the spark in her eyes reveals her true feelings. “But Yuan Ge’er’s land and house are gone. What will he use to support his family in the future?” Xu Jiaoniang hesitates.

“Haha, you still don’t understand my mother’s intentions,” Lu Jiafu replies, shaking his head. “Everyone in the village calls the boy from the Tang family the little scholar because he is precocious, and it’s said that he studies better than Tang Xiucai did when he was young. Everyone believes he will definitely become a scholar in the future, just like his father.”

Just how smart is Tang Xiucai? If not for the accident on his way to the exam, with a few more years, he might have already become a juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations). It’s known that Tang Xiucai was a top student back in the day, second only to those who pass the highest exams, and he is only in his early twenties when he becomes a scholar. If Tang Dingyuan truly is smarter than his father, could he also pass the exam and become a scholar?

“If we raise that boy, we send him to school. Our family’s rule is that boys should start elementary school when they turn eight. He is already Lu Baobao’s adopted husband, so why shouldn’t he be considered our child? Once he passes the exam to become a scholar, we can open a private school to recruit students. At that point, the tuition fees and festival gifts from the students will all go to our Lu Baobao.”

Lu Jiafu imagines a bright future and feels that his mother loves him more than ever.

“Then will our family have a lot of meat to eat?” Xu Jiaoniang asks, drooling at the thought. She recalls the fat chickens and ducks that Lu Baojin’s family sends to Tang Xiucai’s home while he studies. In fact, if Tang Xiucai hadn’t been weak and sickly all the time and required medicine, the Tang family should have lived quite comfortably.

There has never been a great scholar in their village, so the villagers are obsessed with fame. Moreover, the villagers lead prosperous lives, sending more than a dozen children to school each year. 

Unlike other villages, where there are fewer students but several scholars teaching, resulting in those scholars often leading hard lives and struggling financially.

“Then let’s raise this child,” Xu Jiaoniang says, wiping away her drool.

Her parents-in-law are strong and unlikely to consider splitting the family for several years. This means the costs for Yuan Ge’er’s education will be covered collectively. In this way, they gain the advantage again—training their son-in-law with everyone’s resources is like running a business with no capital.

“Send Yuan Ge’er to study, and when Lu Baobao marries him in the future, he will respect her, and she won’t be oppressed by her parents-in-law. Besides, the bond they will have from growing up together is something that ordinary people can’t compare to. They’ll have feelings for each other and gratitude. Yuan Ge’er is also very handsome. There is no better match than this.” Xu Jiaoniang’s voice brims with joy.

Lu Baobao feels as if she is being brainwashed. She inexplicably thinks that having a child husband might not be such a bad idea. In ancient times, when almost everyone marries without choice, it is indeed fortunate for her to cultivate feelings with her future husband from childhood.

Quickly, she shakes her head, trying to dismiss this unhealthy notion. She is still a child!

However, the fact that her parents have this idea is good for Tang Dingyuan. Lu Baobao knows that since her parents have this thought, they will definitely promote Tang Dingyuan’s education. Being able to study will change his future.

As long as he can seize this opportunity and achieve academic success, can her parents really force him to marry someone he doesn’t like?

By that time, if Tang Dingyuan is unwilling to marry her, he will surely feel even more indebted to her family. With a foster son who has a degree, their family will have a much better life.

As Lu Baobao calms down, the heat on her face gradually fades. Perhaps her parents have inadvertently done something good.

“It seems that the second family is unwilling to raise this child,” Lu Miao sighs in the room, having never even considered the idea of a child groom.

Lu Miao’s idea is simple: she wants Tang Dingyuan to become the second son’s adopted son. This way, she can naturally send this adopted grandson to study. While her own children might not have much talent for academics, Lu Miao believes that Tang Dingyuan does. She even senses that his future will surpass that of a mere scholar.

This mysterious intuition has helped Lu Miao survive several crises, and she trusts her instincts. Besides, even if she loses the gamble, she will only be out some money. As long as Yuan Ge’er learns to be grateful and can care for his adoptive father’s family in the future, it won’t be a loss.

“Forget it, let’s go to sleep,” Old Butcher Lu sighs. 

They still need to save more money to buy land. Since the second son and his wife are lazy, they could give them more land and let them collect rent to make a living.

Fortunately, they are just lazy and a little greedy. As long as they don’t spend lavishly, those things are enough for them to live on. 

Lu Miao also gives up.

The old couple doesn’t know that their so-called foolish son has already grasped their deeper intentions (not their intention). Tang Dingyuan’s identity is rapidly shifting from an adopted son to a child groom. 

Fortunately, both identities lead to the same outcome; perhaps the latter is even better. Once this concept is accepted, Lu Miao’s granddaughter’s “rich disease” that has been troubling her seems to have found a solution.

******

That night, except for a few innocent souls, most people couldn’t sleep, anxiously worrying about Tang Dingyuan’s choice the next day. Tang Dingyuan himself tosses and turns, unable to find rest.

He is much smarter than Lu Miao anticipated. Though he still mourns the loss of his parents, he is able to think clearly about his future.

The two brothers from the first branch have fallen asleep, and Tang Dingyuan pulls out the hairband hidden under his pillow, recalling the words his father spoke to him before he died. 

He carries a regret: his father encountered an accident on the way to the exam, and from that moment on, his dreams of becoming a scholar ended.

Tang Maocai places all his hopes on this son. Since Tang Dingyuan began to speak, Tang Maocai enlightened him, reciting the Four Books and Five Classics, allowing him to absorb knowledge without even realizing it.

In the Tang family, Tang Maocai was a strict father. On rare occasions, when he was warm-hearted, he held the young Tang Dingyuan and pointed to the north, telling him that is the direction of the prefectural city, where the provincial examination would take place. He promised that when Tang Dingyuan becomes a juren (provincial graduate), he will give him his favorite jade hairband.

Now, Tang Dingyuan holds that hairband in his hand; what had once been his father’s obsession has now become his own. 

He wants to study, but he understands that it is already quite difficult for the Lu family to adopt him. If he brings up such a request, it will be asking for too much.

He understands this, yet he can’t suppress the flicker of hope. As long as there is even a glimmer of possibility, he wants to give it a try.

Tang Dingyuan recalls what the kind aunts in the village tell him during the day. They advise him to try to live with the first branch after joining the Lu family, or at least with the third branch, and to avoid getting involved with the second branch. 

Combining this with the sporadic information he gathers about the Lu family while accompanying his mother to wash clothes at the riverbank, Tang Dingyuan makes a decision. In his view, his hope of studying still lies with the second branch.

This choice, which might seem the worst to outsiders, could be his last chance.

Tang Dingyuan closes his eyes and clenches the hairband in his hand. Let him be selfish this time. He will never forget the kindness of the Lu family.

******

“Yuan’er, you will be a member of our family from now on. You should call me what Baojin and the others call me.” After breakfast, Lu Miao asks everyone to stay and begins discussing which wife Tang Dingyuan will live with. “These are my three sons; you should know them all. Now you get to choose. Which uncle do you want to live with?”

Since the second son is unwilling to raise him, Lu Miao gives Tang Dingyuan the right to choose. 

Jiang Bai’e and the third son and his wife look a bit nervous, which shows on their faces. They don’t want to raise another child.

Tang Dingyuan is sensitive and notices their displeasure. His back tenses. Although he understands this is human nature, he still feels ashamed and embarrassed. However, his self-control is better than that of the adults, and this little emotion goes unnoticed by anyone.

In contrast to the three of them, The eldest Lu, and the children are much more amiable. They either look at him gently or smile warmly, silently welcoming his arrival.

Especially Lu Jiafu and his wife, whose faces seem to shout, “Choose me quickly!”

Tang Dingyuan has already prepared to choose the second branch, but he is puzzled by their attitude. According to his understanding, they should not be welcoming his arrival at all. 

Could it be that the rumors in the village are wrong, and the second uncle and aunt of the Lu family are actually warm and friendly?

The eldest Lu and the others are equally baffled. Their attitude has changed so quickly. Have they learned the art of changing faces?

“I want to choose Uncle Lu Er and Aunt Lu Er,” Tang Dingyuan sets aside his doubts and says shyly.

This choice takes everyone by surprise. Jiang Bai’e and the third wife are momentarily stunned. After secretly rejoicing, a strange thought crosses their minds: the boy from the Tang family would rather choose the second wife than them. Does this mean they are not as good as the second branch?

Lu Miao is also a bit surprised. After thinking deeply, she concludes that Jiang Bai’e and the third son have shown too much emotion, and the child has picked up on it.

“Good boy, you have good vision. Hahahaha! You will be my son-in-law in the future!” Lu Jiafu exclaims joyfully.

Son-in-law!

Everyone is shocked. Wasn’t he supposed to be an adopted son?

The author has something to say:

Lu Lao Er: You call me Dad, and I call you son-in-law. You have to study hard to make money for our family in the future. Your mother-in-law is still waiting for your students to send chickens and ducks home.