Chapter 31: The Second Household Is Better Off?

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“Huh? Xiao Baofeng went to school as well? Are you sure? It costs two taels of silver a year to go to school and where did they get all those money?” Wong Mudan’s eyes popped out when she was shocked, just like a frog with a pair of eyes on the top of its head.

“How could I know!” said Xiao Baocheng, “I am sure it was him anyway. He is a new student and Scholar Wong of our school showed Xiao Baofeng in himself. He asked us to take care of our new classmate as well.”

“Let me have a look!” said Wong Mudan.

Wong Mudan went to the kitchen of the second household, and firstly she smelled of some very inviting fragrance of cooked fish, then heard Xiao Baofeng and others discussing about the private school. She drooled at the door and listened for a while; then she confirmed, ‘Xiao Baofeng really went to school!’

Wong Mudan left quietly from that row of houses and then went to old Mr. Xiao’s room.

“Pa, there’s a thing I want to tell you. Baofeng goes to school!”

Wong Mudan said it aloud as soon as she went in the room.

It was almost dark and old Mr. Xiao did not lit up his lamp so Wong Mudan did not know what he was doing inside. Later when she saw things clearly, she found old Mr. Xiao scraping off dirt from his body.

Old Mr. Xiao did not like bathing. With a handful bathing times a year, he stank all year round.

When Wong Mudan came in, he placed his clothes down and scolded her severely, “Can’t you make some noise before you get in?”

It did not concern Wong Mudan at all but she continued rashly, “Pa, you’re just scraping dirt off, aren’t you? What’s the big deal? Besides, did you hear what I just said? Baofeng has gone to private school!”

Old Mr. Xiao glared at Wong Mudan and said disgustedly, “What is so strange of Baofeng going to school? He’s already eight, isn’t he?”

“Pa, the tuition fee of private school is two taels of silver a year. Baofeng goes to school and what does it mean by that? It means that the second household has got money.”

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After Wong Mudan finished, old Mr. Xiao suddenly became dumb.

“They have got money?”

“Right so. Didn’t they make a scene of living separately from us not long ago? They’ve suddenly got money just after they live separately. Are they not deliberately hiding their money away from the rest of us? Pa, do you forget that they still owe you 500 coins a month as the filial piety tribute.”

Old Mr. Xiao tightened his waist belt right away and thumped to Li Hongmei’s.

The second household have already finished dinner. Xiao Baofeng and Xiao Baozhu were washing dishes and Li Hongmei was wiping the table. Ye Xiaoxian had already returned to her room and Xiao Baoshan went to fetch some water before completely dark.

Seeing old Mr. Xiao coming over, Baofeng and Baozhu said “Grandpa”, without much enthusiasm.

These two children did not like their grandpa much. They were brought up by Li Hongmei alone. No matter how busy Li Hongmei was, old Mr. Xiao would never give her a hand at all.

Sometimes there was a peddler in the village coming around and old Mr. Xiao would go to buy some candy men for his grandchildren, but he never gave anything to the second household, which upset Baozhu and Baofeng so much that they could not help crying.

“Baofeng, I heard that you went to school today, didn’t you?” asked old Mr. Xiao.

Baofeng answered him while cleaning the dishes, “Yes, grandpa.”

“Who gave you this money?” asked old Mr. Xiao.

Xiao Baofeng sensed that it was not that simple. His grandpa must not come over and ask him about this out of concern so Baofeng did not reply.

Li Hongmei heard it inside the room and she was sure that the old man must come here for the money which rendered her rage well up.

Humph, he never came to them that quickly before when they were in need of his help. Now he heard that they were better off so he was able to run as fast as a hare.

Li Hongmei threw down the wiping cloth, suppressing her anger, and said with a smile on her face, “Pa, Baofeng indeed went to private school today. Baoshan borrowed the money from his friends. After all, Baofeng is already eight years old. Little Ye also told me that no matter how poor we are and how hard our life is, we have to let our children get educated, so we decide to keep a stiff upper lip and send him to the private school.”

“You borrowed that money?” asked old Mr. Xiao confusingly.