The Lucky Farmgirl-Chapter 2045 - 2020: Dividing the Money

Mingda and Changyu sat with Manbao in the viewing tower, while Bai Shan and the others went to class.

The palace attendants dared not neglect the two princesses, so as soon as they sat down, someone brought fruit and pastries.

Mingda saw Manbao and Changyu each take a piece of fruit and couldn’t help but smile and ask, "Manbao, aren’t you going to the Imperial Hospital and the Imperial Medical Office?"

Manbao shook her head and said, "The Imperial Medical Office has no classes today, and I’m not on duty at the Imperial Hospital, so I won’t go unless someone calls me."

There are only a few masters in the harem, and usually the on-duty doctors can manage if they get sick. If they can’t, someone will naturally call her.

She said, "I need to stay and work on book editing at Chongwen Pavilion."

She is not only a doctor at the Imperial Hospital but also an editor at Chongwen Pavilion.

Changyu asked while eating fruit, "Then why are you still sitting here?"

"I’m here to find inspiration, and besides," Manbao looked at the two, "don’t you really want me to accompany you?"

"Of course, it’s best if you’re with us," Changyu laughed and asked, "How long will you accompany us?"

Manbao thought for a moment and said, "For a little while."

Though she said "a little while," she ended up sitting in the viewing tower with them for quite some time. Mingda looked down in the direction of Chongwen Pavilion and seemed to hear their bright and clear reading voices, sighing, "I wonder how confident Bai Er is in passing the exam."

Changyu said, "Anyway, Wei Yu will definitely pass."

Manbao was surprised, "So confident?"

Changyu confidently said, "Wei Yu’s studies are not bad, and he is well-known for his talent. Moreover, he’s not only my prince consort but also Lord Wei’s son. I don’t believe anyone would flunk him."

She turned to Mingda and said, "Father loves you, and Bai Cheng doesn’t seem like a fool; he should also make the list."

Manbao already knew that external reputation is very important for examinees and that external circumstances can affect them, but she didn’t realize the influence could be so significant.

Seeing Changyu’s confidence and Mingda not refuting it, Manbao realized that things might really develop this way.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "It seems Bai Shan should garner more fame."

Mingda then smiled and said, "I don’t think he needs to. Too much is as bad as too little. He already has a reputation for loyalty and filial piety, and he is known for his talent. As long as his exam papers aren’t bad, he won’t just be accepted; his ranking won’t be low either."

Actually, Wei Yu’s articles and previous reputation were also good, but now that he’s not only Prime Minister Wei’s son but also Changyu’s prince consort, these two identities overshadow his fame.

So for Wei Yu, this "external reputation" is more harmful than beneficial, but for Bai Erlang it’s the opposite. However, Mingda, thinking thoroughly, didn’t say this out loud to avoid worrying Changyu.

Although she didn’t say it outright, Manbao still gleaned her meaning and nodded thoughtfully.

This year, many people decided to take the palace examination for scholars. Even Ji Hao, who didn’t originally plan to, participated over at the Imperial Academy.

Once he participated, Wei Chen and others, who had just transferred from the prefectural academy, immediately clamored to participate as well.

After all, they, as students of the Imperial Academy, are qualified to directly participate in the palace exam, unlike others who have to undergo a prefectural examination first to get the qualification.

After their break, Bai Shan and the others gathered with them and simply gave them a copy of the assignments given by the teachers at Chongwen Pavilion.

Although the exam questions have not been decided yet, the person setting the questions is likely to be Libationer Kong and a few of his subordinate teachers. Although they also teach at the Imperial Academy, they don’t easily get into Libationer Kong’s classes.

This is completely different from Bai Shan and the others, who attend a class by Libationer Kong every other day.

Even Ji Hao thought they might take advantage of being close to the source, so they didn’t reject the assignments given and took them back for serious study.

March passed, and Zhou Dalang, amid the busy spring season, returned with Junior Ms. Qian to visit with Manbao at the Liu family. Upon returning, he immediately began preparing for the six rituals.

Because they thought Liu Sanniang would be very promising, more so than their own son, since she would eventually become an imperial doctor, whereas Datou was still just farming and occasionally making a little more money following Four’s business ventures.

But whether the money he made was more than the future daughter-in-law, even if it was, it was earned far from home and was not as dignified as Liu Sanniang becoming a doctor.

So, to avoid making the son feel too inadequate, Zhou Dalang and Junior Ms. Qian calculated the money in their room and found that they had saved quite a bit over the past two years.

Zhou Dalang said, "We must be fair; we have to set aside something not only for Datou but also for Santou. Even if more money comes in later, he is still studying now, and tuition, books, paper, and pens all cost money. Last time, I even heard him say he wanted to copy books to earn money, and one book only earns twenty-five copper coins."

So, Zhou Dalang picked out two silver pieces from the pile of money, "Let me weigh how much this is."

"Twelve taels. Let’s just keep these two pieces. This will cover tuition for four years. Including pens, ink, and paper, as well as some books, it should be enough for two years. After two years, we should have saved more by then."

Junior Ms. Qian said, "Santou is already fifteen. In two years, it will be time to discuss marriage, right?"

For other families, or even for their family before, at fifteen, you should start looking around, and after a year or two of searching, it can be finalized, and marriage can happen, just in time.

But ever since Zhou Liulang, the children in the family have been marrying later and later, but by seventeen, they should be starting.

Since they are considering marriage, the money for engagement and marriage needs to be set aside, because even if they can earn money, it’s tough to earn enough in two years for a son’s marriage.

So Zhou Dalang scratched his head, "Then...should we reduce Datou’s betrothal gift a little more?"

"A little more," Junior Ms. Qian also felt a bit guilty, but this is all they had for money, and with two sons still unmarried, we must be fair.

Therefore, Zhou Dalang started dividing some broken silver pieces and copper coins to the other side again, thinking that in the next two years, they could still earn more, so he divided a little less.

Junior Ms. Qian thought the same, so she agreed with his division, and they started counting the pile of money, mostly copper coins, and the broken silver pieces were from the shared family funds given by parents before.

At this point, Zhou Dalang thought of how useful Zhou SiLang was and mentioned, "I wonder when SiLang will come to the capital; the money he earned last year hasn’t been divided."

Junior Ms. Qian said, "Even if divided, it will be by the parents; SiLang hasn’t needed it, and the second and third brothers are still at home."

Zhou Dalang realized she was right, so he included the parents in his thoughts, "I also wonder when the parents will come to the capital."

Meanwhile, Old Zhou looked at the tea leaves Zhou SiLang brought back and said, "Did you spend all the money you earned last year on tea leaves?"

Zhou SiLang said, "Father, the tea leaves from the grasslands sell very well, and so do tea bricks. Basically, as much as you bring, it’s all snapped up."