From that day on, although Yuanbao remained silent and seemed to be in a bad mood with everyone, she truly listened and took care of the flock of chickens. Every day, besides feeding them chicken feed, she would go to the vegetable garden to pick the nearly rotten leaves to give the chickens a treat. Once she saw a hen laying an egg, she would be extremely happy and rush to present it to Zhang Rong for her to eat.
Shen Fugui was originally worried that after being scolded, Yuanbao would become estranged from Shen Yuning. However, to his surprise, Yuanbao became even closer to Shen Yuning. Whenever she had free time, she would circle around Shen Yuning.
As for Old Man Zhang, he couldn't hold his tongue. He always found something to scold about every day. As time passed, everyone got to know his character and just didn't argue with him. Apparently, Old Man Zhang liked children. Although Yuanbao's personality was not like that of an ordinary child, once Old Man Zhang found out that she had a good appetite, he would always wander around and come back with some malt candies. Yuanbao was so happy that she kept calling him "Grandpa" sweetly, and thus received far fewer scoldings.
When the autumn harvest came, Shen Yuning also went to the fields to take a look. The endless expanse of golden rice fields was truly a delightful sight.
A woman noticed that Zhang Rong was already showing. She teased, "Eldest Brother Zhang, your daughter is about five months pregnant, right? Judging from the size of her belly, could it be a girl?"
Old Man Zhang frowned and glared at her. "Nonsense! I went to the temple to have it divined. It's a boy, my grandson."
The women on the side burst into laughter. They started to argue with Old Man Zhang, mainly about whether the child would be a grandson or a grand - child from his daughter. Old Man Zhang put his hands on his hips and said that since the child would bear the Zhang surname, it was naturally his grandson.
Zhang Rong explained to Shen Yuning helplessly, "My father is just like this. He used to always say that it would be great if I were a boy. Now that I'm pregnant, he firmly believes that it must be a son. But for me, as long as the baby is healthy, I'll be happy whether it's a boy or a girl."
Yuanbao blinked her eyes beside them. "Grandpa is like this. Aren't you so pitiful?"
Knowing Yuanbao's background, Zhang Rong didn't mind her flaws. She squatted down and looked at Yuanbao with a smile. "I'm not pitiful because he is my father, the father who truly loves me. He has worked hard for me and protected me. How could I be pitiful?"
Shen Yuning thought Zhang Rong was right. In fact, the pitiful one was Old Man Zhang. But it wasn't his fault; it was just the way the world was. Families without a son would receive less land. To put it bluntly, when there was a dispute between two families, the family with more sons would have an advantage in a fight.
Yuanbao's eyes were full of confusion. "But, as a person, one can't control whether they are a boy or a girl. I even wish I were a boy..."
Shen Yuning didn't pay much attention to their discussion. She walked slowly around the paddy fields. In the past, when she was in the inner courtyard of the mansion or occasionally went to the manor, she mostly saw flowers and fruits. She had never seen such a large and delightful expanse of paddy fields.
Many families in the fields were already cutting the rice with sickles. Some who recognized Shen Yuning even stood up to greet her. The atmosphere here was much better than in Shenjiapo.
After walking for a while, a young man ran over. He hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Sister Yuning, are you here to help? Can you manage all the work? Otherwise, after I finish my work, I can come and help your family."
There was a burst of laughter around. Shen Yuning, the new girl in Old Man Zhang's family, was good - looking and gentle. Every young man in the small village liked her. Dachun was one of them. He was good - looking and from a well - off family, and he thought no one in the two villages could compare to him.
Hearing the teasing from the neighbors, the young man blushed and stammered.
Shen Yuning shook her head with a smile. "Thank you, Dachun. But I don't need to worry about the work in the fields. I'm just here to take a look."
Dachun rubbed his hands excitedly and asked again, "What do you want to see? This place isn't very interesting. They're picking pears over there. It's the last batch of pears this year. Do you want to eat some? I'll go and pick some for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xuanzhi suddenly emerged from somewhere. He carried a basket of pears and handed it to Shen Yuning. "Sister, these were given by others. Grandpa told you to take them home and eat."
As he said this, he also gave Dachun a provocative look. Dachun forced out a laugh and rubbed the corner of his clothes, but he just refused to leave.
Xuanzhi stuffed the basket into Shen Yuning's hands and urged, "Auntie, it's getting hot. You'd better go home quickly."
Shen Yuning didn't know what was wrong with Xuanzhi today. His words clearly meant that he didn't want her to stay outside. But she had finally come to take a look and didn't want to leave so early. So she just walked back a few steps leisurely and sighed, "If the harvest is good, life will be much better."
Hearing her sigh, Dachun quickly followed up and explained, "In the past, the harvest was always poor, and there were many miscellaneous taxes. But last year, an official came to our county. He said he would lead the whole county to get rich. He asked us to plant mulberry trees and raise silkworms, open up mountains to plant tea, and grow fruit trees. Moreover, the tax has been reduced this year, and it's been a year of good weather. The harvest is clearly on the rise."
Shen Yuning stopped and looked back at the setting sun. The golden color of the sun and the golden color of the paddy fields complemented each other. The men and women working in the fields were sweating on their foreheads, but there were smiles on their faces.
It was really wonderful.
Not only was the harvest good, but now Shen Yuning's embroidery skills had been recognized by the Yongjia Cloth Store in the town. The Yongjia Cloth Store was a branch opened by a cloth merchant from Lingcheng. They had their own dedicated embroiderers and rarely accepted work from outside embroiderers. However, the shopkeeper was discerning. After seeing Shen Yuning's work sold by others, he took the initiative to approach her and wanted to recruit her as an embroiderer.
The embroiderers in the Yongjia Cloth Store were different from those outside. They were provided with food and accommodation, and they received a fixed monthly salary. Of course, the monthly salary they received was much higher than that of ordinary embroiderers.
Zhang Rong was overjoyed after hearing the matchmaker's words. She repeatedly persuaded, "The Widow Taohua from the big village in front has the best embroidery skills among our villages, but the Yongjia Cloth Store still didn't take a fancy to her. This shows how good our Yuning's skills are. Yuning, just go without worry. Don't worry about Xuanzhi and Yuanbao. I will take good care of them."
Shen Fugui sat on a low stool. After thinking for a long time with a worried look on his face, he shook his head. "No, Yuning can't go."
Zhang Rong, who was impatient, reached out and pinched him. "What are you talking about? They provide food and accommodation, give eight qian of silver a month, and there are also two days off. Moreover, the matchmaker said that the Yongjia Cloth Store is very generous. They will give out things during festivals. If Yuning works there for a long time and does well, her salary will even increase. Go and ask around. How many women can earn so much in a month?"
Shen Fugui still shook his head. "I've heard that if you work as an embroiderer for a long time, your eyes will go blind. It's okay to embroider for a while and then rest at home. But if you work as an embroiderer in a shop, when there is a lot of work, you may have to work day and night."
Zhang Rong opened her mouth, wanting to scold him for being stupid. But she was afraid that he would think she didn't care about him, so she swallowed the words and turned around awkwardly, ignoring him.
Shen Yuning looked at the embroidery hoops in the basket and touched the silk inside. "I can earn about twenty wen a day now. If I embroider every day for a month, I can only earn five or six qian at most. If I go to the Yongjia Cloth Store to be an embroiderer, I can get eight qian as soon as I start..."
Seeing that her sister - in - law seemed willing to go, Zhang Rong nodded repeatedly. "Yes, the Yongjia Cloth Store is well - known for being generous. The monthly salary of ordinary embroiderers is only five qian of silver. Now, an ordinary male worker outside only earns one tael of silver. Yuning, it's not that I don't care about you, but this is really a good job."
Shen Yuning didn't say a word. Shen Fugui said, "Yuning can still take a break now. As a girl, she doesn't need so much money. Earning three or four qian a month is already good..."
Hearing her husband's words, Zhang Rong got angry. She pouted and said angrily, "You're so stupid! Yuning is still young, just over fifteen. But in a few years, she will need to start looking for a marriage partner. To put it bluntly, although I'm her sister - in - law, you married into our family, and our Zhang family is in such a situation. We don't have the ability to prepare a dowry. Yuning can only rely on herself.
Earning three or four qian a month, and she always feels sorry for Xuanzhi and Yuanbao. She always spends the money she earns on buying things for them. How much can she save? If she goes to be an embroiderer and earns eight qian a month, she can save at least five qian. In two years, she can save at least ten taels. Plus the money she has saved now, isn't it much better? Then we can find a better family for her and prepare a dowry. Wouldn't it be more decent?"
Seeing that her husband hung his head and didn't say a word, she softened her tone. "I know you care about your sister. But Yuning is shy and gentle - handed. It seems that she was spoiled by your deceased parents and elder brother. She can't do anything except for having such a pair of skillful hands. At most, she can work hard for two years. After she gets married, she can quit the job as an embroiderer and go home to have children and live a good life."
Shen Fugui didn't tell Zhang Rong his sister's real identity. Zhang Rong only thought that Shen Yuning was born beautiful since childhood, so her parents and elder brother had bad intentions and raised her delicately so that they could sell her to a brothel when she grew up. So she didn't care that as a girl growing up in a poor rural family, Shen Yuning couldn't even cook well, let alone recognize the common vegetables in the vegetable garden.
However, just when Shen Fugui finally thought it through and felt that his sister from the capital would only have to work hard for two years, and that he would definitely find a well - off family for her in the future so that she wouldn't suffer from lack of money, Shen Yuning started to shake her head.
Shen Yuning said, "I've inquired. The cost of my current embroidery products is five to ten wen. The shopkeeper buys them for twenty wen, and the better ones for thirty wen. When they are sold, it depends on the business's ability. They could be sold for thirty or fifty wen. The things in the Yongjia Cloth Store are more delicate. A silk handkerchief costs at least one or two qian of silver."
Zhang Rong quickly said, "But the things in the Yongjia Cloth Store are all high - quality. They recruit the best embroiderers in Lingcheng, and the materials are not ordinary either. I've heard that their ready - made clothes are sold to the wives and concubines of official families. More importantly, they don't accept the embroidery products of individual embroiderers. Even if Yuning's skills are good, they won't take such small and scattered jobs."
Shen Yuning nodded. "Apart from this, the day before yesterday when I went to the town to deliver goods, I went to the bookstore to inquire. Now a copy of the Thousand - Character Classic costs eight qian, a stack of twelve sheets of paper costs two qian, and the ink and brushes are counted separately..."
Zhang Rong opened her eyes wide. "Why do you ask about this? Do you want to read and learn characters?"
Shen Yuning pointed outside. Xuanzhi and Yuanbao were in the yard. Each of them was holding a small stick and writing and drawing in the sand.
Yuanbao was even following Xuanzhi and reading, "Know your enemy and yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat."
Shen Yuning withdrew her gaze. "Xuanzhi was in decline now, but he must have been enlightened when he was a child. Yuanbao is growing up and should also start learning. In the future, the child in elder brother and sister - in - law's belly should also learn to read and write from a young age."
Zhang Rong didn't react for a long time. "But... our family doesn't have the spare money to let them study. Yuanbao is a girl and doesn't need to take the imperial examinations. As for Xuanzhi and my child..."
Shen Yuning said seriously, "Studying is not just for taking the imperial examinations. It's to understand the world and principles. Sister - in - law, no matter what, I won't give up the opportunity for them to study."
Shen Fugui raised his head. He knew that Shen Yuning used to be in a noble family. As a girl, she should have been well - educated. But now, they could barely make ends meet. How could they afford to support a scholar?
Shen Yuning gritted her teeth. "Second brother, second sister - in - law, I want to open my own embroidery workshop."