Scholar's Sweetheart

When Soong Xintong returned home, she saw Big Treasure sweeping the yard with a broom that was taller than himself and covered in sweat.

"Big Treasure, what are you doing in such a hot weather? Hurry up and enter the house." Soong Xintong was afraid that he would suffer from heatstroke.

When Big Treasure heard her voice, he looked out of the courtyard in pleasant surprise. After throwing away the broom, he ran over to her. He raised his face and shouted happily, "Big Sis, why have you returned so early today?"

People coming home from the village fair were usually at the beginning of the first days of youth, and those arriving at home at the beginning of the last year were few and far between.

"I left early." It would have been even earlier if he had returned with an oxcart, Soong Xintong thought as she rubbed her aching legs.

Big Treasure looked at Soong Xintong, who was sweating profusely. He ran into the house and brought out a palm-leaf fan. He waved the fan up and down and said, "Sister A, let me fan you."

"Sister will do it herself." Soong Xintong took the fan and pulled Dabao over to sit on a small wooden stool beside her. Both of them could feel the cool breeze from the fan. "You're sweating profusely, why don't you take a nap?"

"Sister, I can't sleep." Big Treasure played with his little finger. "Who's got a younger brother? He can't even be called out."

Soong Xintong felt a pang in her heart when she heard this five-year-old child say that he couldn't sleep. Which family wouldn't have a child who couldn't wake up after being tired and eating? What could she do in the future if she was so worried at such a young age?

Kids should be naive and cute, think of nothing, play, eat.

Soong Xintong took out a handkerchief and wiped off the sweat on his forehead, "Big Treasure, I signed a contract with the owner of this restaurant today. From now on, we will give 100 Jin of Apron Root to the restaurant during the gathering time. 100 Jin of Apron Root is 700 gold. One thousand gold a month, it will be 7 taels of silver."

Even though Big Treasure was experienced, he still didn't know how much money seven taels was worth. "How much money is that?"

Soong Xintong pointed to the one foot high water bucket at the corner of the wall and exaggeratedly said, "We need to fill this up with a small water bucket."

"So many?" Dabao's eyes widened in surprise. "Then how many rice noodles can I buy?"

"A lot." Soong Xintong scratched Big Treasure's small nose. "Is Big Sis good?"

Great Treasure nodded his head and said resolutely, "Impressive!"

"Then from now on, we can have meat everyday, so Big Treasure doesn't have to worry about money anymore, right?" Soong Xintong guided Big Treasure so that he would be at ease and not be too entangled with money.

"But our family still owes us a lot of silver." Da Bao counted with his fingers and licked his lips. "We only need to eat meat once a month. We'll return the rest to Grandma Qiu."

"Alright, sister will return it as soon as possible." Soong Xintong patted his little head, "In two months, Ah'jie will send you and Xiaobao to school."

Big Treasure's eyes lit up with hope. "We can all go study? Go to school like a spring tree? "But it will cost you a lot of money. How about Little Treasure go? I'll help Ah'jie at home."

Chunshu was Village Head Wan's grandson. He was sent to a school in the county city to study, which made the other children in the village extremely envious.

"No, you two go together. You can only earn more money after you learn how to read." Soong Xintong saw that Dabao had always been concerned about money, so she had to use it to guide him. "If you can't read, you'll only be able to till the land for the rest of your life. You still have to worry about not being full."

Big Treasure thought for a while, and then looked at Soong Xintong firmly, "Sister, I will read properly. I will make a lot of money in the future."

"Well done, full of ambition!" Soong Xintong was a little worried that she had mistaught her child, so she added after a moment of hesitation, "Da Bao, you are a man. You have to be open-minded, but you can't do things without thinking about money. If there's a problem, Big Sis will think of a way to solve it.

Big Treasure thought about it for a moment and said, "But Big Sis will be very tired."

"Big Sis is not tired. I will only be happy if all of you have good prospects in the future." Soong Xintong hugged Big Treasure in her arms and kissed his dry cheeks. "From today onwards, I'll teach you and Little Treasure how to read when I'm free. I won't fall behind when I go to the academy to study then."

"Alright." He had always listened to Soong Xintong and naturally wouldn't object. Moreover, he could read, so he was very happy. "Ah'jie, I'll definitely be able to read."

Soong Xintong patted his head and leaned against the wall, looking into the distance. Watching the summer heat envelop the remote village, she felt as if all her tiredness had turned into smoke.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Soong Xintong almost forgot that there were still five steamed buns in the basket. She quickly dug them out and sniffed them. Luckily, there was no change in the smell. She stuffed them all into Big Treasure's hands. "Little Treasure, if you don't wake up, you can eat them yourself."

Big Treasure held the meat bun and smiled as he pursed his lips. "I think I'll go call little brother over." Then he ran into the house.

Soong Xintong looked at Dabao's back as he walked away. "Whose son is he from? Who is he to have a younger brother to be sensible with?"

Soong Xintong put the cloth back in the cabinet. It shouldn't be difficult for her to take off an old piece of clothing and see how it was cut when she was free in the evening.

He carried three pounds of lard and pork belly into the kitchen. After washing up, he began to boil the lard.

Compared to lard, Soong Xintong still preferred vegetable oil more. At least it wouldn't coalesce, but the vegetable oil in the oil shop had to be sold at sixty taels per catty, and with her current financial situation, she couldn't afford it for the time being.

In the past when she lived with her grandma, Soong Xintong had seen how to make lard, so she was now quite familiar with it.

First, he washed off the oil, leaving the small pieces to dry. Afterwards, he washed the pot clean, and after the water had been boiled dry, he poured the cut pieces of oil into the pot. After boiling for a while, the fragrance of the oil began to seep out, and at the same time, he started stirring the oil with a spoon from time to time.

Soong Xintong wiped off the sweat on her face and placed the already prepared oil can beside the wok. Since there wasn't much oil, it could only be used for half a month at most, so she didn't place the sugar that could increase the storage time. She scooped the oil into the wok and waited for it to cool down.

Little Treasure stole a piece of oil and chewed it a few times before he couldn't help but praise, "Big Sis, it smells so good!"

"I want one more." Little Treasure eagerly looked at the oil dregs that were being carried to the cupboard and burped at the same time.

Soong Xintong looked at the bun in Xiaobao's hand and rubbed his bloated stomach. She frowned. "How many did you eat?"

"Three." Little Treasure burped as he spoke, then shyly lowered his head. The steamed bun was so delicious that he wanted to eat it all.

Soong Xintong pulled Xiaobao's hand onto his stomach and said in a deep voice, "Xiaobao, feel around and see for yourself. A person's stomach is only this big, if you force so much into it, it will break. "

Soong Xintong threatened him, and sure enough, Xiaobao's expression changed drastically as he looked worriedly at his own stomach.

Soong Xintong gently rubbed Little Treasure's belly. "Big brother gave it to you?"

Little Treasure nodded.

"Since the steamed bun is so tasty, I'm sure that Big Brother would also like it. Why did he give it all to you?" Soong Xintong asked warmly.

Little Treasure thought hard and said, "He's big brother."

Soong Xintong's voice sank. "If he's your brother, should I give him to you?"

Little Treasure didn't know what to do when he saw that Soong Xintong was angry.

"Big brother dotes on you, so I gave Little Treasure so many buns, but does Little Treasure remember that big brother is only older than you by a stick of incense?" Big brother loves you so much, Little Treasure wants to love big brother too. " Soong Xintong said earnestly.

Little Treasure was stunned for a moment before he shyly whispered, "Then I'll give the hidden candy to big brother to eat."