They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 121 Master Qin's Grand gesture
Students in the county school were required to wear uniforms, and their books were purchased in the prefectural city at the behest of the county magistrate.

Liang Mingxuan was admitted to the school with excellent grades, and his tuition was waived. He only had to pay for county school uniforms, books, and meals. He had to provide his own bedding, writing materials, and other necessities.

If a student has excellent grades and comes from a poor family, the fees can be further reduced.

After Liang Mingxuan started school, Xu Zhichun was left alone at home, and to be honest, it was quite lonely.

Looking at the rather old house, the low courtyard wall with its crumbling yellow mud and many gaps, and the flimsy courtyard gate, Xu Zhichun considered that he should build a new house after the autumn harvest and before winter.

Everything was demolished and rebuilt.

The kind of house with blue bricks and tiles, where the front and back yards are also paved with blue bricks, the yard walls are also built high with blue bricks, and the yard gate has been replaced with a brand new, heavy solid wood gate, the kind that gives you an overwhelming sense of security.

Dig a well in the front yard, build a row of flower beds along the wall to plant flowers and some vegetables like scallions, cilantro, chives, and chili peppers; and properly divide the back yard into functional areas, such as a woodshed, pigsty, chicken coop, storage shed, outhouse, and shower room, so that we can live more comfortably in the future.

Aunt Liang made a special trip to remind her, in short, that it was unsafe.

Xu Zhichun was already somewhat uneasy, and Aunt Liang's words made her even more flustered.

Born under the red flag and raised in the spring breeze, our daily personal safety was generally guaranteed. But this era is truly different.

She was a young, widowed woman living alone, and her family was quite wealthy; it was hard to say that no one would harbor evil intentions towards her.

She couldn't afford the gamble.

Aunt Liang rarely saw Xu Zhichun looking nervous, and felt a little sorry for her. She thought to herself that no matter how capable Xu was, she was still a young woman. She would be afraid of the same things that other young women were afraid of.

"I have an idea. Since you've already hired Chunfen to work, why not have her come over to keep you company in the evenings? She can go home after Mingxuan returns. With her around, you can feel at ease! I don't think her parents would object."

Everyone in the village knows what kind of person Xu Zhichun is.

Liang Chunfen will definitely not be bullied if she comes to her house.

No one else would be suitable, she is the most suitable.

She's strong and fearless; if she really wanted to, she could punch someone. If it were another girl, and something happened, she'd end up dragging them down with her, and it wouldn't help either. In that case, who would protect whom?

Liang Chunfen was different.

Xu Zhichun was overjoyed: "Thank you, Auntie. I had the same idea, but I was worried it might be awkward to bring it up. Since you said so, it shouldn't be a problem. I'll talk to Aunt Liang and the others about it today."

She'll pay extra; she absolutely has to get the Spring Equinox.

Aunt Liang chuckled, “It’s alright, it’s alright, just tell them! They’ll definitely agree. By the way, your uncle said that if you have some money, you should reinforce and raise the courtyard wall and redo the gate. Better safe than sorry, everyone can guess that you have a lot of money, and your family is small, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

If someone sets their sights on you, sooner or later they won't be able to resist taking action.

Few people, lots of money, a dilapidated yard, and all the buffs stacked up—who wouldn't want to bully a bad guy?

Xu Zhichun felt a warmth in his heart and nodded with a smile: "Auntie and the village head are right. I was thinking that this house is quite old, so why not rebuild it after the autumn harvest? I will have to ask Uncle and Auntie for advice then."

Aunt Liang was surprised: "You're planning to build everything new?"

"Um"

That will cost a lot of money.

Aunt Liang sighed inwardly.

But thinking about how much she had earned, she felt relieved. "That's good, it'll be more comfortable to live in. Don't worry, I'll definitely help you figure it out and make sure it's a good house that won't cost you anything unnecessary."

"Oh, thank you in advance!"

"Haha, no need to be polite!"

When Xu Zhichun told Chunfen's mother that he would add 100 coins a month, Chunfen's mother agreed without hesitation, declining that there was no need to add money.

Xu Zhichun naturally refused, and in the end added eighty coins.

Liang Chunfen was also happy. Anyway, it didn't matter where she lived. With Mingxuan not at home, she accompanied and protected her sister-in-law Zhichun, which made her instinctively feel a sense of responsibility, as if she were a very important person. She was full of confidence and energy.

Xiao Mao thought her mother-in-law was foolish, thinking that money was too good to pass up. But when she thought about how Chunfen had moved into Xu Zhichun's house, she realized that Xu Zhichun wouldn't send her home for breakfast, let alone dinner. Given Chunfen's appetite, even if the family skipped one breakfast, it seemed like they had actually saved her a lot.

county seat.

Qin family.

As the richest family in Qingshan County, the Qin family truly possessed immense wealth.

It ranks first in the county in terms of the amount of fertile land and mountain areas.

Lotus Restaurant and Bishui Tea House are among the most luxurious places in the county. They also own three large restaurants and three large inns in the provincial capital. In addition, they do a large-scale timber business, making a fortune every day.

The only drawback is that Master Qin's eldest son died young, and his youngest son, Qin Ning'an, who is over ten years old this year, suffered from a birth defect, resulting in poor brain development. He looks no different from ordinary people, but he struggles to learn anything and finds it very difficult.

Madam Qin could no longer conceive, and it was no use in arranging for her husband to take in three concubines.

Over the years, Master Qin had given up and stopped causing trouble. He remarried off his three concubines and the couple focused on preparing for their youngest son's future.

When word spread that the county school was about to be established, Master Qin was extremely excited.

He wanted to send his son there to "gild his resume."

I don't want to excel academically, but making friends with a few academically successful classmates is no problem at all!
The other person is talented, and his son is wealthy; it's a win-win situation. It's better to have quality friends than many; two or three useful acquaintances are more valuable than dozens of fair-weather friends.

If we can help each other in the future, it's like having another layer of insurance for my precious son.

After discussing it, Mr. Qin and Mrs. Qin agreed that it was a good idea. However, she was a little worried when she heard that the county school did not allow servants to be brought along and that everything had to be done personally.

Master Qin said, "Why bother with such trivial matters? Just learn how to fold blankets and wash up. Bring plenty of clothes with you. We can send servants to collect the dirty clothes every three days and send clean ones along with them. It's not like we can't send snacks, fresh fruits, and so on."

"What if someone bullies him—"

"Madam, that's the county school! Who would dare bully him? Wouldn't they ruin their future if they caused trouble? We should just ask around more often. If there really is someone like that, well, we're not going to sit idly by!"

Madam Qin nodded. "Then I have no objection."

Master Qin then took action.

His precious son definitely wouldn't pass the exam, so he'd just bribe him with money.

Instead of engaging in any underhanded dealings, Master Qin went directly to pay his respects to Magistrate Lu and donated a building to the county school.

(End of this chapter)