Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 91 Cautious Thoughts_1

Zhou Shuren called his two sons and Rongchuan, carefully moved the books out first and put them away, then took out the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. There was only one set of valuable writing materials, which Zhou Shuren kept for the imperial examinations. There were three sets that were slightly inferior, each worth about ten taels of silver, but it would cause jealousy if he gave them to the children to use; thus, he kept them as well. What he distributed to each of the three children was bought with silver coins, a set worth one tael, but these too could only be used at home, while they would still use cheaper ones when studying outside.

As for the paper, Zhou Shuren had been rewarded with top-quality Xuan paper, which was too wasteful to be used for practicing calligraphy with guide characters, so he kept it for more important occasions. He divided among them the bamboo paper he purchased in Jiangnan, one hundred sheets for four hundred Wen. With some silver coins at hand, Zhou Shuren had bought a good amount all at once and initially distributed one hundred sheets to each of the children.

Chang Lian and Chang Zhi were delighted to receive them. They had always used the cheapest paper, which had a lot of texture and made the ink spread unevenly. While it was passable for writing large characters, small characters were especially prone to blurring. They carefully felt the firm and smooth paper and held it tightly in their embrace, "Thank you, Father."

Rongchuan felt ashamed to receive the writing materials, not to mention the good paper, and hurriedly hid his hands behind his back, "Uncle Zhou, I’m fine practicing with the used paper from Third Brother and Fourth Brother. Good paper would be too wasteful for me."

When Zhou Shuren woke up and was waiting for the noodles, he had already taken the time to review the calligraphy practice of the three children. His eldest son’s characters had not improved much, but Rongchuan, who hadn’t been writing for long, had already developed his own style, showing that he practiced diligently every day. A smart person was not scary; what was truly formidable was a smart person who was also diligent and determined.

Zhou Shuren cast a sideways glance at his eldest son, who was very proud at home and had been praised all the time in the private school, leading a charmed life since he began studying. This was no good. He hoped that Rongchuan would catch up to his eldest son, so the latter wouldn’t grow up thinking he was the only smart one and suffer a great loss in the future.

Zhou Shuren placed the paper in Rongchuan’s hands, "Nonsense, good handwriting is very important for the imperial examinations. Uncle is pleased to see the character in your writing, and I’m glad for your hard work. Keep the paper and don’t worry about the household; your uncle can still afford your studies. You’re like a son to me here, don’t feel any psychological burden. Once I deal with some urgent matters, I’ll pick a good day to set the date for you and Xue Han’s marriage."

Rongchuan’s face flushed red, his mind suddenly preoccupied with thoughts of the engagement.

Chang Lian and Chang Zhi were not happy. Chang Lian, the third oldest, felt that Rongchuan had taken resources that could have been his; without Rongchuan, he could have had more paper. As for whom his sister married, that was a matter for their parents to worry about—he was only concerned that Rongchuan was not just becoming his brother-in-law but that Father also seemed to intend to send Rongchuan to private school.

Before the household’s situation changed, Chang Lian had calculated how much silver the family had, always concerned whether it was enough to support the studies of him and Chang Zhi. After winter, he had witnessed the changes at home, and later, when his father went to Jiangnan and brought back so many things, he realized that the family’s wealth was not as it seemed on the surface. Even with substantial wealth, Rongchuan had taken some of his resources, and deep down, he disliked Rongchuan.

Chang Zhi was more direct; he never cared for domestic affairs and didn’t think about how much silver the family had. He was unhappy that his sister was being promised to someone so early, even if he appreciated Rongchuan, there was a sense of discontent in his heart.

Zhou Shuren did not bother with the silent conflicts among the three boys; he had distributed everything and waved them all away.

After Zhulan finished tidying the kitchen, Zhou Shuren had already arranged the writing materials and was holding a book to put on the kang table. Looking at the neatly placed materials, Zhulan, wearing slippers, climbed onto the kang and asked, "Are you going to copy books?"

Zhou Shuren trimmed the paper, "Yes, these aren’t just books; they are the examination questions and essays from the last two sessions of the provincial exams in several prefectures of Jiangnan, which I’ve compiled into books. Don’t be fooled by the slim volume; it cost thirty taels, not to mention the great deal of effort and thought it took me to obtain them."

Zhulan picked them up and flipped through, "None from our region? With different examiners across regions with different preferences, is referencing these useful?"

Zhou Shuren replied, "Of course it’s useful. Jiangnan’s examination questions are notoriously difficult, and many questions share common themes. A thorough study of them is very helpful for the provincial exams. As for the examiners’ preferences in essays, that’s down to personal luck."

Zhulan understood and asked, "How much silver did you spend altogether this trip, including your purchases?"

Zhou Shuren reported, "Almost two hundred taels in total. The local specialties like fans are not expensive in Jiangnan and are only considered rare in the north. The expensive items were the books and paper; even second-hand books cost twenty taels apiece!"

Zhulan gasped, "That’s really expensive. Studying in ancient times was indeed difficult; just books alone were not affordable for ordinary people."

Zhou Shuren smiled, "Why do you think the imperial examinations are tough, especially for poor scholars? Noble families have many books, and they don’t lack famous commentaries. As long as someone has some talent and is willing to work hard, they can become a Scholar. But it’s much harder for a family of modest means to have a Scholar; with not as many books to study from, it’s wildly improbable to become a Graduate, let alone pass the highest degree examinations; that’s like the leap at the Dragon Gate."

Zhulan grew worried, "Do you feel confident, then?"

Zhou Shuren was very confident, "I’ll take the Scholar exams next year, and the year after that I’ll participate in the provincial exams that happen every three years. Don’t worry, I’ve got it figured out."

Zhulan was reassured by Zhou Shuren’s firm promise; he never made assurances without confidence, "Are you copying the exam questions for distribution within the clan?"

She remembered that there were five Scholars in the clan, all of whom were not young; the youngest was already in his twenties, and they would certainly have to try their luck at the next exams.

Zhou Shuren nodded, "Yes."

With no further questions, Zhulan took out fabric to make clothes, which was something she was quite fond of doing now.

Zhou Shuren found it hard to settle down to his task, glancing up at Zhulan several times. Zhulan felt his gaze and asked, "Is something the matter?"