Village Belle Chapter 148
Translated by Digitalian (ko-fi)
Chapter 148: Buy Lots Of Delicious Food For Sister Taozi In The Future
Lin Sanzhu quickly tugged at Su Tao, signaling her to keep her voice down. "Don't go around telling everyone. It's just between us, mother and daughter."
She changed the subject. "Yuntang's father said he'd help you build a school. Are you really planning to teach there? Your teaching will definitely lead the students astray."
Su Tao, "..."
"How could you say that about your daughter? Dad, you need to take Mom in hand. She's badmouthing me again."
Su Fu, who was weaving bamboo baskets, smiled honestly and didn't say anything.
"Wretched daughter, you’re always tattling." Lin Sanzhu slapped Su Tao, but not hard.
Su Tao feigned pain, letting out a soft "Ouch!" before getting down to business. "Mom, when you do the laundry tomorrow, tell those aunties you envy Wei Yan for finding a good match. Just say as much as you can..."
Before she could finish, Lin Sanzhu interrupted, "I'm not envious at all! My daughter is even better off than hers!"
Su Tao, "..."
She covered Lin Sanzhu's mouth. "Mom, will you listen to me? Pretend to envy the Wei family, and then say that educated girls are just different."
"Anyway, we need to trick them into sending their daughters over for me to teach, so our family can make money."
Hearing this, Lin Sanzhu paused for a moment before saying, "You're so clever, just like me."
Su Tao's lips twitched, and she said disdainfully, "Mom, stop trying to flatter yourself."
"How am I flattering myself? Who else do you take after? Your father is really slow-witted." Lin Sanzhu's voice trailed off towards the end.
"You two are about the same, you both are slow-witted!" Su Tao said and slipped away.
……
The next morning, Lin Sanzhu gathered all the family's clothes and took them to the river to wash. Su Tao, afraid she wouldn't say anything good, went with her.
It was a warm day, and there were many people washing clothes. Lin Sanzhu found a spot and greeted them with a smile, "I thought I was early, but I didn't expect you to be here even earlier."
The women by the river chattered back, "It's a warm day. I guessed there would be a lot of people, so we got up early."
"Taozi came to do the laundry too? She’s getting prettier and prettier."
"Of course, Taozi is the prettiest girl in the village."
"Has she found a husband yet?"
Lin Sanzhu smiled. "Her father and I think she’s still too young, so we want to keep her for another two years. I envy Sister Wei for having found Yan'er a good husband."
Although Wei Yan's mother didn't get along with the Lin family, she couldn't stop smiling when she heard this. "No, you flatter me."
"Her husband's family has a shop and a house in town, I'm so envious." Lin Sanzhu said enviously.
To be honest, she was really envious. To be able to marry into town was a blessing for generations.
Even if one married into village, no matter how well-off one’s family was, one still had to work.
"Of course, I'm envious too. My daughter's still unmarried, it's driving me crazy."
"Exactly, me too."
Su Tao nudged Lin Sanzhu, who immediately understood. "Wei Yan is beautiful and educated. Last time I heard someone say that when she was looking for a match for her daughter, the man said that the girl had to be literate."
"It's not easy to find a husband these days."
Wei Yan's mother said smugly, "That's right, Yan'er's future husband's family is so happy because she's educated."
"I wish I had sent my daughter to school too."
"Didn't the village chief say that Taozi is going to teach?"
"Taozi, you're going to teach?"
Everyone's eyes fell on Su Tao, and she said while washing her hands, "Yes, if any of you aunties want to send your daughters to school, I'll give you a discount. 300 coins for half a year will do."
Wei Yan's mother's face turned a little ugly when she heard this, probably realizing why Lin Sanzhu was praising her. Her tone was a little stiff, "Taozi, are you sure you can do it?"
“I certainly can’t teach like the school master does, but a girl only needs to know the Thousand Character Classic. I know it by heart.”
Seeing their disbelief, Su Tao quickly began to recite, “Heaven and earth were dark and yellow, the universe was vast and boundless. The sun and moon wax and wane, the stars and constellations are arrayed. Cold comes and heat goes, autumn harvests and winter stores. Leap years complete the cycle, musical scales harmonize the seasons. Clouds rise and bring rain, dew condenses into frost. Gold is produced in the beautiful waters, jade comes from Kunlun Mountain…”
She recited a long passage, leaving the others stunned. Lin Sanzhu straightened her back with pride. This was her daughter.
Her daughter was indeed more capable than Wei Yan.
After Su Tao stopped, she sweetly added, “I can write it all. If you don’t believe me, you should at least believe the school master, right? He wouldn’t joke about this.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it, I just wanted all the girls in our village to have some education, so that even if they go to town or the county seat in the future, they won’t be completely illiterate.”
“I’ve been to the county seat, and all the girls there are educated.”
One woman was somewhat tempted. “Taozi is really amazing. I’ll go home and discuss it.”
“Me too.” The others chimed in.
After washing the clothes, Su Tao didn’t go back with Lin Sanzhu. “Mom, I’m going to find Xie Yuntang.”
“Come back for lunch, okay?” Lin Sanzhu instructed.
Afraid that she would nag endlessly, Su Tao quickly nodded and then ran towards the Xie family’s house.
Xie Yuntang was listening to the teacher’s lesson in the attic, so she didn’t go up and just sat in the main room watching Mrs. Xie-Qin embroider clothes.
After a while, the teacher came down to get some tea, and Su Tao obediently called out, “Teacher.” Then she ran up to the attic.
"Milksop."
Xie Yuntang turned around immediately upon hearing the voice and saw the girl in pink. He smiled and said happily, "Sister Taozi, you're here."
Su Tao sat next to him, looking at his book. "The teacher has been teaching so fast. I haven't been to class for days."
"I'll teach you."
Xie Yuntang noticed her sleeves were wet and reached out to touch them. "Sister Taozi, why are your sleeves wet?"
"I was washing clothes with my mother," Su Tao said nonchalantly.
"Change your clothes. I'll go get them for you."
Xie Yuntang got up to leave, but Su Tao grabbed his hand. "No need, they'll dry in a bit."
She paused, then touched his hand again. "Your hand is so warm."
Xie Yuntang blushed, but didn't pull his hand away. Su Tao touched his hand a couple more times and then withdrew hers. "You study hard. I have to go home. I saw someone measuring land nearby, I'll go check it out."
He was reluctant to see Su Tao leave after only a short while. "Sister Taozi, come over for lunch later. I'll celebrate your birthday."
"You come pick me up. My mom won't let me eat at your house. She's afraid your parents will gossip," Su Tao pouted.
The Xie family wouldn't say anything, but Lin Sanzhu didn't believe it.
Xie Yuntang's eyes flashed with joy, and he nodded. "Then I'll come pick you up later, Sister Taozi. I have hawthorn cakes in my room. Dad brought them back yesterday."
"I'm going now. You study hard, and don't be lazy. If you dare be lazy, I'll beat you up."
Su Tao finished speaking and trotted downstairs. Xie Yuntang looked out the window and saw her skipping into his room, and couldn't help but smile.
He would buy Sister Taozi lots of delicious food in the future.
That way, Sister Taozi would come to see him more often.
