The head of the Mu family

Chapter 16 No matter how hard I try, the thorns of this society still prick me.

One day, Shen Huai went back to get a jacket.

I heard Wu Ya's grandparents talking with Wu Ya's parents in the yard.

What are you thinking?

Then came the sound of Fifth Grandpa shaking his pipe.

"We've had enough at home these past two years, let's wait another two years~"

Wu Ya's father's answer was rather pathetic.

"This price is pretty good!"

Only a five-year-old is worth this price; usually, a ten-year-old sells for this price.

Shen Huai's blood froze: Did I hear that right?!

"Then our Wuya will still earn money for the family!"

The villagers all say this child is lucky; let's wait two more years and see.

Let's save up for Baozhu's future wife for a few years first, and then we'll talk about marriage in a couple of years when things get tougher.

Besides, wouldn't it be worth even more when it's a couple of years older?

The voice of Wu Ya's father.

Shen Huai felt all the blood rush to his head:

It's so heartbreaking to hear that you've become a commodity!

What kind of pressure do girls who know from a young age that they are a commodity have to endure?

"That makes sense, and it works too~"

Let's talk about it in a couple of years. There really isn't another girl this young bringing money home.

People come to me saying they're interested in this too.

You're right. With things going in opposite directions, selling now is definitely not a good deal!

"That's right, the puppy is still small~"

I was thinking that if I could get a good price, I'd sell Da Mao first.

As they grow older, they become more capable of working, but they also eat more.

"Alright, I'll go and call them back. Other places are envious of this price!"

Alright! It's your own daughter, you can decide what to do with her.

When the time comes, we'll all keep a close eye on the price; we can't afford to lose money.

"The puppy will need money a lot more in the future~"

Shen Huai didn't even know how he left; when he came to his senses, he was covered in a cold sweat.

Shen Huai: Damn it, we can all afford to eat, yet we still have to sell our children!

Damn it!

You want to sell me?!

It seems my wings are still too soft; I need to work hard to strengthen them and get out into the world as soon as possible.

After handing over the job to Da Mao, I need to find a way to earn more money.

We need to find a way to get out of this place as soon as possible!

Can't sit still.

Even though their living standards have improved, selling their children is still a common occurrence for them.

Damn it! They sold it for a good price, and people are even envious!?

That's terrifying! Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine!

In the summer, Dr. Gao got a deck chair and sat under the shade of a locust tree to cool off and take a nap, while Little Wuya read a book beside him.

The child had already read through those medical books, and Shen Huai would continue to read them whenever he had free time.

He also said to Doctor Gao:

"Uncle Gao, maybe if you look at the parts you don't understand again, you'll understand a little bit more."

Doctor Gao didn't discourage the child's enthusiasm, so he let her be.

The village head returned from town and brought a message to Doctor Gao, along with two invitations.

He was originally the second son of Doctor Qian, and he got married on the sixth day of the eleventh lunar month.

They even thoughtfully wrote an invitation for Wuya as well.

Looking at the invitation, Shen Huai couldn't help but think:

There's a reason this family has been able to build such a large business.

He's reliable, quick-witted, and has an excellent interpersonal skills set.

What a thoughtful and kind family!

Since they've extended an olive branch, let's make friends with them; it will definitely be beneficial in the future.

As for Wuya's parents, seeing that Wuya was getting older, they also thought about having Wuya help with some chores.

However, Wuya would get up early every day, eat breakfast, and then go to the doctor, sending forty or fifty coins home every month.

Wu Ya's parents couldn't bring themselves to speak up, thinking that since they couldn't do much anyway, as long as they could earn money, that was fine.

Da Mao is making money now, and occasionally Wu Ya will go back to town to help her.

Wu Ya's parents no longer had any confidence to ask their breadwinner.

Sometimes Shen Huai could see through their thoughts, so he would directly change the subject. After a while, he couldn't bring himself to speak anymore.

Shen Huai: Just kidding! Who would bother to find work for themselves when they have nothing better to do!

They want me to earn money and work in the fields at the same time? Dream on!

After Shen Huai handed over the reins to Da Mao, he instructed Da Mao:

“Every time, he would watch and secretly leave me a few coins.”

"Any amount is fine, two or three coins are both acceptable~"

Because the job belonged to Wuya, Da Mao felt that:

My younger sister is very capable; she must have her own things to do.

Shen Huai only told Da Mao not to tell anyone, and didn't bother to explain anything else.

Shen Huai: It's troublesome to explain to a teenager.

Shen Huai also kept the money from Doctor Gao, saving it for when Da Mao needed it later.

Seeing this, Dr. Gao felt even more comforted, believing that even if the child were to become successful in the future, he would never forget his roots.

Shen Huai took the post back.

After dinner, I took it out and showed it to the whole family.

Except for two-and-a-half-year-old Liang Baozhu, everyone else in the family was so excited that they almost forgot to eat.

Wu Ya's parents: Maybe Wu Ya will become a head maid someday!

Four girls: Fifth Girl is definitely different from us!

In this place, let alone the town, there are no wealthy families in the county who send invitations for official business, except for the county magistrate's family.

Wu Ya's parents asked nervously:

What is a post? What does it mean?

Wu Ya explained.

Then, Shen Huai got to the point:

"Father, Mother, this is Miss Qian from last time. She sent me an invitation to her wedding banquet."

Miss Qian gave us some clothes before, should we bring her something too?

"We're dirt poor, what do we have that would catch someone's eye?"

"Don't you and your mother know how to weave bamboo baskets?"

Make several of different sizes and shapes.

Larger families use them as medicine baskets, smaller families use them to store things, and even smaller ones are good for children to use as toys.

Besides, the family has had no problem feeding themselves for the past two years, so the money we have can definitely buy some bamboo.

It's still early; we'll go in November. We'll do it whenever we have free time, and my sisters and the others can help.

Seeing the reluctant looks on Wu Ya's parents' faces, Shen Huai rolled his eyes inwardly and continued,

"Even though we're poor, it's still from the heart, isn't it?"

Shen Huai earnestly advised him.

Wu Ya's parents sometimes felt a little intimidated by their literate, medically skilled, and high-earning family member:

Even though they are my own children, I always feel that they are not close to my family.

He was smart from a young age and went to the county town and the prefectural town, while the village head had never been to the prefectural town.

The rich young ladies and gentlemen in the city don't treat her like a servant.

She didn't seem to try to please those young masters and ladies.

When the young masters and ladies came, they once passed by the entrance of the doctor's courtyard and even felt that the young masters and ladies were listening to Wu Ya.

She doesn't cause trouble at home and doesn't talk much. It always feels like no one in her family can get along with her.

However, she seems to be close to her sisters, and they sometimes listen to her when something happens.

The couple hesitated for a long time. Although they were reluctant to spend the money, they subconsciously agreed when they saw Wu Ya's serious face despite her young age.

The day after they agreed, Shen Huai called them early in the morning to go to the village chief's house to borrow an oxcart to buy bamboo, and he went with them.

Whenever they offered something slightly inferior, Wu Ya would grab their sleeves and stare intently into their eyes without saying a word.

Even though she's my own daughter, I always feel uneasy being watched!

I bought quite a few in good condition items, spending two hundred coins, and felt the pinch for a long time afterward.

Later, Shen Huai stopped caring about it.

People from the countryside~

They were poor their whole lives, especially in rural areas where they were considered poor households.

They are used to others' pity, and when they encounter problems, they always hope that others will take pity on them and help them.

After getting used to feeling sorry for others, you always feel that since other people's families are so much better off than yours, it's only a small token of their kindness, and you feel perfectly justified in giving them something.

Moreover, it was not easy to have a son; if the daughter becomes successful, she will belong to someone else!

When I first had some spare money, I couldn't believe it was real!

I thank the Bodhisattva for protecting me every day, and then I save the money for my son's future wedding!

The couple felt both heartache and regret after returning home from spending such a large sum of money, thinking:

For wealthy families like that, they wouldn't care if they didn't receive gifts; if they did, they would just throw these things away after a couple of days.

After discussing it, the couple made up their minds:

I won't listen to my youngest daughter next time!

They never considered that all the extra money was earned by their youngest daughter, nor would they ever think about it.

Shen Huai was confident that once the goods were bought, the farmers wouldn't waste them; they would definitely cook them well and send them out.

Shen Huai also took out his own savings and went to the market twice when there was a market.

I bought a pair of ochre-colored sachets embroidered with gold thread, symbolizing a long and happy marriage.

They also found various fragrant flowers, made them into dried flowers, added some herbs containing snakes, insects, rats and ants, and put them in sachets.

I went to the tailor shop in town and found some colorful scraps of fabric. I used various shades of blue as the base color to make a small handbag.

Colorful fabric was sewn into flower shapes and attached to the fabric.

This little handbag was sewn by Da Mao and Er Ya when I went back.

I also bought a small wooden whistle for each of my friends.

We also bought the two younger children from Uncle Qin's family. No matter how young they are, as long as they can blow the whistle, they can play with it.

The bamboo weaving was completed by the end of September, consisting of one large bamboo basket and several smaller ones.

It must have been the last remaining bamboo strips that were used to make a rattan ball.

Shen Huai packed them up one inside the other, according to size.

On the day of departure, Dr. Gao saw that the person was only a head taller than the bamboo basket, so he grabbed him, carried him on his shoulder, and set off.

We first went to Uncle Qin's house to rest for the night. Uncle Qin's family also bought a horse-drawn carriage last year.

This time, my master's uncle and his wife brought all four of their children with them.

Uncle Qin and Doctor Gao sat outside with Uncle Li, who was driving the carriage, while Aunt Qin led a group of children inside the carriage.

It's been almost two years since we last saw each other, but the children aren't distant at all.