"I don't plan to have him teach for the long term," Li Yao said. "Wang Er has some education already. He should be able to manage."
Li Zheng thought about it for a moment and asked, "How much are you planning to pay him?"
"I want him to come every day to teach Er Dan, and when he has time, also give the other three children some beginner lessons in basic arithmetic," Li Yao said. "As for pay, of course I won't shortchange him. I'll provide him with lunch, and give him 2 taels of silver per month. There will also be customary gifts for ceremonies like starting lessons and holidays."
"Isn't that too much?" Li Zheng said. "He's not even a xiucai. You're giving him 2 taels a month? I think 500 wen would be enough!"
Even for a family tutor, 500 wen was far too little.
If the pay was too low, the tutor wouldn't put his heart into teaching. That would just be a waste of money.
"Let's do it how I said," she insisted.
Seeing that she wouldn't budge, Li Zheng didn't try to persuade her further. He went with her directly to Lv Xiucai's home.
Lv Xiucai's wife, Mrs. Bo, had been worrying over their livelihood. Now a huge windfall had suddenly fallen from the sky, nearly knocking her dizzy.
"You want me to go be a tutor at your home?" Lv Xiucai asked.
"When have we ever been able to afford filling the stove?" Mrs. Bo said. "I don't care if it's a tutor for the east or west room, just say yes!" She was afraid this useless old bookworm would refuse, so she hurriedly added, "Hurry up and agree!"
"Uneducated country woman! Teaching is a refined affair..."
"I don't know anything about being refined. All I know is there's no rice at home! If you dare refuse, just go work the fields!"
"You...you...boorish and vulgar!"
"Will you go or not?"
"I'll go, I'll go."
And so Lv Xiucai became the tutor at Li Yao's home.
According to local custom, when inviting a teacher to the home, they had to perform the rite of bowing to the master.
Li Yao knew Lv Xiucai's temperament, so she didn't need to give too many gifts, but an auspicious yellow calendar date had to be chosen. The ceremony had to follow all the proper etiquette.
Two days later was an auspicious day.
Before the day even arrived, news had already spread through the village.
"Sister-in-law is inviting Lv Xiucai to tutor Wang Er," Shen Shi told her mother-in-law as soon as she got home that evening. "I heard she's paying 2 taels of silver. Looks like she's earned quite a bit of money."
When Grandma Wang heard this, her blood pressure shot up. "What business is it of yours whether she earns money or not? If you can earn money, go do it yourself! All you do is flap your mouth all day causing trouble instead of helping out. Go chop grass!"
Shen Shi knew she shouldn't have brought it up. She quickly shut her mouth, not daring to make a peep. But in her heart she was filled with envy and resentment.
Sister-in-law had earned money and even dared to invite a tutor to the home, yet she didn't see her bringing over even a bowl of meat stew to honor her in-laws.
Just thinking about the taste of that stew she had eaten last time made her mouth water.
"It's good that sister-in-law is willing to spend money to have Wang Er get an education," Zhou Shi, the more sensible second daughter-in-law, said. "Maybe in a few years our Wang family can produce a juren."
Her words struck close to Grandma Wang's heart.
Of all things lowly, studying is most noble.
Ever since He Wan Village existed, not even one xiucai had come from the village.
If Wang Er could test as a juren, that would bring great honor to their ancestors!
She had always felt Wang Er was a clever child since he was little.
That unreliable daughter-in-law had done one decent thing for once.
Thinking this, the old woman stopped making dinner and hurried back to her room. She opened a chest and took out a bag from the very bottom. She counted out 500 wen in copper coins.
After counting it, she thought some more and picked out a slightly bigger broken silver piece, about 5 qian in value. She wrapped it in a cloth, and as the sky was just growing dark, rushed over to Li Yao's home.
...
To provide Er Dan with a good study environment, Da Zhuang had spent a lot of effort these past few days building a small thatched hut along the edge of the courtyard.
Though the wind could blow in from all sides since it had no walls, it was bright and open. Most important was that it gave a sense of ritual.
In front was a long wooden table, the desk for Lv Xiucai.
There were five small wooden tables. Four were study tables, with straw mats placed alongside as seats. The other table held a smooth, flat slate for practicing calligraphy.
In a straight, smoothly sanded bamboo tube was inserted a brand new sheep hair brush.
When Grandma Wang arrived, Wang Er was with Da Zhuang putting the finishing touches on making a grand master's chair for Lv Xiucai.
"Wang Er, what are you doing?" Grandma Wang called out before even entering the yard. "A scholar like you shouldn't be doing hard labor. You'll hurt your hands. Quickly stop and let your big brother do it!"
"Grandma, I'm fine," Wang Er said softly.
"Listen to grandma and stop immediately!" Grandma Wang snatched the things from Wang Er's hands, then turned to Li Yao lounging nearby and yelled, "What kind of mother are you? Sitting around with nothing to do while making Wang Er work?"
Li Yao didn't want to argue. She just said, "If you have something to say, say it."
"What would I have to say to you?" The old woman pulled Wang Er to the side and stuffed the cloth bundle with coins and silver into his arms. "This is for your studies. Grandma is giving it to you, so keep it safe."
"Grandma, I can't take your money."
"I'm telling you to take it so take it! Keep it safe yourself!" Then she turned back to Li Yao and said in a drawn out tone, "Don't you dare give it to your maternal family again."
Li Yao: ...
"Grandma, Mother won't give it away," Wang Er said softly. "Mother doesn't keep in contact with Grandma's side of the family anymore."
"Humph. How do we know if that's true or not? Although she's your ma, her surname is still Li." Grandma patted Wang Er's hand. "Study hard. Our Wang family ancestors will bless you. In the future you will certainly become an important official."
Li Yao scoffed.
This wish was truly naive, yet also pragmatic.
As etiquette dictates reciprocity, Li Yao called to the kitchen, "Xiao Ya, cut a bowl of stewed meat for your grandma, and add some steamed buns."
"Yes, Mother."
"I don't want it, don't want it. I didn't come to beg food," the old woman yelled as she turned to leave. "You all keep it to sell for money. Giving it to me would just be wasteful."
Wang Er hurriedly pulled her back. "Grandma, go ahead and take it. Even if you don't want it now, Xiao Si will deliver it to you later."
Luckily, Xiao Ya was quick with her hands. She soon had everything packed up neatly. Carrying the heavy bamboo basket, the old woman for once didn't nag them further. The look she gave Li Yao wasn't as sharp as before either.
"It's good that you have some conscience to get Wang Er a tutor," Grandma Wang said. "No matter whether you stay married or not in the future, our Wang family will not forget your kindness."
"There's no need for you to remember any kindness," Li Yao replied. "Tomorrow is the rite of bowing to the master. Come with Father at noon to eat."
"We're not coming, not coming," the old woman said with a wave of her hand as she walked away. "Making such a fuss over bowing to Lv Xiucai. If you have spare money, it'd be better spent buying Wang Er some decent clothes!"
Before she even finished speaking, her figure had disappeared.
Wang Er handed over the bundle. She discovered it contained nearly 1 tael of silver.
The old woman was quite generous despite her prickly demeanor. She just had an awkward way of showing concern.