Chapter 58: Chapter 54 Zao Hua
Big Aunt scolded Big Uncle Lu for not stopping Lu Jiaxin from buying so many things. “The child bought so many things yesterday, I’m pleased she has that kind of heart, but today it’s just a waste of money. How could you not know to stop her a bit?”
Big Uncle Lu felt somewhat helpless and said, “I did stop her, but she said she was buying them for herself to eat, could I really not let her buy them? Alright, I will talk to the third brother later and ask him to speak to this child more.”
Upon hearing this, Big Aunt’s expression changed, “Have you gone senile? If you say that, he will have even more of an excuse not to give Jiaxin money, and all the benefits will go to that poisonous woman. Never mind, I’ll find an opportunity to talk to Jiaxin myself!”
Big Uncle Lu did not let her go to speak, “Jiaxin is very temperamental now, if you criticize her, she might just up and leave. You don’t need to worry, she’s spending money freely now because she doesn’t know how hard it is to earn it. Once she starts working and knows that earning money is not easy, she will naturally become frugal.”
Big Aunt felt there was some truth to this, but still thought it necessary to say something.
At the same time, Xiao Qiu was also persuading Lu Jiaxin, “Young Miss, I know you care about us, but you shouldn’t spend so much money in the future.”
Lu Jiaxin, thinking about how Big Aunt hesitated after seeing the things she had bought, also reflected on herself, “I’ve been thoughtless, in the future, I should buy practical items.”
The main thing was that she hadn’t earned her own money yet, and everyone was worried seeing her spending so freely. Once she started earning her own money, no one would say anything no matter how much she spent.
Xiao Qiu felt a bit embarrassed to see her agreeing so readily, after all, she had also eaten quite a bit of the snacks. “Young Miss, will you go back to school once the bad guy is caught?”
Lu Jiaxin said she was weak and needed at least half a year to recuperate before she could retake her studies. She was definitely planning to go to college, but she wanted to earn money first to get out from under Lu Hongjun’s control.
Xiao Qiu said caringly, “Young Miss, why don’t you rest and recover here? Here, that bad woman can’t hurt you.”
Five years ago, the Young Miss’s face was round and plump, and her skin was fair and rosy, back then everyone said she looked like a child from a New Year’s painting. But now, her face was pale and she was terribly thin.
“Now that I’ve moved out of the family quarters, that woman won’t be able to harm me anymore. Xiao Qiu, what do you think about what I said to you yesterday?”
Xiao Qiu shook her head, “Young Miss, I don’t want to go outside. Out there, I don’t know anyone, and at home, I have my grandparents, my parents, and my brothers. If my in-laws bully me, they can stand up for me.”
Lu Jiaxin felt somewhat helpless. Now, children in the countryside marry early, so they mature early too, unlike her previous life at fifteen when she only knew fun and games.
After chatting for a while, Xiao Qiu said with some regret, “I’m just not smart enough to do well in my studies, but Zao Hua is so clever, she always ranks first in exams. This year, she got into the best high school in our county. It’s such a pity that Uncle Gen had an accident and passed away, so she can’t continue her studies.”
Lu Jiaxin found out that this Zao Hua, sixteen years old this year, had always been at the top of her class since she started school. With her grades, she could definitely get into college. If you get a college degree, the government will assign you a job, securing a well-provided life forever.
That’s why everyone said her family would have a “golden phoenix flying out.” Unfortunately, fate is unpredictable, her father got injured in July, the family’s savings were depleted and they couldn’t save him, leaving the family in hardship with no money for her to continue her education.
With regret, Xiao Qiu said, “Grandfather even tried to persuade Aunt Gen to let Zao Hua continue her education, saying it’s only three hard years, and once she gets into college, things will be better. But Aunt Gen said she couldn’t Discover more novels on NovelHub - your gateway to endless stories. If Zao Hua continued studying, the whole family wouldn’t be able to survive.”
Lu Jiaxin remained silent.
Xiao Qiu said, “Little auntie, you don’t know how many people in the village envy Xiao Dong and me.”
The girls her age in the village hardly ever set foot in a school, working from dawn till dusk, many not even getting enough to eat and still having to endure beatings and scoldings. Compared to them, Xiao Qiu felt very fortunate. She didn’t have to do heavy labor and was able to go to school with her brothers. It was just too bad that she was not bright and couldn’t absorb her studies; otherwise, if she could pass the vocational school exam, she would have been able to eat “public grain.”
Lu Jiaxin said with a smile, “Xiao Qiu, it doesn’t matter if you don’t go out, but you must learn a skill. With a skill at hand, no husband would dare to bully you in the future.”
Should the husband dare to act maliciously, they would just call it quits. With a skill at hand, she could still Discover more novels on NovelHub - your gateway to endless stories. Of course, she wouldn’t say this out loud—firstly because Xiao Qiu was still young, and secondly, because it was too inauspicious.
Xiao Qiu was somewhat tempted, but she didn’t dare say, “Big Brother and Second Brother didn’t learn any skills. If I bring it up, the two sisters-in-law might have opinions.”
Hearing her concern, Lu Jiaxin said with a smile, “As long as your mom Discover more novels on NovelHub - your gateway to endless stories.”
After nightfall, the four groups of people who had gone out gradually returned, none with any useful information. They were initially somewhat dismayed until they found out the old lady was from Xixiang, which instantly lifted their spirits.
The next day, Big Uncle Lu took Second Brother Lu and Lu Jiajie to Xixiang to gather information. Lu Jiaxin was planning to go too, but Big Uncle Lu refused, saying that the trip was too far and her body couldn’t take it.
Considering her own physical condition, Lu Jiaxin had no choice but to give up. After having lunch with nothing else to do, she said to Xiao Qiu, “I want to get to know Zao Hua. Can you take me to see her?”
It would be such a pity for a girl with such good grades to drop out, especially considering a high school in a small county town would likely only cost two to three hundred yuan per term. If this girl was someone with strong determination and knew how to fight back, she could lend a hand. But if the girl was weak-willed and blindly filial, then she would not waste her energy.
Xiao Qiu didn’t think too much and agreed immediately.
Unfortunately, it was not meant to be; Zao Hua had gone to her grandmother’s house early in the morning. Her neighbor shook their head and said, “That girl has gone to her grandmother’s house for a matchmaking visit.”
Lu Jiaxin’s eyes nearly popped out. She remembered Xiao Qiu mentioning that Zao Hua was a year older than her. Getting married at sixteen was not normal.
The neighbor said, “I heard it’s the son of the commune secretary. If this works out, not only will her family receive a hefty dowry, but they’ve also promised to arrange a job for Zao Hua’s older brother.”
Lu Jiaxin felt a heavy blockage in her heart. In Zao Hua’s family, like many other places, they favored boys over girls, and the most ludicrous part was that it was usually the mothers who valued sons more and looked down on their daughters.
Xiao Qiu was in the same class as Zao Hua in elementary school and, although different classes in middle school, they went to and from school together, so they were very close. She asked, “Does Zao Hua agree to this?”
The neighbor sighed, “If she didn’t agree, she wouldn’t have gone to the matchmaking today. If they like each other, the wedding could be by the end of this year or early next year.”
Xiao Qiu frowned and said, “How can that be? The girls in our village all get married at eighteen, but Zao Hua is only sixteen.”
Lu Jiaxin suspected that it was Zao Hua’s mother who wanted to settle things early so her son could go work in the city quickly. But if this marriage really happened, how would Zao Hua have any status at her husband’s home? She would never be able to lift her head for the rest of her life, slaving away for her husband’s family.