Chapter 200: Chapter 199 Heartbeat
The scholar opened the door and was greeted by the familiar Housekeeper Zhao, who he warmly welcomed into his home.
Housekeeper Zhao held a gift box in his hand, which contained a box of pastries, as the scholar invited him inside with a nod.
As he entered the yard, he looked around; it was just the couple here, a small courtyard yet kept meticulously clean, even the occasional fallen leaves were swept away.
Upon entering the living room, he saw the scholar’s wife and her relatives, who were currently serving him tea.
“Housekeeper Zhao, please have some tea.”
The scholar asked Housekeeper Zhao to sit down, and the couple also sat down beside him.
“Hmm, thank you,” Housekeeper Zhao said as he sat on a chair to the side. He took a sip of tea, set the cup down, and then observed the couple sitting before him, studying their expressions.
“Housekeeper Zhao, does my cousin have any instructions for me?”
The wife knew that this cousin had always provided her with much help, and she was very grateful in her heart. Without the blessing of her own family, she still had relatives to care for her, which was a blessing in disguise, and she wasn’t altogether unsupported in the Capital.
This also gave the couple a lot of confidence, having someone psychologically and physically support them indeed offered some support to their difficult lives.
“I have come here this time with something to ask you.”
“Housekeeper Zhao, please ask,” the scholar said.
“Our Madam’s relatives are looking to hire a male and a female teacher in Qin, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting. I was wondering if you and your wife would be willing to become teachers?”
This sudden question from Housekeeper Zhao caught the couple off guard. After exchanging glances, they both fell silent.
Housekeeper Zhao gave the couple a look and continued:
“Consider it for a moment, you’ll just be working as teachers, and the salary is high. Moreover, the place is only a day’s journey from the Imperial Capital, and it’s our Madam’s relatives’ house, so they will definitely treat you well.”
The couple were still considering; the job Housekeeper Zhao mentioned was indeed tempting, but they were struggling to accept the idea of leaving the Imperial Capital and teaching elsewhere.
Seeing that they hadn’t responded, Housekeeper Zhao continued to tempt them with words:
“I am aware of both of your circumstances. The young master here wants to pursue academic honors, which requires a conducive environment for study. Currently, you are renting a place here, and the pressure is immense; the environment in the Imperial Capital is also not favorable for your living.”
With these words from Housekeeper Zhao, the scholar was somewhat tempted. The pressure of life was suffocating him; even though he studied at night after selling goods at his stall during the day, he saw his wife busy working, and yet he couldn’t earn enough for their living expenses.
Soon, they would need to pay their rent again, and without this job, they might not be able to sustain themselves in the future.
Thinking this, the scholar said to Housekeeper Zhao:
“What you’ve said makes sense, Housekeeper. Will the place that is offering us work provide us with food and lodging?”
Hearing the scholar’s words and sensing his shift, Housekeeper Zhao added:
“You won’t have to worry about food and lodging at all, that’s for certain. Additionally, you will have servants to do chores, so you won’t need to cook or do laundry; just focus on your teaching tasks.”
At that time, as a wife, she also considered whether the family they were going to would make things difficult for them.
For instance, would she and her husband be separated? Living separately, eating separately—this presented another challenge. If they didn’t live together, their feelings might gradually fade, and all her efforts would have been in vain.
“Housekeeper Zhao, can you tell me what relative of Madam’s cousin this is? What is his family’s financial situation? Will my husband and I be working at the same place? If we work at the same place, will our living arrangements be together?”
With such questions from the wife, it appeared that both husband and wife were indeed interested, making Housekeeper Zhao feel that this task would be successful, so he added:
“Have you heard that we have a cousin who married outside the county? You and your husband are invited to her house to be Mr. Instrument, and it would be even better if you could teach them other skills. There’s also another part-time job.”
Housekeeper Zhao paused, then looking at the couple, he continued:
“Our cousin’s grandson, a previous wet nurse’s children, wants to hire a Mr. Instrument, and the fee for this additional part-time job will of course be extra.”
The couple nodded, noting the attractive terms of the employment; however, they looked around their home, aware of the many possessions they had gathered to establish it—all of which cost money. They were reluctant to part with everything they had used and the flora surrounding their home.
Seeing their reluctance and hesitation, Housekeeper Zhao knew what the Madam of the house had guessed earlier; she had intended to help her relatives, and this courtyard in the Capital wasn’t cheap to own.
However, for the Madam who wanted to help someone, this was a minor matter. By showing a little goodwill and offering some comforting rewards, she aimed to ensure that the couple would work peacefully for her relatives.
“Are you worried that someone else might rent this place while you’re gone? Don’t worry, Madam sent me to invite you and mentioned purchasing this courtyard for you, to be your future home.”
Upon hearing Housekeeper Zhao’s words, the couple became anxious, and the scholar said, “We couldn’t possibly accept that; it’s too expensive a property. We can’t accept it. Let us earn the money and buy it ourselves.”
“Thank you to our cousin, but we cannot accept it. My husband is right; even if we were desperate, we couldn’t accept such a generous gift.”
The wife, seeing her husband’s integrity, felt reassured that she hadn’t married the wrong person. Although life was challenging, they hadn’t lost their resolve.
This couple showed no greedy desires to possess such gifts; with such character, Housekeeper Zhao believed that the Madam’s assistance was likely motivated by their moral quality. People like them, should they ever rise to great heights, would be grateful.
Housekeeper Zhao felt inclined to help them himself.
“Madam said that since you and your wife are relatives, if you feel guilty, devote yourselves to teaching and educating her relatives. If you still cannot accept it, consider it a loan, which you can repay after you’ve saved enough money in a year or two, and then you’ll own your house.”
This proposal made the couple look at each other with heartfelt emotion.
If they could work hard for a year or two, earning enough to buy a house, they envisioned owning their little home on this map; no longer having to worry about rent—it was an attractive prospect.
One to two years wasn’t a long time; they were willing to strive for it, to have a home and continue living in the Capital.
As a husband, he felt guilty for not providing a home for his wife. If he could strive for one or two years to own one, it would restore his pride as a man. Then, they would have their little home, where they could bring their parents to live with them.
Even if he couldn’t continue his studies, he could still continue teaching and educating.
This one or two years of teaching experience would lay the foundation for their future life.
The scholar, in fact, had his own pride, and although he outwardly appeared unchanged, internally he was wavering.