Chapter 68: Life Grows Increasingly Hard

How could Father Li not know the value of education? He had always envied those who were well-read, but sadly, his own children had not lived up to expectations. The eldest never had a chance to study, and in order to send the second child to school, he had even steeled himself to give the boy a good beating. The result? He broke the feather duster, but that stubborn child still refused to go back to school, declaring he would rather work in the fields. His wife wept beside him.

Li Zhirong understood why Li Kai stopped attending school after a brief time—he had been mocked there, ridiculed for his parents. The second son, obstinate by nature, tried to argue back and ended up fighting with classmates, which only made things worse. Afterward, he refused to return, and the two elders believed they had brought shame on their child, unwilling to let him endure more ridicule. They simply let their children have their way, and as a result, none took to learning.

Now, with their daughter-in-law willing to shoulder this responsibility, offering to teach everyone to read, and insisting all should learn together, Father Li was both joyful and relieved. His wife was right after all—this daughter-in-law was simply the best.

Without delay, Tang Xin pulled two yuan from her small purse and told Li Kai to run to the commune the next day. He was to buy notebooks, pencils, and erasers, for if they were to learn, they must be properly equipped. Having already witnessed Tang Xin’s generous spending, Li Kai accepted the two yuan without batting an eye. The younger children, seeing the money in his hand, were nearly moved to tears.

Two whole yuan! If one converted that to the purchasing power decades later, it would be nearly two hundred yuan. How could the children not be envious?

Li Kai was quite pleased; he felt as though he had become the chief steward under his sister-in-law, able to help her with business and accounting in the future.

“Heh heh.” Li Kai grinned, waving the money before Li Xiyue, his pride evident.

“Hmph!” Li Xiyue lifted her chin, snorting from her nose. How petty! She thought, when she went to work in the city, she could surely earn hundreds or thousands of such two yuan bills.

After some thought, Li Kai turned to the three younger children. “You all need to study hard. I know teachers reward good students. Then you won’t have to buy your own notebooks and pens—how wonderful is that!”

Is that so? The three brothers clenched their fists in determination. Not needing to buy their own supplies meant saving money for their sister-in-law.

And, perhaps, she might give them even more rewards.

Tang Xin was very pleased; indeed, Li Kai might not excel academically, but he certainly had a knack for business, his sense for opportunity was first-rate.

So Tang Xin told them, “If you study well and the school rewards you, and you don’t need all the supplies, you can bring them home. I’ll pay you for them at the supply and marketing cooperative’s price.”

“Really?”

Tang Xin nodded solemnly. With this incentive, the three brothers became even more enthusiastic.

So this is the benefit of studying—learning well could earn money!

After settling the matter, Tang Xin considered setting up a place dedicated to learning. To her, life needed a sense of ritual; even if there was no study, a special table for writing could be made. But she didn’t know the current situation, nor whether anyone in the brigade could help.

Fang was confident: no problem, Father Li would make a desk for the family to use when studying.

“Your father can do it, he’s handy with all sorts of work,” Fang said proudly. In her heart, her husband was the best man in the world.

Tang Xin exclaimed, “Wow, Dad, you’re amazing! You can even make a desk yourself?”

Father Li gave a humble smile, but Fang replied, “Of course. He’ll chop down a tree in the yard and make you a desk. Don’t worry about it.” Her pride was unmistakable; to Fang, praise for her husband or son was even more gratifying than praise for herself.

Tang Xin quickly said, “Then I must trouble you, Dad.”

Father Li was delighted—helping his daughter-in-law made him feel valued in the family. Otherwise, he always felt a lingering sense of guilt, believing his past actions had brought hardship upon the household.

Seeing the satisfaction on her father-in-law’s face, Tang Xin was happy too, though she couldn’t say much given her status. Instead, she linked arms with Fang and said with a smile, “Mother, you’re the best. Having such a wonderful mother-in-law must be a blessing earned in my previous life.”

This was no mere flattery—Tang Xin truly meant it. Honestly, a mother-in-law as enlightened, gentle, and kind as Fang was rare in this world.

Though Tang Xin had never married or even fallen in love in her previous life, she was a bit of an internet addict and had seen plenty of complaints about mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relations on certain forums.

She even felt that ever since marrying Li Sheng, she liked the Li family more and more, and her affection for her husband grew deeper—surely her mother-in-law deserved much credit for this.

Her large, watery eyes gazed at Fang, who, though she protested, “Girl, you just know how to coax me,” was clearly delighted.

Anyone could see from her smile that Fang was thoroughly pleased. Being pampered always felt good; what woman wouldn’t want to be treated like a cherished girl? Her husband was good to her, but he was not adept at sweet words.

When she was just a few years old, sweeping changes hit the family, and Fang was no longer the carefree young lady, but someone who worked tirelessly day after day. After marrying, she busied herself with husband and children, never enjoying such moments.

It was only after Tang Xin arrived that Fang often heard compliments—now she realized that she, too, had always been a girl at heart, hoping for praise.

“Mother, your hands are so skillful.”

“Mother, your cooking is delicious.”

“Mother, you’re so wonderful.”

“Mother, I really like you.”

… All these little things, just small details, but her own sons and daughters had never noticed. Only this daughter-in-law, newly arrived in the Li family, understood her hidden loneliness and always found ways to cheer her up.

Fang knew her youngest daughter always accused her of favoritism, of being too good to her son and daughter-in-law. But honestly, with such a good daughter-in-law, what mother-in-law wouldn’t be kind to her?

Li Xiyue watched her sister-in-law, unblushing and unflustered, say such embarrassing things to make her mother happy, and curled her lip in disdain. Yet inwardly, she was deeply impressed—no wonder her elder sister’s married life wasn’t going well; just look at the sister-in-law’s way with words.

If her elder sister had learned even a fraction of this skill from her sister-in-law, her days wouldn’t have grown harder and harder, would they?