Chapter 47: Family Classroom

While the two children were crying, Han’s second daughter-in-law happened to come in from outside. When she saw her Xiaolei crying, her heart ached. She hurried over, scooped him into her arms, and coaxed, “What’s wrong?”

When Xiaolei saw his mother, he immediately complained, “Mother, Grandma won’t give me any good food. She’s stingy!”

Han’s second daughter-in-law had always regarded her only son as her treasure and couldn’t bear for him to suffer even the slightest grievance. Hearing his words, she turned to Old Lady Han and said, “Mother, the child is still young and ignorant, but how can you, as his grandmother, be so hard on him? It’s just a little food, why be stingy?”

Did she mean that as a grandmother, she was unwilling to give food to her grandson? Old Lady Han was furious at such words. Too angry to explain, she snapped, “Enough! I’ve given so many good things to your children before, and now I see clearly. You people only know how to eat what I provide, but the moment I don’t meet your demands, suddenly I’m at fault. Fine! From now on, I won’t bother being the good person anymore. Stay away from me and don’t ask me for food again. Whoever comes looking, I won’t give a thing!”

A flicker of distress flashed through Han’s second daughter-in-law’s eyes. The old lady still had money in her hands and often cooked delicious dishes. The food at the old lady’s place was far better than at her own home, and every time the children came, they ate well and it saved her plenty of money. If the old lady truly grew angry and stopped feeding the children, wouldn’t that be a loss?

“Mother, listen to what you’re saying,” she tried to soothe. “I didn’t mean it that way. You know children don’t understand, so don’t take it to heart.”

But Old Lady Han wasn’t having it. She waved her hand in disgust and barked, “Go, go, go! Get out of here and don’t come back. If anyone dares to come again, I’ll hit them! Don’t think this old woman doesn’t have a temper.”

For a moment, Han’s second daughter-in-law didn’t know what else to say. Driven out by the old lady, she had no choice but to leave in defeat, deciding to wait until her anger cooled before letting the children come again. Surely a grandmother wouldn’t stay hard-hearted forever toward her grandsons.

After they left, Old Lady Han let out a heavy sigh. “These two boys have been spoiled by their mothers and look what they’ve turned into! They don’t like being clean, and even at this young age, all they know is how to beg others for things. It’s because the adults never taught them properly.”

Su Yue also felt the two boys were badly in need of discipline, but since she wasn’t their biological mother, she had no right to scold them. She could only say, “When they’re older, maybe send them to school. Perhaps it would be better to let teachers discipline them.”

Old Lady Han shook her head. “Schools now are useless decorations. The teachers don’t teach seriously. Children go to school just to pass time. In the morning they recite quotations, and by afternoon they’re sent home to work. Better to keep them at home.”

Su Yue sighed helplessly, considering the reality of schools at this time. Then she asked, “So Aimin and Hehua have never gone to school, even though they’re already so big?”

Old Lady Han nodded. “Not many families in the village send their children to school. Our brigade’s primary school only has a handful of kids.”

Su Yue frowned. “But if they don’t go to school, won’t they be illiterate? What will they do if they can’t even recognize words nor do basic arithmetic?”

Old Lady Han had no good answer. “School now isn’t what it used to be. Teachers don’t actually teach. Children here have been attending for years yet still can’t even write their own names. I do hope Aimin and the others can learn to read, so they won’t suffer in the future. But what can the teachers really teach? Some of them barely know many words themselves.”

Su Yue said, “I think Aimin’s arithmetic is quite good. Even when selling cakes, he never miscalculates.”

Old Lady Han explained, “His arithmetic was taught by his elder brother in private.”

“Aiguo?” Su Yue was surprised. “He knows this?”

Old Lady Han nodded. “When Aiguo was young, his father was still alive. His father had gone to school and learned these things, so he taught Aiguo step by step. Later, when I gave birth to our second child, your father fell ill, and the younger ones never got to learn. The second, third, and fourth children didn’t understand anything. Aiguo once tried to teach his brothers, but the second and third hated studying and would run away whenever it was mentioned. They ended up learning nothing. The fourth wanted to study, but by then Aiguo had joined the army and had no time to teach. In the end, the boy only picked up a bit of accounting, but not enough to learn how to read.”

Su Yue understood and frowned in thought. After a moment she said, “Mother, not being able to read or write is a serious problem. Aimin seems to have a good head on his shoulders so I don’t want him to remain illiterate. If he has to deal with people outside in the future, being illiterate will only invite trouble. He won’t even know if someone cheats him. He must learn to read.”

Old Lady Han hesitated. “So… you mean to let Aimin go to school?”

Su Yue considered it carefully. Aimin was already twelve, nearly thirteen after the New Year. It would be too late for him to start from the first grade of elementary school. Instead, he could jump straight into fifth grade, get his primary school diploma in one year, and then move on to the commune’s junior high school. Compared to the brigade school, the commune school was far better as he might actually learn something real there.

But to jump to fifth grade, he would need a solid foundation first.

After thinking for a while, Su Yue said, “Mother, since I have time at home, I’ll teach Aimin myself first. Once he learns enough, I’ll go to the principal and discuss letting him enter fifth grade directly. If he can graduate from primary school in a year, he can go on to junior high. At the very least, he’ll finish junior high, which will already be a great advantage.”

At this time, very few people pursued education, especially in the countryside. Graduating from junior high was considered impressive. Old Lady Han thought so too. She was delighted at the idea of her fourth son finishing junior high, though she was still worried. “But if he jumps straight to fifth grade, will the principal agree?”

Su Yue smiled. “As long as Aimin studies hard, there won’t be a problem. At worst, we’ll ask the principal to test him.”

Old Lady Han trusted Su Yue, knowing she was educated. She nodded decisively. “Alright then. I’ll make sure Aimin studies with you. If the brat dares slack off, I’ll beat him.”

“Mother, who are you planning to beat?” Han Aimin had just run in from outside, grabbed the teapot on the table, and gulped down some water.

Han Aiguo followed in behind him.

Su Yue said, “You’re back. Lunch is ready.”

Han Aiguo glanced at her, washed his hands, and quietly took a seat beside her. His gaze kept drifting to her when she wasn’t looking.

Su Yue pretended not to notice and continued, “Mother and I were just discussing letting the fourth brother learn to read. I’ll teach him first, and once he’s ready, we’ll try to let him skip to fifth grade, graduate from elementary school, and then go on to junior high.”

Han Aimin was dumbfounded. “Huh? You want me to learn to read? And go straight to fifth grade?”

Han Aiguo nodded firmly. “Of course you need to learn. Do you want to stay illiterate forever?”

Han Aimin scratched his head nervously. “But I don’t know anything. Can I really learn?” Deep down, he hated being illiterate, but he was afraid he was too stupid to manage.

Su Yue encouraged him. “Learning isn’t hard. As long as you’re serious, you’ll be fine.”

Hearing her words, Han Aimin quickly nodded. “Then I’ll study hard!”

Su Yue turned to Han Aiguo. “Can you think of a way to help? Maybe get me a set of the current primary school textbooks? I want to teach based on those.”

Han Aiguo nodded. “No problem.”

Seeing the matter settled, Old Lady Han clapped her hands. “Alright, alright. Let’s eat, it’s noon already. The ramen Yueyue made smells delicious.”

At once, Han Aiguo and Han Aimin’s attention shifted to the pot, their eyes lighting up.

After all, who could resist Su Yue’s cooking?

When Han Aiguo took his first bite of ramen, he looked deeply at Su Yue, then lowered his head and ate quietly.

Han Aimin exclaimed happily, “Sister-in-law, my eldest brother was really blessed for marrying you. From now on, I can eat your food every day. I’m so happy~”

The whole family was amused by his foodie nature and burst into laughter.

After eating, Su Yue boiled Han Aiguo’s leg medicine in a clay jar and brought it into the room for him to drink. While he was drinking, she rolled up his pants and examined his leg. She was surprised to find that the injured leg had already recovered quite a lot and was now almost as thick as the other one, with only the surface still red and swollen.

Su Yue’s eyes lit up with joy. “I guess your leg will be completely healed in a few months.”

Han Aiguo looked at her, a gentle smile in his eyes. Because of her care, his leg had recovered so well.

Once he finished drinking the medicine, Su Yue said softly, “Lie down and rest for a while. I’ll apply ointment on your leg before you go help in the afternoon.”

Han Aiguo obediently lay down on the bed and quietly watched Su Yue apply the ointment bit by bit. It turned out that having a wife felt so good.

Su Yue recalled what Old Lady Han had just said about the many scars on his body and felt uneasy. She looked at him and said, “Take off your clothes.”

Han Aiguo raised his brows slightly. “Take off my clothes?”

“Yes. Take them off so I can have a look.”

Han Aiguo’s throat moved, and his eyes deepened as he looked at her. “Yue’er, are you sure?”

Su Yue didn’t understand his reaction at first. But the moment she noticed the heated gaze in his eyes, she realized what he was thinking and immediately slapped his shoulder. “What’s going through your head, you bad man! I just want to check your injuries. Why are you imagining other things?”

“Oh.” Han Aiguo blinked, a little disappointed. He had really thought she meant something else.

Seeing his disappointment, Su Yue grew angry and slapped him again. As expected, no matter how serious a man looked, he was never serious when it came to this sort of thing.

Although it wasn’t what he thought, he didn’t dare disobey his wife. Silently, Han Aiguo took off his upper clothes, exposing his bare torso for her to see.

There were indeed countless scars on his body. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say they were densely packed; some deep, some shallow, some large, some small and covering him from head to toe. Many of them were located in dangerous spots where just a slight miss might have taken his life.

Looking at the scars, Su Yue could imagine the hardships he had endured all these years, and what it had cost him to survive until now.

“How did you get this one?” Su Yue gently touched a scar over his chest that looked like a gunshot wound, her voice full of distress.

Han Aiguo replied in a calm tone, “That was from a mission on the border.”

Su Yue knew the country was not yet completely stable during this time, with frequent conflicts along the borders. Soldiers like him were always on the frontlines, protecting the nation amidst bullets and gunfire.

It was his duty as a soldier, and she couldn’t say much, but her heart ached for him.

Han Aiguo clasped her small hand and squeezed it gently. “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt. This little injury is nothing.”

Su Yue pouted, her fingers brushing the scar again. “Who says it’s nothing? From now on, your body belongs to me. I won’t allow you to get hurt. If you do, I’ll be angry!”

Han Aiguo was silent for a moment before nodding seriously. “Alright. I’ll do my best to protect myself in the future.”

“That’s more like it.” Su Yue handed him his clothes. “Hurry and put these on before you catch a cold.”

Han Aiguo only put on his undershirt, then pulled the quilt over himself and opened one side invitingly. “Come in and take a nap too.”

Su Yue hesitated. “I still have to help mother make cakes.”

“Mother wants to nap as well. She’ll only start making cakes after she wakes up, so you should rest too.”

Hearing this, Su Yue finally took off her shoes and outer clothes, slipped under the quilt, and nestled into his arms.

He was like a large furnace, radiating warmth. The moment she lay against him, she felt comfortable and cozy, reluctant to leave.

Han Aiguo placed Su Yue’s cold little hand against his stomach to warm it, while his big palm gently rubbed her waist. He knew he had gone too far the previous night and made her suffer.

Su Yue almost let out a hum from how comfortable it felt, but she quickly held it back. If she made a sound, this man would probably turn into a wolf again, and she would be the one to suffer.

Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, Han Aiguo whispered into her ear, “Yue’er, don’t go to work anymore.”

Su Yue opened her eyes to look at him.

“It’s almost New Year’s, the weather is freezing, and you can’t manage the heavy work in the fields. From now on, just stay home and make cakes with Mother.”

Su Yue had never been suited for farm work. From the day she arrived until now, it had nearly broken her body. She had long wanted to stop.

Now that Han Aiguo said this, she didn’t bother pretending to be dutiful. She smiled and agreed, “Then I won’t go. I’ll just be a lazy wife at home.”

Han Aiguo stroked her hair tenderly. “Good. Now go to sleep.”

And with his gentle caress, Su Yue drifted into slumber.

—

Within two days, Han Aiguo borrowed a complete set of new elementary school textbooks, from first grade to fifth grade. He even managed to find some pencils and notebooks.

Su Yue no longer had much work to do besides helping Old Lady Han with chores and cake-making, so she began teaching Han Aimin how to read.

Since Han Aimin had no foundation, she started with the basics. She taught him to read each sentence out loud, had him repeat after her, and then write it twice on his own.

Everyone in the family was curious about the lessons. Occasionally, they peeked in to watch, though mostly for entertainment. For instance, the three little ones; Taohua, Xiaolei, and Maomao, lost interest after listening for five minutes and ran off to play.

Studying was boring to them, nowhere near as fun as games.

But Hehua was different. She often paused her chores to watch her aunt teach, her eyes full of envy as she listened. She wished she could study too and become literate.

In her heart, she dreamed of growing up to be beautiful, gentle, and intelligent like her aunt. Su Yue was her role model, and following her example always felt right.

Noticing the longing in Hehua’s eyes, Su Yue finally beckoned her over and asked softly, “Hehua, do you also want to study with your uncle?”

Hehua bit her lip and nodded cautiously.

Su Yue smiled. “Then from now on, you can join your uncle in lessons. I’ll teach you too.”

Hehua’s eyes lit up at first, but then dimmed. She shook her head and whispered, “No… my mother won’t let me. She wants me to cut grass and collect firewood, and I still have to help my brother with chores.”

Su Yue was stunned and fell silent.

Later, she mentioned it to Old Lady Han. “Mother, can’t we talk to Second Brother and Sister-in-law? Hehua wants to study. It’s a good thing for children to be eager to learn. And studying together with Aimin will motivate them both.”

Old Lady Han agreed that it was good for children to have ambition, but she hesitated. “We’ve already split households. I’m afraid your second sister-in-law won’t listen to me. She only wants Hehua to work. Even now, she grumbles that Hehua spends half the day helping me tend the fire. She wishes the girl never rested, or else she’d feel Hehua wasn’t worth raising.”

Su Yue sighed, realizing that with her sister-in-law’s ingrained preference for sons over daughters, persuading her would be difficult.

But when Han Aiguo learned of this, he said firmly, “If Hehua wants to learn, then she should learn. Studying is a good thing. I’ll talk to Second Brother myself.”

And true to his word, he went. No one knew how he convinced them, but in the end, Han Lao-er and his wife reluctantly agreed to let Hehua study with Su Yue for two hours every morning. Though Second Sister-in-law was unwilling, she dared not voice her complaints.

From this, Su Yue realized something: Han Aiguo was sometimes more persuasive than even Old Lady Han. Perhaps in the future, if she encountered difficulties, she could count on him.

Thus, Su Yue’s small family classroom officially began. She used a corner of the main room as a classroom, gave Hehua and Aimin each a notebook and pen, and let them share the set of textbooks while she taught at the big table.

Her method was simple: teach new lessons the first day, have them memorize while working, and then review and test them the next day, even giving scores.

To motivate them, Su Yue also introduced a reward system. “Every time I test you, whoever scores first place will get a candy. For the big test, the top scorer will get candy and a reward of two yuan.”

Though they were sensible children, Hehua and Aimin were still young, and the thought of candy made them cheer up immediately. Hearing about the two yuan reward during big tests fired them up even more. Both secretly vowed to work hard.

When Second Sister-in-law heard of the reward system, much of her dissatisfaction disappeared. She quietly told Hehua, “Study hard. Earn candy every day for your brother, and during the big test, make sure you win the two yuan to contribute to the family.”

Hehua nodded silently. If this was the price for her mother’s approval, then she would work even harder. Whether she was feeding chickens, cutting grass, or lighting a fire, she silently reviewed her lessons.

Han Aimin, embarrassed that his younger niece was working so hard, was determined not to lose face. He, too, began to study diligently.

Seeing their dedication, Su Yue felt happy. She even took time to visit the supply and marketing cooperative to buy coarse cloth. Together with Old Lady Han, she sewed two schoolbags and gave one to each child.

The two children were overjoyed see them.