Chapter 12 — Education Should Start from an Early Age
“Jing…Jingxuan, they…Dawa’s father is all right?”
Seeing that a family of three disappeared in their sight, Ling Wangshi took his son’s arm and asked in a stammering tone. However shrewd she performed, she was only a village woman. Dawa’s father’s bleeding obviously scared her.
“It’s all right. Mother, let’s go inside and talk.”
Throwing her a soothing smile, Ling Jingxuan drew back his hand without a trace.
“Daddy, Dawa’s dad had shed a lot of blood, he…will he die?”
Two buns were also obviously scared a lot, small faces all pale, but they were not worried about that man’s death, but more whether Ling Jingxuan would get into big trouble. Even if they were still young, they knew a life for a life. Finally their father returned to normal, they didn’t want to lose him.
“Hehe…how is he so easy to die? The book says, good people do not live long, while bad people who do harm live for a thousand years. Do you think that man is like good people?”
Compared to his mother and two sons, Ling Jingxuan showed a total careless appearance. Hearing that, the two buns looked at each other, nodding. That scene nearly made Ling Jingxuan burst out laughter, but soon he held his expression, squatted down and took their hands, saying in an earnest way, “Xiaowen, Xiaowu, you have to remember that dealing with that kind of shameless shrew, you’d have to be more shameless and more malicious, absolutely no concession or being softhearted. Human desire has no bottom line. Give her an inch today, she’d want a yard tomorrow. We do not take the initiative to bully others, but absolutely we can’t be afraid of any bully. Showing mercy to the enemy is to be cruel to yourself. When necessary, bleeding is nothing, you got it?”
The 21st century had words he had strongly agreed: education should start from an early age. Ling Jingxuan was much clearer than anyone else. He could not protect them the whole lifetime. Instead of caring about their safety all the time, he’d better let them see in advance the cruelty of human nature, and forge them stronger and more domineering than anyone else.
“Hmm, daddy, we’ll keep it in mind.”
The two buns may not fully understand his meaning, but they still firmly nodded at the same time. Everything was inferior to reading. Daddy was one of the few scholars in the village, in their little cognition, what daddy said must be right.
What Ling Jingxuan did not know was, because of his almost cold-blooded education mode, in the future he really trained out two powerful figures, one scaring all kingdoms, while the other dominating the court. Of course, this was the story of the future.
“Good. Daddy has caught a lot of fish today. Let’s go home first.”
Touching the heads of the two buns, Ling Jingxuan got up and carried the big barrel aside, then three people noticed the existence of the fish. Two buns looked very excited, with one drooling and the other one with a pair of eyes that almost turned into the shape of copper coins, but only Ling Wangshi was totally puzzled. Where did her son catch those fish?
Almost ten carps in the barrel, each of which was three or four jin. Fortunately Ling Jingxuan fed them with the water from the Crescent Spring, or they would have already died of lacking oxygen.
“Mom, is there a market at the entrance of the village?”
Sitting in the shabby central room, Ling Jingxuan looked at the little buns circling around the wooden barrel in the yard, smilingly asked. The original owner’s memory was too long ago, he was not sure if everything was the same as five years ago.
“Yes, there is a market, because it is at the junction of several villages. Usually people go there to get some things in exchange for some money to support their families. Recently, everyone is collecting rapeseed and wheat. Later a lot of people would go there to buy things. Are you selling the fish there?”
Hearing this, Ling Wangshi was stoned there for a bit. Thinking of her son’s situation in the past few years, she could not help feeling grieved. Her eldest son had once been so outstanding, but now he even could barely have food to support the family…
“Mm, I caught ten carps. Later you can take one back for my father and two younger brothers to build their health. I will keep another one for the buns. As for rest, for sale.” Nodding, Ling Jingxuan withdrew his eyes.
Ling Wangshi had three sons, except him, the other two were twins, who were the second son Ling Jinghan, and the little son Ling Jingpeng, but she was also unfortunate. He, as the biggest son, became a fool. And the second son, it was said the 14-year-old Ling Jinghan was very learned, the most promising one to pass the imperial examination, but it was like heaven had played a joke on him for giving him such a run-down body. With his physical condition, he couldn’t even support a test that would often last for several days. The little son Ling Jingpeng, born to hate reading, was a notorious child king, now still the same. And the old Ling never took him as a grandson.
So all in all, although Ling Chenglong and his wife had conceived three sons, in the Ling household, they were still very humble, for the old couple did not favor them, and their brothers and sisters-in-law bullied them.
“You leave one for Xiaowen and Xiaowu, take all the rest to sell for money. Never mind. You also don’t go to the market yourself, later I’ll let your father take care of it.”
Her son’s filial piety made her feel sweet. Thinking of the villagers’ resentment toward him, Ling Wangshi took the initiative to let Ling Chenglong run the errands. She was not willing to let his son who had just returned to normal, to suffer those people’s supercilious looks and their abuse.
“All right. How about this, mother? You let father and my younger brothers have dinner here together. Yesterday I also dug a lot of wild vegetables. We can have a good meal.”
Thinking that their Ling Family hadn’t divided up the family property and lived part, even if she took the fish back, it was quite possible they could not have a bite of it. Ling Jingxuan also did not force her. Since they were family, as long as they were not calculating him or what, he would like to fit in. By the way, he also wanted to feel the pulse of his second younger brother, Ling Jinghan, and see what his illness was and if there was any cure. For their small family, as long as one made fame or fortune, others could get rid of the stigma.
“OK, I’ll go and find your father now.”
Ling Wangshi was so happy. As she was about to leave, Ling Jingxuan hurriedly said, “Mom, don’t forget to let Jinghan come over too. I haven’t seen him for a long time.”
“Urgh…OK, I let your little brother pull him over with the handcart.”
Ling Wangshi hesitated a little, and then thought it was really not easy for the whole family to eat together, so she decisively agreed.
“Hmm, then be careful on your way.”
Judging from her look, he knew Ling Jinghan must be very seriously ill, but Ling Jingxuan did not speak it out loud. He stood up and sent her to the door. When the two buns heard their grandparents and uncles were coming over for dinner, they were kicking up their heels. After all, they were still kids and living in a remote mountain with their father. It was such a rare opportunity that the whole family could get together. How could they not be happy?
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Translator: LazyHermitGal
Author: LazyHermitGal
A Lazy Hermit Gal. A little support goes a long way! If you’d like to help me keep creating, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/lazyhermitgal
