Chapter 15
Persuasion
“If you and Uncle are going to the county, won’t Aunt and Cousin be the only ones at home?” Liu Lang frowned. “Can Aunt take good care of Cousin?”
Mu Yangling was a little embarrassed, but she still said, “That’s why I came to look for you. I hope you and Aunt can help me take care of my mother and brother. I’ll buy you candy later.”
“Why do you have to follow Uncle to the county?” Liu Lang was a little unwilling, for he wanted to learn to read with Mu Yangling and didn’t want her to go to the county.
“My family has accumulated a lot of leather goods. My mother is about to give birth and it’s almost winter, so we have to sell them this time no matter what. Due to the fact that my father looks like a Hu, those merchants always bargain down the prices.”
“But you’re just a kid.”
Mu Yangling snorted. “That’s still better than my father being bullied by others.”
Liu Lang had no choice but to take a step back. “Alright then. I’ll speak to my mother when she comes back.”
Mu Yangling’s smile widened when she saw Liu Lun poking his head out of the door. “Cousin Lun, can you bring my brother to play with Goudan and the rest?”
Liu Lun reluctantly came out with a straight face and said arrogantly, “Alright then, but don’t tell anyone that you saw me bathing today.”
Suppressing her smile, Mu Yangling said seriously, “I really didn’t see anything just now. You chased me out the second I opened the door.”
Only then did Liu Lun cheer up. He snorted and said, “I don’t think you saw it either.” He went forward and held Little Bowen’s hand, then waved and said, “Let’s go. I’ll bring you to play now. Goudan and the rest are catching crickets at the village entrance. Do you want to catch them?”
“I don’t like to play with crickets. I want to play hide-and-seek with them.”
“In that case, tell them later that I’m going to catch crickets…” The eight-year-old Liu Lun thought that he had already grown up and would not play hide-and-seek, which to him was a game that only children played.
Seeing that they had left, Mu Yangling took the ‘The Analects’ book and turned to return. Halfway back, she bumped into Liu Yong, who had just returned from the fields.
Mu Yangling smiled at him and nodded slightly.
Liu Yong, who was already 18 years old, glanced at Mu Yangling and walked over without looking sideways. Mu Yangling sighed.
After Liu Yong’s younger brother and sister were found, because they were still young, they were afraid of him at first, though they did reconcile with him later on. However, his parents were wary of him, causing the relationship between the three siblings to strain considerably. Even the adults and children in the village did not play with Liu Yong much.
Mu Yangling had once studied psychology in school. Children could make people’s hearts soften, but at the same time, they were also the most hurtful because they weren’t able to hide their childish happiness, desires, or evilness.
She felt that she understood Liu Yong a little. Back then, Liu Yong was only a nine-year-old child. Before he came into contact with books, he was just a little selfish and competitive among his companions. However, after coming into contact with books, he heard that the outside world was so vast. He found out that by studying, he could become successful, don glamorous clothes, enjoy delicious food, and live in opulent houses. His inflated desire made him neglect other things because he was still a child. His heart was still too young and his considerations were not so thorough.
Mu Yangling could tolerate Liu Yong, and persuade Liu Xing and Liu Erniang to hang out with their older brother and talk to him more. Alas, she couldn’t convince Third Uncle Liu, his wife, and the adults in the village. Even Shu Wanniang didn’t agree with her sympathizing with Liu Yong.
Because in the eyes of Shu Wanniang and the others, Liu Yong had a wicked nature, and no matter how much they taught him, it was something that could not be changed.
However, this was other people’s business. Right now, Mu Yangling only wanted to persuade her father to bring her to the county.
She ran home and squatted in front of her father, who was tidying up the leather goods. She said with a grin, “Father, look. This is a book that Cousin Lang picked up. It’s ‘The Analects’.”
Mu Shi was pleasantly surprised. “Really? That saves one tael of silver. Take it back and keep it well for your mother. When your brother finishes reciting the ‘Three Character Classic’, I’ll buy him the ‘Thousand Character Classic’.”
“Father, why don’t we buy it when we go to the county this time? I haven’t been to a bookstore in a long time. Please bring me along to check it out.”
Mu Shi frowned. “No, we can’t leave your mother and brother alone at home.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already thought about it. Tomorrow, I’ll ask Cousin Lang and Aunt to take care of Mother. We’ll definitely be back by nighttime and won’t spend the night outside.”
Mu Shi still didn’t agree. It would have been fine if it was in the past, but with his wife pregnant now, he felt more at ease with his daughter at home.
Mu Yangling had no choice but to beg Shu Wanniang. The latter replied, “You’re a girl and can’t always go out. If you want anything, just ask your father to buy it for you.”
As a well-bred young lady, Shu Wanniang felt that by going hunting in the mountains every day, her daughter had already nearly crossed her bottom line. How could she still follow her father to sell leather goods and do business?
With slumped shoulders, Mu Yangling said, “Those itinerant merchants who used to buy leather goods from Father have left. Those merchants that are in the county saw that Father looked like a Hu, so they always lowered the price. Otherwise, Father wouldn’t have carried the leather goods back three times in a row, rather leaving them in the warehouse than selling them. After paying the taxes, our family won’t have any money left. This time, no matter what, we have to sell the leather goods. I’m afraid that those people will lower the price due to Father’s honest appearance. As you can see, it’s not easy for Father to hunt, and leather tanning is really arduous too. It pains my heart to sell them at a low price.”
Shu Wanniang frowned and said, “But you’re just a little girl. What’s the use of tagging along?”
“Mother, although I’m a girl, I look like a Han Chinese. Moreover, I’m already 11 years old, and am considered half an adult. I have no problem speaking on behalf of Father regarding this. I’m also meticulous. Besides, I don’t ask for much. I just hope that the price can be raised slightly.”
This was true. Her daughter usually looked carefree, but she was incredibly meticulous. Even though Shu Wanniang identified as being gentle and thoughtful, she had to admit that her observation powers couldn’t compare with her daughter’s.
After a moment’s hesitation, Shu Wanniang ultimately agreed because her heart ached for her husband.
Mu Yangling cheered. Since her mother had agreed, there was no need to waste her breath on her father.
Mu Shi was tidying up the leather goods outside. When he heard his daughter’s cheers in the room, he shook his head helplessly. It seemed like he had to personally go to his uncle’s place and ask his cousin-in-law to take care of Wanniang.
In the evening, Little Bowen ran back looking like a mud monkey. After finding out that his sister was going to the county the next day, he made a fuss about wanting to tag along. Mu Yangling put her hands on her waist and laughed. “Can you walk? It’s a four-hour walk.”
Little Bowen blushed and declared angrily, “I want to eat two bowls of rice tonight. Soon, I’ll be able to walk such a long distance.”
Snorting, Mu Yangling said, “If you continue to be lazy and don’t wake up on time every day to exercise, it’d be of no use no matter how much food you eat. Instead, you’ll become like Cousin Lang’s piglet.”
Little Bowen was scared out of his wits. “Nonsense.”
“If you don’t believe me, you can ask Father. You can only grow up by eating on time and practicing boxing early in the morning.”
Little Bowen looked at his father with tears in his eyes.
Due to his poor health, his son had always been a little delicate. Every morning, he would laze in bed and refuse to get up. When the weather was cold, he was even more unwilling to practice boxing, further contributing to a deterioration of his health.
It would be best if he could be spurred to wake up on time to practice boxing because of this. Mu Shi nodded and said solemnly, “Your sister is right. Look, she wakes up on time every day to practice boxing, that’s why she grows up quickly. Bowen, you’ve got to learn from your sister if you wish to grow up.”
Little Bowen pondered for a moment before running to his mother’s side. He tugged at the corner of her clothes and said, “Mother, wake me up early tomorrow. I want to get up and do some boxing. This way, I’ll be able to grow up during the new year and go to the county, too.”
Shu Wanniang gladly agreed.