Chapter 258: How Envious
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Did they know what they wanted?
Other than silver, what else do they want?
They had never thought about their ident.i.ty or status. They had never thought of working hard or studying to enrich themselves.
They thought that they could earn money by working for their aunt, but that was clearly not the case.
Their aunt didn’t arrange any work for them. Instead, they were reading, studying, and practicing martial arts.
However, they could not keep up.
“My cousins had parents who took care of everything since they were born. When you were young, you only cared about having fun and occasionally helping the family with some work. But I wasn’t. 1 was abandoned when 1 was three years old and was begging on the streets. Then, I was sold to be a slave. I caught the plague and was thrown into a ma.s.s grave. I was lucky enough to survive. I became a little beggar on the streets and was caught and sold to a Broker House.”
“Before I was bought by Mother, I had no right to choose my own future. But Mother bought me back home. From then on, I have the opportunity to study, learn, practice martial arts, and change my fate. My future is also in my hands. I wish 1 could have a few more hours every day. That way, I can practice martial arts harder and study harder. My master and teacher praised me as a good seedling for practicing martial arts and studying, but before I was praised, 1 had to put in more energy than many people.”
“I also want to go out and play. I want to ride a horse and shoot arrows. I want to fly a kite. Mother also gave me money to buy food and play on the streets. But…”
“I earned none of this silver. It was all given to me by Mother. What right do I have to squander it?”
“I haven’t earned a single cent since I came to this house. What else can 1 do other than work harder to enrich myself? Mother said that the sweat of today will bear fruit in the future. The more you pay today, the sweeter the fruit in the future. I deeply believe it.”
“That’s why I wake up before dawn and sleep after dark. I have no complaints.”
“Then what about you? Do you want to be a mediocre person, just like the chefs and waiters of this restaurant, or the shopkeeper? Or to be a person who walked between the heavens and the earth, admired and praised by everyone, open-minded, with poetry and books in his mind, martial arts skills around him, and friends all over the world. Even if he was penniless, he was still full of spirit.”
No one had ever told this to them.
Father, Mother, Grandfather, and Grandmother supported them in coming to Auntie’s side, but they didn’t understand these things.
“I… I… 1…”
“My mother, your aunt, is the best person in the world. You should cherish this opportunity to turn the tables and change the status for your descendants.”
“If you miss this chance, you’ll never get it back.”
Just as Han Chi finished, Zeng Baobao arrived.
“Young Master!”
Han Yu was also walking behind Zeng Baobao.
Han Chi smiled and called out, “Uncle Yu.”
“All,” Han Yu replied shyly.
He was only two years older than Han Chi, so it was very embarra.s.sing for him to be called uncle.
Just then, the dishes were served.
Han Chi looked at the dishes on the table. There were many dishes that he did not order.
“Madam gave us some money and told us to eat something good.” Zeng Baobao said with a smile.
Han Chi instantly understood.
“Then we have to eat as much as we can.”
In fact, the food in the restaurant might not be as delicious as the food at home, nor might it be more sumptuous than the food at home.
However, it was indeed rare to eat outside.
Han Dacheng and the others started to relax a little. They were all half-grown children. Soon, they relaxed and started to eat. They talked and laughed.
If not for their young age, they would have wanted some wine.
The dishes outside might not be better than the ones at home, but it was a rare occurrence.
Even if the dishes were ordinary, they treated them as if they were eating delicacies.
Soon, the table was emptied, and everyone burped.
They were satisfied.
“Then let’s go back home,” Han Chi said.
This trip had already delayed the time he needed to go to meet the Headmaster to memorize some books.
‘I’m going to stay up late tonight.’
Thinking of this, Han Chi pursed his lips in determination.
When he returned, he walked very quickly. Zeng Baobao didn’t have much ambition. He just wanted to know some martial arts and read.
However, his talent in martial arts was not bad. Although he could not compare to his sister, he could be considered a talent that could be molded.
Han Chi wanted to go to the main courtyard, but before that, he turned to Han Dacheng and the others, “Are you guys coming?”
They hesitated but still followed behind Han Chi.
Compared to Han Chi’s generosity, they felt so inferior that they could not hold their heads high.
When they entered the main courtyard, they were a little fl.u.s.tered.
“Mother!” Han Chi called out kindly and went to see Ah-Yao.
Ah-Yao was sleeping soundly. Han Chi sat at the side and watched him for a while.
He came out of Ah-Yao’s room and saw Han Qiao talking to Han Dacheng and the others. He whispered to Shulan, “Sister Shulan, tell Mother later that I’m going back to study.”
“Yes, Eldest Young Master, go ahead. This servant will remember to tell Madam.”
Everyone saw Han Chi’s hard work. No one dared to disturb him too much. After all, there were only a few months left until the Spring Exam.
Han Qiao also noticed him leaving, but she didn’t call him.
Instead, she continued to speak with Han Dacheng and the others, “It’s okay if you can’t keep up with Ah-Chi and the others. I’ll find you a new master and other children. When the time comes, everyone will start from zero. I hope that no matter how hard it is, you all can persevere.”
“Life is neither long nor short. You are my blood relatives, so I hope you will be well, reasonable, intelligent, and live a glorious life.”
“Don’t droop your head and don’t be discouraged. It’s okay if your foundation isn’t good.”
Han Qiao’s voice was gentle. She didn’t scold them and spoke to them nicely.
They were all good children. Because they had not seen too much of the world, they felt inferior and did not have confidence.
Even if their souls had changed, they still called her aunt and wanted to follow her to make a name for themselves. She had the responsibility to lead them on the right path.
“We’ll be leaving for Chenzhou City in a few days. We don’t know when we’ll be back next time, so if you want to go home, I’ll get someone to send you back.” “Auntie, we want to go to Chenzhou, but when can we come back?”
“It’s hard to say. Maybe three to five months, maybe a year and a half, or maybe even a few years.”
“The path of learning is never simple.”
Han Qiao looked at them.
Seeing that they were thinking seriously, she could not help but chuckle, “Look at how conflicted you are. If you have something urgent to do at home, how can I not let you come back?”
“I’ve restricted you from going out as you please, but that doesn’t mean that 1 won’t let you go out. It’s said that reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. When you reach the age of twenty, I’ll let you go out and make a living on your own.”
“So, don’t worry about it. As long as you can read and learn, it’s fine.”
“Alright, go.”
After Han Dacheng and the others left the main courtyard, they discussed for a while and decided to watch Han Chi study.
When they went over, Han Chi was reciting in front of the Headmaster. After reciting, he went into a heated debate with the Headmaster. He spoke with certainty and his serious look was confident and sharp.
It was truly dazzling.
“When can we be like Ah-Chi, able to be so confident in everything we say and do?”
He could remain calm even in front of the strict Headmaster.
How envious..