Chapter 202
"Children truly grow up the fastest when they're young."
Looking at their children sleeping soundly, Luo Ge could not help but smile at Gu Jinchen.
She still remembered their thin and tiny figures when they were just born. Now, they seem to be constantly changing, growing cuter every day.
"Dear, let's make a walker for our children."
Now that they're crawling, they'll start to learn to walk soon. A walker would be convenient, not just for walking, but also for feeding when they get a little older.
"A walker?" Gu Jinchen seemed puzzled.
"Just draw it for me; I'll give it a try." He trusted his wife's practical suggestions and was willing to make them a reality.
"Alright, a walker, similar to the little wagon we made before, except there are rollers at the bottom. We carve out the middle and design a seat made of cloth where the child can sit, freeing their little feet as well.
While holding the walker, they can learn to walk by themselves."
"I'll draw it out. Let's give it a try."
"Alright."
Gu Jinchen could always craft anything that Luo Ge sketched. They had an inexplicable understanding in matters like this. Even though these things were unfamiliar, Gu Jinchen could always understand his wife's intentions from the abstract drawings.
"I will gather some materials and we can think this further when we find the time."
"Alright." Suddenly, Luo Ge remembered something they had discussed yesterday and turned her head towards him.
"Do you need help with the thing you spoke about yesterday?" she asked.
Gu Jinchen smiled at her question, lovingly ruffling her hair.
"No need. I will take care of it. I've contacted Hu Jun this morning. The next few days will probably be busy."
In the past, Gu Jinchen and Hu Jun were comrades, both coming from the military. They understood each other well. Hu Jun agreed immediately the moment Gu Jinchen expressed his ideas.
As for the pre-existing job as a sheriff…
After all, sticking around a small town like Yi Yang, he'd probably have a lifetime's worth of work there. But becoming a sheriff was probably his end point.
However, now he had enough to feed his whole family. It was worth giving this a shot and see what's in store for him.
Upon receiving the news from Gu Jinchen, Hu Jun started making arrangements immediately.
Hearing Gu Jinchen's words, Luo Ge laughed and batted his hand away.
"Don't worry, I'll handle things at home. Go about your business."
"But can you stop touching my head all the time? I am a mother now."
Listening to his wife's playful complaints, Gu Jinchen chuckled and nodded repeatedly.
"Alright, alright." Although he agreed verbally, his hands didn't stop, in fact, they were more vigorous than before.
No matter if she was a mother, she was still his adorable and gentle wife.
…Their playful time together did not last for long.
Just as Gu Jinchen had mentioned, he quickly became busy.
Apart from seeing each other in the morning and at night, he was rarely home.
But Luo Ge understood, the beginning of anything is always the toughest and busiest.
When Drunken Fragrance Tavern first opened, she was equally as busy, rushing around from dawn to dusk, barely touching the ground.
..............................
Simultaneously, in Gu Family Village.
After several days, the letter that Elder Mr. Xu sent from Ningzhou Academy finally arrived and fell into the hands of Wang family.
"Is it a letter from Luo Ge?"
Coming back from the workshop, Wang Sister-In-Law asked, spotting the envelope on the table.
"No, I took a peek. It's from Elder Mr. Xu," Wang Big Brother replied, having returned earlier from work.
"Oh, let me see what Elder Mr. Xu has written to us."
Wang Sister-In-Law sat by the table, drying her hands before opening the envelope.
Although they learned to read quite late, they had managed to learn a fair amount from Tie Dan.
At the very least, reading a letter was not a problem.
Seeing this, Old Master Wang and Aunt Zhang came into the courtyard.
Elder Mr. Xu, the master of their obedient grandchild, was indeed someone to listen to when he wrote a letter.
Seeing everyone settle down, Wang Sister-In-Law sat upright and began to read the letter aloud for everyone to hear.
There were the usual, fairly uneventful everyday pleasantries at the beginning, which the Wang family listened to with neutral expressions.
But as they listened further, their expressions froze and Wang Sister-In-Law fell silent.
"What happened?" Wang Big Brother, who had just entered from the courtyard, was puzzled by the scene before him.
"What did Mr. Xu write in the letter? Why are you all like this?"
He smiled a little at the others, extending a hand to his wife for the letter.
Reading through, his smile froze as well.
"What's your plan, head of this family?" His wife's voice broke the silence.
Wang Big Brother pondered for a moment, glancing at his aging parents, then at his wife, "let's wait for Tie Dan to come back, then we decide."
What Elder Mr. Xu wrote in the letter was not wrong. And Ningzhou Institute was definitely better than the school in the village.
Being parents, they naturally wanted their child to have the best.
They were not exceptions.
"There's no need to ask him, that silly child of ours would not want to leave. We'll send him there. Can't we, hardworking as we are, afford to let him study there?" Wang Big Brother had barely finished his sentence when Aunt Zhang began to speak.
"But, mom..." upon hearing Aunt Zhang's words, Wang Sister-In-Law hesitated in response.
Given their current situation, it would be hard, but they could just about manage.
But... could they really bear to let their child go off to such a far-off place alone?
If they wanted to follow him, given their own conditions, how would they manage to make a living there?
This quandary was the cause of their hesitation.
"But what? Although I, an old woman, have never travelled far and lack much worldly knowledge.
Even I understand that getting into Ningzhou Institute is a dream that many can't fulfill even if they try to.
Our child has got a golden opportunity and a bright future ahead. Shouldn't we be supporting him instead of holding him back?"
"I wanted to say this when Mr. Xu first left. Now, we shouldn't hesitate anymore."
"Our Wang family has been around for generations, and Tie Dan is our only valuable boy who's educated. We mustn't ruin his future for our selfish desires," remarked Aunt Zhang.
Her words left everyone speechless.
There was no denying that she was right on the mark.
Especially her last sentence, it struck a heavy blow to Wang Sister-In-Law's heart.
"Alright, then we'll send Tie Dan off," decided Wang Sister-In-Law, clapping her hands decisively.
After all, what was the fuss about reading a book or two?
He isn't leaving forever. Elder Mr. Xu had said, the academy does have its holiday breaks.
And honestly, this lad was nothing but trouble anyway. Off with him.
She wouldn’t miss him.
"Sounds good." Hearing his wife speak so, Wang Big Brother nodded in agreement.
In the letter, Elder Mr. Xu also mentioned that room and board were all taken care of at the academy; they needn't worry about any of those.
Moreover, with Elder Mr. Xu as his master and Yun Mu at the same academy, they needn't worry Tie Dan would be bullied.
Seeing a unanimous decision amongst the family, Old Master Wang naturally had no objections.