Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 248: Leaving early

Third Aunt thought that it would be nice if Ah Ze also went to school, so that the brothers could keep each other company.
It was a pity that despite the family being in good condition right now, he still said that he didn’t want to go and it was enough to learn a few words with Ah Jian at night.

Lian Fang Zhou and Ah Jian cleaned up and took Lian Fang Qing to Xiaohuaguo mountain to continue planting fruit trees.

When the three arrived, Sun Zhang Xing, Madam Sun, Zhang Xiao Jun, and his son, were already there.
Aunt Zhang and Madam Zhao also came and greeted them from a distance.

Lian Fang Zhou hurriedly smiled and waved to Aunt Zhang and her daughter-in-law, saying loudly: “Auntie, sister-in-law Zhao! Why are you here too?”

While talking, Aunt Zhang and her daughter-in-law were already approaching and Aunt Zhang complained to Lian Fang Zhou: “You are always the same child! Didn’t I say before? When you plant more fruit trees, tell us so we can come and help you! Now that the spring plowing season is still coming, where is it so busy at home?

Lian Fang Zhou’s heart was warm.
Knowing that if she said anything else, it would hurt Aunt Zhang’s feelings, she smiled candidly.
“This time, I was wrong, my dear aunt! I won’t do that again!”

“It’s fine!” Aunt Zhang smiled and the two skilled women stepped forward to help.

That afternoon, when the there was only a short time before the sun would go down, Ah Jian looked at the horizon and smiled at Lian Fang Zhou: “Why don’t you go back early today? I think it will still be another two days before we can finish the planting.”

“It’s still early!” Aunt Zhang said hurriedly: “If you are tired, rest a while.
We can still work for a bit, it’s fine!”

When Madam Zhao heard this, she straightened up and said ‘yes’.
She smiled: “Mother, look at what you’ve said! Fang Zhou is fine, why would Ah Jian be tired? What you said about Ah Jian is too funny!”

Several people laughed.

Lian Fang Zhou glanced at Ah Jian gratefully and smiled at Aunt Zhang.
“Actually, I was thinking about going back soon.
Today was Che’er’s first day of school, so I should be back soon…”

The group suddenly understood.

“So that’s it!” Aunt Zhang said with a smile.
“If that’s the case, then go back and come tomorrow! Che’er may want to tell you all about his first day of school.
This is a big deal!”

“I think so too!” Lian Fang Zhou smiled.
Everyone washed their hands in the canal from the mountain and went back together.

Everyone was waiting at home when Lian Che returned.

Lian Ze had sent him but had not gone to pick him up again.

Seeing his family, Lian Che’s eyes were bright and he seemed a little closer and smiled more often than usual.

Third Aunt clapped her hands, smiling, and said: “Oh, our little scholar is back! Did your Teacher praise you?”

“Third Aunt!” Lian Che admonished Third Aunt for saying something uncomfortable but he still looked to Lian Fang Zhou and smiled, begging for praise: “Teacher praised me for writing well! He also said that I can recite so many three-character classics, which is really rare! Teacher said that as long as I study hard, I will surely be successful!”

Everyone was very happy to hear these words.
Third Aunt said “let’s add more food tonight”, beaming.
Lian Fang Zhou smiled at him and said: “Be sure to live up to your Teacher’s expectations! This is the credit if your Brother Ah Jian!”

Lian Che didn’t wait for instructions.
He agreed and thanked Ah Jian respectfully.

He was so lucky when he arrived at school, Ah Jian had already taught him how to study.
Many new students were shaky with their pens! Some of them, Teacher had already been teaching for long time but still couldn’t hold it properly.
The paper, clothes, and table were all stained with ink.

However, he could write so many words!

Ah Jian took his hand and smiled: “This is the result of your own heart.
What do you do with so many gifts!”

Lian Ze laughed twice and joked: “Our young talent is really different! It’s only been a day since he went to school and is already so polite! Maybe he will really be a talent in two years!”

Lian Che’s face blushed with laughter and he rushed to Lian Fang Zhou and said coquettishly: “Sister, second brother is making fun of me!”

Lian Fang Zhou was amused.
“You know books and logic, don’t care about him!”

This was obviously unkind teasing.

Lian Che became even more embarrassed.
He pouted his little mouth, his face flushed.

Seeing that he was getting too embarrassed, Lian Fang Zhou took him to sit down.
“Your sister is just joking for fun.
You have gone to school, naturally you would not be the same as before.
You should know etiquette, otherwise others will talk about you!” She looked at Lian Ze: “You’ve said such embarrassing things to Che’er, is it because you want to go to school with him? If you go, we would have two talents in the family?”

Lian Che clapped his hands and said: “Good idea!”

Lian Ze took a complicated look at Ah Jian and said: “I can’t be a talented person! I’m better practicing martial arts with Ah Jian!”

Ah Jian’s martial arts had long since stirred his heart and his dream was to work harder and harder to practice marital arts until he was prestigious as Brother Ah Jian! If anyone dared to come and be wild in their house, he would stand up and make them beg!

The ‘anyone’ in his mind basically referred to Lian Li and Madam Qiao.

Seeing him smile faintly, Lian Fang Zhou didn’t force him anymore.
Instead, she asked about Lian Che’s experience at the school today.
What did the teacher teach? What did he say? How many classmates did he have? How old were they and what village were they from? Did he get along well? What did he eat at noon? There were a lot of questions.

Lian Che answered all of them, talking carefully and excitedly.
After all, this was his first day at school!

As he was talking, Lian Fang Qing came in from outside with the little wolf in her arms.
When she say Lian Che, her eyes beamed and she shouted: “Brother, Brother, you are back!”

Lian Che was very excited to see his twin sister.
He stood up and smiled, walking over with an ‘um’.
He took the little wolf from her arms and patted its head, asking: “How was Xiao Hui?”

Lian Fang Qing nodded: “He likes to follow me around.
He also followed sister and brother when they came back from the fields!”

Seeing the two preoccupied with the little wolf, Lian Fang Zhou smiled and stopped asking questions.
She got up and went out to work on something else.
Lian Ze followed Ah Jian, who knew what they were talking about.

After dinner, Lian Fang Zhou asked Lian Che carefully, her heart moving, if anyone had bullied him?

Lian Che remembered what Second brother had told him and shook his head, saying no.
Lian Ze relaxed.

Anyways, he had been learning martial arts with Ah Jian for so long now, if his younger brother was bullied and he still couldn’t solve it, then he would be too useless.

After two or three days of work, all of the fruit trees were finally planted.
Knowing that as soon as it rained, they would survive and shoot, Lian Fang Zhou breathed a sigh of relief.

Those hundreds of tree stumps could only be grafted to the orchard trees in the middle of spring, to be sure of having healthy, disease-free, and good-looking branches.

The grafted trees grew very fast and would mature quickly.
Lian Fang Zhou was looking forward to it.
The newly planted trees would have to be cut back, even if they were not finished growing, to save nutrients.

Finished, she headed home.
Unfortunately, so did Madam Qiao.