Xiaofeng’s little fists were clenched tightly. Having recognized a few characters while following Zhou Xiao these past two days, he found studying quite interesting. On the way here, his elder sister also told him that he would be sent to the academy next spring. Therefore, he felt the burden on his shoulders had grown heavier.
Elder Yang of the Yang Family was surprised for a moment, "It’s good to be ambitious, but...studying is not easy."
"I’m not afraid of hardship," Xiaofeng declared loudly.
Elder Yang extended his hand to pat Xiaofeng’s head, his eyes filled with relief, but he quickly lifted his gaze to Yang Ruxin, "What does that girl want this old man to do for her?"
"Ancestor, you know the situation of my family," Ruxin immediately shifted the topic, "To tell the truth, I do not want to be involved with the people from the old house anymore. I am truly scared, but we are still surnamed Yang. In the future, I will work hard to earn money and Xiaofeng will work hard in his studies. However, we are still young, so...we think of honoring you as our ancestor in the future. Should any issues arise, we still need the ancestor to speak up for us... to support us. Then we can still be considered part of the clan..."
She had previously thought about directly purchasing that courtyard, but after much deliberation, she decided it wasn’t a good approach. It was Yang Rulin who had promised in front of many people to give it to her family, and now to offer money in return might invite criticisms and would go against Uncle Ancestor’s original intention, so she preferred to make a deal with the other party instead.
Elder Yang’s brows furrowed faintly, his eyes becoming sharp, "Girl, do you know what you are saying?"
"I do," Ruxin nodded, looking seriously into his eyes, "I know that what I say is considered extremely unfilial in this era. However, if those people at the old house had even the slightest conscience, I would not have come to this. In the future, I will work hard to earn money, and Xiaofeng will study hard, but I refuse to let those parasites benefit from the fruits of my labor." She paused, "Ancestor, you probably think that we siblings won’t turn out too badly in the future, right? That’s why you helped us, isn’t it?"
Elder Yang’s face showed a faint startle.
"In fact, I often feel that so-called kinship is less durable than a solid relationship of interest. You, ancestor, having wandered and experienced so much over the years, have seen much more than I have, and your vision is certainly far-sighted. You must understand this reasoning." What Ruxin said was extremely straightforward, and her attitude was very determined. It didn’t matter if the other party disagreed; she was not native to this place, and her siblings were young. If it really came down to it, they could move to the town or even to the county seat. After all, she had silver and would live well regardless. She had always believed in the adage "A tree withers if it is not moved, but a person will thrive if they do."
Of course, she would only take such a step if absolutely necessary, for in this era, if Xiaofeng was to pursue a career in the civil service, not having a clan would be considered a stain. One needed someone to recommend them to sit for the imperial examination, and a family background check was part of the assessment when taking office.
This was also why she dared to threaten the old house with death previously, because Rusong’s success in the imperial examination was more important to the old house than anything else.
Having lived for over eighty years, Elder Yang needed only a moment to understand Ruxin’s intentions. He was both pleased and somewhat angry—pleased with the girl’s audacity, something many of the Yang Family’s boys lacked, but angry at how resolute she was in wanting to distance herself from the clan...