After the birth of a woman, the whole family depends on me to bring honor to the family

It took Zhang Xiu and Ma Taoguo more than an hour to walk back to Wuyun Village. If it had been later, they might have encountered some wild animals on the road.

As soon as they got home, they were extremely hungry. Looking at the cold stove in the house, Ma Taoguo felt calm.

He knew very well in his heart that his two sons were ungrateful bastards.

"Go make something to eat. I'm hungry."

Zhang Xiu's tone was a bit bad, but you could tell he was holding back.

"I know. Please sit down for a while."

It's not time to turn hostile now. Ma Taoguo will wait until he passes the examination for the scholar degree before making a decision.

He is only 31 years old now and can still fight for himself.

He has paid too much just to become a scholar's husband for the rest of his life, and he can't let his efforts go to waste.

Zhang Ju and Zhang Xing had not slept yet. Hearing Ma Taoguo cooking, they got up again because they had not eaten all day and were hungry.

Moreover, Zhang Xiu's family was extremely poor. In order to support her studies in her early years, her parents died of overwork.

"Dad, what delicious food are you making?"

Zhang Ju curled her lips, looked into the pot, and then swallowed. It was rice porridge. Although it looked a bit watery, it could fill her stomach at least!

"Dad, let me help you add firewood."

Zhang Xing still knows how to do some things, but Zhang Ju is a complete lazy guy, and Zhang Xiu loves him very much.

Looking at Zhang Ju's hands, which were whiter and tenderer than his and Xing Ge'er's, he lowered his eyes.

Two more people joined the pot. There was no choice but to add a little more water and rice to the pot, and stir in some wild vegetables, and it was almost ready to eat.

"You said your brother lives in such a nice house, how come he has no money?"

Zhang Xiu couldn't understand why Ma Taoguo couldn't borrow the money.

"His sister Yu is sick, and they said that all the money was used for her treatment. How can they lend us money?"

He didn't dare say anything more, and didn't dare tell Zhang Xiu that he wanted to ruin the reputation of the Song family.

"Humph! I think the treatment is just an excuse. Isn't it just looking down on us? When I become successful, I will let them all see me. They really look down on others."

She ate while talking, totally lacking the bearing of a female scholar, and instead seemed a bit petty.

"Mom, don't be angry. It's not worth it if you get sick from being angry. When our family gets better, I will definitely come to show off to you."

Zhang Ju loves to flatter his mother, which is why Zhang Xiu dotes on him. He is sweet-mouthed and only knows how to compliment her.

Zhang Xing didn't say anything and ate her meal in silence. Although she couldn't fill herself up, at least she could replenish her energy.

Seeing the two brothers didn't even clean up the dishes after they finished eating, he thought back to when Ma Taoguo was at his father's house, his younger brother Ma Taozhi was responsible for everything.

After following Zhang Xiu, he did everything and aged quickly. He also didn't know how to teach his children. There was no order in the family and they just lived day by day.

The two of them lay in bed at night, but Zhang Xiu couldn't fall asleep at all. He had not borrowed the money, and he needed money for paper and pens, food and lodging, and to establish interpersonal relationships, all of which required money.

"I have a solution. This is the only way to help you pass the exam and become a scholar."

"any solution?"

Zhang Xiu turned over and looked at Ma Taoguo with her sharp eyes.

"You see, it's the same at home. It's extremely difficult for us to raise two brothers. How about we send the two brothers to the town and pawn them to others to work. When we get the money and you pass the exam to become a scholar, we will find a way to redeem the two brothers. What do you think?"

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Xiu agreed immediately. It can be seen that she is also a cold and selfish person.

Ma Taoguo sneered in his heart, thinking that he must be blind to fall in love with such a woman in his life.

I hope he won’t be disappointed this time. Now that the two ungrateful people have been dealt with, he will leave immediately as long as Zhang Xiu fails the exam.

"Alas! This is the only way now. Ju'er and Xing'er will understand the difficulties of a mother like me. After I pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, I will definitely bring them home in a grand manner."

She spoke with such great passion that she almost thought she was the wife of a scholar.

This year's test could not be delayed, and as soon as the sun rose, Ma Taoguo took action immediately.

Zhang Ju and Zhang Xing had no idea that they had been sold to a restaurant in the town to do hard labor as cleaners.

Ma Taoguo told his boss that if Zhang Xiu passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, he would come back immediately to redeem his son, and he would take an extra ten taels of silver when selling him.

This was also because the boss heard that my brother's mother was going to take the imperial examination but had no money for the travel expenses, so she wanted to make some friends, so he didn't make things difficult for her.

With thirty taels of silver, Ma Taoguo immediately returned to Wuyun Village.

"How was it? How much money did you get?"

When Ma Taoguo came in, she didn't ask about her child, but how much silver she had taken. Looking at her anxious face, Ma Taoguo held his breath and said.

"Thirty taels of silver."

"What? Only thirty taels? That's not enough!"

She was so anxious that she was running around in circles and couldn't think of a solution.

Seeing how useless she was, Ma Taoguo felt somewhat disappointed. Could such a woman really pass the exam and become the wife of a scholar?

He had his doubts. He didn't want Zhang Xiu to do poorly in the exam, but could he really become the wife of a scholar?

But there is no other way now. After waiting year after year, he really can't wait any longer. If he had known this would happen, he might as well have married into the Song family!

Looking at his brother's good clothes and the brick house he lived in, he secretly hated that all of that belonged to him.

"Go find me the deed."

Ma Taoguo was stunned for a moment, then went into the house silently to get the land deed.

"You'll pawn it later."

"Yeah! I understand."

After Ma Taoguo took the land deed and went out, he was a little dazed. After the land deed was pawned, they would really be homeless, and they would only have three months at most. If they could not redeem it, it would be gone.

But thinking about the fact that he has to do all the housework, even getting a land deed requires a man to do it, it is obvious that Zhang Xiu has no responsibility at all.

He hardened his heart and accepted the position. After all, it was Zhang Xiu who had no ability and could not even afford the money to take the exam for the title of scholar. It could be seen that she was still unpopular in the village, and her popularity was very bad.

Land deeds are very valuable in this world. Although the environment they are in is not good, they can still be fetched at a good price.

She waited in her shabby thatched hut for most of the day, and when she saw the matao fruit, she showed an anxious expression.

"How is it? How much money is this time?"

"I pawned 120 taels this time, plus the money from my two brothers, it's exactly 150 taels."

"Really? That's great. I'm leaving for the county tomorrow. The annual exam is only five days away, so I can't waste any time."

The budget was clearly only one hundred taels, and she could have redeemed Zhang Ju and Zhang Xing now, but she didn't do so. Instead, she took all the money and left.

But Ma Taoguo went with her, and the journey took about three days. In this place with underdeveloped transportation, the road was not very good, so it took a little longer.

You can also travel by water, but it is more expensive to take a boat, and the food on the boat also costs money.