You are unlucky and I am tough

Cheng Shuang wanted to raise the rabbit because she found out that the rabbit she bought was pregnant. Pregnant female rabbits have sensitive and cautious eyes and appear to be particularly quiet and docile. It would be taboo to slaughter them.

A litter of meat rabbits can produce six or seven. If they raise them well, their family will be able to have enough rabbit meat in less than half a year.

There was no cage for the pet at home, and if she kept it outside she was afraid it would dig a hole and escape, so Cheng Shuang decided to keep it directly in the yard.

When Wei Qinglang heard that the rabbit was pregnant, he agreed to raise it. He went out to the back mountain to cut down some bamboos, and after cutting them into strips, he prepared to weave a fence to put the rabbit in a corner outside the kitchen. However, their simple idea was not as good as their hands-on ability, so they finally completed it with the help of Cheng Guqiu.

After finishing, Cheng Shuang put a layer of dry straw on the ground and put the rabbit in it.

Wei Xinyi squatted outside the fence and watched, "Sister-in-law, will this rabbit give birth to baby rabbits soon? Can I raise it with you?"

"Sure." Cheng Shuang threw a dried vegetable leaf in front of the rabbit. "But you have to be careful when feeding it. The vegetable leaves and grass must be dry and not wet, otherwise the rabbit will have diarrhea. Don't feed it raw water every day. Make sure to boil it and let it cool."

Wei Xinyi took note and nodded, "Okay, I'll remember that."

Later, Cheng Shuang went to Cheng Daming's home and saw Cheng Xiaomai for the last time. Cheng Xiaomai had basically recovered. Her eyes were no longer droopy and lifeless. Her complexion and spirit were no different from those of a normal child in the village. Moreover, her family had made money and her life had become better. She had even gained some weight recently.

Cheng Shuang wrote a prescription and gave it to Chen, telling her to go to town tomorrow to get the medicine. Then she said to Chen, "Aunt, when I was writing the prescription just now, Xiaoguo was watching eagerly. I can see that the child wants to learn to read and write. Have you and Uncle Daming ever considered sending Xiaoguo to school?"

Chen was startled, looking at her son, who was scratching on the ground with a branch at the door. She said, "Actually, his father and I know he wants to study, and we discussed this a while ago. But we found out that the preparatory classes in town only accept children aged four or five. Xiaoguo will be ten after the New Year. A child that age who doesn't know a single word must be from a poor family or lack the talent for studying. The preparatory classes don't want him."

"How about Auntie let Xiaoguo come to my house so I can teach him some words?" Cheng Shuang said, "He can come to my house in the afternoon, and I'll teach him for an hour every day. Qinglang and I will often give lessons to the younger siblings at home in the evening. Although the pace is different, Xiaoguo can also come and attend the lessons."

"This, this, Cheng Shuang, are you serious?" Chen couldn't believe it. Everyone in the village knew that since the Wei couple got married, they had taught all their younger brothers and sisters to read.

She had previously encountered Wei Xinyi surrounded by a group of children in the village, writing the children's names on the ground one by one. Although she did not recognize the characters, her handwriting was very beautiful.

If Xiaoguo could also write so many words, she would laugh out loud in her dreams.

"Well, then you name an amount and I'll give it to you." Chen felt a little embarrassed, but she really didn't want to refuse.

"No need for tuition, I'm not a teacher." Cheng Shuang smiled. "Let Xiaoguo bring Xiaomai along. Xiaomai is four years old and can go to school. I'll teach them casually. As for how much they can learn, it depends on themselves."

I can't stay here for much longer. In the past few months, Cheng Shuang has been too lazy to do anything else. I'm just sitting around doing nothing every day and really want to find something to do.

The Chen couple are nice people and they have raised their two children well. She doesn't mind helping the two children more so that they can have more opportunities in the future.

Cheng Xiaomai heard it and ran over, "Can I study too?"

Cheng Shuang reached out and touched the small tuft of hair on her head. "Sure, Xiaomai, come to my sister-in-law's house with your brother to take classes. It's almost time now, why don't you go back with my sister-in-law."

Coming out of Cheng Daming's house, Cheng Shuang was holding Cheng Xiaomai's hand, followed by the extremely excited Cheng Xiaoguo.

After a while, Cheng Xiaoguo jumped to the front, and Cheng Shuang held the little girl's hand and slowly walked home behind them. Almost everyone they met on the way was talking about Cheng Caipeng and Bai Xiuqin.

Cheng Shuang was too busy to pay attention to her and chatted with Xiaomai in a random manner. Cheng Xiaomai asked her if after she learned to read, she could go to the county to study like Xiaosi and the others and become a high-ranking official in the future.

Cheng Shuang shook her head. "The academy doesn't accept girls, but that's okay. Studying isn't just for getting a degree or becoming an official. It can help you become wise and cultivate your character. It's for yourself, not for anything else. Women should read more too."

Cheng Xiaomai nodded, not quite understanding, "I want to study, I must attend class well."

"Qinglang wife, what are you talking about? What class? Hey, isn't this Xiaomai from the Daming family? Where are you going?"

An old lady who was chatting with someone about gossip heard two people passing by talking about studying and attending classes, so she ran over curiously to ask.

Cheng Xiaomai said happily, "Sister-in-law Wei San said she would teach me to read. I'm going to class now."

"Study?" The old lady's eyes widened. "Wife Qinglang, are you going to open a school in the village?"

"No." Cheng Shuang explained, "I saw Xiaoguo and Xiaomai wanted to learn to read, and I haven't had anything to do recently, so I thought I'd teach them for a while."

"Is that so?" The old lady's eyes rolled around, and she immediately put on a flattering smile. "My eldest grandson is six years old this year and wants to go to school, but my family can't afford the tuition or hire a teacher. How about you, Qinglang's wife, teach my grandson and let him recognize a few words?"

As soon as she spoke, several women nearby immediately gathered around her. Who wouldn't want to fight for the opportunity for their children to learn to read and write?

"My little one wants to study too. Can he go to class too?"

"My son is ten years old this year and doesn't know a single word. Cheng Shuang, it would be nice if you could teach him how to write his own name."

"My child wants to go too. It's okay for him to stand by and listen. I can't afford the tuition, but my family can provide food or help your family with work."

"My family can also help with the housework, and I can just let my children learn a few words."

Cheng Shuang raised her hand to signal for silence. Looking at the excited women in front of her, she thought for a moment and said, "How about this? Any child under ten, whether boy or girl, who wants to learn to read can come. Bring a stool and listen to the class in my yard. As for the tuition, you don't have to send food. You can just take turns chopping firewood for my family."

In the past, Wei Nanxing was the one who chopped firewood for the family. Now he went to the county town to learn martial arts with He Zhou, so this job fell on Wei Qinglang. However, since there was free labor delivered to his door, he might as well use it.

When they heard that they didn't need to pay any salary and just needed to help collect some firewood, someone immediately shouted, "My family chopped a lot of firewood a few days ago. I'll have my husband carry two loads and deliver them."

The others also dispersed quickly, thinking about finding the child who had gone somewhere and bringing him back to class. It was such a good thing that they didn't need to ask for tuition, because they couldn't find him even with a lantern.

Cheng Shuang brought Xiaomai back home. Xiaoguo, who had arrived earlier, was already watching the rabbits with Wei Xinyi. She asked Xiaomai to go play for a while, took out the books, pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and found the wooden board left over from selling watermelons, and began to prepare for the next class.

Soon the children came one after another. They all looked well-dressed, washed their faces and hands, changed into clean clothes, and brought a small stool to the door.

There were far more children than just those women's families who came. After the news spread, many children playing outside were brought home to attend the class.

Cheng Shuang asked them to sit in rows. She counted and found that there were eighteen people in total. Including Cheng Xiaoguo and Cheng Xiaomai, there were exactly twenty people. There were only three girls and the rest were boys.

She felt somewhat helpless, but there was no other way. Cheng Shuang knew that she could not convince these people with her theory of gender equality and not favoring boys over girls.

"In the beginning, human beings are inherently good. Their natures are similar, but their habits are far apart."

When Wei Qinglang came back from outside, he heard the sound of reading in unison before he reached the door of his house. He quickened his pace in confusion, and when he entered the door, he saw a yard full of children. In the yard, Cheng Shuang placed a wooden board on the stone table, pasted the written paper on it, took a bamboo stick to touch the words on it, and read aloud with a group of children.