The sickly son died young? After the marriage exchange, I will bring prosperity to his entire clan f

The clan school hasn't been built yet, but the empty room next to the ancestral hall has already started formal teaching, which is a big deal for the whole village.

Children from the village can go without paying, but they have to bring their own paper and pens. Those who work in the Ling family workshop can receive a monthly allowance from the Ling family.

On the fourth day after rescuing Lin Hu, the Du family came to visit again.

This time, not only Du Youtian came, but also Old Man Du and Old Lady Du, along with Widow Chen, and Widow Chen's second son.

Du Mingxian was in the workshop when Wang Qi rushed in, shouting, "Sister, sister, hurry home and check on things! Something terrible has happened!"

Du Mingxian was quite frightened when she saw his anxious look. She walked up to him in a few steps and asked, "What happened? Is it your brother-in-law...?" There shouldn't be anything serious at home. If anything is wrong, it's Ling Silang's health.

"No, no, the Du family sent someone. My brother-in-law asked me to come and call you."

Du Mingxian's heart, which had been in her throat, calmed down. She reached out and slapped Wang Qi hard, saying, "Speak properly if you want to talk. This is no big deal."

Wu Qi: "..." Isn't it a big deal that people from my wife's family are coming?

When Du Mingxian returned, the Du family was already sitting in the main room waiting for her, with Ling's father and mother in attendance.

As soon as Du Mingxian entered, she was met with a disdainful look from Old Mrs. Du. However, since she had important business to attend to today, Old Mrs. Du did not cause any trouble.

Old Man Du spoke up, "Father Silang, we came here today because we heard that there is now a school in your village, and we have a child who wants to go to school, so we came to ask about it."

“We don’t charge tuition in our own village, but… for other villages, there’s really no set rule yet. I don’t know what to do. Uncle, since the child wants to come, I’ll go ask the clan chief and the village chief to see what they say. Tuition might still be charged.” Ling’s father had already been warned by Du Mingxian.

The Du family came here not because they wanted to pay tuition, but because they could have paid tuition anywhere else. Why did they have to come all the way here?

Grandma Du was already very dissatisfied with the Ling family, and when she heard Ling's father say this, her face immediately darkened. "You can't say that. Other people's families are other people's families, but can our family be the same? We are Du Mingxian's maternal family. Her younger brother comes to study, and he still has to ask his maternal family for money?"

"This..." Ling's father looked troubled.

Du Mingxian spoke up at the right moment, "My mother only gave birth to me, I don't have a younger brother."

“I married your stepmother, so her children are my children. You are my daughter, and they are your younger brothers and sisters. You must leave them behind.”

“You want to order me around? I won’t.” Du Mingxian’s attitude was clear.

Widow Chen stood quietly to the side, holding her son's hand, without saying a word.

However, Chen Lao Er was quick-witted. He immediately knelt on the ground and said, "Sister, please let me stay. I will study hard in the future, and if I ever become the top scholar, I will definitely take good care of you."

Du Mingxian remained silent, turning to look at Du Youtian, "I disagree with this matter."

Du Youtian questioned in a deep voice, "You're my daughter, and you won't even agree to such a small thing? Do you really want me to take you to court?"

"Then go ahead and sue. If things get out of hand, the Ling family will divorce you, and I'll go straight back to the Du family. Not only will you, my stepson, have to go to school, but you'll also have to support me." Du Mingxian said, feigning indifference.

Du Youtian felt short of breath, his chest felt tight and uncomfortable, and his head was spinning.

Seeing this, Ling's mother stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "On the surface, they seem to be siblings, but everyone in our village knows about Mingxian's situation. If we don't pay tuition just because of this, wouldn't everyone in the village, even those who are related by blood, bring other people's children here to study? That would be real chaos."

"That's right, so I can only try my best to discuss with the clan chief and village chief to ask the children from relatives to pay less; it's impossible not to pay at all."

This is in the interest of the village, and the Du family all understand that, but they are not going to contribute any money.

Widow Chen then stepped forward and whispered, "It's not that your family hired the teacher, but that your family built the clan school. Surely there won't be any problem with such a small matter."

Du Mingxian glanced at Widow Chen with disgust. "You've got a good plan. Hiring a tutor is the Ling family's business. What does it have to do with me, a Du?"

"How can it be unrelated? Aren't you the Ling family's daughter-in-law?"

"Since I am the daughter-in-law of the Ling family, why should I meddle in the Du family's messy affairs?"

Widow Chen looked aggrieved and pitifully turned to Du Youtian. Du Youtian's face was ashen, and he sat in his chair, panting heavily. "Du Mingxian, how could you speak to your mother like that?"

"Mother? Did she give birth to me or raise me? Don't just spout nonsense."

Widow Chen looked so aggrieved, as if she was about to cry but couldn't, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Du Youtian was really angry, and he could tell that Du Mingxian was very hostile to Widow Chen and her son. The more this was the case, the more he wanted to send Chen Lao Er to the Ling family.

Living under Du Mingxian's nose every day, it's good enough if I disgust Du Mingxian, why should I let her live so comfortably?

"What exactly do you want to do to keep your child here and give him a chance to study? If he does well in the future, it will be a good thing for you too. He is now your brother from your maternal family."

"My family? My family has always been plotting against me." Du Mingxian said, as if to say, "I don't want to talk to you anymore."

Widow Chen asked in a low voice, "Is this money really necessary?"

“Of course, if we give out this spot, then all my other daughters-in-law’s relatives will come over, wouldn’t that cause chaos?” Ling’s mother retorted.

Widow Chen felt wronged, but she didn't say another word. Du Youtian was so angry that he wanted to rush forward and hit her, but he could only hold back.

Old Man Du only came because he couldn't resist his son's pleas, and now that the Ling family won't budge, he definitely won't help anymore.

Grandma Du was just there to watch the excitement. If things went well, that would be great; if not, it wouldn't be a loss for her.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Ling's father could only laugh awkwardly and say, "Uncle, if it were really possible, we would definitely help, but we really can't start now. How about... how about I go and talk to them to see if we can get a discount?"

The Du family all understood that the matter could not be resolved through negotiation.

The Du family left without even having a meal, saying they would come back in a couple of days to inquire about the matter.

It was cold, and the Du family had borrowed an oxcart. They had to give money to the oxcart owner on their way back. Old Mrs. Du sat on the cart and started cursing. Her words were as filthy as could be, and she even used curses.

Widow Chen remained silent. Chen Lao Er nervously held his mother's hand, looking very worried. Widow Chen gave Chen Lao Er a look, signaling him not to speak.

Old Mrs. Du cursed all the way home, then went straight to bed, shivering from the cold. Thinking of the warmth in the Ling family's house, she became even angrier, and in the end, she made herself sick from anger.

Du Youtian's house.

Du Youtian was also cursing, while Widow Chen tried to comfort him, saying, "Don't be angry. It's all my fault. I had some inappropriate thoughts. If it weren't for me, this wouldn't have happened."