After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

When Li Haisheng returned to the small courtyard in the mountains, he saw that his two older brothers looked dejected.

"Big brother, second brother, what's wrong with you? Are you tired?"

Come stay in my room for a bit. I've already arranged with my junior brother; you two can stay in my room, and I'll squeeze into his room with him.

"Uh, okay, not tired at all. How could I be tired from doing so little work? Sigh~"

"What happened? Don't make your brother worry."

"Actually, it's nothing much. It's just that with our family's circumstances, how to prepare the betrothal gifts for Miss Jiang is a problem." Li Qiusheng frowned and rubbed his forehead.

"Yes, look at Miss Jiang's attire, she's even more impressive than the county magistrate's daughter. How could they possibly be interested in our meager family wealth? It's truly worrying."

“I just discussed it with my elder brother. Over the years, your stipend plus what you've earned from doing business has accumulated to less than two hundred taels. We’ve brought it all with us this time.”

"You brought them all? What will fourth brother, fifth sister, and sixth sister eat?!" Li Haisheng had never thought his eldest and second brothers were so unreliable.

"Don't worry, don't worry. We've set aside money and bought enough food and salt. How could we let our younger siblings go hungry?"

"We're talking about your betrothal. After you pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, will you go to the Jiang family to propose marriage? Before that, let's try to make it a round number, so it looks good."

The mountains and forests here are lush, but I don't know if there's any valuable prey. We're not greedy enough to hunt tigers or leopards; a deer would be fine!

When Li Chunsheng went up the mountain, he was already thinking about hunting. Of course, he didn't care for pheasants or rabbits, as they wouldn't fetch much money. He wondered when he would be able to save enough for his third brother's betrothal.

"Forget about hunting. Master forbids us from going into the deep mountains. Even someone as skilled as Master doesn't go into the deep mountains. Brothers, your skills are not as good as mine, so don't even think about it."

The villagers of Yunqing Village at the foot of the mountain never go deep into the mountains, because no villager who has gone deep into the mountains has ever come out alive. Brothers, you'd better give up that idea as soon as possible!

"Was it that dangerous? All those people were eaten by wild beasts? And not a single one of them escaped?"

"Of course, some people do come out. Otherwise, how would everyone know how dangerous it is inside? That person only had one leg left, and he died of blood loss in the mountains before he even reached the bottom. Of all the people who went into the deep mountains over the years, he was the only one who came back."

"Hiss!" The two brothers gasped, finally abandoning their plan to go into the mountains. The younger brother's dowry was important, but his life was also important.

"Alright, eldest brother and second brother, don't worry about this. The Jiang family isn't a snobbish family; they won't pick on us over this."

Besides, once I pass the imperial examination, I won't be as poor as I am now. When that time comes, gentry I know and don't know will all be eager to send me travel gifts when they hear I'm going to the capital for the metropolitan examination. We can just pick a few suitable families to accept."

"Good, good, it's good that Third Brother understands. No wonder people say that poor scholars are rich scholars. Passing the imperial examination is like becoming a half-official, right?"

"I suppose so. A successful candidate in the imperial examinations can indeed wait to be assigned an official position, but the officials who are assigned to successful candidates are basically minor officials of the eighth or ninth rank. They are more like clerks who assist other officials than officials."

Li Haisheng certainly wouldn't allow himself to stop at being a mere Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination). His goal had always been to become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) and enter the Hanlin Academy. After meeting Miss Jiang, he became even more determined that he would have his wife granted an imperial title in the future.

"We don't understand this, but it's good that she can pass the imperial examination and become a scholar. This way, it's not like we're wronging Miss Jiang. Her daughter is marrying into our Li family, so we can't let her suffer."

The three brothers all had smiles on their faces, probably thinking of the same scene: Li Haisheng's wedding day.

"It's getting late, let's rest first. We have things to do down the mountain tomorrow, and eldest and second brothers need to learn how to drive a horse-drawn carriage as soon as possible."

"Alright, Third Brother, don't worry, we'll learn it as soon as possible. You can study in the carriage then, and your brothers will drive it steadily so you won't spill your tea."

Nothing was said that night. The next day, the four of them went down the mountain together. Jiang Xiaoqi planned to ride a horse this time, since he was only going to accompany his senior brother to the provincial capital where he was taking the provincial examination, and then return to Xinghe Prefecture with his mother and sister.

His grandfather and father were also going to take the provincial examination, and as their grandson and son, he had to accompany them, and of course, do some final cramming. He could ride a horse to Xinghe Prefecture, and then take a carriage from home to the provincial capital.

So the carriage here will be left for my senior brother. Although he knows how to drive, he is still an examinee and needs to rest more. The best way is to let his older brothers learn to drive so that they can take turns on the road.

The horses and carriages that returned were all in the courtyard where Wenbin and his family rented. There were eight or nine horses and a carriage frame. Aniu was responsible for feeding the horses every day, and the carriage was kept very clean and well-maintained.

Although Wenbin wasn't in charge of the horses, he was the best at needlework among them. He had already made thick cushions in the carriage with fine cotton cloth, so even if the carriage was a bit bumpy, the people inside wouldn't be too uncomfortable.

Li Mo also reinforced the wheels, greatly reducing the chance of breakdowns on the road.

In short, although the carriage is mostly idle, it is very well maintained, reaching a "4S" level of maintenance.

After they leave, only Ouyang Zheng and Li Haisheng's horses will be left alone in the stable. At that time, we can only ask the village chief to find someone to take care of them. The villagers are simple and honest, and it won't cost much money.

"Giddy up! That's strange, why isn't it moving forward?"

"Brother, the horse won't move unless you crack the whip!"

"Huh? This, you're really going to hit it? This horse is so precious, what if you damage it?"

"Brother, just give it a light tap. This horse has thick hide, it's not that easy to damage it," Li Haisheng said helplessly from the side.

Li Chunsheng gritted his teeth, raised the whip and gently tapped it on the horse's back, as if tickling the horse with a feather.

Li Haisheng & Jiang Xiaoqi: ...

After practicing all morning, the carriage had traveled more than ten meters, leaving behind a crooked line of tracks.

Fortunately, I'm still moving around, so I can continue training after lunch, since we still have three or four days before we set off.

After lunch, Li Chunsheng and Li Haisheng went to the carriage again to practice driving.

This time, Li Chunsheng mustered his courage and cracked the whip hard. The horse, in pain, lurched forward, and Li Chunsheng was thrown backward and rolled into the carriage.

"Big brother! Watch out!" Li Haisheng shouted. Li Chunsheng climbed out of the carriage and gripped the reins tightly, his forehead covered in sweat and his face flushed red.

Jiang Xiaoqi and Wenbin watched in alarm, and couldn't help but shout, "Big brother, don't rush, take your time."

After this experience, Li Chunsheng seemed to have a breakthrough. He gradually mastered some tricks, and the ruts on his cart were no longer crooked; he could now travel in a straight line.

It can only go in a straight line and can't turn. Fortunately, the village is spacious and there are no obstacles, making it an excellent place to practice driving.

As long as you stay away from the villagers' crops and seedlings, it is extremely safe.

As dusk approached, the horse, which had been tormented all day, could finally "go home."