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

"Mother, when will my eldest brother come home?"

The little girl with her hair in two buns nestled beside Madam Xue, her face still showing signs of worry.

"After your elder brother took the provincial examination, he went directly to the capital to take the imperial examination. The spring examination is next spring, and after the metropolitan examination, there will be the palace examination."

"So that means my older brother won't be able to come home until next summer?"

Xue Yu felt a little lost. Her older brother was away, and her brothers and sisters in the clan started bullying her again. She really wanted to escape.

"Pretty much. If you pass the provincial examination or the palace examination, you'll have a leave to go back to your hometown to visit your family before being appointed as an official."

"Can't we go to the capital to find our elder brother? Then we can come back with him."

"What's wrong, Yu'er? Why are you suddenly saying this? Did something happen?"

"It's nothing, Mother. Yu'er just misses her elder brother too much."

Forget it, my mother is a widow and can't go to the clan to seek justice for herself. I can't let my mother run around just because I've been bullied a little.

It's not worth it. Mother has already worked so hard, supporting the business left by Father and worrying about my eldest brother's future. She can't help, so she shouldn't add to the trouble.

"That's true. Your elder brother has been away from home for several months, and it's true that people miss him. Yu'er, when you have time, go and keep Aunt Li company. There are few people in our courtyard, and she must be very lonely."

"Yes, Mother, Yu'er will."

Madam Xue picked up one of the account books from the stack, thinking that not only Aunt Li would have to learn to read account books, but Yu'er would also have to learn.

She was exhausted by herself, and she couldn't support the whole family alone. Having two people together would help her pass the time and prevent her from worrying too much all day.

With other families in the clan eyeing her covetously, she had to protect the family business for her two children. She just needed to persevere a little longer. Once Xu'er passed the imperial examination and became an official, no one would dare to bully them, a widow and her orphan!

At night, Xue Yu tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

The moment she closed her eyes, she saw her cousins ​​from her second uncle's family grabbing her hair and smearing honey on it.

I washed myself for a very long time that day, until my head started to ache. I felt like I was still attracting ants and bees, so I didn't leave my room for seven or eight days.

Xue Yu felt resentful and had nowhere to vent her anger. She also knew that if she continued to be so cowardly, she would only be bullied even more.

However, she was an illegitimate daughter of the Xue family, and although her mother loved her, she dared not complain to her at will.

Aunt Li was the eldest brother's biological mother, but not her biological mother. Even if she were her biological mother, what right would a concubine have to speak in the Xue family?

Well, I shouldn't cause my mother and aunt any more trouble.

Xue Yu once again rejected the idea of ​​complaining to her elders. It was useless, useless.

Her birth mother passed away three days after her birth due to postpartum weakness, leaving her an isolated island in the family.

If it weren't for her older brother protecting her from childhood, her life would have been even more miserable.

Since her mother was unwilling to go to Beijing to find her eldest brother, she could only endure it, from autumn to winter, from winter to spring, and from spring to summer.

Unexpectedly, a few days later, the Xue family received a letter from the capital.

Madam Xue read quickly, her hands trembling slightly.

"This child, this child, why didn't you say so sooner!"

Aunt Li, who was not very literate, was getting anxious. She wanted to see the contents of her son's letter, but dared not snatch it from her mistress's hand.

"Yu'er, come here and read the letter to Aunt Li."

Xue Yu was also eagerly waiting, so she responded quickly and read out the contents of Xue Xu's letter clearly.

When Aunt Li heard that her son had asked his mistress to choose a date to go to the capital to propose marriage to the Jiang family, just like the Jiang landlord in the capital, she was both surprised and delighted.

"Madam! Xu'er... he's already found himself a wife?"

"Yes, the Jiang family is a large family. Some members have already been appointed as fifth-rank officials, and many others hold official positions in various places. The children in the family are all good at studying."

This Miss Jiang, she's also had a few years of schooling, and her family has a female tutor who's there year-round.

Madam Xue seemed quite satisfied with Jiang Lan'er, and didn't mention the issue of legitimate or illegitimate children at all. What a joke! According to Jiang Lan'er's family background, her family was clearly marrying above their station.

Besides, Xu'er herself was born out of wedlock. Although she was registered under the name of the mistress, it was only for the sake of a good reputation in public.

"So, does that mean our Xue family is marrying above our station in this marriage?"

Although Aunt Li hadn't received much formal education, she still knew about the differences in social status. Her family was an official family, while hers was at most a family of farmers and scholars.

It wasn't until Xu'er's generation that the first person to pass the imperial examination at the provincial level (举人) emerged. After that, there were no more people in the family, although there were one or two who passed the county-level examination at the county level (秀才).

It was only because Xue Xu passed the imperial examination in time that his mother and children were able to preserve the family property left by Master Xue after his death.

But the Jiang family alone has several successful candidates in the imperial examinations, and even a young scholar who has achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations—a potential candidate for the top scholar position.

"I suppose so, but our family can work on the betrothal gifts to show the Jiang family the sincerity of the Xue family!"

Madam Xue had already set aside enough money for Xue Xu and Xue Yu's wedding, but now she felt it was still a bit too little.

For an ordinary family, five thousand taels would be a lot, but for the Jiang family, it's a bit embarrassing.

She knew a thing or two about the Jiang family's background. Puyang was the Jiang family's ancestral home, and ever since the Jiang family produced its first scholar, the family's fortunes had changed.

Later, many scholars, including those who passed the county-level imperial examinations and those who passed the provincial-level imperial examinations, emerged, and even a few became Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).

Later, with the establishment of the Jiang Clan Academy, the Jiang family developed rapidly and established connections with many prominent families. They were no longer the small landlords who had once stayed in Puyang.

It was no secret in Puyang that the Jiang family had achieved upward social mobility in just two or three generations, and many families even wanted to emulate the Jiang family's path to wealth.

However, very few of them succeeded.

Isn't the Xue family the same?

However, they are all talk and no action; few of their children are ambitious enough to actually study hard.

They were all fighting over the meager scraps on their own plates, making themselves a laughingstock for outsiders!

"Mother, then, should we go to the capital?"

Xue Yu's heart was pounding. Could this be considered her wish coming true?

She really wanted to hug her future sister-in-law, and even kiss her!

That's wonderful! If it weren't for Miss Jiang, she probably wouldn't have had the chance to go to the capital at all. Mother will definitely take her with her, she definitely will!

"Yes, we need to get ready. Xu'er seems to be in a hurry. Let's pack up, find a reliable escort agency, and set off!"

"Should we go too?"

Aunt Li could hardly believe it. We were going to the capital? The capital!

"Isn't that obvious? Who else is in our family? We've depended on each other for so many years, how could I just abandon you?"

Do you think I have three heads and six arms, or are you just trying to shirk your responsibilities? That's your own son, and your own older brother. Why aren't you two helping out, leaving me to do all the work?!

"Yes, Madam!/Mother! I must not let you get tired!"

So this is how wives and concubines can live together so harmoniously. The prerequisite for this harmony, I suppose, is that the man has to be sacrificed to the heavens first.