“Mei mei……” The little silhouette ran toward them. After he approached them, Gu Ming took over the rein from his sister and, pulling the donkey with his sister and the goods, slowly walked toward the village.

  He grumbled as he walked, “Didn’t you say you will be back home by the next day at the very latest? How come you are a whole date late? I was worried sick that something had happened to you on the way. I’ve heard that a villager from Muhua Village didn’t stay in the court to save money a while back and only his skeletons were found……”


  “Ge……” Gu Ye interrupted her brother’s prayer like grumbling and took out a set of stationary to offer up to him, “Look what I got for you!”


  Gu Ming’s eyes beamed with joy, but he frowned quickly and said, “These are very expensive, how could you let grandpa spend that kind of money? It was hard enough that he has to support the two of us.”


  Gu Xiao watched the interaction between his grandson and granddaughter mirthfully. Having heard that, he immediately said, “Ming-er, you were wrong about that. Grandpa didn’t pay for this set of stationary!”


  Gu Ye patted her poofy purse and smiled proudly, “I sold the medicinal herbs that I made over tens of taels. Never mind one set of stationary, I could at least 8 to 10 sets if I wanted to! Ge, I knew you used to always went over to Third Uncle’s and peeked when he was teaching others to read and write. You can go to school there in the future if you want, your sister can afford it!”


  In the old days at the Gu’s, they were lucky to not be starved to death. There was no way that Mrs. Gu would pay for Gu Ming to go to school. Gu Ming, on the other hand, was very persistent. He’d always go over to Third Uncle’s simple school to peek sneakily. Sometimes he’d also have Zhang Lihu and Li Hao taught him. Now he could already read very simple characters, just couldn’t write very well.

  “It’s the big brother’s job to support their little sisters; there’s no reason for a little sister to support her big brother. I am not taking the imperial examination, so I don’t need to study that much. I just need to learn a few words so I can become an apprentice or innkeeper in town in the future.” Gu Ming didn’t want to spend his sister’s money.

  It wasn’t easy for the sister to make those medicinal herbs. She should save the money she made from them to be her dowry later on. As Third Grandma had said before, a girl’s dowry is her leverage in her husband’s house. More dowry meant she could stand taller and straighter in her husband’s house and won’t be bullied.”


  Gu Ye pouted and was unhappy, “Ge, do you not think of me as family? Why are things still considered whether they are yours or mine? If it wasn’t for you, I’d have turned into wolf’s food even if I hadn’t starved to death. I am happy to earn money for you to spend. So? Why do you have to be like this? I am upset! I am sad! I don’t want to talk to you anymore!”


  Looking at his sister, who was closed to tear, Gu Ming panicked right away and apologized, “Don’t cry, mei mei. It’s all ge ge’s fault! I love the gifts that you bought me! Really!”


  “Then…… I’ll want you to start class at Third Uncle’s place. Are you going or not?” Gu Ye looked at him with her limpid eyes and a wronged look.

  How would Gu Ming be able to refuse her. He nodded immediately and said, “Yes! Yes! Of course!”


  Gu Xiao chuckled and shook his head as he watched the two kiddos. His honest grandson would always be wrapped around his sister’s little finger with no hope to getting out of it.

  “But…… I can collect firewood and hunt to pay for it. You should save your money for now, and only use them when it’s necessary.” Gu Ming was stubborn as well. He couldn’t just nilly willy spend his sister’s hard-earned money.