The next day.
No matter how Luo Ge pleaded, Gu Jinchen refused to let her work in the fields again, as the sight of her suffering the previous night was still etched in his mind.
Seeing this, Luo Ge could only comply with his wishes.
The two little rascals, however, couldn't sit still and went along, insisting on helping with the chores.
It was fine, as long as Gu Jinchen kept an eye on them, so they let them go.
Usually, Gu Jinchen wouldn't let her touch his and the children's clothes, but they had returned late the previous night.
After preparing the dried fruit and toiling for a while, she hadn't washed the clothes they had changed out of the day before.
Now that she was at home with some spare time, she took them to wash by the river.
...When she arrived at the riverside where people washed clothes, she was slightly taken aback by the long line of women and girls.
Luo Ge usually washed her own clothes at home, as there weren't many, so she rarely came to the river.
She hadn't expected so many people to be washing clothes at this hour.
Moreover, most were unfamiliar faces, and there was hardly any space for her to squeeze in.
Hmm, although she had been in the village for over a month, she...hadn't recognized everyone yet.
Mainly because she seldom went out and interacted with the villagers, and the Gu household was located at the edge of the village, so there weren't many visitors.
"Hey, Luo Ge, over here, come here."
Just as she was debating whether to wait or return home to wash the clothes, a voice came to her rescue.
Wang Sister-In-Law had merely glanced over casually and unexpectedly spotted Luo Ge. Seeing that she seemed to have no place to wash clothes, she quickly waved her over.
Upon seeing this, Luo Ge hurriedly walked over.
"Come, wash with me first. I'm almost done. You can use this spot afterward," Wang Sister-In-Law said with a smile as Luo Ge approached, greeting her.
There were indeed many people washing clothes at this hour, and she was fortunate to have secured a good spot.
"Alright, thank you, Sister-In-Law." Seeing that Wang Sister-In-Law was nearly finished, Luo Ge smiled and nodded.
"Where are those two little brats from your house? I haven't seen them coming to play with Tie Dan at our place for the past two days."
During a lull in washing clothes, Wang Sister-In-Law casually inquired.
"They went to the fields with Jinchen. We started transplanting the rice seedlings a bit late this year, and we only started yesterday.
The two little ones picked up a bunch of snails from the fields yesterday, so I guess they found something fun to do and insisted on going again today."
"With Jinchen watching over them, I let them go."
As she washed the children's clothes, she continued, "But you know, even though they're small, those two little brats actually do a decent job when it comes to working."
Recalling the scene of the two little ones diligently working the previous day, Luo Ge chuckled.
They were so tiny, yet they still tried their best, even though no one expected them to work.
"The children in your family are really well-behaved and obedient, unlike my little brat. If he doesn't climb onto the roof and raise a ruckus every day, he gets restless," Wang Sister-In-Law laughed upon hearing Luo Ge's words, not forgetting to complain about her own mischievous son.
"Sister-In-Law, don't say that about Tie Dan. I've seen him help gather firewood and pick wild vegetables many times.
That child is quite obedient and smart, very clever. If he were to go to school and learn to read and write, he might just make a name for himself someday."
Luo Ge playfully echoed Wang Sister-In-Law's joking tone, but she meant what she said.
Some time ago, when Tie Dan came to their house to play with the two little ones, she happened to teach them how to recognize characters on a whim.
Tie Dan arrived just in time and showed interest, so she taught him as well.
Unexpectedly, these children were truly intelligent, able to memorize the characters after just two or three repetitions.
She had taught the two little ones the names of Gu's elder brother and sister-in-law, as well as her own name, Gu Jinchen's name, and their own names.
For Tie Dan, she had taught him his parents' names and his own.
Thinking back to when she was a child and started learning characters in primary school, how long did it take her to memorize them?
Hmm... she couldn't quite recall, but it definitely wasn't after just two repetitions.
At that time, she had the idea of sending the two little ones to a school, as their age was just right.
The importance of education was evident in any era, as it impacted one's entire life.
Since they had the aptitude, she naturally didn't want to hinder their future.
It was just that she had been busy these past few days and forgotten about it. When the children returned home for their meal later, she definitely had to discuss it with them.
As for Tie Dan, she felt the same way – if one had the talent, it should not be buried. But that was another family's matter, and they had to make their own decision.
So, for now, she had only mentioned it in passing.
"......" Upon hearing Luo Ge's words, Wang Sister-In-Law fell silent, as if recalling something.
She remembered the day when Tie Dan returned from the Gu household, happily writing their names on the ground, which had touched her heart.
But...their family's circumstances were a different matter.
Lost in thought, she fell silent for a moment.
Seeing this, Luo Ge also stopped talking.
"Luo Ge, do you really think our Tie Dan is suited for studying?" After a while, Wang Sister-In-Law looked at Luo Ge and asked.
Luo Ge smiled and nodded slightly. "The other day, I only had to teach him twice before he could recognize and write his own name roughly. The child is indeed very smart."
Luo Ge was a well-educated young woman, and they all knew it.
Hearing Luo Ge's words, Wang Sister-In-Law felt a mix of joy and worry.
"I've finished washing my clothes, so I'll head back first. Take care of yourself," Wang Sister-In-Law said to Luo Ge after a moment of silence, deciding to discuss the matter with her husband first.
"Alright, I understand, Sister-In-Law."
Luo Ge worked quickly and had almost finished washing as well.
Not long after Wang Sister-In-Law left, Luo Ge also returned home.
As for the other village women whispering and muttering as they watched her leave, she paid them no mind.
After all, she lived by the principle of "I won't bother others if they don't bother me."
She didn't care if they made a few comments, as long as they didn't provoke her.
Besides, she had overheard a couple of remarks, and they weren't saying anything bad about her.
