Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He went back from the city, on the way back they stopped by the tea shed for a visit. When they returned to the village, they saw Fei Lian.

It was not unusual for people from the same village to see each other, but recently the two often met him when they returned to the village. It had been a long time, even if the academy was on holiday, it wouldn't be so long, let alone it was not the time for holiday.

The academies in the city usually gave five or eight days of busy farming leave during spring plowing and autumn harvest, so that the scholars from the villages could come back to help the family, but now that they had paid the grain for the land tax, the busy farming leave had long passed.

"Don't you two know? Fei Lian doesn't go to the academy anymore."

It seemed that the couple was surprised to see Fei Lian many times, so some villagers who went to the field enthusiastically pulled the two of them to chat.

Zhang Fangyuan was even more surprised when he heard the words than when he saw Fei Lian: "Why doesn't he go to the academy anymore?"

The provincial imperial examination was held every three years, and it was still early to take leave for the examinationination, so how could a scholar like Fei Lian who couldn't stay in the village came back before the provincial imperial examination, and there was no need for him to prepare for the examinationination this early.

The villager said: "At first, the Fei family got a few acres of fertile land from the imperial court. They thought they could rely on the fertile land to have a good harvest, but in the end they encountered heavy rain disaster and suffered severely. It was too late for them, those lands had already gone through the formalities and the crops had already planted on the ground. The crops growth itself was not good, and it was hard to live with this heavy rain. The more land they have, the more taxes thay have to pay, but the harvest is not good, and life is hard. "

Zhang Fangyuan said directly: "It means that the Fei family can't afford to let him study anymore and they call him back to work?"

" It’s supposed to be like this, in short, the Fei family means that he won't go to the academy to study."

The villager said: “Then Mrs. Fei is still very proud, she thinks that Fei Lian is good at studying, Even if he doesn’t spend time in the academy, it won’t affect the provincial imperial examination.”

Zhang Fangyuan shook his head, although Fei Lian received 2000 copper coins a month for being a scholar, but the money might not be enough for his education expenses.

In fact, poor scholars didn’t spend much money on studying other than brushes, inks, papers and inkstones. Moreover, these scholars could find some jobs in the city, which greatly reduced the burden on the family. At most, it was just the loss of a middle-aged man in the family to help the family earn money and do farm work.

But Fei Lian was different. Mrs. Fei was strong and aggressive, she raised Fei Lian well since he was a child, not only giving him money as mush as possible and also not letting him do farm work.

Zhang Fangyuan already knew about these things, and he knew about the rest from his mother-in-law. Liu Xianglan loved to come to look for Xu He, and every time she came, she would mention the matter of the Fei family, and he could always hear it with both ears.

When he heard that Fei Lian spent more money than before after being selected as a scholar, maybe Fei Lian felt that he had a monthly salary to get, or maybe since he was a scholar, he started to eat well and dress well. 

If it was just an ordinary peasant household, the monthly money of 2000 copper coins was enough for the family to live a good life, but it was not enough for a scholar to spend in the city.

The couple had seen in the shop how well scholars spent their money, well, if Fei Lian did the same, the family would definitely owe money.

Xu He felt that since he was born in a peasant family, he knew that life was not easy, so he shouldn't be so rampant. However, under the influence of other people from superior families in the academy, he thought maybe he would change.

After bid farewell to the vilager, the two drove the carriage home. On the road, Zhang Fangyuan said: "You don't know that when the poor become rich, they will spend money very quickly. If it wasn't for you to manage the family and hold the money, I would have spent the money from selling the fragrance dew before, and I wouldn’t think about doing business to earn more money. "

"I'm not as good as you say."

Zhang Fangyuan raised his hand and touched the back of Xu He's hand: "I mean it."

"You just want to turn a corner and say that I robbed you of all the money."

"Why, I voluntarily handed the money to you, it’s much more proactive than paying taxes.”

The two were having fun in the carriage. Before they reached the yard, they saw a woman standing at the gate of the yard holding a basket and rubbing her fingers at the same time, her two willow leaf-like eyebrows frowned, as if there was something embarrassing.

Xu He frowned: "Why is second sister here?"