My sister became the empress, but I'm still growing vegetables and raising chickens

Chapter 199 Persuading my cousin to go back

The men of Songji Village have become popular in the surrounding villages. When a daughter grows up and wants to get married, the first choice is the men of Songji Village.

"Are the men in Songji Village really that good?"

"If nothing else, just the fact that the workshops in Songji Village are so large tells you that the people in Songji Village must be quite wealthy. I heard that several families have built new houses. They have been working for less than a year and they have already built new houses."

"I heard that most workshops need female workers, so women in Songji Village have a high status, and men in the family have to give way to women. Moreover, Songji Village has a school, which is a government-run school. If you marry there, your children will have the opportunity to go to school in the future. If they can really learn something, they will have a great opportunity to change their family status in the future."

For a time, everyone was very excited. In Songji Village, as long as there were women working in the family and unmarried men, their doors were basically visited by matchmakers.

In the past, if a man wanted to propose marriage, he would ask matchmakers to find out everywhere. Now, the situation has changed, which makes the family very happy. Even the woman's family did not ask for an exorbitant price. The bride price was also reasonable. They were all targeting workshops and schools.

The Si family's door was also visited by enthusiastic villagers who came to deliver gifts.

Now their family has jobs to earn money, their children have schools to go to, and even getting married has become an easy thing, all thanks to the Si family. Of course, they have to thank the Si family very much.

After two days, the younger sister's face was stiff from smiling. She only hated that her eldest sister was busy growing vegetables and raising chickens, while her second sister dragged her cousin to study the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty every day, leaving the job of receiving the villagers to her alone!

Fortunately, there were some kind-hearted people who came running over to tell my younger sister about Kaoshan Village.

"Kaoshan Village is in chaos now. There's a lot of commotion going on."

The younger sister asked, "What's going on?"

"Everyone in the surrounding area knows that people from mountain villages are unreliable. Not only are they poor, but they also like to beat women and treat their children badly. Which family would be willing to marry their daughter into a den of wolves? Even families who sell their daughters are picky, thinking that they are poor and can't afford a high bride price. I heard that several families who had already made engagements have now been canceled."

Things like breaking off an engagement are not good for women. But such things don't happen in the village. There are fewer women than men. Even if she is a widow, there are still many people seeking marriage, not to mention the girl whose engagement was broken off.

"Several families from Kaoshan Village with mixed surnames were rejected. They said their surname wasn't Zuo, but everyone else said anyone from Kaoshan Village wouldn't be considered. So those families with mixed surnames banded together and, I heard, had a fight with the Zuo family. They even went to the headman of the village to make a scene."

When my younger sister heard this, she felt proud: "Useless men take their anger out on women and children. I despise men like that!"

Xiao Fangniang was in the crowd. When she heard this, her eyes rolled and she said, "Wan girl, I'm leaving first. I'll go take a look at Kaoshan Village."

The younger sister didn't mind her being dishonest and taking advantage of others, and quickly said, "You heard the news, come and tell me."

"it is good!"

Xiao Fangniang went there in a hurry and came back in a hurry, bringing news from Kaoshan Village.

The commotion in Kaoshan Village was indeed intense, and the village headman had no choice but to intervene and give them a severe reprimand. Finally, on the pretext that Zuo Lizheng had neglected his duties, a new middle-aged man from a prominent family was elected as the new head. The new head was ordered to send the two Xiang children to live with the Zuo family until Zuo Er returned. The Zuo family would provide them with necessities like rice, flour, and oil each month, and this would also be overseen by the new head.

In this way, the problems between the Zuo and Xiang families were temporarily resolved.

After this matter was over, Si Muyan called the whole family to a meeting and asked her younger sister to take out the money for travel: "It's not long until the New Year, and it will take a long time for my cousin to return home. I heard that the weather will be good for several days after tomorrow, so my cousin should set off for Beijing the day after tomorrow."

Feng Zizhou was stunned. The last time Si Muyan spoke to him, he knew that Si Muyan wanted him to leave, but he didn't want to go home. He wanted to stay here. Besides being fed up with the superficial harmony between the aristocratic families in Kyoto, he also had concerns here.

He looked at his second sister and remained silent for a long time.

The younger sister had heard what the elder sister had said during the day and took out the money she had prepared. "Cousin, we know you're used to a life of luxury, but our family isn't wealthy anymore. Take these twenty taels of silver. I've also made arrangements. Uncle He will take you to Lingnan City the day after tomorrow. Once there, we'll travel by water and then by land. If things go well, we'll reach Kyoto by the beginning of the twelfth lunar month."

Feng Zizhou whispered, "But I... don't want to go back."

"You should go back." It was the second sister who said this. She said seriously, "My cousin said a few days ago that if I were born a boy in Kyoto, I would definitely be an upright official. But I was born at the wrong time and I'm a girl, so many of my ideas and ambitions are beyond my reach. Cousin, you can do everything I can't do."

"I……"

The second sister said, "I've benefited a lot from talking with my cousin these days. I can do very little to improve the law and popularize it. But you can, cousin. Your brother is the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple. If you want, you can also join the Dali Temple and make a career for yourself, right?"

These words made Feng Zizhou's heart surge. He looked at his second sister intently for a long time before saying, "Do you really think so?"

The second sister nodded. "Yes, I really think so. Cousin, I know you don't like the constraints of Kyoto, but everything has its pros and cons. Your status brings you glory and power, but it will inevitably bring rules that you don't like. In Songji Village, you can be carefree, but you can't do anything. In fact, you can only rely on the Si family and become an ordinary farmer. Are you happy with this?"

The word "willingly" almost came out of his mouth.

If it were the Feng Zizhou of the past, he'd thought he could do whatever he wanted. But over the past six months, he'd seen enough of the lives of ordinary people, become accustomed to the suffering of the world, and realized that even having enough food and clothing was a luxury for many. And he wasn't the useless person everyone thought he was. There was so much he could do.

Only by going back can he realize his own ideas and his second sister's ideas.

Taking a deep breath, Feng Zizhou stood up, said "OK", and turned to leave.

For a moment, the entire hall was silent, and everyone was looking at the second sister, which made her feel a little embarrassed.

"What are you all looking at me for?"

Si Muyan asked, "Are you really willing to let your cousin leave?"

The second sister was confused: "Why should I be reluctant? He is not a member of the Si family, he should leave. He can't be with us forever."