Chapter 69: Early Education

During dinner, Wang Zhenhe was furious when he saw Mingyuan’s swollen face and wanted to confront the person responsible. His son’s beautiful face had turned into a little bun, and as a father, he couldn’t bear to see his son being hurt. However, after hearing the children’s explanation, his anger subsided. As long as his children hadn’t suffered, he was relieved.

He held his son with a pained expression and touched his face. “Mingyuan, if anyone dares to bully you in the future, you can use a stone to defend yourself. Dad will take responsibility if anything happens.”

Zhang Lan knew that her husband was expressing his concern for the children, but she didn’t agree with his approach. “Zhenhe, you can’t say that. Every parent feels heartbroken when their child is hurt. I don’t think anyone will dare to bully our boys in the future. Qianqian even used a knife today. No one will dare to provoke them. But thinking about our daughter holding a knife, I can’t help but find it amusing. She’s quite formidable.”

When Wang Zhenhe learned that his daughter had used a knife, he happily hugged her and praised her. “That’s my daughter. If you encounter such a situation in the future, you have to be bold. It’s better to be the one to bully others than to be bullied. Good girl.”

As Wang Zhenhe praised the children, Zhang Lan couldn’t help but scold him. “You’re out of breath just from talking. Hurry up and get ready. Let’s eat. I specially caught a wild chicken for you today. I want you all to grow up strong. You’ll need the strength even if you get into fights in the future.”

Wang Qian understood that her mother was still upset about the incident from the afternoon, even though she didn’t say it out loud. Zhang Lan was feeling sorry for the children’s grievances.

Mingyuan happily jumped into Zhang Lan’s arms, his eyes wide and shining. “Mom, is it true? I can eat as much chicken as I want tonight. Will Uncle come over?”

Wang Qian realized that this time, the child was genuinely afraid of Wang Zhenguo. Zhang Lan smiled and said, “Good boy, Uncle Zhenguo won’t come this time. You can eat without any worries. Mom will treat you to the chicken tonight.” She patted her son’s bottom. Mingcheng had already set the table on the heated brick bed. This was their first dinner in the new house, and under the glow of the kerosene lamp, the children ate heartily. They were finally able to enjoy this chicken feast.

For once, the Wang family was able to enjoy a peaceful meal. Zhang Lan brought out all the chicken. “Children, don’t be shy today. Zhenhe, you too. Eat heartily.”

The family enjoyed a peaceful dinner without any interruptions. However, after they finished eating, Wang Zhenhai hurriedly rushed in. “Third brother, hurry up and get ready. There’s trouble at our eldest uncle’s place.”

Wang Zhenhe was surprised. “Big brother, what happened at our eldest uncle’s place?”

Wang Zhenhai glanced at the children sitting nearby and sighed. “What else could it be? He’s up to no good again. He got caught, and Third Cousin came to ask us to help smooth things over.”

Without a word, Wang Zhenhe put on his coat and followed his older brother out of the house. The children didn’t understand what was happening. Mingyuan, with his swollen face, asked with a puzzled expression, “Mom, what does ‘up to no good’ mean?”

Zhang Lan knew that the child was asking out of innocent curiosity, but it would be difficult to explain.

Wang Qian took over the conversation. “Brother, ‘up to no good’ means not being serious. Uncle is probably behaving improperly, either by teasing someone’s daughter or wife, or by peeking at someone while they’re using the bathroom or taking a bath.”

Zhang Lan couldn’t help but feel amused and exasperated at the same time as she listened to her seven-year-old daughter’s words. She couldn’t believe how much the child understood.

Mingyuan finally understood. “Oh, I get it now. It’s like those people who walk around with worn-out shoes.”

Despite reading fewer books, children may understand more than expected. They remember what adults say and do. By comparing the two, Mingyuan understood what his uncle had done wrong.

Zhang Lan was speechless at her two little adults. She didn’t know what to say. Perhaps it was better for the children to explain. While Mingcheng was studying with his younger siblings, and Zhang Lan was sewing clothes for the children. She noticed that the shoes on the floor were worn out at the toes, indicating that the children had outgrown them. The shoes no longer fit.

“Mingcheng, Mingyuan, if your shoes haven’t been fitting well these past few days, why didn’t you say anything? Mom will buy you new shoes tomorrow. You can make do with these for today.”

The brothers felt embarrassed after hearing their mother’s words. They knew the shoes didn’t fit well, but they thought they could manage for a day. This way, they could save some money for the family.

“Mom, you can mend the shoes for my brothers, and I can wear them. I can grow into them. You can buy new shoes for my brothers and sister. I don’t need new ones. I like wearing the shoes my brothers and sister have worn.”

Wang Qian didn’t have many demands when it came to clothing. She knew that even if she dressed beautifully, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. She preferred to ensure that her siblings had better clothes, making their childhoods less lacking.

Zhang Lan smiled and said, “Silly girl, you’ll have to wait for two more years before you can wear your brothers’ and sister’s shoes. Let’s see if your little feet can fit into them. I’ll mend the shoes first. When our family’s situation improves, I’ll buy whatever you want.”

Zhang Lan looked at her four children with a motherly gaze. She also wished for her children to wear beautiful clothes. After all, her children were absolutely outstanding, and she wanted to dress them well. Unfortunately, for now, it was just a wish.

The children had finished studying, and Wang Zhenhe hadn’t returned yet. Wang Qian suspected that the situation was a bit tricky, but those people had nothing to do with them; they were just passersby.

The children didn’t have to go to school the next day. To save firewood, Zhang Lan temporarily let the children sleep on the heated brick bed with them. They would be given separate rooms once the weather warmed up.

The children were lying in bed and weren’t in a hurry to sleep. They wanted to know the outcome of the day’s events. Zhang Lan couldn’t help but smile as she watched the row of four little heads moving around on the heated brick bed.

“Why aren’t you all asleep yet?” she asked.

Wang Qian whispered from her older sister’s arms, “Mom, should we stay away from people like Uncle in the future?”

She actually wanted to use Zhang Lan’s words to teach the children. She wanted the children to be cautious and learn to protect themselves if they encountered troublemakers. She didn’t want any of her family members to experience such incidents.

Zhang Lan looked deeply at her youngest daughter. This child was too mature for her age. Sometimes, even she couldn’t understand what was going on in her daughter’s mind. Little did she know that her poor daughter had already lost her life at the hands of her aunt and now lay in bed with the soul of an adult.

After some thought, Zhang Lan said, “Listen to me, all of you. If anyone touches your body, whether it’s a man or a woman, it’s not allowed. Those are bad people. You should resist, and if you can’t, you should shout for help.”

Mingyuan turned around, his eyes wide with curiosity, and asked, “Mom, what does it mean to touch our bodies? Does fighting count? What about when the teacher asks us to hold hands with a girl for a game?”

Zhang Lan rubbed her forehead. She knew this was a difficult topic to discuss, but the incident with their uncle had made her realize that she needed to talk to the children about certain things. Although the village had simple customs, she couldn’t predict if similar situations might arise in the future.

“Mingyuan, Mingcheng, even though you are boys, if someone touches your private parts or your body inappropriately, it’s not okay. It’s a form of harassment. You need to be careful. If it happens accidentally, it’s okay.”

Mingcheng, who was starting to understand things a bit more, blushed and nodded solemnly. “Mom, I understand. My brother and I will be careful.”

Mingyuan, not fully understanding, nodded vigorously. “Mom, I won’t let anyone touch me inappropriately.”

After talking to her two sons, Zhang Lan turned to educate her two daughters. Wang Xuan, who was a bit more mature, quickly understood her mother’s intentions. “Mom, don’t worry. We will protect ourselves in the future.”

Since the children understood, Zhang Lan didn’t dwell on the topic. She felt a bit embarrassed discussing these matters with her children, but she knew it was necessary for their well-being. After all, she was their mother.

Wang Qian, hiding in her blanket, chuckled to herself. Today, her mother had finally given the children a lesson in sex education. In rural areas, children might not understand these matters even when they reach their teens. It was a good thing to educate the children early. Having achieved her goal for the day, she quickly drifted off to sleep.

When Wang Zhenhe returned, the children were already fast asleep. Zhang Lan noticed that her husband’s expression wasn’t too good and asked, “How did it go? Is everything resolved?”

Wang Zhenhe sighed with a grim expression. “It’s resolved. My eldest uncle and a woman accidentally urinated in the same place. Unfortunately, the woman’s husband saw it and made a big fuss. The woman didn’t say much, and we went to smooth things over. It’s not good for our reputation. But my eldest uncle still got punched. It’s a shame that he’s still up to no good at his age.”

After hearing Wang Zhenhe’s explanation, Zhang Lan understood that her uncle-in-law had been caught peeping while someone was using the restroom. “Zhenhe, it’s best for us to have less contact with your eldest uncle in the future. I don’t think his younger son is any better. We have two daughters to consider.”

Wang Zhenhe agreed. “Yes, I understand. We won’t have much to do with them in the future. That younger son of his doesn’t seem decent at all. He even tried to touch my wife last time. It’s infuriating to think about.”

The next morning, the children were finally able to sleep in and skip class. They lay side by side on the heated brick bed, a sight that brought joy to Zhang Lan. She walked over and gently patted each of their heads. “It’s time to get up. Breakfast is ready.”

As Zhang Lan called the children to wake up, Wang Zhenhe hurriedly walked in, holding two mysterious items.