I was a stepmother in ancient times, and I led my whole family to wealth.

Chapter 65 Heart-to-Heart Talk with the Jun Family

Upon hearing this, Jun Wenhui couldn't help but shed tears: "You...you don't despise me?"

The thought that the man not only absconded with all of the Jun family's property, but also that their marriage certificate was fake in the end, made her understandable.

She was even labeled a mistress, which prevented her son from taking the imperial examinations and prevented her daughter from finding a good husband.

Dongfang Jin looked at her and comforted her, "Why would we look down on you? In this life, everyone encounters a few jerks."

The problem with people in ancient times was that they couldn't make their own decisions about marriage. But then again, not listening to your parents isn't always a good thing.

In ancient times, there were too many restrictions on women, and love at first sight was rare; most relationships involved marriage before love developed.

Gu Chenglin: "..." Wife? What do you mean?

Holding a handkerchief, Jun Wenhui lowered her eyes and choked out, "It's all my fault for being so blind. I spent over twenty years with that beast and didn't even notice anything amiss..."

If my father hadn't passed away, I... I wouldn't have known that my family's property had become someone else's...

Those people I used to be close to now treat me like a mistress.

In the end, my two children were also implicated and ended up like this.

Now that Rui'er can't participate in the scientific expedition, Xiao Xian has become...

Hearing her say this, Dongfang Jin sighed inwardly, thinking that only by experiencing setbacks and hardships can one truly understand the warmth and coldness of human relationships and the fickleness of the world.

When you're down on your luck, you'll discover how realistic society is and how terrifying people can be.

When you're in trouble, those who distance themselves from you are not truly sincere; why create unnecessary trouble for yourself?

Only by experiencing hurt and pain can one truly understand life.

Then, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, only through struggle can one spread their wings and fly, understanding the beauty of freedom.

The fact that these three people still have such a positive attitude shows the difference between people who read and those who don't. Their perspective is exceptionally broad.

If any other woman had suffered such a setback, she would have either contemplated suicide or gone insane.

She, Dongfang Jin, supported the three of them.

"Aunt Hui, you must know that evil people will be punished. It's not that they won't be punished, it's just that the time hasn't come yet."

Those people will not have a good ending, so please rest assured and stay here.

No one here knows about your family's past, and we won't tell anyone. Coming to my home will be like giving the three of you a second chance at life.

Our lives will get better and better in the future; scientific research is not the only way out.

"If you don't want to go, then don't go. Tomorrow, I'll have my husband go to the county government office and see if we can register your family's household registration at my address."

Gu Chenglin shook his head: "They can't come to our house, but they can come to the village."

If that doesn't work, we can buy the house we used to live in for them.

They said their family had suffered a disaster. Anyway, all the villagers in Lingwu Village were refugees. As long as they had proof from the county magistrate, the village would grant them household registration.

"Given our relationship with the county magistrate, and considering the recipe you're going to use to make sesame paste for the village head's family, I think they'll agree."

Dongfang Jin looked puzzled: "Why can't we do it at our house?"

Gu Chenglin explained to her, "Given our current situation, adding another person would be like adding a slave, not a male heir."

"Huh? There's such a saying?" Dongfang Jin was shocked. Ancient times really were full of traps.

If she didn't understand these things, she might sell herself one day.

Slaves! They have no human rights. If their master is unhappy, a single word can cost them their lives.

The kind of situation where there's no way to seek justice...

Jun Qirui nodded in agreement: "Brother Gu is right."

He found this family to be quite strange, especially this Dongfang Jin... She seemed to know nothing, yet she also knew everything, which was very contradictory.

In particular, she spoke frankly and acted decisively and efficiently, unlike the women he had met before.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at his mother and sister. If they could do that... well, never mind, it still felt a bit incongruous.

Dongfang Jin looked at the Jun family of three and asked Jun Wenhui, "What do you think of Gu Chenglin's idea?"

Jun's mother looked at Jun Qirui, waiting for him to make a decision.

Jun Qirui looked at his mother's expectant eyes, and then at his sister Jun Qixian, his eyes also lit up.

He gritted his teeth and said, "It's feasible, but if I do that, I'll be completely unable to participate in scientific expeditions."

Yes, he re-established the household, and as the only male in the family, he became the head of the household.

The Jun family is extinct. His maternal grandfather was separated from his family when he was a child and only knew that his surname was Jun...

And his family fortune is also... Thinking about it this way, that man is quite similar to his maternal grandfather.

His maternal grandfather wasn't as ruthless as that man...

When Jun Wenhui heard him say that he could no longer take the imperial examinations, her heart ached: "You...it's all my fault."

Yes, it's all her fault. If... what? That person could even deceive her father; that shows he's no ordinary person.

She wasn't the kind of woman who understood love. When her mother was alive, she warned her not to give her whole heart to a man.

Love is the most unreliable thing, so she didn't cling to that man after they got married.

He was busy with his business, which suited her just fine, but now that I think about it, it probably suited him too.

After she had Rui Ge'er, she became even more indifferent to him, focusing all her attention on Rui Ge'er...

Dongfang Jin was displeased: "Just say that his father is deceased. As for how he died, that's up to you."

Moreover, she also wondered in her heart, what gave the man the confidence to insist that he did not know them when they complained.

Didn't people in ancient times practice blood-drop kinship testing?

Once the paternity test is done, isn't the conviction already established? So why didn't they mention it? That's strange.

She couldn't talk about it, much less ask about it, because it involved her life.

……

Jun Qirui shook his head and explained to them: "After passing the imperial examination and becoming a Xiucai, students who are still in the academy will have someone from above come to the academy to keep records every year."

Moreover, I am still a scholar with the title of Xiucai, which is recorded in the prefecture. Although this place belongs to Jeju, we cannot be careless.

As long as my household registration is in Lingwu Village, if I want to take the exam, given my academic achievements, the higher-ups will definitely investigate.

If things go wrong, not only will I lose my scholar's degree, but my whole family will also be implicated. At best, they will be flogged and exiled.

In severe cases, they could be accused of deceiving the emperor and their entire family could be executed.

Dongfang Jin: Wow, that's amazing? I don't understand.

Gu Chenglin nodded to her, indicating that he was right.

Seeing this, Dongfang Jin pondered for a long time: "I will pay for the reconstruction of that house halfway up the mountain."

That will be where you teach from now on, specifically teaching the children of Lingwu Village.

If any girls come to school, you can teach them too, how about that?

This way, I'll be more confident when I talk to Lin Lizheng.

Before Jun Qirui could speak, Gu Chenglin said, "That's feasible, but if there are really girls coming to school, it would be better to let Xian'er teach them. Just teach them to recognize some characters, which can also be considered their enlightenment."

If any family's child wants to take the imperial examinations, they should send them to the private school in the county; that way, the studies won't be too difficult.

You have to understand how big the gap is between the children in the village who go to school in the county and the children in the county.

This was a question he had discussed with Grandpa Chu when he was treating his injuries.

Grandpa Chu said that children in Beijing, regardless of gender, start learning to read from the age of three.

Etiquette, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, horsemanship, archery... all kinds of talents must be learned.

What about the children in the village? What were they doing when they were three years old?

Playing in the mud, like him who was disliked at home, meant there was always endless work to do.

Compared to children in the county, the knowledge that children in the village learn in private schools is different from that of children in the county.

First, age; second, education level; and third, family background.