Lame Ma pricked up his brows and put down his cup. He asked, "You want your son to be a teacher?"
"That's right. Second Brother Ma is now the best carving master in One Finger Village. Isn't it just a matter of a word for him to arrange for his nephew? "Meng Changming said.
Lame Ma narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath. He repressed the flames in his heart and said, "Being a teacher is fine too."
"Really? Then I'll really have to thank you, Second Brother! I knew it. Look for me if there's anything! "Meng Changming was delighted as he immediately poured some wine for Lame Ma. However, he was stopped by Lame Ma.
Lame Ma continued. "It's fine if he wants to be a teacher. However, that will depend on your son's talent. Let's talk about it after he becomes my disciple. If he can't even get past me, he can just be a peaceful apprentice for the rest of his life. "
"Ah?" Upon hearing that, Meng Changming's smile froze on his face. He knew his son's character best. He couldn't take hardship or be offended. Although he claimed to be here to learn carving, he knew very well that there was a high chance he wouldn't be able to learn anything. He didn't really send Meng Dezi here to learn this bit of skill. Instead, he was here for the school from the very beginning! If he followed Lame Ma's request, his son would probably be an apprentice for the rest of his life.
Ma Jiangping felt indignant when she heard that. She frowned and said, "Second Brother, aren't … aren't you treating me like an outsider? Who is Dezi? He's your nephew. You can't just ignore him, right? "
Lame Ma shot a glance at Ma Jiangping and said, "It's precisely because he's my nephew that I'm stricter. Otherwise, you wouldn't even be able to enter! "
Ma Jiangping and Meng Changming immediately froze in their spots. How were they to continue?
Ma Jiangping took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Second Brother, on account of Buddha, we have been relatives for many years after all. Our son is already so old. He can't be without something to do, right? Just help me and arrange for the child to enter. Wouldn't that be enough? "
Lame Ma clicked his tongue and said sarcastically, "Do you know what this school teaches?"
"Carving? What else? "Ma Jiangping replied.
Bam!
Lame Ma slammed the table and stood up! Meng Dezi's hands trembled and his chopsticks fell onto the table.
When Lame Ma saw this, he looked down on Meng Dezi even more. He frowned and said angrily, "You know that I teach sculpting, but don't you know what your son is like? You can't even recognize a bunch of characters and can't even hold a chopstick properly, yet you want to become a teacher? If I were to really send him to be a teacher, it wouldn't matter if I, Lame Ma, lost face, but if he were to lose face for my One Finger Village, how am I to answer to my fellow villagers? It was the same as before. Either he stayed as an apprentice and went up the mountain to chop a hundred Frost Bamboos every day. If he didn't complete the mission, he wouldn't be allowed to eat! If you don't want to do it, then so be it! "
Hearing this, Meng Dezi subconsciously shouted, "How could a human do this?"
When he said that, Lame Ma almost smashed his rice bowl on his face! But in the end, he held back and sat there without saying a word, eating in silence.
This meal was extremely depressing.
After the meal, Ma Jiangping went to wash the dishes, making the room even more stuffy.
In the afternoon, it was unknown what Ma Jiangping talked about with Meng Changming and company, but she suddenly had a huge change in expression. She came over with a chuckle and began chatting with Lame Ma again. She talked about her childhood and her parents. She didn't mention anything about Meng Dezi becoming a teacher.
Lame Ma believed that Ma Jiangping had realized her bottom line and heaved a sigh of relief.
They were relatives after all, childhood playmates. Therefore, as they chatted, his mood improved.
At night, Ma Jiangping drank some alcohol and began crying on the table … As she cried, she said, "Second Brother, why is my life so bitter?"
Lame Ma was at a loss for what to do, so all he could do was console her.
Ma Jiangping seemed to open up a chatterbox as she recounted all her misfortunes. She mentioned how her husband was useless, her son was stupid, how the family was having a hard time, and so on … She even said that she was sick and had no idea how long she could live. At this point in time, she didn't have the money to see a doctor. Sending her child to school made her even more helpless, and so on …
Lame Ma nearly fainted from Ma Jiangping's words. Thinking back to his own bitter days, he felt like they were in the same boat.
The next day, Ma Jiangping left Lame Ma's house with twenty thousand yuan. As she walked, Meng Changming grumbled. "Jiangping, your second brother isn't any good either. I heard others praise him so much, saying how impressive he is in One Finger Village and how he's a master of engraving … He can't even arrange a job for our child. Bullsh * t master."
Peng Xueyu added. "If I had to say, he just doesn't help when he has the ability. What kind of relative is he?"
Ma Jiangping said, "Sigh, this person forgets his roots after having some ability. I'll have to tell the others when I get back. This person really can't be befriended."
"Mom, when do you plan on returning the money?" Meng Dezi asked Ma Jiangping.
Ma Jiangping glared at him. "What's there to return? Now that he has the ability and money, what's wrong with taking care of relatives like us? The country's leaders even say that those who get rich first will help those who get rich later. Is Lame Ma an exception? Besides, we're relatives! "
Meng Changming nodded as well. "That's right. He's impressive now. One Finger Village is a famous affluent village in the surrounding area. With his skills, how can he lack money in the future? He doesn't lack our bit of money. "
"That's right. Can feelings be measured with money?" Peng Xueyu added.
The few of them chatted as they left One Finger Village.
As for Lame Ma, he sat at home and pondered over the matter. He felt upset and had a nagging feeling that the matter wasn't that simple. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that Ma Jiangping seemed to be drunk, but all her words revolved around the same topic. That was, she was in need of money now. Without money, she couldn't continue living. It was tough. Do as you see fit …
When Lame Ma thought of this, he yelled. "Aiyah! I've been tricked! "
At that moment, Lame Ma realized that Ma Jiangping's family was here to fish for benefits! What did they mean by learning a trade or becoming a teacher? That was just something they could fish for in passing. If they couldn't, they would borrow money! If not, how could relatives who hadn't interacted with each other for eight hundred years suddenly appear?
With this in mind, Lame Ma's heart chilled. However, he still looked at the mirror and consoled himself. "Forget it. They're all relatives. Perhaps they really are suffering? Perhaps they aren't as bad as I think? "
With this in mind, Lame Ma felt a lot more at ease.
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