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Chapter 35 Brotherly Exchange: Wisdom in Disguise

"Ugh, stop fooling around."

"Brother, brother, wake up, Mom's calling for dinner."

Lin Chuan felt a tickle in his nose and opened his eyes to find Lin Xue using her hair to brush against his nose.

In a daze, he pulled Lin Xue into his arms, causing the little girl to struggle.

"Brother, get up! The sun's already high in the sky."

"Hmm, what time is it?"

"12 o'clock."

After dozing off while holding Lin Xue for a while, Lin Chuan slowly came to his senses.

After getting up, going to the toilet, and brushing his teeth, Lin Xue had already prepared the water for him to wash his face and was waiting for him.

After washing his face, he realized that his family had already served him the meal, but they hadn't touched it yet; they were waiting for him.

"You guys eat first, why wait for me?"

No one responded to his words. He sat down and his mother started eating.

We had rabbit for lunch. My mom also learned his cooking method – stir-frying pork and rabbit together. It tasted pretty good.

"Mom, what are we making today?"

"The soybeans have all been harvested. There's not much to do today, so take a break this afternoon and review your studies."

Lin Chuan's mother was unaware of his plans. In her mind, Lin Chuan was going to high school after the summer vacation.

Lin Chuan gave a vague reply but didn't say anything. He knew that if he talked about it now, his mother would complain. It would be easier to convince her when he had saved more money.

After lunch, it was time for a nap. Lin Chuan had just woken up and wasn't sleepy at all.

Just as I sat up in bed, I noticed that Lin Feng had also gotten up, clearly in the same situation as Lin Chuan.

"Let's go, grab a bucket, let's catch some crabs."

Lin Chuan slept soundly today, feeling completely relaxed and languid, and didn't really want to go hunting.

But there are no games to play and no TV to watch, so lying around is boring. I have to find something to do.

Catching crabs became a pretty good pastime.

Lin Feng became interested upon hearing this, and the two changed into long-sleeved shirts, each carrying a bucket and a knife, and set off.

Open spaces are not suitable for catching crabs; you should go to streams, places with lots of rocks and shallow water.

These places are usually quite remote, and there are many thorns in the ditches, so wearing long sleeves can prevent your hands from getting scratched and bleeding.

When catching crabs, you need to be decisive. When turning over stones, you must be decisive and not hesitate, otherwise the water will become muddy.

You need to be decisive when you act, otherwise if you hesitate for even a second or two, the water will become muddy or the crabs will escape.

You also need to be careful where you place your hand, otherwise those two big pliers are not to be trifled with.

Fortunately, this kind of thing wasn't unfamiliar to either of them. Lin Chuan led Lin Feng to search in the ditch for two hours and pulled out half a bucket of river crabs.

The two walked to a small puddle. The water was clear, and small fish and shrimp could be seen swimming at the bottom.

Lin Chuan sat down on the grass by the pit, put his feet into the pit, lay his upper body on the grass, and stared blankly at the blue sky and white clouds.

Before long, Lin Feng followed suit and lay down next to Lin Chuan.

After watching the clouds for a while, Lin Chuan suddenly said:

"Xiao Feng, I'm not going to read anymore."

"What."

Lin Chuan's words came too suddenly, and Lin Feng either didn't hear them clearly or, even if he did, his mind didn't process them, so he subconsciously asked another question.

"I mean, I'm not going to study anymore. School starts in September, and I'm not going."

"Brother, why?"

Lin Chuan didn't answer directly, but asked another question:

"Tell me, what is the purpose of studying?"

"Hmm~, so that I can learn skills, become a capable person, and live a good life."

If you ask a city dweller this question, like Liu Hongge...

The answer to this question should be to pursue dreams, to serve one's country, and to be a useful member of society.

But in the countryside, all those things are too far away. To live a better life, this is the most basic answer to this question.

"Right, that's what studying is all about, hmm~, so tell me, what does it mean to live a good life?"

"Making a lot of money? Buying a big color TV, buying whatever you want, eating meat every day, that's probably what a good life is like."

Lin Feng's tone was uncertain because he felt that the answer was a bit "rustic," but he couldn't think of anything else.

"So what do you think I've been doing lately?" Lin Chuan asked again.

"Make money."

Lin Feng recalled his recent trips to the county town to sell goods. In just a few days, his family's income was equivalent to several years' worth before, and they now had meat at every meal.

He understood Lin Chuan's intention in asking that question, but he was still somewhat conflicted:

"Brother, are you really not going to study anymore?"

"I'm not going to study anymore. It's pointless. If I were to study, I'd have to study for at least seven more years. By then, I would have made a fortune. So why bother studying?"

"But Mom won't agree. She's always wanted you to get into university and become the first college student in our village."

"Let's talk about this later."

This is where Lin Chuan is in a difficult position. Everything else is negotiable, but he has to get past his mother.

If he stubbornly refuses to go, his mother won't be able to do anything about it, but she'll definitely have a grudge. If possible, Lin Chuan still wants to find a way to persuade his mother.

The two brothers fell silent, then Lin Chuan suddenly asked again:

"Xiao Feng, what kind of life do you want to live in the future?"

"Um, I don't know either. I think it's fine as it is now."

Look, we've bought a car, we can eat meat every day, and we're making a lot of money. I never dared to dream of this kind of life before.

As Lin Feng spoke, he laughed, a very happy laugh. Lin Chuan also laughed, but he deliberately said:

"You didn't get any of the money you earned. The day before yesterday, we gave Xiaolong and Liangzi 300 each, but you didn't get a single penny. Don't you have any complaints?"

"Brother, you talk as if you took the money. Didn't you give all the money to Mom the day before yesterday?"

Lin Chuan was speechless for a moment. He had indeed given all his money to his mother. Not only did he have no money on him, but he also owed several hundred yuan.

The fish were stolen yesterday, but my mom and the others didn't know. They thought they had been sold.

We need to find a way to do something big to make up for this money.

Lin Chuan's mind went blank, his thoughts wandering. He turned his head and found Lin Feng looking at him. A thought flashed through his mind:

"Xiao Feng, do you want to make money?"

"Brother, what do you mean?" Lin Feng asked, completely bewildered.

"Do you want to make money like Wang Long and the others? If you do, I'll give you an idea that will guarantee you earn more in a day than they do in total."

"No," Lin Feng shook his head decisively.

"What, you don't want to make money?"

"Brother, I'm not cut out for this. I can't do it all by myself. Besides, we haven't separated yet. What you earn is mine, isn't it?"

"You little brat."

Lin Chuan hadn't expected Lin Feng to give him this answer.

He's not stupid, he doesn't know how to make money, but he's also the best choice he could have made.

All I can say is that he was wise in his apparent foolishness.

The two chatted about this and that for a while, then Lin Chuan got up and patted his butt:

"Alright, let's go back. I'm telling you, keep the fact that you're not going to school a secret, or Mom will kill me."

"Okay, bro, I'm the best at keeping my mouth shut."