Her son, however foolish, was still her own flesh and blood, wasn't he? Lady Ma agreed verbally, but her heart was bleeding. Her son was no beast; why should he be locked up? From that moment on, she dared not leave her son's side even for a step. All the household chores were neglected, and working the fields was out of the question.
Their younger son was a constant worry, and, inconveniently, the older son was no less troublesome. Apart from coming home at the end of each month for silver, he hardly ever returned. And now, the year was ending and the school had closed for holidays, yet Lin Yongcheng still hadn't come home.
All the hopes of Lin Jiazhong and his wife now lay with their eldest son. To ensure he had enough silver to continue his studies, Lin Jiazhong had already sold several parcels of their land. And yet, the boy seemed to show no progress, leaving them to wonder what he was even learning at school.
