From his shabby, casual clothes alone, the second daughter, Dong Liangyu, decided that Shi Chun was not the sort who put on a cultured air to get close to the sisters.
There was no romantic interest behind her assessment of Shi Chun. What had caught her eye was his poverty.
The third sister, Dong Liangying, who attended the main hall, had to serve as both shopkeeper and bookkeeper, provide brushes and ink, pour tea, and handle all the other odd jobs. She simply could not keep up.
The eldest sister, Dong Liangyi, took care of the whole family's meals and daily needs and was busy in the rear courtyard. The kitchen alone kept her running, leaving her no time for the reading house.
The fourth sibling, Dong Liangze, handled matters outside, so he could not reliably help in the hall.
As for their father, he had integrity, but paid no attention to firewood, rice, oil, or salt. To put it plainly, he concerned himself with no worldly affairs at all. He only read, strolled the streets, visited friends, and preached. His children were grown now, and could hardly force their father to work.
Thus, the third sister really could not manage everything in the hall, but the reading house's income was meager. Hiring someone at the usual rate was more than they could afford. Even the minimum monthly wage of one or two hundred gold would have been a strain.
That made Shi Chun's poverty an advantage.
Better still, he was well-read and courteous, plainly not someone who would cause trouble. He could hardly have been more suitable.
Previously, a kindhearted man had volunteered to help, only for them to discover that he was after the three sisters. Their father strictly observed propriety, and when he discovered the man's improper