Chapter 112

It was almost noon when Yingxiang finally got up. Once she was fully conscious, she only felt a headache.

Recalling what happened last night, she felt somewhat impulsive and her words were not tactful enough, which made Wen Shi unable to understand. Then, she even did that thing. Thinking about this, she felt a little regretful.

Yingxiang covered her face in pain. What was going on? But she also made mistakes. She had to resolve this matter when Wenshi returned tonight.

She hadn't planned on having more children before, and Wen Shi hadn't mentioned it either, but now the two of them have a disagreement about it.

He didn't know what Wen Shi was thinking, suddenly doing this, but based on her understanding of him, Wen Shi's words and actions were never just empty talk.

Yingxiang was hungry, so she didn't sit for long. She got up, washed up, ate a little something, and went to the shop. Luckily, she was the shopkeeper.

"Shopkeeper, is there something wrong at home?"

There weren't many customers in the shop today, and the waiter was busy. Yingxiang had something on her mind and felt a little regretful, so she sat listlessly in her seat.

Granny Yang had sharp eyes and immediately came over to ask her. Yingxiang glanced at her and sighed.

"What's wrong? I'll help you solve it. Is it a shortage of manpower, money, or something else?"

"No, it's because of the child."

Yingxiang didn't intend to hide anything. She didn't think there was anything wrong with her thoughts, but Wenshi's ideas were quite different from hers. Sometimes it's good to listen to other people's opinions.

Thinking only of oneself may not solve this problem. The couple has been married for many years. They may not be head over heels in love, but they still have feelings for each other.

“I have a son, as you know. Now he’s grown up and going to school. My husband wants to have another one, but I don’t want to give up this business. Besides, you should know that having children isn’t easy. I’m not comfortable letting others take care of the child.”

When Granny Yang heard this, she wasn't too surprised. The shop wasn't exactly quiet, and the two of them spoke in hushed tones, so they didn't attract attention.

She thought for a moment, then sat down next to Yingxiang and took her hand.

"Shopkeeper, I may be a bit blunt, please don't take offense."

"It's alright, go ahead and tell me."

"Logically speaking, I should advise you to have more children, the more the better. But you need to think carefully about whether it's worth it. Childbirth is like walking through the gates of hell for a woman, and you've already been through it once."

"For a married woman, the source of her confidence is her children. Having many children is definitely not a bad thing; they will all be filial to you in the future."

"But you don't necessarily have to give birth yourself."

Granny Yang suddenly turned around, her hint quite clear: she gestured for Yingxiang to look at the performers on stage.

"As you know, I do what I do. I've had dealings with some wealthy families and have seen quite a bit."

Granny Yang had a very good impression of Yingxiang, largely because of her generosity, though that was only one of the reasons.

The business wasn't easy to run before, so she planned to work with Yingxiang from now on. That meant she had to make the shopkeeper happy so she could earn money.

"For a woman to be in charge of the household, the most important thing is to be healthy. Nothing else is more important than that. Think about it, if a person is not healthy and gets sick, it is they who suffer."

"Why don't you buy a few young and beautiful slaves, take them as concubines, and let them come into the house to have children? Once the children are born, you can raise them yourself. When they grow up, they will all be your children. If they are obedient, then treat them well. If they are disobedient, just make sure they don't starve to death and people say you are cruel."

"Of course, these troublemakers cannot be left behind. You should find a reason to deal with these concubines who have given birth. You can sell them, beat them to death, or give them away. They definitely cannot be kept in the house."

Yingxiang disagreed with this and shook her head.

Of course, she had heard before that if a woman had power in the inner quarters, she could indeed be a mother without pain. Out of filial piety, her children could only be grateful to her when they grew up, otherwise they would have no future.

Even if you know what really happened to your biological mother, you can only endure it, because your legal mother is the most important.

She could send women to Wen Shi, regardless of whether he wanted them or not, but she couldn't do that right now. It would be even more difficult for her to dispose of those women at will; they were living, breathing people.

Thinking about the argument last night, she felt a little sad. Some of the things she said were indeed inappropriate. She knew that Wen Shi was very good to her and loved her very much, but he might not understand.

She didn't want to put her newly picked-up career on hold for a few more years, nor did she want to have any more children. Everyone says life is long, but she felt she had already done a lot.

She opened a shop and then let her family run it so they could make a living. She endured the hardships of giving birth, raising children, and the ten months of pregnancy.

“It’s all going to be tough at the beginning. I know you have feelings for each other and you’re not the kind of person to be heartless, but if you don’t act this way, then you’ll only have one hope for the future, and that might not be reliable.”

"In the long run, this is the best way. We women rely on men for the rest of our lives. There's a saying that goes, 'After the husband dies, the son follows.' The children, out of filial piety, will listen to us."

"It's true what they say about us women being pitiful. Before marriage, we're not valued in our own families. After marriage, we're burdened by our in-laws and husbands. The only time we can relax is in the second half of our lives. Health is of utmost importance. Once we become mothers-in-law, everything will really be better."

Granny Yang sat to the side, wearing a silver bracelet on her wrist. She spoke with some emotion at the end, and Yingxiang naturally understood. Most women in the world are like this nowadays.

The cycle of daughter-in-law becoming mother-in-law continues endlessly, preventing one from living a carefree life.

"Actually, there are also people who are deeply devoted to love. Do you know Empress Chunming?"

Yingxiang was stunned; she really didn't know that.

"Back then, Emperor Taizu left the harem empty for many years for her sake, and only made her son the crown prince, without considering anyone else. That's why the late emperor was able to secure his position as the heir apparent. Our current emperor is the son of the late emperor."

"But she was really amazing. A woman who accompanied the emperor to the battlefield without hesitation and without fear. Later, for her sake, the emperor ignored the pleas of his officials and left the harem empty. You know, when the two of them first got married, they even had a fight."

Upon hearing this, Yingxiang immediately imagined a lot of things, but she greatly admired women who could fight on the battlefield with swords and spears.

Granny Yang's ancestors were all from the capital, so she knew a lot. Few people dared to speak directly about such royal matters, so she always whispered to Yingxiang.

"Actually, this world is not good for us women. I have always felt that we are all human beings, so why should only men take the imperial examinations and women can't? At most, they can do some business, but they can't become officials."

When Granny Yang said this, Yingxiang smiled and said, "That's right. If women could become officials, I would save money to take the exams so that I could have a voice."

Hearing what Granny Yang said, she wasn't too surprised. In this vast world, there are all kinds of people. Morality, etiquette, and rules and regulations bind everyone, but as long as you're not really stupid, you'll always be able to tell that something is wrong.

"I was just talking nonsense."

Old Lady Yang suddenly smiled and then said, "Shopkeeper, I've lived here for so many years and seen a lot. Let me give you some advice: never do anything that is not good for yourself. Don't let momentary pity harm you and end up with nothing but a wasted effort and a loss."

“You’re just like me, willing to come out and earn a living rather than stay at home. That’s good. Of course, you’re more capable than me. I used to be a daughter-in-law, and I knew how to live by reading people’s faces. Now that I’m a mother-in-law, I also want to come out and earn money. It won’t be much, but at least enough to support myself.”

"With money, whether you stay at home or not, you can stand taller, eat whatever you want, and buy whatever you want."

Yingxiang agreed with this.

The differences between her and Wen Shi need to be discussed and resolved. They can talk it out again tonight. She doesn't like to engage in any cold wars, and there's no need for that. It's not a big deal, so there's no need to drag it out.

She wouldn't do anything against her conscience. Even now that she's a mother, she's first and foremost herself, and only secondly a wife and mother. Thinking of this, Yingxiang's resolve strengthened.

Upon reflection, she realized she had acted impulsively. A firm but gentle approach was the best way to resolve the issue. Wen Shi's lack of understanding at the time wasn't necessarily a problem.

If you sent an ancient person to modern times and told these modern people that having many children brings good fortune and that having more children means greater hope for the future, they would probably be misunderstood and thought you were crazy for having so many children. They wondered if you could give your children the best.

Thinking of this, Yingxiang felt much better. She needed to take it slow and not rush things, otherwise she might say something she shouldn't.

Hanlin Academy

Wen Shi was in a bad mood all day. After finishing his shift, he went to pick up his child.

Before long, Hu Yong'an came out and immediately invited the father and son to get into the carriage. His carriage was drawn by two fine horses, and the driver looked very capable.

"Greetings, Uncle."

"Please sit down, please sit down. There are some pastries here, have some."

Hu Yong'an was very hospitable. The spacious and luxurious carriage was not only covered with soft cushions, but also had a small mahogany table, and next to the table was a cabinet of moderate size.

He opened the drawer, took out a bag of pastries, and handed it to Wen Leqian.

Wen Leqian didn't stand on ceremony and started eating as soon as he opened the package. The pastries were soft and delicious. At the same time, he looked at his father with curiosity and looked around the car.

When Wen Shi picked him up, he had already instructed him to sit properly and greet people.

"Brother Wen, come and have some tea."

Hu Yong'an skillfully brewed tea. His carriage was fully equipped with everything he needed, including boiling water and making tea.

Thank you.

After taking a sip of hot tea, I put the teacup aside when I smelled it.

"I'll most likely be working at the Ministry of Rites, where there are more vacancies."

"Congratulations."

Wen Shi wasn't too surprised. The museum would be closing next year, which would also be a new year for scientific expeditions. In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

"Speaking of which, Brother Wen, your future is definitely brighter. His Majesty has met with more than a dozen people, but you stood out from the crowd and were granted an official position. You've taken the lead."

Hu Yong'an expressed his envy at this point, since Wen Shi relied on his own efforts.

Thinking back to when the two of them lived in the same place in the prefectural city, he secretly looked down on Wen Shi back then, but now he feels like he's been slapped in the face.

"Your son is also intelligent; he will have a bright future ahead of him."

After finishing the last piece of pastry, Wen Leqian took out a small white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his hands in a very professional manner.

"Thank you for the compliment, Uncle."

Hu Yong'an smiled.

"Brother Hu, you've changed a lot."

Wen Shi looked at Hu Yong'an. These words came from the bottom of his heart. The person in front of him was not a bad person. He had indeed lacked social interaction before, but now it was clear that he had changed a lot.

In the past, he wouldn't have been so hospitable to Wen Leqian and him; he would have just openly or subtly shown off the material of his clothes.

Hu Yong'an smiled and then said, "I was young and ignorant before, but my family has taught me a lot. I am still learning how to conduct myself in society. Please bear with me, Brother Wen."

The carriage was moving very fast. When they arrived at the Hu residence, the father and son got off the carriage.

Wen Shi had been here before, but the child was different. He was still young and very curious. He followed his father through the corridors, managing to keep quiet.

When visiting someone's home, one should naturally meet the elders first. Wen Shi followed Hu Yong'an with a calm and composed demeanor.