Chapter 119

Everyone then stood up and began to take out their own bundles, which were all slightly different from one family to another.

But one thing was the same: they both kept their money hidden on their person.

Wen Shi wasn't embarrassed at all. He took his whole family to Ping'an Village. When they arrived outside the city, one oxcart wasn't enough, and they still had a lot of things to carry, so they rented two.

After spring arrives, it gets dark later and later, and there are still quite a few pedestrians on the road at this time.

When we arrived, it wasn't dark yet. At this time, the villagers were busy with spring planting, wildflowers were blooming in full bloom by the roadside, and children were laughing and playing on the village roads.

Led by Wen Shi, the group walked towards the newly built house. Most of them looked around curiously, as the village under the imperial city was quite different from their hometown.

Upon arriving at the location, everyone stood at the entrance, their faces filled with disbelief as they looked at the imposing house surrounded by thick, sturdy walls.

I originally thought that if we let them live outside, they might still end up in thatched huts. I never expected that this house would be built so grandly and neatly. It looks brand new and is so much better than the small courtyard where Wen Shi is currently living.

“Building your own house is definitely cheaper. I bought two acres of dry land, and it was only completed at the end of last year.”

Wen Shi explained and opened the door, inviting everyone inside. This large family was quite eye-catching, and some curious villagers were already staring at them.

Having traveled all the way from the capital, everyone had a rough estimate of the distance, and it wasn't considered very far.

Especially the second and fourth sons. You know, when they were at home, they lived in a stone house. This house looked exactly like the mansions where the rich people in the county lived. It was really beautiful.

After everyone followed them inside, Yingxiang, holding the child's hand, made sure to close the door behind her.

"Yingxiang and I have prepared everything that needs to be prepared. Take a look."

The wooden door was pushed open by the smell, and everyone went inside one after another.

The house was spacious, which surprised everyone. It was impossible for it to be not enough room or uncomfortable. Old Man Wen looked at the new house, which was much better than he had expected, and his mood became inexplicably happy.

This house was something they never dared to dream of before, with a large hall where the whole family could sit and eat together in the future.

Wen Shi led the way inside. He pushed open the main door and found the interior furnishings to be very neat. There were incense burners, screens, and vases, and the shelves were full of decorations. The walls were also white. The room had a good orientation and was very bright.

"Is this for me and your mother to live in?"

“This was originally set up for Yingxiang and me to stay in, but it’s fine for you and my mother to stay here now.”

After finishing speaking, Old Man Wen put down the bundle in his hand with a smile. He was very satisfied with the room.

Liu looked inside the house and was also tempted. This was much better than that small courtyard. The house was much bigger than the one they used to live in in the village, and it was fully furnished.

The people who came in later didn't say anything when they heard this. After all, they were elders. After everyone had taken a walk around the rather large courtyard, their moods brightened.

Although it's not in the city, it's undeniable that this house is really nice—spacious, spacious, and definitely comfortable to live in; the furniture is all new too.

"Third brother, which room do we stay in? This child is sleepy too."

Wen Erge scratched his head and looked at Wen Shi to ask.

Apart from the main hall, the other rooms are pretty much the same, the only difference being their location. Yuqin looked at Wenshi with anticipation.

Living in the city was definitely out of the question. She wasn't stupid; her third brother's words made perfect sense. This place didn't look bad either; it was much bigger than the small house in the village or the county.

“The child is growing up, and it won’t be easy for your second brother and me to take him to sleep in the future. We’re not greedy, third sister-in-law. You paid for this house to be built, so we’re just benefiting from it. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to come here. You tell us where we want to live, and we’ll live there.”

Yingxiang remained silent, but she had already considered the matter when she smelled it.

Of course, it would be inappropriate for him to say right now that he has given the house to his family.

"Second sister-in-law, our parents live in the main house. As the saying goes, there is an order of seniority. There are houses in both the front and back yards. You are the second oldest, so let your eldest brother choose first."

"No, I'll divide them later."

Old Man Wen sat in a chair in the hall, speaking with great arrogance, without even looking at Wen Chuanzong.

Wen Chuanzong was taken aback. In fact, his branch of the family had the most people. One room was definitely not enough, and even two rooms would not be enough. His two children were already grown up, and he also saw that the house was not small, so it would be good to choose a few more rooms.

Seeing that Wen Shi still respected him, he felt a little better, but Wen's father's words plunged him into despair.

What do you mean he has to divide it? He's so biased, do you think he'd give him the best house?

"Old man, how are you going to divide it?"

Liu was just curious and wandered around for a while. She has now accepted it, since the biggest and best house is for them to live in anyway.

Compared to the eldest son's family, Yuqin and the fourth son were in a good mood.

“I’ll still run this place. The third brother will contribute money and effort. These two rooms are for you two. The two rooms next to them are for the fifth brother. When he gets married and has children, he’ll definitely need two rooms.”

Wen Xiaowu didn't say anything, and the rooms in the front yard were immediately divided up.

There weren't many rooms, but they were all quite large, especially the main house. When Old Man Wen was looking at it earlier, he was secretly a little dissatisfied. He felt that the rooms could have been divided in two by the walls built in the middle, making the rooms even larger. If he had been in charge of supervising the project, such a large place could have easily housed at least thirty rooms.

"The second son and his wife will live in the two rooms at the back. You two will share one room, and the child will share the other."

"Fourth brother, you and your wife will live in the two rooms on the left at the back."

The kitchen and the woodshed were separate. Old Man Wen looked at Wen Chuanzong one last time.

“Eldest daughter-in-law, you can stay in the room next to the second son’s family. Later, you can divide the space between the two children.”

"You and your woman can move next to Lao Si's house, just a little space in between."

"Father, there are still a few rooms left."

Wen Chuanzong's expression was rather unpleasant. Clearly, his family could have one room per person, so why were they only given two rooms despite having so many people? Other families only had one child, but he had three.

"I'll leave the remaining rooms as they are and think about it later."

Xiuyu's expression also turned somewhat unpleasant. Upon hearing this, Liu Shi thought of her two grandsons and cleared her throat: "The older one will be getting married in a few years. How can he manage without a room?"

"And the younger ones are also studying, and they will get married someday."

Old Man Wen looked at his eldest grandson, and the boy, quick-witted, immediately ran to him.

"Grandpa, I want to live by myself, not with Mother."

“I want to live on my own too. I can definitely fit in there, and I want to live in the front.”

"That won't do, there are no empty houses up ahead."

Old Man Wen refused outright.

"How about this, eldest daughter-in-law, you live alone, and the two children each have their own room, you..."

Old Man Wen looked at A-Mian and the child in her arms, and sighed as if he had thought of something. This was also a member of the Wen family. In recent years, this woman had been honest and well-behaved. She had even lived in the woodshed before, and had been hardworking and dutiful.

People shouldn't go too far. In the end, it's Wen Chuanzong who isn't human. The child in her arms is his grandson. Although he has many grandsons, they are all of the Wen family bloodline.

"You'll move into the room next to the woodshed, bringing your child along to carry on the family line. You, your wife, and your child will each have a room for now. It's only temporary; this room isn't being given to you directly, it's just for you to live in."

"If anyone disobeys, don't blame me for kicking them out."

Hearing this, A-Mian felt much better. Now that she had a proper house to live in, it was much better than living in the woodshed before, and she was very happy.

Wen Chuanzong nodded. Judging from the matter of room allocation, he was already ranked last in his father's heart.

As dusk settled, Wen Shi didn't want to waste any more time.

"Dad, we also need to buy a mule cart later, because the children will all need to go to school when they grow up."

"Don't worry about that, you and your wife don't need to pay anything, you'll take care of it."

Old Man Wen quickly said, "The family is all counting on Wen Shi, it won't work."

“Your younger brother is now a scholar, and he can support himself. Your eldest brother’s family doesn’t need your help either. Your second and fourth brothers have worked hard for the past few years and have enough money to send their children to school.”

Wen Shi hadn't originally intended to take on too much responsibility, but he was afraid his family would become complacent.

“If your wife’s shop needs help, your second and fourth sons are both free and can help out.”

“She doesn’t need anyone. We have a house, but we still need to buy land.”

After Wen Shi finished speaking, everyone looked at him.

"This is also part of settling down and buying a house, Dad."

"Buying land?"

To be honest, Old Man Wen didn't want to farm, but Wen Shi's words puzzled him greatly.

“Father, I am a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). According to the law, all the land under my name is exempt from taxes. You know, even if you don’t pay taxes, that kind of land can still make money.”

Old Man Wen was immediately tempted.

Wen Erge and Wen Laosi also looked at Wen Shi. They felt that this was good for them, since Xiao Wu and Da Ge didn't need to farm.

"Third Brother, land in the capital must be expensive."

Wen Shi nodded and then said, "This area is a bit better. It costs forty or fifty taels per mu. That's the price for fertile land. Dry land will be even cheaper."

Old Man Wen glanced at Wen Shi and guessed what was going on, but it was fine this way.

Having lived for so many years, he had seen brothers turn against each other, and he never imagined that after all of them came over, they would all rely on Wen Shi for food and drink.

"Third brother, come over when you have your holiday, and we'll have a good talk. Spring planting is almost over, and we haven't had a break along the way, so let's take a rest first."

"It's getting late, and you'll be busy tomorrow too. Let's talk about it later."

Yingxiang remained silent throughout, and things went relatively smoothly. This was understandable, given the complexity of human nature. However, Wenshi had managed to control his family to some extent. While the city was certainly nice, seeing such a grand and respectable house with brand-new furniture and spacious rooms made everyone less inclined to move there.

When the distance is not far, no one wants to squeeze in with others, and it feels uncomfortable.

"Then I'll come over after my day off."

"good."

"You should go back first."

"Third brother, your second sister-in-law is asking you, can our Jinyu also attend the school where Leqian is studying? The child is not young anymore."

Didn't he go to school in the county?

Wen Shi asked in return, "This nephew is a few years older than his son. When the two stand together, the height difference is not so obvious anymore. The child was frail and sickly when he was young, but he looks much better now."

The second brother gave an awkward smile, remembering what Wen Shi had told him before.

“This child was in poor health when he was young, but he is better now. We can’t let him stay in school. We’ve always wanted him to study in the capital.”

"No problem, Second Brother. You'll definitely need to pick me up and drop me off from now on. I don't have the time. Get a car ready as soon as possible so it'll be more convenient. There are towns nearby, so you can rest for a few days and go out for a drive."

“Don’t leave the empty space behind. Plant vegetables, raise chickens and pigs, and get it all set up. You can sell them later and make money. It’s a source of income. My personal ability is limited right now, so we should work together to save money and buy a big house together.”

"Third brother, let our two sons go too, we'll pay for it ourselves."

Xiuyu quickly spoke up as well.

Wen Shi did not object.

Remembering the half-acre plot of land behind him, Old Man Wen immediately stood up. That plot of land wasn't small either; he would fence it off and try to get a share.

“I want to divide that plot of land in the back into three parts. Second son and fourth son, each of your family will get a separate part. You can raise pigs and chickens, and you can sell them later. All the money is yours, but you have to take care of it yourselves. The rest can be used for your family.”

Once they arrived in the capital, they would definitely try to save money wherever possible. Both children could only earn a living through physical labor, and Old Man Wen wanted to take better care of them.

Fortunately, Wen Shi wasn't unhappy at the moment and acquiesced to his father making the choice.

Old Man Wen had another wish in his heart: he hoped that he could live in the big house that his third son had bought in the city before he died, preferably even bigger and brighter than this one. Although he didn't know how long it would take, he was determined to live well. He believed that his third son would definitely live to see it.

"Dad, we'll listen to you."

After Yuqin finished speaking, she was already thinking that the place was indeed quite large. She wanted to give them a piece of land so she could raise pigs. She would fence it off and bring back a few piglets. If she worked hard and cut more pig feed, she could raise two pigs a year and sell them for several taels of silver. That would be a lot of money.

Not long after, Wen Shi and Ying Xiang left Ping'an Village and took the child back to the city.

Even though the Wen family is now mostly settled, they still have to live their own lives from now on.

The house is registered under Wen Shi's name. He has a backup plan, and it's hard to say what will happen in the future. He won't reveal his plans until the very last moment.