Chapter 147

"Dad, if Xiao Wu comes back and wants to get married, we can still contribute some money."

"Does he still need your money?"

Wen Lao Si glanced at his father and then fell silent.

"snort."

After the meal, everyone left one after another, except for those who were clearing away the dishes.

When Old Man Wen returned to the house, he couldn't help but laugh again as he thought about it. How could Wen Dafa be so amazing, to have given birth to two such outstanding sons? However, Wen Chuanzong should not be ignored either.

Thinking of this, he looked at Liu Shi in front of the dressing table.

“Old woman, right now only our eldest son is a worry for us. Even though he’s heartless, we can’t just ignore him. His children are all grown up now, and he’s taken the exam twice, but there’s been no good news.”

“I think it would be better to let him give up, keep the money, focus on supporting the children, and let him find a job so that the family can have more income.”

Liu glanced back at Old Man Wen. What he said wasn't wrong. It was undeniable that Wen Chuanzong was quite old, and this wasn't his first time taking the exam.

He had been studying for another three years, but still hadn't achieved a good result. Considering his previous study time, he was undoubtedly the oldest among his brothers, as he was several years older than Wen Shinian.

"If the children rise to prominence in the future, he will have no worries."

Wen Chuanzong did have some academic achievements, but without the background of a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), it was unlikely that a Xiucai (a lower-level scholar) could become an official.

Of course, if you have strong family connections, you can get a government job in a remote county.

There's no way I'd consider becoming a high-ranking official, and I certainly wouldn't have any chance of promotion.

But if that's the case, he won't make much money, since one of the legal sources of income for officials is their salary, which is determined by their rank.

The Wen family is not wealthy, and he will not receive any inheritance.

That night, Old Man Wen called Wen Chuanzong over and told him about it.

"Dad, what do you mean I'll fail again after three more years of taking the exam? I just missed it this time."

Wen Chuanzong looked grim. He stood in the hall with a resolute expression; he did not want to give up.

“You’re a little short. Didn’t you say the same thing last time? It’s about carrying on the family line. It’s not that your father doesn’t want you to take the exam, but you have a heavy burden. You have three sons, and the eldest isn’t young anymore. After the fifth son gets married, we should start looking for a wife for him in a few years.”

"Why don't you save the money and leave it for the children, and don't forget the youngest one?"

Old Man Wen looked at his son with a mixture of disappointment and frustration. He was naturally annoyed that Wen Chuanzong was so disappointing, something he had never imagined before.

"Father, do you know? The provincial examination is not easy to pass. Some people take it for more than ten years. Why can't I?"

"Then how come your two younger brothers passed the exam all at once?"

"I, I..."

Wen Chuanzong blushed slightly, but he still wanted to fight for himself.

“I’ve been good enough to you. Before your two sons went back to take the exam, I even gave them money in secret. The second and fourth sons don’t know about it. If you insist, fine, you can’t live in this house. You take your wife and children out. You can take the exam for as long as you want, I don’t care.”

Wen Chuanzong's face immediately turned even uglier. In his current view, his father's words were undoubtedly a fatal blow.

Suddenly, he remembered the time when he was studying at Wenshi University.

At that time, Wen Shi's family did not support his studies, and his father scolded him a lot, but he still resolutely left home and did not return for a long time, supporting himself.

But it's impossible to expect him to endure hardship. His annual income is limited, and while copying books can provide some supplement, it's still limited. If he takes it all with him, it certainly won't be enough to cover his food and drink needs.

Renting a house and living expenses are considerable each month, not to mention that he only has sons, who have even bigger appetites, plus a wife and a concubine.

He's not stupid, and he's not blind. If he hadn't lived here and saved on food and rent, he would have gone to school under those conditions long ago.

The family had initially acquiesced, but for some reason, his own father was unwilling and pulled this stunt. He doesn't know if his brothers were involved in stirring things up.

"Father, let me think about it."

After Wen Chuanzong finished speaking, he turned and left. Liu felt a little reluctant, but she didn't say anything. In her heart, she agreed with Old Man Wen.

He has three sons, all of whom will get married and have children in the future. He is not young anymore and needs to consider his children's future.

Ping County

The Wen couple are unaware of what's going on at home yet. As the weather gets colder, they've resumed raising their child, which is much easier than before.

Firstly, there were maids to help take care of him, and secondly, this child seemed even more well-behaved than his brother was back then. He was still very young, so he just ate and slept, and of course, he was growing up little by little.

"My wife, I'm planning to prepare some New Year's gifts to send to my husband this year."

Wen Shi was truly grateful to Mr. Huang. He taught him not only the principles in books, but also the ways of being an official, which he has always found very useful.

Otherwise, he might not have had such a smooth career. To be honest, he wasn't discouraged when he was sent to a post outside the capital. For him, it was better than staying in the Hanlin Academy and getting promoted.

He held real power and was able to make a difference in local affairs; he felt that this was the most suitable place outside of the Six Ministries.

"No problem, make a list and I'll arrange for someone to go out and buy them."

Inside the spacious and tidy room, Yingxiang sat beside the cradle, her slender fingers flipping through the account book in her hand, occasionally rocking the cradle.

In her hand were the account books from two liquor shops in the county for the previous month. Since she couldn't personally oversee the operations right now, these account books were even more important and needed to be examined carefully.

Her hands-on approach to business had its advantages; she wasn't so easily fooled.

He had been thinking about it for several days, and seeing his wife's quick agreement, he immediately sat down at the mahogany table not far away and picked up his brush to grind ink.

To be honest, I haven't contacted my husband much these past few years. I thought it would be good to send him some gifts during the Lunar New Year.

He had no other thoughts; his main concern was simply gratitude towards the gentleman.

Ping County is not close to Songshan Prefecture, so he needs to prepare in advance. Yingxiang manages the family's finances, and this expense is not small. He will definitely have to discuss it with his wife and get her approval.

Fortunately, there were no obstacles. When I smelled it, my mind worked very quickly, and I wrote even faster.

He quickly wrote out a gift list and handed it to his wife. Yingxiang glanced at it from top to bottom and estimated that the total amount would not exceed a little over a hundred taels of silver, which she could accept.

"Husband, I'll have someone buy and send it over later. You don't need to worry about the rest."

Yingxiang was not an ignorant person. Not to mention that Wenshi had a considerable income, she knew that the ancients respected teachers and valued the Way. If Wenshi disregarded his family and sent a large sum of money every year, affecting the family's livelihood, she certainly could not agree to it.

Fortunately, he is a clear-headed and reasonable person, not so rigid and pedantic. He can distinguish right from wrong, whether it is towards his family or his mentor, and he will not disregard his family.

Wen Shi smiled as they talked. Suddenly, the child woke up and, seeing that he had his eyes open, Wen Shi picked him up.

"Yixin."

He spoke gently, and the child in his arms even smiled at him.

"Husband, do you think Yueqian will be able to come this year?"

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it should be fine."

When Wen thought of his eldest son, he was quite confident. He had been personally taking care of him since he started school, and he knew the boy's character. Since he had said it, he was sure he could do it.

The family is different now than before, and there are conditions for him to learn both academic and martial arts. It's always better to know something than not to know it, such as horseback riding. Riding a horse by himself is really enjoyable.

Wen Leqian was already from an official family. Riding a horse along the official road from the capital wouldn't take too long. With the end of the year approaching, he would soon be on holiday. Calculating the time, the family of three could reunite during the Spring Festival without interfering with his studies.

"Then write him a letter later and send it back to him, telling him to be careful."

"good."

Beijing

As Wen Shi had predicted, Le Qian had already learned to ride a horse. Recently, he had started picking out a horse for himself at the market. Going to study at a very good and expensive academy had its advantages, as the academy had stables and people specifically assigned to feed the horses.

He learned to ride a horse much faster than he had expected. He had never been separated from his parents since he was a child, and now, out of necessity, he would still like to spend the New Year with them if he had the means.

Besides, he already knew that his parents had another child, so he wasn't too worried about it. He just wanted to go see his parents as soon as possible.

He studied at this academy and was considered a good student with excellent grades. Moreover, given the traditional social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, even though his official position was not high, his status was still much higher than that of the merchants.

No one bullied him on a regular basis. Although his teachers were strict, they genuinely taught him.

My student life was quite enjoyable. I met some like-minded classmates during that time, and I would go out for meals and tea with them during my breaks.

He was already quite tall, and he's grown rapidly in the last two years. Right now, he's about the same height as a fourteen or fifteen-year-old young adult.

After a month of searching, he visited several famous markets in the capital and finally chose a black steed. He didn't have to worry about money; not only did Wen Shi give him money every year, but Ying Xiang had also given him a lot in private when she left.

But he didn't waste his money. He kept his father's teachings in mind, buying what he needed and not buying what he didn't need. He would regularly pack up clothes he couldn't wear anymore and send them to Ping'an Village so his younger cousins ​​could wear them.

That day, when Wen Leqian arrived, he saw his grandparents smiling broadly, and the whole family, except for his uncle, was generally very happy.

Before she could ask, Xiuyu grabbed his hand and told him everything.

"Then congratulations, Fifth Uncle."

Wen Leqian's height has surpassed that of Xiuyu; he is even half a head taller than Old Man Wen and Liu Shi.

"Le Qian, did you borrow that dark horse?"

"I bought it. Having a horse makes things much more convenient. I want to visit my parents this Chinese New Year."

Wen Leqian made no attempt to hide his feelings. As soon as he said this, Old Man Wen subconsciously stood up. He looked at the black horse in the yard and sighed inwardly, thinking that the third son and his wife were really rich.

The Niu family can't even afford to buy a horse right now, yet they're giving their son money to buy one.

The others were in similar situations, but no one said anything. They remembered what Wen Shi had said before: "I also have a son." Old Man Wen hadn't forgotten that.

They've helped us move here and even built us a house. You can't say this kid is heartless.

"So how do you take care of it on a daily basis?"

Wen Lao Er asked curiously.

“There are stables in the academy.”

"That's good."

"Leqian, you can ride a horse?"

Liu was the most excited. She walked around the horse once, mostly happy.

"Yes, but you can't ride a horse freely inside the city; you can only ride slowly. It's a bit better outside, but you still have to be careful not to bump into anyone."

Wen Leqian is quite mature, despite his young age.

"Then take the milk and go for a walk in the back mountain later."

As soon as Liu said this, the whole family looked at her. The horse was strong and tall, how was she going to get on it? Besides, it was getting cold, wasn't she afraid of the cold wind?

"I'll climb from the stool to the table, you go first."

Liu seemed to have already made up her mind. It was impossible for her to hold onto the horse's back and kick it. She was a little excited after she finished speaking. She had ridden in a horse-drawn carriage and a mule cart, but she had never ridden directly on a horse's back.

"Mother, this is too dangerous. You should take care of yourself."

Wen Chuanzong suddenly spoke up.

He recalled the time he rode a donkey with Liu in the back, and thankfully, the two of them survived. But this horse was different; if it went mad, things would be hard to say.

"Don't say anything. I believe in my grandson. He will definitely take me with him. Nothing will happen."

Wen Chuanzong's expression changed instantly.

Wen Leqian looked at Old Man Wen and saw that he didn't say anything. He then looked at the group of elders and knew that they couldn't persuade Liu.

"Grandma, you can go upstairs later. I'll hold your hand while we walk around this area to ensure safety."

"well."

"Leqian, this is for you. Since you're going to spend the New Year with your parents, take this to your father. This is for the little one, which is from your grandma and me."

Wen Leqian accepted the money, saying he would hand it over later.

"Leqian, your father has become a county magistrate, that's a prestigious position, why don't you take Grandma with you?"

"The journey is long, and it requires traveling day and night. Grandma, do you really want to go?"

Liu hesitated again, and finally gave up.

"That's true. When your father comes back, it won't be many years. If he's ambitious, he might become a high-ranking official when he returns."

"Second brother, fourth brother, quickly bring that table over here."

"You two will come along later and keep a close eye on things."

"Old woman, grab that saddle."

"rest assured."

As the saying goes, a good horse deserves a good saddle. Wen Leqian knew his horse well; it was usually very docile and would definitely not throw Liu off.

With elders accompanying her, no one could dissuade her, so they could only let her mount the horse.

Fortunately, in the end, nothing serious happened. Liu was sitting on horseback. There wasn't much scenery to see in the mountains and forests right now, but the view was definitely different.

Half an hour later, Wen Leqian led the horse back to her, and the second and fourth brothers couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The fourth son couldn't help but complain to himself, "My mother is such a troublemaker."

Seeing Liu return safely and looking pleased, Wen Chuanzong didn't say anything. Even now, he hasn't completely made up his mind to give up studying.

But without his family's support, he was helpless. He knew that the saying "money is dirt" was completely false.

But if you want to borrow money, who should you turn to?

This caused him great distress.