Chapter 163

The children grew up slowly, and before they knew it, they had all reached the age of marriage and having children.

Yingxiang and Wenshi were in Jiangzhou and couldn't go back for the banquet. There was also a time difference in the delivery of letters, so by the time the letter arrived, the family celebrations were usually over.

Although the Wen family couldn't help Wen Shi, they didn't hold him back either.

Yingxiang didn't refuse Yang Man's request to come and learn from her. The girl was honest and even brought her a gift when she came.

After studying for a while, I have achieved some results.

In the sizable classroom, the two sat together arranging flowers, with two old women offering guidance.

Yingxiang arranged the flowers and thought they looked good, so she immediately asked someone to put them inside. Normally, if you're particular about it, you could burn incense, but good incense is too expensive, and she didn't like the smell of cheap incense.

I place some fresh flowers and fruits in the house every day; they taste good and are pleasing to the eye.

After Yang Man finished arranging the flowers, she immediately showed them to the two men. She was a well-behaved and obedient girl, and she even stood up and curtsied, her movements were very standard.

During this time, Yingxiang observed that the child was teachable and had good learning ability, but lacked confidence. However, compared to before, he had changed a lot.

There were several books on women's precepts and virtues on the table next to her, but Yingxiang didn't need to study them.

This doesn't matter to her; she's almost a mother-in-law herself.

For Yang Man, it was still quite necessary.

The education of women in ancient times and in modern times is vastly different. Sometimes, Yingxiang feels quite fortunate that she doesn't have a daughter and doesn't have to worry about this.

In ancient times, the requirements for women differed between large and small families.

In ordinary families, the requirements for a daughter-in-law are that she be able to work, be strong, be able to bear children, and be obedient.

In large families, apart from having children, everything else is quite different; the most important things are things like managing the household and keeping accounts.

Yang Man is literate. Her two older brothers used to teach her these things when they came back from their holidays. This was something Yang Xun had specifically instructed him to do, as he didn't want his daughter to be illiterate.

Yingxiang sat to the side, listening listlessly for a while, but finding it uninteresting, she got up and returned to the main house.

After listening to Bai's mother's story, Yang Man took out a money pouch from her bosom.

"These days have been hard on both of you mothers. Please accept this small token of our appreciation."

Three taels of silver per person isn't much, but it's better to have something than nothing.

"The girl is someone who knows how to be grateful."

No one dislikes money, and Yang Man felt she had learned a lot from it. She was genuinely grateful to the two mothers, but she couldn't afford to give them too much money.

Mother Bai knew about her family's situation. She sat aside, pondered for a while, and then said, "The young lady has been learning from us for quite some time. Theoretical knowledge alone is not very useful; she still needs to practice gradually."

“You have a large family. Talk to your father. Your mother doesn’t know how to manage the household and keep accounts. Your grandparents don’t understand these things either, but you are now learning from us in a real and practical way.”

"Just tell him what I said. He's a smart man, otherwise he wouldn't have let you come here to learn these things."

Yang Man nodded, her expression natural and without any resistance.

Her mother wanted her to marry a rich man, but her father clearly didn't think so; if they were in the countryside, she would have been married long ago.

Ultimately, the father is the one who makes the decisions in the family.

Both mothers were doing it for her own good. If she could manage the household and the money, her father wouldn't have to secretly give her money, and he wouldn't dare let her grandparents and mother know.

After dinner that evening, Yang Man went to her father's study, stood there, and spoke directly.

“Father, your daughter is not young anymore. You sent her to study, and she has made some progress. Theoretical knowledge is ultimately useless. Mother is confused, and Grandparents are getting old and should enjoy their retirement. Your daughter is not young anymore either. If she can help you with the household management, that would be good.”

Yang Xun was taken aback, but after thinking it over carefully, he did not refuse.

At this moment, he carefully examined Man'er in front of him. She had changed a lot. She was no longer wearing drab clothes. She stood there with poise and spoke with reason and evidence.

It seems that letting her go there to study was the right decision.

"Don't worry, my daughter will keep a detailed record of every expense in the future."

"Let's go find your grandparents now."

Yang Xun immediately stood up; he strongly agreed with this.

Upon hearing Yang Xun's words, the two elders of the Yang family immediately turned pale. It was clear that they were unwilling to relinquish control of the finances, as they received several hundred taels of silver each year.

The whole family lived in the government compound, so there was no rent. It would be impossible for them not to have saved any money over the years, just not much.

“How can a little girl manage the household and money? We’re not dead yet.”

"Do you think it would be useful for her to learn those things? It would be better for her to stay at home and serve us, at least she'd have a reputation for being filial."

"Yes, she's become more ambitious now, and she even wants to manage the household. Does she even know how to manage a household?"

In the past, Yang Man would have lowered her head and dared not speak. But now, she stood to the side, not saying a word, but she no longer had the timid look she had before, and her eyes were clear.

She knew in her heart that her father had already agreed, so it was a done deal.

“Father, Mother, Man’er is my own daughter. Even if she is to marry in the future, she will marry into an official’s family. A woman in a large family must be able to manage the household. If I raise her to be ignorant of the ways of the world and only know how to obey, how will she have a place in her husband’s family after she gets married? People will laugh at us and look down on our family.”

"Your wife is better than you in this respect. What's the use of being an official? It's better to be rich. What's the use of a little girl?"

“I won’t let Man’er marry down. Otherwise, I would have married her off long ago. Man’er only has a short time to manage the household. Once she’s fully capable, I’ll find her a husband and marry her off. I can’t hold her back.”

After Yang Xun finished speaking, he looked straight at his parents.

Upon closer inspection, his eyes were firm, clearly indicating that he had already made up his mind.

The two elders looked at each other, naturally unwilling as well.

“Since I became an official, my parents have been frugal in everything they do. My salary has been increasing slowly, and I also have to socialize when I go out. Only when I am well can my family be well.”

“Xun’er, do you think this household is difficult to manage? She’s just a little girl. Here’s what we’ll do: let her manage it together with me and your father.”

“Grandpa, Grandma, Man’er has already thought it through. Our family is not well-off, so we should increase our income and reduce our expenses. Fortunately, our household expenses are not that high. Half of Father’s salary will be saved for his future use.”

"Think about it, Uncle Wen and Father came from similar backgrounds, so how come Uncle Wen was a higher-ranking official than Father?"

The two elders of the Yang family didn't know much, but when Yang Man said this, it seemed reasonable and well-founded, and the two of them fell silent.

"And my brothers and sisters, they will all need money to get married in the future. Rich people use money to make more money and save it up. There's only so much money. Look how well Aunt Wen is doing. Why can she open a shop and have a steady stream of income? She still makes good use of her money."

“Now I’m learning from her too. My aunt is a good person and she’s very good to me. Our family can’t waste this opportunity.”

Yang Xun looked at his daughter and nodded in agreement.

My wife is just so-so. If my daughter can stand up, that would be good.

"Don't worry, I will keep a record of every expense in the household from now on. You can check the accounts at any time. If I embezzle any money from the household, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death."

"Man'er, don't talk nonsense."

Upon hearing this, the elderly couple sighed. Looking at their son, they understood that the money was beyond saving and he would have to hand it over.

After watching the two elders enter the inner room, Yang Xun smiled at his daughter.

"She's a good daughter of her father, and she can talk now."

Yang Man sat to the side, smiling and nodding.

Inside the room, Old Lady Yang took out the box where she kept her money and counted it. It was almost all hundred-tael silver notes. Over the years, after deducting expenses, she had saved eight hundred taels. She would count it every few days and usually treated this money like the apple of her eye.

During the first few years of Yang Xun's official career, when he was still the county magistrate, his family lived in the county government office. Although they only received 200 taels a year, Old Lady Yang was still able to save 100 taels. Later, as several grandchildren grew up and so many children needed to go to school, and there were many people to feed in the family, they also bought several servants to do the work, and the expenses gradually increased.

Yang Xun had thought there would be more money in the future, and he had been promoted again. But now he couldn't manage the money anymore. The girl's reasoning was sound, and Yang Xun agreed.

They couldn't afford to distance themselves from their son because of this; they were counting on him for the future.

"Keep three hundred taels, and give the rest to that girl."

Old Yang whispered to his wife, and the couple had the same idea.

It's impossible not to give them anything, but they'd feel bad if we gave them everything.

“Here you go. Dad and I have been very frugal these past few years, but the number of people in our family has increased, the children have grown up and gotten married, and we even had to renovate our old house. That’s all we have saved.”

Yang Xun counted the taels: five hundred taels. Something was better than nothing. He knew the old couple well; they must have kept some for themselves.

That's not important. In the future, he needs to keep the money in his own hands. His daughter will definitely be loyal to him; his parents don't only have him as their son.

If we're talking about providing assistance, the previous assistance has been more than enough.

"Man'er, go back and prepare an account book. All household expenses must be recorded so that your father can check the accounts at any time."

"Don't worry, Father."

"Keep the money safe."

Yang Man took the money, feeling both excited and overjoyed. She wasn't stupid; she wouldn't squander the money.

When Yang Xun's wife learned that her daughter would be in charge of the household finances, she was initially very happy. However, after being refused money and accounts, she was furious and cursed, but it was no use.

“You’ve really gone astray. I’m your mother, your biological mother, not your stepmother.”

"If a daughter is in charge of the household and accounts, she must be fair in order to gain people's trust. If a mother asks for money, she must have a reason and a reason for it so that the daughter can register it. She must also inform her father later."

"You, you're going to drive me crazy!"

Watching her mother storm out, Yang Man remained calm. She knew she couldn't disappoint her father, and now that the money was in her hands, she couldn't give it away easily.

Just in case, she made a money pouch and carried the money close to her body. Her mother was really stingy and not very presentable, so she had to be careful.

When she got home that day and saw the somewhat messy house, her expression turned rather unpleasant.

Privately, she didn't hide it from Yang Xun, nor from her grandparents. There had been another fight at home, and she wouldn't talk about family matters outside.

Finally, things quieted down.

Before we knew it, autumn had arrived, and the weather was getting cooler day by day.

That day, after class, she brought the hibiscus cake she had made to Yingxiang.

"Please try it, Madam. This was made by Man'er herself."

She was very grateful to Yingxiang, but unfortunately she didn't have enough money to give her anything nice. Recently, she started learning to make some pastries, and once she made them quite well, she immediately sent them to Yingxiang as a small token of her appreciation.

"tasty."

Yingxiang picked up a piece and slowly ate it; this girl's cooking skills were truly excellent.

“A drop of kindness deserves a spring of gratitude. Thank you, Madam, for not disliking Man’er. If there is an opportunity in the future, Man’er will repay you a thousandfold.”

Women from large families don't need to be experts in cooking, but knowing how to make some pastries can at least enhance the relationship between husband and wife.

These were all taught to Man'er by her two mothers, and she remembered them all carefully.

Seeing her solemn expression, Yingxiang smiled and said, "You don't need to repay me. After you get married, live a good life and remember that no matter when or where, you are the most important person."

"Your husband may not be good to you for a lifetime, and your children may not always be filial to you. If you want to live a good life in the future, you need to be capable, able to withstand things, and remember to have money in your hands."

"Thank you for your guidance, Madam. I will keep it in mind."

Before she knew it, she had been learning from her for several months. Yingxiang had seen all the changes in her and knew that she was now in charge of the household.

Some things, once learned, can benefit you for a lifetime.

She didn't agree because she wanted anything in return; she just wanted to help the girl, it was nothing more than a small favor.

"elder sister."

When Wen Yixin returned home from school, he walked towards Yingxiang after entering the house. Upon seeing Yang Man, he immediately greeted her.

"Come on, try the hibiscus cake your sister made."

"Go back and rest first."

"good."

"My brother will come when the Chinese New Year comes."

"yes."

Yingxiang looked gentle and first used a handkerchief to wipe her youngest son's hands.

"Is Sister Man'er also his sister?"

The child seemed to understand but not quite, and Yingxiang smiled and nodded.

Yang Man is older than Le Qian. She is still a woman, and it is unknown when she will get married, but now that she is married, she will definitely not be bullied.

She already knew what her foundation was.

Recently, Yingxiang heard that Yang Xun had begun to consider his daughter's marriage, but he only wanted to settle it first and was not in a hurry to let her leave home. He still wanted to keep her for a few more years.

"Dad, here are the household expenses for the past few months. Please take a look."

That night, Yang Man took the account book to Yang Xun. She remembered every single expense every month very clearly.

The biggest expense for the family right now is the money for the brothers' education. It's not a very good academy, and they only get a living allowance of one or two taels of silver per month, which is less than ten taels in total.

Rice and flour are not expensive. With some meat and vegetables, a month's income is only five taels of silver.

The rest was just food and drink at home. As for clothes, they bought fabric and made them themselves. Yang Man was obviously more meticulous in managing the accounts than the old couple. She went directly to the fabric store to buy fabric and divided it equally among all the women, giving them two bolts each to make clothes.

This is purchased quarterly, once a month, which would be quite expensive, and all the fabrics purchased are ordinary cotton.

After reading it, Yang Xun couldn't help but smile knowingly.

"Very good. When the rewards come in at the end of this year, I will give them all to you."

"Thank you for your trust, Father."

Watching his daughter leave, Yang Xun once again felt that his decision was very wise.

Beijing

After Wen Leqian finished his studies, he returned to his room to study when someone suddenly knocked on the door.

He opened it and saw it was the doorman.

"Student Wen, someone from your family has come to call you. They say your uncle has suddenly fallen ill and you need to go home quickly."

Tomorrow was supposed to be his day off. He finally got a day off, but Wen Leqian sighed inwardly. It seemed there was no way around it; he couldn't skip this.

"I understand, I'll go right away, thank you for your trouble."

"fine."

Wen Leqian went inside to tidy up, and then headed towards Ping'an Village under the moonlight.

Last month, he attended his third brother's wedding banquet, where his eldest uncle was also present. He told his fifth uncle that he was no longer planning to continue his studies.

Unexpectedly, he fell ill again after only a few days. Le Qian rode his horse through the streets. He couldn't ride wildly in the street, so he finally managed to get out of the city and his speed increased.

Jin Yu sat on the back of the horse. He didn't want to come, but he had no choice. After all, they were all family. For some reason, they had to make things difficult for the younger generation, making them look like they were about to die. His aunt would just bluff.

After returning to Ping'an Village, Wen Chuanzong lay on the bed, his face pale. His son and daughter-in-law stood by his side, while Xiuyu, whose hair had turned a little gray, cried and wailed beside him.

"Have you called a doctor yet?"

Wen Leqian asked.

He stood there, and Wen Erge looked at him, vaguely feeling as if he saw Lao San. He pulled Jin Yu out and said that it was brighter outside than inside, at least there was moonlight.

"I've already consulted the doctor. Your uncle fell ill suddenly, and your sister-in-law rushed to my house. Oh, what a mess! The doctor said he was depressed and caught a cold, which is why he suddenly fell ill."

Looking at the simple thatched-roof courtyard, Wen Leqian sighed and said nothing more.

Do your grandparents know?

"I've already sent his second son to your fifth uncle's house. He should be coming over by carriage soon."

Sure enough, not long after, the old couple rushed over. Liu was crying and wailing, and Xiao Wu was with them.

Old Man Wen was also in a bad mood, and he didn't say anything as he looked at the younger generation.

Xu Yi, Wen Chuanzong's eldest daughter-in-law, stood to the side holding her daughter, feeling annoyed. There were quite a few people standing in the small courtyard.

She had too many problems with her in-laws, and she couldn't show it, so she could only endure it.

"Father, Mother, you're talking about carrying on the family line. Is it possible that the family line will be lost?"

Upon hearing this, Liu became so angry that she immediately started cursing.

"No, my older brother is still very young. When Xiao Wu walked up to Wen Chuanzong, it was obvious that he was still breathing."

"Father, Mother, let's send my eldest brother to the clinic in the city. I happen to have a carriage here."

"You younger ones should go back to your rooms and rest. It's definitely better in the city than here."

Wen Chuanzong was burning up with fever and might have to stay at the clinic for many days. Wen Xiaowu calmly and methodically made the arrangements.

"You've all come today, Leqian, Jinyu, and the rest of you. Focus on your studies, you don't need to worry about things here. Second brother and sister-in-law, and fourth brother and sister-in-law, it's getting late, you should go back and rest. Eldest sister-in-law, you're coming into town with us."

Amian stood to the side, visibly distressed. She wanted to go too, but then she thought, what would happen to the land and livestock if everyone went?

In the end, she gave up.

"The city is great, the city is convenient, let's go!"

Old Man Wen didn't want to wait any longer. Before long, there was no one left in the courtyard. Wen Leqian didn't return to the city either. He went directly to live in another house in the family, where there was no room for him.

He'll probably be heading back to the city tomorrow morning.

Early in the morning, Yuqin prepared breakfast. Wen Leqian ate a bowl of steamed egg custard, and Wen Erge immediately stood up.

"The autumn harvest is just around the corner, but my older brother suddenly fell ill. I'm afraid he won't be able to keep up with everything. I need to finish the work at home as soon as possible so I can go and help him out later."

"Second Uncle, I have a day off today. Let's go to the fields together. I'll head back to the city later."

"That won't work."

The second son immediately refused, and Yuqin echoed his sentiment after a moment's thought.

“The work in the fields is all rough work. Your second uncle, Jinyu’s wife, and I can manage. It’s more important for you and Jinyu to stay home and study.”

If this were the eldest daughter's family, Yuqin definitely wouldn't say that.

As the family's life improved, she became less calculating than before. In the end, it was Wen Shi who helped them get back on their feet.

"It's alright. Since we're always studying at the academy, it's good to go out and work in the fields. Just consider it a way to relax."

"This child, if your parents knew this, they would think we were bullying you."

“Father and Mother, let’s go together. Grandpa can’t come to help, and you and Father are getting old. It won’t take much of a day.”

The two brothers eventually went with them.

Fortunately, Wen Chuanzong was not seriously injured in the end. His high fever subsided and he gradually recovered. He recuperated at home and was taken care of by others.

When Old Man Wen and Mrs. Liu saw that he was better, they scolded him again. Finally, the old couple dusted themselves off and went to the city.

When Wen received the letter from home, he was speechless.

After the autumn harvest, the government office became busy again, as taxes from various places were delivered one after another. He had to collect, check, and submit the taxes, which was a major event every year and absolutely could not be wrong.

The taxes are actually quite high right now. Of the grain produced from one acre of land, 40% must be handed over to the government, and only the remainder can be kept at home.

During this time, Wen Shi also checked the government office's account books, and finally he wrote a memorial to the emperor.

The weather is getting colder and colder, and winter is just around the corner.

He wanted to use government funds to buy some fertile land from some merchants and distribute it to them, as some families had many members but little land and were struggling to feed themselves.

With the New Year approaching, consider this a gift from the emperor to the people. If the government intervenes, the price won't be high; merchants wouldn't dare to cheat the government.

The emperor replied quickly, agreeing immediately and allocating him another 30,000 taels of silver to handle the matter well.

The price of land in the local area is not high. This amount of money is neither large nor small. The national treasury is full, and it is used to help some poor people. Emperor Jingyuan will not disagree.

On the surface, it may seem like a drop in the ocean, but in reality, for some families, having something is better than having nothing.

On the one hand, Wen Shi began to spread the word in the prefecture that this was His Majesty's grace, bestowing favor upon the poor people.

On the other hand, in order to prevent his subordinates from embezzling or disobeying orders, since he was the one who proposed this matter, he had to handle it personally.

Wen Shi flipped through the government registers and found that all the land and shops owned by the merchants were registered. There were not as many wealthy people in the local area as in the prefecture. Many merchants living in Jiangzhou also had assets in the other counties.

He doesn't force anyone to buy or sell; if someone is willing to sell, he'll just go with the market price.

Some merchants gave him face and quoted him lower prices, hoping to save him a little money, so he wouldn't refuse.

There are poor people in several counties. To be fair, he plans to distribute the money equally, estimating that each county government can help about a hundred households.

The government spends money to buy it, so the merchants don't complain. As for the common people, they are even happier, as they can get an extra acre or two of land.

First, the land was taken back from the merchants, and then distributed to the poor people who had many family members but little land and struggled to even feed themselves. This was done to prevent the subordinates from embezzling the land.

Wen Shi personally took charge of the matter. This time, he had someone make a separate register and even issued a special order that anyone who tried to deceive the emperor would be guilty of deceiving the emperor. This was an act of kindness from His Majesty.

Those who had initially harbored ulterior motives immediately abandoned those thoughts.

The reason was simple: the cost was too high, but the reward was too little. Upon hearing this, an order was issued that each household eligible for land would receive a maximum of two mu of land.