Chapter 164

His subordinates knew Wen Shi to some extent; he seemed very amiable, but he was extremely serious about his work.

He would occasionally check the accounts, and no one dared to fool him.

He is upright and fair to his subordinates, never showing favoritism. This is a good thing for some people, because if you do your job well, they won't bother you for no reason.

Wen Shi was very busy, and Ying Xiang could understand him.

That day, after reading the letter sent from the capital, she remained silent for a long time.

The letter was delivered by Granny Yang. In it, she resigned from her post, explaining that she was indeed getting old and it was time for her to retire.

They left the capital, and this year marks seven years since then.

"lady."

Seeing that Yingxiang was a little stunned, Chunyu called out from the side.

After Yingxiang came to her senses, she asked her to fetch a pen and ink.

Thinking back to when I first brought my child to Beijing, and now, back then, Wen Leqian was even younger than Wen Yixin is now.

The teahouse was the first business she started, and she put a lot of effort into it. Fortunately, the teahouse did quite well later on.

This was also inseparable from Granny Yang. Without the initial cooperation, she wouldn't have been able to open the teahouse so quickly, and the subsequent wine shop and farm would have taken even more time.

Yingxiang agreed, even though she was already old, but it would be a pity to close the teahouse because of this.

There were also elderly people in the shop, so they asked Granny Yang to recommend a reliable person to manage it for the time being. In recent years, she hadn't gone back home, and basically only wrote a letter every year to check on the shop's situation. She would carefully look at the account books and money that were sent over each time.

When the brush and ink arrived, Yingxiang picked up the brush and began to write, her strokes swift and precise.

"Have someone send it back."

It was a good parting. Yingxiang wasn't a stingy person. She had a tavern and a farm in the capital. She originally planned to save money to buy a shop if she stayed in the capital.

Now that Granny Yang is old, she wrote in her letter that if possible, she would like to buy back the wine shop, give her a lump sum, and then not give her any dividends every year. She would not mistreat Granny Yang.

I just don't know if she'll agree.

After Wen Shi was transferred to another post, the plan to buy a shop was put on hold. In the local area, renting was the most convenient option, and no one knew where Wen Shi would go in five years.

Yingxiang had thought about it privately. She was still young and it was good for her to follow Wen Shi. But if his career continued like this, she could only follow him for ten years at most. After ten years, she was afraid she would be too weak to continue and would definitely need to settle down.

With more than half of the year already gone, it's hard to say how much these shops will earn her by the end of the year.

In addition to a few taverns, she also opened a restaurant in the prefectural city, which she acquired from an existing business.

The restaurant has one in each of the four residential areas in the city, in the east, west, south and north. The prices are reasonable and fair. It's impossible for them to make a lot of money. It's already good enough to have a steady and consistent income.

In terms of labor costs, the rent in the prefectural city wasn't much cheaper than in the capital.

For the past six months or so, she has focused part of her attention on her studies, and there have been some positive results.

Yingxiang has already made up her mind. After the start of spring tomorrow, in addition to the spring banquet, she will prepare to hold another elegant gathering while the flowers are in bloom.

Neither of them celebrates their birthdays, nor would they accept gifts on such occasions.

As Wen Shi had said before, if both parents are together, the child cannot celebrate their birthday. She herself has no particular attachment to this. Holding a banquet is simply following the trend, and it is impossible for her not to hold one just for convenience.

It's important to understand that different statuses and positions require different tasks.

While Wen Shi was busy at the front, she couldn't rest behind either. She could treat this as practice and gain experience, which wouldn't hurt.

After the start of winter, the first heavy snow fell in Jiangzhou City.

I woke up early and pushed open the door, wearing a cloak. I looked outside and saw a vast expanse of white, with thick snow even bending some tree branches.

Yingxiang was still fast asleep, so he quickly closed the door, worried that the cold wind would blow in.

Across the street, Wen Yixin, dressed in a black cotton robe, came out of the house. When he saw Wen Shi, he immediately ran over, his small eyes sparkling.

"father."

He had been studying for half a year and seemed to have matured a lot. Wen Shi looked at him, squatted down, and picked him up. He had never felt tired before, but during this time, the child had grown a lot.

"In a few days, your father won't be able to carry you anymore. Don't disturb your mother's sleep. Let's go to the hall for dinner first."

Young ladies in their boudoirs are bound to be criticized for sleeping in late, but Yingxiang is different, and her two tutors are well aware of this.

It's already good that she's willing to learn those things. In the future, she'll be a mother-in-law, and now she doesn't have any elders around to take care of her.

"It's snowing. My brother will be here in a few months."

"Missing him?"

Wen Shi picked up a steamed bun and ate it slowly and methodically. It was breakfast that had just been made in the kitchen and was still steaming hot. Life had gotten better, so he didn't waste food or have so many fuss about setting out a big table. He would only eat a few bites of each dish.

He has a fixed number of meals every day, including both meat and vegetables, and he is content as long as he is full.

Looking at the thick red bean porridge in the bowl, the little guy took a sip with a spoon and then nodded.

"I miss my brother. I'm sure he'll bring me lots of fun things when he comes."

“Your older brother must miss you too. You are brothers. When you grow up, you must respect your brother and remember how good he was to you.”

I didn't think it was too early to say this; there's no harm in raising children earlier.

The dining room was very warm. Normally one should not speak while eating or sleeping, but he had been very busy lately and hadn't paid much attention to his youngest son.

"Father, you are really amazing. You are the prefect. Everyone says you are the most powerful person in Jiangzhou. I am studying at school, and my teacher is very kind to me. He never criticizes me. My classmates who study with me even said they would give me gifts and asked me what I like."

Upon hearing this, Wen Shi's expression changed.

Looking at his son laughing and talking without restraint, he became serious. Recalling how he used to discipline Wen Leqian, he frowned helplessly. There was no such opportunity right now.

He couldn't possibly neglect his official duties and devote most of his attention to this child; that would truly be a betrayal of His Majesty's high regard for him.

"But I didn't accept it. When my mother sent me there on the first day, she told me not to bully others, not to accept gifts, and to study hard."

Hearing this, Wen Shi's expression softened somewhat.

“Your mother is right.”

"Study hard, because I will have someone check on your teacher regularly. If I find out you are disobedient or make a mistake, don't blame me for punishing you."

Wen Shi had a serious expression, and with his beard, he looked very dignified.

The child glanced at him, a little scared, and nodded.

Although he was young, he wasn't stupid. Compared to Leqian, he resembled Yingxiang more, especially in terms of facial features. It's normal for a son to resemble his mother, and Wen Shi never thought much about it.

He had hoped for both a son and a daughter back then. If a little girl were sitting here today, he wouldn't be able to be strict with her, and he imagines she would be even more well-behaved.

In his spare time, he would personally teach her to read and write. In those days, there were no private schools for girls to attend; wealthy families would hire tutors to teach them at home.

Having such a young child inevitably brings worries, but thankfully, they only have these two children, who are slowly growing up. Once Leqian takes his next exam and gets married, they won't need to take care of him anymore, as he will be an adult.

The little ones will grow up too. Counting the time, the couple will only have to worry about their child for about seven or eight years, and then there won't be too many things to do.

"Dad, that Sister Yang next door has become even prettier."

The saying "clothes make the man" has some truth to it. Wen Shi rarely saw Yang Man, but she had indeed changed a lot compared to before.

“Her family is no good. When I came back that day, I saw Aunt Yang standing at the door cursing her. The things she said were really nasty.”

"Just let this go in one ear and out the other, and don't talk about it to outsiders."

The little guy nodded as if he understood, but he wasn't a big talker. He hadn't eaten with Wen Shi for a long time, so he talked a bit more.

He usually spends most of his time with Yingxiang. Apart from school hours, Wen Shi is very busy. His mother also told him not to bother his father unless necessary.

"Remember my words, study hard."

"yes."

Not long after Wen Shi left, the little guy was sent to school.

He didn't need to write, he just needed to recognize characters. What he didn't expect was that his father really kept his word and immediately sent his family to ask him after school that day.

He stood not far away, pretending not to care, but if you looked closely, you would see that he was listening intently.

The gentleman found this scene amusing, but his character was indeed fine. He might be a little mischievous at times, but it was harmless, considering he was still young.

He never expected the prefect to care so much about this young master. He told the truth without hiding anything.

In the evening, after hearing what the servants had to say, Wen Shi felt much more at ease.

Later that night, while holding Yingxiang, he also talked about the child.

Yingxiang thought the little one had caused trouble or something, but she was too sleepy to hear clearly.

The next morning, the mother and son ate together. She held Wen Yixin's hand again and repeated what she had said before, her face serious.

Wen Yixin nodded repeatedly. He wasn't afraid of anything he had never done before, and his parents were reasonable people.

Later, he became even more honest.

As winter set in, the weather grew colder day by day, and the rewards sent from above arrived earlier this year than in previous years.

Just like last year, the distribution was completed very quickly.

Yingxiang registered all these items, and after removing jewelry and fabrics, she put the rest in the storeroom.

This year's money was more than last year's, and Wen Shi finally received 500 taels, which he also gave to his wife.

at night

The Yang family next door

Yang Man sorted out the things her father had brought back, wrote down a list, and carefully put away the three hundred taels of silver. She also picked out two items from the jewelry and fabrics.

She first went to Yang Xun's study and got his permission. She prepared two bolts of brocade and a pair of jade earrings to give to Yingxiang, which were considered presentable gifts.

She spent a lot of time learning from her two mothers, so she naturally knew what valuable things were.

She registered the rest and put them in the small storeroom at home. Naturally, she had the key. After taking charge of the household, she had much more power, and the servants dared not ignore her.

Apart from her own direct relatives, no one else in her family dared to underestimate her.

Her mother had made a lot of fuss before, but it was no use. Now their relationship isn't as good as it used to be, but that doesn't matter.

Yang Man understood perfectly well.

The following morning, Yingxiang smiled as she looked at the gift.

“I appreciate your kind gesture. The gift is unnecessary; keep it for yourself. You’re all grown up now and will get married sooner or later, so consider it as saving up for your dowry.”

Wenshi brought her a pair of high-quality jade bracelets yesterday, but she doesn't like the dark color, so she'll put them away for now and use them later.

This girl is very thoughtful; she carefully selected the jadeite material she sent, as it has a bright color, and she also brought a pair of jadeite earrings.

"In the end, Man'er is still benefiting from Madam's influence. This is just a small token of my appreciation, so please don't refuse it. The New Year is almost here, so please accept it as a token of my respect."

The person in front of her is, to some extent, an elder, and has treated her well.

Yang Man didn't say much, but she insisted on it, and Yingxiang finally accepted it.

She not only gave gifts to Yingxiang, but also to the two mothers below her. Compared to before, she has made great progress. There is nothing in this world that is taken for granted. If others are good to her and conditions permit, she should naturally repay them.

Yang Man carefully put away the valuable antiques, since her family didn't know anything about them. As for the silver and jewelry, she picked out a few gold pieces and gave them to her grandmother and mother. She also gave the same amount of fabric to her grandmother and mother.

Yang Xun knew this and praised her for being sensible and capable.

After the two received their gifts, things became much less troublesome. Since she showed no favoritism, Old Lady Yang and her mother didn't say much in front of her.

She kept the rest. Yingxiang was right; she should save up for her dowry.

Her father was an official, and her uncle had no daughters. As the eldest legitimate daughter, she had to maintain some dignity for herself, so jewelry was useless to Yang Xun.

He only needs those silver coins and antiques, which can be accumulated as family wealth and given away later, which will also make him look good.

She saved up the fabric so she could make several decent outfits for herself, so she could bring honor to her family when she went out to socialize.