Chapter 184

In early June, Leqian packed his things and moved back from the academy.

Although they had their own carriages, it was better to leave early just in case. Shen Chu had packed them up well in advance, and they set off on June 10th.

Three people went back to take the exam this time: Le Qian, Wen Chuanzong's second son, and Jin Yu.

They used to travel with caravans, but this year it's much more convenient.

Wen Shi wasn't stingy. Since they hadn't separated their families, they were all essentially family members. He still had that much of a sense of perspective.

The children all got married and had children in the capital and never returned to their hometown. If Chen Chu went back with them, she could visit some of the elders.

When Yuqin found out, she asked her daughter-in-law to go back with her. She also suggested that they take the opportunity to visit Jinyu's uncle's house and bring back some gifts.

In previous years, her family had helped her; one shouldn't be so heartless.

My granddaughter is too young to take care of herself, so I'll leave her in Beijing where she can take care of herself.

Shen Yi couldn't go back. She had just given birth not long ago and still had a baby to feed and care for. In addition, she had to help her husband with some things, and she was quite good at keeping accounts.

It's said that Wen Chuanzong's eldest son's business was able to gradually grow, and she played a significant role in that.

Yingxiang finally prepared three carriages and arranged for several servants to accompany them.

One carriage is enough for carrying things, and the other two are for passengers. If we set off early, we won't suffer on the road. We can travel during the day and find an inn to rest at night. There's no need to be frugal.

These days, when I attend court, Xinxin goes to school; one of us takes a sedan chair, and the other walks—it's not impossible.

Jin Yu's wife came from a farming family and was usually a down-to-earth and capable person. She didn't talk much. She and Chen Chu sat in a carriage and were a little reserved at first.

But they quickly relaxed.

According to the order of seniority, Shen Chu should call her Third Sister-in-law; rules and etiquette aren't that important when it comes to family.

After getting to know each other better, the two would chat from time to time.

After the children went home, Yingxiang stayed at home and put exercising on her agenda, though running was out of the question.

Because of the hot weather, she gets up half an hour earlier and walks around the garden several times a day, which makes her feel refreshed.

At first, he wasn't used to riding in a sedan chair, but he got used to it and it was fine. Although the sedan chair was small, he wasn't a very particular person.

If it weren't inappropriate for him to show his face in public right now, he would definitely walk to court.

That evening, the weather outside suddenly changed, a strong wind picked up, and it looked like it was going to rain heavily.

In the summer, without air conditioning, a heavy rain like this can be quite refreshing. Yingxiang is worried that Wenshi hasn't returned yet.

In the sizable study, Wen Leqian sat to one side, writing neatly.

Seeing his mother looking out the window from time to time, he suddenly suggested that he could go to the door to bring his father an umbrella.

"You just need to practice your calligraphy."

After Yingxiang finished speaking, she immediately called a servant and told him to bring an umbrella to the door to meet her. It would probably be too late to deliver it to the Ministry of Rites at this hour, but she hoped that he had already gotten into the sedan chair.

"I write every day, it's so tiring."

Yingxiang usually doesn't scold the child for complaining, but if Wenshi hears it, he'll either make him write twice or give him a good scolding. Of course, Xinxin isn't stupid, and she won't say these things in front of Wenshi right now.

"Dad is even stricter than the teacher."

Yingxiang sat to the side, glancing up at the calligraphy she had almost finished writing.

Being strict with children is naturally for their own good.

Not long after, Wen Shi returned. The rain started after he got into the sedan chair, so he didn't get wet.

"Have the kitchen prepare some ginger soup and send it to those who went out with the master today."

"yes."

After Yingxiang settled in, she went to see her son writing. Her brows were furrowed, and she began to use a brush to mark the characters on the calligraphy book that the child had finished writing. The circled characters would definitely have to be rewritten.

She stood to one side, feeling bored, picked up a calligraphy brush, spread out a brand new sheet of paper, and looked at the clean and flat surface of the paper.

Yingxiang pondered for a long time before writing three characters.

Chen Yuxuan.

That was her former name, but after she came here, everyone called her Yingxiang.

Wen Shi looked at his wife. He didn't think too much about it. He knew that Yingxiang could read and write. She had even studied Buddhism for a while in Jiangzhou and copied several scriptures.

Yingxiang's handwriting is merely neat; it's not exactly beautiful.

The rain outside the window gradually subsided, and the sky seemed to be clearing up. After the writing dried, Wen Shi picked up the Xuan paper and examined it carefully.

He thought his wife's handwriting was quite good.

"What does this mean? Whose name is this?"

Wen Shi guessed that this must be a person's name. Yingxiang smiled and then said, "It doesn't mean anything. I just suddenly remembered these words."

After saying that, she sat down to the side, looking somewhat wistful.

She came into this world very suddenly, and she will leave it just as suddenly. But if you think about it optimistically, it will ultimately be a perfect ending.

"What would you like for dinner? I'll have the kitchen prepare it."

Wen Shi put the paper away in his drawer and told his wife to keep an eye on it and prepare accordingly.

Nowadays, unless it's a holiday or when guests come to visit, the family eats separately. She eats with Wen Shi and Xin Xin.

The elderly couple were together, and Leqian and Shenchu ​​were together.

With half the year already gone, Yingxiang felt that time had flown by.

The good thing is that Old Man Wen's health has improved.

Prefectural City

After the exam, Leqian followed his father's instructions and rushed to Daliu Village without stopping, while Jinyu also missed his uncles.

The further into the countryside you go, the more unstable the horse-drawn carriage becomes, and the more conspicuous it is. Many rural people will only see a horse-drawn carriage a few times in their entire lives.

Wen Chuanzong's second son had returned before and was quite familiar with the place. He was old enough to remember things back then and had lived in the village for several years.

Shen Chu had visited the farm he owned, and found that the countryside was far inferior to the farms in the suburbs.

When we arrived at Daliu Village, it was a drizzly afternoon.

While the sky was still relatively bright, Leqian began arranging for people to purchase gifts in the prefectural city. When they arrived in the county, he had more meat and vegetables purchased so that he could take them back to eat.

As soon as the carriage entered the village, the village chief and the head of the village received the news. By the time Leqian arrived at his doorstep, the two had already rushed over.

Of course, the village chief and the village head are no longer the same two people. In the blink of an eye, many years have passed, and the two of them have long since passed away.

Shen Chu was helped down from the carriage. Looking around, she saw many thatched huts and distant, faintly visible green mountains. Standing beside Le Qian, she couldn't help but carefully examine the small courtyard in front of her.

After a brief greeting, the gate opened, and the group went inside first.

The Wen family courtyard was not large, and the neighbors on both sides were still there. Wen Leqian had no memory of this village. His earliest memories were of Beijing, when his father would take him to and from school every morning and evening. Later, his family members also came to live there.

The village elders have passed away one after another, and those of Wen Shi's generation are now considered elders in the village.

Jin Yu had returned once before and remembered some of the people.

Of course, there are people I know, but unfortunately many of the elderly people are no longer here, and some are so old that they don't even remember anything.

"Is there something you need to do after you came back this time?"

Wen Shi took his whole family away, and now most of the villagers are actually unfamiliar with him. They mostly talk about him by word of mouth, praising him for his success.

Upon hearing the village chief's words, Le Qian responded with great politeness.

“My father asked me to repair the old house and donate some money to the village to rebuild the ancestral hall. He said that he owes his success to the blessings of his ancestors and that now that he can repay them, he should do something to show his gratitude.”

The village head was somewhat agitated upon hearing this.

The village ancestral hall wasn't dilapidated, but it was where their ancestors lived.

Seeing Wen Leqian take out two fifty-tael silver notes from his pocket, he accepted them solemnly and said many kind words.

"There are quite a few villagers involved in repairing the old house, so it's better for them to keep the money for themselves."

Upon hearing Le Qian's words, the village chief smiled.

Of course it's a good thing. Building a house isn't difficult, and there are plenty of able-bodied young people in the village. Even though it's not the off-season for farming, everyone is willing to earn money this way.

Many hands make light work. As long as the materials can be purchased quickly, the new house can be built in half a month at most, and then it can be left to air out.

Not to mention that Wen Leqian brought his own men.

The house is old and dilapidated, and there's hardly anyone around. It can barely keep out the wind and rain, so if you tidy it up a bit, it's okay to stay there for a few days.

The next day, Jinyu went to his uncle's house, and Leqian did the same.

Yingxiang's biological father is very old. He fell ill last winter and almost didn't make it through.

He's quite famous in the surrounding area now; everyone calls on him for happy occasions, and his sons benefit from it too. The woman he married isn't from an ordinary family.

Leqian had no memory of his maternal grandfather, but he was still happy to hear his maternal grandmother praising his mother.

After a day of being treated to good food and drinks, the two of them had no complaints.

When night fell, the three brothers returned home. Although Shen Chu came from a wealthy family, he did not look down on these people, nor did he show any disgust.

"Second brother, who is that woman?"

Wen Chuanzong's second son had brought back a girl who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, with fair and clean skin, which puzzled him.

“My cousin from my maternal uncle’s side said she misses my mother. Let’s take her to the capital to see my mother.”

"Then let the girl come over. It's inconvenient for you to bring her along, Second Brother. Men and women shouldn't touch each other."

“Alright, that’s my fourth sister-in-law. She’s a well-educated young lady from a prominent family in the capital. You can stay with her for now.”

It is said that the second son of the clan also wanted to marry a daughter from an official family. Even though this cousin was quite pretty, he didn't really like her.

Her mother said that marrying a daughter of an official would be a great help.

"Since you are still young, you can just call me Sister Chen from now on."

Shen Chu smiled politely. Her cousin, Lian Niang, lowered her head. She used to be very confident, but standing in front of Shen Chu, she felt like the soil on the ground while Shen Chu was like the colorful clouds in the sky. The difference was too great, and she didn't dare to look at her.

Even though Shen Chu was dressed very simply, she looked different from the others. Remembering her parents' previous instructions, she couldn't help but feel worried and confused.

"Our relatives have already left today, so let's hurry up and make the purchases tomorrow, get things done as soon as possible, and return to Beijing."

No one objected.

At night, Leqian sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), thinking of his father, and felt mostly respect for him.

Under such circumstances, his father still managed to finish his studies, which is really impressive. Although he only returned for two days, many people told him how hard Wen Shi worked back then, and how he supported himself to graduate.

"My husband, it's late, let's rest."

Shen Chu lay down on one side and said softly. Le Qian nodded and lay down first, and the room immediately became dark.