Chapter 27

"Father, Mother, I think that Scholar Wen is quite nice. He has a respectable appearance and a composed demeanor. But Father, why aren't you very enthusiastic towards him?"

After Liu Yan finished speaking, she looked at her father. She had seen men before when she went out with her grandmother. Wen Shi's appearance was not outstanding, but for some reason, she couldn't take her eyes off him after just one glance. Even when she was burning incense, Wen Shi's face would involuntarily appear in her mind.

Master Liu's expression changed, and his tone became very stern.

“Yan’er, even if Wen Shi is not already married, you shouldn’t remember such a person. He comes from a farming family and has many brothers. If you marry him, you will have to endure at least more than ten years of hardship in the future.”

"Moreover, he may not divorce his wife and marry another. Do you want to be a second wife or a concubine?"

By the end, Master Liu's face had turned as black as could be; he couldn't even imagine it.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Tang was startled, and then immediately pulled her daughter's hand.

“A daughter won’t do. Your father and I have raised you like a precious jewel since you were little. Your marriage can’t be bad, or you’ll never have a good life.”

Liu Yan didn't expect that her few words would provoke such strong opposition from her parents, but she didn't forget what her father had said.

Wen Shi came from a farming family with several brothers, and more importantly, he was already married. Recalling his earlier attire, it was indeed quite ordinary.

Liu Yan was immediately troubled. She had originally thought that her father intended to choose a talented young man for her. They were all his students. Qi Yun was not outstanding, but Wen Shi seemed alright.

"Father, Mother, your daughter understands."

After a long while, Liu Yan pouted and leaned against Tang Shi, no longer speaking. The two of them glanced at their precious daughter, seemingly relieved, but in reality still wary.

I know my own daughter well; I can't let her become a source of trouble for the family.

Wen Shi was just an ordinary farmer's son, not worth looking at at all. Otherwise, Master Liu wouldn't have been so dismissive of him. He was good-looking, talented, and most importantly, ambitious and eager to learn.

But his family was too poor, which was a fatal flaw.

Their path to the imperial examinations was only just beginning. Whether they would pass the exams and become officials was uncertain. Some people studied their whole lives but never passed and became officials. Instead, they dragged their families down and caused their wives and parents to suffer.

Wealthy families are better off, as their families can provide financial support, but these students from rural backgrounds are the most vulnerable.

As they walked up the mountain, Yingxiang's good mood was dampened. She looked around and soon followed Wenshi up the mountain.

A mountain stream babbles, and children play. Yingxiang can't swim, so she can only watch.

Looking down from the mountaintop, the scenery is beautiful. Although it's noisy around, a gentle breeze makes Yingxiang feel refreshed and relaxed.

Since arriving in the county, she would occasionally hear some customers and merchants in the shops talk about the prefectural city. The prefectural city was much larger than the county and was just as prosperous and wealthy. However, she was not in a hurry, taking things one step at a time.

Before we knew it, it was noon.

The temple offers vegetarian noodles, but you have to donate money to eat them. Yingxiang, wanting good luck, donated without hesitation and then dragged Wenshi to eat vegetarian noodles.

The noodles are soft and light in flavor, garnished only with some small green vegetables. However, eating them in a Buddhist temple gives Yingxiang a unique feeling.

She ate slowly, glancing around every now and then.

"By the way, have you heard? It seems the county magistrate has recently taken in another beautiful concubine."

"I heard about it. It was a gift from a wealthy businessman. It's said that the woman was as beautiful as a fairy from heaven and had a unique fragrance about her."

"I've heard about it too. She's a great beauty. The county magistrate is very lucky."

"Haha, all my fat wife does is eat. She's been married into my family for over ten years, and she's getting uglier and uglier. It's a pity I don't have any money to take a concubine."

"However, the county magistrate is already in his forties, while this beauty is only sixteen or seventeen. In fact, he could be her father."

"Keep your voice down, what are you saying?"

"Just kidding, the county magistrate is really something else."

Yingxiang overheard a group of men talking at the next table, and she sighed inwardly.

He really doesn't treat women like human beings. She turned her head and saw that Wen Shi had finished eating and his expression was indifferent. She suddenly looked at him.

Hearing this, he was taken aback, recalling what those people had just said, and his lips moved.

"Let alone whether I can become an official in the future, don't worry, I'm not interested in beautiful women. Having you is enough for me, whether I'm poor or rich."

Yingxiang glanced at Wenshi and nodded. As for whether he could really do it in such an environment in the future, it was hard to say. Let's take it one step at a time.

She had never thought about this question before.

When she actually traveled back to ancient times, she finally understood how vast the gap between the rich and the poor was. Having three wives and four concubines was the exclusive domain of the wealthy and officials. For ordinary people, it was already a great achievement to be able to marry a wife and have children.

The two were walking home after a satisfying meal, completely unaware that something terrible was about to happen at home.

At this moment, in Wen Chuanzong's house, Xiuyu was crying loudly, and Old Man Wen and Liu Shi also looked very angry. They looked at the young woman following behind Wen Chuanzong.

"Let me tell you, you can forget about taking a concubine. Even if you die, I won't agree. Father and Mother, Chuanzong has no conscience! You two should do something about him."

Xiuyu wasn't particularly beautiful, but she never imagined that her husband would bring home a concubine, or that it would happen so soon. They weren't exactly well-off at the moment; Wen Chuanzong wasn't an official, nor was he a scholar. In fact, the whole family lived in a rented house, and their two sons were still young.

Liu and Old Man Wen ignored her. What angered them was that Wen Chuanzong didn't give the family any money, but instead brought another woman back.

"Boss, hurry up and give us the money so we can go back."

Looking at Wen Chuanzong, Liu was also at a loss for words. Although she had heard that the magistrates in the county would take concubines, those were all wealthy people.

Wen Chuanzong downplayed the issue and then said, "Father, Mother, I'm doing this all for the sake of having children. Xiuyu has only given me two children over the years. My classmates all have several children, both sons and daughters."

“I took a concubine for the sake of our Wen family. I wanted our family to have more descendants in the next generation. Only when the family is prosperous can the family prosper.”

"Besides, this Ah Mian, she wasn't a concubine I bought with my own money. She was a gift from a classmate. I couldn't refuse her kindness."

"Father, Mother, if I had money, I would have given it to you long ago. You should go back first and wait a few days. After the New Year, I will give you all the benefits I have received."

Wen Chuanzong didn't even look at Xiuyu. He smelled of alcohol and his face was a little red, but he wasn't drunk, that much was true. Old Man Wen stared at him coldly with a dark face, thinking he was being ridiculous.

"You married this younger woman, and now you're abandoning the children? You have no conscience!"

Thinking of her two grandsons, Liu felt a pang of heartache. She didn't know much about the affairs of large families, but she had seen plays before. With more women in the household, things were indeed more unsettled. More mouths to feed meant more money to be spent.

"To carry on the family line, two children are enough. Xiuyu can keep having more. The family isn't that well-off right now. Where do you think you'll live if you bring her back?"

"There are two rooms. Your father and I will live together. Are you suggesting that the three of you live together with the children?"

Liu began to offer advice.

After Wen Chuanzong finished speaking, he glanced at Xiuyu and then said, "People can live in the shop. Let Xiuyu take the child and stay there first. It's only right to be filial to your parents. You can stay here, and A-Mian and I will stay next door."

Wen Chuanzong was overjoyed to suddenly acquire a concubine.

Xiuyu was furious when she heard this. She immediately stood up and walked up to Wen Chuanzong, but unexpectedly, Wen Chuanzong pushed her to the ground.

"What are you doing? Women should be more virtuous."

"From now on, you will be sisters."

Amian was a maid in the household of a wealthy young master. She had been a servant since childhood, but had never served a man. Wen Chuanzong liked to associate with these kinds of people.

Some people look down on him and ignore him, but others don't mind him and are willing to hang out with him.

Those who were willing to be with him, although they also had the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the imperial examinations), were certainly not as learned as him. In the end, it was all about interests, but some of them were also wealthy.

His focus is no longer on his studies; he's completely seduced by the glitz and glamour of the county. When his classmate politely offered to help, he agreed without hesitation. In the morning, the group was still drinking, and in the afternoon, he excitedly brought the person back.

Amian was thin and had never been married. She used to be a maid, but she wasn't bad-looking if you looked closely. Xiuyu, on the other hand, had given birth to two children and was currently eating a lot, so she was quite plump. When the two stood together, the difference in beauty was immediately apparent.

Xiuyu was so angry from his push that she couldn't speak.

Old Man Wen watched coldly, but Wen Chuanzong remained unmoved, determined to take this concubine. Liu Shi couldn't persuade him, so she simply stopped talking.

"Give me and your mother how much money you have now, and we'll make room for you."

Old Man Wen suddenly shouted loudly. Xiuyu's expression changed, and she was about to stop him when Wen Chuanzong strode towards the bed. She stumbled to her feet and tried to stop him, but Wen Chuanzong handed the money box directly to Old Man Wen.

Old Man Wen counted them and found that it totaled a little over seven taels.

"Old woman, let's go back first, and come back next year to ask for it again."

After saying that, he got up and was about to leave with the box. Xiuyu was in utter despair. She punched Wen Chuanzong hard, but he kicked her away.

Liu wanted to persuade him further, but Old Man Wen pulled her away.

“I’m putting this out there today: if I stay with him, I’ll never have a good life.”

"He hasn't even become a high-ranking official yet, and he's already this happy just because someone gave him a woman. Don't scholars have any pride? With his attitude, he'll never amount to anything and will never accomplish anything great."

There were naturally onlookers in the courtyard, but Old Man Wen told Liu Shi the story in her ear.

Liu also felt somewhat ashamed.

While it's normal for men to be attracted to beautiful women, the eldest son had indeed gone too far. He should have thought about the two children. The two left quickly, and the room erupted in a huge argument.

In a moment of desperation, Xiuyu picked up a vase and threw it at Amian, but Amian dodged it. Wen Chuanzong was so angry that he immediately slapped her.

"Ah, I'm going to report you, Wen Chuanzong! You heartless bastard! You've been mistreating your wife! I'm going to report you to the provincial education commissioner! You'll die a horrible death!"

Xiuyu cried and screamed inside the house, but it was of no use.

Old Man Wen and Liu returned to the shop. They didn't have much money. He kept one-third for himself, gave one-third to Liu, and divided the rest among his sons.

This was the first time Old Man Wen had given money, and everyone was surprised and shocked. But at the same time, they were quick to accept the money. It was no joke; so many years had passed, and this was all the money they had received. They would feel like they were losing out if they didn't take it.

“Our family will rely on the third son from now on. We can’t count on the eldest son. Let me tell you, if the eldest son’s wife comes with her two children or the eldest son comes, no matter what he says, don’t pay any attention to him. Just focus on doing business and let’s establish ourselves in the county as soon as possible.”

Everyone was dumbfounded. After speaking, Old Man Wen went upstairs, and Mrs. Liu sighed repeatedly.

How did I end up living like this?

The next morning, Yingxiang arrived early and was surprised to see Liu Shi and Old Man Wen, but she greeted them as usual and went to the counter.

“Third son’s wife, your mother and I didn’t do anything, so why don’t you pay us? Take this money and go back to buy some meat or something for our third son to help him recover from his hard work studying.”

“Father, my husband told me yesterday that he wanted me to buy a chicken for you and Mother. You can keep it for yourselves and use it to make clothes later.”

After Yingxiang finished speaking, her eyes darted around. Of course, what she said wasn't true, but there was no need to accept this little bit of money. It might cause gossip in the future. She was in charge of the money and wouldn't let herself and Wenshi suffer losses.

“Last night, my husband copied books until late into the night to earn money. I waited for him the whole time. Before going to bed, he told me that he would go to buy some after he finished his work today. He said that his parents should eat first, and he would bring a bowl back to his parents later.”

Upon hearing this, Old Man Wen felt a little uncomfortable. Liu Shi glanced at Yingxiang and thought about her eldest daughter-in-law, and also felt that the difference in their abilities was obvious.

She didn't say anything, but the second and fourth brothers quickly praised the third brother for being filial.

He was disobedient at first, but he was by no means an unfilial child. Now he has become a scholar and has brought his whole family with him.