Chapter 57

After arriving home, Yuqin went to the kitchen first. She quickly put the food she had prepared into a large pot, added water and firewood, as it was a freezing day.

She heated the goat milk that her two children wanted to drink on a small stove. The first time she heated the milk, she poured it into a pot to boil, and it burned immediately. After that, she heated it in a steamer, just like she would heat rice.

She finished her work quickly and went inside when she heard Wen Chuanzong say this.

"Xiuyu, after the New Year, you will send the children to the school in the next village to begin their studies. You will stay at home to take care of them."

Xiuyu was taken aback when she heard this. Old Man Wen glanced at the two of them but didn't say anything. As for Wen Shi and Yingxiang, they weren't interested in this matter either.

"They just want to study, and they want to go to the county."

Xiuyu gritted her teeth and said. Liu glanced at her two grandsons, her lips moved, but she swallowed the words she was about to say.

“Our family is not well-off to begin with, and now that my third son is studying away from home, although I can earn money to help out, it is still limited. I just started my education in the village and I still passed the imperial examinations. If I can succeed, they can succeed too.”

Things are different now. Without his family's support, he can no longer spend money as freely as before. During this time, Wen Chuanzong has also realized that his parents have truly hardened their hearts and are no longer taking care of him.

Xiuyu's gaze swept over everyone in the room, which was unusually quiet. She immediately stood up, her chest heaving, clearly very angry.

Old Man Wen also hopes that the next generation will study and make a future, which is better than toiling in the fields for a living, but he will no longer give money to the eldest son's family.

"Father, Mother, how can you bear to leave these two children in the village?"

Old Man Wen glanced at Xiuyu, his brows furrowing slightly.

"You should discuss your own affairs."

After saying that, he turned and went into the inner room, followed closely by Liu Shi. The rest of the people dispersed, leaving Xiuyu standing there, crying loudly.

The two children, still somewhat bewildered, were not young and could not afford to be idle all day. They had previously said they would study in the county, but in the end, they did not get to.

There's no time to lose right now, and Wen Chuanzong has taken this into consideration. He doesn't want his two children to be idle in the future.

After returning to the house, Wen Shi heard faint crying coming from the front room. She frowned, relieved that her son hadn't been brought to tears.

“I think this brother is determined. I feel sorry for his sister-in-law and child. His sister-in-law looks down on the villagers. I don’t know how difficult it will be for her to live in the village with her child in the future.”

Wen Laosi lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), and almost burst out laughing as he spoke. Upon closer inspection, he appeared to be gloating.

Ma sat silently to the side. She still remembered her mother's words before she got married: as a daughter-in-law, you shouldn't interfere too much in your husband's family's affairs. No matter what happens, good or bad, you are nominally one family, but if there are many brothers, there will be a day when the family will be divided.

Be good friends with capable brothers, and be amicable with those who aren't. Things can change in a few years; you never know.

Her current worry is about having children; only with children can she establish herself in her husband's family.

The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, and Sister-in-law Wen quickly came out of the house, worried that the food would burn.

She brought out the goat milk, and then took an extra bowl and poured out half of it.

The fire in the large stove was blazing, and the meat was already steamed. Sister-in-law Wen brought the food to the table one by one and began to call everyone to eat.

"Third Sister, I want to drink milk too."

At the dinner table, everyone remained silent. Xiuyu was so angry that she refused to come out to eat. Yingxiang took a wooden spoon and began to breastfeed her son. After only two sips, Wen Chuanzong's eldest son spoke up.

Leqian is still young, unlike Wen Erge's son, who can already hold a bowl and eat. When he gets milk, he gulps it down in one go.

"I want to drink it too."

"Dad, why do my two younger brothers have milk to drink, but my older brother and I don't? I want some too."

Yuqin knew that the two children had always been craving it. When they were in the county, she would take her son directly to the kitchen, heat it up, and give it to him. She was afraid that it would be taken away, since they had paid for it themselves. If it was paid for by Old Man Wen, then it would be right to share some with the two children.

The milk wasn't expensive, but it wasn't cheap either; she herself was reluctant to drink it.

In her mind, they were completely separate from Wen Chuanzong's family.

Wen Chuanzong looked at his youngest son, put down the cornbread in his hand, and before Yingxiang could speak, Wen Shi immediately said, "There's still some in the kitchen. If you want a drink, ask your father to heat it up for you."

Yingxiang wouldn't be stingy with a little goat milk; Wen Shi was the one who wanted to say that anyway, but if she said it, it would mean asking her mother to heat it up for her.

My son is growing up and his milk intake is increasing. If I were to share it with them, it wouldn't be enough for my own son.

Under the watchful eyes of his two sons, Wen Chuanzong headed towards the kitchen.

A moment later, the two children each took half a bowl and drank it with relish.

Unlike the children of the Wen family, these two children had never suffered any hardship since childhood. They had always lived with their parents in the town and county. At that time, the whole family supported the four of them. Both children grew up to be very strong, and their physiques far surpassed those of other children of the same age in the village.

Even if Old Man Wen and Mrs. Liu dislike their eldest son and his wife, they won't mistreat their grandson.

After her son finished drinking his milk, Wen Shi gave him a steamed bun and told him to eat it slowly.

"Third brother, although it's a bit early to say now, this exam is important. You need to book an inn in advance so as not to delay it."

Upon hearing his father's words, Wen Chuanzong subconsciously glanced at Wen Shi. He would no longer look down on his younger brother. If he truly made a name for himself and passed the exam, he would become a successful candidate in the imperial examinations.

He plans to save money over the next year, and before the Lunar New Year next year, he plans to go to the prefectural city to become an apprentice.

Sitting next to him, A-Mian remained silent throughout. Old Man Wen and Madam Liu didn't really have any major issues with her; she was quite capable.

Although she had an extra person to eat with, she didn't eat for free.

Compared to Xiuyu, she was truly capable. She had previously been a maid in a wealthy family and was quite perceptive. The Wen family neither liked nor disliked her, and she gradually found a place in the family. The Wen family had basically accepted her.

At night, Yingxiang was lying in bed when Wenshi leaned in to kiss her. Yingxiang acquiesced, but when he tried to take it a step further, she immediately refused.

"child."

In the darkness, the child sleeping in the innermost part made steady breathing sounds. Wen Shi had been full of interest, but upon hearing Ying Xiang's words, he couldn't help but sigh, his whole body deflated like a punctured balloon.

"When we get back to the city, I'll prepare a study for him to live in. He's not a child anymore."

Yingxiang didn't say anything; it wouldn't be appropriate to do it in front of the child.

Two days later, the village head came in person and delivered a large piece of pork.

"Thank you, Uncle."

"Uncle should thank you. You're a thoughtful child; you're sure to amount to something great in the future."

After the village head finished speaking, he patted Wen Shi on the shoulder, turned around and left. Wen Shi looked natural, put the meat in the kitchen, and went back to his room to read.

The sky was unusually bright, and the sun was out. Yingxiang dressed the child and took him to the yard to bask in the sun.

From a nearby house, the sounds of Xiuyu and Wen Chuanzong arguing could be heard from time to time. This wasn't the first time, and the family members were used to it, so no one said anything.

With the New Year approaching, what worries Yingxiang even more is the continuous heavy snow.

She got up early and went out. There was a lot of snow in the yard, which was the result of her family's daily cleaning. On the path not far away, the thick snow was up to her knees.

Yingxiang doesn't know whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Family members' travel has been affected. Nowadays, most villagers are staying at home, only concerned with their own affairs, as the main roads are impassable.

"My husband."

Yingxiang brought in a pot of hot tea and told Wenshi about her worries.

"It's alright. At most, we won't be able to visit relatives during the New Year. I remember when I was a child, there was a time when the snow was even heavier than this, and many houses collapsed under the weight. We've been cleaning up here every day, so it won't be a big deal. At most, it will affect visiting relatives during the New Year. If it's too bad, we won't go."

Wen Shi poured himself a cup of hot tea. He wasn't too worried. His second brother and fourth brother had been cleaning up the snow on the roof every day, so the house would definitely be fine. It was cold, so they burned more firewood, and the kang (heated brick bed) was warm enough. Everything would be alright once the weather warmed up after the New Year.

Before they knew it, it was Lunar New Year's Eve. The weather was still the same. Yingxiang had given up on going back to her parents' home on the second day of the Lunar New Year. Safety was the most important thing, and they still had children.

But Liu was clearly looking forward to it.

The family sat together for their New Year's Eve dinner. She was in a good mood and ate an extra bowl.

"Mom, it's cold, there's a lot of snow outside, and the roads aren't smooth. You shouldn't go on the second day of the Lunar New Year; it might not be safe."

Wen Shi took a sip of porridge, then put down the flatbread in her hand and looked at him with obvious displeasure.

"Third brother, what are you saying? We've finally come back to pay our respects for the New Year, and your mother also wants to go back and see our uncles. How can you tell your mother not to go?"

Wen Chuanzong seemed to have seized the opportunity and immediately refuted Wen Shi.

“My uncles are all elders. We didn’t come back last year. Now that they’re here, if we don’t go, wouldn’t that give people something to talk about? Besides, Mother misses her family too.”

"I think the third brother is right, there's no need to go."

Old Man Wen also spoke up, and Liu suddenly stood up, looking extremely displeased.

"Everyone knows we're back. It's been so long since I last went. I definitely have to go this year."

"Although there is snow, the village chief has already cleared it with people in our village. How much snow can there be on the main road? It's not far away. I'll go and come back on the same day."

Liu stormed back into the inner room. She was rarely so resolute. Old Man Wen didn't say anything either, but looked at the wind and snow outside with a deep frown.

"Father, don't worry, I'll take Mother with me and make sure she gets there safely and comes back. I'll borrow a mule from the village headman's house when the time comes."

"Riding a mule is not necessarily safe."

"Third brother."

Wen Chuanzong suddenly stood up.

“I know you’re capable now, but visiting relatives during the Lunar New Year is a tradition. If you’re alive, you can’t skip it. The snow isn’t that heavy, it’s not like you can’t go out.”

Old Man Wen glared at Wen Chuanzong.

"Isn't the third brother doing this for your mother's own good? How old is she? In this cold weather, what's the point of all this trouble? What can she do back there? Is there anything important?"

“My mother and uncles are siblings from the same mother. It’s been so long since I’ve seen them, so of course I miss them. Everyone gets old eventually. How can you be so heartless and disregard etiquette?”

Wen Chuanzong's words sounded high-sounding, but Wen Shi's gaze turned cold. He might not be unaware of the danger, but his actions were clearly a deliberate attempt to challenge him. Wen Shi got up and went straight back to his room.

Wen Chuanzong put down his chopsticks, also furious.