Chapter 79

Night fell, and all was quiet. Wen Shi lay on the soft couch and slowly closed her eyes.

The next morning, he washed up and went to have breakfast. After eating, he wanted to go back to study early, but he saw Hu Yong'an arguing with a scholar not far away.

"You have no shame! Brother Wen, you be the judge for us."

Wen Shi was about to turn around and leave, but Hu Yong'an saw him first. He shouted out and then quickly ran to Wen Shi, pulling him by the sleeve and leading him away.

Wen Shi also knew the scholar who had the conflict with him; he lived next door. This man's surname was Guo, and he looked to be over thirty years old, but he was usually quiet and reserved, not the talkative type.

“Brother Wen, isn’t my outfit nice? It’s made of silk from Jiangnan. He didn’t even recognize it, and I kindly explained it to him. Do you know what he said? He said I’m all show and no substance.”

Hu Yong'an said this with a huff.

"I came in first place in the provincial examination, and my name is also on the first list in this provincial examination. May I ask, sir, where is your name?"

"Extremely boring."

The scholar surnamed Guo glanced at Hu Yong'an, then strode away. Wen Shi didn't say anything; the man in front of him was too fond of showing off.

"Brother Hu, it's getting late. There are quite a few candidates from all over the country coming to the capital. I know you are talented, but it's always good to be well-prepared."

"I'm hungry, I'm going to eat first, goodbye."

After Wen Shi finished speaking, he strode away. He had mentioned it vaguely before, but Hu Yong'an seemed not to have understood. Wen Shi didn't know whether it was true or false, but repeating it several times was pointless.

Watching the two leave, Hu Yong'an was somewhat exasperated. He had always been very proud of himself, believing himself to be outstanding in both talent and family background.

He will surely become an official in the future. These people, humph.

Half a month later, the candidates arrived, and at the same time, they all received invitations from the prefect.

Looking at the exquisitely crafted red invitation, Wen Shi realized that this was the first time he had received such a well-organized invitation in all these years. Thinking of the prefect, he wasn't too nervous and could simply remain calm.

He carefully put away the invitation. The banquet was in three days, and he would definitely go. Fortunately, it stated that no gifts were accepted, so there was no need to prepare anything else.

In the backyard of the prefectural government office, the prefect was processing official documents when he suddenly remembered something and summoned his subordinates.

"How are those scholars staying at the post station doing lately?"

The prefect's official rank was not low, and he had been in officialdom for many years, so he had his own set of experiences in being an official.

"Sir, most of them are quite quiet, spending their days studying, eating, and sleeping, with nothing much going on. However, there is one person who stands out quite a bit."

Upon seeing the prefect's gaze, he immediately recounted Hu Yong'an's actions.

"This guy is interesting."

The prefect put down his brush and said that he hadn't even been here for a full year.

"This man boasted that he was young, talented, lucky, and from a good family. He looked down on the older scholars, thinking they were stupid and dull. Of course, those people also looked down on him, thinking he was frivolous and tasteless."

"I have investigated him and he is indeed talented. His family is also wealthy. His parents are merchants and are well-known in the county. His family has always valued him and hired many famous teachers to educate him, which cost a lot of money. His family also has distant relatives in the capital who work in the Ministry of Personnel."

"He ranked very high in all the exams, so his knowledge is not bad. As for the provincial and palace examinations, it's hard to say."

A few years ago, there was a learned scholar who, during the imperial examination, suddenly suffered a seizure and had to be carried out. It was quite embarrassing.

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand social etiquette. Having talent and connections will definitely make your path easier."

"He is still young and promising. Once he enters officialdom and hone his skills for a few years, he will certainly not be bad."

"When arranging the banquet, have him stand close to me."

After a while, the prefect spoke up, saying that having a good family background is naturally a good thing, as it will definitely give him a higher starting point. His family is also wealthy, so there's no need to worry about bribes.

Even though he doesn't understand social etiquette right now, his family must be farsighted, otherwise they wouldn't have put so much effort into his studies.

"yes."

"Among the candidates this time, there are two who are under thirty years old, and another one named Wen Shi, who is three years older than this candidate Hu."

How is he?

"He has no problem with his character and is usually very well-behaved. However, he studied in Songshan Prefecture and was a student of Mr. Huang. His path to the exams was not smooth. He started school several years later than others, and his ranking in each exam was not very high, always at the bottom. His family is not wealthy, but he is handsome."

"Just make normal arrangements. No matter how capable that person was, he has retired. People forget about him once they're gone. His Majesty may not even remember him now, and his descendants haven't amounted to much."

"yes."

On the day of the banquet, all the candidates headed to the prefectural government office. The prefect changed his clothes early in the morning, as today was also his day off.

Inside the main hall, food and drinks were already prepared, and singing and dancing were also in full swing.

The candidates took their seats under the steward's guidance. Hu Yong'an, who was sitting at the head of the table, looked down at the candidates below him and smiled smugly, but not many people paid him any attention.

When the prefect arrived, everyone quickly stood up and bowed.

"Please, everyone, no need for formalities, please have a seat."

The prefect walked steadily to the top, and when he looked down at the candidates below, his expression was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Their gaze lingered on Hu Yong'an and Wen Shi for a little longer than on the others.

"Thank you, sir."

Everyone sat down obediently and properly.

"Let's serve the drinks and dishes."

As the music began, the dancers entered one by one. Each of them was beautiful and had a graceful figure. They danced to the music.

Before long, the food and wine in front of Wen Shi were laid out. He was seated at the lower end of the table, but he didn't care much. He couldn't possibly be a scholar for the rest of his life.

The wine was fine and the dishes were exquisite. The delicious food was neatly arranged on silver platters, with more than ten dishes, all of which were main courses.

"Congratulations, everyone! I wish you all success in your future examinations."

"Thank you, sir."

Everyone immediately picked up their glasses and drank them down in one gulp, and Wen Shi was no exception.

After several rounds of drinks, the hall became much livelier. The prefect chatted with the scholars sitting nearby, and no one knew what he was saying, but the smile on his face never faded.

Those who were further away couldn't hear as clearly, and most of them remained silent or focused on enjoying the singing and dancing. This was the first time Wen Shi had ever attended such a banquet.

What made him even happier was that he could set off as soon as the banquet was over.

"Sycophant."

The person beside him spoke softly, but he had good hearing. Looking at the person at the head of the table, he could tell it was Hu Yong'an saying something. The prefect seemed very happy and nodded repeatedly. The person who said this was none other than the same Guo Juren from before.

When you hear it, pretend you didn't hear it and focus on eating your food.

village

As winter sets in, the weather grows increasingly cold. The villagers haven't forgotten the snowstorm that struck during last year's Spring Festival, and some thoughtful villagers have already begun reinforcing their houses.

Thatched houses are most prone to collapse, while the Wen family's stone house is in better condition.

Yingxiang didn't need to worry about that, nor did she need to prepare New Year's goods in advance. Her family members would bring them back from the county when the New Year was approaching. Days passed by like this. Although it was a bit boring, she could sign in without any problems. After a while, she still gained quite a lot.

She hid all the valuable and beautiful items in the system's backpack. Many of these items were not suitable for wearing right now, so she could only leave them there, but they would come in handy once she left the village and went out into the world.

What surprised her most was Xiuyu. She had thought Xiuyu would only come back for the New Year, but she had been coming back every three to five days recently, and each time she would stay overnight.

That day, she returned, bringing some things with her.

"Sister-in-law, it's really cold today. I thought it would be inconvenient for you to buy things in the village, so I brought you some charcoal."

The earthen bed can be used to burn firewood, and the family has a good supply. Yingxiang isn't stupid either; the family has already started burning firewood, otherwise they wouldn't be able to sleep well at night because it's so cold.

She was puzzled when she saw Xiuyu bring back a sack of charcoal.

“Sister-in-law, there is firewood at home. The children are still young. You can keep it for them.”

Snowflakes started falling outside again. Xiuyu smiled and said, "No need. They're all staying at the private school now. It's very warm there."

She's been acting a bit strange lately, so just in case, Yingxiang pulled her inside.

"Sister-in-law, just say what you have to say."

"Oh dear, what could I possibly say, sister-in-law? To be honest, I still want to thank you and my third brother. My third brother is so promising that the teacher at the private school treats the children differently and is more attentive to their upbringing."

These are considered hidden benefits, but since they don't involve money, it's alright. Yingxiang breathed a sigh of relief.

“I don’t have much money, but your older brother does, so I asked him for some. I’m worried about you and the children staying at home. Before, I was taking care of the two children in the county and couldn’t come back. Now it’s better. They’ve moved over there, so I don’t have to keep busy preparing three meals a day.”

In reality, Xiuyu had to resort to tantrums and threats to get the money from Wen Chuanzong. She threatened to hang herself if he didn't give it to her and even caused a scene at the county school gate to see if Wen Chuanzong had any shame. Wen Chuanzong was forced into a corner by her and finally gave her some money.

After receiving the money, she kept some for herself and used the rest to buy things for Yingxiang and the children.

She bought very practical items, mostly meat, large bones, and charcoal.

"In the end, the children are all thanks to their third uncle. He's not here right now, but as the saying goes, the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother. I'll help take care of them as much as I can. I'm not at ease leaving you and the children at home. I'm planning to move back in a few days. I'm not in a good mood being with that bitch all the time."

Xiuyu's plans for the future have unknowingly changed, with her two children being the most important factor.

The third son's family has finally emerged, but they haven't separated. She knows in her heart that if she wants things to get better, she has to build a good relationship with the third son's family. If her two sons are successful in the future, they can also benefit from their third uncle's influence. For example, right now, if it weren't for Wen Shi, how could the master possibly treat his two sons differently?

Even though Wen Chuanzong is much more diligent than before, Xiuyu doesn't have much expectation for him anymore. Her two sons are more reliable, and they are growing up.

In this world, there are no sons who abandon their mothers, but there are far more unfaithful men than sons.

Both children are Wen Shi's nephews, and they are promising. He will definitely help them out in the future.

Yingxiang now fully understands, and she doesn't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but let's just say it's a good thing for now.

If everyone in the family works hard, Wen Shi won't have such a heavy burden in the future.