Chapter 104
Yang Family
In the evening, the family sat together for dinner. Although it was a bit crowded, they could still manage to sit down. Halfway through the meal, Grandma Yang looked at Yang Xun's wife with a smile.
Yang Xun's wife sensed something was wrong and glanced nervously at her mother-in-law. Since coming to the capital, there had been more conflicts in the family than before.
Logically, life should be getting better and better, but sometimes she feels that life now is not as good as the years she spent studying in the county with Yang Xun.
The underhanded bullying from her sisters-in-law and her mother-in-law's disdain made her feel helpless and distressed. Sometimes at night, she would wonder if she and her husband really owed the family such a great debt of gratitude. Because of this, she often suffered from insomnia.
"Second son's wife, I've found you a job. I'll take you there tomorrow. Work hard, and the family will have a few extra taels of silver every month."
With a clatter, the chopsticks in Yang Xun's wife's hand fell to the ground. She looked at Old Lady Yang in disbelief.
The table next to them was also quiet, with everyone focused on their meal. Upon hearing this, Yang Xun glanced at his mother and frowned.
"Mother, no."
He immediately refused.
"Why not? Your older brother, younger brother, and I worked so hard to support your education. Now that the family is struggling financially, can't your wife go out and earn money?"
Yang's eldest sister-in-law immediately spoke up.
"Second brother, don't worry, it's not hard work. I'll take care of the child for you. He'll just do odd jobs at the teahouse."
Grandma Yang said somewhat casually.
“That teahouse is run by your friend’s wife, the same couple who came to our house last time. Today I took the two kids to buy fried meat, and they gave me an extra bag, saying it was for your dad and me. Of course, your dad and I are old and don’t need to eat it, so you can eat it.”
"Brother Wen?"
Upon hearing Yang Xun's words, Old Lady Yang nodded.
"How come other people's wives are so capable? They can manage a shop, run a business, and help support the family."
Yang Xun's wife turned even paler upon hearing this.
"That won't do either, Seventh Sister can't go."
Seventh Sister was the name of Yang Xun's wife.
"Why can't she go? She can't be tired."
After saying this, Old Man Yang took a bite of his steamed bun, somewhat puzzled. His grandsons had all started school, and every day when he opened his eyes, a lot of money had to be spent.
“This family has a lot of expenses every month. If she goes out to work, she can help supplement the family income. Your mother has already found her a job, and the other party has agreed. They are even acquaintances. How could we let your wife suffer?”
Yang Xun felt a burning sensation on his face, but more than that, he felt ashamed. He had a good relationship with Wen Shi. Even though Wen Shi had passed away before him, he was not necessarily going to fall behind in the future. Their family backgrounds were not too different, but the difference in their lives was so great right now. He knew perfectly well why.
A sense of powerlessness washed over him again, and he closed his eyes in anguish.
“If Seventh Sister goes to the teahouse, then there’s no point in me continuing this official post. It would be too embarrassing.”
Yang Xun put down his chopsticks and made no attempt to hide his anger. His words immediately angered the others, and his brothers started to criticize him and recount their past hardships.
Old Mrs. Yang and Old Mr. Yang even started to berate him.
“I know the family is short of money, but I don’t have any great skills right now. Father and mother, it’s not easy for me either. I have to go to school during the day and copy books at night just to maintain a decent living. All my salary goes to you and Father. Isn’t that enough?”
Yang Xun remained silent for a long time before suddenly standing up and shouting loudly. He rarely did this, and the Yang family was immediately stunned.
“You know your family is struggling financially, yet you forbade us from accepting gifts before. Do you know how much money we’ve spent supporting you over the years?”
Old Man Yang immediately stood up, his voice booming.
"The so-called husband and wife are one, and Brother Wen and I should be equal. But you want Seventh Sister to work for their family in a teahouse for a few taels of silver. I will not agree to that."
"The family is in trouble, yes, it's because of me. If I hadn't passed the exam and hadn't taken this family with me, how could the family be in such trouble?"
"Hey, second brother, how can you be so heartless? We've raised up such an ingrate for so many years, and you've only produced one?"
"Second brother, what you said hurts my feelings."
“Other parents are considerate of their children, but I haven’t become an official yet, and I only have a salary of two hundred taels of silver a year. It’s too difficult to support this family.”
After Yang Xun finished speaking, he looked at his parents. In fact, if they could take a step back, even if it was just for a few years, their lives would be better.
"Second brother, are you trying to kick us out?"
Yang's eldest sister-in-law was a feisty woman, and her words shocked everyone.
Seeing Yang Xun's grief-stricken appearance, Qi Niang felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
Of course, she would rather die than go.
"Second son's wife, how did the family treat you and your second son all those years? Now that you've made something of yourself, you despise us as a burden, right? Fine, fine, we really have a hard life. Father, Mother, why don't you do anything about them? How can you treat people like this?"
Sister-in-law Yang's voice was quite loud. After she finished speaking, she sat on the ground and cried. Her cries were shrill and somewhat eerie.
"Second son."
Grandma Yang also stood up, seeing that the house was about to turn into a complete mess.
“Our whole family needs to eat and drink in the capital, and my nephews need to go to school. I really can’t afford to support my parents. I can’t support so many people.”
Yang Xun seemed to have made up his mind. After he said this, I felt a sense of relief. Perhaps he should have said it sooner. He had been holding on for a long time and was really about to give up. Old Man Yang immediately walked up to him.
The next second, he was slapped to the ground, half of his face swollen up. A gust of cold wind blew by, and he seemed unable to hold back any longer, and began to cry softly.
"I am unfilial, I am incompetent, I deserve to die."
Yang Xun seemed to have made up his mind. He recalled everything since he came to the capital, the day he passed the high school entrance exam, and how happy and expectant he was standing in front of the list. But now, with the endless arguments at home, he felt really tired. How did life become like this?
He understood perfectly well that it was because of the money. If he had a monthly salary of a thousand taels of silver instead of only two hundred, things would definitely not be like this.
But what can he do? He doesn't have the ability or skill right now.
Looking at the well not far away, Yang Xun slowly stood up.
"I'm sorry to you and my mother, I'm sorry to my eldest brother and third brother, and I'm also sorry to my seventh mother and the two children. I can't give them a better life. Father and mother, let me use my life to atone for my sins."
"If it's the next life, please don't support me anymore, don't waste money on me, I really can't afford it."
After Yang Xun finished speaking, he strode towards the well. Everyone was shocked. Yang Laosan reacted and rushed to him, hugging his leg tightly.
Of course, we can't let him jump like that. If he does, all the family's efforts over the years will be in vain.
After the others reacted, some screamed and some cried, and the whole courtyard was in chaos. Yang Xun's face was ashen, but he had been studying all year and had never done any heavy work. Naturally, he was not as strong as his farmer brother. Even though he struggled hard, it was of no use for the time being.
"Second brother, what are you doing? Do you want me and your father to die too?"
"What a tragedy."
Suddenly, Old Lady Yang shouted loudly. Tears streamed down her face as she staggered to Yang Xun's side, patting her own body with her hands.
“Good child, you can’t do this, you really can’t do this. It’s my fault, I was wrong. It’s my fault for not letting your wife go out to work. Let’s just live like before, okay? Life is like this, good or bad. You can’t think like this.”
In the small courtyard, everyone's feelings were very complicated. Everyone knew one thing: if Yang Xun died like this, they would not have a good future. They would have to return to their hometown in disgrace and would have no face to see their fellow villagers.
They couldn't make a living in the capital on their own. If the villagers found out, it would be even more shameful, and they would probably never be able to hold their heads up again.
"Husband, you can't do this. We still have children. It's my fault. It's all my fault. The children can't be without a father."
Qi Niang rushed over and knelt down on the ground. Her thin face was covered in tears. She was terrified and desperately begged the person in front of her, hoping that she could come to her senses.
As for her two children, they were huddled in a corner, trembling and crying. Her other nephews were even more puzzled and no one dared to speak, all feeling that something bad was about to happen to the family.
“Yes, third brother, you still have sons and daughters, you can’t just abandon them.”
What should have been a pleasant meal turned into this mess. At this point, even though the eldest and third sons' wives were dissatisfied, they could only endure it and dared not cause any trouble, otherwise the consequences would be too great for them to bear.
Life is really too hard. They thought things would get better, but when they arrived in the capital, they didn't live the good life they dreamed of. Instead, they were restricted in every way.
It's heartbreaking to think about. Everyone has their own struggles, how could Yang Xun be so heartless?
Under the dim sky, Yang Xun felt only silence all around him. He deliberately ignored the crying around him, looked up at the square sky, and smiled sadly.
"I have no face to live on in this world. Father and mother, in the next life, I will repay you by serving you like an ox or a horse."
After Yang Xun finished speaking, he suddenly raised his foot. Yang Laosan did not expect that his second brother could actually unleash such great strength. He could hardly hold him back.
Qi Niang reacted quickly, grabbing his leg tightly. With their combined strength, Yang Xun was finally unable to move.
"Husband, please don't do this, you can't do this."
"alright."
Old Man Yang suddenly shouted.
"Second son, your mother and I don't need you to repay us by being our servants in your next life. We're not staying in this capital city anymore; we don't have that kind of luck right now. Let's stay in the capital city with you, just like before, and we'll go back to our hometown."
"If you still have a shred of conscience, and you achieve great things in the future, remember your parents and brothers."
After saying that, Old Man Yang stormed back into the house. The eldest and third sons were also stunned. They never expected that things would end up like this.
Grandma Yang was filled with regret. She wished she could slap herself. Why did she have to talk so much? She should have known better than to say it. Now look what happened.
Yang Xun was under a lot of pressure, and she could tell that. After a busy day, he often had to copy books by lamplight late into the night.
She felt sorry for her sons and didn't want to let her eldest and third sons continue working, so she could only turn her attention to her daughter-in-law. But she never expected things to turn out this way.
Yang Xun was a quiet child who always kept his head down and studied. She knew how difficult it was for him to get into such a prestigious school.
But her eldest and third sons were also her children. They were illiterate and couldn't find work in the capital, and she couldn't really let them continue doing manual labor.
Sister-in-law Yang glanced at her husband subconsciously. He was looking down and not saying a word. The third wife was also sullen. At that moment, she understood that the matter was settled and they had to go back to the village.
Old Mrs. Yang returned to her room dejectedly. Old Mr. Yang was the one in charge of the household, and he had already said so.
Yang Xun on the ground didn't react either; his lips remained still, and he just stood there.
"Pack your things, we'll leave tomorrow. This capital city isn't a place for peasants like us to stay for long. If we really drive the second son to his death, we might as well be dead."
When he said the second half of the sentence, Old Man Yang lowered his voice.
"I hope he'll still have some conscience in the future."
Old Mrs. Yang sighed. There was nothing she could do now. Her regrets were useless. In fact, she could tell from Yang Xun's attitude.
"I want to stay and take care of the two children, but Seventh Sister is so listless, I'm afraid she won't be able to take good care of them."
She also had her own selfish motives.
"Of course she can take care of her own child."
Old Man Yang stared straight at his wife, naturally knowing what she was thinking. She still wanted to live here. The capital was prosperous and wealthy, and strange and unusual things were not good. Even if they were not well-off, they didn't have to work and were happy to stroll around every day.
But what can be done if we don't go back? The second son can't support so many people right now. His meaning is clear: Old Man Yang isn't stupid.
Right now, the third brother is letting them make a choice.
“Let the eldest and second eldest go back. If that doesn’t work, we can build houses in the suburbs. Just three or five rooms will be enough for them. It will cost some money, and I have some money on hand.”
"He told me before that his classmate was..."
"Keep it, there's no need for that, let's separate them first."
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Yang fell silent. Apart from her savings, she hadn't actually accumulated much. Two hundred taels a year might sound like a lot, but their living conditions cost more than half of that in a year. They needed food and drink, and their children needed to go to school. Even if she wanted to save money, she couldn't save much.
“Take our money back with us. We can still make a living by farming. We don’t need to be afraid of being laughed at for being poor. If anyone asks us when we get back, we can just say that we’re not used to living in the capital.”
"Old man..."
"that's all."
After saying that, Old Man Yang turned over and got into bed, then closed his eyes.
In the latter half of the night, a fierce wind howled outside. Yang Xun stood under the eaves, letting the wind whip him around. He didn't plan to sleep that night. Qi Niang stayed by his side the whole time, talking incessantly, but he looked completely lost and haggard, and he certainly didn't hear a word she said.
That night, none of the Yang family members slept much.
Several people hoped that Yang Xun would speak up, hoping that things might turn around and they could just go back to the way they were before. But they were destined to be disappointed.
As dawn broke, Old Man Yang came out of the house and handed Yang Xun the little salary he had left.
"Father, Mother, why don't we let the children stay here to study?"
Suddenly, Sister-in-law Yang pushed open the door and came out. She hadn't changed her clothes; she was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. She wanted her children to stay in the city and grow up here.
“Take him back. There’s a school in the village. If the child is ambitious, he can graduate. Why does he have to stay here? Is this a place for us peasants?”
Yang Xun didn't take it, so he simply placed the money bag next to him. Seeing Yang Xun's stunned expression, he squatted down and patted him on the shoulder.
"Let's go home."
The children cried and fussed, extremely unwilling to go back. Except for Yang Xun's two children, who were bewildered. The capital was so wonderful, but they couldn't stay.
Having been in the capital for quite some time, we haven't really bought anything nice. It's easy for the whole family to pack up; each person carries several bundles.
"Seventh Sister, please take good care of the two children. We won't trouble you any further."
"go home."
Even if the others were unwilling, they had no choice but to leave. Yang Xun remained silent. Qi Niang was anxious but it was no use. She watched her family members leave one after another, and the small courtyard suddenly became empty.
"Husband, I'll go boil water and cook for you. You can't do anything rash, my husband."
Now that things have come to this, there's nothing Qi Niang can do. What she's more worried about is her own husband.
After leaving the alley, Old Man Yang suddenly turned back to look at his family and said, "If the second son is really gone, we have no future. Let's go back first, and we can talk about the future later."
The rest of the people remained silent, and no one refuted him.
Everyone looked back at the alley with lingering reluctance. The good days were really too short. No one expected things to turn out this way.
They came to the capital with great joy, but in the end, they couldn't stay.
"Don't say anything more. If the second son really does well, we can still come back in the future. When we go back, we'll just say we're not used to it here, so as not to affect him. Maybe one year we'll have the opportunity to come back."
"Father, don't worry."
After Yang finished speaking, everyone headed straight for the city gate. Although they were in the city, there was nothing they could do.
They returned the way they came, buying some cheap provisions along the way. The Yang family first took an oxcart to a town near the capital, found a caravan, and slowly made their way back.
With the time approaching for Yang Xun to start his shift, Qi Niang became extremely anxious.
Fortunately, Yang Xun didn't actually go mad. He suddenly stood up, went inside to change his clothes without saying a word, ignored the two children calling him, washed his face, rinsed his mouth, and then went out.
"No, your father will definitely be fine."
Seventh Sister's current mood can be described as a mixture of joy and sorrow. Seeing her daughter pick up the money bag from the ground, she immediately put it away and hid it inside the house.
Wen Shi went out to work and ran into Yang Xun at the entrance of the Hanlin Academy. He looked extremely haggard and visibly defeated. Wen Shi wondered what had happened. Upon seeing him, Yang Xun forced a smile.
"What happened yesterday was my mother's fault. Seventh Sister had to take care of two children and couldn't go out."
"It's alright."
He said casually, "It's impossible. The old lady is thinking too simply."
Yang Xun didn't seem to be doing well, but Wen Shi didn't ask any questions. The redness and swelling on his face had subsided a bit, but upon closer inspection, it was still noticeable that the bruises under his eyes were even more obvious.
Wen Shi thought about it for a moment and sighed inwardly. There was probably a disagreement, but it would definitely pass. After all, when a family lives together, there will be bumps along the way, and there's nothing that can be done about it.
"Let's go in, it's getting late."
Of course, Yang Xun couldn't really commit suicide. Yesterday evening, there was a moment when he was truly desperate. But even if life was hard, what was the point of studying so hard all those years ago?
He will enjoy a period of peace in the next few years, and that will be enough.
In the dead of night, he stared at the dark sky and thought for a long time. He was already overwhelmed and couldn't hold on any longer. After the outburst, he felt a sense of relief.
Wen Shi wasn't particularly concerned about other people's affairs.
On the day he went to Ping'an Village to check on the progress, he brought Wen Leqian along as well.
On the oxcart, the family of three sat in a row. Yingxiang was more curious than anything else; she had never seen villagers build houses before.
The plan sounds good, but I wonder if the foundation has been laid yet.
When they arrived at Ping'an Village, the little guy looked around curiously. Wen Shi picked him up and headed to the village with practiced ease.
Looking at the solid foundation, Wen Shi's lips curled up slightly, clearly in a good mood. The installation of the ceiling beams would come later, but preparations were already underway.
Upon seeing him arrive, the old man's second son immediately went over.
"The foundation is almost finished. Next, we need to install the beams and pillars. We need some old wood, which is sturdier and stronger. We also need to apply tung oil to it. I went to check a few days ago, and there isn't much wood left in the nearby mountains. There aren't any suitable pieces either. We need to go to a nearby town to buy some ready-made wood."
Wen Shi nodded. Going over budget was inevitable. As long as the house was built sturdily, that was fine. He was prepared for that. It was impossible to build a house exactly as planned.
The wages can be calculated later, and he needs to inspect the goods. If the money is paid in advance, then things might not go as planned. He has lived in the village for many years and understands this principle.
The people here understand. Seeing that he's going to build a pretty big house, they're not worried that he won't have the money. Besides, with the old man's son as guarantor, there's nothing to worry about. He just needs to do his job well.
"I have nothing to do after my shift today, so I brought my family to come and have a look. Oh, by the way, where's the carpenter?"
"Here, here."
A thin man immediately walked over. He had big eyes, wore drab gray clothes, and had a big smile on his face.
"The main house needs a complete set of furniture, both inside and out, and the partitions also need to be made. Shelves for the interior decorations also need to be made. For the other rooms, a set of wooden beds, cabinets, tables and chairs will be enough."
"good."
The carpenter nodded quickly. He had already started making preparations. They were all from the same village, and the old man's second son had also told him that he had already decided not to take on any more work in the second half of the year, but to focus on helping Wen Shi, which would earn him a good amount of money.
"We'll also need a signboard at the entrance, and I'll write the characters."
"That's no problem."
There are three gates: the main gate is in the middle, and there are two additional side gates. Wen Shi wasn't that particular about these things, but he still had to have what he needed, at least to make it look grand and respectable.
He didn't know if his family had received the letter, but he was determined to build the house and furnish it by next year so that his family could move in as soon as they came.
Yingxiang took a quick look and saw that there were quite a few young and strong men working, more than thirty in total, with piles of stones and bricks on the side.
It will be habitable by the middle of next year. She doesn't know the specifics, but these people certainly do.
After returning home to the city, Yingxiang gave Wenshi another hundred taels of silver, as this money had to be spent.
“Husband, the previous ones probably weren’t enough. Keep this and use it as needed. If you don’t use it all, you can give it to me later.”
Wen Shi did not refuse. He accepted the silver note, as it was the most cost-effective to build it once and for all. Otherwise, repairs would be necessary later, which would cost money.
I don't know if my family or my husband have received the letter.
Wen Shi was certain that the gentleman had received it. Indeed, after reading it, the old gentleman was happy for Wen Shi, but he did not reply and even seemed indifferent.
Wen Shi's achievements today are inseparable from his hard work.
He has already left the academy; to him, it was just a student he once knew.
This time, there's no need for family to reply; just having them come over is enough. With the provincial examinations almost over, Wen Shi is also thinking about his younger brother, wondering if he can pass and become a scholar.
Late at night, Wen Shi came out of his study and stood under the eaves. The full moon was high in the sky, and the stars were shining brightly. He looked up at the sky, and the soft moonlight illuminated the small courtyard.
In the kitchen, Yingxiang was fiddling with something, while in the next room, the child was already fast asleep.
Without much thought, he walked into the house. Life was peaceful and uneventful. He thought to himself that this was a kind of happiness. His family was healthy and his children were growing up. It was wonderful.
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