Chapter 105
Winter has arrived in the blink of an eye.
The temperature in the capital city plummeted, and in the latter half of the night, a fierce wind howled. Yingxiang was lying in bed when she was suddenly awakened. After regaining her senses, she turned over and went back to sleep.
early morning
Yingxiang opened the wardrobe, changed into a thick coat, and while Wenshi went to the kitchen to busy herself, she went directly to the next room to supervise the children getting dressed and washing up.
"Husband, buy some charcoal when you come back this afternoon, buy a lot."
"good."
It was cold, so they could only eat indoors. Wen Shi had originally planned to buy some food anyway, and there was no need to skimp on the money. If they caught a cold, they would feel even worse and spend even more. After the meal, the three of them went about their own business and parted ways at the intersection.
County
When Wen Xiaowu woke up, he suddenly heard someone knocking on the front door. The person was very strong and seemed to be in a hurry.
A few days ago, the results of the provincial examination were released, and he passed. His score wasn't the absolute best, but it was still among the top, much higher than his older brothers' rankings back then.
"Brother Wen, this is a letter from your third brother that your teacher asked me to deliver to you."
The banquet was over, and the villagers were green with envy, but there was nothing they could do. They had to admit that Wen Dafa and Liu were just lucky.
Of the five sons, three are all academically successful, and Wen Shi even went directly to the capital after high school. It's estimated that in a few years, the whole family will move there.
"Thank you, Brother Liu. Please come in and have a cup of hot tea."
It was colder in the village than in the county. The shops were small, and he didn't want to sleep on the floor. It wasn't realistic for him to squeeze in with his parents either, since he was getting on in years. After the exam, he would go home, and next spring, he would go to the county school.
Wen Li didn't think much of it. He first entertained his classmate, then opened the envelope and read it carefully.
He was completely stunned when he saw it. His third brother actually wanted their whole family to go to the capital. After a moment of reaction, he couldn't help but frown.
Wen Shi said that he had been given an official position, which was certainly a good thing, but it was not much different from before, and his salary had not increased. With so many people going there, how could life be good?
"What's wrong, Brother Wen?"
His classmate noticed the change in his expression and immediately asked.
"It's a family matter. You'll be going back soon, right? Let's go together. I'm going to the county to see my dad and the others. I have something to discuss."
"My third brother became an official."
Congratulations!
Wen Li smiled but did not speak.
When Wen Shi sent the letter, he paid extra money, and the messenger was very fast. After finishing his exams, Wen Xiaowu did not stay at the private school. He went to the county to tell his parents and then went home. During this time, he stayed at home to study.
After the letter was delivered to the private school, the teacher received it. Upon seeing that it was from Wen Shi, he immediately arranged for someone to deliver it to Wen Xiaowu's home.
There's no need to specifically ask where his family lives; everyone in the county knows.
A moment later, the two set off. After getting into the oxcart, he noticed that he seemed preoccupied, and his classmate didn't say anything. He didn't know the details.
He had studied with Wenli for several years, and sometimes he envied his classmate. His older brother was so promising, and he himself was no less so. He was sure that things would go smoothly for him in the future.
Upon arriving in the county, the two parted ways.
Despite the cold weather, business was booming. There were quite a few customers. When they arrived, Old Man Wen looked at his son with a smile. Right now, Wen Xiaowu was the family's hope.
He was very glad that he had listened to Wen Shi's advice and let the boy go to school instead of making him work in the shop.
Looking at it now, he and Wen Shi were right about the young man. He's not bad either, much better than Wen Chuanzong. He's a scholar at such a young age, and maybe in a few years he'll be as successful as his third brother.
"Father, Third Brother sent a message back. He said he'll call Eldest Brother's family over in a bit so we can discuss it together."
Knowing that things wouldn't be so easy, Wen Xiaowu didn't want to cause him any trouble. However, he couldn't just burn the letter; he still had to tell his family. If his family could reach an agreement, that would be best, and he could simply reply with a refusal.
"Fourth brother, stop what you're doing and go to the county school to call your eldest brother. Don't let the younger one come."
Wen Lao Si nodded, turned around and left, seemingly having something to do.
County School
Wen Chuanzong has been studying even harder lately. After Wen Xiaowu passed the exam, his father criticized him openly and subtly in front of him, which made him very angry, but there was nothing he could do.
Right now, Wen Shi and Wen Xiaowu are like shining pearls, but in Old Man Wen's heart, he is not even as good as his other two brothers.
When Wen Laosi went to find him, he was reluctant but didn't dare to refuse. Of course, he also remembered to go home and call Xiuyu.
When the weather gets cold, Xiuyu sends her two children to live in the private school, where it's warmer and more convenient for them to eat and stay. Otherwise, if they go there early and come back late, the children will suffer.
After all that commotion, the shop had to close early.
The Wen family members all sat together, very curious about what Wen Shi had said. The men sat at one table and the women at another. Once everyone had arrived, they all looked at Wen Xiaowu, especially Liu Shi. If she weren't illiterate, she would have snatched the letter away.
Wen Xiaowu cleared his throat and then said, "Father, Mother, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Fourth Brother, and Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, Fourth Sister-in-law, Third Brother wrote to me. He passed the examination ahead of schedule and now has an official position. He is still in the Hanlin Academy in the capital. He is now an editor."
The others didn't quite understand, but Wen Chuanzong knew perfectly well. Wen Shi was a second-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would most likely become a close minister to the emperor. He was currently in the Hanlin Academy, so his future was definitely bright.
Thinking about this, he felt even more frustrated. Why couldn't he have such good luck?
The provincial examination is held every three years, and there is still more than a year until the next one. He has already registered with the government and is preparing to take the exam this year. Although he is not very confident, he will not show any fear in front of others.
"Good, very good. The third son is so promising. His ancestors must be blessing him from heaven."
"Is there anything else?"
"Third Brother told us to pack our bags and go to the capital together."
Upon hearing Xiao Wu's words, Liu Shi stood up excitedly, her joy overflowing. She had been looking forward to this day for a long time.
The second and fourth sons were about the same. Wen Chuanzong had mixed feelings when he heard this, but Xiuyu and Liu Shi were not much different. The capital city, that was the capital city, and they would be able to go there in the future.
"Xiao Wu, what's wrong?"
It should have been a joyous occasion, but seeing that his youngest son wasn't so happy, Old Man Wen asked.
“I sent my third sister-in-law and children to Beijing before. My third brother’s life is not easy either. With so many of us going there, he will have to eat, drink and study. His burden will be even heavier.”
When Wen Xiaowu spoke frankly, everyone fell silent, and Liu Shi didn't say anything either.
“Dad, we’ve been doing business these past few years, and I don’t know how much we’ve saved. It’s good to carry on the family line. My children and I don’t need to spend the money from the third son on food, clothing, and education.”
After a long silence, Xiuyu spoke up, saying that she was afraid Old Man Wen would refuse in the end, in which case they wouldn't be able to go.
Yuqin also spoke up, saying, "Since this shop opened, my husband and I have been saving money every month. We have savings, and after we go to the capital, we can support our child's education on our own. We are capable of doing it ourselves."
Ma glanced at her fairly well-behaved son in her arms. Before she could say anything, her fourth son echoed his sister-in-law, saying that he also had money.
Both families have savings, which Old Man Wen gives them every month. He has a rough estimate of how much it is.
Taking the opportunity, Liu also spoke up: "Old man, go ahead. Third son has always been shrewd. We've accumulated some money over the years, so we won't have to rely on him after we go. In a few years, when he becomes a high-ranking official, he'll be even less short of money."
"It's almost the end of the year, let's go, pack up, and get there as soon as possible."
Old Man Wen was initially hesitant, but then he thought of Wen Shi.
"Your third brother said in his letter that he wants us to go, right?"
Wen Xiaowu nodded silently. He could tell that it was a must-go, and the key was his father's attitude. If his father said that, it meant that he secretly wanted to go.
"yes."
“Then go, but it’s agreed that you can stay at the third brother’s place at most. You are all able-bodied, so you should learn to work. The third brother doesn’t owe the family anything.”
"Dad, we know. Don't worry, we'll work just the same way when we get there."
Yuqin quickly said that she wanted her son to study in the capital, as that would be the best option.
Xiuyu is about the same. The capital city is better than the prefectural city. Their county town can't even compare to the prefectural city, let alone the capital city.
"Eldest brother and fifth brother, you two still need to study. It won't be cheap in the capital. If you want to go, you'll have to pay for your own studies."
Both of them were scholars, and there were benefits to be gained. Did Wen Chuanzong want to go? Of course he wanted to go. As long as the time came, he could go back to the prefectural city where his household registration was located to participate in the provincial examination.
The academies in the capital are definitely not comparable to the county schools. Although the trip back and forth is troublesome, he would like to go if given the chance.
"When the children go to school in the future, whoever's child it is, they will pay for it. Let's make it clear in advance. If anyone comes to the capital to cause trouble for me, don't blame me for sending you back."
"Dad, don't worry, we have money."
Yuqin, fearing she wouldn't be able to go, added that money is something that accumulates little by little. Her son, Jinyu, was almost three years older than Wen Leqian, and should have been able to go to school much earlier.
But the child wasn't in good health, so after considering everything, she didn't rush to send him there. Once he was in the capital, she definitely couldn't delay.
"By the way, Dad, what about the sheep behind us?"
"Send it to your in-laws. They definitely can't take it with them. Send it to the third son's wife's parents' house. Second son, you tell them not to sell it, just kill it and eat the meat. They can keep the goat milk to drink; it's good for their health."
"OK."
Everyone in the family wanted to go, and Wen Xiaowu had no choice but to agree, since no one would listen to him anyway; they were all definitely going.
"Dad, let's go as soon as possible. Xiao Wu, you take us with you."
"Go."
Wen Xiaowu could only nod, and that was the end of it.
"Now that you're a scholar, go to the county office tomorrow to register. Then we brothers can take the exam together."
Wen Chuanzong looked at Wen Xiaowu and said, "The sooner the better. If it weren't for Wen Shi, he probably would never have had the chance to go to the capital in his life."
"I'm not in a hurry, I'll wait for the next one."
"That's fine. You're still young. It'll be better if you study for a few more years and learn more thoroughly."
Wen Xiaowu wasn't confident he could pass the exam in a year and a half. He wasn't even twenty yet, so there was no rush.
If you continue studying for another four or five years, your chances of success will definitely be greater. Traveling back and forth is quite exhausting. The exam is in the prefectural city. It's not that difficult to go directly from the capital to the prefectural city; there are caravans that go directly there.
But if you're going from the county to the capital, that's going to be difficult. You see, ordinary people can't go to the capital; they can only go with caravans. And caravans going to the capital aren't easy to find. The road is bound to be winding and circuitous. He went there once with Yingxiang before, and then came back.
The return trip was smooth and didn't take much time, but the trip there was really exhausting.
Now, he has no choice but to go; the whole family is watching him.
Thinking of Wen Shi, Wen Xiaowu suddenly realized that perhaps his third brother was also prepared. He didn't need to think too much; Wen Shi was a shrewd and calculating person.
His original plan was to study at the county school for a year and a half to learn more, and then go to Songshan Prefecture to become an apprentice like his third brother did back then, study for three years, and then his chances of passing the exams would be much higher.
His path to education was just like his older brother's back then; he didn't have to worry about anything, he just needed to focus on his studies.
Unlike Wen Shi, he didn't have any pressure, nor did he have to think about how to earn money to pay for his tuition and filial piety. Except for the first year when Wen Shi gave him the money he needed for his studies, his father Wen Shi paid for it very generously and without hesitation for the other years.
"Old woman, you and your daughters-in-law start preparing dry rations. Second son, take the sheep back to the village for your in-laws. The rest of you should go back and pack up, bring the children back, and get ready. We'll try to set off as soon as possible and won't be spending the New Year at home."
After finishing his sentence, Old Man Wen went upstairs, and outside, a few snowflakes began to fall.
Wen Xiaowu couldn't help but calculate the time. If the journey went smoothly and they set off as soon as possible, they could reach the capital by next summer, or at the very least, before autumn.
His older brother wanted to go and was willing to go through the hassle, so he wouldn't say anything more.
Based on his previous experience, it would take at least a month to travel directly from the capital to the prefectural city. Let him go. Whether he passes the exam is still unknown. Let him do whatever he wants if he wants to.
Although they were born of the same mother and were biological brothers, Wen Xiaowu and Wen Chuanzong were not close brothers. Compared to the other two who showed no restraint in their coldness, he would conceal it. Since there was no direct conflict between the two, he would not say much.
Wen Chuanzong is much older than him, and he's not incapable of thinking things through.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
