Chapter 114
Yingxiang opened the shop initially, and from the beginning to the point of stability, she handled all the money and accounting herself. As a result, the business definitely got better and better.
After deducting all monthly expenses, five or six years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Old Man Wen must have some money left.
When Wen Shi said this, he was clearly aware of the situation.
It would be best to let them pay for it themselves. They can keep the money at home for emergencies, and we can also help them with tax exemptions. If both families' children can pass the exams in the future, there won't be any problem transferring the land.
He can't keep occupying it forever.
Afterwards, Wen Shi went to Wang Tanhua's house for drinks. Of course, this time, he told Yingxiang to come back an hour earlier and leave the child at home before he went there with his things.
Wen Shi picked out two nice calligraphy brushes and brought them to his door.
Wang Tanhua was different from him. Firstly, his family was quite well-off. His family owned several hundred acres of fertile land and several shops in their hometown. It could be said that his ancestors were all scholars.
Even if it's a rented house, it's a fairly large yard, kept very clean, with seven or eight rooms in the front and back, and even two elderly women working there.
"Brother Wen, please have a seat."
"good."
The food and wine on the table had already been prepared. The two were colleagues and had a decent relationship. After Wen Shi sat down, Wang Tanhua poured him some wine.
The small glass was filled instantly. Without asking any questions when he smelled it, he took it and drank it all in one gulp.
“Brother Wen, we are both scholars who have studied for many years and have finally reached this point.”
Wen Shi smiled and nodded. "Isn't that right? He was so happy the day he received his official position."
"In a few days, we'll be on holiday. I wonder how much reward we'll get this year. The Hanlin Academy isn't exactly a lucrative place in the capital, but it's close to the emperor, so the annual rewards aren't small."
He was a third-place scholar in the imperial examination, and immediately received an official position after passing the exam. Wen Shi was different; this was his first year as an official.
What happened last year?
Wen asked with some curiosity, as such matters are generally not easy to inquire about.
"Last year, I had a set of fine writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones for one hundred taels of silver, as well as several bolts of dark-colored satin."
"We don't know what will be available this year. After these things are distributed, the Grand Secretary will give them to us. Since our rank is low, even if there are good things, we won't get them. They are basically the things that the higher-ups don't want, so they will give them to us."
In private, Wang Tanhua was very straightforward.
Wen Shi wasn't too surprised. If this year is the same as last year, that would be good. If it's like this every year, then he'll get three hundred taels of silver every year.
Everyone wanted to stay in the capital as an official, and there were reasons for it. Besides the greater chance of seeing the emperor, there were also the rewards and the allure of the capital's prosperity.
The emperor's rewards to officials from other regions were based on their rank, and not everyone could receive them.
Unlike officials in the capital, who could basically get something as long as they held a minor official position, the Ministry of Revenue was naturally the most lucrative among the Six Ministries. Over the years, there had been no natural disasters or man-made calamities, and the harvests had been plentiful year after year, resulting in a full national treasury.
Next is the Ministry of Personnel, while the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Rites, and Ministry of War are ranked lower, but they are not too few.
The Hanlin Academy was a clean and ineffective department; it didn't handle affairs or personnel, and there wasn't much opportunity to make money off it.
Inside the small hall, the two drank and chatted leisurely, quite content. After a few rounds of drinks, Wang Tanhua suddenly looked somewhat sad, and Wen Shi looked at him with puzzlement.
Neither of them mentioned anything sad.
"I'm sorry to my deceased wife."
Wen Shi had never been curious about the affairs of other people's families; he always kept to himself and lived his own life behind closed doors. But when Wang Tanhua suddenly said something like that, he was a little confused.
"If only I had been there back then."
“I went out drinking with my classmates that day, and she suddenly went into premature labor, but ended up dying in childbirth. Both mother and child perished. Brother Wen, do you know? I am so sorry to her.”
Wen Shi frowned as he listened to Wang Tanhua's explanation for a long time before he finally understood.
His previous wife married him at a lower status. After their marriage, they were a harmonious couple with a very good relationship. More than ten years into their marriage, they had two daughters, both of whom were well-behaved and sensible.
Unexpectedly, when he was having his third child, he happened to be out socializing. That night, his wife suddenly went into labor, but due to breech presentation, she passed away. The newborn baby also died along with her.
Less than three months later, with the help of Wang Tanhua's parents, his current wife entered the family.
His current wife is not bad either; she is the daughter of a scholar and is considered well-educated and courteous.
But his deceased wife's death was like a thorn stuck in his heart, causing him great pain in his dreams at night.
Wen Shi had a good impression of the person in front of him. He had even reminded him when he bought the land, but it wouldn't have mattered if he hadn't said anything.
Wen Shi paused in his wine glass, then comforted her, "She's gone now. I suppose she'd want you to be well from heaven. You still have children. You have to let go slowly. You still have to raise them to adulthood and send them off to get married."
It's really heartbreaking, but when you're alive, you can only look forward. Who knows what life will be like after that?
After hearing this, Wen Shi sighed with emotion. Fate is cruel, but there's nothing he can do but accept it.
“Now that the sisters are growing up, I can vaguely see the resemblance of their mother in their eyes and brows. Thinking back on our past life, Brother Wen, I have let down their mother and their mothers.”
"It's all in the past."
Wen Shi patted him on the shoulder, and he knew that the mother he was referring to was his current stepmother.
After Wang Tanhua finished speaking, he drank another cup of wine in one gulp. His face was flushed, and his not-so-handsome face was full of regret. At this moment, even Wen Shi was somewhat moved by what he saw.
It seems that he and his deceased wife were very loving and harmonious when she was alive, otherwise he wouldn't still be so attached to her now.
But fate is fickle, and this happened suddenly. What can you do but accept it?
A large family is waiting for you to support them, and there are young children who need to be taken care of. You have to hold them together no matter what.
"Yes, it's all in the past."
"Let's not talk about that, Brother Wen. We've almost finished repairing the previous set of books, and we've also copied the new ones. Once they're done, we'll send them to His Majesty. We'll go together then."
"Is it usually a Grand Secretary who delivers them?"
“We can go too, but it’s not as convenient for us as it is for him. Forget it, let him go. Going around him won’t do us any good.”
"If we do a good job, it's his credit; if we don't do a good job, it's our own incompetence."
As Wang Tanhua spoke, he started laughing again, and Wen Shi suddenly fell silent. What he said was certainly true; that was their immediate superior.
"Brother Wen, drink up! The New Year is almost here. After this drink, I hope we'll have a smooth and successful year ahead."
He did not refuse when he heard it, and picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.
Inside a house not far away, a charcoal fire sat in the corner, making the room warm. Wang Tanhua's current wife sat by the window, the candlelight bright. She looked down at a pair of mandarin ducks on the embroidery frame, her expression somewhat sorrowful.
He missed his deceased wife, and she missed her schoolboy, the handsome and cheerful young man who treated her gently.
Back then, she also had someone she liked, but just before their engagement was about to happen, her parents forcibly broke off their engagement, insisting that she marry into the Wang family, saying that Wang Tanhua was a talented and capable man.
He has children, but she will be the legal wife after marriage. Wang Tanhua has no son either. Once she gives birth to a son, their lives will definitely be good. There's no need to care about two girls who are destined to marry out.
It is undeniable that his parents had good judgment and made the right choice. Wang Tanhua did become famous overnight after participating in the imperial examination. However, the love he had in his youth was not so easy to forget.
She tried to resist, but it was all in vain. Even threatening with her own life had no effect.
They said that if she died, there would still be her sister.
Thinking of this, Madam Wang closed her eyes in anguish.
As it grew darker and the person outside seemed to be unconscious, she put on a thick coat, went to the kitchen first, brought out the hangover soup she had prepared in advance, and headed towards the hall.
Wen Shi was also a bit tired. If it weren't for tomorrow being a day off, he wouldn't have been able to stay here drinking all day.
He was also quite drunk.
"Lord Wen, please have a cup of hangover soup."
When Madam Wang arrived, Wen Shi had already struggled to stand up, wanting to go home. Upon hearing this, Wen Shi picked up the hangover soup beside him and drank it all in one gulp.
"Farewell."
"Take care, adults. It's dark and the roads are slippery. Please be careful."
Wen Shi nodded, got up and walked out. Madam Wang looked at her husband with a complicated expression. Then she brought out a thick quilt from inside the house, covered him with it, and closed the door to the hall.
After Wen Shi left, she closed the door and went straight to sleep.
After a while, Wen Shi walked home, feeling much more awake. The cold wind was howling, and although he had a headache, he was not so badly lost that he couldn't find his way.
The moonlight was bright tonight. He walked slowly on the smooth stone road. Fortunately, there was no curfew. He even encountered a few small vendors doing business on the road. They were all struggling.
When Wen Shi thought about tomorrow's business, he perked up and went to his study to work on the list after arriving home. He checked the shopping list one last time. He had written down everything he needed to buy for his wife the next day, made a list, deleted and added to it, and finally perfected it.
They got up early and took their child to school together.
After that, they began to buy things. Wen Shi first went to the market to rent a mule cart and had the driver come along. They would deliver the goods together after they finished shopping.
At the blacksmith shop, fortunately, they had iron pots readily available. I picked out two sturdy ones, paid for them, and they also had tea sets and bowls readily available. When I went to buy them, I chose the ones with patterns.
There were also new cotton quilts. Yingxiang selected seven or eight ready-made quilts, which the shopkeeper tied up with ropes and put on the mule cart.
It was cold, so Yingxiang followed behind Wenshi. After buying everything they needed, they started choosing furnishings for the hall and the main house.
"This vase is quite nice, the design is beautiful, what do you think, my husband?"
Yingxiang held a pair of white vases with elegant designs. Wen Shi nodded, asked about the price, found it reasonable, and bought them directly.
Then they selected some simple decorations, such as screens, and soon the small mule cart was full.
“There are definitely people selling grain and firewood in the village, so let’s not buy them here. Let’s go to the locksmith’s shop. I ordered a key for the door lock before. Let’s go there after we pick it up.”
"good."
The heavy padlock had six or seven keys. After paying, Wen Shi and Ying Xiang boarded the mule cart. It was cold, and both of them were wearing cloaks. He had his wife sit on a cotton quilt while he sat to the side, and then told the driver to leave the city.
This is the last trip. After sending the things over and organizing them, there's no need to come over again. We'll wait for our family to come.
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