Chapter 124
That day, Wen Shi hurried to the school and called out to his second brother Wen before he left.
As summer progresses, it gets dark later and later. At this time, before the sun sets, the children sit in rows behind the carts at the school gate. Some ride in mule carts, while others ride in donkey carts, horse carts, or ox carts.
"Third brother, what's wrong?"
Wen Erge was somewhat puzzled.
"Let's go to my house first, I'll go back and change my clothes, then we'll go look at land near Ping'an Village."
Brother Wen nodded and then sped up.
After arriving home, Wen Shi quickly changed his clothes and drank a bowl of cold water. Wen Leqian didn't really want to go, but his father called him out as soon as he entered the house.
"Let's go together, your mother is coming home late today."
Leaving a child alone at home for too long is not advisable.
Acquiring land is no small matter. Let's go home for dinner first, and then call Old Man Wen and Fourth Brother to go see it together. Of course, this time, we don't need to bring the children.
Wen Shi looked at his mother, whose head was covered in hairpins and ornaments, but didn't say anything. Most of the jewelry on her head wasn't valuable, and he didn't know where she bought it, except for a thin gold hairpin that looked quite nice.
Every time Xiuyu saw this gold hairpin, she felt unhappy, but there was nothing she could do, as Liu Shi would not return it to her.
Not only her hair was styled in a bun, but Liu also wore bracelets on both wrists.
Wen Shi had a clear goal and a sufficient budget, so he decided to buy fertile land directly, which would save a lot of time. There were few lands for sale in the vicinity, but after some inquiries, he found that there were some.
Evening, as the sun set, the weather remained very hot.
After inspecting several plots of land, everyone was sweating profusely from the heat, but no one complained or spoke.
Old Man Wen was an expert in this area. His family used to make a living by farming. To make it easier to irrigate, it was naturally better to be close to the water source, where the land would be fertile. But if it was too close, the land might be flooded if the river rose.
Therefore, maintaining a safe distance is also very important. He was an old farmer, and he was the one who communicated with Wen Shi the most.
The land purchase process was not simple either. They were considered outsiders, and although they would eventually settle here, they would inevitably have to go through a procedure with the government, which would be more secure.
He studied the law thoroughly and knew these things.
“I think this land is fine. Although it’s a bit far from the village, the second and fourth sons won’t be too tired from doing this. If they can’t come back by noon, their wives can take turns bringing them lunch.”
Old Man Wen squatted down and pinched the soil on the ground. The landowner was in a much better mood after hearing this. He had a lot of land, so selling some wouldn't be a bad thing.
"Uncle, don't worry, these are all top-quality fields. As long as there are no natural disasters or man-made calamities, the harvest will definitely be plentiful."
"Third brother, I think it's a good idea."
"Third Brother, I think that's a good idea too."
The four of them had been running for almost an hour and finally found a suitable piece of fertile land. What was even more remarkable was that the land was contiguous, making it easier to work on.
"Then let's go to the government office as soon as possible."
He didn't hesitate when he heard this, as he had the money with him.
"Fifty taels per mu of land."
"Okay, let's go then."
“After my father passed away, he left us brothers a thousand acres of land in this area, five hundred acres for each family. We can’t cultivate it all, and it would be a waste to leave it barren. These days, grain doesn’t fetch a good price, and hiring people isn’t cost-effective.”
Hearing his host's words, Wen Lao Er couldn't help but feel a little envious.
I never imagined his family owned so much land. Before, his family didn't even have 20 mu of land. Everyone was tightening their belts to make a living.
They also had to support Wen Chuanzong. Things got a little better later, but there wasn't much change.
In the village, a mu of good land would only fetch a maximum of thirty taels of silver, but here it's almost doubled.
He never imagined that the people in front of him were dressed so respectably, with their hair neatly combed, and they didn't look like farmers at all. They usually wore coarse cloth shorts and shawls, which was the only thing they could wear, as it was convenient for working.
When they arrived at the nearby government office, fortunately it wasn't dark yet, and there were still officials on duty inside. After the transaction was completed face to face, the matter was settled for them quickly and easily.
After coming out, Wen Shi gave the land deed to Old Man Wen directly.
After leaving the government office, Wen Lao Si looked at Wen Shi anxiously and couldn't help but speak up.
"Third brother, how could you give the land deed to Dad? Didn't we agree that it would be for me and second brother in the future?"
Old Man Wen was neatly folding the paper and preparing to put it on his chest when he heard this. He choked on his words and immediately became quite angry.
"Fourth brother, what do you mean by that? I'm in charge of this household, and without my two hundred taels of silver, could you afford it?"
"You heartless bastard."
Wen Shi's lips moved slightly: "Fourth brother, don't worry. Father has the land deed in his hands for fairness. After all, this is needed for buying and selling. If the land is not under his name, he can't buy it even if he has the land deed."
"Similarly, even though it's registered under my name, I can't sell it without it."
"That's good. I was worried that Dad would sell it and then give the money to my older brother. My wife and I have worked so hard to save this little bit of money over the years."
Hearing this, Wen Erge felt much better. Sitting on the mule cart on the way home, Wen Laodi, still angry, slapped Wen Laosi hard on the back.
"father."
"So what if I hit you? You heartless bastard! I used to pay you wages. If I had known, I wouldn't have given you a single penny. All these years, were you raised by the wind or by the rain?"
Wen Laosi stopped talking, but he felt that he hadn't done anything wrong.
"What nonsense are you talking about? I sold the land to the boss. Let me tell you, that's impossible."
Old Man Wen's words were resounding. In the car, the three men remained silent. Wen Shi was not worried. Even if Old Man Wen changed his mind one day and wanted to give his eldest son money, he could only give him the cash he had on hand. That would be useless to his eldest son.
When he transfers the property later, it will be to the two children of his second and fourth sons, hoping that those two children will be successful when they grow up.
"Third brother, fifth brother has found a school and has moved there to study."
Old Man Wen looked at Wen Shi as if he had just thought of something. He was really getting old. He had originally wanted to tell Wen Shi about it, but when Wen Shi mentioned buying land, he hurriedly followed him out and almost forgot about it.
That's a good thing.
After arriving home, Wen Erge wanted to take Wen Shi and the child back, but seeing that it was getting late, Wen Shi declined.
“I’ll take him to the village entrance to take the oxcart, so you don’t have to run back and forth. Second brother, you must be very tired every day picking up and dropping off the children.”
The father and son returned to the capital, by which time it was almost dark.
Under the bright moon and gentle breeze, Wen Leqian walked behind Wen Shi, looking around, but he didn't dare to run around. He was very happy at school recently because he didn't have to wait for Wen Shi.
Compared to the busy end of the year, Wen Shi is much more free now.
In a few days, he will be going to help the Grand Secretary, but there is nothing to worry about. He will just do what needs to be done.
When I got home, Yingxiang was already back.
After I explained it to her, she said she understood and smiled when she heard it.
Life went on at a leisurely pace. Although they were busy, the two of them were mostly looking forward to the future.
That noon, Wen Shi ran into Yang Xun and saw him stammering, so he subconsciously frowned.
"Brother Wen, I heard that you will be reviewing the papers with the Grand Secretary."
Even now, this is Yang Xun's only hope. In his heart, he hopes to rank higher.
Wen Shi nodded and then said, "It's definitely not just the two of us, and I went there to help."
This is no small matter. The Grand Secretary isn't crazy enough to let Wen Shi make a decision. The assessment results will be sent to the Ministry of Personnel after the mid-year exams. Not long after that, the issue of whether these people stay or leave will be resolved.
Next year, the Shuchang Hall will reopen, and of course, it will welcome a new batch of students.
As for these people, whether they were to fill vacancies in local areas or stay in the capital as minor officials, it all depended on the Ministry of Personnel's arrangements. Those with connections had already started making their moves, like Hu Yong'an, whose future was practically set.
Those without connections, like Yang Xun, can only wait anxiously. Ultimately, it all comes down to personal opportunity and fate; some things are really hard to predict.
Upon hearing this, Yang Xun sighed, feeling that his life wasn't so lucky.
"Brother Yang, you don't need to worry. I'll invite you for drinks in a few days. I'll invite a colleague and Brother Hu as well, and we'll all get together."
Yang Xun was taken aback, but did not refuse.
Wen Shi had long planned to do this, but he had been busy with other things. Now it's all good. The Hanlin Academy is a clean and honest department with no money to be made. Of course, he himself is not capable of doing such things.
Compared to the hectic pace at the end of the year, things have become much more relaxed in the end.
Inviting people to our home isn't appropriate either. Firstly, the place is small, and secondly, setting up a large table would be too much trouble. Yingxiang has her own things to do, and as for him, Wenshi wouldn't be shameless in public. If people saw him cooking in the kitchen, it wouldn't be good for his reputation, and it would be even worse for Yingxiang.
Some things are best left to your family to know.
Therefore, choosing a mid-range restaurant is most suitable. He now holds an official position, so booking a private room would cost about three to five taels of silver, which would be about right.
"Relax and don't overthink it."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xun smiled and nodded, realizing he had been quite anxious.
When the time came, he really couldn't sit still.
Wine Shop
After Yang Pozi and Yingxiang finished preparing a large vat of wine, she kept groaning and clutching her aching back.
"Oh dear, shopkeeper, this is exhausting!"
Yingxiang didn't speak up, but it would be impossible for her not to be tired. The only thing that made her happy was that she had successfully brewed the three types of wine one after another.
There are many wine shops in the capital, but each one has its own unique flavor. Generally speaking, they are all similar, but there are definitely differences.
Yingxiang had a ready-made recipe given to him by the system's daily check-in, but even so, he still made some adjustments later.
"Alright, alright, let's take a break first. I also have something to tell you."
Upon hearing this, Granny Yang looked at Yingxiang.
"Find two young and strong servants over there who aren't very good at acting. We'll entrust the brewing work to them from now on."
It was already May, and the weather was hot. Yingxiang had been busy here for more than two months. She didn't want to be too tired, so without any worries, she let these people do the work.
Having a contract of indenture is best, as it makes things easier to control. Moreover, this recipe cannot be revealed casually. If outsiders find out and make the exact same thing, then making money won't be so easy anymore.
"no problem."
"There's something else I'd like to ask you about, which is the farm outside the city."
Yingxiang's lips moved slightly. She was caught off guard by the unexpected reward. The money was just sitting in her hand, and that was all she could get. She thought that if she set up a farm outside the city, she could generate income.
"You want to buy a farm? That's not cheap, it'll cost at least a thousand taels, and that's just the small one."
Granny Yang sat under the eaves, panting heavily. The two of them had just lifted the vat together, and she almost couldn't keep up. When you get old, you can't deny it.
How small?
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