Chapter 126
A few days later, the group that had received Wen Shi's invitation went to a nearby restaurant after their shift. In the small private room, the food and drinks were served one after another.
Hu Yong'an sat to the side, looking quite cheerful. Wang Tanhua was in a similar mood. Only Yang Xun had a faint trace of worry between his brows, but he was much better than before.
With his status as a second-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), even if he were released and sent to a local area, he would at least be a seventh-rank county magistrate, with some power. It wouldn't be a dead-end job. Compared to other places, the capital city is definitely the best.
But he has done what he was supposed to do. He has worked very hard these past few years, and just a few days ago he went to burn incense and pray to Buddha.
"Come on, let's all have a drink together."
"Let's drink until we drop tonight!"
These were all people who had invited him before. He smiled upon hearing this, and he didn't rashly invite his superiors, nor was it necessary for the time being.
It's really inconvenient to have a banquet at home. He can't possibly ask Yingxiang to come back early to prepare a big feast, and then there's still the cleanup to do, and who knows how late it will be by then.
He should have invited them long ago, but things have been delayed until now, and he naturally knows that he can't put it off any longer.
"Come, let me offer you a toast, Brother Wen."
The four sat together. Compared to their other colleagues, they had a better relationship with Wen Shi, and they had also met before. Wen Shi was not stingy, and he ordered a very lavish meal.
We drank and chatted, rarely discussing politics, but laughing and joking throughout, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
After Wen Leqian was brought back home by his second uncle, the group left.
He wasn't afraid at all. He obediently closed the door and sat in the yard to wait. There was no shortage of food and drink at home; there were pastries and ready-made boiled water.
Previously, Brother Wen would wait for people to come back, but now he doesn't have that much free time. He tells the children not to run around and then drives the mule cart back.
After the land was cleared, there were still many things to do at home, so it wouldn't be right to let the fourth son till the land by himself; he definitely had to go along with him.
Yingxiang came home early today and was in a good mood when she saw her son sitting obediently in the yard.
"Your father isn't coming home for dinner today. Come on, let's go out to eat."
There are restaurants nearby, and she hasn't been out for a long time. She came back earlier than usual today because Wen Shi told her last night that she was going out to eat with someone today.
"Mother, let's go."
The wine shop only had those two kinds of food, and after eating them so many times, they were just ordinary flavors. Yingxiang took her son to a nearby restaurant that was fairly well-known for roast duck.
"Mother, shall we go to the bookstore later?"
What are you going over there for?
Yingxiang isn't the main caregiver for him right now, but she knows the child's situation. There's no need to buy things for his studies, like pens, ink, paper, and inkstones.
“A classmate once gave me a Huzhou calligraphy brush, which I kept. Today, in a newly learned poem, the teacher told us that we should learn to reciprocate gifts.”
Yingxiang understood.
"After we finish eating, let's go over there. You can pick out a gift to give back to your classmate."
"good."
It's been quite some time since then, and children may not understand so much, which is why education is so important. Yingxiang didn't even know about that incident before; he hadn't told her anything.
Does your father know?
The little guy shook his head.
“I brought the calligraphy brush back in my sleeve and then put it inside the house without telling my father.”
Yingxiang suddenly looked at the child in front of her seriously. He was four and a half years old this year, almost five years old. He was not a very young child. In addition, he was studying and would gradually learn some principles.
Ancient and modern teaching methods are vastly different, and in the past two years, her focus has not been on the children.
Previously, she had thought that since he couldn't leave, it would be best for him to follow Wen Shi. Since an individual cannot change the times, one can only adapt. She mostly cared about his life and rarely asked him about his daily reading.
Wen Shi was in charge of all of this. She knew that Wen Shi would check the children's homework, and as the children spent more time with him, they did learn some things unconsciously.
Why wasn't Wen Shi valued as much as Wen Chuanzong when he was at home? Wen Chuanzong was clearly no less capable than Wen Chuanzong, but it was largely because he didn't talk much.
Whether it's good or bad, his family knows nothing. He makes his own decisions at such a young age, and over time, his relationship with his parents doesn't become very close.
His parents didn't understand him, and he didn't say it himself. Before he became successful, compared to Wen Chuanzong, who was eloquent and liked to embellish himself, he was really unlikable.
"Leqian, if anyone gives you something in the future, you should tell your parents. Or if anything happens at school, you can tell your mother."
“My father told me to study hard at school and listen to my teacher, and that would be enough.”
“Your father is right, but you should also listen to your mother.”
"Yes, the master said that we must be filial to our parents, for the kindness of raising us is greater than heaven."
The little guy suddenly spoke in a serious tone. Yingxiang looked at him with a complicated expression. She moved her lips, but swallowed her words.
After eating and drinking their fill, the two went to a bookstore not far away.
It was already late, and there weren't many people in the bookstore. The waiter sat bored in front of the counter.
What do you want to buy?
"that."
The child turned around and pointed to a shelf on the side. Yingxiang walked over, picked it up and saw that it was an ink block. Looking at the price, it wasn't actually that expensive.
"I've made my choice."
"Alright, I'll give you this. This is an ink block. I saw the gentleman use this to grind ink when he wrote. He gave me a calligraphy brush, so I'm giving him this. The gentleman said he'll be teaching us calligraphy next year, so we'll need it then."
"I'll take it to my classmate tomorrow, as a way of returning the favor."
The little guy was clearly very happy holding the ink block. He had been a bit troubled before, but now that his mother had agreed so readily, he no longer had to worry about not having a gift to give.
"Look, is there anything else you need? The year is already halfway over, so Mom will buy you some school supplies in advance."
Upon hearing this, the child was clearly excited. He rubbed his hands together and then said, "Mom, I want a book box too. I'll take it with me when I go to school. I already have a calligraphy brush. Some of my classmates are carrying these now. I'll put some books inside so I look like a scholar."
At this point, seeing her son's puffed-out little chest, Yingxiang smiled.
"Then look, which one do you like?"
"Too expensive won't do."
Yingxiang added another sentence.
The book boxes all look similar, but they are not. Due to the different materials used, the price difference is not small. She couldn't possibly buy such a young child a book box made of expensive wood.
The little guy was very serious, looking at it from different angles, and finally chose a black one.
Yingxiang took it and tried it out; it wasn't too heavy. After seeing the price, she had no objections.
"Then let's buy this one?"
"good."
"And that book, several classmates have it, I always borrow it from them to read."
The books placed at the bottom of the counter were quite different from ordinary books; they looked very thin and small. Yingxiang flipped through them and found they were picture books.
There's nothing wrong with the content; it's just a series of short stories with hastily drawn illustrations, which can't compare to the beautifully produced fairy tales of today.
She thought it was probably an ancient version of a storybook. She quickly read the first chapter. It wasn't harmful, and the words were very simple, so it was meant for children of this age.
"Pick two books, and I'll buy them for you."
"good."
On his way home, Wen Leqian was very happy. He carried a book box containing ink blocks and newly bought picture books.
Seeing her son like this, Yingxiang felt much better.
When Wen returned home, it was already dark. Yingxiang had bought some things for the child, and when he came back, he excitedly went into the house and picked up a book to read with great interest.
Wen Shi didn't return until after dark. He had drunk quite a bit, but he wasn't completely drunk. With the last bit of his consciousness, he quickly washed himself, got into bed, and went to sleep.
Yingxiang was sleeping inside and didn't pay much attention to him. He was a good drinker and didn't cause any trouble.
In the early morning, as dawn broke, Wen Shi subconsciously sat up.
"There are many breakfast vendors at the market outside, so let's not cook today; we can eat out."
Yingxiang rolled over, still half asleep. The family wasn't short of income, and the pancakes outside weren't expensive. In this day and age, there wasn't much technology or hard work, so there was no need to make breakfast every day.
Wen Shi nodded and slept for another half an hour. When the child came out dressed, Wen Shi immediately saw the book box in his hand.
In the courtyard, Yingxiang had just finished washing up and was waiting for the two to leave so she could sign in.
"Wife, why are you buying him a book box? He doesn't need it at all right now."
Wen Shi took the book box from her son's hand, opened it, and saw that there was an ink block and two picture books inside. Her expression changed involuntarily.
"The ink stick is a gift I'm giving away, but the book is mine."
Wen Shi didn't even look at his son.
“I’ve roughly read that book. It’s for someone his age. He might not need it now, but he could use it later. I’m his mother, shouldn’t I buy him things?”
Yingxiang sat on a small stool under the eaves, her tone calm.
Wen Shi quickly flipped through it and then put it back.
There's no need to buy him this.
"Many of my classmates have it."
"Did he tell you before, and you rejected it?"
"yes."
Wen Shi didn't hesitate at all; he felt it was unnecessary and not something he absolutely had to see.
Yingxiang looked somewhat helpless, then said, "Reading more books isn't necessarily a bad thing."
"Who was the ink block given to?"
Wen Shi turned to look at her son.
“A classmate once gave me a Huzhou calligraphy brush, this is a return gift to him.”
Wen Shi nodded, and didn't seem angry.
He handed the book box to his son, told him to take it, and walked out. The little guy quickly followed. He looked calm, but he was actually very happy inside.
After the two left, Yingxiang began signing in.
She selected a few fruit saplings and stored them in her backpack, planning to plant them all next spring.
She expects that in another half month, once the wall is up, she will go to the market to buy livestock, including lambs and calves, and raise them.
She plans to divide this farm into two large areas: one for raising livestock and the other for planting. She plans to build a dozen or so small houses to accommodate people. Taking care of livestock is not easy, as the area is not very large. If she wants to raise more livestock, she will have to keep them in enclosures. Chickens and ducks are fine, and ponds are not difficult to dig, but cattle and sheep pens will definitely need to be larger.
After finishing her work, Yingxiang drank a few bowls of water, closed the door, and went to the wine shop.
On the way to school, Wen Shi remained silent. Along the way, he bought two cakes and handed one to the child.
After delivering the person, he went straight to the Hanlin Academy.
When Yingxiang arrived at the shop, she mostly watched the two men brewing wine. They were both very serious, and Yingxiang had spoken to them privately about it.
After the New Year, their contracts will be in her hands. As long as they work hard, they can continue to work next year and will even get paid more.
The two were naturally excited and worked very hard.
Sometimes, Yingxiang felt sorry for these people. Some were born slaves and had never been treated kindly, but there was nothing she could do about it.
Right now, she's just an ordinary ancient woman with modern ideas. She doesn't have the ability or capacity to liberate all these people and give them freedom all at once. To put it bluntly, not even Wen Shi could do that, let alone her.
All she could do was treat them well, make sure they were fed and watered, and that they earned money before releasing them.
Yingxiang is a woman of few words and few deeds. People who spend a lot of time with her develop a very good impression of her. She truly rewards good work and never makes empty promises.
At noon, Yingxiang ate something casually outside, and in the afternoon she went to a teahouse.
She had personally overseen the operation of the shop, which she had built from scratch, and knew exactly what the monthly profits were like. She wasn't afraid of her subordinates deceiving her.
That's roughly the number; it won't be much more or less.
"Shopkeeper, have a cup of tea."
"Things here are relatively stable, and things over there are looking up as well."
"By the way, are those two enough? Should we add a few more?"
That's enough for now.
"However, I will need a few people in a month, men or women are fine, preferably those who can raise livestock and have strength."
"I'll help you find it, it's no problem."
Yingxiang nodded. The two had previously been in a superior-subordinate relationship, but now they were in a cooperative relationship. Granny Yang was a decent person; at least she wouldn't hold them back and was willing to try.
If she hadn't agreed to cooperate back then, she would have had to put in a lot of effort.
The storyteller delivered his passionate speech on stage, while the guests below listened attentively, occasionally bursting into laughter. After a while, Yingxiang became indifferent to all of this.
She sat at the counter, cupping her face in her hands, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the passersby, lost in thought.
If everything goes smoothly, the farm will have a harvest next year. She needs to find a restaurant to sell the livestock, which shouldn't be too difficult.
The initial investment was considerable, but there was still a significant amount of money left over; dry land wasn't that expensive.
In the evening, after Yingxiang returned home, Wenshi had already brought the child back.
In the kitchen, Wen Shi looked at his wife, but before he could speak, Ying Xiang spoke first.
“My husband, children will always grow up, and he may not have the same self-control as you in the future.”
"There are many temptations in the world, and we cannot spoil our children, but sometimes satisfying them may not be bad for them."
"A book box can be used for many years. After you finish reading the books, you can put it away. If you don't like it anymore later, you can go to the pawn shop to exchange it for money."
"It's certainly strange that he hasn't seen it before, but if he had it, seeing it would be just another ordinary thing."
“You feel that it’s not necessary right now, and we’ll buy it for him sooner or later, but some things don’t need to be so strictly controlled.”
"Time flies, my husband. Think about it, in another ten years or so, he will also get married and have children. At that time, will you still be able to discipline him as strictly as you do today?"
"Settling down and starting a family is what adults do, why should I care so much about that?"
He smiled after hearing this.
Yingxiang was sensible in his actions. He knew that what worried him was that if his child read too many miscellaneous books, he might find those dry and boring classics boring.
Scientific expeditions are very important; his future prospects depend entirely on this exam.
But upon closer reflection, this child is quite diligent in his studies and has always listened to him.
As children grow up, it's impossible for them to always agree with everything they say, just like before. They gradually come to realize this, and their parents won't hold their hands and talk to them as much as they used to.
Wen Shi felt that Ying Xiang's words made sense for his future. He really couldn't be as strict as before. As long as he didn't slack off in his studies and didn't do anything absurd or illegal, it was really okay to relax a little.
“Husband, he’s grown up now. We should guide him, not stay with him forever.”
Yingxiang wasn't so reserved, but there were some things she couldn't say too bluntly. She could only try her best to live her life well and leave no regrets. She couldn't care less about what happened after she passed away.
"Indeed, my wife, I've always felt that you're different from those other women?"
He looked straight at his wife when he heard this.
"What's different?"
Yingxiang asked with a smile.
“Our thoughts and actions are very different. If you were a man, you might not be any worse than me.”
Wen Shi was never that stupid; after being married for many years, some things couldn't withstand close scrutiny.
If Yingxiang was doing this to supplement the family income before, it's really not necessary now. She can stay at home; all his money is for him. She can be a good wife and mother. She might not be enjoying a life of luxury, but she certainly won't have to work long hours every day, exhausted to death.
Yingxiang never complained or said she was tired; she seemed very motivated. But as the saying goes, "not being blind is not easy to see." She didn't give up because of this; she opened shop after shop, clearly wanting to expand her business.
She wanted to rely on herself, and Wen Shi understood this very well. This coincided with his own thoughts; relying on oneself is ultimately the most reliable approach.
He doesn't oppose it; in fact, he supports it. Putting himself in their shoes, he understands that they all have it tough. He used to be suppressed, but after finally rising to the top, he had no choice but to strive to catch up.
Yingxiang was the same; she had so many brothers and was a woman waiting to be married, so she was bound to be neglected.
They all had biased parents, and her mother was even a stepmother.
It's said that the two were destined to be together. They lived not far from each other before getting married, supporting each other, and over the years, they finally made a living together.
That's not wrong.
Yingxiang looked at Wenshi and put down the dishes she was holding.
"My husband, you are also very good. Even now, you are still helping me with housework and taking care of the children."
This is undeniable. Let alone him becoming an official, many men are incompetent yet still act like big shots at home, shouting and behaving the same way they always have. This shows that their character is unreliable.
Sometimes I think she was very lucky. It was his fault back then. If she had married one of those unreliable men, Yingxiang would have packed her bags and run away long ago. She couldn't have made it work. She didn't want to wrong herself too much.
It's best for couples to get along peacefully. If not, then it's better to separate. Why torture each other? It's not good for either of them.
Yingxiang's views on marriage have remained unchanged.
“You are my wife, and Leqian is my son. A man should stand tall and support the family. When you married me, you didn’t enjoy life. Although we have never been apart, I can see how hard you have worked. It would be heartless to ignore that.”
He smiled after hearing this, his eyebrows and eyes relaxed, and he seemed to be in a good mood.
Outside, he held an official position and appeared respectable, but behind closed doors, he lived a simple life with his wife and children. He never felt that there were certain things that should be avoided or that should not be done.
Yingxiang's previous support for him was 100% genuine; he wasn't a heartless person.
That's right.
After the meal was served, the family of three sat together. Wen Leqian glanced at his parents and noticed that they seemed to be in a good mood.
He was happy when he thought of his two picture books, and ended up eating an extra half bowl.
Soon, the day of the examination for the Shuchang Hall arrived.
Wen Shi and a group of colleagues were summoned to proctor the exam to prevent cheating, and various strict checks were conducted.
During the exam, it wasn't in the same room as before; the tables were moved to the back, and each candidate was far apart from the others.
The Grand Secretary stood at the head of the table, while the other officials walked back and forth, all waiting solemnly.
These junior scholars all bowed their heads and answered very seriously. This was their last exam after three years of study at the academy, and it would determine their future.
No one dared to be careless; everyone was very serious.
After the exam, Wen Shi also got busy.
He wasn't an examiner, but since he was called over, he couldn't just sit idly by.
"Divide them into sections, and place them separately according to their height (top, middle, bottom)."
The Grand Secretary sat to one side, watching Wen Shi.
"Back then, when His Majesty was proctoring the exam, he praised your handwriting. Later, when we were grading the papers, we also submitted your paper. His Majesty really valued you and immediately kept you on the list."
"In the blink of an eye, almost three years have passed. This year's autumn examinations are only a few months away, and next year we will welcome a new batch of students."
Wen Shi was taken aback when he heard this; he hadn't forgotten what had happened before.
The scene of participating in the palace examination is still vivid in my mind. He was sitting in the last row and the last seat, which was something he had never experienced in his previous years of study.
Given that the emperor himself was supervising the exam, it was impossible for him not to be nervous. But at that time, he could only remain calm, and fortunately, the final result was good.
Wen Shi now understands how they graded the papers back then. He originally thought he was just lucky and favored by heaven, but now it seems that his ability also played a role, and his previous efforts were not in vain.
His beautiful handwriting wasn't something he was born with.
Wen Shi's thoughts drifted a little far away, but he didn't forget what he was doing right now. He put those thoughts aside and focused intently.
In the past, these were all his colleagues, so he was naturally very fair and impartial.
Soon, the answer sheets were sorted out, and the Grand Secretary summoned several examiners, who all read them very carefully.
If there are exceptionally outstanding ones, they will inevitably be sent to the emperor for his review.
Of course, the results won't come out immediately.
On his way home from work, Wen Shi thought of Wen Chuanzong, who was due to take the exam this year.
Thinking of Wen Chuanzong, he couldn't help but take a breath. He had to press on with his momentum, which was also the key to his success back then.
Ping An Village
Wen Chuanzong hadn't forgotten either. He had already decided to take the exam first, and if he failed, he would come back and study for another three years. He wasn't stupid; he would pass the exam sooner or later.
Old Man Wen and Mrs. Liu often go to nearby towns for sightseeing these days, but they haven't gone to the capital. The second and fourth sons need to till the land, which has been idle for a long time. They plan to plant it next year, so they naturally need to prepare in advance.
While taking care of her son, Ma also had to look after the poultry she raised.
Yuqin was even busier than her. She had more children to support, and they were all grown up, but she still had a lot to do. In her spare time, she also wanted to spin thread and weave cloth, which she knew how to do, so she could earn as much as she could.
Amian is in a similar situation; if Xiuyu doesn't do it, she can't rest.
Following Wen Chuanzong, I certainly didn't enjoy any good fortune, but things are much better now than before. At least I have a house to live in, although I may not be able to live there forever. Who knows what the future holds?
She had always hoped that Wen Chuanzong would pass the imperial examination soon and be as successful and respectable as Wen Shi.
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