Chapter 127
At night, Old Man Wen lay on the soft bedding and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
The room was spacious and grand, with many decorations he had never dared to dream of before. All of this was now in his sight. He was wearing a black undergarment that was neither new nor old, and he was lying on the bed with a very satisfied expression.
Ms. Liu sat in front of her dressing table, picked up a box of white cream that she had just bought, and carefully applied it to her face.
"Spendthrift woman."
Old Man Wen cursed, but she ignored him.
She has obtained most of the things she could only dream of when she was young, so how could she not be happy? She even wakes up smiling from her dreams.
The only regret for Liu was not being able to live in the city, but as long as she takes good care of her health, it's only a matter of time before she can move to the city.
In the backyard, Wen Chuanzong also tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He hadn't even had a few months to rest before he had to set off again.
Just in case, he definitely had to go ahead. If Wen Xiaowu wasn't going, then he would have to go alone. The good thing was that while it was difficult to find caravans going into the capital, it was much easier to find those going out.
Having finally traveled a long distance, he wasn't that scared. His only worry was about the travel expenses; he was concerned that he wouldn't have enough money.
His income was limited, and he had to support many people. Old Man Wen was truly heartless and wouldn't give a penny.
Unable to sleep, he got up and went to where he hid the money. It was pitch black at night. He lit the half-burnt candle and rummaged through the money box. There wasn't much left.
But he's a stranger in this place, and he's short of money, so he can't ask anyone else but his family for help.
Both sons need to go to school, and this younger one will likely need to as well in the future. He also has to manage his own affairs, which is causing Wen Chuanzong a great deal of trouble.
Thinking of his brothers, he had a clear choice in mind.
As dawn broke, the second brother got up to feed the mules in the backyard. He suddenly saw his eldest brother and immediately took two steps back.
If I remember correctly, Wen Chuanzong never came here on his own initiative; he disliked this black mule very much.
"Second son."
Wen Erge raised his eyes and looked directly at Wen Chuanzong, indicating that he should speak frankly.
He used to be honest and simple, but after experiencing a lot, he did business with his family in the county and gained some experience.
"My brother is about to take the exam and he's short on money. Could you lend him some?"
Wen Chuanzong mustered his courage and thought it over and over. Only his second brother was suitable. He couldn't bring himself to lend money to his third brother, and his fourth brother was out of the question. As for his fifth brother, if his father found out, he would never lend him the money. The best option was to borrow money from his younger brother privately.
“It’s not much. Over the years, you and your parents have saved quite a bit. Five taels of silver from your elder brother is enough. When I pass the imperial examination, I will pay you back fifty taels.”
Wen Chuanzong straightened his chest as he spoke.
“Brother, my son is currently in school. As you know, we didn’t have much money when we bought the land.”
"Besides, the money isn't with me; Yuqin manages it all. You can only contact her."
How can you let a woman manage the money?
Wen Chuanzong said this with a hint of disappointment.
"This is our family, and it's all for the good of the children."
After Wen Lao Er finished speaking, he went into the mule shed. Wen Chuanzong was suddenly startled to see the strong black mule and was a little scared. Helpless, he could only turn around and leave.
Wen Lao Er wasn't too surprised that he didn't come in.
Lending him money is out of the question, and I don't have any spare money to lend him either.
He didn't hide this matter and told Yuqin later. Yuqin then told Wen Laosi, and Wen Laodie overheard it by accident.
He sat on a chair in the hall, looking somewhat conflicted. Logically, he shouldn't have given money. His family had tried their best to support him, but he still failed to get into university. He was not as helpful as his third brother.
But he is still his son. Now that he is going out to take the exam, he doesn't have enough money. He's afraid he'll lose face.
As life improved, Old Man Wen gradually became more open-minded. His second and fourth sons were settled, his fifth son was smart and sensible, and his third son's family was even more so.
He sighed as he thought of his eldest son, realizing it was impossible for him not to waver. He was his own son. After thinking for a moment, he called Xiuyu over and took five taels of silver from his money box to give her.
"Dad, what are you doing?"
Xiuyu was unaware of what was going on.
"Take this to Chuanzong. Don't let those kids know it was given to him by me. Let him do his best and do well on the exam this time."
Xiuyu nodded.
Of course, she could still tell which was more important. She went to her second son's room again, took the previous set of notes, and gave them all to Wen Chuanzong.
"These are your third son's study notes. Take them with you and study them carefully on the road. This five taels of silver is from your father. You should try to live up to his expectations."
Xiuyu sighed after speaking. Wen Chuanzong sat in the room, put down the book in his hand, looked at the notes and money, but didn't say anything in the end.
He flipped through the notebook; the handwriting looked somewhat messy. Was it the third brother's notebook from back then? But upon closer inspection, there seemed to be nothing wrong with the content. Xiuyu deliberately avoided him and didn't linger. After giving her instructions, she left.
Wen Chuanzong carefully put the money away and looked at his notes seriously. He wouldn't be foolish enough to refuse, after all, it was an asset.
With this money, he will have much more money in his pocket, and he wants to leave earlier than planned. In order not to delay, he plans to leave in the next few days.
Two days later, Wen Chuanzong packed his things and embarked on his journey to the prefectural city for the examination. Apart from A-Mian, no one saw him off.
Before the second son finished copying, Xiuyu asked the eldest son to take the copy he had finished and give it to the second son so that he could continue copying.
Half a month later, on this day, Wen Shi took a break. Yingxiang was going to the shop, so the father and son went directly to Ping'an Village to visit their elders. Coincidentally, Wen Xiaowu also came back from his holiday.
"Third brother, eldest brother has gone to take the exam."
Wen Shi nodded, calculating that it was time to set off, otherwise he might miss the deadline. After Wen Chuanzong finished the exam, unless he passed, he would have to go back to the county to register for the next exam, which would also be three years later.
"You gave him the set of notes I gave you before?"
Wen Xiaowu was taken aback, and after a moment of reaction, he immediately shook his head.
“I didn’t give it to him directly. I kept everything that you gave me, Third Brother. The one I gave to Eldest Brother was copied down by myself later.”
"I don't know if it has reached him yet. My sister-in-law took it and gave it to my two nephews."
Wen Xiaowu remained indifferent, showing no interest in joy or anger. It was almost noon, and the weather was hot. The two stood in the hall, and Wen Xiaowu sighed.
"After all, we're all brothers. If the eldest brother is good, it might not necessarily be bad for us."
After that, the two avoided the topic, which was true. They no longer needed to benefit from Wen Chuanzong's success. As long as Wen Chuanzong was established, they would have far fewer troubles in the future.
How are your studies over there?
"fine."
"You're not young anymore; you should get married and have children in a couple of years."
Wen Xiaowu smiled upon hearing this.
"It's okay if it's a few years later."
Ultimately, you still need to have your own ideas.
“My mother said before that my father had rejected her, and my sister-in-law had also wanted to introduce me to a wife.”
"Getting married and having children is not a small matter, but it's not a big deal for me. I'll see in a few years."
Wen Shi didn't say anything. Xiao Wu was very reassured. As he grew older, he became more and more mature.
"Is Third Sister-in-law very busy?"
"Yes, she likes to do things herself and doesn't hire many people."
“My sister-in-law also wants to earn more money. Sometimes I’m quite envious of you and your third sister-in-law. If I could have a wife like that in the future, someone to support me and work hard with me, that would be great.”
Wen Shi patted his younger brother on the shoulder. Thinking of Yingxiang, he felt a warmth in his heart. He recalled when he first got married and looked at the present. The difference was really huge. Of course, Yingxiang had contributed a lot to this.
In the evening, Yingxiang left the shop an hour early and went to the outskirts of the city instead of going home.
She looked at the farm, which was not yet fully built. The walls were already mostly completed. She went over and gave a few instructions. Once the walls were built, the interior would be separated. She made a rough division.
Right now, they've built a simple thatched hut for a few people to rest in at night. It's hot during the day, but relatively cool at night. However, this won't be enough in the autumn; it will get cold at night.
Jiang Xian listened attentively and nodded repeatedly.
After finishing all this, Yingxiang went home. If everything goes smoothly, she can get the breeding area up and running before the start of autumn, and then it won't be too late to plant fruit trees next spring.
Everything was in good order, and she was in a good mood. It was already July.
The weather has been unpredictable lately, with frequent nighttime downpours that often wake Yingxiang from the thunder.
However, thinking about the cool weather the next morning, she usually just turns over and goes back to sleep.
That morning, after seeing the father and son off, she opened the snail rice noodles she had received from signing in the day before, heated oil in a wok, and added two fried eggs.
We don't usually make breakfast at home anymore, which is good and saves trouble.
The food outside might not taste as good, but it definitely doesn't have any additives. Saving time on that means I can sleep a little longer.
For dinner, whoever comes home first usually cooks. Lately, she's been going to the teahouse in the afternoons and has the cook prepare extra food so she can bring it home ready-made. That way, Wen Shi only needs to clean up.
As she cooked, that familiar aroma wafted out, putting Yingxiang in a good mood. She hadn't eaten this kind of homemade snail rice noodles in a long time, and to ensure the flavor, she didn't even add any vegetables.
I used to love eating at the night market; a bowl cost ten yuan. Now, I have to eat it secretly, without anyone knowing.
She quickly cooked it and threw the plastic bag and other trash into the system's trash can, which the system would handle automatically. She then took a rather large bowl to the yard and slowly began to eat, finishing every last drop of soup.
For her daily check-in, she unhesitatingly chose a bottle of soda, ice-cold and refreshing. Seeing that the sun hadn't risen yet, she ate a very satisfying breakfast. After tidying up, she rinsed her mouth before heading to the liquor store. The courtyard was open-air, so the smell would dissipate by the time she returned in the evening.
She could only eat this in secret, otherwise she wouldn't be able to explain it.
Wen Shi has been taking care of her child lately, and the meals she prepares for him are very simple. They either eat flatbread or sit in a shop and eat wontons. It's hot, and eating mutton soup would cause her to get a sore throat.
The kid isn't picky; he's happy as long as there's something to eat. Sometimes, buying him a scallion pancake can make him happy for a long time.
Upon arriving at the wine shop, the newly brewed wine from a few days ago had not yet been opened. Yingxiang asked them to put it in the cellar first, as a new batch would have to be made.
Business isn't always stable; sometimes a whole vat isn't enough to sell in a day, but other times there's always some left over.
Nowadays, when people buy wine, ordinary people usually bring bowls or wine pots, while wealthy people buy it by the jar. Naturally, she also has some bottled wine here.
Although she has not yet encountered any wealthy family who would buy a large jar at once, the cellar is not small, so having extra on hand is just in case, as guests always need some.
Alcohol doesn't spoil easily, so it's nice to have a little bit of something mild when you're bored. It's refreshing and pleasant.
The rice wine will taste even better if you chill it. Nowadays, when brewing wine, we go to the mountains to fetch spring water in advance.
That afternoon, Yingxiang took two small jars with her when she went to the teahouse. After she arrived, she put them in the cellar. When she returned in the evening, she took one jar and had the staff share the rest.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
