Chapter 154
Yingxiang had a designated person to keep records, and the account books and record books were kept very clear, so her subordinates dared not deceive her.
She built her business herself, and she knows exactly how much she earns at the very least and at most throughout the year.
Before Wen Shi's letter home arrived, Wen Xiaowu learned that Wen Shi had been promoted.
He was in the capital, and since the Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy knew that the two were brothers, he obtained definite information from his colleagues in the Ministry of Personnel and told Wen Xiaowu directly when he met him.
Xiao Wu was naturally happy for his third brother.
He was still in the Imperial Academy and did not hold a formal official position. The emperor was not someone he could easily meet; even if someone introduced him, he still had to want to see him.
None of the other scholars who entered the Imperial Academy with him have been summoned by the emperor to this day. But they are not discouraged. They always think that something might happen.
To put it bluntly, even if you don't make it to the capital, once you get to a local area, you'll at least be a county magistrate.
After Xiao Wu got home, he first shared the good news with his wife.
Feng was born into a scholarly family. Her ancestors and uncles were all proper scholars. Although she did not pass the imperial examination, she was well-educated and her family owned property. Although her father was a teacher at the academy, he was wealthy and lived a very comfortable life.
"My husband, this is wonderful news. If Father and Mother knew, they would be overjoyed."
Wen Xiaowu changed into casual clothes. Seeing that his wife looked alright, he moved his lips.
"How is Mother today?"
"My mother went out to have her fortune told today. It seems that the Taoist priest said some unpleasant things. After she came back, she was sullen and locked herself in her room. My father ignored her."
Old Man Wen is alright, but Liu Shi is really troublesome. In the past two years, she has become obsessed with fortune telling and has spent a lot of money on it.
Wen Xiaowu's lips twitched. He sat down to the side and then said, "My mother is a peasant woman and doesn't know much. She'll be fine in a few days."
Mrs. Feng nodded.
"You're pregnant, and right now our baby is the most important thing."
Wen Xiaowu said in a serious tone, looking at his dignified and elegant wife and thinking about his mother, he sometimes felt helpless. Liu Shi really was a handful.
He tried to persuade her many times, but Liu wouldn't listen. He couldn't speak to Feng, otherwise Liu would just start cursing.
His mother was a bully who preyed on the weak, and Wen Xiaowu knew this very well. Because of his status, his wife couldn't say anything.
"After I get a posting to a post outside the capital, we can go there. I don't think they'll want to leave the capital."
"I'll go tell my parents to call me in the study when dinner is ready."
Watching Wen Xiaowu leave, Madam Feng looked at her slightly protruding belly, but she wasn't too worried.
The father-in-law is alright, but the mother-in-law has a lot of problems. Fortunately, she had servants with her when she married into the family, so she doesn't have to serve them herself, do laundry, or cook.
Liu and Old Man Wen now each have their own room and eat separately.
Although Liu was uncouth, she wasn't troublesome. As long as she was fed and cared for, there were no major issues. Her husband was a good man who gave her his annual salary. Feng was in charge of the household and knew that the family was poor and needed to save money, so she was very frugal in daily life.
Her dowry was meant to be left to her children, but right now, half of Wen Xiaowu's salary went to rent, and the rest was used to buy daily necessities.
In Ping'an Village, Wen Erge would sometimes come to visit his parents, bringing eggs, grains, vegetables, and the like, so they would never arrive empty-handed, and they could manage to get by.
Xiao Wu is still young, and may not stop here.
"What did you say? The third brother got promoted again?"
Inside the main house in the backyard, Old Man Wen spoke with some disbelief.
"Yes, my third brother is now a fifth-rank prefect."
"A high-ranking official! The third brother has become a high-ranking official."
Old Man Wen stood up abruptly, very excited, and his voice was quite loud. Liu, who lived next door, didn't hear him clearly and rushed over impatiently.
Seeing her wearing a bright red dress, Wen Xiaowu didn't say anything; it wasn't a big deal.
Why are you wearing that outfit again?
Old Man Wen looked at his wife with a somewhat unpleasant expression. The dress looked like a wedding gown, and she was already quite old.
"I'm doing this to ward off evil spirits, you understand? The Taoist priest said that my birth chart is both good and bad, and I must wear bright colors every day to avoid the little ghosts that come to take my life. In a couple of days, I'll have to go to the tailor shop to make a red undergarment to wear to bed at night."
"Little Five, did Third Brother get promoted again?"
Xiao Wu nodded. After receiving a definite answer, Liu was overjoyed and sat down with a smile.
"Great, that's wonderful."
She was naturally happy that her son was doing so well.
"Go tell your wife to ask the kitchen to prepare a few more dishes tonight. I'll be happy."
Fortunately, the family lived together but mostly kept to themselves; otherwise, Liu would have faced countless problems.
"By the way, when I went there today, the Taoist priest told me that your wife is most likely carrying a girl. Old man, give me some money so I can have him perform the ritual tomorrow."
Wen Xiaowu was speechless for a long time before he finally spoke up: “Mother, it doesn’t matter. We’re still young, and it’s not like we can’t have children. Don’t waste money.”
“Maybe my third brother will come back in a few years. If he buys a house then, you can help him if you can.”
Old Man Wen nodded silently, while Liu muttered, "Does your third brother still need our help? Little Fifth, you're overthinking it. He's a high-ranking official now, and who knows how much money he'll have when he comes back this time."
"I'll go to the study first. Father and Mother, you two get some rest."
After watching his son leave, Old Man Wen decided to go back to Ping'an Village the next day. To be precise, he lived in both places.
Liu lived in the city and helped the other two people during the spring planting and autumn harvest seasons.
"Have Hui'er and the others written yet?"
Thinking of her eldest grandson, Liu asked.
"Not that early, it's still a few months away. They'll be back after the exams."
My third brother's child is going back to take the exam this year. It's the provincial exam. If he passes, he'll have a respectable future. If he doesn't pass, he'll have to wait two more years before going back.
The county academy is not as good as the one in the capital. All this back and forth is tiring, but there's no other way. The children are still young, and Wen Xiaowu and his father think it's good for them to get some experience.
Those caravans were mostly well-traveled and knowledgeable. Their hometown was Daliu Village. When the children went back, they could pay respects to their ancestors, which was good for their reputation.
"I'll definitely be back around the Lunar New Year."
"I'm also worried about the second son of the second son's family, and the eldest son's wife, she's been married for several years, why is there still no sign of a child?"
Old Man Wen glanced at his wife and thought she was overthinking things.
"Wen Hui is often studying at the academy, how much time can he have? Don't think too much about it, what's meant to come will come naturally."
"She's selfish, but the boss doesn't say anything to her. It's not like he's short of money. It's only right that he helps her buy a house and some land. She's living comfortably, and he just lets her suffer like this. I don't know what good it will do her?"
"Do you think this is our village? This is the capital, where etiquette and law are highly valued. If people find out that the eldest son's family forcibly took his wife's dowry, their reputation will be ruined. How will they be able to take the imperial examinations then? Instead of blaming your eldest granddaughter-in-law for not paying, you should advise your eldest son. You should have told him earlier, but he didn't listen. If he continues to study like this, it will only be a waste of money and time."
“He has someone to support him, old man. You know, that kid is quite capable.”
“Xiuyu also lends a hand; if he wants to read, let him read.”
"Give me some money; have you spent all the money you had?"
As soon as Liu said this, Old Man Wen glared at her.
"Twenty copper coins will be enough. If you don't give them to me, and I'm already gone, I won't have peace in the underworld. I'll call your name every day then."
Liu said nonchalantly, but Old Man Wen felt a little uneasy. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he just felt uneasy and gave her some more.
As evening approached, Liu smelled the aroma of food and immediately went to the next room. They seemed to be living in a wealthy household, eating at separate tables in a very particular manner.
Old Man Wen had one last wish in his life: to live in a big house. That night, he tossed and turned, seemingly still hoping for his third son.
Old Man Wen's hair was almost completely white, but he was still in good spirits. Liu often consulted fortune tellers, while he frequently went to clinics to have his pulse checked, fearing that such good days would not last a few more years. He couldn't bear to suffer from even a minor illness and would go directly to the doctor, not afraid of spending money.
Wen Shi and Ying Xiang were away from home, so they didn't know much about what was happening at home.
When communicating with Xiao Wu, he would only say that his parents were in good health and that they could rest assured. He felt that there was no need to talk about other trivial matters.
Third Brother has it tough working away from home. Now that our parents are with him, it's not like he can't take care of them.
Just before the winter solstice, Wen Shi brought his mother and son to Jiangzhou.
When he took office, the local officials treated him with great respect. After Yingxiang arrived, they immediately ordered the backyard to be tidied up, just as the previous officials had left them a large and spacious courtyard.
The prefectural government office was larger and more luxurious than the county government office, as was the backyard. Wen Shi keenly noticed that all the furniture in the backyard of the prefectural government office was made of fine mahogany.
This courtyard has nearly thirty rooms, in addition to the banquet hall in the front.
The people Yingxiang brought were more than enough, and the houses were gradually cleaned up so they could move in immediately. She also began to socialize.
The prefectural city is no different from the county, and besides, she is now the wife of the prefect, so she certainly cannot lose face. Her clothes and appearance must not be too plain.
She put all her silk clothes in a wardrobe, and when she had time, she had someone order several new winter outfits from a shop in the city, one for herself, Wen Shi, and the children.
On the other hand, she also displayed all the jewelry. When guests come to visit, they must be treated well, and she prepared the finest tea in advance.
Thinking back to when she first went to the county, and now, she is quite adept at this.
Wen Shi was busy during the day. On one hand, he was looking at the historical records of Jiangzhou. The things that the prefect and the county magistrate did were quite different.
Locally, unless it's a murder case, it won't be brought to his attention, and he doesn't need to deal with those trivial matters.
He hadn't forgotten the government's accounts from the past few years. Fortunately, the Jiangzhou government had no deficits and the accounts were balanced, with some surplus. Although it wasn't much, it was better than nothing, and it wasn't a mess left for him.
At the same time, he also began to learn about the people in the surrounding counties and to examine the archives of the government office.
There's much more recorded here; it's the quickest way for him to understand this place since he's new here.
As for going down for a walk, that's something for next year. He'll only come when it's cold, so there's no need to be impatient.
After all the taxes from various regions have been collected, he will need to coordinate them, which are all important matters to be addressed at the end of the year.
He will stay in Jiangzhou for at least five years; there's no rush.
Wen Shi remained quite composed. He had many subordinates in the government office. Although it is said that a higher-ranking official can suppress a lower-ranking one, he was not arrogant or domineering. Whether his subordinates were younger or older than him, they were all the same at the moment.
It takes a long time to get to know someone to draw a conclusion about their character.
Some people look smiling, kind, and easy to talk to, but are actually cunning old foxes. Others look cold and inscrutable, but are actually very capable.
Before Wen Shilai took office, some well-informed people had already inquired about him. He didn't have a prestigious background, but he was hardworking and reliable. The emperor approved of his transfer here, since the official appointment document bore His Majesty's seal.
Everyone treated him with great respect.
Privately, some people have started thinking about giving gifts to show their closeness.
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