Chapter 185
The next day, the group got down to business.
For the procurement, Leqian chose several reliable people, all of whom were relatives. They had already benefited greatly from his connections over the years.
All he needs to do is manage the money.
Once everything is arranged properly, he won't even need to keep an eye on things; he can go back early if necessary.
For him, scientific research was the most important thing. With so many relatives and elders in the family, the villagers certainly wouldn't fool them. The Wen family was no longer what it used to be, and everyone wanted to build connections with them.
The courtyard isn't big. If you want more people to live there, it's best to build it as a two-story house. If your budget allows, buy good quality bricks and tiles, since things in the county are much cheaper than in the capital.
After calculating, Leqian realized that two hundred taels of silver was more than enough, and the original kang (heated brick bed) would be replaced with a bed.
They planned to renovate the ancestral hall after the New Year. The village head later told him that Le Qian didn't care, but the money had already been given. It seemed that his father had his own reasons, and it wouldn't do any harm to their family.
Ten days later, after making the necessary arrangements, Leqian embarked on his journey back to the prefectural city.
Counting the days, almost a month has passed. Fortunately, everything is arranged and we've visited all the relatives.
"Little Lian, have a piece of pastry. You're such a good girl. I'm sure your aunt will really like you when you go to the capital."
Lianniang, who was the daughter of Xiuyu's second brother, felt a lot of pressure and was very restrained while riding in the same carriage as Chen Chu.
She nodded, carefully picked up a piece of cake, and slowly began to eat it.
Jin Yu's wife sat quietly to the side, and the carriage was very quiet. The carriage swayed and rocked all the way, which made Lian Niang even more uncomfortable, as it was her first time riding in a carriage.
When they arrived in the prefectural city, the good thing was that the results hadn't been announced yet.
It's estimated to be half a month later than before this year, so let's settle in for now.
"Second Brother."
That morning, Wen Chuanzong's second son was enjoying a hearty meal at the inn when he heard this. He glanced at his cousin, still puzzled.
She looks rather pitiful?
But what does it have to do with him? Men and women shouldn't touch each other.
When will we arrive in the capital?
"It's still early."
In the village, Leqian handed over the work of supervising the construction to his relatives, and he didn't have much of an objection. Leqian chose capable people, including one of his uncles.
This is the best approach; one should not trust only one source.
They will receive a letter once the house is built, and then they will know.
"Is the capital city much better than the prefectural city?"
"Yes, when you go there, you can coax my mother. My sister-in-law's family is there too, and maybe they can find you a good family. Then you won't have to go back to the village."
Is Wen Chuanzong's second son stupid? Of course not, he's not blind to things. But his uncle's family, well...
It's not good to offend him, so let him take it if he wants.
As for their other ideas, well, that's just wishful thinking. He said some things back then, and it's not that easy.
They didn't believe that they would turn back after hitting a wall.
He remembered what his older brother had told him: he had to build a good relationship with Leqian and his wife so that they could help him in the future.
His own parents had limited abilities, and people are all materialistic; the second son of the family didn't think he had done anything wrong.
Upon hearing this, Lianniang bit her lip, turned around, and left.
On the day the results were announced, the three brothers were all a little nervous. If they passed the exam, they would be qualified to become officials, and given their family's current situation, it wouldn't be difficult for them to get a minor official position.
After the list was posted, inside the carriage, Shen Chu didn't show it on his face, but he was naturally a little nervous inside.
As husband and wife, she wanted him to get better and better.
Compared to Jin Yu's wife, she seemed much calmer.
Le Qian stood out from the crowd. He looked up and started from the first picture. When he saw that his name was ranked fifth, he felt much more relaxed.
Half an hour later, seeing his two older brothers looking dejected, he breathed a sigh of relief and remained silent.
And so, the group continued their journey to the capital.
Before we knew it, autumn had arrived.
As the weather gets cooler, Yingxiang has recently attended several banquets and eaten at several feasts, two of which were at the home of her colleague Wenshi.
When it got a little colder, Old Man Wen started complaining again, saying his legs hurt.
I've seen many doctors, but they can't cure the root cause, so I can only endure it.
He didn't show it on his face, but he kept calculating the time in his mind, waiting for his son to come back. He had 100% confidence in his son's performance in the exam.
He hoped that his child would rank higher than he had, thus increasing the child's chances of entering the Hanlin Academy, which would be better than being directly assigned to a post outside the capital.
Nowadays, he's not an ordinary person. If his son can get into the Hanlin Academy, he can use his connections to try and keep his son in the capital.
That day, after court, Wen Shi smiled as he saw Wang Tanhua walking towards him. The two exchanged a few pleasantries and then left the palace together.
Wang Tanhua only returned to the capital this year and is currently working in the Ministry of Personnel. He has only been back for a short time.
“The children are all grown up now. My two daughters are married and my two sons are married.”
Time waits for no one, and Wang Tanhua was already a bit older than Wen Shi, with some gray hairs now growing on his head.
Wen Shi nodded in agreement.
"I have a younger one, but he doesn't have many years left."
Xinxin lives in the capital, and Yingxiang sometimes takes him out. Many people know that they also have a younger child. If the older child is successful and accomplished, he won't have trouble finding a good wife.
Wen Shi hopes that the children will be kind and respectful to each other, so that they can help each other in the future.
"After we finish our shift, let's go to a bar."
"good."
She didn't refuse when she heard it.
Many of my former classmates and colleagues are no longer in the capital, but some are still here. It's always good to keep in touch.
When the two met again, Wen Shi hosted the dinner, and he was quite generous. After a few rounds of drinks, he listened to Wang Tanhua recount the events of the past few years, and he also shared some of his own stories.
"It hasn't been easy for any of us, but thankfully we've made it through."
Wen Shi was in the Ministry of Rites, in charge of the imperial examinations, which was not a sinecure. This year, he needed to avoid suspicion, and he had already informed his superiors of this.
"By the way, Brother Wen, I ran into your younger brother earlier. He's very capable too."
"Maybe I'll be able to return to Beijing soon."
Wen Shi wasn't too surprised to hear this. Xiao Wu also had the help of his wife's family. Although his father-in-law was just a schoolteacher, he had been around for many years. He might not have countless students, but he had connections in the officialdom, and he had some famous students who now held positions.
Xiao Wu is doing well, so maybe he really will be able to come back soon.
“That’s wonderful. My parents miss him very much too.”
If he comes back, the family will be reunited. Hearing this, I felt quite happy.
As evening approached, both of them had to work the next day, so after saying goodbye, Wen Shi went home.
He smelled of alcohol, but seemed quite happy and not completely drunk. Yingxiang gave him a cup of strong tea and then told him to go and rest.
Before the start of winter, Leqian and the others returned.
Yingxiang was overjoyed to learn that her son had passed the exam. She inquired about his progress and encouraged her two nephews, telling them that they were still young and should continue trying.
As for Lianniang, she was brought to Xiuyu by Wen Chuanzong's second son.
Xiuyu was a little stunned. After listening to what the second brother said in private, she couldn't help but smack her lips.
She felt that her family was being unrealistic; how could they dare to think like that?
“This Lianniang is quite pretty, but I haven’t seen Leqian look at her at all along the way. It would be even more inappropriate to give her to my third uncle.”
Wen Shi is old enough to be her father.
Although Xiuyu loves money and power, she is not capable of doing anything that goes against her conscience.
She was her own niece, but she didn't want her to marry her second son.
"Come to our house first, it'll give us more people to help with the work. Have you all gone to your great-uncle's place yet?"
It refers to Liu's maternal family.
“I went, but they weren’t very welcoming, except for Leqian.”
They were very enthusiastic towards Le Qian, but the second brother felt that they were looking down on him and treating him poorly. After all, he was a scholar.
Xiuyu patted her son's hand.
"I heard from your third aunt that your third uncle is very strict with the children. Our family has some savings now. I'm thinking of going to find your eldest brother. If that doesn't work, I'll send you to the academy where Leqian is studying. That would be a better option."
Jin Yu and Wen Chuanzong's second son both studied at ordinary academies; they couldn't afford the better or more expensive ones.
“Your father runs a private school now, and your older brother has gone into business. He is his younger brother, so he certainly wants the best for you.”
"That's a lot of money over there."
"If your mother goes to talk to you about it later, you won't care anymore."
"good."
"You don't have a wife right now."
Xiuyu had originally hoped that her son would pass the high school entrance exam, but he hadn't even passed the first hurdle. She was worried that if things continued to be delayed, he would really miss his chance.
Those younger than him are all married and have children.
“Mother, if all else fails, it’s fine to find someone from an ordinary family. The most important thing is to know yourself. I’m not exceptionally gifted, and my father isn’t an official. Although I have a third uncle who is an official, I feel that he’s closer to my fifth uncle and his relationship with my father is just so-so. Even my second uncle is much closer to my third uncle.”
"Don't say that. I'll go find a matchmaker and I'll definitely find you a good wife."
It was impossible to meet the previous requirements, but Xiuyu thought that if she lowered her requirements appropriately, there might still be a chance.
From the moment she met Shen Chu, Lian Niang felt inferior; Shen Chu was a complete slap in the face to her.
After arriving in the capital, she couldn't even move into the mansion. She stayed with Xiuyu, who treated her well, but she still had to do chores.
To put it bluntly, Ping'an Village is only slightly better than their village; it can't compare to the city at all.
Yingxiang's side also didn't overlook this person.
She asked Leqian privately, and his eldest son looked confused and said that they were relatives from his aunt's family who had come to see Xiuyu.
Later, she asked Shen Chu.
Shen Chu was indeed formidable; those from the manor were certainly different. Throughout the journey, she appeared kind and warm, subtly suppressing Lian Niang, preventing her from saying a single word to Le Qian, and keeping Le Qian from noticing her.
"There are many women in the family, which leads to a lot of trouble, and my mother doesn't want things to be like this."
Upon hearing this, Shen Chu smiled and nodded.
If my father-in-law is so strict with his younger brother-in-law now, he must have been even stricter with Leqian back then.
The capital city is full of temptations. If Le Qian had gone astray back then, he would have had many opportunities during those years when his parents were not around. But he always focused on his studies, which is why he is where he is today.
It's clear that deep down, he's not that kind of person.
“My daughter-in-law wants to go back to her parents’ home in a few days, and she will take her husband with her.”
Yingxiang had no objection to this. The other side was also his in-laws, so they would definitely have to keep in touch. It would be more convenient for him to attend the imperial examinations, especially since his family was currently in the capital.
When Wen Shi returned in the evening, she didn't hide it from him.
"Don't worry about it. If your sister-in-law brings people over in the future, just say what you need to say."
Wen Shi was very direct. Ying Xiang nodded, "That's for the best. Don't be afraid of offending people. On key issues, you can't be ambiguous, or you'll have a lot of trouble later."
Fortunately, they have all come out. It is best for Wen Shi to take his immediate family members with him right now. If they are left in their hometown, they might be fooled, and things will only get worse.
It's definitely more reassuring to be right under your nose.
Hearing the cursing coming from the neighboring courtyard, Yingxiang couldn't help but frown.
"I wonder what that child said to his mother?"
Wen Shi glanced at his wife, who was probably upset about something that happened to his uncles' families. That day, only Le Qian and Wen Chuanzong's second son went over.
He'll have to ask his son later; Yingxiang is curious and wants to ask him too.
After asking their son, the couple understood.
It turned out that Wen Chuanzong's second son had mentioned it to Liu Shi. He said that he had overheard several of his aunts talking outside the kitchen about Liu Shi's married daughters.
If that were all, it would be fine, but those people also implied that Liu was a traitor who didn't care about her family, that her parents had raised her for nothing, that she was unfilial, and that she would be struck by lightning and die a horrible death.
Liu was never very kind-hearted and loved to show off. It would be strange if she were happy to be talked about like this behind her back. She was old and believed in gods and Buddhas.
That's how they started arguing.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
