Chapter 29
"Sir, I know you are ambitious, but you are young and impulsive, and you don't consider things comprehensively enough."
"If you really insist, I have nothing more to say. I just hope you won't regret it later."
As Master Liu finished speaking, his tone turned icy, and the smile vanished from his face. He now felt that the person in front of him was somewhat ungrateful, a poor scholar with nothing in his house, and he couldn't understand what the man was so fixated on.
When he gets old, he'll have his regrets.
"You may not know this, but passing the imperial examination is only the first step. You still have to keep taking the exams. To put it bluntly, even if you pass, do you have the connections to secure an official position for yourself? Do you know how much it costs to cultivate relationships in the Ministry of Personnel?"
"I won't say much more. Go back and think it over carefully. Now you may leave."
Upon hearing this, he turned and left. After leaving the teacher's study, his expression turned very unpleasant.
He never imagined he would have such a teacher. Before he even took the exam, the teacher advised him to give up. He was never dedicated to teaching.
Wen Shi intended to go find the dean, but after taking only two steps, he changed direction.
Finding the dean was useless. Reason prevailed over impulse. He knew in his heart that although he had the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the imperial examination at the county level), he came from a peasant family and was, in the end, just a poor and pedantic scholar. What good would it do him if things got out of hand?
On his way home, Wen Shi thought about many things. He walked through the streets and alleys, looking at every shop on the street, surrounded by the bustling crowd, and listening to the innocent laughter of children.
He unconsciously tightened his grip on the book box. He couldn't give up; he would never give up, no matter what. He was determined to keep reading.
Even if he studies for another ten years and still ends up with nothing, he will not regret it.
Upon arriving home, seeing the fragrant incense in the yard, Wen Shi quickly adjusted his expression, smiled, and walked towards the incense.
"Husband, something has happened at home. My elder brother has taken a concubine, and my sister-in-law has gone to the shop to make a scene with our parents."
After Yingxiang finished speaking, she couldn't help but frown.
He was taken aback for a moment, but not too surprised.
He knew his older brother to some extent; he couldn't resist temptation.
"It's fine if we don't live together."
Yingxiang sighed, then recounted the events of the day to Wenshi. As for her retort to Xiuyu, she didn't hide anything; she always wanted to give him a heads-up beforehand.
After she finished speaking, she looked at Wen Shi, but to her surprise, Wen Shi remained completely calm and composed.
"I'll talk to my older brother about it privately later."
Wen Shi knew what Wen Chuanzong was most afraid of right now; both he and his wife were very selfish.
"I'm going to study."
"good."
For some reason, Yingxiang felt a little down when she heard this. She thought about it for a moment, but decided not to say anything. Everyone has bad days, and her husband's mood was stable, so there was nothing to worry about.
Soon, the aroma of chicken soup wafted from the kitchen. With so many seasonings, the food was incredibly delicious, but eating only chicken wasn't enough to fill you up.
Yingxiang picked up a small pot from the side, preparing to cook some more rice.
These days, she eats white rice and white flour every day, and meat occasionally. She used to be tall and thin, but now she has visibly gained a lot of weight.
Yingxiang thought that she could still wear her old clothes. Firstly, there was no need to worry about her figure, and secondly, medical conditions in ancient times were not good. In case of illness, being a little chubby would be better.
"These pickles are good."
"Newly made?"
Yingxiang smiled, which was taken as tacit agreement. These were two small jars of pickled vegetables given by the sign-in system. She took a bite and found that they tasted a bit like pickled mustard greens. She didn't feel like cooking today, so it was perfect to take them out and eat them.
Wen Shi ate two bowls of rice, drank a large bowl of chicken soup, and ate a lot of chicken. After eating and drinking his fill, he went to the study, this time to copy books to earn money.
He couldn't possibly drag the whole family down with him. After tidying up, Yingxiang went back to her room and read her travelogue.
Liu Family
Inside the spacious and grand courtyard, servants came and went. When Master Liu returned home in the evening, after washing up and having dinner, he looked at his daughter waiting outside and his expression changed.
"Yan'er, don't be silly."
Even if Wen Shi were not already married, he would still look down on such a son-in-law. He was too poor, and people's hearts were complicated. He didn't want to gamble.
But ever since Liu Yan returned that day, she couldn't forget Wen Shi. Even Master Liu couldn't understand what it was about Wen Shi that she saw in him.
Wen Shi's appearance wasn't exactly stunning, so he really didn't understand.
In the vast courtyard, at night, the pond was filled with the croaking of frogs. Liu Yan wore a long red brocade dress and a bright gold bracelet on her wrist.
“Father, Yan’er is not being silly. Ever since I came back that day, Yan’er has been thinking about this Scholar Wen.”
“Father, I think that although Wen Xuezi’s family is not well-off, his character and appearance are excellent. Since you have no son, why not have him marry into your family? Then I won’t suffer when I live with my parents after marriage.”
"Nonsense."
Master Liu turned pale with anger, and when Madam Tang, who had rushed over, heard her daughter's words, her well-maintained face couldn't help but show a lot of worry.
“Yan’er, don’t talk nonsense. Even if we are to find a son-in-law, we can’t let this kind of person into our family. At first, he might be humble and treat you well out of respect for me and your father. But what will happen after your father and I are gone? He will inherit the family business and will definitely not treat you well anymore. Daughter, you can’t be confused.”
"Marriage is no small matter. Our family is wealthy, and your father and I only hope that you will get married and live a good life. We will give you a dowry so that you will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of your life. As for our care in old age, you don't need to worry."
Mrs. Tang was also filled with regret, wishing she hadn't gone that day.
No one knows what kind of curse Wen Shi cast on her daughter, but after returning home, she kept mentioning her intentionally or unintentionally.
"Liu Yan, he's already married. Do you think he'd abandon his wife and remarry? His wife is a wife who has shared his hardships. If people find out, his future and career will be ruined. And he's going to marry into his family. His whole family is counting on him. Do you really want to be with him and become his concubine?"
Master Liu's voice rose considerably; he was genuinely angry, for in his eyes Wen Shi was a menace.
"Father, how can I become someone's concubine? Have we no shame?"
Liu Yan felt ashamed and indignant upon hearing this. From birth, she had been taught by her mother and grandmother how to be a wife or a concubine. She knew what a concubine was—something that could be bought, sold, or given away at will. To put it bluntly, she would rather die than be someone's concubine.
"Why can't you see that your mother and I disagree? This is impossible. Either we'll help you find a suitable match next year, or you can marry that young master Qi. His family is rich and powerful, which is the best for you."
After saying this, Master Liu flicked his sleeves and stormed off.
Liu Yan, who was left standing there, immediately had tears in her eyes.
"mother."
"Alright, look how upset you've made your father. We're all doing this for your own good, daughter. You're being too naive. This isn't as simple as it seems."
"In other words, if that scholar Wen were truly a person who did not covet wealth and had upright character, then there would be no way he would want you, let alone divorce his wife and marry into your family. You're just dreaming."
"If he divorces his wife and marries into her family for you, abandoning his first wife, then it means he's not a good person, and you will be abandoned by him in the future if given the chance."
Mrs. Tang is currently speechless about her daughter.
At first, she could only persuade her daughter, not force her. Deep down, she was really afraid that if her daughter acted impulsively, it would be all over.
Raising children should be done gradually and slowly. My daughter is living too well right now and can't see the point, which is why she's fallen for that poor scholar. She's met Wen Shi and doesn't think he's anything special.
“Mother, how can you say that? He has a handsome appearance and must be a gentleman.”
“Mother, I want to see him, even if it's just privately, so we can have a talk.”
Tang rolled her eyes, her gaze fierce.
"Since you don't understand nice words, then don't blame your mother for being ruthless. Suppress the young lady, lock her in her room and keep her under strict guard. Give her only coarse tea and simple food every day, take out all her jewelry and clothes, and don't allow her to dress up."
After saying that, Tang turned and left.
Liu Yan immediately panicked. Tang Shi was determined to deal with her, so she wouldn't give in so easily. As for her father, needless to say.
Wen Shi was unaware of these things. Late at night, he rubbed his slightly sore wrists before going back to sleep, only to find his wife still reading.
Where did you buy this book?
Wen Shi took off his clothes and got into bed. By the dim candlelight, he could see the title of the book in Yingxiang's hand.
"I just bought it at a bookstore outside."
"It's getting late, go to sleep."
It was hot, and Yingxiang didn't really like snuggling into his arms, but she couldn't resist sniffing him, so in the end, the two of them slept in the same bed.
She had taken off almost everything except her underwear, and Yingxiang only covered her stomach.
The candle was blown out, and in the darkness, the smell pressed down again. Yingxiang thought, "This person is really healthy."
However, there was something she was also curious about: the two of them had never used contraception, so why hadn't she gotten pregnant yet?
Back in town, Wen Shi was more discreet, since he was sharing an apartment with others and the soundproofing wasn't great.
But in this small courtyard, he completely lost his previous composure, and Yingxiang protested to him several times that he had gone too far.
The next morning, it was already bright outside. The two of them got up a little late, but it wasn't too early or too late.
Yingxiang hurried to the shop, and Wenshi arrived at the county school gate to wait for her elder brother.
Not long after, Wen Chuanzong arrived. He was overjoyed to have a new woman, but the moment he saw Wen Shi, he instinctively stopped in his tracks.
In the county school, not many people knew that the two were brothers. Wen Chuanzong was the kind of person who kept a low profile, and Wen Shi didn't like to show off either, especially since he had encountered such a teacher.
The two didn't receive that much attention.
"Third brother, what's wrong?"
"Big brother, let's talk over here."
Wen Shi's face was sullen. Wen Chuanzong was a little puzzled. He thought it was probably about A Mian. However, he hadn't broken the law by taking a concubine. He supported her himself and didn't burden his family. Why were they all picking on him?
Confused and angry, Wen Chuanzong followed Wen Shi to a corner.
He had already planned that if Wen Shi said anything unpleasant, he wouldn't hold back. But when Wen Shi opened his mouth, he was instantly stunned and didn't react for a moment.
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