Chapter 3
Hearing her words, Old Man Wen was taken aback.
Wen Shi looked at Ying Xiang with clear black and white eyes, somewhat puzzled and inquisitive, but as for divorce, that was just a pipe dream.
Getting a wife isn't free; Yingxiang's family also asked for a bride price. Considering that distant relative of Yingxiang's worked in the county government, it would be strange if Old Man Wen agreed to a divorce. He glanced at his own father.
Before the wedding, he talked about it a lot.
"Take the person back first, and don't make a scene at home."
The village chief glanced at Old Man Wen, then turned and left. Wen Shi walked up to Yingxiang, picked up the box from her arms, and gestured for her to follow.
Judging from her behavior, she has most likely been disciplined by her mother. However, since she ran away and caused such a big commotion, her mother must have suffered a defeat.
Thinking about what would happen after returning home, Wen Shi felt somewhat conflicted.
His family situation was special; there were two scholars in the family. His father openly favored one of them, while his mother secretly favored the eldest. Now, the eldest had also succeeded in his studies.
Logically, the family should be proud of this.
However, Wen Shi was puzzled and disheartened by his elder brother's actions after passing the imperial examination. Instead of helping his brothers as he had promised, he made various excuses.
He took all the gifts he had received, as well as the benefits of his tax-free land, and even sold the book he had promised to give him without a word.
You should know that his family threw a three-day, three-night feast to celebrate his birthday.
With their parents' favoritism and indulgence towards the eldest brother, how could the other brothers, except for the youngest, who might not care because he was younger, not have any objections?
The whole family scrimped and saved to support his food, drink and education, but what did he do? He hadn't even become an official yet and he was already behaving like this. It was even more unimaginable what would happen in the future. Wen Shi had already given up on this brother. In the end, one can only rely on oneself.
His parents still made the decisions at home, and he wouldn't listen to anything they said. Instead, they said he had wasted his education and didn't know how to respect his elder brother.
Wen Shi was speechless. They were both scholars, but the treatment he and his older brother received from their families was vastly different.
Looking back, much of it is in the past, and he is not so resentful anymore. Although studying and working at the same time is very hard, he still looks forward to the future.
When the three returned home, Old Man Wen glared angrily at Liu Shi, who was so frightened that she took two steps back. Looking at Wen Shi and Ying Xiang behind him, she was filled with rage.
"The new bride has just entered the family. What rules are you setting up? Are you just going to kick her out like this and make our family a laughing stock in the whole village?"
"No matter what happened this morning, this matter is over in our family. Don't bring it up again. Can't you see how hard the men work in the fields every day? Don't you know how to cause trouble?"
Yingxiang looked at her father-in-law. His words seemed to be biased, and it seemed that her parents-in-law were not very good people. They were selfish and biased.
She's been here for several years. Every family treats scholars with great care, but when Wen Shi came back, she still went to work in the fields. Considering the other student in their family and what I'd heard from the villagers, it's not hard to understand.
Although both the palms and the backs of the hands are flesh, there is always a difference in thickness.
The old hen in the coop suddenly crowed a few times at an inopportune moment. Liu went back inside and silently wiped away her tears. Wen Ersao comforted the child and continued working.
Thinking about what life would hold for her, she felt sad and couldn't see the end in sight.
At noon, the second, fourth, and fifth sons of the Wen family returned for lunch. Naturally, Liu prepared the lunch. She was heartbroken, but she dared not let Yingxiang go into the kitchen again; the price was too high.
Yingxiang was also delighted.
During the meal, she pretended not to see Liu's piercing gaze.
The men always had enough food on the table, no matter how lavish it was, but it was a different story for the women. Liu was upset and only gave Yingxiang half a bowl of rice.
However, she had eaten quite a bit that morning, and now, looking at the brown rice in her bowl and the cold wild vegetables on the table, she had no appetite.
Wen Shi adhered to the rule of not speaking while eating or sleeping. After finishing his meal, before cleaning up, he suddenly said to his parents, "Father and Mother, I'm going to study in town in a few days. I'll take my wife with me."
Yingxiang was taken aback upon hearing this, and her opinion of him improved considerably. As for Liu Shi and Old Man Wen, their expressions changed, and they both expressed their opposition.
“No, our family isn’t well-off to begin with, and it would cost even more for two people.”
“Now that you’ve married her, she should live at home. If she leaves with you like this, what will the villagers think of your mother and me?”
After Old Man Wen finished speaking, he stared straight at Wen Shi.
“Father, Mother, I study in town, and my tuition is not much. Most of my classmates bring their wives with them, so why can't I bring mine? Besides, the family isn't going to pay for my education.”
Upon hearing this, Old Man Wen turned pale with anger.
"Then we should prioritize your older brother. He's already a scholar. In a few years, he'll pass the imperial examination and become an official. What can't you, his younger brother, do? Why do you have to compete with him right now?"
Old Man Wen shouted angrily, he simply couldn't understand why Wen Shi always contradicted him.
"I don't believe him."
Wen Shi's attitude remained firm. As soon as he said this, Wen Ersao repeated it to herself: the eldest son was already a scholar.
But she didn't get any benefits. Her family even wanted to take over the land, but the eldest son refused. Her mother-in-law also scolded her, saying that once she was married, she was part of her family and shouldn't have too much contact with her family.
But she herself has maintained frequent contact with her family.
In the end, she was complained about by her own family and was too ashamed to go back. At her husband's family, she was looked down upon and tormented by her in-laws, and her husband wasn't very supportive either. She couldn't see any end in sight for this life.
"Father, Mother, don't worry, I have a dowry."
Even if Yingxiang didn't have a sign-in system with her, she still couldn't stay in the Wen family. It's better to stay away from families that seem harmonious but are actually a mess inside; otherwise, she'll likely have more troubles than she'll get.
"Third son's wife, now that you've married into my family, you're one of us. Pack your things and bring them to me later."
Liu looked at Yingxiang with a gloomy expression. Yingxiang ignored him and looked directly at Wenshi, her meaning clear: do you want to save face or not?
“Mother, dowry is a woman’s means of survival. It’s given by her family. How can you accept it? If word gets out, what will people think of my elder brother? You’re a scholar’s mother.”
When Wen Shi finished speaking, his tone was somewhat sarcastic, but Liu Shi and Old Man Wen couldn't tell. They valued the status of their parents, who were scholars, the most.
Old Man Wen coughed and glared at Liu.
"If this affects the boss, I'll beat you to death."
Without a doubt, he was the most powerful person in the family, and all the money in the family was in his hands.
Liu looked pale and remained silent. With Yingxiang gone, she would probably only come back during holidays. In that case, having another person in the house would be no different from not having one at all.
In the afternoon, the weather turned bad, and a light drizzle began to fall. Yingxiang lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), feeling utterly bored, while Wenshi sat upright in a chair reading.
Not long after, he went out. Yingxiang thought of something and silently recited "Sign in, sign in" in her mind.
There are daily sign-in rewards, and the items they give are quite amazing, but if she forgets, then sorry, there won't be any for that day.
As the electronic voice in her mind rang, Yingxiang closed her eyes, opened her backpack, and the next second, a large cream puff appeared in her hand.
Yingxiang wasn't surprised. She had given her a small bread roll before. She never hesitated to buy things that couldn't be stored, especially since there wasn't much good food in the ancient village.
The cream puffs were incredibly sweet and creamy. Yingxiang finished them in no time, then lay down on the kang (heated brick bed) and patted her belly contentedly.
She had long since accepted that she had transmigrated, and the despair she felt at the beginning was gone. As the saying goes, people make their own way by walking.
Even in dire straits, she believed in herself, and besides, she wasn't without outside help.
Take her time back in her maternal home, for example. She had a lot of private squabbles with her stepmother and never really lost out. She relied on herself. In this dog-eat-dog society, the honest, kind, and obedient are the first to die.
Yingxiang sighed helplessly. If she couldn't go back, she could only adapt. Health was the most important thing.
Across the street, the second son's wife felt incredibly aggrieved; her dowry made her miserable just thinking about it.
In the main house, Old Man Wen and Madam Liu looked at their fourth son kneeling on the ground, their faces flushed with anger.
"Your parents won't abandon you; they'll find you a wife in a couple of years."
"Mom and Dad, why do we have to wait two years? Everyone my age is still single and has children, but I have nothing."
Wen Lao Si was not to be outdone; he was still quite willing to fight for himself. As for waiting, how long would he have to wait?
The Wen couple exchanged a glance. Take the wedding of Yingxiang for example. Although the banquet was not lavish and the scale of the event was not large, the bridal sedan chair and other such items cost money. The family had no savings left, as they had given them all to their eldest son.
"Fourth brother, listen to your mother. In a few years, when your eldest brother passes the imperial examination, he might be able to find you a better wife in the city. Why are you still fixated on those girls in the village?"
Liu softened her tone, helped her son up, and patiently persuaded him.
The family's conditions did not improve in any visible way, and the eldest son and his wife were unable to take their family to the county. In the eyes of the villagers, this was not considered very developed.
Scholars are rare in the countryside, but quite a few in the county, and there are many knowledgeable people in the village as well.
"Mother, I don't dare to dream of city girls. I just want to find someone from the countryside, like my third brother, someone who cares for me and can give me a few children. That would be enough."
"I've been working alongside my parents all year round without a break, all for the sake of making a good life for us."
Wen Laosi insisted on not leaving, no matter what, and looked straight at his parents.
"If you don't agree, I'll go find a matchmaker, or if that doesn't work, I'll go to your door."
These words infuriated Old Man Wen.
Although he has many sons, his family is not poor. Why would they let him go to their home? It would be too embarrassing. It's not like they can't afford to eat.
"Fourth brother."
Old Man Wen immediately shouted angrily, which Wen Shi, who was in the next room, naturally heard. Compared to the second son of the Wen family across the street who involuntarily trembled, Old Man Wen was much calmer.
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