Chapter 52
Wen Shi straightened his back, neither humble nor arrogant, and the room immediately became quiet.
Old Man Wen didn't say anything, but the arrival of Second Sister-in-law Wen broke the silence in the room.
"Third brother, third sister-in-law, these are freshly steamed buns and congee. I specially brought you meat buns, please eat more."
Yuqin carried a tray with three bowls of steaming white porridge and freshly steamed buns. She didn't say anything when she smelled them, but took the child from Yingxiang's arms and prepared to feed him some porridge.
"Wife, eat."
Yingxiang was already hungry. After thanking Sister-in-law Wen, she picked up a steamed bun.
One of the survival rules of her in-laws' family is: don't meddle in things that aren't your business. This is a matter between the brothers, so she pretended not to understand and didn't know anything about it.
Yuqin put her things down, looked around at the people in the room, and sensed that the atmosphere was a bit off, but it didn't seem like they were arguing or fighting.
Although she didn't understand, she didn't say anything.
"Third sister-in-law, how have you and third brother been doing this year?"
Yuqin stood aside, ignoring Wen Chuanzong, and looked at Yingxiang with a smile, asking her a question.
"Everything is fine."
"That's good, that's good. The shops at home are all doing well. Your second brother and I will take good care of Mom and Dad. You and the third brother can study away from home without worry."
Wen Shi picked up a steamed bun and handed it to Old Man Wen. Old Man Wen shook his head, not hungry. Wen Shi fed his son the rice water on the surface of the white porridge.
“You must be tired from the journey. Tonight, my fourth brother and sister-in-law and I will squeeze into our room for you to rest.”
“Your second brother and fourth brother can sleep in the kitchen for one night, and let your sister-in-law and eldest brother stay in the main hall.”
"Father, what do you see?"
"Let's do it this way."
When Old Man Wen said this, Wen Chuanzong was a little unhappy. His third son was coming back and staying in the house, while he could only stay in the main hall. He couldn't sleep at night because it was cold. It was too unfair, but he didn't have the confidence to complain right now, so he could only endure it.
If he really falls out with his family, he might freeze to death outside. It's so cold outside, it's really hard to bear.
Wen Shi finished eating in a few bites, and Yu Qin took her food and left. There were many guests downstairs, so Ying Xiang didn't think about taking the child downstairs and simply took the child to the next room.
She wasn't interested in the conversation between the father and his two sons. Wen Shi wasn't the type to be confused, so she wasn't worried.
"Third brother, we're brothers, born of the same parents, can't you help your eldest brother?"
Wen Chuanzong said in a low voice, looking resentful. Wen Shi glanced at him.
“Brother, it’s not that I don’t want to help you. If I could, I would help you. I would introduce you to the Master and he would see you.”
"Last year, I went to the prefectural city to become an apprentice. The journey was long and bumpy. When I arrived, there was constant wind and snow. Even so, I went to queue up every day without fail. After finally meeting the old master, I wrote ten articles in one go."
Wen Chuanzong knew his younger brother to some extent, knowing that he wouldn't lie casually, and since he spoke with such certainty, it must be true.
In this cold weather, it must be incredibly difficult for him to queue every day. More importantly, he has to write ten articles at a time, which is just too grueling.
After all these years of studying, he had never seen a gentleman like this.
“The teacher is very strict in examining students. If you want to become his disciple, you should be prepared. This is all I can do for you. I didn’t run the academy. The teacher is a master, and I am just an ordinary student.”
It is undeniable that Wen Shi learned a lot from Mr. Huang.
It wasn't just about laws, arithmetic, and the grand principles in books; it also included everyday conduct and interpersonal skills. When explaining problems to them, the teacher would often cite classical texts and analyze the people and events he had encountered in his youth, which greatly helped Wen Shi.
He is a rather introverted person and not very good at socializing, which is not a good thing, but it's not exactly a bad thing either.
He is now not only a son, but also a father. He has children of his own, and he can understand why Old Man Wen sits there silently.
But if something can't be done, it can't be done. Why pretend to be something you're not? There's no need for that.
Just make sure it's explained clearly.
"Father, I plan to participate in the autumn imperial examination next year. I will go to the county government office to register tomorrow and get things done before the end of the year."
Upon hearing Wen Shi mention the autumn imperial examination, Old Man Wen immediately stood up, his face serious.
"Your business is important."
After saying that, he glared at Wen Chuanzong.
“Eldest brother, Third brother made it very clear to you, and I understand it. The master doesn’t use back channels. If you want to become his apprentice, you have to honestly go over and line up.”
After Old Man Wen finished speaking, he went out. Wen Shi got up and went to the next room.
The little guy was already asleep. Wen Ersao's son was not even three years old and looked a bit frail. The tiny boy shrank to the foot of the bed when he saw Yingxiang bring the child in.
As soon as Wen Shi came in, Wen Ersao took him out, saying that she would not disturb the couple's rest.
"Let's stay here for the night and rest up. We'll go back tomorrow after I finish my business. There's nothing at home, but we have a lot of things to take back with us."
Yingxiang nodded.
On the first floor, Liu was doing her accounts absentmindedly, glancing at the second floor from time to time, but Yingxiang never came down until closing time.
After closing the door, Old Man Wen summoned everyone to the main hall and announced something important.
“Third brother and his wife are back because of something important. This shop is crowded and noisy all the time. After you finish your business, third brother, go home with your wife and study hard.”
Wen Shi nodded; that was his plan.
"Boss, you've been staying here for quite a while now, what are you going to do after this?"
Wen Chuanzong also needs to be dealt with. Old Man Wen is not confused either. As soon as he said this, everyone looked at Wen Chuanzong, including A Mian and Xiu Yu. It was really not easy for them to live in this crowded place.
"Father, I've thought it over. It's better to continue on the path of officialdom. I'm not good at business. Give me some money, and I'm planning to go to the neighboring prefecture to find a master."
"No, I won't give you the money. We don't have that much money at home. We work from dawn till dusk, feeding so many people, and we don't earn much."
After speaking, Old Man Wen suddenly coughed.
"If you live here, you'll have to work."
"Dad, how can you be so heartless? I'm your son too! You can't be so biased and give everything to the third son."
Wen Chuanzong immediately stood up and shouted angrily.
“I know you are my son, but have you been filial to your mother and me? Our family hasn’t even had a good life yet, and you’ve already gone out and caused trouble, taking concubines and doing business. We can’t control you, and you don’t listen to us. We are all fathers, so you should live your own lives and not just freeload at home.”
Old Man Wen's voice was very loud. Little Leqian blinked at him in Yingxiang's arms, but he didn't cry. He wasn't afraid.
"Old man, the eldest brother is in this situation right now..."
"Don't speak, I'm not dead yet."
When Wen Shi saw this scene, he suddenly remembered something that happened a few years ago. He was in a similar situation to Wen Chuanzong. Wen Chuanzong had just passed the imperial examination and was riding high. In comparison, he was very down on his luck. However, he did not ask his family for money directly, but instead found a way to earn money himself.
At that time, Old Man Wen wholeheartedly supported his eldest son, ignoring him and even disapproving of him going out to study, feeling that it was a waste of money.
At that time, he also argued his case forcefully, insisting on reading it no matter what.
His own mother, Liu, had said a few words in his defense. People are complicated, and Wen Shi knew what kind of person his mother was, so he didn't say anything more.
Family matters are complicated and difficult to resolve, and it's impossible to completely get rid of them. As he gets older, he feels this more and more. Right now, it seems like we're one family, but in reality, it's best if we're separated in two different places.
That's settled then.
Xiuyu looked at Wen Shigeng Yingxiang, who was dressed well, and was filled with jealousy, but there was nothing she could do about it.
Old Man Wen was the one who made the decisions in this family. The second and fourth sons had long since changed their minds and were now on the side of the third son's family. The fifth son was still young, so we won't talk about him for now. But his words were full of gratitude towards the third son. Thinking back to the last time he came back, Xiuyu felt annoyed. Why didn't good things ever come her way?
"I'll go out and find work tomorrow, so I won't be a burden on my family and can support myself."
Wen Chuanzong shouted angrily, but no one paid any attention to him. It seemed that they were all hoping for him to do so. Seeing this, he was so angry that his face turned red.
But without money, you really can't go anywhere.
Even if I were to return to the county school now, I would still have to pay my respects and give them money; it wouldn't be a small amount.
"Go find it as soon as possible, don't just stay at home all day."
After dinner, it was pitch black outside, the wind was howling, and snow was falling heavily. Yingxiang sat on the bed holding her child, and the bedding had already been changed.
"We'll go back tomorrow, we should arrive this afternoon. After I finish my business in the morning, I'll go to the market to see if they sell goat milk, or cow milk will do too. I'll buy a few cans to take back, he'll need to drink it morning and night."
Raising children is difficult. I know this from the beginning. If you have the means, you shouldn't mistreat your child, as he is growing.
Yingxiang knew that beef was not an option in this day and age, but milk was not so hard to buy. As her child grew older, Yingxiang was also preparing to start feeding him some complementary foods, and he couldn't stop drinking milk.
"good."
The two slept soundly without any dreams. The next morning, Wen Shi quickly tidied up and went to the government office, where he took his household registration documents to register.
There are different ranks among government officials, but the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination) already ensured that he had a higher status than ordinary people.
He has now found a renowned teacher, so he didn't spend much money, and no one made things difficult for him. He got things done smoothly, and the shops already had the grain, meat, and vegetables, so he didn't need to buy them.
This time when he came back, he also wanted to visit his former teachers, except for Master Liu, of course. Buying gifts would be another expense, but he didn't mind, as it was something he should spend.
After buying several cans of milk at the market, Wen Shi called an oxcart to his doorstep and began to unload his things.
"Second brother, you come back with us to pack. We're going back for the New Year this year too. Bring plenty of things with you. Come into town tomorrow."
Upon hearing Old Man Wen's words, some were delighted while others were worried. Pots and pans, firewood and charcoal were all essential items to bring, as were meat, vegetables and grains.
The cart was packed full of things, and the second brother went back with Wen Shiyingxiang to pack them up.
The rest of the staff continued working in the shop.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
