Chapter 54
Old Man Wen is much fairer in handling matters now, and he considers things more carefully.
If it were before, he would have given Wen Chuanzong money without hesitation. When the whole family was still relying on their land for food, Wen Chuanzong asked for money under the pretext of buying a house, and he went to sell the land without a word, without even thinking about his family.
The sound of a child crying came from inside the house, and I quickly took in the warmed milk to feed him.
Yingxiang started preparing the meal. There was rice, flour, grains, oil, and vegetables. She also brought back several pounds of meat, and she would need to make lard later.
"Sister-in-law, your second brother also wants to thank you. You taught us how to do business and even gave us wages."
"We're all family, Second Brother, no need to be so polite."
Yingxiang thought that as long as they behaved themselves and didn't cause trouble, pulling them along wouldn't be a bad idea.
With a smile on his face, Wen Lao Er couldn't help but think about their future life. He and Yu Qin were both very frugal, saving most of their monthly income. They lived and ate in the shop, and he could support their son's education in the future without much pressure.
Inside the house, Wen Shi had his son sit on the kang (a heated brick bed) and fed him milk spoonful by spoonful with a wooden spoon. The little guy opened his bright eyes and smiled at him from time to time, which was very cute.
He can only call her "Mom" now, and his words aren't always genuine. But watching the son she raised grow up slowly fills Wen Shi with a sense of accomplishment.
After feeding and drinking his fill, Wen Shi would hold him, pat him to help him burp, and coax him to sleep, looking every bit the good father.
In the kitchen, Yingxiang steamed three bowls of egg custard, along with some sweet potatoes and potatoes, enough for them to eat. After finishing the meal, she started rendering lard.
By the time the food came out, it had become warm and was just right to eat.
"Asleep?"
"Um."
"I'll cover him with the blanket so he won't roll down."
"That's good."
As children grow up, they are naturally not as easy to take care of as before. Raising children is full of joys, but it also has its troubles. Yingxiang is a first-time mother and is often very nervous.
"Tomorrow you stay home with him, and I'll go with my second brother. I'm going to town to buy some things and visit my former teacher."
"Go ahead."
"I'll go to your parents' house the day after tomorrow."
Yingxiang nodded and didn't object; it was only a matter of time.
The next morning, while Yingxiang was still dreaming, Wenshi had already gotten up. It had rained a bit last night, and the ground was muddy. When they got up early, there was a cold wind blowing. After Wenshi boiled water and washed up, he went to the village entrance with Wen Lao Er.
Early in the morning, there were hardly any people in the village, and it was not even fully light yet. Most of the villagers were resting at home. The two waited for quite a while before the oxcart arrived.
Yingxiang woke up half an hour earlier than her child. After washing up, she ate and drank her fill. When she saw her son was awake, she breastfed him, washed him, and changed him into a new set of clothes.
"Be good, Mom will buy you a new set of clothes for the New Year."
Yingxiang moved gently, and looking at her cute and well-behaved son, she bent down and kissed him again.
When the oxcart arrived in town, Wen Shi got off, while Wen Lao Er continued towards the county.
There weren't many good things in the town, but if you looked carefully, there were some. Merchants came from all over the place, and when I heard this, I thought of the gentlemen from the past, and the gifts they bought were naturally the same.
In addition to six catties of meat, each person also received some tea leaves, ink blocks, and other items.
The original schools and private academies were all in the same old places. Wen Shi knew the way well and gave gifts to each one to express his gratitude. One gentleman was shocked when he saw Wen Shi again.
Over the years, very few students who passed the exams actually came to visit their teacher; at most, they would just exchange greetings if they bumped into each other on the street.
Wen Shi is very different now than before. When he first came to study, he was older and, although he was good-looking, he was still somewhat self-conscious and looked timid. Now he is completely different.
Of course, this is a good thing.
He declined his husband's offer to stay for dinner, and without lingering too long, he went to the market and bought a lot of things on his way back, preparing to go back to his parents' home with Yingxiang the next day.
Unbeknownst to him, at that very moment, many villagers were already visiting his door with gifts.
"Third brother's wife, what are you doing? This is worthless. You've come back for the New Year, and your aunt doesn't have anything good. It's just a chicken. Take it and stew it for your third brother later to help him recover."
Yingxiang held her child. She had only been up early for a short time, but people kept arriving, indicating that the news had already spread.
Leaving aside distant relatives, even the closest relatives and neighbors all came to visit empty-handed. Relying on her limited memories, she could only greet these people while holding her child.
Fortunately, many people introduce themselves, so it's not awkward.
"Auntie, take it back with you. We have meat at home; we can give it to the children later."
“I’ll put the chicken coop in for you. Your aunt has more than ten old hens, so one more won’t make a difference.”
"Third brother's wife, please accept this basket of eggs. Don't refuse. We're all from the same village, so keep them for yourself."
Many people would just leave the things in the kitchen for her without thinking twice, and would leave a few words behind.
Yingxiang could only entertain them by brewing tea and adding water for them. Many villagers were drinking tea for the first time, and for some, the taste was strange, but they all unanimously said it was delicious.
There weren't any particularly valuable gifts around, so Yingxiang couldn't refuse them and could only let them leave them in the courtyard.
All she could do was try her best to greet them. Remembering the peanut candy she had brought back from the prefectural city, she went inside to get some and started distributing it to the women with children.
"This child is really good-looking. No wonder he was born to a scholar. He will definitely be a promising person in the future."
"Yes, and the third son's wife, she looks very different from you before. From now on, the good fortune for you two is all ahead."
The courtyard was noisy as more and more people arrived, and there was hardly enough room to sit. When there weren't enough teacups, they brought out bowls and chopsticks instead, thankfully they had brought back quite a few beforehand.
Yingxiang has already told them that Wenshi went to town to visit his former teachers, and they all praised Wenshi for his kindness.
"If you ask me, the most promising member of the Wen family is the third son, who is much more promising than his eldest brother."
"Yes, look how good his wife is. She even gives us candy. I've heard from our relatives that this stuff is only available in the county and the prefectural city, and it's more expensive than meat."
"The third son's wife is really generous."
"Yes, the third son's wife is really nice. Back in the day, when we ate at the eldest son's banquet, the eldest son's wife even poured water into the wine. Did she really think we country bumpkins couldn't tell the difference?"
"Let's not talk about it anymore, it's all in the past."
Everyone was talking at once, some in hushed tones, others in loud voices, but most of their comments were praises of the couple.
The fairly spacious courtyard was now almost full of villagers and relatives. The kitchen was crammed full of food, mostly brought by the villagers. Yingxiang could see that there were now more than twenty old hens in the once empty chicken coop.
Yingxiang carried a teapot and moved back and forth in the courtyard, chatting and laughing with people from time to time, and refilling water, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
“When the eldest son’s wife came back before, she didn’t serve us water and tea like the third son’s wife did. She was all high and mighty.”
"yes."
Not long after, Wen Shi returned, carrying gifts that were about to be delivered to his father-in-law's family. Ying Xiang breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him return.
"The third brother is back."
Many enthusiastic villagers gathered around him, offering their concern and care. Wen Shi responded to each of them without the slightest impatience, as he had grown up in the village and knew all his relatives and neighbors.
Yingxiang took the opportunity to rest with the child for a while, and felt much more relaxed.
She could see clearly that many people came just to see Wen Shi and talk to him. Once they saw him return and said a few words to him, some people started to leave one after another. Everyone was perceptive.
An hour later, the last guest left, and Yingxiang couldn't help but sigh. She poured Wenshi a bowl of hot water.
Wen Shi closed the door, sighed inwardly, but showed no displeasure on his face. He had never had so many relatives and friends before, not even during the New Year. But since they were here, they were guests. He wasn't stingy; there was no need to lose sight of the bigger picture for a small gain.
Wen Shi took the hot tea and drank it all in one gulp, which made his dry and itchy throat feel much better. He took the child from Yingxiang's arms and gestured for her to sit down and rest.
The sky was overcast, and I didn't know if it would rain, but it was really freezing.
“Husband, we have quite a lot of stuff at home now. We need to tidy up and put things in the cellar where they are. We also need to pickle any meat we can’t finish, otherwise it will spoil.”
Wen Shi nodded.
The villagers have limited financial resources, and Wen Shi is the only benefactor they can currently reach. He often gives them pork and chicken, which they only eat during festivals.
Some people also give eggs or vegetables as gifts; it's all a kind gesture, and if you arrange them neatly, they're all edible.
"I'll tidy up in a bit. You take the child inside and rest. It's cold outside. We'll go to your parents' house tomorrow."
Looking at the considerable number of peanut candy wrappers on the ground, and the pile of teacups and bowls, Wen Shi glanced at his wife. She must have been busy taking care of these people. Yingxiang was generous and capable; he never worried about her. She was excellent at everything, inside and out.
Having her was the greatest blessing of his life.
Wen Shi worked quickly and efficiently, and by evening the tidying was almost finished.
County
After the shop closed, Wen Lao Er held Wen Lao Die's hand, looking excited, and told Wen Lao Die about their previous trip back to the village. When Wen Lao Die heard that the village chief and the village head had asked Wen Shi to lead the villagers in worshipping their ancestors during the New Year, he was very excited.
He was beaming with joy. Historically, it was either the village chief or the elders of the clan who had high seniority and were given this opportunity. Ordinary people didn't have this chance. Wen Shi was so young, yet he was able to do so. You have to know that he was not the only scholar in the village.
For the villagers, this was an immense honor, something most people wouldn't even have the chance to achieve in their lifetime.
"Good, the third son is really good, he's made his father proud, that's great."
Xiuyu listened from the side, feeling uneasy, but she didn't say anything. Her intuition told her that with Wen Chuanzong being such a good-for-nothing, the whole family might have to rely on Wen Shi in the future.
She was sour and jealous, but she could only suppress it.
Wen Chuanzong, who was sitting not far away, had an even darker face. Looking at Old Man Wen's genuine smile, he was so angry that he wanted to leave immediately.
In a daze, he suddenly remembered the year he passed the imperial examination at the age of twelve, and his father seemed to look just like that.
Now he could only sigh in his heart that things had changed and people were no longer the same. In the end, his third brother had taken everything away from him: the support of his family and the love of his parents.
Despite Liu always speaking up for him, she never actually tried her best to fight for him.
Wen Chuanzong recalled that when he was in a good mood, Liu Shi would say a few words in support of his third son from time to time, just like now. But they were all innocuous words, and she would not say anything more once his father denied it.
He was both angry and frustrated, and his facial expressions were quite varied.
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