Chapter 58
Wen Shi's current actions seemed excessive to him; he hadn't even made it big yet, and he was already showing such disrespect to his elder brother.
“Big brother, I think what the third brother said makes sense. Mother is getting old. When spring comes, I can send her to my uncle’s house. It won’t make a difference if we stay a few more days.”
Upon hearing Wen Lao Er's words, Wen Lao Die nodded in agreement, thinking that this was the best course of action.
Suddenly, a woman's sobbing came from inside the house, growing louder as she spoke. After many years of marriage, how could Old Man Wen not understand his wife?
Missing her parents' home was one thing, but more importantly, she wanted to go back to help her brothers and, incidentally, show off to her sisters-in-law and the villagers.
Thinking of his wife, Old Man Wen felt a headache coming on. What was going on during the New Year? If it weren't for the heavy snow that had been falling for days, who would have stopped her?
Wen Shi went back to his room and sat down to read. He was angry, but if Liu Shi insisted on her decision, he was afraid he would be helpless.
One was his mother, and the other was his brother.
He was very annoyed, and he heard that he didn't have much confidence in Liu Shi, as his own mother was prone to acting impulsively.
Yingxiang sat in the chair, speechless. She subconsciously looked outside. The wind and snow continued to fall. Why take that risk in such terrible weather?
At the dinner table, everyone remained silent, and the room suddenly became very quiet.
Yingxiang noticed the gazes of several people, but she pretended not to notice and focused on eating, feeding the child as well.
The mother-in-law and husband had a disagreement, and as the daughter-in-law and wife, she felt she couldn't say anything right about either of them. Old Man Wen and Second Brother Wen had already spoken up.
If Liu insists on going her own way, what can she do? Under everyone's gaze, Yingxiang was utterly speechless.
She put down her chopsticks, paused for a moment, and then said, "It is customary for married women to visit their parents' home on the second day of the Lunar New Year. I didn't go home last year. I know that my mother misses her uncles and wants to go back to see them, but the wind and snow were merciless."
“Second brother is right. Mother is getting old. Even if you borrow a mule, the roads in the village are easy to travel, but are you sure the roads outside are easy to travel? If nothing happens, it will be fine, but if something happens, Mother will suffer, and the family will have to be distracted to take care of her. Why do that? Why not wait until spring when the flowers bloom and send Mother directly to Uncle’s house? She can stay as long as she wants.”
"The third son's wife is right."
Wen Chuanzong glanced at Yingxiang, his eyes filled with undisguised dissatisfaction. Sure enough, you can't sleep in the same bed with two different kinds of people. Neither of the third brother and his wife is any good.
"Yes, Dad, why don't you go in and try to persuade Mom, and you and the younger ones, go in and try to persuade Grandma?"
Yuqin didn't want to cause trouble for herself. She had already fallen out with her mother-in-law, and their relationship was no longer what it used to be. Now, her relationship with Liu was just a facade.
"It's alright. Master can ride horses and mules. Last year when we were out of town, the snowstorm was even worse than this, but Master still managed to get me safely across the snow. If the distance isn't too far, it's very safe."
A-Mian's sudden remark shocked everyone.
Everyone looked at her with some disbelief. It was understandable that she strongly supported Wen Chuanzong, after all, she depended on Wen Chuanzong for her livelihood.
But you can't just say things carelessly; this is no small matter.
Are you sure my older brother can ride a horse?
Wen Lao Si asked somewhat uncertainly.
"Yes, last year when the master went out to trade, he also escorted a batch of goods. He learned from others. If it weren't for the surprise attack by a group of mountain bandits, things wouldn't have ended up like this..."
Amian was wearing an old, worn-out padded jacket. Her expression was initially indifferent, but she choked up at the end of her sentence, looking rather pitiful.
Wen Chuanzong had already said it, so no one really sympathized with the two of them.
They chose their own path, and ultimately it was because they lacked ability. When Wen Chuanzong became successful, he didn't take his family with him, which caused his brothers to have a lot of resentment towards him. He was supported by the entire family.
Later, they used the excuse of doing what was best for them to look down on them. The brothers weren't that stupid; they might not say it, but how could they not mind?
"Let the eldest brother take me; I must go this year."
Liu strode out of the house, wearing a newly made red jacket, her expression very determined.
"Third son's wife, you don't need to say anything more. If you're afraid, you don't have to go to your parents' house."
Yingxiang glanced at the child in her arms, speechless. She had already said all that, and Liu was still clinging to hope. There was nothing she could do.
She mentally grumbled a bit, but outwardly remained the same. If she couldn't persuade her, so be it. To put it bluntly, even if something happened, she would have to bear it herself.
Heavy snow has been falling for days, temperatures are extremely low, and the roads are all dirt roads, which are already uneven. Even riding on a mule might not be safe.
"Mom, don't worry, I will definitely take you there safely and bring you back."
"good."
Liu glanced at Wen Chuanzong, who was visibly happy. She wiped away her tears and sat down beside him.
Old Man Wen's lips moved, but he ultimately swallowed his words.
Liu is now in charge of the accounts and money, and she has given her sons quite a lot, but that doesn't mean the accounts are transparent. It's just that Old Man Wen hasn't said much about it.
Over the years, his wife has done her best for the Wen family, raising so many sons. As the family's situation has gradually improved, he hasn't had much of an opinion about helping relatives.
An hour later, Yingxiang took the child back to the house. Leqian was too young to stay up all night.
“Husband, Mother still wants to go. It seems she trusts my elder brother very much.”
Wen Shi didn't speak. He put down the book in his hand, his eyes filled with complicated emotions. If nothing happened, that was fine. If something did happen, then let Wen Chuanzong suffer.
On the evening of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Wen Chuanzong went to the village head's house in high spirits.
"Uncle, my mother wants to go back to her parents' home tomorrow. Could I borrow your mule so I can take her there?"
It was just a few steps, but Wen Chuanzong gritted his teeth and walked to the village head's house. His face was already blue from the cold, and the village head gave him a surprised look.
The weather was terrible, and his wife didn't plan to go back to her parents' home, but considering that he was from the Wen family and a scholar, she finally relented.
"The weather isn't very good, be careful. The mule is in the shed, you can ride it back."
"Thank you, Uncle."
Seeing that Chuanzong rode away on his mule with considerable skill, the village head didn't think much of it.
"Do you really insist on going back?"
It was late at night, and the wind and snow continued to fall outside. It was pitch black, and if a little girl were outside, she would probably be scared to tears.
Old Man Wen lay on the bed and glanced at the person beside him.
“Didn’t A-Mian say that the eldest brother can ride a horse? What’s a mule? With him taking me, the roads in the village aren’t hard to travel. And even if it’s bumpy, I won’t be in any trouble sitting on the mule.”
Liu's thinking was simple. As for Old Man Wen, he had never ridden a mule before and had no idea what it felt like.
Upon hearing this, he closed his eyes and said nothing more, hoping that the two of them would have a safe journey.
The following morning, Liu got up early, took her packed belongings, and, with Wen Chuanzong's help, mounted the mule.
"Mom, sit tight."
Wen Chuanzong was very pleased with himself. Not far away, Wen Shi saw this scene and was speechless. Since things had come to this point, there was nothing more to say.
The sky was dark and gloomy, much like yesterday evening, and there were hardly any people on the road.
Ordinary people don't have the luxury of being capricious. To put it bluntly, the roads are uneven and covered in snow, and there are only a few able-bodied people in the family. If someone falls and becomes unable to move next year, the whole family might have trouble feeding themselves.
Nobody wants to go hungry next year. Taxes are not small, and everyone is under pressure.
It wasn't surprising when someone ran into Liu and Wen Chuanzong at the village entrance. Their family must be rich now, living in the county. The third son even had a high-ranking official as his master. After greeting them, everyone turned and left. They couldn't help but envy them.
The village head's mule is not easily lent out; everyone in the village knows that.
Wen Chuanzong and Liu were dressed very warmly, even covering their faces, leaving only their eyes exposed. At first, the journey through the village was relatively smooth, as Wen Chuanzong was familiar with the road. However, it became more difficult after leaving the village.
As the snow piled up, the mules struggled to walk, swaying precariously. Liu clung tightly to Wen Chuanzong's clothes, and Wen Chuanzong, not daring to be careless, remained fully focused.
"Boss, it's okay to go slowly, just be steady."
As it swayed left and right, occasionally bouncing around, Liu's eyes couldn't help but reveal a lot of worry.
She was a little scared. She subconsciously looked back. The two of them had been out of the village for a long time. If they went back, all the way they had traveled would have been for nothing.
A gust of wind swept by, and Wen Chuanzong noticed that the mule seemed to be getting out of control. He became nervous and less composed. Although he was confident in himself, his mother was sitting in the back.
"Mother, don't worry, nothing will happen."
Wen Chuanzong took a deep breath, his expression resolute. He refused to believe that fate would be so unkind to him.
"Mom, hold me tight, it's a bit bumpy, sit tight."
"well."
The sky grew increasingly dark, and a gust of wind blew every now and then, causing snowflakes to flutter down. There was hardly anyone on the road. After a while, the mule began to run wild and out of control.
It ignored Wen Chuanzong's instructions, running left and right, and finally ran towards the distant mountains and forests. This time, Wen Chuanzong could no longer remain calm.
No matter what he tried to stop it, the mule wouldn't obey. Liu was so frightened that she screamed repeatedly, and the gifts she brought back kept falling off. Wen Chuanzong was so upset that he didn't care about any of this.
"Mother, Mother, don't worry, close your eyes, everything will be alright, nothing will happen."
He could only try his best to keep the Liu family at peace.
In this cold weather, the temperature in the mountains is even lower, the wind and snow are even stronger, and the lake water has long been frozen. Liu Shi listened to her son's words, biting her lip tightly and closing her eyes.
Wen Chuanzong clung desperately to the saddle, fearing he would fall off, and prayed to heaven that the wind and snow would stop soon.
At this moment, Liu truly regretted it; she should have listened to her third son.
But saying all this now is useless; she can only pray that God will help the mule stop as soon as possible so that she can safely reach her parents' home.
After the two left, Wen Lao Er felt agitated. He repeatedly went in and out of the house, constantly looking at the sky.
"I reckon that even if Mother and my eldest brother arrive safely, they won't be back until tonight. They'll be back in a few days."
Yuqin sat inside doing needlework. It was getting dark, and she could only try to keep her eyes wide open.
"If you can arrive safely, that would be good."
Each member of the family has their own thoughts, and most of them are worried.
Although Old Man Wen didn't say it aloud, he was also praying in his heart. The unpredictable weather was making him very uneasy. Liu Shi insisted that Wen Chuanzong was too old to take action directly, and it wouldn't sound good if word got out.
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