Chapter 74
Back in the familiar village, Yingxiang subconsciously glanced at Wenshi.
Wen Shi sat up straight. He had drunk quite a bit, but not to the point of being completely drunk and unconscious.
The villagers rarely saw horse-drawn carriages. The women who were sitting around the village entrance suddenly saw this carriage and immediately thought of Wen Shi. They all stood up and looked at it curiously.
Wen Erge has returned, and everyone in the village knows that Wen Shi will be back today.
On the one hand, everyone was looking forward to the feast, and on the other hand, they all wanted to have a few words with Scholar Wen so that they could boast about it later.
The Wen family's small courtyard has been packed with people these days. Since the good news came back, the whole town has been abuzz. Almost everyone related to the family has come, and those who are closer come every day.
Old Man Wen sat in the main seat, his face beaming with joy these past few days. His third son was truly remarkable.
"Slow down, sir, and slow down, Madam Wen as well."
The coachman who brought them back was even more cautious, with a fawning expression.
The two alighted from the carriage one after the other, looked at the small courtyard in front of them, and expressed their gratitude.
Thank you.
Wen Shi remained very polite, and Ying Xiang nodded in agreement. Both of them caught a glimpse of the villagers not far behind the carriage out of the corner of their eyes; all of this was within their expectations.
Wen Shi straightened his back, his expression calm, and watched the carriage leave before returning home with Yingxiang.
Inside the main house, Leqian sat in Old Man Wen's lap, Liu Shi sat at the lower end of the table, the village head was next to Old Man Wen, and the village chief was also sitting to the side.
The rest were mostly elderly people from the village, including Wen Shi's uncles; the younger people mostly sat outside.
Yingxiang's father also came. He was a relative, and he didn't let Yingxiang's stepmother come. He sat happily in the yard, and naturally, some villagers said he was very lucky. When he saw Wen Shi Yingxiang getting off the car, he immediately went to greet her.
"Congratulations, son-in-law!"
"father."
He came alone. Wen Shi glanced at him and immediately bowed to him.
"No need, no need, go in quickly, everyone is waiting for you."
Yingxiang's father glanced at Yingxiang and saw that she was in good condition, so he breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the couple had a good relationship.
The thought that he was now the father-in-law of a scholar had made him wake up smiling from his dreams for several nights in a row. He felt that God had been kind to him.
Wen Shi nodded, greeted everyone in the courtyard, and quickly went inside. Old Man Wen heard the commotion inside and, thinking of his third son, almost stood up.
The Wen brothers have all returned, and quite a few people have come over in the past few days. Everyone is happy for Wen Shiyingxiang.
Wen Chuanzong and the others were in the courtyard greeting the guests, serving tea and water. This was something Old Man Wen had specifically instructed the brothers to do, and they had been doing it for several days now, so everyone was used to it.
After Wen Erge and Yuqin returned, they didn't rest either, and joined in the greetings. Little Leqian was immediately picked up by Old Man Wen.
When his father wasn't around, everyone in the room praised him enthusiastically. Old Man Wen and Mrs. Liu chimed in, and he was quite happy. Although he was young, he could already understand some of what was being said.
People kept feeding him pastries and candy, and his little mouth never stopped.
When Wen Shi returned in glory, he thought of how his son had become a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, which was his long-cherished wish. He never expected that his third son would be so lucky and pass the exams on his first try.
Wen Chuanzong looked at Wen Shi with extremely complicated eyes. On the one hand, they were family, and this was his own younger brother. On the other hand, he knew clearly that in the future, he would have no place to speak in this family unless he could be like Wen Shi.
"Father, Mother, Village Head Uncle, Village Chief Uncle, Eldest Uncle, Second Uncle, Uncle Wang,..."
Wen Shi and Ying Xiang entered the house, and the two greeted the elders in the house one by one. Everyone looked at Wen Shi and Ying Xiang with smiles on their faces.
"Third brother, you are the first person in our village to pass the imperial examination. I will choose an auspicious day to open the ancestral hall. We will tell our ancestors this good news and thank them for protecting you in heaven."
Upon hearing this, Old Man Wen became even more excited and nodded repeatedly, at a loss for words.
Looking at his son standing not far away, mature and steady, he saw Wen Shi as someone who was perfect.
"Father, Mother."
The child in his arms struggled to get down and walked to Yingxiang. He didn't seem unhappy. Yingxiang helped him wipe the crumbs from the corner of his mouth.
Hearing that things have turned out this way, Yingxiang is genuinely happy for him. It hasn't been easy for him to get to where he is today, but thankfully the result is good, and his efforts have paid off.
"Thank you, Uncle Village Chief."
"good."
"It's getting late, so I won't disturb your family's conversation any longer. It's been a long time since you've seen each other. If you need more people to help with the banquet preparations, just let me know at home, and I'll have my family come to help."
After the village head finished speaking, he stood up. The others exchanged a few pleasantries with Wen Shi and then got up and left. Everyone was perceptive; there was still a long time ahead, and they wouldn't have to worry about not having a chance to talk to Wen Shi.
The relatives in the courtyard were all leaving one after another, so there would definitely be a banquet; they just had to wait.
Although Wen Shi is a man of few words, he is reliable. Right now, he seems to be quietly accomplishing great things. He is a good kid.
After watching everyone leave, Wen Lao Si quickly closed the door. Wen Lao Die called everyone in the family into the house to discuss what would happen next.
Of course, from now on, Wen Shi will be in charge of this family.
"Third brother, your father and mother are getting old and may have moments of confusion. Tell us what you want to do next, and we will listen to you. As for your brothers, just give them whatever you want. We're all family, and we can't let them take advantage of you for nothing. It's their blessing that they can help you."
Old Man Wen said with a smile.
As dusk settled outside, Yingxiang sat to the side, holding her child, and looked at Madam Ma's slightly protruding belly. Suddenly, she smiled at her.
"How many months?"
She asked softly.
"Third sister-in-law, almost five months pregnant."
Ma lowered her head, clearly expectant. Not far away, Ah Mian, heavily pregnant, saw this scene and found it irritating.
Xiuyu now greets Yingxiang with a smile.
"Don't worry, Third Sister-in-law, Fourth Sister-in-law's pregnancy is going well. The doctor has checked her, and it's highly likely to be a big, healthy boy."
Yingxiang smiled and nodded. Liu had looked down on Ma before, so this was for the best.
In this patriarchal society, if she advocated for gender equality, people would only think she was crazy.
Wen Shi pretended to think for a moment, then solemnly recounted his previous plans.
“Father, Mother, I plan to hold a banquet for ten days straight. It’s a joyous occasion. As for the village head opening the ancestral hall, we should go too. We need to prepare more offerings for our ancestors and burn incense for them.”
"Okay, that's how it should be done."
"Afterwards, I will go to the capital to participate in the spring imperial examination, and there may also be a palace examination. It is inconvenient for Yingxiang and the child to go. These are all organized by the government. They have to stay at home. The child is young and cannot leave Yingxiang."
Upon hearing Wen Shi's words, Old Man Wen immediately stood up. He had seen the palace examination before, and it was said that the examination was presided over by the emperor. Therefore, Wen Shi might be able to meet the emperor when he went to the capital this time.
Thinking of this, he opened his eyes wide. What an honor! Wen Shi was his son. In some ways, he was the one who had given birth to this good son. He couldn't help but smile.
"Third son, don't worry, your son and daughter-in-law don't have much to do at home, so your wife can just focus on taking care of the children."
"There is one more important thing: you can't accept gifts from just anyone. If it's something from relatives or friends, that's fine, but you can't accept anything else, no matter what it is. Dad, you should know that you're bound to feel obligated if you take something."
Upon hearing this, Wen Chuanzong couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable.
"Third brother, why not take it? It's all for you. Our family isn't that rich. Taking it will improve our family's life. Who would turn down a pile of hard-earned money? Nobody's stupid."
"Don't say anything, just listen to the third brother. The third brother is very promising now. He's about to meet the emperor. He'll become an official sooner or later."
Even though he was somewhat prepared, Wen Chuanzong was still very upset when his father said those words.
"mother."
He called out to Liu, but she turned her head away and ignored him.
The room fell silent as everyone stared at Wen Chuanzong.
"Brother, a gentleman loves money, but he earns it in a proper way. You should know that."
Wen Shi looked at Wen Chuanzong, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
“No, you’re not allowed to accept it. Listen up, all of you. If I find out any of you have accepted it in secret, I’ll kick you out. Don’t blame me for not telling you.”
Old Man Wen's words were very serious. Right now, Wen Shi was the family's hope. He looked at his other sons with a stern expression, saying that they couldn't let their mistakes affect Wen Shi.
He believed that Wen Shi must have thought things through before saying such things, and that it was always more reliable to rely on oneself.
Wen Shi is about to become an official, so what worries will his family have in the future? He can slowly accumulate money.
He thought of something and quickly went inside to take out the money box.
Liu glanced at it, her lips moved, but she ultimately swallowed her words.
"This is all the money in our family. Third brother, take it. We're going to have to spend a lot of money from now on. We'll definitely have to hire those gentlemen you used to hire, buy meat and vegetables, and buy them gifts. We can't let people say you're heartless."
"Father, don't worry about that. Let's set the banquet for three days from now. The sooner we do it, the better."
Wen Shi had studied at the county school for a year after all. Although there were some unpleasant things, they were all in the past. He should naturally invite those who were invited, and whether they came or not was their business. He just needed to be polite.
"Okay, I can't delay your exam. Third brother, when are you leaving?"
Wen Shi opened the money box directly, took half of it, which was about enough, and gave the rest to Old Man Wen.
"This is enough. We need to leave before the New Year."
Exams are very important; if you miss one, you miss it forever. Naturally, the students all set off early, since the capital city is quite far away.
"That's all I wanted to say, Dad. Is there anything else you'd like to add?"
Wen Shi looked at Old Man Wen with a respectful attitude.
"I don't have any here. If you don't have enough, ask your second brother and fourth brother to go and buy some tomorrow."
With everything seemingly settled, Yingxiang carried the child back to the house, and soon after, Wenshi returned.
"There's hot water in the kitchen, why don't you wash up first?"
Wen Shi nodded.
"Thank you for your hard work, my wife."
There was a hint of apology in his eyes as he looked at his wife.
"It's okay, we'll settle down soon. I'll stay home with the kids and wait for you. It'll only be a few months anyway."
Wen Shi nodded. As long as his family could be kept in check, nothing else mattered. He figured the county school would know about his passing the imperial examination. The next morning, Wen Shi got up early and asked his family to go shopping.
He was going to the town and county, and this time he borrowed the mule cart from the village head. He wanted to visit some of the former gentlemen in the village and invite them to a feast in three days.
Three days is enough time to prepare. All the chickens in the coop need to be slaughtered. If there isn't enough pork, we can buy it from the butcher. There are plenty of vegetables and eggs, as many villagers have given them to us before. We need to make the banquet as presentable as possible. We'll have Brother Wen and Brother Si buy the drinks in town.
Early in the morning, Wen Chuanzong stood at the door, watching Wen Shi get into the mule cart. When he caught a glimpse of the black mule out of the corner of his eye, his expression became somewhat unnatural.
Now, he truly loathed this beast. He seemed very docile, but his outburst that day almost cost him and Liu their lives.
Liu was also unwell and became increasingly distant from him. When he spoke to her, she would either ignore him or give him perfunctory answers, clearly indicating that she had a problem with him. His brothers had also long since distanced themselves from him, and he often felt like he was an extra in the family.
"master."
Amian suddenly walked over and gave him a wronged look.
"Don't worry, I'll take you to the county soon. You're about to give birth."
Others may not know much about it, but they might think that Wen Shi wanted to become an official and get rich. However, Wen Shi himself is quite knowledgeable about the matter, and it's still uncertain whether he can actually become an official.
Thinking of his husband, Wen Chuanzong frowned again. If someone could introduce and help him, Wen Shi could also get an official position. Even if the position was low, he would still be able to live off the emperor's salary.
He is still a scholar at the county level.
"Don't worry, I'll go see him after the third brother finishes his work. He's not a scholar yet, but he's helping with introductions. I don't think his teacher will refuse. If I pass the imperial examination in three years, I'll make sure you're even more successful than your sister-in-law is today."
Upon hearing this, A-Mian smiled, her expression relaxed. She could only trust Wen Chuanzong and rely on him.
"Sir, I believe you."
Ah Mian said softly, glancing at her abdomen. The baby was already moving, and the day of delivery was drawing nearer. This was her hope for the future.
Wen Chuanzong and Wen Shi didn't communicate much in private, but those who knew about these things were all family members. Outsiders had also been treating him very politely lately. After all, they were family brothers. Wen Chuanzong thought that Wen Shi had already made it big, so it was only right to help him out.
If he becomes successful in the future, it will not be without benefit for Wen Shi.
Not far away, Wen Xiaowu watched the two of them, completely ignoring them. With an older brother who was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, he had to work even harder.
On the mule cart, the village head's youngest son was driving. He was all smiles and chatting with Wen Shi casually, and Wen Shi would respond to him.
Under a blue sky and white clouds, with a gentle breeze, Wen Shi, dressed in a silver robe, sat on a mule cart, his handsome face revealing no emotion. Upon closer inspection, he exuded composure and grace.
When he arrived, the gentlemen in the town greeted him warmly.
Hearing that their teacher was so respected, they were flattered and very enthusiastic, all saying they would definitely go for the banquet.
Wen Shi arrived at the county school in the afternoon. He carried his things and went straight there. Before long, the headmaster of the county school led several teachers out to greet him, including Teacher Liu.
He hadn't expected Wen Shi to be so lucky, and when he looked at Wen Shi, he tried his best to appear nonchalant.
"I have heard that you are a man of integrity, respect for your teachers, and of noble character. Please come in quickly."
"I owe my success today to the guidance of my teachers."
Of the teachers, except for Teacher Liu, whose smile was forced, all of them were genuinely happy, knowing that Wen Shi was the only one from their county school to pass the imperial examination this year.
I heard that he became a student of that high-ranking official in Songshan Prefecture, but he took the exams himself. His progress in just two years was so great that it amazed several of his former teachers.
Some people even said privately that Wen Shi was the reincarnation of the God of Literature.
Master Liu did not deliberately move forward. Of course, he had a family behind him and was not afraid of retaliation for what he had done to Wen Shi.
If he had known back then that Wen Shi would amount to this, then at this moment, Master Liu would also feel some regret. He never imagined that Wen Shi would achieve such great things.
"This is all as it should be; it is our duty as teachers."
Upon arriving at the dean's study, Wen Shi acted as if he had never had any unpleasantness with Master Liu before, exchanging pleasantries as usual. Seeing this, Master Liu felt much more at ease.
He never denied that this person was a good person.
Liu Yan is already married. Although her son-in-law didn't pass the imperial examination, there's still a future for him. He doesn't want to gamble, and he doesn't regret his decision to marry his daughter into a wealthy family. It's definitely not a mistake.
"I would be honored if you gentlemen could grace my humble abode with your presence in three days for a meal. I will certainly treat you with the utmost hospitality."
"Okay, we'll definitely go, we'll definitely go."
Wen Shi didn't stay at the county school for long. After finishing all this, when he went back, he bought two more jars of wine, along with a small jar. This stuff could only be more, not less.
It was common knowledge that he came from a farming family, so he didn't need to make his shop look too big. When the local gentry and wealthy people wanted to give him gifts, he wouldn't accept them for nothing.
After leaving the county, Wen Shi visited the homes of several classmates with whom he had a good relationship and invited them. He was no longer the same as before, and since he came to invite them personally, no one refused and they all said they would go.
After a long day of running around and finishing all that, they finally arrived in the village under the moonlight.
"Thank you for your hard work today, brother. This is nothing but a small token of my appreciation. Please take it back and have a drink with it. Please thank the village head for me."
Upon hearing this, the village head's youngest son immediately declined.
The full moon hung high in the sky, the stars twinkled, the night was dark and the wind was strong, and it was a bit cold in the village. The two had reached the village entrance, and he was naturally a little tired, but he did not expect Wen Shi to be so generous, giving this small jar of wine to his family.
"No, no, you still have to host a banquet next, and I don't know if it will be enough. You keep it. Our whole family will be attending the banquet. Third brother, you are really capable and impressive."
The village head's youngest son quickly declined, not forgetting what his own father had said.
Wen Shi is now practically a county magistrate, and even the county magistrate personally invites him to drinks. Helping Wen Shi would only bring them benefits, not harm.
"Brother, don't be shy. I had my family buy some wine too, more than enough. I was just worried it wouldn't be enough, so I bought two more jars in the county."
Wen Shi persisted, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the Wen family's doorstep.
When he returned, everyone in the courtyard came out, including Old Man Wen and Mrs. Liu, who were still awake.
"Brother, take it back."
Wen Shi instructed Wen Xiaowu and Lao Si to carry the large wine vat to the kitchen, while the younger ones were left on the mule cart.
"Take it back and thank your father for me. Come back for the feast in three days."
Old Man Wen also came out and said something. He felt that Wen Shi had handled the matter respectably. Then, thinking of something, he glared fiercely at Wen Chuanzong in the courtyard.
He even wanted to go to the village head's house to complain about them. He was truly heartless. He was the one who wanted to borrow the mule, and he clearly couldn't ride it, but he still insisted on being stubborn.
Wen Chuanzong naturally understood what his father's gaze meant, so he lowered his eyes and remained silent.
During this time, he had already decided to keep a low profile.
After the third brother finished his work, he went to find him. He had to find a good path for himself. Studying and finding a famous teacher would be very beneficial. Just look at the third brother; in just three years, he passed the exam.
Wen Chuanzong didn't think the third son was smart. His hard work was one thing, but his biggest help was definitely this gentleman who had been in officialdom for many years.
Without him, the third child would not have been able to pass the test.
Upon hearing Old Man Wen's words, the village head's youngest son could no longer refuse, so he nodded and turned to go back.
"It wouldn't be good to let people come for nothing, and the village head is showing concern for the third brother."
Old Man Wen glanced back at his sons, and they all expressed their understanding.
Over the next few days, the whole family got busy preparing meat and vegetables. They could hire people, but Old Man Wen thought it would be too expensive, especially since there were quite a few people in the family.
All five sons and four wives are present, and even Liu is sitting in a chair slowly helping to pick vegetables.
There were quite a few relatives and village women who came to help. Several large pots had already been set up, and everyone was preparing for the feast. Yingxiang, with her child, was also busy and joined in, able to do some work, after all, it was her husband's big day.
Late at night, the child was fast asleep beside her. Yingxiang looked at Wenshi beside her and saw that he was still awake, as if he was thinking about something.
"My lord, if you pass the next two exams, even if you don't rank at the top, but are still on the list, can you become an official directly?"
Upon hearing Yingxiang's words, Wenshi glanced at him and his lips moved.
"If that were really the case, obtaining a Jinshi degree and a minor official position would be a piece of cake, and one might even be able to stay in the capital as an official."
Wen Shi took a breath; he hadn't even dared to think that way.
He felt that his success in the imperial examination was already a blessing from heaven. He was hardworking and diligent, but opportunity was also very important.
If he hadn't met such a good man, he wouldn't have been able to conceive on his first try.
"Husband, I think you can do it. You have to believe in yourself."
Wen Shi nodded, then hugged his wife in his arms.
"Now I don't have to worry about you and your son at home. Take good care of yourself and wait for my news."
Yingxiang nodded.
Inside the main room, Liu lay on the bed. At night, she would become somewhat dazed, a feeling that had only recently begun.
"Old man, how come the third son is so promising these days?"
"Speaking of which, I should thank myself back then. You and Chuanzong weren't very opposed to him going to school, but I always spoke up for him."
Upon hearing Liu's words, Old Man Wen coughed.
"That was my mistake. Luckily, this child is shrewd. Alright, don't say that anymore. Our family is clearly different from before. There's a fifth child after the third one."
Thinking of her youngest son, Liu felt that he was clever and quick-witted.
"This child is definitely not bad either. Thank God, we've finally overcome our hardships. So, will we still do business together in the future?"
"Of course we'll do it. If the third brother says he won't do it, then we won't. But he hasn't said anything yet, so we'll continue doing it."
Old Man Wen lay on the bed, his expression resolute. He knew Wen Shi would never abandon his family. All he could do right now was to convince his other sons of his brother's worth.
Everything else is fine, it's just the boss.
No, he needs to give the eldest brother a private warning; he can't let him affect the third brother.
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