Chapter 77
Wen Chuanzong is rather selfish and lacks the spirit of hard work. He was pampered by his family since childhood, and his grandparents treated him even better when they were alive.
Wen Shi has a very good memory; he remembers things from the past.
He never intended to compete, nor was there any need. People are all different. When he was a child, he would occasionally be puzzled by this kind of favoritism, but as he grew up, he became indifferent to it.
A man should stand tall and be self-reliant. He has no regrets about his previous decision and now feels fortunate. If he hadn't insisted and instead relied on Wen Chuanzong, how could he have such a good life today?
The fog was thick in the early morning. It rained heavily in the mountains yesterday, and everyone has put on their autumn clothes. The wind is colder in the morning and evening than before. It looks like the season is about to change.
Wen Shi was milking sheep in the makeshift sheep pen with a can when Old Man Wen saw her and immediately came over.
"father."
The two of them got up relatively early. Old Man Wen glanced at Wen Shi and slipped him some more silver.
"I have enough silver."
Wen Shi glanced at his father.
"That's not enough. You're going to the capital for the exam, so bring more. It's better to be rich on the road than poor."
Old Man Wen stuffed the money bag into Wen Shi's chest, and then immediately stood it up.
"From now on, you'll be in charge of this household. Whatever you say goes."
Old Man Wen looked serious, and Wen Shi nodded.
“Father, I’ve thought about what to do next. We should continue the business. To put it bluntly, even if I manage to get a government position this time, it certainly won’t be a high-ranking one at first. Maybe I’ll only get a few taels of silver a month, plus some rice.”
"This amount of money is not enough to support the whole family while I'm away."
"It will take quite some time if we want to take all the family members out."
Wen Shi was clear-headed, and he naturally knew that it was better to say some things in advance. Old Man Wen glanced at him and knew that Wen Shi would not abandon his family.
"How long will that take?"
"It's hard to say, five or ten years is also possible. Our family doesn't have any wealth, and right now we just have enough to eat and wear. Although my teacher was once a high-ranking official, he has retired. Besides, I am just one of his students, not his biological son."
"You know that you can't just accept gifts. If you accept a gift and the person asks you to do something you can't do, it will only damage your reputation and affect your career. You also told me before that I should never put myself in an unjust position for a little bit of profit."
Wen Shi glanced at Old Man Wen and emphasized the last sentence. Hearing the teacher say that Old Man Wen would only be more convinced, sure enough, his expression immediately became solemn, and he looked at Wen Shi with a serious face.
Before Wen Shi left, he had already figured out how to tell Old Man Wen.
"It's even harder to say about the promotion of officials. On the one hand, it depends on their ability and skills, but on the other hand, they also need connections, money, and opportunities. All of these are indispensable."
"Father, I can leave all the benefits of the land to the family. You can save them up first. If you are going to take the whole family out, they also need to eat and live. With this money plus what you earn in the shop, you can save it up for a few years. That way, when you go out, you can continue to do business and it will also be useful for building a house later."
"I'll listen to you, even if you become an official, it won't be easy. Our family doesn't have that much wealth or connections, so we can't help you in the future. But your tutor is different; he's knowledgeable. You should listen to him. I'm not that greedy. You've already brought a lot of benefits to the family. Right now, everyone treats your parents with utmost respect, all because of you."
After Old Man Wen finished speaking, he believed Wen Shi and found that what he said made sense.
“You don’t need to give the income from the fields to the family. I’ll keep it for you. You’ll need money when you’re out with your wife and children, and I’ll send it to you then. I know this family’s wealth isn’t something that can be accumulated in one generation. I just hope that in the future, whether your mother and I are still here or not, you will remember your brothers and nephews. Help them if you can, don’t separate the family, and don’t let them go hungry.”
There is strength in numbers, and Wen Shi understood this principle.
As for the next generation, it will be even easier to support them. When they reach a certain age, they will all go to school, and even if they don't succeed, they will have some capital to start a business. Things will definitely get better and better.
"Okay, Dad, there's one more thing. I've been raising these sheep for a long time, so let's keep raising them. Don't sell them, and don't kill them for meat. I've noticed that Leqian doesn't seem to like drinking goat milk much lately."
Wen Shi thought that her son might have been drinking milk since he was little and was now tired of it. Since he had started eating solid food, not drinking milk wouldn't affect his health.
"You don't need to worry about that. I'll take him to the shop later and have your second brother and sister-in-law take good care of him. Your second brother's son likes to drink milk. I've seen him finish every last drop of milk from the bowl, and then he even licks the bowl clean."
Wen Shi nodded. Now that Wen Chuanzong was interested in studying, he would definitely not stay. His sister-in-law would take the children to the county sooner or later, and there would be no one at home in the future. It would be good for Yang to stay with the second son's family.
It also saves them money on milk. The couple is reluctant to spend money, and you can tell from the smell that even now, their clothes are not much different from before.
"Should we sell this yard?"
Upon hearing his father's words, Wen Shi shook his head without hesitation.
"Dad, we definitely can't sell this, we have to keep it."
"Alright."
After speaking, Old Man Wen turned and left. Wen Shi went to the kitchen to heat up the milk, and then put the money bag back. He handed it to Yingxiang, but Yingxiang told him to keep it himself.
“Husband, you should take it with you. If you really get an official position, think about it. If you don’t have a place to live, you’ll have to rent a place, which will cost money. And my child and I will have to go there too.”
In the end, Wen did not refuse.
If he passes the imperial examination and is assigned to a local government post, he can stay at the county government office for free.
But if he's lucky, he might stay in the capital, even if it's just as a minor official, which is very different from being in a local area.
Under the emperor's nose, expenses are only greater than they are smaller. Rent in the capital is definitely much more expensive than in the prefectural city. It's hard to say what will happen in the future, so he put the money away and stopped refusing.
He's finished with everything at home now, so he won't be staying for long.
noon
The clear blue sky suddenly turned into a thick cloud cover, and a heavy rain followed, so everyone rushed indoors to take shelter from the rain.
"Husband, check again and see if anything is missing. Go to the county to get it as soon as possible."
Wen Shi looked at the book in his hand and shook his head.
The packing has already begun, and there's nothing missing. Everything needed for studying is there, along with some clothes and daily necessities.
He is now a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, and this trip to the capital is organized by the government, so his safety is not a problem and he doesn't have to spend any money. Not only can he travel on the official road, which is faster and smoother, but he can also stop at post stations along the way to rest and eat at any time, which is definitely much better than before.
"My lady, if there are any changes in the future, I will write to Xiao Wu first and have him send the letter back to inform you."
Yingxiang nodded. Time flew by, and before she knew it, it was the day before Wenshi was to leave. He had packed his things and checked them several times to make sure nothing was missing.
He has to leave first thing tomorrow morning.
That evening after dinner, Old Man Wen and Mrs. Liu called him to the main room and gave him many more instructions.
Liu is not unhappy now. She is now the mother of a scholar, all thanks to her third son.
"Father, Mother, don't worry, your son will be fine."
"Take good care of yourself, don't be too frugal, your parents are waiting for your good news."
Wen Shi nodded. Liu Shi looked at Wen Shi and, as if remembering something, added a sentence.
“Yingxiang has only given birth to one child for you in the past few years. Now you are much more successful than your elder brother. If someone offers you a concubine, don’t refuse. The more children the better.”
He immediately refused upon hearing this.
"Mother, we don't have mountains of gold and silver at home, and we don't need many children. As long as they are sensible and promising, that's enough. Leqian is enough for now. We'll talk about the future when the time comes."
"The third brother is right. The eldest brother's wife is about to give birth. I don't think she'll be able to take care of the baby. You can go and help look after the child."
Old Man Wen genuinely liked Wen Shi, and he had no objection to Ying Xiang either.
The third son's wife is very capable, which is rare. Other women think about living off their husbands and sons, but she has the idea of being independent. Whether in the town or the county, she can find ways to make money. In the end, she is the one who opened the shop.
Old Man Wen didn't say it, but he understood perfectly well.
This was the first time in all these years that Old Man Wen had seen a woman like this, and he found her quite pleasing to the eye.
There are only so many things one person can do; it's definitely better when two people work together.
Upon hearing this, Liu's face darkened.
"Who is she? She made me serve her. A concubine, to put it bluntly, is just a maid. Who am I? I am the mistress of the house, the eldest son's own mother. Besides, if she hadn't spoken up for me that day, would I have trusted the eldest son so easily? Would I have suffered so much later?"
After Liu finished speaking, Wen Shi and Old Man Wen both glanced at her, but neither of them said anything.
Anyone with eyes can see that, in the end, it was her own fault. Everyone tried to persuade her, but she wouldn't listen.
Amian is Wen Chuanzong's woman, and the child belongs to their family. This is why Old Man Wen brought it up.
"Third brother, what do you think about keeping the child and letting the woman go back to her own home? She can marry whomever she wants in the future."
"Father, you should talk to my eldest brother about this."
Wen Shi didn't want to get involved in these matters, and Old Man Wen remained silent.
When Wen returned to the room, the child was already asleep in the innermost room, and Yingxiang was lying beside her. Upon seeing her return, Yingxiang immediately turned over and sat up.
"Go to sleep, it's getting late."
In the dark and silent room, Wen Shi pulled his wife into his arms as soon as he got on the kang (a heated brick bed). He had already said everything he needed to say, and although he was reluctant, there was nothing he could do.
He held Yingxiang tightly, wishing he could meld her into his body. Yingxiang simply climbed onto his neck and began kissing his thin lips.
The smell deepened the kiss.
Neither of them were talkative people, but at this moment they were truly reluctant to part. The large kang (heated brick bed) was no longer a place for them to roll around freely, so they had to restrain themselves.
In the middle of the night, Wen Shi touched the bite marks on his shoulder and looked at the person in his arms.
"Wait for my message."
Yingxiang felt weak all over and nodded.
Not long after, she fell into a deep sleep. He had hardly slept all night. He lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) and looked at the bedside. The sky was gradually getting brighter.
He was about to get up, so he tiptoed, while Yingxiang was too exhausted to get up.
Before leaving, he climbed back onto the kang (a heated brick bed) and kissed the mother and son, before reluctantly leaving.
In the courtyard, Old Man Wen, Liu Shi, and his brothers were all there. The eldest and fifth brothers had already gone back to school, so it was just the second and fourth brothers who were there now.
"Third Brother, slow down, we're waiting for your good news."
"Yes, third brother, be careful."
Wen Shi nodded, said a few last words to Liu Shi and Wen Chuanzong, and the second and fourth brothers helped him carry the suitcase. The three brothers walked out together.
There weren't many pedestrians on the village road, but there were some. When they encountered them, they would greet them and say many kind words to them.
Once on the oxcart, watching the village gradually recede into the distance, Wen Shi lowered his eyes, changed his gaze, and looked ahead.
The second and fourth brothers at the village entrance exchanged glances; they could no longer see the oxcart and it was time for them to go back.
"Second brother, let's go back."
The two could no longer see the third brother. Wen Erge nodded. Although he was reluctant to part with him, he believed in his third brother and thought he would succeed.
Even though Yingxiang had prepared herself mentally with the child, he still made a fuss for a while after getting up early.
He only calmed down after Wen Erge's son got up and stopped crying and calling for his father.
Yingxiang wasn't worried about the two brothers playing together.
"Third sister-in-law, this is a steamed egg custard that my sister-in-law just made. You didn't eat much this morning, so you need to take care of yourself."
Xiuyu suddenly brought a bowl of hot steamed egg custard from the kitchen. Yingxiang was taken aback, but did not refuse.
"Thank you, sister-in-law."
"Eat."
"Our parents are leaving tomorrow, and from now on it will just be the two of us sisters-in-law at home. Let's get along well."
Having said that, Xiuyu glanced at A-Mian not far away, cursing her as a slut in her heart, but didn't say it out loud.
There's still some time before the Lunar New Year, but the shop will remain open as usual. Old Man Wen isn't planning to go back after the New Year next year; every extra day the shop is open means an extra day of money.
He kept the third brother's words in mind. Yingxiang and the child didn't need to go. Xiuyu had to take care of his two children and couldn't go either. A'mian was pregnant.
It was still the second and fourth sons' family. Ma was heavily pregnant, but she was in good health. It had been some time before she was due to give birth, and she still wanted to go to the county. Even if she just helped out every day, she could do some work, such as making dumplings, which wasn't too strenuous.
Yuqin was worried about leaving Jinyu alone at home, so she decided to take him with her. Her son was older and more obedient, and he could play in the house by himself.
As for Liu, she had long wanted to go to the county, and now that she was much better, she was still able to do the debt collection work.
Three days later, after seeing her family off, Yingxiang didn't feel any reluctance. They all had their own things to do, and it was fine for her to stay in the village and take care of the children.
Yingxiang didn't object when the ewe was led away. The baby doesn't drink much milk anymore and has started eating at the table with her.
Two weeks later
When Wen Chuanzong suddenly returned, he seemed to be in relatively good spirits.
"Third sister-in-law."
"Big brother."
Wen Chuanzong was polite to Yingxiang, and there was no direct conflict. Now that he had returned to the county school, the teacher paid more attention to him. He knew perfectly well who was responsible and naturally wouldn't cause any trouble.
"Xiuyu, Amian, you two pack your things, pick up the child, and we're going to the county."
He had made up his mind to continue his studies, and after renting a new house, he decided to bring his family and children with him.
He thought that Wen Shi had always been able to overcome any obstacle by taking care of his family, and he should take them with him too. Perhaps things would go smoothly for him in the future, and Heaven would surely bless him for being so kind and righteous.
Amian had wanted to leave for a long time, and upon hearing this, she immediately ran inside. Her room was the most shabby; to put it bluntly, it was originally just a small woodshed, not a proper place to live at all.
"What about the third brother's wife?"
During this time, Xiuyu treated Yingxiang exceptionally well, not letting her do anything. Yingxiang naturally knew why, and she accepted it all without complaint, at most saying a few nice words.
The two families are inseparable; it can't be just them making the sacrifices.
Xiuyu subconsciously looked at Yingxiang. Wen Chuanzong was stunned. He had only rented two rooms, and it was not appropriate for Yingxiang to go with them. He was the eldest brother-in-law, and the third brother was not around. Scholars had to save face.
“Sister-in-law, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine here. In a while, I’ll take the kids to my parents’ house for a few days.”
"Oh well."
Xiuyu had long wanted to go to the county. As for the villagers, they would never bully Yingxiang and the children. They were all just joking around. Wen Shi was about to become an official, so most of them were eager to curry favor with him.
Now, only the mother and daughter were left in the courtyard. Yingxiang was prepared, so there was no need to worry about their safety.
Even though everyone has left, she can still sign in. She lived a normal life in the prefectural city with her son before, and they had enough to eat, drink, and firewood at home.
Before noon, all three of them left. Yingxiang took out her laundry basin, closed the front and back doors, and let the child go inside first.
After putting all the dirty clothes inside, I went inside to be with the children.
A moment later, she came out to hang up the clothes, which couldn't be more convenient.
After restarting the sign-in system, Yingxiang entered the shop. After looking around, she still chose silver, thirty-five taels.
She was already very familiar with the system. Even though the system upgrade allowed her to enter the shop and choose her daily sign-in rewards, the items she received were still auxiliary.
She no longer indulged in the pipe dream of becoming rich overnight and living a life of ease after signing in. Instead, she focused on saving her money for future business ventures.
"Mother, no."
In the evening, the mother and son sat down to eat together. The little guy suddenly spoke up, and Yingxiang glanced at him before patiently explaining.
“Your aunt and uncle went to the county, and your two older brothers went to study. From now on, it will just be you and your mother at home. In a few days, we will take you to visit your maternal grandparents.”
There are only two people in the courtyard now.
Yingxiang didn't feel lonely. She was familiar with the place. Life is not always smooth sailing. As long as you are healthy and free from illness, you can get by.
Yingxiang took a bite of food and, reflecting on herself in recent years, felt a surge of emotion. She realized that she had grown considerably, a growth that was truly visible to the naked eye.
She accepted the cliché of time travel that happened to her. From initial helplessness and confusion to gradually forging her own path, she is truly remarkable.
She cherishes her current life, which is vastly different from when she first transmigrated.
Thinking of this, Yingxiang lowered her eyes and picked up some food for her son.
She has no regrets about her decision to stay. Before the two got married, when the matchmaker came to her door, she thought that she would definitely not accept someone who was an old bachelor or unreliable.
She has a system with her, so she can just pack her bags and run away. She doesn't believe she can't survive; she'll make her own way in the world.
Fortunately, her father wasn't truly heartless. Wen Shi, the third son of the Wen family, was someone Yingxiang considered to be without major problems when the matchmaker arranged the marriage between the two, except for the fact that he had many brothers. The two were not far apart in age, and he was also perfectly capable of doing so.
Especially when she heard from the matchmaker that the child was supporting his own education, she realized he had foresight and knew that it was better to rely on oneself than on others.
She didn't think much about it at the time and accepted the marriage. How could there be a perfect family or person in this world? As long as there are no major flaws, it's fine.
Wen Shi had a very high potential at that time, but of course, he wasn't without a lower limit. If he hadn't worked hard and strived for excellence, he might have remained a mediocre scholar for life.
Things are moving in a positive direction now, and he is working hard to improve himself. Looking back, Yingxiang realizes there was nothing unpleasant about it, and there are no problems between the couple.
Wen Shi was an ancient man, but he wasn't a chauvinist. He respected her a lot and didn't shirk his responsibilities when he came home. In the prefectural city, she would breastfeed the baby in the morning and herd sheep in the evening. She was very diligent, and he never complained. She used to sleep until she naturally woke up. It wasn't until later, when he had to stay at the academy for exams, that these chores fell to her.
Yingxiang knew that her system would change. From simply giving rewards at the beginning to being able to choose now, she calculated that if Wenshi could become an official, it might change again, and she didn't know what it would become then.
She has high hopes for the future.
At night, the mother and son lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), and Yingxiang closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep.
At this moment, Wen Shi had already arrived in the county. He paid a visit to the county magistrate and was currently staying at an inn. He would set off for the prefectural city tomorrow.
He knew exactly how many candidates from his prefecture were there when he checked the results that day.
A group of about a hundred people traveled to the capital together. The status of a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) could, to some extent, determine the upper limit of an official's career.
If two officials are competing for the same position, and their qualifications are similar—one is a candidate for the imperial examination but only qualified to be an official, while the other is a candidate for the imperial examination in both the provincial and metropolitan examinations—then without a doubt, the promotion opportunity will be given to the candidate who was a candidate for the imperial examination.
Wen Shi lay in bed, thinking about his family and then about what would happen next, especially if he didn't pass the exam this time.
His next plan was to bring his wife and children to the prefectural city for three more years of study. After that, he would go to the capital to take the exam again.
He didn't have a powerful family background and could only rely on himself. His teacher was able to achieve the highest honors in the imperial examinations, which was his own ability. He also wanted to learn from his teacher and never give up.
In the latter half of the night, Wen Shi slowly fell asleep.
The next morning, he joined the caravan and headed towards the prefectural city.
Daliucun
Yingxiang tidied up the child and decided to go back to her parents' home for a few days.
Her younger brothers didn't share the same mother, but they did share the same father, so according to the ancient patriarchal system, they were considered family.
"You're back, please have a seat."
"Master, Yingxiang is back."
Yingxiang's father hurriedly came out of the house. He knew Wenshi was leaving, and seeing his daughter holding her grandson made him happy too.
He's really lucky.
"Yingxiang, come back and stay for a few days. There's room at home."
"good."
"Eldest daughter-in-law, second daughter-in-law, cook a few more dishes later."
Yingxiang's stepbrothers have all gotten married, and the older ones have children. Yingxiang's father, thinking of something, excitedly told Yingxiang.
"Thanks to my son-in-law, our family will have no pressure in the future. We've been exempted from taxes, and this year's harvest was good. We had enough to eat at home, and we made quite a bit of extra money from the sales. I'm thinking of saving it up first, and in a few years, I'll let your nephews go to school and take the imperial examinations."
Yingxiang glanced at her father and nodded.
Where are my brother and the others?
"They've all gone to repair the dikes nearby. It's an organization by the government. Every household has to send someone, as long as they're able-bodied young men. They say that officials from above will come down to inspect after the New Year."
Yingxiang hummed in agreement, released the child from her arms, and let him play in the yard. There was no other way; if he didn't go, she would be breaking the law.
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