Chapter 78
After staying at her parents' home for three days, when Yingxiang returned with her child, her stepmother specially tied two chickens to her clothes to take with her, something that would have been absolutely impossible before. Of course, Yingxiang wasn't stupid.
"Xiang'er, no matter how you look at it, it was all my fault before. You are a magnanimous, intelligent and blessed person. Please don't hold the past against me."
Yingxiang smiled upon hearing this.
“Mother, what are you saying? Those things are in the past. You know I don’t hold grudges.”
"Yes, you are generous. I used to be foolish and stingy. It was all my fault."
"It's getting late, Mother, you should go back now."
"Okay, slow down."
After watching Yingxiang leave, her stepmother turned and went back into the house. Yingxiang held the child in one hand and carried two chickens in the other. She didn't refuse. Her stepmother was stingy, and she only got what she deserved because of Wen Shi. There was no need to refuse her a little something.
Secondly, she has no memory of what happened before, but after she transmigrated, she didn't fall behind or suffer any losses. It's time to turn the page on the past.
Daliucun
Yingxiang got off the oxcart carrying her child and chickens, and the women sitting at the village entrance rushed over and surrounded her.
"The scholar's wife's hair is styled so beautifully."
"This dress is also beautiful."
"She's even better looking."
With a polite smile on her face, Yingxiang greeted them one by one and slowly walked home.
There's a reason why everyone is so warm and friendly right now. After arriving home, Yingxiang put the child down and sighed as she thought of something. She wished time would pass quickly because she wanted to go to the city.
The mother and son were quite comfortable at home. They ate when they were hungry and lay down whenever they had nothing to do, treating it as a rest. They kept the door closed and hardly anyone came over.
But she was tired of this kind of life, and her child was getting older; she couldn't continue like this.
As the weather grew colder day by day, there was a knock on the door that morning. Yingxiang opened the door and saw a familiar face. The woman was plump and wearing a dark red dress. Her lips were very red, and her face was covered with thick makeup, making the color difference between her face and neck too obvious.
"Aunt Xu, is something the matter?"
She recognized this person; she was the matchmaker between him and Wen Shi. She was a matchmaker from Daliu Village, but she also frequently went to the surrounding villages to arrange marriages. After Yingxiang was chosen by the Wen family, Liu asked this person to go to her house to propose marriage.
Yingxiang saw her during the banquet and greeted her a few times. She must have come today for something.
"Greetings, Mrs. Scholar. Tomorrow is my youngest son's wedding banquet. We'll be having a feast at home. Please remember to come and join us tomorrow morning."
Before coming, Matchmaker Xu had thought it over for a long time. She was initially worried that Yingxiang's absence would be disrespectful to her, but then she realized that Yingxiang's success in becoming a scholar's wife was also related to her.
She didn't remember much about the specifics of what happened a few years ago, but she was the one who arranged the marriage between the two of them, so there was no doubt about it. They were from the same village, and Yingxiang couldn't refuse her that favor.
Therefore, she still chose to go to their home to ask for help.
If there's something going on, Yingxiang will naturally consider it. But if she's invited to a banquet, and it's from the same village, there's no reason for her not to go. Right now, she's staying in the village, so attending a wedding banquet won't have any impact.
"Don't worry, Auntie, I'll take the child over tomorrow."
"Okay, okay, I'll wait."
Aunt Xu was overjoyed to see Yingxiang agree so readily. She was so glad she had come to the right place. She happily went home, and Yingxiang closed the door behind her.
Counting the days, it's been quite a while since Wen Shi left. I wonder if he's arrived yet, and how he's doing now.
The autumn wind was bleak, and winter was fast approaching. The next morning, Yingxiang dressed her son warmly before going out. As soon as she put the tiger-head hat on him, he took it off. Yingxiang put it back on him repeatedly, and after a few times, she got a little angry.
"It's cold outside. If you catch a cold, don't blame me for not warning you. You won't be able to eat the meat."
The child had just raised his hand, about to pull off the hat, when he heard this, he paused, and after a moment, obediently put it down.
Yingxiang smiled inwardly, then carried him out the door.
Today was someone else's happy occasion, so she couldn't wear red. In the end, she chose a blue dress, and the mother and son walked over like that.
The weather was cold, but the villagers were naturally very happy to be able to attend a wedding banquet.
People saw her holding the child from afar, and the news quickly reached the house. Matchmaker Xu hurriedly came out to greet her.
"Please take a seat, Miss Scholar."
Yingxiang sat at the same table as the village chief and the village head this time, along with the village chief and the village head's wife. There are customs in the countryside, but not too many.
In ordinary families, it's fine for men and women to sit at the same table at banquets. However, unmarried girls cannot sit at the same table with men from other families. There are not so many rules about sitting with elders and family members.
Yingxiang has no scruples right now; she already has a child.
Wen Shi is no longer here. Right now, she's the only family member in the village. Yingxiang is dressed warmly, and despite the constant cold wind, she's not cold. The child is sitting on her lap, behaving himself.
“Third son’s wife, I think this child looks quite like his father when he was a child. The third son looked just like that back then, with big ears. He looks like a lucky person.”
"Yes, we've watched this third child grow up."
"Call me Grandpa, call me Grandma."
After Yingxiang sat down, the village chief and the village head spoke to her directly. She wasn't embarrassed at all, first calling him "uncle" in a very poised and generous manner, and then having the child in her arms greet them.
The child is now selective in his speech, saying "no" most often, and nodding and shaking his head frequently. He calls his parents "father" and "mother" very well, and he can also call them "grandfather" and "grandmother." Yingxiang taught him this at home.
At this table, everyone except her, both men and women, were elderly and elders.
The little guy moved his lips and started calling out to people. Everyone laughed and praised him again. Seemingly feeling a little embarrassed, he started covering his face, which made the laughter around him even louder.
When the time came, the bride entered the house, and Yingxiang subconsciously looked at the bridal sedan chair.
Looking at the bride emerging from the sedan chair, so slender, she suddenly thought of herself just getting married a few years ago. Time really flies.
"Please invite the bride into the bridal chamber."
With a loud shout, the final ceremony ended, the bride was escorted to the bridal chamber, and the banquet officially began. Everyone chatted and laughed, creating a lively atmosphere.
The food is generally the same, but if you look closely, you'll find that the dishes served are not only plentiful but also contain a lot of meat. This kind of meal is usually prepared by the family themselves.
Yingxiang took a sip and found it quite good. As for the drinks, no one forced her to drink; she only took a small sip as a token gesture.
After the banquet ended, she had eaten quite a lot, but only drank one bowl of wine.
Prefectural City
Wenshi has been there for several days and is currently staying at the post station. They will prepare to go to the capital after all the candidates from the local area have arrived. There are still a few missing.
Inside the post station, everyone was treated the same. Although there were different rankings, as long as someone was on the list, they were all considered candidates for the imperial examination.
These past few days, a man has been frequently visiting Wen Shi. This man is from the neighboring county and his name is Hu Yong'an. It's obvious that he comes from a well-off family, as he is dressed in silk.
The older scholars didn't like to associate with him, except for a greeting when he first arrived. Wen Shi was the second youngest among the group, while Hu Yong'an was the youngest among the scholars currently living there, three years younger than Wen Shi.
"Brother Wen, it's getting colder and colder. Fortunately, my family prepared a thick cloak for me before I left. I heard that it's even colder in the capital."
"Why only two dishes, Brother Wen? You're being far too frugal."
Wen Shi had no doubt about his scholarship, having passed the provincial examination. However, after getting to know him better, Wen Shi felt that he was like a rich young master, the kind who knew nothing but studying and had no understanding of human relationships.
"To be honest, Brother Wen, I've always had at least ten dishes on the table since I was a child."
Wen Shi nodded and continued eating, appearing quite composed.
"By the way, Brother Wen, we've known each other for several days now. How many people are in your family? How many wives, concubines, and children do you have?"
“My family has only had one son for three generations. My parents and grandparents are still alive. My wife has a concubine. We have been married for many years. She is my mother’s niece. She is gentle and virtuous. It’s like a double marriage. I also have seven or eight concubines, but not many. I have four or five children, some older and some younger, three sons and one daughter.”
Before he could speak, the man began to explain his own situation.
"I have many brothers, and I have a wife and children."
Wen Shi looked up at the person in front of him. Hu Yong'an had a refined and fair appearance, and looked like a scholar. Wen Shi guessed that he used to have a pageboy to serve him, but he couldn't bring one this time.
There are quite a few candidates staying at the post station right now. The older candidates are engrossed in studying and don't go out much, since they finally passed the exam.
The younger ones were very proud and self-satisfied, thinking they were exceptionally talented and blessed by gods and Buddhas. For example, the person in front of me was always visiting other people's homes. Of course, he made it very clear that others disliked him. Wen Shi thought he might have been too tactful, and that the other person didn't understand.
Hu Yong'an passed the preliminary examination on his first try and also ranked first in the provincial examination. The only thing he had in common was that he passed the provincial examination at a young age, but his ranking was higher and he was a few years younger than him.
Compared to those rigid and pedantic old scholars, he was young, ambitious, and arrogant.
To some extent, he has the ability to back it up. Wen Shi was very kind to him, but the future is uncertain.
After eating and drinking his fill, he prepared to return to his house. Seeing that the person was still following him, talking incessantly, he suddenly stopped.
"I heard that the competition for the imperial examination is even fiercer."
"Brother Wen, you don't need to worry. Although you are not as intelligent as me, you are also lucky. Otherwise, you would not have passed the exam. So relax."
Wen Shi turned her head away, no longer wanting to talk to him.
"I'm going to the restroom."
"Then I'll head back now."
Hu Yong'an turned and left, and Wen Shi couldn't help but sigh. He thought to himself, "What kind of people are these?"
However, remembering what his husband had said before, he knew where his focus should be.
To this day, these scholars have not yet met the prefect. Of course, the prefect is different from the county magistrate; these scholars may not be enough to impress him.
Wen Shi thought that once everyone was gathered, the prefect would host a banquet for them and then arrange for them to be sent to the capital. With that in mind, he quickened his pace back to his room.
He must work hard and pass the imperial examination to become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). With this qualification, his future career path will be easier.
He wasn't born into a wealthy family; he had many choices, but this was the only easy path he could take.
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