Chapter 74
Chapter 74
My heart felt like it was pricked by a needle and was a little painful.
Since they got married, except for a quarrel on their wedding night when they were surprised to see each other, they have been getting along very well since then, especially after she went through a hardship, her husband almost always responded to her requests.
In the past, whenever she called him "Mr. Lang," she would always respond with "Ms. Xiaozi" or "Ms. Madam."
I'm not used to the sudden indifference for a while.
Then she looked at the departing figure in front of her, as if he was going to part ways with her and go on strangers from then on.
But those words last night were said by himself. She despised the poor and loved the rich, mocked him for being useless, and every word pierced his heart. It was good enough that he was willing to come back. Wen Shuse ignored his indifference and continued to follow him, "My dear, you haven't eaten yet, I asked Aunt Qing to save some food, I'll go and serve it to you..."
"Thank you, but that's not necessary." He said this briefly without even turning back.
This means I don't want to talk to her anymore.
Wen Shuse said nothing more and followed him quietly.
Wen Shuse did not sell the gauze lanterns from last night, but hung them all in the yard, especially in the main yard. The lights were much brighter than yesterday.
The two walked in the corridor, one in front of the other, in silence.
When he reached the door, Xie Shao stopped, turned around and said calmly: "Please open the door. I'll go in and get two things."
Finally she heard him speak, Wen Shuse hurried forward to help him open the door, and took the opportunity to chat with him, "My dear, I have washed the two sets of clothes you left in the room. It's getting late, so you should take a bath and rest early. I also took the bedding outside to dry today, because you like it too much..."
In the morning, she went into the main courtyard and saw that the bedding on the bed was tidy and there was no sign of anyone having slept in it. She didn't know where he had spent the night, but she was afraid that he had not slept all night. Today, she prepared everything for him in advance as an apology.
"Madam Wen." Xie Shao interrupted her and stood outside the house without moving.
Angry indeed.
Wen Shu was so angry that he said Madam Wen, and Xie Shao said, "You don't have to please me."
"Madam Wen is a virtuous woman. As a wife, she has done a great job. Thank you for your companionship along the way. I am grateful." His tone was calm and polite, without the anger she expected, nor any emotion. "I will try my best to meet Madam Wen's requirements. If Madam Wen is not satisfied, you can find a better way out on your own."
What does he mean by this?
Wen Shuse's eyebrows jumped and he raised his head.
Last night I left after I finished talking, without looking at his expression. Now, we were facing each other, and the two gauze lanterns under the eaves were hanging just above his head, illuminating his expression clearly.
His eyes were clear and calm, and when their gazes met hers, they were distant and cold, without any of the tenderness of the past.
Even at the beginning, the two of them disliked each other, and even though he was shameless and made sarcastic remarks to her openly, there was still warmth in his eyes.
In the following months, his gentle words gave her the illusion that he was not someone to be trifled with. But now she realized that when this man became cold and indifferent, he was actually such a piece of shit.
What way out is she looking for?
Since I married him, what other way out can I find except relying on him?
"I know you find it hard to accept what I said last night, but I also..." Wen Shuse took a deep breath, suppressed the pain in his heart, paused, and turned his head, "I don't think what I said last night was wrong."
She was a vain person and had no way of explaining it, nor did she want to make excuses.
Xie Shao didn't seem surprised at all. He didn't say anything and didn't look at her again.
He stepped sideways past her and entered the room. He lifted his worn sleeve and slowly took out a purse, then gently placed it on the wooden table. "Thirty taels of silver. I'll leave it here."
She turned and went into the house, picked up the clothes she had folded at the head of the bed, and walked out without saying a word.
As soon as he came out of the main courtyard, he ran into Min Zhang who was holding a bundle of bedding.
On the way back just now, the master suddenly asked him to buy bedding. Min Zhang didn't understand what happened. Now he saw him coming out of the main courtyard. He was puzzled when he heard the master say, "Find a room and bring it in to make the bed."
After cleaning the house, it was almost midnight. After blowing out the lights, Min Zhang came out of the inner room and finally realized that something was wrong.
I'm afraid the master is having a quarrel with the Third Mistress.
And it’s even more serious than before, not only is it separating rooms, but also a yard.
The next morning, after Xie Shao washed up, he did not eat at home and went out early to the Third Yamen.
Yesterday, I asked the Minister of War to stamp the letter with his seal.
Today I went directly to the Ma Junsi to take up my post.
As soon as he entered, the news reached Prince Jing's ears, "Your Majesty, the Third Young Master went to the Ma Jun Division to take up his post today."
Prince Jing was stunned, his expression showing surprise, "He suddenly figured it out."
Because of Xie Daoyuan's rebellion, the Xie family may have difficulty gaining a foothold in Fengcheng in the future.
During this time together, Prince Jing had already seen the talent of the Third Young Master. He felt that Fengcheng was a mere waste of his talent.
Prince Jing had never thought of letting him go back from the beginning, and originally wanted to get a civil service job for him.
Uncle Wen is from his wife's family, and as far as he knows, Uncle Wen does not stand on the side of the prince. If he goes there, he will be able to get some care from Uncle Wen.
The emperor did not nod, but asked Liu Kun to prepare pen and paper, and gave him a certificate of appointment as the Du Yuhou of the Cavalry Division on the spot.
Seeing Gao's official position, Prince Jing was surprised, "Father, you may not know that the ambition of the third son of the Xie family is not to be an official. This time, I am the one who made the decision on my own."
"How is the situation of his Xie family? How could I not know?" The emperor said something without any reason. "Give it to him. I will make up for what I owe to his Xie family sooner or later."
Prince Jing was confused.
The emperor didn't say much, but asked about the affairs in his palace, "How is the prince doing recently?"
Prince Jing smiled, shook his head and sighed, "You are still that naughty boy."
"Youth are full of vigor and vitality, aren't they? You were much wilder than him when you were a child. You dared to break into the enemy camp alone at night..."
Prince Jing looked ashamed, "I'm sorry to have made Father worried..."
The two chatted for a while, and it seemed as if they were back in the days when they conquered the world on horseback, and they both felt relieved.
The emperor suddenly asked him, "Have you gone back to see your mother?"
“I went there three months ago.”
After the emperor ascended the throne, he conferred the title of prince on the two brothers of the Zhou family, but did not posthumously confer the title on Zhou's wife. For this reason, I once asked the emperor for the title of princess on behalf of my mother.
But the emperor had evaded the question several times. Seeing that he often mentioned his mother but had not forgotten her, Prince Jing let it go and did not insist any more.
"I am old, and I have few children. Please come to the palace more often."
How could Prince Jing not understand the meaning of these words? His face changed and he knelt on the ground, "Father, rest assured. I swear to be loyal to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince until death."
He wants to be loyal, but others want his life.
"Get up." The emperor glanced at him. "Look how scared you are. You and I are father and son, so what's wrong with talking a little more? What law prohibits me from enjoying family happiness?"
In the past two days, Prince Jing has been going to the palace almost every day. He goes in the morning and returns only after the gates are locked. He heard the news that Xie Shao has been appointed and is also in the palace.
Just after listening to the report from the servants, a eunuch from the harem came to the door and said, "Your Highness has been in the Eastern Capital for a few days. The Queen Mother has been talking about it. Today, she has prepared wine and food. Please come and taste it."
The Du Yuhou of the Cavalry Department was of the fifth rank and belonged to the imperial guards, under the jurisdiction of the Three Departments.
Seeing the name on the report, Commander Xu was a little bit unconvinced, "Is it the third son of the Xie family?"
The subordinate smiled and said, "Exactly. The person is already at the door."
Since Xie Shao came to Dongdu, Commander Xu invited him several times to visit his courtyard, but he politely declined each time. He never expected that Xie Shao would become his subordinate.
He personally went to the door to welcome the person in, and laughed heartily twice, "Thank you, sir, it seems that we are really destined to meet."
Xie Shao raised his sleeves and saluted with Xu Xun, "Your subordinate Xie Shao greets Commander Xu."
Xu Xun stepped forward and held his arm, "Mr. Xie, there is no need to be so formal. Let's forget about these empty formalities." If it weren't for Pushe Xie's appreciation of him and accepting him as his student, he wouldn't be where he is today.
"Thank you, Master. Please come in. I'll take you around."
In stark contrast to the cold reception he received yesterday in the Menxia Province, with Xu Xun's introduction and entry into the Ma Junsi, everything went smoothly for Xie Shao.
The news that the eldest wife of the Wen family received only happened yesterday.
The third son of the Xie family caused a big disturbance in the Menxia Province and dislocated the wrist of Yuan Yanei, the eldest son of Yuan Xiang, on the spot. The news of this incident spread out of the Menxia Province in a short while.
The eldest son of the Wen family is on duty at the Hanlin Academy. A group of people usually do some repairs there. There is nothing important to do, so they like to gossip when they have free time.
When the eldest son of the Wen family heard about it, he came back and told the eldest lady.
After hearing this, Madam Dongdu was once again thankful that it was not her daughter who married into the Xie family. She said sarcastically, "A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. He really doesn't know his place. He offends people wherever he goes."
Wen Suning asked, "What certificate did you receive?"
The eldest son shook his head. He really didn’t know this.
"The Xie family was not punished, which was a blessing. How could it be a certificate? We spent so much money to buy a clerk, how could we waste it..."
Uncle Wen heard the news after he got off duty. After some inquiries, he learned that his niece had also come to Dongdu.
As soon as she got back to the mansion, she called the eldest lady and said, "Gao Xian has also come to Dongdu. Go and find out where she is staying. She is new to Dongdu and I'm afraid she doesn't even know the directions. Bring her over and make room for her and Third Master Xie to stay there first."
The eldest lady had been keeping the news of Wen Shuse coming to Dongdu a secret, fearing this outcome. Her expression changed immediately, "Hasn't the third son of the Xie family already taken up his duties? This courtyard is so small, the eldest and second sons' families, and the two girls are already so crowded that there's no room to move. Where can we vacate a room..."
What Master Wen couldn't stand the most was her petty attitude.
I didn't realize it in the past, but in the past two years, she has become increasingly sarcastic and mean, and her style of behavior is even worse than that of Aunt Xue who is far away in Fengcheng.
At that time, she came to Dongdu alone without saying hello, leaving the old lady behind. Knowing that the second son had already returned to Dongdu and Aunt Xue was also there, she did not argue with her.
Now he is like this again, his tone is cold and hard, "Even if she married into the Xie family, her last name is Wen. The solution is something people come up with. There are four courtyards with four entrances and four exits, and more than 20 rooms. Is it so difficult to free up one room?"
Seeing that she didn't move for a long time, Mr. Wen was so angry that he pointed at her nose and said, "Okay! If you don't go, I'll go by myself."
The eldest lady was anxious and chased after him, "Master..."
After Xie Shao left today, Wen Shuse sneaked into the room where he slept last night and asked Aunt Qing to quietly put an extra straw mat underneath for him.
He also took out his new bedding to dry in the sun.
Uncle Wen came while he was busy. He was still in the corridor and couldn't wait to call people: "Second Madam, Second Madam..."
Wen Shuse poked his head out from behind the quilt, "Uncle Wen, I'm here."
Uncle Wen came down the hall and approached Wen Shuse, his face full of joy, "My son-in-law went to the Ma Jun Division to take up duty today. I specifically inquired about it and found out that his official title is Ma Jun Du Yu Hou."
Wen Shu was stunned, "Really?"
"It's absolutely true. He's a fifth-rank official." Uncle Wen stretched out his palm and added three fingers. "The monthly salary is eighty strings of cash..."
I remembered the thirty taels of silver that the bastard left on the wooden table last night.
No wonder, so confident.
Money is not important. Both his Xie family and her Wen family are not short of money, as long as he is willing to be an official.
It seems that the strong medicine I took the night before took effect. Although it was a bit too much, fortunately it finally worked.
The burden on his shoulders was lifted, and the anger that he had been holding in his heart yesterday also disappeared. He said to Uncle Wen, "I will take my son-in-law to Mixian Tower tonight."
If he really embarks on a career in government, there's no need for me to hide it from him anymore. Not to mention that I'm tired, I've had enough of this hard life of hiding.
She wanted to buy several boxes of new clothes right away and wear all the gold hairpins and jade bracelets on her hands.
"Don't worry, Madam. I will arrange it when I get back." Then he thought, "It seems that the master has sent someone to look for Madam. Madam, please check and see if you should tell him where he is..."
Wen Shuse was stunned, he had actually forgotten about this incident.
Since we have come to Dongdu, we will meet sooner or later. "No need, I will go there by myself."
As soon as the people sent by Uncle Wen went out, they heard a report at the door that Wen Shuse had arrived.
Mr. Wen quickly asked someone to invite her in, and took her to the front hall, and asked with concern, "Have you found a place to live?"
Wen Shuse nodded, "A relative of my aunt's family left a house for me. I happened to come across it this time and settled here temporarily."
The eldest lady breathed a sigh of relief, "That's a good feeling."
Master Wen frowned. How good could a servant's house be? "Let's move in together as a family. Bring your son-in-law here tomorrow. We'll live here first. When your father arrives in Dongdu, we'll rent a bigger house." He turned to the first lady and ordered, "Go and vacate a room."
"How should I vacate? Should I vacate the rooms of the young masters or the two girls?" The eldest lady didn't expect him to be so stubborn and insist on being a goody-goody. She said that after she got married, there was no rule for her to live in her parents' home. It was really a joke. She couldn't help but stiffen her neck and said, "I think we should just vacate our room. It's spacious."
"You..." Uncle Wen didn't expect that she would be so disrespectful to him in front of Wen Shuse. He glared at her angrily, "How can you talk like that?"
The eldest lady knew that if she gave in today, her future days would be difficult.
Regardless of Uncle Wen's expression, Wen Shuse said, "Don't blame Auntie for speaking directly. You also know that your uncle has been in Dongdu for less than a year and has no savings. It is already very difficult for him to rent such a house. Your two brothers are married and the children are noisy. Your uncle wants to make the family lively and let us live together. But you have seen the current situation. Even if we move there, we will not live happily."
Seeing that she was still talking, Mr. Wen slapped the wooden table and said, "Shut up!"
The eldest lady was startled. Although she felt a little uneasy, she did not give in. "I am not telling the truth..."
"I just asked you to vacate a room, but you are full of reasons. How can you be an elder like me? Okay, I'll do as you say and vacate your room."
The eldest lady was stunned for a moment, then burst into tears, "So I am also wrong for working so hard for this family. It is easy to vacate a room today, but tomorrow when the old ancestor and the second master arrive, don't we have to vacate a yard? The third master hasn't been engaged yet, so when he arrives, don't you have to arrange a marriage for him, prepare the betrothal gifts, and build a new house..."
The old man looked stunned, obviously he hadn't expected this, but he quickly reacted, "It's too early to talk about this now, let's think of a solution when the people come."
"What can I do? Do I have to support them forever..."
Uncle Wen's face turned pale, "Why do you say that?"
"Isn't that what you mean, sir?"
Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Wen Shuse couldn't help but stand up and said, "Thank you, uncle. I live in a good place now, so I won't bother you anymore."
Things had come to this point, and Mr. Wen knew that she would never move in again. He was so angry that he was speechless.
Some things should be made clear.
Her father and brother could not speak, so she said: "Over the years, my uncle stayed at home to accompany my mother, and my father worked outside to make money to supplement the family income. It was not easy for them. In the end, no one owed anyone anything."
"Now my uncle has been promoted and has a bright future, but my second branch has failed to live up to expectations and has squandered all the family wealth. Not only can we not help my uncle, but we have to rely on him for help. My father and brother feel guilty and told me before I left. Today, my uncle and aunt are here, so I will pass on their words. My father sincerely wishes my uncle a smooth career. My uncle and aunt can rest assured and just pursue their future. My father will not go to Fuzhou again after returning this time. He will stay to take care of my grandmother. In the future, my second branch will not come to disturb us, whether it is good or bad."
The room finally became quiet.
Uncle Wen frowned.
The eldest lady breathed a sigh of relief, "Second Master is very understanding..."
Before she finished speaking, Master Wen could no longer hold back and stood up and slapped her in the face, "The An family is considered a wealthy family in Fengcheng. I want to ask the master of the An family how he educated his children. How did he raise someone as snobbish as you?"
When Wen Shuse left, the Wen family's main house was in chaos.
Sitting in the carriage, Aunt Qing sighed, "Why is the master so angry?"
"My eldest uncle was abandoned by his parents when he was young. He understands the difficulty of family affection better than others. Because he is not the biological son of my grandmother, the grace of raising him is heavier than that of my father. This time, An has touched his bottom line."
I don't have the heart to care about the first wife. I have made it clear that no matter how good the second wife is in the future, she will not have the face to come to me again after what I said today.
It’s best for everyone to live their own life.
After returning to the house, Wen Shuse did not go anywhere and waited for her Du Yuhou to come back.
Hey, my dears, it's early today~
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