Qiushe
Chapter 112
The young lady standing in the cold wind was wearing a dark blue cloak that covered her ankles. Her eyes trembled slightly when she heard the voice, and she stared at the face that popped out from the carriage.
When we parted last night, we had done what we needed to do and said what we needed to say. There was nothing left for him to ask. He stood there hesitating for a moment, but in the end he didn't go forward, fearing that if he looked at him again, he would be unable to resist pulling him down and regretting his decision. He moved his lips and replied, "Be careful on your journey."
The man seemed unsatisfied and did not lower the curtain.
"Come back early." Wen Shuse's heart suddenly ached and he turned his head away.
"Okay." Xie Shao responded cheerfully, and the curtain in his hand finally fell down.
In order to avoid being noticed and accurately explore the interior of Hexi and Hebei, Xie Shao did not take an official ship, but entered the two places as a merchant.
There were three horse-drawn carriages going forward, and the people around him were all people who had come out of the Ma Junsi. Zhao Huai became Xie Shao's coachman, and only after he said "Let's go" did he whip the horse and set off.
The horse's hooves moved forward, the wheels of the cart creaked a few times, and it slowly moved forward, soon disappearing into the night.
When the wind blew, Wen Shuse felt empty inside.
Since marrying my husband, the two have never been separated. Although the situation was difficult in South City and they were running for their lives every day, fortunately they were together and felt at ease.
This journey will take many days and nights.
On the way back, Wen Shuse buried her head and said nothing. Wen Huai knew that she couldn't let it go, so he comforted her: "You are in Dongdu, he knows what's going on."
On the first day in Dongdu, he witnessed the deep love between the two. Now that they were married, Xie Shao would always have some reservations even if he had to put his own life under the knife.
"If you're free recently, come to the restaurant and lend a hand, don't just focus on collecting dividends." Time passes faster when you're busy.
"Which eye of yours saw me idle?"
Wen Shuse was unhappy when he said that.
Cui Nian opened several shops in Dongdu, and he left without a second thought. She received a commission of 200 taels every month, and not only had to reconcile his accounts, but also had to deal with disputes.
The ancestors of the Xie and Wen families were busy chatting with her all day long. A Yuan summoned her to the palace every now and then to relieve her boredom, and she also had to deal with the noble ladies who came to visit her on weekdays.
There is another autumn festival at the end of the month. Who says she is not busy?
Thinking of what Xie Shaogang had asked him, he suddenly looked at Wen Huai, "Brother, did you also receive the post?"
Wen Huai nodded, "Young Master Yang has invited me several times. If I don't accept him, I would be ungrateful."
He is very influential in Mixian Tower and everyone who comes will greet him. But once he walks outside, those people in the officialdom will immediately change their faces.
This is the difference between merchants and bureaucrats.
Therefore, no matter how those children of high-ranking officials were friendly and boastful with him in the Mixian Tower, few people gave him social invitations for such occasions.
Young Master Yang is an exception this time.
He knew what the purpose was, and Wen Shuse also understood it.
The Autumn Society was organized by the wife of the Marquis of the Yang family and was set up in Meilin Manor outside the Yang family. All those invited were high-ranking officials and dignitaries of the Eastern Capital.
In order to find a husband for the sixth lady of the Yang family, the sixth lady was born to the prince. She had given birth to three sons before she had this daughter, so the prince doted on her. After she reached the age of 15, she was originally going to be sent to the Eastern Palace with the help of the concubine, but who knew that on the second day after the prince's wedding, the previous emperor passed away. When the prince mentioned it again, he said in the name of mourning that he would not serve in the harem for three years.
Three years later, the Sixth Lady of the Yang Family was already eighteen years old. How could she enter the palace?
Since I can’t enter the palace, I can only find a husband with a good family background and good character and appearance.
The wealthy and powerful families with strong foundations in the Eastern Capital made a fortune.
The Wen family is rich, but everyone knows that the second branch is just a merchant family, and the two officials in the family were bought with money.
The Sixth Lady of the Yang Family would definitely not marry him to the Wen Family, but the Yang Family had more than one girl, and there were several illegitimate children. Even if the Yang Family had no girls, they still had cousins.
The Xie family has no loopholes for them to attack, and even the father-in-law's family is not spared. They are trying every means to tie up the Xie family.
"Brother, you have been in Dongdu for so long, is there any young lady you like?"
Wen Shuse asked bluntly.
As an elder brother, being overtaken by his own sister, and worrying about himself in return, Wen Huai felt a little embarrassed and said vaguely: "I am busy with the restaurant all day long, how can I think about other things."
"Brother, you didn't think about it before, but you have to think about it now. If you think about it now, you can still find someone you like. If you think about it later, grandma and father will have to choose for you. I'm afraid that in the end, brother, father and grandma, no one can choose."
Wen Huai was also in his early twenties and knew the pros and cons. Even though Wen Shuse was married, in his heart she was still the little girl crying for her mother. He didn't need her to lecture him. "It's good that you're not idle. Find something to do. The days will pass quickly. I know my own business. Don't worry about me."
After returning to the Xie family, Wen Shuse went to see Old Madam Xie. Although the old lady had recovered after her illness, she was old after all and was not as agile as before. Every day she asked Nanzhi to accompany her around the yard, and she was eager for someone to talk to her.
After he finished chattering, it was already noon. After having lunch at the old lady's house, he came out when the housekeeper of the mansion came to find him. It would be winter soon after autumn, so he had to prepare silver bone charcoal in advance.
There are also autumn clothes, which everyone in the house needs to buy.
I was busy during the day and it passed in the blink of an eye. I didn't feel anything. But at night, I lay alone in bed, feeling cold and lonely. The oil in the oil lamp was almost gone, but I still couldn't fall asleep.
Closing my eyes, I feel even lonelier.
I have only been sleeping in the same bed with my husband for about half a year. I really don't know how I survived the more than ten years before getting married. I endured until the end of the night of Hai, let Xiangyun come in, turn off the lights, and forced myself to sleep.
As autumn nights approach, it gets colder. Aunt Qing and Xiangyun have replaced the quilts on the bed with thick cotton. I didn't feel cold when my husband was around, but now I'm alone and it's chilly everywhere. This is only the first night...
I don’t know where my husband is.
Whether he opened his eyes or closed them, that face was all in his mind. Wen Shuse rolled back and forth in the quilt, not knowing when he finally fell asleep.
The next day, everything was still the same. I was busy during the day and couldn't sleep at night. After more than ten days, it was the Autumn Festival at the end of the month.
It was said that there would be pitching pots and polo today. Although Wen Shuse had seen them in Fengcheng, he had never seen people from Dongdu play them. He got up early in the morning, packed up, and got on the carriage with Xiangyun.
As the golden autumn sun shone, the weather was just right, neither cold nor hot. When the carriage reached the suburbs, Wen Shuse asked Xiangyun to lift the curtain. Looking all the way, everything was golden.
She also saw the red leaves that Langjun mentioned, and immediately muttered, "His mouth is becoming less and less trustworthy."
Xiangyun had seen how Wen Shuse had been feeling these past few days. The thing that a man could not endure the most was missing his wife. Thinking back to when he was left behind in Fengcheng by his wife, how tormented he must have been, he could not help but comfort her, "My son-in-law has gone to fight for fame and honor for my wife. My wife should wait patiently. When my son-in-law comes back, everyone will envy me..."
As he was speaking, he looked up and saw a carriage at the bend ahead.
The carriages of each household were mostly the same, but the young man riding the horse next to him looked very familiar.
Isn’t he the eldest son of the Wen family?
Ever since the last incident with the magical shrimp caused by the first wife of the Wen family, she has become famous in Dongdu. The first wife, Mrs. Wu, got into a lot of trouble and left. The first branch of the Wen family has a hard time in Dongdu.
Not to mention the Yang family, even some of the ministers who usually interacted with Master Wen kept their distance.
Although Uncle Wen's position as the Minister of Works seems insignificant compared to people like General Yang and Xie Pushe, looking at the court, except for a few ministers who had followed the previous emperor to fight in wars, Uncle Wen still has some prestige among the rising generations.
A few years ago, there was serious corruption in the Water Conservancy Department of the Ministry of Works. The late emperor saw that he had been the county magistrate in Fengcheng for more than ten years, but he not only did not complain, but also kept every account clear and did not embezzle a single cent. He did not accept several people recommended by the former crown prince and Yang Guifei, but directly transferred them over, parachuted them into the Ministry of Works, and appointed them as assistant ministers.
After one year in office, the work style of the Ministry of Works was gradually corrected, and the late emperor was quite satisfied.
Uncle Wen also made some like-minded people in the court through this. The new emperor ascended the throne, and he was also a wise ruler. If nothing unexpected happened, it would not be impossible for him to strive for the title of founding earl if he continued to work hard for a few more years.
But such a family scandal happened.
Minister Wen, who was known for his frugality, ate the divine shrimps that originally belonged to the imperial concubine. Although the late emperor and Yang Guifei did not say anything, in the always sensitive officialdom, a glance or a gesture could cause a big storm.
Not only could Master Wen not hold his head up in the court, but his own children were the same. Wherever they went, people would secretly look at them.
When the previous emperor was alive, the people of the Wen family had to stay at home to avoid the limelight. After the previous emperor passed away, Yang Guifei became the dowager concubine. After the new emperor ascended the throne, the people of the Wen family's main branch breathed a sigh of relief.
But even though the late emperor was gone, the strength of the Yang family was there, and no one was willing to offend the Yang family.
At first, families close to the eldest branch of the Wen family would send invitations to banquets for the sake of face. But when they saw that the Wen family was too embarrassed to come out and socialize, they gradually stopped sending invitations.
Today is strange.
The Yang family actually took the initiative to invite us.
The person on horseback is the eldest son of the Wen family, and inside the carriage should be the first and third wives of the Wen family who have not yet been engaged.
So, my aunt is here too?
After the first wife, Mrs. Wu, was driven back to Fengcheng, all the affairs of the Wen family's rear house were handled by Aunt Xue. Aunt Xue was not as strong as Mrs. Wu, and although she was honest and dutiful, she was also cowardly.
I used to be afraid of the hustle and bustle in Fengcheng, and now that I’m in Dongdu, I’m even more afraid.
But once Wu left, someone had to take care of the Wen family's rear house.
Mr. Wen had no plans to divorce Wu, nor did he have any plans to take another concubine. Old Madam Wen was unable to attend such occasions, so if she wanted the younger generation to gain more experience, she could only rely on Aunt Xue.
As she was looking at this, the eldest son of the Wen family in front seemed to notice something, turned around and looked over, nodded at Wen Shuse from a distance, but did not deliberately stop to wait for her.
After arriving at the farm and getting off the carriage, Wen Shuse walked forward.
It was indeed Aunt Xue who came, leading the eldest lady Wen Suning and the third lady Wen Suying. As soon as they got off the car, they took a look at the colorful crowd and their legs went weak instantly. They didn't know where to go.
Aunt Xue’s background was not bad either, she was the daughter of a scholar.
It was fine when he was at home. He could chat with Old Madam Wen all day long. But when he met a crowd, he didn't know what to do and didn't like to chat with people.
But thinking of what Madam Wen had told her before she left, Madam Xue gritted her teeth, pinched her thigh, and walked in with gritted teeth.
Just as I turned around, I heard Wen Shuse calling from behind, "Big sister, third sister."
Aunt Xue followed the two girls from the Wen family and turned around. Wen Shuse caught up with her skirt lifted up. Today, she had her hair done in a ponytail and wore an autumn red pomegranate skirt. Her rosy cheeks were as bright as ever. She stood in front of the people from the Wen family's main room. She was noble and bright, and her status could be seen at a glance.
Wen Su Ning smiled faintly and said nothing.
Wen Suying had a chat with Wen Shuse after her last visit to the Wen family. She was no longer as unfamiliar as before and even looked a little happy when she saw him. She pursed her lips and called out, "Second sister."
Earlier on the way, Aunt Xue had heard from the eldest son that the second lady was also coming. Due to the current reputation of the Wen family's first branch, Old Madam Wen had instructed before leaving that they should not cause trouble for the second lady today. The only thing they had to do was to bring Wen Su Ning to show up.
A new year passed and the lady was eighteen years old. She regretted missing out on the Wei family before. Later, several families came to the Wen family to propose marriage. Not to mention the eldest son of the Wei family, even the eldest son of the Xie family was not as good as her. The lady was depressed and didn't like any of them.
A few days ago, the old man got angry and asked her when she would finish her selection. Wen Suning replied, "Father, please send me to be a nun."
Who doesn't wish for the best for their own children and grandchildren? If Old Madam Wen hadn't replaced her husband on the wedding night of the eldest lady, her marriage wouldn't have been delayed until now.
Madam Wen felt guilty, and since the Yang family just gave her an invitation, she shamelessly accepted it and asked Aunt Xue and the eldest son to bring the eldest lady and the third lady out to show their faces.
In order to choose a husband for the Sixth Lady, the Yang family has invited all the noble families in Dongdu today. More people means more opportunities and more choices.
If we can’t find anything satisfactory, we’ll have to let Madam Wen make the decision.
Aunt Xue was shy and wanted to go directly to the Wen family's seat and let the eldest son take them around. When she saw Wen Shuse coming over to greet her, she leaned over to her and said, "Second Madam."
"You don't have to be so polite, Auntie." We are all from the Wen family. Even if it's broken bones, it's still connected to the tendons. We can't really ignore it. Wen Shuse stepped onto the stairs and said, "Let's go in together."
The babies are here~Happy Friday! (Hundreds of red envelopes~)
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