On the day when the Han family invited guests, Mr. Wang and his wife, Wang Xu, came to the Wang family early with Wang Sanlang. Mrs. Han greeted them warmly, grabbed Wang Xu's arm, and said with a smile: "Oh, my mother-in-law is here. I haven't seen you for a long time. How are you?"
Wang Xu smiled and nodded: "I am in good health, eating well and sleeping well. Thank you for your concern."
Old Lady Han led them into the main hall and said, "Jinxiu, pour some tea for your grandparents."
Han Jinxiu sighed.
Wang Xu looked at the noisy crowd outside and was a little surprised.
Old Lady Han asked them to sit down and rest, and explained with a smile: "Since we received the good news that Han Zezhong has become a scholar, there has been no shortage of people coming to our house. Our village hasn't had a scholar for many years, so the villagers all came to see the wonder."
That’s why the house is so noisy and lively.
Wang Xu smiled and said, "That's right. Han Ze passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. What a great achievement! Not to mention that your village hasn't produced a scholar in many years, the nearby villages have only produced one old scholar in all these years."
When Old Lady Han heard her words, she laughed. In contrast to the sad look on her face in the past few days, there was no other expression on her face these days except a smile, which was just the difference between laughing and smiling.
"You are right. Han Ze is lucky. He was destined to pass the exam this year. He was almost dying last year. Caiwei hugged me and cried so many times. My mother-in-law and I couldn't sleep all night because of Han Ze's health. Now that he is almost well, he passed the exam. What else can he say but good luck?"
Wang Xu was also very impressed. As soon as her son-in-law recovered, he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. It seemed that he was quite talented.
Old Lady Han added, "Mother-in-law, you have raised a good daughter. When my eldest son was not well, she took care of him day and night without any complaints. She also obeyed us two old guys in everything. It's hard to find a daughter-in-law like this. I have to thank you."
When it comes to raising a good daughter, she feels a little bad, because she thinks of the evil spirit she gave birth to. If it weren't for that evil spirit, why would Han Ze have to suffer so much, why would he have to wait until the age of 26 to pass the imperial examination? Her son is the incarnation of Wenquxing, destined to be an official, but he was ruined by that evil spirit. Whenever she thinks of this, her heart aches, and her whole body aches.
When Wang Xu heard her praising her daughter, she also smiled and said, "As she should, as she should. Husband and wife should help each other and rely on each other, so that they can live a good life."
Mrs. Han also agreed with this.
As they were talking, Zheng and Wu's relatives arrived, and Old Lady Han went out to greet them. Suddenly, the yard became even more lively.
Old Master Wang thought about the distant relationship he had with his son-in-law Han Ze, so he wanted to say a few words to him to improve their relationship. However, there were many guests at the Han family today, and everyone wanted to talk to the scholar, so he was interrupted by others as soon as he spoke.
He felt somewhat dissatisfied, thinking that his second son-in-law did not respect him. He should have left the others and talked to him. However, his second son-in-law's status was different now, so he could not do much. He could only secretly feel annoyed that his son-in-law did not treat him as well as before.
It's all his fault. When his son-in-law was in trouble, he avoided the issue and pretended to be ignorant and did not help. Now that his son-in-law has passed the imperial examination and is not close to him as his father-in-law, he can't blame anyone else.
Han Ze noticed that Mr. Wang was in a bad mood and smiled indifferently. The old man looked at his son-in-law based on his status. Although he didn't like it, he wouldn't say much. But it was impossible for him to pretend that nothing existed.
Of course, he is not the original body, and he has no hatred towards the old man. He can only say that others are stepping on him because he has not climbed high enough. When he climbs to a certain height, will he still worry about others stepping on him
Although the family had little money, Mrs. Han was willing to spend it and prepared a very sumptuous meal. The table was filled with fish and meat. Both Mr. Wang and the Zheng and Wu families were very satisfied with the meal.
After eating and drinking, Wang Xu saw her daughter had finished packing and took her to her room. Wang Caiwei looked at her and said, "Mother, what's wrong?"
Wang Xu held her hand and said with red eyes: "Caiwei, mother is ashamed of you."
Wang Caiwei was stunned, slowly lowered her head, pursed her lips, and said nothing.
Wang Xu looked at her expression and knew that her daughter was still blaming her in her heart. She choked up and said, "You are already married, and I have to think about you. Please understand me..."
Wang Caiwei managed to break free from her grasp, looked up at her, and said softly, "Mom, I understand you, so I didn't say anything."
My mother said that a married girl is like spilled water. She went back to her parents' home to borrow money, but her mother refused to lend it to her. She would not say anything. No matter how much suffering she had, she could swallow it, but she was just sad in her heart.
Wang Xu wiped her wet eyes with a handkerchief and said with relief, "I'm glad you understand me."
As he spoke, he took out ten taels of silver, handed it to her, and said with a smile: "This silver is prepared by your father. Your son-in-law is going to the county town to study and needs silver. You can use it to help your son-in-law study."
Wang Caiwei pushed her hand away and said seriously, "Mom, no need. We don't lack money at home."
It really wasn't necessary. Last night, her husband told her not to accept the money her parents gave her.
Wang Xu looked at her and said angrily, "You don't want to accept the money. Are you still angry with your mother?"
Wang Caiwei shook her head and said, "Mother, you said that a married girl is like spilled water. I am already married and I can no longer take your money. You can keep this money for your brother's education."
My husband said that he was copying books faster now, and could finish copying a set of the Four Books and Five Classics in more than two months. He was in good health, and the family would not be short of money. There was no need to accept help from others, as it was difficult to repay a debt of gratitude.
Wang Xu looked at her sternly, "You really don't want it?"
Wang Caiwei shook her head firmly.
Wang Xu asked her in a deep voice, her eyes red: "Are you going to cut off contact with us?"
Wang Caiwei frowned, "Why do you say that, mother? When my husband was not well, I went back to borrow money, and you told me that I was married and your money was for my younger brother. Now my husband is well and has passed the imperial examination. Our family has no shortage of money, so why do you want your money? How can I cut off contact with you?"
Wang Xu choked, glared at her, and said bitterly: "You just want to piss me off."
Wang Caiwei lowered her eyebrows and said: "Mom, I'm not angry with you. I'm just telling the truth. I don't understand why you are angry?"
Wang Xu choked again. It is the truth that is irritating. Think about it, when someone is in trouble and comes to borrow money, you don't lend a penny. Now that the person is no longer in trouble and has made a fortune, you rush to give him money. Anyone with a bit of backbone will not accept that money.
She took it for granted, thinking that she was her daughter, and a daughter would never get angry with her mother. But she didn't expect that her daughter had already married and had a new family, and all she cared about was her husband's family.
On this side, Wang Xu was pulling her daughter aside to talk in private, and on the other side, Zheng was also pulled into the room by her mother to talk.
Zheng's mother, Old Lady Zheng, looked at her daughter and asked, "What are your plans?"
Zheng looked at her strangely: "What are you planning?"
Old Lady Zheng tapped her forehead and said unhappily, "The eldest son of the Han family passed the imperial examination, and you have no idea?"
Zheng said with a smile: "It would be good for our family if my eldest brother passed the exam. What can I think? Do you want Erlang to learn from my eldest brother and also pass the exam? Not to mention that Erlang is old, even when he was a child, he didn't have the ability to study."
Mrs. Zheng glared at her and then asked, "Do you still want to divide the family?"
Zheng said without thinking, "We definitely can't split up the family. My eldest brother has become a first-class scholar. Not only can he receive six dou of rice every month, he can also receive four taels of silver every year. The family land is also tax-free. I don't know how happy we will be living together. Why should we split up the family?"
She didn't understand before, and didn't know why the whole family had to save money to support her eldest brother's education, but now she knew, because passing the imperial examination had so many benefits.
What she didn't say was that her eldest brother and sister-in-law were not selfish and were wholeheartedly working for the family. Now that they were well, they would use the money they earned to support the family. When her eldest brother lived a good life in the future, he would definitely not forget his two younger brothers. Thinking of this, she was even more reluctant to split up the family.
Old Lady Zheng smiled and said, "You are not that stupid. It is not that you cannot divide the family. But you can get grain and silver. Mother thinks that is secondary. The most important thing is that your family has a scholar. No one in the nearby villages will dare to look down on you, let alone bully you. Even when the children grow up and look for wives, they will be able to choose the good ones. You will gradually understand the various advantages."
Zheng didn't think that far ahead. She had a narrow vision and could only see the things in front of her. "I only know that since my eldest brother got better, I haven't been hungry. From time to time, I can eat meat to satisfy my craving. Now that my eldest brother has passed the imperial examination, our family is getting better. My mother-in-law is not a stingy person. She will definitely be more attentive to the food. I won't be stupid enough to divide the family and watch them eat meat while I can't even have soup."
Old Mrs. Zheng glared at her and said, "Why do you only know how to eat?"
Zheng curled her lips and said disapprovingly: "If that person doesn't talk about food when he's alive, what else can he talk about? If he can't even fill his stomach, what's the point of living?"
Old Lady Zheng knew that she couldn't get through with her, so she asked in a low voice, "Your eldest brother's Dahu is ten years old this year. He has a sharp mind and is good at studying. He may be able to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar in the future. Do you think he is a good match for Jinxiu?"
"What?"
Zheng stared at her with wide eyes for a long while. She couldn't help rolling her eyes and exclaimed, "Jinxiu is only a little old. You think too far ahead."
Old Lady Zheng wanted to knock her on the forehead again, "Da Hu is not that old, he is only two or three years older than Jin Xiu. Not to mention two or three years older, even if he is five years older, it would be perfect."
Zheng frowned and said, "Why did you think of this? Who came up with this idea? Could it be my sister-in-law?"
It's not that she looked down on her nephew, but her uncle was a scholar. She could see that he was very picky. He would definitely not like Da Hu's fierce appearance, not to mention that her uncle had passed the imperial examination and became a scholar.
I heard from my husband that my eldest uncle would continue to take the imperial examination. If he became an imperial scholar, would he be willing to marry his daughter to a peasant family? It was impossible to think about it. My family was really imagining things.
Mrs. Zheng coughed and said, "I think your sister-in-law is right. Our two families are relatives. If Jinxiu marries into our family, we will definitely not treat her unfairly."
Zheng rolled her eyes and thought to herself that you have a nice idea, but it is still uncertain whether she will marry Dahu.
"Mom, this is not reliable, stop thinking about it." She said seriously.
Mrs. Zheng said seriously, "It's not reliable to change it to Erhu, but Dahu is good at studying. If he passes the exam and becomes a scholar in the future, he will be worthy of Jinxiu. Otherwise, how can I agree to your sister-in-law's proposal?"
Every elder who loves his or her children has great faith in his or her children, just as Old Lady Han believed that Han Ze would pass the imperial examination and become a scholar.
Zheng still felt it was unreliable: "Then let's wait until Dahu passes the imperial examination before bringing up this matter again."
Who could possibly pass the imperial examination and become a scholar? Even my eldest brother took the exam for many years before he passed.
Old lady Zheng pulled her arm and said, "Child, we have to make the marriage while Jinxiu is still young and others haven't thought about it yet. If we wait until Dahu passes the imperial examination, it will be too late. Mother brought this up for your own good."
Zheng looked at her: "Why is it just for my own good?"
In her opinion, it has nothing to do with her.
Mrs. Zheng said slowly, "Think about it, Han Lao Da passed the imperial examination but Er Lang did not. There is a gap between them. If Jin Xiu marries into our family, wouldn't it be like a closer relationship? Wouldn't the relationship between Er Lang and Han Lao Da be closer?"
Zheng lowered her head and thought for a long time. She always felt that it was not the case. Erlang and the eldest brother were brothers and were already close. How could they be closer
She said reluctantly: "Mom, I don't think this is reliable anyway. If you don't want to give up, you can bring it up with them and see if they agree to it."
Old Lady Zheng was so angry that she said, "How can I say anything? Your sister-in-law is gentle and easy to talk to. Please ask her if she agrees with it. It's rare for me to ask you to do something, but you don't want to help me?"
Zheng was in a dilemma. If it were in the past, she would have asked, but now her eldest brother was a scholar and the whole family was counting on him. She couldn't say these words for fear of offending her eldest brother. Besides, although her eldest sister-in-law had a gentle personality, she was not easy to talk to.
She couldn't help but complain: "Mom, aren't you making things difficult for me?"
Old Lady Zheng's face darkened. "Mother loves you so much, but I just asked you to ask a question, but you refused. My love for you is in vain. If you have any problems in the future, don't come to me."
Zheng panicked and said quickly, "Okay, okay, I'll ask for you, I'll ask for you."
Old Lady Zheng smiled and urged, "Go ask now."
Zheng was reluctant to go, and Old Lady Zheng glared at her. Zheng made up her mind and walked out. As soon as she walked out of the room, she saw Wang Caiwei and her mother coming out of the room. She stepped forward and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, I want to talk to you about something."
Wang Caiwei looked at Wang Xushi and said, "Mother, please sit down first. I'll be there soon."
Wang Xu was not in a good mood. She said, "Go and get busy."
Wang Caiwei looked at Zheng. Zheng pulled her into the yard and looked at her shyly, not knowing what to say. Her mother really made things difficult for her.
Wang Caiwei looked at her in this rare awkward state and said with a smile, "What's wrong? We are a family, is there anything we can't talk about?"
Zheng asked, "Sister-in-law, did I tell you?"
Wang Caiwei had no choice but to say: "Go ahead."
Zheng gritted her teeth and said with determination, "Sister-in-law, Jinxiu is eight years old this year, right?"
Wang Caiwei smiled and said, "He just turned eight last month."
Zheng said, "Da Hu, my eldest brother's family, is ten years old this year. He has a sharp mind and is good at studying. He may become a scholar in the future. Do you think he is a good match for Jin Xiu?"
Wang Caiwei was startled. She didn't expect that she would ask this question. After a moment, she frowned and said, "Are you talking about your nephew from your mother's family?"
Zheng nodded and said with a smile, "I'm just asking. It doesn't matter whether it's okay or not. I can understand even if you don't want to."
Wang Caiwei took a deep breath and said awkwardly: "I can't make the decision on this matter. I need to ask your eldest brother for his opinion."
Zheng knew that this matter must be approved by her eldest brother, so she said hurriedly, "You should ask your eldest brother. Then go and ask him. If he agrees, I will report to my mother."
Wang Caiwei frowned: "Is it so urgent?"
We should let them think about it.
Zheng choked. She couldn't tell her. She thought her eldest brother would not agree, so she quickly rejected her mother to prevent her from thinking too much.
In the main hall, Mr. Wang was saying goodbye to Han Ze. Wang Caiwei glanced at her sister-in-law apologetically and said, "I'll go see my parents off first."
Zheng said, "Okay."
After sending the Wang family away, Wang Caiwei called Han Ze aside and asked in a low voice, "Erlang's wife's nephew is ten years old this year. He is smart and good at studying. Erlang's wife just asked me if Jinxiu and her nephew are a good match?"
Han Ze's face darkened immediately after hearing her words: "A toad wants to eat swan meat, it's just a dream."
He didn't expect that someone would already be thinking about Jinxiu just when she turned eight years old. It was really unbearable.
Wang Caiwei was stunned. She didn't expect her husband to be so angry. But she was not too angry. In her opinion, it was a bit early for a child to get engaged at the age of eight or nine. It was not impossible to consider it if there was a suitable one.
Seeing that she didn't say anything, Han Ze sternly warned her, "Tell Zheng not to think too much. It's ridiculous for my daughter to not get married before she's 20."
After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and went into the house. When he got inside, he felt a little embarrassed. When he heard that others were thinking about his daughter, he became angry. He never thought that early marriage and early childbearing were popular in this era. If you are not married at the age of 20, you will become an old maid.
Even so, he didn't want Jinxiu to get engaged early, and everything would be decided after he passed the imperial examination. The Zheng family wanted Jinxiu to get engaged to their child because they saw that he passed the imperial examination.
Wang Caiwei stared blankly at her husband's angry back, feeling both angry and amused.
Zheng came over and asked, "What do you think? Big brother doesn't agree?"
Wang Caiwei shook her head, not only disagreeing, but also cursing. She felt dumbfounded, thinking that she had been married to her husband for so long, but she had never heard him scold anyone, so she guessed that he was angry.
Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, she knew her elder brother would not agree.