Chapter 857: Chapter 812: Unexpected Change (3 Updates)
Song Jiao chuckled, "That girl Yun Duo, her mouth is really too big."
Liang Jun listened and sighed softly, "Iâm worried sheâll come again. Maybe you should agree with her, otherwise this constant fuss might end up being bad for you."
"I canât agree." Song Jiao shook her head decisively, "You donât know Qi Qiâs temperament. If I agree and things donât work out, sheâll blame me. If everything does work out and she regrets it later, sheâll still blame me. This is a thankless task. Even my third aunt didnât intervene, so why should it fall to me, a married-out daughter, to handle?"
"But Iâm afraid she wonât give up." Liang Junâs tone was full of worry.
"Then Iâll just play Tai Chi with her. As she can come, I can manage." Song Jiao was determined not to help Song Qi.
As it turned out, Liang Junâs worries were justified. The next evening, after school, Song Qi didnât rush back to the Song Mansion but came to find Song Jiao first thing.
Looking at her manner, it was clear she wouldnât stop until Song Jiao nodded.
When Liang Jun returned from the Hanlin Academy and saw Song Qi still there, he said a few words to her, telling her not to just think of herself but also to consider that her elder sister was still heavily pregnant and couldnât overwork herself.
Hearing this, Song Qiâs eyes reddened, "If Xie Feng were as outstanding as my brother-in-law, would I need to keep causing such a fuss over this marriage?"
Those words angered Song Jiao.
...
Wen Wan and the others had dinner at the Wen Familyâs and then returned to their house to rest for the night. The next day they returned to the Upper River Village.
It had been a few years since they last came back, and the village wasnât quite the same as before.
Due to the earthquake, several families had moved away. Those who remained were mostly elderly, likely scared out of their wits by the tremors, and the young people had moved to the city, fearing to live in the countryside anymore.
There werenât many Song Family members left, but the Clan Leaderâs family was still firmly settled in the village. Thanks to the aid from Zhao Xunyin and his wife at the time, who also oversaw the courtâs relief grain and silver, what was allocated to Ningzhou wasnât severely cut down along the way. So by the time help reached the county, each disaster-stricken household received relief, and the collapsed homes were rebuilt.
News that Song Wei had become the Imperial Tutor had long spread throughout the Upper and Lower River Village. Now, no one called him a jinx anymore. Everyone said that the first twenty years were heavenâs way of testing him, and because he withstood it, he achieved current glory. Even the storytellers in the county had crafted various versions: one said Song Wei was a deity in disguise enduring trials, another said heaven had misplaced his fortune and corrected it later, and thus Song Wei embarked on a prosperous path.
In short, everywhere there were words of praise and emotion, unlike before when people might curse him to his face.
At this moment, the entrance to the Clan Leaderâs yard was crowded with villagers. People from not only the Upper River Village but also the Lower River Village and nearby villages had come, all wanting to see what the once-cursed jinx, now the esteemed Imperial Tutor, had become.
Song Wei was still the same Song Weiâapart from being more mature, his handsome features hadnât changed much.
But in the villagersâ eyes, the change was tremendous; upon seeing him, they all wanted to kneel and bow.
Of course, Song Wei didnât allow it. Seeing the number of attendees, he took the opportunity to distribute gifts bought from the Capital.
Everyone was naturally grateful, expressing regret for their past grievances.
Song Wei didnât dwell on it; his time was limited. He barely sat for long before leaving with Song Erlang to accompany Old Song and the Clan Leader to inspect land for rebuilding the ancestral shrine. Besides the shrine, they also planned to build a village school, saying they would invite a learned teacher from the Capital to enlighten the village children.
The Clan Leader was overjoyed upon hearing this, his smile deepening.
Wen Wan, having no place in the menâs affairs, took Yun Cailong, Qi Bao, and Jinbao to Lower River Village, planning to visit her auntâs place.
The Second Langâs wife, concerned for her family, took Duobao and two maidservants to the Tian Family Manor.
Granny Song was taken inside by the Clan Leaderâs wife for a chat.
During this visit, Granny Song was particularly concerned about one person aside from the ancestral shrine. She asked the Clan Leaderâs wife, "The one-eyed fortune teller from the town before, is he still practicing?"
The Clan Leaderâs wife thought for a long time before recalling who Granny Song meant, sighing as she shook her head, "He passed away from illness several years ago."
"Why donât good people live long?" Granny Song lamented. She had originally planned to see the fortune teller and, regardless of whether he wanted silver or property, give it to him as a token of gratitude.
After all, if it hadnât been for him, the Third Son wouldnât have married, and if the Third Sonâs wife hadnât come, he wouldnât have his current glory.
On this matter, she wasnât miserly but didnât expect the fortune teller to have passed. Truly, life is unpredictable.
...
There were too many of them to stay in the village for long without accommodation. Once Song Wei and the Clan Leader finalized the land, they returned en masse to the county.
Regarding the ancestral shrine and village school, Song Wei only took care of the funding, leaving the labor to the villagers. This was also the Clan Leaderâs idea, saying that many village families werenât affluent enough and this would allow them to earn some New Yearâs money.
Song Wei had no objections.
On Wen Wanâs end, the matter of the house wasnât easy to settle and required them to stay a few more days.
Hearing of their return, Wen Shun hurriedly rushed back from the Prefecture. Upon reaching the county, he immediately inquired from Father Wen about Wen Wan and their residence, arriving in a rush to see Song Wei.
Looking at Wen Shunâs sweaty appearance, Song Wei found it amusing, "Weâre not leaving anytime soon; you didnât need to hurry so much."
Wen Shun, wiping sweat as he caught his breath, sat down before he could speak, "Brother-in-law, I heard youâre now the Holy Emperorâs teacher. Is it true?"
Song Wei nodded.
"Thatâs incredible!" Wen Shun genuinely admired, "In the Prefecture, where I run my shop, I hear all sorts of rumors about you, brother-in-law. The storytellers spin such wild tales, and I thought itâd be great to meet you someday so I could brag to others."
"Donât go around bragging." Wen Wan approached, pouring him some tea, "Your brother-in-law detests when family members flaunt his name. If he hears anything, beware of the consequences!"
Wen Shun, taking the tea, chuckled, "I was just joking. If I dared to flaunt his name for deceit, I wouldnât still be waiting for a travel pass."
Wen Wan blinked, "What travel pass?"
Wen Shun explained, "Iâve never been to the Capital and wanted to expand my shop there for experience. Unfortunately, the government office keeps giving me the runaround and wonât issue the pass. Iâm at a loss, so thatâs where it stands."
Glancing at Song Wei, Wen Wan received a nod from him, "If youâre serious about going to the Capital, I can assist with the travel pass."
He then frowned slightly, "Getting a pass usually isnât difficult. Why is the government office refusing you?"
"They probably think Iâm too young!" Wen Shun scratched his head, "Since my parents arenât going, and itâs just me, they say Iâm too young and wonât issue it."
Wen Wan pondered, realizing that her adoptive father had reasons for not wanting to go to the Capital. Given their circumstances, encounters between the father, mother, and biological parents could always be awkward.
In light of this, Wen Wan said, "Your parents are homebodies, reluctant to leave Ningzhou, and thatâs quite normal. But youâre young and should explore. Leave the travel pass to your brother-in-law. If you can manage, you can join us when we leave."
"That wonât work." Wen Shun said, "I still have plenty of matters to sort out in the Prefecture, so I canât leave immediately. I probably wonât be able to go until next spring, but Iâll definitely come to the Capital then."
...
Knowing Song Weiâs tight schedule, Wen Wan dared not slack off. As soon as she had a moment, she went out to look at properties. She finally bought one she liked, and just after the deed and keys were exchanged, she received an urgent letter from the Capital, written by Xie Zheng.
Upon reading its contents, Wen Wanâs face turned pale.