Chapter 105 - 104: Growing Up Means Harder to Please Than Before

Chapter 105: Chapter 104: Growing Up Means Harder to Please Than Before

But then the incident at the Da Huan Mountain Coal Mine happened, which made Song Wei see clearly what it means to be oppressed by someone with higher authority.

In this power-driven Great Chu Dynasty, common people without power can only be exploited and oppressed at every turn, unable to resist and dare not resist.

So, he changed his mind. He wanted to take the imperial exam and enter officialdom, to seek power, not for anything else, but just so that Wanwan and his family could have a few more good days in the future.

——

Wen Wan secretly took a piece of jewelry from her mother and carried it with her, intending to pawn it for silver during the trip to the county. However, before she even reached the pawnshop, Song Wei discovered it, confiscated it without a word, and didn’t let her pawn it. He didn’t even ask if she was out of money, and swiftly pushed a purse into her hand, telling her to buy whatever she wanted herself.

Wen Wan blushed deeply, glaring at Song Wei several times to no effect. He simply refused to return the jewelry until they were back home.

The jade wasn’t pawned, and Wen Wan lost her interest in strolling around. She entered a fabric shop to choose some needles, threads, and several bolts of fabric, went to a grocery to buy some dry goods, and finally took home a spotted silver carp.

Song Wei kept his promise and returned the jade to her as soon as they got home.

Wen Wan held the jade, feeling a burst of frustration.

Why not pawn it when it clearly could be exchanged for money?

"That’s the dowry your mother left for you," Song Wei said. "A daughter’s dowry, generally shouldn’t be touched unless absolutely necessary."

Wen Wan asked him: Is a dowry a daughter’s security in her husband’s family?

Song Wei said yes.

Wen Wan asked again: But before my dad delivered my dowry, didn’t you still not dare to bully me?

Not just Song Wei, even her mother-in-law, rumored to be sharp-tongued and difficult to get along with, had never said a word against her.

Song Wei: "..."

Indeed, she’s grown up; not as easy to coax as when she was little.

——

In a month, Xie Zheng and Hao Yun learned a lot of experience from Song Wei.

Before leaving, Hao Yun invited Song Wei and Xie Zheng to a restaurant in the county for a meal.

This time, Song Wei didn’t refuse. However, since Hao Yun didn’t explicitly invite Wen Wan, he was too embarrassed to bring her, but he repeatedly asked Wen Wan before leaving, ensuring she had no plans today before following the two.

Compared to Wen Wan’s calmness, Song Fang felt quite upset and complained to her sister-in-law while washing dishes, "It’s alright for cousin from the Xie Family. He’s not in the same cohort as brother-third and won’t compete with him at the courtyard exam. But what about that Hao guy? Why is he joining in?"

Wen Wan didn’t quite understand the meaning of her sister-in-law’s words, looking puzzled.

Song Fang continued indignantly, "Isn’t there an old saying, ’Teaching the disciple to starve the master’? If that Hao guy learns all of brother-third’s experience for the imperial exams, and if at the courtyard exam he surpasses brother-third, can I still go to the Capital?"

The more Song Fang thought about it, the more she felt that Hao was really scheming.

Saying it’s modestly seeking knowledge sounds nice, but harshly, it’s just a trick to get everything for free, taking someone else’s years of hard work and making it his own.

His abacus clattered loudly!

"If I were brother-third, I’d make him pay ten or eight taels for tuition. Sweat as much as you eat, pay as much as you take. There’s no such thing in the world as pies falling from the sky. Brother-third is too honest-hearted to even realize he’s being taken advantage of."

Wen Wan walked over and gently patted her sister-in-law’s back to calm her.

Seeing her like this, Song Fang felt even more upset, "How can sister-in-law still smile at a time like this? Aren’t you worried that brother-third might not get the top spot?"

The smile on Wen Wan’s lips faded, but her gaze became much firmer.

She doesn’t care whether her husband can take the top spot or not. If he does, she’d be sincerely happy for him. If he fails and doesn’t get through this time, she’d simply accompany him to try again next year.