Chapter 648 - 610: Time for the First Daughter-in-law to Enter the Family (Part 2)

Chapter 648: Chapter 610: Time for the First Daughter-in-law to Enter the Family (Part 2)

The Song family’s current yard is a five-section courtyard granted by Emperor Guangxi.

When we first moved here, the population was small. Wen Wan and her in-laws didn’t live together, even Song Jiao had a separate courtyard. Each courtyard was assigned only one or two servants to serve, so it looked quite empty.

But now things are different. With Song Wei’s official rank rising, many more servants have been added to the household.

Among these are maids, who are divided into first, second, and third classes. There are also elderly servants, divided into those serving indoors and those for rough work outdoors. Then there are the housekeeper moms in charge of the courtyards and the nurse for Qi Bao.

In addition, there are Xu Dengke and his servants, the head steward, the assistant steward, the accountant, the errand boys in the outer courtyard, house servants guarding the property, those managing the carriages, those responsible for carrying sedan chairs, and even the household doctor...

All told, the Song family’s entire household amounts to about sixty people, making the five-section residence indeed seem crowded.

In the evening, Song Wei discussed with Wen Wan.

Song Wei’s idea was to buy the empty land behind the residence and hire people to build on it.

Wen Wan thought it wouldn’t do, "Since it’s meant to prepare for Yuanbao’s marriage, how can it be undignified? I’ve noticed that empty land, at most it could be expanded into a two-section courtyard. Yuanbao’s courtyard is accounted for, but what about Jinbao?"

Song Wei looked at her with a smile, "Jinbao is so young, and you’re already thinking of preparing a new room for him?"

"Might as well spend the money while I’ve got it," Wen Wan said generously. "You’re frequently running between the government office and home, not noticing what’s happening around. You probably don’t know that Mr. Ning next door is planning to move back to his ancestral home. Their house is also a five-section courtyard. Here’s what I’m thinking, if they are really going to move, I’ll buy their property, hire people to break down the walls, handle the path between, and then renovate and decorate each courtyard one by one, turning it into ours. What do you think about that?"

Song Wei hesitated, "A five-section residence won’t be cheap."

"But it’s something we’d have to buy eventually!" Wen Wan wasn’t afraid of spending money on this. "This year’s grain harvest in Ningzhou was pretty good, and the tenant earnings near the capital’s suburb are gradually coming in. Our cloth shop still has some surplus funds. These funds are fine until the end of the year; I’ll use my private savings to buy the residence first. Then later, when you get your salary or receive a reward, you can settle it with me."

Hearing this, Song Wei smiled and hugged his young wife, rubbing his chin on the top of her head, "With such enthusiasm, you must not be mad at me anymore."

Song Wei shouldn’t have mentioned that. Wen Wan got angry and lifted her head to look at him, "Who said I’m not upset? I was discussing expanding the house and Yuanbao’s marriage with you." She grumbled and broke free from his embrace, "You’ll still have to sleep in the study. Who told you to be such an old man still playing tricks to deceive young girls?"

Song Wei looked confused, "...What are you talking about?"

Wen Wan huffed lightly.

Sleeping alone for several days without any disturbances at night, she started thinking through things quietly, reminiscing about everything between her and Song Wei.

The more she thought about it, the more Wen Wan felt something was off.

She always thought she first met Song Wei outside the village school, but clearly, it wasn’t like that. Song Wei had known her since she was a child, and not only did he know her, he had personally promised her mother to take care of her. Yet from when she recovered from a high fever and became mute until she saw him outside the village school, twelve years had passed where he wasn’t there!

"Husband, did you ever resent me for being mute?" Wen Wan stared directly at Song Wei, afraid of missing any subtle expression on his face.

"No," Song Wei answered very frankly.

"Then where were you for those twelve years after I woke up from the fever?"

"I was around, you just didn’t know."

Wen Wan couldn’t believe it, "That’s impossible!"

What does he mean that he had always been there but she didn’t know?

Lower River Village is only so big. If he really appeared, how could she not see him?

Seeing her little face turning red with anger, Song Wei laughed, "With my unfortunate streak back then, not appearing before you was the biggest care I could provide."

Wen Wan: "..."

She was rendered speechless.

But upon thinking carefully, it seemed to make some sense.

Pressing her lips, Wen Wan looked at him, "So, I wronged you?"

"Not exactly wronged," Song Wei said with a gentle gaze shattering within his deep eyes. "I didn’t take care of you much anyway."

"Then how do you plan to compensate me?" Wen Wan blinked, looking forward expectantly.

Song Wei said, "Since I’m already in your hands, it’s up to you how you want to handle things, isn’t it?"

Wen Wan: "...Alright, then you can sleep in the study for another month."

——

With Wen Wan’s origin revealed and her being titled Commandery Princess, the whole household was filled with joy, akin to holiday celebrations.

The most frustrated had to be Song Yuanbao, who couldn’t fully accept Zhao Xi becoming his uncle, even if only by name, and with a generational gap.

Because of this, he got distracted several times in class. Unluckily, he encountered the most unsympathetic scholar there, who smilingly assigned him a thousand times practice.

That evening upon returning home, Song Yuanbao sighed while copying the practice.

Beside him, Jinbao was writing his homework. Hearing the noise, he looked up and asked, "Brother, what’s wrong?"

"Nothing much," Song Yuanbao smiled bitterly and shook his head.

Regarding classics and the Six Arts, Zhao Xi had him firmly suppressed in each aspect. He had accepted that, since Zhao Xi was so diligent.

But now even in terms of generational hierarchy, Zhao Xi was ahead of him. Each time Song Yuanbao thought about having to call him "uncle," it felt like he was struck by lightning.

After writing for a while, Jinbao said, "Mother is preparing a new room for brother."

Song Yuanbao was taken aback, "A new room? What new room?"

Jinbao pointed towards the direction of the next courtyard, "The residence of Mr. Ning, mother plans to buy it for brother."

Understanding Jinbao’s meaning, Song Yuanbao asked Wen Wan the next day, "Mother, are you really planning to buy the neighboring residence and merge it with ours?"

Wen Wan nodded and asked him, "Is there a problem?"

"But their house is a five-section residence. Isn’t it too expensive?"

"Money isn’t the issue. The main concern is whether you like it or not?"

Song Yuanbao certainly liked it; who wouldn’t like a big residence? "But I still think it’s too expensive. How about waiting until I achieve top examination results and work out a way to get one from the Crown Prince nearby, then it’ll be easier to merge with ours?"

"Aren’t you planning to marry once you achieve top examination results?" Wen Wan reminded him, "The battle at West Yue was a great victory, and next year they will hold additional examinations. Do you still have time to worry about these things?"

Song Yuanbao was stunned, "Additional examinations?"

"Yes," Wen Wan seriously nodded, "If you’re confident, then by the year after next, when you’re seventeen, my first daughter-in-law should be coming in."