Chapter 131: Moving House
With Wen Nong, Wen Fa, and Wen Daotou entering the academy, the house suddenly felt much quieter. Thankfully, spring plowing had arrived, and with everyone busy, there wasn’t much time to dwell on the absence.
Still, even though Wen Jin and Wen Fa were only half-grown boys, they had at least been extra hands. They couldn’t do heavy labor, but they could still help with light chores. Now with Wen Jun apprenticing under Doctor Jin and Wen Nong’s street stall business thriving—leaving him with little time to help at home—and the recent purchase of so much farmland, there simply weren’t enough hands in the family to manage.
They had no choice but to hire help from the village. Paying wages left Old Man Wen feeling quite aggrieved, but there was nothing to be done—no matter how strong their ox Da Huang was, the few members of the Wen family just couldn’t manage that much land on their own.
A little over a month later, tender green shoots began sprouting from the fields, and the Wens finally celebrated the completion of their new house.
The whole family stood in front of the brand-new house, feelings mixed and complex.
Old Man Wen stepped forward and touched the front door, looking up as if he were in a dream.
Though the house didn’t technically belong to him, he had never stopped hoping his eldest son would achieve success and bring honor to the family. Now, looking at the house, it was as if he had returned to the days when he had high hopes for Wen Xiuyi, as if the dreams he had once envisioned had finally come true.
It all felt so unreal.
“Father, shall we go in?” Wen Xiuyi stood beside the old man and spoke softly. Behind them, a crowd of villagers had gathered to watch.
Old Man Wen raised his hand and wiped the corner of his eye with the back of it. He nodded. “Yes, let’s go in.”
“Wait, we haven’t set off the firecrackers yet!” Wen Xiuzhu and Wen Xiuqing, the younger brothers, carried the specially bought firecrackers and cheerfully lined them up in two rows at the gate. After lighting them with fire strikers, they dashed away.
With a loud crackle, the firecrackers exploded, and Wen Xiuyi pushed the door open with both hands.
Applause and cheerful shouts erupted behind them.
Wen Xiuyi and Wen Jun each supported Old Man Wen, with Wen Daotou in hand, stepping through the doorway. Wen Yao, arm-in-arm with Old Madam Luo, followed joyfully behind, leading the rest of the Wen family in a line.
The villagers had been invited to tour the new house today and would also be attending a banquet in the afternoon. Who wouldn’t be happy with that?
As soon as they entered, Wen Daotou and his little friends ran off to find Wen Ying. A group of children scattered in glee, and the courtyard echoed with laughter and playful shouts.
“Why’s there empty space left along the base of the wall? What are they planning to plant there?”
Old Madam Luo was leading a group of villagers on a tour when she heard this question. She looked over and saw that a three-foot-wide strip had been left along the perimeter wall, bordered by bricks—not quite a vegetable plot.
Old Madam Luo was about to respond when another auntie gave the speaker a playful slap and said with a grin, “You just don’t get it. I hear the big wealthy households always build flower beds in their yards—to grow flowers and raise ornamental plants.”
The original woman gave a surprised “Ah?” and looked at Old Madam Luo. “Wen Daniu, really? You’re actually going to grow flowers and plants there? What a waste! Wouldn’t it be better to grow vegetables?”
Old Madam Luo dusted off her new clothes and replied flatly, “My granddaughter just likes those refined things. So what? It’s not your yard—why do you care what she grows?”
She had never liked this particular busybody, always nosing around others’ homes to dig up gossip and then running her mouth everywhere. Now that the woman was snooping around her own place, Old Madam Luo wasn’t about to indulge her.
The woman, embarrassed after being put in her place, pursed her lips and didn’t speak again, though her expression was clearly sour. She continued looking around anyway.
To be fair, the Wens’ new house really was quite impressive—it was easy to get envious just looking at it.
After the group finished touring the courtyard, they wanted to see the rooms and soon learned that several were built specifically for Old Man Wen and Old Madam Luo. That was when someone—particularly the woman Old Madam Luo had just scolded—started getting snide.
“Oh my, even after splitting households, they still think of Wen Daniu and Wen Dasha. That Scholar Wen really is something, huh?”
The moment those words left her mouth, the crowd’s expressions shifted in subtle ways.
Everyone knew that once a household split, they were technically two separate families. Old Man Wen and Old Madam Luo had never said they planned to live with their eldest son afterward. Everyone in the village knew why they had split in the first place—it was because Wen Xiuyi had been such a disaster, and the elders didn’t want to be dragged down.
So what now? Just because the eldest was doing well and making money, were they trying to enjoy his good fortune after all?
Many of the onlookers were indeed thinking just that.
Old Madam Luo’s face turned red and white by turns. Even though she had never wanted to take advantage of her eldest son, hearing it said aloud in front of everyone was still humiliating. She thought of how her grandchildren were now studying thanks to support from the eldest family, and she found herself unable to argue back.
Wen Yao and Wen Di had just finished showing the village girls their rooms and happened to overhear that remark as they came out. Wen Yao raised her brow and slowly walked over.
With her hand hidden in her sleeve, she quietly pulled out the gold hairpin she had prepared as a gift for Old Madam Luo.
“Grandma, there you are! Wen Di and I have been looking all over for you. Didn’t I tell you this morning to wear the hairpin? It’s such a joyful day—you ought to have something nice in your hair.” As she spoke, she lifted her hand in a slow, sweeping motion, deliberately showing off the glittering gold pin before sliding it into Old Madam Luo’s hair.
Old Madam Luo was caught off guard, but when she saw how all the women nearby were staring, her confidence surged.
She coughed lightly, then raised her hand and deliberately touched the newly pinned ornament. “I just forgot in all the busyness. And besides, the thing’s heavy—it takes effort to wear it.”
Wen Yao and Wen Di nearly burst out laughing.
“Oh my, that’s real gold, isn’t it? Such a big hairpin—it must’ve cost a fortune!”
In no time, Old Madam Luo was surrounded by a crowd of admirers, with the gossiping women from earlier pushed to the outer edge, eyes nearly green with envy.
Old Madam Luo cast a smug glance their way and raised her chin. “Pfft, money or not—it’s just a little gift from my children and grandchildren. Same as this house. Just because we’ve split households, does that mean he’s not my son anymore? My son’s filial. He built two rooms for me and the old man so we can come enjoy the new place from time to time. Makes the heart feel good, doesn’t it?”
“That’s right, Wen Daniu and Wen Dasha really have good fortune.”
“Absolutely! Look at Wen Yao now, such a capable cook—famous far and wide. And Wen Jun? Incredible! Studying medicine under Doctor Jin—how many people can even dream of that? I hear Wen Daotou is doing quite well at the academy too?” One of Old Madam Luo’s loyal flatterers, Tieniu’s wife, jumped in quickly, not to be left behind.
