Chapter 248: If She Wants to Take You Away, Will You Go with Her?
In the end, the two brothers scratched their heads and ears, pulling their respective wives to the side to discuss the matter of the wages. Wen Xiuyi held back his laughter, hugging his precious son while brimming with joy.
“Eldest Brother,” Old Man Wen called out.
Wen Xiuyi stopped laughing. “What is it, Father?”
Old Man Wen let out a deep sigh. “Father doesn’t know if being an official is easy or not, but you must remember: our old Wen family has backbone. You absolutely cannot forget your original intention just because you became an official, placing yourself on a high pedestal. Do you understand what I mean?”
Wen Xiuyi held Datou securely and nodded. “Father, I know. Rest assured, I only want to improve everyone’s situation and use the things I know to help the folks more. Once the harvest is good and everyone can have food to eat and eat their fill, I will be content. I don’t have any grand ambitions; I was even worried you and Mother would think I’m not driven enough.”
“How could we? What your mother and I pray for is just your safety, that you all live peacefully and steadily. Sigh.” Old Man Wen let out another sigh, then looked at his eldest grandson, saying, “Jun’er, guide your grandpa to go look at that imperial decree again. That way, I can also tell the ancestors that our family now possesses an imperial decree too.”
Wen Jun smiled faintly, supporting the old gentleman toward the study to look at the imperial decree.
Old Madam Luo shot a disdainful glance at them, complaining to Wen Yao in a low voice, “Look at your grandpa, what a display.”
As she spoke, she couldn’t help but laugh herself.
Wen Yao sat right next to the old lady with her shoulder resting against hers. Looking at the entire family, the sense of contentment in the depths of her heart was about to overflow.
It was truly wonderful. The whole family was doing well.
Now that Wen Xiuyi had received the imperial decree, he could openly and rightfully promote the new grains from then on. He ran to the fields almost every single day.
Magistrate Chen came to look for him several times. Aside from Gutong Village, there were quite a few other villages under Magistrate Chen’s jurisdiction. Now that Wen Xiuyi held this post of Minister of Agriculture, wasn’t managing these lands exactly his duty? It absolutely could not be wasted.
Every three to five days, Magistrate Chen would make a trip to call Wen Xiuyi away, making the villagers of Gutong Village act as though their own treasure was being snatched away by someone else. Each of them was incredibly anxious, deeply afraid this astronomical benefit would be stolen by another village.
The other villages certainly wanted to snatch it, but they couldn’t. However, quite a few people also came to beg before Wen Xiuyi, wishing to follow along and plant the new grains. They didn’t pray to be exempt from taxes like Gutong Village; they only prayed to let everyone eat their fill.
It was definitely impossible for this year, but Wen Xiuyi promised that next year, as long as it was a village in their Yunwu Town, they would all be able to receive the new grain seeds.
Even if what they harvested by then wasn’t enough to distribute, there was still the harvest from Qiu Rongrong’s manor. She had planted an entire manor’s worth after this wheat harvest.
If it truly, truly wasn’t enough to distribute, he could still have his daughter cheat a little. Although they couldn’t rely on the space, it should be used when it was time to use it.
Just like that, half a month passed. One day, when Wen Jun returned, he suddenly called Wen Yao and Wen Xiuyi into the room alone. He told them that Physician Jin’s son had sent a letter to Physician Jin, saying that Meng De had taken a leave of absence, claiming he was accompanying his wife back to their hometown to worship their ancestors. Based on the speed of the letter delivery and the speed of their travel on the road, the people should arrive in Yunwu Town in a matter of days.
Ever since Physician Jin found out about the Wen family’s affairs, he had constantly had his son, who was far away in the capital, keep an eye on Meng De’s every move. Lo and behold, the moment Meng De took his leave, Physician Jin’s son sent him a letter on his heels.
Although it wasn’t as fast as Li Yi’s carrier pigeons, it had still used an express delivery, so it was definitely faster than people traveling by foot.
The three sat silently in the room. This inevitable day was bound to come after all. It was just that compared to the date recorded in the original book regarding Meng De and Lady Liu coming back to take Datou away, it was already quite a few days late. They had originally thought that since Wen Xiuyi received the appreciation of His Majesty, it had caused that man surnamed Meng and Lady Liu to dispel this notion, never expecting it was merely delayed.
Wen Yao propped up her head to analyze: “Logically speaking, for a matter as grand as the new grains, it’s impossible for these officials to have absolutely zero news. Even Jin Xiuyi’s father knows about this new grain matter, so how could that man surnamed Meng not know? It’s just unknown whether they still want to make this trip truly to return to worship their ancestors or if they have other designs.”
Wen Xiuyi gave a cold snort. “Anyway, wanting to take Datou away is impossible.”
Wen Yao cast a glance at Wen Xiuyi. Although she didn’t want to demoralize her own old dad, she still decided to let him have some psychological preparation.
“Dad, we know what kind of virtue those two possess, so we don’t want them to take Datou away. But Datou himself doesn’t know! That Lady Liu is his birth mother no matter what, and Datou used to have a very good relationship with this mother of his. Don’t forget, what if Datou sees her, doesn’t want to part from her, and goes with her of his own accord?”
Wen Xiuyi: “…” Why did his heart suddenly feel so stifled?
Wen Jun furrowed his brow and said, “Dad, what Yao’er says is not without reason. The key point still depends on Datou.”
Wen Xiuyi looked at his son and daughter, speaking warily, “Then how about we let Datou go live at his godfather’s place for a period of time? When that lack-of-virtue Meng and Lady Liu come back to demand the boy, we’ll just say Datou isn’t at home?”
Wen Yao rolled her eyes. “Then what about the future? What if Datou returns later and hears the villagers say his mother came back, but we didn’t let him see her? That boy’s brain is so smart; what would he think?”
Wen Xiuyi grew anxious, scratching his head. “This won’t do, that won’t do either, then what do you two say we should do? We can’t just watch your younger brother jump into a fire pit. What those two are like, others might not know, but do you two still not know?”
Wen Yao and Wen Jun naturally knew. It was precisely because they knew that they had to find a way to solve this problem from the root.
Previously they hadn’t cared, but now that they were here, the path of Datou’s life absolutely could not be crooked. If they let the path of Datou’s life become crooked again, it would be a waste of the three of them coming for a trip to this world.
Wen Jun, who hadn’t spoken much all this time, looked at the two anxious faces and suddenly said, “I think we ought to ask for Datou’s own meaning.”
“Huh?” The two looked toward Wen Jun together.
Wen Jun continued, “We are a family now. No matter what matter we encountered before, Datou was always the one who had the right to participate and make decisions. Rather than us racking our brains here, it is better to tell Datou directly and let him make his own decision.”
Wen Xiuyi looked blank. “Will this work?”
Wen Jun: “Datou is very smart; the moment we speak, he will be able to understand. Some choices, we cannot make for him.”
Without a second word, Wen Yao stood up straight and went to the backyard to haul the boy over. Datou was still dripping with sweat from practicing his martial arts.
Like a little adult, he climbed onto a stool and poured himself a cup of water to drink down before asking, “Dad, Big Brother, Sister, what is wrong with you all?”
Wen Xiuyi opened his mouth, hesitating for a long time. “Datou…”
Wen Jun: “…”
In the end, it was still Wen Yao who spoke straight to the point: “Datou, Dad received news that Mother and the man she remarried are returning to Yunwu Town, claiming they are coming back to worship their ancestors. But we think they might be coming for you. I ask you, if Mother wants to take you away, will you go with her?”
This boy’s brain was incredibly smart. Could someone who began calculating against others in his teens in the original book be a fool?
With this single sentence from Wen Yao, Datou was instantly stunned speechless.
Wen Xiuyi’s heart also leaped into his throat along with it.
