Chapter 114: Time to Go to School
Zui Xian Tower truly deserved its reputation as the largest restaurant in Yunwu Town. The building alone had three floors.
The first floor was a bustling hall filled with people coming and going. The second floor held private rooms, perfect for meetings or small gatherings. The third floor was made up entirely of large, elegant suites. Inside each was a spacious dining table, cushioned couches, tea tables, and even a guqin. The walls were decorated with various calligraphy and paintings.
The waiter led everyone into the private room and busied himself pouring tea and water.
“That’s enough, you can go now. We’ll handle the rest ourselves,” Doctor Jin said.
The waiter immediately stopped and replied respectfully, “Doctor Jin, I’ll wait outside the door. Just call if you need anything.”
Doctor Jin nodded. “It’s still early. We’ll call you when it’s time to serve the dishes.”
“Understood. Please rest first.” The waiter withdrew and thoughtfully closed the door behind him.
As soon as he left, the Wen family finally relaxed. Madam Li patted her chest and said, “Oh my, I never imagined we’d one day eat at Zui Xian Tower. Did you notice how everyone downstairs kept staring at us?”
Several teenagers were already looking around excitedly. Datou and Jin Xiuyi had rushed to the window, craning their necks to look outside, with Shopkeeper Qiu accompanying them. Wen Nong and Wen Fa followed closely, while Wen Jin glanced outside briefly before studying the calligraphy and paintings in the room.
Wen Ying leaned beside Datou, and the three youngest children chatted from time to time. Wen Di was curious about the guqin but didn’t dare approach it alone, so she pulled Wen Yao with her.
Doctor Jin, Old Man Wen, and Madam Luo had already taken their seats. Wen Jun stood nearby attending to them. Old Man Wen also wanted to join the children by the window, but he had to maintain his dignity and remained seated.
Wen Xiuzhu and Wen Xiuqing could hardly hide their excitement, pulling Wen Xiuyi aside and bombarding him with questions, clearly inexperienced with such luxuries. Seeing Doctor Jin smiling warmly, Madam Luo felt a little embarrassed.
“Doctor Jin, please forgive our lack of manners.”
Doctor Jin stroked his beard. “It’s lively—things are only lively when there are many people.”
Noticing Old Man Wen’s longing gaze toward the window, Doctor Jin suggested, “The view from the third-floor rooms is excellent. Shall we go take a look?”
Old Man Wen’s eyes lit up. “Alright, let’s go.”
They went to the window and saw most of Yunwu Town spread out below. The streets were crowded, decorated with colorful lanterns. It was beautiful, though it was still daytime and the lanterns hadn’t yet shown their full brilliance.
Meanwhile, Wen Yao accompanied Wen Di at the guqin and could tell how much she liked it.
“You like it?” Wen Yao asked.
Wen Di blushed and nodded. “I do.”
When Wen Yao took her hand, she froze at the roughness of it. Wen Di had worked since childhood, so her hands were coarse. Although Wen Yao was also a daughter of the Wen family, Madam Liu had raised her like a sheltered young lady. She rarely did chores and hardly entered the kitchen, and Madam Luo never forced her.
Seeing the stark difference between their hands, Wen Yao suddenly placed Wen Di’s hand on the guqin. “If you like it, try playing.”
The moment Wen Di touched the instrument, she quickly pulled her hand back. “My hands are rough. What if I damage it? We couldn’t afford to pay for it.”
Feeling a pang of sympathy, Wen Yao placed her hand back on the strings. “A guqin is meant to be played. Try it. Don’t be afraid—it won’t break so easily.”
Tempted, Wen Di hesitated before gently touching the strings.
A clear, beautiful note rang out.
“It sounds so nice.” Her eyes were full of longing, but when she looked at her hands again, a trace of inferiority flashed across her eyes.
At the window, the older adults soon returned after standing for a while and overheard Wen Yao encouraging Wen Di to play.
“So, you girls like this?” Doctor Jin asked with a smile.
Wen Yao quickly waved her hands. “Not me—my sister likes it.”
Wen Di’s face flushed bright red. “No, I don’t…” She glanced at Madam Luo like a child who had done something wrong and lowered her head.
Madam Luo looked confused. “If you like it, then you like it. What are you afraid of?”
She sighed inwardly. She could see her granddaughter liked it, but could families like theirs afford such things? Being born into their kind of household had delayed the children.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Shopkeeper Qiu spoke up. “Uncle Wen, Aunt Wen, don’t you plan to send the children to school?”
Everyone reacted differently.
Wen Nong and Wen Fa tried to shrink into the background. Datou looked confused—he didn’t think he wouldn’t be allowed to attend school. Wen Jin’s eyes lit up briefly before dimming again.
Old Man Wen coughed. “We’re farmers. We don’t expect great success. Their eldest uncle teaches them at home. As long as they can recognize some characters and won’t be cheated in the future, that’s enough.”
They simply couldn’t afford it. Wen Xiuyi alone had nearly drained the family’s savings. Datou was smart and couldn’t be delayed, but that meant the other children might have no chance.
“It’s still better to attend school,” Shopkeeper Qiu said. “If you want to send the children, I know an academy in the city. I can cover the tuition.”
The Wen family was stunned. After recovering, Old Man Wen repeatedly declined.
“Shopkeeper Qiu, we appreciate your kindness. I know you and Doctor Jin want to help us, but we can’t trouble you like this. Even if the children go to school, we’ll support them ourselves, even if we have to sell everything.”
Wen Xiuyi added, “My father is right. We’ll figure it out ourselves. We won’t delay the children.”
Shopkeeper Qiu didn’t insist. “Alright. If you need help, just tell me. We’re like family—don’t be polite.”
Wen Xiuyi nodded. “We’ll need your help finding a good academy.”
Shopkeeper Qiu laughed. “No problem.”
Hearing this conversation, everyone except Datou and Wen Jin looked miserable, silently hoping that after today, their grandparents and uncle would forget about the matter.
