Chapter 130: Let Them All Be Day Students
Wen Yao prepared two large tables of dishes and secretly brought out two bottles of fine wine from her space. Only then did the whole family, along with the village chief, sit down to eat.
The moment the wine touched their lips, Doctor Jin and Manager Qiu’s eyes lit up. Even after knowing the Wen family for so long, they still couldn’t figure out what kind of extraordinary people they really were.
But in the end, good food was meant to be eaten, good wine meant to be drunk, and tea meant to be enjoyed. As for where the Wen family came from—who cared? The two men had long since learned to take things as they came.
“Uncle, our village is pitiful. Why is it that we have the most people but always lag behind others?” A few cups in, the village chief’s drunkenness was visibly setting in. He clung to Old Man Wen, sobbing with snot and tears.
Old Man Wen was in high spirits today and hadn’t kept himself in check. By now, he was also a bit dazed.
“What? What did you say?” he asked, scratching his ear, seemingly unable to hear clearly.
Old Madam Luo shot a glare at the village chief and stood up. “Jun, Nong, take the chief home.” Then she turned to the slightly tipsy Doctor Jin and Manager Qiu and apologized, “Doctor Jin, Manager Qiu, sorry you had to see that.”
The two men, their cheeks flushed, waved it off without hesitation. “No worries, no worries. It’s a happy day! Come, another drink!”
Old Madam Luo rolled her eyes. Hmph, not a single one of them decent.
Wen Jun and Wen Nong helped the village chief home. The chief refused to leave, tugging at Old Man Wen’s pant leg with zero dignity. “Uncle, your family’s really something…”
Old Madam Luo frowned and quickly barked at her grandsons before Old Man Wen could speak, “Hurry up and go!”
And just like that, the chief was dragged home. The moment he lay on his kang bed, he began to snore. Whether he’d been truly drunk at the Wen house or just pretending, no one could say.
Old Man Wen was also driven off by Old Madam Luo to go sleep. Only Wen Xiuyi and his brothers remained with Doctor Jin and Manager Qiu to finish off the wine. In the end, they all collapsed.
Doctor Jin and Manager Qiu were taken home by Hong Hai. Jin Xiuyi, ever the rascal, refused to leave and ended up curled up on a bed with Wen Nong.
Wen Yao didn’t bother with them. Tomorrow, the two boys had to go to the academy anyway.
Once the mess in the house was cleaned up, Old Madam Luo finally sat down with drooping shoulders. She summoned her two daughters-in-law, and as always, Wen Yao cheekily snuggled in beside her.
“Second son’s wife, third son’s wife,” Old Madam Luo began with a cough, “I know you’ve both thought in the past that I was biased, only caring about the eldest branch.”
Lady Li and Lady Cai exchanged a glance, uncertain what she meant. Lady Cai, not much of a talker, nudged Lady Li forward.
Lady Li hesitated. Though she couldn’t say she’d never cared about it, she also couldn’t lie. “Mom, that’s all in the past. Why bring it up now? We’re all one family.”
Old Madam Luo glanced at them and nodded. “Yes, the past is the past. I called you both here just to talk things through.”
“This time, Wen Fa and Wen Jin going to school is all thanks to Manager Qiu. And the school fees were paid by the eldest—he took out thirty taels of silver, as you know.”
Lady Li and Lady Cai exchanged another look and nodded. Of course they knew. Without that money, the children wouldn’t have been able to go to school.
Old Madam Luo continued, “Schooling is sorted. Now whether they board or commute, I want to hear what you two think.”
When the 200 wen monthly boarding and meal fee came to mind, both women’s faces showed hesitation.
Seeing that, Old Madam Luo had a pretty good idea. She went on, “Here’s what I think. Wen Jun has to go to Doctor Jin’s every day. Wen Nong needs to run his stall. So let the ox cart handle transporting them all. Each morning, whoever’s free between your two families takes them. That way, we save 200 wen a month, which can be used for ink and paper. What do you think?”
“Of course, if you already have plans or can afford the 200 wen, your children can board at the academy.”
Before the two could respond, Wen Yao raised her hand first. “Grandma, Da Nong should live at home. My brother can take him. He’s still so young. What if he gets bullied at school?”
“We’re just peasants sending our kids to that kind of school—it’s hard enough. And the other students there, what kind of families do they come from? If our kids live there and pick up bad habits, what then?”
As she spoke, Wen Yao slyly winked at Old Madam Luo and snuck a glance at her two aunts.
It wasn’t that she was reluctant to spend money, but going from thrift to extravagance was easy—coming back was hard. Wen Xiuyi’s past was living proof.
Lady Li and Lady Cai had originally planned to grit their teeth and earn the extra 200 wen somehow. After all, boarding meant closer proximity to the teachers and better access for asking questions. It also helped kids build connections with classmates.
But Wen Yao’s words struck like a bolt of lightning and woke them up.
Right—what if the boys turned bad? Wasn’t that exactly how Wen Xiuyi had gone astray back then?
Both women immediately sobered. Boarding? Absolutely not. Home it was—had to be.
“Mom, you’re right. They should stay at home. During the busy season, they can even help with chores after class,” Lady Li nodded repeatedly, and Lady Cai echoed her.
Old Madam Luo saw right through them and understood what Wen Yao’s earlier words were about.
So she said bluntly, “Then it’s settled. School starts tomorrow. Go talk to them and make it clear: they’d better behave at school. If I hear of any nonsense, don’t blame me for breaking their legs and dragging them home.”
The bitter lesson from before was still fresh.
Lady Li and Lady Cai nodded and backed out of the room.
Now only grandmother and granddaughter remained. Old Madam Luo held Wen Yao’s hand and sighed deeply.
“I know boarding would be better for studying… but sigh.”
Wen Yao consoled her, “It’s fine, Grandma. Once they’ve settled down and built some discipline, if commuting gets too hard, we can always let them board later.”
Old Madam Luo nodded. “That’s true.”
“Oh right, how’s your business with Madam Xie going? Don’t worry, Grandma’s not after your money—I just want to make sure you’re not being bullied. The Xie family is big and powerful.”
Wen Yao snuggled up to her shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. Sister Qiu is great. I gave her two more dishes and a dessert on top of the first two recipes this month. The dishes are part of our deal, the dessert was a gift. I heard Drunken Immortal Restaurant’s business is booming now, all thanks to those new dishes. You just wait, Grandma. Your granddaughter’s going to earn you a fortune.”
Old Madam Luo’s eyes grew misty. She playfully glared at her. “Forget the fortune. I just want this family to stay peaceful, without any more trouble.”
