The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity

Chapter 364 - 332: The Numbers Don’t Add Up (Second Update)

Your decisions and your child’s growth are important.

A single sentence, like the dawn breaking through the clouds, dispelled all the haze and tension in her chest.

The man’s gentle voice continued in her ear, "Before, I didn’t let you come back because Jinbao had just weaned and wasn’t at the age to learn anything. Leaving him with his grandmother wouldn’t make much difference. Besides, at that time, you had just entered the Hongwen Academy not long ago; quitting would mean all your previous efforts were in vain.

Now, after being away for more than a year, I believe you have encountered most of what you should learn. Coming back now, Jinbao needs you by his side, and for you, the loss isn’t too significant."

Wen Wan couldn’t describe the feeling of being understood and healed in her heart. She slightly raised her head, her gaze unwaveringly fixed on him, as if she had no other way to express her feelings to him besides a glance.

Song Wei chuckled lightly, "Why are you looking at me? Do you think I’m taking back what I just said?"

"No," Wen Wan lowered her head.

Song Wei couldn’t see her expression clearly, but he detected the shyness in her tone, "It’s just that every time I need something, you’re always coincidentally on my side." So the feeling was rather profound.

She didn’t voice the latter half of the sentence.

"Do you dislike me being on your side?" he asked with a smile.

The tone was clearly calm, yet somehow it felt as if he was teasing her.

Wen Wan avoided the trap he set, not directly saying she liked it, "No matter what, I have to thank you."

"Do we need to say thank you between us?" he queried again.

Influenced by the man, Wen Wan’s mood gradually became joyful. Hearing this, she looked up again, her gaze clear and mischievous, "Anyway, saying ’thank you’ doesn’t cost anything."

If it cost money, she wouldn’t say it.

Seeing that she was no longer upset like before, Song Wei’s lips curved slightly, "Should I go and speak to Mother about this, or will you explain it yourself?"

"I’ll explain it myself," Wen Wan said, "It’s not reasonable to have my husband step in for such matters."

Song Wei acknowledged with a hum; even if he didn’t know what strategy Wen Wan had prepared, he didn’t pry further.

He never excessively restricted her, be it in thoughts, words, or emotions.

At this age, he couldn’t let a moment’s anger lead him to speak harsh words he would regret, nor would he blindly get jealous if she talked to another man.

In his eyes, she was always a young girl twelve years his junior.

A young girl needs guidance to grow.

Although many times, she might not follow the direction he gives, sometimes even stepping out of his "control" range.

Song Wei didn’t find it annoying; he saw not her disobedience but the vibrant life under her carefree nature.

...

The little one went to bed without dinner, and Wen Wan guessed he would wake up during the night, so she sat waiting.

The weather turned cold, and the servant had put a fire basin in the room. Wen Wan, holding an embroidery hoop, had Song Wei’s coat draped over her shoulders.

Aside from the occasional popping sound from the fire basin, all that was left in the outer chamber was the rustling sound of Song Wei’s writing.

He was taking notes in preparation for discussing scriptures with the Emperor someday.

Sure enough, the little one woke soon after.

Wen Wan put down her embroidery hoop, went to the inner room, and saw him sitting by himself, rubbing his eyes with his chubby little hand. She quickly asked, "Jinbao, are you hungry?"

The little one seemed to remember the day’s events, looking at his mother with a fearful gaze, but he couldn’t withstand hunger, eventually nodding hesitantly.

The maid serving at Qingteng Residence was called Yun Cai. Given the Song family’s current condition, there was only one little maid in a courtyard.

After Wen Wan went outside, she instructed Yun Cai to bring some food from the kitchen for the little young master. Once Yun Cai left, she fetched a basin of warm water from the washhouse to wash her son’s face in the inner room.

Once the food was brought, Wen Wan gave him the spoon, letting him use it himself.

Jinbao, aside from reaching out for things, was generally strong in learning skills. He could hold a pen, grip a spoon, and eat without spilling food on his clothes.

Wen Wan personally watched him eat half a bowl of chicken soup rice before collecting the bowl.

The little one had slept long during the day and, now full, was quite energetic. But he didn’t dare fuss, afraid of being scolded by his mother, cuddling the cloth cow Wen Wan bought him a few months ago. He played for a while and then fell asleep.

After attending to her son, Wen Wan left the inner room.

Seeing Song Wei had already placed his pen aside, she recalled what she saw earlier on the street, "Did the Emperor open a special exam this year?"

Closing his book, Song Wei looked over, his eyes kind and gentle, "You noticed?"

"Went out to play today and happened to see the announcement," she replied.

Song Wei chuckled, "Xie Zheng’s batch is considered lucky; they don’t have to wait three years for the assessment."

Wen Wan was a little worried, "With such short notice, will he have enough time to prepare?"

"This year, it’s easier for scholars taking the exam to succeed," Song Wei said. "Similarly, Xie Zheng’s assessment standards won’t be too harsh; as long as he doesn’t falter at crucial moments, his assessment scores shouldn’t be poor."

——

The next day, only Song Wei woke early, and Uncle Qiao sent him to the Hanlin Academy, while Uncle Lin waited for Wen Wan at the gatehouse.

When Granny Song arrived on time, she heard Yun Cai say that the lady had not yet risen and was taken aback, "Did she oversleep or is it a holiday today?"

Yun Cai shook her head and said she didn’t know.

Granny Song glanced at the tightly closed door, not intending to interrupt, and just as she turned around, she heard a voice from inside; it was Wen Wan calling her.

Granny Song turned her head, and Wen Wan, already dressed, stood by the doorframe, smiling warmly at her and called her "mother" again.

Granny Song asked, "You don’t need to go to Hongwen Academy today?"

Wen Wan nodded, "The teacher said I’ve finished most of my courses and can leave early."

"What?"

Granny Song couldn’t quite wrap her head around it.

Wen Wan explained again. In essence, she said that during her time at Hongwen Academy, she was diligent and studious. What others took two or three years to learn, she mastered in a year and a half. So the teacher meant she could leave early, freeing up a spot for new students in the Academy, which had a fixed number of students.

"So, from now on, you’ll stay at home and take care of the child?"

Wen Wan said yes.

Having been accustomed to taking her grandson to play in her room at this hour every day, Granny Song felt a bit empty inside. After a long while, she waved her hand, "Alright then, you take care of him. I’ll stroll around the garden and feed the fish."

Not long after Granny Song left, Jinbao woke up.

Surprised to see his mother at home, he felt a little uncomfortable.

Wen Wan first took the little one to the bathroom, then washed his face, changed his clothes, and after breakfast, asked him what he wanted to do today.

Jinbao pointed outside.

"Do you want to see the flowers or feed the fish?"

"Draw." The little one articulated clearly.

"Alright, later on, mommy will teach you how to draw a picture with flowers and fish, and include a parrot, how about that?"

Mentioning something he liked, Jinbao grinned, with features a bit resembling his father.

Looking at him, Wen Wan seemed to see Song Wei, and her heart grew calmer.

——

The matter of Wen Wan’s withdrawal from school was handled swiftly by Song Wei within a few days.

Meanwhile, Xie Zheng had entered an intense exam preparation phase, visiting the Song family twice during this time. It was all to seek advice from Song Wei, who generously shared everything with him.

The Shuchang Hall’s final exam was even more advanced than the imperial exams. Future fate depended completely on this test. Those who passed would formally enter the Hanlin Academy, those who did not pass could only find minor positions in the Six Ministries, and the less fortunate might be assigned to local positions.

At this final critical stage, Xie Zheng and his fellow scholars exerted more effort than during their period of hard study, all striving desperately to enter the Hanlin Academy.

Finally, the Shuchang Hall exams concluded at the end of October.

Among over a hundred candidates, Xie Zheng secured a spot in the top ten, directly entering the Hanlin Academy as an editor, just like Song Wei did when he first joined the Hanlin Academy.

The once failed scholar now stepped into the Hanlin Academy, a reserve for talents, marking the end of Xie Zheng’s hardships.

Aunt Xie, overjoyed, discussed with Uncle Xie about hosting two tables for a small celebration; it wasn’t grand, but enough to cheerfully commemorate the occasion.

Uncle Xie agreed, and Xie Zheng did not object.

Apart from the Song family and the Xu family, he also invited a few of his colleagues.

On the day Wen Wan and her family went to the Xie family for dinner, a light snow was falling. The soft rustling sound of snowflakes against the carriage curtains heralded the imminent arrival of winter.

Jinbao, dressed up like a little cotton ball, sat round and plump between his father and mother.

Wen Wan, having spent over a month at home with him, subtly adjusted the little one’s "anything he wants, he gets" attitude.

...

Outside it was snowing, and the Xie family’s banquet was set in the side room, with male guests apart from female guests, Jinbao sat with his mother.

Knowing her son loved meatballs, Wen Wan put a few into his small bowl as soon as they were served, then chatted with Yang and the others.

Now that Xie Zheng was officially an official, Yang was formally an official’s wife, which made her speech more confident than before.

Wen Wan observed Xie Tao’s wife, who seemed to sense better days ahead and spoke politely, a far cry from her previous sharp and tart demeanor.

From their sister-in-law conversations, Wen Wan learned that when Xie Zheng became an Advanced Scholar, they leased out two thousand mu of land, and this year’s harvest was good. Since they lived in the Capital and couldn’t attend to it, they hired a steward to manage it. Once the grains entered the granary, they were sold in bulk at prices lower than the market.

By now, most were sold, and the rest were planned to be shipped to the Capital for personal use.

The land the Song family had leased out was four hundred mu free of charge; the rest required grain payment.

Wen Wan and Song Wei didn’t have time to manage it, so before heading to Beijing, they asked Father Wen to oversee it and agreed he would sell the grains afterward, with him receiving a thirty percent profit margin.

Father Wen never expected to take a thirty percent margin from their family, his intention was genuinely to help his daughter.

After the winter month, at the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, Wen Wan received money sent by Father Wen, amounting to over two hundred taels, along with a letter.

The letter stated that it was the profit from selling the grain reclaimed from the leased land, but when Wen Wan calculated with the abacus, the amount was significantly more and didn’t match the amount of land they had leased out.