The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity

Chapter 857 - 812: Unexpected Change (3 Updates)

Song Jiao chuckled, "That girl Yun Duo, her mouth is really too big."

Liang Jun listened and sighed softly, "I’m worried she’ll come again. Maybe you should agree with her, otherwise this constant fuss might end up being bad for you."

"I can’t agree." Song Jiao shook her head decisively, "You don’t know Qi Qi’s temperament. If I agree and things don’t work out, she’ll blame me. If everything does work out and she regrets it later, she’ll still blame me. This is a thankless task. Even my third aunt didn’t intervene, so why should it fall to me, a married-out daughter, to handle?"

"But I’m afraid she won’t give up." Liang Jun’s tone was full of worry.

"Then I’ll just play Tai Chi with her. As she can come, I can manage." Song Jiao was determined not to help Song Qi.

As it turned out, Liang Jun’s worries were justified. The next evening, after school, Song Qi didn’t rush back to the Song Mansion but came to find Song Jiao first thing.

Looking at her manner, it was clear she wouldn’t stop until Song Jiao nodded.

When Liang Jun returned from the Hanlin Academy and saw Song Qi still there, he said a few words to her, telling her not to just think of herself but also to consider that her elder sister was still heavily pregnant and couldn’t overwork herself.

Hearing this, Song Qi’s eyes reddened, "If Xie Feng were as outstanding as my brother-in-law, would I need to keep causing such a fuss over this marriage?"

Those words angered Song Jiao.

...

Wen Wan and the others had dinner at the Wen Family’s and then returned to their house to rest for the night. The next day they returned to the Upper River Village.

It had been a few years since they last came back, and the village wasn’t quite the same as before.

Due to the earthquake, several families had moved away. Those who remained were mostly elderly, likely scared out of their wits by the tremors, and the young people had moved to the city, fearing to live in the countryside anymore.

There weren’t many Song Family members left, but the Clan Leader’s family was still firmly settled in the village. Thanks to the aid from Zhao Xunyin and his wife at the time, who also oversaw the court’s relief grain and silver, what was allocated to Ningzhou wasn’t severely cut down along the way. So by the time help reached the county, each disaster-stricken household received relief, and the collapsed homes were rebuilt.

News that Song Wei had become the Imperial Tutor had long spread throughout the Upper and Lower River Village. Now, no one called him a jinx anymore. Everyone said that the first twenty years were heaven’s way of testing him, and because he withstood it, he achieved current glory. Even the storytellers in the county had crafted various versions: one said Song Wei was a deity in disguise enduring trials, another said heaven had misplaced his fortune and corrected it later, and thus Song Wei embarked on a prosperous path.

In short, everywhere there were words of praise and emotion, unlike before when people might curse him to his face.

At this moment, the entrance to the Clan Leader’s yard was crowded with villagers. People from not only the Upper River Village but also the Lower River Village and nearby villages had come, all wanting to see what the once-cursed jinx, now the esteemed Imperial Tutor, had become.

Song Wei was still the same Song Wei—apart from being more mature, his handsome features hadn’t changed much.

But in the villagers’ eyes, the change was tremendous; upon seeing him, they all wanted to kneel and bow.

Of course, Song Wei didn’t allow it. Seeing the number of attendees, he took the opportunity to distribute gifts bought from the Capital.

Everyone was naturally grateful, expressing regret for their past grievances.

Song Wei didn’t dwell on it; his time was limited. He barely sat for long before leaving with Song Erlang to accompany Old Song and the Clan Leader to inspect land for rebuilding the ancestral shrine. Besides the shrine, they also planned to build a village school, saying they would invite a learned teacher from the Capital to enlighten the village children.

The Clan Leader was overjoyed upon hearing this, his smile deepening.

Wen Wan, having no place in the men’s affairs, took Yun Cailong, Qi Bao, and Jinbao to Lower River Village, planning to visit her aunt’s place.

The Second Lang’s wife, concerned for her family, took Duobao and two maidservants to the Tian Family Manor.

Granny Song was taken inside by the Clan Leader’s wife for a chat.

During this visit, Granny Song was particularly concerned about one person aside from the ancestral shrine. She asked the Clan Leader’s wife, "The one-eyed fortune teller from the town before, is he still practicing?"

The Clan Leader’s wife thought for a long time before recalling who Granny Song meant, sighing as she shook her head, "He passed away from illness several years ago."

"Why don’t good people live long?" Granny Song lamented. She had originally planned to see the fortune teller and, regardless of whether he wanted silver or property, give it to him as a token of gratitude.

After all, if it hadn’t been for him, the Third Son wouldn’t have married, and if the Third Son’s wife hadn’t come, he wouldn’t have his current glory.

On this matter, she wasn’t miserly but didn’t expect the fortune teller to have passed. Truly, life is unpredictable.

...

There were too many of them to stay in the village for long without accommodation. Once Song Wei and the Clan Leader finalized the land, they returned en masse to the county.

Regarding the ancestral shrine and village school, Song Wei only took care of the funding, leaving the labor to the villagers. This was also the Clan Leader’s idea, saying that many village families weren’t affluent enough and this would allow them to earn some New Year’s money.

Song Wei had no objections.

On Wen Wan’s end, the matter of the house wasn’t easy to settle and required them to stay a few more days.

Hearing of their return, Wen Shun hurriedly rushed back from the Prefecture. Upon reaching the county, he immediately inquired from Father Wen about Wen Wan and their residence, arriving in a rush to see Song Wei.

Looking at Wen Shun’s sweaty appearance, Song Wei found it amusing, "We’re not leaving anytime soon; you didn’t need to hurry so much."

Wen Shun, wiping sweat as he caught his breath, sat down before he could speak, "Brother-in-law, I heard you’re now the Holy Emperor’s teacher. Is it true?"

Song Wei nodded.

"That’s incredible!" Wen Shun genuinely admired, "In the Prefecture, where I run my shop, I hear all sorts of rumors about you, brother-in-law. The storytellers spin such wild tales, and I thought it’d be great to meet you someday so I could brag to others."

"Don’t go around bragging." Wen Wan approached, pouring him some tea, "Your brother-in-law detests when family members flaunt his name. If he hears anything, beware of the consequences!"

Wen Shun, taking the tea, chuckled, "I was just joking. If I dared to flaunt his name for deceit, I wouldn’t still be waiting for a travel pass."

Wen Wan blinked, "What travel pass?"

Wen Shun explained, "I’ve never been to the Capital and wanted to expand my shop there for experience. Unfortunately, the government office keeps giving me the runaround and won’t issue the pass. I’m at a loss, so that’s where it stands."

Glancing at Song Wei, Wen Wan received a nod from him, "If you’re serious about going to the Capital, I can assist with the travel pass."

He then frowned slightly, "Getting a pass usually isn’t difficult. Why is the government office refusing you?"

"They probably think I’m too young!" Wen Shun scratched his head, "Since my parents aren’t going, and it’s just me, they say I’m too young and won’t issue it."

Wen Wan pondered, realizing that her adoptive father had reasons for not wanting to go to the Capital. Given their circumstances, encounters between the father, mother, and biological parents could always be awkward.

In light of this, Wen Wan said, "Your parents are homebodies, reluctant to leave Ningzhou, and that’s quite normal. But you’re young and should explore. Leave the travel pass to your brother-in-law. If you can manage, you can join us when we leave."

"That won’t work." Wen Shun said, "I still have plenty of matters to sort out in the Prefecture, so I can’t leave immediately. I probably won’t be able to go until next spring, but I’ll definitely come to the Capital then."

...

Knowing Song Wei’s tight schedule, Wen Wan dared not slack off. As soon as she had a moment, she went out to look at properties. She finally bought one she liked, and just after the deed and keys were exchanged, she received an urgent letter from the Capital, written by Xie Zheng.

Upon reading its contents, Wen Wan’s face turned pale.