Chapter 227: Chapter 212: Can’t Let Him Fail Every Time
Having promised to help Lin Xiaoyue record the key points of the teacher’s lectures, Wen Wan’s tasks became much heavier than usual. She would usually listen to the lecture once, digest the content herself, and then summarize the useful parts to write in her booklet.
Because of this, she was always the last one to leave the Hongwen Academy every evening.
This day was no exception. After most of the other students had left, Wen Wan slowly gathered her things and walked out.
Uncle Lin was already accustomed to Madam being the last to leave and sat peacefully on the cart shaft waiting for her.
Seeing Wen Wan, he greeted her with a smile.
Wen Wan nodded in acknowledgment. Just as she was about to lift the curtain and get into the carriage, she heard Uncle Lin say, "I don’t know if this old slave saw it wrong, but it seems there’s a young boy from the Imperial College across the way who has been observing Madam recently."
"Observing me?" Wen Wan paused as she was getting into the carriage, clutching the small cloth bag in her hand. Inside the bag was the booklet she had prepared for Lin Xiaoyue.
She turned her head to look in the direction of the Imperial College but didn’t see anyone; however, she distinctly felt a pair of eyes watching her.
This was the first time she had encountered such a situation, and Wen Wan felt a little uneasy. Tiny goosebumps appeared on her delicate skin. She asked Uncle Lin, "Did you get a good look at what the other person looked like?"
Uncle Lin shook his head, "It’s too far away, I couldn’t see clearly."
Wen Wan felt puzzled, "Then how did Uncle Lin notice him?"
Uncle Lin recalled the situation a few days ago when he was sending Madam. He was about to turn the carriage around to leave when he noticed a young boy standing across the street, peering over in this direction.
At first, Uncle Lin thought the boy might be looking at someone else, so he didn’t pay much mind. But to his surprise, the same thing happened for several days in a row. Every time Madam went to and from the Hongwen Academy, the boy was there, just watching from afar with no other actions.
Wen Wan found the whole situation too strange, especially since she hadn’t had any bad premonitions recently. Deep down, she suspected that maybe Uncle Lin’s old eyes had misinterpreted things, or that there was indeed a "young boy" as he mentioned, but the person’s target might not necessarily be her.
Thinking this way, Wen Wan quickly dismissed the psychological burden and got into the carriage feeling at ease.
After spending the whole day at the academy, she finally had a moment to relax.
The carriage was empty except for her, so Wen Wan stretched her legs onto the wide seat, leaned her back against the side wall, and placed a large embroidered carp cushion behind her waist, settling into a very comfortable position.
As the carriage started to move, Wen Wan thought of something, reached out, and parted the curtain slightly to peek outside.
Next to the camphor trees outside the archway of the Imperial College, there indeed appeared to be a figure walking further and further away.
Wen Wan was unsure if this was the young boy Uncle Lin had seen, but she didn’t think too much about it, shifted her gaze back inside, and closed her eyes for a short nap.
By the time they arrived home, Granny Song had already finished cooking.
Jinbao was sitting on the armchair, his chubby hands tapping a spoon against a bowl incessantly.
He wasn’t hungry, just being mischievous.
Wen Wan heard the sound from afar and immediately thought of her son. Upon entering the main hall, she saw it was indeed the little rascal and immediately shot him a stern look, "What are you doing?"
Seeing his mother, Jinbao’s drumming intensified, and he grinned, revealing a few of his top and bottom front teeth.
Wen Wan always felt that this smile of the little rascal’s carried a hint of trying to win favor after doing something naughty.
After washing her hands thoroughly and drying them, Wen Wan went to the kitchen to help Granny Song bring out the dishes.
Granny Song hesitated for a moment but eventually told her what had happened during the day.
The teacher of yesterday’s calligraphy and painting class had assigned a task to paint a simple mountain and stone picture.
Wen Wan had fiddled with it for a long time upon returning home and only managed to finish it with her husband’s guidance before bed, leaving it on the desk to dry. In her rush to leave this morning, she forgot to bring it along.
Jinbao at some point snuck into the study and overturned her ink wash from the night before, spilling all the water and ruining the painting.
Listening to this, Wen Wan merely laughed.
Granny Song helping out with childcare was already a huge blessing; there was no reason for her to blame her for not keeping a better eye on Jinbao. If anyone was to blame, it would have to be she and her husband for not having time to stay home with the child.
She wasn’t angry and told Granny Song it was alright. After dinner, she would just paint another one, asking Granny Song not to worry about it.
Afterwards, she carried the dishes to the main hall where Song Wei had already taken a seat.
Wen Wan arranged the dishes and asked him, "Husband, why did you come back so late today?"
Song Wei replied, "There was a matter at the government office that held me up."
Wen Wan shifted her gaze to Jinbao beside him.
The little rascal, now having his father’s protection, stopped tapping his bowl and sat there boldly, as if expecting to be fed.
Wen Wan sat down, gently tugged at his ear, "You little rascal, do your hands itch if you don’t cause trouble for a day?"
Though being gentle, the little guy was still quite frightened by her, worried he’d actually get a tug. He stretched out his chubby hands to push Wen Wan’s hand away.
Song Wei caught a hint of meaning from her words, "Has Jinbao done something wrong again?"
"The painting you guided me on last night, I forgot to take it to Hongwen Academy, and when I got back, I heard from mother that Jinbao knocked over the ink wash and ruined it."
Song Wei asked her, "Is it still in time to paint it again?"
"That’s the only way."
Wen Wan paused for a moment, looking at Song Wei, "Actually, that’s not what I wanted to say. You see, Jinbao is so naughty, he’s not even a year old and already hard to manage. I’m worried about mother being too tired. How about I don’t go to Hongwen Academy and stay home to take care of the child? What do you think?"
She didn’t explicitly say that she feared her mother-in-law couldn’t handle it well, as such words indeed shouldn’t be spoken.
Jinbao gets into trouble every few days. Damaging things is a small matter, but if an accident happened and he got hurt, there wouldn’t be a place to regret it.
However, Song Wei disagreed with Wen Wan staying back, "With your current appearance, it’s easy to disguise yourself as a young maiden barely of age to enter Hongwen Academy. In a few years, even if a slot is available right in front of you, you wouldn’t be able to enter. Many things need to be learned early on; otherwise, the more you worry about in the future, the harder it will be for you to calm your mind.
In the Capital, knowledge and experience are like a pass that determines which social circles you can enter. If I climb higher in the future, and you get mocked for lacking certain knowledge, it’s not a disgrace to me, but rather me failing as a husband."
Wen Wan was left speechless by his words.
After a long pause, she lowered her head and softly said, "I understand. I won’t lightly speak of wanting to return again."
Seeing her sincere attitude, Song Wei’s tone softened, "You don’t need to worry about Jinbao. I’ll buy a servant who’ll solely focus on watching over him."
...
After dinner, Granny Song heard from Song Wei about buying a servant, and she was displeased, asking, "Are you two thinking that I can’t manage Jinbao well?"
Song Wei said that wasn’t the case; he just didn’t want mother to be too worn out.
"I’m not working the fields; I just need to cook for you a few times a day and take care of the child as well. How is that tiring? You spend money to have someone else do it, but can they be as good as family?"
Song Wei replied, "If you’re not comfortable, once the servant is bought, she can do the laundry and housework, leaving you only to take care of Jinbao."
This change made Granny Song think it was reasonable, but she still grumbled, "Actually, at my age, doing laundry and cooking is not an issue, but if you must buy a servant, it’s just another unnecessary expense."
Without careful consideration, Song Wei wouldn’t easily bring it up. Since he brought it up, he wouldn’t easily take it back.
Granny Song grumbled but knew Third Son’s stubbornness, that once he wanted to do something, even ten oxen couldn’t pull him back, so she eventually agreed to buy a servant for the household.
——
It was rare for both Song Wei and Wen Wan to have a day off on the same day, so they both stayed home.
After lunch, Song Wei suggested going to the broker to buy a handy servant woman.
Before going out, Wen Wan, who hadn’t felt a premonition in a long time, seemed uneasy.
Song Wei noticed and didn’t rush her, bending down to pull out a chair for her to sit.
Wen Wan sat for a while before telling him what she saw.
——The couple originally planned to buy a servant woman at the broker’s that day, but when they got there, they couldn’t find a suitable candidate. The shopkeeper told them that there might be new candidates in three days and suggested they come back then.
Three days later, they went again, but instead of finding a servant woman they liked, there was a new girl there who seemed promising.
The shopkeeper kept recommending her, saying she had served a master in a wealthy household and was adept in all household chores.
Wen Wan asked her a few questions, and the young girl answered flawlessly, leaving Wen Wan satisfied, so she bought the girl.
Who would have thought that she wasn’t a proper maid but someone taken out of a brothel, paid to harm Song Wei.
Just on her first night at the Song Mansion, she found an opportunity to drug Song Wei with an aphrodisiac.
...
Entering officialdom is like stepping into a deep sea.
Song Wei was psychologically prepared for these petty tricks; he just didn’t expect them to come so quickly, asking Wen Wan, "Can you see who set this up?"
Wen Wan sighed, "Unless something unexpected occurred, it’s still that person."
That person? Who else could it be but an old acquaintance?
Last time they couldn’t set off the fireworks, this time they changed to a new trick.
Gossip about a colorful affair in the household upon entering the Hanlin, once colleagues find out, Song Wei’s future official career will be at risk.
Song Wei was silent for a moment and then said, "Buy her."
Wen Wan looked at him in confusion, "Not avoiding this?"
Song Wei replied in a playful tone, "Since we’re acquainted, I can’t let him fail every time."
Wen Wan could tell he was speaking ironically, and a smile appeared on her lips, "Since you’ve already thought it through, let’s buy her."