HCB Chapter 93 Wang Ping's Thoughts
Chapter 93 Wang Ping's Thoughts
At Wen Yuxia's insistence, Wen Dashan accepted the house deed, and the four of them drove a mule cart towards Xinghua Village.
On the way, Grandpa Wen sighed and said, "Da Ya has money and status, why won't she help her cousins?"
As the eldest member of the Wen family, Mr. Wen expressed his hope that his great-grandchildren could achieve success through the influence of Wen Yuxia.
Wen Dashan's face was gloomy, and he didn't reply. His three most capable grandsons were studying in the county town, while his other grandsons in the village weren't cut out for studying and had already dropped out to farm at home.
He immediately understood the true purpose behind Old Master Wen's words: it was for the sake of Wen Zhihua and his son Wen Zicai, both of whom were students who had passed the imperial examinations. Old Master Wen was considering having Wen Yuxia sponsor them.
Recently, Wen Zhihua has been frequently seen loitering around his house. It's likely that he's been whispering something in the ear of Old Master Wen's ear, causing Old Master Wen's heart to lean towards the first wife again.
"Grandpa, only Hai'er, Qing'er, and Hong'er in our family have the talent for studying. Didn't Daya send the three of them to study at the county academy? How do you want Daya to help them? You can't possibly force the little ones at home who are farming to study!"
After Wen Zihua finished speaking, he found it funny and couldn't help but chuckle.
Old Master Wen was just worried that no one would respond and he wouldn't be able to delve deeper into the topic, but Wen Zihua's remarks gave him just the right opportunity to speak:
“Those kids in the family aren’t cut out for studying. I’m talking about your uncle and cousin. They passed the preliminary examination for the imperial examination years ago…”
Old Master Wen's earnest words implied that Wen Yunhong and the other two were still too young, and even if they passed the imperial examinations, they would not be entrusted with important responsibilities.
Wen Zhihua is over fifty, and Wen Zicai is also an adult. If given a chance, they will definitely enter officialdom before Wen Yunhong and others.
Wen Dashan looked at Old Master Wen with a mocking expression and said coldly, "Father, the kinship is severed. You and Mother both have your fingerprints on the severance agreement. You two are with Wen Zhihua. I'll have my second son help you move later."
Wen Dashan knew how to manipulate Old Master Wen. Upon hearing this, Old Master Wen lost all interest. He chuckled sheepishly and said, "That's right, you've severed ties with the eldest son. His family's affairs are none of your business, nor are they any of Daya's."
The Wen brothers exchanged a knowing glance and smiled. Wen Zihua raised his whip and lashed it hard into the air, shouting, "Giddy up!"
No sooner had the Wen family left the horse farm than Wang Ping from Niutou Village arrived with his sons.
Upon hearing the gatekeeper's report, Wen Yuxia reluctantly allowed the gatekeeper to bring the person in. Despite having no contact for several years, the Wang family, knowing she had been granted the title of Princess, still shamelessly came knocking.
Wen Yuxia was somewhat disappointed in the Wang family. She had given a lot to the Wang family, but because of a single sentence from Wang Hu, Wang Ping turned a blind eye to her and her siblings.
"Da Ya, it's been years since I last saw you. You've grown quite a bit taller," Wang Ping said without changing his expression.
The seven Wang brothers also greeted Wen Yuxia warmly, seemingly forgetting all the things they had done to her during their escape from famine.
Wen Yuxia had no interest in small talk with them and asked directly, "What do you want with me?"
Wang Ping's old face flushed slightly: "Da Ya, if people find out that the princess's maternal grandfather and uncles are all peasants who toil in the fields, it won't look good for you. Could you find some jobs for your uncles in the yamen?"
Niutou Village is located at the foot of the mountains. The land allocated to settlers after the villagers settled there was all mountainous land, resulting in poor harvests. In order to find a way out for his children and grandchildren, Wang Ping did not hesitate to send Wang Wuzhu to the town to become a son-in-law.
After the news of Wen Yuxia being granted the title of Princess spread throughout the entire Nanzhou Prefecture, Wang Ping from Niutou Village also heard about it. How could he give up this opportunity for his children and grandchildren to escape rural life? So, he brought his son to visit her.
On their journey fleeing famine, she used the grain and silver given to her to help the Wang clan, but refused to share any rations with Fu Bao. Now, she shamelessly asks her to help her find a job in the county town.
"How could Wang Ping say such things?" Wen Yuxia said calmly.
“My grandfather and uncles make a living by farming. They never asked me to help them find jobs. Why should you, the Wang family, make demands on me?”
Wang Ping was startled upon hearing this. The Wen family hadn't taken this opportunity to ask Wen Yuxia for anything. He blinked hard, trying to squeeze out a few tears to gain sympathy.
“Da Ya, when the villagers of Xiao Wang Village were relocated to ten villages, only my maternal grandfather’s family remained in Niu Tou Village. Over the years, without any family support, they have had a very hard life…”
Wang Ping recounted their lives over the years, becoming increasingly tearful when he spoke of Wang Hu, hoping that Wen Yuxia would forgive Wang Hu's past actions for the sake of the deceased Wang Dazhu and his wife.
Wen Yuxia picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said coldly, "Grandpa said back in Mengzhong County that the Wang family and the Wen family would never associate with each other again. Whether you are doing well or not is none of my business. Bei Yi, see the guests out."
Wang Ping gave her a bad feeling, and she didn't want to get too entangled with him, so she simply pushed Wen Dashan forward. It was Wen Dashan who said that the Wen and Wang families would never see each other again. If she was not convinced, she could go to Xinghua Village to find Wen Dashan!
The village chief of Xinghua Village still wants to get benefits for the villagers from her, so the Wang family will definitely be chased away by the villagers if they go to Wen Dashan.
"Da Ya, you can't treat us like this! We're your family!" Wang Ping's voice was breaking down.
Wen Yuxia was the key to their escape from rural poverty; they had to hold onto her tightly. Wang Ping's mind raced, trying to come up with a way to ease tensions between the two sides.
Wen Yuxia smiled: "Family, after my parents died, did you send grain or meat to my brother and me? It seems like it was me. I shared the money from selling the deer with you, I bought you new clothes, and I bought you a mule cart, right?"
It wasn't that she wanted to overturn the bowl, but rather that hesitation only led to more trouble. The Wang family's protection of their eldest grandson, Wang Hu, whose mind was as narrow as a needle, destined their family's future to remain forever confined to their small, isolated world.
Instead of wasting time and effort on such short-sighted people, it would be better to provide more support to the villagers of Nanping Village and Xinghua Village. Wen Yuxia gave a meaningful look.
Bei Yi quickly blew a whistle to summon the guards, and the group dragged Wang Ping and his son outside the horse farm.
"Gentlemen, this is the property of the Crown Prince. If you want to cause trouble here next time, you should first consider whether you can withstand the Crown Prince's wrath," Bei Yi said, not wanting them to bother Wen Yuxia again, and directly raised the banner.