pjbooks Chapter 145 Gu Family Village, Wen Family
Chapter 145 Gu Family Village, Wen Family
Village Chief Gu's eldest grandson successfully pushed through the villagers gathered at the gate and entered the yard. Ignoring the sweat on his forehead, he handed the two old hens he was carrying to Village Chief Gu: "Grandpa, I brought the chickens for you."
He had just seen the magistrate distributing gifts—four gifts in total—by peering over the courtyard wall. Noticing the unnatural expression on his grandfather's face and glancing at the two old hens his grandfather was carrying, he understood everything.
He ran all the way home, asked his grandma to catch two old hens, and then quickly ran to Wen Dashan's house to deliver the chickens to his grandpa.
Fortunately, Magistrate Yang hadn't finished distributing his gifts, and his grandfather hadn't given away the old hen yet. Just in time, Village Chief Gu's eldest grandson beamed with joy.
Village Chief Gu was overjoyed. His eldest grandson was clever enough to bring him an old hen. He smiled sheepishly and walked towards Wen Dashan: "Master Wen, this is a housewarming gift I specially prepared for you."
The four old hens were enough for Wen Dashan to know how to divide without the village chief explicitly telling him. He smiled and said, "Thank you!"
He had to spit out what he ate, and return what he took. The extra wages that Village Chief Gu and his two sons had taken from him when he built his house were recouped from four old hens.
Wen Dashan glanced at the villagers watching the commotion outside the courtyard gate, wondering when they would return the extra wages they had taken.
Magistrate Yang did not linger. After presenting the gifts, he left, repeatedly telling Wen Dashan that if he encountered any difficulties, he must go to the county government office immediately.
Although Wen Dashan was honest and simple, he was also sensible and knew that Magistrate Yang was only being polite to him because of Zhang Jinxuan. He smiled and said that he would definitely go to the county office to find Magistrate Yang if he had any problems.
After the magistrate left, the villagers outside the courtyard rushed in like a swarm of bees, curiously examining the gifts that Magistrate Yang had brought.
Village Chief Gu knew the villagers well. From the moment they entered the courtyard, he had been watching the gifts displayed on the stone table and benches. When he saw a woman reach for a gift, Village Chief Gu shouted, "Dog Egg's mother, take your hand away!"
Dog Egg's Mother, the middle-aged woman He Adi rolled her eyes in displeasure. The village chief had changed his ways and was actually protecting outsiders. Despite her thoughts, she still dared not offend the village chief's authority.
Taking this opportunity, Village Chief Gu publicized the relationship between Wen Dashan and Magistrate Yang, and the villagers looked at Wen Dashan with envy.
Wen Dashan was secretly delighted. The cartload of gifts sent by Magistrate Yang had shocked the village chief and the villagers alike. The villagers of Gujia Village no longer dared to ostracize his family.
"Everyone disperse, everyone disperse!" He still wanted to get information out of Wen Dashan, but it was very inconvenient with so many people here. He had to get rid of them. Village Chief Gu waved his hands and shouted loudly.
Wen Dashan didn't intend to tell Village Chief Gu that Wen Yuxia was a princess. He only mentioned that the person who took the land deed and house deed to the county government to register their household was an official under the Crown Prince.
Wen Dashan's backer is a subordinate of the Crown Prince, no wonder Magistrate Yang rushed to Gujia Village to curry favor with Wen Dashan.
Village Chief Gu was filled with remorse. He immediately notified the villagers that night to live peacefully with the Wen family and also ordered the villagers who had helped Wen Dashan build his house to return the extra coins they had received.
Just as Wen Dashan and his wife got into bed, Village Chief Gu's voice came from outside the courtyard gate: "Master Wen, are you resting? I've brought you some money."
Wen Dashan put on his clothes and went to open the gate in the yard. Village Chief Gu said with an embarrassed smile, "Master Wen, the village only pays thirty copper coins a day for building houses. I've taken back the extra you gave."
Wen Dashan did not accept the silver offered to him, and said with a smile, "Village chief, please keep this silver. Consider it a donation from my Wen family to the ancestral hall."
Gujia Village has a large ancestral hall where villagers place their ancestral tablets. Outsiders who want to place their ancestral tablets in the hall need to contribute points.
In other words, it takes the approval of the original inhabitants of Gujia Village to place the ancestral tablets in the ancestral hall. Wen Dashan's move was also an attempt to integrate into Gujia Village.
Village Chief Gu nodded happily: "I'll have someone clear out a space for your house tomorrow. Let me know when you want to move the ancestral tablets in, and I'll open the door for you."
Wen Dashan said sadly, "My family doesn't have an ancestral tablet. My eldest son died when we were fleeing famine. Now that we've settled down, we should have one made for him."
He severed ties with Old Master Wen and Wen Zhihua. He had no relation to the ancestors of the Wen family. He and his wife were the ancestors of the Wen family in Gujia Village!
The Gu family ancestors had also experienced the hardships of fleeing famine. From the stories told by his elders, Village Chief Gu knew the hardships of fleeing famine. Thinking of his previous behavior towards the villagers, he bowed apologetically to Wen Dashan, "Master Wen, I didn't know you were fleeing famine. I was not very friendly to you before. I'm sorry!"
Wen Dashan waved his hand: "Let's not talk about the past. Let's just get along well from now on."
Village Chief Gu nodded and said, "You should get some rest. I'll have someone go to the ancestral hall first thing tomorrow morning to make room for your eldest son."
After seeing Village Chief Gu off, Wen Dashan couldn't sleep. Thinking of Wen Zisong alone in Xinghua Village, so desolate and quiet, with no one even visiting his grave during Qingming Festival, Wen Dashan stepped out of his house and headed towards the Yang family's courtyard.
"Yunjiang, are you asleep?" Wen Dashan called out, knocking on the door from outside the courtyard.
"Not asleep," the brothers Wen Yunjiang and Wen Yunhe were whispering in the yard. Hearing Wen Dashan's voice, they quickly went to open the door.
Wen Dashan stood at the courtyard gate without going in, and said sadly, "Yunjiang, take some time to go to Xinghua Village and bring your father over."
Wen Yunjiang nodded sadly, "Yunhe and I are discussing it and plan to set off for Xinghua Village in the next couple of days."
Hearing the conversation between the grandfather and grandson in the room, tears welled up in Yang's eyes without her realizing it. Eight years had passed in the blink of an eye; Wen Zisong had been gone for eight years.
She whispered, "Song-ge, I haven't forgotten you, Dad hasn't forgotten you, and the children haven't forgotten you either. Do you still remember us?"
Upon learning that the Wen brothers were going to Xinghua Village, Wen Zibo asked his second son, Wen Yunbo, to accompany them on his behalf, while Wen Zihua also sent his eldest son, Wen Yunshen, along.
The three sisters-in-law of the Yang family prepared a lot of easily preserved dry food for Wen Yunjiang and his three brothers. Wen Dashan also contributed the carriage that Wen Yuxia had given him so that Wen Yunjiang and his brothers could travel by carriage.
After seeing off the four Wen brothers, Wen Dashan and the others began working in the fields. The first piece of land they dug up was under Wen Yuxia's name.
When Village Chief Gu learned that the Wen family was tending their land, he picked up a hoe, led an ox, and, along with his three sons and two grandsons, went to the fields to help.
With the help of Village Chief Gu's family, the Wen family's land was quickly plowed, and they assisted with everything from seedling cultivation and transplanting to planting sweet potato vines.
"Village Chief, thank you!" After finishing his work in the fields, Wen Dashan sincerely thanked Village Chief Gu and invited him and his family to his home for dinner.
The crops in Village Chief Gu's fields had already been planted. He brought his family to help Wen Dashan during his spare time, which was an intention to befriend him. When Wen Dashan invited him to dinner, he said with a smile, "Brother Dashan, I'll definitely be there tomorrow."