Chapter 48: Everyone Takes a Wrong Turn Sometimes

Chapter 48: Everyone Takes a Wrong Turn Sometimes

Of course, everything was different here.

Wen Xi hesitated, hemming and hawing, unsure how to broach the subject.

He couldn't very well tell them outright that Yan Fengan had once been possessed by a ghost, could he?

Who else would believe such an absurd thing besides him? If those words came out of his mouth, his parents-in-law would likely think he had lost his mind.

Wen Xi regretted his rashness. He opened his mouth, fumbling for a long moment before saying, "It's just his temperament and habits. For instance, he had a very gentle temper as a child, but then suddenly turned so bad for those few years..."

Yan Shichang responded in a low voice, "He was indeed a bit willful back then, but it never quite crossed over into being bad."

Yan Shichang was not a hot-tempered man, but when he pulled a long face without smiling, he could still be pretty intimidating.

Wen Xi had been married into the family for a while now, yet he had spoken with Yan Shichang privately only a handful of times. He was always polite and proper in his presence, never daring to say much. Hearing Yan Shichang's tone now—one that gave nothing away—he couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear.

Perhaps sensing his discomfort, Yan Shichang rose to his feet and said, "You two take your time and chat. We'll need to buy seeds in a few days—I'll take the older boys out to the fields."

With that, he pushed open the door and left without waiting for a response.

Once Yan Shichang was gone, Wen Xi felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. Still, his father-in-law's reaction still had him feeling uneasy. He asked cautiously, "Mother, did I make Father angry?"

Knowing how timid he was, Chen Lanfang patted his hand reassuringly. "Your father's not a firecracker—he doesn't get angry that easily."

Seeing how conflicted Wen Xi had seemed when he spoke, she added, "What made you think to ask about that?"

Wen Xi couldn't quite explain why he'd asked. Maybe it was curiosity, or maybe he wanted to find a reason for Yan Fengan.

Though Yan Fengan had never complained about it in his presence, Wen Xi sensed that he still cared about these things deep inside.

He hadn't known Yan Fengan for long, but he could already tell how different the man was from his old self. Could his parents, who'd shared over a decade of memories with him, really not have noticed anything off?

If they'd been indifferent to Yan Fengan, that'd be one thing—but judging by their behavior, they were full of boundless hope and love for him.

Because they loved Yan Fengan, they were accommodating and considerate toward him as his husband, too. They didn't torment him under the guise of setting household rules like other in-laws might, nor did they look down on him for having such a shameful natal family.

Wen Xi had seen all this kindness with his own eyes, which made him even more puzzled. If they truly loved their son so much, how could they have turned a blind eye to his changes all these years without a care?

He couldn't say these things to Chen Lanfang directly. He knew she and Yan Shichang both regarded Yan Fengan as their precious treasure, so he had to find another way to say it.

Having spent so many years in the Wen household, Wen Xi had learned to read people's faces and figure out what they were thinking. After thinking for a moment, he said, "My husband carries a lot on his shoulders, and I want to understand and care for him better... After we married, he's been so good to me—completely different from before. Every day feels like I'm dreaming..."

Chen Lanfang looked at his calm, gentle face and couldn't help but think of the teasing remarks He Jin and Li Wan had made in front of her these past few days.

This child had never had anyone to lean on since he was young. After finally marrying into their family, his husband couldn't even be with him every day. Being naturally sensitive, he was prone to endless worry, as if his heart had nothing to hold onto.

Chen Lanfang understood. "You're afraid that once he goes to the academy, he'll come back different again?"

That wasn't what Wen Xi meant, but he nodded anyway.

Chen Lanfang sighed. "It's not unreasonable for you to think that. You asked if I noticed Fengan's personality change after he passed the imperial exam—honestly, yes. It wasn't just your father and I who were puzzled; your two older brothers also thought he'd gotten weird."

Wen Xi's eyes slowly widened, and his expression turned excited. "You all noticed?"

"Of course—how could parents not notice when their own child changes?" Chen Lanfang recalled slowly. "We have three children. The eldest is honest and sturdy, the second mischievous and clever. Both of them were wild little boys who ran all over the village when they were kids, often leading a pack of kids up the mountain to catch rabbits and pheasants. Every time they came back, they'd be filthy, and their clothes and pants would be full of holes. Your father and I must have lost count of how many times we got angry at those two. We thought they'd grow up to be little hellions, but surprisingly, they've turned out to be pretty worry-free as adults."

Speaking of the two older boys, Chen Lanfang was caught between exasperation and amusement, with a hint of indescribable pride.

"Fengan was different from them from a young age. He was quiet and refined, never one to make a fuss. After he started his studies at three, he loved nothing more than curling up at home with a book. Every time your father and I came back from the fields, he'd bring us water to wash up. When I went to the kitchen to cook, he'd help me feed the stove. If your father or I had an ache somewhere, he'd come rub our shoulders and backs. Such a tiny little thing—who knows how he turned out so thoughtful."

"The older two used to say your father and I favored him because he was the youngest, but tell me—when you have a kid like that, which parent wouldn't favor him?"

Wen Xi was a few years younger than Yan Fengan. In his mind, Yan Fengan was gentle and steady, strong and reliable. The thought that he'd once been so obedient and well-behaved made Wen Xi's heart melt.

He wanted to hear more and couldn't help asking, "And then?"

"He loved studying and had a natural gift for it. Your father and I had high hopes for him, dreaming he'd bring glory to the family. So we followed the private tutor's advice and gritted our teeth to send him to the academy in town. At the time, your eldest and second brothers were still young, and their carpentry skills were nowhere near what they are now. Sanlang knew how hard it was for the family to support his schooling, so even when he went to the county seat, he never asked us for anything. At ten-something years old, he already knew to share only the good news and keep the bad to himself. Every time he came home, he'd only talk about the fun things at the academy, never mentioning any grievances. Your eldest and second brothers used to say your father and I favored him, but later on, they practically doted on their little brother more than we did as parents."

"Sanlang also made us proud—after a few years of study in the county, he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. Our whole family was so happy we couldn't sleep for several nights. We thought our hard days were finally over and that our family was about to turn a new leaf. But not long after he earned that title, he became extravagant and competitive, spending money lavishly without any regard for how hard the family had to work."

Chen Lanfang's tone gradually shifted from pride to something a bit choked, and Wen Xi felt his own heart ache in sympathy.

He knew what came after. He asked Chen Lanfang, "Did you ever think about why he changed?"

Chen Lanfang let out a long sigh. "Of course we did. Your father and I couldn't understand it at first either. When we were at our wit's end, we went to see Tutor Chen at the private school, and he told us the story of Mencius's mother moving three times."

"Tutor Chen said that a bad environment breeds bad habits, while a good environment nurtures good character. When Sanlang had no official title, the people around him were ordinary folk like himself. But once he earned his title, he was surrounded by the sons of wealthy families—people who wore silk and used gold. Spending day after day with them, it was only natural that Sanlang's heart would grow restless and be influenced by their words and actions, until he lost his original nature and ruined his foundation. If we wanted him to change back, we either had to follow Mencius's mother's example and move him somewhere else to study, or wait for him to find his way back on his own and see when he might come to his senses."

Chen Lanfang and Yan Shichang were both kind-hearted people, but they shared the common flaw of parents everywhere: their child's nature was inherently good—if he misbehaved, it must be because others had led him astray.

Tutor Chen's words struck a chord with them and provided a perfectly reasonable explanation.

"Your father felt frustrated. Lingyun Academy was the best in the county—where else could we move him? We tried reasoning with him several times, but he wouldn't mend his ways, so your father finally resorted to raising his hand against him."

Seeing Wen Xi's startled expression, Chen Lanfang said, "Spare the rod, spoil the child—it was a last resort. We'd never laid a hand on Sanlang before, but that time we truly couldn't hold back. And I have to say, it worked. After that, he calmed down considerably and stopped spending money so recklessly."

"Last year, he had an accident and fell ill. After he recovered, those bad habits were gone too. I suppose that's what Tutor Chen meant by finding his way back." Chen Lanfang's tone softened, and she took Wen Xi's hand to comfort him. "Everyone takes a wrong turn sometimes. Don't take his past flaws too much to heart. Your father and I know him best—we can see that this time, he's truly reformed. Don't let your mind run wild. Just live well with him."

To outsiders, Yan Fengan's transformation was merely a topic of idle chatter over tea. But to the Yan family, everything was a lived experience. They had not failed to notice the changes in him.

But what could they do even if they had noticed?

They would only think, like Wen Xi, that Yan Fengan had fallen ill, changed, been possessed, or led astray. Who could have imagined that even the soul in his body had been swapped?

If Yan Fengan hadn't confessed the truth to Wen Xi, even he wouldn't have thought of such a possibility.

Knowing that they hadn't turned a blind eye or been indifferent to Yan Fengan's changes, Wen Xi stopped dwelling on it.

He wiped the tears from his eyes and awkwardly reached out to hug Chen Lanfang. "I understand, Mother. I won't overthink things anymore."

Chen Lanfang patted his back, and after a moment, sent him out.

Wen Xi returned to his room and put the two taels of silver back into his money box.

Despite all his bustling about last year, selling so many sachets and pouches, he had earned less than two thousand wen in total.

With Yan Fengan at the academy, he probably wouldn't have time to write storybooks anymore, meaning they would lose another significant source of income.

With the extra two taels of tax every year, his parents-in-law weren't complaining now—but what about as time went on?

He knew the whole family was hoping Yan Fengan would quickly pass the provincial examination, which would ease everyone's burdens.

But that wasn't something that could be achieved by hope alone. Wen Xi had heard villagers say that some people passed the imperial examination at the county level and then waited until they were seventy or eighty without ever passing the provincial one.

The provincial examination only happened once every three years. If Yan Fengan failed next year, wouldn't they have to wait another three?

By then, would his parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law still be so understanding?

And besides...

Wen Xi touched his belly. He and Yan Fengan couldn't just stay married for years without having kids, right?

By then, his husband would be busy studying, there'd be a kid to raise, and all those taxes to pay—Wen Xi really had no clue how they'd make ends meet.

He picked up the embroidery hoop and sighed softly at the pattern on the cotton fabric.

Taking jobs from the embroidery shop brought in steady money, but the pay was just too low.

He Jin said big pieces paid well, but his skills weren't good enough yet, and anyway, he could only do small stuff like sachets and pouches.

Big pieces were out of the question for now. Was there any way to get a higher price for each sachet or pouch?

Should he switch to pricier silk and thread, or change up his stitching to make the pieces prettier?

Wen Xi lowered his head, mulling it over as he worked the needle.

Time flew by, and before long, it was the day of Wen Liu and Zhao Shoutian's wedding. Even though neither family had a great reputation in the village, a wedding was still a happy occasion, so they had to throw a few tables and make some noise.

The Wen family didn't have the nerve to invite the Yans, and the Yans sure as hell weren't going to get involved on their own.

It wasn't until Wen Xi heard the faint sound of trumpets and suonas off in the distance that it even crossed his mind.

So Wen Liu really went and married Zhao Shoutian after all.

He'd grown up with Wen Liu, always treated as Wen Liu's sidekick, and Wen Liu was always lording it over him, saying he'd marry some amazing man when he grew up.

Back then, neither of them probably ever imagined it would end up like this.

He wondered if Wen Liu was happy with his new husband.

As for Wen Liu, he definitely wasn't happy about marrying Zhao Shoutian.

He never thought Zhao Shoutian would actually scrape together thirty taels of silver, and he sure as hell never expected his dad to really marry him off to the guy.

He'd thought his parents loved him, but reality had slapped him right across the face.

That day, when he came out and saw Zhao Shoutian had spent the night, he chased the guy off and then had a huge fight with Wen Shishan.

When he said he'd rather die than marry Zhao Shoutian, Wen Shishan actually hit him and trotted out the same spiel he'd used to push Wen Xi into marriage, asking who he wanted to marry instead—Wang Fugui from the village or Zhang Mazi from the next one over?

Wen Liu found it laughable and absurd. He never dreamed his own father would one day treat him the way he'd treated Wen Xi.

Li Qiaozhen did object to him marrying into that family, but Wen Shishan was acting like he'd lost his mind, kicking up a huge fuss at home and even getting physical, until Li Qiaozhen didn't dare go against him anymore.

Even as he got into the bridal sedan, Wen Liu couldn't figure out why his father had suddenly turned into such a monster.

The engagement had been rushed, and Wen Liu's wedding dress was a used one bought in town. The dowry from the Wen family was pitiful too—aside from his old clothes and jewelry, there wasn't much worth anything.

Liu Jinhua was already pissed about the thirty taels of bride price, and the sight of that sorry excuse for a dowry only made her madder. Before the guests had even cleared out, she started laying into Wen Liu.

"I've lived this long and never seen a family as shameless as yours. You take thirty taels of bride price and send over nothing but this crap. I don't know how my son was so blind he fell for a fox like you."

Wen Liu wasn't one to take crap lying down. He was already steaming about marrying Zhao Shoutian, so he threw off the red veil and shot back: "Take it or leave it. Your son was on his knees begging me, licking my boots like a dog before I agreed to marry in. You think I give a damn about his stinking money?"

Liu Jinhua was so furious she nearly passed out. She raised her hand and slapped him across the face, and Wen Liu slapped her right back without hesitation.

On the happiest day of the wedding, the mother-in-law was brawling with her son's husband—nobody had ever seen anything so bizarre. Well, now the folks in Daoxiang Village would have plenty to gossip about.

Shen Yun recounted the scene vividly to the Yan family: "I heard that Zhao Shoutian even helped Wen Liu shove his mother afterward. His father got upset and came over to hit him."

Wen Xi and Chen Lanfang listened, utterly dumbfounded. Fighting after the wedding was one thing, but starting right at the ceremony? What a handful!