GBP Chapter 403 The Wang Family Ancestors and Grandsons
Chapter 403 The Wang Family Ancestors and Grandsons
Chapter 403 The Wang Family Ancestors and Grandchildren
The Chiang family arrived in Beijing, and so did the Wang family.
They brought a large cartload of betrothal gifts, along with a bunch of servants and maids.
Wang Jue helped an elderly woman with gray hair as they watched servants carrying boxes and luggage back and forth.
"Sigh~ Jue'er, I wonder where your unreliable parents have gone. It's too impolite for an old woman like me to come here."
"Grandmother, please don't say that. If we wait for news of my parents, it will be too late."
Wang Jue felt that her decision was right. After all, the vacation was only four months long, and if she stayed at home any longer, she would be delayed in returning to Beijing.
"Sigh, don't blame them. In the early years, your father really owed your mother too much. In those years, your father was out of contact with us, and your mother took care of everything at home."
Now that they can leave everything behind and travel all over the country, it can be considered as making up for the regrets and shortcomings of those years.
“I know, Grandmother.”
Grandma Wang looked lovingly at her promising grandson, and also began to look forward to the fourth young lady of the Jiang family.
Such a good child, we mustn't let him bring home a troublesome granddaughter-in-law. With her daughter-in-law being so virtuous, Grandmother Wang's expectations for Miss Jiang naturally rose.
"Madam, young master, everything has been unloaded. We can disembark now."
The housekeeper had the planks laid on the shore when disembarking widened to prevent the old lady from having trouble walking.
"Alright, let the cargo wagons go first. They don't need to wait for us. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can settle things in and get the newly purchased house ready."
When Wang Jue left the capital to return to his hometown, he secretly bought a two-courtyard house. The area was not very large, but the location was excellent.
Located just three streets away from the Jiang family's residence, it is a quiet oasis amidst the hustle and bustle, surrounded by well-to-do families, including some minor officials who rent apartments here. The overall quality of the neighbors is quite high.
"Please rest assured, Madam. Wang Er and the others have already gone to pack up. Our carriages can proceed at a slow pace."
Wang Er brought only quick and efficient old women with him; by the time we arrived at the house, they would have almost finished tidying up.
"Alright, alright. Once everyone is settled, we'll give each of you an extra month's pay. You've had a tough time on the road for over a month."
Steward Wang expressed his gratitude on behalf of all the servants, and his sweet words made the old lady beam with joy.
After all, who wouldn't be happy if someone kept praising their grandson?
In Madam Wang's eyes, her grandson Wang Jue was far more important than her father's son.
After disembarking from the boat, they boarded a carriage and slowly drove towards the Wang family's new residence.
After traveling for quite some time, the carriage finally stopped.
Wang Er had already led his men to tidy up the house in an orderly manner, sweeping and cleaning both inside and out.
The host family's rest room is fully furnished with a bed, wardrobe, and luggage. You can check in anytime without even bringing your bags.
Madam Wang nodded in satisfaction, telling everyone to take a break and that the remaining tasks that weren't urgent could be taken care of later.
The grandfather and grandson had barely stepped into the front courtyard's flower hall when a servant came running to report:
"Madam, young master, the Jiang family has sent someone with gifts. It's the head steward of the Jiang family!"
Madam Wang's eyes lit up, and she secretly praised the Jiang family for being well-informed and polite.
Wang Jue's heart raced slightly, but he pretended to remain calm on the surface.
Madam Wang, who was over sixty years old, received Steward Wen together with her grandson.
The Wang family servants were well-trained and quickly served tea and snacks.
"You're too kind, Madam. Since you've just arrived in the capital, our Madam was worried that your household might lack some necessities, so she instructed me to send some over to help you in your time of need."
Wang Jue had previously lived in the Jiang residence, spending his days studying classical texts and practicing exams, so he was not very familiar with the locations of shops in the capital.
After the list of successful candidates in the imperial examination was released, he was busy buying a house, and during the months he spent in the capital, he really didn't have a proper chance to stroll around the streets.
"Oh dear, Madam Jiang is too kind and considerate. Once we've settled in a couple of days, we'll definitely pay you a visit, dear sister."
Madam Jiang is sixty-four years old this year, which is indeed a few years older than Madam Wang. To show closeness, it would be appropriate to call her "elder sister".
"Our old lady is waiting for you, saying she will definitely welcome you with open arms."
After exchanging pleasantries, Butler Wen took his leave; his errand was done and he had to go back to report.
The Wang family has just moved in; they must be very busy with many things. It's best not to disturb them.
"This Steward Wen seems to be someone the Jiang family values highly."
"That's true. Steward Wen is with the old master, the one from the Ministry of Revenue, Mingfei's grandfather."
Steward Wen was an attendant to Master Jiang, who was the magistrate of Tongzhou County and Mingfei's father.
This is Steward Wen, who came to the capital later, but he is more composed than Steward Wen.
In previous years, they were reluctant to leave their homeland, but now that their family's property back home has been sold off, they have naturally moved to the capital.
Madam Wang stared at her grandson with a strange look in her eyes.
"Grandmother, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something dirty on my face?"
"You seem to know the Jiang family and their affairs very well, so it seems you had your eye on their young lady long ago."
"Hehe, hehe, Grandmother, how could that be premeditated? It's all fate! Mingfei and I have known each other for several years."
When I first met him, I had no idea he had six beautiful older sisters. But Mingfei is so handsome, his sisters can't be too ugly, right?
"You know, you can be quite clever when you need to be, just like your grandfather!"
"I think so too. He definitely takes after my grandfather; my dad isn't as clever as me!"
"The Mingfei you mentioned, is he the only son of the Jiang family, the fourteen-year-old top scholar?"
"Grandmother, aren't you asking a question you already know the answer to? Your grandson's ability to pass the imperial examination so smoothly is largely due to Ming Fei, no, Scholar Jiang's contribution."
The remaining half is thanks to the grandmother's careful nurturing and the grandson's own small, insignificant efforts, hehe~
"You little rascal, you're showing off now that I'm telling you you're clever. Alright, you've rested enough, come with me to the storeroom."
Wang Jue was puzzled. "Why go to the storeroom? Aren't there servants to clean it?"
"Your cleverness is all fake. When you go to the Jiang family in a couple of days, are you going to go with two people around your neck? You need to see what gifts are missing so you can arrange for someone to buy them tomorrow."
"Oh yes, yes, Grandma is so thoughtful! Oh dear, what would I do without Grandma?!"
Grandma must take good care of herself; her grandchildren will need her guidance in the future!
Old Madam Wang scolded him, "Shameless! Your daughter-in-law isn't even officially settled yet, and you're already thinking about the child. This grandson is hopeless."
Sigh~ I feel a bit sorry for my grandson. Although Miss Jiang is from an official family, she is still just an illegitimate daughter.
His own grandson was the only son in the Wang family...
I only hope that Miss Jiang is a good person, so that my grandson's persistence and eagerness will not have been in vain.
Alas, children and grandchildren are all a debt.
It's only natural for Madam Wang to care about the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. Although no one in the Wang family holds an official position, there are still several members who have passed the imperial examinations.
Actually, by this calculation, Miss Jiang's marriage wasn't considered a step down, and the Wang family wasn't considered a step up either.
When a scholar's legitimate son marries a concubine's daughter who is a seventh-rank official, it's really hard to say who benefits and who suffers.
Not everyone has the experience of two lifetimes; this kind of consideration of social status is ingrained in the genes of the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty.