Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 279 Reasons for the Request
"hehe!"

Hearing Sheng Wei speak like that, the old lady couldn't help but smile.

"Son!"

"Mother knows you are filial!"

The old lady didn't listen carefully to Sheng Wei's last words; instead, she focused on his attitude towards the Changsong brothers.

"However, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, so don't keep being too demanding of Changsong's two children!"

"I, as their grandmother, have seen their hard work!"

As a mother, the old lady naturally knew her son's character and understood the depth of his expectations for the future of the Sheng family.

However, fate is predetermined and cannot be controlled by human will. The two Changsong brothers have such talent, so how can we force anything?

The old lady turned to her son beside her and comforted him, saying, "Son, you must remember this!"

"My only wish in this life is that our whole family can live a life free from illness, disaster, worry, and sorrow!"

"As long as we can live a harmonious and happy life, that is the greatest blessing for our family!"

The old lady paused, leaning on her cane, and said in a somewhat high-pitched voice, "If you are truly filial, then remember everything I just said!"

"From now on, don't force those two children to study anymore and insist on taking the imperial examinations!"

The old lady felt sorry for her grandsons and couldn't bear to see them do those pointless things.

Actually, saying it's a waste of effort isn't meant to belittle Changsong and Changwu. Some people just don't have the talent for certain things, and forcing them to do something will only backfire.

"Yes!"

"My son, remember this!"

Sheng Wei dared not disobey his mother's words. Although he felt a little strange, he still stood up straight and bowed respectfully to the old lady to show his attitude.

In fact, Sheng Wei sometimes understands that his expectations may just be wishful thinking.

After all, Changsong and Changwu were both grown up, and even their younger brother Changwu was about to get married and have children, but their academic achievements were still limited to the first-year student level.

Such a bleak and disastrous result had truly driven Sheng Wei to despair; otherwise, he would not have agreed to his son's request to write a letter to his younger brother, Sheng Hong, who was far away in the capital.

That letter was actually Sheng Wei's compromise with his own children and with himself.

"Ok!"

Seeing Shengwei's reaction, the old lady nodded secretly.

"Brother Quan!"

"Oh, Grandmother!"

Because it was inconvenient for Sheng Changquan to speak in the previous situation, he did not say anything and just silently acted as a witness. Now, when he heard the old lady call him, Sheng Changquan hurriedly replied.

"Grandmother, please tell me!"

Sheng Changquan carefully helped the old lady, bent over, and listened attentively.

"Brother Quan!"

The old lady grasped Sheng Changwu's hand in return and said in a low voice, "You've seen our family's situation!"

"Neither of your two cousins ​​are particularly shrewd!"

Sheng Changquan raised an eyebrow, already guessing what the old lady was about to say.

It seems the other party wants to entrust their cousin to me.

really.

The old lady's next words confirmed his guess.

"Of them, Changsong is alright!"

"In the future, he will only inherit his father's business and engage in commerce. Although he may not become very rich or powerful, he will at least be able to live a worry-free life."

The old lady had a long-term vision, clearly foreseeing the future of her two grandsons.

"However, Changwu is different!"

The old lady looked at Sheng Changquan with a hint of pleading on her face.

"This kid has already asked his father to write a letter to your father, asking him to find him a minor military position. After Changwu gets married in a while, he will return to the capital with your grandmother!"

"From now on, he plans to settle down in Bianjing City!"

"Grandmother hopes that in the future, Quan-ge'er, you can keep a close eye on this boy in the officialdom to prevent him from going astray and going down the wrong path!"

Although the old lady didn't understand the intricacies of officialdom, she knew one thing: Sheng Changquan's future was limitless. If he could guide Changwu, then Changwu would certainly not have to worry about anything in the future!

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Sheng Changquan's heart stirred slightly, and he couldn't help but look up at the two people in the room.

At this moment, not only the old lady spoke like this, but even Sheng Wei next to her looked at her with a nervous expression.

Perhaps, even he himself didn't realize that his hands, which were half-hidden in his sleeves, were already clenched into fists.

"Grandmother, don't worry!"

"I will help my cousin Changwu!"

Sheng Changquan did not refuse or think much about it; instead, he readily agreed.

Because in this era, individuals and clans have always been one, if Sheng Changwu really makes a mistake, it will inevitably affect Sheng Changquan himself.

Therefore, whether for the sake of family or for his own sake, Sheng Changquan felt it was his "duty to do it"!

Hearing that Sheng Changquan agreed without hesitation, Sheng Wei and his mother secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"grandmother!"

Actually, you're overthinking it!

Sheng Changquan looked at the old lady and continued, "My cousin Changwu doesn't need my guidance at all. As long as my father and elder brother are here, they will definitely not let anything happen to him!"

"You and your uncle can rest assured!"

Given the relationship between the two families, Sheng Changwu would naturally be well taken care of by his uncle.

However, the old lady trusted Sheng Changquan exceptionally, seemingly not having a high opinion of him.

"hehe!"

"That would be even better!"

The old lady didn't dwell on these things. She just thought to herself, "As long as Sheng Changquan agrees, that's fine. There's no need to worry about anything else."

As for Sheng Wei, he was the opposite. He preferred Sheng Hong and Sheng Changbai, after all, they were older and had experienced more.

Perhaps, he is much more reliable than Sheng Changquan!

……

After speaking with Sheng Wei and his mother for a while, Sheng Changquan prepared to leave.

After all, sitting for a long time made him feel a little uncomfortable.

"Ok?"

Shengwei is truly a businessman; his eyes are sharp!

He only noticed a slight change in Sheng Changquan's expression, and immediately guessed what he was thinking.

"Ha ha!"

Sheng Wei laughed heartily first, then said, "Brother Quan, are you tired of sitting?"

Without waiting for Sheng Changquan's reply, he continued, "If you're tired, why don't you go find your two cousins ​​and have them take you for a walk? Come to think of it, you probably haven't seen much of the area around Youyang County!"

Because Sheng Changquan didn't stay in Youyang for very long, the longest he ever stayed was only for the provincial examination six years ago, which lasted about half a month.

However, because he was preoccupied with the imperial examinations and preparing for his future study tours, Sheng Changquan didn't really look around this area much that time.

That's why Sheng Wei said that.

In fact, Sheng Wei had his own ulterior motives for saying this. As the eldest uncle, he naturally hoped that Sheng Changquan could play with his children.

After all, only in this way can the bond between the next generation of cousins ​​be strong, and their mutual support in the future be even greater.

"Ah? This..."

Sheng Changquan blushed slightly, feigning embarrassment, and then stammered, "Uncle, your nephew only..."

"...It's just that we rushed through the journey yesterday, so..."

"...that's why some people are a bit mentally foggy..."

Sheng Changquan, whose skin is as thick as a copper wall and iron wall, is quite skilled at pretending to be innocent. This thousand-year-old fox even managed to fool the two experienced old hunters opposite him.

"hehe!"

At this moment, the old lady couldn't help but let out a few good-natured laughs.

"Brother Quan, since that's the case, why don't you go and rest for a bit!"

The old lady looked at her grand-nephew with great affection and said with a smile, "Let's go to that scholar's residence where you used to live!"

"There, your uncle and I have always kept it for you!"

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Sheng Changquan was genuinely "surprised"!

However, this "surprise" is one of being flattered and overwhelmed.

Sheng Changquan was very familiar with Zhuangyuan Hall, because it was the place where he had lived six years ago. It was a small courtyard that his uncle Sheng Wei's father had renovated for him.

At that time, because they had received Sheng Hong's letter early on, Sheng Wei and the others knew that Sheng Changquan would return to Youyang to participate in the provincial examination. Therefore, in order to welcome this remarkable nephew, Sheng Wei simply built a small courtyard for Sheng Changquan to prepare for the exam.

That courtyard is called the Zhuangyuan Hall, and the profound meaning behind it is self-evident.

Of course, this Zhuangyuan Hall cannot be said to be newly built; it can only be said to have been renovated, transforming a former courtyard in the East Mansion into a new residence.

However, although it wasn't newly built, the renovation still cost a lot, not to mention the meaning behind the old lady's words.

In fact, what the old lady said was quite clear: ever since Sheng Changquan lived there, their family had kept it empty and sent people to take care of it from time to time, with the purpose of reserving it for Sheng Changquan.

This kind of favor truly surprised Sheng Changquan!

"Grandmother, Uncle, you two... are truly..."

"...truly waiting for the right to grow up..."

For a moment, Sheng Changquan was at a loss for words.

"Ha ha!"

Seeing Sheng Changquan's moved expression, Sheng Wei couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

"Brother Quan, you don't need to say anything more!"

He waved his hand and said magnanimously, "You are my nephew, Shengwei. What's wrong with me, as your uncle, leaving you a courtyard? Isn't that only natural?"

"You don't need to take it too seriously!"

Sheng Wei maintained a calm demeanor, but the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up slightly, as if he were quite moved.

— He was feeling smug about his "moves to win people's hearts".

"Cough cough..."

Seemingly sensing her son's emotions, the old lady glanced at him, signaling him to be mindful of his behavior and not to be too hypocritical.

"Brother Quan!"

The old lady turned to look at Sheng Changquan, explained a few words, and said, "Your uncle is right, don't take it too seriously."

"Firstly, our family has quite a few courtyards, so having one more or one less Zhuangyuan Hall really doesn't matter!"

The old lady's words were so domineering, directly demonstrating just how powerful the Sheng family's wealth was in Youyang.

"Secondly, this is also a gift from us elders to you, as a congratulatory present for your achievement of passing the imperial examination!"

"Back then, you left before the results were even released. When we wanted to send you some congratulatory gifts, we had no choice but to resort to this tactic and simply reserve the top scholar's hall for you!"

The old lady smiled and finally said what she most hoped would happen.

"As for the most important third point, we all believe you can go even further and achieve what even your grandfather couldn't!"

"—Announcement of names outside Donghua Gate, a banquet to be held in Qionglin Garden!"

The old lady's face flushed slightly, and she was also a little excited: "If Quan-ge'er can be personally selected by the emperor to become the top scholar, then let alone one courtyard, we are willing to build ten courtyards for you!"

"Grandmother, you're exaggerating!"

Sheng Changquan smiled wryly: "I'm only a scholar now, how could I possibly think that far ahead!"

"Moreover, there are countless talented people in the world, how could Changquan possibly rank among them?"

Sheng Changquan naturally did not want to be like his third brother, who was criticized for being ignorant of his own abilities!

Seeing that Sheng Changquan was unwilling to talk about these things, the old lady and her son understood his thoughts, so they didn't say much. After exchanging a few polite words, they called a maid to take Sheng Changquan to the Scholar's Hall so that he could rest well.

……

After Sheng Changquan left, the old lady and Sheng Wei and his mother did not leave immediately, but remained in the front hall, sitting in their respective seats.

"Boss!"

Just as Sheng Wei was about to speak and prepare to send his mother back to her room, the old lady suddenly spoke up.

"Mother!"

Sheng Wei respectfully stood up, ready to listen to his mother's lecture.

Because Shengwei is the eldest son of the matriarch, she would call him "eldest son" at certain times. These "certain times" usually refer to when Shengwei makes a mistake and the matriarch, as his mother, wants to discipline him.

"Boss, I told you to keep an eye on your wife and not to talk nonsense. Did you do that?"

The old lady was still dissatisfied with Li's previous actions, but her tone was no longer as amiable as when she spoke to Sheng Changquan.

Right now, the words she spoke carried a sense of desolation.

It is like a cold pool of ice water, which involuntarily inspires awe in people.

"Mother, your son knows he was wrong!"

Sheng Wei had naturally warned his wife, but Li Shi was just like that. Even though she had received a warning from her husband, she still couldn't help but have a competitive spirit.

It was precisely because of this mindset that she spoke without thinking, directly uttering those words from before.

"Are you aware of your mistake?"

Seeing Sheng Wei bowing his head and admitting his mistake, the old lady was extremely disappointed.

"Ah~"

The old lady sighed and decided to just say it directly.

"Boss, do you also think I went too far with Quan-ge'er?"

(End of this chapter)