Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 281 Evaluating the Future
"not simple?"

Sheng Wei repeated the sentence, but his face showed a blank expression. He asked, "Mother, I know that Quan-ge'er is extraordinary, and I can foresee that he will achieve great things in the future!"

"But what do you mean by 'not simple'?"

"Is there some other explanation behind this?"

Sheng Wei knew his own mother's character and understood that she was the type to think ten steps ahead before taking a single step. Now that his mother could say such a thing, she must have her reasons.

You should know that ever since the incident with the eldest patriarch, the eldest patriarch seemed to have awakened a talent. Not only was she sharp and ruthless, but her vision also became exceptionally outstanding!

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to train such an outstanding businessman as Sheng Wei.

It is important to understand that the business world is like a battlefield, but while a battlefield can be won openly with force, the business world is different; it relies more on wisdom.

"hehe!"

The old lady smiled faintly, a hint of amusement involuntarily appearing on her face.

"statement?"

"Of course I have an explanation!"

The old lady gave her foolish son a meaningful look and said softly, "Son, let's not talk about what I said, what about you?"

"Didn't you notice anything else?"

Feeling somewhat embarrassed by the old lady's gaze, Sheng Wei quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "Mother, I can only tell that Quan-ge'er's writing is excellent; I know nothing else!"

"What are your thoughts, Mother?"

Sheng Wei, being a cousin of Sheng Hong, was indeed worthy of his reputation; both of them enjoyed asking their mother for advice.

"Ah~"

The old lady sighed and said helplessly, "Actually, I don't know much either, but I can see some of his calculations from his every move!"

Before Shengwei could ask any more questions, the old lady simply told him herself.

"Let's put everything else aside for now and talk about Quan-ge'er's teacher, Mr. Zhuang!"

"You must have heard of him and spoken of him."

The old lady shook her head at Sheng Wei, but then revealed a secret: "However, there's something you probably don't know."

"Mom, what did you say?"

Sheng Wei's expression shifted, but he hadn't expected there to be another twist here.

"Actually, Mr. Zhuang and your second uncle have a good relationship. Otherwise, Sheng Hong would not have been able to hire him as the tutor for his second wife."

When Sheng Xu was mentioned, a hint of disgust flashed in the old lady's eyes.

Because of Old Madam Sheng, the eldest old lady also disliked Sheng Xu very much, thinking that he and his eldest brother, the old master, were both worse than animals!

However, because Sheng Wei was present, the old lady did not show her emotions too much. She just paused, leaning on her maroon peach-shaped cane, and then continued, "Back then, your second uncle mentioned him!"

The old lady raised her head slightly, recalling past events.

"At that time, your second uncle had just passed the imperial examination and was ranked third in the class. He should have been full of pride and high spirits."

"However, when your second uncle returned to the old house to share the good news with your grandfather, he couldn't help but feel indignant on behalf of his good friend Zhuang Ru, who is also Quan Ge'er's teacher, Mr. Zhuang!"

Sheng Wei listened very carefully, seemingly wanting to find out about the brilliance of Grandpa Sheng Xu, who had been a third-place scholar in the imperial examinations.

"He said that if it weren't for Mr. Zhuang's bad luck, which prevented him from taking the provincial examinations three times due to external factors, he would surely have been able to achieve a top-three ranking in the palace examinations, given his talent!"

The old lady turned to look at Sheng Wei and continued, "At that time, your second uncle also drank quite a bit of wine, and his face was somewhat drunk."

"However, as the saying goes, 'in vino veritas', he admitted it directly after drinking, saying that in terms of literary talent, he was inferior to Zhuang Ru!"

"Your second uncle also said that Mr. Zhuang is a man of great talent and ability, capable of becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination. If it weren't for a twist of fate that caused him to miss the opportunity to take the provincial examination, he would definitely have surpassed your second uncle, worn the highest rank, and served the court well!"

The old lady paused, her expression somewhat strange, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "If it weren't for that, your second uncle wouldn't have been so 'sincere' in befriending Mr. Zhuang, in order to maintain their friendship."

After the old lady finished speaking, she raised an eyebrow, turned to look at Sheng Wei, and said, "Speaking of which, do you still remember your second uncle?"

Upon hearing this, Sheng Wei's eyelids twitched involuntarily.

Although he doesn't quite remember what his second uncle looks like now, he can clearly remember his father's evaluation of him.

Indeed, back when Old Master Sheng was still alive and the eldest master had not yet met the white lotus of his heart, Sheng Wei and he did have a period of family bliss and deep father-son affection.

Unfortunately……

Getting back to the main point, Sheng Wei, though still young at the time, clearly remembered his grandfather's evaluation of his younger brother Sheng Xu, saying that he was a "pragmatic" person.

pragmatic.

What does it mean to be pragmatic?

He's nothing more than a ruthless tyrant whose only concern is profit.

However, it must be admitted that although Sheng Xu is "pragmatic", his ability and vision are not bad.

Of course, this excludes his taste in women.

Therefore, Sheng Wei believed everything the old lady said.

"Mother, even so, it doesn't mean that Quan-ge'er is as outstanding as his teacher!"

Although he already believed his mother's judgment, Sheng Wei couldn't help but want to argue back.

"Yes, what you said makes a lot of sense!"

"It is indeed possible that Quan-ge'er is not as good as his teacher, Mr. Zhuang."

Hearing Sheng Wei's objection, the old lady didn't seem to mind. She calmly asked in return, "However, Wei'er!"

"Then who do you think will be able to take on the responsibility of leading the Sheng family in the future?"

"A tall pine? Or a tall sycamore?"

"No! No no!"

"Mother, you're joking!"

Upon hearing this, Sheng Wei immediately rejected the idea without hesitation: "How could Changsong and Changwu possibly be like that?"

"hehe!"

Although her son rejected her grandson, the old lady was not angry.

"You're right. Although the Changsong brothers are honest and upright, they are no match for the Sheng family!"

"And your third uncle's lineage..."

The old lady shook her head but did not continue speaking.

It's obvious that they've all been spoiled.

"Mother, I know!"

Sheng Wei nodded and said, "The most successful family in our family is Hongdi's family, and their three children are all outstanding, with academic achievements!"

"It seems that the second branch of the family will be the ones who can shoulder the responsibilities of the Sheng family in the future!"

At this point, Sheng Wei's face showed a hint of envy and helplessness.

Seeing her son's disappointment, the old lady said earnestly, "You're right, our family will probably have to rely on the second branch of the family in the future!"

"However, their three children, Bai Ge'er, Feng Ge'er, and Quan Ge'er, are still somewhat different."

"different?"

Sheng Wei blinked, somewhat confused: "Mother, aren't the three brothers all the same?"

"What difference could it make to my family?"

Don't blame Sheng Wei for being dull-witted; it's just that he doesn't have the same accurate understanding of human nature as the old lady.

"Hmph, their family may excel in academics, but that doesn't necessarily apply to other areas!"

The old lady sneered and said, "Wei'er, do you still remember Quan-ge'er's background?"

"What is Quan Ge'er's background?"

Sheng Wei thought for a moment and replied, "Mother, although Quan Ge'er is a son born out of wedlock, he was raised by his younger brother and sister-in-law, and they have a very good relationship."

“I heard from my brother Hong’s letter that your wife seems to really like Quan Ge’er, doesn’t she?” Sheng Wei still couldn’t grasp the point the old lady was trying to make.

"No, that's not what I meant!"

The old lady shook her head and explained, "Wei'er, do you know how Quan'er's birth mother passed away?"

Seeing that Shengwei didn't understand her meaning, the old lady simply asked directly.

"I remember, Quan-ge'er's birth mother passed away because of a difficult childbirth, right?"

Sheng Wei spoke with some uncertainty. He opened his eyes wide and carefully recalled events from more than ten years ago, his mind working extremely fast.

half an hour.

"Correct!"

Sheng Wei clapped his hands, suddenly remembering: "Quan Ge'er's birth mother died because of a difficult childbirth!"

“I remember that back then, my younger brother Hong even wrote a letter to the clan.”

"Could it be that something is amiss?"

Recalling this incident, Sheng Wei vaguely sensed the meaning behind the old lady's words.

"Not bad!"

The old lady nodded and said with certainty, "There is definitely something wrong with what's going on here!"

"Wei'er, don't you think these things sound familiar?"

"This……"

Upon hearing this, Sheng Wei's expression changed drastically, his face shifting between light and dark as if he were hesitating about something.

"Ah!"

The old lady sneered, "Your cousin Sheng Hong is truly worthy of being your second uncle's good son; he has completely inherited this tendency to favor concubines over wives!"

"Mother, Brother Hong is not that bad!"

Sheng Wei reluctantly spoke up, offering a defense of Sheng Hong.

"That's because your second aunt is watching over us!"

The old lady glared at Sheng Wei and said unhappily, "Putting aside everything else, just take Quan'er's birth mother, Wei Xiaoniang. There must be some shady dealings involved in her affair!"

"I dare say, this was definitely done by that Lin concubine from his family!"

It's obvious that Sheng Hong's exclusive favor towards Lin Qinshuang is no longer news in the entire Sheng family.

"I've met his wife before!"

The old lady spoke up, "Although she has a bit of a temper, she's still a good person. Otherwise, your second aunt wouldn't have asked your cousin to marry her!"

Recalling the scene when Madam Wang first entered the house, the old lady couldn't help but sigh, "Ah~"

"It's a pity that your second aunt was too soft-hearted back then, which allowed that Lin girl to see through her and use some seductive tricks to get her into the Sheng family!"

"Otherwise, none of this would have happened!"

The old lady shook her head, not wanting to talk about the past, and only said, "To be honest, these things can't be kept from Quan-ge'er. He might already have some idea by now!"

The old lady didn't want to discuss Sheng Hong's favoritism towards his concubine and neglect of his wife with Sheng Wei, so she just looked at her silly son and stated her deduction.

"Think about it, among the three brothers, can Feng-ge'er compare to Quan-ge'er?"

Sheng Wei shook his head and remained silent.

"I think that not only Feng-ge'er, but even Bai-ge'er might not be able to keep Quan-ge'er in check in the future!"

Compared to Sheng Changfeng, Sheng Changbai not only has stronger abilities but also the title of the eldest son, giving him a greater advantage.

The old lady squinted and said softly, "Judging from Quan'er's face, he doesn't seem to be the kind of person who would let a grudge go unpunished. In the future, when Quan'er gains power, I'm afraid he will make Feng'er and his mother pay the price!"

"At that time, their family will be in for a lot of trouble. If things go wrong, even the entire second branch of the family will be in trouble!"

"Mother, it can't be that bad, can it?"

Sheng Wei's pupils contracted as if he had seen such a scene. He mumbled, "Mother, even if Quan-ge knows there's something wrong with that matter, they are still family after all. How can brothers fight each other?"

"Besides, with Brother Hong keeping things under control, I'm afraid even Brother Quan can't do whatever he wants, right?"

"Humph!"

The old lady glanced at it, seemingly thinking that the issue was not worth mentioning.

"Are you saying that Brother Quan doesn't have that much ability?"

Sheng Wei blushed under his mother's gaze, but he stubbornly stuck to his opinion and said, "That's right!"

"I don't believe that Quan-ge'er would disregard his own future and ruin the Sheng family's reputation for this matter!"

"Ah!"

"I can't see!"

The old lady looked at Sheng Wei and asked in return, "Speaking of which, have you ever seen a six-year-old child who could pass the imperial examination and become a scholar?"

"And yet he could disregard it, and calmly follow his teacher on his study tours alone?"

Sheng Wei opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

The old lady continued, "But Quan-ge'er has accomplished all of these things!"

"Aren't these actions reminiscent of those of ancient eccentrics?"

The term "extraordinary person" here refers to someone who is different from ordinary people. It generally refers to famous people who have made great achievements, whether they are famous ministers or literary figures. Although they are not all the same, they are all people who have left their mark on history.

It was obvious that the old lady greatly admired Sheng Changquan's behavior six years ago, believing that he was an extraordinary person with unusual signs!
Sheng Wei was speechless in response.

"So, Wei'er, this actually involves our family's stance!"

"Are you going to side with Quan-ge'er or with your cousin?"

Sheng Wei looked up at his mother, his expression turning serious.

"Who do you think our family can rely on in the future?"

The old lady was very realistic: "Our family is a merchant family. Even if Changwu can achieve something in the future, he will only be a military officer!"

"As you know, although military officers are no weaker than civil officers, the top positions among them have always been held by noble families, and they can only manage military affairs, so they are of little help to our family!"

"Therefore, our family has no other choice but to continue relying on the second branch of the family for our business!"

"Choosing which side the father and son stand on is also an extremely crucial step!"

The old lady sounded a bit weary, but it was all true.

"mother……"

Hearing the old lady speak like that, Sheng Wei's expression gradually became extremely dejected.

"hehe!"

Seeing her son's expression, the old lady couldn't help but comfort him: "Wei'er, there's still some time to consider this matter, so you don't need to be too anxious!"

"Therefore, let's try to build as many good relationships with Quan-ge as possible while he's still in Youyang. That way, no matter what choices we make then, we'll still be able to get by!"

"and!"

The old lady smiled and said, "Our family won't always have to rely on the second branch of the family. Even if Changsong and the others aren't doing well right now, there's still the next generation, isn't there?"

"After Lady Changsong gives birth to the child, we can have Lord Shulan teach the child his first lessons!"

The old lady said confidently, "No matter what, that scholar Sun is qualified. Even if he can't do anything else, he can at least be good at enlightening the child, right?"

"After all, he is the child's uncle, and he is much more trustworthy than others!"

"what?"

Sheng Wei opened his mouth, but remained silent.

The old lady standing to the side didn't notice that Sheng Wei's expression turned even more unpleasant after hearing those words.

……

(End of this chapter)