Chapter 5

It wasn't until the sky grew dark that Shen Xi was called out to eat.

The Shen family had not split up, and in the main room, the large family was divided into two big tables. The square eight-person tables were coated with a dark red varnish, but due to long use, the varnish had faded, leaving only a faint trace.

Fortunately, the two tables were large enough. Not only could they accommodate the children, but even more than twenty adults could squeeze in.

These two tables were originally used for banquets and feasts. Now that the Shen family had fallen on hard times, they could no longer afford such luxury, so the other tables were stored in the backyard. The large family now gathered around these two tables.

The Shen family was large. Apart from Shen Mingjun, Shen Xi's adoptive father, who had only one child, the other uncles had many children.

At first, Shen Xi found it strange to have so many people eating together every day, but over time, he got used to it. The Shen family had only recently fallen from grace, so there were still many rules. The most basic rule was no talking during meals and no speaking in bed. Otherwise, the noise from a group of people would be unbearable.

Moreover, Shen Xi particularly disliked half-grown brats who would wipe their runny noses on others. His clothes were often left with shiny, dried marks, and they would act as if they were innocent and young...

Originally, the matriarch sat at the head of one table, and Shen Mingwen at the head of the other. However, since Shen Mingwen had entered the attic, his wife, Lady Wang, now took his place.

There was nothing unusual about the large family gathering for meals. The only thing that made Shen Xi feel uncomfortable was the many rules during meals. The seating arrangement was based on seniority, and even simple actions like picking up food and eating had strict rules that could not be violated.

The first time Shen Xi sat at the table after his soul transmigration, he had to wait for everyone else to start eating before he could. The first time he reached out to pick up food, his mother gave him a hard slap on the hand, telling him that he had to take a bite of rice before picking up food.

Of course, there were many such details, and Shen Xi gradually got used to these rules, now following them without hesitation.

However, today's meal was different. Usually, everyone ate in silence, but today, the conversation was non-stop, all about the eldest uncle entering the attic.

At Shen Xi's table, most were women and children, with the older ones being around thirteen or fourteen. With his small frame, Shen Xi couldn't compete. Plus, his mother was in charge of the kitchen today, so no one was picking food for him. He could only look at his second aunt with a pleading look.

However, the second aunt showed no sympathy, only picking food for her own children, as if afraid they would miss out.

In fact... if they missed out, they really wouldn't get any!

Every time Shen Xi ate, he would look at the uncles, aunts, and siblings, thinking to himself: It turns out that fighting over food can be so polite. Someone like me is destined to only drink the soup left behind.

Fortunately, although the Shen family ate simple meals of wild vegetables every day, they never let their children go hungry. They could eat as much as they wanted, which was Shen Xi's main support over the years.

The most common dish in the Shen family was called "Green Dragon in Clear Water." It sounded nice, but it was just a big pot of boiling water with some green onions and wild vegetables, with very little salt.

In this era without industry, salt was a significant part of the national economy, especially in terms of fiscal revenue.

Therefore, the production and sale of salt were usually monopolized by the government. At one or two hundred coins per pound, official salt was not something ordinary people could afford to waste. Every day, Shen Xi had to force himself to drink this so-called "Green Dragon in Clear Water," while secretly resolving that when he had money, he would eat a pure handful of salt...

The matriarch let out a cold snort, stood up shakily, and angrily shouted, "Ancestral rules and the teachings of the sages say no talking during meals and no speaking in bed. Everyone, be quiet, and we'll discuss matters after eating."

No one dared to speak after hearing this. Shen Xi put a tender piece of water dropwort in his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed it without caring how it tasted.

As usual, the meal was quiet. Shen Xi was the first to finish and neatly placed his chopsticks on the side of his bowl, sitting quietly.

After a while, everyone finished eating. Zhou, who had barely managed to fill her stomach in the kitchen, along with Shen Xi's third and fourth aunts, quickly cleared the table and wiped it clean before sitting down next to Shen Xi.

Shen Xi couldn't help but smile bitterly. In his previous life, he was an orphan and never formed a family after working. He had never seen what a family meeting looked like. Now, with these twenty or thirty people gathered, it was quite an eye-opener.

"Mother, I heard the family plans to cultivate another scholar. Is that true?" The second uncle, who was rather slick and liked to take advantage, asked first.

The matriarch smiled and nodded, saying, "That depends on your agreement. If you agree, we can send another child to study in the county."

"Mother, I agree. Although our family has had a hard time these past years, we can't let it continue. I haven't read much, but I understand the principle of the chicken and the egg. If we don't cultivate the younger generation, our future will be bleak. Unless the eldest brother can pass the exams, our branch will only decline... We can endure a bit more hardship now, it's not a big deal," the fourth uncle, Shen Mingxin, added.

The matriarch nodded, saying, "Everyone understands the principle, but since we are cultivating another child, it's not a short-term matter. Over the years, I'm afraid you will have complaints. I'm old, and my body is not as strong as before. If I fall ill, I might not last long. Whether you can hold the family together and live in harmony is uncertain."

Zhou, although fierce, respected the matriarch greatly. She stood up and said respectfully, "Mother, my husband and I have no objections. If the child can strive, the elders enduring a bit of hardship is nothing."

The matriarch said with satisfaction, "Good, does anyone disagree? If not, this matter is settled!"

No one spoke, and the matriarch was quite pleased, "The Shen family has always been a scholarly family. The only property left from our ancestors is this large house and a few dozen acres of land. Apart from some ancient books, we have no other skills, nor do we need to learn them."

"These past years, everyone has lived in poverty. By the time Yongzhuo's generation, the tradition of reading is almost broken. This cannot continue... To enter the government and achieve success, the children must go to school, which requires money. It's not easy to support a child's education! However, if they don't study, the ancient books passed down by our ancestors will be useless, and the spirits of our ancestors will not rest in peace!"

Everyone remained silent, listening to the matriarch.

The matriarch shook her head and sighed, "I have decided. The eldest brother will take the exams twice more. If he doesn't pass within six years, he will return to teach the children at home and do some good deeds, teaching the children of the villagers to read. You young wives are still young and will have more children. Educating them from a young age will make them stronger than other children..."

The second uncle, Shen Mingyou, said, "Mother, I believe the eldest brother can pass the exams. However, life is unpredictable. Our own children are enough to worry him, let alone the wild children from the village? He should only teach our own children, to focus his energy..."

"Humph—"

Before Shen Mingyou could finish, the matriarch interrupted with a cold snort, "I said, the Shen family is a large clan. Although our branch has split off, we still have a tradition. We can't think of ourselves as a small family. A large clan should do large clan things. Even if we have to swallow our pride, helping the villagers is not wrong."

"Mother, I have some things I don't know if I should say..."

The second uncle finished, and the fourth uncle, Shen Mingxin, took over, looking somewhat serious, hesitating to speak.

Li, impatient, said, "Speak up, say what you have to say. If we don't clear the air today, there will be resentment in the future!"

The fourth uncle took a deep breath, "Mother, I have always wondered. The matters of the elder generation, I shouldn't comment on, and he has been dead for over ten years... But some things are hard to keep in. Our branch split off, but why do we still act like a noble family?"

"When I was only ten or so, I still remember clearly how our family was driven out by the eldest uncle. We came to this Peach Blossom Village, hungry and unfamiliar, spending days settling in and half a year cultivating the barren land... We should focus on farming, not on the Shen family's past glory."

"Mother, we split off long ago. The eldest uncle squandered a thousand taels of gold in one night, while we had no food to eat. Where is the fairness in that..."

"Slap—"

Before Shen Mingxin could finish, the matriarch interrupted with a loud slap on the table, standing up shakily and pointing at him, saying with disappointment, "Do you still consider yourself a descendant of the Shen family? According to the family rules, as long as the main branch does not strive, the descendants of other branches have the right to be the head of the family!"

"Besides, whether to choose the eldest or the most capable has always been a dilemma. The eldest brother came to our house to apologize, and that matter is over. Why dwell on it?"

"Your eldest uncle was indeed reckless, and the Shen family declined under his watch. But as his descendants, you should not think of how to resent him, but how to revive the Shen family's glory!"

The matriarch's words were firm, and no one dared to speak. Shen Mingxin quickly apologized, "It's my fault, I won't say such things again."

"Even thinking about it is wrong. The more you think, the more you resent, the more you suffer," the matriarch scolded, her face stern.

The fourth aunt, Feng, glared at her husband and quickly supported the matriarch, patting her back, "Mother, don't be angry. Your husband didn't mean to upset you. It's bad for your health. Sit down and calm down."

The matriarch didn't say more, sitting back down and resting for a moment before continuing, "I said before, this time choosing a child for school, you don't need to worry too much. In a few years, if the eldest brother doesn't pass the exams, he will return to teach the children. If he passes, that's even better, and we can send all the children to school."

Shen Xi heard this and was not particularly moved.

Waiting for the eldest uncle to take the exams twice more would be at least six years. Spending six years in the mountains would make it too late to pursue education later.

The only way out now was to seize the current opportunity.

The second aunt, Qian, looked around and asked, "Mother, do you have someone in mind?"

The matriarch shook her head slightly, "I do have someone in mind, but I know it's not easy for you. Since you all take this matter seriously, I can't make the decision alone. I'll leave it to you to discuss and let me know the result."

The matriarch then closed her eyes and said no more.

Shen Xi was anxious, not knowing what the matriarch was planning, but he didn't dare to speak, only sitting quietly.

After a moment of silence, the second aunt, Qian, spoke up, "I think my fifth son is very clever and would be a good candidate for school."

Before she could finish, the fourth aunt, Feng, objected, "Second sister, all our children are smart. None of our children are fools, right?"

Qian didn't get angry, just smiled and nodded without speaking.

The third aunt, Sun, seeing the exchange, became anxious and tugged at her husband, trying to get him to speak. However, the third uncle, Shen Mingtang, was timid and easily influenced, just laughing and scratching his head, "Right, right, our children are not fools..."

Sun, usually timid, but now for her son, blushed and said, "I... I think my fourth son is also very good. Can we send him to school in the county? If we can send him, I will work like a slave for you, with no complaints."

Seeing the third aunt, Sun, who was usually timid, turn red and argue, Shen Xi was deeply moved. Parents' love for their children is truly touching!

However, Shen Xi knew he had to fight for this opportunity. With his knowledge, he had nothing to fight for, but to stand out, he had to leave the mountains. Otherwise, even with great knowledge, he would only be a farmer. Even if it meant disappointing those around him, he would not forget his roots when he succeeded.

While Shen Xi was deep in thought, the fourth aunt, Feng, held the hem of her skirt, looking hesitant but determined. Her eyes were filled with tears as she said, "Sisters, please, let my sixth son go to school. He has always wanted to study. Please, if he succeeds, he will treat you like his own mothers."

Seeing Feng's tears, the third aunt, Sun, also turned red-eyed, supporting her but not giving in, "Sister, it's not that we are being unreasonable. Every child is a treasure to their parents. We understand your feelings, but..."

Before she could finish, the second aunt, Qian, coldly snorted, "I am also a mother, and I want my child to succeed. Who doesn't want their child to study and achieve glory? Who doesn't think that way? Humph, it's true, the crying child gets the milk, the quiet child starves."

After her words, everyone fell silent.