Yang Shi paused, realizing that it would take her a long time to inquire about the affairs of those families on her own. Thus, she said, "Then you don't need to wait around here; you should go to the county seat and prepare for the Metropolitan Examination. Don't waste time over this matter; after all, it’s not something that can be looked into overnight. However, you should still stay home for a couple of days before heading to the county. Mother still wants to have a good long talk with you!"

Yang Shi agreed not to finalize any marriage arrangements for the time being, and Wang Qingchen let out a long sigh of relief. Now that Yang Shi was asking him to stay a little longer, he was naturally willing, as long as the discussion wasn't about his marriage, he could agree to anything.

So, Wang Qingchen readily nodded, "Then I'll stay for an extra couple of days. It will give me a chance to properly talk with you and Father."

Seeing her son agree, Yang Shi immediately brightened up, "That's good, that's good. By the way, Qingchen, is there anything specific you'd like to eat? Mother will make it for you. When you're out on the road, we never know if you've been eating well; we don't know if you've been taking good care of yourself. Now that you're finally home, you must eat something good and regain your strength."

Wang Qingchen had initially intended to refuse, thinking anything Yang Shi cooked would be fine, but the moment he saw the genuine concern in her eyes, the words caught in his throat. In truth, Yang Shi rarely saw him, and now that he was back, she naturally wanted to translate all her affection into tangible care. If he refused now, she would likely worry incessantly after he left.

Thinking this, Wang Qingchen smiled, "I just really want to eat the steamed egg custard Mother makes. The ones I eat outside just don't taste right; they aren't as delicious as what Mother makes."

Hearing her son say this, Yang Shi felt a mix of happiness and heartache, "Now that you're home, Mother will make you lots and lots of steamed egg custard."

Wang Qingchen nodded with a smile, "Mm!"

Seeing her son agree, Yang Shi didn't say any more, but immediately hurried off to prepare the custard. Thinking about how much her son enjoyed her cooking, Yang Shi felt suddenly energized throughout her body.

Watching Yang Shi leave the room, Wang Qingchen felt a wave of emotion—both touched and guilty. Yet, if he had to do it over again, he would still say the same thing. If he were forced to marry someone he didn't know or understand, he truly couldn't accept it. Therefore, this was the only way he could stall for time.

Having resolved his thoughts, Wang Qingchen settled in to wait for the custard. However, before Yang Shi could finish making it, Wang Youfu came to find him. It turned out that several households from the village had arrived, wishing to place their fields under Wang Qingchen's name.

The actions of these few households were attributable to the privileges enjoyed by Juren during this era. A Juren possessed greater privileges than a Xiucai, the most significant being tax exemption. Consequently, once someone achieved the rank of Juren, a large number of common people would seek to place their assets under his name. Now that Wang Qingchen was a Juren, any assets under his name could be tax-exempt, a fact the villagers had likely discovered, prompting familiar households to inquire about the situation. Since the Juren was his own son and not himself, Wang Youfu hesitated to make decisions on his son's behalf, thus he sought out Wang Qingchen.

When Wang Qingchen heard his father’s intention, he felt these matters were not significant and said, "Father, concerning these matters, see which households genuinely need assistance. As long as it's not excessive, help them out if you can! I have no objections to any of this. After all, I don't know much about the circumstances of those families in the village."

Wang Youfu had initially intended to explain the situation of the villagers to his son, but since his son directly entrusted the decision to him, he decided not to say more. He would simply report the outcome to his son later, acknowledging that, as his son had pointed out, he truly knew little about the affairs of those families.

Having received his instructions, Wang Youfu didn't linger and quickly went out. It seemed that after Wang Youfu gave a positive response to those initial families, shortly after, more people arrived.

Wang Youfu did not go to bother his son again but instead made decisions based on the situations as he saw them. He knew the conditions of the village households inside and out, and he handled the matters quite fairly.

However, by the afternoon, the Old Master arrived.

Seeing the Old Master approach, Wang Youfu had already guessed his purpose. The Old Master was direct and didn't mince words, immediately stating why he had come.

"Second Son, I heard that a Juren enjoys tax exemptions?" the Old Master inquired.

Wang Youfu nodded, "Yes, Father."

Seeing Wang Youfu affirm, the Old Master continued, "Second Son, it’s not that I’m lecturing you, but since there's such a good thing, why didn’t you prioritize our own Wang family first? Instead, you’re playing the good Samaritan in the village. Now that your branch is prosperous, why don't you know to lift up the Eldest Branch and the Third Branch?"

The Old Master’s words carried a clear tone of reproach. Upon hearing this, Wang Youfu felt a pang of grievance. It wasn't that he hadn't thought of his brothers; he had only just learned about this tax exemption today. Before this, he, who spent his life working the soil, wouldn't have known about such things. If someone hadn't come to their house this morning to ask about it, he might not have known even now! Moreover, even setting aside the fact that he had only just learned of it, he had thought of his brothers after finding out. However, because people had been coming to the house continuously, he hadn't found a moment to spare. By the time he was finally free and thinking of heading to the Old House, the Old Master himself had arrived. Thus, Wang Youfu felt completely wronged by the current scolding.

So, Wang Youfu explained helplessly, "Father, I didn't say I didn't think of the family. It's just that people kept coming to the house earlier! I only just managed to get free now, and I was just thinking of heading to the Old House when you arrived."

After hearing this, the Old Master stared at Wang Youfu for a moment, unsure if he believed the explanation. But after observing him for a while, he said, "It is rare that after achieving prosperity, you still think of your brothers. Father also knows the nature of your Eldest Brother. But he is still your elder brother; the bone may break, but the sinew remains connected. So, try to assist him when you can in the ordinary course of things, just as you would care for your nephews. Qingshan and the others will not forget your kindness in the future. As for the Third Brother’s side, they have always been close to your branch, so I don't worry about them. It’s just your Eldest Brother... Ah, never mind. I am old now, and I don't know how much longer I have to live. But I always wish that in my remaining years, I can see all three of you brothers living well. Only then can I pass on peacefully and face the ancestors of our Wang family with a clear conscience!"

Listening to the Old Master’s lament, Wang Youfu first felt a sting of bitterness. After all, the Old Master’s devotion to his Eldest Brother was undeniable, yet he always seemed to treat him and the Third Brother with a sense of unfairness. But as he listened to the latter part of the Old Master’s words, Wang Youfu’s heart filled with sorrow. Forget it, he thought, my father only wants his sons to have better lives; isn't that the same desire I have? For example, now that Qingchen was a Juren, Wang Youfu wouldn't have to worry about his lifetime prospects; he could manage perfectly well on his own, perhaps even becoming an official someday. But what about his eldest and youngest sons? The eldest only managed the family mill, and the gap between him and Qingchen would only widen. As for the youngest, he was still so small; Wang Youfu didn't know what his future held or if he would have a good life.

Making this comparison, Wang Youfu lost all resentment towards the Old Master. After all, standing from a father's perspective, some of his own thoughts coincided with the Old Master’s. He, too, hoped that if Qingchen became successful someday, he wouldn't forget his brothers. Therefore, Wang Youfu had no standing now to resent the Old Master, as he would naturally think the same way himself.

Once this realization dawned, the sliver of resentment he had held for a long time regarding the Old Master’s perceived unfairness vanished. At that moment, Wang Youfu suddenly understood some of the Old Master’s perspective and felt a newfound closeness to him.

Wang Youfu looked up at the Old Master and comforted him, "Father, rest assured. No matter what, he is still my elder brother. I will never forget him, and I certainly won't refuse to lend support when I can in the future."

The Old Master had not expected the Second Son to agree so easily. He didn't try to figure out why the Second Son had suddenly changed his mind; having secured the commitment, he felt a great sense of relief. He had been afraid the Second Son would refuse today. Now that he had agreed so readily, he certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to ask for the reason.

Watching the Old Master relax after he agreed, Wang Youfu wondered if he would ever find himself in a similar position, worrying about his own sons and mediating between them. Thinking of this, Wang Youfu suddenly felt that he should defer to the Old Master more often in the future. This would not only show filial piety and allow the Old Master to live out his days more comfortably, but it would also serve as a living example for his own sons to see clearly how they should behave in the future.