Chapter 27 TGBW

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The General's Buddhist Wife

Chapter :

Rejecting・ The Four Occupations: Scholar, Farmer, Artisan, and Merchants

Chu Wei Leng was very clever; as soon as Lou Jian Jia spoke, he understood.

Although Old Master Chu was skilled in woodworking, he wasn't as clever as his son.

Instead, Chu Wei Leng explained it to him patiently, and gradually, Old Master Chu understood.

After working for a while longer and checking the time, Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao went to the town to buy fabric, while Chu Wei Leng continued working at home.

© translations belonging to flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

Seeing Madam Zhao and Old Master Chu leave, Lou Jian Jia also stopped observing and went inside to fetch her own clothes, sitting by the well to wash them.

Chu Wei Leng quickly peeled off his white undershirt, which was already soaked through with sweat, making a noticeable sound as it hit the ground.

When Lou Jian Jia stood up to hang her clothes, she saw Chu Wei Leng shirtless again.

She stared at him for a while, reluctantly admitting that, in terms of appearance, the male lead was indeed superior.

She could only say that the person who could play the male lead had an impeccable physique.

As the sun was about to set, Lou Jian Jia went to cook dinner.

Tonight, she made rice soup and cooked two dishes: braised potatoes and stir-fried green beans with chili.

After finishing, she thought about the increased number of people and decided to make a cold dish as well: celery salad.

As dusk approached and there was still no sign of Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao returning, Lou Jian Jia grew increasingly worried as she calculated the distance to town.

Just as she was considering going out to search for them, she saw Chu Wei Leng putting on his inner garment, ready to go out. He said to her, "I'll go out and see why Dad and Mom haven't returned yet."

This aligned with Lou Jian Jia's thoughts, so she nodded in agreement, saying, "Okay."

As Chu Wei Leng put on his inner garment and headed outside, he stood at the door, turned back to glance at Lou Jian Jia, and reminded her, "Be careful while you're home alone."

Lou Jian Jia was surprised by his extra words of caution and nodded in response.

Unexpectedly, just as they were speaking, Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao returned.

Chu Wei Leng and Lou Jian Jia both turned their heads to see them enter.

Seeing the expression on Madam Zhao's face, Lou Jian Jia furrowed her brows slightly.

Something was not right.

Madam Zhao and Old Master Chu seemed off, as if they had been crying, with significant emotional fluctuations.

Although Chu Wei Leng had been away from home for three years, he still knew his parents well. With just one glance, he could tell that something was wrong with them, so he quickly walked over.

"Dad, Mom, what happened? Did someone bully you?" he asked urgently.

Madam Zhao's hand trembled slightly as she grasped her son's hand, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Mom, please tell me, what happened?" Chu Wei Leng's tone was filled with concern.

Lou Jian Jia's fist, placed by her side, also clenched tightly, her expression turning cold.

Old Master Chu regained his composure first. He wiped away a tear and said, "Wei Leng, you became an official? Why didn't you tell your father?"

As he spoke, he became emotional again, tears threatening to fall.

In their family lineage, there had been few who pursued education, let alone held official positions.

Upon hearing this, Lou Jian Jia relaxed and turned back to the kitchen to serve the meal.

She had just been ready to seek revenge if anyone had dared to bully Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao, but it seemed unnecessary now.

As for Chu Wei Leng's official position, she didn't care one bit.

Calculating the days, Chu Wei Leng had yet to save the future emperor. Even if he held an official position, it wouldn't be a significant one.

He was a remarkable individual, destined for an extraordinary future. However, all this glory and wealth had nothing to do with her.

For Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao, the significance was entirely different.

Scholar, farmer, artisan, merchant.

Their family had some representation in farming, craftsmanship, and commerce, but they had missed out on the most prestigious title of scholar.

Now that their son had entered officialdom, they finally had a stake in it.

While farming, craftsmanship, and commerce offered choices, becoming a scholar was not something you could simply choose.

But once you entered that rank, your status changed completely.

"Just now, if we hadn't heard from your Uncle Dahai, we wouldn't have known you became an official. Such a big matter, why didn't you say anything when you came home?" Old Master Chu said.

Uncle Dahai was the village head of Chu's village.

Chu Wei Leng understood immediately upon hearing this. Presumably, Uncle Dahai wanted to organize a ceremony to honor their ancestors.

He tried to reason with him, then went to talk to his father about it.

But whether it was with Uncle Dahai or his father, it was futile.

He was merely a minor official, with no significant position to warrant such ceremonies.

This official position was given to him when he returned from the neighboring country with his superiors.

It was more of an insult than an actual official position.

~ Part 2 ~

He had done all the life-threatening tasks, yet the credit always went to others.

Even his deceased brother was dispatched with just a few taels of silver, without even a tombstone to mark his name.

These were things Chu Wei Leng wouldn't tell his parents.

Because there was no point in telling them; it would only worry them.

Chu Wei Leng suppressed the coldness in his eyes and said lightly, "It's not a high-ranking position anyway, just a minor official. Whether I say it or not doesn't make a difference."

Madam Zhao regained her composure and said excitedly, "How can it not make a difference? This is unique in our village, it's unique to the Chu family. Stop working now, get ready. Tomorrow, we'll organize a ceremony to honor our ancestors and appease their spirits."

Chu Wei Leng furrowed his brow slightly but continued with his tasks.

"No need."

Chu Wei Leng's words were short, but his tone was firm.

He rarely disobeyed his elders, but this time he was resolute, like a man of steel.

Seeing her son like this, Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao were somewhat at a loss.

While Lou Jian Jia had been busy serving the food, she had also caught wind of the tension outside.

Observing the uneasy atmosphere, she walked out of the kitchen and glanced at Chu Wei Leng's determined figure before turning her gaze to Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao. "Parents, it's getting late. Shall we eat first?"

Madam Zhao glanced at her daughter-in-law, expecting her to understand her current excitement, and said, "Jian Jia, do you know that Wei Leng has become an official?"

Lou Jian Jia smiled and replied, "Yes, I heard about it. That's good news. Let's celebrate with some delicious food tomorrow."

Madam Zhao agreed, saying, "Yes, you're right. We'll have a good feast tomorrow."

"Husband has been working all afternoon, he must be hungry. Let's start eating," Lou Jian Jia said calmly.

Upon hearing that her son was hungry, Madam Zhao and Old Master Chu didn't bring up the matter of the ancestral shrine anymore. They put down what they were doing, tidied up, and came over to the table to eat.

As they sat down to eat, Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao brought up the matter they had just discussed.

It's not surprising that they brought it up.

In this era, social classes are distinct, and being an official or not being one means belonging to two different worlds. Once one becomes an official, they step into another echelon.

This is not only a significant event for his family but also for the entire clan, the whole village, and even the entire town. It's a matter of great prestige.

However, the male protagonist remained calm and refused to participate in the ancestral shrine ceremony.

"Wei Leng, did you tell your uncle that you don't want to hold the ancestral shrine ceremony?" Old Master Chu asked.

Wei Leng pursed his lips and replied, "Yes."

"Why don't you want to?" Madam Zhao inquired.

She couldn't think of any reason why her son wouldn't want to participate. In her eyes, and in the eyes of most people, this was a good thing. Come to think of it, Lou Jian Jia was also curious as to why.

This detail, she couldn't recall if it was omitted from the book or if she had forgotten having read it. As far as she knew, it was indeed something worth celebrating and honoring the ancestors for.

Lou Jian Jia picked up a piece of celery with her chopsticks and savored it. "Hmm, it tastes good, refreshing and delicious. It's indeed a delicacy to enjoy in the summer."

Lou Jian Jia remained silent, observing the situation. From the way Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao brought up the matter, she could tell something was off. It was even more evident from the way her husband, Chu Wei Leng, was acting.

Chu Wei Leng's voice was unusually subdued as he continued to eat his steamed bun. "The position is too insignificant to be worth it."

Madam Zhao responded, puzzled, "Even if it's a small position, it's still a position. Why do you reject it?"

Chu Wei Leng didn't respond, maintaining his silence.

Lou Jian Jia couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss with her husband, especially considering his unusual behavior since the discussion began. She didn't claim to know him inside out, but she could sense it from his appetite.

'If we go by his appetite, he would have finished both mantou by now, but he hasn't even eaten half of one. If we say he doesn't like it, I don't believe it. His joy at noon was visible to the naked eye, not like he was faking it. That can only mean there's another hidden reason behind this.' Lou Jian Jia thought to herself.

Old Master Chu also couldn't understand why his son would think like this.

After all, as his own son, Old Master Chu still understood him. Seeing his son's unusual mood, he asked, "Son, tell Dad, is there something else going on here?"

Chu Wei Leng pursed his lips, picked up a piece of potato with his chopsticks, and said firmly, "No."

Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao exchanged a glance, their excitement turning into perplexity and worry.

Lou Jian Jia glanced at Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao, then at Chu Wei Leng, who was still eating despite his subdued mood.

Although she didn't know Chu Wei Leng well, based on her impressions from reading, once he made a decision, it would be difficult for others to change his mind.

Of course, that was only for others. In the future, he might change for the female lead, who also possessed the protagonist's halo.

Speaking of which, whether they hold the ancestral rites this time didn't matter much. In the future, Chu Wei Leng would become a general, and they could hold the rites then.

She didn't want to see Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao worry about Chu Wei Leng.

"Father, Mother, it's actually a good thing not to hold the ancestral rites this time," Lou Jian Jia spoke up in the midst of the silence.

Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao both looked at her, curiosity filling their eyes.

"Why?" Madam Zhao asked.

"Firstly, if Young Master Chu were to host a lavish feast and hold ancestral rites immediately after obtaining his official position, it might come off as arrogant. Secondly, considering Young Master Chu's young age and his rapid rise to an official position, it's likely that he has a promising future ahead of him. If we celebrate such a minor official position now, what would we do if he attains even higher positions in the future?" Lou Jian Jia explained.

Although Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao wanted to say something more, they refrained.

Their son seemed resolute, and their daughter-in-law's words made sense.

After exchanging a few more words, seeing that their son and daughter-in-law didn't respond, their attitude softened considerably.

Chu Wei Leng glanced at her and then at his parents.

He hadn't expected his parents to place such deep trust in Lou Jian Jia.

What he struggled to convey for a long time, she managed with just a few words.

Old Master Chu remained silent for a moment before saying, "Alright, you handle it. Your mother and I don't understand much about these matters outside. If you think it's best, then so be it."

Seeing the atmosphere easing up a bit, Lou Jian Jia suggested, "Let's eat, Father, Mother."

As they neared the end of the meal, Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao seemed to have recovered.

Compared to their son's appointment, ancestral worship seemed like a minor matter, and they were now immersed in the joy of their son's new position.

"Jian Jia, after we finish our chores tomorrow, let's go to town and buy some delicious food. We'll set up a table and invite some familiar families over to join us," Madam Zhao said with a smile.

Although he disagreed with the idea of ancestral worship, Chu Wei Leng didn't seem opposed to the idea of inviting a few people over.

Glancing at Chu Wei Leng and noticing his nonchalant expression, Lou Jian Jia replied, "Alright."

•••

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Chapter 27 TGBW

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