Chapter 002 endured great humiliation at the Wen family
"It is inappropriate for me to be here. Since that old man dares to boldly host a banquet for this betrothal ceremony, it is likely that the officials have already been bribed by him, and this betrothal document should be invalid. " At this moment, Wen Zifu was hiding in a secluded corner, unable to stop his mother in time.
Wenzi did not argue with his mother, but held the scriptures in his hands and read them earnestly. However, in his young heart, he had already made up his mind that once he grew up and earned enough money to support his mother so she could live without worries, he would travel the world, seek masters, and learn skills. Even if he could not learn magical incantations, he would still acquire the arts of strong soldiers or divine strikes.
What is going on? Is there a joyous occasion at the residence? Wen Zifu asked a passing servant. This servant had served him during his youth, so he was not as harsh as the other servants; he simply hurriedly mentioned that the young master was getting engaged before returning to his own tasks. Ever since Wen Zifu was stripped of his inheritance, Wen Zixing had been elevated to the position of the eldest legitimate son of the Wen family.
As mentioned earlier, Wen Zifu was born into great expectations. Unfortunately, this good fortune did not last long. When he was ten years old, his half-brother Wen Zixing displayed exceptional talent in the family’s secret thunder-based spiritual spells. This led the head of the family, Wen Dingguo, to decisively strip Wen Zifu of his rights as the legitimate heir. Furthermore, his kind and beautiful mother was relegated to a secondary position due to her son's perceived uselessness
"What I say is not mere talk; in this world, without power, what does it matter if one becomes a high official? They are merely the lapdogs of the royal family!" Wen Zifu grew up amidst the cold mockery and ridicule around him, his character resolutely firm. He had long understood that in this world, without power, everything is merely a castle in the air.
The Wen family has a tradition that spans hundreds of years, and the selection of heirs is extremely strict. If one is unable to practice the art of talismans, they have no qualifications to inherit the family legacy. As a result, Wen Zifu was stripped of his inheritance rights, which meant he could no longer appear before the head of the Wen family. Consequently, the maids and servants no longer held back; they not only looked down on this young master, Wen Zifu, but even his mother was forced by the maids to wash clothes and clean in order to earn a meager meal. Since Wen Zifu was deprived of his inheritance rights, he was destined to never again appear before the head of the Wen family, leading the maids and servants to act without restraint, disregarding this young master and compelling his mother to toil for food.
"Master, you cannot do this. What will happen to Zifu?" Just as Wen Zifu was coldly observing the betrothal ceremony in the Wen family courtyard, his mother's voice brought him back from his deep thoughts. He saw his mother hurriedly approaching, holding the betrothal document from when her son was engaged to Li Caiping. It turned out that Wen's mother, worried about her son not returning for a long time, had followed the sound to find him. Upon seeing her future daughter-in-law now engaged to someone else, she quickly went back to retrieve the betrothal document between Wen Zifu and Li Caiping, rushing over to try to stop the ceremony. It turned out that Wen's mother, worried about her son not returning for a long time, had followed the sound to find him. Upon seeing her future daughter-in-law now engaged to someone else, she quickly went back to retrieve the betrothal document between Wen Zifu and Li Caiping, rushing over to try to stop the ceremony.
Engagement? Watching the servant quickly leave, Wen Zifu felt an inexplicable sense of crisis. He was aware that Wen Dingguo was doing everything possible to bind the talented young woman from the Li family to the Wen family. Currently, the only one in the Wen family eligible to be engaged to Li Caiping was Wen Zixing, who was hailed as the future star of the Wen family. Could it be that this engagement was between Wen Zixing and Li Caiping? Remembering how Li Caiping had grown increasingly distant from him and his mother over the past two years, and that she had not visited them for nearly half a year, Wen Zifu began to speculate.
As Mother Wen was stitching the lines under the sunlight, Wen Zi, while seriously reading the scriptures at https://mhetushu.com, was suddenly startled by a commotion outside. Mother Wen blinked in confusion and listened intently, saying: "Zi Fu, go outside and see what is happening. Could it be that Cai Ping has come? She hasn't visited in several months; she must be in seclusion for her cultivation."
Although the residence of Wen Zifu and her son is still within the Wen family estate, it is located in the most remote corner on the west side. If it were not for the maids and servants intentionally seeking to bring misfortune to the mother and son, it is estimated that no one would pass by this area throughout the year
When Wen Zifu was ten years old, the Wen family had just defeated another prominent family in Luojiang City, the Zhou family, within a span of two to three years. During this period, under the leadership of Wen Dingguo, the Wen family developed rapidly and became the undisputed first family in Luojiang City, while the Li family had been a small family that pledged allegiance to the Wen family even before Wen Zifu was born. Li Caiping showed considerable talent, having reached the third tier of the Yellow level at such a young age, making her the foremost genius in Luojiang City.
When Wen Zifu saw Li Caiping appear in the courtyard, he realized that his guess was correct; the one engaged to Wen Zixing was the beautiful girl he had grown up with. Staring blankly at Li Caiping's charming face, the memories of their time together floated before him, "When we grow up, we will always be together, let’s make a pinky promise, and never change!" Their promise echoed in his ears, as if it had happened just yesterday. However, now the girl was engaged to his younger brother, and it seemed that his fate with her had come to an end.
How could a boy who is unable to study talismans possibly have a bright future? Ever since Wen Dingguo deprived Wen Zifu of his inheritance rights, he sought to annul the engagement between Li Caiping and his grandson. Wen Zifu's mother understood that if her son wished to achieve success in the future, he could not withdraw from this marriage arrangement. She took the engagement document between her son and Li Caiping and caused a commotion at the official residence in Luojiang City, forcing Wen Dingguo to temporarily suppress his plans to dissolve his grandson's engagement.
"My child, study diligently; in the future, you will surely achieve success. You are intelligent and have a good memory. Even if you cannot pursue the art of talismans, you will still rise above others. Look at the high-ranking officials and nobles in the court; how many of them have practiced the art of talismans! The Wen family looks down on you, but that is their own loss!" While mending the holes in her clothes, Mother Wen urged her beloved son to study hard, so that he could excel in the future and make the Wen family regret their disdain.
As he actively made way for the bustling servants and maids, Wen Zifu finally arrived at the front hall of the Wen family. There, he saw a throng of guests at the entrance, with Wen Xinghao standing at the door to greet them, accompanied by the dazzlingly dressed Wen Zixing. Wen Zixing had red lips and white teeth, with a round face that made one involuntarily exclaim at the sight of such a lovely golden boy. At this moment, he was merely around ten years old, yet he was nearly as tall as the fourteen-year-old Wen Zifu.
The rise of this genius girl will naturally not be overlooked by the Wen family, who will do everything possible to bind Li Caiping to their family, with a marriage alliance being the best option for both families. Originally, when Wen Zifu was the heir to the family head, Li Caiping had already made a marriage pact with him, and the two young ones shared a deep affection, having once made a pinky promise to always be together when they grew up
Unfortunately, relying on the help of others will never lead to true happiness. Li Caiping's visits to Wen Zifu and his mother became increasingly infrequent, with longer intervals between each visit. Eventually, Li Caiping completely ceased to inquire about Wen Zifu and his mother.
Wenzi walked along the path following the sound, encountering numerous maids and servants along the way. The attendants and young servants were bustling about, and although the servants who would usually mock him upon seeing him were clearly aware of his presence, they were too preoccupied to pay him any attention
Although Wen Zifu was intelligent and had a strong memory, he ultimately could not practice talismans. His frail and slender body was unable to provide any assistance in protecting his mother. However, Li Caiping, the young lady of the Li family in Luojiang City, grew up alongside Wen Zifu, sharing a childhood friendship and innocence. With the help of the young lady, the lives of Wen Zifu and his mother were not too miserable.
"Mother, I will be back shortly." Wenzi carefully placed the scriptures in order before leaving the dilapidated house where the mother and son lived, heading towards the bustling area.
Since Wen Zifu lost his inheritance rights, the maids and servants who had previously whispered and belittled the young master became even more rampant. They showed no regard even in front of Wen Zifu, for he was merely a worthless descendant stripped of his inheritance rights
Hehe... Congratulations, congratulations to Brother Wen Xinghao on marrying a beautiful wife! The guests presented gifts to congratulate Wen Xinghao, who in turn offered return gifts to each of them, earning him a chorus of praise.
Wen Dingguo gave a knowing glance to Wen Xinghao, who immediately understood and quickly stood up. He reached out to support his wife and dragged her out. Poor Wen Mu had lived a hard life in recent years and had no strength to resist, so she was unwillingly pulled out of the courtyard by her husband. Upon seeing his mother being dragged away by Wen Xinghao, Wen Zifu could no longer pay attention to what Wen Dingguo and his son were doing, nor could he care about the betrothal ceremony between Li Caiping and Wen Zixing. He hurriedly chased after his parents.
Surprisingly, at this moment, Wenzi was unusually calm. He had originally thought that seeing Li Caiping get engaged would surely infuriate him, but now his heart was as clear as a mirror, as if the scene before him was merely a farce, and he was nothing more than an indifferent bystander in this world.
Hearing her son express some discouraging words, Mother Wen let out a quiet sigh. Her son could read ten lines at a glance and had an excellent memory, so why couldn't he practice the art of talismans? If her son could cultivate, he would likely surpass that young girl from the Li family by a considerable margin. With this thought in mind, Mother Wen gently advised, "My child, one must be down-to-earth. Do not entertain unrealistic ideas; it is better to focus on your studies."
However, the actions of Wen Mu greatly angered the members of the Wen family. Wen Zifu's father, Wen Xinghao, initially chose to ignore Wen Mu. After she caused a scene at the official court, he came over to physically assault her. He even turned a blind eye when the household servants mistreated Wen Mu, pretending not to see, which only emboldened the servants' arrogance. If it were not for Li Caiping occasionally visiting to check on Wen Zifu and his mother, it is likely that this unfortunate mother and son would have been bullied to death long ago.
It was during the summer of the year when Wen Zifu had just turned fourteen that unexpected news reached Wen Zifu and his mother
Wen Zifu found a corner to secretly observe the situation in the courtyard. After watching for just a short while, he saw Li Caiping's father leading his daughter, who was dressed flamboyantly, into the courtyard. Wen Dingguo stood up and loudly said: "Ladies and gentlemen! Please be quiet! Today, all of you esteemed guests have gathered here..."