That's the really hard way to utilize a 1602 display. Unless it has a really funky non-hd44780 compatible controller (unlikely), you should be using an I2C LCD library that has methods that will properly handle device initialization and other escape sequences for you, i.e. Clearing the display, positioning the cursor, etc. Using the base Wire library forces you to reinvent the wheel...
This library will do everything but connect the wires for you. GitHub - duinoWitchery/hd44780: Extensible hd44780 LCD library
If you have any issues with above library, please make new thread in the displays sub-section as you'll get faster responses there since it's really a display problem, not programming.