Irmão, me salve! Papai, me salve!

Seventeenth year of the Jian’an era, early summer.

On South Lane of East Elm Street in the capital, among the grand residences of noble families, the old Song family mansion stood out awkwardly in its dilapidation. The once-imposing gate tower was now weathered and the red lacquer peeling, yet the two majestic stone lions by the entrance and the old hitching post still hinted at the family’s former glory. Now, they were only a subject of ridicule, a sign of faded fortunes.

As the moonlight first rose and the incessant chirping of cicadas filled the air, in the western wing of the Song house, a young woman gently fanned her sleeping child, all the while chattering to her husband: “Sanlang, since Mother wants to send Rui to study, we should let our Chen go too. We can’t favor one over the other.”

Sanlang kept his head down, carefully polishing the wooden spinning top he had just made for their son. He chuckled without looking up, “Rui is clever, a natural for study. He could recite the Three Character Classic by the age of three. Who knows, maybe he’ll win a scholar’s degree for our Song family and bring honor to our name. If that happens, he’ll surely help Chen as well.”

The young wife pouted in protest, “Why does he need help? Can’t our Chen win a scholar’s degree on his own?”

Sanlang had no answer for that, his lips twitching as he kept his head lowered.

Embarrassed and annoyed, the young woman seemed to realize she had boasted a bit too much. Her precious son was good in every way except that he had no interest in books. No matter ho