Chapter 5

On the way back, Song Jingchen’s awkwardness had mostly faded. He spotted a street vendor selling skewered candied fruit, and his little sweet tooth was instantly tempted again.

Candied fruit skewers were somewhat like candied hawthorn sticks—various pieces of fruit were baked until half-dried, then skewered on bamboo sticks and rolled in powdered sugar. They were very popular among children.

Song Jingchen wanted to eat some, but after the earlier fuss, he felt a bit embarrassed to ask his father for some.

The child affectionately wrapped his arms around Song Sanlang’s neck, pulling a small handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his father’s face and neck haphazardly, while asking with concern, “Father, you’re sweating. Are you thirsty?”

Song Sanlang replied, “I’m not thirsty.”

Song Jingchen pressed on, “Not thirsty? Then you must be hungry.”

Song Sanlang knew exactly what the little one was thinking and deliberately said, “I’m not hungry.”

And then, silence.

Song Jingchen: “...”

Father, how can you be so clueless? Don’t you know to ask your most beloved eldest son if he’s hungry?

Seeing that subtle hints were useless, Song Jingchen spoke plainly, “Father, my second aunt said that women who eat more fruit become more beautiful. Why don’t you buy some candied fruit for Mother to eat?”

Xu Xiuniang: “...”

Such a filial son—I’m proud of him.

Song Sanlang knew exactly what was in the child’s mind and deliberately said, “Alright, Father will buy a skewer for Mother. Since it’s good for women, we won’t eat any, will we, Chen’er?”

Song Jingchen hurriedly said, “Father, it’s good for children too.”

Song Sanlang feigned ignorance, “Why would it be good for children as well?”

Song Jingchen said confidently, “Because children are born of women.”

Song Sanlang held back a smile and after a moment said, “Chen’er makes a good point—Xiuniang, go buy three skewers. After all, I was born of a woman too.”

Song Jingchen quickly added, “Mother, buy four skewers! No, five skewers! We should let brother and sister try some too.”

Xiuniang smiled and glanced at her son, “You’re not one to hog all the good food, are you?”

Song Jingchen replied matter-of-factly, “Father taught me that when Chen’er has good things, he’s willing to share with brother and sister. When brother and sister have good things, they also think of Chen’er. That way, Chen’er and his siblings can all enjoy more good things.”

Xiuniang was at a loss for words—the boy was right. Those two kids did share their good things with their brother.

Xiuniang said, “Good that you understand. I think the same way, so I allow you to share with them. Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

It was already hot in the middle of the day, and as Xiuniang went off, the father and son waited anxiously.

Sure enough, not long after, Xiuniang returned with excitement on her face. Even before she reached them, she happily said, “Sanlang, they gave me a two-cash discount!”

The young lady’s eyes sparkled with a smile, clearly hoping for praise.

Song Sanlang took a deep breath and said, “Thank you for your hard work, my lady.”

Back home, Song Sanlang brought a few favorite snacks of the old lady to the main room. The old lady scolded him for spending money recklessly but felt comforted in her heart.

Taking advantage of the moment, Song Sanlang told the old lady about Chen’er’s leg pain. “The old doctor at Erjitang said Chen’er is different from other children.”

The old lady trusted the Erjitang doctor deeply and immediately grew anxious. “What did Doctor Xun say?” she asked urgently.

Song Sanlang quickly reassured her, “Mother, don’t be too worried. Chen’er is not seriously ill.”

He then explained, “The Erjitang doctor said Chen’er’s bones grow faster than other children’s. At such a young age, he’s already half a head taller than his peers. Because of this, his bones are weak and fragile, prone to fractures, which could leave lasting problems. Walking too much might cause leg pain for life.”

The old lady was frightened by this. The doctor’s words made sense; Chen’er’s growth was indeed rapid, much like how she tended to her flowers—letting them grow too tall made their roots weak, requiring frequent pruning.

But unlike flowers, how could you prune a child’s growth?

“Did the doctor prescribe anything?” she asked anxiously.

“No medicine was prescribed,” Song Sanlang said. “The doctor said it’s not a disease and shouldn’t be treated with medication. A proper diet to nourish him is enough—more bones, meat, fish, and shrimp. Beef is best, and—”

Song Sanlang added, “If possible, milk would be excellent.”

He added the milk part himself, as in his previous life he was often weak as a child and frequently drank milk and cheese.

He then pulled out a small pouch of money from his pocket and handed it to the old lady. “Here’s some money for you, Mother. Besides Chen’er, Rui’er and Zhu Jie are also growing. You can use this to nourish all the children.”

The old lady did not take it but said, “If it’s to nourish them all, it’s not right for only you, my third son, to pay. Though the Song family has declined, it’s not so bad that we cannot support our grandchildren. You keep this money—our ancestors were of the noble class, and several precious dowry items still remain.”

At this, the old lady became emotional, tears welling at her eyes. She took out her handkerchief, dabbed at the corners of her eyes, then said:

“All these were passed down from my grandmother to my mother, and then to me. They’ve been with us for many years. Now that my face is gone from this world, I’ve never wanted to pawn these items, just to keep a memory. But now I realize they’re just valuables. Rather than take them to the grave to rot, it’s better to use them for the benefit of the children and grandchildren.”

Song Sanlang was moved. The reason he had spoken so seriously was because the old lady was always frugal. Getting her to agree to the children eating meat, even if he paid for it himself, was difficult.

In reality, his explanation about the doctor was unconvincing. Many poor children grew up just fine. He was gambling on his mother’s love for her grandchildren—her heavy affection made her willing to do foolish things for their sake, thinking only of their welfare.

Seeing the old lady’s reaction, Song Sanlang said, “Son is unfilial. How could I let Mother pawn our last dowry? I’ll take on more work and earn it myself.”

The old lady tenderly patted her son’s head, and although Song Sanlang felt a little awkward and tried to pull away, he did not.

She helped him up and said worriedly, “Don’t think you’re made of iron. Carpentry work isn’t light. You’re already so busy you can hardly breathe. How can you take on more?”

Then, with loving concern, she patted his hand and said, “I’m not just worrying about Chen’er, but also Rui’er and Zhu Jie.”

“Zhu Jie’s marriage prospects are not good. I’m thinking of letting her apprentice under Lady Chu to learn embroidery. That way she’ll have a skill to support herself and raise her value. But to find connections and pay tuition, money is needed.”

There was actually something the old lady did not say—the real reason she was willing to spend heavily. She held back because she wasn’t sure if this plan would work and feared it might upset her third son.

They say fairness is a bowl of water—you can’t truly treat everyone equally. If you could, you’d be a master of balance, relying on pure acting skills.

Even between mother and sons, once the children have their own large families, you can no longer treat them as before. You must maintain a delicate balance.

For instance, when the old lady first heard the doctor’s words from her third son, she was indeed worried and believed him. But she quickly regained her composure.

Because she had a living example right before her eyes—her third son himself grew strong without eating lavishly, so surely he had exaggerated the doctor’s words.

Still, she cleverly went along with it, using it as a pretext to bring up pawning her dowry. What she planned to do with the money was clear only to herself.

Who could have been so formidable as to prevent her husband from taking concubines?

Three daughters-in-law together could not outmatch one old Song lady.

The old lady was a cunning old fox. Song Sanlang had weathered many storms in his life, but he immediately sensed something off in her words—especially as she added Zhu Jie into the conversation.

If she truly valued her granddaughter, she would have started training her from a young age. At this late stage, it was too late.

Therefore, both Zhu Jie and Chen’er were just fronts—excuses to placate the first and third households. The old lady was preparing to invest heavily in Song Jingrui’s future.

After discerning the old lady’s intentions, Song Sanlang felt no resentment. If he were head of the household, he would make the same wise choice.

At this point, Song Jingrui was the only viable gambit. If he succeeded, the Song family would rise again; if he failed, they would accept fate.

The mother and son continued their tender exchange for a while longer. Song Sanlang left the old lady’s room and glanced at the roast chicken on her table, thinking: “My silly boy truly knows how to win grandmother’s heart. He did bring home the roast chicken after all.”

The “silly boy” was now whispering with his brother Rui’er.

“Brother, isn’t the candied fruit delicious?”

“It’s okay.”

“What do you mean, ‘okay’? Then don’t eat it.”

“It’s good, alright?”

“Give me another bite.”

Song Jingrui grabbed Rui’er’s wrist, stretching his neck to bite at the skewer in his hand.

Rui’er said, “You little glutton already ate outside. Why are you still trying to snatch mine?”

“I ate before, but now seeing you eat makes me crave it again,” Song Jingchen said matter-of-factly.

“You better stop eating. You’re already chubby; if you eat more, you’ll become fat.”

Song Jingchen didn’t care. “I don’t care. I want to eat. Mother says children look better a little chubby.”

“Only one bite allowed.”

“I’ll eat half and leave the rest for you.”

“You better eat it all yourself. You’ve already drooled on it. Who would want what you leave behind?”

…

Outside, Lady Jiang listened to the two children whispering and wanted to laugh. She called into the inner room, “Chen’er, come to Second Aunt.”

“Second Aunt, are you looking for me?” Song Jingchen ran out eagerly.

“Come quickly, sit here. Second Aunt made you a pair of hemp shoes. Try them on and see if they fit.”

The hemp shoes Lady Jiang spoke of had uppers made by steaming and softening hemp fibers, then hand-braided and molded on lasts. The soles were hand-laminated layers, somewhat resembling modern sandals.

Lady Jiang’s mother was skilled in needlework, and Jiang inherited her craft. She cleverly wove red silk threads into the hemp braids and fashioned an auspicious knot at the heel, making the shoes both attractive and easy for children to carry.

Because children’s skin was delicate, Lady Jiang also sewed soft cloth on the parts touching the skin.

In Lady Jiang’s view, it was good that Chen’er and Rui’er got along well.

Every family has its own little schemes behind closed doors, but when it comes to the crucial moment, blood ties are the most reliable.

Lady Jiang helped Song Jingchen take off his cloth shoes and put on the new hemp shoes. Rui’er’s feet were all bones, but Chen’er’s little toes were plump and adorable, with nails resembling peach petals dyed in spring—pinkish and translucent, irresistibly charming.

Lady Jiang couldn’t help but say, “For all else, Xu has truly raised the children well.”

Song Jingchen jumped on the spot a few times after putting on the new shoes, grinning widely. “They’re comfortable. Thank you, Second Aunt. Mother says you have the most skillful hands.”

“You have a sweet mouth. Go play with your second brother,” Lady Jiang smiled.

“I won’t play, Third Aunt. Chen’er wants to hurry home and show Mother and Father my new shoes.”

The child bounced along as he ran off. Seeing her handiwork appreciated and the boy eager to show it off, Lady Jiang’s lips curved into a satisfied smile as she turned back inside.

…

At dinner, there was an extra meat dish on the Song family table—a roast chicken. The old lady had Xiuniang shred the chicken into strips and divide it into four portions.

Everyone’s eyes were on this, especially the first and second sisters-in-law across the table, who watched closely. Xiuniang was careful not to give her own son too much chicken leg meat. Along with the old lady’s portion, there were four plates evenly distributed.

The men at the table paid no attention to such small matters, but the old lady found it both amusing and frustrating how fairly the third daughter-in-law shared the meat.

Amid amusement and exasperation, the old lady resolved to pay a visit to the Yongchang uncle’s residence soon. After all the misfortunes, it was time for the old Song family’s ancestral tomb to finally send up some smoke.

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