Chapter 93: Start reading

Early that morning, Dafu scooped a large bowl of steamed egg custard at home, bit into a meat bun, and drank a bowl of milk tea, eating his fill.

Wiping the grease from his lips, he held onto Fan Jing’s hand and was accompanied by Kang He. With a bounce in his step, he headed over to the main house.

Chen Sanfang saw this and, already having no appetite for breakfast, hurriedly put down her bowl and chopsticks, chasing after them to take a look.

She often heard Zhang Jinguì talk about how other children were spoiled, sent off to private schools by their parents and elders with countless reminders and instructions. They would leave home looking fine, but once seated at the study desk, they would burst into tears.

When asked why, they would say they missed their parents and their little Huang Gou.

At first, Chen Sanfang was sympathetic, agreeing with Zhang Jinguì that some children were truly spoiled. Their parents were willing to spend money so they wouldn’t have to endure wind or rain while studying—living a life of comfort.

Many children from poor families had to work from dawn till dusk. Passing by the school’s entrance and hearing the sounds of reading, they would watch from afar, but if they lingered too long and returned home late, they would be punished.

If it were her as a child sitting in that school, she feared she wouldn’t cry quietly with her head bowed, but would probably wail out loud just looking at the books.

Hearing about other children, she was quite understanding. But when it came to her own child studying, all those reasonings completely slipped from her mind.

Her thoughts were only on how young children would miss their parents when sent off to school.

Chen Sanfang feared that if Dafu went over, the family might leave and also cry.

“Don’t eat so much, just go together to see Dafu off,” she said, giving Fan’s father a shove as she left.

“He’s being sent, don’t you worry someone will snatch him along the way,” Fan’s father replied.

Seeing that Fan’s father wouldn’t abandon his bowl of rice, Chen Sanfang was too tired to argue and went on her own.

As soon as she left, Fan’s father whispered to Qiao’er, “Look at your mother, so fussing, she won’t even eat.”

Qiao’er frowned, “Mother isn’t fussing, she just can’t bear to part with Dafu.”

Fan’s father said, “What’s there to be so attached to? He’s not going far, it’s just to relatives nearby. It’s just a short walk; see how worried she is.”

Qiao’er didn’t respond. She hoped it was just talk and that she wouldn’t drop her bowl and follow after them soon.

She picked up a meat bun and started eating quietly.

Kang He and Fan Jing brought Dafu to the main house. Ever since Miss Lu married into the family and took over household management, the main house had arranged to build a separate spacious room the next year dedicated to Fan Xin’s teaching.

When children came to study, they no longer had to crowd in the main hall of the house. With easier access and fewer distractions, the children could focus better on their lessons.

Previously, the classroom was in the main hall. Sometimes children arrived early while the family was still eating. It wasn’t good to make the children eat with others refusing, nor was it ideal to have them wait elsewhere.

All in all, it was better to have a separate room for the private school, where children arriving early or late wouldn’t disturb each other.

By the time class started, two children had already arrived at the main house. They were from another village and very diligent.

Though class hadn’t started, they were already quietly reviewing lessons at their desks.

“Come in. Dafu, have you eaten breakfast?”

Sister-in-law Lu saw the two bringing the children and called them into the room.

Dafu told Lu what he had eaten that morning and then ran into the room, greeting Fan Xin, Zhang Jinguì, and Fan Shoushan one by one, before going further inside to call for Grandpa and Grandma Fan.

Everyone in the room was very happy to see Dafu.

Grandma Fan wanted to give Dafu some sugar cakes, coaxing him to skip school and just play with her in the room.

She was elderly and had poor mobility in her legs for several years, rarely getting down from her kang bed. She was somewhat forgetful and often threw childish tantrums. If the family didn’t agree, she would throw a fuss inside the room.

Seeing she wanted to keep Dafu playing, Kang He said, “Grandma, Dafu needs to go to the outhouse. He’ll come back to play with you soon.”

Grandma Fan refused, “Don’t go, just stay here and talk with me.”

“If he doesn’t go soon, he’ll wet his pants and smell. How can he eat sugar cakes then?”

Grandma Fan was silent for a moment, then said, “Well, then take him quickly and bring him back.”

Kang He carried Dafu out and told him to hurry to the classroom so Grandma Fan wouldn’t shout upon seeing him missing. She was forgetful and would easily forget if no one was around.

Dafu happily ran to the classroom.

Fan Xin reserved a seat for him in the middle of the room. Though Dafu was young, he was tall for his age, so he didn’t sit in front.

Because he was just starting to read, sitting by the window might distract him with outside things. It was better to discipline him first; once he got used to it, any seat would do.

Dafu sat at the desk, fascinated by everything around him. He touched the dry, smooth brush and flipped through the Thousand Character Classic on the desk, feeling especially joyful.

Kang He watched Dafu settle into studying, but was still a bit uneasy. Outside, he reminded Fan Xin, “Please keep an eye on him. If he causes trouble in class, don’t hesitate to scold him. Don’t let him disrupt the lessons.”

“Dafu is well-behaved and steady. If he really acts up, I’ll handle it myself.”

“Go on, you two get busy.”

Kang He responded and was just about to leave with Jing when Chen Sanfang arrived.

“Has he gone in? Is he used to it?”

Kang He smiled and said, “Nothing to worry about. Just take a quick look.”

“It’s fine. Go home now.”

But Chen Sanfang wouldn’t listen. She leaned against the window to watch again and said to Kang He and Fan Jing, “You two go on. I’m not leaving. I’ll watch Dafu here. If he can’t find anyone and cries, it’ll break my heart.”

Unable to persuade her, Kang He and Fan Jing let her stay.

They often had to run errands all day, leaving at dawn and returning after dark. The only time they could see the children was while they were at school in the morning, so apart from bothering Fan Xin, they had no reason to be reluctant.

After Kang He and Fan Jing left for the county, Zhang Jinguì noticed Chen Sanfang still at the main house and went over to chat.

“Look at you, watching over Jin Yuanbao like he’s a treasure. You used to say other children were spoiled, now you’re spoiling Dafu just the same.”

“You’re just like that. When Dafu gets married, won’t you have to serve the granddaughter-in-law too?”

Chen Sanfang, hearing Zhang Jinguì’s sharp words, put on a look of melancholy and said, “You don’t have grandchildren yet; you don’t know how we grandmothers feel.”

Zhang Jinguì felt a pang in her heart and was momentarily speechless.

Xiangxiu had given birth to a daughter two years ago, and their son Daxin and Lu Shi had been married for three years without children yet.

Chen Sanfang, as the grandmother, couldn’t scold the daughter-in-law, who was quite formidable.

She felt as if she had been fooled by Xiangxiu’s daughter!

Speaking of Zhang Jinguì’s daughter-in-law Lu Shi, she was truly a character.

At first, Zhang Jinguì didn’t know what kind of person Lu Shi was. When she first came to the Fan family, she was considered a pretty and clever girl, and everyone was very satisfied.

Zhang Jinguì felt proud again, doing no housework herself and going out to chat and brag with the village women.

At home, she wanted to act like a proper mother-in-law, ordering Lu Shi around every day, summoning her to scold her, telling her to be filial and serve her husband, rub her shoulders and legs, wash her feet, and pour water…

Lu Shi kept to her duties as a good daughter-in-law, doing everything properly and giving no reason to complain.

But Zhang Jinguì, seeing this, became more demanding, thinking Lu Shi was easy to control and someone to climb over. She did nothing herself, expecting everything brought to her.

Lu Shi saw her mother-in-law idle all day, sleeping late, rarely rising early, then going out to gossip, only returning in the afternoon tired and calling for massages and rubs.

One day, Lu Shi lost her temper and harshly rebuked Zhang Jinguì: “Mother-in-law, you’re idle all day but still expect me to serve you? What kind of sense is that?”

Zhang Jinguì, angered by her daughter-in-law’s words, retorted: “It’s only right for a daughter-in-law to be filial and serve her mother-in-law!”

Lu Shi replied, “Filial piety is to be shown to elders worthy of respect. Serving means to care for elders who endure hardship and toil. Mother-in-law, think carefully: since I married into the Fan family, besides giving birth to Daxin, what have you done to earn respect? What hard work have you done to support the family?”

“You sleep in daily and gossip with idle people outside, acting like a busybody. Do you have any proper work?”

“The family is not wealthy, with no savings. Only Daxin runs a school to teach. Five or six mouths depend on him for food. You are still in your prime, your hands and feet capable, yet you don’t learn a skill or work the fields. You are just a layabout, and you expect others to serve you, wasting a laborer’s worth.”

“With this situation, if the family doesn’t unite and work together, it will only enjoy leisure early. Daxin’s teaching earns some reputation now, but if the family falls into poverty and must accept others’ wealth, it will lose its good name and be scorned! Do you want to lead the family down that path?”

Zhang Jinguì had been brimming with confidence to argue with Lu Shi, but after this speech, she straightened her back no more. She knew she was wrong.

Lu Shi said, “If my marrying into this family turns you into this kind of person, despite my own hardships, I would rather leave than harm the family and lose peace in my heart.”

Fan Shoushan heard Lu Shi’s scolding and also admonished Zhang Jinguì. Xiangxiu, knowing the situation, came home and gave Zhang Jinguì a stern talking-to. Afraid, she didn’t dare cause trouble anymore.

Lu Shi then took over the household management, offering a dowry shop for Kang He and the others to do business and trade grain. Life at the main house became noticeably more prosperous.

Even living a good life, Zhang Jinguì still felt uneasy. She heard the village women secretly talk about how she was controlling her daughter-in-law and that Lu Shi suffered for it.

She knew they envied her for having a capable daughter-in-law, so they said such things.

But she was bothered and wanted to use Lu Shi’s childlessness after three years of marriage to suppress her spirit.

However, Lu Shi was straightforward and practical. When sick, she went directly to Dr. Zhu for a checkup and was found healthy. Thinking someone was mistaken, she even accompanied Zhang Jinguì to the city to see other doctors, all diagnosing the same.

Later, she had Dr. Zhu examine Fan Xin, and it turned out his condition was the cause.

Since then, Fan Xin took daily medicine to adjust his health, and Zhang Jinguì dared not cause any trouble.

She let the daughter-in-law manage the household as she pleased.

“I’m going to wash clothes now,” Zhang Jinguì said.

Chen Sanfang asked, “Whose? The daughter-in-law’s?”

Zhang Jinguì retorted, “Mind your own business.”

Chen Sanfang snorted softly. Hearing the study sounds from the classroom, she intended to go look at Dafu again, only to see Fan’s father peeking over at the main house.

“You said you wouldn’t come, who are you showing off to?”

Fan’s father pretended the others had gone to the county to check on their shop and said, “I went to the fields nearby and stopped by here on the way.”

Chen Sanfang snorted but didn’t expose his true intentions.

She led him to the window outside the classroom and quietly pointed to Dafu’s seat.

That little one was holding a book, sitting up straight, loudly reciting the Thousand Character Classic with Fan Xin.

The two elders felt a tightening in their hearts.

At home, they had worried Dafu wouldn’t last three or five days at school before getting tired and refusing to go. But the little one truly loved reading.

He had been at it for over half a month, each day showing as much eagerness as the day before.

When he returned, he would tell Fan Jing and Kang He which new characters he had learned and what stories Uncle Fan Xin had told. Before bed, he would open the Thousand Character Classic again to read. Kang He worried about his eyesight and forbade him from looking too long before sleep. Only then would he rest.

Everyone was happy to see Dafu’s enthusiasm and diligence in studying and bought him a full set of study tools.

Even Fan Jing, running errands outside, began paying extra attention to books and ink—things he had never noticed before.

While Dafu was happily reading, there was another child at home who was sad.

That was Fifteen from the Xu family.

“Is Brother Dafu not at home again?”

One day, Xiaomei, the Xu family’s long-time servant, brought Fifteen to look for Dafu. Seeing no sign of him in the courtyard, she asked Xiaoxiang.

Xiaoxiang was good friends with Xiaomei. Seeing her arrive, she invited her to sit and made some tea.

She held the pale-faced Fifteen and said, “Brother Dafu is at Master Fan Xin’s place studying. He’s not home during the day and only returns after school.”

Fifteen didn’t understand the concept of school hours. All he knew was he missed playing with Brother Dafu and kept coming to look for him.

He hadn’t seen him the day before or today. From what Xiaoxiang said, he probably wouldn’t be home tomorrow either.

Fifteen’s little face drooped.

He went home and cried sadly, feeling he could no longer play with Brother Dafu.

That night, when he saw Xu Yang, he insisted on going to the school too.

“Why not send him to the private school and see how it goes?”

Xu Yang coaxed Fifteen to sleep and discussed the matter with Yuan Ge’er.

Yuan Ge’er put down his needlework and said, “Who sends a four-year-old to school? Didn’t you see Dafu only started at five and a half? The whole family was worried. Plus, Dafu calls Master Fan Xin ‘uncle’ because there are so many people watching over him, so it’s different. If you send Fifteen, how will you feel?”

Xu Yang exhaled heavily and thought that made sense.

He himself had only started school at six or seven. Fifteen was still young. Sending him wasn’t for him to really learn but to soak up the atmosphere.

But if they placed their little one in Master Fan Xin’s classroom, it would distract the teacher and affect the older children’s studies.

Children at village private schools rarely got to study regularly. Many considered one day of schooling a blessing, never knowing when their families might forbid them from going.

The school was for learning and gaining knowledge, not a daycare.

Xu Yang said, “Let’s send Fifteen to stay with his parents for now. Grandpa also misses him. When he’s a year older, if he still wants to study with Dafu, we’ll allow it.”

Yuan Ge’er nodded.

That day was finally a rest day for Dafu. He happily took a cuju ball and went to the Xu family to find Fifteen to play together.

But at the Xu household, he learned Fifteen had gone to his grandparents’ house in the county and wouldn’t be back soon. He was very sad.

Back home, he lay on the bed and refused to eat the osmanthus taro dumplings Qiao’er made.

When Fan Jing returned, he brought two clay whistles bought in the city. Seeing the little bird’s round belly and delicate appearance, he blew one; it sounded loud and clear. Smiling again, he put one in the new cabinet.

Fan Jing asked, “Don’t you like the red one?”

“I’m saving that one for Fifteen when he comes back from the city.”

Fan Jing patted Dafu’s head, held his hand, and played with him in the yard for a while with the cuju ball he hadn’t had a chance to play with earlier at the Xu house.

The two children were apart. One might think that with children’s poor memories, lack of constant contact would cause them to grow distant.

But the little ones still cared deeply. When they had good food or new toys, they always saved an extra share for each other.

Time passed, and autumn arrived.

Kang He bought and planted two spice trees in the yard that bloomed with a strong fragrance. Qiao’er called Xiaoxiang to shake down many osmanthus flowers, dried and collected to make osmanthus-scented tea and snacks, saving them a trip to buy outside.

During the busy autumn harvest season, every household was bustling. This year, besides harvesting crops, the family had an additional task.

The spice trees Kang He purchased years ago finally bore fruit.

Sichuan pepper and wild pepper trees, carefully tended for almost four years, stretched out and bore abundant fruit this year.

Approaching the grove, a strong spicy aroma wafted, feeling even more fragrant than those sold outside.