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Wan Chunmei and Old Tan, thinking of their children at home, quickened their pace as they headed back.
Old Tan pushed the door open and entered the house, saying, “Yiliang.”
Tan Yiliang, holding Tan Liujin, walked over and smiled, “Father, Mother, you’re back?”
Wan Chunmei placed little Qiyue back onto the bed and turned to Tan Yiliang, asking, “What happened to your little brother?”
Tan Yiliang handed Tan Liujin to her and replied, “Sixth Brother seems to be hungry.”
Wan Chunmei took Tan Liujin into her arms, saying, “Alright, you go check on your Fourth and Fifth Brothers. Get them to sleep early.”
“Yes, Mother.” Tan Yiliang smiled and turned to leave.
Wan Chunmei lifted her shirt and began breastfeeding Tan Liujin. Her eyes were fixed ahead, lost in thought. After a while, she spoke, “That Fourth Wan is always making trouble for me. Even after getting married, she still can’t settle down. I really wish her whole family would just get as far away as possible!”
Though she spoke angrily, it wasn’t just idle ranting.
The three sisters had all married into the same village, so they often ran into each other, and there had been plenty of frustrating incidents. Naturally, it would be best if they saw less of each other.
Perhaps because her voice was a little louder, little Qiyue heard it again. Her small eyelids fluttered, and her chubby little hands grabbed at the air.
At that moment, Tan Sanyuan, who had just come out from the back room, happened to glance over and unknowingly stopped to look at her.
His clear eyes were fixed on those plump little hands.
He became momentarily lost in thought, and without realizing it, he reached out and gently grasped her tiny palm.
Although Tan Sanyuan wasn’t very old, his demeanor was calm and mature. Among the children in the Tan family, he was the most thoughtful and attentive.
He always took care of the family, often without anyone noticing.
He held little Qiyue’s hand, gently covered her with a thin blanket, and whispered softly by her ear, “Little Qiyue, be good, sleep now.”
Upon hearing his comforting voice, little Qiyue opened her eyes just a crack. She looked at the fair-skinned boy in front of her, squeezed his hand tightly, and tugged with all her might. If she were a little bigger, it felt like she might pull him right up.
Wan Chunmei turned around and saw this, laughing, “Sanyuan, your little sister really likes you.”
Tan Sanyuan, a little embarrassed, withdrew his hand. “Little Qiyue likes all her brothers.”
Little Qiyue seemed to agree, waving her little arms.
Wan Chunmei placed Tan Liujin beside little Qiyue and, smiling, said to Tan Sanyuan, “Sanyuan, it’s getting late. You should go to bed early.”
Tan Sanyuan nodded, “Mm, yes, Mother.”
He had drunk the Lingzhi soup that Tan Erqian made for him that evening, and it seemed that the nourishment had boosted his vitality too much, which was why he couldn’t fall asleep.
Old Tan walked over and said, “Sanyuan, how about you go with Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother to the academy these next few days?”
Tan Sanyuan had only been back for a few days, so he couldn’t say much about whether the university was good or bad. The lessons taught there were similar to what Doctor Li had already taught him, so it felt like he was simply reviewing.
However, not wanting to disappoint Old Tan, he smiled and replied, “In answer to Father, it’s good. The teachers at the academy are quite good.”
Old Tan smiled with satisfaction. “That’s good, that’s good.”
After saying this, he headed toward the back yard to tend to the chicken coop.
Tan Sanyuan turned and entered the house, preparing to sleep as well.
The Tan family’s house wasn’t very big, only three rooms in total.
One room was where Old Tan, Wan Chunmei, and little Qiyue slept. This room was connected to the kitchen, so they also ate their meals here.
Another room had two beds, where Tan Yiliang, Tan Erqian, and Tan Sanyuan all slept.
The last room was very small, just big enough for Tan Siwen and Tan Wuguan to squeeze into.
The Tan family had lived in this small house for over ten years. Although the house was small and shabby, Old Tan was extremely diligent, repairing it with minor fixes every few days and larger repairs every ten days. As a result, even though the house was old, it had never leaked.
As he always said, as a husband and a father, one may not have much skill, but one must be able to provide shelter from the wind and rain for one’s wife and children. Don’t you agree?
As the night deepened, Old Tan worked until the latest hour. When he finally returned to bed, he lay there staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep for a long time.
He thought about the chickens in the yard, the crops in the barren fields, the fish in the pond, and the pine trees on the mountain.
He thought about many things, silently contemplating the future.
In his heart, he made a quiet but firm resolution: he would make sure his family lived a good life.
A person, after all, needs to have determination, not give up easily, not accept fate, and be brave enough to act and take risks in order to have a chance.
With that thought, he turned over and fell into a deep sleep.