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After finishing her osmanthus cake, Tan Xiaomei brushed the crumbs off her hands and looked at Tan Erqian. “Erqian, come here and let me hold Little Qiyue. You go ahead and eat your noodles.”
Tan Erqian looked at his aunt, handing Little Qiyue to her while asking with a smile, “Aunt, what brings you to our house today?”
He was unaware of Tan Xiaomei’s situation, so his question was a bit abrupt.
Tan Sanyuan quickly signaled him with his eyes.
Tan Xiaomei, however, wasn’t shy and laughed as she replied, “I’ve decided I no longer want my husband, so I’m going to stay with you all from now on.”
Tan Erqian, hearing this, hurriedly smiled and said, “Alright, as long as you’re not bothered by it, you can stay for as long as you want.”
Tan Xiaomei pulled him over to the table and sat down. “Well, I’ll admit it. You’re not stupid anymore, but your mouth has definitely gotten sharper.”
Before she came back, she had heard about how her second nephew wasn’t as naive anymore. She had her doubts back then, but seeing it firsthand, she could tell it was true.
Tan Erqian sat down and picked up a pair of chopsticks. “When I was slow-witted, everyone called me stupid, so now that I’ve gotten a bit sharper with my words, it’s only right, don’t you think?”
Tan Xiaomei, holding Little Qiyue, sat down beside him. She picked up a bowl of thick rice porridge, blowing on it to cool it down as she waited for Little Qiyue to finish the osmanthus cake in her hands. Then, with a smile, she said, “Erqian, as long as you’re not stupid anymore, everything will be fine.”
Wan Chunmei placed the bowl of noodles in front of him. “Here, Erqian, eat your noodles.”
Tan Erqian took the bowl, not minding the heat, and started eating hungrily, all the while praising, “Mother, Mother, your noodles are so delicious! They’re even better than the chicken, duck, and fish heads from Master Bai’s restaurant.”
Wan Chunmei, grabbing the dishcloth from her shoulder, flicked it at him and said, “Alright, just eat your noodles!”
Tan Erqian smiled and nodded, continuing to eat.
Tan Xiaomei poured him a cup of water.
As night deepened and the moon rose high in the sky, Old Tan and Tan Yiliang finally returned. They had used the horse-drawn cart brought back by Tan Erqian to transport all the vegetables from the field.
The family worked late into the night before finally going to bed.
Most of the villagers went to bed early, so a family like theirs, which remained busy and active until deep into the night, was a rarity. Because of this, the villagers all knew that the old Tan family was the hardest-working household in the entire village.
As the first light of dawn began to peek over the horizon, Old Tan and Wan Chunmei were already up. They made some porridge to prepare a meal for those working.
Their house was small, but in the span of a single day, the foundation had already taken shape.
Old Tan stood at the door for a while, silently observing, before turning around to grab a hoe and began digging by himself.
Inside, Wan Chunmei carried the cabbage and radishes she had brought in the previous night to the backyard. She picked off the leaves and washed them with well water in silence.
The sounds of their work slowly filled the air as the sun rose higher, gradually illuminating the entire land.
One by one, the younger members of the Tan family got up, helping the adults with the chores.
By midday, Aunt Yu from the Yu family arrived. As soon as she stepped inside, she smiled and said, “Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law, is that scholar from Qiuyang Village, Jiang Xiucai, related to your family?”
Wan Chunmei, who was cutting radishes, looked up and replied, “Yes, he is our in-law.”
Tan Xiaomei, holding Little Qiyue, also leaned in to listen.
Wan Chunmei wiped her hands, then poured Aunt Yu a cup of tea. “Aunt Yu, why do you suddenly bring up the Jiang family? That whole family isn’t worth talking about. Just a few days ago, they came here and caused a ruckus, but I chased them off.”
Aunt Yu took a sip of tea and said, “I heard about that incident, which is why I came. There’s something you might not know.”