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Meiniang was taken aback when her husband mentioned this matter.
“You mean the eldest son of Baicaotang is interested in our Ping’an?”
She watched her son’s figure as he hurried back to his room, likely to hide the silver.
This child had become quite cautious over the past few years, placing great importance on money.
Wan Changsheng handed the money pouch to his wife. “The ginseng sold for thirty taels, the Astragalus for six taels, and the other herbs for two taels. I gave half to Ping’an, which totals nineteen taels. In just over twenty days, he has saved twenty-seven or twenty-eight taels.”
Meiniang smiled brightly. “That child is quite fortunate. Speaking of which, you made a promise to him. It’s worrisome to let such a small child handle so much silver.”
In truth, she felt quite assured. Her son was surprisingly mature for his age.
However, she had to maintain appearances in front of her husband.
“Wife, he earned this money through his efforts. Besides, Ping’an is sensible; this isn’t a problem. We should discuss our son’s future. From the way he looks, he probably would be willing to go.”
“Husband, is there really such a good opportunity? Teaching him medicine and martial arts?”
“That’s what he said. The eldest son of Baicaotang has no reason to lie. This is beyond doubt. My concern is that over time, he may become so focused on medicine that he might lose interest in the Imperial Examinations.”
Meiniang was unbothered by this. “Isn’t there a guarantee that he’ll become a Xiucai? If we educate him, it’s not easy to produce a Jinshi. How many Jinshi are there in a county?”
“I think this is feasible. If he becomes a Xiucai, we won’t have to worry about him doing manual labor or military service. If he can become a Jinshi, that’s even better. If not, at least he’ll have excellent medical skills, which will ensure a good living and earn him respect from others.”
Wan Changsheng smiled too. “The young master also offered for us to help at his family’s pharmacy. I could work there alone for thirty taels a year, increasing to forty taels after five years, without needing to sign a long contract. I’d also learn the trade. If Ping’an studies medicine, I think this could be a good arrangement, especially since it’s becoming harder to find herbs in the foothills.”
On the way home, he had thought the most about leaving this place.
Before marriage, Ping’an’s words had lingered in his mind, which he couldn’t yet share with his wife.
What if—what if Ping’an’s biological father wasn’t actually dead, but had been saved and lost his memory? The chance of finding him was significant, especially since no body had been discovered after the incident.
He had obtained the divorce papers, which Meiniang could mostly safeguard, but Ping’an was his biological son. If he ever took the matter to the county office, he could reclaim him.
He couldn’t bear to lose him.
After getting married, he had secretly visited the county to see Doctor Sun. The results were as the military doctor had said.
The location of his injury made it unlikely for him to have biological children. Even if he did, the chances of pregnancy were much lower than average, and he wouldn’t have many children—at most, one or two. However, Doctor Sun also mentioned that this wasn’t absolute.
If he could have one or two biological children in this lifetime, that would be a stroke of luck.
Even so, regardless of whether he had more children in the future, he cherished this son greatly.
In less than a month, he had grown to care for this child deeply. This was likely due to his age and the absence of children, or perhaps it was simply that Ping’an was so well-behaved and adorable.
“Wife, if the child goes, we should follow him to the pharmacy. Honestly, I feel uneasy with you both going up the mountain, especially with all the snakes and insects around. At the pharmacy, we could also learn how to grow medicinal herbs. In the future, we could cultivate them ourselves.”
“Wife, let’s have Ping’an come out to discuss this as a family. But if we go out this time, no one should know. We’ll just say I met an old friend and that they asked me to help them with something.”
Meiniang nodded in agreement. “What about the fields?”
“If we go out this time, it’s likely we won’t return. But I’ll speak to the clan elder before we leave. While I’m away, the fields can be managed by the clan, and any produce can go towards repairing the ancestral hall. If my brother wants to farm them in the meantime, he can do so for free. We can lock the house up for now.”
“Will your sister-in-law get upset about this?”
Wan Changsheng chuckled. “What does it matter to her? She’s too self-centered. My brother is a good man, and for now, the kids seem to be doing alright. They can lock the house temporarily, and if we really settle somewhere else, we can offer them the house. After all, we’re family, and I’m willing to spend twenty or thirty taels for that.”
Meiniang called for their son.
The three of them discussed for an hour, carefully considering all aspects before finally deciding that they would leave the village in three days.
Before they left, they would speak to the clan elder to arrange the fields.
If the family was away for an extended period, the elder needed to know they were working elsewhere and hadn’t simply disappeared.
They had worked hard to plant the fields, spending considerable time and effort, and now they were handing it off to someone else.
In this way, they would only have the day after tomorrow at home. On the morning of the day after, they would head to the county town, and from then on, they might never return home.
They would need to take along everything necessary for their new life at the pharmacy.
“Wife, tomorrow I’ll go to the county again to trade the horse cart for a mule cart. You stay home and pack things, and in the evening the day after tomorrow, I’ll speak to the clan elder.”
“Father, if you go to the county tomorrow, it’s best to stop by Baicaotang and inform the young master of our decision. That way, he’ll be prepared. After talking to the clan elder, you’ll feel more at ease.”
Meiniang nodded repeatedly. It was true; if anything changed with the Sun family, and they had already given away the fields, what would they do?
It was crucial to ensure everything was handled properly.
Wan Changsheng naturally agreed. He preferred to think a few steps ahead.
“Husband, I’ll go with you tomorrow. Let’s take Ping’an along. Some matters are best discussed face to face with the young master to ensure clarity. I’m uneasy; once things are settled, you can get the mule cart, and I’ll take our son into town to gather some supplies.
Ping’an still needs a few things, like autumn clothes and shoes. Since we’re heading to the pharmacy, we should prepare some daily necessities. We’re not sure how convenient it will be to shop there. We’ll need to visit your family on the way back. We can’t keep it a secret; my family deserves to know, or they will worry.”
“Father, can I teach my cousin how to collect herbs instead of going to the county?”
This suggestion made both parents’ eyes light up.
Meiniang sighed, “Only one day left before we leave. How much can you teach?”
“Father and Mother, if you take me to my maternal grandfather’s house tomorrow, I won’t go to the county. In two days, I can teach them quite a bit about the herbs of this season. When autumn comes, we can visit my maternal grandfather again, and I’ll teach them about the herbs of that season. We can also inform Baicaotang to ensure the herbs they collect won’t go unsold.”
Wan Changsheng nodded. “That could work. Just remember, if I’m not home tomorrow, you both must stay cautious. Bring plenty of snake and insect medicine, and let your uncle accompany you. Otherwise, I won’t feel at ease.”