Chapter 26

As for the exact reason, no one in the family knew. Naturally, they were all worried, but for now, they could only wait for Old Master Song and the others to return to find out.

Madam Liu comforted, “Mother, don’t worry. Once Father gets back, we’ll know what’s going on.”

Old Madam Zhou glanced at little Tianbao. With her granddaughter’s good fortune, hopefully nothing major had gone wrong.

She nodded and said, “Mm, we’ll just have to wait.”

Although they’d bought plenty of food, New Year goods, cakes, and dried fruits at the market, no one was in the mood to eat.

They barely ate anything for lunch, couldn’t even nap, and just waited anxiously for Old Master Song to come back.

As evening approached, there was still no sign of Old Master Song and the sons. Old Madam Zhou anxiously went outside to check again and again.

The second daughter-in-law, Madam Zhang, said, “Mother, the county isn’t like the nearby towns—it’s farther away. Going back and forth takes time. Let’s wait a little longer.”

The fourth son, Song Futian, was also worried. It was already late, and they hadn’t returned yet. Seeing his mother run outside repeatedly made him even more anxious.

“Mother, stop going outside. I’ll go to the village entrance and wait for Father and the others.”

Old Madam Zhou nodded. Though meeting them wouldn’t make them arrive any faster, it still brought some comfort.

After a while, still no one returned. Old Madam Zhou said, “Let’s cook dinner. No matter what’s happened, we still need to eat. Make something warm—when your father and the others get back, they’ll want something hot in this cold.”

It was the dead of winter, and the cold wind howled against the eaves.

Inside, Madam Zou began cooking. She shredded some radish to make dough drop soup—easy to digest and served hot at night.

Finally, after waiting a long while, they heard the sound of the eldest son driving the ox cart. The women immediately felt relief—at last, they were home.

Then the ox cart entered the courtyard, and the voices of Old Master Song and the others came through.

The daughters-in-law rushed out to welcome them. Old Madam Zhou opened the window and looked out—the yard was full of returning figures.

“Father, you’re finally back! If you hadn’t come home soon, Mother would’ve worried herself sick,” Madam Zou said with a laugh.

Liu saw that the fifth son, Song Fuyou, had also returned and said, “Oh good, the fifth’s back too!”

The third son, Song Fugui, added, “He’s not just the fifth anymore—he’s now County Deputy Song.”

Fuyou smiled. “Third Brother, you’re teasing me again.”

The daughters-in-law exchanged glances. What did that mean?

Typically, only officials were called “lao ye” (master), especially prefixed with the family name. But the fifth son was only a scholar, not yet holding a real post.

The eldest daughter-in-law asked, “Oh my, is this some good news? Father? Fifth Brother? What happened?”

Old Master Song smiled. “Let’s go inside first.”

Bringing the chill with them, everyone entered the house. Old Madam Zhou quickly held little Tianbao in her arms and said, “Everyone stay away! Don’t bring the cold near my precious sweetie.”

Old Master Song looked fondly at Tianbao and smiled, but didn’t go near—he didn’t want to risk chilling the child.

Seeing the men smiling and cheerful, Old Madam Zhou finally relaxed. It must be good news.

“Alright, eat something warm first. We’ll talk after dinner.”

As she gave the order, the daughters-in-law rushed to serve food. Dinner was simple—just white flour dough drop soup with shredded radish. No hot side dishes, just this soup.

Each person got a bowl of the steaming soup. Those who liked it spicy added chili oil, those who liked it sour added vinegar, and some added garlic—everyone ate it to their taste.

Even such a simple meal made everyone feel warm and satisfied. The heat from the soup filled them with comfort and joy.

After dinner, everyone warmed up, cleaned up, and sat together to chat.

“Father, tell us! You all seem so happy—there must be good news,” said Madam Zhu, the eldest daughter-in-law, smiling.

Old Madam Zhou added, “Just now I heard the third say something about County Deputy. What’s the story?”

Old Master Song laughed heartily. Today was truly a day of joy—their family had finally produced an official!

Of course, this all came thanks to little Tianbao’s sweet potatoes—and her good fortune.

“It’s about the sweet potatoes we planted. Didn’t the village head report it? Even though I understated the yield—because I knew it was Tianbao’s blessing—the harvest was still shocking. The taste is great, stores well, doesn’t spoil in winter, and is filling and sweet—an incredible crop.”

“The county magistrate reported it to the prefect. When the prefect learned our fifth son had just passed the scholar exam, he immediately appointed him as County Deputy at our local office. Next year, he’ll be in charge of promoting sweet potato cultivation in the area. If it proves successful, it could be expanded further.”

Old Master Song spoke proudly. Some people study for ten years and still barely get a seventh-rank post after topping the national exams.

But their son, just a scholar, not even an official yet, was already placed directly into the county office.

Though a minor post, for common folk, this was “eating official rice” (joining government service)—a huge honor.

The second son, Song Fucai, added, “The magistrate even said, if this crop is successfully promoted and helps the people, the imperial court will surely reward it heavily.”

Oldest son Song Fuda said, “Father made it clear—the sweet potato came from the South, and the seedlings were bought from a southern peddler. Next year, we’re not sure if we can get them again, and others may not get the same yield. But the magistrate said not to worry—the court is just testing for now. If it works, they’ll promote it further.”

This explained the risks too. But the court just wanted to try and see.

This position, though technically minor, made him second-in-command at the county level, responsible for grain management, taxation, and now primarily sweet potato promotion.

Old Madam Zhou’s eyes welled with tears. Hugging Tianbao like the most precious treasure, she said, “It’s all thanks to our sweet Tianbao. Because of her, we earned money from sweet potatoes—and now we’ve even gained an official post!”

Little Tianbao giggled from the attention, and seeing her smile, everyone adored her even more.

Everyone nodded, all agreeing that Tianbao had brought them incredible luck. She was the family’s greatest blessing.

“Yes, it’s all thanks to Tianbao. But let’s also congratulate Fifth Brother for becoming an official,” Madam Zhu said.

The other sisters-in-law followed with their congratulations, making Fuyou a little shy.

“Father, Mother, brothers, sisters-in-law, Tianbao—don’t worry. I’ll be a good official. I’ll never shame the family, and I’ll never do anything to let down the people.”

Though a small official, the position held real power. Song Fuyou made up his mind—he’d be an upright and honest official.

Old Master Song nodded with satisfaction. Now, even the entire village would look at them differently—and those with ill intentions would surely keep their distance.

Old Madam Zhou said, “Tomorrow, we’ll cook meat and fry meatballs. Let’s start the New Year celebration early!”