Chapter 48: I’m not afraid of him

Song Yuntang shook her head, “No objections. Although Mr. Zhuang failed the imperial examination, his knowledge is more than enough to teach at a private school.”

Teaching at a private school only requires recognizing a few characters and reading the Thousand Character Classic.  When the children get older and want to continue their studies, they go to the proper academy in Cile Town.

It didn’t matter that he was related to the Lin family; she could just avoid going to the private school and having contact with him.

Xu Qingye smiled, “Miss Song, don’t let Mr. Zhuang hear you say that, or he might explode.”

Song Yuntang smiled faintly.

“I’m not afraid of him.”

Song Jinyuan beside her was puzzled, “Sister, you seem to know Mr. Zhuang very well?”

Song Yuntang said calmly, “He’s a distant cousin of the Lin family; I met him at the Lin family before.”

“No wonder.”

…

In less than half an hour, the ox cart stopped at the entrance of Rongshu Village.

“Everyone, we’re here.”

Song Yuntang jumped off the ox cart and paid Old Man Sun seven copper coins for the ox cart and Xu Qingye’s fare.

“Thank you, Old Man Sun.  Have a safe trip.”

“You’re welcome.”

Old Man Sun took the money and turned the ox cart back towards Cile Town.

Xu Qingye felt a little embarrassed.

“I’ve troubled Miss Song.”

Song Yuntang said generously, “Big Brother Xu also gave me food; it’s only two copper coins for the ox cart; don’t worry about it.”

Xu Qingye smiled and looked at the two of them, “I have to go back to the private school, so I won’t go with you.”

Song Jinyuan nodded, “Mr. Xu, have a safe trip.”

After Xu Qingye left, Song Jinyuan carried the soybeans forward, occasionally glancing at Song Yuntang.

Song Yuntang held the paper and red dates in her arms and looked at Song Jinyuan beside her.

“Big Brother, why are you always looking at me?”

Caught, Song Jinyuan didn’t feel embarrassed.  He looked straight ahead with a smile, “Nothing, I just think today’s Tang’er is different.”

Song Yuntang walked forward, “How am I different?”

“You look…” Song Jinyuan frowned and thought for a moment, “More like someone from our village.”

Song Yuntang said, “Am I not?”

Song Jinyuan smiled, “Yes, of course.”

When they returned home, Zhao Qiao’e saw the large bag of soybeans on Song Jinyuan’s shoulder and was startled.

“Goodness, how much did you buy?  Was the money I gave you enough?”

Song Jinyuan carried the soybeans into the main hall and placed them by the door. “Sister said buying by the shi is much cheaper, so we bought a bag.”

Song Yuntang entered the main hall and handed Zhao Qiao’e the two jins of red dates and the white flour cakes Mu Dong had given her.

“The red dates are for Sister-in-law to nourish her body.  The white flour cakes are from a patient’s family; heat them up and eat them at noon.”

Zhao Qiao’e and Song Jinyuan were both startled.

Song Jinyuan thought Song Yuntang bought the red dates for herself, but they were for his wife and children.  Warmth filled his heart.

“Thank you, Tang’er.”

Zhao Qiao’e took them, “Tang’er, you’re so thoughtful.  You must have spent a lot of money this trip; Mother will reimburse you.”

Song Yuntang waved her hand, “No need; I’ll ask you for money when I need it.”

After speaking, she left the main hall and went to Zhuzi and Zhuangzi’s room.

In the main hall, mother and son looked at each other, both with smiles in their eyes. Song Jinyuan leaned closer to Zhao Qiao’e, “Mother, I find that Sister is really different from before.”

Zhao Qiao’e’s eyes were red, “Yes, Mother feels it.”

Zhuzi and Zhuangzi, who had returned home not long after digging up wild vegetables all morning, were reading at their desk when they saw Song Yuntang enter their room. They were startled and then watched as she placed seventy sheets of paper bought for one hundred copper coins on their desk.  The quality and texture were clearly much better than their previous paper.

Then, she took half of a knife of rough-edged grass paper and placed it on their desk.

“This is all yours; I’ll keep the rest.”

Then, she turned and went back to her room to put away the grass paper.

The reason she bought such cheap rough-edged paper was, firstly, for writing and drawing, and secondly, this kind of grass paper, when crumpled, was quite soft. Although it couldn’t compare to toilet paper in her previous life, it could be used as toilet paper.

Although it was a bit extravagant for their current financial situation, for her physical and mental health, it was worth it.

…

After neatly putting the rough-edged paper into the drawer of her dressing table, Song Yuntang went to the kitchen.

Zhao Qiao’e was making porridge.

“Mother, how many basins and buckets do we have?”

Zhao Qiao’e thought for a moment, “We have four water buckets.  Besides the two vegetable washing basins in the kitchen, we only have the ones we’re using now.”  She seemed to remember something, “Oh, right, there’s a larger old bathtub.  Your brothers are too old for it, so to save space, it’s placed on the rafters in the pigsty.”

“Then I’ll get it.”

Song Yuntang ran towards the pigsty.

Seeing this, Zhao Qiao’e called out, “Jinyuan, quickly help your sister; don’t let her fall.”

“Coming.”

In the end, Song Jinyuan climbed onto the wall next to the pigsty and took down the old bathtub from the rafters.

“Tang’er, what do you want the bathtub for?”

“To sprout bean sprouts.”

Song Yuntang placed the bathtub next to the water jar, put a sheng of soybeans in a vegetable washing basin to soak, and then thoroughly cleaned the dusty bathtub.

“Big Brother, take down the remaining wood from the pigsty.”

Song Jinyuan didn’t ask why; he said okay and went to the pigsty.

Watching Song Yuntang instructing her eldest son, Zhao Qiao’e smiled in the kitchen.  The anxiety that had been weighing on her for three years finally lifted.

After washing the bathtub, Song Yuntang also cleaned the four water buckets and placed them in the corner.  She then went to the pigsty and worked with Song Jinyuan to place the wood from the rafters on the pigsty wall, sealing the windows and holes in the walls.

This way, closing the door of the pigsty would create a relatively dark environment, more suitable for bean sprout growth.

Song Jinyuan didn’t understand why Song Yuntang did this, but seeing her serious expression, he thought she must have her reasons.

After finishing these tasks, Zhao Qiao’e’s meal was almost ready, and Song Jinbao and Song Jinsheng, who had been working outside, also returned home.

Lunch was relatively abundant: coarse rice porridge, the white flour cakes Song Yuntang brought back, and a small dish of wild vegetables.

The white flour cakes were much softer and more fragrant than the coarse rice cakes, and they didn’t get stuck in the throat.

“Mother, did we buy white flour?” Song Jinsheng asked while eating.

Zhao Qiao’e shook her head, “How could we afford white flour with our conditions?  It’s from one of Tang’er’s patients.”