Chapter 5: Partiality

“Oh.” Seeing this, Song Jingyun then fed himself the custard.

Jiang Youcheng had mixed feelings but was quite pleased after a while. Despite appearing simple, this child was truly filial at heart and, in general, quite good.

Liu Shi also looked with contentment, handing Song Jingyun a wild vegetable pancake and encouraging him to eat more.

The custard was smooth and delicious.

Song Jingyun found food to be quite amazing. Not only was it diverse, but the flavors were also unique.

Quietly, Song Jingyun took note of this observation: it was about the taste of food.

After finishing breakfast, Song Jingyun was neat and tidy. Not a drop of the porridge had spilled, and he even helped Jiang Mixia with the dishes after the meal.

Jiang Mixia was pleased with the results of her guidance, while Jiang Youcheng and Liu Shi felt that there was hope for their son-in-law’s mind.

In any case, all three of them were quite relieved.

After some tidying up, Jiang Youcheng and Liu Shi took their baskets and sickles and went out to cut some rattan. They instructed Jiang Mixia to look after the house with Song Jingyun.

Jiang Mixia readily agreed and took the opportunity to show Song Jingyun around the house and nearby areas, teaching him about various things.

“This is a poplar tree, this is a locust tree, and that’s a soapberry tree…”

“This is a water jar, and this is a wooden bucket. We usually use the bucket to fetch water and store it here for drinking, washing, and other purposes.”

“These are the chickens we raise. They lay eggs. By the way, the custard you had in the morning is made from their eggs. We usually feed them with the bran.”

Chickens lay eggs, which are used for making custard, and the custard is delicious.

Song Jingyun nodded. “So, can I help feed the chickens in the future?”

“You can, but don’t overfeed them, as they might get sick from overeating,” Jiang Mixia cautioned. “When it’s time to feed them, I’ll call you.”

“Okay,” Song Jingyun scratched his ear.

It seemed that feeding the chickens was quite a complicated task.

“Here used to be the pigsty, but we didn’t buy any more pigs after the piglets died last year.”

“Over here is the stone mill. We grind the harvested wheat and other grains to make flour, which we then use for cooking. I’ll teach you about wheat and grains once we’re in the fields…”

One person patiently teaching, the other earnestly learning, created a harmonious atmosphere. Song Jingyun was quick to learn, and Jiang Mixia felt a sense of accomplishment, showing great enthusiasm in her teaching.

“Sister Liu,” Jiang Chunyu ran over excitedly, handing a bamboo basket to Jiang Mixia. “My mother asked me to give this to your family.”

In the basket was a bunch of fresh green spinach.

In early April, it was the time when leafy greens thrived, and in the countryside, the vegetable patches were a vibrant sea of green.

However, the vegetables grown in the family’s garden were often not eaten at home. They would pick the best produce and exchange it for some silver coins in the town or county for soy sauce, vinegar, and such. Only the produce that didn’t sell due to poor quality would be kept for the family’s consumption.

The basket of spinach had tender leaves and plump stems, looking exceptionally good.

Jiang Mixia felt the weight of the basket was off and, upon reaching inside, discovered a layer of eggs at the bottom.

There were about ten eggs.

“Take it back to keep for yourself,” Jiang Mixia insisted.

“Mother asked me to bring them. If I take them back, I’ll be scolded,” Jiang Chunyu lowered her voice. “My mother heard that your husband had woken up and asked me to bring these eggs for you and your husband to nourish yourselves. Please don’t make a fuss. She sent me so that the others in the family wouldn’t hear about it. Otherwise, my second Aunt will go around saying that my mother is showing favoritism.”

“We have plenty of chickens at home, so we’re not short of eggs. Besides, with the money I earned for you these days, there’s more than just these eggs. Sister, please accept them with peace of mind.”

“Alright.” Jiang Mixia didn’t refuse further and took the basket inside the house, bringing out the spinach and eggs, then returning the empty basket to Jiang Chunyu.

Seeing Jiang Chunyu holding a bamboo fork, Jiang Mixia was curious. “What are you planning to do?”

“Yesterday, San Pang caught a huge grass carp in the river and showed off in front of me for a long time. I felt annoyed and thought I’d try my luck by the river.”

Jiang Chunyu grinned, “Sister, do you want to come? It’s easy to catch fish in the spring. If we catch some, we can make fish soup when we get back.”

Jiang Mixia thought for a moment and nodded, “Sure, it’s a good idea. I can also bring back a couple of buckets of water from the river.”

Since Jiang Youcheng and Liu Shi were busy with household chores, Jiang Mixia couldn’t just sit idle while looking after Song Jingyun. It was an opportunity to take him out, help him learn more, and as Jiang Chunyu said, perhaps they could catch some fish if they were lucky.

Jiang Mixia thought it would be beneficial, so she took a shoulder pole, a wooden bucket, a bamboo fork, and an empty basket for Song Jingyun to carry, and followed Jiang Chunyu to the riverside.

The river was not far, located on the western side of the village. It was just a short walk, taking about the time it would to drink a cup of tea.

It was April, not yet the rainy season, and the river was not too wide, flowing gently.

The clear river water served as the main source for drinking, irrigation, and other uses for Jiang’s village and several nearby villages. People were there collecting water or washing clothes by the riverside. Children, like Jiang Chunyu, were trying their luck with shrimp baskets and bamboo forks.

The villagers were familiar with each other, and upon seeing Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun, they greeted them warmly.

“Hey, the son-in-law of the Xia family is awake? Is he alright?”

“The doctor checked and said he’s fine. Thanks for your concern, Auntie Song,” Jiang Mixia replied with a smile.

Seeing Jiang Mixia’s quick and confident response, Mrs. Song smiled and nodded. “Xia is becoming more and more clever.”

“Indeed, very clever and articulate,” Mrs. Meng, by Mrs. Song’s side, soaked her clothes in the river.

“My parents have said the same, they believe it’s a blessing from heaven and protection from the Bodhisattva,” Jiang Mixia said with a smile, then nudged Song Jingyun. “This is Auntie Song and Auntie Meng.”

“Mrs. Song, Auntie Meng,” Song Jingyun politely greeted them.

Although Song Jingyun seemed timid and spoke softly, his fair and gentle appearance made him quite likeable. Mrs. Song smiled and said, “You’re a good kid. In the future, when you’re in Jiang’s village, we’re all family here. Just feel free to talk to us if you need anything.”

Song Jingyun thought for a moment and nodded.

“Mrs. Song and Auntie Meng, you’re busy, we’ll go fetch some water first,” Jiang Mixia said, taking Song Jingyun’s hand and following Jiang Chunyu upstream.

Upstream, there were fewer people, making it a good spot for catching fish.

“The water is shallow and there’s a lot of water grass. Fish like to come here,” Jiang Chunyu rolled up his pants, took a bamboo fork, and slowly waded into the water, carefully observing the riverbed.

The river was teeming with wild fish and shrimp.

The surface of the water was calm, but soon a fish swam into view. It was a moderately sized wild crucian carp, seemingly oblivious to any danger, swimming back and forth near Jiang Chunyu’s legs.

Jiang Chunyu took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and thrust the bamboo fork into the water.