Chapter 254 – Sandbox, Story

Fuyuan, that’s the name Shen Zi’an and Su Zhi gave to their garden, implying their hope for continuous happiness. However, the people of Riverside Village preferred to call this garden Shen Family Garden.

After some tidying up, Fuyuan was no longer the barren garden it once was. Although all sorts of flowers, plants, and trees had just been planted, it already looked quite impressive. One could imagine how splendid it would be when these trees grew larger and the flowers and plants flourished, filling the garden with vibrant colors.

Shen Ziju knocked on the door and was let in by Uncle Lan.

“Uncle Lan, are Uncle Lan and Aunt Lan still living here comfortably?”

Shen Ziju asked Uncle Lan, who he knew as the current gatekeeper for his fourth brother’s household and someone who had previous acquaintance with Su Zhi. He had noticed that both Su Zhi and Shen Zi’an were courteous towards Uncle Lan, so he approached him with a gentle and caring demeanor. It wasn’t difficult for Shen Ziju, as he had a good reputation in the village despite not frequenting it often, owing to his eloquence and excellent attitude.

Uncle Lan nodded slightly and replied, “Doing alright.”

Uncle Lan wasn’t particularly talkative with outsiders. Besides Shen Zi’an’s family, he didn’t show much enthusiasm towards anyone else. However, he exuded an air of solidity and honesty, giving off the impression of a straightforward person who simply wasn’t fond of talking much.

“Let me take you inside,” Uncle Lan said. Each time he opened the door for someone, he would lead them to the front courtyard, announce their arrival, and then return. If it was someone Shen Zi’an’s family preferred not to see, he wouldn’t even let them in.

“Thank you, Uncle Lan,” Shen Ziju responded politely.

Shen Ziju spoke politely as he followed Uncle Lan forward. He also smiled and greeted Aunt Lan, who was nearby.

At the entrance of Fuyuan, there was now a gateway with rooms on either side. Uncle Lan and Aunt Lan lived in one of these rooms, while the other was used for storing miscellaneous items. Nearby, trees were planted, and there was also a thatched hut resembling a large mushroom. This idea was conceived by Su Zhi, and there were several such thatched huts around the garden. Underneath these huts were stone tables and round stools, giving the area a refined and elegant feel.

The thatched hut next to the gatehouse, however, did not have stone tables and stools. Instead, it had two chairs. Aunt Lan was sitting there, sewing clothes. The other chair was a rocking chair with a thin cushion and a bamboo fan placed on it, clearly Uncle Lan’s spot.

The addition of these huts and furniture created a serene and picturesque environment. As Shen Ziju passed by, he could see the thoughtful touches Su Zhi had added to make Fuyuan both practical and aesthetically pleasing. He was eager to learn more about the plans his fourth brother and sister-in-law had for the place.

Shen Ziju observed this tranquil scene, thinking about how well his fourth brother’s family was doing now. Even their gatekeepers lived such leisurely lives, far better than those who toiled in the fields. It was a stark contrast to his own family, where even Shen Youfu had to work the land, with Shen Ziju being the only one exempt from such labor. This kind of relaxed life was unimaginable for his family.

Looking at the small cushion on the rocking chair, Shen Ziju felt sure it was Su Zhi’s handiwork. Only someone as kind-hearted as Su Zhi would think of such things. In the countryside, people were used to sitting on the ground without complaint. Many families had clothes full of patches and not enough quilts to go around. Shen Ziju thought his fourth sister-in-law was truly a kind person, bringing this old couple in and taking care of their food, lodging, and even their comfort.

Lost in these thoughts, they soon arrived at the courtyard gate.

Uncle Lan entered and saw Su Zhi sitting in the courtyard, fanning herself. “Shen Ziju is here,” he announced.

Su Zhi was sitting under the veranda, fanning herself. The weather was indeed scorching, and people in ancient times were conservative, unable to reveal their arms or legs. Although she carried the cooling properties of the spiritual spring and did not feel overly hot, the children were still affected by the heat, so she fanned them to keep them cool.

Three children sat beneath the veranda, each with a small table in front of them. On the tables were sand trays where they were writing with bamboo sticks. Su Zhi would say a word, and they would write it down, each child focused intently.

This was Su Zhi’s way of assessing her children’s literacy skills.

“Fifth Brother, what brings you here? Your fourth brother is over by the bamboo grove. Uncle Lan, could you go and call Zi’an, please? Tell him Fifth Brother is here.”

Uncle Lan turned and left to fetch Shen Zi’an.

Shen Ziju looked at Su Zhi and noticed that her outfit today was different from the previous days. Perhaps because she was at home, she wore a light yellow top, standing there with an exceptional elegance. He increasingly felt that she didn’t resemble a farmer’s wife and thought that marrying his fourth brother truly wronged her.

“Fourth Sister-in-law, I came to see Fourth Brother and you.”

Shen Ziju said with a smile. When brothers visit each other, there isn’t much need for formalities. The questions and answers are merely polite gestures. After he replied, he walked forward and looked at the three little children.

Xiaori, Xinger, and Yueyue were very polite. When they saw Shen Ziju coming, they all stood up to greet him and then sat down again to continue drawing and writing in the sandbox.

“Fourth Sister-in-law, what are they doing?”

Shen Ziju stepped forward and saw that Xiaori and the others seemed to be writing, which surprised him. He thought to himself, “Have these three children already started learning to write? That’s really fast. When I was their age, I hadn’t even begun learning.” However, what surprised him the most wasn’t that they were writing, but the sandbox on the table.

Shen Ziju walked closer to the sandbox. It was a rectangular wooden tray, very shallow, but it could hold sand. The sand was extremely fine, clean, and smooth, and now it was filled with writing. Shen Ziju was quite amazed.

When Shen Ziju was young, his family wasn’t very wealthy, and studying was a costly endeavor. Pens, ink, paper, and inkstones were expensive, and books were even more so. Young children learning to write used up a lot of paper and ink, especially at the beginning when their writing was large and clumsy, wasting sheet after sheet. It was like throwing money into the water. Many students tried to find ways to practice writing without using paper until they were proficient. One solution they came up with was writing on slate and then wiping it off with a damp cloth. Shen Ziju had also used this method to develop his fine handwriting.

Using the slate method to practice writing was effective, but it had its downsides. Constantly wiping off the ink often resulted in black-stained hands, and the cloth would become increasingly dirty. If it wasn’t washed clean, the slate would turn black as well. Once the cloth absorbed ink, it was difficult to write cleanly again.

Although Shen Ziju didn’t have to wash the cloths himself, he disliked getting his hands dirty from wiping the slate. Seeing this method of practicing writing with a sandbox, his eyes lit up. He thought it was much better than writing on a slate. A simple swipe of the hand and the writing in the sand would disappear, leaving a smooth surface again. While it lacked the natural feel of writing with ink, it was perfect for beginners.

Xiaori, noticing Shen Ziju’s attention on the sandbox, said, “Fifth Uncle, we’re practicing writing. Mother is testing us to see if we remember the characters.”

Xinger looked up and added, “Fifth Uncle, do you think our writing is good?”

Yueyue chimed in, “Of course, it’s good! Mother always says my handwriting is beautiful! Fifth Uncle, do you think my writing is nice? I didn’t make a single mistake!”

Shen Ziju snapped out of his surprise and smiled, “Yes, all of you are doing very well. When your little uncle was your age, he hadn’t started learning to write yet. In the future, Xiaori and Xinger will surely achieve great success, and Yueyue will become a refined lady.”

Yueyue pouted and said, “I don’t want to be a refined lady. I want to be Mother’s little darling! Xiaori said that someone like Aunt Liang is a refined lady, but I don’t want to be like that!”

Curious, Shen Ziju asked, “Why not? Isn’t that a good thing? Look, she has maids by her side and doesn’t have to do anything herself. Don’t you want that?”

Yueyue shook her head vigorously, “No, I don’t! I want to stay with Mom and help her. Besides, Aunt Liang always looks so serious. I don’t want to be like that!”

Shen Ziju was teasing Yueyue. He knew that Su Zhi was very fond of these three children. Although he was always kind to his nieces and nephews, he never actively played or joked with them because he didn’t particularly enjoy playing with young children. However, now he patiently engaged in conversation with them, wanting Su Zhi to see that he was actually a good person. Even if in this lifetime they could only be uncle and sister-in-law, he hoped to appear perfect in her eyes.

Yueyue said, “Aunt Liang walks very slowly and can’t run. She can’t climb trees, can’t go into the pond, and can’t sit on the ground with Little Black. Xiaori said that being a refined lady means being quiet and still, but I don’t want that. Mom said that Yueyue can run and jump freely. I want to be a heroine, like Little Dragon Maiden! I don’t want to be a refined lady!”

Shen Ziju thought this little girl had a wild spirit. Despite Fourth Sister-in-law’s gentle nature, she raised such a lively little monkey. It seemed she spoiled her a lot. But looking at her small face, somewhat resembling Su Zhi’s, he didn’t find her annoying. Instead, he thought this energetic child was quite adorable.

“Who is Little Dragon Maiden? Is she a heroine?”

Shen Ziju asked, feeling like there were so many things he didn’t know when talking to this little girl. Yet, through their conversations, he could learn more. So he smiled with curiosity and asked.

“Little Dragon Maiden is a heroine who can fly around! Mom tells me her stories every day! My Mom tells stories really well, she also tells the story of Journey to the West!”

Yueyue boasted to Shen Ziju about how amazing her mother was. She hugged Su Zhi and blinked her big eyes at her, as if saying, “Mom, Mom, I’m praising you, now praise me!”

Su Zhi couldn’t help but laugh and cry inwardly at Yueyue’s antics. She thought to herself that this little girl was becoming more mischievous by the day. She looked at Shen Ziju’s surprised expression and chuckled, “I’ve heard others tell stories before, so I sometimes tell them to the children when I have free time. They seem to remember them well.”

Shen Ziju nodded and asked, “Fourth Sister-in-law, did you come up with the idea for this sand tray on the table?”

Su Zhi, seeing Shen Ziju ask about this, wondered why he was interested. Then she understood. Could it be that nowadays people haven’t even thought of such a simple method? But she didn’t hide anything and thought to herself that  she could even claim she invented the concept of the Kang(heated brick bed), there was no reason not to admit the origin of such a simple Sandbox, so she just nodded.