The next morning, before dawn.
Xu Ao, along with a reluctant Second Uncle and a Third Uncle who was eager to prove himself, prepared to leave.
Sang Zhixia, who had also risen early, stuffed two boiled eggs into his hand. “Take these to eat on the road.”
“Second Uncle, Third Uncle, yours are in the bowl. Please get them yourselves.”
She had boiled two eggs for each person, fair and impartial.
Auntie Xu the Second came out to see Second Uncle off. She had wanted to mutter a few complaints, but seeing that everyone going out to earn money had received eggs, she was forced to swallow her words, settling for glaring daggers at Xu Ao.
Xu Ao acted as if he hadn’t seen a thing. He clutched the piping hot eggs in his hand and said with his eyes lowered, “The water in the vat is waiting for me to fetch when I get back. Remember to brew your medicine and drink it yourself.”
He had originally planned to get up early to fetch water and brew the medicine, but the aftereffects of yesterday’s strenuous labor were too severe. He had slept in a daze until now, and the tasks he had planned were all delayed.
Sang Zhixia gave a vague “mhm” and said with a yawn, “I know. Be safe on the road. We’ll be waiting for you to come back for dinner tonight.”
After seeing the men off, Sang Zhixia turned around, clapped her hands, and smiled at the open door of the main house, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Grandfather, are you up?”
The Old Master’s deep voice came from inside the room. “I’m up.”
“I have something I’d like to discuss with you. May I come in?”
“Come in.”
Under the astonished gazes of the others, Sang Zhixia strode into the main house.
Auntie Xu the Second couldn’t help but say to Xu Wenxiu in a snide tone, “First Sister-in-law is truly blessed.”
“Back in Jingdu, the Old Master always doted on First Brother and Xu Ao the most. Now, even the eldest grandson’s wife gets to be in the limelight. They really are more capable than the last.”
The two sons she had borne were also the Old Master’s legitimate grandsons, yet neither the two grandsons from the second branch nor the granddaughter from the third branch dared to approach the Old Master.
Sang Zhixia certainly had some nerve.
Xu Wenxiu didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly in front of the two elders, and her heart pounded wildly upon seeing Sang Zhixia’s boldness.
However, Xu Ao had instructed her that when he wasn’t home, she should listen to Sang Zhixia in all matters. She couldn’t win an argument, and crying was useless, so staying silent couldn’t be wrong, right?
Xu Wenxiu did as Sang Zhixia said, staring at the fire in the stove without a word. Finding no purchase, Auntie Xu the Second huffed.
Seeing her flounce back into her room, Third Aunt, who had also come out to see Third Uncle off, remarked meaningfully, “First Sister-in-law has such a good temperament. It’s one thing to listen to your husband and son, but now you’re even taking your daughter-in-law’s words to heart.”
“What, is the daughter-in-law in charge of the first branch now?”
Xu Wenxiu felt a sting of discomfort at her words.
But before she could recover, Sang Zhixia walked out and said, “Third Aunt, you’ve misspoken. Who doesn’t know that the ones in charge of this family are Grandfather and Grandmother? What right does a junior like me have to speak?”
“Grandfather, don’t you agree?”
The Old Master looked at her innocent, smiling face and felt a wave of exhaustion.
He had been forcibly helped out of the room by Sang Zhixia.
Sang Zhixia’s little scheme was laid bare. She was unwilling to let so many people remain idle, but her own words carried little weight and she couldn’t command anyone. So, she simply dragged the Old Master out to use as her banner.
To raise this banner legitimately, she felt no burden at all, enthusiastically showering him with flattery and praise.
The old man’s head was now throbbing.
He coughed and said faintly, “No more nonsense.”
Sang Zhixia nodded with a compliant smile. “Grandfather is right. Third Aunt is a refined and educated person. It was my slip of the tongue and my ignorance.”
“The matter I just mentioned to you is not urgent. Please have a seat first. I’ll go get you breakfast right away.”
With that, she rolled up her sleeves and went to ladle congee and pour water. The unchanging rice congee in the bowl now had a bit of green variety.
“Although drinking congee won’t leave you hungry, the lack of vegetables and salt always leaves something to be desired. I’ve added some of the wild vegetables Mingxu and the others dug up yesterday, and I also broke two eggs into it for garnish. Grandfather, would you care to try it and see if it suits your taste?”
The drowsy Xu Mingxu heard his name and immediately raised his small hand, shouting excitedly, “Grandfather, I know how to dig for wild vegetables!”
“I’ll dig lots and lots of wild vegetables!”
Sang Zhixia’s smile was filled with endless sentiment. “Mingxu is only three, yet he already knows to find wild vegetables to improve Grandfather’s meals. How wonderful!”
Not like some others, who had more years than wrinkles on their faces but only knew how to lie around and eat what was served.
Xu Mingxu, praised, beamed like a flower. He couldn’t even wait to swallow the congee in his mouth before he was clamoring to find a basket.
Torn between laughter and tears, Xu Wenxiu stopped him. “Eat first. You’ll only have the strength to dig wild vegetables for Grandfather after you’ve eaten your fill.”
“After you’re done, Mother will take you and your sister to go together.”
Xu Mingxu finally sat down to eat properly, but the Old Madam, who emerged a moment later, had a gloomy expression that she couldn’t shake.
The first branch was mentioning the Old Master in every sentence, clearly pulling him over to their side.
And to make matters worse, the second and third branches were both fools, not even knowing to speak up now!
She walked to the table with a long face and sat down. Sang Zhixia’s lips curved as she placed the prepared bowl by her hand.
“I hear Auntie Xu the Second mention every day that Grandmother’s digestion isn’t good, so I specially let your congee simmer a little longer in the pot. Grandmother, please eat first, to avoid any discomfort.”
One does not slap a smiling face.
The Old Madam looked at the wild vegetable congee on the table, which had been simmered until the rice grains burst open. Suppressing the anger in her heart, she forced out a few words, “You are very thoughtful.”
Sang Zhixia’s smile grew even more obedient. “This is what I ought to do as a junior.”
“Auntie Xu the Second, you look so pale. Are you unwell?”
She looked at the ashen-faced Auntie Xu the Second in confusion and said with surprise, “Why aren’t Minghui and Mingyang out for breakfast? Mingxu and Jinxi are already up, but they’re still not?”
Xu Minghui and Xu Mingyang were the apple of Auntie Xu the Second’s eye. The two of them, believing they had nothing to do, almost never left their room except for mealtimes.
Even Xu Ao was out hauling bricks, so on what grounds could they sleep until the sun was high in the sky?
Auntie Xu the Second instinctively wanted to defend her sons, but what she got in return was the Old Master’s heavy question, “What time is it?”
The words on the tip of her tongue caught in her throat. With a dark face, she said, “The two boys were exhausted from the journey. They haven’t adjusted to this place yet and are also feeling unwell, that’s why…”
“Yanran is able to get up, so why can’t they?”
Sensing the Old Master’s displeasure, the Old Madam immediately said, “Could it be that two big lads like them are more delicate than Yanran?”
Xu Yanran of the third branch was the Xu Family’s notoriously frail “medicine pot.” If they couldn’t even compare to her, it would be a complete laughingstock!
Seeing that even the Old Madam wasn’t on her side, Auntie Xu the Second belatedly realized something was wrong.
She quickly pinched her palm and said, “It’s my fault. I forgot to remind them.”
“I’ll go get them up right now.”
Xu Minghui and Xu Mingyang walked out of their room with unconcealed anger. Auntie Xu the Second hurriedly shot them each a meaningful look.
Sang Zhixia watched the spectacle with a cold smile, the corners of her lips turning up. She looked at the Old Master with a grin and said, “Grandfather, about the matter I mentioned to you earlier, if you have no objections, can we settle it after breakfast?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the countless gazes already filled with dissatisfaction once again converged on her.
Sang Zhixia didn’t mind.
She wasn’t afraid of people pointing out her little scheme. After all, that was exactly her intention.
For the first time, the Old Master found the congee in his mouth so difficult to swallow.
He looked at Sang Zhixia with a complicated gaze. Seeing her calm and unflinching expression, he asked in a deep voice, “You think this will work?”
“Of course it will work.”
Sang Zhixia said without a second thought, “As the saying goes, many hands make light work, and a bundle of chopsticks cannot be broken. If everyone, young and old, is assigned a task and gets moving, won’t our days have something to look forward to?”
The Old Master let out a laugh of unclear meaning. He closed his eyes and said, “Fine. We’ll do as you say.”