Yuan Niang was awakened by a clamorous commotion. Rubbing her drowsy eyes did little to shake off her sleepiness, so she simply pulled the brocade quilt over her head. Suddenly remembering something, she reached out to pat the space beside her—it was empty.
Her heart tightened, and she mumbled groggily, “Sister Fu Shuang, where is Golden Lion Cub?”
Hearing movement from the inner chamber, Fu Shuang hurried in, pushing the door open and lifting the curtain. “Chen Ge’er took him away at the fifth watch.”
Yuan Niang vaguely recalled the incident—she had only heard Fu Shuang yawning and saying, “Why is Chen Ge’er here so early? The young lady hasn’t risen yet.”
Golden Lion Cub, stirred by the noise, had dutifully jumped off the bed to investigate and was promptly scooped up by Chen Ge’er waiting outside.
At this memory, Yuan Niang yawned and stretched. It was already bright outside, and Fu Shuang attended to her dressing and washing.
“What was all that noise earlier? It seemed to come from the west courtyard?” Yuan Niang asked curiously.
Fu Shuang pursed her lips into a smile. “You’re asking just as the story continues! No sooner had Chen Ge’er taken Golden Lion Cub back to his own courtyard than the cub soiled his bedding. Chen Ge’er, being fastidious, immediately called his personal attendants to change the sheets and quilts. The removed bedding was taken to the laundry to be stripped and washed, causing such a ruckus that it reached the main courtyard. Coincidentally, someone had sent a request for a poem from the gentleman. Without a second thought, he picked up his brush and wrote about this very incident.”
Yuan Niang stared blankly. “Huh? This can be turned into a poem? A refined scholar like Master wouldn’t…” be so indiscreet!
Fu Shuang laughed. “Oh, but he would! The gentleman isn’t one of those rigid Confucian scholars who only read dead books. He writes poetry without constraints—whatever amuses him, he writes, and he loves teasing people. When Chen Ge’er heard about the poem, he protested, saying that if this poem were circulated, he would have no place left in the scholarly circles of Jiangnan. The father and son tussled and argued until they disturbed the madam. Now, both of them are being punished standing in front of the main hall of Bamboo Pavilion.”
Yuan Niang found this amusing, but her laughter soon faded as she realized something. She whispered, “Sister Fu Shuang, I was the one who first brought Golden Lion Cub into the bed. Do you think Madam will punish me too?”
Fu Shuang said with feigned seriousness, “The gentleman has already sent Sister Chao Yun with breakfast, saying that things are chaotic at Bamboo Pavilion today and you need not dine there. He specifically told me not to wake you.”
Yuan Niang facepalmed. This was as clear as a sign saying “Madam is going to punish you” plastered on her forehead.
After washing up, she ate a bowl of red bean porridge and a few pieces of pastry, feeling warm and full, then strolled over to Bamboo Pavilion.
In front of the main hall, two people and a dog stood shamefacedly, being punished.
Su Shi, seeing Yuan Niang approach, frantically winked and gestured for her to run away! Run!
Wang Runzhi pushed the door open just in time to witness this and remarked coolly, “Husband, are you suffering from an eye ailment?”
“No! Not at all!” Su Shi cleared his throat lightly, clasping his fists.
Yuan Niang stepped forward voluntarily. “Madam, I know I was wrong.”
“Oh? What was your mistake?” Wang Runzhi asked.
“I shouldn’t have taken pity and brought Golden Lion Cub into the bed to sleep,” Yuan Niang murmured softly.
Wang Runzhi nodded and spoke earnestly, “You’re still so young and delicate. Who knows how many times that puppy has rolled in the grass and mud during the day? What if there are fleas or ticks hidden in its fur? If you get bitten and fall ill, what shall we do?”
Yuan Niang obediently nodded, “Shiniang is right.”
Chen Ge’er, standing nearby, defended the Golden Lion Cub indignantly, “The Golden Lion Cub is very clean! It doesn’t have any bugs on it.”
Su Shi, standing behind with his hands clasped, tugged at Chen Ge’er’s sleeve, hinting for him to stop. Unexpectedly, Chen Ge’er misinterpreted the gesture, thinking his father was secretly supporting him. He turned and asked, “Isn’t that right, Father?”
Su Shi was horrified, thinking to himself, “This child is truly foolish!”
“Clean? Have you forgotten what the puppy did on your bed?!” Wang Runzhi shook her head and said.
Just as Su Shi was about to speak, Wang Runzhi shot him a stern glance. She deliberately put on a stern face and said, “The young masters in this household are growing older day by day and care about their dignity. If you thoughtlessly reveal such matters for momentary satisfaction, soon all the scholars of the Great Song will know. Normally it might be fine, but if one day Chen Ge’er enters the court and someone uses this to mock or attack him, how will he save face?”
Wang Runzhi cleared her throat and began bringing up past grievances, “And last time, when you took Shu Ji to see Biancai Fashi for treatment—you were supposed to be watching him, but in the brief moment I lost sight of you, you ended up composing a poem. What was it again? ‘I have a tall son, with cheeks like rhinoceros horns and jade. At four years old, he still cannot walk, requiring carrying on back and belly.’ A young child doesn’t understand poetry. When others recited it in front of him, the only word he understood was ‘burden.’ He quietly asked me if he was a burden to us. As his mother, how could I answer?”
Su Shi frowned and asked, “Who recited it?”
“What does he do all day when he has nothing to do, confined to his room? Since he can’t move much, he has people recite your new poems to pass the time,” Wang Runzhi explained.
Su Shi looked ashamed and said, “I understand. I’ll go see him later.”
Hearing this, Chen Ge’er felt relieved, his shoulders slumping.
“Ahem!” Wang Runzhi deliberately coughed twice and said, “Stand for another quarter-hour as punishment. Yuan Niang, you too!”
Yuan Niang obediently stood beside Chen Ge’er. The three of them and the dog all looked downcast and ashamed.
Chen Ge’er pursed his lips and glanced at her, then offered, “Go play. Second Brother will serve your punishment for you.”
“Shifu will also serve your punishment,” Su Shi chimed in, not wanting to be outdone.
Chen Ge’er turned to him and asked, “Father, why won’t you serve my punishment?”
Su Shi waved his hand and laughed awkwardly, “A boy must be strong and handle his own affairs. Besides, wasn’t it you who got Yuan Niang involved?”
Yuan Niang stepped between them, raising her hand to stop them, “Don’t argue. A quarter-hour will pass quickly. I’ll serve my own punishment.”
Thus, father and son called a truce.
Throughout this, the Golden Lion Cub sat quietly nearby, unlike a disobedient puppy.
Su Shi blinked and suggested, “How about we give the Golden Lion Cub a bath later? Then it’ll be clean.”
Chen Ge’er agreed enthusiastically, “Excellent idea!”
Yuan Niang hesitated, “The Golden Lion Cub has just arrived home. We don’t know if it’s settled in yet. Would bathing it now risk catching a chill?”
“No, we’ll take it to the warm pavilion to bathe. The charcoal fire there is strong, and it’ll dry quickly,” Su Shi proposed.
Yuan Niang nodded in agreement.
A quarter of an hour later, the trio and the dog arrived at the warm pavilion. Chao Yun ordered hot water to be prepared. Bathing the dog was a novel task, and none of the three wanted to delegate it to others, so they rolled up their sleeves and took matters into their own hands.
The Golden Lion Cub refused to enter the bathtub at all costs. Su Shi stepped forward and lifted it in. The little dog struggled for a long while but couldn’t escape the clutches of fate, eventually standing obediently and motionless in the tub.
Chen Ge’er held the puppy steady while Su Shi and Yuan Niang scooped water to wash it. The Golden Lion Cub’s fluffy fur became soaked, making it look like a drenched little donkey.
As Su Shi lathered the Golden Lion Cub with scented soap, he sighed, “At this moment, in this scene, I feel like…”
Chen Ge’er quickly shook his head to cut off his thought, saying, “No! No! Father, you don’t!”
Su Shi laughed heartily and continued scrubbing the dog.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Golden Lion Cub was lifted out of the tub. Su Shi tried to dry its fur with a clean cloth, but the puppy acted faster, briskly shaking its soaked coat. Water droplets flew everywhere, and the three, unable to dodge in time, were all splattered. They didn’t dare change clothes for fear of being discovered by Wang Runzhi, so they had to dry off by the warmth of the pavilion.
The trio and the dog gathered around the charcoal brazier to warm themselves. Yuan Niang looked at the brazier, clicking her tongue and shaking her head in regret. It would be perfect if they could bury a couple of sweet potatoes in there, but alas, where could they find sweet potatoes now?!
Su Shi also shook his head and sighed beside her.
Yuan Niang asked, “Master, what are you sighing about?”
Su Shi said, “I just feel like we should roast something to eat in the charcoal brazier?”
Chen Ge’er slapped his thigh and exclaimed, “Chestnuts! Roasted chestnuts! We can set a wire rack over the brazier and place raw chestnuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and red dates on it!”
The three were instantly in agreement. They ordered someone to fetch these items and laid them out evenly. Soon, the sweet aroma of red dates filled the room. Su Shi used a clean iron fork to place the roasted dates on a plate. Chen Ge’er, being impatient, grabbed one with his bare hands and burned his fingers, grimacing in pain.
Fu Shuang brought over several handkerchiefs. Using them to handle the food made it much easier. For items like dates, Yuan Niang could pick them up herself to eat, while the roasted chestnuts were shelled in advance by Fu Shuang and handed to her.
With everyone munching on snacks, the Golden Lion Cub was driven to distraction, pacing back and forth. Its fur had dried by then, gleaming golden like a freshly baked little cake, utterly adorable.
Yuan Niang fed the puppy while stuffing roasted treats into her own mouth—after all, who could eat alone in front of such a pitiful-looking dog?
As he shelled roasted chestnuts, Su Shi sighed, “Truly delicious, but since we’re already roasting, why not skewer some meat?”
Exactly!
So Su Shi ordered someone to bring skewers of mutton. Chao Yun pointed toward the window and mouthed a warning: “The mistress is coming!”
In the blink of an eye, Chen Ge’er stuffed the roasted chestnuts into his mouth, scooped up the Golden Lion Cub with one hand, grabbed Yuan Niang with the other, and dashed out through the side door!
“Hey!?” Su Shi stood frozen in place for a long moment before finally uttering, “What happened to sharing joys and sorrows? I’m scared of her too!”
Wang Runzhi entered, covering her nose and mouth with a handkerchief, and asked, “Who are you afraid of, my lord?”
Su Shi immediately put on a bright smile, turned to greet her, and said, “No one, no one. Would you like some roasted chestnuts, my lady? They’re very sweet!”
“I heard my lord wants to eat roasted meat skewers?” Wang Runzhi inquired.
“May I?” Su Shi asked hopefully.
“Why not? It just can’t be done in the heated chamber. With poor ventilation in winter, the smoke smell would linger for too long,” Wang Runzhi said. “It’s snowing outside. I’ve had the pavilion in the bamboo grove enclosed and charcoal fires lit. The kitchen just received a fresh deer today, perfect for roasting venison. We’ll have them warm a jug of plum blossom wine too – wouldn’t that be fitting?”
“You know me so well, my lady!” Su Shi exclaimed, clasping his hands in admiration.
“Shall we send out invitations to gather some friends?” Wang Runzhi asked, knowing well his fondness for lively company.
“It’s too late for invitations today. Let’s enjoy this feast ourselves first. Otherwise, when they start composing linked verses and poems, I’m afraid those two young ones wouldn’t dare come to the table and wouldn’t eat comfortably either,” Su Shi said.
“Hmm.” Wang Runzhi nodded and asked, “Where are they anyway?”
Hiding outside the door, Chen Ge’er jumped in at these words, dancing with excitement: “Mother, we’re here! Let’s go roast the venison now!”