Chen Ge’er was finally caught by the old steward and brought to Su Shi’s study, with Yuan Niang trailing closely behind, looking utterly ashamed with drooping eyebrows and eyes.
“Kneel down!” Su Shi commanded coldly!
Chen Ge’er stole a glance at his elder brother sitting nearby. Su Mai set down his brush and sighed softly, saying, “Why look at me? If Father tells you to kneel, then kneel.”
“Elder brother…” Chen Ge’er softened his voice, pleading quietly.
“Calling me ancestor wouldn’t help either.” With that, Su Mai resolutely turned his head away, refusing to look at him.
Chen Ge’er knelt down reluctantly. Yuan Niang glanced from one to the other, unsure what to do.
“Yuan Niang, come here,” Su Shi spoke again.
Yuan Niang scurried over, tugging gently at Su Shi’s wide sleeve as she quickly admitted her mistake: “Master, I was wrong.”
Su Shi reached out and pinched her little cheek, then pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe the rouge from her hands. As he cleaned, he complained, “This is quite troublesome. If it were face powder, it would be easier to handle. Find something else to play with in the future. How can a proper young lady end up in such a mess?”
“It’s not Yuan Niang’s fault. I spilled it on her hands,” Chen Ge’er declared righteously.
“And you have the nerve to say that!” Su Shi’s anger flared up. After cleaning Yuan Niang’s hands, he took a small scale from the bookshelf and weighed the ruined ink that Chen Ge’er had wasted—a full half tael! Considering an entire inkstick weighed only two taels!
Su Shi then took another inkstick from the ink case and handed it to the page standing nearby, instructing, “Starting tomorrow, keep an eye on him. He’ll practice writing large characters here until he uses up half a tael of ink. He may only take breaks for meals and to sleep at night.”
“Yes,” the page replied, casting a sympathetic look at Chen Ge’er.
Chen Ge’er felt as if the sky were falling. He slumped to the ground and threw a tantrum: “How long will this take?” With that, he burst into loud, wailing sobs that seemed to reach the clouds!
Wang Runzhi hurriedly pushed the door open and tried to mediate: “Chen Ge’er is still so young! What child isn’t mischievous? Scolding him a few times should be enough. Why take it so seriously?”
“If we don’t discipline him now, he’ll think he can do whatever he wants!” Su Shi retorted.
“Look at that long face of yours—it’s as stubborn as a donkey in the stable! I’ve had some chrysanthemum tea brewed to help you cool down.” Without waiting for a response, she pulled him out of the room, glancing back to signal Chen Ge’er. Chen Ge’er grumbled and made as if to stand up.
“Kneel for the time it takes one incense stick to burn before getting up.” Unaware of the silent exchange between mother and son, Su Shi issued this final command before leaving.
Seeing his father’s figure recede into the distance and soon disappear, Chen Ge’er had no intention of obeying. He braced one hand on the ground to rise.
“Stay kneeling,” Su Mai said calmly.
“Brother, Father’s gone,” Chen Ge’er muttered.
“Do you realize what trouble you caused today?” Su Mai asked.
“I took Mother and the others’ rouge and powder to put on my younger brother…” Chen Ge’er said.
“And?” Su Mai pressed.
“And I took the kohl… but the kohl was too light and didn’t work well,” Chen Ge’er complained.
“And?” Su Mai continued.
“Huh? There’s more? What else?” Chen Ge’er’s eyes swept over the inkstick on the desk, and suddenly he understood. “Oh, I used a little of Father’s ink. Father is so stingy to get angry over that!”
Su Mai turned to fetch a ruler, adopting the manner of a strict tutor as he said, “Hold out your hand.”
Chen Ge’er’s eyes instantly welled up with tears as he tremblingly extended his palm.
“Left hand,” Su Mai stated sternly.
Chen Ge’er slowly switched hands.
Thwack! The sound made Yuan Niang retreat a step in fright, but Chen Ge’er surprisingly stopped crying, enduring the punishment with tear-filled eyes while clearly showing defiance.
“Those Zhuge brushes and Pan Valley inksticks were gifts from Lord Ouyang to Father! Of all things to play with, why did you have to ruin these precious items?” Su Mai scolded. “Mother is with child, and Father only relented because he couldn’t bear to see her troubled. Did you think this matter would be easily resolved?”
“I… I didn’t ask for those specifically. I just said I wanted something black,” Chen Ge’er defended timidly.
“Who gave him Lord Ouyang’s relics?” Su Mai scanned the study coldly.
After a long pause, a servant shuffled forward, justifying himself: “The young master insisted on having the finest.”
“Finest? What defines finest? What defines inferior?” Su Mai retorted. “Father possesses countless inksticks – any could have been taken. Why specifically give Chen Er Lord Ouyang’s relics? Explain your reasoning!”
The man fell silent, pretending to be oblivious.
“Such deceitful individuals have no place in the study. Tomorrow, you’ll be assigned to guard the estate farmland,” Su Mai declared.
“But this is the master’s study!” the man exclaimed in dismay.
“Oh? Are you suggesting I lack authority to discipline you?” Su Mai tapped the ruler rhythmically against his palm, his voice steady.
“I wouldn’t dare,” the man murmured before being led away without another word.
Chen Ge’er said remorsefully, “Elder Brother, I truly didn’t know those were Lord Ouyang’s relics. I’ll go apologize to Father.”
After a contemplative silence, Su Mai responded, “Throughout history, scholars have treasured ink like gold – not a drop should be wasted. Ink isn’t rouge or powder to be smeared carelessly on faces. Moreover, Lord Ouyang passed away last month – Father was heartbroken and has only recently found peace. Now this incident reopens old wounds. What if in his grief he writes something that could be used against him?”
“Elder Brother, I was wrong,” Chen Ge’er said with belated fear.
“Before we came to Hangzhou, Uncle Wen specifically warned that the court situation remains volatile and advised Father to write fewer poems. Remember how Lord Ouyang strongly opposed the new policies yet showed our family immense kindness. Since his passing, countless eyes watch Father’s every move, monitoring his writing brush.” Su Mai sighed. “Father’s open-minded nature means he likely cares little for such political implications. His anger stems from your disregard for scholarly treasures, not this incident itself. Still, I must explain the potential consequences so you don’t unknowingly cause grave trouble in future.”
Only then did Yuan Niang realize Su Mai referred to Ouyang Xiu. She sighed softly, recognizing the validity of his concerns.
After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Su Shi returned leisurely. Noticing Chen Ge’er still kneeling obediently, he nodded slightly in surprise. “Rise.”
Chen Ge’er stood up properly and declared earnestly, “Father, I was wrong. I won’t misbehave again.”
Su Shi beckoned him closer. “Complete this verse: ‘Though strong women grasp hoe and plow…'”
“…the fields grow wild, row after row. Besides, Qin troops endure bitter fights, driven no differently than dogs or fowls,” Chen Ge’er recited dutifully.
“Peaks upon peaks leave no sky between,” Su Shi continued.
“Withered pines hang upside down clinging to steep cliffs. Torrents and waterfalls compete in roaring tumult, pounding cliffs and tossing rocks like thunder in ten thousand valleys.” Chen Ge’er recited fluently without the slightest hesitation.
These lines were from the ten long poems he had been punished to memorize during the day. Yuan Niang remembered how long it had taken her to learn them back when she studied them. Who would have thought, who would have thought that someone could memorize ten poems in less than an afternoon? The gap between people was truly vast! Chen Ge’er really lived up to being Su Shi’s son!
Su Shi was clearly pleased as well. He nodded and said, “Your mother and I have discussed it – we’ll send you to school when spring comes next year.”
Chen Ge’er’s pupils shook! A bolt from the blue!
“Shu Ji has been frail since childhood and often melancholy. It’s good that you, as his elder brother, constantly look after him and cheer him up,” Su Shi affirmed. He reached out to touch the twin buns on Chen Ge’er’s head, then added thoughtfully, “But there should be limits. You can’t waste ink and paper recklessly, especially not the late Master Ou’s relics. It’s like if someone took your tiger hat and casually threw it on the ground – you wouldn’t be happy either, would you?”
The tiger hat was Chen Ge’er’s most treasured possession. His birth mother had specially made it for him before she passed away. He slept holding it every night.
Putting himself in others’ shoes, he realized how terribly wrong he had been. He spoke solemnly, “Father, I was wrong. I’ll go to school!”
Su Shi nodded. “Very good.”
Chen Ge’er glanced at Yuan Niang and pushed his luck further: “I want Yuan Mei to go to school with me.”
Yuan Niang froze instantly. She had been enjoying the show from the sidelines all this time – why was she suddenly involved? But this was the Song Dynasty – probably not many girls attended school, right?
Su Shi looked up at Yuan Niang and nodded. “Though six years old is a bit young, it doesn’t matter. She can go to the academy to get accustomed to it first.”
Chen Ge’er immediately beamed with joy!
Going to school was a good thing, but Yuan Niang felt that anything that could make Chen Ge’er this happy might not actually be good! She worried this mischievous little rascal was brewing some new scheme!
Su Mai advised from the side, “Study well and don’t cause trouble.”
“Got it, got it, elder brother. You’re even more long-winded than father.” Chen Ge’er, like an unbridled wild horse, grabbed Yuan Niang’s hand and ran off.
“It’s getting dark, slow down! Play for a while then go back to sleep,” Su Mai couldn’t help adding.
Only the evening breeze entering the hall answered him – Chen Ge’er had long disappeared from sight.
As night was falling, the two children definitely wouldn’t dare play in the gloomy bamboo grove. Chen Ge’er didn’t share his father’s refined tastes, having bluntly said that the evening wind through bamboo sounded like ghosts wailing and wolves howling – which made his father so angry he held him upside down and spanked his bottom.
Chen Ge’er led Yuan Niang to sit on the rockery. He turned and asked, “Are you scared at night?”
Yuan Niang shook her head. She wasn’t really a child – why would she be afraid?
But Chen Ge’er seemed to misunderstand. He was always afraid of the dark at night – how could someone as small as Yuan Mei not be afraid? Was she too embarrassed to say so?
Chen Ge’er nodded thoughtfully and said to his personal attendant nearby, “Go get my tiger hat.”
Moments later, the attendant returned and handed a tiger hat to Chen Ge’er.
Chen Ge’er gazed at it reluctantly, then mustered his resolve and placed it on Yuan Niang’s head. He nodded satisfactorily. “Now you won’t be afraid!”
Yuan Niang froze momentarily, her heart—which had been unsettled by the transmigration—gradually calming down. Earlier in the study, her master had compared this tiger hat to Lord Ou’s relics, suggesting it held extraordinary significance in Chen Ge’er’s heart. Yet he had given it to her.
Yuan Niang couldn’t resist stroking the adorably clumsy tiger hat.
Chen Ge’er said, “Don’t take it off. My mother sewed it with her own hands.” He paused, then added, “Not this mother—my birth mother. It’s a pity it’s a bit small for me now, but it fits Yuan Mei perfectly.”
No wonder even in his fury, their master couldn’t bring himself to punish him harshly—because he truly was a very, very good boy!
“Thank you,” Yuan Niang said sincerely.
Chen Ge’er seemed embarrassed. Pressing his lips together, he waved a hand with feigned solemnity and said, “It’s nothing. Let me escort you back to your room to rest.”
“Mm!” Hand in hand, the two children headed toward Guantang Residence.