By the time Song Shi stepped through the door, the smile on his face had never once faded.
Old Master Song was sitting in the main room drinking tea. Hearing the footsteps, he did not even lift his eyelids, merely taking a leisurely sip. After serving as Village Head for so many years, he had perfected the art of remaining impassive. No matter how anxious he was inside, nothing showed on his face.
“Father!” Song Shi strode in, unusual warmth in his voice. “I’m back!”
Only then did Old Master Song raise his eyes and give a faint “Mm.” His gaze swept over his son’s face before settling on Mother Song.
Sister-in-law Song followed him inside. Her expression was not particularly pleasant, but she said nothing. She simply took the empty red-cloth pouch from her arms and placed it on the table. The gold bracelet had already been given to the Fang Household, so naturally the pouch was empty.
Seeing the empty pouch, the corners of Old Master Song’s mouth lifted slightly. He set down his teacup and asked unhurriedly, “How is that girl from the Fang Household?”
“Wonderful!” Song Shi dropped into the chair beside his father, speaking before he had even settled into his seat. “Father, your eye for people is truly sharp! Wan'er is as beautiful as a celestial maiden!”
Old Master Song snorted. He picked up his teacup, then set it down again, disdain in his voice. “You call that wonderful? You haven’t even seen what she can do yet.”
“I did, I did!” Song Shi nodded hurriedly. “The courtyard was kept neat and orderly, she spoke openly and naturally, and she knew all the proper rules for serving tea and carrying dishes. She didn’t look like someone who had never seen the world.”
Only then did Old Master Song show a genuine smile. There was a trace of pride in his cloudy old eyes.
He glanced at Sister-in-law Song. Seeing her sitting gloomily to one side without saying a word, he asked, “What is it? Was your mother reluctant to give away the gold bracelet?”
“Not at all!” Song Shi answered quickly. “Mother gave it to her right away. I also gave Auntie Fang those two bolts of cloth so they could make two sets of clothes.”
Old Master Song nodded in satisfaction, then looked at his wife. “Old woman, say something. How is that girl from the Fang Household?”
Sister-in-law Song opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but when she saw her son’s delighted face, she swallowed the words that had risen to her lips and merely said vaguely, “She’s all right. She certainly has a pretty face.”
“She’s pretty, and you’re still not satisfied?” Old Master Song snorted. “When you were young, you probably weren’t even half as good-looking as she is.”
Sister-in-law Song choked. Her face flushed crimson. She wanted to argue but did not dare, so she could only turn her head away angrily.
Song Shi paid no attention to his mother’s expression and continued talking to his father. Leaning closer, he lowered his voice. “Father, tell me—how did you take a liking to Miss Fang? How come I never heard you mention her before?”
Old Master Song lifted his wine cup and took a sip before speaking slowly. “When Scholar Fang was alive, he used to visit me often. He praised that daughter of his for ten years straight. I heard it so often that my ears nearly grew calluses. I assumed he was merely like Old Granny Wang selling her own melons, so I never took it seriously.”
“What happened afterward?” Song Shi asked eagerly.
“Afterward, I went to offer condolences and saw her with my own eyes.” Old Master Song set down his wine cup, a trace of emotion in his voice. “Your father has lived in this village for decades. What kind of person haven’t I seen? That girl stood before her father’s coffin and neither wailed and ranted nor lost her head. Dozens of people came and went, and she received every one of them by herself. She handled the funeral properly, without missing a single thing.”
He slapped his thigh. “A daughter-in-law like that is harder to find than a needle in a haystack! There are plenty of beautiful women, but very few who can uphold a household. Once you marry her, you won’t have to worry about this family anymore. She’ll take care of everything from behind the scenes.”
Song Shi was thoroughly convinced. He nodded again and again. “Father, you’re right, you’re right! I was muddleheaded before. Now that I think about it, I must have been blind.”
Old Master Song shot him a glance. “And what about that maid in the city?”
“What maid?” Song Shi looked utterly bewildered. Then he straightened and said solemnly, “Father, I was only joking with you! I’m so busy at the shop every day that my feet barely touch the ground. When would I have time to think about such nonsense?”
Old Master Song did not expose him. He merely gave a faint “Mm.”
Song Shi leaned over again and solicitously poured his father another cup of wine, presenting it with both hands. “Father, have some wine. This time, I owe it all to you for arranging everything. Otherwise, how could a daughter-in-law this good have fallen to me?”
Old Master Song accepted the cup, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth.
The greatest skill of his life was not serving as Village Head, but judging people. Now that his son was satisfied as well, the final stone weighing on his heart had at last been set down.
======
Sister-in-law Song prepared dinner.
She was unhappy, and while stir-frying the dishes, she added an extra handful of salt. Song Shi took one bite and frowned, but said nothing.
Old Master Song was in high spirits at the dinner table. He drank two extra cups, and as a result, he became more talkative. He went from describing how Scholar Fang had passed the licentiate examination years ago, to recounting how the two families had kept in contact, and then to telling stories about Fang Wan’s childhood, he rambled on for more than half a shichen[1]a traditional Chinese timekeeping unit that divides a single 24-hour day into 12 equal blocks, with each block lasting two modern hours. I will keep on using shichen sinces this is a historical novel … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3484337_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3484337_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.
Song Shi listened with great interest, occasionally asking a question or two. He wished he could ask about every single thing that had happened to Fang Wan from childhood onward.
Sister-in-law Song sat to one side, silently shoveling rice into her mouth without saying a word.
Only after Old Master Song had drunk his fill and Song Shi had helped him back to his room to lie down did Sister-in-law Song finally find the opportunity. She pulled her son into the kitchen and lowered her voice.
“Shi-ge’er, your mother wants to say a few words to you.”
Song Shi was washing dishes and did not even raise his head. “Go ahead, Mother.”
Sister-in-law Song hesitated, but in the end she voiced the knot in her heart. “That girl from the Fang Household certainly has a face no one could criticize, but I can’t help feeling… she’s a little too beautiful.”
Song Shi’s hands stopped. He raised his head and looked at his mother.
Sister-in-law Song sighed. “Think about it. We’re farmers. When we marry a daughter-in-law, we’re bringing her home to live an ordinary life. That girl is as beautiful as a painting. Once she comes to our household, will she really be able to live peacefully? Won’t all those unmarried men in the village grow green with envy when they see her? You spend most of the year in the city, leaving only her, your father, and me at home. What if something happens…”
“Mother!” Song Shi interrupted her, his expression already darkening. “Aren’t you thinking too much? Miss Fang is a respectable family’s daughter, raised by Scholar Fang. She is educated and well-mannered. She isn’t the sort of person who goes around attracting bees and butterflies.”
“I’m not saying she attracts bees and butterflies,” Sister-in-law Song hurriedly explained. “I’m saying that her appearance is too conspicuous. It could easily cause trouble.”
Song Shi put the bowl down hard on the stove and turned around, staring into his mother’s eyes. “Mother, I don’t like hearing you say that. Is it Miss Fang’s fault that she’s beautiful? If you don’t approve of her, then say so plainly. I’ll go back and tell Father that this marriage is off. But if you’re going to talk about her like this, I’ll be the first to object!”
His mother’s face flushed red, then pale under his sharp retort. Her lips trembled, but she could not get a word out.
“I just finished praising you to Father, telling him that you put the gold bracelet on her yourself right then and there, because you were a sensible woman.” Song Shi lowered his voice somewhat, but his tone remained relentless. “And now you’re saying things like this. What exactly do you mean?”
Sister-in-law Song was so thoroughly silenced that her eyes reddened.
How could she not know that the girl was good? It was just that a mother could not help thinking too much. Her son was marrying a daughter-in-law who looked like a celestial maiden. Would there still be room in his eyes for his own mother? Besides, that girl clearly looked like someone with a mind of her own. Once she entered the household, who would have the final say?
But she could not say any of that in front of her son. If she did, it would make her look petty.
“Forget it, forget it.” Sister-in-law Song waved her hand, her voice turning hoarse. “Marry whoever you want. I don’t care anymore.”
With that, she turned and left the kitchen, her footsteps heavy. She slammed the door behind her with a loud bang.
Song Shi stood where he was, staring at the closed door, and felt a little regretful.
He knew that his mother loved him. The things she had said were not necessarily meant to break up the marriage; she simply felt uneasy. But he truly could not bear to hear anyone say anything bad about Fang Wan. Not even his mother.
He picked up the bowl again and continued washing in silence, not saying another word.
References[+]