After saying those words, Song Tingzhou saw that there was no movement in the room, so he assumed that the people inside had heard him. He then picked up his book box again and prepared to leave.
Chang Jinhua couldn’t dissuade her son, and at this moment she began to vaguely regret not informing Song Tingzhou before buying the man.
”Wait a minute.”
The door opened, and Meng Wan, unlike his timid nature of the past few days, raised his head and called out to Song Tingzhou.
It wasn’t that he was arrogant and haughty despite being a dependent; it was simply that the person in front of him was so tall that he had to crane his neck to make eye contact.
He must be 185 cm tall! How can he be so tall? Were people in ancient times so well-nourished?
The man before me had sharp eyebrows, eyes like an eagle, a high nose, thin lips, and well-defined features. He was handsome, not ugly, and dressed in the blue robes typical of scholars. However, his fierce demeanor made him seem like someone not to be trifled with.
I must say, he looks quite like Aunt Song.
Song Tingzhou glanced indifferently at the open door, and that one glance made him stop in his tracks as he bent down to pick up his book box.
The young man stood gracefully behind the door, wearing his old-fashioned long robe. The robe was too loose and made it difficult for him to move, so he tied a dark green cloth strip around his waist, which made his waist look even more slender. His face was as handsome as jade, and his eyes were like autumn pools. Unlike other young men who would shy away when they saw other men, he looked at me openly and generously, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
He’s watching him.
Song Tingzhou straightened up and looked back.
He grew up in the countryside and studied in town, only wanting to pass the imperial examinations to support his mother. When had he ever seen a boy as handsome as Meng Wan?
Meng Wan was a whole head shorter than him, and standing in front of him, he unconsciously felt weaker. After reorganizing his words, he lowered his posture and said, “Aunt Song bought me for eight taels of silver that day, and I became a member of the Song family. Today, seeing you, young master, with your bright face and great talent, I am sure I am not worthy of you. But I have nowhere to go now, and I am willing to be a servant of the Song family, hoping only for a place to stay. Would you be willing to take me in?”
Even though he spoke with heartfelt sincerity, and Chang Jinhua did feel sorry for him, there were plenty of pitiful people in this world, and it was hardly her, a widow’s, turn to pity.
Her family had already spent most of her late husband’s savings to support Song Tingzhou’s education, so where would they find the money to support a young boy?
”you……”
Unexpectedly, as soon as she opened her mouth, her eldest son refused on her behalf.
“My family has no surplus grain to support our servants.” Song Tingzhou looked directly at Meng Wan, but his tone was somehow much gentler than before.
Meng Wan was anxious. The Song family had a simple background, and Chang Jinhua was kind-hearted despite her cold exterior. In his opinion, the Song family was his best choice at the moment. If they drove him away, given his gender and lowly status, he would die as soon as he left. It was just a matter of whether he would die a good death or a bad one, a clean death or a tormented death.
“I can do laundry and cook for Aunt Song, and chop firewood and fetch water.”
Chang Jinhua had to remind him, “I could do all this even before you came.” And she didn’t have to prepare food for one more person, which was the most crucial point. In an era where food was of paramount importance , one person’s rations might seem small, but in times of famine, they could be life-saving.
“You heard what my mother said too. In our small farmhouse, it’s already difficult enough to feed ourselves. Who has the surplus to support someone who is not a relative or acquaintance?” Song Tingzhou said indifferently.
Chang Jinhua glanced at her son. He usually avoided these men and women, leaving her to handle the social interactions. Even during his three-year engagement to Yang Bao’er, they had only met once, at the time of the engagement—unlike now…
Meng Wan knew he was being a bit unreasonable. If that was the case, being free was already a good thing. At worst, he could cover up his pregnancy mole and do some small business on the streets. She just hoped he wouldn’t be reported.
”Aunt Song has already done me a great favor by buying me. I’m being too greedy to stay here. In that case, I’ll leave now.” He gritted his teeth and took two steps outside. He really didn’t know the situation he was about to face. He was just too thin-skinned to be provoked and was young and inexperienced.
”Where to leave to?” Song Tingzhou immediately followed up.
Meng Wan was surprised that he would ask further, and said blankly, “Go to town to do some small business?”
He suddenly came to his senses after he finished speaking. No, in this other world , his gender is a disadvantaged group. Although he doesn’t know how others distinguish between boys and men except for the birthmark, there is obviously another kind of instinct, just like in modern times, some people look more androgynous, but can still be identified as male or female at a glance.
He might be recognized at a glance before he even reaches the town. A young man in his prime with no parents, no relatives, and no connections—there isn’t a single road he can take right now!
Song Tingzhou laughed after hearing his words. His appearance was already cold and stern, but this laugh broke through his cold facade. “Doing business?”
”Uh, I…”
Song Tingzhou suppressed his smile and repeated what he had said before, “I told you, my family can’t afford to support strangers.”
Meng Wan was still clueless, but Chang Jinhua had figured it out. She first looked up at her pretentious son, and then began to persuade Meng Wan.
“If you marry into our family, you will be one of us. Once you marry my eldest son, he will take you to the county government office to have your slave status removed.”
Meng Wan’s uneasy heart was tempted by the advice. This seemed to be the quickest and simplest way for him to get rid of his slave status. But the question was, would Song’s eldest son be willing to marry him?
He stared longingly at Song Tingzhou.
Song Jia Dalang[1]Song family’s eldest son jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2777733_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2777733_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); slightly turned his head to avoid Meng Wan’s gaze. He himself was not sure if he would marry Meng Wan in the future, but he knew that at this moment, he did not want to let Meng Wan leave.
”Let’s stay here first and then talk about it.”
He said a lot, he was the one who questioned him, he was the one who asked Meng Wan to leave, and in the end he just casually said, “Stay for now and we’ll talk about it later.”
Years later, Meng Wan still gets furious when he thinks about this incident; he’s such a repressed pervert, deliberately trying to scare him.
Today’s events have somewhat overturned Meng Wan’s perception of Song Jia Dalang. He had assumed that as an orphan and a widow, Song Jia Dalang would prioritize his mother in everything. But now it seems that the one in charge is actually the son, not the elderly mother.
”May I have your name?”
Song Tingzhou, who was pouring water from a bucket into a water vat, asked.
Meng Wan returned from picking vegetables in the yard and was washing them in the kitchen when he heard this, and replied, “Meng Wan.”
Song Tingzhou pressed further: “The ‘Wan’ in ‘Wanxia[2]evening glow jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2777733_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2777733_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });’?”
”right.”
“How old are you?”
”sixteen.”
”I only have one day off every ten days, and I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning. Please take good care of my mother,” Song Tingzhou said solemnly after putting down the water bucket.
Meng Wan replied politely, “Not at all, it’s all Aunt Song who takes care of me. I will definitely not refuse to help her in any way I can.”
Song Tingzhou glanced at him and remained silent.
Chang Jinhua went inside to get the grain. It was fine rice again, but this time it wasn’t porridge but dry rice. Since her son rarely came home, she went to the market yesterday and bought two jin of pork belly. She cut it into evenly sized cubes, put it in a pot to dry-fry, and rendered out a layer of oil, which she ladled into a bowl. She added scallions to the pot and stir-fried it for a bit, then added water and salt and covered the pot.
After stewing for a while, the aroma of the meat filled the whole house, and even the neighbors could smell it.
”The eldest son of Widow Song is back again?”
The neighbors next door were surnamed Tian—another prominent clan in the village. It was a large, multi-generational household; based on the family hierarchy, Song Tingzhou addressed the family patriarch as “Fourth Grand-uncle.”
The fourth great-uncle had two sons, three daughters, and one boy. Two of his daughters died during a famine in his early years, and the remaining children have all gotten married.
My great-uncle now lives next door with his eldest son, while his second son lives elsewhere in the village. The eldest son had two more sons and a daughter. The daughter is married, and both sons are married. When the eldest son got married, the family was not well-off, so he married a boy. This year, the second son got married and also married a girl. Neither of the two granddaughters-in-law has children yet. Once they do, it will be four generations living under one roof, which will be even more lively.
Now, with such a large family sitting at one square table, there wasn’t enough space, so both granddaughters-in-law were standing and eating with their bowls in hand. It was the eldest daughter-in-law of the fourth grandfather who spoke.
”How much wealth does Widow Song have? She must have spent countless sums of money sending Tingzhou to school in town all these years!” Aunt Tian’s words were laced with bitterness.
The old man is fifty-nine years old this year. He knew what Song Tingzhou’s father was like before he died. “When Song Da was alive, he worked as an accountant in town and brought money home every month. When Song’s widow was young, she knew how to manage money. The couple planned to send their child to a private school in town early on. Even when they earned money, they were reluctant to spend it. They only ate meat during festivals.”
”Grandpa, don’t we only eat meat during festivals?” Tian Wang, the second grandson, interjected.
His father, Uncle Tian, gave him a nod and said, “Eat your food.”
Farmers are all like this. If they can eat their fill every day, they are considered to be living a good life. They can’t even imagine eating meat every day. But Song Da is different. He learned a few words from the old scholar in the village when he was young. He was also bolder than the children in the village who only knew how to farm. He knew to go to town to find odd jobs. After he got his wages, he bought things to please the accountant. He learned the accountant’s skills and married his daughter.
The couple didn’t squander the money they earned. Instead, they took advantage of their literacy and saw the benefits of education, so they made a long-term plan to save money for their son’s schooling.
Uncle Tian thought to himself that he was still in his prime, and his two sons were both able-bodied men. The family had a lot of land and were willing to work hard. During the off-season, they could earn money by chopping firewood or working in town. Perhaps, once his two daughters-in-law had children, he could send the grandkids to the private school in town as well?
The annual tuition is one and a half taels, and with two kids it’s three taels. He can manage to scrape together the money by tightening his belt. His wife manages all the money, and he has to discuss it with her every night.
Every time her son came home, Chang Jinhua would buy a pound of meat to take home. This time, with a new member in the family, she bought two pounds. It was clear that although she didn’t say it, she was happy inside.
A small bowl of pork belly sat shakily on a plate. Meng Wan hadn’t seen what meat looked like for four or five months, and he forced himself to continue tending the fire under the stove, suppressing his craving.
The meat was scooped out of the pot, and the bottom of the pot wasn’t even washed. Half a basin of washed and chopped greens were put in, stir-fried a couple of times, and then plated. Chang Jinhua carried two plates of food into the house, and Song Tingzhou pulled out a wooden table from the corner and placed it next to the kang (a heated brick bed).
Chang Jinhua put the dishes down, and Meng Wan followed behind to serve the food. He knew how to cook, but Chang Jinhua had never let him do it. Just now, she had asked him to pick two cucumbers and chop them up, and he casually added vinegar and minced garlic to mix them.
He and Chang Jinhua sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), while Song Tingzhou sat on a stool. No one touched their chopsticks, and Meng Wan didn’t dare to move either.
Chang Jinhua placed a piece of meat on each of their plates, saying, “Eat up, both of you should eat more.”
Meng Wan opened his mouth slightly, and half a piece of meat went into his mouth. He was so happy that tears were about to stream down his face. It was so delicious. It wasn’t that Chang Jinhua’s cooking skills were particularly good, but the taste of the local big pot pork, combined with the fact that he hadn’t eaten meat in a long time, was unimaginable.
Meng Wan picked up two pieces of meat to satisfy his craving, but didn’t dare to touch them again. He silently ate his vegetables and rice. Suddenly, two more pieces of meat appeared in his bowl. He turned his head and saw that Chang Jinhua and Song Tingzhou’s chopsticks hadn’t been put back in yet.
A few more tears appeared in the bowl, which Meng Wan swallowed along with the food.
That night, Meng Wan moved to the corner of the kang (heated brick bed) in the main room and slept with Chang Jinhua. Chang Jinhua was afraid that he would feel uncomfortable, so she put a curtain between them.
”You can move over after Dalang leaves tomorrow morning.”
Meng Wan breathed a sigh of relief; the Song family mother and son were good people.
The next morning, before dawn, Chang Jinhua got up. Her eldest son still had to go to the private school to study, so she couldn’t delay. She quickly rolled out a few pancakes, used the lard she had rendered the day before to make a few more pancakes, and put them in a cloth bag for Song Tingzhou. She also boiled eight eggs in one go, and after thinking for a moment, she took one out, covered it up, and left it for Meng Wan to eat when he got up.
As dawn broke, Song Tingzhou shouldered his book bag and went out again. Turning back to look at his mother who had seen him off, he said, “Mother, if I fail the exam again next year, I will find a job in town and bring you… bring you both to live in town.”
Chang Jinhua wiped away her tears. “Our family’s fourteen mu of land was acquired by your father when he was alive. We haven’t saved any money by renting it out for so many years, but the grain we harvest is enough for my son and me to eat. Even if we add our little boy[3]Ge’er jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2777733_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2777733_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, it’s enough for the three of us to eat.”
“Your father left you eighty taels of silver before he passed away. Over the years, we’ve spent it all, but thankfully you’ve been copying books to supplement the family income, and you still have seventeen or eighteen taels left. Even if you take the exams for two more years, your mother can afford it. After two years… we’ll see.”
Their family had no able-bodied workers, so they rented out their land to villagers. Sometimes they received money, but most of the time they received grain. The mother and son were better off than other families in terms of grain, because other families would sell their surplus grain for money, but Chang Jinhua kept it all for her son to eat.
“But you’ll be nineteen after the New Year. The second grandson of the Tian family next door is the same age as you, and he got married at the beginning of this year. Wan’er… what do you think?”
Song Tingzhou didn’t hide anything from his own mother. He calmly said, “If we have to get married, it should be him.”
Song Tingzhou was no stranger to the pride and arrogance of scholars. Whether it was lust at first sight or taking advantage of someone in distress, from the first moment he saw Meng Wan, he never intended to let him go. Even though the two had not yet developed feelings for each other, a powerful possessiveness had already filled Song Tingzhou’s mind.
You are a beautiful man, and you should be my match.
When Meng Wan got up, no one was home. Neither the Song family mother nor her son were there. The pot in the kitchen was still warm. He glanced around and saw that the door to the small room was open, but it seemed like no one was inside.
While he was washing up, the front door was opened from the outside. Instead of closing it as usual, it was left wide open, and Chang Jinhua walked in from outside. “There’s food on the table. Eat it and clean up.”
Meng Wan replied with a “okay,” and then asked, “Has Young Master Song left?”
”What’s with all this ‘young master’ nonsense? People will laugh their heads off if they hear it,” Chang Jinhua scolded, opening the chicken coop and letting a few chickens out to find their own food.
Meng Wan felt embarrassed, and he also felt a little awkward. “Aunt Song, what should I call him?”
Chang Jinhua scattered a handful of rice husks on the ground, causing the chickens to cluck. “My eldest son’s name is Song Tingzhou. It was given to him by a scholar at the request of my late husband. At home, you can call him Brother Tingzhou, or you can call him my eldest son. To outsiders, you can call him cousin.”
References[+]