The night was deep, but the west room of the rear annex was anything but quiet.
From the outer room came Hu Sicai’s snores, like a heavy-duty motorcycle—sometimes revving endlessly, sometimes screeching to an abrupt halt.
Then there was Niu Shi. Her snoring was slightly softer but extremely peculiar, like an out-of-tune erhu being played over and over on the same note.
Even more maddening was the occasional “creak, creak” sound of teeth grinding in her ears—whether it was Da Ya or Hutou, she couldn’t tell.
Shen Yiyi listened, goosebumps rising all over her body. There were certain sounds she simply couldn’t stand, ones that made her skin crawl from deep within—like nails scratching glass, a steel ruler scraping a blackboard, and this kind of teeth grinding.
Irritated by the noise, she covered her ears and turned over.
This little girl was truly pitiful, and she was more than willing to offer whatever help she could.
But that absolutely did not include being dragged in as a replacement!
The Hu Family wasn’t exactly destitute, but they were nearly impoverished. Even Da Ya, their own biological daughter—what kind of life did she lead every day? Let alone her, a complete burden.
Now Hu Erniang had abandoned the original host to pursue a second chance at love. From what Hu Sicai implied, she had run off cleanly and thoroughly. In this ancient era of extremely inconvenient information and transportation, it was basically like throwing meat buns to a dog—no chance of getting her back.
Just look at Master Shen’s courtyard full of illegitimate daughters and his left and right unverified concubines—he was one hundred percent an irresponsible scumbag!
As an ancient woman, Hu Erniang was able to cut her losses in time and bravely remarry. Shen Yiyi absolutely applauded and cheered for this sister.
But!
The premise was that she didn’t need to be the one to fill the hole! Right now, she was full of resentment toward Hu Erniang!
Remarrying and just abandoning your child? Do you know that’s abandonment!
Such a beautiful little girl, and you could bear to leave her?
Even if you were heartless, couldn’t you have properly explained things to the child’s father before leaving? Making the father recognition seem like a scam—
Wait!
Shen Yiyi suddenly realized that Hu Erniang had never mentioned Master Shen to the original host. Not only that, she hadn’t spoken a word about anything related to the vague identity of the original body’s “father”!
Searching her memories carefully, Shen Yiyi only found one line that made her facepalm: “You don’t have a father, Yuan Jie’er. You were given to Mother by the Bodhisattva when she went to offer incense.”
The naive little girl actually believed it! Believed it! Every year on her birthday when praying for blessings, she would foolishly and sweetly thank the Bodhisattva for it…
Alright, this explanation was at least more sophisticated than telling a child they came with a phone bill top-up.
Could it be—
Shen Yiyi’s imagination ran wild—could it be that this little girl was really picked up by Hu Erniang from a temple?!
So when Hu Erniang ran off, she didn’t take her along but found a wealthy family to take her in?
Great. Not only was the father unreliable, but the mother might be fake too.
Feeling deeply that she had taken on a mess, Shen Yiyi tried to comfort her unfortunate self: It’s fine, it’s fine, this is just speculation.
And besides, maybe when she woke up… she’d be back in her own time…
Consciousness gradually blurred. Shen Yiyi had thought she’d be too disturbed by the noise to sleep, but her body, just recovered from a serious illness, was too weak. After struggling for a while, she unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
“What about the Mizhi Huofang? Go heat it up quickly. And the Jusheng Nu, take that to be roasted as well, so it becomes crispier.”
Wu Shi, glowing with vitality, sat at the table, glanced over the dishes, and gave the order.
Hong’er hesitated. “Madam, are we having those so early in the morning?”
“Go quickly.” Seeing Shen Rusong approach while yawning, Wu Shi said no more. She stood up and ladled a bowl of Millet and Red Date Congee for him.
Shen Rusong accepted it with a smile and surveyed the breakfast.
Besides the congee, there were Steamed Soup Dumplings and Three-Shred Spring Rolls, along with three side dishes: Shredded Chicken with Cucumber, Soy-Pickled Dark Vegetables, and Pickled Mustard Root Skin.
Shen Rusong picked up a spring roll and placed it on Wu Shi’s plate. “There’s only one old woman in the kitchen here. Although Lao Mo hired a temporary cook from a restaurant the day before yesterday, it still can’t compare to home. You’ve had to put up with these past two days, Madam.”
Wu Shi beamed with joy. She took a bite of the spring roll and was about to speak when Nanny Tong’s voice came from outside the door. “Master, Madam, An Ge’er is here to pay his respects.”
“Let him in.”
The door curtain lifted, and a plump, fair-skinned little boy walked in. “Greetings to the Master and Madam.”
“Take a seat.”
Nanny Tong served congee for An Ge’er. Seeing Shen Rusong yawn again, with faint dark circles under his eyes, she couldn’t help but feel a hint of disdain.
She silently calculated: although the kitchen here is quite lacking in ingredients, it should still be easy to prepare Goji Berry and Yam Congee tomorrow morning. Hmm, and maybe add some Stir-Fried Chives with Bean Sprouts as well.
If the young master returns to the residence for dinner, it would be even more convenient—Sautéed Kidney Slices, Braised Soft-Shelled Turtle, Cistanche and Mutton Soup…
Shen Rusong was completely unaware that Nanny Tong had already begun to question his capabilities as a man. Exhausted from putting out the fire the night before, he had gone to bed very late, only to dream in the middle of the night that his second wife laughed out loud.
Awakened by the laughter, he tossed and turned for a while before drifting back into a fitful sleep.
Already sleep-deprived, he had just received more bad news, leaving him with little appetite.
Feeling irritable, he grew displeased watching his son bury his head in his meal. However, seeing Wu Shi in high spirits, continuously serving dishes for both him and his son, he held back and forced himself to take a few more bites.
The little fatty, on the other hand, had an excellent appetite and savored everything. In just a short while, he had already polished off a basket of dumplings and a bowl of congee.
When he saw Hong’er bring in a plate of Mizhi Huofang and a plate of Jusheng Nu, his eyes lit up. Still, he knew his manners and waited for Wu Shi to take the first bite before helping himself.
He bit into the Jusheng Nu—crisp and crunchy, sweet and savory. Then he took a bite of the Mizhi Huofang—tender, sweet, and rich, with oil dripping from his mouth.
Just as he was at his happiest, Shen Rusong’s displeased voice came from the head of the table. “Although we were busy traveling these past few days, your studies cannot be neglected. Come to the study later—I will check your work. Today, you are not allowed to run around. Write twenty pages of large characters seriously. If you don’t recite well later, it will be doubled!”
With that, Shen Rusong set down his chopsticks and went straight to the Western Secondary Room.
Even though Wu Shi had always been indifferent to this stepson, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for him now. She comforted the ashen-faced little fatty with a few words and asked if he wanted to eat more.
At this point, the little fatty had lost all appetite. He forced down the food Wu Shi had served him, tasting nothing, then dejectedly excused himself to cram for his studies.
When Wu Shi entered the Western Secondary Room, she saw Shen Rusong sitting at the table, reviewing the list Nanny Tong had compiled.
Finding fault brings joy, and at this moment Shen Rusong’s mood had indeed smoothed out. Seeing her enter, he looked up and said, “I simply can’t stand his lazy attitude, putting no effort into his studies at all.”
Regarding education, as the legal mother, Wu Shi couldn’t say much and could only advise, “An Ge’er is still young, just teach him slowly.”
Shen Rusong thought to himself, slowly? Any later, and he might miss this hot opportunity with the Suning Marquis Estate.
However, he didn’t want to argue with Wu Shi at this moment. Instead, he led her back to the Main Hall and handed her chopsticks again. “I drank too much last night and have no appetite. Don’t let such a small matter ruin your breakfast.”
Wu Shi indeed hadn’t eaten her fill, so she obediently took the chopsticks.
Shen Rusong sat beside her, continuing to review the list.
After reading it, he thought for a moment, then made nail marks under a few items and said to Wu Shi, “Don’t bother with the bulky household items; treat them as extras when selling the house. These few items aren’t easy to carry, but they’re presentable enough and can be used as gifts these next few days.”
Wu Shi took the list, glanced at it, and replied, “Alright. I’ll have Nanny Tong sort them out and store them properly. Are you going out later?”
Shen Rusong nodded. “I must fulfill the courtesies to Father’s old friends, as well as to those who studied with me back in the day. Especially since we’re selling this house—I doubt we’ll ever return.”
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but feel sentimental. In the Twelfth Year of Yuanhe, he had followed his father to take up a post here. In this very residence, he had taken the Tongsheng exam, passed as a Xiucai, married and started a family, and bid farewell to his elderly father. In the blink of an eye, a full decade had passed…
After spacing out for a while, Shen Rusong snapped back to reality and saw that Wu Shi had already eaten half of the Jusheng Nu and the braised pork leg, frowning as she called for Hong’er to bring a cup of tea.
Such a large, oily, sweet breakfast early in the morning—pork leg and fried dough twists… But since it was his own doing, Shen Rusong couldn’t say anything. He stood up, shook out his robe, and prepared to go to the study to seek some amusement—no, to go to the study to educate his son.
“Third Young Master, about the Hu Family who arrived yesterday—well, the one in the rear annex—what do you plan to do?” Seeing him about to leave, Wu Shi couldn’t hold back and asked, despite Nanny Tong’s disapproving gaze.
She thought that since Shen Rusong had taken them in without even meeting them, they must be former favorites. Although yesterday’s anger had subsided, she still felt half worried and half resentful.
To her surprise, Shen Rusong replied nonchalantly, “Song Jian just gathered information about those two families. He followed Father around the county back in the day and knows the area well. It’s best to have him investigate the Hu Family thoroughly first. You’ve been traveling for days, so rest well, no rush. We’ll deal with it when there’s time—they’re not important people anyway.”
Wu Shi hadn’t expected Shen Rusong to react so indifferently. Instantly, she felt as refreshed as if she had drunk a bowl of iced beverage on a scorching summer day. The braised pork leg and Jusheng Nu now tasted sweet and delicious, with none of the greasiness from before.
Shen Rusong stepped out of the room, looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, and sighed.
Whose heart is empty, lost in remembrance, as the beauty vanishes from sight?
Early that morning, he had eagerly summoned Cao Mo for a detailed inquiry, only to learn that Second Lady had already married. And not just married—she had married far away, even selling the house in Feng’an Quarter.
Just a few days too late—fate brought them together but denied them a bond. What a pity, what a regret!
And so, toward that daughter he had never met, he now felt utterly disinterested.
Listening to Shen Rusong’s footsteps fade away, Wu Shi couldn’t wait to speak up: “Nanny, did you hear that! You see, as soon as I’m unhappy, he doesn’t even care about others anymore. Third Brother truly does cherish me!”
What else could Nanny Tong say? She could only sigh at how fate is predestined, with one thing subduing another.
Well, living happily is far better than quarreling and making a fuss.