El paisaje es como una pintura

Capítulo 60

Wu Ge glanced at Cheng Mutian's dark face, then at Xiao Yuan's anxious expression, and seemed to suddenly understand his parents' helplessness. He took Zhong Lang's hand and said, "Uncle, come on, I'll feed you." Zhong Lang shook off his hand and kicked him in the shin. Wu Ge cried out "Ouch!" and squatted down, scolding, "Such a young age, but quite strong." Xiao Yuan looked down and saw that Zhong Lang was wearing waterproof oil shoes made of hard leather, which explained Wu Ge's pain.

She quickly got up, pulled Wu Ge aside, rolled up his pants to take a closer look, and saw a large bruise on his calf.

Wu Ge was used to falling and getting hurt, so he didn't realize it, but Xiao Yuan felt a pang of pain in her heart. While applying ointment to him, she yelled at Cheng Mutian, "Cheng Erlang, aren't you going to do anything about this?"

Cheng Mutian was also distressed to see his son injured, but he said, "You can even pity the illegitimate daughter of the neighbor, why can't you tolerate Zhonglang a little? He is my own brother. There is nothing wrong with an uncle beating his nephew."

Before Zhonglang came up the mountain, he had one set of words, but now that he's settled in the house, he's changed his tune. Xiaoyuan said angrily, "I gave Su Niang a bowl of rice, and she was grateful to me. I spoke nicely to Zhonglang, but he beat my son. How can I tolerate this?"

Cheng Mutian sighed and said, "He's confused, don't take it to heart."

Chapter 182 Warm-up Party

Seeing her brother and sister-in-law arguing over Zhonglang, Cheng Si Niang quickly filled another bowl with rice and some vegetables, then went to feed Zhonglang. Unexpectedly, Zhonglang was unrecognizable to his family, slapping the bowl away and scratching at Cheng Si Niang's head.

Xiao Yuan had always treated Cheng Si Niang like her own daughter, and seeing this, she became even more annoyed. She ordered Yu Da Sao to take Zhong Lang to the back courtyard for a private meal, and then called a maid to bring a comb to help Cheng Si Niang fix her hair. Cheng Si Niang tugged at her clothes and said, "Sister-in-law, Zhong Lang is not good with words, which is why he has such a bad temper. I hope you can be more tolerant of him." Xiao Yuan felt embarrassed by her words and quickly said, "I treat him the same way you do. I was just upset because he kicked your nephew." After saying that, she picked out two plates of food from the table and told A Yun Duan to give them to Zhong Lang.

Cheng Mutian finished his meal in a few bites and went to the back courtyard. Xiao Yuan took several children to Wu Ge's room to tell them stories. Cheng Si Niang, missing Zhong Lang, said, "Sister-in-law, let me call my younger brother over too; he probably hasn't heard them yet." Xiao Yuan nodded and sent a little maid away. Wu Ge leaned back in his chair and said, "If my parents allow me to hit him, I'll make him obey." Xiao Yuan glared at him and said, "He's your uncle; you can't be rude to him." Wu Ge asked, "What if he hits me again?" Chen Ge chimed in, "Then you'll climb a tree." Everyone in the room laughed. Wu Ge wasn't ashamed at all; he somersaulted to the middle and imitated a monkey climbing a tree, performing a set of monkey boxing moves with impressive skill.

Cheng Mutian led Zhonglang, whose face was covered in tears, to the door and said, "I didn't allow him to eat. He can eat again when he's ready." Xiaoyuan was surprised: "I only grumbled a few words in anger. You're the one who's really heartless." Cheng Mutian pointed to the seat next to Cheng Si Niang, and Zhonglang immediately ran over and sat down, even more nimbly than Wu Ge. Xiaoyuan didn't know what method he used to turn this little tyrant into a well-behaved child in the blink of an eye. She was truly impressed and quickly finished telling the children the story of Sun Wukong's havoc on Flower Fruit Mountain. She went back to her room to ask about the reason and also to learn from his experience.

Cheng Mutian outwardly defended Zhonglang, but inwardly he favored his wife, fearing she might have been upset. He personally poured her tea and gently massaged her lower back before saying, "Everyone says that child isn't very bright, that he wasn't properly taught, which is why he's been wasted. But I think he understands perfectly well." It turned out that when he told Zhonglang that he wouldn't get dinner if he didn't admit his mistake, Zhonglang initially cried and made a fuss, but once he actually took all the food away, he immediately quieted down and listened to everything he was told.

Just then, Sister-in-law Yu came back from outside, saying that Zhonglang had obediently apologized to Sister Cheng, and asked if he should also apologize to Brother Wu. Cheng Mutian looked at Xiaoyuan, about to answer "yes," when the latter said to the outside, "Forget it, he is a generation older than us, there's no reason for an elder to apologize to a junior." Sister-in-law Yu then asked, "Can Zhonglang eat now?" Xiaoyuan hurriedly said, "There are still dishes in the kitchen, tell the cook to pick out what he likes and make two more."

Sister-in-law Yu responded and went to the kitchen.

Cheng Mutian was grateful and put his arm around Xiaoyuan, saying, "You've gone to a lot of trouble." Xiaoyuan patted his hand and smiled, "Teaching him well will only benefit us. I understand that principle. I was just being biased just now." Cheng Mutian buried his head in her chest and chuckled, "I was biased too. When have I ever punished my sons by not letting them eat, for fear that they won't grow tall if they don't eat a little more?"

Xiao Yuan teased him, "You've always been biased. Just look at Fourth Sister. She's been with us for so long, have you ever asked if she's warm enough?" Cheng Mutian didn't take it seriously, "She's a girl, not like Zhonglang." Xiao Yuan pouted her already growing belly and said reproachfully, "The midwife said I'm also carrying a girl. Are you going to treat her differently too?" Cheng Mutian chuckled and reached out to touch her, nodding, "Yes, I'll treat her differently, even more favorably."

Now, let's talk about Zhonglang. After being disciplined by Cheng Mutian this time, he behaved himself for several days. However, he was used to being a tyrant at home, and after a few days, he relapsed and cried, refusing to go to school. When Cheng Mutian and Xiaoyuan rushed to see him, he was lying in the nursery, hugging a small tree with both hands and kicking his legs incessantly, already covered in mud. Wu Ge, who seemed to thrive on chaos, was clapping and cheering nearby.

Cheng Mutian slapped Wu Ge a few times and yelled, "Go to school! Your brother has already memorized a whole book!" Zhong Lang, who was lying on the ground, suddenly quieted down, grabbed his filthy schoolbag, and ran off after Wu Ge towards the school. Cheng Mutian was stunned. "What's wrong? I haven't disciplined him yet." Xiao Yuan laughed. "He's probably afraid you'll hit him too." Cheng Mutian couldn't help but laugh. "This kid is actually quite clever. I really don't know how his stepmother raised him." Xiao Yuan called the gardener to tidy up the nursery and sighed. "The child is a good child, but it's a pity he was injured in the brain at birth. He still can't speak very well." Sister-in-law Yu chimed in, "That's right. It's because he understands but can't express it that he's developed such a bad temper." Xiao Yuan sighed. "Poor thing. When he gets anxious, he just wants to hit people. Anyone would do the same."

Deep down, Cheng Mutian felt that Zhonglang's shortcomings were a disgrace to the Cheng family. Not wanting them to continue the topic, he used the destroyed nursery as an excuse to lament the few flowers: "These jasmine and jasmine plants were so hard to keep alive, but he kicked them off." Xiaoyuan pulled him back into the room and laughed, "Second Brother, I've never seen you show any pity for the flowers." Cheng Mutian said, "What do you know? My daughter always loves flowers. We only have a few fruit trees in our yard, how can that be enough?" He was afraid that when his daughter was born next spring, she wouldn't see the yard full of flowers in bloom, so he hurriedly went out and instructed Cheng Fu to take a gardener to the city and buy a few more pots of various precious flowers.

By the end of September, a heavy snowfall blanketed the mountain village, and the weather turned cold. The village's off-season vegetables and fattened sheep were fetching high prices, making life much easier for the villagers. The Yang family had come to borrow grain again, but for the sake of their livelihood, they dared not cause any more trouble. In the few months since Zhonglang came to the mountains, under Cheng Mutian's tutelage, he had become much more sensible. He also loved having someone play with him, following Wu Ge around all day, becoming his little shadow. With everything going smoothly at home and outside, Cheng Mutian and his wife were extremely content, busy preparing winter clothes and food, making their life prosperous and thriving.

That day, before noon, the children returned, clamoring for lunch. Xiao Yuan hurriedly asked, "Why are you out of school so early?" Cheng Si Niang blushed and replied, "The teacher had some things to attend to at home, so he dismissed us early." Wu Ge quickly kicked off his shoes, climbed onto the soft couch, and added, "Master Yun's wife is pregnant! When the teacher heard the news, he was so happy he couldn't even hold his books, so he had to let us come home." Hearing this, Cheng Si Niang's face turned even redder, and she buried her head deeply. Seeing her shy appearance, Xiao Yuan, though not particularly impressed, knew that this was the normal reaction of a young lady from the Song Dynasty.

She instructed Wu Ge, "You're not allowed to say such things in front of your aunt." Not having to go to school, Wu Ge was in a great mood and didn't even ask why, simply replying with a "Okay." He took the grapes Ah Cai handed him, popped two into his mouth, and suddenly saw Chen Ge walk to the soft couch, trying to climb up. She quickly put down the grape plate, reached under his armpits, and dragged him up.

Even though there was a footstool right next to them, they insisted on going to the trouble of helping. Xiao Yuan couldn't understand her sons' way of expressing brotherly affection and secretly grumbled to herself. Zhong Lang envied them all for being on the warm, soft couch, and jumped up from the footstool with his shoes on. Wu Ge, afraid that he would dirty the cushion, quickly and gently pushed him away. This scene was witnessed by Madam Qian, who happened to enter the room, and she immediately started making a scene, accusing Cheng Mutian and his wife of mistreating their little brother.

Xiao Yuan stared at her, somewhat dazed, before finally getting up. Tomorrow was the first day of the tenth lunar month, and heavy snow had fallen on the mountain. Fat sheep had also appeared in the pen. A few days ago, she had sent out invitations to several relatives from the city to come to the mountain for a warm-up gathering. However, it seemed that Madam Qian had not been invited. Why had she come by herself?

Cheng Mutian stood at the door with a dark face, wanting to pick up Madam Qian and throw her out, but Zhonglang was more sensible than before. He didn't want to do it in front of his younger brother, so he said, "Little Tongqian, help Madam out." Madam Qian, who had been arguing with Xiaoyuan, immediately turned to him upon hearing this and said angrily, "I came to see my son, and you dare to chase me away?" Seeing Zhonglang's terrified appearance, Xiaoyuan sighed inwardly and quickly made up a lie, saying, "We originally wanted to invite Mother to the Warm Stove Gathering, and the invitation is probably on its way." Madam Qian regained some face, and her expression softened. She sat down in the main seat and beckoned Zhonglang over to take a look, trying to find fault with him. However, Zhonglang was even fatter than before, with a ruddy complexion, and he was wearing a newly made cotton-padded jacket. She looked him over from left to right but couldn't find anything wrong with him. So she pulled up the fabric of his clothes and rubbed it a few times, complaining, "Why isn't it satin? You brothers and sisters-in-law are too stingy."

Xiao Yuan hurriedly explained, "Children love to make a fuss, and cotton is sturdy. Wu Ge and Chen Ge are wearing the same thing." Madam Qian glanced at the soft couch and saw that it was indeed so, so she didn't bring it up again. She turned to Zhong Lang and asked, "Did your brother and sister-in-law hit you?" Zhong Lang shook his head. She then asked, "Isn't it more comfortable living here than at home? Let's go home."

Zhonglang disliked going to school, and nodded upon hearing this. Madam Qian was overjoyed and repeatedly told Xiaotongqian to help him pack his clothes. Xiaotongqian, standing in front of Xiaoyuan, dared not move and whispered, "Madam, Zhonglang is going to study here." Madam Qian said angrily, "Can't we afford a teacher?" Xiaoyuan smiled and said, "The little brother is staying here and spending our money, yet Mother is still not satisfied? Does she insist that he go back and spend your dowry money? Why not let him stay here, and you can save the money for him to use when he gets married in the future?"

Madam Qian thought about the money in the house and realized that there was indeed very little left, so she remained silent. Xiao Yuan then asked Zhong Lang, "Are the snacks during breaks at school still tasty?" Zhong Lang nodded and reached out to her for some. Xiao Yuan picked a few sandwich cookies from a plate on the table and stuffed them into his hand, saying, "If you go back, although you won't have to go to school anymore, you won't be able to eat these cookies and pastries anymore. Do you really want to go back with your mother?" Zhong Lang looked at Madam Qian, then at the cookies in his hand. Just as he was hesitating, he suddenly heard Wu Ge shout, "Let's go build a snowman!" He immediately stopped hesitating, clutched the cookies, and followed him out.

Madam Qian wanted to keep him, but when she leaned forward, she missed and hung her hand, looking rather dejected. Although Xiao Yuan disliked her, she couldn't bear to see her like this, so she kindly comforted her and ordered someone to prepare an extra room for her, then asked Xiao Tongqian to help her to rest.

Cheng Mutian, delighted to see Madam Qian's wishes thwarted, sat down by the stove to warm himself, saying with a smile, "It's strange, really. Wu-ge never gives Zhonglang a kind look, yet Zhonglang always loves to play with him." Xiao Yuan took a piece of mutton and put it on the fire to roast, saying, "No wonder. Your son showed off his kung fu the other day, which impressed him. Zhonglang, that boy, only admires those with stronger fists than him." Cheng Mutian took the wire mesh clip from her and turned it over and over, asking curiously, "Isn't there a chimney? Why is there a stove for warming yourself?" Xiao Yuan chuckled, "Can it be called a 'warm stove gathering' without a stove? With both a chimney and a stove, I felt too hot, so I ordered them to shut off the chimney and light it again when I went to bed tonight." Cheng Mutian was about to say that it wasn't hot when he suddenly remembered that she was pregnant and her temperature was higher, so he shut his mouth and remained silent.

He could understand his wife's feelings, but Madam Qian couldn't stand it. She hadn't even stayed in the room prepared for her for half an hour before she cried out that she was cold. Xiao Yuan ordered someone to light the chimney ahead of time, but Cheng Mutian stopped her, saying, "Are you deliberately being difficult? Her courtyard doesn't even have a chimney, so why doesn't she complain about being cold?" A Cai also said, "I specially lit two large stoves for her. I just went there, and it was so hot that I was sweating profusely."

When Xiao Yuan saw what they said, she gave up and just sent two jugs of hot wine.

Madam Qian made a scene in the room for a while, but no one paid any attention to her, so she had to come herself and scolded, "You treat even your stepmother badly, let alone your little brother. I'm taking him home."

Having finally had a few days of peace and quiet, Cheng Mutian was too lazy to waste words with her. He got up, put on a coat, and said, "'Warm Stove Festival' has become 'Cold Clothes Festival'. My wife is pregnant and has difficulty moving around. Stepmother, please come with me to visit Father's grave."

Madam Qian stammered, "Your father isn't on this mountain. If we go now, he probably won't make it back in time." Cheng Mutian stared at her coldly and said, "Your stepmother has two big stoves burning in her room, yet she still complains of the cold. My father on the mountain has no fire to warm himself. Shouldn't we go and bring her some cotton clothes? Does your stepmother think it's cold outside?"

They had already decided to visit the grave tomorrow. Xiao Yuan knew he was just trying to scare Madam Qian, so she quickly pretended to scold him, saying, "It's snowing heavily outside. Stepmother isn't young anymore; what if she gets cold?" Cheng Mutian snorted and turned his head away. Xiao Yuan called over Xiao Tongqian and instructed, "Quickly help Madam back to warm herself by the fire. We'll visit Father's grave tomorrow."

Chapter 183 The Warmth Gathering (Part 2)

Madam Qian not only failed to gain anything but was also frightened, becoming extremely angry. She returned to her room and began smashing and throwing things incessantly. Little Copper Coin picked up one item but couldn't protect another, sweating profusely with anxiety. He pleaded, "My dear Madam, this is causing a ruckus in your home! They've broken her things, and now they want us to pay for them! What should we do?" Madam Qian picked up a white glazed octagonal teapot and smashed it on the ground, angrily shouting, "She dares!" Little Copper Coin was a few steps too slow and missed it. Watching the teapot shatter on the bluestone floor, he cried out, "Madam, even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about Zhonglang. I've seen him become much more sensible these past few months. He's not only obedient but also doesn't cry as much anymore. He'll be successful! Aren't you happy, Madam?" How could Madam Qian not hope for her son's success? She stared blankly at the broken porcelain shards on the ground, and after a long while, sighed, "Never mind."

The next day, after the heavy snow had cleared and the sky was bright, Cheng Mutian sent someone to invite Madam Qian to the mountains to sweep the tombs. Seeing her quiet and composed, no longer displaying her domineering demeanor from the previous day, he couldn't help but be secretly amazed. Xiao Yuan had already heard Xiao Tongqian recount the events of the previous night, so it was certainly a good thing that Madam Qian had changed her mind. She had long hoped for harmony within the family, so she asked a maid to fetch a brocade cloak for her to wear, and then called Zhonglang to accompany his mother to sweep his father's tomb.

On the first day of the tenth month, it was time to send out winter clothes. Wu Ge and Chen Ge brought in cotton balls and paper clothes, preparing to go up the mountain together to visit their deceased grandfather's grave. Xiao Yuan asked Cheng Mutian, "Isn't Fourth Sister going?" Cheng Mutian glanced at her but didn't answer. Xiao Yuan understood; Fourth Sister Cheng was a girl and wasn't entitled to go. She poked at the fire in the stove, put her arm around Fourth Sister Cheng, and said, "Let's roast some meat first, and then we'll eat when the relatives arrive."

Cheng Mutian warmed a pot of wine for her and said softly, "We'll be back for dinner tonight. Remember to make plenty of bean rice." Xiaoyuan's face was red from the charcoal fire. She got up, straightened the clothes of the two children, held Chen Ge's hand with one hand, and put her arm around Cheng Mutian's arm with the other, and helped them into the car.

In the afternoon, several relatives arrived. Aunt Chen came alone because Yu Niang had gone to visit Xue's relatives with Master Xue. Gan Shier's whole family arrived, including the two of them and their two-year-old daughter, Qianqian. The reason the child had such a strange nickname was because when she was born, Gan Shier happened to be making a thing called "Qianqian'er". Being a father for the first time, he had no experience and just called her Qianqian.

The maid led them into the hall. Xiao Yuan rose to greet them, then glanced back and asked, "Didn't Eldest Sister come?" Cheng San Niang smiled and said, "Eldest Sister's belly is only a month smaller than yours, so she can't ride in a carriage and therefore didn't come. However, she asked me to bring some little clothes she made herself." Saying this, she took two bundles from the maid's hands, opened them, and found them full of little clothes, shoes, and socks for baby girls, adorned with brightly colored flowers and blossoms. Aunt Chen laughed so hard she almost fell over. Just as everyone was wondering what was going on, she also took out a bundle, opened it, and saw identical little clothes. Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "You all know I'm not very good at needlework, so I prepared all the clothes for a three-year-old child."

Cheng San Niang led Qianqian to the fire to warm herself for a while, then asked, "Is the eldest sister's baby brother only a year younger than Wu Ge?" Xiao Yuan thought for a moment and answered, "Yes." Cheng San Niang said, "As for Wu Ge's clothes, if you have any that you don't need, pick out a few pieces and I'll take them back for him." Xiao Yuan didn't say anything, but roasted the mutton until it was golden brown on both sides and handed it to Qianqian. Cheng San Niang knew she had guessed, sighed, and said, "We're all family, so I won't hide it from you. The eldest sister's pregnancy has been diagnosed, and it's a boy." She didn't say the rest. Ever since the eldest sister learned the news, she had treated the baby brother like a thorn in her side. He was not only lacking in food and clothing, but she would also frequently take advantage of him.

Xiao Yuan knew how she had gotten through it herself, even without Cheng San Niang saying it. She looked at Aunt Chen with a bitter smile and said, "We have a neighbor whose youngest daughter is hungry two out of three days. She relies entirely on Wu Ge to secretly bring her some food. It's as if she's our pet." As she spoke, a maid came to report that Su Niang was out gathering firewood in this cold weather and asked if she wanted some food. Aunt Chen hurriedly said, "Why didn't you bring her in to warm herself by the fire?" Xiao Yuan picked up a few pieces of cake and handed them to the maid to take to Su Niang, explaining to Aunt Chen, "It's not good to openly favor her. If her stepmother finds out, she'll get another beating." Gan Twelve asked indignantly, "Mother isn't the bride, but Father is still her biological father, isn't he going to do something about it?" Aunt Chen understood Xiao Yuan's words and smiled bitterly, "The inner quarters are a woman's domain. It's only natural for a stepmother to beat her stepdaughter. Besides, she must have beaten her behind the master's back, how could he find out?" Gan Twelve smiled bitterly upon hearing this and said, "Luckily, I'm determined not to take a concubine, otherwise I would have such a pitiful child too."

Before dinner, Cheng Mutian and his party returned, but they couldn't find Madam Qian. They said she had turned back to the city halfway there. Xiao Yuan told him to stay with the guests, and then she took Wu Ge to his room. She asked him what clothes he didn't need anymore, packed several bundles, and prepared to have Cheng San Niang take them back to Ba Ge.

When she returned to the hall, the room was filled with the aroma of wine. Gan Shier was roasting meat in his left hand and drinking hot wine in his right, enjoying himself immensely and shouting with delight. Cheng San Niang was criticizing him for being too uncouth when Xiao Yuan laughed, "A warm stove gathering is all about roasting meat and drinking wine around a stove, what else is there to do?" Seeing her enter the room, Cheng Mutian quickly ordered someone to bring in the box outside. He personally opened the lid, and everyone peeked inside. It turned out to be a box of porcelain bottles. Gan Shier, who loved these things, exclaimed with delight, "This is bottled fine wine! Where did you get it, brother?" Cheng Mutian still didn't get along with him, giving him a sidelong glance and saying indifferently, "Go and get one for me to see. It's a small bottle that costs five strings of copper coins."

Gan Shier rubbed his hands together, looking like he wanted to drink, and clicked his tongue, saying, "Five strings of cash, that's probably only enough for me to have two sips." Xiao Yuan saw his greedy look, stuffed a bottle into his hand, and laughed, "Then you try it, you can finish it in two sips." Gan Shier held the bottle and examined it carefully, and said happily, "Such good wine, how can it be drunk in two sips? It must be savored slowly."

Cheng Mutian, disliking his behavior, sat far away from him and called a maid to heat up some wine. He poured the first cup for Xiaoyuan. Xiaoyuan blushed. There were elders present; how could he pour wine for her first? She quickly waved her hand and said, "I don't like strong liquor, and besides, I'm pregnant." Cheng Mutian understood and quickly filled the cup in front of Aunt Cheng as well, smiling, "This wine is sweet. Try a sip and see if you can taste what it's like." Xiaoyuan, finding his words intriguing, took a small sip. It tasted sweet and sour, and upon smelling it, she discovered the fragrance of green apples. She exclaimed in surprise, "Is this wine made from Bodhi fruit?" Cheng Mutian nodded with a smile and said, "I had a few cups at the shop and found it too sweet, but the shopkeeper said ladies like it, so I bought a few bottles."

Gan Shier hurriedly asked which shop it was, as he also wanted to buy from Cheng Sanniang. Cheng Sanniang blushed, grabbed Qianqian's little hand and slapped him, scolding, "I earn five strings of cash selling so many artificial flowers, don't waste them."

Xiao Yuan had originally taken out two more bottles of wine, intending to give one to each of them. Upon hearing her words, she deliberately put one back and laughed, "Tell him to buy it. Once a family has money, the men will want to take concubines. We can't let him succeed." She was just teasing Gan Shier, but unintentionally offended Cheng Mutian. He glared at her fiercely before she realized what she had done and quickly raised her glass, saying, "Let's toast to the fact that none of the men in our family take concubines."

After several plates of meat and bottles of wine, dinner was served. A warm gathering wouldn't be complete without dishes made from beans: vegetarian chicken, vegetarian duck, vegetarian fish, and vegetarian ham—a table laden with them. Chen, having recovered from his injury, had forgotten all his pain and insisted on eating red bean paste buns. Red bean paste buns are simply buns filled with red bean paste. The kitchen was steaming them, but Xiao Yuan didn't want to give them to him, scaring him by saying, "Those things are sweet; do you want to ruin your teeth?" Cheng Mutian, doting on his son, retorted, "Just brush your teeth properly. How can you forbid him from eating sweets just because he has bad teeth?" Xiao Yuan, realizing her mistake, quickly ordered a table full of red bean paste buns and gave one to each child.

The children had eaten quite a bit of roast meat and weren't hungry at all. They didn't stay at the table for long before slipping off their stools, with Wu leading the way, and running back to their room. The furniture in the room was all a size smaller than Wu and Chen's, and several boxes were filled with trinkets, with a few flutes scattered on the floor. Qianqian, visiting for the first time, saw several fluffy, long-eared rabbits on the table and reached for one. Chen took one and put it in her arms, saying, "This was bought for my mother's unborn sister. You can hold one and play with it."

Wu Ge had just climbed onto the soft couch when he burst into laughter, rolling around on the floor. "I'm always the one who pampers you, now you have someone to pamper you too!" Chen Ge, more shy than him, blushed at this and huddled silently against the corner of the couch. Zhong Lang, seeing Qian Qian had a new toy, wanted one too, so he went to the table and reached for it. Wu Ge quickly threw a cushion at him, hitting his hand, and shouted, "Don't touch that! That's for my sister!" Zhong Lang was a little afraid of him and didn't dare reach out again, repeating, "Sister." Wu Ge laughed, "That's my sister, not your sister. You should call her niece." Zhong Lang didn't understand and stubbornly called out, "Sister." Wu Ge, who only knew clever children, was exasperated by his stubbornness. He jumped off the couch and flicked him on the forehead, continuing to teach him, "Niece."

"Sister." Zhonglang was very persistent.

Qianqian looked at them and found it very interesting. She pointed at Zhonglang and giggled.

Wu Ge, being the eldest son, was mischievous and playful, but deep down he shared some similarities with Cheng Mutian. He felt that Qianqian's mockery of Zhonglang was a mockery of the Cheng family. He resented Zhonglang for disgracing the Cheng family, so he kicked him in the backside and yelled, "Stand in the corner! Don't move until you understand!" Qianqian, seeing him kicking and yelling, burst into tears. Chen Ge quickly took out a small handkerchief to wipe her tears and took her hand to find Xiaoyuan.

When Xiao Yuan first saw Qian Qian's appearance, she thought she had been bullied and scolded Chen Ge, "Why didn't you take good care of your sister?" Chen Ge said aggrievedly, "It was my brother who hit Uncle, which scared her and made her cry." Cheng San Niang exclaimed "Ah!" and then suddenly shut up. Cheng Si Niang looked at the expression on her face, then at Xiao Yuan, and came to her sister-in-law's rescue, saying, "Nephew and brother were playing around, and they accidentally bumped into each other a few times, that's understandable."

Hearing her younger sister say this, Cheng San Niang secretly blamed herself for not thinking the best of her sister-in-law, and hurriedly said, "The children are just playing around, it can't be anything serious, it's just that our Qianqian is too timid." Cheng Mutian had already lifted the curtain and gone to the side room with a sullen face. Xiao Yuan was afraid that he would beat her son without knowing the truth, so she quickly followed.

When they entered the room, Zhonglang was still standing obediently in the corner, his small body ramrod straight. Xiaoyuan, seeing this, was both annoyed that Brother Wu was breaking the rules and couldn't help but laugh. She stood in front of Cheng Mutian, blocking him from touching their son, and asked, "Why did you hit your uncle?" Brother Wu was still furious and pointed at Zhonglang, saying, "Ask him yourself."

Xiao Yuan turned and called to Zhong Lang, but he wouldn't move until Wu Ge pulled him. Wu Ge pointed to the doll on the table and asked, "Who did you buy this for?" Zhong Lang replied, "My sister." Seeing that he still didn't understand, Wu Ge got angry and wanted to hit him again, but Xiao Yuan flicked him on the head and scolded him, "No matter what, he's still your uncle. You have no right to hit him." Then she pointed to the corner of the wall: "You go stand in the corner as punishment."

Without a word, Wu Ge stood in the corner against the wall, saying, "I can stand here all night without any problem, but you guys need to open his mind and teach this Yu Lin a lesson, otherwise he'll embarrass the Cheng family in front of everyone again." Cheng Mutian, who had been thinking about how to beat him up, became interested after hearing this and asked, "Do you know what the Cheng family's face is?" Wu Ge told him about Qianqian's mockery of Zhonglang earlier and argued, "I only did it because I was extremely angry."

Cheng Mutian seemed lost in thought, stroking his chin without speaking. Xiao Yuan walked over and slapped him, saying, "Why shouldn't you resort to violence? It'll only make you look bad if you get a reputation for bullying your elders. He's not very bright; can't you teach him properly?" Cheng Mutian had always been troubled by Wu Ge's lack of awareness as the eldest son, but after hearing his words today, he was very gratified. He gently reasoned with him, "You're not wrong, but like your mother just said, the method was indeed wrong. Qianqian laughing at our Cheng family is her fault, not your uncle's. Do you understand?"

Xiao Yuan nudged him and scolded, "Is this how you teach a child? You want him to discipline Qianqian?" Wu Ge was confused: "Then what should I do?" Xiao Yuan was heavy-hearted and couldn't stand for long, so she found a chair, sat down, and patiently taught him, "You know that your uncle isn't good at talking. It's not his fault, and besides, he didn't want to either. How can you blame him for that? You should patiently teach him, right?" After Wu Ge nodded, she continued, "As for Qianqian, she's only two years old. She doesn't even know what mockery is yet. She just thought you guys were funny, that's why she laughed. My dear son, you'll be six after the New Year, and you're the eldest in the family. You need to learn to distinguish between sincerity and pretense."

The more Cheng Mutian listened, the more he felt that she spoke better than he did. He felt that his wife had stolen the limelight from him, and jealousy got the better of him. He said sourly, "Sincere or fake, my wife, you've gone off on a tangent."

Chapter 184 My Family Has a Daughter

After being lectured by Xiaoyuan, Wu Ge became much more patient with Zhong Lang. Although he occasionally reached out in anger, he was able to control his strength. Zhong Lang, however, continued to obey those stronger than him. After being beaten, he not only didn't complain but became even more attached to Wu Ge. As a result, Wu Ge, who was often annoyed, could be heard shouting in the yard, "Zhong Lang, Uncle, stay away from me!"

But that day, no matter how much Zhonglang bothered Wu Ge, he remained unmoved, only staring anxiously at the door with a mixture of anticipation and joy. Cheng Mutian and Chen Ge, standing nearby, both wore similar expressions. Zhonglang tugged at Wu Ge a few times, growing impatient, and shouted, "Play!" Wu Ge didn't move, but instead turned and shouted to Cheng Mutian, "Father!" Cheng Mutian immediately grabbed Zhonglang, dragged him out of the courtyard, ordered Sister-in-law Yu to watch over him, and closed the courtyard gate.

They waited in the courtyard for quite some time before finally seeing the delivery room door open. The two midwives looked somewhat timid and hesitated to go forward.

Cheng Mutian's heart tightened. He rushed in and threw himself at Xiaoyuan's bedside, anxiously asking, "Wife, how are you?" Xiaoyuan looked fine and smiled, "Nothing's wrong, just as you wished." Cheng Mutian was overjoyed. He got up and took the swaddled baby from the midwife's arms, showering her with kisses, which made the pink little bundle of flesh burst into tears. He awkwardly handed the swaddled baby to the wet nurse who followed him in, scolding the midwives, "You didn't even ask for your reward money, making me think something had happened." Seeing his happy expression, the midwives laughed, "You gave birth to a girl. We thought you didn't like her, young master, and were afraid of being scolded, so we didn't dare ask for any reward money."

Tian's wife stood at the door with a plate in her hand, and said with a smile, "This is a top-quality reward! Our young master has been hoping for a daughter for many years." The midwives were overjoyed, curtsied to Cheng Mutian, and went out to receive their reward and have tea.

Seeing that his daughter had stopped crying, Cheng Mutian took her back and waved for the wet nurse to leave. Wu Ge remembered his mother's New Year's instructions: now that he was a year older, he needed to behave properly in front of others, so he hadn't misbehaved earlier. Now, seeing that only the five of them remained in the room, he was like a monkey released from its leash, jumping around and shouting that he wanted to see his sister, hug her, and kiss her. He was now six years old, quite tall, and strong from practicing martial arts every day, but Cheng Mutian was still worried about leaving his precious daughter with him, so he coaxed him, "Your uncle is waiting for you to play with him, go on."

Seeing his cautious demeanor, Xiao Yuan laughed and said, "You're playing the role of a father again, and he's playing the role of an older brother again. You're allowed to be happy, but he's not allowed to be happy?" His wife had just suffered, and his wife was the most important person. Cheng Mutian didn't argue. He pointed to a chair for Wu Ge to sit on, placed the swaddled baby in his arms, and squatted down, spreading his arms to protect him. Chen Ge was green with envy. He bowed to Cheng Mutian and said, "Father, this is my first time being a big brother." Cheng Mutian loved his well-mannered appearance and reached out to take the swaddled baby from Wu Ge's arms, saying, "Let your little brother hold you." Wu Ge pouted, gave his little sister to Chen Ge, and ran to Xiao Yuan, asking, "Mother, can I teach my sister to do boxing?" Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "Your sister has to embroider, she doesn't have time to do boxing." Chen Ge chimed in, "I'll teach my sister to recite." Xiao Yuan's smile widened: "That's a good idea, but we'll have to wait two more years."

Seeing that the two of them were very responsible older brothers, Cheng Mutian sent them to the study to make plans for raising his younger sister. He then took his daughter and occupied the head of the small round bed, chatting with her enthusiastically about the grand goals for the next seventeen years.

He had prepared so many things for his little girl, but unfortunately, Xiao Yuan was still in her postpartum period and couldn't leave her room to see her. Finally, after the full-month celebration and the baby's first bath, the first thing Cheng Mutian did was take Xiao Yuan to see the flowers filling the courtyard. Green bamboo formed a fence, enclosing two nurseries planted with precious flowers such as jasmine, sweet jasmine, orchid, hibiscus, osmanthus, and red banana. Xiao Yuan glanced at the flowers and exclaimed, "Your father really spared no expense! These few pots of flowers alone could make a dowry for a modest family."

"How can my Cheng family's daughter be compared to those from humble families?" Cheng Mutian said dismissively, pointing to the various flowers in the nursery and asking her, "I want to name my daughter after a flower. Which one do you think would be better?" Xiao Yuan tiptoed to look and pointed to the long, delicate jasmine on the paper, saying, "How about 'Jasmine'?" Cheng Mutian shook his head: "It's already taken the name of the Yang family's daughter. Besides, this flower is too delicate. Jasmine would be better."

Cheng Moli? Xiao Yuan touched her arm, which was starting to get goosebumps, and shook her head repeatedly. Red Banana? Osmanthus? Too common. The couple stood in front of the nursery for a long time, discussing but still couldn't come up with a satisfactory name for the flower. Just as they were worrying, they suddenly heard Chen Ge reciting a poem for his little sister: "The branches easily shed their petals, the tender buds discuss how to open slowly." Cheng Mutian clapped his hands, "Let's call her Rui Niang then." When they told the children about their decision, Chen Ge was overjoyed. He grabbed a book of poems and paced back and forth in the house, telling everyone he met, "I chose my sister's name."

Cheng Mutian sat in the sun-drenched room, taking out the precious things he had prepared for his daughter one by one, showing them to Xiaoyuan like treasures. One was a bronze mirror depicting "Children Playing with Shadows," the back of which showed a child holding a puppet in each hand, sitting behind a screen, with five children watching in front. Another was a tricolor ceramic pillow depicting "Infant Play with String Puppets," with a child in black clothes and white trousers playing a flute, and an infant in green clothes and yellow trousers striking a gong, accompanied by dolls playing string puppets.

Xiao Yuan touched the smooth ceramic pillow, not wanting to dampen Cheng Mutian's enthusiasm, but still couldn't help but ask, "Erlang, this ceramic pillow is nice, but isn't it a bit cold and hard?" Cheng Mutian was taken aback. "Then, like your pillow, how about adding a pillowcase?" Xiao Yuan gestured with her lips outwards. "You planted so many flowers for her. Pick some petals, dry them, and make a flower pillow. It would be soft and fragrant, wouldn't that be great?" Cheng Mutian happily replied, "Great idea! I'll go pick some flowers right now."

Cheng Mutian's entire attention was on his daughter, but Xiaoyuan didn't want to neglect her two older children, so she asked the nanny to bring them in to listen to stories. Usually, Wu Ge would be the first to run in at this time, but today it was Chen Ge who came in first. He held a book in his hand, his little face flushed from running, and asked, "Mother, why can't I eat candy?" Xiaoyuan looked at the nanny, who replied, "He's already eaten three pieces today. The young master and young mistress ordered five for him, and I want to save the remaining two for him tonight."

Xiao Yuan leaned down and asked Chen Ge, "Did you hear me clearly? Eating too much sugar is bad for your teeth. You eat five pieces a day, that's already a lot." Chen Ge argued, "But that's not what the book says." "Does the book say that?" Xiao Yuan curiously took the book from his hand. It turned out to be a book called "The Sugar Recipe," probably bought when they were researching agricultural matters. On the page that Chen Ge had marked, it clearly stated: "Sugar is a good food for clearing phlegm and relieving heart heat."

She read the sentence aloud, unable to suppress her laughter, and jokingly scolded Wu Ge, who was watching the commotion, "Your brother has become cunning too, did you teach him?" Wu Ge cried out in protest, "I never read books, how would I know this?"

Cheng Mutian came in carrying a bag of flower petals and tapped him on the shoulder: "Never read books? Hurry up and go back to your room to memorize your lessons." Seeing the smile on his face, Wu Ge knew he was joking and stood there without moving: "Mother, I want to hear 'Havoc in Heaven' again." Xiao Yuan chuckled: "Monkey, when don't you perform 'Havoc in Heaven'?"

Chen Ge felt ignored, so he grabbed the "Sugar Frosting Recipe" and started to whine, "Mom, I want to eat sugar." Xiao Yuan asked curiously, "You are very well-behaved in front of Father, so why do you become so clingy in front of Mother?" Wu Ge grabbed a handful of salted beans and gave them to him, saying, "Use these to chew on. Don't always think about eating sugar. Many families can't even afford to eat."

Xiao Yuan was greatly surprised to hear this. How could such a young master, who was so pampered and spoiled, have such awareness? Cheng Si Niang whispered and revealed the secret: "We just went to look for Su Niang, but Su Niang said she was busy and had to go to the fields to sow seeds, otherwise there would be no food to eat."

"Sowing seeds?" Xiao Yuan rubbed her forehead. "It seems that after I gave birth and finished my postpartum confinement, I know nothing about what's happening outside."

Cheng Mutian handed her a cup of ginseng tea and explained, "The Yang family had no grain harvest last year, so they bought several acres of dry land early this year, preparing to learn from us and grow wheat." Xiaoyuan laughed and said, "We grow wheat to grind flour for making yeast. What would they do with wheat? We southerners aren't used to eating noodles and steamed buns every day." Cheng Mutian now completely disregarded the Yang family village, saying, "Why bother with them? Anyway, if they still have no grain to eat this year, I won't be able to lend them any."

While the couple chatted, A-Cai had finished telling the children the story of "Havoc in Heaven." Wu-ge moved closer to Xiao-Yuan and said, "Mom, my sister has so many toys." Xiao-Yuan smiled and exchanged a glance with Cheng Mu-tian, then tacitly ignored him. Wu-ge then moved to Cheng Mu-tian's side, feigning incomprehension and surprise: "Dad, Mom, Su-niang said she's never seen a doll before. Isn't that amazing?"

Xiao Yuan couldn't help but chuckle. "Son, if your mother hadn't come to this Great Song Dynasty by chance, you wouldn't know what a doll is either."

Cheng Mutian frowned when he saw that Wu Ge was sticking to him and refusing to leave: "What's so good about that girl? Although she has a good appearance, she is never clean. She is always covered in dust and mud. If you give her a doll, she will just end up covered in dirt."

Wu Ge's mouth dropped open: "Dad, how did you know I wanted to give her one?"

Xiao Yuan finally couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Your little bit of cleverness is nothing compared to your father's."

Cheng Mutian felt so light-hearted after receiving such praise that he almost flew away. He generously waved his hand, granting Wu Ge's request and allowing him to choose a "Mickey Mouse" doll that Rui Niang disliked the most, to deliver to Su Niang. Wu Ge, carrying the "Mickey Mouse," turned to run away, but Xiao Yuan stopped him and handed him an even larger one, saying, "The big one is for Zi Niang, and the small one is for Su Niang, otherwise she won't get either." Wu Ge took the larger doll, learning another lesson from his mother. From then on, whenever he gave Su Niang a gift, he always prepared a better one for Zi Niang.

Chapter 185 The Beauty of West Lake (Part 1)

In April, Sister Cheng's son celebrated his one-month birthday. Xiao Yuan couldn't attend because Ruiniang was still too young, so she sent Cheng Mutian as a representative to bring her sons to the celebration. By the end of June, when the child was 100 days old, Sister Cheng specially sent out invitations to Xiao Yuan's family to go boating on West Lake.

After reading the post, Xiao Yuan laughed and said, "Sister Cheng's son Xin is only a hundred days old, and she's already thinking about going out. She must be feeling very bored during her postpartum confinement." Cheng Mutian said, "A hundred days is a milestone. Once it's over, you can rest assured. Ruiniang is also over a hundred days old and can go out. You haven't been to West Lake yet, so why don't we take the children out for a stroll?" Xiao Yuan teased him deliberately, "Aren't you afraid I'll be seen by strangers? There are quite a few people on West Lake, aren't there?" Cheng Mutian seemed to have anticipated her question and smiled smugly, "Young Master Jin has his own big boat. You can sit in the cabin and no one will be able to see you." Xiao Yuan said stubbornly, "Then I won't go. I can't see anything from the cabin." Cheng Mutian had been in the mountains for the past two years and had become much more easygoing. Seeing his wife was angry, he quickly went over to coax her and allowed her to go to the bow of the boat to enjoy the scenery.

When Wu Ge heard they were going to play on West Lake, he was overjoyed and urged his nanny to pack his clothes, saying he wanted to stay on the boat for a few more days. He then ran to Xiao Yuan to ask if he could bring his things on board. Xiao Yuan thought of the poor myna bird in the Jin family and discussed it with him, saying, "Wu Ge, you have a lot of things. Why don't you take some to give to myna bird?" Wu Ge was always generous, and besides, he really did have a lot of things, so he nodded and turned to rummage through them. Chen Ge, who was biting into a small piece of sesame candy, asked, "Mother, I still have some candy. Can I take a few with myna bird too?" Xiao Yuan was very pleased that her sons had compassionate hearts. She patted his head and nodded gently.

Cheng Mutian carried Ruiniang in, rummaging through everything, and asked, "Wife, where's the little basket we made last time? Put our daughter in it and take it to the boat." Xiaoyuan took Ruiniang and patted her, teasing him, "As if you're afraid people won't know you have a daughter. You have a whole bunch of wet nurses and maids serving her, why do you need to carry her in a basket?" Cheng Mutian blushed, snatched Ruiniang back, lifted the curtain, and went out. Xiaoyuan smiled and shook her head, sending Tian Da's wife to the last courtyard to help Cheng Si Niang and Zhong Lang pack their things. She and A Cai opened the chests and picked out a few gold and silver children's ornaments as a gift for Xin Ge.

The children were very excited and didn't fall asleep until midnight. Cheng Mutian felt a little guilty and kept muttering to himself as he lay in bed that he should take them out to play more often in the future, otherwise they would really be like country bumpkins who have never seen the world.

The next day, the weather was perfect, sunny and breezy. Although it was a bit hot, they had gotten up early and the journey was quite cool. The children hadn't slept well the night before, and as soon as they got in the carriage, they all fell asleep. Only Cheng Si Niang managed to stay awake until Xiao Yuan coaxed her repeatedly before she finally found a corner to curl up and sleep. Xiao Yuan sighed inwardly. After all, she wasn't her biological mother. No matter how good her sister-in-law was to her, she was still just her sister-in-law. She was still as affectionate as ever, unlike Wu Ge and Chen Ge, who would always act spoiled for no reason. She glanced at Zhong Lang at Wu Ge's feet, sprawled out as if no one else was around, and couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed that being slow-witted had its advantages; everywhere felt just as comfortable as home.