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Cheng Mutian put his arm around her and laughed, "You're still kind-hearted after all. Guess what I said to Wan San'er? I paid him double the price and asked him to do my job and spread the word in the streets that the stepmother tried to seize her stepson's property but failed and was so ashamed that she had to move out of the mansion."

Xiao Yuan smiled at him and added, "However, the stepson is kind-hearted and doesn't hold a grudge against his stepmother. He still provided her with a separate courtyard." Cheng Mutian praised this as brilliant and quickly called Cheng Fulai, asking him to tell Wan San'er to add this sentence as well.

Wan San'er had done several things for Li Wu Niang, and knowing that the Cheng family were her relatives, he dared not neglect them. He rushed to do three days' worth of work in one day. As a result, before Madam Qian had even finished tidying up her belongings in the other courtyard, she heard rumors about her circulating outside. She thought the rumors were about the things she had paid for herself, so she couldn't contain her excitement and asked Xiao Tongqian to call in a tea lady. Under the pretense of buying tea, she subtly inquired about gossip from the streets and alleys.

The old woman selling tea was quite old, but she wore three flowers in her hair, trying to look pretty despite her age. She was very good at singing and hawking her wares, and she was about to show off in front of this richly dressed lady when she was interrupted: "Do you know the Cheng family at the foot of Phoenix Mountain?"

"Is the place you're referring to, Madam, 'Keshan'?" The tea-serving old woman clicked her tongue and replied, "It's inhabited by wealthy people from out of town who come to Lin'an. If one of them were willing to open their door and let me in to do business, I wouldn't have to worry about food for a month. Unfortunately, the Cheng family is very strict and they don't easily let people in."

When Madam Qian saw that she had listed a whole bunch of things, she became anxious: "Do you know a lady in the Cheng family? I heard that her family property was seized and she was driven out by her heartless stepson, is that true?"

The tea-serving old woman tapped the lid and chuckled, "Madam, you live in a secluded mansion and don't know the truth. That newly widowed lady wasn't driven out; she was ashamed and hid herself away." Seeing that Madam Qian and Little Copper Coin were stunned, she assumed they were captivated by the story and, eager for more tips, quickly added, "I've heard that the newly widowed lady isn't very kind. She sent her cousin's daughter to be her concubine and also..." Her cousin, who had come with good intentions to adopt her, was driven away. This time, when Master Cheng passed away, he left a will stating that a married woman should obey her husband. She disobeyed her husband's orders and instead listened to the nonsense of her own family. She filed a lawsuit, but nowadays the courts are full of upright officials; who would listen to her lies? They tore the lawsuit to shreds in court. This newly widowed woman, having done such a thing, had no face to go back to see her stepson. She had no choice but to take her youngest son and her wife and flee to avoid the shame…

Madam Qian turned pale with anger and shouted, "Nonsense!" The tea-serving old woman was engrossed in her story and didn't notice Madam Qian's expression. She continued, "It's not nonsense at all. That newly widowed lady offended her stepson, but he was so magnanimous that he didn't hold it against her. Instead, he gave her a large house under his own name to live in. Tsk tsk, such a good stepson! That stepmother must have been blind to go against him..."

Madam Qian was trembling so much she couldn't speak. It was only when Little Copper Coin noticed something was wrong that she chased the tea-serving old woman away and came back to pat Madam Qian's chest and back to help her catch her breath. Madam Qian pushed her hand away and said angrily, "That despicable Cheng Erlang! Go and call Wan San'er here and ask him why he took my money but didn't do anything for me."

Chapter 148 Pleasant Things

What are scoundrels? They are all unreasonable people. Hearing that his old patron was going to hide far away, Little Copper Coin sent people to search the streets for days, but they couldn't find a trace of Wan San'er. When Madam Qian heard the report, she was at a loss. She had no choice but to prepare a sedan chair and go back to her parents' home to ask Madam Xin for advice. If this were in Quanzhou, Madam Xin might have been able to put up some effort, but now she was in Lin'an, a place she didn't know well. How could she possibly fight against those scoundrels who were used to throwing tantrums and threatening others? Helpless, she could only sigh and get angry. She could only reluctantly advise Madam Qian not to continue fighting with her stepson and to wait until her son was older before making any plans.

Madam Qian's solitary life in the villa had some advantages. It made it much more convenient for her to visit her parents' home or for Madam Xin to come and visit her. Madam Xin also lived alone and, being of advanced age, always liked to spend time with her daughter and grandson. Out of the thirty days a month, she would spend twenty visiting Madam Qian in her villa.

Before they knew it, it was almost New Year's again. Xiao Yuan watched the cooks finish making the sugar and asked Cheng Mutian, "Although we've separated the family, that's not how we're supposed to be told to outsiders. Should we still send someone to invite my stepmother and younger brother back for the New Year?" Cheng Mutian nodded, called Cheng Fu over, and told him to take a stroll around the other courtyard.

Cheng Fu knew Cheng Mutian's thoughts best. He found several fierce-looking guards and led a large group through the streets and alleys, deliberately taking a long detour before arriving at the gate of the villa. They were practically beating drums and gongs to announce to the neighbors that they were going to pick up their shameful stepmother to celebrate the New Year.

That day, Madam Xin was playing with her grandson at Madam Qian's house when she peeked through the crack in the door at the fierce-looking guards. She assumed that Cheng Mutian had hired thugs to seek revenge and dared not open the door. Their failure to open the door suited Cheng Fu's wishes perfectly. On his way back, he made a grand entrance by parading through the street, telling everyone he met that Cheng's stepmother felt guilty and dared not return to the mansion for the New Year.

Upon hearing Cheng Fu's report, Cheng Mutian and Xiaoyuan both breathed a sigh of relief. If their stepmother had really come back to celebrate the New Year together, it would have been another distressing affair. Cheng Mutian, still feeling unsatisfied, crushed a piece of sesame candy into powder: "Just for the fact that she killed my father, I wish I could skin her alive and let her live a carefree life in her own courtyard. It's too good for her." Xiaoyuan glanced at Chen Ge, who was starting to pout, and quickly took away the plate of sesame candy to prevent it from falling into Cheng Mutian's clutches. She advised, "For Zhonglang's sake, it was also Father's wish."

Cheng Fu's son, who was also there to get some candy, didn't rush to leave. He grabbed a few pieces of sesame candy, squatted down to eat, and said, "As a servant, I shouldn't be gossiping about my master's affairs, but the news has spread all over the street. If I keep it from the young master and young mistress, I'll be disloyal." Cheng Mutian knew he was going to talk about Madam Qian from the other courtyard, so he scolded him for being pretentious and urged him to tell the story quickly.

With permission, Cheng Fu finished chewing the candy in a few bites, clapped the sesame seeds off his hands, and began gossiping excitedly: "Everyone outside is saying that the fifth young master of the Cheng family was held in his mother's belly for too long, which damaged his vitality and prevented him from growing up. But he actually survived for a hundred days and grew up to five months. It's because the damage wasn't to his body, but rather..." He didn't finish the last word but just pointed to his head.

Even though Cheng Mu disliked the child, he was still his own younger brother. After a long silence, he said, "Don't mention this again." Cheng Fu quickly agreed and led the children outside to have a snowball fight. Xiao Yuan whispered, "Those gossiping outside are only telling the whole story, don't believe them." Cheng Mutian understood her meaning and quickly asked her for details. Xiao Yuan said, "He's just a little slower than other children, but I heard he's quite sturdy." She then laughed at him, "He's useless, why are you unhappy about saving a few shares?" Cheng Mutian said with heartache, "How can I be happy that my Cheng family has produced a fool? I'd rather he be smarter, I'd rather give him a few shares."

He'd finally been promoted to the head of the household. His mood was quite different from before. Xiao Yuan looked at his distressed face. Not wanting him to spoil the festive atmosphere of the New Year, she quickly pushed him outside to play in the snow with her sons.

The happiest people during the Chinese New Year are always the children. Chen Ge is young, so it's alright. But Wu Ge has been clamoring to go see "playing the Hu at night" for a long time.

Cheng Mutian couldn't disobey his son. He had no choice but to leave Xiaoyuan and Chen Ge at home, along with his servants. He carried Wu Ge on his shoulders and set off for the Imperial Street.

The Imperial Street was teeming with people, a truly lively scene. A procession of a thousand people emerged from the Phoenix Mountain Imperial Palace, all wearing masks and embroidered, multicolored robes, carrying golden spears, silver halberds, painted wooden swords, and five-colored dragon and phoenix banners.

Wu Ge was just there to watch the show. Cheng Mutian pointed to the group of performers dressed as various deities and listed them out for him in order: "Door Gods, Generals, Judges, Zhong Kui, Little Sister, Six Ding, Six Jia, Five Directions Ghost Messengers, Divine Soldiers, Earth God, Kitchen God, Divine Commander..." Cheng Fu, wearing Xi Ge's hat, followed beside him. After hearing this long list of deities, he felt dizzy. He quickly persuaded Cheng Mutian, who didn't know how to entertain children, to leave and started explaining it himself.

Wearing a golden helmet, clad in armor, and fully armed, wielding a sword and a pagoda, is the Heavenly King; his two enormous eyes are wide open, his nostrils flared and pointing skyward. He sits majestically in his palanquin, yet with his hands tucked in his sleeves, he glances back with a leisurely air. Behind him, in a flowing gown and with her hair piled high, is his younger sister, whose humor is tempered with elegance…

The young girl and her maid were dressed in beautiful clothes, followed by more than twenty naked little devils, of varying sizes, shapes, and heights, clearly distinguishable by their black and white appearances, each with their own unique expression; some were bald, some wore hats, some looked back sideways, and some looked up with their heads held high; some carried palanquins, some carried jugs, some carried swords, some carried luggage, some carried bundles, and some carried gourds and jars...

Wu Ge was thrilled, and Cheng Mutian was also thoroughly enjoying himself. When the father and son returned from their outing, they eagerly described the grand spectacle of the "Thousand Gods" procession to Xiao Yuan. Xiao Yuan hugged Wu Ge and exclaimed, "It's a good thing Mother gave you a son, otherwise you would have been stuck at home like me, unable to see anything."

Hearing her pitiful story, Cheng Mutian invited a group of "Tibetan magicians" to entertain his relatives during the New Year's feast. Xiao Yuan really didn't expect that magic would have such an extraordinary attraction for the Song people. Several relatives came with their families, including Cheng's second aunt, whom she hadn't visited in a long time, and Cheng's third aunt, who was suffering from morning sickness.

There were many spectators but few performers, and illusions were not suitable for performances on a high platform in the distance, making it difficult to separate male and female guests. Fortunately, all the guests were close relatives, so Xiao Yuan tidied up the second courtyard, with male guests sitting in the east wing and female guests in the west wing, and several "Tibetans" went back and forth to "rush from one performance to another".

Sister Cheng and Third Sister Cheng followed Xiao Yuan to offer incense to Master Cheng's memorial tablet. Looking into the courtyard, they sighed in unison, "Things have changed. Who would have thought that the stepmother would be the first to make a fuss about dividing the family property?" Xiao Yuan scolded, "Why talk about such things on such a festive occasion? My wife is still far along in her pregnancy and can't stand for long. Come inside with me."

Sister Cheng, supporting Sister Cheng, followed her in, teasing her that without her mother-in-law, she immediately displayed the demeanor of a matriarch. Sister Cheng, sitting at the head of the table, saw them enter and pointed to the other children in the room, praising, "Brother Wu, Brother Chen, and Brother Ba are all extremely intelligent; they'll surely amount to something when they grow up." Xiao Yuan and the other two were surprised that their aunt had learned to flatter. Anyone could say polite things, so Xiao Yuan quickly praised Tiger Head as well. Only Sister Cheng, too lazy to offer pleasantries, went straight to sit beside Aunt Chen and play with Yu Niang in her arms.

Aunt Cheng looked embarrassed, but her mouth didn't stop: "I heard that your stepmother's son is only two months younger than Brother Chen, but he can't even smile yet? How can such a dullard inherit the family business? Why not give my youngest son to her to adopt..."

Xiao Yuan glanced at her. Her second uncle's family really had too many sons. Wasn't there enough property to go around? They even had their eyes on the little bit of private money that Madam Qian had received from Master Cheng. Just as she was about to speak, Sister Cheng tugged at her sleeve and said to Second Aunt Cheng, "Second Aunt, the stepmother and Erlang have already separated their households. How can we interfere with the stepmother's affairs? If you want to adopt, you should talk to her yourself. We can't interfere."

Aunt Cheng had given such a long speech to test them because she was afraid they would interfere. Hearing this, she was overjoyed and couldn't even wait to see the illusion. She hurriedly said goodbye and went home.

Xiao Yuan asked in surprise, "Why is she in such a hurry?" Sister Cheng, who was always well-informed, smiled and said, "She's in a hurry to go back and curry favor with her eldest son. She made a fuss about adopting the child before, and she's doing the same thing now, but the reasons are completely different. Before, she wanted to adopt the child because she wanted our stepmother's dowry and favored the youngest son; now, she wants to adopt the child because the eldest son's family wants to take more of the family property and is forcing her to kick the youngest son out."

Xiao Yuan asked curiously, "Since he is the youngest son, why does he listen to the eldest son?" Sister Cheng replied, "Second Uncle favors courtesans. She can't rely on her husband, so she can't afford to offend the eldest son too much. Even if he dotes on the youngest son, as you just saw, Hu Tou is only a tiny little thing. How could he enjoy his blessings?"

Cheng San Niang picked up a sour plum and put it in her mouth, sighing, "In old age, one has someone to rely on, and that person is the eldest son. Even Second Aunt has figured this out, but our stepmother is still confused."

Sister Cheng laughed and said, "It's good that you're confused. If we hadn't separated the family, none of us would have had a happy life."

Cheng San Niang naturally knew the advantages of not having her mother-in-law around, and smiled upon hearing this. Seeing that they had finished discussing their family affairs, Aunt Chen finally interjected, asking with a smile, "So, is there any illusion magic to watch? Our Yu Niang can't wait any longer. If we don't call someone soon, we're going home."

Looking out from Xiaoyuan, she saw that the east wing was already bustling with noise, and the illusion had begun. She hurriedly ordered people to heat up the dishes and wine, and called for the "Tibetan people" to come.

This illusion was Cheng Mutian's way of showing his affection for Xiaoyuan. To allow them to see the illusion without having to look through the screen, he chose female entertainers. The first one to enter was named Aunt Li. She bowed to everyone and said with a smile, "My illusion requires everyone to move around." Everyone found it novel and followed her into the garden.

Li Gu looked around and finally spotted a plum tree that had long since died. She said, "Look carefully, everyone." Then she took out a pill from her pocket and buried it under the tree. A moment later, when she dug up the soil, the plum tree was suddenly covered in blossoms.

As everyone was amazed, Aunt Li kept burying the pills in and digging them out again. With her constant movements, the plum tree became firm in the blink of an eye, and then fully ripe in the next.

Although this was Xiaoyuan's first time witnessing illusion in this life, she had often watched magic shows before transmigrating. She kept reminding herself that this was an illusion, an illusion... Unexpectedly, before she could finish her mental suggestion, Aunt Li had already presented her with a handful of green plums that were turning red. She tasted one with some skepticism and found it to be crisp, sweet, thick, and juicy. Looking at everyone else, whose faces were filled with surprise and joy, she figured her own expression would be much the same.

Sister Cheng ate the plums, praising them highly, and pulled Aunt Li aside to ask about the secret of the illusion. This was someone's livelihood, so how could she tell her? She asked several times, but Aunt Li still wouldn't tell her, so she had to give up.

While they returned to their room to continue watching the illusion and eating plums, a series of beautiful women were appearing in the east wing, leaving Jin Jiushao mesmerized. He repeatedly asked Cheng Mutian if he could take one back with him. Xiao Yuan, seeing the commotion on the other side, was about to send someone to say something when Gan Li, who was with Gan Shier, ran over and stood at the door, loudly telling Cheng San Niang, "Young Madam, the young master asked me to tell you that he's covering his face and didn't dare to look."

The whole room burst into laughter. Sister Cheng and Aunt Chen were clinking glasses when both cups of hot wine spilled onto each other's clothes. A meatball that Xiao Yuan had just picked up rolled off the table, landing right under the lion cat's nose. A group of children, oblivious to the danger, joined in the commotion. Cheng San Niang blushed deeply, quickly covering her mouth as if she were experiencing morning sickness. She grabbed Cuihua's hand and slipped away.

Sister Cheng chuckled, glanced at the people opposite her, and suddenly asked Xiao Yuan, "Do you still remember your concubine, Qiu Ye?" Xiao Yuan watched as the "Tibetan" produced several adorable trinkets and distributed them to the children, then ordered someone to give them as rewards. In her haste, she turned back and replied, "Didn't she ask you to lend her to Jin Jiu Shao's friend?" Sister Cheng said, "That friend went back to his hometown for the New Year and returned her." Xiao Yuan's curiosity about the borrowed and returned concubine resurfaced, and she couldn't help but ask, "Did Jin Jiu Shao accept her?" Sister Cheng replied, "Since we lent her out, we naturally had to take her back. It was only after she returned that we discovered Qiu Ye was pregnant."

Xiao Yuan hurriedly said, "Having offspring is a big deal. What if it's a boy? We should return it to that friend as soon as possible." Sister Cheng was worried about this matter and said with concern, "That friend is a foreigner. Who knows if he will come back? I can't sell Qiu Ye, and I can't keep her either. It's really putting me in a difficult position."

After listening to them talk for a while, Aunt Chen interjected, "What's so difficult about this? Just send the mother and daughter to the orphanage. I heard there are many people getting their babies washed during the New Year, and they're short-handed right now." Sister Cheng immediately agreed, "If that friend comes back to ask for the child, we can just go to the orphanage and bring him back."

When Cheng San Niang came in from outside, she heard them talking about the orphanage and thought they were going to do good deeds. She quickly said, "If you want to do good deeds at the orphanage, count me in. We don't have the ability to set up soup kitchens, but we can donate a few clothes and send some grain."

Chapter 149 Social Security Department of the Southern Song Dynasty

The wealthy are enthusiastic about charity, and it is common for them to distribute porridge and provide disaster relief during famine years. Therefore, when Aunt Cheng heard the words "doing good deeds", she became interested and changed the topic from Qiuye to visiting the orphanage.

Xiao Yuan, however, was very curious and asked Sister Cheng, "If you send Qiu Ye's child to the orphanage and something goes wrong, and Jin Jiu Shao's friend ends up with the child instead, what will happen?" Sister Cheng laughed and said, "Once the child is sent in, someone will record his birth date and time. How could there be any confusion?" Aunt Chen said, "I heard that some rich people who have no children go to the orphanage to adopt. They can adopt as many as they want." Third Sister Cheng was puzzled: "Since they are rich, they can just take more concubines if they don't have a son. How can they not have children?" Xiao Yuan and the other two knew about male infertility, so they told her about it. She was amazed and covered her face with laughter.

The four chatted for a while, then discussed doing some good deeds at the orphanage. Xiao Yuan suggested that since they were going to visit the orphans, they should bring their own children along so the children could see how abandoned children live. Aunt Chen readily agreed, saying, "We're just a small family, and Yu Niang has been spoiled rotten by her father and me. Let's go see the children at the orphanage and teach her a lesson." Although Sister Cheng was somewhat skeptical, seeing that she and Xiao Yuan were bringing their children, she said, "Alright, my Eighth Brother is all alone at home, without any playmates. He can come along and have some fun too."

After they reached an agreement, they went home to prepare money and food, and agreed to set off for the Salesian Bureau after the first month of the lunar calendar.

After the relatives left in the evening, Xiao Yuan asked Cheng Mutian with a smile how he felt about the transformation into a beautiful woman. Cheng Mutian blushed and said, "Gan Shier covered his face the whole time, it was so embarrassing." Xiao Yuan seized the opportunity, grabbed his ear, and asked reproachfully, "You mean you were completely mesmerized? Should your wife buy one of those beauties that appeared?"

Cheng Mutian, feeling justified, dared not pry her hands off, only arguing, "It's not like I'm naked, can't I even take a look? Do you expect me to lose face like Gan Twelve?" Xiaoyuan hooked her arm around his neck and laughed, "You can let me go to the orphanage, or you can't." Cheng Mutian pinched her cheek and laughed, "So that's why you're being so unreasonable, you have something to ask. But you're overthinking it. Since it's a place that adopts children, most of the workers are naturally women. Ladies from wealthy families often go there to visit. If you want to go, just send someone to give them a heads-up, and they'll make sure all the strangers stay away." After he finished speaking, seeing the joy on Xiaoyuan's face, he then teased her, "It's only the orphanage. You can't go to the almshouse, it's chaotic there, and there are too many strangers."

This didn't discourage Xiao Yuan, because she was from the village and didn't know what an almshouse was. Cheng Mutian explained it to her, and she understood that the almshouse was a place to shelter beggars and vagrants, and also had the responsibility of treating the poor. In addition, there was a public cemetery, Louzeyuan, where the imperial court paid for the burial of those who were too poor to buy coffins or who died far from home. Xiao Yuan was secretly amazed, never expecting that the social security system of the Song Dynasty was so excellent. If the imperial court did this, then the lower classes would follow suit; no wonder even ordinary wealthy families were willing to do good deeds.

When she wanted to use this opportunity to teach her children about what to give to the orphanage, she first discussed it with Wu Ge: "What do you think Mother should bring for those orphans?" Wu Ge scratched his head, looked around the room, and pointed at Chen Ge. Xiao Yuan was stunned for a while and asked, "You don't like your brother, and you want to give him away?" Wu Ge shook his head and said, "My brother does nothing but eat and sleep, he's not good at playing. I'll exchange him for someone who can ride an embroidered horse with me."

Xiao Yuan chuckled, coaxing him, "Don't rush, wait a few months. Once he can walk and run, he can ride your embroidered horse and even play with your golden cudgel." Wu Ge seized the opportunity to make a request: "I want to practice martial arts with Sun Dalang." Xiao Yuan looked at her three-year-old son, speechless. How could she have given birth to such a cunning son? It must be her husband's fault. Fortunately, there was a fitness center at home; sending him there to exercise his arms and legs wouldn't be bad. She picked up her son and placed him on her lap, saying, "After we visit the orphanage and see those children, I'll have Sun Dalang take you to the fitness center to practice boxing, okay?"

Wu Ge clapped his little hands, happily said "good", climbed off her lap, and pulled her towards the kitchen: "Mom, make candy."

Not all children love sweets. This idea isn't ideal. But making sugar at home is extremely time-consuming. Even with all the cooks working together during the New Year, they could only manage to make some sesame and peanut candy. Seeing Xiaoyuan struggling, Sister-in-law Yu suggested, "Brother Wu buys his candy from the market. Let's call a porter and buy some ready-made."

Upon hearing that he wanted to buy candy, Wu Ge didn't even ask his mother to make it for him. He immediately ran outside, saying he wanted to call the candy-selling old woman at the alley entrance. Sister-in-law Yu quickly followed him out, leading him to call a servant boy. They found the candy-selling old woman and carried her basket inside for her.

The candy-selling old woman, hearing of the big business, beamed with joy. She laid out all the boxes from her basket in front of Wu-ge and said to Xiao-yuan, "Young Madam, my 'dramatic candies' are made with the finest syrup, pressed out using round and square molds. They're both delicious and beautiful."

She picked out a gourd-shaped candy, holding it up and gazing longingly at Xiao Yuan. "Pick another one. Take it to my little brother." She watched as Wu Ge held up two "gourds," then stuffed the larger one into Chen Ge's mouth. Only then did she turn back, smiling, "This old lady is really good at business. She knows I'm not a proper customer, so she only puts the candy in front of the children." The candy seller became embarrassed by her words and quickly moved a few boxes in front of her, smiling, "The young master is very polite. Every time someone comes with him, he won't open his mouth unless they give him money."

These so-called "drama" candies are candies shaped like various characters from plays. Xiao Yuan picked out a "Xing Jiaoxi." The candy seller explained, "This is a character from 'Beating Jiaoxi.'" She then picked out a "Yiniangzi." The candy seller said, "This is Yang Wenguang's sister from the Yang Family Generals." Next, she picked out a "Little Hen." The candy seller stammered, "This is... a hen brooding over eggs."

Everyone in the room burst into laughter. Xiao Yuan instructed A Yun to give her some reward money. She smiled and said, "It's hard on her." The candy-selling old woman was overjoyed to receive the reward money before she had even sold all her candy. She quickly picked out a few sesame candies to share with the maids and servants in the room. The servants knew that it wasn't easy for her to run her small business, so they refused to accept the money, pointing to the porcelain plate on the table and saying, "We have some at home." Xiao Yuan picked up a piece of sesame candy and handed it to her, saying, "Try our cook's cooking too."

The candy-selling old woman saw that their sesame candy looked even better than her own. She took a bite and found it sweet and fragrant, even crispier than her own. She laughed, "It's a good thing you don't sell candy, otherwise I wouldn't have any business." Xiao Yuan looked through the box of candies; there were dozens of kinds. She praised, "Nowhere else has such a complete selection!" She called over a few little girls and told them to each pick one to eat. She also bought the novel-looking swing-shaped thick candy, gourds, fire-dried fruit, and blown sugar figurines, along with their boxes. After finishing his gourd, Wu Ge came over. The little girl wanted to make her own decisions and picked out cake flour figurines of birds and animals and flower-shaped candies. Xiao Yuan had them all wrapped up and smiled at Wu Ge, "When we get to the orphanage, just say this was a gift from you, okay?"

Wu Ge must have heard this, because he ran into the inner room with his little legs and asked Sister-in-law Yu to help him drag out a big box. It was full of gongs, knives, guns, flags... Before they even arrived at the orphanage, his son had already become sensible. Xiao Yuan nodded with a smile and then ordered someone to go to the toy store and pack a box full of all kinds of plush dolls.

After the first month of the lunar calendar, on a fine, sunny day, Xiao Yuan, with Wu Ge, Sister Cheng, with Ba Ge, and Aunt Chen, with Yu Niang, the six of them rode together in a carriage towards the orphanage. Xiao Yuan looked through their belongings; besides children's clothing, there were some medicinal herbs. She praised, "It's a good thing my family runs a pharmacy, yet we didn't think of this. You're all so thoughtful." Sister Cheng took out a small jacket and showed them the flowers tied around the collar, saying, "Look at my handiwork. How does it compare to the young mistress of the Li family?"

Sister Cheng, usually so carefree, surprisingly knew needlework. Her round face flushed slightly, and she buried her head in Aunt Chen's arms. Aunt Chen chuckled, patting her clumsy eldest daughter's hand, and took Sister Cheng's work to examine it. "How come your eighth brother is wearing such a flashy shirt?" she asked. "Did you embroider it specially for the children at the orphanage?" Sister Cheng replied proudly. "Indeed! I heard that the young mistress of the Li family embroidered several shirts by hand and sent them over. Everyone is praising her. Look at my shirt, isn't it better than hers?"

Aunt Chen had never seen the shirt embroidered by the young mistress of the Li family, but she knew how to flatter people, so she smiled and said, "It's only the beginning of spring, it's still cold. Wouldn't the children catch a cold if they wore a shirt? Your shirt is much better." These words were very pleasing to the ear, and Sister Cheng smiled very happily, immediately regarding her as a close friend.

Xiao Qi asked, "Elder sister, I've never heard of you having any dealings with the young mistress of the Li family. Why do you have to compare yourself to her when you do a good deed?" Elder sister Cheng replied, "Don't you know? In Lin'an, wealthy families do good deeds, but it's all about keeping up with each other. We're a respectable family, and we can't let ourselves be outdone." As she spoke, she pointed to the carriage behind her and said, "Third Miss is suffering from morning sickness and can't come in person, but she's urging Gan Twelve to finish the work. He's already made half a box of trinkets."

Wu Ge rushed into her arms and asked, "Auntie, I have a toy and two kinds of candy. Will they be outdone by your little brother?" Sister Cheng laughed and said, "We won't compare with you. We only have..." Xiao Yuan quickly patted her to interrupt her and hugged Wu Ge in front of her, teaching him, "We're just doing good deeds. We're not comparing with others. The intention is what matters."

Chapter 150 Enlightenment

As the carriage approached the outskirts of the city, they arrived at the orphanage. Because prior arrangements had been made, there were no idlers and the place was eerily quiet. Apparently, whenever philanthropists came, the person in charge forbade the children from crying or making a fuss, lest they disturb the distinguished guests and prevent them from receiving any rewards. "Is this really doing good deeds? It's more like giving rewards," Xiao Yuan thought to herself, shaking her head inwards. She ordered her servants to carry in the food, toys, and clothing the children had brought.

During the Southern Song Dynasty, many people practiced "baby washing" in the countryside, especially during years of famine, when abandoned infants were everywhere on the roadside. Although the imperial court explicitly prohibited it, the effect was minimal, so they had to establish orphanages to take in these children. Xiao Yuan initially thought that these adopted children would automatically become slaves, but through the wet nurses there, she learned that they would be completely free when they grew up and would be considered free people; after their marriage, the emperor would arrange for them to marry each other, and the imperial court would provide financial assistance to the bride and groom.

Although the children had no worries about food and clothing, they didn't have much to play with on a daily basis. The slightly older ones had to help take care of the younger ones, and the older ones had to start working to earn food. A group of children about the same age as Wu Ge held the candy but were reluctant to take a big bite. They carefully licked it with the tip of their tongues. A few of the older ones, after tasting it, found a piece of cloth to wrap the candy and hid it under their pillows.

Wu Ge stared at them for a moment, then, unable to contain his curiosity, he went over and asked, "Why aren't you eating the candy I gave you?" The group of children were timid, pushing and shoving each other, and one of the slightly bolder ones, hiding behind, answered, "We need to save it."

Wu Ge thought for a moment and said, "My mother doesn't allow me to eat too much, saying she's afraid it will rot my teeth. Are you worried about that too?" The children had no idea that eating candy would rot their teeth, and they all shook their heads. Xiao Yuan looked down at Ba Ge and Yu Niang, and seeing that their puzzled expressions were the same as her son's, she pulled Wu Ge over and said to them, "These children don't usually eat candy, so they're reluctant to eat it."

Wu Ge was still puzzled and asked, "Why can't they eat candy? We have candy at home, but they won't let me eat it." Yu Niang understood and said, "My cousins can't eat candy because we don't have money." Xiao Yuan nodded and said, "That's right. These children also don't have money, so they can't eat candy. That's why we brought candy to see them."

Myna Bird, with the same temperament as Sister Cheng, exclaimed, "We'll eat it at home!" Sister Cheng quickly pulled him over, patted him a few times, and took him next door to watch the boys and girls peeling fruit. Seeing that Wu Ge remained silent, Xiao Yuan knew her son was moved, so she also carried him next door. There, a room full of children around thirteen or fourteen years old sat silently, heads down, peeling fruit, their faces weary. Wu Ge watched for a while and asked, "Why are they only peeling and not eating?" Xiao Yuan whispered, "They peel it to sell for money to buy rice, otherwise they'll go hungry." Hearing this, Wu Ge fell silent again, resting his head on Xiao Yuan's shoulder, and said nothing more.

Seeing that he looked listless, Xiaoyuan assumed he was sleepy and that Yu Niang was crying and wanting to go home, so she lent the car that had been filled with boxes to Aunt Chen to ride back, while she and Sister Cheng rode in the same car.

After the car started moving, Wu Ge, who hadn't spoken for a while, suddenly hugged Xiao Yuan's neck and whispered in her ear, "Mom, I also want to bring them home to eat candy, but I'm afraid they'll eat us into poverty." Xiao Yuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and pinched his cheek, saying, "You're a little fox." Wu Ge knew this wasn't a compliment, and twisted his body in protest. Just as Xiao Yuan was laughing and joking with him, she heard Sister Cheng ask, "Is this the east side of the city?"

Xiao Yuan asked Yun, who was sitting with the coachman outside, and nodded. Sister Cheng asked again, "Do you have a separate courtyard here?" Xiao Yuan nodded again. Sister Cheng asked further, "Does your stepmother live in this separate courtyard?" Xiao Yuan smiled, "Sister, what do you want to ask? Hesitating isn't like you."

Sister Cheng, her voice rising with excitement, lifted the carriage curtain a crack. She beckoned her over, saying, "I wasn't hesitant; I just saw the commotion. Look at my stepmother's door. There's a large crowd gathered there. And the one leading them looks like my second aunt." She then told the driver to pull the carriage over and watch the excitement before continuing.

Xiao Yuan moved closer to her and looked out of the car. Sure enough, it was her stepmother's house. People were gathered at the gate. It was indeed Aunt Cheng's house. She remembered the words Aunt Cheng had stirred things up at the wedding banquet that day. She scolded her, "Aunt Cheng must think we don't care about the adoption, so she started this fuss." Aunt Cheng asked curiously, "Judging from your tone, you don't mean to interfere? What's wrong with letting your stepmother suffer a little?"

Xiao Yuan said, "She's suffering like this, but in the end, it's our family who's been harmed. Second Aunt has emptied her pockets. Who will take care of Zhonglang? Will we throw him onto the street or send him to an orphanage?" Sister Cheng glanced at her and laughed, "You're such a shrewd person, how come you know nothing about the laws of the Song Dynasty? Regarding the adoption, the stepmother doesn't agree, and the clan won't budge. What's the use of Second Aunt's efforts alone? The clan head's son, Cheng Dongjing, is clearly biased towards you. He certainly won't let Second Aunt have her way. You can rest assured. Let Second Aunt first confuse the stepmother, and then ask the clan head to uphold justice."

This tactic is called…using someone else’s knife…to scheme against someone? Xiao Yuan was filled with admiration. She also thought that Cheng Mutian would surely be pleased to hear this news, so she urged the driver to hurry on their way. When the carriage arrived at the Jin family’s gate, Sister Cheng invited her in for tea. She politely declined, without getting out of the carriage, and headed straight home.

Cheng Mutian was in high spirits after hearing her recount how his second aunt had caused a scene at Madam Qian's residence. He first lit incense at the memorial tablet of Master Cheng, then returned to his room and ordered someone to prepare food and warm wine. Xiao Yuan tested the wine's temperature and poured him a cup. Suddenly remembering Wu Ge's childish words on the road, she laughed and said, "Your son is a clever fellow. He wants to bring the children from the orphanage to our home to share his sweets, but he's afraid he'll eat you out of house and home." Cheng Mutian was even happier to hear someone praise his son than to hear praise of himself. Before he had even finished a cup of wine, he was already drunk. After a few more cups of wine, still in high spirits, he got up and fetched a booklet and a list, handing them to Xiao Yuan. He said, "The atmosphere at the official schools and community schools is not good. I haven't considered them. This booklet lists reputable schools in Lin'an, and the list lists famous teachers. Whether we send Wu Ge to a school or invite a teacher to our home is up to you."

Xiao Yuan tossed the booklet and list aside. She said, "Wu-ge is so cunning. He learned it from you. Judging from your attitude, I can only choose a private school or a teacher. Can't I choose to give him his early education later?"

Cheng Mutian put down his wine glass and frowned, saying, "What's wrong with him learning a few characters early on?" Xiao Yuan said, "It's just recognizing characters. If that's all, I'll teach him. Those teachers are all full of classical Chinese phrases, and they always start with the Analects. I don't want my son to become an old-fashioned person like you."

When Cheng Mutian heard her call herself an old-fashioned person, he was so angry that he smashed his cup: "Ignorant! When teachers teach children to learn, they first teach them to recognize characters. Only after they have memorized more than a thousand characters do they begin to recite the Three Character Classic, the Hundred Family Surnames, the Thousand Character Classic, and the Four Books and Five Classics."

It turned out she hadn't been learning the Four Books and Five Classics from the start; it was indeed her ignorance. She opened her mouth but didn't refute, lowering her head to swirl her wine glass for a while, then whispered, "I promised Brother Wu I'd take him to the gym to practice boxing." Cheng Mutian loved her gentle, soft-spoken manner. Seeing her lower her head and act like an obedient little wife, he calmed down: "It's not a bad thing for boys to practice martial arts. Let him learn to read in the afternoon and practice boxing in the afternoon." Xiao Yuan picked up the booklet again and flipped through it, saying, "Let's send Brother Wu to a private school. He's used to being a young master at home; let him go out and learn how to treat people."

Cheng Mutian nodded in agreement with this suggestion and sat down with her to select a school. He explained, "Schools aren't just private schools; some teachers teach in their own homes, those are called family schools." The couple, shouldering the responsibility of their offspring's education for the first time, were understandably enthusiastic. They quickly selected several schools, which Mutian marked with a vermilion pen. For the next few days, neglecting everything else, he took Cheng Fu to specifically investigate the schools: Was the environment tranquil? Were there many students? Was the teacher upright? ... He had so many criteria that Cheng Fu felt her young master was being too demanding. After several days of this, they finally chose a barely acceptable one. Cheng Mutian happily paid the tuition fee, but the teacher stroked his gray beard and said, "Your son is only three years old; the minimum age for enrollment is seven."

Disappointed, Cheng Mutian took his leave and lowered his standards to look for several more schools, but the teachers all had the same tone: they thought his son, Wu Ge, was too young and refused to accept him. He had no choice but to go home and discuss it with Xiao Yuan: "Wife, Wu Ge is too young for the school to accept. How about we hire a tutor to come to our home and teach him until he is seven before he enrolls in school?" Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "That's not a problem, but we'll miss out on kindergarten and preschool."

Although "kindergarten" and "preschool" were new terms to Cheng Mutian, he understood them. Knowing that his wife had agreed, he set off again to find a virtuous and talented teacher to come home and enlighten his precious son.

He had been traveling for another four or five days, but he brought back not just a teacher, but a family of three. The teacher's surname was Zhou, and he was known as Master Zhou. He was two years older than Cheng Mutian, but the daughter he was holding was only a year old. Xiao Yuan was used to Song people going out to work with their families, so she called Cai Lian and asked her to tidy up the back courtyard for Master Zhou's family to live in, and also asked how to address Master Zhou's wife.

Master Zhou's wife was extremely beautiful, with a pair of bright, expressive eyes that seemed to speak volumes. She curtsied gracefully and said with a smile, "Women are born of humble birth, so I have no name. Young mistress, please call me Madam Zhou."