Huazhai Meal? Ink Dumpling? (2)

After sending off this big Buddha, days passed by just like plain and flat waves, and three years were gone in a flash. Song Xiyuan’s business was flourishing with each passing day. Pei Yangzhen took over the seat of the governor of Liangjiang. Although Daddy didn’t get the authority for the tea business, he looked really happy and relieved. The eldest younger brother officially started learning business with Daddy. 

Everything was going smoothly but there was one thing that had me worried. The little dumpling, TangYuan. It was very vexing. 

While the children of other families spent their days jumping around like monkeys, almost breaking the roof tiles of the main house, TangYuan was different. Clever and gentle like a daughter, neither would he climb trees and catch fish nor play in the mud. All-day long, holding the white kitten Song Xiyuan had given, he would lean in the corridor, listening to the private teacher who came to teach my little brother at home. From time to time, he would sway his head and recite those poems. Enthralled, he would take in every word that wafted without. 

This was what was really worrying me! 

This child didn’t cry much during infancy, he was very calm and quiet. When he grew older, he liked to smile rather than cry. From Daddy and Yiniang1 to right down to the servants and old cook, there was no one who didn’t like him. The more he grew up, the more he resembled me. Sure enough, it confirmed the folk’s saying of “Daughter resembles father and son takes after mother”. However, apart from the delicate white skin, I didn’t think his temperament mirrored me at all. There was no sign of fondness for martial arts. I invited the theatrical troupe to play martial arts at home and brought him along to watch. But this child always managed to slip into dreamland amid the clamor of all the fighting.

When he was a year old, for Zhuazhou2, I arranged a table full of weapons from large swords and hammers to small darts and silver needles, hoping he would grab one thing among these to appease my heart. Song Xiyuan and Pei Yangzhen were also present at that time. Song Xiyuan was probably busy settling the business as he hurriedly arrived in the middle of the ceremony. The ink stains on his hands were still wet. 

Under my ardent anticipation, TangYuan opened his doe-like, moist dark eyes, and to everyone’s surprise, stretched out a pair of two small hands, grasped Song Xiyuan’s palm that was resting on the table, opened his mouth, and licked the still damp ink stains on his hands. 

A wave of gloom engulfed me. Don’t tell me this child will turn out to be a pretty boy who drinks ink3 in the future? It really made people want to cry without tears. 

Without a word, Pei Yangzhen held TangYuan, took a glass of freshwater, and coaxed him to gurgle and spit it out twice. It could be counted as cleaning the ink inside his mouth. 

Song Xiyuan was very happy. He spoiled TangYuan more and more, sending strange things to amuse him every few days. That white kitten was sent by him a while ago. 

In fact, cats are very active in nature and this kitten was also the same at first, scurrying around to catch mice and not willing to accompany TangYuan in a peaceful manner. And one time, it disappeared for the whole day.

Later, I didn’t know who mischievously cut the kitten’s whiskers short and neat. You know a cat’s whiskers are unlike a man’s mustache. It has the same width as its body and is used to measure the size of the mouse hole- whether it’s big enough for it to venture in. With the whiskers cut like so, the kitty failed to realize its limitation, and still used its whiskers to measure the entrance. Finding the hole wider than its whiskers, it naturally jumped in with much ease. Unexpectedly, it got stuck as soon as it entered. Frightened, it mewled pitifully. In the end, it was TangYuan who pulled it out. After this incident repeated two to three times, the kitten gave up drilling holes to catch mice. Also, one doesn’t know who cut its claws, since then, it no longer dared to run around and obediently stayed in TangYuan’s embrace all day long, slumbering. 

When he was three, everyone said I must not let Shen Xiao continue being this gentle and quiet. So I invited a martial arts master to teach him martial arts together with my little brother. Although TangYuan wasn’t very active, he had always been sensible and obedient. On that day, he paid respects to the master obediently. The master looked at him, who was as tender as tofu and frowned. He had never taken in a student like him so he didn’t know where to start teaching him and was hesitating. 

But he might as well need to readjust his thoughts about TangYuan. Innocently blinking a pair of phoenix eyes that were beginning to form the shape, he pulled my clothes and said in a milky voice, “Mother, I have seen this master.”

“Ah?” I looked at him inexplicably and asked him, “Where have you seen him?” 

That martial arts master was also startled. 

Then I heard TangYuan said, “The poster on the main door is the master. Lu Ying said he can guard the house.” He turned his head to the martial arts master and asked, “Master, can you guard the house?”

Ah…It suddenly dawned upon me, the one TangYuan was talking about was the door god stuck on the main door. Well, this martial arts master did resemble because of his burly physique and fierce countenance, but he didn’t look as ferocious and hideous as the door god. This worrisome baby, where did he learn such poisonous words?

Just in time, the martial arts master also reacted. His rough face turned red, letting out two puffs of air before clasping his hands he said, “Miss Shen, Little Master’s body is delicate. I’m afraid he can’t stand the beating like us, rough people. This lowly one cannot shoulder this heavy responsibility. Miss Shen, please find someone better.” With that, he turned around and left.

I made a series of attempts at explaining, saying the child didn’t mean any offence. But that martial arts master was really stubborn, and wasn’t even willing to even look back once. 

After that, I hired many masters, but not one lasted over two days. They were all quick to resign and pack up. Even after changing three masters, TangYuan hadn’t even successfully learned the horse stance4A stance in kung fu but often got exhausted and fainted.

Daddy resignedly waved his big hand, and declared, “This child isn’t suitable for learning martial arts, don’t make it difficult for him!” 

After that, I didn’t hire any martial arts master and let TangYuan continue to be delicate and gentle. 

When I think of the endless world, I feel sad and cry alone…5