Chapter 289

"It's fine, it's fine." Wang Tongjing recounted the whole incident to Third Cousin. "It's all settled now!"

Third Cousin let out a sigh of relief. "That's good, that's good!"

A Sen asked curiously, "How did you find out?"

Third Cousin smiled. "It was Xige'er who sent Baoshu to deliver the message to me, saying that Youyou had gotten into trouble and asking me to come quickly."

"What!" A Sen and Wang Tongjing both widened their eyes in surprise. A Sen added, "I was wondering why I didn't see Xige'er earlier—I thought he was hiding because he was scared. Turns out he went to send for reinforcements." He felt a swell of pride that the child was so quick-witted, and as his uncle, he shared in that glory. He stepped forward a few paces and called out "Xige'er" from the steps of the main hall.

Xige'er popped out immediately. "Second Uncle, Second Uncle, keep your voice down! We don't want Mother to hear."

A Sen looked at Xige'er's chubby cheeks and chuckled. "Where's your master?"

"He was called out by Uncle Yang to attend some Eight Immortals banquet," Xige'er said with a smile, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Has that Li Shisan left?"

A Sen nodded and ruffled Xige'er's head. "You did well today, knowing to go fetch help!" Just as he finished speaking, he saw Chunbing and Yuanxiao walking in side by side.

"Cousin Shen the First, Cousin Shen the Second!" Xige'er ran over to them as soon as he saw them.

Third Cousin explained, "When they heard that Youyou had gotten into trouble, these two insisted on coming along, saying they wanted to plead for her. I figured that if things really got out of hand, these two might come in handy, so I let them tag along."

As they were talking, Fu Tingjun, having heard the commotion, came out. "Third Sister, why don't you come inside and sit?"

"Wasn't just watching you being busy?" Third Cousin exchanged greetings with Fu Tingjun, and they all entered the hall.

Chunbing didn't see Youyou and didn't dare wander far from his mother, so he stood on his tiptoes and peered toward the inner chamber.

The family had just replaced the curtains with new Hunan bamboo blinds. Through the blinds, Chunbing caught sight of a small figure in pink clothing kneeling motionless before the large kang by the window. For some reason, his heart ached. Once the adults had taken their seats as host and guests and the maids had served tea and refreshments, he could no longer hold back and asked, "Ninth Aunt, where is Cousin Youyou?"

Chunbing had been personally taught by Third Brother-in-law and was the most courteous and proper of children. For him to speak up rashly while the adults hadn't yet spoken was most unlike his usual composed self. Fu Tingjun found this secretly strange but still replied, "She got into trouble, so she's being punished right now!"

"Ninth Aunt, it wasn't Cousin Youyou's fault." Seeing his elder brother speak up, Yuanxiao chimed in without backing down. "If anyone should be punished, it should be that Li Shisan. How can you punish Cousin Youyou?" As he spoke, he ran over to Fu Tingjun and tugged at her sleeve. "How about, how about," Yuanxiao thought for a moment, then said, "I'll take the punishment for Cousin Youyou?" The moment the words left his mouth, he felt it was a brilliant idea, and his tone grew resolute. "I'm her older brother, so I'll take the punishment for Cousin Youyou!"

"What a child!" Fu Tingjun laughed and patted Yuanxiao's head. "You have such a kind nature. But Youyou is the one who did wrong—how could I let you take her punishment? Then what would be the point of punishing her at all?" Fu Tingjun gave a little speech about how "whoever does wrong must take responsibility," then asked Third Cousin why she had suddenly brought the children over. Upon learning that Xige'er had been the one to send word, she couldn't help but feel moved. She drew Xige'er to her side and said with a smile, "This child—usually all I see is him thinking about eating this and that, not taking anything to heart. I never imagined he'd know to protect his sister..."

Now that's what an eldest son should be like!

Having received his mother's praise, Xige'er's eyes crinkled into slits with joy.

"You see, our Xige'er has everything figured out in his heart." Third Cousin took the opportunity to praise him.

Fu Tingjun naturally had to be modest in response.

But Chunbing's gaze had fallen on the bamboo blind of the inner chamber.

He saw the small figure kneeling before the large kang shift her position slightly, as if her knees were hurting from kneeling so long.

Chunbing felt secretly anxious.

While the adults discussed the day's events, he quietly signaled to Xige'er.

Xige'er, taking advantage of his mother's distraction, quietly sidled over to Chunbing.

Chunbing whispered, "Why hasn't your family served the meal yet?"

Xige'er looked outside in confusion. "It's not even noon yet—why would we be eating?" Then a look of sudden realization crossed his face, and he said with a grin, "I see—Cousin Shen the First must be hungry." He felt quite pleased with himself. Usually everyone said he was always thinking about food, but now even the universally praised Cousin Shen the First was thinking about food—surely no one would call him greedy anymore!

Yuanxiao, overhearing from nearby, came over to join in the fun. "Brother, this morning you had two steamed buns and a bowl of congee..."

Chunbing was greatly alarmed. Glancing at the adults who were deep in conversation, he said, "You two blockheads, if we use the midday meal now, Cousin Youyou won't have to keep kneeling any longer!"

The two children suddenly understood. Xige'er quickly said, "I'll go tell Zheng Sanniang right away!" And with that, he dashed out of the hall in a flash.

Chunbing let out a sigh of relief.

Before long, Xige'er returned and made a "done" gesture at Chunbing.

Chunbing couldn't help but smile faintly.

His gaze once again fell on the bamboo curtain of the inner chamber.

His mother's voice drifted to his ears: "...So, we can go to Yuming Mountain to escape the heat this summer?"

"Mm!" Fu Tingjun laughed. "I just went to Shuntian Prefecture a couple of days ago to exchange the deed. These past two days I've been looking for craftsmen to renovate the house over there. When the weather gets hot, we can all go stay at Yuming Mountain for a few days."

"We'll definitely go!" Third Cousin laughed. "We'll help you warm the house then!"

When moving into a new house, custom dictated that relatives and friends be invited over to celebrate and bring liveliness to the place—this was called "warming the house."

Fu Tingjun smiled and nodded repeatedly.

Third Cousin then asked, "Was this house found with Seventh Brother-in-law's help?"

"Yes!" Fu Tingjun said. "Who would have thought he'd have better information than even the brokers or Shopkeeper Ye San."

Hearing this, Third Cousin remarked, "When your Third Brother-in-law was in his time, we also relied on him running back and forth. Tell me, with someone as clever as him, why can't he put more effort into his studies for the imperial examinations? And Seventh Sister, you just let him idle away his days in the capital like this."

"Everyone has a different temperament!" Fu Tingjun laughed. "Just like our Sixth Uncle—he loves traveling and being out in the world."

At this mention, Third Cousin sighed: "The family was divided before even Grandmother's death anniversary had passed, and now the Fu family has become a laughingstock in Huayin. And Sixth Uncle still won't settle down—he's actually moved to Weinan... People will think they're trying to establish a separate ancestral hall!"

But didn't Second Uncle and Second Aunt also buy a house north of the city and live separately?

In the end, they had all left their ancestral home. In others' eyes, it was the same as cutting ties with the old estate.

But with Third Cousin present, Fu Tingjun couldn't very well say anything about that, so she changed the subject and asked about Third Brother-in-law's official position: "I heard he's being promoted to Supervising Secretary?"

Third Cousin's face lit up with joy: "Nothing's settled yet. Hard to say."

Just as she was speaking, Zheng Sanniang walked in, curtsied to everyone with a smile, and asked Fu Tingjun for instructions: "Ma'am, where shall we set up the midday meal?"

So early!

Fu Tingjun couldn't help but glance out the window, but since the meal was already prepared, it wouldn't do to let it go cold. She smiled and said, "Let's set it up in the hall then!"

Zheng Sanniang acknowledged the order and instructed the maidservants to bring out the dishes.

Yuanxiao's face lit up with joy upon hearing this. He opened his mouth to bring up Youyou's matter, but his elder brother grabbed him and covered his mouth.

He looked at his brother in confusion.

Then he heard Ninth Aunt instruct Yuwei: "Let Youyou get up! After the meal, she'll be punished to copy the Thousand Character Classic five times."

Yuwei smiled and went to call Youyou.

Only then did Chunbing release Yuanxiao.

Yuanxiao couldn't help but give him a big thumbs up.

Chunbing smiled faintly, though a hint of pride flickered in his eyes.

The children were arranged to eat at a small table.

As soon as Youyou sat down, she thanked Xige'er.

Yuanxiao picked up a chicken leg and placed it in Youyou's bowl: "Eat this and your legs won't hurt anymore."

Youyou nodded vigorously, her eyes turning red: "Thank you, Second Cousin from the Shen family, for pleading on my behalf before Mother."

"Hehehe!" Yuanxiao laughed sheepishly. "This wasn't your fault..."

At the mention of her grievance, Youyou became indignant: "It's all that Li Shisan's fault..."

Xige'er then offered a suggestion: "How about I tell my master to go beat him up?"

"I want to go too!" Xu Ge'er, sitting beside Xige'er, immediately spoke up. "I want to go with Master to beat him up too."

"That won't do!" Chunbing immediately objected. "Do not do to others what you would not have done to you. He did wrong—his conduct is improper—but we can't stoop to his level and do the same..."

"Eldest Cousin from the Shen family is such a pedant!" Youyou pouted, quite displeased, and muttered under her breath, "He didn't even help plead for me..."

Chunbing looked at the sulking Youyou, his lips parting slightly as if to speak, but he held back. Yet a trace of melancholy couldn't help but flicker in his eyes.

"Youyou, don't be angry!" Yuanxiao hurried to soothe her, placing the other chicken leg into her bowl as well. "I'll go with you to settle the score with that Li Shisan."

Youyou shook her head and gave the chicken leg to Xu Ge'er instead, saying, "No matter what, I shouldn't have shot stones recklessly. He deceived me too. Let's just call it even."

"Then why don't you come practice martial arts with us, sister?" Xige'er said upon hearing this. "That way you definitely won't miss—didn't he say we shot his eye? Well, next time let's just shoot his eye out for real, so he won't be able to put on airs and fool people anymore!"

"No, no!" Youyou shook her head like a rattle-drum, "Getting shot in the eyes must hurt so much! If you go blind, you won't be able to see anything for the rest of your life." Only then did she realize Chunbing's words made sense, and she fell silent for a moment before saying, "We can't be bad guys like him!"

Yuanxiao nodded repeatedly.

Xige'er, however, didn't take it seriously.

He merely wanted to stand up for his sister; if she thought it wasn't a good idea, then they could think of other ways.

A faint, barely perceptible smile tugged at the corner of Chunbing's mouth as he said, "Don't talk while eating, don't speak while sleeping. Hurry up and eat—be careful not to spray food into someone else's bowl."

Everyone immediately quieted down.

But Chunbing seemed to hear Youyou mumbling under her breath that he was too meddlesome.

He couldn't help but give a wry smile.

Looking up, he saw Yuechuan trotting into the hall: "Madam, Madam Li has come to visit!"