Chapter 34: Everyone Comes by Once
The moment the two stepped into the house, they were blocked by Old Madam Luo.
“Why are you back so late?”
The brothers quickly set down their baskets and rattled off everything that had happened that day, talking over each other.
The more Old Madam Luo listened, the deeper her frown became.
“You’re saying he really set up a stall at the dock, and business is actually good?” she asked, half in doubt.
The two brothers nodded vigorously.
Wen Xiuzhu said, “It’s true, Mother. At noon it was packed with people. Big Brother sold more than a whole bucket of rice in one lunch rush. And that braised meat Yao Yao brought us yesterday? It sold like crazy. Ten wen for a tiny plate, and people were fighting over it!”
Old Madam Luo fell silent.
She had sent the second and third to check because she thought the eldest’s sudden change in behavior didn’t feel real. But it turned out everything he said was true.
If the eldest had truly turned over a new leaf, then it was indeed a good thing.
“Alright, I got it. Go do what you need to do,” she said, about to leave.
“Mother,” Wen Xiuzhu quickly called out and pulled out the pork Wen Jun had bought, handing it to the old lady. “Mother, Big Brother sent this meat back for you.”
Seeing that it wasn’t a small amount, Luo shi felt a mess of emotions.
“What a spendthrift. Just made a little money and he’s already wasting it,” she said coldly.
The brothers hunched their shoulders. They had tried to refuse, but it was no use—Big Brother had insisted and stuffed it into their baskets.
“Mother, so… the meat?” Wen Xiuzhu still mustered the courage to ask.
“Hang it in the kitchen. We’ll slice some up for the kids to get a taste of meat tonight,” Luo shi’s tone softened considerably.
“Yes, alright.” Wen Xiuzhu carried the meat off, and Wen Xiuqing stepped forward, saying, “Oh right, Mother, Yao Yao asked me to tell you—could you help collect more eggs? They go through dozens of eggs every day and can’t keep up.”
Luo shi frowned. “So many requests. Fine, I’ll handle it.”
“Alright, I’ll go check if Second Brother needs help.” With that, Wen Xiuqing ran off.
Luo shi had originally intended to return to her room, but after thinking a bit, she turned around and went back outside.
She walked around the village, stopping by a few households she was on good terms with to arrange for them to deliver eggs to the old house that evening. Then she headed toward Wen Yao’s place.
Just as she reached the entrance, she heard the sound of reading aloud from the courtyard. Luo shi craned her neck to peek in and saw Dazhu sitting on a little stool, with Wen Yao sitting opposite him holding a book and reading aloud.
Luo shi stared at Dazhu for a while. The child just sat and listened, not uttering a word. With a sigh, she pushed the gate open.
The reading stopped. The two kids saw her come in and immediately stood up.
“Grandma, what brings you here?” Wen Yao quickly ran up and looped her arm through the old lady’s.
Luo shi glanced at the book in her hand and raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
Wen Yao grinned and waved the book. “Teaching Dazhu to read. Grandma, how come you’re here now?”
Luo shi didn’t press the issue. Wen Yao and Wen Jun had been raised by Liu shi, and she’d taught them to read and write since they were small. If not for Wen Xiuyi’s foolishness, the eldest branch would’ve been the most promising in the Wen family.
But there was no point dwelling on the past. She no longer hoped for her eldest son to become a success through studying. All she asked now was for him to live honestly and peacefully, raising the three kids properly.
She glanced toward the kitchen and shot a glare at Wen Yao. “If I hadn’t come, who was going to help you with all that stuff?”
“Yay!” Wen Yao cheered, jumping up to cling to the old lady’s arm. “Grandma, you’re the best grandma in the whole world!”
Luo shi couldn’t stand this kind of clinginess. Disdainfully, she pushed her away and marched into the kitchen.
Wen Yao followed close behind and handed the book to Dazhu. “Practice on your own, just those few words I taught you. Master them first.”
Dazhu nodded and obediently returned to his little stool, using a stick to trace characters on the ground.
Luo shi took all this in and asked, “He can understand?”
“He can! One round and he’s got it. Dad taught him once and he memorized it,” Wen Yao nodded. Their Dazhu was super smart. In the original novel, he was even called a genius with photographic memory. Aside from his tragic backstory and experience, the author had given him a pretty impressive character setting.
If she hadn’t caught him secretly using a stick to write one day, she wouldn’t have realized how fast this little guy was learning.
Luo shi was surprised, but seeing Dazhu sitting there quietly, not saying a word, she sighed again.
No matter how smart he was, what was the point if he couldn’t talk?
Life really was cruel sometimes.
“Tell your dad not to waste money once he earns it. Find time to take Dazhu to have his throat checked,” Luo shi said before entering the kitchen.
Wen Yao looked at her grandmother’s retreating figure and suddenly wondered—had Grandma shifted the hopes she once had for Wen Xiuyi onto Dazhu?
If so, all she could say was: good eye, old lady.
But Dazhu would speak eventually. The time just hadn’t come yet. So she wasn’t worried at all, though she still nodded in agreement.
“Okay, once we’ve saved up some more, we’ll take him to get it looked at.” Not that it’d probably reveal anything, but if it made the old lady happy, then sure.
Luo shi helped Wen Yao wash the pig’s head and intestines, then helped her chop and braise them before getting ready to leave.
No matter what Wen Yao said this time, she wouldn’t take any more. What family background, eating meat every day—nonsense.
By the time she got home, Li shi was already in the kitchen slicing up the meat they had brought back.
…
Back in her room, Luo shi couldn’t help but whisper to Old Man Wen about everything. The old man puffed away on his pipe, listening to her nagging until he couldn’t take it anymore.
“Do you ever stop? When things were bad, you nagged nonstop. Now that he’s turned around and doing well, trying to live right, you’re still at it,” Old Man Wen finally snapped.
Luo shi froze. A moment later, the sole of a shoe came flying at him, her voice rising sharply: “What did you just say?”
Old Man Wen dodged like lightning, rolled off the kang, slipped on his shoes and was out the door in one smooth move. Can’t win this. Better to run.
As soon as he stepped outside, her scolding still ringing behind him, he looked up and saw a courtyard full of people staring at him. Immediately, he straightened his back. “What are you looking at? Done with your chores, huh?”
Everyone: “…”
Once they all scattered, Old Man Wen turned and muttered under his breath, “Stubborn old woman,” before slipping out with his pipe for a stroll.
As he strolled, a familiar aroma caught his nose—the smell of braised meat, just like what Wen Yao had made before. His legs moved on their own.
Back at Wen Yao’s house, just as she and Dazhu paused their lesson, they saw Old Man Wen stepping through the door. Wen Yao promptly handed the book to Dazhu and went up to greet him.
Looks like the old man and old lady were taking turns making rounds.
