Chapter 203 Restlessness

Song Chunxue glanced at the Taoist priest, "That's right, the Taoist priest saw it."

The fourth brother didn't believe it and turned to ask the Taoist priest, "Taoist priest, is the plan with my classmates really not going to work?"

"Yes, you will return empty-handed and face many setbacks." Master Zhang said gently, "But if you really want to go, it's not impossible. Young people won't grow without experiencing setbacks, and they won't mature without stumbling. It has nothing to do with where you go. Smooth sailing is not good either; the next time you stumble, you'll only fall harder."

Song Chunxue seemed to be thinking about it, and it seemed to make sense.

So at first she didn't intend to stop the fourth brother, but just now she couldn't help but ask on his behalf.

Sigh, after all, they are her own children. These past few days, the fourth child has been well-behaved and obedient, so it's hard for her not to soften her heart.

However, she no longer suffers from anxiety or insecurity.

Even if the fourth son ultimately doesn't appreciate it, she won't be as petty as before.

She didn't expect to completely change anyone's fate; the master leads you in, but the rest is up to you.

What they become in the future is up to their own destiny.

"Hey, there are red lanterns here, I'll go hang them up." Sanwa smiled and picked them up. "Did the Taoist priest bring them?"

"Yes, I bought it on the street. If you like it, hang it up." The Taoist priest said, taking out two small red bags from his pocket. "Here, this is money for you to ward off evil spirits."

Sanwa looked up in surprise and couldn't help but look at Song Chunxue, "Mother, this is not appropriate."

"Here you go, this is suitable." The Taoist priest tossed the small bag into Sanwa's arms. "We've already discussed it, and if nothing unexpected happens, I will come to your house for the New Year every year."

"As an elder and a Taoist priest who has traveled far and wide, you must take my money for warding off evil spirits. There are also talismans inside." The Taoist priest instructed, "Do not open it, and do not spend it easily. It is not too late to spend it in the second half of the year."

"I understand. This isn't just money to ward off evil spirits; it's also a good thing for ensuring peace and safety." The fourth brother nudged the third brother with his elbow. "If you don't want it, I will!"

Sanwa smiled and tucked the bag into his pocket. "Thank you, Daoist Master."

With a smile on her face, Song Chunxue's gaze swept back and forth between the group of people, thinking that this was the only way she could have had a second chance.

Red lanterns hung under the eaves, and the group of people, exhausted, turned off their lights and went to sleep.

The fourth brother hasn't slept in his own room yet; tonight, all three men are staying in the west room.

Before going to bed, they washed their hair and feet, then snuggled into their warm blankets and fell asleep peacefully.

The first day of the Lunar New Year.

Song Chunxue got up very early and cooked two large pots of meat, one with pork and the other with chicken.

She soaked potato noodles, chopped and washed the cabbage she had taken from the potato cellar the night before, stir-fried the noodles and cabbage, mixed some bok choy, and stir-fried dried green beans with meat.

To cut through the richness, she quickly made jelly noodles after finishing the stir-fry.

Farmers eat the most oily and greasy food during the few days of the Lunar New Year, which their stomachs can't handle and is difficult to digest.

After eating meat, cold rice noodles in fermented vegetable broth are definitely the most popular.

She didn't know how many days the Taoist priest would stay. She was thinking that after eating, she would pound wheat to make sweet fermented rice.

Although jelly and sweet fermented rice are eaten on the Dragon Boat Festival (May 5th), these two things are most enjoyable to eat in winter.

Besides, she used to be very frugal, always trying to save the best food for her children.

Now, she needs to watch what she eats.

Isn't life all about using your mouth to live?

When the men came out of the west room, Song Chunxue's meal was already ready.

She washed her face, changed into the peacock blue long gown that she had spent several nights trying to put on but hadn't yet worn properly, and put the green pendant her fourth sister had given her behind her ear.

She raised her hand and adjusted her earring, quite pleased with her outfit.

"Oh, Mother, you look so beautiful today. It's true that clothes make the man and the horse makes the horse," the fourth brother said as he stepped into the north room, flattering Song Chunxue. "For a moment, I thought Mother was as young and beautiful as we were when we were kids."

Song Chunxue glanced at him, "You have a sweet tongue."

The fourth son stood behind her and said, "I mean it, Mother has never dressed so well before."

Sanwa also changed into new clothes and shoes and entered the north room. "Mother, you look so good in this outfit."

The Taoist priest followed behind, rolled up his sleeves, and went straight to the basin to wash his hands.

"It really looks good. Let's eat quickly, or someone might come and cause trouble later."

The Taoist priest's voice sounded like he was still half asleep, but it made Song Chunxue's heart skip a beat.

She hurriedly came out of the house, "Third Brother, Fourth Brother, come with me to get the dishes, and finish eating quickly."

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the only people who could come to her house to cause trouble were her eldest son and his wife.

She wouldn't doubt her senior brother's words.

Sure enough, just as they were finishing their meal and searching for toothpicks, the sound of Chen Feng, the eldest daughter-in-law, crying came from outside the yard.

Song Chunxue sneered and turned to the Taoist priest, saying, "Senior brother, if anything unbelievable happens later, you can stop me."

Sanwa bit his cheek, wondering if his mother would blame him for teaching her some unpleasant words when she scolded him.

The fourth brother wiped his greasy mouth and stepped out the door first. "Let's go see if he got beaten up by the boss and came to complain to us?"

The next moment, Chen Feng, holding the child, walked into the yard crying.

"Isn't anyone going to do anything about this? During the Lunar New Year, Jiang Yeming hit me with a rolling pin and almost dropped my child. Is this how the Jiang family treats their own children?"

"Waaah," Chen Feng wiped her tears with her sleeve, "No matter what, the child is innocent. How can he take his anger out on the child?"

Song Chunxue ignored her. Sanwa picked up the bowls and chopsticks on the table and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

The fourth brother said in a serious tone, "The eldest brother protects you so much, how could he hit you for no reason? Did you not want to cook and made the eldest brother do this and that, which made him angry?"

Chen Feng wiped away her tears. "I was the one who started the fire and cooked. He complained that I burned the meat and pointed at me and scolded me. I talked back a couple of times, and then he hit me."

The Taoist priest picked up the plate from the table and walked out of the room.

Chen Feng's eyes widened immediately. "Who is he?"

"Why are we spending the New Year at our house? When did Mom find a son-in-law to live with us?"

Sanwa walked out of the kitchen. "I don't believe you haven't heard of him. Are you deliberately trying to slander my mother? This is a Taoist priest, my mother's senior brother. If you keep talking nonsense, I'll hit you too."

Chen Feng took two deep breaths, "You treat an outsider so politely, letting him spend the New Year at your home, while you only give your own son a piece of meat..."

Song Chunxue stepped out the door with a feather duster in hand, coldly looking at Chen Feng, "What, you're here to teach your mother-in-law a lesson during the New Year? Do you think the eldest son didn't hit you hard enough?"

"I..." Chen Feng subconsciously shut up, remembering that she was there to seek justice, not to be scolded.

"If you think there's not enough meat, come back. Go to your mother's house for meat." Song Chunxue brushed her dazzling peacock blue satin long gown with a feather duster. "Even if the boss beats you to death, I won't say a word."

"..." Chen Feng bit her lip, "It was wrong of me to bury the talisman back then, but you can't be so heartless. No matter what, the child is a member of the Jiang family..."

“That’s your own fault,” Song Chunxue interrupted her. “When you buried the talisman, didn’t you ever think that your child was born to the Jiang family? Harming the Jiang family is harming your child?”