Chapter 239 Tasting the Dishes

"mother."

Upon seeing Song Chunxue arrive, the fourth brother's eyes lit up, and he immediately ran towards her.

He didn't know why, but suddenly his nose felt sore, and he felt wronged and sad. In short, he felt terrible.

"Mother has finally decided to come. I thought you only cared about Sanwa."

Song Chunxue stuffed the dry food into the large cloth bag on his body, saying, "It's not like you're not coming back. I'll see you off next time you go on a long trip."

The fourth brother probably won't want to come back next time he goes out.

At that time, their mother-son relationship will deteriorate day by day, and she will definitely give them a proper send-off.

The fourth son felt his mother gently pat his shoulder and retorted, "Mother, you don't expect me to do well. If I do well, I can broaden my horizons, but I might not be able to come back for several years."

Song Chunxue chimed in, "That's true. Maybe you've settled down outside and don't want to come back."

After all, his wife was on the road he was about to take, and it was uncertain whether he would meet her sooner.

His father-in-law was a scholar and came from a wealthy family. Even though Song Chunxue had bought a courtyard house, he was still far from being comparable to Song Chunxue's father-in-law.

Although she had never met Lao Si's father-in-law, she learned from Lao Si's few words that they also disdained to meet the Jiang family.

In the past, whenever Song Chunxue examined this matter closely, she felt extremely uneasy.

Now, she sees it clearly.

What saddle matches what horse? The fourth brother's father-in-law's family may have more money than the Jiang family, but their family traditions and upbringing are nothing special.

Otherwise, after the fourth son became wealthy, why would his father-in-law, knowing that the fourth son was unwilling to return home and was living outside under the guise of doing business, spending every day with his mistress, not turn a blind eye and support his daughter?

People always weigh things up and turn a blind eye.

Once you see things clearly, you'll stop being attached to them.

No one is perfect. She was short-sighted, biased, and unfair in the past. The fact that the children had no gratitude towards her was the result of her actions.

How much can she change now?

She only wanted to have a clear conscience and cut her losses in time.

“Mother, you used to treat Second Brother and Eldest Brother equally well, but ever since he went to the army, you haven’t mentioned him at all. You’ve even put away the letters he wrote. Does that mean that even if I’m gone, you won’t mention me to Third Brother?”

The fourth son pursed his lips, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Does Mother think we can't be relied on?"

Song Chunxue looked at him. Wasn't this obvious?

“It’s not that we can’t be relied on. A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. I don’t want to worry about you all day long and wait for you to come back. That would be too pitiful for an old mother.”

"Alright, you can go now. As long as you come back, this is still your home. They're calling you, don't keep them waiting."

The fourth son walked towards the caravan, glancing back at his mother from time to time.

Why is Mother so heartless these days? Although she's more understanding now, I just don't feel as close to her as before.

She was always lukewarm and reserved.

Although the fourth brother felt that this was the right thing to do, he was very sad.

"Let's go, Jiang Yejun, why are you turning back like a woman?"

"That's right, look at you, so spineless. It's not like you're not coming back. A real man sheds blood but not tears. Why are you pissing so much? Don't tell anyone you're my brother when you go out."

"Hahaha, you're still talking about others? Didn't you call yourself Old Iron Ox? Your eyes are as red as a rabbit's, and you still have the nerve to talk about others."

"Go to hell, I didn't."

"Go to hell, is that cat pee on your sleeve?"

...

The group rode off, grumbling and cursing, on their camels and donkeys. The fourth brother led the camel at the back, his figure gradually shrinking into the distance.

He didn't turn around, but pulled the people who were laughing at him off the camel.

A group of young people, chatting, laughing, and joking around, gradually drifted apart.

Song Chunxue turned around. "Let's go. Are you going to eat at home for lunch?"

Sanwa looked away, paused for a moment, and asked, "Can I eat out?"

"Didn't you invite your classmates to go on a spring outing?"

Sanwa was surprised, "Mom is willing to let me go on a spring outing, so she won't say that I'm not doing my job properly or that I'm going astray with classmates who don't like to study?"

Song Chunxue looked at him with a stern face, "Is your mother the kind of unreasonable person now?"

Sanwa laughed, then nodded repeatedly, his smile fading. "Yes, Mother is right. Mother is a scholar now, not so old-fashioned."

"You dare to laugh at me, flattering your mother and calling her a scholar? You've really got some nerve!" With that, Song Chunxue picked up a willow branch from the ground and chased after her. "Why are you running? Stop right there!"

Sanwa turned back to look at her with a smile, "Mom, I was wrong. Can't I light the fire for you at noon?"

Song Chunxue laughed in exasperation, "Fine, you really are different now that you've studied. Isn't it only natural that you should cook for me if you want to eat?"

"That's true, but I'm afraid that if I see you making noodles and cooking, and your tears fall into the pot, I'll lose face."

Song Chunxue tapped her leg with a willow branch, "Stop right there, you've gotten bold, haven't you? You're so sharp-tongued, who taught you that?"

Sanwa ran a few steps and looked back, his eyes full of smiles. "I thought Mother would say who spoiled me. Anyone can do this without being taught. It's just a matter of whether they dare to say it."

Song Chunxue was both amused and exasperated; this third child was really good at hitting the nail on the head.

Yes, it was because of her indulgence that Sanwa dared to say those things to her.

It's just unknown whether the third child will remain like this forever.

*

In the afternoon, Yao Man sent someone to call Song Chunxue for help.

Song Chunxue arrived at the shop next to the West Wind Inn and found that the noodle shop had been completely changed and had been replaced by a tavern sign.

That's true. There are quite a few noodle shops on this street. Yao Man said her family's noodles aren't very good. It's good to be flexible.

The tables and chairs in the tavern were all newly replaced, and there were calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls. The floor was covered with beautiful tiles, showing that a lot of thought had been put into it.

Surprisingly, she took over the shop next door, divided it into several private rooms, and created a place where people who had nothing to do could drink and chat freely.

"Sister Song, you're here! Come and sit down, and try our new chef's cooking!"

Song Chunxue was surprised, "I came to help tidy up. Why did you finish without saying a word before calling me?"

“Anyway, there are professional craftsmen. I don’t even know how to clean it myself. I just wipe it clean. I know you’re busy with work in the fields.” Yao Man handed her a pair of chopsticks. “Quickly try my dish and see how it tastes. I’d appreciate any feedback from Sister Song.”

Looking at the sumptuous feast on the table, Song Chunxue said, "If there's such a good thing, then I won't be polite."

"Don't mention it, you're my benefactor who helped me in my time of need." Yao Man lowered her voice and said, "I recently met a rich businessman who said he would help me revitalize this shop. What a joke, I haven't even started to manage it myself, and he's already taken a liking to it."

"My tavern is opening in a few days, and I need a pretty young widow to help me attract customers. Are you interested?"

The peanut that Song Chunxue had just put in her mouth fell onto the table. "Aren't you pretty enough? Why are you still looking for me? I don't know how to say nice things, and I might end up driving the guest away."

"Don't worry, I'm asking you to be my doorman. You won't say a word, just stand in front and watch out for me so no one can steal anything. I'm not really trying to lure customers."