Chapter 252 You brat, stop right there!

Lord Xie wants to give her something?

Song Chunxue immediately refused, "Thank you, sir. I have already received so much kindness from you. If I were to accept your gifts, it would be taking advantage of you. I cannot accept them."

Xie Zheng took out two land deeds from his pocket. "There are thirty acres of land here. I have no use for it. My sister-in-law needs land to grow medicinal herbs. It's better to grow more grain than to leave it idle."

Song Chunxue didn't answer. "Sir, you can sell it. This land is definitely valuable. Why don't you sell it to use as travel expenses?"

She absolutely could not accept it; the land was definitely bought by Lord Xie, and it would be easy for him to sell it.

Xie Zheng said helplessly, "I am an official after all. If the Taoist priest hadn't repeatedly persuaded me, I wouldn't have taken those ten taels of silver."

“But I took it anyway. The money saved me from my immediate crisis. I have plenty of money for the trip back to the capital, so I don’t need to sell it.”

As he spoke, he placed the land deed on the table. “I have been well taken care of by you since I came here. These are my thanks. Please do not refuse.”

Liu Chunshu pressed the land deed under the bowl. "What the master says is right. Auntie, please accept it. The master is generous and gave me a few acres of land as well, so I didn't refuse."

Song Chunxue smiled, "Aren't you planning to go to the capital with the master?"

"Of course I'll go. I'll go wherever the adults go. My family can farm the fields."

Xie Zheng smiled slightly, "This child is steady and reliable, so I think I'll have him follow me."

Liu Chunshu nodded, "The master is also the most approachable master I have ever met."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Song Chunxue asked Sanwa to keep her company while she got up and went to the kitchen to prepare some food.

Given his temperament, he wouldn't take the land deed back.

She understood that Lord Xie was a man of great loyalty and righteousness; he had given her ten taels of silver before, and now he had returned thirty acres of land.

He knew that the land was the most tangible thing for farmers.

It is fate that we met in this life, and it is also her good fortune.

When the adults were about to travel, she quickly made several crispy lard cakes, which wouldn't spoil easily on the road and would taste better.

She then took out a clean white cloth bag and filled it with some wilted pears she had bought on the street. Although they weren't very good-looking, they could quench her thirst in a pinch.

About half an hour later, she came out carrying a large cloth bag.

Xie Zheng knew she was preparing food for him.

"Sir, take these things with you on the road. There is a jar of honey in it. The journey is long, and the water you drink on the way may cause stomach aches. I also put some mugwort in it. When you rest at night, you can have Chunshu do some moxibustion for you. Just put it on your navel."

Seeing the bag full of things, Xie Zheng slowly took it. It was heavy, and he was deeply moved.

“Thank you, sister-in-law,” he said, staring at the cloth bag in his hand. “It’s been a long time since anyone has gone out of their way to prepare these for me.”

“I’m glad you don’t mind. If you find it too heavy, you can pick some out when you get back,” Song Chunxue said gently. “I’ve never traveled far from home. This is how I prepared for my daughter’s wedding.”

The third child, standing to the side, touched his nose.

"Sister-in-law, you're too kind. I don't mind the weight." Xie Zheng walked towards the door. "It's getting late. You should all get some rest and take care."

"Have a safe journey, sir."

Xie Zheng turned around and said, "Yes, if fate allows, we will meet again."

Sanwa closed the door, and Song Chunxue stood in front of the stone table.

"Mother, should we see Lord Xie off tomorrow?"

Sanwa whispered, "I reckon that after Lord Xie returns from the capital, he will take up a post elsewhere and won't go back to Zhuanglang County."

"We'll see. There should be quite a few people seeing him off tomorrow; the local people will all come to bid him farewell," Song Chunxue said with a slight smile. "I heard that County Magistrate Liang has been looking forward to his departure for a long time, and he will surely travel a thousand miles to see him off."

Consider this a gift for tonight; she didn't want to watch familiar faces leave.

It only adds to the sadness.

Sanwa sat down at the stone table. The days were getting longer, but it wasn't completely dark yet.

"Mother, will you miss Lord Xie?"

"Um?"

Song Chunxue was very surprised and thought she had misheard.

"I mean, would Mother be attracted to someone like Lord Xie?" Sanwa, afraid of being beaten, picked at the patterns on the stone table with his fingers. "If you two confessed your feelings to each other, would Mother go with Lord Xie?"

Song Chunxue smiled, "Sanwa has grown up. Do you think I've developed feelings for an adult?"

“Yes,” Sanwa nodded vigorously, “Master Xie is very good to Mother.”

"Yes, Lord Xie is a man of noble character and integrity, and no woman would be unmoved by him. But I think we are friends, and Lord Xie also appreciates my ability to endure hardship and my courage."

"No one in this world would make your mother disregard everything and elope for him so recklessly."

Sanwa sighed.

Why are you sighing?

Sanwa said in a serious tone, "I was thinking that my father has been gone for many years, so it's understandable that you have someone else in your heart. Seeing how reluctant Lord Xie is to part, Mother will understand."

"What?"

“I’m a man, I understand Lord Xie’s thoughts. There’s another layer to his meaning in giving Mother the land deed.” Sanwa shook his head slightly. “He wants to take care of you.”

"..."

"Lord Xie came here on purpose after being injured, so that Mother could apply medicine and show him some concern. If you were alone in a room, it would be natural for you to reveal your feelings... Oh, Mother, don't pinch me!"

He stood up and ran to the backyard, saying, "Mom, I was wrong."

"You little rascal, you've read plenty of those sketchbooks, haven't you? Lord Xie is clearly not that kind of person. You, a mere budding young man, think everyone is like you?"

Song Chunxue said irritably, "A man? You haven't even been crowned yet, do you even know what kind of man you are?"

Sanwa retorted, "The Master said that love is universal and has nothing to do with age."

"Hey, is your teacher even serious? He teaches this to his students, and you turn around and teach your mother? Aren't you afraid I'll break your legs?"

Sanwa chuckled as he gripped the doorframe. "If it were my mother from before, I would never have dared to say that, but now she is sensible, literate, and can even befriend mysterious Taoist priests. She's no ordinary person."

"I was thinking that if Mother could disregard societal norms and find me a stepfather, I wouldn't have to worry about me going to school anymore, and Mother wouldn't be lonely living alone in this courtyard..."

Song Chunxue felt a sudden pang in her heart, and a surge of tears welled up in her eyes, making them red.

"You brat, instead of studying, you're thinking about these things," she took a breath to suppress her tears, "I guess I haven't spoiled you for nothing, you've thought of everything for me."

Sanwa noticed that her eyes were red and lowered his head to scratch at the door frame.

"However, if they look down on Mother for having so many children, it's better not to find him. Mother can associate with him and become his live-in son-in-law. Someone of Lord Xie's status is like a phoenix in distress; once he's recovered, he'll naturally fly away. It's not good to leave Mother alone."

"..." Song Chunxue didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He really was her good eldest son.

How come she never noticed in her past life that Sanwa had so many thoughts hidden beneath his serious face?

"Actually, I've thought about it. Someone like you, Mother, should find someone poor, young, and handsome, someone who's least afraid of making mistakes. But there's a drawback: if you're completely devoted to him and can't live without him, what if he grows up and wants to leave? Mother..."

"Jiang Yexun!" Song Chunxue grabbed the stick she was using to stir the chicken feed and chased after him. "I thought you were only thinking about studying. You stop right there!"

The belated third chapter.