Chapter 573 Earth Egg
After the meal, a young man in his twenties arrived at the inn.
Song Chunxue felt that he looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him before.
He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, with neat and distinctive double eyelids. He looked a bit silly when he smiled, and froze on the spot when he saw Song Chunxue.
"Master..." He choked up and couldn't speak after saying just two words. "Is your husband's family in Zhuanglang County? Do you have five children?"
Although Song Chunxue didn't understand, she still nodded.
"Yes, I used to farm and raise children in the countryside."
The young man strode across the threshold, walked up to her, and eagerly pointed to himself.
“I…I once went to your house to beg for food, slept in the kang (heated brick bed) of your house, and stayed for several days. You even cooked potatoes for me and gave me five copper coins before I left. Do you remember?”
As he spoke, large tears rolled down his cheeks from his distinctive double-lidded eyes.
“I never expected that Auntie would change so much after just a few years. If it weren’t for these eyes, I wouldn’t have recognized her.” He wiped away his tears as he cried. “Over the years, I often thought of your smile, which is just like my mother’s.”
Song Chunxue remembered that only a thirteen-year-old boy had ever slept in the kang (heated brick bed) at her house.
"Are you a country bumpkin?"
Song Chunxue was very surprised. She stepped forward, grasped his wrist, and examined him closely. "You've grown so much?"
"Yes, Auntie, you even gave me a pair of shoes back then. That year, my feet finally stopped getting cold. I've always remembered you..."
As he spoke, he burst into tears, grabbed Song Chunxue's arms with his other hand, and cried like a child.
In front of Song Chunxue, he was just a child.
The Taoist priest stood to the side and handed a handkerchief to Tu Dan'er.
Unexpectedly, these two were old acquaintances.
After crying for a while, Tudan wiped away his tears and smiled sheepishly.
"I'm sorry to have troubled you, Aunt. I haven't seen many acquaintances in recent years. I never expected that the junior brother that Master Zhang mentioned was you. You must have suffered a lot over the years, otherwise you wouldn't have become such a powerful Taoist."
Song Chunxue opened her mouth.
That's right. Over sixty years, I've experienced all the hardships of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and the suffering has only intensified.
She patted his arm, and all the past events were left unmentioned, ultimately turning into a sentence: "You're the same, aren't you? People who meet their senior brother aren't exactly happy and fulfilled."
People who have a smooth and peaceful life don't need to meet someone like my senior brother.
The child in front of me lowered his head and scratched his head. "Fortunately, I met the Taoist priest a few years ago. He pointed me in the right direction and helped me find a stable job. I lived a peaceful life for a few years. Two years ago, I wanted to cultivate with the Taoist priest, but he wouldn't allow it, so I waited until now."
As he spoke, he grabbed Song Chunxue's arm and shook it, acting somewhat embarrassed and coquettish.
"Since we're old acquaintances, I previously thought that someone who could become a sword cultivator in just two years was incredibly impressive. But if you're Auntie, then I'm even more eager to become your disciple. Please accept me as your apprentice."
Song Chunxue chuckled helplessly, "Your attempts to be charming won't work; I can't teach you. If you're a smart child, you should become his student."
The Taoist priest sighed, feigning disappointment, and turned to walk towards the carriage outside.
"Sigh, if they don't want to, I can't just force them to become my apprentices."
Song Chunxue slapped his arm, "Did you hear that? My senior brother is willing to take you as his disciple!"
"But……"
"You silly child, your martial uncle can teach you too, but if I were to become your master, I would be misleading you." She pushed the young man, "You bumpkin, quickly recognize him as your master, and you will be his eldest disciple."
"The Taoist priest gave me a name, Wangchen," he said, touching his forehead sheepishly. "I won't be called Tudan'er anymore."
What an extraordinary name! It sounds so beautiful.
Song Chunxue laughed at him, "I think Tudan'er is pretty good, he sounds like an honest kid. Wangchen is good, but he's not very friendly."
"Besides, your senior brother has already given you a name, which means he wants to take you as his disciple. You mustn't do anything foolish," Song Chunxue said seriously. "I haven't finished my training yet, and I'll corrupt you."
The Taoist priest and He Chuan were already standing in front of the carriage.
"No rush, let the children think it over. If he doesn't want to, I'll take Changfeng and Changyun as my disciples." The Taoist priest said indifferently, "Anyway, the Taoist temple has a gate, so we'll have to take in more disciples."
Song Chunxue knew that her senior brother said that on purpose.
If he really took on disciples so casually, my senior brother wouldn't have been alone wherever he went all these years.
My senior is very picky.
They bought some layered mooncakes from Liangzhou on the street and then took a horse-drawn carriage to Jincheng.
There were two people when they arrived, and four people when they left; it was quite lively.
On the fifth day at noon, they arrived in Jincheng.
Along the way, Wang Chen talked a lot, enjoying recounting his experiences during his wanderings. Even He Chuan, who was usually quiet, was drawn into talking quite a bit.
Upon arriving in Jincheng, He Chuan had a quick meal with them at a noodle shop before heading to Zhuanglang County.
These days, the father is eager to return home, and Song Chunxue couldn't stop him.
“Mom, it’s alright. If I can’t make it into the city in time, I’ll stay in Dingxi City for one night and arrive by tomorrow morning. Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep well tonight.” He Chuan smiled sheepishly. “I miss the children and want to go back as soon as possible.”
For parents, their children are always a source of worry when they are away from home.
Song Chunxue didn't try to stop him anymore; after all, He Chuan wouldn't feel comfortable in front of his three children anyway.
It's fine to just go home.
She took a money pouch out of her bosom and handed it to him. "You must have spent a lot on the way. Don't worry about the money. As long as your family lives well, nothing else matters. Don't force things."
He Chuan stared at her blankly, "Mom, I...I understand. You don't need to give me money. Our steamed bun shop earns enough to live on."
"Take it. You'll need to hire someone to manage all that land. Don't overwork yourself. Your health is your own responsibility; it's hard to recover if you overwork yourself. Save your energy so you can live longer."
These words amused He Chuan. "Mother is absolutely right."
He didn't refuse again, and accepted it with both hands, saying, "Thank you, Mother."
He patted his bundle and said, "Thank you, Mother, for the riding whip. I'll use it often from now on."
He never knew before that if an honest man like himself suddenly knew how to resist and was unwilling to settle things peacefully, he would feel much better and have more hope for the future.
Seeing his mother-in-law become more assertive year by year, how could he continue to be the dull and foolish He Chuan?
A son-in-law is also like half a son, and he even felt that his mother-in-law treated him no worse than she treated his eldest son, Jiang Yeming.
So what if a son-in-law lives with his wife's family? He doesn't steal or rob, and he can still stand tall and be an upright person.
"Then you guys go ahead with your work, I'll buy some treats for the kids and then head back."
"Okay, let's go."
They stood there, watching He Chuan walk further and further away.
"Your aunt's son-in-law is great. You got a son for free, and he's even more well-behaved than your own son."
Song Chunxue was surprised, "You still remember?"
"Of course I remember. Back then, in winter, apart from your third child, the others were all lazy and didn't help with chores. They used studying as an excuse. I remember the eldest son needed you to take care of him. He would lie on the kang (heated brick bed) and ask for hot water. You had just come back from the mountains, and you still had to boil water and bring it to him."
At this point, he sighed, "Sanwa came back from herding sheep in the mountains wrapped in layers of tattered cotton clothes. He didn't even enter the gate before fetching water to feed the livestock. When I helped him, I told him about the eldest son's behavior, and Sanwa cried."
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