"How can Erlang compare to you? My hopes for Erlang are far less than my hopes for you! You are now the only male in the family and the only hope of our Jiao family. I hope you can pass the imperial examinations as soon as possible, bring honor to our ancestors, and one day when you are famous, Erlang will see you and come back to our side!"
Jiang Shan spoke these words with great emotion, and he felt so moved that he was even touched by his own words.
Saburo looked at his sister with teary eyes, still heartbroken, but managed to stop the tears.
"Sanlang, Yuzhou City is not far from Guyang County. Our family has a carriage, and we can get there in two days. Sister can take Mother to see you and bring you lots of delicious food."
Saburo wasn't comforted at all. The little boy had already accepted that he had been abandoned, and even if they came to see him, they wouldn't stay with him for long. Besides, his mother and sister couldn't withstand the arduous journey.
Seeing Sanlang's dejected look, Jiang Shan felt heartbroken. She hugged him tightly and said resolutely, "Sanlang, I promise you, I will definitely open Jiang's Private Kitchen in Yuzhou City, so that I can stay by your side!"
Sanlang suddenly looked up, his voice trembling with tears, and said, "Really? Don't try to fool me!"
"I'm not lying to you. Within two years, I will definitely bring Mother and Jiang's Private Kitchen to Yuzhou City to find you! But you must be patient and wait until I give birth to the baby and recover before we start making preparations. I won't keep you waiting too long. When have I ever lied to Sanlang?"
Sanlang burst into tears, "Sister, boohoo... I'll wait for you in Yuzhou City, you must come find me! And hurry!"
Outside the window, Jiao's mother covered her face with her hands, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks through her fingers.
After Jiang Shan celebrated Sanlang's seventh birthday, he received the message that the great scholar in Yuzhou had sent to Master Wu. The message also indicated that Sanlang's departure time would be set after the Lantern Festival.
It was the Spring Festival, and although the Jiao family's celebrations were not as quiet as in previous years, there wasn't much joy or excitement due to Sanlang's presence.
All the helpers had gone home for the New Year, leaving only Jiao's mother and her two children, along with Qiao's father and son. With only three days left before sending Sanlang off, Jiang Shan had personally cooked many delicious dishes that Sanlang had never tasted before.
"Let these egg tart doughs air dry for a couple of days. I'll bake them fresh for you the day you leave. They'll keep for about ten days!"
"These cupcakes can be eaten on the way, but if you don't finish them by the time you get to Yuzhou City, you can't eat them anymore, or they'll spoil and make you sick!"
"These steamed rice cakes are for your apprenticeship ceremony. They are soft, glutinous, and sweet, and both the elderly and children love to eat them."
"These two pieces of smoked meat are perfect for drinking with alcohol, but they're a bit tough on the teeth. I don't know if your master likes them. Even if he doesn't, it's still a great gift!"
"And this big bag of salted peanuts and broad beans—whoever finds them is lucky! I won't say more!"
"These dried fruits haven't been pickled long enough, so they need to be stored away from light. If you smell a sour smell, don't eat them."
"This bag of dried fish and dried shrimp has been roasted for too long, it's a bit dry. Eat less of it, or you'll hurt your teeth. By the way, when you're losing your baby teeth, you can't eat anything too hard or sticky, okay?"
Sanlang listened intently to every word, his eyes following Jiang Shan's every move, his thin lips pressed tightly together as he nodded vigorously.
"Ah, there are also these pickled vegetables... Sister Xue, why did you pack up the pickled vegetables too? Sanlang, children shouldn't eat too many pickled vegetables. It's okay to have them with porridge occasionally, but you mustn't eat too many, or they won't grow tall!"
"By the way, Mother, where are Sanlang's clothes? I remember there were two boxes packed with the Four Seasons Clothes. Where are the boxes?"
Jiang Shan's belly has grown exceptionally fast these past few days, bulging out quite a bit.
Her turning around wasn't very coordinated, which made Sanlang feel a pang of sadness.
"Sister, take a break, you've been busy all day!"
Jiang Shan supported his lower back with one hand and patted Sanlang's soft little head with the other, chuckling, "If you really care about your sister, then learn skills from the teacher and become your sister's strongest support in the future!"
Jiao's mother watched the whole time, occasionally wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, without saying much.
Hearing Jiang Shan call her, she went forward and helped her to a chair, saying, "Sanlang is still growing, so you don't need to bring so many clothes. Two sets of sleeping clothes and winter clothes will be enough. Next time we visit Sanlang, we'll buy some fashionable fabrics in Yuzhou City and ask someone to make some new clothes for him."
"Oh right, how come I didn't think of that!" Jiang Shan slapped his forehead, his eyes crinkling with laughter.
Saburo sat down next to Jiang Shan, put his arms around her, rested his head on her shoulder, and remained silent.
The little child has already learned to hide his emotions. Even though he is heartbroken, he holds back his tears and doesn't say anything that would hurt others. He is so sensible that it breaks your heart.
Jiang Shan pinched his cheek and teased, "You're already missing your sister? You'll be crying in Yuzhou City, won't you? That won't do. If you cry, your sister will sense it. When you cry, I'll be sad, and when I'm sad, I'll feel uncomfortable. Oh dear..."
"I won't cry, I promise I won't cry!" Sanlang quickly wiped away the tears in his eyes and promised Jiangshan with a tense little face.
In the courtyard, Wang Si Niang received another package of tonics; this was the third time!
More than half a month ago, Fu Qiyuan received a letter from someone going to the capital. He came to say goodbye to Jiao's mother and son and brought them many bags of tonics.
Jiang Shan wanted to go back, but couldn't find the person in charge, so Jiao's mother stayed and, following the doctor's advice, nourished Jiang Shan's body.
Who knew that after the first time, there would be a second and a third.
The servants who brought the gifts sometimes said they were from Prince Li Minghe, and sometimes from Fu Qiyuan, so Madam Jiao decided to accept them all.
After taking the supplements, Jiangshan's energy and spirit improved significantly, the swelling in his legs subsided, and he looked much more energetic than before.
Jiang Shan once suspected that she might be pregnant with twins, and even went to ask Manager Yan, who gave him a negative answer.
Although it wasn't twins, Dr. Yan said the baby in her belly had a good appetite and was quite big.
Isn't this going to kill people? Jiang Shan is in a panic, he's practically on the verge of a hunger strike.
Later, Wang Si Niang gave her an idea: eat less nutritious food and take more medicine to nourish blood and qi and strengthen the body.
Faced with life and death, Jiang Shan decisively abandoned his affectation and began to eat the precious medicinal herbs that Fu Qiyuan had given him.
Later, she secretly consulted a doctor and calculated that what she had eaten was worth more than all of their family's current assets!
She admitted that she felt a little guilty at that moment.
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