In the evening, Jiang Sen returned home and nodded in approval upon seeing Zhou Xing following behind Jiang Chan, and then observing Zhou Shan and the others, he said, “In the future, I’ll rely on you all to take care of Xiao Chan’s shop.”
Zhou Shan couldn’t help but feel intimidated, knowing that the Master was a Juren, which made his heart surge with excitement. He never expected that the head of the household would actually be a Juren. In the future, if Zhou Wen wanted to study, he could go to Jiang Sen for advice.
In time, Zhou Wen could be redeemed and sent to school. This thought briefly crossed Zhou Shan’s mind, but future plans would have to wait until everything was settled.
That evening, Jiang Sen’s family of three was just about to start dinner when someone knocked on the door—it was Jiang Miao. Indeed, he was right on time, arriving just at mealtime.
It was Jiang Chan’s first encounter with Jiang Miao, not counting the memories of her former self. She had been adopted out from Jiang Mu’s family over half a month ago, and Jiang Miao had been busy studying at the academy without any breaks.
Jiang Miao, sixteen years old, looked scholarly and thin, dressed in an academic robe, appearing as quite the handsome youth.
Jiang Chan greeted Jiang Miao casually before turning her attention to talk earnestly with Lin Shi, having a poor impression of him since he had never spoken up for her at home.
Even when the original owner was beaten and sought help, Jiang Miao had turned a blind eye to it. Wasn’t such behavior utterly disheartening?
Jiang Miao stated his purpose for the visit, and Jiang Sen agreed readily. After all, he had promised to help Jiang Miao with his studies before the exams. It was last-minute preparations, but necessary.
Seeing Lin Shi caring for Jiang Chan, holding her hands joyfully, Jiang Miao frowned slightly. It seemed his younger sister was indeed living well in her uncle’s home, just as his little sister had said, forgetting her own parents upon finding new ones.
The dishes on the table—three dishes and one soup—were all novel delicacies from the Mingyue Tower, indicating that Jiang Chan truly lived well in Jiang Sen’s home. Such daily feasts of meat and fish were unimaginable in the village.
After thinking through these convoluted thoughts, Jiang Miao ate his fill before following Jiang Sen to the study. Just before leaving, he saw Lin Shi taking Jiang Chan’s hand: “I made a new set of clothes for you yesterday. Shall we go to the room and try them on now?”
Jiang Chan replied helplessly, “Mother, I already have enough clothes, and I am still growing. What will we do if they no longer fit later?”
Her mother was treating her like a doll, constantly thinking about making her new clothes—not making them herself, but choosing novel designs at the shop for others to tailor and deliver.
Lin Shi playfully scolded, “I just enjoy dressing you up. We had such hard times before; I must pamper you more now.”
When Jiang Miao’s footsteps showed a moment of panic, Lin Shi smiled satisfactorily. Jiang Chan couldn’t help but laugh and cry, “Why bother getting upset with a stranger? It’s not worth it.”
Lin Shi was amused by Jiang Chan’s reference to an outsider. She tapped Jiang Chan’s nose, “You see him as an outsider, but he might not have given up yet. You don’t know how often he looks at you, as if others don’t understand his intentions.”
Warmed by Lin Shi’s defense, Jiang Chan frowned, “Mother, isn’t your birthday coming up in a few days? I will definitely prepare a big surprise for you.”
Lin Shi laughed, “Good, I’ll be waiting. For now, let’s go back to the room and try on the new clothes. We can have them altered if they don’t fit.”
The mother and daughter walked affectionately to the side room, with Zhou Xing looking to follow. Jiang Chan waved her off, “You should head back and rest early; you’ve had a tiring day too.”
As Zhou Xing ran off, Lin Shi glanced at Jiang Chan, “Xiao Chan is truly kind-hearted.”
Jiang Chan blushed slightly, “She’s even younger than me; I feel bad having such a young child serve me.”
Lin Shi and Jiang Chan tried on clothes in the side room while Jiang Sen guided Jiang Miao in his writing in the study. Jiang Miao had never been to Jiang Sen’s study before; he noticed a comfortable reading nook in one corner, presumably Lin Shi’s regular spot.
After examining Jiang Miao’s work, Jiang Sen nodded, “You have a solid grasp of knowledge; it seems you’ve put in the effort. The academy hasn’t broken for the holidays yet, so come here after class each day. I’ll help you draft a couple of essays before you return to the academy.”
Jiang Miao was surprised—didn’t his uncle’s house have spare rooms? Why not let him stay? But being a schemer, he kept his thoughts to himself.
“When are you heading to the provincial city? Has your father given you enough funds?”
“All set for five days from now,” Jiang Miao replied properly, and Jiang Sen nodded, selecting two books from the shelf for him, “Take these back to the academy to read. After reading, write two essays and show them to me.”
Once Jiang Miao acknowledged this, Jiang Sen sent him away. After Jiang Miao left, Jiang Sen frowned. It seemed that the son of the third family was quite scheming. I’m afraid he won’t stick to the right path.
Shaking his head, he left the study, preferring the warmth of the room in the cold weather.
Wu Shi and her two daughters occupied a separate room, the two sisters sleeping close together, whispered to each other.
“Sister, the sponge cakes were really delicious,” Zhou Xing cuddled against Zhou Yue’s arm, nuzzling her head on her sister’s arm.
“Yes, I never imagined they could be so tasty,” Zhou Yue reminisced about the sponge cakes they had earlier that afternoon. The young lady had mentioned that she always sampled the cakes fresh from the oven to know what improvements were needed.
While not as tasty as those made by Li Ma, Zhou Yue felt these were a rare treat. Thinking of Li Ma’s claim that the young lady had developed the recipes herself and then taught her, Zhou Yue imagined how delicious the young lady’s baking must be.
“When will we get to taste the cakes made by the young lady herself?” Zhou Yue murmured, Wu Shi patting her shoulder lightly, “What are you thinking? Why would the young lady bake herself?”
Unconvinced, Zhou Yue argued, “Li Ma said the dim sum recipes were all developed by the young lady herself before she taught them to her, she’s really amazing.”
Zhou Yue is someone with a patient mind and also enjoys tinkering with food. Regarding Jiang Chan’s skill in making these dim sums, Zhou Yue admires it very much.
“I must make some dim sums well for the young lady, she’s truly remarkable,” Zhou Yue clenched her fists, eyes sparkling, as Wu Shi blew out the candle and lay down in the dark.
Rubbing her sore arms, Wu Shi felt reassured by Li Ma’s words—the vigorous beating of eggs was indeed exhausting. Fortunately, she had a lot of help in the kitchen that afternoon, or she would have been utterly worn out.
Thinking of Zhou Shan and Zhou Wen enjoying the dim sum they made, Wu Shi was filled with renewed vigor, a sweet smile on her face as she drifted off to sleep…
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