CHAPTER 140: CHAPTER 138: JEALOUSY (5 UPDATES)

Granny Song was so angry her eyes flipped, and she slammed the door as she went inside.

When Old Song came back, she glared at him, "He’s gone?"

Old Song coughed and said, "It’s not easy for Brother Lu to come all the way here, let him stay for two days, okay?"

Seeing Old Song take the keys to open the west room, Granny Song quickly called him, "Where are you going?"

"Isn’t there an empty room next to Third Son’s place in the west room? I’ll tidy it up and let Brother Lu stay there temporarily."

Seeing Granny Song still looking annoyed, Old Song persuaded her, "Don’t keep that angry face. After all, he’s Third Son’s teacher. If we mistreat him, when Third Son finds out, won’t he hate us as his parents?"

Granny Song said, "I’m not not letting him stay, I’m just afraid he’ll sneak into the study when I’m not looking and take Third Son’s treasures. Didn’t you hear him say? He came especially for the treasures. Third Son spoke clearly before he left, and I agreed. If I can’t even keep an eye on the study, when he finds out, he’ll really hate me as his mother!"

"That won’t happen." Old Song assured, "I asked, he won’t take anything on his own, he’s just waiting for you to give it to him!"

"Can I give it to him?" Granny Song rolled her eyes, "Unless Third Son says so, he shouldn’t expect anything."

Old Song said no more and went out of the main room to tidy up a room for Old Man Lu.

Old Man Lu indeed didn’t stand on ceremony, directly moved in, had a restful afternoon nap, and got up just in time for dinner.

At the dinner table, Old Man Lu grumbled, "That rascal Song Wei, went to the Capital without informing his teacher, does he take me as a thief and guard against me?"

Granny Song asked him, "What exactly did you come here for, what treasure?"

Old Man Lu said, "A painting. If young lady, you can decide to give it to me, I’ll pack up and leave immediately."

"That’s impossible." Granny Song refused flat-out, "Third Son said before he left, no one gets it."

"Then I’ll pay for it."

"Not for sale at any price!"

"Hey! Is your family against money?" Initially thought Song Wei was a stubborn donkey, didn’t expect his mother was even more stubborn, this whole family, it’s hereditary?

"Third Son already said it’s not for sale. If you insist, then you’re against me, the old woman."

Old Man Lu sipped his wine contentedly, squinting his eyes in enjoyment, "I say, for that rascal to present me with a painting among so many treasures he’s got isn’t too much, right?"

"Not too much." Granny Song nodded, "If you can find a way to get him to speak, not to mention a painting, even if you move the whole study, I’ll have nothing to say."

Old Man Lu snorted lightly, Song Wei’s mouth was like stone. If it could be pried open, he’d have already gotten the painting, wouldn’t have to linger here. "Since the young lady won’t agree, we’ll just keep dragging it out!"

Granny Song looked defiant, "With the New Year coming in a few months, I refuse to believe you won’t return home."

"You guessed it right." Old Man Lu raised his eyebrows, downed some wine, "If I don’t get the painting, I’ll just spend the New Year with you guys."

Granny Song: "..."

——

Ever since Old Man Lu moved into the Song family home, he and Old Song hit it off instantly, sitting together for a drink and chat every few days.

Over time, it spread around the village.

Whenever Granny Song went out, people would ask her who that old man staying at their house was.

Granny Song didn’t say he was Third Son’s teacher, she just called him a relative.

She knew the villagers’ nature. If she said he was a teacher, they’d definitely pry until the end. If the secret about Third Son’s treasures in the study got out, how many thieves would eye it then?

Last time, because of Third Son’s wife’s dowry, the whole Zhou family was on alert, and who knows how many eyes would gather this time!

The villagers also asked when Third Son would return.

Granny Song didn’t hide it, stating next year, for the township exam in September, probably arriving at the end of August.

Ever since Song Wei went to Beijing, villagers stretched their necks in anticipation, waiting for Song Wei to come back and rank as a scholar, bring pride to the village. Hearing Granny Song’s words, they felt relieved, their expressions just like seeing a money tree.

Granny Song knew the villagers had sweet mouths, but she didn’t know what they were really plotting. She enjoyed being flattered, even if it was just flattery. It felt nice to hear, after all, she had a successful son!

Others might want to have one too, but not everyone has the capability!

——

Granny Song didn’t relent, and Old Man Lu didn’t forcibly take anything. Instead, he stayed comfortably at the Song family house, getting good treatment from Granny Song.

The Second Lang’s wife privately mocked her mother-in-law, saying she wasn’t willing to help out in the fields for a day, but now she’s brought a "Bodhisattva" home to serve with good food and drink every day, even more energetically than caring for her father-in-law.

Granny Song was also at a loss, she’d never seen such a person who wouldn’t leave for a broken painting, living at someone else’s house counting the months. Despite his age, he wasn’t embarrassed at all. If it weren’t for the fact that he was Third Son’s teacher, Granny Song would have rolled up her sleeves and kicked him out long ago.

The year-end was approaching, but Old Man Lu still showed no intention of leaving.

The town school was on vacation, and after Song Yuanbao came back, he used the study more often.

One day, Old Song took a job and went out to work. Granny Song was digging radishes in the vegetable garden. When she came back and saw the study door open, Song Yuanbao was still inside reading, not having changed his posture at all.

Granny Song put the radishes in the kitchen, quickly went to the main room to check, and found that Old Man Lu, who was sitting there earlier, was gone. She hurried out to the west room to take a look, but there was still no one.

Granny Song thought something was wrong, turned around, and went to the study. Standing at the door, she asked Song Yuanbao, "Yuanbao, did you see Old Man Lu?"

Song Yuanbao responded with an "oh" and said, "Grandpa Lu left."

"Left?" Granny Song’s voice elevated, "Where did he go?"

Song Yuanbao truthfully said, "Grandpa Lu came to the study earlier, and a painting fell from the wall. When he picked it up, he said he’d borrow it to copy and would return it later."

Granny Song was extremely anxious, "You... you agreed?"

"Yes." Song Yuanbao nodded, "Grandpa Lu is dad’s teacher, so he’s my grand teacher, I couldn’t refuse him!"

"Oh, my silly grandson, you’ve ruined your dad’s important matter this time."

Song Yuanbao pursed his lips. He deliberately gave the painting to Old Man Lu. Who told his dad to be away for so long without writing home? Now that the painting is gone, let’s see if he panics!

That night, when Old Song returned, Granny Song narrated the incident to get his opinion.

Old Song took a puff of dry tobacco, "I say, let’s pretend it never happened. Don’t make it public for now. When Third Son returns next year, we’ll let him know. By then, he’ll handle it himself and find his teacher. Now that the person is gone, where do we go looking?

As for writing a letter to Beijing to tell Third Son, that’s not very appropriate. Third Son is studying hard for the exams. As his parents, we can’t help much and shouldn’t be holding him back, right? Sending a letter would only distract him. Without focus, how would he take the scholar exam next year?"

Granny Song got a headache from his words, "Alright, shut up! I came to you for advice, and all you did was babble uselessly. Since you also said not to tell Third Son, I’ll just pretend nothing happened. You don’t make it public, and let’s continue as usual."

—

A letter came from the Capital, during the busy end-of-year period, and if delivered through the usual channels, it wouldn’t return within a month.

Fortunately, Xu Shu was kind-hearted, knowing Song Wei wanted to send a letter home, he specifically found someone to deliver it. In seven or eight days, it came into Granny Song’s hands.

The elderly couple couldn’t read, so they immediately asked Song Yuanbao to read it to them.

Song Yuanbao stared at the envelope for a long while before slowly opening it, reading it aloud in the main room.

Song Wei was sullen and not talkative at home, but his first letter back home was thorough. He wrote several pages, first greeting his parents and Yuanbao, then assuring the family of his safety. He mentioned they bought a small courtyard in a hutong shortly after arriving in the Capital. Though not as spacious as home, it offered shelter, and in a place as valuable as the Capital, they had temporarily settled.

Regarding hiring a doctor for Wen Wan’s throat treatment, Song Wei didn’t mention it in the letter, probably due to the uncertainty of the cure, fearing to cause false hope.

At the end of the letter, he urged Song Yuanbao to study hard at the town school. The Imperial College’s learning environment and faculty were unmatched, and attending there for a year or two made the scholar exam a sure thing.

Seeing how much his father cared in the letter, Song Yuanbao’s months of pent-up resentment slowly faded, and a smile finally appeared on his face.

Song Wei also wrote a similar consolatory letter to the Ningzhou Prefecture School.

Hao Yun was studying there.

Song Wei said little else, opening with a simple greeting followed immediately by the main topic. The letter was several pages long, thicker than the family letter, describing the Imperial College’s environment, courses, and leave policy for Hao Yun.

There wasn’t a single boastful word about himself, nor did he tell Hao Yun that his outstanding entrance exam results allowed him to skip a grade and enter the second-year inner class directly.

Moreover, Song Wei even sent a few useful books to Hao Yun.

True to his usual steady gentlemanly style.

But to Hao Yun, not bragging was the biggest boast for Song Wei, acting all modest having gained an advantage, as hypocritical as could be.

Halfway through, Hao Yun’s eyes were red with hatred, tearing the letter into pieces, gritting from his teeth, "Song Wei!"

It was just a few months of study at the Imperial College, what’s there to be proud of?

Diligence can compensate for clumsiness; if Song Wei studies for a few hours a day, he will double it. Next year’s provincial exams, he’ll surpass Song Wei and see how long this favored Imperial College’s scholarship student can stay proud!