Chapter 7: No Need to Write a Review, No Need at All

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Xin Niang cheerfully and earnestly packed up all the little toys that Yun Ge’er had gathered and placed them in a small basket. She said, “Yun Ge’er, watch carefully, mother has put them all here.” Yun Ge’er reached out his tiny hand and patted Xin Niang’s hand encouragingly.

Bu Shi, holding Yi Ge’er, couldn’t help but chuckle. Such childish words and innocence always brought delight.

After Xin Niang had the maid tidy up the rush mat, Yun Ge’er yawned. He had now developed the habit of taking a nap and would get sleepy on his own when the time came.

Xin Niang lifted Yun Ge’er in her arms, greeted Bu Shi, and then left.

Having played all morning, the sun outside grew increasingly fierce. The little pavilion had become stifling with summer heat, making it impossible to stay any longer.

Back in the room, Xin Niang carefully put away the basket of toys. After coaxing Yun Ge’er to sleep, she picked up her needle and thread to start sewing.

This time, she crafted a little tiger pouch. Xin Niang’s skills had been taught by her mother when she was young. Her family was well-off then; her mother not only taught her simple poetry and literature but also wisely instructed her early on in household management and handicrafts.

Thinking of her mother, Xin Niang’s mood darkened slightly.

But the past could not be reclaimed. Looking down at the little fortunate child lying on the bed, Xin Niang’s spirits lifted a bit, and she worked on the little tiger pouch with even greater care.

Only after the clumsy little tiger was fully embroidered onto the pouch did Xin Niang put away her needle and quietly place the pouch into the small basket.

Every time, one toy from the basket was given to Yi Ge’er, but Yun Ge’er always had one as well. Wasn’t it that Xin Niang secretly added new ones each time?

Yun Ge’er slept soundly until evening, waking up with his stomach rumbling.

As expected, dinner was shared with Li Fu and Yi Ge’er. After the meal, Li Fu, probably eager to get back to work, carried both children—Yi Ge’er and Yun Ge’er—into the study.

Since Li Fu had experience caring for Yun Ge’er before, Xin Niang and Bu Shi felt at ease letting him take them away.

But then Li Fu realized he had been careless.

Today, on a sudden whim, he wanted to cultivate the children’s knowledge early, inspired by the mistaken impression Yun Ge’er had given him—that the children were easy to manage, neither crying nor fussing, and though they couldn’t understand the books, they would still look at them seriously.

Li Fu seldom held children, let alone the lively Yi Ge’er.

Yi Ge’er almost cried when Li Fu picked him up, but seeing his little companion Yun Ge’er quietly observing with calm curiosity, Yi Ge’er refrained from crying.

This gave Li Fu even more confidence.

Yet, he did not anticipate that once in the study, placing the two children on the empty couch, Yi Ge’er would feel unsettled by the unfamiliar surroundings and start crawling around.

Yun Ge’er, now quite interested in Li Fu’s documents, wanted to crawl over and see if he could recognize any of the writing.

But Yi Ge’er crawling everywhere was dangerous.

Sigh.

Yun Ge’er’s little face scrunched up as he sighed like an adult, then crawled over to find Yi Ge’er.

Yi Ge’er was obedient to his little friend; after Yun Ge’er patted him on the head, he quieted down.

But just as he calmed, Yi Ge’er sniffled and began to cry softly, gradually growing louder.

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The study was too unfamiliar, and Bu Shi was nowhere to be found.

Since birth, Yi Ge’er had never been apart from Bu Shi for so long.

Yi Ge’er was tough, but his cries became piercing and loud, making everyone anxious and irritated, worried he might cry himself ill.

The sudden outburst startled Li Fu. Turning around, he saw his elder son sitting and crying heart-wrenchingly, while the younger son sighed and patted his brother’s shoulder, as if comforting him.

Li Fu rubbed his brow. He was a stern and serious man who disliked noise.

But what could he do? It was his son crying, after all.

Li Fu had no choice but to put down his pen and try to soothe Yi Ge’er. However, Yi Ge’er’s cries only grew louder, tears and snot flowing uncontrollably.

It was already a hot day. Li Fu, usually composed, now perspired from frustration and worry over the incessant crying.

Unable to calm him, Li Fu hastily summoned the maids. One maid took each child, carrying them to Xin Niang and Bu Shi.

Li Fu, now thoroughly annoyed, lost interest in holding Yun Ge’er as well.

When the maid took Yun Ge’er away, he sighed again.

Mother had said that Father had sought someone to align his and Yi Ge’er’s fortunes. Yi Ge’er’s was better; he was destined to be a great general or high official, while Yun Ge’er was just an ordinary person.

Yun Ge’er didn’t care. He didn’t want to compete. If Yi Ge’er became a great official, then he wouldn’t have to struggle.

Xin Niang seemed a little disappointed when she said this, but quickly embraced him, saying it was fine for him to be ordinary. He could leave all the fighting and killing to Yi Ge’er. After all, the one they worried about was Bu Shi.

But Yun Ge’er seriously doubted this. Yi Ge’er was so silly when they played together, and today he was frightened by Father’s study. Could Yi Ge’er really become a formidable general?

With this doubt, Yun Ge’er was handed back to Xin Niang by the maid.

After that, probably annoyed by Yi Ge’er’s crying, Li Fu stopped taking the two children to the study for lessons after dinner for some time.

Yun Ge’er frowned, feeling it a pity. He still wanted to verify if his father’s writing was in regular script, and how many characters he could recognize. But now he couldn’t go to the study.

Yet, he couldn’t see any books elsewhere either.

Still, Yun Ge’er’s mind was filled with all sorts of strange thoughts. More importantly, he focused on practicing walking and quietly teaching Yi Ge’er to speak. Soon, he forgot about regular script and characters altogether.

Yun Ge’er quietly persevered. One day, Bu Shi sent Xin Niang two pots of especially beautiful chrysanthemums in full bloom.

Only then did Yun Ge’er realize that autumn had arrived.

Bu Shi’s family were small-time merchants. Since Liangzhou bordered the Qiang and Hu tribes, though often harassed and robbed by outsiders, the horse trade was lucrative.

A single low-quality horse from the Qiang and Hu, if successfully transported to the Central Plains, could yield dozens of times the profit.

Of course, Bu Shi’s family didn’t engage in such large-scale business.

They mainly followed the big merchants trading horses, reselling some animal pelts and daily necessities from the Central Plains. After deducting expenses and commissions to the big merchants, their income was modest. Moreover, Bu Shi’s family was small; she had only one younger brother named Bu Zhao.

Bu Shi’s marriage to Li Fu added some official prestige to her family. Her brother was close to her, often visiting upon returning from business trips to Long County, bringing gifts.

This time, after being away for over half a year when Bu Shi gave birth to Yi Ge’er, her brother returned and brought numerous gifts, including several pots of especially beautiful chrysanthemums. Having heard that Li Fu was a refined man who likely enjoyed admiring chrysanthemums during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Bu Zhao had specially procured them.

After entertaining her brother, Bu Shi accepted all the gifts. The exquisite chrysanthemums were sent to Li Fu. Thinking that Yi Ge’er was especially obedient to Yun Ge’er, though she need not curry favor with Xin Niang, for her son’s sake, she chose two fine pots to give to Xin Niang.

Because of this, early one morning when Yun Ge’er awoke, he saw two pots of golden chrysanthemums placed before him.

“Yun Ge’er, look, do you like them?” Xin Niang smiled, holding him closer so he could get a good look at the flowers.

Yun Ge’er moved, and the tinkling sound of the longevity lock he wore rang softly.

He was easy to care for and healthy.

Since his birth in early spring, Yi Ge’er had been sturdy but once suffered from diarrhea in summer, frightening Bu Shi. Fortunately, he recovered.

Yun Ge’er, however, had never been ill. Even his emerging baby teeth were pure white, and he was eating with increasing relish.

Still, Xin Niang worried, so she told Li Fu to buy a longevity lock for Yun Ge’er to wear, to strengthen his vitality.

Li Fu bought two, one for Yi Ge’er as well.

Yun Ge’er grinned, gently touching the chrysanthemum petals. Unlike other children who might be careless and tear the flowers off, he was very careful.

Xin Niang felt relieved.

Sure enough, Yun Ge’er was cautious and didn’t damage a single flower. But he truly adored the chrysanthemums. After touching them a few times, he stopped, fearing he might harm them, and then simply gazed at the flowers, softly cooing for Xin Niang to place them carefully.

“All right, mother will put the flowers in Yun Ge’er’s room and won’t let anyone touch them,” Xin Niang said, thinking it a small matter. After all, the chrysanthemums had been gifts for Yun Ge’er.

But Yun Ge’er shook his head vigorously. Though he loved the chrysanthemums, he didn’t want to keep them in his room.

The room was too stuffy. Such beautiful flowers would likely wither if locked indoors.

In the end, Xin Niang moved the two exquisite pots to the small courtyard, where Yun Ge’er happily admired them all afternoon.

Yun Ge’er must have truly taken to those chrysanthemums, as every morning he would go to look at them.

When Yi Ge’er came to play, Yun Ge’er would coo and point at the flowers. Yi Ge’er didn’t understand the appreciation but cooperated. When Yun Ge’er pointed, he sat on the rush mat, waving his hands joyfully and laughing softly.

Yun Ge’er didn’t just show the flowers to Yi Ge’er; he also showed them to Xin Niang’s maid and Bu Shi’s maid. When Li Fu came to hold him, he proudly pointed at the flowers, as if to boast that these two were the finest.

One day, Li Fu suddenly understood Yun Ge’er’s eager expression. He crouched beside him, admiring the flowers together, and tentatively praised Yun Ge’er’s blooms.

Yun Ge’er had waited several days and finally heard praise for his flowers. He was instantly overjoyed.

That night, content, Yun Ge’er fell asleep and dreamed once more. In his dream, after Li Fu praised his flowers, he asked Yun Ge’er to write ten essays reflecting on chrysanthemums.