Wen Wan and her mother-in-law discussed for quite a while, deciding to na the baby "Jinbao" as a nickna, leaving the proper na for her husband to choose upon returning.
As for Jinbao, naming a child with gold and silver is too vulgar.
Granny Song had no objections.
Why didn’t she object? Mainly because she thought, given she had a promising son, her grandson’s na should be impactful, letting people know right away that he will be successful. Nas like Jinbao and Jinbao are too common in the village.
Wen Wan had just given birth and couldn’t sit for long, so she held the baby for a while before lying down on the bed and falling asleep.
Granny Song quietly closed the door; Old Song had already received the news, dropping the furniture he was making halfway to rush ho.
Upon seeing Granny Song, he hurriedly asked how the Third Lang’s wife was doing and if the little grandson was robust.
Granny Song glared at him, "Just born and only as big as a palm, how robust can he be?"
After a pause, she continued, "But from just a glance, Jinbao seems to be atier than when our three sons were born. No wonder, when I was pregnant with our eldest son, I was still working in the fields and eating rough food without nutrition nearly until delivery. Born like a big rat, how aty could he be?"
Old Song was speechless about his wife’s comparison of their newborn son to a big rat, "What did you just say? Jinbao? Who picked that na?"
Granny Song asked him, "Old man, does it sound impactful to you?"
Old Song was silent for a mont, then said, "Sounds like firecrackers going off, crackling and snapping, like ’attract wealth and treasures.’ It’s quite impactful; the na isn’t bad."
Granny Song: "..."
Luckily, she had foresight, listening to the Third Lang’s wife’s advice and not using Jinbao as the formal na. Otherwise, when the child grew up, if soone called him, wouldn’t they have to add a prefix ’attract wealth’?
In the evening, Song Erlang returned from town, bringing a basket of eggs, two old hens, plus brown sugar and dried fruits.
When the Second Lang’s wife saw him unloading items one by one from the ox cart, she thought they were bought for their own family and felt delighted. But when she saw Song Erlang moving them next door, she beca anxious, "What are you doing? Just giving them away for free?"
Song Erlang replied, "Mother asked to go to the Wen Family in town to deliver the news. Uncle Wen bought these things and said to bring them back for the third sister-in-law to nourish her body. Don’t act on it; Wen Family Aunt just took the ti to co serve during the month. If she finds out, where would we put our face?"
When ntioning Mrs. Zhou, the Second Lang’s wife had a hard expression.
The person who used to look down on her suddenly beca a boss lady, moving the whole family to town, living a life of luxury.
Looking at herself, ever since she wished for a son, the mute sister-in-law has added a child to the Song family, while she hasn’t even seen a trace of one.
Other families are getting better and better, while hers is becoming tighter; spending a few copper coins feels like scraping them from nail beds.
The more the Second Lang’s wife thought, the more she felt life at ho was difficult.
Song Erlang, straightforward in thought and action, unable to pick up on his wife’s feelings, humd and hawed while moving the items next door, telling his mother that Wen Family’s stepmother was also coming.
Granny Song had just picked up the eggs to take them to the kitchen when she heard Song Erlang’s words and turned to ask, "Is she deciding to co by herself?"
Song Erlang said, "Uncle Wen asked her to co."
Granny Song didn’t like Mrs. Zhou, but as the daughter is in confinent, having family co to serve is thoughtful; there’s no reason to chase them away.
Granny Song didn’t rush to inquire further, and Song Erlang said, "Mother, I can help you slaughter the chickens."
"You wait a few days for your father to do it." ca Granny Song’s voice from the kitchen, "The Third Lang’s wife just gave birth, her appetite isn’t good, cooking broth now she wouldn’t be able to swallow."
Song Erlang asked again, "Did you send a letter to the Third Lang?"
Granny Song beca worried at the ntion, "Without Yuanbao here, I haven’t decided who to ask to write it. If we hire soone, we can’t read. If the writing is poor, what then?"
Song Erlang thought his mother’s point of concern was misplaced, "Isn’t this needless worry? Spend a few copper coins, hire soone in town to write it. They’re all scholars; whatever you say, they’ll write. How could it be poor?"
Granny Song originally hadn’t planned to write to Song Wei; she gave this answer as an excuse and was too lazy to explain to Song Erlang.
After Song Erlang’s words, Granny Song changed her mind, "I’ll go to town with your father later."
That night Granny Song ntioned this to Wen Wan. Wen Wan didn’t agree, feeling that family matters, whether good or bad, shouldn’t distract the husband. If he fails the exams because of a letter, they’d be dragging him down. If he doesn’t do well, writing only makes him annoyed.
Granny Song asked, "So, say nothing?"
Wen Wan nodded, "The exams are on March 8th. If he hasn’t passed, he’d be ho already. It’s late April, soon May. He hasn’t returned or even sent a letter, which ans he hasn’t finished yet. Since he hasn’t finished, he must have passed the provincial exams and is waiting for the imperial exams.
The palace examination is the final hurdle of the imperial exam, extrely important and cannot be taken lightly. Writing to him now would only affect him, so we should simply refrain from writing and wait for news from my husband."
Wen Wan had not long recovered and felt a little dry in her throat after saying so much in one breath.
Granny Song quickly prepared half a bowl of honey water for her.
Wen Wan drank it all and felt much more comfortable.
In fact, after she spoke for a long ti, Granny Song didn’t really understand much, but only rembered one sentence: whether good or bad, writing to Third Son now would affect him, so better not to write.
As for what the palace or tropolitan exams were, it was too far away, fundantally unknown.
So when people outside asked, Granny Song simply replied that her son had gone to the Capital to take exams.
However, not understanding didn’t stop Granny Song from wanting to give her daughter-in-law a thumbs-up.
Having stayed in the Capital for a year, the experience was different; articulate and impressive, even if she didn’t understand it herself.
——
Mrs. Zhou arrived at the Song family the next day, embarrassed to co empty-handed, so she brought a few pounds of sweets.
Granny Song accepted the sweets, exchanged so pleasantries, and then led her to the west room.
Wen Wan’s milk ducts were not clear yet; she was holding Jinbao trying to nurse him when she heard the door open. Hastily, she pulled down her clothes to cover herself, then set her son aside.
Seeing Mrs. Zhou, Wen Wan pulled a slight smile and softly called, "Mother-in-law."
Mrs. Zhou was astonished, "Earlier outside, your mother-in-law said you could speak again, but I didn’t believe it. Now I truly hear it. Wan Niang, what dicine did you take to recover?"
Wen Wan shook her head, not wanting to explain the matters of the Capital to her stepmother, simply saying, "When giving birth to Jinbao, I almost had a difficult delivery; it was so painful, I just cried out."
Mrs. Zhou thought, which woman doesn’t cry out during childbirth? Her stepdaughter recovering her speech this way seed reasonable enough, so she didn’t ask further questions, moving to sit beside her, saying she wanted to hold Jinbao.
Newborns change significantly even though they are right under your eyes; in just two or three days, they start showing so form and didn’t look as unattractive as when they were just born.
Mrs. Zhou took him, looked, and laughed, saying the eyes resembled Third Son’s.
Wen Wan smiled; it was too early to tell whom he resembled, but according to her mother-in-law, Jinbao was much like her husband as a child, only crying when hungry, otherwise just eating and sleeping peacefully.
Wen Wan felt that Jinbao must have inherited so traits from her husband.
Just a few days old, the little one didn’t recognize people, and didn’t mind who held him. Lazily nestled in Mrs. Zhou’s arms, he opened his deep black eyes, glanced around, and seemingly bored, yawned and continued to sleep.
Seeing this, Mrs. Zhou praised Jinbao for being well-behaved, unlike Shunzi, who would cry loudly the mont he woke up, as if afraid nobody would hear him.
Wen Wan glanced at Mrs. Zhou, noticing her clothing and accessories were much more refined and better than before, indicating their life in the county town was going well.
"Mother-in-law, how’s your business in the county?" Wen Wan asked aloud.
Mrs. Zhou replied, "Your father used to peddle small goods on the streets; he knows the market and supply chains. All the odds and ends are handled by him, I just oversee the shop and sell items. The business is doing okay."
Wen Wan thought it made sense; if the business wasn’t doing well, Mrs. Zhou wouldn’t be living so comfortably. After nearly a year in the county, her complexion had even lightened.
——
While Wen Wan was at ho counting the days during her confinent, the examiners for the palace exam in the Capital were in a heated argunt.
The cause was Song Wei.
Without Wen Wan around, he had been struggling since the tropolitan exam, but suddenly perford exceptionally in the palace exam, writing an essay that many examiners thought should be chosen as the top scholar.
Emperor Guangxi was troubled, again cursing, when the kid is timid, he scores low, but when he’s not, he directly aims for the top scholar?
That essay left the other candidates far behind, and examiners felt it should be chosen for the top scholar. If Emperor Guangxi placed him lower, it would surely raise questions.
After two days of headaches, he made a direct decision, appointing him as the third-place scholar.
Facing the confused looks from the examiners, Emperor Guangxi casually gave an explanation, "Because he is good-looking."
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