sjar Chapter 345 Aunt and Mistress Raising Stepson 12
Chapter 345 Aunt and Mistress Raising Stepson 12
On the return journey, the wooden wheels of the carriage made a crackling sound as they rolled over the gravel.
Sirong leaned against the car window, her fingertips deftly turning a grass stem, and a lifelike grasshopper leaped into her palm. Pan Di lay on the cushion, staring at it with sparkling eyes. Even Shen Junyao couldn't help but glance at it twice.
"Pandi," Sirong suddenly said, her voice as soft as the breeze passing through the car curtains, "Can I change your name?"
Pan Di sat up straight suddenly, and the grasshopper she was weaving almost fell to the ground. "Great!" She nodded impatiently.
During the few days on the way back, the timid Pan Di has slowly regained her childish nature and acted like a little girl.
I don't like the name Pan Di, and many people in the county town call him that. There are several people called that in the alley where I live.
She curled her lips, as if finally having a chance to complain, "Last time, my mother called me home for dinner at the alley entrance, but three 'Pandi' suddenly ran out, and she was so angry."
Sirong chuckled and reached out to straighten her crooked hairband.
Tenderness shone in her eyes, and she dipped her fingertips in tea and wrote on the table: "What do you think of this word 'tang'? The crabapple has no fragrance, but it is the most tenacious, can withstand wind and rain, and has a long flowering period."
"Shen Tang..." Pan Di, no, it's time to call me Shen Tang. She whispered softly and suddenly threw herself into Si Rong's arms. "I like it! It sounds much better than Pan Di!"
Outside the car window, wild crabapples in the twilight were passing by my eyes, and the pink and white petals of the trees floated into the stream, swirling away with the waves.
The carriage swayed slightly, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the gauze curtains, casting mottled light and shadows on Shen Junyao's knuckles.
He looked at the crabapple petals drifting with the current, and in a trance he seemed to hear again the drunken Shen Shishan shouting at the top of his lungs in the dilapidated thatched hut, "Go cubs, chop wood!"
Shen Junyao suddenly chuckled, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the newly embroidered cloud pattern on his belt: "Shen Tang...what a nice name."
Shen Tang suddenly stuffed the whole cake into his hand: "Jun Yao, eat this! When I was in the village, the old lady next door always called me a money-loser..." Her eyes lit up surprisingly. "But now I am Tang'er, a name my aunt gave me from the Book of Songs!"
"Does Junyao like his name?"
"I like it. It sounds much better than puppy!"
Sirong chuckled when she heard that, and her fingertips gently fiddled with the tassel of the medicine bag at her waist. There was a hint of gentle teasing in her voice: "If the teacher had named you 'Shen Fugui', would you have liked it?"
Shen Junyao - no, at this moment he was more like the "bastard" who squatted in the woodshed and ate cold steamed buns.
The corner of his mouth twitched, revealing a rare bit of mischief: "That's better than being a puppy."
He paused, then suddenly imitated Shen Junbao's usual arrogant demeanor and said in a pinched voice, "'I am Shen Fugui, why don't you all kneel down and bow down to me!'"
Shen Tang burst out laughing and nearly choked on the sweet-scented osmanthus cake in his mouth. Si Rong also smiled softly, her eyes curved into crescents.
The maid's silver scissors snapped shut, severing the excess silk thread. Sirong took the newly made sachet and tied it around Shen Junyao's waist. Beneath the bamboo pattern on the sachet, the embroidery of the word "Jun Yao" could be faintly seen.
Outside the carriage, dusk gradually deepened and smoke from the distant village rose.
Shen Junyao looked at the wisps of green smoke and suddenly remembered that many years ago, when he was curled up behind a leaky haystack and was dizzy with hunger, he also envied the smell of food wafting from other people's chimneys.
"Actually..." He lowered his voice a bit, "When the master wrote the word 'Jun Yao', Shen Shishan didn't recognize it at all." His fingertips unconsciously stroked the bamboo pattern on the sachet.
"The old scholar said, 'Yao and Shun are still a problem. The word Jun Yao is too heavy to be a child's name.' But the uncle slammed a hundred coins on the table and turned away."
Sirong's smile faded slightly. "'You are a gentleman, and Yao was a wise ruler in ancient times. That old scholar's knowledge is not enough, and our military Yao's name is also very good.'"
Shen Tang suddenly threw himself on Si Rong's knees, raised his little face and said seriously: "Jun Yao is a gentleman now! Much better than Jun Bao! Last time he stole the biscuits from the kitchen and blamed it on the cat!"
The whole carriage erupted in laughter. Sirong ruffled the little girl's hair and suddenly felt the weight of the words "Jun Yao" transform into the soft fragrance of osmanthus in her palm.
After returning to the capital, Sirong still couldn't avoid socializing with the ladies. After all, she was a newly-crowned noble. The ladies of each family wanted to see what kind of person this Wu Weibo was.
Sirong chose a secluded courtyard among the properties owned by the Bo family and converted it into a school.
The children of the Shen family who were brought back from their hometown were all placed there. The school also accepted students from outside, whether they were children from neighboring villages or beggars and orphans living on the streets, all of whom could find a place to study and gain knowledge.
The school has established a rule: all students can enjoy free food and accommodation for three years.
The curriculum is unique and ingenious. It not only teaches the eight-part essay required for the imperial examination, but also focuses on imparting practical skills such as abacus, embroidery, and carpentry.
After completing the introductory courses, teachers would teach students according to their aptitude. The gifted would continue their studies to seek fame and fortune, while the rest would specialize in a skill to lay the foundation for their future livelihood.
On the day of completing their studies, the disciples must first work in the shop under Sirong's name to pay off their three-year tuition.
After paying off their fees, they can stay or leave as they wish: those who wish to stay will be given important positions, and those who wish to seek better opportunities will not be forced to stay. This arrangement will neither betray the kindness of their cultivation nor hinder their ambitions.
Sirong lived in Beijing for three years with her children.
Shen Junyao and Shen Tang had grown considerably in height over the past three years. Their complexions were rosy and their muscles were firm, completely different from their original frail appearance.
With Sirong's guidance and training, Shen Junyao is not only good at liberal arts, but also has good martial arts skills.
Now, three or five people who know kung fu can't easily get close to him.
During this period, Wuweibo Shen Shigen sent home a letter every two months or so. It was about his recent situation at the border, written like a daily account, without much emotion.
In the plot, the original owner and Shen Shigen seemed to have this kind of respectful relationship.
After Sirong and the others left, Shen Junbao was sent to the border by Shen Shishan to live with Shen Shigen. It is said that he has adapted well.
Shen Tang had reached the age of 15 last year, and Sirong held a small coming-of-age ceremony for her in her uncle's mansion.
In this era, people attached great importance to the coming-of-age ceremony for girls, and Sirong certainly would not miss it.
Shen Tang's coming-of-age ceremony was held under the sycamore tree in the backyard of the Bo's mansion. Si Rong specially invited the most famous hairdresser in the capital to do her hair and personally inserted a crabapple flower hairpin.
Shen Tang was wearing a brand new lilac-colored skirt and a blue cloth belt. The ladies who were watching the ceremony saw this and couldn't help but whisper to themselves, saying that Sirong really cared about her adopted daughter.