chapter 33

Chapter 33: An Outburst

Although Zheng Xueze was usually quiet, he was particularly meticulous when keeping accounts.

Money first, then names.

Pay before the portrait.

In just a short while, Shen He's little pouch was full.

Weighty and substantial.

Pulling the drawstring open, a glint of gold shone from within.

Shen He's excited little legs wobbled about, straining his neck to look at his purse, yet feeling self-conscious about his sooty hands.

Don't soil his precious money pouch.

Zheng Xuezhe even had numbers assigned.

Shen He only draws for at most two people a day.

Of course, no drawings today; he has to draw for Zheng Xuezhe.

Seeing Qi Yanbing's mixture of fear and eagerness, Shen He naturally planned to draw him as well.

Qi Yanbing murmured, "Xiao He, why don't you draw Zheng Xuezhe first? I'll watch a bit longer, just a bit."

Zheng Xuezhe pulled the crowd back, telling Shen He, "It can wait until tomorrow."

Two have already been drawn today, there's no rush.

Shen He wasn't tired at all. He felt invigorated and joyful.

Liu Zheng tried to wipe Shen He's hands again, ruining a second handkerchief, yet the sooty blackness remained.

Shen He was hand-fed his lunch.

Holding up his chubby, soot-blackened hands, he ate with great joy.

In the afternoon, he sketched Zheng Xuezhe and Qi Yanbing.

Qi Yanbing scrutinized the drawing for a long time with furrowed brows, touching his own face then looking at Zheng Xuezhe.

In the end, he begrudgingly accepted that it was just a drawing, not some kind of magic.

Back at the Liu residence, the two children continued their chatter and clatter.

Shen He carefully stashed the gold from his little purse and approached Lianqiao, "Lianqiao, could you make another purse for me?" The money in this pouch was the seed money for their future endeavors and needed to be stored separately!

Lianqiao saw Shen He's dirty hands, took hold of them and exclaimed, "My, young master, what have you touched? How did your hands get like this? What design do you have in mind for the new purse? I'll embroider a new one for you."

Shen He was led away to scrub his hands with soapberry and rice grains. His chubby hands became all sticky, and Lianqiao wouldn't let him rinse them immediately.

Shen He made a pitiful face, puffing his cheeks and mumbling, "How long do I have to wash, Lianqiao? I want a tiger, a majestic big tiger! Not a small one."

Lianqiao replied, "Alright, I'll embroider a grand and imposing tiger for the young master. Here comes He Ling with the water."

Shen He said, "This is from the charcoal sticks. Do I have to wash like this every day?" After all, he has to draw every day.

Lianqiao remarked, "Only this way ensures cleanliness."

The child managed to smudge even his cuffs, turning them into a blackened circle. She took off his tiny clothes and soaked them with soapberry.

Shen He glanced at his own sleeves, a bit sheepishly, "Next time, I'll roll up my sleeves before drawing!"

After some thought, Shen He added, "I'll draw you and He Ling too! Right after drawing the young prince. But we need to be discreet, okay? We can't let the young prince or Minister Song know, alright, Lianqiao?"

Lianqiao chuckled.

The young master covertly drew every day, not wanting Minister Song to know.

Yet, the crown prince was well-aware, even though he believed he was hiding it well.

She bit back a smile, deceiving the child, "Alright."

Shen He was ecstatic, waiting until his hands were finally clean. The dark smudges indeed washed off, and he rushed in, flaunting his clean chubby hands, "Look, brother, I've cleaned up! I'm here to help!"

……

The Duke's Mansion.

The old maid escorted Shen Yan back, meeting the elderly duke and duchess.

The duchess, eyes twinkling with warmth, stroked Shen Yan's head and asked, "What did little Yan learn at school today?"

Obediently, Shen Yan recounted what he had learned at school that day to the elderly duke and duchess.

Midway through the story, Duke Shen entered.

Hearing Shen Yan, he beamed with pride, "Excellent! Just like his father. Yan, study diligently at the academy. In the future, aim to be the top scholar and bring glory to the Shen household!"

The elderly duke looked at him disapprovingly, his face drooping, "Whether he becomes a top scholar or not, it's about discipline and effort. He's still so young, and what are you filling his head with? When did our Shen family start relying on titles for glory?"

Shen Yan grew slightly fearful as the adults began to bicker, seeking refuge beside the old duchess.

The elderly duchess held his tiny shoulders, gently patting his back, "Alright, while your grandfather and father talk, you go play. You've had a long day at school. I'll call you for dinner."

Shen Yan promptly scampered away with his little legs.

Behind him, Duke Shen heatedly debated with the elderly duke, "What do you mean by that, father? Are you suggesting I'm incompetent, and my son will be too?"

The elderly duke's voice trembled with frustration, "Just look at yourself! How can you... I simply can't..."

Their voices faded into the background.

Shen Yan had run quite a distance.

Despite his small stature, he was incredibly fast. In a blink of an eye, the young lad managed to elude the maids and servants chasing after him.

It's said that small quarrels occur every three days, major ones every five. However, since Duke Shen decided to send his eldest son to the academy, the father and son would quarrel three times a day whenever they met.

Duke Shen didn't inherit much from his father, neither martial prowess nor strategic brilliance. But when it came to stubbornness, both were strikingly similar — each seemingly trying to infuriate the other to death.

They resembled two headstrong bulls locking horns.

The old duchess attempted to mediate but eventually scolded Duke Shen, "He is your father! How can you speak to him this way?"

Duke Shen's face darkened, responding nonchalantly, "From what I see, father doesn't seem too keen on acknowledging me as his son."

The elderly duke clutched his chest, choking out words, pointing at Duke Shen, "Shen Congyun, you unfilial son, traitor..."

And just like that, he collapsed.

Chaos erupted within the Duke's Mansion.

The maids attending to the old duchess initially wanted to mention something about the young master. Still, seeing the commotion, especially with the elderly duke in distress, they quickly shifted focus to summoning physicians and attending to the emergency.

Duke Shen, with a face of remorse, wanted to assist his father but then, as if stubborn pride held him back, he turned and left.

Seeing this act of defiance, the old duchess nearly fainted from shock.

Shen Yan hid in a small moss-covered crevice behind an ornamental rock.

The space, damp and mossy, was just large enough for him, leaving a tiny extra room.

He and Shen He had discovered this hideaway during one of their adventures. Their penchant for crawling into such nooks was curtailed in the summer due to the proliferation of insects and reptiles.

Nestled in this snug space, he watched as the day gradually turned dark.

The external noise felt distant. Sitting there, his little chubby hands on his knees, he silently wiped away his tears.

With Shen He absent, no one was there to wipe them for him, so he had to do it himself.

A wet patch formed on his sleeve, and suddenly he remembered the delicate paper drawing he had stashed in his robe. Frantically, he pulled it out.

The once-carefully rolled paper was now squashed, bearing a distinct crease in the middle.

Distressed, Shen Yan tried to smooth out the crease, his attention diverted from his tears.

Then the clamor outside reached his ears.

It seemed his grandfather had fainted.

Staring out at the encompassing darkness, he felt a fleeting numbness.

Tear stains remained on his chubby cheeks, blending into the night.

Naturally, people fear the dark, but young Shen Yan wasn't scared.

The darkness was comforting, tranquil, devoid of prattling voices.

In the stillness, he slowly crawled out of the small hole, carefully placing the drawing back inside his robe, and toddled towards his courtyard with short steps.

There, he reverently placed the drawing alongside other items gifted by Xiao He.

Within was a chest, half his height, filled with many treasures, gifts from his grandfather.

While some were from his grandparents, the majority were presents from Xiao He.

Shen Yan locked the chest and returned the key to its place around his neck.

Suddenly, a voice echoed from outside the courtyard.

It was Aunt Zheng's voice, gentle but fraught with urgency.

Entering the courtyard, she saw Shen Yan, and quickly took his hand, "Yan'er, why are you still here? Your grandfather is ill, and you must visit him. Do you understand?"

Pulled by Aunt Zheng, Shen Yan hastened along, almost trotting to keep up.

As they walked, she whispered, "Yan'er, have you seen the young master these past two days at the academy?"

She had wanted to see him after school yesterday, but the old duchess had taken him away.

The old duchess wasn't pleased with her frequent interactions with Shen Yan, so Aunt Zheng had to restrain herself.

But now, with the elderly duke's sudden ailment, the old duchess had other preoccupations.

Shen Yan pursed his lips, "I saw him."

But he added no more words.

Aunt Zheng continued, "Yan'er, you must study diligently at the academy, alright? Your father is counting on you to excel in the exams. If you indeed become the top scholar, it would better our situation."

Approaching the elderly duke's courtyard, Aunt Zheng slowed down.

She crouched before Shen Yan, instructing, "Yan'er, when you see your grandparents, you must cry. Understand? Your grandfather is ill, and as his beloved eldest grandson who's been by his side, you should appear deeply concerned. Once he awakens, let him know of your worries."

Shen Yan, with his clear, dark eyes, looked a bit obscured in the lamplight.

Seeing his ambivalence, Aunt Zheng took a deep breath, softening her tone, "I'm telling you this for your own good. Moreover, it's genuine concern for your grandparents, isn't it? If you show that you care for their well-being, it will make them happy. Don't you want to bring them joy?"

The child's dark eyes blinked slowly. In the dim light, his head seemed to give a faint nod.

Pleased, Aunt Zheng scooped him up and hurried into the elderly duke's courtyard.

Inside, the doctor had just finished examining the elderly duke and was writing a prescription.

The old duchess sat beside the bed, her eyes downcast. Hearing the commotion, she frowned, "Zheng, why have you brought Yan'er here?"

Lady Zheng's face bore a look of concern. "I was worried and came to see if you were alright..."

The hand hanging behind Shen Yan gently nudged him.

"Go on."

Shen Yan slowly approached the bed and nestled beside the elderly lady.

He looked up at her, and she caressed his head, "Are you worried about your grandfather, Yan? He'll recover soon. Have the maid take you to dinner. You haven't eaten yet, have you? Are you hungry?"

Lady Zheng, who was usually tearful, watched as Shen Yan remained calm and gripped her handkerchief tightly.