Chapter 13: Superficial Bonds

Chapter 13: Superficial Bonds

Shen Miao's sobs grew louder, yet her words remained clear and precise. She recounted every injustice and mistreatment Ji Geer and Xiang Jieer had endured at the hands of their uncle over the past three years: they hadn't received new clothes, were forced to fetch water and chop wood by their aunt, Ji Geer was denied further education, and both children were driven out of the house, nearly perishing from illness and hunger in the ruins...

Every claim Shen Miao made was accurate, and her heart-wrenching lament deeply affected Ji Geer and Xiang Jieer. The past three years without their parents and elder sister, living under their aunt's oppressive scrutiny, seemed to replay before their eyes.

Ji Geer fought to hold back his tears, but they silently streamed down his face.

Xiang Jieer broke into loud sobs.

Shen Miao then released her uncle's arm and embraced both of them. This heartrending scene moved the onlookers to pity, with some even chiming in: "Look at this uncle, so finely dressed and affluent, yet his own niece and nephew are dressed so shabbily! Tsk tsk..."

Neighbors whispered among themselves: "No wonder the Shen children have been missing for days; they were driven out. How pitiful!"

Uncle Shen's face flushed crimson. He was so flustered that he couldn't bear to meet the scornful gazes of the onlookers. He hastily tried to guide Shen Miao and the children to the back room: "Let's talk inside, let's talk inside..."

At that moment, the curtain separating the back residence from the front shop was abruptly pulled aside:

"Niece, you're mistaken. Family disputes and misunderstandings are common. Pots and pans clash, teeth and tongues collide—it's all part of life! You're still young; why make such a scene?"

A portly woman in an apron strode out. She was Ding, the wife of Shen Miao's uncle. Her round, pale face and sharp phoenix eyes might have been striking in her youth, but now, her features were hidden by her plumpness, leaving only shrewdness and worldliness.

With a few words, she dismantled Shen Miao's desperate act and turned the situation around:

"Niece, you've been away in Bianjing, so you don't know the full story." She pointed at Ji Geer and Xiang Jieer, lamenting, "These children are unruly and difficult to control! If he hadn't lashed out at his cousin and classmates at the tutor's house, why would he have been expelled? It's not that we didn't want him to study; it's his violent nature that the tutor couldn't manage. As an aunt, disciplining a nephew is challenging—too lenient or too harsh, and you don't know the difficulties of raising children!"

Ding was a skilled speaker, and tears streamed down her face as she hugged Shen Miao: "Niece, don't misinterpret your uncle and aunt. We only desire the best for Ji Geer! If we don't rectify his behavior now, he might not just strike people but kill them in the future! I only scolded him in anger, and he stormed off, taking Xiang Jieer with him. We've been searching day and night, unable to eat or sleep, and our legs are worn out from running around. Who knew he'd return to your old shop..."

Ji Geer, flushed with anger, retorted, "Aunt, you're twisting the truth—"

Shen Miao silenced him with a hand and coldly met Ding's gaze. She wiped her tears and feigned surprise: "So that's the reason? I had no idea! It seems I misunderstood you and Uncle."

She straightened up, handed the bag of pears to Ji Geer, and bowed respectfully to Ding, saying, "I've already visited Ji Geer's tutor and learned the truth. Hai Geer and his classmates bullied him, saying vile things about his lack of parents, which provoked Ji Geer to act out. But violence is wrong, and I'm here today to apologize on his behalf. These spring pears are perfect for nourishing yin, reducing heat, and soothing the throat and lungs. Please give them to Hai Geer. Though the gift is modest, the sentiment is sincere. I hope you won't disdain it."

Her composed and respectful words earned nods of approval from the onlookers. Some even commented as if watching a play: "This niece knows her manners and respects her elders."

"Since they're cousins, they should support each other in school, not lead others in insulting him. He deserved the beating!"

"I heard Shen Da's brother Shen Er died just three years ago. Mocking someone for being orphaned right after the mourning period is heartless. If it were me, as a son, I'd tear that person's mouth apart!"

"He did well! A filial son!"

These words struck Uncle Shen and Ding like slaps to the face. The facts were undeniable, and with the tutor's testimony, they had no defense.

Only Ji Geer, in his shame and anger, was puzzled by Shen Miao's words: How did she know the details? She never visited the tutor!

Shen Miao, of course, had made an educated guess.

She had already deduced it—just by understanding Ji Geer's temperament. Though they had only spent two days together, Shen Miao had a knack for reading people. What else could provoke such a mature, responsible child to violence?

Only cruel words about his parents.

The pears were for this moment. She hadn't come empty-handed; she had prepared a gift in advance. Though not valuable, it cleared her of any suspicion of deliberately picking a fight or disrespecting her elders.

Ding's earlier words had tarnished Ji Geer's reputation, and he needed to clear his name for his future studies.

Arguing is like cooking—timing is crucial.

Starting strong is like high heat to sear the ingredients, then reasoning is like simmering to cook through, and now it was time to appeal to emotions and finish with a flourish.

Shen Miao paused for a moment, then shifted her tone again, her eyes like sharp blades piercing Ding: "Auntie, I agree with what you just said. Ji Geer has his faults, and I won’t deny them. But there’s one thing: Ji Geer is so young, even if his temperament isn’t steady, he should be understood and taught patiently. How could you use such harsh methods to discipline him? Auntie, do you know that if I hadn’t decided to return to Bianjing to visit, they would have starved to death in Yangliu East Alley? Auntie, you said you searched everywhere, but why didn’t you look for him at home? How far could a child run? A journey that should take half an hour, yet it took four or five days!"

As she spoke, Shen Miao turned her tearful gaze to the silent Uncle Shen: "Uncle, you’re a scholar. The principle of ‘respecting the elderly as we respect our own, and caring for the young as we care for our own’—how could you not understand? Moreover, we are not just any ‘young’ ones; we are your own nephew and niece! Family ties are strong; if Ji Geer thrives, wouldn’t Hai Geer have an extra helper in the future? You are confused!

Do you remember? When grandfather was still alive, Ji Geer and I came to the outer city to pay New Year’s respects, and you even carried Ji Geer to set off firecrackers... My family isn’t some distant poor relatives who only come to take advantage. My father was your own brother! My poor parents were trampled by a nobleman’s horse, their chests caved in; my mother died on the spot, and my father, spitting blood, struggled with his last breath to see his own brother before he passed... With grandparents gone, weren’t you and father dependent on each other as brothers? Back then, you promised to take care of Ji Geer and Xiang Jieer, and only then did my father close his eyes. Have you forgotten?"

The bond of brotherhood, once forgotten in the pursuit of profit, now brought double the guilt and sorrow when recalled. Uncle Shen remembered the relieved look in his brother’s eyes as he saw him before dying, the blood in his mouth, barely managing to whisper, "Elder brother..." before passing away.

He couldn’t help but raise his arm to wipe the corner of his eye, then let out a long sigh.

"It’s my fault for not taking care of you..."

With these words, Shen Miao had won this round.

She came here not only to tear off the mask and make her stance clear but also to clear Ji Geer’s name. The Song Dynasty placed great emphasis on character and reputation in selecting officials and scholars, so she couldn’t afford to throw a tantrum or disrespect her elders, lest she suffer in the future. After much thought, she could only resort to moral coercion.

Her tears gradually dried, and she quickly changed her expression, addressing Ding again: "Auntie is right; we’re family, and it’s common for teeth to bite the tongue. Once things are out in the open, it’s all good. Come on, let’s go inside and catch up."

With that, she also smiled and bowed to the onlookers: "I’ve been away for too long and couldn’t help myself earlier. Please excuse the family matter; everyone can disperse now..."

As the crowd was dismissed by Shen Miao, Uncle Shen immediately felt relieved and slumped into a reclining chair.

Ding couldn’t say much more, with even the deceased younger brother brought up. The dead are to be respected, and saying more would only put her at a disadvantage. But she couldn’t help but look Shen Miao up and down, growing more and more suspicious:

What kind of miracle medicine did Da Jieer take in Jinling? Not only has she become sharp-witted and eloquent, but her ability to change expressions is like flipping a page. It’s true that one should reassess someone after three years apart.

With a cold snort, Ding twisted her barrel-like waist, which showed no curves, and led the way into the back hall.

Uncle Shen hesitated for a while before calling Shen Miao: "Come in and sit."

"Yes." Shen Miao glanced at Uncle Shen’s still-red eyes, took the reluctant Ji Geer by the hand, and followed with Xiang Jieer, who was sobbing at the memory of her parents.

The back hall of Uncle Shen’s house was much more spacious than the Shen family’s shop. It was a neat quadrangle with three main rooms, four side rooms, and two inverted rooms, totaling nine rooms surrounding a courtyard. The courtyard was elegantly arranged, with a long water-polished stone table along the corridor, filled with various bonsai plants, including pine, bamboo, plum, chrysanthemum, and orchid. In the middle was a set of bamboo square tables and chairs, and in the corner was a well. Shen Miao peeked inside and saw a few small cucumbers soaking in it. Uncle Shen was living quite comfortably.

They sat down at the table, Shen Miao hugging the still-shuddering Xiang Jieer, taking out a handkerchief to wipe her face, while Ji Geer refused to sit, standing stiffly behind Shen Miao.

After sitting down, Shen Miao didn’t speak first. Her silence made Uncle Shen and Ding uneasy. Finally, Ding, with her arms crossed, spoke coldly: "Da Jieer, you’ve come all this way. Are you here to take these two children back to Jinling? If so, just take them! I’ve managed them for three years, only to be blamed inside and out. If I discipline them strictly, you’re unhappy; if I’m lenient, you find fault."

Shen Miao shook her head: "As the eldest sister, like a mother, as Auntie said, I will take Ji Geer and Xiang Jieer with me to raise them personally. But I won’t be returning to Jinling; I’ll stay in Bianjing. I want to reopen the soup and pancake shop my father left behind."

Ding frowned, hitting the nail on the head: "Did your mother-in-law divorce you?"

Shen Miao was startled. Although her aunt had little conscience and was harsh, she was sharp when it came to matters, hitting the mark with her guess.

Seeing Shen Miao not answering, Ding curled her lips in disdain: "When the Rong family came to propose marriage, I already didn’t like that Auntie Rong. What kind of person, always talking about ‘my son this, my son that,’ wasn’t he just a child scholar! Talking as if he could pass the imperial exam tomorrow! And that Rong Dalang, all slicked up, how could you stand him! The whole family was stingy! I couldn’t stand them from the start, but your parents were like they were bewitched, betting that Rong Dalang would rise to fame! Now look, they’ve pushed their own daughter into a pit of fire. In my opinion, scholars and scholars are all empty talk; many scholars are heartless, what’s the use..."

Uncle Shen coughed in dissatisfaction, but Ding ignored him and snorted: "I arranged all four of my daughters’ marriages myself! The second daughter married the son of a silk shop, the third married a military household, the fourth married the neighbor’s boy... I always look at substance and money, no matter how fancy the talk, a good husband and in-laws are what matter!"

Quite clear-headed! Shen Miao suddenly had a slight change of heart towards Ding. But her mouth was truly offensive. If she were the original body, she would probably be vomiting by now.

"Auntie’s words, I didn’t understand before, but now that I’ve suffered, I see the truth." Shen Miao put on a melancholic expression, immediately dispelling Ding’s suspicion of her drastic change.

"Why did they dare to divorce you? You should have written back, no matter what..." Ding’s words were somewhat awkward, thinking of how she had treated Ji Geer and Xiang Jieer, but she pursed her lips, "Your uncle could have gone to Jinling to stand up for you, couldn’t he?"

Ji Geer rolled his eyes. Auntie always talked a good game, but if a letter had really been sent, she probably wouldn’t have moved for three months.

Shen Miao, however, smiled: "Thank you for your kindness, Auntie. I’ve actually had enough of that family, and with the disaster at home, I wanted to come back to support the family, at least until Ji Geer comes of age."

At this point, as if the dagger was finally revealed, Ding also understood, lifting her eyelids: "So why are you here now?"

Seeing it was time to get to the point, Shen Miao didn’t beat around the bush. She glanced at Ding and then at Uncle Shen, stating her true purpose: "Now that I’m back, Ji Geer and Xiang Jieer won’t need Uncle and Auntie to worry about them anymore. Auntie, shouldn’t you return our family’s land deed and house deed to Ji Geer?"