Chapter 69

Chapter 69

At Yuanbao’s full moon celebration, to everyone's surprise, Li Cheng arrived with both of his sons.

Chen Qingyan was greatly astonished at the sudden appearance of his eldest uncle. Although the two families had agreed to stay in touch, Tianyang was so far from Qingshui Town that the journey was quite inconvenient. He had expected at most some gifts sent as a gesture, never imagining they would come in person.

"Greetings, Uncle, Eldest Cousin, Second Cousin."

"No need for formalities," Li Cheng said, helping Chen Qingyan up. Upon receiving his nephew’s message, he had decided to come and see for himself how things were going and check on his younger sister’s well-being after all these years.

Back then, out of anger, he hadn’t even attended Li Shi’s wedding. He had only heard that the Chen family was reasonably well-off and that she wouldn’t suffer much after marriage.

After walking around the courtyard, it seemed spacious enough, but overall it was a modest household, simply furnished and decorated. There wasn’t even a screen wall at the entrance—no wonder their father had once called his brother-in-law a rustic.

Passing through the front yard into the central courtyard, the banquet had been set up here today. Servants had already arranged tables and chairs—some from the household, others rented from a restaurant and meant to be returned afterward.

Chen Qingyan led his uncle and cousins directly into the main hall.

Li Shi, who was entertaining guests, was surprised to see her elder brother and then greeted him joyfully. "Brother, what brings you here?"

Nearby guests, noticing the arrival of important relatives, politely stood and stepped outside to chat.

Li Bingwen smiled and said, "We heard our cousin was hosting a full moon banquet for the baby, so naturally we had to come celebrate."

"Please, have a seat. Qiuyue, bring some tea. You must be tired from such a long journey."

It had been a long time since Li Cheng had spoken so casually with his sister, and his voice carried a hint of reserve. "It’s fine. The weather is warm, and we took our time on the road, so it wasn’t too tiring."

It was the third month of spring—the finest season of the year—with gentle breezes and clear skies. Even when it rained, it was only a light drizzle, hardly affecting travel.

Li Shi asked about matters back home, and soon the siblings ran out of topics.

Fortunately, Li Bingwen, who was more skilled in conversation, turned to Chen Qingyan and asked, "I heard your wife gave birth to a son. Has he been named yet?"

Chen Qingyan replied, "Yes, my teacher helped choose the name. It’s Ze."

The Li family were educated people and couldn’t help but be slightly critical of names. "When was he born? Isn’t that name a bit too simple?"

Chen Qingyan provided the child’s exact birth time. After some thought, Li Cheng concluded that the character Ze was actually quite suitable.

It wasn’t overly grand to the point of being unsustainable, nor too plain. It also carried the meaning of nurturing all things—a good name indeed, showing that his teacher had put real thought into it.

Li Cheng had another purpose for this visit: he intended to take his two nephews to Tianyang for their studies.

After all, Tianyang was a county town, and its education far surpassed that of the village. Moreover, he himself was a *xiucai* (a scholar who passed the provincial imperial exam) and a stipendiary scholar (*bing sheng*), and both his sons were also *xiucai*. With proper guidance over the next few years, Qingyan and Qingsong might achieve even greater success.

For now, however, the full moon celebration came first. He would discuss the matter with them after the event.

By mid-morning, guests began arriving one after another, and the courtyard grew lively.

Ordinarily, everyone was busy with their own affairs and rarely had the chance to gather like this. Today, taking advantage of the occasion, they sat together catching up.

Among the guests was Mrs. Lu. When Li Shi saw her, she quickly went forward to greet her. "Mrs. Lu, it’s been a long time since I last saw you."

Mrs. Lu smiled nervously. "I’ve been busy with family matters lately and haven’t had time to get out."

"Please, come in and sit. The other ladies are over there."

Mrs. Lu looked in the direction she pointed and indeed saw several familiar faces. She hurried over.

Her unease stemmed from something weighing heavily on her mind.

Last year, her son had befriended a *xiucai* named Zhang. The two became close, and her son fell completely under Xiucai Zhang’s influence.

Later, when they heard that Xiucai Zhang had his leg broken by the Chen family’s son, her son, eager to avenge his friend, gathered several scholars to spread rumors about Chen Qingyan outside the Chen family’s shop.

Regardless of whether the accusations of cheating in the county exam were true, the two families had maintained a good relationship. Even if it were true, her son should not have gotten involved. How could she face Mrs. Chen after that?

When Mr. Lu learned what his son had done, he flew into a rage and gave him a severe beating, ordering him to personally apologize.

Lu Changan was slow-witted and stubborn by nature. He refused to apologize to Chen Qingyan.

Later, when they heard that Xiucai Zhang had tied up the Chen family’s husband and poisoned his own parents, leading to his arrest and execution by the county authorities, Lu Changan was so terrified that he fell seriously ill. After that, he never mentioned the Chen family again, and the matter remained unresolved.

Today, Mrs. Lu had come not only to celebrate the baby but also to apologize on her son’s behalf, hoping to earn Mrs. Chen’s forgiveness. Even if they couldn’t remain friends, she didn’t want to make enemies.

Around 9 to 11 a.m., Wang Ying brought the baby from the back. Little Yuanbao, now one month old, had grown much chubbier since birth, with fair, rosy skin like his mother’s.

He wore a bright red mandarin jacket over a pale blue soft cotton inner garment, a tiger-head hat, and tiny tiger-head shoes. The entire outfit, from head to toe, had been handmade by his aunt—well-fitted and beautiful.

As soon as the guests saw the baby, they gathered around, each praising his handsome features, noting that his ears were set higher than his eyebrows—a sign, they said, of a future scholar.

Liang Boqing stood nearby, nodding with a smile at the compliments as if they were being paid to his own grandson.

According to local custom, relatives were expected to give silver cash as full moon gifts. Usually, it was just a few dozen coins as a token; some poorer families might even offer a basket of eggs.

But when it came to Mrs. Lu, she unexpectedly presented a pair of silver bracelets for children, weighing about two or three ounces of silver.

"This is too generous," Li Shi said quickly, trying to return them.

Mrs. Lu pressed her hand down firmly. "Please accept them. After the meal, I’d like to speak with you about something."

Li Shi didn’t know what she meant but, unable to refuse, accepted the gift. She made a mental note to prepare a proper present when Mrs. Lu’s daughter-in-law had another child.

After the guests from outside the family presented their gifts, it was the relatives’ turn. Chen Rong took a red cloth bundle from her robe and placed it before Yuanbao.

Inside was a silver neck ring—not particularly heavy, but exquisitely crafted, engraved with auspicious cloud patterns. Wang Ying immediately took it out and fastened it around her son’s neck, lifting his little hands in thanks. "Thank you, Aunt."

Next was Lin Qiu, who offered a gift Cao Kun had purchased during a trip to the capital: a piece of high-quality gambiered Guangzhou gauze.

"This fabric is perfect for making summer clothes for the baby—cool and won’t stick when he sweats."

Gambiered Guangzhou gauze was not only expensive but also rare. Even in the capital, it was hard to obtain without connections. Cao Kun had relied on good contacts and spent a considerable sum to acquire two rolls. They kept one for themselves and gave the other to Wang Ying.

Li Shi, having seen many fine things, recognized at a glance that this fabric was valuable. "Such fine material—you should keep it for yourself."

"This is for my little nephew. Auntie, you can’t refuse. Besides, didn’t you give me two rolls of wool fabric last winter?"

Li Shi patted his arm affectionately. This child truly had a way about him, winning people’s hearts effortlessly.

When it was Lin Sui’s turn, young and lacking money, she decided that a handmade gift would be more meaningful than a casual purchase. She sewed an exquisite cloth tiger for her little nephew.

Yuanbao loved this gift the most. Drawn to its colorful design, he clung to it tightly, drooling all over it.

After the third aunt, it was Uncle Li Cheng’s turn. He presented two books—but these were no ordinary volumes.

One was the "Thousand Character Classic," left behind by their great-grandfather, who had passed the imperial exams and once served as a commissioner in Fanyang. The other was a commentary on the "Four Books" by Qian Shucheng, a former prime minister of the previous dynasty.

This book was now extremely rare. His family owned two hand-copied versions, while the original was preserved in the National Academy in the capital. Beyond those, no other copies existed.

Standing nearby, Liang Boqing could tell at a glance that this book was excellent and planned to borrow it from his apprentice for a closer look when he had the time.

The eldest and second cousins' gifts were ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones—all of high quality, especially the cinnabar-red Chengni inkstone. Valued at dozens of strings of coins, it was originally a gift from Li Bingwen’s colleague, which he had never used himself. It made for a gift that was both thoughtful and impressive.

Chen Qingyan sincerely thanked both cousins.

Qing Huai gifted the child a piece of calligraphy he had written himself, modeled after the style of Master Liu Gong.

Finally, it was the family’s turn to give gifts. Qing Yun presented her little nephew with an outfit she had handmade. The piece was almost entirely embroidered—a project the girl had spent four months completing.

Wang Ying picked it up and examined it closely. It was adorned with auspicious patterns symbolizing peace, joy, and longevity. "Your aunt made this for you," he said, "who knows how many times she pricked her finger making this?"

Qing Yun reached out and took Little Yuanbao from his arms, holding him skillfully. "I’d prick my fingers as many times as it takes, wouldn’t I, Little Yuanbao~"

Familiar with her voice, Yuanbao opened his toothless mouth, squinted his eyes, and broke into a sweet, goofy grin.

Li Shi couldn’t help laughing. "Little Yuanbao really loves his aunt. He always smiles when Qing Yun holds him."

Chen Qingsong, who had been waiting nearby, grew impatient. "Hurry up and see my gift!"

He'd gotten his nephew a small wooden carriage, custom-made by a carpenter for what was, to him, a "small fortune." Once Yuanbao was a bit older, he could sit in it and be pulled around to play.

Wang Ying said, "Not bad. And when that time comes, you'll be the one doing the pulling."

Qing Song agreed readily, "Sure, sure!"

Chen Qingyan rapped his younger brother on the head. "Instead of focusing on your studies, you’re always thinking about playing. What will you do if you fail the *Tongshi* exam next year?"

Li Shi’s gift for her grandson was much more direct—she directly took thirty strings of coins from her dowry and gave it to him, to be saved for his future education.

Finally, there was Liang Boqing, who wrote a poem for the child:

The young one laughs and speaks with joy, like a sprout breaking through the soil in spring.

Diligently till without wasting the moonlit night, cherish every moment of study.

The poem did not use overly ornate language, but each line was sincere, filled with the tender love of an old grandfather. It was clear that over time, he had come to regard Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan as his own nephews.

At first, Li Cheng did not take this old man seriously; after all, the poem was conventional and unremarkable, something he could have written himself.

But his expression changed when he saw the inscription: "To my grand-nephew Chen Ze, from Liang Liufang, March of the Ding Chou year."

Liang Liufang—wasn't he the foremost among the Ten Talents of Jiangnan whom he knew?!