TIPS – Chapter 127

“Uh, I’m not sure either. Anyway, the old man just told me to come find you and insisted that you must go. Maybe… there’s something he wants to discuss. I really don’t know,” Xu Da said.

“What could I possibly have to discuss with them?” Shen Dongming scratched his head, truly unable to think of a reason.

At that moment, Song Jingwei came inside carrying Benben. Hearing this, he asked Xu Da, “Has anything happened in his family recently?”

“Uh…” Xu Da thought for a bit and then shook his head. “Nothing much has happened.”

“They haven’t moved anything into the mountains?”

“No, but Third Master seems to have gone into the mountains twice, and came back both times looking really frustrated,” Xu Da muttered quietly.

Song Jingwei nodded knowingly and said to Shen Dongming, “No need to overthink it. They’re definitely looking for you because of the housing situation.” Seeing that Shen Dongming still looked confused, he explained, “Hasn’t that mountain hollow been filled up lately? A lot of people have been fighting over spots. No doubt his family was late and didn’t manage to get one.”

“Ohh, I see now.” Shen Dongming nodded, finally understanding. No wonder the family suddenly came looking for him—clearly, they wouldn’t have shown up for no reason. And now they even wanted him to go over and help personally.

What a mess.

“Brother Xu Da, I’m really sorry, but could you go back and tell them that I can’t help with this? There’s no point in coming to me.” After thinking it over, Shen Dongming added earnestly, “Tell them to hurry and find a good spot nearby. Don’t aim too high and end up with nothing at all.”

“Well, alright then, I’ll go relay that to the old man.” Xu Da took Shen Dongming’s words back, relaying them to Old Master Shen word for word.

“As expected, he refuses to come.” Old Master Shen had already anticipated this. He knew his eldest son’s personality and figured he wouldn’t give in easily—especially now that he had already seen through the old man’s intentions. So he decided to be direct and told Xu Da, “Go one more time and tell him I want to talk about putting his grandson into the family genealogy.”

So Xu Da immediately made another trip.

“What? The genealogy?” Shen Dongming was quite shocked. He didn’t expect the old man to use even this as a bargaining chip just for a plot of land. But what’s the point of bringing it up now? They had already discussed it before and decided not to have Benben included in the family genealogy—they just weren’t part of the same group anymore.

“That’s right. That’s what the old man said,” Xu Da confirmed.

“Daughter-in-law, what do you think?” Shen Dongming couldn’t make the decision on his own. To say he wasn’t even a little tempted would be a lie, but still… He turned to ask for Song Jingwei’s opinion—it all depended on what he chose.

“Didn’t we already agree not to put Benben on their family genealogy?” Song Jingwei said. But upon seeing Shen Dongming’s expression, he asked, “Dad, do you really want Benben to be on the genealogy?”

Shen Dongming quickly denied it. “Not really… just a little bit. But honestly, if it’s something we have to trade for like this, we don’t care for it at all.” If Old Master Shen had voluntarily wanted to include Benben without asking for anything in return, they might have been moved. But in this case? It was obvious he was using the genealogy as a bargaining chip. What’s the point of being included in a family like that?

“Mm, it’s better to ask everyone’s opinion on this. Let’s hear what Mom and Shen Junxi think too,” Song Jingwei suggested. He believed the decision should be made collectively to avoid any lingering resentment later.

Since today wasn’t too busy, Shen Junxi had been ordered to rest at home due to his foot injury, and Yang Shi was out in the yard watering the vegetable patch. When they heard there was something to discuss, both came into the living room.

Shen Junxi was wearing soft-soled cloth shoes. He sat down beside Song Jingwei and took Benben onto his lap, using his eyes to ask, What’s going on?

He had been reading in the study earlier when his father, Shen Dongming, called him—but didn’t say why.

Song Jingwei patted his hand, signaling him to stay calm. Once Shen Dongming and Yang Shi were also seated, Shen Dongming started: “So, uh, we need to discuss whether or not to add our Benben to the family genealogy.” He glanced at Xu Da and explained the situation to his wife and son, emphasizing that Old Master Shen was only offering this in exchange for a piece of land: “So I don’t think they sincerely want Benben on the genealogy. They don’t really see us as part of the family. I’m just asking—do we want to be part of that genealogy or not?”

Yang Shi said, “This was already discussed before. I don’t really have an opinion on it. If you want to do it, go ahead. If not, then don’t.”

Shen Junxi gestured: “Since this is how they’re handling it, we shouldn’t bother with them.” His view was similar to Shen Dongming’s. If the extended family were sincere, maybe it’d be worth considering. But with the way they were doing things now, it just left a sour taste: “We’ve already decided—we’ll live our own life from now on.”

Shen Dongming nodded. It seemed everyone felt the same way. He said, “Alright then, I’m making the decision. You all better not come complaining about this to me later.”

“Why would we do that? What would we have to complain about?” Yang Shi was the first to respond. It was clear they were all on the same page—there was nothing to regret.

Shen Junxi and Song Jingwei also smiled. Since the two elders didn’t mind, they—who had no emotional attachment to the main branch of the Shen family—cared even less.

“Alright.” Shen Dongming said to Xu Da, “You heard it yourself—our family has no interest or thoughts about aligning the genealogy. Just go back and tell the old man that. Same thing as before: he’d better hurry up and find himself a good plot of land.”

“Alright then.” Xu Da replied helplessly. “Find himself a good plot of land”—why did that sound so awkward? He definitely couldn’t put it that way when reporting back.

Back in the Shen family’s main branch, Old Master Shen was waiting expectantly for Xu Da’s report. He had thought he was holding a winning card, only to realize the other side didn’t care at all.

“Old Master, they said they have no interest or thoughts about aligning the genealogy…”

“…”

Old Master Shen felt stifled—his face sagged, his chest felt tight, and even his favorite pastime, chess, annoyed him now. Why did the eldest have to be so difficult? Nothing worked with him. As the father, he kept losing face and gaining nothing.

What frustrated him most was that when the head of the household asked about this matter, he had to honestly admit that it had fallen through—even his personal involvement hadn’t helped.

“How could the eldest be like this?” This was the shared sentiment of everyone in the Shen family’s main household.

Fortunately, just a few days later, the second son, Shen Dongqi, returned with his wife. Upon hearing about the situation, they immediately paid a visit to the Shen family’s main branch. They weren’t there to demand land—just to ask about the war and to catch up and maintain family ties.

The second son handled things quite tactfully. Although Shen Dongming didn’t feel particularly warm toward him, he wasn’t cold either.

Once he got the news, Shen Dongqi went straight into the mountains, marked out a suitable spot nearby, and began preparations to build a thatched shed.

“Old Third, this won’t do. If we hadn’t come back this time, how would you have managed all this? I left our parents in your care, and send food, supplies, and clothes every month—yet you’re so careless that you can’t get anything right.” Shen Dongqi hit the ground running upon his return, and the busier he got, the more he resented Shen Dongying.

He had long been displeased with this younger brother. If their parents hadn’t doted on the third son’s family, he would’ve split off a long time ago. The main reason he went away to do business and didn’t return home was because he couldn’t stand all the irritating things he’d have to witness.

Shen Dongying was rarely scolded by his second brother, since in the past, when there wasn’t much going on, there was nothing to criticize. But now, being lectured by the brother who usually didn’t demand anything from him—except money—made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

But Shen Dongqi was right, and he had no way to argue. So he could only awkwardly scratch his nose and help out however he could—he didn’t dare complain about the hard work anymore.

Right now, all the villagers in Chashan were busy—busy transporting goods and food into the mountains. Who knew how long the war would last? The Shen family’s main branch had said: the more food prepared, the better, just in case.

Seeing the Shen family’s food being carried up the mountain one load after another, the villagers were both envious and admiring.

To move all that grain, Song Jingwei had even ordered the laborers to stop working for a day—everyone came to help carry the loads into the mountains. Just in that one day, over twenty loads of grain he’d purchased were all transported.

Another market day came around, and this time, he went to the docks himself.

After meeting Yuan Guanlin, discussing the goods, and settling the payment, he asked, “You’ve been traveling back and forth lately—heard any news?”

“What news?” Yuan Guanlin looked at him in confusion.

“What, Qing Sui didn’t tell you?” Song Jingwei asked.

“Oh…” At the mention of his cousin, Yuan Guanlin immediately understood. “You mean the war? I’ve known for a while. But things over there are still the same for now—no major unrest yet.” He paused and added, “The court is trying to keep it quiet from the public. Best you don’t spread it either.”

“No worries. Our village is remote and mountainous—no one’s paying attention.” Not to mention, with Zhang Benqing as the county magistrate, he wasn’t particularly concerned.

“Mm, rest assured, I’ll let you know if I hear anything.” Yuan Guanlin gave him a look, then waved and turned to leave.

Song Jingwei had one more question. “By the way, isn’t your boss supposed to be on the ship? Why haven’t I seen him even once?”

Without turning back, Yuan Guanlin replied, “He’s busy!” Even if he wasn’t, they made sure to keep him busy. Every time, Xiaotianbao helped out on purpose. If Tianbao ever found out that they kept his dad occupied just so he couldn’t meet Song Jingwei, he’d probably cry.

Song Jingwei smiled. Of course he knew this wasn’t a coincidence—he was just teasing Yuan Guanlin.

Hearing him express concern for Qiu Rui, Shen Junxi turned to look at him, eyes full of complex, unspoken emotions—and even a touch of grievance.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Song Jingwei asked, handing him the heavy pouch of silver. “Take it. Let’s head back.”

Shen Junxi accepted the silver, still watching him.

“I was just teasing Yuan Guanlin. He’s deliberately keeping Qiu Rui from seeing me. And anyway,” Song Jingwei looked at the young man and added, “I don’t want to see Qiu Rui either.”

Shen Junxi gestured, “Why?” His expression finally looked a bit more normal, with only a hint of soft curiosity remaining.

“I don’t like it.” More accurately, he was repulsed by Qiu Rui’s covetous gaze. In truth, Song Jingwei still saw himself as straight—he simply couldn’t accept a man liking him. Shen Junxi was the only exception.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi smiled slightly. Hearing Song Jingwei personally say he didn’t like it brought a kind of joy that quietly spread through his heart.

“I’ve never liked men to begin with,” Song Jingwei told him. “I used to like women.” Then he glanced at the young man to observe his expression, which—as expected—changed instantly.

“You used to like women?” Shen Junxi gestured with difficulty. Thinking of Song Jingwei’s status and background, he must have had no shortage of maidservants to accompany him. Just the thought of Song Jingwei having once been intimate with other women tore at Shen Junxi’s heart—it was unbearable.

“It wasn’t really about liking them, I just thought I’d choose to be with a woman.” Song Jingwei explained. If he hadn’t gotten sick later, he would’ve continued searching for a suitable woman, then gotten married and had children.

“……” Shen Junxi completely misunderstood him, thinking he really had been with women. And now? He couldn’t even describe how he felt—like all his senses had shut down, everything was blank.

“What’s wrong with you?” Song Jingwei quickly noticed that the young man beside him was acting strange, so he stopped and asked.

“……” Shen Junxi, not able to speak, opened his mouth but said nothing. He just looked at him in agony, jealousy clouding his entire being.

“How am I supposed to know if you don’t express it?” Song Jingwei said anxiously, grabbing his hand and urging him to gesture, “What’s wrong? Just tell me already.” He assumed the youth must be feeling unwell.

“……” Seeing the worried look on the other’s face, Shen Junxi’s jealousy eased a bit. He shook his head, then gripped Song Jingwei’s hand tightly—and suddenly pulled him into a tight embrace.

“What is it now?” Song Jingwei kept guessing. It didn’t seem like he was physically uncomfortable. He was thoroughly puzzled.

“……” Only when hidden from Song Jingwei’s view did Shen Junxi dare let the jealousy show in his reddened eyes. On Song Jingwei’s back, he traced out: “I’m jealous.”

The phrase was a bit complex, and Song Jingwei had to think for a while before he figured it out. Once he understood, he was speechless and helpless.

“Jealous of what? Of women? Because I once thought about being with a woman?”

Shen Junxi traced: “Just thought about it?”

He was stunned. Did that mean it never happened? Was that true?

“You’re overthinking. I’ve never been with a woman.” Song Jingwei finally realized what the other had in mind—he was irrationally jealous. He couldn’t help but laugh as he pushed the youth away and said irritably, “Your imagination is really something.”

Shen Junxi stared at him intensely and gestured: “You’ve never been with a woman?”

“Nope.”

“Not even kissed?”

“No.”

“Held hands?”

“Nope.”

“……” Shen Junxi looked at him filled with guilt, as if his earlier jealousy had deeply wronged Song Jingwei. He gestured, “I’m sorry.”

“Huh? What are you sorry for?” Seeing he was okay again, Song Jingwei started walking forward once more.

Shen Junxi gestured: “Because I was jealous earlier. Jealous of the women who were close to you. But you weren’t.”

He turned to look at his spouse’s calm profile, inwardly frustrated with himself. He knew what kind of person Song Jingwei was—how could he have been intimate with someone else before marriage?

“Oh, it’s not a big deal. But next time you feel like this, could you please ask first? You scared me just now.” Song Jingwei said frankly.

“……” Shen Junxi felt even more embarrassed hearing that, quickly grabbing the other’s hand to silently apologize.

“And another thing,” Song Jingwei added, thinking that with someone as petty as Shen Junxi, he had to lay everything out clearly once and for all. “Now, neither men nor women are in my consideration. Because I already have a partner. I already have a child.”

And a warm home. Not perfect, but everyone cared for and understood each other.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi let out a long breath, gazing at Song Jingwei with a mix of gratitude and guilt. Everything about this person was wonderful—so wonderful he was constantly surprised. He hoped they could stay together for a long, long time, without any more turmoil.

The last day of September passed, and October began. In Chashan Village, many households were busy in the tea fields. Autumn tea was almost gone, and they had to hurry and sell the last batch—after this, there would be no more income until spring of next year.

The money earned from this harvest—many families used it to buy food, which was then sent into the mountains.

The village atmosphere and values were still good—no one was stealing from others. If people wanted to argue, they did so openly. They never resorted to sneaky, underhanded theft. If someone ever got caught doing that, they wouldn’t be able to stay in the village anymore. Everyone would despise them—how could they even dare to show their face again?