TIPS – Chapter 97

After nearly three full days of jostling on the road, the carriage finally entered the borders of Lihua Town. Just a little farther and they would be back in Chashan Village. The moment they returned to their familiar hometown, a place they had been away from for quite a while, even the air felt unusually comforting.

The closer they got to their doorstep, the more urgently their hearts ached with longing.

Back at the Shen family’s main house, Yang Shi was still at the lunch table that noon, cradling the baby in her arms while nagging at her husband Shen Dongming. “Those two kids have been gone more than half a month already. Who knows when they’re coming back?” When they’d left, it wasn’t supposed to take this long—they had said ten days, give or take.

“What’s there to worry about? The two of them went off together, didn’t they?” Shen Dongming didn’t seem concerned at all. He’d been busy himself these days. The lotus seeds he’d brought back from elsewhere had only just been planted. He still had to go meet with Uncle Ya later to sort out the finishing touches. “You and Benben stay home. I’m heading out for a bit. Don’t wander around. Who knows—they might even be back today.”

Yang Shi responded, “Go on, then. As if they’d come back today.” She continued cooing to the baby as she muttered, “Benben, do you miss Daddy? Your dad and little daddy don’t love you anymore, huh? They’ve been gone for so long and still haven’t come back.”

Just as she was talking, Xiaohei the dog suddenly let out a few urgent whimpers. Shen Dongming hadn’t yet stepped out and scratched his head at the sound. “Middle of the day like this… Could it be Uncle Ya?”

“Go see! Don’t keep him waiting,” Yang Shi said, glancing at him and urging him on. It had been this way for days—once Shen Dongming left the house, it was just her and the baby at home, along with Xiaohei outside. Well, not so “xiao” anymore—Xiaohei had grown into a good-sized dog.

“Ai…” Shen Dongming, who had been moving leisurely, now picked up the kettle and headed out promptly under Yang Shi’s urging.

Because the big yellow dog brought by Uncle Ya got along well with Xiaohei, Shen Dongming thought the dog’s excitement was due to eagerness to see its friend again. He patted Xiaohei’s head and chuckled. “What’re you so anxious about? I’ll open the door now so you two can play.”

As he spoke, he straightened up to open the door—only to catch a glimpse from the corner of his eye. There, standing at the doorstep, were his son and daughter-in-law, back after so many days. What a surprise! A huge surprise!

Shen Junxi saw his father and immediately beamed as he signed, “Dad, my wife and I are back!”

But the even bigger surprise for Shen Dongming was not his son—it was his daughter-in-law. He thought he’d heard him softly call him Dad. He froze. Did he mishear him? Or… did he really say that?

“Xi’er’s wife, what did you just call me? Did you… call me?” Shen Dongming asked uncertainly, still in a bit of a daze.

Shen Junxi was also stunned. He stared blankly at Song Jingwei, just as slow to react as his father.

“I did. Are you heading out somewhere?” Song Jingwei asked, noticing the kettle Shen Dongming was carrying. He guessed, “Going to the lotus pond? How’s it looking over there?” First thing back and he was already thinking about work—typical of a workaholic.

“Oh, oh, the lotus pond. It’s good, all planted just a few days ago. Today I still need to fix the ridge lines. The soil’s too loose in our fields—we need to build up the ridges with stones,” Shen Dongming explained in detail. At first, he was worried about using stones, thinking they might hurt their feet during harvest, but Uncle Ya had suggested finding large, smooth stones instead. It had taken some effort to haul them, but they turned out to be quite practical.

“Great, I’ll take a look later. But first, let me go see the baby and Mother,” Song Jingwei said clearly, his tone leaving no doubt—this was no hallucination.

Once again, both Shen Dongming and Shen Junxi stood there frozen, blinking in perfect sync. Father and son were surprisingly in tune.

“Treat everyone equally,” Song Jingwei said seriously, then nudged the young man beside him to snap him out of it. “Go get the luggage. Let the driver come in for a drink, and pay him.”

There was a lot to do, and all of it was little things. No time to stand around in a daze.

“Mm. Okay.” Shen Junxi nodded numbly and rushed off to carry out his orders.

Since his daughter-in-law was already heading inside, Shen Dongming gave up on leaving and just followed him into the house. “Your mother and Benben are in the main hall. Let’s go see them,” he said as he walked. This nearly fifty-year-old country man had a warm and sincere smile on his face.

Song Jingwei said to him, “We’ve been gone for quite a while. Thank you and Mother for taking care of the baby. You’ve worked hard.”

Hearing this, Shen Dongming became visibly flustered. “What are you saying that for? We’re family. That’s my eldest grandson. Taking care of him is only right.” His formal thanks left him completely at a loss, even making his ears feel hot. But deep down, he was touched—his daughter-in-law had changed since he left. He seemed a lot closer to them now.

That was a good thing. A very, very good thing. Lately, it felt like good things had been happening one after another at home—so good it was almost hard to believe.

“No matter what, it’s only right to say thank you.” That’s how Song Jingwei saw it.

As they spoke, they stepped into the house, just in time for Yang Shi to look up. At first glance, she spotted her windblown, travel-worn daughter-in-law, and blinked in disbelief. “Jingwei, you’re back?”

“Yes, we’re back,” Song Jingwei nodded to Yang Shi, then fixed his gaze on the chubby little bundle in her arms. Finally seeing the little one he had missed day and night, his face lit up with a warm, joyful smile.

“Whoa, you’re really back?” Yang Shi exclaimed in surprise, then noticed how intently Song Jingwei was staring at the baby. She laughed heartily and quickly handed the child over while saying, “Missed your baby, didn’t you? Here, here—come hold him!”

“Mhm.” Song Jingwei first removed his heavy cloak and set it aside before carefully taking the little treasure into his arms. The baby had clearly just eaten and was now calm and sweet in his embrace. As he took the child, he said, “Thank you, Mom.” The smile never left his face.

That surprised Yang Shi too. She looked back and forth between her daughter-in-law and Shen Dongming. This…

“Hehe,” seeing his wife just as stunned, Shen Dongming chuckled sheepishly, his honest face beaming. “Your daughter-in-law just called you ‘Mom.'”

Only then did Yang Shi nod blankly and respond, “Oh! Oh, oh! Why are you being so polite? There’s nothing to thank us for!” She laughed, both flustered and delighted. What a good day it was—their son and daughter-in-law were back, and she couldn’t be happier.

“By the way, have Jingwei and Xi’er eaten yet?” Shen Dongming asked quickly. “Don’t just stand there—go check what we’ve got in the kitchen. Heat something up for the two of them.”

Yang Shi suddenly remembered and said, “Right, right, I’ll go now. Where’s Xi’er? I don’t see him.”

“In the back,” Song Jingwei replied, glancing toward the doorway and spotting the young man approaching. He then lowered his head again to look at the baby.

When Shen Junxi came in and greeted Yang Shi with a bright smile, she beamed and said, “Good, good, you’re home! Come in and sit, have some hot water first. I’ll go warm up your food!” As much as she wanted to take a closer look at her son, food came first—no matter what, you had to eat well!

“Mm!” Shen Junxi responded cheerfully, watching as his mother’s cheerful figure disappeared into the kitchen.

“There’s tea on the table—just brewed. Pour yourselves some,” Shen Dongming said, sitting down and waving them over. As his son took a seat and kept glancing at the baby while sipping tea, he asked, “How was the trip? Everything go smoothly? The weather didn’t change on you?”

“Everything went well.” Shen Junxi shifted his gaze from the baby and signed to his father, “Buying the lotus and tea seeds went smoothly. The weather was decent too—we dressed warmly and didn’t get cold.” Before returning, they had agreed not to mention the trouble they encountered on the road, so as not to worry their parents.

“That’s good. Then it really was a smooth trip.” Shen Dongming smiled with relief. “The lotus root you brought back tasted amazing. We had some the other day.” They only ate one meal with it—it was meant for planting, after all.

Shen Junxi’s eyes crinkled with laughter as he signed, “Yes, it’s delicious. My wife loves it too.”

Hearing that, Song Jingwei looked up and asked, “By the way, how’s Uncle Ya doing here? Has he settled in okay?” He was an elderly man, and Song Jingwei was concerned the new environment might not suit him.

“He’s doing great!” Shen Dongming said right away. “He really likes it here. After every meal, he goes straight to the lotus pond to watch the workers plant.” Laughing, he added, “He loves gesturing and giving directions, but no one understands him. I still have to go over and interpret.” Only he and, to a lesser extent, Chen Xianggui could understand Uncle Ya’s signs.

“Good,” Song Jingwei smiled, finally satisfied with the time spent cuddling the baby. He handed the little one over to the eager young man beside him.

“Oh, he’s living in that three-room courtyard outside, just behind the school, with the front door facing the tea garden and lotus pond—he loves it there.” The scenery would be beautiful next year. Even Shen Dongming himself was fond of the place. “We bring him meat and vegetables with every meal. Sometimes he cooks for himself—there’s a little vegetable patch over there too.” Since building the pigpen out back, Yang Shi had also planted a few rows of vegetables nearby, which were thriving better than the ones at home. No surprise, really—pig manure made great fertilizer.

“Good. That elder has a lot of experience with lotus cultivation, and he’s a decent person too. Let’s take care of him as best we can,” Song Jingwei said. He had already promised to help care for the man in his old age, and he wasn’t one to make empty promises.

“Of course,” Shen Dongming agreed. After working with Uncle Ya for so many days, he knew full well how capable the man was.

“Oh right, the tea seedlings should be arriving soon too.” They were due to arrive that afternoon, and Song Jingwei began talking with Shen Dongming about planting tea—quickly getting carried away with enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, the young man was happily cradling his son, playing with him. Occasionally, he’d glance at his wife and listen to their conversation, making mental notes of anything important so he wouldn’t fall behind when it came to keeping up with her or his father.

Eventually, Yang Shi returned with the food, shooing Shen Dongming outside. Hearing her daughter-in-law say they’d go find them again later, she worried aloud, “You two just got back. Aren’t you tired? I really think you should eat first, take a hot bath, and get a good rest. That’s the right way.”

Hearing that, Song Jingwei also felt Yang Shi had a point—he always slipped into workaholic mode without realizing it. He silently reflected on himself and nodded, “Alright, we’ll go tomorrow then.”

Yang Shi beamed, pleased that her daughter-in-law listened to her. “That’s more like it! Honestly, I think even one night’s rest isn’t enough—you should wait a few days before doing any heavy work again. Of course…” She glanced at the young man holding the baby, “Benben’s dad doesn’t count. He can get to work tomorrow.”

Shen Junxi simply smiled in response, not objecting to his mother’s words. Ever since they got married and had the baby, he had accepted that he now ranked lowest in the household.

“Here, let me hold the baby. You go eat with your wife,” Yang Shi said as she gently took the baby from Shen Junxi’s arms.

Once the baby was out of his hands, Shen Junxi focused on helping Song Jingwei eat, regularly adding dishes to his bowl and ladling soup for him.

“Home Cooked food really is the best,” Song Jingwei said with satisfaction. After being away, nothing compared to the meals cooked by Yang Shi.

“Eat more—don’t leave any leftovers. I’ll make extra for dinner too,” Yang Shi said cheerily, eyes crinkling with joy. Seeing her eldest grandson yawn adorably, she showered him with kisses. “This little one’s getting sleepy. I’ll take him to bed—enjoy your meal.”

Song Jingwei looked up and said, “Alright, you go ahead.”

Once Yang Shi and Benben were out of the room, the young man leaned his head on one hand, gazing at him with soft eyes.

“Eat your food—don’t just stare at me.” Song Jingwei picked up a plate and dumped the remaining dishes into his bowl. “Finish everything, your mom said not to waste.”

The young man looked at the towering bowl of food, but still felt sweet inside.

After eating, following Yang Shi’s advice, Song Jingwei had the young man fetch hot water so he could take a nice bath. Seeing how late it was, he didn’t dare lie down to sleep and said to him, “The tea seedlings should be arriving soon, right?”

“Mm.” Shen Junxi nodded, then signed, “You go to bed, I’ll go check.”

“No way—you don’t know how to manage it.” Song Jingwei didn’t trust him. Even after his bath, he didn’t sleep.

Instead, he reclined in a lazy chair for a bit, and sure enough, not long after, wagons carrying the tea seedlings began arriving one after another. The weather that day wasn’t suitable for planting, so he gathered the workers and began teaching them how to trim the roots. Tea seedling roots needed to be trimmed before transplanting—the tips of the main roots should be cut off a bit. Not too long, not too short, just the right amount.

“This is easy. Everyone here’s planted tea before—they won’t mess it up,” said Shen Dongming, who was much more experienced than Song Jingwei. He led everyone in sorting and trimming the seedlings, organizing the loads from over twenty carts in neat rows, ready for planting the next day.

“Looks like the weather tomorrow will be perfect—ideal for planting tea,” Shen Dongming said as he checked over everything. He also assigned some people to dig the holes in advance, saying, “Start digging now—we begin planting first thing tomorrow.”

By tomorrow morning, all these tea trees would be going into the ground. A large tea plantation was about to be born. Just the thought excited Shen Dongming. It was a grand undertaking. Technically, it belonged to his daughter-in-law, but it would eventually be passed down to his eldest grandson, Shen Chang. So, in the end, it still belonged to the Shen family. Not that they were greedy—life was already plenty good. As long as it was for their grandson, that was good enough.

As luck would have it, a light drizzle began falling that evening.

Shen Dongming laughed heartily. “Now this is great—even the heavens are helping us. The tea trees will plant beautifully tomorrow!” With the rain soaking the earth, the survival rate of the tea seedlings would definitely be high.

The next morning, the light rain tapered off just as dawn broke. By the time they finished breakfast and started working, the sky had begun to clear.

Shen Dongming led the crew in a vigorous tea planting session. Shen Junxi and Song Jingwei took turns helping out—when one stayed home with the baby, the other worked outside. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust Yang Shi, but there were too many chores, and if she was watching the baby, no one else would be left to do them.

The villagers had also caught wind of the Shen family’s massive tea and lotus planting project, and many came over out of curiosity. After all, over a hundred acres of land and dozens—if not hundreds—of laborers working together made for quite a spectacle. It was something the villagers had never seen before, and they found it fascinating.

Naturally, not everyone watching had pure intentions—some were jealous, others were just nosy.

That morning, Uncle Ya came to find Song Jingwei and signed to him, “The planting seems to be going well. I’m not too sure about how to fertilize the tea fields, but we really need to get moving on fertilizing the lotus pond.”

Fertilizer?

Only then did Song Jingwei realize they hadn’t addressed that yet. He quickly asked, “How should we fertilize the lotus pond? And what should we use? Pig manure? Cow manure?”