CHAPTER 20: CHAPTER 20: HANDS-ON INSTRUCTION

Wen Wan thought, since she had such an extraordinary ability, she couldn’t always find excuses whenever she had a premonition; she must find a way to let her husband know.

If you can’t speak, write. If you can’t write, learn. Can a living person really be suffocated by urine?

However, after fiddling around in the study for half an afternoon, she only learned to write her name, with Song Wei teaching her hand-in-hand.

She remembered the strokes, remembered the order, remembered how to pronounce it, but when using the brush to piece it together, it looked like it had been chewed by a dog, not square or proper, crooked and awkward beyond watching.

Wen Wan looked at what she wrote and then at Song Wei’s manuscript beside her; the difference was stark, and a sense of gap arose naturally.

Song Wei saw the little girl looking downcast, put down his brush, and softly said, "Considering it’s your first time using a brush, being able to write like this is already quite commendable."

Wen Wan was not comforted by this and resolved to double her efforts.

Song Wei saw through her little thoughts in an instant and laughed, "I can’t have you staying in the study every day."

Wen Wan assured him she wouldn’t miss her chores, and only come when she had free time.

Song Wei brought a wooden basin with warm water, put her little hand in to soak, and began preaching, "To freeze three feet deep doesn’t happen in a day, everything needs a gradual process, especially studying. I have plenty of time to teach slowly, and you have plenty of time to learn slowly. Someday, you’ll be able to recognize all the characters; there’s no need to overly force yourself, it’s easy to have an adverse effect."

——

Yuanbao and his parents came back in the evening.

Wen Wan had already helped her young sister-in-law with dinner.

When the family sat around the table, Granny Song asked Song Wei, "Did you buy the homecoming gift? What did you buy?"

Song Wei said he didn’t go, didn’t buy.

Seeing her mother forgot to eat, Song Fang helped explain, "Originally, we were going to go, but then Third Brother’s wife felt unwell, so we turned back halfway."

Granny Song glanced at Wen Wan, asked where she felt unwell, and whether she’d seen the doctor?

Only after asking did she remember Third Lang’s wife couldn’t speak, so she turned her eyes to Song Wei.

Song Wei straightforwardly said she’d been seen by the doctor, nothing serious was found, probably from drinking last night which upset her stomach, she took some herbal medicine, and a lot of rest would make her feel better.

Knowing Third Brother deliberately lied because his mother couldn’t figure things out, Song Fang didn’t expose it, and silently continued eating.

After the meal, Wen Wan wanted to go to the kitchen to clean the dishes but was scolded by Granny Song, saying, "Why don’t you just stay well in the room? How can I, as a mother-in-law, ask a sick person to do chores? I’ve washed dishes for decades; can I really miss this one meal?"

Granny Song, with her hearty nature, wouldn’t coax you to go back and rest warmly even if she cared, whether it’s praise or scold.

Initially, Wen Wan didn’t get used to it, but the more she heard, the more she felt her mother-in-law was quite unique, speaking bluntly, much better than her own snake-hearted stepmother.

The homecoming gifts were bought the next day, this time without Second Lang’s wife tagging along, the three of them journeyed steadily without any incident.

Song Wei accompanied Wen Wan for the homecoming.

Mrs. Zhou knew the young couple was coming, specifically stayed home without going to the fields.

When she saw them, she smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries before heading to the kitchen to cook.

Father Wen returned from spring plowing, cleaned off the mud, changed clothes before entering the main hall.

Song Wei didn’t see his brother-in-law, casually asked about him.

Only then did he learn that Aunt Xie’s Scholar Xie Zheng was opening a private school this year, and Wen Shun was sent there to start learning.

"That little brat, he’s not cut out for studying." Father Wen mentioned his son, seeming to have mixed feelings, "Three days fishing and two days drying nets, it’s fortunate Mr. Xie has a nice disposition; if it were someone else, he’d probably have been sent packing long ago."

Mrs. Zhou brought in the dishes and disagreed, "Shunzi is Third Lang’s brother-in-law and so Mr. Xie’s brother-in-law too, of course, he must give him some extra face. Third Lang, don’t you think so? If Shunzi does anything wrong in the future, talk to Mr. Xie more, let him overlook it for the sake of family. Shunzi always clamored about wanting to study, so it seems he can study. If Mr. Xie can focus a bit more on him, maybe our Shunzi can become a scholar one day, and you’d be the scholar’s brother-in-law."

Father Wen listened expressionlessly.

Wen Wan didn’t look too pleased.

Song Wei remained calm but didn’t say anything.