CHAPTER 381: CHAPTER 349: THE LITTLE BIRTHDAY STAR WHO LOVES FISH (PART 1)

The three people catching fish by the river were playing in the water while catching fish. By the time they carried the basket filled with fish back, everyone was half-wet.

Wen Wan looked at the birthday boy, whose smile was so wide it couldn’t close, and couldn’t bear to scold him.

Fortunately, she had prepared beforehand and could provide him with clean clothes to change into.

Su Yaoqi and Song Yuanbao were stronger, and with the strong wind outside, they dried off quickly.

Wen Wan took the fish basket straight to the kitchen, where a few peasant women from the manor helped her prepare a full fish feast for the birthday boy.

At the dinner table, Wen Wan asked her son, "Now you’ve grown a year older, does Jinbao have any wishes for the new year?"

The little guy, eating the tender fish meat carefully deboned by his father, thought for a moment and said, "Jinbao wants to eat lots and lots of fish."

Wen Wan glanced at the table full of fish meat, "Isn’t this still not enough for you?"

Jinbao shook his little head, "Grandma says we have to eat after dinner today and also tomorrow."

Wen Wan understood, "You mean you want to eat fish today and also tomorrow?"

With his mouth full of food, Jinbao couldn’t answer and just made a couple of ’umms.’

Wen Wan turned to look at Song Wei, her expression a bit complex, "Three years reveals the young, seven years reveals the old; how can you not be annoyed that your child is three and his only aspiration is this?"

Song Wei was taking out fish bones for his son who sat between him and Wen Wan. He paused at her words and slowly smiled, "Having aspirations is a good thing — it shows he’s ambitious."

Speaking, he fed the fish meat to Jinbao, gently encouraging him, "This year, let’s have just one table with a fish feast, and next year push a bit harder, maybe have two tables."

The little guy opened his mouth and ate the fish from Song Wei’s hand, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Seeing this, Wen Wan was momentarily speechless.

Jinbao was only three, and of course, she wouldn’t force him to have great abilities. Besides, the little guy inherited his father’s intelligence; he learns things quickly. Just usually, apart from eating, drinking, and having fun, he’s lazy to display effort.

Su Yaoqi watched Jinbao with interest, "So you really like eating fish?"

No wonder Song Wei and his wife brought the little guy to the manor for his birthday; the river water here is clear with little pollution, and freshly caught fish are lively and fresh.

Su Yaoqi grew up well-protected, comparable to a household woman who never steps out, and a place like the manor is rural for their family; even if he wanted to come, his parents wouldn’t allow him.

Thus, the first time seeing the serene green mountains and water, different from the city clamor, along with the Song family’s warm interactions, he felt an unspeakable peace inside.

Jinbao was busy eating and had no time to respond to Su Yaoqi, so he only managed to mutter "Fish is tasty" before burying nearly his entire little face into his bowl.

Wen Wan watched her son’s eating habits, took a deep breath, and silently repeated three times "He’s my own."

——

In the Capital, Duke Jing Mansion.

Duke Su learned that his son followed Song Wei’s family to the suburban manor, and his insides were nearly exploding with anger. He asked the house servants who followed Su Yaoqi, "Little Four wants to go far, and you’re all useless, don’t know how to stop him?"

The house servants replied fearfully, "Forgive us, Duke, it’s just that Fourth Young Master was very adamant; we didn’t dare to use force against him, so..."

"A bunch of useless good-for-nothings!" Duke Su glared at them and shouted angrily, "Hurry up and find the boy for me!"

The house servants received the order and scattered like birds and beasts.

Once everyone had gone far, the Duchess stepped forward with a worried face.

Duke Su was irked at the sight of her and waved her away, "Alright, you go too, stop lingering in front of me, you’re making my eyes hurt."

Married into the Su family for many years, the Duchess was used to her husband’s temper and didn’t take his words to heart, instead saying to herself, "Little Four must have been out of his mind; of all the people to follow, why the Song family? Does he not know Song Wei is our family’s archenemy?"

Duke Su snorted coldly at this, "And you have the nerve to speak?" he then followed with a tirade, "If you hadn’t let him out, would he have had the chance to follow Song Wei? Maybe it was not even voluntary!"

The more Duke Su spoke, the more anxious the Duchess became, but she was helpless. Her son had already left, and only when the Song family sent word did they learn. Even if they wanted to forcibly bring him back, they’d have to spend time finding him.

Duke Su calmed himself, recalling Song Wei’s message.

Since Song Wei dared to openly admit he took Little Four, it showed he didn’t dare harm Su Yaoqi openly; this person always acted prudently, unlikely to risk his entire family’s lives over a nineteen-year-old boy.

Thinking of this, Duke Su finally felt at ease.

——

After lunch, Song Wei attended to a few tenants who came to visit upon hearing the news, while Wen Wan took Yuanbao, Jinbao, and Su Yaoqi to follow the manor’s children to the hill for sheep herding.

Song Yuanbao, having grown up in the countryside before, was unfazed by sheep herding, but Jinbao found it novel. With a whip in hand, he wobbled and ran behind the sheep, driving them far away.

The shepherd boy, knowing that he was a young master, dared not offend him. As he watched the sheep run off, he could only follow hesitantly, fearing that this young master might really drive the sheep into the forest, making it impossible to gather them all by nightfall and risking a scolding at home.

Jinbao was eventually carried back by his mother. The little guy, having somehow petted a sheep, reeked of mutton.

Wen Wan looked at him with disdain, "I just changed your clothes, and now you’ve dirtied them again."

Jinbao sat on the grass by the creek, silent, letting Wen Wan wipe his face with a stream-soaked cloth.

The little guy, fearing his mother’s anger, took the opportunity to curry favor and wrapped his chubby arms around Wen Wan.

Wen Wan withdrew her hand wiping her son’s face, carelessly dropping the cloth on the grass. She looked down, seeing his satisfied little face, and smiled, asking, "Jinbao, did you have fun today?"

"Yes." The little guy nodded vigorously, "Sheep herding is fun."

Wen Wan raised an eyebrow, then couldn’t help but laugh, "The way you herd sheep almost made the shepherd boy cry with worry."

"That’s because he’s silly." Jinbao pouted, unwilling to admit he was the clumsy one.

Wen Wan peeled the two little arms off her waist and let him sit properly. She bent to pick up the wet cloth, went back to the creek to rinse it, and returned to wipe his chubby hands.

The pungent smell of mutton on Jinbao couldn’t be removed, so Wen Wan took him to join Su Yaoqi and Song Yuanbao, and then they all headed down the mountain together.

When they arrived, Song Wei had just sent those tenants away. Seeing his son approaching, his deep-set eyes softened, a smile curved on his lips, and he asked, "Do you want to go home to see your grandparents?"

Jinbao said, "I miss Grandpa and Grandma, but I miss sheep herding more."

This stinky boy, still thinking about sheep herding?

Wen Wan was speechless.

Song Wei glanced at the sky, "It’s getting late, Yuanbao needs to return to the palace before it gets too dark, we shouldn’t delay too long."

Wen Wan nodded, turned to Song Yuanbao and Su Yaoqi, and said, "You two quickly wash your faces, get ready to head home."

Song Yuanbao responded and took Su Yaoqi to the well to fetch water.

Wen Wan called for Uncle Lin, wanting to take the fish Song Yuanbao had caught earlier back home, and upon entering, she saw many game animals and looked surprised, "Are these all from the tenants?"

Song Wei nodded in affirmation.

"They only gave some during the New Year, why give more now?" Wen Wan muttered softly, "You didn’t even think to refuse."

Song Wei just smiled.

The tenants’ purpose in offering game was nothing more than hoping the landlord would continue leasing land to them for farming the next year. Refusing might make them seem too cold-hearted.

Wen Wan seemed to realize this too, and only muttered for a moment before closing her mouth.

She gave the live fish to the manor’s farmwomen, packed the game provided by the tenants into large burlap bags, and asked someone to get a mule to carry them.

Once Song Yuanbao and Su Yaoqi returned after washing their faces, everyone boarded the carriage in succession and began the journey back to the city.

Having played outside for the better part of the day, both Wen Wan and Jinbao were somewhat tired, and soon the mother and son started to doze off with their eyes half-closed.

Knowing she was tired, Song Wei didn’t disturb them, casually picking up a book from the side rack and flipping through it.

The fresh scent of the fields warmed by the sunset, accompanied by the occasional rustle of Song Wei turning pages, made the carriage interior’s quiet not seem dull.

Wen Wan quietly peeked through a crack in her eyelids, catching a glimpse of the man’s focused profile, and her lips gently curved into a smile.

Another wave of drowsiness hit her, and fearing the man might catch her pretending to sleep, she suppressed the urge to yawn, slowly closing her eyelids, ready to nap, when a sudden intuition snapped her back to consciousness.