Chapter 4

Shen Rui was full of doubts but dared not act rashly. He tiptoed to the door of the eastern chamber, where a small lock, about the size of a child's forearm, guarded the entrance. He then felt his way to the main room's door, which was also locked. However, the servants' quarters and the kitchen in the western chamber were not locked, and there was no one around.

Shen Rui entered the kitchen, and after a moment, his eyes adjusted to the dim light. There was only a small stove here. He wondered if the lingering medicinal smell was from the herbs that were often boiled here when his birth mother was bedridden and ill.

On the small stove, there were no food items, only a few bottles and jars. Shen Rui opened each one and was pleasantly surprised to find half a jar of honey and a jar with some rock sugar at the bottom.

Shen Rui was already very hungry, so he lifted the jar of honey and took two large gulps. Even though his mouth was sweet and sticky, his stomach finally had something in it.

He checked the other bottles and jars, but they only contained salt, vinegar, and other seasonings. Finding nothing else, he felt a bit disappointed.

With the seasonings and the small stove, Shen Rui felt a surge of energy. In the dark, he carefully searched the kitchen and found a few paper packages in two small baskets hanging on the wall. There were two packages of dried goods and two of powder. After examining them, he identified the dried goods as silver ear fungus and dried daylilies, and the powders as almond powder and lotus root powder. There was also an empty paper package that still had a strong osmanthus fragrance, indicating it had once contained dried osmanthus flowers.

In the corner of the room, he found two cloth bags in a wooden cabinet. Inside were rice and millet. The smell of the raw grains was so strong that it made his stomach growl even more.

If it weren't for the two large gulps of honey, Shen Rui might have eaten the raw grains.

When he felt something round and smooth next to the cloth bags, he almost cried with joy.

He leaned against the stove, sat on the ground, and cracked open an egg, swallowing it raw.

The raw, slippery feeling was usually unpleasant, but this time, it brought him immense joy.

Shen Rui knew he wouldn't starve to death for now.

There were four eggs in total, and he swallowed them all without leaving any.

His noisy stomach finally calmed down, though the hunger was still intense. Shen Rui knew he had to stop before he overate and strained his small stomach.

With only the eggshells left, he knew he had to be careful. The old lady was waiting for him to "cause trouble." Shen Rui thought for a moment, then crushed the eggshells in his hand and walked to the wooden cabinet. He inserted his hand, holding the crushed eggshells, into the rice bag, pushing it to the bottom before letting go.

No one would find the crushed eggshells until the rice was almost finished.

Thinking of the old lady's malice, Shen Rui didn't dare take the honey or sugar jars.

From what Wang Mama and Hao Pozi had said, the master had fainted from a beating on the day his birth mother passed away. It was already the fifth day, and the "burning seventh" day would be the day after tomorrow. Perhaps a turning point would come then.

In that case, he only needed to endure until tomorrow.

Shen Rui poured out the remaining rock sugar, about a dozen pieces, and wrapped them in the empty paper package. He considered adding some lotus root powder but decided against it. He needed to stay hungry; otherwise, the previous hunger would have been for nothing.

He carefully returned the bottles, jars, and paper packages to their original places and closed the wooden cabinet. Then, he tiptoed out.

Before he reached the door, he heard footsteps and the flicker of a light in the distance. Shen Rui quickly hid by the gate, holding his breath and crouching in the dark.

He heard an old woman complaining, "This courtyard has been empty for days. Why are we patrolling it in the middle of the night? The old lady hasn't said anything, but Hao Pozi is acting like she's the head of the household. Second Lady is about to be made the main wife; how can a mere old woman boss everyone around? When the lady was alive, she never treated people like this."

Another old woman gasped and whispered, "Old sister, be quiet. Be careful someone hears... The weather is changing; we should be more cautious in the future..."

The first old woman, still indignant, said, "The lady was such a kind person; everyone praised her, but the old lady didn't like her. Now, she's guarding the main son's spirit, but who remembers that the second son is her own flesh and blood? It's truly a blind world..." The last sentence was barely audible.

As the two old women approached, the gate creaked open.

At that moment, a white shadow darted out.

The two old women screamed, almost dropping their lanterns. The white shadow paused, meowed, and then darted into the alley behind the chamber.

It was a large white cat that had been sitting on the moon gate. Shen Rui had been so quiet that he hadn't disturbed the cat. The lanterns in the old women's hands had startled it, causing it to jump out.

"Amitabha, Amitabha..." the timid old woman chanted, "That was terrifying."

Before she finished, a gust of wind blew, causing her lantern to flicker.

The timid old woman's legs trembled, and her teeth chattered. "Old sister, this courtyard is so eerie... Could it be that the lady hasn't left?"

The complaining old woman said, "We're not the ones who did wrong, so why should we be afraid?" Despite her words, she was still wary and bowed in all directions. "We are just servants, and we respect the lady. If she hasn't left, please protect the second son and don't harbor any resentment."

The sky was covered with clouds, and the surroundings grew darker.

The night wind continued, and the lantern, which had been still, began to sway again. The two old women, frightened, waved the lantern around and said, "We've checked, we've checked, let's go!"

They hurriedly closed the gate and rushed away, their footsteps quick and urgent. Soon, the courtyard was quiet again.

Shen Rui stood behind the door, feeling dizzy and his head pounding.

A two or three-year-old child in red clothes ran to a woman in her thirties, calling, "Mother, Mother," and was embraced by a kind old woman in her fifties, who patted his head and said, "Your mother is busy managing the household, Rui'er. Don't disturb her. Grandmother will have someone make you some cake."

The young woman smiled but did not come forward to pick up the child.

The next time the child saw the young woman, he called her "Mother" indifferently and focused on eating a plate of osmanthus sugar cake.

When the child was five or six, he was accompanied by two servants, one carrying a birdcage and the other doing somersaults. One of them said, "Second Brother, don't be a bookworm. People will look down on you. Be a hero; it's more impressive. Second Brother is the legitimate son of the fourth branch of the Shen family; you don't need to be afraid of anyone."

In the classroom, the child looked at the "Three-Character Classic" with disgust.

When the child was seven or eight, a servant woman complained, "The master is biased, favoring Second Lady and the eldest son. Second Brother is the legitimate son, but that fox spirit is always trying to outshine him. She's not a good person, and Second Brother shouldn't be nice to her."

In the classroom, the teacher praised a young boy, and the child's face tightened, his eyes filled with anger.

In the hall, a middle-aged man stroked his beard and praised the young boy, looking very satisfied. The child hung his head and clenched his fists.

After the middle-aged man left, the young boy turned to the child, gently touching his head and saying, "I'll teach you to recite the 'Three-Character Classic.' If you can recite it, Father will praise you too."

The child slapped the young boy's hand away and glared at him. "You're a bastard, I don't need your help!"

The young boy's hand froze, and his face turned pale.

The child huffed and ran away.

When the child grew to be about the same size as now, the young woman was no longer young, showing signs of age. She lay in bed, pale, and looked at him with kindness. "I don't wish for my son to be noble, only for him to be safe."

The child looked puzzled but obediently did not act as he did in front of others.

The woman smiled and said, "If you don't like reading, don't force yourself. Just know the laws and manners. Don't think of becoming a wandering knight; it's painful to be beaten, and you might end up in jail. If you really want to compete with him, don't be cold or use harsh words. Get married and have children early, and teach your son to read. You are brothers, so don't give them an advantage."

The child held the woman's sleeve, seeing her thin arm, and said with red eyes, "I've grown up and won't be as ignorant as before. I'll be a good landowner, and Mother must listen to me and take your medicine to get better soon."

The woman nodded, but her eyes were distant.

The scene changed, and it was still in the woman's room.

The woman lay in bed, her eyes closed, and the floor was filled with weeping old women and maids.

The child stood by the window, lost in thought.

A few people entered the room, and the child turned to look at them coldly, his gaze falling on a beautiful woman. He said something, and the woman was taken aback, her eyes filling with tears.

The child became even angrier, pointing at the woman and saying something. The middle-aged man beside her turned pale and stepped forward, but was held back by the young boy.

The young boy, with red eyes, stepped forward to speak, but the child pushed him hard, causing him to fall and hit his head on a table, blood gushing out...