Upon hearing this address, Qin Sang remembered that this was the Original Body's most beloved youngest son, Tian Wenmo.
"Weren't you supposed to return in two more days?"
Tian Wenmo's face, still with baby fat, was full of discontent and anger:
"It's all your fault! I ran out of paper and brushes, and you didn't have Eldest Brother deliver any to me. I had to ask the teacher for leave."
In Qin Sang's memory, this youngest son was a spoiled brat ruined by the Original Body. The best food and clothes at home always went to him first. His older brothers and sisters treated him like a little emperor, not just obeying him but downright afraid of provoking him.
Previously, whenever it was market day and they went to fetch him, it was always Eldest Brother who carried him back. So today, having walked back from town himself, he was both exhausted and furious.
Qin Sang looked at him:
"You want paper and brushes?"
Tian Wenmo: "Of course! Don't you, Mother, want me to pass the Child Scholar exam, become a xiucai, and become a high official? Stop the nonsense, Mother, and hurry up to buy me paper and brushes. If I fall behind in my studies for a day and fail the exams later, it'll all be your fault."
Qin Sang brushed off his hand that was tugging at her and said coldly:
"If you want paper and brushes, fine. Da Zhuang, San Gui, you two separate out a portion of the mugwort for him to carry home."
Both Tian Dazhuang and Tian Sangui were stunned, completely unsure of what to do, because Mother had never before made Fifth Brother do even a speck of work.
Tian Wenmo also thought he had misheard:
"Mother, you want your son to carry grass? Why? Didn't you say my hands were for holding writing brushes and shouldn't do heavy labor?"
Qin Sang curled her lips slightly, her expression indifferent:
"If you want paper and brushes, earn the money yourself. Carry thirty catties of mugwort back, and I can reward you with two wen. If you want paper and brushes, save up and buy them yourself."
After speaking, Qin Sang turned and walked towards home without looking back. It was unbearably sunny; the bamboo hat only blocked some of the sun, but the heat was still oppressive.
Naturally, Tian Wenmo had no intention of carrying anything. He hurriedly chased after Qin Sang's footsteps:
"Mother, you can't treat me like this. You weren't like this before..."
"Before was before, now is now. Before, I indulged you in everything, thinking the family's silver was as inexhaustible as the water in the well. Now you can see for yourself, the river has run dry, and the family's money can't afford your paper and brushes anymore. Your two brothers are now working every day selling mugwort to earn money. If you want to continue your studies, you'll join them. Otherwise, you can stop reading."
Tian Wenmo felt as if struck by a bolt from the blue:
"Mother, Third Sister-in-law said the family has money. You saved a child in town and got a large sum. You also bought rice and grain. You had money to buy so many things, why won't you buy me paper and brushes?"
Qin Sang turned and glared at him coldly:
"I'm not refusing to buy them for you. I said it: you work, you earn it yourself."
Tian Wenmo couldn't understand. The Mother who had always doted on him before now couldn't even be bothered to talk to him.
The sky was falling.
"Mother, you don't want your son to study anymore, is that it? Fine, then your son just won't study. I won't take the Child Scholar exam, I won't take the xiucai exam, I won't become a high official." Tian Wenmo stood his ground, angrily threatening Qin Sang.
Qin Sang laughed:
"Perfect if you decide to quit on your own. Judging by your attitude towards me, I don't think your studies are going that well anyway. If you quit, you quit. That works out perfectly; you can come up the mountain with us tomorrow to look for medicinal herbs. Get up early tomorrow morning and go to the fields with your Eldest Brother and Third Brother to water the crops."
After saying this, Qin Sang paid no more mind to Tian Wenmo, shouldered her basket, carried the Pumpkin, and headed home.
Tian Dazhuang and Tian Sangui looked hesitantly at their Mother walking away, unsure what to do. Finally, Tian Dazhuang walked over:
"Little Brother, Eldest Brother has the two wen Mother rewarded me with yesterday. Take them first and see if you can buy some cheaper paper and brushes to use for now."
Seeing his Eldest Brother being so generous, Tian Sangui hurriedly walked ahead, pretending not to hear.
Tian Wenmo looked at the copper coins Tian Dazhuang pulled from his chest, still reeking of stale sweat, and his anger flared up. Since when did he need handouts from this useless Eldest Brother?
Tian Wenmo slapped the copper coins out of Tian Dazhuang's hand:
"You want to laugh at me? No chance! Mother would never stop me from studying."
After uttering this harsh retort, Tian Wenmo strode off towards home.
Heart aching, Tian Dazhuang picked up the copper coins, blew off the dust, carefully wrapped them in cloth, and tucked them back into his chest.
Tian Wenmo didn't enter the house. He stood at the courtyard gate, continuing to sulk.
Qin Sang glanced at him, too lazy to bother. This kid saw his own Mother carrying forty or fifty catties of stuff and never once offered to help lighten the load. From this one thing alone, Qin Sang knew this child had no consideration for others. He probably just took his family's obedience for granted.
This bad habit needs to change.
She chopped off a small piece of the Pumpkin, diced it, and threw it into the chicken coop, instructing Eldest Son's Wife:
"This is a melon I found on the mountain. Keep an eye on whether any chicks die after eating it. If none die, we'll cook a piece to eat tonight."
However, Zhou Dahua's attention wasn't on the Pumpkin:
"Mother, Little Brother is still standing outside. Maybe you should go call him in. In this weather, if he stands in the sun for a while, he might not be able to bear it."
Qin Sang didn't even look. She raised her voice:
"If he likes standing outside, let him stand. Did I close the courtyard gate? Did I forbid him from entering? Don't you all mind him. He has legs; can't he come in by himself?"
Qin Sang dragged her tired legs into the main hall. Nearby, Eldest Girl, seeing how exhausted Grandma was, her clothes soaked through with sweat, immediately wiped her hands and went into the room to massage Qin Sang's legs.
Seeing Eldest Girl being so well-behaved, Qin Sang finally showed a smile:
"Eldest Girl is still the good one, knowing Grandma is worn out. Not like some people who've studied so much it's all gone to waste."
Qin Sang's voice wasn't low; she deliberately said it for Tian Wenmo outside the courtyard to hear.
Tian Wenmo was so angry his little face puffed in and out. What was wrong with Mother? The last time he came home, Mother kept saying Eldest Girl was a money-losing burden, a waste of food to keep at home. How come after just a few days, Grandma likes Eldest Girl so much?
Tian Wenmo refused to come in. Eldest Brother and his wife wanted to coax him, but they had never had any say in front of Little Fifth before and were afraid of provoking this little emperor. So, they could only focus on doing the household chores diligently.
Tian Sijin asked her Third Brother and found out her younger brother had already upset Mother on the mountain. Although she couldn't figure out where Mother's recent changes came from, she felt the current Mother was infinitely better than the old one.
Third Sons Wife, listening nearby, stopped fanning herself with the palm-leaf fan, unable to hide her surprise:
"Mother actually didn't give Little Brother any money? That's not right. Didn't Mother dote on Little Brother the most, granting his every wish?"
Tian Sangui also massaged his legs and waist:
"Who knows? But I think what Mother said is right. Why should he get money for doing nothing? I worked all morning, my back and legs aching, and only got two copper coins as a reward.
Do you know how expensive paper and brushes are? One writing brush costs five hundred wen, enough to buy dozens of catties of rice and grain to feed the whole family for a month."
While the family members were speculating amongst themselves, Tian Wenmo couldn't stand his ground outside the courtyard any longer.