With Qin Sang's permission, Third Brother and his Wife immediately grabbed their bowls and chopsticks and reached for the clay pot.
Eldest Brother's Wife was more restrained. She placed a piece of smoked chicken in Eldest Girl's bowl and only took vegetables for herself. Si Jin took a piece and chewed it thoroughly, wishing she could crush and swallow even the bones.
In this family, aside from the Original Body and Tian Wenmo, everyone else only got a slice of meat during festivals. And before getting that meat, they had to endure a few taunts and scoldings from the Original Body.
Now, although the whole salted chicken wasn't large, chopped into pieces, each piece had meat. Cooked with just salt and these greens, it tasted like a rare delicacy to them.
Tian Wenmo watched from the side, craning his neck but pretending to look elsewhere nonchalantly. However, the sound of his third brother and sister-in-law smacking their lips and eating heartily was impossible to ignore.
Mother won't give him water, won't make him new clothes, and now, she won't even let him eat meat.
With Third Brother and his Wife around, no amount of chicken soup stew would be enough. Seeing the pot was about to be emptied, Eldest Brother's Wife turned and asked Tian Wenmo at the door:
"Little Uncle, you must be hungry after all morning. You should come and eat a little. Don't let yourself starve."
Tian Dazhuang, chewing on a bone, also said:
"Yeah, you eat first. I'll help you cut that... whatever vine this afternoon."
Qin Sang ate slowly and put down her chopsticks:
"I said, if you want to eat and drink, you have to work. Eldest Son, you have other things to do this afternoon. If he doesn't want to lift a finger but expects to eat and drink for free, then I can't afford to keep him in this family.
Eldest Brother's Wife, don't mind him. Missing one meal won't kill him. Weren't you all getting by on two meals, or even one meal a day before?"
Scolded by Qin Sang, no one dared to look after Tian Wenmo anymore. Tian Wenmo's eyes welled up with angry tears:
"Mother, you weren't like this before. Why have you changed so much in just a few days?"
The others at the table also slowed their eating. Deep down, they had the same question but didn't dare to ask.
Qin Sang held absolute authority in this household; no one dared to challenge her. Besides, this change in Qin Sang was good for them. Their lives were better, they worked with more energy. Only Third Brother and his Wife harbored slight dissatisfaction, but considering they could now eat their fill and have meat, they felt this change wasn't so bad.
Qin Sang looked up at the Original Body's youngest son, feeling that some things indeed needed to be laid out clearly to explain her drastic change:
"Last time you came back asking for paper and brushes, the family had no money. I originally planned to sell Eldest Girl to get silver to buy them for you. You know about this now. Do you still want to study?"
Tian Wenmo clearly didn't know the family was so poor they had to sell Eldest Girl for paper and brushes.
"But Mother, didn't you dislike Eldest Girl the most? Saying raising her was useless and wasted food."
Qin Sang knew this child had been corrupted by the Original Body. Correcting him now would be very difficult:
"Later, your eldest brother and third brother insisted on splitting the family."
Tian Wenmo was truly shocked this time.
"Eldest Brother, Third Brother, you..."
Qin Sang continued:
"Your eldest and third brothers would rather split the family and live separately than wait for the life you painted... promised would only come true if you became a high official.
Lying in bed, I thought, all these years, had I been wrong?
You are all my children, raised by me. I should have treated you equally, but I only favored you.
Before, I always automatically ignored the others because of you. But these past few days, I've discovered they each have their own merits.
Your eldest brother is diligent and capable. Your eldest sister-in-law is steady and filial. Your third brother is clever and sweet-talking. Your Third Sister-in-law... hasn't been in our family long, so let's not mention her for now. Si Jin is nimble and skillful. Eldest Girl also has many good points; she knows to massage Grandma's legs and shoulders, thoughtful and cute. And as for you, Wen Mo...
Think for yourself, what are your merits?"
Tian Wenmo blurted out, "Your son can study! I've already learned the 'Three Hundred Thousand'."
"Your studying was bought by emptying this family's coffers.
To fund your studies, I sold ten acres of good farmland and many things your late father left me.
Do you believe me? If it weren't you going to school, but Eldest Girl, or your eldest or third brother, they could learn these things too, perhaps even better and faster than you."
These words stunned everyone in the room.
Tian Wenmo found it even harder to believe. Would his eldest and third brothers study better than him if they went to school?
"It was I who let you study, giving you the opportunity. It was also your eldest brother, third brother, sisters-in-law, and sister who kept the household in good order, allowing you to study with a single-minded focus.
Do you understand this principle now?"
Tian Wenmo seemed to understand but not fully. At eight years old, having never suffered hardship or endured any grievance, expecting him to be enlightened and changed by a few words would truly require a genius.
However, he felt what Mother was saying now made inexplicable sense, much more sense than before when she would impulsively call his eldest sister-in-law and Eldest Girl 'money-losing goods'.
He couldn't refute it.
Qin Sang felt that was enough for now. Too many principles would just turn his brain to mush. True knowledge comes from practice:
"You are neither my only son nor the youngest child in the family. There's no reason for you to have privileges. Respecting elders and caring for the young doesn't even apply to you. From now on, you work when the family works. Don't think about slacking off."
Tian Wenmo truly felt the sky was falling:
"Mother, then what about my studies? Am I not going to the Private School anymore?"
Qin Sang couldn't say that with his brain and personality, if he ever entered the officialdom, he wouldn't know how he'd die:
"Didn't you boast about being good at studying? Then study on your own after finishing work. Since you've already learned the 'Three Hundred Thousand', reading and studying by yourself should perfectly prove your talent. When you can understand the principle of my words today, then you can talk to me about going to the Private School again."
As Qin Sang finished speaking, the chicken soup stew in the clay pot was also finished. Third Sister-in-law beside her covered her mouth, burping.
Glanced at by Qin Sang, her face reddened for once.
Qin Sang didn't say much more. This salted chicken soup was salty and bland; she only ate it for the meat flavor, but they seemed to like it.
Naturally, there was plenty of work in the afternoon. Eldest Girl and Si Jin helped Eldest Brother's Wife make clothes, learning along the way. In this era, clothes were all made by oneself. Qin Sang didn't know how, so she could only let the others in the family learn.
Qin Sang turned over the mugwort, ensuring it was all sun-dried, and also sold some to the Mall. Eldest Brother, Third Brother, and Tian Wenmo were responsible for slicing and sun-drying the Millettia root.
"I've assigned the work. Little Fifth, if you don't work this afternoon, then don't eat dinner tonight either."
Qin Sang said, looking at Tian Wenmo who was still standing there motionless.
Tian Wenmo was truly starving, but he still didn't plan to move. He felt deep down that Mother couldn't possibly bear to watch him actually starve to death.
Work? Not a chance.
Seeing him still unmoved, Qin Sang snorted coldly. Fine, then let him starve. She didn't feel the slightest bit sorry.
As dusk approached, Hunter Xu came to the door, followed by Brother Huzi. Both carried quite a haul of game—wild rabbits, pheasants, even little sparrows.
"You had quite a harvest today."
Hearing the commotion, Tian Sijin ran to the door in a few steps:
"Brother Huzi, Uncle... Uncle Xu..."
Hunter Xu untied two wild rabbits from his waist and handed them to Qin Sang:
"Sister-in-law Tian, these two wild rabbits were caught in traps. This one was shot by our arrows. Which ones would you like?"