Chapter 94: Chapter 93 Where the Honey Comes From
Mrs. Li held young Master Tang Shunyan’s hand as they came to Madam’s courtyard, where they could all smell a sweet fragrance in the air.
“How fragrant!” Tang Shunyan felt like drooling. He had just eaten something upon returning to the courtyard, but the aroma made him want to eat again.
Mrs. Li heard Tang Shunyan’s words and smiled at the corners of her mouth, thinking how truly innocent and carefree children are.
As a housekeeper, even if the master’s food smelled delicious, she wasn’t entitled to enjoy it, except for occasions when young Master left leftovers that she couldn’t bear to throw away, only then would she eat the leftovers.
However, the leftovers from young Master’s meals, especially the good ones, would normally be given to the Maids around him. Mrs. Li usually gave way to others, making life difficult for herself in the household.
If she didn’t defer to others, they would dislike her even more and would constantly play petty tricks.
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“Grandfather, Grandmother, Father, Mother, Shunyan is back…”
As Tang Shunyan crossed the threshold into the living room and saw the people inside, his little legs carried him running in, already greeting his relatives.
“Yan’er, slow down…” the young madam smiled broadly as she saw her son.
“Mother, you’re here too. No wonder it smells so good. Did Grandmother tell the kitchen to make something tasty?”
Tang Shunyan was, after all, just a child. No matter how mature he tried to act, he was still not quite three years old. Smelling the delicious fragrance, he couldn’t suppress his desire to eat. Upon entering the living room and taking a quick look at the elders, his gaze quickly settled on the pastries on the table.
“Hehe, our grandson is in for a treat! Grandmother had the kitchen make pastries with the honey you brought back, much tastier than the usual snacks.”
Madam’s face was filled with kindness, and she was especially fond of her eldest grandson. The child was clever and lively, the apple of their eye.
“That’s great, it’s just a pity that your grandson ate something recently and feels a bit full, but even so, I still want to eat.”
Tang Shunyan spoke honestly in front of his elders. The teacher had taught him that children should be honest, shouldn’t lie, and must respect their elders and love the young, thoroughly explaining the meanings in the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic.
Tang Shunyan was young and did not fully understand the meanings, but he listened attentively to the teacher, believing that the teacher’s learned words were right.
“Hmm, you can eat a little and take the rest back with you,” Madam said to her grandson with a smile.
“Son, eat lots of food so you’ll grow up tall and strong, like your father,” said Mr. Tang, feeling that his son was a bit thin and not very tall. Compared to other children of the same age, his height was just average.
“Mm, I want to eat some, and then take the rest back home.”
Tang Shunyan joyfully took a piece of cake from Mrs. Li and bit into it. It tasted so delicious that he couldn’t help but eat large mouthfuls instead of small bites.
Tang Shunyan ate too quickly and perhaps swallowed air, beginning to hiccup, “Er, er.”
“Grandson, all the goodies are yours; no one’s competing with you. Why are you eating so hastily? Mrs. Li, quickly bring some honey tea for our grandson,”
Madam had already asked Jinhua to prepare chrysanthemum tea for her grandson as soon as Tang Shunyan entered the living room.
“This child normally doesn’t eat like this. What’s gotten into him today? Didn’t you say you’ve just eaten?” The young madam spoke while giving Mrs. Li a stern look, as any mistake could be blamed on Mrs. Li.
“Young madam, the young Master did eat something earlier, which is why he was allowed to come here. It must be because he loves the honey pastries so much.”
Mrs. Li felt somewhat wronged. The young Master was just a child, his behavior still needing guidance; how could he be expected to have the composure and propriety of an adult?
A child doesn’t know how to feign; they only show their purest side.
After drinking a few sips of tea, feeling that the chrysanthemum tea was so delicious, and no longer hiccupping, Tang Shunyan said to Madam:
“The pastries were so delicious, and the chrysanthemum tea was very nice to drink, Mother, I was just a bit too fond of eating them, I got a little carried away. It won’t happen again.”
“Grandson, you like honey pastries, from now on the kitchen will make some for you every day. With this jar of honey, you’ll have enough for a while. Have you thanked your wet nurse yet? It was her little daughter who gave you the honey, right?”
Tang Shunyan looked at Mrs. Li after hearing his grandmother’s words, then at the big jar on the table, and said to Mrs. Li:
“Wet nurse, thank you. Thank your little sister for me. She gave me such a nice toy, and such delicious honey too.”
Mrs. Li was a bit bewildered on hearing this. She knew about the toy, but not about any honey.
All she knew was that her little daughter had brought a jar, and at the time, no one knew what was in it, thinking that the little girl, being playful, had given young Master a jar of pickles.
That was what everyone else thought, and so did she.
Her elder daughter had said that the pickles were long gone, so she assumed it was some kind of prank by her little daughter, perhaps filled with water or something similar.
The little daughter couldn’t even speak yet, so how could her husband know what was inside?
So how could the other women know?
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Then why would the little daughter be able to give honey? Surely it wasn’t bought by the Mother-in-law. If it had been bought by the Mother-in-law, she would have taken it away as soon as she saw the little girl give it to young Master.
The Mother-in-law was so stingy, where would she get the money to buy honey?
This several pounds of honey, how much would it cost?
Mrs. Li looked around at everyone blankly, thinking they were all joking with her, not wanting young Master to be unhappy, and thus telling a well-intentioned lie to make young Master happy.
“Young Master, our family doesn’t keep bees, how could we have honey? My Mother-in-law certainly wouldn’t give my husband money to buy honey. Just now at home, nobody knew what was inside that jar!”
Mrs. Li was too honest; she wasn’t by her little daughter’s side, knew only that the child was sensible and easy to care for, but didn’t know any other secrets.
In such a short period of time, her husband hadn’t said much to her either, afraid that if he told her, the news would spread.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his wife, but there were just too many people in the room at the time, and even more in the courtyard at the entrance.
“But it was a gift from my little sister, my grandmother wouldn’t lie to me; and when I was holding this jar, it smelled sweet and fragrant, just like it does now.”
Tang Shunyan had a nose like a pup’s, and he knew there was something good inside when he received the gift. Back then, others said it was worthless pickles, but he didn’t think it was pickles.
Passing by the kitchen, he also smelled the scent of pickle jars, which was different from the scent of the gift jar he had received.
Mrs. Li was dumbfounded again after hearing what young Master said.
“Mrs. Li, young Master is asking you something, what are you daydreaming about?”
Jufeng was the first who couldn’t stand seeing Mrs. Li daydreaming in front of the master; it was quite inappropriate.
“Ah, young Master, perhaps it was bought by the child’s father! I have never had this kind of honey.”
Mrs. Li thought for a moment and could only explain in this way; her husband got the honey in a trade, perhaps intending to give it to the child, but the child ended up giving it to young Master.
She said this with some uncertainty; after all, how could her husband afford to buy honey?