Chapter 27: Usually So Simple and Honest—But I Think It’s All an Act

Sun Bomin crammed everything that could be taken along into Elder Aunt Sun’s carriage.

Uncle He hurriedly stopped him. “Little Brother, leave these at home. We can easily buy them in the prefectural city.”

They certainly could not let him load every edible thing in the household onto the carriage. He had even packed a sack of glutinous rice, claiming that the rice from Sun Village was exceptionally sticky and perfect for making pastries.

Yu grinned from the side and said bluntly, “Uncle, don’t bother with the rice. It’s too heavy, and we won’t be able to carry it.”

Better yet, they should take nothing at all. If they filled the carriage so completely that no one could sit inside, that would never do.

Sun Bomin scratched his head. “Your elder sister loves the food from home. Since you have a carriage, it’s convenient to bring some along.”

Elder Aunt Sun quickly took the heavier things down and said with a smile, “I won’t bring anything that can be bought in the prefectural city. Things they don’t have there are the ones worth taking home. And don’t give me too much. Several sacks of tangerines will be plenty. I can take them back as gifts.”

As for cured duck, dried bamboo shoots, preserved vegetables, and the like, there was no need to bring those. They were all available in the prefectural city, and they could simply buy whatever they wanted.

Sun Shan went around to the backyard and returned carrying two small potted kumquat trees. Each was about half a meter tall and sat in a bamboo basket, its branches laden with golden fruit. Sun Shan had specially tied a strip of red cloth around each basket, making them look festive at a glance.

After repeated pruning and shaping, he had carefully kept the trees small and delicate.

He brought the two potted trees before Elder Aunt Sun and said in a childish voice, “Elder Aunt, these are Four-Season Kumquats. I’m giving them to you. By New Year’s, the fruit will be even redder. Hang some red paper on the branches and put them in the room or on the shop counter. They’ll bring prosperity and good fortune, and they’ll look festive.”

Guangnan Province was much like Guangdong in his former life. There was a custom of visiting flower markets and buying kumquat trees during the New Year celebrations.

In the previous two years, he had gone with Sun Bomin to visit the county town and discovered that the potted kumquat trees sold there were unimpressive. Their fruit was sparse, and they inspired no desire to buy them.

So he had decided to grow New Year kumquats and make them into potted ornaments, just to see whether he could succeed. The result had been quite good. After two years, the Four-Season Kumquats had finally borne fruit and could be used as decorations.

Before Elder Aunt Sun could react, Yu cried out, “Wow! These two trees have so much fruit! But they’re too short. They don’t look grand at all.”

Sun Shan rolled his eyes at his cousin and retorted, “Cousin Yu, I deliberately grew them this way. They’re small enough to put on a table, and they look much prettier like that. Elder Aunt, you absolutely must take them home and put them on Eldest Cousin’s desk. They’ll bring him great luck, and he’ll surely pass the licentiate examination next year. If he doesn’t like them, put them on the shop counter instead. They’ll bring wealth from every direction, and you’ll make lots of money.”

Elder Aunt Sun looked at the two kumquat trees, deeply moved. Never mind how Shan had cultivated them; the thought alone showed that all the love she had given him had not been wasted.

She had not yet recovered from her emotion when she pulled the frail Sun Shan into her arms and said, “Oh, my Shan! Elder Aunt loves them so much. I’ll definitely take them back to the prefectural city and put them on your eldest cousin’s desk, so he’ll know how much you miss him.”

Elder Aunt Sun was not the only one touched. Uncle He was moved as well. A five-year-old child had thought of giving a gift, and one that carried such auspicious meaning at that.

Uncle He patted Sun Shan’s little head and said with a smile, “Shan is truly remarkable. You can grow kumquats by yourself now, and you’ve made them so delicate and beautiful. When your eldest cousin sees these bright golden fruits, he’ll surely love them.”

Sun Shan said shyly, “As long as Elder Aunt likes them, that’s enough.”

Yu teased him, “Shan, I treat you well too. Why did you only think of giving something to your eldest cousin and not to me?”

Sun Shan answered without the slightest hesitation, “Cousin Yu, if you also take the licentiate examination, I’ll give you two trees even bigger than these.”

The words struck Yu straight in the heart. Shan had chosen precisely the sore spot he should have avoided. Everyone knew that Yu was poor at his studies, yet he had said something so painfully cutting.

Yu snatched Sun Shan from Elder Aunt Sun’s arms and tickled him under the arms. Sun Shan was extremely ticklish, and being so small and frail, he could not fight back. He shrieked loudly.

Yu laughed even harder.

Uncle Second Sun and his wife, along with Uncle Third Sun and his wife, brought the children from their households and carried over what were supposedly local specialties from Sun Village.

The large courtyard was lively and bustling. De-ge came running in at full speed. When he saw Cousin Yu playing with Shan, he threw himself into the group and joined the commotion.

Uncle Third Sun shouted angrily, “Be careful not to hurt Yu!”

Their own child could be rough and careless; a few bumps would not matter. But a child from the He family was different. If he were injured, Grandmother He would accuse the Sun family of having no manners.

Third Aunt Sun had sharp eyes. When she spotted the two festive kumquat trees, she exclaimed theatrically, “Oh my, Elder Sister, where did these New Year kumquats come from? They’re lovely!”

The bamboo baskets holding the trees were tied with red cloth fashioned into bows, making them look especially celebratory.

Su Shi felt secretly proud and desperately wanted to say that her own son had made them. But she was a quiet, reserved woman and did not dare speak much before her sister-in-law, so she remained silent.

Elder Aunt Sun lifted one of the pots. Its branches were heavy with fruit, and she had no idea how Shan had managed to grow it.

With a face full of smiles, she said, “Shan gave these to us. Our Shan is truly capable. He can even grow kumquats, and look at them—he’s gotten them to bear fruit!”

She glanced at Sun Bomin and asked, “Little Brother, Shan grew them, didn’t he?”

In truth, Elder Aunt Sun was not certain who had grown them. But no matter what, they had been given by Shan, and that alone made her happy.

Sun Bomin said with a smile, “He grew them himself. He planted them two years ago, and these are the only two that bore fruit. I never imagined he had grown them specially as a gift for you.”

Elder Aunt Sun was even happier after hearing that. She smiled so broadly that the crow’s-feet at the corners of her eyes became visible.

Uncle Third Sun and Third Aunt Sun exchanged a glance and curled their lips. They did not believe for a moment that a five-year-old boy could cultivate potted kumquats. Surely Elder Brother and his wife had made them themselves and merely had Shan present them, so that Elder Sister would remember Shan’s kindness and support him in the future.

Hmph! Who would have thought Elder Brother and his wife were such people? They always seemed honest and simple. So it had all been an act!

Uncle Second Sun and Second Aunt Sun were straightforward by nature. Seeing the two kumquat trees covered in fruit, they liked them more the longer they looked.

Uncle Second Sun said with a smile, “Shan is truly impressive. He’s so young, yet he already knows how to tend flowers and plants. When he grows up, he’ll surely become an excellent farmer.”

Second Aunt Sun echoed him from the side. In the couple’s eyes, being able to cultivate good fields and harvest several extra measures of grain was more important than anything else.

Sun Bomin thought the same. Shan seemed to have a gift for farming. Perhaps one day he would become the finest farmer in all the surrounding villages.

Seeing her husband’s foolish grin, Su Shi was furious. Her Shan would not be farming in the future. He was going to follow Elder Aunt to the prefectural city.

He would be best off finding work there, marrying a woman from the city, and settling down in the prefectural city. Why waste his time farming? Shan was destined to become a city man, not a country villager.

Grandmother Huang was also delighted that her youngest grandson was so thoughtful toward his eldest aunt. She stroked Sun Shan, who had just wriggled free from Yu’s arms, and said lovingly, “Our Shan is different from the other children in the village. He is especially patient and steady in all he does. He will certainly achieve great things in the future.”

Sun Shan lowered his head without speaking. He was so embarrassed. Grandmother’s praise was far too direct, and he had no idea what to say.