Chapter 38: Delicious Delicacies
Gong Changan brought over paper and brush, and Gong Xu ordered him to write a few characters casually for him to see.
Gong Bao’an also felt the urge to write. He thought that since he practiced calligraphy every day anyway, he might as well finish it here, and then he could play with Gong Changan.
So he said, “Father, I want to write with Fourth Brother too.”
“Then let’s do it together! Each of you write a five-character or seven-character quatrain,” Gong Xu said, seeing several brushes on the table, and asked him to write as well.
The stone table was not large. The two brothers stood facing north and south, each occupying half of the tabletop.
Gong Bao’an stood up straight, and wrote each stroke with great care and caution.
In contrast, Gong Changan had his left hand behind his back, and his right hand moved like a dragon and snake, completing the writing in one go.
“Fourth Brother, you’re done?” Gong Bao’an was astonished. “I haven’t even finished two lines.”
Gong Xu’s brows furrowed once more. Gong Changan was not writing in the standard script that children usually learned, but in running script.
“This is outrageous!” Gong Xu said angrily. “How old are you? You want to run before you can even walk steadily!”
“Father, please don’t be angry. It’s just that you didn’t specify what kind of script to write, so your son wrote in running script. I’ll rewrite it now.” Gong Changan said, and changed to a new piece of paper.
However, he finished the last stroke just as Gong Bao’an was finishing his.
Gong Bao’an eagerly held up his calligraphy to Gong Xu: “Please, Daddy, point out my errors.”
The poem he wrote was titled 《 Little Pine 》:
From a young age, a prickly head deep in the grass, now gradually I feel I’ve grown beyond the weeds.
People of the time don’t recognize the towering tree, only when it towers will they speak of its height.
Gong Xu took it and looked carefully, saying, “The characters ‘head’ and ‘deep’ are the best. The character ‘weeds’ is a bit loose, and ‘wormwood’ is too cramped. You need to practice more. However, the ambition of this poem is good.”
Gong Bao’an nodded, took it back, and examined it again.
Gong Xu then looked at Gong Changan’s writing and saw that he had written:
“A secluded gate facing the mountain path, a hall of deep willows for studying.
Its shade often brightens the day, its clear light shines on clothes.”
“This poem originally had four more lines, do you know them?” Gong Xu asked.
“It’s ‘The path is where white clouds end, spring lingers with the green stream. Sometimes fallen flowers arrive, from afar the scent of flowing water is heard.'” Gong Changan recited them fluently.
“That’s right, this is a poem by Master Yi Shan, but it’s missing a title,” Gong Xu nodded. “Why did you choose to write this poem?”
Gong Changan smiled: “Your son didn’t think too much about it, he just liked its transcendent indifference. Even without a title, it’s still a good poem.”
“Indeed! Reading is just reading, don’t mistake reading for a ladder to heaven.” Gong Xu himself was inherently a person of tranquility and leisure; becoming an official was merely a matter of worldly circumstances.
He couldn’t help but feel that this child was quite similar to himself.
Looking again at Gong Changan’s calligraphy, it was clearly more steady and powerful than Gong Bao’an’s.
For a child of this age to produce such calligraphy was remarkable, even in the Capital City, which was full of talented people.
However, Gong Xu naturally wouldn’t praise him excessively. Instead, he found fault: “Your strokes are sharp and aggressive, lacking restraint, too exposed. This is not a good thing.”
Gong Changan respectfully replied, “Father, your teachings are correct. Your son will remember them.”
“It smells so good!” Gong Bao’an sniffed the air like a puppy. “Where is this fragrance coming from?”
“Zhang Ma is cooking,” Gong Changan smiled. “Braised shredded sprouts, served with perch soup.”
Gong Bao’an was already hungry. He had wanted to eat dim sum earlier, but his father had forbidden it. Now, with the aroma, his gluttonous cravings could no longer be suppressed.
Seeing him like this, Gong Changan said, “If Fifth Brother doesn’t mind, you can stay and have dinner with me.”
Gong Bao’an had been waiting for this. He tugged at Gong Xu’s robe and pouted, “Daddy, Mother isn’t feeling well. Let’s eat here and then go back! It will also avoid disturbing her.”
Gong Xu had been eating Zhang Ma’s cooking frequently lately and was already addicted.
Furthermore, Gong Changan mentioned his favorite perch, so he didn’t refuse Gong Bao’an’s suggestion, but he didn’t explicitly agree either.
Gong Changan took Gong Bao’an’s hand and said to Gong Xu, “Father, please come in too. Zhang Ma cooks quickly; she can add two more dishes within the time it takes an incense stick to burn.”
Gong Xu, however, remained seated.
Zhang Ma, meanwhile, emerged from the room, directing two maids to clear the stone table under the Chinese toon tree.
“It’s rare for Master and Fifth Young Master to visit, so please try this old servant’s cooking!” Zhang Ma didn’t even ask if Gong Xu was eating here. She nimbly brought out the dishes she had prepared and placed them on the stone table.
“Interesting! Interesting! Eating in the courtyard is so fun!” Gong Bao’an was overjoyed.
Wen Mingqian never came out of the room, and Gong Xu indeed didn’t want to see her. The rift between them was too deep; facing each other would only lead to awkwardness.
Zhang Ma’s dishes were perfect in color, aroma, and taste, and anyone who had eaten them couldn’t resist.
Seeing his two sons looking at him expectantly, Gong Xu didn’t get up to leave but picked up his chopsticks.
“Sit down and eat with us,” Gong Xu said to his two sons.
Gong Bao’an had maintained some composure earlier, but after taking a bite of food, he forgot all about it. His small chopsticks flew up and down, and he even felt he was eating too slowly.
Seeing him like this, Gong Changan couldn’t help but pick up some food for him several times.
Later, Zhang Ma brought out two more dishes. The ingredients were nothing more than green vegetables and tofu, but the taste was truly astonishing.
Gong Bao’an originally hated tofu the most, but Zhang Ma’s tofu balls were soft and sticky inside and crispy outside. After eating one, he wanted another.
“Bao’er, you shouldn’t eat too much at dinner,” Gong Xu cautioned.
“Mmm-hmm…” Gong Bao’an nodded in agreement, but his hands and mouth didn’t stop.
He thought that Father was also eating more than usual, and he wasn’t the only one.
Afterward, Zhang Ma brought a bowl of sour bamboo soup to aid digestion, which the father and sons shared.
Consort Song woke up groggily from a nap and opened her eyes to see that it was already very dark.
Granny Yang busied herself asking, “Little Madam, how are you feeling now? Are you any better?”
“Where have Master and Bao’er gone? Isn’t it time for dinner?” Consort Song raised her hand to rub her temples.
“Mmm… Master took Young Master Bao over there,” Granny Yang smiled somewhat awkwardly. “Someone has already been sent to relay a message that they are staying there for dinner, so Little Madam can make your own arrangements.”
Consort Song was naturally displeased upon hearing this and said, “This is the first time, and the second time is familiar. After a while, they won’t come to our Rui Xiang Residence anymore.”
“That won’t happen. I heard that Master is going over today to test Fourth Young Master’s knowledge. It must have taken a long time, so they stayed for dinner,” Granny Yang comforted Consort Song. “In Master’s heart, who can compare to you?”
“But I don’t think this is a good thing in the end,” Consort Song’s worries were not alleviated by Granny Yang’s words. “Over time, people’s hearts change, and we must be on guard!”
“Little Madam is right, but your health is paramount right now. Please eat your dinner first! We’ll invite the doctor early tomorrow to examine your illness.”
