The moment Mother Wang finished speaking, the courtyard fell silent.
Old Fang stood by the covered walkway, still holding a bowl of porridge.
At Mother Wang's words, the wrinkles on his face bunched together. His lips moved twice, but no words came out.
He knew Little Fang had probably passed.
But Little Fang hadn't told him his score or rank, and he hadn't dared to ask.
What if he'd done poorly?
That thought kept turning over and over in Old Fang's mind. He held the bowl in his hands and forgot to drink.
"Old Fang, say something!"
Seeing him like this only made Mother Wang more certain. Little Fang must have done just so-so; otherwise, why wouldn't Old Fang say anything?
"How did Little Fang do? Ah, in the end, no matter how he did, being able to stay at the school is a good thing..."
She said "a good thing," but there was no hiding the smugness in her voice.
Cuicui stood behind Mother Wang with her head lowered and said nothing. The tips of her ears were faintly red.
Fang Shuwen had ranked ninth.
His results were far better than hers.
But she had no intention of saying so.
"Mother Wang, don't ask."
Hu Da poked his head out of the kitchen. Flour still dusted his apron as he smiled and tried to smooth things over.
"Little Fang passing is good enough. What does it matter whether his score was high or low? Old Fang, isn't that right?"
"Yes, yes..."
Old Fang hurriedly nodded, the creases in his face bunching into a faint smile. But somehow, it looked forced.
He lowered his head and took a sip of porridge. It was hot, but he felt uneasy inside.
Little Fang went out early and came home late every day. Sometimes, he even smelled of sweat when he returned.
Old Fang knew he was working hard. He knew he had changed. But grades weren't something you could catch up on after just a few days of studying.
Before the exam, he'd worried Little Fang wouldn't pass the assessment.
Now that he had passed, he worried he'd done poorly.
Seeing this, Mother Wang's smile grew even broader. She was just about to say something else.
Just then,
"Old Fang! Old Fang!"
A rush of footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate. A young servant came running in, panting, his face glowing with excitement.
"Steward Chen is here! He's brought a whole bunch of people! He said someone from our courtyard got into the Elite Class at the Public Middle School. Master Zhao heard about it and sent him over to offer his congratulations."
Before the servant had finished speaking, a group of people had already entered through the courtyard gate.
At the front was Chen Zhong, dressed in a slightly worn, dark blue changshan.
His hair was combed neatly, without a strand out of place. He carried two wooden boxes wrapped in red silk, one large and one small.
Two young, strong servants followed behind him. One carried two boxes of pastries, while the other held two bolts of bright red silk, eye-catching as could be.
A few more servants trailed behind them, there to watch the commotion. They whispered among themselves, their faces full of curiosity.
"Steward... Steward Chen?"
Hearing the announcement and seeing Steward Chen and the others, Mother Wang shuddered. She nearly lost the composure she'd just managed to maintain.
The person being congratulated for getting into the Elite Class had to be her Cuicui.
Everyone knew Fang Shuwen had done just so-so.
Her Cuicui had done well this time and gotten into the Elite Class.
"May I ask what..."
"Mother Wang, congratulations!"
Chen Zhong beamed as he heard her.
He immediately handed her the smaller of the two boxes.
He thought to himself that Mother Wang really was lucky.
After sending a telegram to Master Zhao about Little Fang's ninth-place result and his admission to the Elite Class at the Public Middle School, as well as his martial arts cultivation, which had reached the second level of Bone Resonance, he'd soon received a reply.
Master Zhao had told him to bring a congratulatory gift and presents to visit Little Fang and his father.
Of course, since Cuicui had also passed, though she'd ranked fortieth, Master Zhao had included twenty silver dollars for her as well, on top of what he'd prepared for Little Fang.
"Although the head of the Zhao Estate moved to Shenghai, Master Zhao has always kept the old servants here in his thoughts. Someone from the estate passed the assessment and got into the Elite Class at the Public Middle School. When Master Zhao heard, he specifically told me to bring a congratulatory gift."
Mother Wang took the small wooden box. Her fingers stroked the red silk twice, and her smile bloomed like a chrysanthemum.
"Oh, my! Steward Chen, you're much too kind! For Master Zhao to still remember us servants here while he's in Shenghai... It's truly... truly..."
She was so excited she could barely get her words out. She couldn't help feeling guilty; the last time Master Zhao sent Little Fang a fountain pen, she'd thought to herself that he was blind.
She never expected such generosity this time.
Master Zhao really was a good man.
Thinking of this, Mother Wang quickly turned and beckoned to Cuicui, her voice rising several notches:
"Cuicui! What are you standing there for? Come over and thank Steward Chen! Take those pastries and bolts of silk!"
Cuicui froze. A flicker of discomfort crossed her face, and her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but Mother Wang grabbed her and pulled her forward.
"You silly child, are you so happy you've gone dumb? Steward Chen came in person to bring us a congratulatory gift. What an honor!"
Mother Wang tugged Cuicui forward so abruptly that she stumbled. She opened her mouth, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "Th-thank you, Steward Chen."
Mother Wang had already headed straight for the two servants behind him, reaching out to take the two bolts of silk.
"Oh, these are fine silk! They must be from Shenghai, right? They look so smooth..."
Old Fang stood to one side, holding his bowl of porridge. His cloudy eyes were full of envy.
He stole a glance at Fang Shuwen. His heart felt sour, and he was a little ashamed, too.
Other people's children had done well, and Master Zhao had sent someone to congratulate them.
Little Fang had passed, too, but his results...
He didn't dare think about it any further. He lowered his head and took another sip of porridge. It had gone cold, and tasted thin and bland in his mouth.
Hu Da leaned against the kitchen doorframe, rubbing his hands over his apron again and again. His gaze fell on the two bright red bolts of silk, and he couldn't help clicking his tongue.
"Mother Wang's really got something to brag about this time. Cuicui's done her family proud."
"Too bad about Little Hu. He used to get top marks back then."
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the courtyard could hear him.
Mother Wang heard him and straightened her back even more. The smile lines on her face nearly crumpled into deep folds.
"Hu Da, you're right. Our Cuicui's always been such a sensible girl. Now she's gotten into the Elite Class. In the future..."
"Mother Wang."
Chen Zhong's voice wasn't loud, but it cut steadily across her words.
He stood where he was, without following Mother Wang as she moved forward. His smile hadn't changed, but there was a firmness in his tone that left no room for doubt.
"Don't rush to take the things just yet."
Mother Wang's hand had already touched one of the bolts of silk. At his words, she stopped and turned around, looking confused.
"Steward Chen, what is it?"
Chen Zhong raised a hand toward the pastries and silk held by the two servants. His tone was calm and unhurried.
"These things aren't for you."
The courtyard fell silent for a moment.
Mother Wang's smile froze on her face. Her fingers were still resting on the silk, and she stood as if someone had pressed pause.
"Steward Chen, what... what do you mean?"
Her voice tightened.
"They're not for us? But you just said..."
"What I said was, 'Someone from the estate passed the assessment and got into the Elite Class at the Public Middle School.'"
"That's right. My Cuicui got into the Elite Class. If they aren't for us, who else could they be for?" Mother Wang asked, bewildered.
Chen Zhong looked past her to the boy standing not far behind her, dressed in a blue-green school uniform.
"These things aren't for Cuicui. They're for Fang Shuwen."
As the words fell,
the courtyard fell completely silent.
Even the sound of water boiling in the kitchen seemed to die away.