Brain Explosion

The two children: ???

Their brains were working overtime.

The problem looked complicated, but the arithmetic was simple.

Qin Yan said, "I know! Nineteen minus nine equals one plus nine."

Chen Junze refused to concede. "Again! Again!"

"All right."

Shen Lantang laid out the numbers.

Five Fifteen Ten Twenty-five Fifteen □ □

Qin Yan and Chen Junze stared at the two wooden blocks turned facedown, question marks practically popping out of their heads.

They had never seen arithmetic problems like these before, but they were fascinating. Both boys were drawn in. Off to the side, Xie Hongwen saw that she was only playing with the two older boys. He pouted, set down the paper he was folding, and came over.

"Mother."

Shen Lantang crouched down. "What is it, Hongwen?"

Xie Hongwen bit his lip, then said plaintively, "Play with me too, Mother."

Shen Lantang paused, then smiled. Anyone who said children did not get jealous had clearly never met one. They could be terribly possessive.

"All right. I'll play with you too."

Paper folding was not Shen Lantang's strong suit, though. She called for a maid to bring paper, ink, brushes, and an inkstone. There was a kind of colored pigment that set quickly, but it was considered too crude for serious art and used only to amuse children. Shen Lantang drew a simple lotus, then tore the paper with a rrrip—

Xie Hongwen cried, "Mother, why did you tear it up?!"

"So I can play with you. Put these pieces back together and see if you can restore the picture."

That sounded fun. Ling Jia came over. "I want to play."

The two eagerly began piecing it together. At the other end of the room, the two little grown-ups were heatedly discussing a fill-in-the-number problem. Each had his own answer, and they nearly started arguing.

Shen Lantang looked at the happy scene before her and marveled. Whatever else I'm good at, I certainly know how to have fun!

In the inner room.

Though they had asked Shen Lantang to watch the children, she had never been a mother. Madam Yan was worried and said to Xie Zhao, "Mother, I'll go see whether the children are behaving."

The other adults had their doubts too, so Xie Zhao waved her on.

Before Madam Yan reached the main hall, she heard Chen Junze calling out at full volume from the doorway. "That's not fair! I solved that one too! Again, again!"

Then came Shen Lantang's voice, with a playful lilt. "All right, I'll give you a harder one. Scared?"

"Not a bit!"

"Don't boast just yet~"

From behind a screen, Madam Yan watched Chen Junze roll up his sleeves over a notebook and a board of numbers. Nearby, Xie Hongwen and Ling Jia were eagerly comparing pieces of paper with the drawing beside them. Every one of the children was behaving beautifully.

She smiled and returned to the room.

"Are the children all right?"

Madam Yan sat down. "They're fine. They're all having a wonderful time."

After chatting all morning, everyone was tired. Shen Lantang and the others had left at seven that morning and had been there for over two hours. Since it was not yet lunchtime, the kitchen brought out some snacks.

There was a bowl of almond tofu, along with red bean cakes, lotus pastries, and other sweets. After a morning of thinking hard and arguing, the children were hungry and ate with delight. Food really did taste better when you ate together.

The Jing Dynasty certainly did not skimp on sugar in its sweets. Shen Lantang did not have much of a sweet tooth, and she had eaten plenty before coming. The dessert grew cloying after two spoonfuls, so she set the porcelain bowl aside and picked up a red bean cake for appearances.

Chen Junze finished his bowl of almond tofu and turned his head. He immediately shouted, "Auntie, why haven't you eaten yours?!"

Everyone's gaze snapped toward her.

Chen Junze was still going. "Auntie, you're as picky as a little kid! Hurry up and eat it. It's really good!"

Shen Lantang's mouth twitched sharply. You're even keeping track of whether I've eaten? Don't get too attached to me, kid!

"Yes, Lan Tang, is something wrong? Don't you like sweets?" Madam Yan asked with concern.

"No, I just ate a bit too much this morning."

Madam Yan chuckled. "That's all right. There's still time before lunch. Take your time."

And so, under everyone's watchful eyes, Shen Lantang slowly, very slowly, finished her little bowl of almond tofu.

Not long after the snacks, it was time for lunch. The family ate together happily and stayed a while afterward. By a quarter past one in the afternoon, adults and children alike were tired and ready to go home.

Before they left, Xie Zhao said, "I'm planning to visit Mystic Temple the day after tomorrow to pray for blessings. Would you two like to come?"

Madam Xie said, "Of course. It's been ages since I visited a Daoist temple."

Madam Yan turned to Shen Lantang. "Would you like to come too, Lan Tang?"

"Me?" Shen Lantang had not expected a personal invitation. She suppressed a faint sense of oddness and replied with a smile, "Since you've invited me, of course I'll come."

Xie Zhao said, "Good. We'll all go together. Yu Luo should come too. We'll meet at the house the day after tomorrow, then head up the mountain together."

"That sounds lovely."

Once they had agreed on when to visit the temple, everyone took their leave.

Xie Zhao and Madam Yan saw them to the gate and watched them board the carriage. The driver tugged the reins, and the black horse lifted its hooves and trotted away.

"Let's go back. It's nearly time for Junze's nap," Xie Zhao said.

"Yes, Mother. Come along, Junze."

Madam Yan and Chen Junze headed back into the courtyard. Seeing that he was still caught up in the morning's excitement, she stroked his head.

"Did you have fun today, Junze?"

"Yes! Lots!"

"What do you think of your new aunt? Do you like her?"

Chen Junze pouted. "I don't like her. She even needs someone to coax her into eating."

Madam Yan merely smiled.

Three days after returning home, Shen Lantang rose early to get ready. Since she was going to a Daoist temple, she could not dress too brightly. But she rarely wore bold colors anyway, and with her understated makeup, she looked much the same as usual.