"Mom, I'm back." Zhang Yian carried the lunch box from Yuelai Teahouse, pushed open the wooden door that had been damp and peeled, and entered the house.

Behind the house is a well and lane that usually uses Zhang’s family to get water. The humidity is very heavy. When the night wind blows, the house feels a little chilling.

On a wooden table with a corner missing in the house, a simple oil lamp was lit. In a tray covered with copper rust, the wick made of dried rushes by the pond reflected the fire as big as beans, illuminating the entire house.

Zhang Yian's biological mother sat in front of a loom with her back facing the fire, woven coarse cloth in the dark.

Because the room was too dark, she could only hunch over and press her face against the layered and wrapped threads to finely divide the weaving fabric with mixed warp and weft to prevent it from being weaved incorrectly.

When Zhang's mother heard her son come back, she hurriedly got up and wanted to straighten her waist, but there were bursts of stinging pain from her waist, which forced her to tilt her body slightly forward to feel better.

Zhang Yian hurriedly placed the lunch box on the ground, stepped forward to hold his mother, and slowly moved to the table to sit.

"Yi'er is back. Haven't eaten yet. My mother took you coarse grain cakes from the kitchen. Today, she was lucky and got a plate of pickles and the leftover meat from the third young master. She was afraid that she would be cold and kept covering you with a quilt. I'll get it for you."

Zhang Yian looked at his mother's hunched back and vicissitudes of life, and felt sad. His mother was only in her thirties this year, but she was like an old woman in her fifties and sixties, with her skin dry and cracked and white hair on her temples.

"Mom, how is your waist? Do you want to find a doctor? It has been hurting for so long. It is not a solution to drag it like this." Li Yian said anxiously.

"It's okay, rheumatism is an old problem. My mother endured it and passed it. I heard from the maids who served the master that the world is getting more and more chaotic now, everything is rising in price, and I still have to save money to buy books for you."

Zhang's mother smiled and forced a smile. The stinging pain from her waist became heavier and heavier. In order not to worry her son, she had to resist the pain and prepare to get Zhang Yian supper.

"I can take you to the Gu Mansion clinic, where you can see a doctor and get medicine without any money." Zhang Yian looked at the sweat on his mother's forehead. He knew that the disease could not be delayed any more.

"No need, I still have work to do tomorrow. I can't get rid of myself. If I take leave, I will always have to lose a few days of work. I can endure it and I can survive it."

"But mother, they even asked you to wash your clothes even though they knew you were sick with your waist. Isn't this obviously bullying people? The water is so cold, will your disease become worse and worse?"

"Not as serious as you said. Wei Niang's illness has not been a day or two. In the past few days, due to weather, it may be a little bit worse, and it will be cured in a few days.

You should change the clothes quickly. This clothes were specially given to you by your father. The fabric is very expensive, so don’t get dirty.” Zhang’s mother said kindly.

Zhang Yi was as worried as if he was stolen, but he nodded and took off the long silk suit.

He made friends with Gu Shun, and what he said was the face of the Zhang family outside. He was dressed too badly, but the people who lost it were from the Zhang family.

So Zhang Peien ordered people to make a few sets of clothes for Zhang Yi'an to wear when he left the mansion.

This is also the first time my father has given him something in these years.

But no matter how luxurious his clothes are, Mr. Zhang, who is envied by others, is just a concubine who lives in a humble house.

Wearing the coarse cloth clothes sewn by my mother, although the fabric is not as good as those precious silks, the needle and thread are sewn by my mother at night while she is sleepless and sitting in front of the loom.

Zhang's mother came to the bedside kang, lifted the quilt, and took out a cloth bag from it. Inside the cloth bag were two porcelain bowls that were buckled together, and a few cakes.

Even though the wrap was so tight, the pancakes and dishes inside were still cold due to the delay of too long.

Zhang's mother put the dishes she got from the kitchen on the table, "Look at what delicious food my mother found for you today, it was braised pork."

Open an upside down porcelain bowl, with few pieces of braised pork inside, most of which are soup.

"Today, the third young master made it specially for the kitchen. There were still some left after the kitchen was presented. It happened that the chef and I were fellow villagers, so I asked him to leave the remaining meat. And these cakes, although they were coarse grains, were added with white flour. The white flour looked really rare."

Zhang's mother showed off the origin of these dishes and looked very happy.

Zhang Yian's body trembled slightly, and he tried to keep his tears from falling. He hurriedly picked up the lunch box that Gu Shun ordered Yuelai to bring back to the teahouse and his mother.

"This is the meal brought to us by the young shopkeeper of the Gu family. Mother, you must have not eaten yet. Sit down quickly. The child will pack up and prepare for dinner."

"Young shopkeeper Gu's family is a big shot. You must not ask for other people's things in the future. We cannot afford them."

"Boy understand."

Rolling up the coarse sleeves, Zhang Yian used an iron wire to raise the wick, and the room was much brighter than before.

When Zhang Yian opened the lunch box, the furnishings inside stunned him.

I saw that the lunch box was filled with ebony gilded tableware and napkins marked with the name of Yuelai Teahouse, and two boxes of bright white rice, which were packed in a square box of glass, which looked very valuable at first glance.

The lunch boxes on the bottom three layers are nested layer by layer, and there are a total of six dishes.

The top layer is West Lake vinegar fish, and there are Longjing shrimps in the gaps in the four corners.

Remove this layer completely and is the second layer divided into two. On the left is the steamed pork with lotus leaf paste and on the right is the shredded eel shreds.

At the bottom layer is a dish of fish soup and a dish of clear soup Yue Chicken.

The lunch box was completely set up and the table was filled.

There are so many dishes, many of them are the first time Zhang Yian has seen.

Zhang’s mother next to her was even more shocked: “This is too expensive. We can’t afford such a good dish. Look at the chopsticks, they are all made of gold. How much does it cost? I’m afraid I can’t afford it even if I work for a year.”

"These are specially brought back by the young shopkeeper of the Gu family, saying that you can try them together with your mother."

"The Gu family is such a kind-hearted and kind person. You must treat him well. Since they are so good to us, we must repay us.

Don’t let him spend money next time. These things are not cheap at first glance. We don’t have the oral consumption and are not worthy of eating them."

"The child knows. Mother, there is another good news. Today, the young shopkeeper of the Gu family specially asked me out, hoping that I would study hard and assist him in becoming the prefect of Jiangnan City in the future. The child will definitely be able to make a name for himself in the future."

"Really, it's so good. My Yi'er is finally going to have a bright future." Zhang's mother was very happy and reminded: "You must cherish the respect Mr. Gu has given you, and be loyal to him no matter what in the future.

A drop of water will definitely be rewarded with a spring of water, not to mention this kind of great kindness.”

"Don't worry, mother, the child will work hard to study, get fame and honor, and repay the kindness of Young Master Gu in the future."

"Although I have never read a book, I also know that in a person, we must be loyal, kind and righteous. We will not do things that deceive people, and we cannot do things that harm people."

"I remember, Mom, let's have a meal."

Although there were delicious dishes on the table, Zhang's mother did not forget to instruct: "The cakes are ready and can be eaten in the kitchen tomorrow. If they are broken, I feel sorry for you."

Zhang Yian nodded and wrapped the coarse grain cakes that Zhang's mother brought back in a bag.

Soon, the mother and son finished their meal and started to pack their lunch boxes.

This meal was probably the most delicious meal Zhang Yian had ever eaten. It was not only because of the rich dishes, but also because he finally saw the dawn of the future. His mother could live a good life with him and would no longer have to be angry in the Zhang family.

No matter how his father ordered, he would study. Even if he went to the street, he could not let Gu Shun down on his instructions. He would definitely get a fame and fortune.

As soon as he opened the book, he saw his mother carrying the lunch box and was about to walk out, and hurriedly asked, "Mother, where are you going?"

"I pour these leftovers into porcelain bowls and can continue to eat them tomorrow. In addition, this lunch box must be rinsed and returned to them."

"I'll do it, mom, just rest."
Chapter completed!