Chapter 39: The Art of the Gift and the Joy of Bragging

Song Wenbin’s old friend, the police chief of the provincial city, bore the surname Jiang, whom Xu Hengzhou was instructed to address as Uncle Jiang.

Upon receiving Song Wenbin’s call, Uncle Jiang immediately tasked his son with picking up the guest from the station.

With three sons and a daughter in the family, it was his second son, Jiang Sen, who was dispatched to meet Xu Hengzhou.

Jiang Sen, barely twenty and new to his job, had received direct orders from his father – who was also his superior – to collect someone from the station.

He had only been told that he was to pick up the child of his father’s close friend, who was visiting the provincial city to purchase some items.

He had anticipated someone roughly his own age, not a youth so remarkably young, even several years junior to his own brother, Jiang Lei.

Naturally, they chatted a bit on the way. Initially, Jiang Sen hadn’t thought much of Xu Hengzhou; for a child so young to travel alone, their family must have had an immense amount of trust.

However, as their conversation progressed, his impression of Xu Hengzhou began to shift. Regardless of the topic he brought up, whether he knew about it or not, Xu Hengzhou could always contribute to the discussion.

There were many things Jiang Sen was familiar with, yet Xu Hengzhou could articulate them with impressive clarity and insight.

Jiang Sen couldn’t help but feel a growing admiration. His own brother, Jiang Lei, at fifteen or sixteen, stood taller than their mother but still spent his days eating and playing foolishly.

Compared to the young man before him, if Jiang Lei weren’t his own brother, he’d be tempted to throw him into a ditch.

Their conversation continued all the way home. By the time they arrived, at Jiang Sen’s insistent urging, Xu Hengzhou began calling him ‘Second Brother.’

Xu Hengzhou, in turn, gracefully suggested Jiang Sen simply call him by his name.

***

At the Jiang residence, Madam Jiang had been waiting since early morning. She had previously worked at the provincial textile factory and, though not yet of retirement age, had relinquished her position to her eldest daughter-in-law when her eldest son, Jiang Xin, married and a grandson arrived.

She had then returned home to care for the child.

Seeing Xu Hengzhou, she warmly pulled him inside. Once he was seated, she promptly presented him with a bowl of brown sugar and eggs.

Brown sugar and eggs were both rare commodities, and the Jiang family’s willingness to offer them for his hospitality clearly demonstrated their genuine sincerity.

Though Xu Hengzhou wasn’t particularly keen on eating them, he quickly finished the bowl out of respect for their kindness, then smiled and thanked Madam Jiang.

After clearing the bowl, Madam Jiang brought out her young grandson. The child, barely two years old, could not yet speak clearly, but smelling the lingering sweet aroma in the air, he cried out, wanting a taste.

Seeing this, Xu Hengzhou unzipped the large bag he had brought from home. This was not the bag from the train, of course; it was one he had prepared at home and subtly swapped back to upon disembarking.

Since he would be staying at the Jiang residence in the provincial city, he couldn’t possibly arrive empty-handed.

Song Wenbin was not a stranger to social etiquette, and even if his relationship with the Jiangs was excellent, there were still many people in their household. It was always better to be overly generous with gifts.

Song Wenbin had briefly mentioned the Jiang family’s situation to Xu Hengzhou, and the rest of the gifts Xu Hengzhou had prepared himself.

Song Wenbin knew his nephew was capable and well-connected, always able to procure many fine things.

Jiang Sen, who had carried the bag for him the entire way, watched curiously as Xu Hengzhou suddenly unzipped it in front of his family.

As the bag opened, the first things to emerge were several plump, round apples. Xu Hengzhou took them out one by one, placing them on the table.

After all the apples were laid out, his modified cigarette box was revealed. Song Wenbin had told him that Uncle Jiang enjoyed smoking and was a heavy smoker, so good cigarettes would be a safe bet.

Even with just these items, Madam Jiang and Jiang Sen were already somewhat flustered. When Xu Hengzhou had opened the bag, they had vaguely guessed his intention; no one would refuse such normal social gestures.

If they were to visit Qingjiang City, they would certainly prepare a gift for Song Wenbin.

However, the gifts Xu Hengzhou had presented seemed a bit too valuable.

In an era of scarcity where even vegetables were hard to come by, which family could possibly possess such fine fruit? And those cigarettes didn’t look like cheap rolls either.

Seeing Xu Hengzhou’s hand reach further into the bag, Madam Jiang, regardless of whether it was impolite, quickly pressed his hand, smiling as she said, “Hengzhou, let your second brother take the bag inside for you. You can sort through it slowly.”

Xu Hengzhou tried to pull his hand away a few times without success, so he could only reply with a wry smile, “Auntie, what are you saying? These are gifts I brought for you all. Why would I take them to my room?”

Madam Jiang quickly refused. “No, no, this won’t do. There are too many things. Please take them back.”

Xu Hengzhou furrowed his brow and explained, “Auntie, please listen.

I acquired these things by pure coincidence. My Uncle has been eager to send some to you all. Even if I hadn’t come, these items would have been sent to you in a couple of days.

So, I’m actually shamelessly piggybacking on these gifts. If you don’t accept them, I’ll have to carry them back as they are, only to mail them to you a few days later. How troublesome would that be?”

Madam Jiang’s face broke into a wide smile at his words. She wasn’t foolish; she understood Xu Hengzhou was speaking courteously, but his eloquent words made him all the more endearing.

“You clever child, you truly know how to talk,” Madam Jiang said, removing her hand and no longer stopping him.

Xu Hengzhou offered a shy smile, as if he were truly just an ordinary young man.

He then retrieved a glass jar containing a viscous, amber-colored liquid.

The moment it appeared, Madam Jiang’s eyes brightened. “Oh!”

Xu Hengzhou smiled and placed the glass jar in her hands. Madam Jiang quickly held it carefully with both hands, just as Xu Hengzhou said,

“I traded some wild honey from a fellow villager. I heard it’s excellent for women, good for beauty and nourishment. The three men in our family would just waste it, so I thought it better to bring it to you. Please try it and see if it’s as good as they say.”

She hesitated, feeling it might be improper.

In this era of scarcity, even for someone who didn’t naturally crave sweets, or rather, whose body deeply desired sweets when they were a luxury, Xu Hengzhou’s jar of honey was a gift that went straight to her heart.

Seeing Madam Jiang’s joy, Xu Hengzhou did not forget to caution her,

“Auntie, if I may add, the villager who traded the honey to us mentioned that some young children shouldn’t eat honey. Please first mix some diluted honey water for the child to try, and don’t feed it to them directly.”

Madam Jiang quickly nodded, making a mental note. If Xu Hengzhou hadn’t said anything, she truly would have saved all of it for her eldest grandson.

With this one precious child, pampered like the apple of her eye, who else would she give good things to?

Xu Hengzhou had also considered this issue, which was why he offered the extra reminder. Otherwise, if the child developed any problems, his gift would only lead to trouble.

By then, Xu Hengzhou had almost emptied his bag.

From the very bottom, he pulled out something wrapped tightly in oil paper, carefully unfolding layer after layer under the curious gazes of Madam Jiang and Jiang Sen.

This time, it was Jiang Sen’s turn to be delighted. When he saw the smoked, reddish cured meat and sausages in Xu Hengzhou’s hand, he was so excited he nearly shouted.

There wasn’t much: just two links of sausage and a small piece of cured meat. But it was *meat*! How long had it been since he’d eaten meat?

“This… such wonderful things…” Madam Jiang felt a little flustered. “Why didn’t you keep them to eat at home? Your Uncle, and your younger brother, all this good meat…”

Xu Hengzhou smiled with honest simplicity, saying, “We’ve already eaten some. Uncle asked me to bring these for you all to have a taste.”

Madam Jiang’s face flushed, and a surge of warmth rose in her heart. She felt that her husband’s friend was truly sincere towards their family.

She resolved to speak with her Old Jiang about this, to ensure he remembered their kindness.

With this decision made, Madam Jiang’s gaze towards Xu Hengzhou grew warmer, and her politeness lessened by a touch.

If she had initially hosted Xu Hengzhou merely because her husband had instructed her to, now she truly regarded him as a nephew or a younger relative of her own.

Madam Jiang gathered the items spread across the table. Turning her head, she saw her second son grinning, showing a mouthful of white teeth.

Annoyed, she stomped on Jiang Sen’s foot. He was a grown man, yet he smiled like that just seeing a bit of meat, when Hengzhou was so much younger than him.

Jiang Sen, in his joyous state, suddenly suffered an attack. He grimaced in pain, wanting to get angry, but meeting his mother’s gaze, he could only shrink his neck and swallow his frustration.

***

It was already late afternoon when Xu Hengzhou arrived in the provincial city, and more time was spent traveling to the Jiang residence.

By the time he finished delivering his gifts and chatted briefly with Jiang Sen, the other members of the Jiang family began to return one after another.

The eldest son of the Jiang family was Jiang Xin, who was also a police officer. His wife, Lin Xue, had taken over Madam Jiang’s position at the textile factory.

The couple, though not overly effusive, were quite courteous when they met Xu Hengzhou.

This was sufficient. Xu Hengzhou was only borrowing a room at the Jiangs’ for a few days; there was no need to strive to build good relationships with everyone.

Giving gifts to curry favor with the Jiang couple was simply to improve his Uncle’s standing with them.

One never knew when their help might be needed, and ‘clutching at Buddha’s feet at the last minute’ was never suitable for interpersonal relationships.

The two youngest members of the Jiang family returned a bit later. The third child was a girl named Jiang Miao, seventeen years old, with a lively personality.

The youngest, Jiang Lei, was just fifteen, currently in his second year of junior high. According to his second brother, he was ‘hated by men and dogs,’ utterly annoying.

Xu Hengzhou merely smiled without comment when Jiang Sen spoke of him. It wasn’t until Jiang Lei returned that Xu Hengzhou understood why Jiang Sen gritted his teeth whenever he mentioned him.

Likely due to being the youngest son of the family, Jiang Lei was somewhat overly pampered.

When Madam Jiang asked him to greet Xu Hengzhou, he casually addressed Xu Hengzhou as ‘little brother,’ his eyes, however, darting downwards towards Xu Hengzhou’s lower body.

Xu Hengzhou pretended not to notice his meaning. Jiang Lei scoffed and then ignored him, but Xu Hengzhou secretly decided to shorten his stay in the provincial city.

According to what he knew, he would be sharing a room with Jiang Sen and Jiang Lei at the Jiang residence. In that case, leaving earlier would be preferable.

He had no interest in spending time at the Jiang home to discipline someone else’s child; his own little ‘dumpling’ was waiting for him to return home.

During dinner, Madam Jiang specifically cut one of the sausages Xu Hengzhou had brought, stir-frying it with some green peppers. When she served it, it immediately captured everyone’s attention.

Madam Jiang also mentioned that the sausage was from Xu Hengzhou. While eating the guest’s offering, everyone in the Jiang family, except for Jiang Lei, displayed genuine goodwill.

The Jiang family, of course, wouldn’t scramble over a plate of meat at the dinner table; they were all very restrained.

The only little baby, smelling the aroma of the meat, kept pointing at the sausage plate from his mother’s arms, crying out that he wanted to eat.

The sausage was a bit hard and heavily salted from curing, so Lin Xue soaked it in hot water until it softened, then carefully mashed it to give a little to the child.

Madam Jiang had also prepared many other dishes, including an egg and potato pancake that the little baby particularly loved, eating more than half of it himself.

Xu Hengzhou found it quite good as well. Although it was a little dry due to less oil, the soft and tender texture of the egg and potato was appealing to children.

As Xu Hengzhou ate, an idea sparked within him, and he inquired about the recipe for the egg and potato pancake.

Madam Jiang was initially surprised that he knew how to cook, but a moment’s reflection brought understanding.

There were three men in his household; the head of the family was busy with work, and the youngest was likely too short to even reach the stove. So, of course, Xu Hengzhou had to cook!

Suddenly, Madam Jiang felt even more affection for Xu Hengzhou. Hearing that he wanted to learn how to make the egg and potato pancake, she patiently explained the process step by step.

She even offered that they had the ingredients at home and would show him how to make it next time.

Xu Hengzhou smiled and accepted, thanking Madam Jiang again. Madam Jiang praised him a few more times, thinking he simply liked the dish and wanted to give him the remaining portions.

The conversation then naturally shifted to Xiang Chen. Madam Jiang only knew that the Song family had a younger child, reportedly very small, but she wasn’t sure of the exact age.

Now that Xu Hengzhou mentioned him, she couldn’t help but ask a few questions.

Xu Hengzhou felt a smile tugging at his lips at the thought of his little ‘dumpling’ at home, wondering if he would be afraid sleeping alone tonight.

“My younger brother… is very well-behaved,” Xu Hengzhou said, unaware of the tender expression on his face when he spoke of Xiang Chen.

“He listens to me very well and is especially clingy. He was very unhappy when I left and kept asking me to come home early. He’s very smart, good at studying, and exceptionally sensible…”

Madam Jiang listened with wide eyes. This truly sounded like a good child. It seemed both of the Song family’s children were excellent.

Uncle Jiang, who had been quiet until then, suddenly interjected, “I remember your Uncle telling me your brother was still young. How is he already in school?”

“Chenchen is smart; he started school early. And a while ago, my Uncle went to arrange a skip-grade exam for him, and he jumped directly to sixth grade,” Xu Hengzhou said, his face brimming with pride, wanting to praise Xiang Chen to the heavens, completely overlooking the fact that Xiang Chen had simply ‘restarted’ his life.

“Oh, that’s truly remarkable!” Madam Jiang exclaimed. For a parent, academic ability was definitely a bonus. For a child like Xiang Chen, who bore the reputation of a genius, Madam Jiang’s favorable impression just kept soaring.

The other Jiang family members also looked astonished. Although Jiang Lei was disdainful, he knew that if he said anything to spoil the mood now, his parents would never forgive him, so he wisely kept quiet.

Lin Xue, as a mother, immediately diverted her attention, asking about Xiang Chen’s age, whether he had received any special training, and if early schooling was beneficial for children, clearly planning for her own child.

Her question brought Madam Jiang back to her senses, and she, too, looked at Xu Hengzhou with expectant eyes.

Xu Hengzhou first answered with his age. When the two women heard that Xiang Chen was not yet five, they both gasped in amazement, fully satisfying Xu Hengzhou’s desire to show off.

Then, when asked about other details, Xu Hengzhou instantly forgot his own speechless reaction when Song Wenbin had boasted earlier.

He unreservedly applied Song Wenbin’s exact words, and even elevated them himself. He practically lauded Xiang Chen as a celestial child on earth, one of a kind.

It was likely that even if Xiang Chen himself were present, he might not dare to step forward and claim that the intelligent, sensible, well-behaved, and perfectly adorable little friend his brother described was actually him.

Thus, the latter half of dinner and the post-dinner period became Xu Hengzhou’s stage for praising his younger brother in various ways.

He had several particularly enthusiastic listeners.

Number one, Madam Jiang, who occasionally let out sincere exclamations of admiration.

Number two, Lin Xue, who maintained an incredibly earnest attitude towards learning, holding her young child as if she wanted to write down every word Xu Hengzhou said, likely hoping to nurture her own baby into the next Xiang Chen.

Number three, Uncle Jiang, who appeared to be reading a book but, from Xu Hengzhou’s observation, hadn’t turned a page in a long time.

The other Jiang family members, even Jiang Lei, sat in the living room with expressions of boredom. While they weren’t as fervent as the three main listeners, their emotions were quite engaged, often chiming in with compliments and making for pleasant conversation.

It wasn’t until past eight in the evening, after Xu Hengzhou had drunk two cups of tea, that he felt he had said enough.

Everyone dispersed, and Madam Jiang repeatedly told Xu Hengzhou that he absolutely had to bring Xiang Chen next time. How could such a wonderful child not be met?

Lin Xue also stopped him, saying there were some parts she hadn’t clearly remembered and asked if he could repeat them when he had time. What was wrong with that? Xu Hengzhou happily agreed.

That night, after washing up and lying on the bed Jiang Sen had given up for him, Xu Hengzhou thought contentedly, ‘No wonder Uncle loves to boast – no, loves to show off. It really feels great.’

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