Chapter 122: Maternal Kindness and Filial Piety

"Little thief, where are you running to?" A fairy in white, marked by five red plum-blossom moles on her wrist, brandished a long sword, driving Li Sanjian to a point where he had no path to the heavens and no gate into the earth.

How could a mere mortal ever be a match for an immortal? No matter how desperately Li Sanjian fled or struggled, he was eventually captured by the fairy.

"Little thief, why did you act as if you didn't see me when we met?" The fairy inverted her sword and prodded the feigning Li Sanjian with the hilt, barking a command.

Li Sanjian was left speechless. Before he could utter a word, the scene shifted; he was now dressed in women’s clothing, sobbing on the ground.

"Hahaha!" The fairy, now clad in a man's luxurious robes, sat on the edge of the bed and roared with laughter. "Little thief, follow me, and I guarantee you will live in luxury and splendor from this day on."

"Little thief, you dare refuse me? Take this!" Before the weeping Li Sanjian could respond, the fairy brandished a long whip and lashed down at him.

"No..." Li Sanjian let out a roar and sat up in bed, drenched in sweat. It was all just a dream.

Who was this person? As Li Sanjian recalled the dream, he suddenly remembered Cai Rongxue, whom he had chanced upon the day before. Her figure was remarkably similar to that of the wicked fairy in his dream, and they shared the same distinctive feature: a red birthmark on the wrist.

I must ask Li Qingzhao about her identity in a few days, Li Sanjian thought to himself.

"Sanlang, are you awake?" Just then, Fu Erniang asked from the doorway, holding an oil lamp.

Hearing this, Li Sanjian jumped out of bed, threw on a robe, and opened the door to welcome his mother in.

"Mother, you haven't slept yet?" Li Sanjian asked after helping Fu Erniang to a seat.

"I'm not sleepy," Fu Erniang shook her head. "Where did you go yesterday? You fell asleep at your desk while reading and didn't even eat dinner. I was worried you might wake up hungry in the middle of the night, so I stayed here to watch over you."

Li Sanjian flushed at these words and stammered, "I... I didn't go anywhere. I was just out drinking with some friends. I’m sorry to have worried you, Mother."

"Nonsense," Fu Erniang said with a playful scolding. "You silly child, can't you even tell your mother the truth? You smell of rouge; I’ve lived long enough to know what that means."

"Oh, Mother, my dear Mother," Li Sanjian chuckled. "Nothing escapes you. I was... I was with Qingzhao outside the city, and I didn't return until dusk."

"Hehe, I gave birth to you; do you think you can hide what’s in your heart from me?" Fu Erniang smiled as she stood up to bring him a tray of food and wine. "It’s freshly warmed. Eat while it’s hot."

Li Sanjian had only just woken up, yet the food was already warm. Fu Erniang must have been keeping watch and reheating the meal repeatedly so he could have a proper bite the moment he stirred. Her care was absolute.

Having spent a tiring day, he was famished. Moved by his mother's thoughtfulness, Li Sanjian nodded and began to eat with gusto.

"My child has grown up," Fu Erniang looked at him with overflowing affection under the lamplight.

Approaching eighteen, Li Sanjian resembled his father, Li Qing, more and more—not just in height, but in his brows, eyes, forehead, and nose. In the dim light, Fu Erniang felt as if she were reliving the days spent with her late husband. As she watched him, tears welled up in her eyes.

"Mother, what’s wrong?" Li Sanjian asked, startled, his mouth full of sweet rice.

"It’s nothing," Fu Erniang quickly wiped away her tears.

"Are you missing Father?" Li Sanjian guessed.

"Yes," Fu Erniang nodded. "Your father doted on you so much when you were little; he would save everything good for you. If he were still alive to see you now, he would be so happy."

*He’d more likely be died of anger,* Li Sanjian thought to himself.

He had strutted into the Song imperial examinations, winning first place in the Guizhou provincial exam, followed by composing poetry and winning the lantern festival competition—he had been full of himself, arrogant and reckless. But then, he had failed the subsequent departmental examinations. It was a complete reversal of fortune, a true shame to his ancestors!

"Mother, I have something to say, though I don’t know if I should," Li Sanjian said hesitantly after a moment of thought.

Fu Erniang trimmed the lamp wick to brighten the room and smiled. "Is there anything you can't tell your mother?"

"Mother..." Even so, Li Sanjian spoke with hesitation. "The past is gone. You have suffered so much all these years. Besides, the mourning period for Father has long since passed, and you are still so young. Why... why must you be like this? Why not remarry? There is no law that says a man can remarry but a woman cannot. That is pure nonsense. Even Fan Wenzheng of our dynasty followed his mother when she remarried. Though I am a dull son, I would support such a thing..."

Li Sanjian finally voiced his long-held thought. Fu Erniang was only in her thirties; why should she spend her whole life as a widow for his father? Why suffer in silence? He was determined to urge her to find her own happiness, promising that if the man who married her treated her well, he would respect him as a father.

After the new year, he would return to Lingnan for the provincial exams, and he would not be able to bring her along. She would be left alone in the Eastern Capital of Kaifeng. He would only be at ease if she had someone to look after her.

"Hold your tongue!" Before he could finish, Fu Erniang interrupted him. "I may not be a lady of the Han nobility, but I know the meaning of loyalty. I will never remarry. I will not betray your father, even in death."

*I don't know what he's thinking,* she thought to herself. *Other children would be terrified of their mothers remarrying, yet he is the one pushing me toward it?* She was both exasperated and amused. *I haven't even found him a wife, and he's already trying to find me a husband?*

"Mother, son..." Li Sanjian tried to continue, but she cut him off again.

"Say no more." She looked at him and sighed, patting his hand. "Child, I know you mean well, but my mind is made up. Besides, Sanlang, having you is enough for me. Why would I need anything else?"

"Mother, oh, my dear mother, you have suffered so," Li Sanjian, overcome with pity, knelt on the floor and hugged her, sobbing.

Truth be told, he didn't truly want his mother to remarry either, but one shouldn't be so selfish as to force her into lifelong widowhood. Her insistence on staying faithful both moved and pained him. He resolved to be twice as filial to make amends to this poor woman.

"My child..." Mother and son wept in each other's arms.

"You really do know how to make your mother sad," she said after a long time, wiping her eyes. "Enough about me. Let’s talk about you. Sanlang, do you like that young lady of the Li family?"

Li Sanjian nodded.

"Good. Since my son likes her, I will put aside my pride and send someone to the Li family to propose," she said.

Li Sanjian was startled and quickly replied, "Mother, why are you in such a rush? I’m not even eighteen yet; isn't it too early to talk about marriage? I have no intention of marrying before I am twenty."

He did like Li Qingzhao, but marriage was a long, time-consuming process of proposals and negotiations. More importantly, he still felt unworthy—a commoner trying to marry into an official’s family. He could not bring himself to be at ease with it.

"Almost eighteen is not too early! I had two children by the time I was eighteen," she laughed. "And as for your intentions, that is not for you to decide. I shall prepare the betrothal gifts tomorrow."

She was so happy at the prospect that she couldn't stop smiling. She imagined that because Li Sanjian was now attached to the Prince of Duan’s estate, they were well-off enough to afford the gifts—not realizing that the Li family would likely look down on such meager offerings.

Seeing her act like a young girl, Li Sanjian had no choice but to use the only excuse left: "Mother, I have the provincial exams coming up soon. If I get distracted by this, what will happen?"

"Fine, let’s wait until after the exams," she conceded, though she added, "But from now on, I am in charge of this matter."

"Mother, it won't be long. I won't be a bachelor forever," he promised. "Tell me, what kind of man was Father?"

"He..." A look of happiness washed over her face, and her eyes sparkled with a strange brilliance. "He was a handsome young man, gentle, considerate, and steady—unlike you, who are as restless as a monkey."

"Haha!" Li Sanjian laughed. "Mother, I really want to know what he looked like. Does Father still have family? Do you have any news of them?"

"I know very little of his past," she shook her head. "He was an only child, though I know he had uncles and cousins. We lost touch with them many years ago, so I have no idea how they fare."