Chapter 37: Swift Weaning Like Thunder, Warmth Breathes New Life into the Shen Family

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Three thousand miles of canal, and the most beautiful stretch lies in Huai’an. Along this endless waterway, the Grand Canal has nurtured not only a landscape of natural splendor, but also a tapestry of vibrant human culture. From this land of outstanding people and spiritual vitality, Huai’an has produced generations of renowned figures since ancient times.

Thus, the ancient town of Hexia, which owed its prosperity to the grain transport, fulfilled its historical destiny by welcoming both the future top scholar Shen Kun and Wu Cheng’en, the author of Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels. The townspeople of Hexia had no inkling of this momentous distinction—indeed, how could they possibly have known?

Yet, in the city of Shanyang, there was a half-immortal who seemed to have foreseen it, and of course, there was also Lord Huo, the magistrate of Shanyang County.

The imperial examination system in the Ming Dynasty was exceedingly strict—a single-plank bridge over a raging river for countless aspirants, as it is even today, and sometimes even harsher in those days. Wu Cheng’en’s father, Wu Rui, was a living example for every scholar in Datong Alley: obsessed with dreams of official rank, yet dogged by ill fortune, he spent his life in a daze, earning him the nickname “madman” from neighbors in the alleys and even from the occasional passerby on Bamboo Lane.

Wu Rui’s tragedy was shaped by the times, and by the ill luck that shadowed the Wu family. Imagine, if his own father had not died while serving in Hangzhou, the Wu family would surely now have a comfortable home by the tranquil bridges and flowing waters of that city. Thus, when Master Wu had a son in middle age, he pinned all his hopes for academic glory on Wu Cheng’en.

But history played the Wu family a cruel trick: as a grown man, Wu Cheng’en failed the examinations time and again, while his friend Shen Kun achieved the highest honors. The blow to Cheng’en was immense, though that is a tale for another time.

After the Shen family hosted a grand banquet to celebrate the birth of Shen Kun, their first grandson, Master Shen left the Temple of Wisdom and Contemplation humming a tune, full of joy from his prayers. Walking down Huzui Street, the main road of the old town, Master Shen could not help but smile now that he had a grandson, greeting acquaintances as he went.

Upon returning to the Shen residence and entering the rear courtyard, Lady Shen came out to meet him. “You’re home, my lord.”

“Indeed. Where’s my eldest grandson?”

“He’s with his mother, playing in the room,” Lady Shen glanced around before speaking in a lower voice. “My lord, our daughter-in-law wants to wean the child.”

“What? Isn’t it too soon for that?” Master Shen was quite surprised. He called toward his son’s room, “Grandson! Grandfather’s home!”

Little Shen Kun, who had been playing happily, heard the familiar voice and toddled out, echoing Master Shen’s words in his childish tone, “Grand—father!”

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“Aye,” Master Shen was so pleased that tears filled his eyes. “Wife, did you hear? Our eldest grandson just called me grandfather.”

“Our little treasure already called me grandmother before you came home,” Lady Shen teased the boy, “Say grandmother, come on, say grandmother.”

“Grandmother.”

“Aye.”

“Father, you’re back,” Miss Xu, the daughter-in-law, came out to greet him, then got straight to the point. “Father, I want to wean the baby.”

Master Shen, while playing with his grandson, replied offhandedly, “So I heard, but daughter-in-law, isn’t it a bit early? In our alley, don’t most families wait until the children are several years old?”

“Father, I know that, but foreigners have studied this—by this time, breast milk has little nutritional value, so this is the perfect moment to start him on food.” Miss Xu argued her case earnestly.

“Daughter-in-law, I don’t know much about such things, it’s just that—” Master Shen glanced up awkwardly at his daughter-in-law, noting her ample bosom. It was thanks to her abundant milk that the little boy was so fair and chubby.

Seeing her earnestness, Master Shen instinctively wanted to refuse, but quickly changed his mind. “Well, if you insist, then try it from tomorrow. If it works, we’ll do as you say; if not, we’ll stick to tradition. How about that?”

“Very well.”

The young mistress’s persistence had its effect. With the master’s approval, Lady Shen, ever the supportive wife, let go of her matronly airs, smiling as she walked over to her daughter-in-law. “Don’t mind me, dear. As a woman, I’m not very knowledgeable. Now that your father-in-law agrees, I have no objection.”

The young mistress knew her mother-in-law was a kindhearted woman. In the year since she had married into the Shen family, she had always been treated with care. And since the birth of her son, her mother-in-law had looked after her with even greater devotion—so much so that she already regarded her as her own mother.

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“Mother, it was wrong of me to contradict you,” the daughter-in-law said, taking her mother-in-law’s hand. Shen Kun joyfully circled the two of them, his laughter filling the air. The harmony and warmth of the family scene melted Master Shen’s heart completely.

The young mistress was a woman of decisive action. That evening, when Shen Junior returned, and their son had fallen asleep in bed, she gently placed the boy in his cradle.

“Mother—” As soon as she laid him down, Kun’er drowsily called out. Tenderly, she leaned close to comfort him, “Mother’s here, sleep now, my son. Grow up strong and fast.”

Half-asleep, Kun’er closed his eyes, but his little mouth instinctively sought comfort at his mother’s breast. The young mistress unbuttoned her collar and slipped her nipple into his mouth. Like a piglet, Kun’er suckled contentedly, soon falling into a sweet, satisfied sleep.

“Kun’er, it’s not that your mother is hard-hearted. Starting tomorrow, you won’t be nursing anymore,” she whispered. Just then, Shen Junior sat up abruptly on the headboard.

“What? You really mean to wean him?”

“Father agrees.” She fastened her collar and climbed into bed, nestling into her husband’s arms with the utmost feminine grace. Her alluring gaze smoldered with passion, but Shen Junior, distracted, ignored her advances and asked, “And Mother—?”

“We’ve come to an understanding.” As she spoke, the young mistress began to remove her upper garments, her full breasts standing proud, the familiar scent of milk instantly overwhelming Shen Junior’s resolve…

To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next chapter.