New ink fragrance in old times

The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled in the yard, giving this warm scene a faint golden glow.

At this time, Mrs. Lin clapped her hands gently and said slowly: "It's getting late, everyone must be hungry, let's eat."

Shen, Han, Lu, Xing'er and Hua'er all rushed into the kitchen and served out the prepared food.

Perhaps because Lin's eldest son, Dalang, and second son had returned, the Lin family's dinner was particularly sumptuous.

The winter melon stewed with bacon exudes an alluring aroma, with the hot steam mixed with the richness of bacon and the sweetness of winter melon;

The garlic cucumbers were meticulously arranged on the plate. Though slightly older, the crispness of the peeled cucumbers blended perfectly with the spicy flavor of the mashed garlic, whetting the appetite. The corn rice on the side was golden and enticing, each grain plump and exuding a natural sweetness.

"These past two days have been like heaven. The food has gotten better day by day." Lin Mo sighed in his heart. It was as if he was in heaven these past two days. Every meal was more delicious and satisfying than ever before.

At the dinner table, Mrs. Lin's eyes were filled with tenderness. She reached out and used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of fat and lean bacon, placing it in the bowls of Lin Sizhe and Lin Siyuan respectively. Her tone was filled with love and expectation: "Dalang, Erlang, you have worked hard studying abroad. Eat more meat to replenish your bodies."

Seeing this, Lin Sixuan quickly put down his chopsticks, gently picked up his bowl with both hands, tilted it slightly, carefully picked up the meat in the bowl with chopsticks, and then gently put the meat back into Mrs. Lin's bowl.

"Grandma, don't always think about us. You should eat too. Look, my bowl is already full, almost piled up like a small mountain." As he spoke, he gently patted the edge of his bowl with his other hand to show that he was not short of food.

His eyes gleamed with seriousness and determination. "I love studying and don't find it hard. On the contrary, it's you and Grandfather, as well as my father, mother, uncles, and aunts, who work hard every day to manage the household chores. It's really hard work. Not only can I not share much of the family burden, but I often make you worry about me. I feel really ashamed."

After saying this, Lin Sixuan did not stop what he was doing. He picked up his chopsticks and started picking up food for the other people at the table.

He first picked up a piece of food for Grandpa Lin and said softly, "Grandfather, you should eat more too." Then, he picked up a piece of food for his father, Lin Xueqin, and said with a smile, "Father, you have worked hard."

Afterwards, he picked up food for Shen, his uncles and aunts, his sisters, and his younger brothers and sisters one by one. Every movement seemed so natural and full of warmth, as if he was expressing his gratitude and love for his family in his own way.

Lin Siyuan followed closely behind, picked up a piece of meat from his bowl and gave it to Old Mrs. Lin, and picked up some dishes for others.

Mrs. Lin's eyes were slightly red. "My eldest and second sons are the most caring. Just focus on your studies and strive to pass the imperial examination. Then our land will be tax-free, and I can send all the boys in our family to school so that they too can have a chance to succeed."

Old Mrs. Lin's words were filled with the vicissitudes of life and her deep affection and high hopes for her family. Her eyes gradually turned red, and her hands were unconsciously clasped together, her knuckles turning slightly white due to the force.

Old Mrs. Lin took a deep breath, and her eyes seemed to penetrate time and space, returning to that glorious past.

"Our Lin family's ancestors also had a scholar," she said slowly, with a barely perceptible tremor in her voice, "and then our family fell into poverty, and we gradually ran out of money to support our children's education. By the time of our generation, we were extremely poor, and we had to tighten our belts every day to get by." Having said that, she shook her head gently, her eyes full of helplessness and emotion.

Old Master Lin listened silently on the side, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with both nostalgia for the past and worry about the current situation.

"Da Lang, your father passed the imperial examination at the age of 22. How many of us here can compare to your father?"

There was a hint of pride in Mrs. Lin's tone, but then it turned heavy, "It's all because of poverty. If it weren't for this family, he would have been a scholar now. If it weren't for your father's hard work and finding a job as an accountant, grandma would not be able to live with it." When she said this, she looked at Lin Xueqin with eyes full of guilt, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes with her hands, her actions revealing endless sadness and helplessness.

Then, she changed the subject, "There are also the second and third sons. At that time, the family really couldn't make ends meet. I had no choice but to let the second son come back to farm and send the third son to be an apprentice, just to make life better for the family." When she said this, Mrs. Lin's eyes gradually became moist.

The old lady's tone became firm. "But Dalang and Erlang, listen carefully. As long as you are willing to study hard, I will sell everything I have to support you."

As Mrs. Lin spoke, she slammed the table vigorously. Her determination and perseverance moved everyone present.

"Now our family has a lot of land and a good harvest. Grandma is saving money now and will send Sanlang, Silang, Wulang, and Liulang to school. No matter what the result is, it is always good to read more books."

When everyone in the Lin family heard this, they were all moved, their eyes reddened, and some even wiped away tears quietly.

Lin Sixuan clenched his fists and looked at Old Mrs. Lin with a firm gaze: "Grandma, don't worry, I will study hard and pass the imperial examination to bring honor to our Lin family again!"

Lin Siyuan wasn't to be outdone. He patted his chest and said confidently, "Me too! I'm going to take the imperial examination and get first place. Then I'll come back to see you in style, riding a horse!"

When Mrs. Lin heard this, a bright smile spread across her face: "Great, great, great, our family will all have top scholars. Then our family will be full of top scholars!"

"No more talking, hurry up and eat, or the food will get cold."

After that, she raised her chopsticks again and picked up a piece of winter melon that Lin Sixuan liked to eat. She smiled gently and said, "Da Lang, try this white melon, it's so fragrant. Er Lang, eat more of your cucumber." After that, she carefully picked up a piece of garlic cucumber for Lin Siyuan, her eyes full of love and expectation.

The warmth of dinner had not yet completely dissipated, and the moonlight was as bright as water, gently sprinkling on the quaint courtyard of the Lin family, covering this ordinary moment with a layer of light silver gauze.

Lin Mo and the rest of the Lin family sat in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by mountains of corn, their golden sheen appearing particularly warm in the night. Some sat, some stood, busily husking the corn. The subtle, continuous rustling sound, interwoven with the occasional chirping of insects in the distance, formed a pastoral poem of an autumn night.

Lin Sixuan and Lin Siyuan walked out of the house side by side with brisk steps. They walked straight to Lin Mo's side, sat down gently, and began to peel corn with the Lin family.