Insufficient balance

  Xiao Ting returned home with two gifts he had just received.

  Willow is the number one courtesan of Chang'an, and countless talented men and wealthy patrons have been infatuated with her, hoping to get a painting from her or listen to her sing a song. However, she is willing to learn how to make shoes like a young maid, even though her needlework is clumsy and her method of making male and female shoes is a bit silly. This intention is priceless, but unfortunately, this fallen flower has the intention, but the flowing water in front of her doesn't have the qualifications to have feelings for her!

  Although they are in the same Chang'an City, one is in the northeast and the other is in the southwest. From Pingkangfang to Chanshoufang, it's more than ten miles away, taking half a time to walk, which is enough for him to sigh and savor slowly.

  As soon as Xiao Tiao opened the door and returned home, he heard someone inside ask: "Is it Tiao'er who has come back?"

  "It's me, Mother!"

  He first went to the outer room and carefully placed the blue bundle under his pillow on his small wooden bed, then walked into the house, "Mother, I'm back."

  His mother, Madame Zhou, was half-reclining on a smaller wooden couch. Seeing her son come in, she struggled to get up. Xiao Ting hurried over to support her and help her sit up. "Mother, I'll take you out for a stroll!"

  "Alright, alright, go out and have some fun!" Although she could only bask in the evening sun, the old lady was still very happy.

  Xiao Ting smiled and helped her up, then the old lady leaned on her cane with one hand and held onto Xiao Ting's arm with the other as they slowly walked out of the house door into the courtyard. This was the only time of day she could get some exercise, and every time she did, she would become extremely happy.

  Although she had only been married to the Xiao family for four years, the Xiao family was confiscated and her husband died on the way to exile a month later. Only she and her son were left to wander the streets with no one to rely on. Five years ago, she contracted a serious illness and has been bedridden ever since, unable to take care of herself, but she feels that heaven has not treated her unfairly.

  Because she has the best son in this world.

  She couldn't help but stop and glance at her son beside her, the afterglow of sunset shining on his face, making him look even more handsome with his red lips and white teeth. He's eighteen now, all grown up, and even better-looking than his father was back in the day. With just this face and that air about him, he'd be enough to drive many girls crazy, not to mention that this child has been extremely intelligent since young, proficient in music, chess, literature, and painting... What a pity that the family business is gone, otherwise even a princess from the imperial family would be a suitable match for him!

  The old lady stretched out her hand and stroked her son's face, with an increasingly kind expression.

  It turns out that I, as his mother, have become a burden to him! Five years ago, when I fell ill, our 13-year-old child had to take on the responsibility of supporting the family alone. He had to balance studying and earning money to pay for my medical expenses and medication, and still managed to do household chores like cooking, laundry, and taking care of me. As his mother, not only could I not provide for him, but I have also become his biggest burden.

  Although her son is sensible and filial, he has done everything that should be done and not done, and he has done it better than anyone else. However, as a mother, she can't help but feel guilty.

  If this family had not declined, if he could grow up happily under his parents' knees like the young masters of other families, reading and writing poetry every day, going out with friends to drink and sing, I'm afraid he would have already become a famous talent!

  Think about it, after becoming famous all over the world, go and pay respects to those aristocratic families, and even more so, build up your reputation. With someone's recommendation, relying on your own talent, getting a top scholar title is just within reach! What a great and suitable path this is!

  But now, with such a useless old wife around, he's busy every day and has no time at all. Many people come to invite him out to social events, but he declines them without hesitation. What a waste of opportunities to make a name for himself! Alas...

  It's been a long time since I've seen him lose his temper like other young people, it seems that he was born to suffer, from a very young age, he has been like an adult, often frowning and speaking and acting in a mature way that is intimidating.

  By the way, she saw a few days ago that her 18-year-old son already had white hair!

  "Son, how was school today?" The old lady asked with a smile.

  "Good, good! Mr. Xue even praised me!" Xiao Ting replied with a smile.

  "Mother, when the son makes money, we'll go back to the countryside and buy a few hundred acres of land. I'll accompany you every day to bask in the sun, okay? By then, we'll bask in the morning sun, not this late afternoon sun!"

  The old lady smiled, "Alright, alright! It's good to buy land in the countryside, but we can't go back to live there. My son still needs to take the imperial examination and become an official, how can he go back to the countryside with this old wife of his?"

  Xiao Ting smiled and said, "Mother, let's not take the imperial examination anymore. What's good about being an official? Think about my father, he was only 23 years old when he passed the imperial examination, the youngest in the history of our great Tang Dynasty. But what happened in the end? The path to officialdom is fraught with danger. It's better for us to just buy some good land and live a peaceful life, don't you think?"

  The old lady shook her head and stopped again. This son of hers was good in every way, but she didn't know why he disliked taking the imperial examination and becoming an official so much.

  Actually, the old lady didn't know that her son had forgotten everything before he was three years old. However, Xiao Teng remembered all of it - the luxurious life they had in the Xiao family. Who would have thought that he already possessed a soul of over twenty years old when he was just born?

  "Alright, alright, mom understands what you mean, but don't forget, your surname is Xiao!"

  She paused, then said: "Our Xiao family is a hundred-year-old clan in the Guanzhong region. Although we have declined now, our Xiao family still has you, Tiantian. Mother wants you to promise me that you will do your best for the rest of your life and revive our Xiao family!"

  Xiao Ting remained silent and lowered his head. After a while, he raised his head but didn't respond. "Mother, let's take advantage of the remaining daylight and continue on our way!"

  The old lady didn't move, she quietly looked at her son, "Ting Er, tell your mother the truth, do you have a girl in mind?"

  Xiao Ting was taken aback by the question and quickly laughed it off, "No, why did you suddenly think of asking this?"

  The old lady looked at him, "Although your mother's body is not good, her nose is very keen. In the past two years, every time you come back on the fifth or tenth day of the month, you are always covered in the scent of a woman's perfume. How could your mother not notice?"

  Xiao Ting was taken aback, smiled awkwardly, and came out of the room of the number one courtesan in Chang'an. It would be strange if he didn't have the scent of women on him. Instead, it's a pity that his mother never asked about it.

  The old lady continued: "Ting Er, listen to your mother's words. Whoever you like is fine, as long as you pass the imperial examination and become a scholar-official in the future. No matter how high her family status is, having a scholar-official as a son-in-law can open doors for her. However, before bringing someone else's daughter into our home, you mustn't..."

  "Mother, what are you thinking? How could I do something like that?" Xiao Ting smiled.

  The old lady smiled, actually she was very confident in her son's character, but she was worried about those girls outside.

  "In the future, I'll find a good girl with a nice family background and temperament to marry into our family!" The old lady thought to herself as she slowly took a walk with Xiao Ting's support.

  Under the sunset, in a desolate courtyard, this mother and son slowly strolled around the bend, chatting about some family trivia. Unbeknownst to them, dusk gradually fell, Xiao Ting supported his mother to lie down in the inner room, then busied himself cooking dinner.

  The mother and son have been living like this for the past five years, although poor, but also happy.