Chapter 217 - - Sun visits his mother (1/2)

While Jin Li and Leon were beginning their explorations in the wealthy section of the city, Sun was sitting in the reception of his mother's courtyard, accompanying the older woman.  A cup of tea had been placed in front of him, but the sweet scent was too floral and light for him having been subject to both Jin Li's preferences and Leon's medicinal teas. The walls seemed to be lined with his mother's personal maids, all ready to attend their needs, but it made him really uncomfortable, which was one of the reasons he disliked coming here.

As for the mistress of this courtyard...

Sun took after his mother; this was one of the reasons his grandmother couldn't help but find fault with him. They both shared the same long, straight, dark brown hair, the same round, sunny face gently touched by a smattering of freckles and bright, expression-filled eyes.  Sun was taller than his mother, but it was not as if this was an impressive thing; her lack of height meant even the most diminutive of her maid's did not challenge her for this trait.  Three children and a generally comfortable way of life had given the woman a wider hip, breast and waist over the years and being small on top meant she resembled a cute dumpling rather than a sophisticated lady, but few were as happy and content as she.

If there was one true blot on her cheerfulness (harsh words of family members were like a punch on a large wad of cotton wool) it was that her baby boy had left home to attend school.

Any wife could be proud to birth a son and content to birth a daughter, but she had not only been blessed with both, she had born her cute baby boy as well. Her first son needed to be educated and strong in order to follow in his father's and potentially his grandfather's footsteps. Her daughter needed to be taught skills and grow beautifully and wed a capable man worthy of her. Her second son had not these responsibilities and could be totally spoiled her, his mother.

She'd been so proud when he unlocked his potential as a Cultivator, but also so worried. Could her happy and lovely baby boy cope with the expectations of him? Could he cultivate well and with ease? Her heart faltered when she saw him trying to be so strong and broke when his smile began to fade, the jealousy of others finally wearing him down. And when that little relative of her brother-in-law's daughter's friend convinced her family to send a matchmaker to her mother-in-law wanting to marry in, marry her precious child, she was dead set against it!

Fortunately, no matter how her mother-in-law half-heartedly considered it, the General would not.  After all, the little girl was a concubine daughter and Sun was born of the main wife of his second son, their statuses did not match and she could only be his concubine should she marry in.  However, Sun had no wife yet and unless one was a Prince, it was unusual to marry in concubines before wives.  Still, the idea of having Sun marry was there now and even if the child himself was unwilling, he could not easily go against his elders should they make a decision on his behalf.

At that time, Yunisa had come home to visit and mentioned her husband's cousin was due to graduate from the Ascending Mountain Institute as an honourable scholar.

”Ascending Mountain Institute?” Mond had queried. ”Is that not a school for Cultivators?”

”Hmm,” Yunisa had agreed and proceeded to tell her family how the Institute was actually made up of five schools studying separate main subjects. ”A student who graduates usually not only has skills beyond his peers, but has had the opportunity to make connections to others of excellent learning. I do not know much about Cultivators, but I've heard that it is an extremely rare thing for a student to still be at Primary level when graduating. Most are of Secondary or Tertiary Stage or even stronger!”

Immediately, within Sun's mind, the seed had been sown and with an obvious renewed enthusiasm for life, he and his servants had learned all that they could about the Institute before Sun had begged to be able to attend. As his mother, wanting him to smile, wanting the best for him, how could she not put in a few words of her own while lying on her husband's pillow? But she did miss him terribly!

So it was only natural for her to summon to her side her cute and grouchy little sweet Osmanthus pudding cup!