When Rong Heng returned to the house, Rong Ting greeted him, still calling him ‘Emperor Father.’
“Emperor Father, I have not slacked on my calligraphy practice recently, but I have been at a standstill.” Rong Ting pointed to a character on the Xuan paper. “I cannot write this character well. May I receive counsel?”
Rong Heng looked at the calligraphy, then at him, and said in an apologetic tone, “I’m sorry, Rong Ting, I don’t remember things from the past, so I won’t be able to teach you anymore.”
“Emperor Father truly remembers nothing?” Rong Ting looked at him suspiciously. He felt something was off.
“Like I said, you can just call me Uncle. Your mom is very worried about you getting implicated by me.”
“Oh.” Rong Ting put down his brush, saying with some disappointment, “Emperor Father seems better how he was before.”
“What was I like before?” Rong Heng asked him smilingly.
Rong Ting thought for a while and shook his head.
The Emperor Father from before rarely smiled.
Everyone in the harem and the court feared Emperor Father. Some said Emperor Father was despotic, while others said Emperor Father was a wise ruler.
“What are you two talking about?” Song Yuan asked curiously as she came out from the kitchen with washed fruits and saw the father-son duo standing in front of the desk, happily chatting.
Rong Heng very naturally received the platter of fruit in her hand. “Rong Ting wanted me to give him pointers on his calligraphy, but I’ve forgotten everything. Now, I don’t know what to teach him. That’s right, you should be able to agree to the thing I mentioned before ba, taking him to see the calligrapher. It’ll help him a lot with his calligraphy.”
Song Yuan looked at Rong Ting and asked him. “Gugu, what do you think?”
Rong Ting hesitated for a moment. If it were the Emperor Father from before, he would have regarded it as an imperial edict, but now…
“Could I have some time to think about it?” He glanced at Rong Heng as he said this, as though afraid his Emperor Father would be displeased.
“Okay ah! Take your time to think about it. This is your business, so your wishes come first.”
Rong Heng had a soft smile on his face as he watched the mother and son interact.
Song Haiping didn’t keep Rong Heng behind to eat, and Rong Heng also didn’t insist on staying. He tactfully said he had something to do at home and left before dinner. This move of his caused Song Haiping to curse him for being underhanded and cunning. His thoughts were known to everyone, but this imposter was still able to stick around. If Rong Heng were pestering them, Song Haiping would have reason to deal with him, but this person was slippery and didn’t give anyone a handle to grab on to!
A few days later, Song Yuan took Rong Ting to the epidemic prevention center to get his vaccines, this time for the Hepatitis B vaccine. Rong Ting knew he had no room for resistance. For other things, so long as he was unwilling, Empress Mother wouldn’t press him, but for vaccines, Empress Mother gave off the attitude of not allowing room for discussion.
On this day, Rong Heng came again.
He did not come frequently; ever since he found out the results of the paternity test, he’d only come a few times, truly not coming to bother them.
Rong Ting felt a bit uncomfortable on their way there. He said somewhat awkwardly, “In the Great Ye dynasty, it is extremely inappropriate for a man to bare his skin. It is not what a gentleman would do.”
Song Yuan, having long been immune to such words, didn’t bother to reason with him again.
In fact, this child was clear in his heart. He knew that this was not the Great Ye dynasty, he was not the crown prince, and he had no privileges. He just wanted to say things like this from time to time. She had taken a child psychology class, and after some analysis she concluded that he was struggling within himself.
Struggle, then, struggle. It was best if he came to terms with reality before he went to elementary school.
Rong Heng, sitting in the passenger’s seat, contemplated. “You can’t think about the issue too rigidly. People have to adapt to the times. It’s inappropriate in the ancient times, but it’s very normal here.”
Rong Ting froze, then let out a sullen “en.”
“He listens to you.” Song Yuan was astonished that Gugu behaved so obediently in front of Gugu.
Rong Heng laughed self-deprecatingly. “It’s probably because I was too harsh on him in the ancient times. I probably am not a good father.”
How could he not like Rong Ting? He was his son, his son he had had with her. It was just that after she had left without a sound, he had gradually become afraid of seeing Rong Ting.
Rong Ting looked so much like her.
He had been even more afraid that Rong Ting would ask him where she had gone.
As ruler, his reason told him that he could not be so deeply influenced by a departed person. But if he could truly be so rational, many things would not have happened, and he would never have come here.
Song Yuan didn’t know how to take his words.
After all, from the way Rong Ting acted, he really wasn’t close to Emperor Father. He was even fearful.
As soon as they arrived at the epidemic prevention center, they heard the piercing cries of many children.
Song Yuan got ready to pay when she thought of another important thing. “That, should you get a vaccine too?”
Rong Heng was truly stunned this time.
Him? Getting vaccinated?
Yes, you should also get vaccinated. We get inoculated with many vaccines starting from when we’re young, such as Hepatitis B and DPT1. Isn’t it dangerous if you don’t get vaccinated?”
Rong Heng subconsciously took a step back.
Song Yuan turned to face the nurse at the desk. “Can he get vaccinated here?”
“Yes.”
Rong Heng managed to stabilize himself. “No need. I didn’t bring my ID card today.”
Rong Ting stood beside him with a look of confusion. “Emp–Uncle, when you2 bought cake for me just now, I saw your ID card in your wallet. You brought it.”
“…”
Children shouldn’t speak while adults are speaking. Didn’t your father tell you this?
Song Yuan saw Rong Heng’s awkward expression and immediately understood what was going on. She quickly said, “If you didn’t bring it then forget it. Anyways, you need to remember this and see for yourself which vaccines you need to make up.”
She could force her son to get vaccinated, but she couldn’t force Rong Heng.
Rong Heng had nothing to do with her.
But in Rong Ting’s eyes, it was a very obvious difference in treatment.
Rong Ting was dissatisfied, but he didn’t dare to show it in front of Rong Heng. He could only seethe in anger as he sat in the waiting room.
“I’m going out to make a call.” Rong Heng was truly embarrassed. He made up a random excuse and left.
After he left, Song Yuan asked Rong TIng, “What’s the matter with you?”
Rong Ting saw Emperor Father was no longer present, and his small mouth jabbered nonstop. “Empress Mother is biased. For what reason does Emperor Father not need a vaccine, but I do? Moreover, Emperor Father clearly brought his ID card. He can get them!”
He was quite repulsed by the matter of getting a shot.
Not only did he have to undress, but also once the solution was injected, his arm was extremely sore. He didn’t dare to sleep on his side all night.
They were both people from the ancient times. Why was it that Emperor Father didn’t need the vaccine, while he did?
Song Yuan was speechless. “If he was my son, I would definitely force him to get it. He’s not my relative. Isn’t it weird and unreasonable for me to force someone else? Also, if he said he didn’t bring his ID card then he didn’t bring it. You saw wrong.”
“Gu did not see wrongly!” Rong Ting was incensed. “I know what an ID card looks like. He did bring it. It is said that a monarch does not go back on his words, but Emperor Father lied so naturally…”
“Okay, let’s not talk about this. It’s your turn soon, so get ready to take off your clothes!”
Rong Ting reluctantly took off his down jacket as he muttered, “Emperor Father actually lied…”
“Keep talking nonsense and I’ll ask to get you another shot later.”
Rong Ting immediately shut up.
The world was finally peaceful. Song Yuan was also satisfied.
The vaccination was not a happy matter for Rong Ting. Although he didn’t cry, his expression was definitely not cheerful.
After getting the shot, he didn’t deign to respond to people, keeping up a noble and aloof appearance.
Unlike other people, who might experience dizziness or fever as a side effect of the vaccination, he could be sulky for a long time.
Song Yuan could only coax him. “Alright, don’t be upset. I’ll buy you strawberries later, okay? I’ll make chicken wings for you later, okay?”
Rong Ting gave a soft “en.” His world view had been revolutionized today. His Emperor Father, who could support the heaven and earth3, who never said anything false, had actually lied so brazenly4…
*****
[1] DPT = Pertussis, Diphtheria, Tetanus
[2] Rong Ting uses the formal “you” with Rong Heng (though not with Song Yuan)
[3]顶天立地: of indomitable spirit
[4]睁着眼睛说瞎话: to lie through one’s teeth