collapse
"My wife is in a very good mood today."
When Tan Linshuang woke up in the morning, she opened her eyes and saw Zhao Mingyan humming a little tune as she got out of bed and dressed. Just by looking at her back, she felt that she was in obviously better condition than the previous few days.
So he turned over, supported his head with his hands, and admired her combing her hair in front of the mirror.
"Are we going to Chastity Hall later?"
"Um."
After combing her hair, Zhao Mingyan opened the door and let Xiaozhu in. She washed herself and then took out a plain dress to change into.
Zhao Mingyan usually likes pink, purple and green colors, but the two times she went back to the Chastity Hall, she found that the chaste women all wore light gray double-breasted small-sleeved jackets, without rouge or lipstick, and with few red hairpins on their heads. They were as plain as monks, which was in sharp contrast to the colorful Shu brocade hanging in the weaving room. She couldn't help but think of "The Charcoal Seller" written by Bai Juyi.
Therefore, she specially picked out a blue-gray narrow-sleeved jacket today, with her face bare and without a red hairpin, just to bring herself closer to the virtuous women.
Tan Linshuang just watched her dress up quietly, with a contented look on her face. "Sunny days are beautiful, rainy days are also wonderful, heavy makeup or light makeup is always suitable."
"What are you mumbling about?"
Suddenly, he muttered. Zhao Mingyan looked at him through the bronze mirror. "Why aren't you getting up yet? Aren't you going to pay your respects to your grandmother?"
Tan Linshuang smiled and said, "Let's get started now."
After breakfast, it was Tan Linshuang who, as usual, escorted Zhao Mingyan to the main gate and watched her depart in a carriage. Then, she returned to the North Courtyard, pretending to stay in the study studying for the exam, but in reality, she slipped out a side door to run some errands...
"Huh?"
When passing by the rows of chastity archways, Zhao Mingyan heard knocking sounds coming from outside the carriage. Puzzled, she pushed open the window. When she saw that the craftsmen were clearing the rubble on the ground and building new archways in the cleaned area, she was startled.
"What's going on?"
She immediately called the driver Zhang San and got off the carriage with Xiaozhu.
"Why did Zou Wuniang's memorial archway collapse? Weren't we all about to carve the words yesterday?"
As soon as she got closer, she pulled Master Gu, who was personally supervising the work, to ask him questions.
"Why!"
When this was mentioned, Master Gu sighed heavily.
"Late last night, Zou Wuniang's memorial archway suddenly collapsed. It wasn't caused by human sabotage, nor was it struck by lightning. It simply collapsed inexplicably."
Zhao Mingyan raised her left eyebrow slightly, raised her chin and pointed at the group of craftsmen, "Are you sure it wasn't caused by human hands?"
Hall Master Gu was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly understood her hint and shook his head, "No, no!"
"Definitely not!"
"These craftsmen were all sent by the county government, not just random people I found outside. Moreover, the construction of the workshop has been funded by the Ministry of Revenue since the previous emperor. The funds are fully allocated and they only get paid after completing the work. If they are careless, not only will they not get paid, but they will also have to..."
He made a head-chopping gesture and emphasized again: "There is definitely no cutting corners."
Zhao Mingyan pursed her lips, recalling what she had heard from Tan Moxiang about Zou Wuniang's experience. Without saying anything more, she took Xiaozhu back to the carriage and continued on her way.
After getting on the carriage, she looked at Zou Wuniang's archway through the window again. Seeing that the craftsmen were busy and serious, she guessed that this time the renovation would make Zou Wuniang's archway more solid.
"Sister Zhuang!"
After arriving at the Chastity Hall, Zhao Mingyan found Aunt Zhuang and others working in the main hall. As usual, they were met with indifference. Except for Aunt Zhuang who responded perfunctorily, the others acted as if they didn't hear or see anything, and didn't even raise their heads.
Aunt Zhuang just glanced at her and went back to sweeping the floor. And she wasn't looking at her, but at the way she was dressed today.
Zhao Mingyan turned and winked at Xiaozhu, then she put the two boxes she was carrying on the table and opened them one by one.
Then, one gave off the aroma of food, and the other gave off the smell of medicine.
Smelling the two completely different scents in the air, everyone couldn't help but feel curious. They stopped what they were doing and looked over.
Zhao Mingyan smiled and explained, "I chatted with my aunt for a long time yesterday. She told me that Sister Zhuang likes to eat cooked dragon and roasted phoenix, Sister Liu loves five-color mushrooms, and Sun Erniang likes to drink a cup of wine..."
She listed everyone's preferences one by one, then pointed to boxes of medicinal wines, plasters, and pills. "My aunt also told me that the humidity is high here, and if you stay here for a long time, you'll inevitably be affected by the 'evil wind,' so she specifically asked me to bring you some anti-evil wind medicine this time."
Hearing this, everyone looked at each other, not knowing how to respond.
However, Zhao Mingyan could clearly feel that the atmosphere had improved.
She took advantage of the situation and snatched the broom from Aunt Zhuang's hand, "Sister Zhuang, please put your things away. I'll sweep the floor."
Aunt Zhuang was stunned.
Seeing this, Xiaozhu took her hand and said with a smile, "Auntie Zhuang, let me help you clean up. By the way, I'll tell you the usage and contraindications of those black plasters for treating colds."
"That's... okay."
Aunt Zhuang hesitated for a moment, then took Xiaozhu to pack up the food and medicine in the two boxes.
When the others turned around, Zhao Mingyan had already run to the yard to sweep the fallen leaves. They looked at each other and got busy again.
As the old saying goes, if your hands and feet are moving, your mouth will not be idle. After getting used to Zhao Mingyan's joining, everyone couldn't help but chat, and while chatting, they talked about Zou Wuniang's chastity archway that inexplicably collapsed.
"It collapsed suddenly in the middle of the night. I was so scared that I thought there was an earthquake."
"How could it suddenly collapse when all was fine? The same craftsmen built it!"
"Could it be that they cut corners this time?"
“It has nothing to do with the craftsman.”
A chaste woman who was several years older than Aunt Zhuang spoke softly. Zhao Mingyan looked in the direction of the voice and repeated her name in her heart: Hu Xiu Lian, 42 years old, widowed for many years. After her son passed the imperial examination and entered the official career, she took the initiative to recommend herself to the government to be honored as a chaste woman. She has lived here for more than ten years.
According to Tan Moxiang, although she is the oldest, she does not like to meddle in other people's affairs and is the type of person who minds her own business, so her presence is relatively weak.
Now, she suddenly joined everyone's discussion, and not only Zhao Mingyan, but also Aunt Zhuang and the others were surprised.
"Sister Xiu Lian, what do you know about the inside story?" Aunt Zhuang asked in a low voice.
Hu Xiulian continued to scrub the clothes, neither hurried nor slow, and her tone remained the same: "Perhaps Zou Wuniang's spirit in heaven doesn't want this chastity arch."
"Uh..." Aunt Zhuang looked surprised.
"You're joking! She committed suicide for love on her own initiative, but she is more loyal and chaste than the rest of us. She deserves the memorial archway most of all." She then said.
Without even looking up, Hu Xiu Lian said, "Although she and her late husband were engaged, they married early to ward off evil with happiness. But in the end, the groom vomited blood and died on the wedding night. How could that be considered a warding off evil?"
"It's more like asking for death." Someone blurted out quickly.
boom--
Just after midnight, another loud noise cut through the night sky, startling Aunt Zhuang so much that she turned over and sat up.
She pricked up her ears and listened carefully, then her eyes widened, she got out of bed, put on her clothes, and ran straight out the door.
"Ouch!"
As soon as he reached the corridor, he bumped into Sun Erniang, who was also in a hurry. The two looked at each other and said at the same time: "It collapsed again?"
…
"Is that what's going on?"
The next morning, upon hearing the news, Magistrate Qi rushed over. Seeing the gravel on the ground, he slapped his thigh and turned around to ask, "Who is the supervisor?"
"Yes...it's the small one."
The supervisor stood up trembling.
"Do you know what the collapse of the chastity arch means?" Lord Qi pointed at his nose and asked.
His lips were trembling, and his words were stammering: "The chastity of a chaste woman... the chastity of a chaste woman is shattered... shattered..."
Lord Qi was furious and angrily ordered, "Come here, take these negligent people back to jail!"
"Wait a minute!"
Without waiting for the bailiffs to come forward to arrest him, Zhao Mingyan, who had just stepped off the carriage, ran and shouted.
"Who are you?"
Seeing Zhao Mingyan's plain clothes, Lord Qi waved his hand and said impatiently, "Please step aside, everyone else."
"My humble daughter Zhao Mingyan greets Master Qi."
Zhao Mingyan didn't care for his attitude. She stepped forward, bowed, and introduced herself: "I am the wife of Tan Linshuang of the Bamboo Grove Trading Company. I am currently helping Master Gu manage the weaving room of the Chastity Hall."
"Bamboo Forest Trading Company?"
Upon hearing this name, Lord Qi looked Zhao Mingyan up and down again.
Master Gu hurried over to prove Zhao Mingyan's identity.
"Master Qi, this is the young lady of the Tan family."
“Hmm…”
The expression on Lord Qi's face eased slightly, and his nostrils, which had been pointing upwards, lowered. Zhao Mingyan finally didn't have to raise her eyes to see his nose hairs.
"What did you mean by stopping me just now?" He looked directly at Zhao Mingyan, with dissatisfaction hidden in his eyes.
Zhao Mingyan bowed his head and said, "Your Excellency, there may be other hidden reasons behind the collapse of the memorial archway."
"Isn't it just these people cutting corners?" Lord Qi said firmly.
Zhao Mingyan pointed to the half-finished archway that had collapsed and shattered, and said to him, "To see if there was any cutting of corners, first check whether the foundation is deeply rammed, and then check whether the archway is tightly built."
Upon hearing this, Lord Qi walked over to take a closer look, and Hall Master Gu also squatted on the ground to inspect the foundation and rubble.
Although he had never laid a brick, every archway here was completed under his personal supervision, so he agreed with Zhao Mingyan's words. It would be clear whether this archway was just for show with a simple check.
"No problem!"
After this check, he became even more certain that this archway, which was still in its infancy, was not shoddy.
"If it's not a human factor, then..."
He subconsciously looked up at the sky.
"Master Gu, what on earth is going on?"
Lord Qi was even less experienced in building memorial archways, but upon seeing Hall Master Gu's reaction, he couldn't help but hesitate.
Especially when I saw him looking up at the sky and muttering something, my heart started pounding even faster.
"Zou Wuniang must have unresolved grievances, and she used the collapsed memorial archway to warn the world."
Seeing the two people squatting on the ground looking up at the sky one after another, Zhao Mingyan walked over and spoke loudly.
"What injustice?"
Lord Qi quickly turned his gaze away and looked at her.
Zhao Mingyan said sternly, "It's said that Zou Wuniang committed suicide by hanging herself for love. After several gentry jointly recommended her, she was honored as a chaste woman in this county and a chastity archway was built for her."
"But did she really commit suicide for love?"
The look she gave Lord Qi was scorching, even hotter than the sun hanging high in the sky.
Master Qi blinked and slowly stood up. "If it's not a suicide for love, then what is it?"
"Forced to commit suicide for love!" Zhao Mingyan's voice was sonorous and powerful.
Snap——
Lord Qi's legs went weak and he fell to the ground.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
