Chapter 3 The Top Scholar Who Murdered His Wife and Daughter (Part 3): The Farmer's Son's Counterattack Against the Emperor...
Chen Haoren gave a wink to the person next to him, and the student named Zhao Wei nodded secretly. He cupped his hands to Song Ce and said loudly, "Brother Song, the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and the county school will be closed for three days. Do you have any plans, Brother Song?"
The fifth day of the fifth lunar month... Song Ce's eyes narrowed slightly. The day before the Dragon Boat Festival, something significant happened in the Zhou family.
Song Ce nodded, tidied up his desk briefly, and replied, "I haven't been home for a long time. I'm going to take advantage of the holiday to visit my family."
"Family?" Chen Haoren put his arm around Song Ce's shoulder and laughed, "Brother Song, everyone in the academy knows that carpenter isn't your real father. Going back would only annoy him. Why don't you come with us to the outskirts for a spring outing and enjoy the scenery? It just so happens that my family owns a manor with a hot spring outside the city. We've been studying hard for so many days, so it's a good opportunity to relax and stretch our muscles. What do you say, Brother Song?"
Song Ce reached out and slapped Chen Haoren's hand away, his face clearly showing anger. He said, "Brother Chen, watch your words! Uncle Zhou treats me better than his own son and has never mistreated me. How could I be disliked? The greatest filial piety is to respect one's parents! Farewell!" After saying this, Song Ce carried his cloth bag and walked out of the county school.
What Song Ce didn't know was that after he left, two people walked out from around the corner of the county school. They were Xue Ziyi, the senior student of the county school, and Du Zhiyuan, the local county magistrate.
With an appreciative smile on his face, Xue Ziyi said to Du Zhiyuan, "Magistrate, you met this boy a few days ago. His name is Song Ce. He has already passed the imperial examination and is nineteen years old. He is always quick to learn and thoughtful, steady and reliable. He is a rare talent."
Du Zhiyuan stroked his beard and nodded in satisfaction.
He was a poor scholar. Because his family had no connections, after passing the imperial examination, he came to Qingzhou, a moderate place, to serve as a county magistrate, a position he held for ten years.
Over the years, he had long since given up on the idea of promotion; the only thing on his mind was his only daughter, Du Ningwan.
His wife passed away early, and he raised his daughter single-handedly. Countless nights he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, worrying about Du Ningwan's marriage.
If she were to marry into a powerful family, where the man is of low status and has little influence, what would happen if her daughter were to be bullied? But if she were to marry into a merchant family, although she would be well-off, it would ultimately be a disservice to her.
Now, through his casual conversation with Xue Ziyi, he seemed to have found a clear path. In the past, the students of the county school had been rather unremarkable, with no truly outstanding talents emerging. This time, however, he had finally encountered one, as if heaven had specially arranged it for his daughter. Song Ce's family, though not wealthy, was not poor either; he was talented but not arrogant. Judging from his words today, he seemed like a filial and grateful child. Besides, his father was a scholar, making them a respectable and well-educated family. Through this observation, Du Zhiyuan became increasingly satisfied with him.
After leaving the county school, Song Ce first returned to the small courtyard he rented in the county town. He explained the situation to Granny Zhao and gave her a pack of hibiscus pastries he had bought from Juxiangzhai as a way of thanking her for her care all this time.
On the way to the city gate, Song Ce bought a lot of things: Fenjiu liquor for Zhou the carpenter, fabric and a silver bracelet for his mother, Fang, and some food and trinkets for his younger sister. After preparing everything, he went straight to the city gate, hailed an oxcart, and headed to Chenjia Village.
Chenjia Village wasn't far from Qingzhou County, about ten kilometers away. The oxcart swayed and rattled along for less than an hour before reaching the small road outside Chenjia Village. Song Ce paid the fare and unloaded the large and small packages from the cart. Several villagers passing by looked at him with astonishment.
One of the older women greeted Song Ce with a smile, saying, "Brother Ce is back? It's the Dragon Boat Festival. My second aunt made some candied rice dumplings at home. What a coincidence, I just delivered them to your house."
Song Ce smiled and said, "Thank you, Second Aunt. I was a little hungry on the way back."
The surrounding villagers laughed and echoed their sentiments, some of them making teasing remarks.
"Second Aunt, now that Ce-ge'er is back, you're only now saying you made candied rice dumplings and sent them over. Why didn't you say you'd send some to our family too?"
"What kind of talk is that? Ce-ge'er is a cultured man. Do you think I'd send you a gift so that my son can absorb his literary talent? Do you expect me to send Kuang-ge'er to learn how to swing a sledgehammer from you?"
"His second aunt is so stingy. Just you wait and see. I'll teach the younger generation in the family a few words so they can become scholars like Ce-ge!"
"Sure! Once your son gets into university, I'll send your family a basket of candied rice dumplings!"
“Ce-ge’er, you’re very knowledgeable. Be a witness for Uncle Chen Wu! I don’t believe anything they say, but I believe you!”
"Stop talking! Ce-ge'er has been on the road for so long, he must be exhausted. You should all keep quiet! Look at you! You're all showing off things that aren't even true! To put it bluntly, if our two simple-minded sons had Ce-ge'er's brains, we'd sell everything we own to send them to school!"
“No, I have to ride in the oxcart that the scholar used to ride in. Hmm… young man, this oxcart of yours is no different from the one I used to ride in,” Uncle Chen asked the driver.
"Look at what you're saying. This is an oxcart, not a horse-drawn carriage. All oxcarts feel the same to ride in," the driver laughed.
"Do you know who this young man is? He's the only scholar in our Chenjia Village! He's young, but very learned! I can see even your oxcart has taken on a scholarly air! Who knows, you might be able to ride a horse-drawn carriage someday!"
The villagers chattered amongst themselves, quite proud that their village had produced such a young and handsome scholar. The original owner of this body, arrogant and self-important, never spoke to these villagers whom he considered uncivilized.
"You should be grateful to have an oxcart to ride in! Last time I went to the market in the county, I couldn't find an oxcart, and the old man walked all the way back, his steps were all muddy and uneven, he was so tired!" After saying this, the old man waved his hand, "Look at us, we can't stop talking once we start. Brother Ce just came back from the county, he should go home and rest."
Song Ce nodded and bowed to the villagers. "In that case, I'll head home now."
...
"mother."
Fang was hanging clothes to dry in the yard when she heard a noise and looked up unexpectedly. She saw her eldest son, who had been away from home for many months, standing at the gate, looking at her with a smile.
She hurried to greet him, opened the courtyard gate, and pulled Song Ce into the yard, whispering, "Ce'er, why did you suddenly come home? Did something happen at the county school?"
It's no wonder Fang thought that way, because the original owner of this body rarely went home. Even when the county school was on holiday, he wouldn't come back. From the time he went to study at the county school until now, he had only come back once, and he left after staying for only one day.
Seeing that Fang's face was slightly pale, Song Ce quickly said, "Mother, don't think too much. I'm doing fine at the county school. What could possibly happen? I came home this time because the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and the county school has a three-day holiday. I thought I hadn't been home for a long time, so I came home to visit."
Madam Fang nodded and said, "That's good, that's good. Come in quickly, you must be tired from the journey. Go inside and sit for a while. There's hot water boiling on the stove, I'll make you a bowl of hot tea."
Song Ce entered the hall and chose a chair to sit down. Zhou the carpenter was quite skilled; he had made all the tables, chairs, and benches in the house himself, making them sturdy and durable.
The furnishings of the Zhou family were not much different from those in the original owner's memories; the overall layout looked spacious and tidy.
Soon, Fang came into the house carrying a large porcelain bowl. The villagers weren't so particular, unlike the people in the county town who used very elegant green teacups to drink tea.
Song Ce stared at Fang Shi in a daze, then suddenly snapped back to reality, quickly took the bowl, drank the wine mouthful after mouthful, and handed the bowl back to Fang Shi, saying, "Mother, Uncle Zhou isn't home? And where's Yun Hui?"
Fang looked at Song Ce with some curiosity and said, "Your Uncle Zhou went to the village chief's house. His eldest daughter is getting married, so your Uncle Zhou went to the village chief's house early this morning to make furniture. He should be back before dinner. Yun Hui just went to deliver something to your third aunt and will be back in a little while."
Song Ce nodded, took out the things he had bought for Fang Shi in the county town at noon, handed them over, and said with a smile, "Mother, do you like them?"
Fang opened the bundle and was stunned.
When she looked up again, her eyes were slightly red. She reached out and covered the contents of the bundle, complaining, "Why did you buy these things for me? The county school needs money for everything. Aren't you just wasting money? Return all of these things!"
"..." The familiar yet unfamiliar tone made Song Ce's nose sting with tears. He grabbed Fang Shi's wrist and said, "Mother, don't worry, this is my reward money for studying at the county school. Your son is a good student and now he gets money every month! From now on, don't let Uncle Zhou send me money anymore. That reward money is more than enough for me!"
Fang was still skeptical and asked cautiously, "Ce'er, you have so many classmates at the county school, can you really get a bonus every month?"
"It's true, Mother!"
Having received a positive reply, Fang felt relieved. She opened the bundle on her lap, stroking the fabric in her hands, then carefully examined the silver bracelet, scolding, "Don't waste money like that anymore. Your mother is so old, and she does all the hard work every day. How can she wear such a beautiful bracelet!"
Although Fang said that, she couldn't help but put the bracelet on her wrist with a satisfied smile on her face.
Meanwhile, Song Ce was telling Fang about the interesting things that happened at the county school, making Fang smile with delight. As the mother and son were talking, they heard the sound of running footsteps coming from outside the courtyard; the sound arrived before the person did.
"Mother, I heard from Little Stone that Brother is back! Is it true?" The little girl's voice was crisp and clear, like a bird's melodious song.
A little girl who looked to be about four or five years old ran into the yard. She was wearing a simple blue jacket and skirt, and her hair was tied in a simple bun with a red ribbon. Her fair and round face looked very auspicious, and she looked a bit like a cute and charming New Year picture doll.
"Yunhui, why did you come running back again? Doesn't the fall you made the other day hurt anymore?" Madam Fang stood up and pulled the little girl into the house with a hint of reproach.
Zhou Yunhui pouted, her eyes lit up when she saw Song Ce smiling at her, then she shyly hid behind Fang Shi and whispered, "Brother, you're back!"
Song Ce smiled and waved to Zhou Yunhui, then took out the ceramic rattle he had chosen for her from his bundle and said, "Brother bought Yunhui a little trinket. Yunhui, do you like it?"
Upon hearing about the little gadget, Zhou Yunhui disregarded her shyness, bypassed Fang Shi, walked up to Song Ce, blushed, and took her ceramic ball, saying softly, "Thank you, brother."
Song Ce patted her head and handed her the two packs of hibiscus pastries and the pack of candied dates he had bought in the county town.
Fang glanced at Song Ce with some disapproval and said, "Buying toys is fine, why buy so much food? You're spoiling her."
Song Ce didn't speak, but just winked at Zhou Yunhui.
Zhou Yunhui was initially a little embarrassed, but Song Ce's sudden smile made the little girl laugh. She then handed the pastries in her hand to Fang Shi and said in a clear voice, "Mother, let's eat together."
"Yunhui is such a good girl." Madam Fang looked at her youngest daughter with some relief. "Mother isn't hungry, Yunhui, you can eat." As she spoke, she took out a piece of hibiscus pastry from the package and handed it to Zhou Yunhui.
Zhou Yunhui took the hibiscus pastry, took a small bite, and immediately the sweet flavor of the pastry spread on her tongue. She couldn't help but take another bite, her eyes sparkling as she exclaimed, "Brother, it's so delicious!"
Seeing Zhou Yunhui enjoying her meal, Song Ce couldn't help but reach out and pat her head, a gentle smile on his face.
A note from the author:
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Thank you for your feedback in the comments section. I've made some minor modifications~ [starry eyes] Please like and save this post~ Thank you!
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