Chapter 7 The Top Scholar Who Murdered His Wife and Daughter (Part 7) A Farmer's Son's Counterattack...
Seeing Song Ce's slightly flushed face and reddened earlobes, Du Ningwan couldn't help but smile. Upon seeing this smile, Song Ce felt his face burn even hotter, a strange sense of restraint washing over him.
Manager Wu, standing to the side, watched the scene unfold with a knowing look. The refined and handsome scholar and the charming and beautiful woman stood quietly facing each other. Although they didn't speak, they looked perfectly matched.
After saying goodbye to Manager Wu, Song Ce hurriedly left the study, as if someone was chasing after him.
After walking briskly for a while, Song Ce slowed down. He knew he must have lost his composure just now. It was just encountering a mission target, why get so excited?
Stay calm!
The Dragon Boat Festival holiday has just ended, and students who live a little further from the county school will have to take a day off. As a result, the county school was only filled with less than a third of the usual number of students today.
Chen Haoren and Zhao Wei were both there. When they saw Song Ce arrive, they exchanged a glance. Chen Haoren greeted him with a smile, cupped his hands in greeting, and said loudly, "Brother Song, what a coincidence! Brother Zhao was just saying he wanted to talk to you about something. We had only exchanged a few words when we saw you at the county school. Isn't this fate?"
Although their classmates were still chatting and laughing, they were clearly paying attention to them.
Song Ce returned the greeting with a cupped hand and said with a smile, "So it's Brother Chen and Brother Zhao. May I ask what brings you here?"
Having received Chen Haoren's instructions, Zhao Wei hurriedly smiled and said, "Brother Song invited us to a banquet last time. I've thought about it carefully these past two days. Although we all had our reasons for leaving early, it was ultimately inappropriate of me to do so. So, I'm taking the liberty of inviting Brother Song back this time as an apology. Brother Song, please don't refuse, otherwise I won't know where to put my face!"
“Yes, Brother Song, I’m quite embarrassed about what happened last time. Since Brother Zhao brought it up, I’ll take this opportunity to apologize to Brother Song.” A scholar dressed in a blue robe, who was on good terms with Zhao Wei, said loudly.
“Brother Song, it’s just a gathering of classmates, so please don’t refuse,” Chen Haoren said.
Seeing the two of them chatting away, Song Ce pursed his lips. He knew in his heart that this gathering was most likely a trap, and the person in charge of everything was undoubtedly Chen Haoren, who was smiling and chiming in from the sidelines.
However, in the original owner's memory, there seemed to be no such return invitation initiated by Zhao Wei. On the Dragon Boat Festival, he went to a hot spring resort in the suburbs to enjoy the scenery at Chen Haoren's invitation. Chen Haoren only showed off his wealth to the original owner... After that, half a month passed uneventfully. On May 20th, his senior Xue Ziyi and the county magistrate Du Zhiyuan invited him to their residence for dinner, and then they finalized his marriage with Du Ningwan.
Although he was about to embark on an unplanned storyline, Song Ce wasn't going to panic. It was just a matter of a meal; he could handle whatever came his way. Besides, through his interactions with Chen Haoren and the original owner's memories, he could tell that Chen Haoren was simply a loyal and kind-hearted young man with no malicious intentions.
Thinking of this, Song Ce smiled and nodded, saying, "Brother Zhao has been so kind in inviting me. If I were to act coy again, wouldn't I be disliked? So I'll accept."
Zhao Wei was overjoyed upon hearing this and laughed, "In that case, let's go to Miaojin Pavilion together to relax after school tomorrow!"
Miaojin Pavilion?
This was the largest brothel in Qingzhou County, and it had been officially approved by the government, so it was considered a legitimate case. Generally, the female relatives whose homes were confiscated were directly exiled to Miaojin Pavilion, and Miaojin Pavilion would pay a large sum of taxes to the government every month. Therefore, as long as it didn't involve the murder of a virtuous woman, the officials of Qingzhou County would turn a blind eye.
Although the original owner of Miaojin Pavilion had never been inside, he could still vaguely glimpse the exquisite pavilions and corridors inside when passing by. Even the outer walls were surrounded by flowers, making it extremely luxurious.
As for the women in Miaojin Pavilion, the original owner had heard his classmates boast that the women in Miaojin Pavilion had elegant tastes, were well-read, and each had their own unique beauty. Even the tea-serving maids were charming and could easily recite a couple of lines of poetry, not to mention the top courtesan in the pavilion.
The women in this establishment were mostly divided into two types: one was slave girls—usually the descendants of officials whose homes had been confiscated, many of whom were young ladies from wealthy families raised in seclusion. Their fate was rather tragic; if a customer took a liking to them, they had to serve him, or if someone bought them, unless the buyer was willing to spend a large sum of money to remove their slave status, they would be resold or sent to even lower-class places when they grew old and lost their beauty. They were all "registered" with the government, and if they resisted or escaped, their fate would only be worse. The establishment had the right to deal with them directly without having to report to the government.
Another type was the virtuous young woman. These women went to the brothel to learn various skills: playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, composing poetry, writing lyrics, singing, and reciting poems. Most of them came from poor families and were courtesans who sold their art but not their bodies. If they were lucky enough to catch the eye of a young master, and were willing to be taken home as a maid or concubine, it was considered a refined affair.
Of course, besides the wealthy and powerful, they also received poor scholars like those from the county school who had little money but were kind and talented.
Seeing Song Ce take his leave, Chen Haoren's face revealed a subtle smile. Zhao Wei, noticing the surrounding students had dispersed, quickly whispered to Chen Haoren, "Brother Chen, why did you insist on inviting that person to Miaojin Pavilion? It's a den of iniquity; the entrance fee for tea alone is one tael of silver, and the food and drinks will cost over ten taels. Besides, if he were to bring in any random woman to entertain, it would cost even more!"
To be fair, Zhao Wei was a truly exceptional swordsman, but his petty and uncouth manner was also a major annoyance to Chen Haoren. He glanced at Zhao Wei and said, "I have my reasons, so don't ask anymore. Besides, it's just a few dozen taels of silver; my Chen family can afford it! Didn't we just agree that I would cover all the expenses? What are you worried about?"
Zhao Wei lowered his head and nodded in response, but his right hand inside his sleeve slowly tightened.
On the other side, after leaving the county school, Song Ce carried his book box and hurried towards Granny Zhao's house. He was carrying three books to copy, along with old books he had bought, as well as writing brushes, ink, paper, and other supplies, making it quite a heavy load.
When Song Ce got close to the courtyard, he found that the gate was closed. Usually, the gate was half open, making it convenient to come and go.
As Song Ce reached the door, he heard a male voice from inside: "...Mother-in-law, now you're all alone at home. My mother passed away early, and in my heart, you are no different from my own mother. How could I bear to see you lonely and helpless in your old age? My wife and I have discussed bringing you to Juchuan County to live with you in your old age, so you can enjoy the company of your grandchildren and be surrounded by joy. What do you think?"
Before the man could finish speaking, a woman's voice rang out, "Greetings, Madam. I am Wangyuan's wife; you may call me Dongniang. The house is quite lively now, with two boys and a girl, all well-behaved and clever children. You will surely like them at first sight!"
After a while, Granny Zhao's calm voice rang out: "Han Wangyuan, after Ayan left, didn't you say that I, this old woman, was a jinx to my husband and daughter, and that our two families would never have anything to do with each other again? Only a few years have passed, and you've changed your tune, eagerly coming to my door?"
"Mother-in-law, I was just angry for a moment, and I only said those things in anger! You have seen how happy my relationship with Ayan has been since we got married. How can I accept losing my wife and child all of a sudden?" Han Wangyuan seemed to be a little emotional, and his voice became louder.
Dongniang didn't react to these words, but said sincerely, "Madam, I hope you can understand my husband's feelings at that time. He suffered a lot during that period, and it's understandable that he said the wrong thing in a moment of anger. Please be magnanimous and don't take it to heart. My husband and I have come to your door today because we sincerely want to take you home to enjoy a good life."
"Hehe. Madam, now that you are Han Wangyuan's wife, what do I, your former mother-in-law, have that would make you two go to such lengths? Just say it directly, beating around the bush is no fun."
If Granny Zhao, having lived to such an old age, couldn't even tell the difference between sincerity and pretense, then she would have lived a wasted life.
“Mother-in-law, why are you so suspicious of your son-in-law?” Han Wangyuan paused, then continued, “People say that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. My parents passed away early and didn’t get to enjoy their retirement for long. Dongniang’s parents are taken care of by her brother, and although the children in the family are noisy, we always feel that something is missing. Mother-in-law, we sincerely want to bring you to Juchuan County to enjoy your retirement.”
"Even at this point, you still won't tell the truth?" Granny Zhao said, "If you two have nothing else to do, please go back! My old temple is too small to accommodate two such important people as you."
"Madam, please don't be upset. Let me explain slowly." With that, You Dongniang stepped forward and said, "Since last month, my husband has been sleeping poorly. He keeps telling me he dreams of Sister Ayan all alone. So, he discussed with me the possibility of transferring our eldest son to Sister Ayan's name, so that someone will be there to offer her a longevity lamp in the future. Madam, you only have one daughter, and if you have another grandson, he can serve you medicine at your bedside when you get old. Don't you think that makes sense?"
Upon hearing this, Granny Zhao smiled faintly, seemingly moved by You Dongniang's words.
Seeing this, You Dongniang breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "In this way, it is perfectly justified to bring you home. You are the young master's maternal grandmother, and no one can gossip about it."
Upon hearing this, Song Ce, standing outside the door, maintained a calm expression. No one gets up early without a reason; these Han Wangyuan and his wife must have something to gain, otherwise they wouldn't be so attentive. You see, calculating the distance from Juchuan County to Qingzhou County, even an oxcart would take nearly two hours to travel that distance.
Granny Zhao had already considered the problem that Song Ce could understand. She put down her work and said, "That is indeed a good thing. But now this old woman is penniless and her health is not as good as before. Going to your place would only be a burden. Have you thought it through?"
Han Wangyuan and You Dongniang exchanged a glance, and upon hearing what Granny Zhao said, they knew that there was hope for this matter.
A note from the author:
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The car has that refined, elegant style, but when it comes to sharp tongues... [throwing confetti]
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