Chapter 43
43.
"Xiao Cheng, this is a letter for you."
Cheng Lingjun took the letter; it was sent by someone through Qu Niang.
He hasn't been back to Guping Town for some time now. He's been selling his embroidery through villagers. Qu Niang will buy some things for him and bring them back. Although he hasn't told Qu Niang his current address, she probably already guessed it. They just keep a silent understanding between them.
This time, Qu Niang gave the letter to the people of Dahuai Village, which means she recognized them and knew they were from the same place, so she gave the letter to them.
The handwriting above is not Qu Niang's.
Cheng Lingjun was very familiar with it since childhood; it was written by his older sister and looked very similar to his mother's handwriting.
However, the tone of the letter was not that of the older sister. The rambling and unrefined language was clearly the father's habit. It must have been the father dictating to the older sister, and then the older sister wrote it down.
The father immediately spoke up in defense of the mother, saying that she was just sharp-tongued but kind-hearted, and that she only spoke without thinking when she was angry. He told him not to take it to heart, and that his mother was already regretting it and thinking about him every day. He urged him to come home and talk things out with his mother so that they could avoid any further conflict.
Finally, he asked how he was doing and how Li Guang was doing. He also brought some odds and ends, including food and toys. Cheng Lingjun glanced at the things and then asked the person who sent the letter if there were any other people present besides Qu Niang and her husband.
The man said no.
Cheng Lingjun then asked, "Does Qu Niang know that he lives in Dahuai Village?"
The man thought for a moment and said that although Qu Niang didn't ask, she must have seen them riding together in an oxcart to know that they were traveling together.
Cheng Lingjun thanked him and saw the messenger to the door.
Watching the person walk away, Cheng Lingjun remained deep in thought, clutching the letter.
He wasn't worried that the messenger would tell anyone about his affairs, because they were people he knew well; otherwise, he wouldn't have asked them to deliver the embroidery for him. He had told them not to tell anyone in town, but many people from the village went to town, and he couldn't possibly tell everyone. There was no guarantee that someone would tell anyone, even if they only mentioned him briefly. At least then they would know that he lived in Dahuai Village.
Do his parents know he's here?
Cheng Lingjun was not confident.
If they knew, why didn't they come to find him? Did they not want to come? Were they unwilling to come? Were they afraid to come?
They knew that the letter was given to Qu Niang because they saw him go to her shop. Qu Niang also knew that he didn't want to reveal his current address. He trusted Qu Niang; she wouldn't tell his parents.
But now it seems that it was only a matter of time before they found out, unless he stopped selling embroidery in Guping Town and never set foot in Guping Town again.
Cheng Lingjun originally didn't have this idea. He was only staying in Dahuai Village temporarily. Although Guping Town was a sad place, he never thought of never going back. So he never stopped going to Guping Town to sell things. Now that time has passed, he is not as sad as when he left. If it weren't for... he might have already gone back to live with the Cheng family.
Cheng Lingjun had no decision in his heart and did not respond to the letter. A few days later, another letter came. This time the letter was urgent and asked him to go home. Cheng Xiu was suffering from chest pain and was resting in bed. She hoped that he could go back to visit his mother.
Cheng Lingjun was unaware that his mother suffered from chest pain. It was just a pretext for him to go home. In truth, his anger had subsided considerably; he simply didn't want to go back. But Wen Lin was so anxious that if he didn't return, they might come to the village. Oh well, his parents were still his parents; blood was thicker than water. He wasn't so heartless as to sever all ties with them. He'd just have to wait and see.
Cheng Lingjun returned to Guping Town again.
This time he didn't bring Li Guang with him and went straight back to the Cheng family.
It seemed that no one expected him to come home. Only his mother, eldest sister, and brother-in-law were home. His brother-in-law loudly told him to sit down, poured him tea, and even asked his sister to go and find their father. He stayed behind to talk to his younger brother. Cheng Lingjun noticed that he kept giving his mother meaningful glances and saw the unnatural smile on her face. She knew that her brother-in-law wanted his mother not to have a conflict with him, not just to talk to him, but probably to keep an eye on them.
Cheng Lingjun didn't come home to argue, so she didn't say anything. She simply asked about her parents' health and the family's situation. Just as she was mentioning that Cheng Xin had gone out to play with other children, Wen Lin returned.
Wen Lin was delighted to see Cheng Lingjun and asked why Li Guang hadn't come back with her.
Cheng Lingjun said, "The child still has to go to class, so I told him not to come along."
Wen Lin said, "Xiao Guang still needs to study. In the village where you live... in that place, is it possible to get a good education?"
Wen Lin almost let something slip, so he quickly looked at Cheng Lingjun's expression and saw that the latter didn't seem to notice the problem with his words, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Cheng Lingjun laughed and said, "Can boys take the imperial examinations? It's just about reading books to develop their character."
Cheng Xiu interjected, "It's better to stay at home. Aren't your older sister and I better teachers than other ordinary people? We also saved that money."
"Hey, what are you saying?" Wen Lin pushed Cheng Xiu, but then said to Cheng Lingjun, "What your mother said makes sense. From childhood to adulthood, your two older sisters and you were all taught by your mother. After all, your mother was a scholar."
"It's all my mother's fault. Cheng Xiu, Cheng Xiu, her whole life has been wasted on being a scholar..."
Every time this topic comes up, Cheng Xiu mutters to herself. Cheng Lingjun and Wen Lin exchange glances, unsure how to respond. She can say it herself, but if others chime in, they won't be so friendly.
Cheng Lingjun pretended not to hear what his mother said, and simply said, "That teacher is quite famous, her handwriting is good, and she is a highly respected person. Xiao Guang did not go astray after being sent to her."
“That’s still not as good as the effort put in by your own family,” Cheng Xiu said, still very critical, always finding fault.
Cheng Lingjun was used to it. Cheng Xiu didn't like to hear that someone was better than her in terms of literary talent. Even if it was true, she would still nitpick and find fault, otherwise she would feel uncomfortable.
But Wen Lin was quite supportive of her in this regard, saying, "Your mother is right, Ling Jun, you think it's better to let Xiao Guang study at home."
“But we don’t live at home, and it’s too far to go to Guping Town.”
"Then what if you move back?"
"Move back?" Cheng Lingjun frowned slightly. "With more people in the house, and me bringing Li Guang along, will there still be room?"
Cheng Lingjun wasn't exactly making excuses. Before he got married, his family was already cramped with only his two older sisters. Now that he's left home, he knows without a doubt that his original room will be given to Cheng Xin. Besides, his older sister has a second child now. If he goes home, he'll probably have to live in the courtyard with Li Guang.
"Well... it's still possible to squeeze in," Wen Lin said somewhat guiltily. "Cheng Xin is even younger than Xiao Guang, so it's not a big deal for the two younger ones to live with you."
Seeing that Cheng Lingjun was still reluctant, Cheng Xiu said, "What? Isn't it better than you spending money to rent a house outside and hiring a teacher for Li Guang? Although our house is not big, it is the biggest in Guazi Alley."
Cheng Lingjun wanted to laugh. Her mother used to complain about how small Guazi Alley was, and she always said that her own home was small too. Now she was saying it was big.
Wen Lin also advised, "If you come back, your family can take care of you. It's definitely not as hard as you taking care of Li Guang outside."
In fact, Cheng Lingjun didn't feel that it was hard at all. The countryside was small and didn't require much money. He could grow his own vegetables, and someone would send him some from time to time. If it wasn't hard, he could be said to be quite content.
Cheng Lingjun felt that his parents' persuasion seemed a bit too urgent. Were they really worried that he and Li Guang would suffer hardships outside?
Cheng Lingjun was somewhat moved, but he still didn't agree. He still cared about Dahuai Village and its people. Over time, the village had gradually become as important to him as his family, and he was getting more and more used to living there.
He couldn't help but start to deflect: "Actually, the place I live in is not far from the town, so I can often come back to see my parents and sister. And it's not as hard as you think, it's still manageable."
Cheng Xiu and Wen Lin tried to persuade Cheng Lingjun several times, but Cheng Lingjun stopped them each time. Cheng Xiu frowned and said angrily, "Is that place really that good? No matter what your mother and father say, you still don't want to come back, right?"
"It's not that..."
"Do you have someone you're seeing there?" Cheng Xiu looked at her son with a sharp gaze. Cheng Lingjun's eyes widened for a moment, and her heart began to sink.
"Did I hit the nail on the head?" Cheng Xiu pressed.
"I...I didn't..."
Wen Lin also became anxious: "It can't be true, right? Ling Jun, tell me."
What did he say?
Cheng Lingjun could only deny it, but Wen Lin and Cheng Xiu became suspicious and kept asking questions. Cheng Lingjun got annoyed by the questions and could only say that she had to leave.
Cheng Xiu was about to slam her hand on the table again, shouting, "What kind of behavior is this? We asked you two questions and you're already leaving? Don't you respect me and your father at all!"
Cheng Lingjun sighed deeply, standing there with her neck stiff. "I didn't mean that, but you're making wild guesses. Have you not considered our son's feelings?"
“We’ve been too lenient with you, which is why you’ve made so many mistakes,” Cheng Xiu said with a gloomy face. “The Li family was such a good family, yet they divorced just like that, without you saying a word to your parents. That’s fine, your father and I accepted it, but is it really that hard for you to come home now?”
Cheng Lingjun didn't want to mention the Li family, because it would only lead to arguments. He hadn't mentioned the divorce, of course, because he didn't dare to, but hadn't his parents completely rejected all the grievances he suffered in the Li family? Did he still dare to bring up the divorce? He knew without a doubt that it wouldn't be accepted.
Cheng Lingjun simply said, "I'm no longer a child who has to listen to my parents in everything. I have my own plans, so please don't worry too much."
"Fine, fine," Cheng Xiu said angrily, "You've really grown wings and think you can do whatever you want now, even abandoning your parents, right?"
"Mother, you know I'm not the kind of unfilial person, but..."
"Don't say anything, Mother will only ask you one question: Will you listen to Mother?"
“That depends on what they’re saying,” Cheng Lingjun was already exhausted and didn’t want to keep repeating the same things or argue with his parents. “If Mother is doing this for her son’s good, then I will naturally listen to her.”
“Your mother would never harm you,” Wen Lin said, holding Cheng Lingjun’s arm. “Of course it’s a good thing. You don’t need to worry about the house being too small to fit you in. You’re only staying here for a short time anyway.”
A bad feeling welled up in Cheng Lingjun's heart.
Cheng Xiu coughed once and said, "Your parents have found you a good match. If you're interested, you can meet and talk to them. It won't do you any harm."
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