Chapter 63 I'll make you destroy Meng Qing with your own hands
At the end of February, Du Min spent a whole day at Dr. Xu's house during his ten-day break. When he was about to leave in the evening, he asked to take leave on the first day of March.
“My second sister-in-law’s child is turning one year old. They’re having a first birthday banquet at her parents’ home on the first day of the third lunar month. I need to go and help greet the guests,” Du Min explained.
Dr. Xu looked up upon hearing this. "His name is Wangzhou, right? Is this his first birthday party?"
"Yes, his name is Wangzhou, do you remember him?"
Dr. Xu nodded. "He's quite clever, a spitting image of his mother. Will Master Konghui make an appearance at his first birthday banquet?"
Du Min was unaware that the last time he met Du Li and Meng Qing was during the Lantern Festival. After the Lantern Festival, he was busy with his studies and had no time to go to the Meng family, nor did he have the energy to deal with any extra emotions, so he simply avoided them.
"I'll go and inquire first thing tomorrow morning. If Master Konghui is going to attend, I'll come and invite you again." Du Min understood his intention.
Dr. Xu nodded and instructed, "Don't just ask me for leave. If a teacher is giving a class tomorrow, remember to go and ask them for leave in person."
Du Min should be right.
It was already dusk, and Du Min didn't bother the teacher's house with this trivial matter. He went to wait outside the school at the beginning of the next morning, and when the teacher appeared, he went up to him to ask for leave.
Master Yu didn't make things difficult for him, and even kindly asked, "Will you be able to come back for class this afternoon? Should I ask Master Li for leave on your behalf?"
"Thank you very much, Master Yu. I will try my best to come back for the poetry and literature class this afternoon. If I am delayed by something, I hope Master Li will forgive me," Du Min said.
Master Yu smiled and said, "It's time. I have to go teach. You should go ahead and do your work too."
Du Min watched Master Yu walk into the school. He returned to his dormitory, took out a bundle, and took a boat to Wumen Ferry.
*
The Meng family.
Du Li and Meng Chun carried the heavy money box into the main house together. When Meng's father saw it, he asked, "Does this money box belong to Du Min?"
“Yes.” Meng Chun nodded. “He didn’t take the money box with him; it’s still in my room, so I moved it here with him.”
Meng's father reached out and weighed it in his hand. He frowned and said, "This weight is more than twenty-eight strings of cash, isn't it? Did you give him extra money?"
The next question was directed at Du Li. Du Li was taken aback. He realized that Meng's parents and Meng Chun did not know that Meng Qing was going to take a portion of her share and give it to Du Min.
"No, the box probably contains other things of his that he couldn't keep at the academy. I guess he moved them here." Du Li didn't want to cause any trouble, so he lied to cover it up.
Meng's father didn't notice anything amiss from Du Li's reaction. In his eyes, Du Li was an honest man, so he had no suspicions.
"Don't open his box," Meng's father instructed Meng Chun.
Meng Chun was displeased. "Why would I open his box? Or do you think I don't even have this much sense of propriety?"
"I just want to say something," Meng's father said helplessly.
"You just don't trust me or feel at ease with me," Meng Chun said angrily.
"What are you all shouting about so early in the morning?" Meng's mother roared from the courtyard.
Meng Chun ran out angrily to complain: "My father doesn't trust me. He suspects I might secretly open Du Min's money box."
"The old man is getting senile," Meng's mother said dismissively. She then turned and said, "The house is almost ready. You and your brother-in-law go wait outside the neighborhood. If any guests come, someone will call out and your father will go out to greet them."
"Come on, Chun-di." Du Li quickly called the person away.
Meng's father bolted the window from the inside and came out to lock the main door, ensuring that there would be no financial loss due to the large number of guests and any mishaps.
"Come help me pick some dates," Meng's mother called out.
“What’s there to pick and choose? Just serve the whole plate up, and whoever eats something bad can just spit it out.” Even though he said that, Meng’s father still went over.
Before they could finish picking through the basket of dried dates, Du Li returned with Du Min.
"Father, Mother, my third brother is here," Du Li called out as she entered the door.
Mencius' parents rose to greet him, treating him as if he were a distinguished guest, showing him no slight whatsoever.
"Third Uncle, is there a holiday at the prefectural school today? I was thinking you might not be able to come until noon," Meng's father asked.
"My ten-day break is at the end of the month, so I took the day off today. I thought I'd come over early to see if there's anything I can help with." Du Min looked around. There were three tables in the front yard, one under the porch, and two more in the back yard. Each table had a dish of dried dates, a dish of fried soybeans, and a dish of dried apricots. Apart from that, the front and back yards were spotless, with no vegetables or meat, and no smoke coming from the chimney.
“Our house is cramped, and we don’t even have room to set up a large stove for a big feast. Your aunt and I discussed it and decided to buy the food from Niu Ji Restaurant today. It will cost a little more money, but we’ll have fewer people to do it. The food will be delivered from the restaurant, so we won’t be too busy. At most, we’ll boil a few pots of water,” Meng’s father said.
"This saves trouble, and you can also free up time to chat with your relatives and friends." Du Min thought it was a good idea. Not only would it save people trouble, but it would also save face and create a lively atmosphere.
"Where is my second sister-in-law?" he asked.
"She's still dressing up Wangzhou inside." Mother Meng smiled. "Qingniang, Wangzhou's third uncle is here."
"You're here, so you're not an outsider. Do you expect me to come out and greet you?" Meng Qing carried Wang Zhou out of the door and asked, "Third brother, have you had breakfast?"
Du Min nodded, then saw Wang Zhou laugh out loud, "Why are you dressed up like a little girl?"
"How does she look like a little girl? All she has is a red dot on her forehead and a little braid at the back of her head." Meng Qing said happily.
Meng's mother reached out and gently stroked Wang Zhou's cheek, leaving a faint red mark on her fingertip. She glanced at Meng Qing and asked, "What's this?"
"Oh, I used a little bit of the rouge I had left over from my wedding to put on him," Meng Qing giggled. "Wangzhou, don't we look beautiful?"
Wang Zhou also chuckled.
Du Min untied his bundle, took out a small silver bowl, and handed it to Wang Zhou. "Wang Zhou, do you like it?"
“Third brother, this is too precious. What does he know now? He'd be thrilled with a small wooden bowl.” Meng Qing said seriously. She took the small silver bowl, weighed it in her hand, and asked, “This must have cost a lot of money, right?”
Du Min waved his hand, "Don't say that. I said I was going to give you a big gift."
“The key is that he can’t use it either. Only nobles can use gold and silver artifacts. This thing can’t be seen in public,” Meng Qing said.
“We have plenty of bowls at home, so if we don’t use them, we can just use them as decorations. We can even display them at the baby’s first birthday celebration.” Du Min straightened up and took out three more books, saying, “These three books are suitable for a child’s early education. I’m giving them to him today in the hope that he will be enlightened and intelligent early on, and that he will be able to successfully embark on the path of the imperial examinations in the future.”
Meng Qing took the gifts for Wang Zhou and handed them to Du Li. She held Wang Zhou's two small hands and said, "Quickly thank your third uncle. See how much your third uncle cares for you."
Giving gifts to children is a way of showing goodwill to their parents, and Du Min's goal was achieved, making him feel completely at ease.
"Second sister-in-law, don't let outsiders know that I gave you this little silver bowl. If the rest of the family finds out, they'll cause trouble again," he instructed.
Meng Qing nodded, "Okay, I know. Your second brother and I know your feelings, and that's enough. We won't brag about it."
Meng's mother brought over a bowl of tea, saying, "Third Uncle, have some tea. This tea cake was given to you by Steward Chen before the New Year; it's good tea."
Du Min accepted the gift, thanked him, and asked, "Uncle Meng, when I asked Dr. Xu for leave yesterday, he asked me if Master Konghui was coming today. From what he said, if Master Konghui showed up, he would personally visit to deliver the gift."
Mr. Meng waved his hand, “He won’t come. I didn’t even tell him. Dr. Xu doesn’t need to come either. Most of the guests today are business people. If he comes, we won’t be able to entertain him properly.”
"Then I should go and tell him; he's still waiting for my message." Du Min took a couple of sips of tea, then said goodbye and left.
Du Li saw him out. As they walked out of Jiayufang, Du Min slowed down and asked smugly, "Second brother, haven't I given you enough face? Now you have face in front of your father-in-law's family."
“What are you thinking? My father-in-law and mother-in-law paid for all the food and drinks today. Your second sister-in-law and I didn’t contribute a single penny. Why should I try to save face in front of them?” Du Li shook her head. “Your second brother is already living at the Meng family’s house. He’s no different from a live-in son-in-law, and he’s even less legitimate than a live-in son-in-law. I don’t care about face. Don’t send such expensive gifts next time. We’re not so rich that we can use silver jewelry as decorations. You can use your money on more worthwhile things.”
Du Min felt he didn't understand. "I owe my second sister-in-law such a great debt of gratitude. Would it be right not to repay it in some way? If I really gave you a wooden bowl today, would you be happy?"
Du Li fell silent.
"Right? You're not happy, are you?" Du Min glanced at him.
Du Li nodded, realizing that with Meng Qing as her mother, Wang Zhou deserved precious sentiments and valuable gifts.
"You're right, thank you for giving me this face." He readily changed his tune.
"You're a promising young man," Du Min praised. "Alright, no need to see me off. I'll be back later. By the way, will my parents be coming today?"
"I don't know. I've already notified them. It's fine whether they come or not, but my third aunt and my eldest aunt both said they would come."
"Then I'll come early, and I'll help entertain them." Du Min had already made up his mind.
Du Li escorted Du Min to the ferry, where they happened to meet Meng Qing's uncle's boat. He stood at the ferry to greet them and led them back home.
"Little brother, your uncle, aunt, cousins, and their wives are here," Du Li called out.
Upon hearing the sound, Meng Chun hurriedly ran back and shouted, "Dad, Mom, my eldest uncle's family has arrived."
Mencius's father, mother, and Meng Qing all came out to greet them.
After that, the families of Meng Qing's second and third uncles arrived one after the other.
"Qingniang, haven't your husband's family arrived yet?" Third Aunt asked.
“Uncle Wangzhou came early this morning, but he had something to do and left again. He’ll be back later,” Meng Qing said.
"Father, Mother, Sister, Steward Chen from the Chen family has arrived." Meng Chun strode in.
Meng's mother looked at Meng Qing and asked, "You invited him?"
Meng Qing shook her head, and she quickly got up to greet her.
"Which Chen family?" the eldest aunt asked.
"The Chen family, the Chen family's steward, values Qingniang very much. The tea you're drinking was a gift from him." Mother Meng was giving Meng Qing face so that her family wouldn't laugh at her.
"Uncle Chen, what brings you here?" Meng Qing greeted Butler Chen at the door. She was flattered and explained, "My son is having his first birthday party. I was just thinking of having a get-together with relatives, so I didn't dare invite you."
"I heard that you canceled the Qingming Festival boat banquet to celebrate your young master's first birthday, so I thought I'd come and join in the fun. Please don't mind my uninvited visit," Butler Chen said with a smile.
Meng Qing immediately understood that Master Chen was satisfied with her performance and was giving her a good scolding and a sweet treat to appease her.
"We'd love for you to come. Please come in, don't be offended," Meng Qing said warmly.
Du Li followed behind, carrying two bolts of hemp cloth. When Meng Qing's uncle and cousins saw this, all their contempt disappeared.
After Steward Chen, Aunt Zaohua arrived. She hadn't been invited and came on her own. She was grateful to Meng Qing for throwing her a sandbag last year, and she came to give a gift this year.
"Go see if Du Min has returned. If he has, quickly have him come and talk to Steward Chen," Meng's father said to Du Li as he went out. He was almost speechless in front of Steward Chen.
Du Li went to the ferry to wait. In less than half an incense stick's time, he saw Du Min's boat and the boat carrying his parents, brother and sister-in-law. His uncle's and aunt's boats followed closely behind.
When Li Hongguo came ashore, she saw Du Min carrying two bolts of cloth. She grabbed a child in each hand and said in a sarcastic tone, "Jinshu, Qiaomei, quickly call him Third Uncle. Wait, you can't call him that. You've grown up and never seen a foot or half an inch of cloth in his hands. You're not as good as your cousin. He's only one year old and he already has two bolts of cloth."
"This was sent to me by Dr. Xu," Du Min said helplessly.
Li Hongguo didn't believe it. "What gift did Dr. Xu give to the Meng family? How could these two families be related?"
"He is my second sister-in-law's elder brother's lay disciple. Can I see him off?" Du Min asked. "What right do you, a man surnamed Li, have to interfere with what guests the Meng family has?"
“The steward from Master Chen’s family has also arrived. Third brother, don’t linger here. My father-in-law is waiting for you to entertain the guests.” Du Li interrupted, “You go first.”
Upon hearing this, Du Min left.
Du Li looked at the group of people in front of her, all three families, three generations, had come.
“My father-in-law and mother-in-law ordered a good meal from Niu Ji Restaurant today. Uncle, Aunt, you’ve come all this way, eat more today and make up for the weight you lost during spring plowing,” Du Li said.
Aunt Du didn't expect him to be so blunt. She smiled and went along with him, saying, "That's exactly what we're planning. We want to have a big meal. We've been so busy with farming these past month or two that we've lost our appetite. It's been a long time since we've had a proper meal."
"You're welcome to eat, but don't say anything irrelevant." Du Li declared beforehand, then looked at Du's parents and reminded them, "Du Min was recommended to the prefectural school by Master Chen, and his steward is here today. Behave yourselves and don't embarrass Du Min."
"I'm here today for my grandson, it has nothing to do with the third son." Old Du Ding smiled. "Come on, take me to see my little grandson, and see if he still recognizes me as his grandfather."
Du Li smiled and followed Du Laoding, reminding him, "Don't forget whose food your youngest son is eating."
"You're willing to destroy him?" Du Laoding had already figured it out. The Meng family could help Du Min attract a wealthy governor, and Du Min was trying very hard to curry favor with the Meng family. He had a good relationship with the Meng family, so how could the Meng family bear to destroy him?
“You’re willing to part with it, aren’t you? Didn’t you hear what your youngest son said? Dr. Xu is Meng Qing’s uncle’s lay disciple. With that connection, how could Wangzhou possibly lack someone to guide his studies?” Du Li retorted without backing down.
Old Du shook his head. "He's ruined, your wife is ruined, and your son won't get any education."
“Wang Zhou’s surname is Du, not Meng.” Du Li also shook his head. As long as Wang Zhou’s surname is Du, he can study and take the imperial examination.
Old Du's face turned cold and he fell silent.
Suddenly, Du's mother called out, turning her head and scolding, "Why are you following so closely? You've stepped on my shoes and knocked them off."
Li Hongguo awkwardly picked up the shoes and handed them to her, then looked up to see Du Li staring at her scrutinizingly.
"We're almost there," Du Li said, looking away.
When Meng Chun saw the people, he ran back to report. A little while later, Meng's father came out and greeted him with a smile, as if nothing had happened: "Father-in-law, you've arrived! You must be tired from your journey. Please come in and sit down."
"Oh! We can get in this time?" Old Du Ding exclaimed in surprise. "Brother Meng, you may not know, but when we came here on New Year's Eve, my mother-in-law stopped us from entering and even threatened to report us to the authorities."
"I know, I also know you came to cause trouble on New Year's Eve, are you here to cause trouble today too?" Meng's father was disgusted by his behavior, so he imitated him and retorted in disgust: "Father-in-law, you are the father of a scholar, and I heard that your eldest grandson is also studying. Two scholars in one family, you won't be unreasonable, will you? If you don't accumulate virtue, there will be no hope for the future generations."
"Alright, second brother, say less," Uncle Du said.
"Brother-in-law, please come in. The feast is about to begin. Have some tea to soothe your throat first." Father Meng invited Uncle Du into the house.
Aunt Du and her family went inside together with Uncle Du and his family.
Old Du took a deep breath and stepped into the Meng family's house with a dark face.
"Uncle, Third Aunt, Sister-in-law Yun, the front yard is more spacious, let's sit there." Du Min waited in the front yard.
“Okay, you can sit anywhere.” Uncle Du sat down and called Old Ding Du to sit down next to him as well. “Don’t cause me any trouble, and don’t offend the second and third brothers too much.”
The three families filled three tables. Meng's mother brought out several more dishes of dates and apricots. She warmly said to Aunt Du and Aunt Du, "The two years ago, the two children got married, and last year we celebrated the full moon of the wedding. You were the ones who entertained us. You worked so hard. This year, we finally have a chance to host you back. Eat and drink well today."
Meng Qing also appeared, carrying Wang Zhou, and she greeted everyone one by one.
Aunt Du stared at Du's mother and smiled. The only respectable person in the family had been driven away by a blind man.
Li Hongguo looked around, then pinched Qiaomei, who said guiltily, "Mom, I need to pee."
"Second sister-in-law, where is the outhouse?" Li Hongguo stood up and asked.
"It's in the backyard." Meng Qing led them there.
Li Hongguo went for a walk, and when she returned to the table, she pouted and said, "They treat us like thieves; the doors to the houses in the backyard are all locked tightly."
"If you didn't have any thieving intentions, why did you check if the door was locked?" Sister Yun scolded. "Visiting relatives with you is such a disgrace."
"Who forced you to come? You just have a sweet tongue," Li Hongguo retorted.
"It's time for the baby's first birthday celebration." Meng Chun moved the table under the porch, and Du Li brought over an old cattail quilt and laid a new cloth on top of it.
Mencius' parents brought out the prepared gifts for his first birthday celebration: a writing brush, paper made of mulberry bark, ink stick, books, copper coins, a wooden puppy, a bamboo horse, and finally a rather heavy silver bowl.
"Oh! There's even a silver bowl!" the eldest aunt exclaimed in surprise. "Who gave this silver bowl to you? Did you and your husband give it to your grandson?"
Upon hearing this, the Du family members all gathered around.
Meng's mother smiled, neither confirming nor denying, and urged, "Quickly bring Wangzhou here."
Meng Qing put Wangzhou down and instructed, "Wangzhou, grab one you like."
Du Min walked to the spot where the silver bowl was and tempted, "Little Wangzhou, come and grab this. When you grow up, you can use gold and silver utensils."
Who could afford to use gold and silver objects? Everyone present understood that although Du Li had fallen out with the Du family, his third brother was still quite on his side. Du San's aunt and Du Da's uncle also had this idea: Du Min still favored his second brother.
Du Ming and Li Hongguo looked grim. Their hearts were pounding. The couple had just come to their senses. Du Min was biased towards his second son and his wife, ignoring Du Laoding's words. If he became an official, would he really take their whole family to enjoy a life of luxury as Du Laoding had promised? They were more likely to take their second son and his wife away, leaving their two elderly parents to be cared for by them.
“Yes, yes, climb this way.” Du Min exclaimed with delight.
“What kind of baby’s first birthday celebration is this? Third brother, shut up and let him choose for himself,” Meng Qing interjected.
“Wang Zhou just likes silver bowls. If you don’t believe me, try tempting him with something else.” Du Min was very confident; the silver bowl he gave was the brightest in the room.
Meng Qing thought for a moment, and then she actually picked up a calligraphy brush to tease Wang Zhou.
Wangzhou sat on the reed quilt, looking at both sides. He laughed for a while, then climbed towards the place where the silver bowl was.
"Wangzhou, do you still want your puppy?" Meng Chun joined in, picking up the wooden puppy and tossing it in his hand.
Wang Zhou glanced at him, then turned back and continued crawling forward, grabbing the silver bowl in one go.
Du Min happily picked up his little nephew and said excitedly, "See? From now on, Wang Zhou will be living off a salary from a silver bowl."
Old Du squeezed in and stretched out his hand, saying, "Come on, let me hug you for a while. This grandson of Du probably doesn't even recognize his grandpa."
The entire room fell silent.
Wang Zhou didn't want Du Laoding to touch him, so he staggered and hid in Du Min's arms. Du Laoding grabbed his hand, grinning with a mouthful of black teeth: "Why are you hiding? I'm your grandpa. Don't you recognize your grandpa or your ancestors?"
Du Li stepped over, her footsteps echoing through the reeds, and grabbed Du Laoding's hand, shoving it away. "You don't even acknowledge me as your son, yet you acknowledge him as your grandson? Didn't you say you considered me dead?"
Du Min handed the boat to Meng Chun, staring coldly at Du Laoding, and asked, "Are you looking for trouble again?"
"What trouble am I causing? What did I say wrong? Is he not surnamed Du or not my grandson?" Old Ding Du couldn't stand seeing them happy, so he deliberately tried to annoy them: "Or is it that he was raised by the Meng family and therefore has the Meng surname?"
"Nobody said he wasn't surnamed Du, and nobody said he wasn't your grandson, but it's true he's hardly ever seen you in his life. Don't you realize that? You're an old man with your neck almost buried, what are you arguing about with an ignorant child?" Meng's father asked through gritted teeth, spitting out insults, "At your age, doing this kind of nonsense, don't you feel ashamed? A person lives for their reputation, a tree lives for its bark, do you have to make yourself look like a joke? Your older brother is here too, ask him if the people here are laughing at you or at a child."
"Brother Meng, I'm so sorry." Uncle Du was embarrassed. "He's getting more and more confused as he gets older. Everyone in the village knows that. Everyone who doesn't laugh at him does so out of respect for Du Min. Today, please don't hold it against him for the sake of the second brother. He's just that kind of scoundrel. Anyone who has anything to do with him is a disgrace, not just you."
Old Du's self-deception was exposed on the spot. He looked at the faces staring at him—some mocking, some cold and resentful, some disgusted and horrified. He turned around and saw that the eldest son and his wife also had expressions of glee. He couldn't help but recall what Du Min had said in the Buddhist temple: his whole life was a joke.
He couldn't bear it any longer and fled.
"Old man, where are you going?" Mrs. Du asked as she caught up with him.
"This is the Meng family, right?" The food delivery person from Niu Ji Restaurant arrived.
"Yes, this is it. Ladies and gentlemen, the first birthday celebration is over, the show is over, everyone go back to your seats and prepare for dinner," Meng's father said loudly.
Meng Qing's uncles burst out laughing.
"Mother, don't worry about him, come in and eat." Du Min chased after her and pulled his mother back.
Du Laoding turned his head and met Du Min's eyes. He watched as Du Min dragged his wife into the Meng family's gate. He wondered if this heartless man had really been won over by the Meng family.
Thinking of this, Du Laoding turned back. Ignoring the astonished and mocking looks from the crowd, he silently sat down in an empty seat.
Du Min stared at him for a couple of seconds, then he scoffed.
Old Du smiled back at him.
Du Min's smile froze, and he was immediately horrified.
Without Du Laoding stirring things up, there were no more laughs after the first birthday banquet. The food at Niu Ji Restaurant was delicious, and everyone except Du Laoding ate to their heart's content.
After eating and drinking their fill, Uncle Du and the others were still thinking about going back to plant rice seedlings, so he went to say goodbye to Meng's father.
"Son-in-law, take your uncle and the others to the ferry to catch a boat," Meng's father instructed.
Du Min was also leaving, so he went with him to the ferry to catch a boat.
When they parted at the ferry, Du Laoding calmly walked up to Du Min and asked, "Are you taking the provincial examination this year?"
Du Min immediately became wary. "Why are you asking this?"
"Take the test?" Old Ding deduced the answer from his reaction. "Take the test well and let your father see your abilities. Your father can't wait any longer."
He really couldn't wait any longer. He couldn't wait to see a good show. Du Min, you're so close to the Meng family, I'm going to make you destroy Meng Qing with your own hands and see who's the joke.
Du Min felt a chill run down his spine. He stared at the pair of cloudy old eyes in front of him, and the contempt and hatred within them terrified him.
Even after the boat carrying Du Laoding had gone far away, Du Min still felt cold all over.
"Third brother, what are you spacing out for? A boat is coming!" Du Li shouted.
Du Min came to his senses and realized he was holding his breath, his chest tight and suffocating. He let out a long sigh and said, "Second Brother, don't provoke him anymore. Before we leave Wu County, let's both try to contact our families as little as possible."
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