What happened next was simple. Ren Yufeng lived a numb life here. Because of his poor health and the fact that he had been pampered since childhood, he didn't know how to do farm work at all.
He could only learn to do some simple housework at home, such as starting a fire and cooking, and occasionally go out to collect firewood, spending his days in a daze.
Ren Yufeng's wife is named Shen Miao. Old Mrs. Shen originally hoped that her daughter could find a decent man to marry, but who knew that she would bring back a handsome and talented man.
Ren Yufeng is good-looking, but he has a blank expression, like a lost soul. Old Mrs. Shen doesn't approve of him. When it comes to marriage, one should marry someone who can support the family. What's the point of picking up an ancestor and worshipping him?
But her daughter liked him and insisted on taking him in. Old Mrs. Shen couldn't persuade her daughter otherwise. Besides, many people in the village saw Ren Yufeng being brought back that day, and rumors had spread. Only by getting the two of them married could her daughter's reputation be protected.
One day, the village ruffian came again to bully Shen Miao. This ruffian had often harassed the mother and daughter before, but he had never gone too far.
Unexpectedly, when he saw that Shen Miao had gotten married to some pretty boy from who-knows-where, the scoundrel refused to accept it.
That day, emboldened by a few drinks, he actually tried to grope Shen Miao. Old Mrs. Shen cried and wailed, grabbing a broom to try and drive the rogue away, but how could an old woman be a match for a strong man? She was easily pushed to the ground by the rogue and couldn't get up.
Later, Ren Yufeng, who had remained silent all along, suddenly rushed out of the kitchen, holding a fire poker in his hand, and beat the rogue until he screamed and howled. Perhaps because he had been suppressing his anger for too long, Ren Yufeng almost beat the rogue to death that day, venting all the anger he had been holding in on the rogue.
Beat him to death, just like the times others had beaten him to death before.
In short, after this incident, the bachelors in the village no longer dared to loiter around the Shen family. Ren Yufeng's imposing manner when he beat people that day frightened many people with ill intentions. Shen Miao and her daughter had a much quieter time, and Old Mrs. Shen was not as disliked by Ren Yufeng as before.
But after that, he went back to his old ways, as if living was just about getting by, and that he would just collapse and end it all when he couldn't take it anymore.
“You should be unwilling to accept this, not so numb. Otherwise, why would you still take care of the old cripple?” Song Tantan said firmly.
"Ha, back then I was lying half-dead in that dilapidated temple, almost starving to death after a few days, when that lame beggar suddenly ran into the temple in the rain. As soon as he came in, he staggered and fell to the ground, then lay there unable to get up."
As he fell, an oil paper package rolled off him, containing three steamed buns. I was so hungry I couldn't stand it anymore, so I picked them up and ate them.
Because of those three steamed buns, he took care of the lame old man for the night. He didn't do much, just soaked a rag in water and applied it to the old man's forehead, and wiped his body. The old lame man recovered well on his own, and his high fever subsided the next morning.
Ren Yufeng stayed in the dilapidated temple for another night. Seeing that the old cripple was able to stand up and walk and was cured, he left on his own the next day. At that time, he didn't want to live anymore. The feeling of starving to death was too torturous, so it would be better to just jump off the cliff.
Unexpectedly, he failed to jump off the cliff, was persuaded to stop, and eventually went home with the person.
He drifted through life aimlessly, never daring to mention the past again, until Song Tantan and her group came looking for him today, and only then did he dare to recall the past once more.
After hearing Ren Yufeng's story, Song Tantan's mind was a little confused, as if she had overlooked something. She grabbed Ye Moxun's hand and said hesitantly, "I think I forgot something very important."
"Take out the jade Xia He gave you and show it to him," Ye Moxun said, then pressed her hand down and turned to ask Ren Yufeng, "What color was the jade your mother pawned, and what pattern was carved on it?"
Ren Yufeng recalled for a moment and said softly, "I remember there was nothing carved on it. It was a piece of uncarved jade. But the beauty of it was that the jade was naturally shaped. It was a piece of fine white jade. My father bought it for my mother because he thought its shape was cute, like a little pig."
That matches up, but isn't this just too much of a coincidence?
Could it really be a ghost? Song Tantan felt a little heartbroken. Why was she the one chosen?
"Take a look at this piece of jade." Song Tantan showed him the jade pig-shaped stone.
Ren Yufeng immediately recognized the jade as the one his mother had pawned. Surprised and hopeful, he asked, "Why is this jade in your hands? Have you seen my mother? How is she now?"
“It’s a pity I’ve never met your mother. This jade was given to me by someone. They said it was given to me by a woman before she died, asking her to pass it on to her son. But the person entrusted with it was also in a bad situation, so she couldn’t come out to look for the person until she met me,” Song Tantan said.
"Thank you for your help, young master. I really don't know how to repay you. Do you know where my mother is buried?"
When Ren Yufeng heard the news of his mother's passing, although he was somewhat prepared, he still couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with grief when he actually heard the devastating news.
Song Tantan swiftly snatched back the jade, then pretended to throw it into a cloth bag, but actually threw it into her spatial storage.
"This jade was a gift from someone as payment for finding someone. But I won't let you lose out. I'll pay you extra to buy this jade. I really like this little pig. Will you sell it to me?"
Ren Yufeng's sorrowful face stiffened. "But this jade is the last thing my mother left me. It's something she risked her life to protect. How can I sell it?"
"Don't you still have the embroidered shoes as a keepsake? Besides, if I were heartless, I would have kept them. Would you have been able to see this jade again and find out where your mother was?"
Although it's not very kind of her to bring up someone's mother, since his mother is dead, Song Tantan felt that she had gone through so much trouble and spent a lot of money to find someone.
My goal is to buy this jade; I can't let my efforts go to waste.
Ye Moxun, on the other hand, remained calm. Seeing that her face had turned red and she was arguing incessantly with someone, he gently patted her hand, signaling her to calm down and leave it to him to handle.
Song Tantan glanced at him, pouted, and quieted down, sitting there without saying a word.
“Young Master Ren, if you sell this jade to us, we will not only tell you where your mother was buried, but also help you get your family property back.” Ye Moxun’s expression was calm, as if he were simply saying that he would help him get back the candied hawthorns that had been stolen from him.
"Is this true?" Ren Yufeng's heart warmed, and his usually lifeless eyes regained some light, but then quickly dimmed again. "It's easier said than done. My two uncles are colluding with the government. How can we common people fight against officials?"
"Young Master Ren, why be so discouraged? Since I dared to make this request, I must have the confidence and the ability to do so. Your two uncles know officials, and I also know them. Moreover, the official I know is of a much higher rank than the one they know."
Ye Moxun found it somewhat amusing after he finished speaking; this attempt at showing off was truly indescribable.
"You know the prefect of Changye City? But that prefect has only recently taken office. Are you sure you really know him?" The highest-ranking official Ren Yufeng could think of was the prefect.
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