Chapter 40 [VIP]
Chen Qingyan cursed him as a shameless scoundrel who stole his ink stick to pawn it. He had forgiven him, but unexpectedly, the man had hidden a cheat sheet in his pen, preventing him from taking the imperial examinations again.
Zhang Shiqiu was no saint either; he mocked him for his lack of talent and for blaming others for his own cheating.
Chen Qingyan angrily retorted, "Do you dare swear to heaven that you didn't put the cheat sheet in that pen? Lying like that will prevent you from ever passing the imperial examinations!"
He certainly wouldn't dare swear, and said with a forced smile, "You're just trying to save face by saying all this now. Chen Qingyan, the cheat sheet was found in your examination basket. I don't know if you hid it or not, but you'll never be able to take the imperial examination again in your life."
These words completely enraged Chen Qingyan, who rushed over and punched the other person.
Those nearby quickly pulled the two apart, but Zhang Shiqiu took the opportunity to throw a teacup at Chen Qingyan's head. The thick porcelain cup was quite heavy and hit Chen Qingyan's forehead, causing him to bleed profusely.
Having understood the cause and effect, what else did Wang Ying not understand?
No wonder he's been so preoccupied these past few days; he didn't even tell me about such a big thing that happened.
She was both angry and heartbroken. "Go back first. Don't go out for the next few days, and don't mention that scholar surnamed Zhang in front of your brother."
"oh……"
Back inside, Chen Qingyan was still lying with his eyes closed, it was unclear whether he was asleep or ignoring everyone.
"Mother, Third Aunt, you should go back too. I'll stay here and take care of him."
"Sigh..." Madam Li sighed and stood up. She planned to go to the mountain to pray to the Bodhisattva again in the next few days. Perhaps her son was having bad luck in the year of Tai Sui.
After everyone left, Wang Ying sat on the edge of the bed and held his hand. His fingers were icy cold and his palm was damp.
“I know you weren’t asleep. I’ve heard everything from Qingsong. You really shouldn’t have kept it from me…”
Chen Qingyan's fingers twitched slightly, as if he wanted to pull away, but Wang Ying immediately interlocked their fingers. "I know you're upset, but what's done is done. Do you want to torment yourself because of someone else's mistake?"
Chen Qingyan slowly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with confusion and sorrow. "Brother, why can people be so evil? They turn right and wrong upside down. I treated him as a friend, but he repaid kindness with enmity."
Wang Ying didn't know how to explain it to him, so she simply told him a story about a farmer and a snake.
"It is said that human nature is inherently good at birth, but I believe that human nature is inherently evil. Only those who do good are human, and those who do evil are beasts. Such people do not know gratitude and only impose their malice on others."
Chen Qingyan still didn't understand, "But when I first met him, he wasn't like this."
"That's just an act. People like that pretend to be nonchalant on the surface, but they're rotten inside. They're jealous that you have a better family background than them, that you can afford a clean house, and that you can afford writing materials."
The cost of one of your meals is probably enough for him to eat coarse food for half a month, so he hates you, resents you, and thinks that you are only so capable because of your family.
As time went on, he discovered that you not only came from a good family and had excellent character, but you were also better at academics than him. He feared that you would pass the imperial examinations and rise to prominence overnight, so he went to great lengths to frame you.
Chen Qingyan's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her face. "It's too late to say anything now. Today he accused me of cheating in the county exam, and it will soon spread throughout the whole town. Then... I'm afraid... no one will come to the private school to study anymore."
Wang Ying hugged him tightly, feeling a pang of heartache, and wished she could tear that scholar surnamed Zhang to pieces.
*
Because Chen Qingyan was injured, Wang Ying temporarily closed her shop and stayed by his side every day, afraid that he might do something rash and make things difficult for her again.
This kid is only eighteen this year, an age when self-esteem is more important than life itself. I'm really afraid he'll do something foolish again.
After breakfast, Wang Ying helped him remove the cloth from his forehead and change the dressing.
The day he was hit, his face was covered in blood, which looked scary, but the wound was only the size of a fingernail. It was just a bit deep, and we haven't dared to let him get wet for the past few days for fear of scarring.
"Does it still hurt?"
Chen Qingyan shook his head.
"The New Year is approaching, and I plan to give Ershun and Dunzi a few days off so they can go back to the village for a while. I'll have Uncle Chen accompany you, so don't think about those things anymore."
"Hmm," Chen Qingyan responded listlessly.
Wang Ying sighed, went to the front yard to call Er Shun and Dun Zi, and gave them the wages she had prepared in advance.
The original agreement was that Ershun would earn 150 wen a month and Dunzi 100 wen a month. However, both of them were very hardworking, especially Dunzi, who even went to the county town with them.
Wang Ying is not a stingy person. She made money this year and is willing to give them more.
In addition to the original wages, each person was given an extra 500 coins as a reward.
The two men opened the heavy money bag and were stunned. Dunzi stammered, "Master, you've given me too much..."
"There will be plenty of bonuses, and they'll continue working for me when they come back after the New Year."
"Thank you, boss!" The two knelt down and kowtowed in unison.
Wang Ying sighed, "Here we go again. I'm almost used to this ancient etiquette."
"Get up quickly. While it's still early, you two should go out and buy some things so you can get home today."
Upon hearing that they were going home, the two were eager to return and both showed excited expressions.
Especially Ershun, this is the first time he's been away from home for so long, he's been missing his parents and grandma for a long time, we'll go to the street later to buy them some things!
Wang Ying instructed, "Make sure you have all your money with you when you go out. There are many pickpockets on the streets at the end of the year, so be careful not to get your money stolen."
"Why!"
"And Ershun, save your money and don't buy things recklessly, or your dad will beat you when you get home."
Chen Ershun chuckled and scratched his head. He would have forgotten about this if his employer hadn't reminded him. His parents had told him before he left that he shouldn't spend his money recklessly, but save it to get married.
"Alright, go on ahead." Wang Ying had other things to do, so she changed into some inconspicuous clothes, put on a hood, and quietly left the house alone.
It's a 15-minute walk to Yingke Restaurant.
There weren't many people in the restaurant at this hour. Wang Ying had made a reservation in advance, and the waiter led him directly to the private room.
A short while later, footsteps sounded outside, and a burly man with a fierce face walked in. This man, named Teng Guang, was a notorious thug in Qingshui Town. He was often involved in fights and brawls. Back then, when Chen Qingfeng owed money to the gambling den, it was Teng Guang who chopped off his finger.
Two days ago, he asked Uncle Chen to contact this person and arranged to meet today.
"Are you Manager Wang?"
Wang Ying nodded. "It's me."
Teng Guang sized Wang Ying up and down, then pulled out a chair and sat down rudely, pouring himself a cup of tea. "What do you want?"
"I need your help. This is the deposit." Wang Ying took out a ten-tael silver ingot from her bosom and placed it on the table.
Fujiwara's eyes widened in disbelief, and he reached out to take the silver.
Wang Ying pressed his hand down with her teacup and said, "Aren't you going to ask about the business?"
Teng Guang looked up at Wang Ying and saw that his gaze was gloomy and he didn't look like someone to be trifled with, so he sheepishly withdrew his hand. "What do you want me to do?"
"Help me break this man's legs." Wang Ying told him Zhang Xiucai's name and address.
"You'll get ten taels after the job is done, but you have to do the job after you take the money. If you don't do the job, I have plenty of money for you."
Teng Guang understood what he meant. If he didn't break that man's leg, Manager Wang would probably have to find someone to break his own leg.
He chuckled obsequiously, concealing his disdain, and stuffed the silver into his pocket. "Don't worry, shopkeeper, I'll definitely handle this perfectly for you!"
"Make sure you don't hit the wrong person."
"Hey, shopkeeper, you underestimate me, Teng Guang. I never mess up a single business deal. Do you want my left leg or my right leg? I'll break it for you."
"Do whatever you want, just break one leg, don't kill him."
"Don't worry about that, I'll be careful with my actions."
Wang Ying pursed her lips and nodded. After everyone left, she picked up the teacup and drank the tea in one gulp. Her back was already soaked with sweat.
God knows he was a law-abiding young man, and this was the first time he had done something like this; he was really forced into it.
Zhang Shiqiu's actions were disgusting, but without any evidence, reporting him to the authorities wouldn't have helped punish him.
Moreover, this person is a hypocrite. Who can guarantee that he won't pass the imperial examination in the future and then harm them again to erase his stain? It will be difficult to retaliate then.
Wang Ying wasn't born with nothing; she didn't have parents to support her in her past life. Her grandparents were old, so she relied on her own fists to gain a foothold in the village school from a young age.
Now that someone's been fucking him, it's not in his nature not to fight back.
Even if the matter came to light, Wang Ying wasn't afraid; at most, it would just be a matter of paying some money. According to the laws of the Wu Dynasty, as long as it wasn't a murder case, caning could be redeemed with money; five hundred coins could buy one stroke, and a few dozen strings of cash could get rid of the punishment.
I will not offend others unless they offend me; if they do offend me, I will make them taste the same bitterness!
*
These past few days, Zhang Shiqiu has felt restless. Ever since he smashed Chen Qingyan's teacup that day, his eyelids have been twitching so much that he can't concentrate on his reading.
Outside, Zhang's mother was stewing chicken soup. After her son passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, the family's relatives suddenly became very enthusiastic. Some brought rice and flour, some brought eggs, and someone even brought two chickens for her to use to nourish her son.
Zhang's mother was overjoyed and boasted to everyone she met that her family had produced a literary star, and that her son was an extraordinary scholar who would become a high-ranking official if he passed the imperial examination.
"Qiu'er, stop reading and come eat."
Zhang Shiqiu put down his book and walked over. He frowned slightly when he saw the chicken in the pot. "Why are you stewing chicken?"
"It's from your fifth aunt, so why not eat it!"
"Why don't you sell it and buy some fine cloth to make me a new dress?"
Zhang's mother, still picking up a piece of chicken, smacked her lips and said, "Clothes are fine as long as they're wearable. Why do they have to be made of fine cloth? A foot of fine cloth costs forty coins, and a garment would need at least eight feet. How could our family afford that?"
Zhang Shiqiu recalled the dark blue fine cloth robe Chen Qingyan wore at the debate meeting. Not only was the fabric of excellent quality, but the robe was also embroidered with bamboo patterns, making it clearly very valuable.
He was so jealous that his eyes almost bled. Why could others wear such nice clothes, while he only had this one decent outfit!
When I was in the county school, I didn't dare to wear dirty clothes, for fear that I would be laughed at if I changed into other patched clothes.
Zhang Shiqiu grew angrier the more he thought about it, and with a flick of his sleeve, he turned and left.
"You're not going to eat meat? Fine, don't eat it then, I won't leave any for you." The woman wolfed down her food, as if she were a starving ghost, afraid that if she ate too slowly someone would snatch it away.
After leaving the house, Zhang Shiqiu went to the home of a friend he had recently made. This person, surnamed Lu, was also a scholar, a few years older than him, but had not yet passed the imperial examination.
The Lu family was also a wealthy family with a substantial fortune. Lu Chang'an was a man who loved to associate with scholars. Ever since he met Zhang Shiqiu, he was impressed by his knowledge and treated him as a close friend.
Upon hearing that he had come to visit, he personally went out to greet him.
"Brother Shi Qiu, you've arrived!"
"Greetings, Brother Lu."
"Come in quickly, come in quickly!" Lu Chang'an pulled him into the main hall and ordered the servants to bring out his best tea to serve him.
"I just got a few ounces of Maojian tea a few days ago. Take some with you when you leave later."
"How could I possibly accept that? I don't know anything about tea. It would be such a waste to give it to me like a cow chewing on a peony."
Lu Chang'an laughed and said, "Do you think I'm a connoisseur of tea? I'm just having some fun."
Zhang Shiqiu didn't refuse anymore, secretly pleased. Tea wasn't cheap, and he could pawn it for some silver later.
"I've come to bother you today because something came up..."
Seeing his furrowed brows and worried expression, Lu Chang'an quickly asked, "What happened?"
"Brother Lu, do you know Chen Qingyan, the eldest son of the Chen family in town?"
"Yes, we know each other. My mother and his mother are friends, and they often go to the mountain to worship Buddha together."
Do you know why he stopped taking the imperial examinations?
"I don't know. I heard that he fell ill after returning from the imperial examination last year and has just recovered."
Zhang Shiqiu scoffed, "What illness? He was disqualified from the exam for cheating and is too ashamed to show his face!"
"What?! Such a thing has actually happened!"
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