Chapter 23: Grievances

Chapter 23: Grievances

The onlookers felt ashamed for Qiu Chuanzong when they heard his words.

In rural areas, people rarely have the awareness of signing documents. Many things are considered settled once witnessed by the clan leader and neighbors. Everyone knows that Qiu Huanian was traded for two bushels of sorghum by Li the Widow. The Qiu family trying to exploit this loophole is simply shameless!

They were just cursing Qiu Huanian for being vicious and ungrateful? They were clearly talking about themselves!

Qiu Chuanzong felt uncomfortable being pointed at and discussed by so many people. If it weren't for Qiu Gui being his only precious son, he wouldn't have sacrificed his dignity to make such a scene in Du Village.

They wanted to use filial piety to pressure Qiu Huanian, the victim, into pleading for Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui while he was still in the dark about the truth.

After all, this matter ultimately stems from Qiu Huanian, the bastard child. If he had obediently handed over the money he earned to the family and followed them to be sold to a wealthy household, there wouldn't have been any subsequent turmoil!

With these thoughts, Qiu Chuanzong's gaze towards Qiu Huanian became increasingly hostile.

Du Yunse couldn't bear it any longer, but Qiu Huanian grabbed his hand, signaling him to stay quiet for now.

Qiu Huanian's gaze swept over the onlookers from Du Village, and upon seeing Zhao hiding in the crowd to watch the spectacle, he chuckled, "Actually, I know exactly why Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui were arrested."

Hearing this, a few members of the Qiu family who knew the inside story were startled, but they quickly regained their composure, thinking that Qiu Huanian was bluffing.

After all, Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui were arrested suddenly, and the officials took them away without explanation. Many people in Shangliang Village didn't know why they were arrested, so Qiu Huanian couldn't possibly know.

"What, don't believe me?" Qiu Huanian said half-jokingly, "Yesterday, Zhou secretly came to Du Village to meet someone, and that person knows everything about these matters."

There is only one main road leading into Du Village. Some villagers who were working at the village entrance yesterday carefully looked at Zhou's face and remembered, "It was her. She entered the village alone in the afternoon. I thought she was a distant relative of someone's family at the time."

"Why did she come to our village? If she came to see Brother Hua, why is she causing trouble again today?"

"From what Brother Hua is saying, does it mean someone in our village is colluding with the Qiu family?"

Zhao, who had been secretly watching the spectacle, realized the situation was turning against her and tried to slip away. But she was standing too close to the front and couldn't squeeze her way out of the dense crowd, sweating profusely.

Qiu Huanian added meaningfully, "If you don't want others to know, don't do it in the first place. There's more than one way to get information."

Upon hearing Qiu Huanian's words, Zhou's first thought was that after she left yesterday, Zhao, in order to clear herself, had approached Qiu Huanian and betrayed the Qiu family.

Her accumulated anger and resentment instantly erupted. She lunged at Zhao, grabbing her hair.

"It's all your fault! Our family is ruined because of you! Do you really think you can get away with it? I'll expose all the good deeds you've done in front of everyone in your village!"

"If I'm going down, you're coming with me!"

Zhao, in pain from the hair-pulling, shouted, "Quick! Get her off me!"

Seeing the situation turning chaotic, Du Yunse shielded Qiu Huanian behind him and pulled him further away.

The clan leader wasn't present, and the most capable people in the village were his eldest son Bao Ren and his daughter-in-law Meng Fuyue. Meng Fuyue, recalling how Zhao had previously denied the proposal and slighted her nephew Meng Yuanling, pursed her lips and pretended to offer a few words of advice but didn't intervene to stop the fight.

Zhao was known for her domineering nature and had poor relationships in the village. Moreover, based on Zhou's words, there seemed to be significant inside information involved, so no one around Zhao genuinely tried to help.

Yunhu was eager to step in but was glared at by Wei Liuhua, only then realizing it was better to stay out of it.

Zhou, while tearing at Zhao, cursed, "You said Qiu Huanian grew up to be a fox spirit, seducing people everywhere, and that it would be better to sell him to where he belongs."

"You said Li the Widow didn't sign any documents back then, and as long as we don't admit it, we're in the right!"

"You said Du Yunse hadn't returned yet, and his family had no one to stand up for them, so even if Qiu Huanian was unwilling, there were other ways to handle it!"

"You..."

As Zhou's curses continued, the people of Du Village looked at Qiu family with increasingly hostile eyes. Qiu family was anxious to pull Zhou back, but Meng Fuyue swiftly stepped in to block them, "What are you doing? Trying to start a brawl? Think about where you are and who has the numbers!"

Realizing the situation, the villagers of Du Village quickly gathered to help Meng Fuyue block Qiu family. Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Qiu Chuanzong anxiously wanted to say something, but in his distraction, the memorial tablet of his former wife, which he had been holding, suddenly disappeared.

Qiu Chuanzong hurriedly searched and saw the young man, whom he hadn't seen since handing him over to the traffickers, standing not far away, holding a paper memorial tablet, and flashing him a teasing grin.

Furious, Qiu Chuanzong wanted to rush over and hit him, but in the chaos, someone pushed him from behind, causing him to fall flat on his face and get trampled by several people, unable to get up.

Yun Kang and Chun Sheng, who had slipped over in the confusion, high-fived each other and, taking advantage of their small stature, quickly ran away before anyone could react. Jiu Jiu, who was guarding outside, feigned scolding but couldn't suppress a laugh.

By the time Zhou and Zhao finally stopped their scuffle and calmed down, all the dirty laundry between them had been exposed in front of everyone.

Sitting on the ground, her hair disheveled, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, Zhou's anger, though not completely dissipated, began to give way to regret for her earlier impulsiveness.

Zhao wanted to say that she hadn't passed any messages to Qiu Huanian, but Zhou didn't give her a chance to explain. Her scalp was torn, and her mouth was swollen, so she could only curse silently in her heart.

At that moment, they saw a pair of slender ankles appear in their line of sight. Looking up, they saw Qiu Huanian, accompanied by Du Yunse, walking up to them with a smile.

"Forgot to mention, I only knew that you came to the village yesterday to find Zhao, but I didn't know what you talked about," Qiu Huanian said lightly.

"Before Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui were taken away by the officials, I already knew the whole story."

"Because those traffickers who specialize in abducting young boys to sell in the south were caught by Yunse and his friends."

Qiu Huanian's bright eyes curved into a beautiful arc, grinning like a sly fox, "Surprised?"

Zhou spat out blood and collapsed, unconscious, on the ground. Qiu Huanian looked down at her, clutching the memorial tablet of Mei Xueer, his birth mother.

"You, you—" Zhao trembled, wanting to say something but unable to speak. She suddenly felt a deep sense of dread; the current Qiu Huanian terrified her!

Just as Qiu Huanian was about to solidify Zhao's misdeeds, the people on the outskirts suddenly shouted, "The clan leader is back!"

Du Zhenhe, the clan leader of the Du clan in Du Village, walked into the crowd with a grim expression. His sons and daughters-in-law quickly gathered around him, briefly explaining the situation.

The clan leader heavily tapped his cane and looked at Qiu family, "Twisting the facts to plot against Brother Hua, then coming here to cause trouble, do you really think I'm easy to bully?"

Du Zhenhe had considerable prestige in the surrounding villages. Everyone knew that he had traveled far and wide in his youth, had a lot of experience, and could even speak directly to the county magistrate. He was not someone to be trifled with.

Seeing his anger, Qiu family dared not look up. If they hadn't heard that Du Zhenhe was going to the city today, they wouldn't have dared to come and cause trouble. But who would have thought that Qiu Huanian already knew the truth, and Du Zhenhe returned so quickly, completely ruining their plans.

The clan leader looked at Qiu Chuanzong on the ground and said sternly, "Brother Hua was exchanged for grain by Li the Widow. Over the years, Li the Widow has treated him like her own son. Emotionally and logically, he has no ties to your Qiu family anymore."

"As for the documents, you only know half the story, which is laughable. Half a month ago, Yunse and Brother Hua went to the county office and had their marriage certificate processed by the magistrate. Even if you take this to court, you won't have a leg to stand on."

After saying this, he directed the villagers, "Tie up Zhou and Qiu Chuanzong and lock them in my pigsty."

Qiu family immediately protested, but they were outnumbered and in the wrong, so they didn't dare to resort to force. They could only verbally object, "Clan Leader Du, aren't you afraid of breaking the law by arresting people like this?"

Du Zhenhe calmly replied, "Arresting people? I'm merely apprehending two family members of serious criminals who plotted against Du Village. How is that breaking the law?"

"Even if the county magistrate were here, he would praise me for handling this appropriately."

Qiu Chuanzong tried to run, but several young men from Du Village immediately caught him. Some members of Qiu family tried to intervene, but Du Zhenhe's words, "Do you want to join them in the pigsty or go to jail?" quickly dissuaded them.

After capturing the Qiu couple, the clan leader turned to Qiu Huanian and said, "Brother Hua, you've suffered. How do you want to deal with your father and stepmother?"

Qiu Huanian lowered his eyes in silence, holding Du Yunse's hand, who wanted to speak. He took a deep breath, overwhelmed by a surge of intense resentment and bitterness, but there was nothing he could do.

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse both understood the clan leader's deeper meaning. The clan leader only mentioned Qiu Chuanzong and Zhou, not a word about Zhao, intending to protect her.

Zhao had leaked information and advised outsiders, abducting the village's men, a crime that was unforgivable and should have been handed over to the county magistrate for punishment. However, she had a good son, Du Yunjing.

Although Du Yunjing's talent was not as good as Du Yunse's, he had always been at the top of the county school. Before turning twenty, he was confident he could pass the academy exam, a qualification that could be praised throughout Xiangping Prefecture.

Seeing that Du Yunjing was about to take the academy exam, if his mother was involved in the county magistrate's strict investigation of the traffickers' case, it would definitely affect his future.

Du Yunse was the pride of the Du clan, and Du Yunjing was a rising star in Du Village. Without evidence that he himself had committed a major mistake, the clan leader certainly couldn't bear to see his previous efforts go to waste and could only protect Zhao.

In the end, the clan leader's care and favor for Du Yunse and Du Yunjing stemmed from the same root. Perhaps there was a difference in degree, but it was impossible to abandon one for the other.

Meng Fuyue, standing nearby, also caught on to her father-in-law's intention and wanted to speak out unwillingly, but was stopped by Bao Ren.

Seeing Du Yunse's obvious dissatisfaction, the clan leader was filled with inner conflict and torment. Only when he saw Qiu Huanian stopping Du Yunse did he feel a complex sense of relief.

Qiu Huanian shut his eyes. The original owner's murder remained unavenged, and he himself had almost been plotted against by Zhao, nearly falling into an abyss. Of course, he wanted to take this opportunity to deal with Zhao, but with the clan leader protecting her, he could do nothing about Zhao today.

Qiu Huanian looked at the clan leader, seeing his graying hair and straight back, and slowly clenched his hands.

Qiu Huanian could not blame the clan leader. Du Zhenhe was a typical patriarch of a rural clan society. In his heart, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust were very important, but the interests of the clan were far above all else.

He had once helped Qiu Huanian's family a lot for these reasons, and now it was only natural that he would help others for the same reasons.

Qiu Huanian just felt powerless and oppressed. The originally favorable situation, where he could have permanently solved the hidden dangers and avenged the original owner, was now gone because of the clan leader's words. Ultimately, it was because his strength was too weak and his status too low.

Feeling his hand tightly held by Du Yunse, Qiu Huanian turned back and gave him a reassuring smile, indicating that he was fine.

Since he couldn't deal with Zhao today, he might as well take this opportunity to settle some things that were usually hard to achieve.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Qiu Huanian held the memorial tablet of his birth mother in his arms and said to the clan leader, "I won't discuss other matters for now, but I want to move my birth mother's grave from Shangliang Village to near the cemetery of Du Village."

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd was in an uproar.

Qiu Chuanzong cursed, "Your mother married into the Qiu family, alive she was a member of the Qiu family, dead she is a ghost of the Qiu family. What right do you, a mere boy, have to move her grave!"

Qiu Huanian looked at him coldly, "Then let's divorce."

The onlookers murmured, "Divorce, divorce... but she's been dead for years!"

How can the dead divorce!

Qiu Huanian remained unmoved, "Since the dead can have ghost marriages, why can't the deceased divorce the living? It's the same principle of the living's rules extending to the underworld."

Qiu Huanian calmly presented his reasons, "After divorcing Qiu Chuanzong, my mother will only have me as her descendant. It's only right that I move her grave. Now that I am a member of Du Village, naturally, I will move it near the cemetery of Du Village."

Qiu Huanian logically laid out the whole matter, making it hard for others to find fault, but anyone could feel the dissonance and eeriness in it, not daring to agree.

"Clan leader, do you think this is reasonable?" Qiu Huanian didn't need others' approval. In this situation, the Qiu family could no longer cause trouble. As long as Du Zhenhe nodded, the matter could be settled.

Du Zhenhe hadn't expected that after accepting the release of Zhao, Qiu Huanian would immediately present him with an even bigger problem.

He stroked his beard and evaded the question, "There are many restrictions on women's divorce. What reason do you have for your mother's divorce? If there isn't one, it might instead affect your reputation."

Du Zhenhe did not agree with this matter, but having just firmly protected Zhao, he couldn't repeatedly deny Qiu Huanian face.

Qiu Huanian had his arguments ready, well-prepared and rehearsed, "Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui conspired with traffickers to harm me. The exposure of the matter and their imprisonment were due to Yunse. I am now irreconcilable with this family and have severed all kinship ties. My birth mother's spirit does not wish to remain alone in the Qiu family, belonging to the same clan as criminal husbands and wives, and has appeared to me in a dream, asking me to divorce her."

"..."

Du Zhenhe looked deeply at Qiu Huanian. The story about the dream was clearly made up, but it was sufficient.

For Qiu Huanian, it was only right to cut ties with his abusive biological father and stepmother and to fulfill his mother's last wish. For the deceased Mei Xueer, it was even more appropriate to distance herself from convicted criminals even in death, and no one could find fault with it. In fact, she might even be praised as a woman of unwavering virtue.

Du Zhenhe began to doubt whether it was right to have made Qiu Huanian feel disheartened for the sake of Du Yunjing. But he couldn't take it back, because Du Yunjing was, after all, a promising scholar of the Du clan.

For a clan to develop in the long term, internal stability and balance must be maintained. Minor conflicts are one thing, but it must never descend into complete chaos.

Finally, Du Zhenhe sighed and said, "Brother Hua makes a good point. Later, we will invite the village elders and local constables to witness, have Qiu Chuanzong sign the separation agreement, and ask the feng shui master to choose a date for moving the grave."

Of course, Qiu Chuanzong didn't want to agree, but he had already been seized by the people of Du Village, so he had no choice but to sign.

Once the onlookers were gone, the group headed to the clan leader's house. Qiu Huanian personally wrote the separation agreement, which was reviewed and signed by the clan leader and others, and then forced Qiu Chuanzong to make his mark.

Qiu Chuanzong, trapped in the pigsty, cursed furiously, "You bastard! You monster! I should have strangled you to death back then!"

"Son of a whore—ugh—"

Meng Fuyue couldn't bear to listen any longer and grabbed a handful of pig dung to stuff into Qiu Chuanzong's mouth, then turned away to wash her hands.

Qiu Huanian folded the signed separation agreement and placed it in his pocket. Looking down at Qiu Chuanzong, who was now spitting out pig dung, he said in a low voice, "I was young when I lived in Shangliang Village, but I wasn't completely unaware."

"Why did Mei Xueer, who fled to Shangliang Village, marry a good-for-nothing like you? You know the answer perfectly well."

"Divorce was probably her long-cherished wish. Unfortunately, she couldn't achieve it while alive, but now it's finally done after her death."

"Qiu Chuanzong, if you do too many evil deeds, you will surely face retribution. You thought there wouldn't be any? Wrong. I am your retribution."

After saying this and calling him by name, Qiu Huanian didn't linger. He turned and left. As he walked out of the clan leader's house, Du Yunse suddenly turned back and bowed to the clan leader.

"Yunse, you—"

"Yunse has no grounds to plead with the clan leader, but Zhao and her son have repeatedly bullied and plotted against my husband. I, Du Yunse, will never let this go."

Without waiting for Du Zhenhe's response, Du Yunse quickly caught up with Qiu Huanian.

Qiu Huanian walked with his head down, his steps hurried, until he reached a quiet, deserted riverside. Only then did he relax, no longer so tense, and silently watched the flowing water.

Du Yunse couldn't hide the heartache and guilt in his eyes. In his view, if it weren't for his own lowly status, Brother Hua wouldn't have had to endure such humiliation today. They had already identified the main culprit, yet they had to let her go unpunished.

Qiu Huanian was emotionally exhausted. His own feelings and the emotions from the original host's memories lingered in his chest, refusing to dissipate. Seeing the deep concern in Du Yunse's eyes, his heart raced a few times, and his nose suddenly tingled with emotion.

Qiu Huanian took a deep breath and said hoarsely, "I need money to buy a coffin for my mother and hire a feng shui master."

"Alright."

"Bury her in the mountain hollow opposite my parents' grave. It's a picturesque spot with clear waters, and she can still see, see..."

"Alright."

"Du Yunse, you better ace the imperial exams and come back as a top scholar. I'll only endure today's humiliation once."

"Alright."

Du Yunse couldn't hold back and gently hugged Qiu Huanian.

He didn't dare to touch the other's body directly, his hands only lightly resting on Qiu Huanian's smooth and beautiful back through his clothes, as soft as a feather.

In this restrained but meaningful embrace, Qiu Huanian slowly calmed down.

"Let's go home." Qiu Huanian shook his head and laughed, "Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng have run off somewhere, let's go home for dinner."

"Alright." Du Yunse followed beside him, walking shoulder to shoulder.

...

Although the clan leader ultimately protected Zhao, after Zhou's public outburst, everyone in Du Village was well aware of her actions.

After this incident, Zhao felt that wherever she went, people were whispering about her behind her back. Fu Bao also couldn't get a friendly face when he went out. They couldn't stay in the village any longer and had to leave early to accompany Du Yunjing to the academy exam in the prefectural city.

Zhao's original plan was to rent only one carriage, with her, Fu Bao, and Du Yunjing riding together, while Li Guer and Du Baoquan would shamelessly hitch a ride on the clan leader's carriage, which was taking Yun Cheng to the prefectural city for the exam.

But after the recent events, Zhao knew she had completely lost face in front of the clan leader and didn't dare to hitch a ride. She had no choice but to bite the bullet and rent two carriages.

The journey from Zhang County to the prefectural city by carriage took three days, and renting one carriage cost three taels of silver. When Zhao paid, her heart bled, and her husband Du Baoquan's complaints made it even harder for her to bear. Although these were all her ideas, Du Baoquan had never opposed or dissuaded her from the beginning!

On the night before Zhao's family left the village, Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse went for a walk by the small river and coincidentally saw Li Guer again.

Li Guer came from the direction of the back mountain, walking hurriedly with her head down. It wasn't until she was close that she noticed Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse.

She saw Qiu Huanian first, a flash of panic and resentment in her eyes. Then her gaze fell on Du Yunse, and she suddenly froze in place.

Jealous that Qiu Huanian had caught Du Yunjing's attention, and knowing that Du Yunjing had always disliked Du Yunse, she had spread many rumors about Du Yunse in the village, rumors that Du Yunjing had told her. After Du Yunse returned to the village and Qiu Huanian became more capable, she feared retribution and had been avoiding this family. Tonight was the first time she had seen Du Yunse clearly.

Under the moonlight, with the river gently flowing, Du Yunse was like a flawless piece of jade, unmatched in the world.

The Du Yunjing she had been longing for paled in comparison, like a firefly beside the bright moon, hardly worth mentioning.

Seeing Li Guer staring at Du Yunse, Qiu Huanian raised an eyebrow, feeling inexplicably displeased. He took half a step forward, "Sister Gu, who did you go see today?"

Li Guer finally snapped out of it, stammering incoherently, "Who could I go see? Stop talking nonsense! I just came out for a walk at night."

After saying this, she clutched the newly acquired item to her chest and hurried away.

She had no better options now. This opportunity to accompany Du Yunjing to the prefectural city was once in a lifetime, and she had to seize it. With the two medicinal ingredients she had obtained through her old acquaintance from her hometown, everything would surely fall into place.

...

The next day, before dawn, Zhao's family, with enough silver, left the village in a mule cart driven by their eldest son Yun Hu, heading to Zhang County to meet Du Yunjing and proceed to the prefectural city.

In the afternoon, Yun Hu returned alone with the mule cart. Without Zhao watching, Wei Liuhua finally dared to openly visit Qiu Huanian.

"That day really scared me. I was afraid she would realize and suspect that I was the one who told you about her and Zhou's conversation," Wei Liuhua said, shaking her head in fear.

"I know you're still part of the family, so of course I wouldn't forget that."

Qiu Huanian specifically said he didn't know the content of the conversation, only that Zhou had come to Du Village, making them think that Qiu Huanian had been bluffing all along, just for this purpose.

Qiu Huanian took a piece of sorghum candy to tease Youge. Wei Liuhua brought the child out. Although Youge was still very thin, his complexion was no longer dark and sallow. His eyes were big and bright, with a sharp chin, making him quite endearing.

Wei Liuhua saw the new coffin under the pear tree in the yard. The coffin had cost Qiu Huanian one tael of silver, made of good wood three inches thick, and painted with bright colors.

"Have you set the date for the burial?"

"It's already set. I've also spoken to the village chief of Shangliang Village. The geomancer selected a date three days from now. We'll set up a few tables of food at home, so make sure to come for the feast."

Wei Liuhua agreed to help in the kitchen then, still feeling amazed. Such an unusual thing as divorcing and burying a deceased mother, and Qiu Huanian, a young man, had actually managed to do it.

Jiu Jiu was inside struggling with the two bolts of cotton cloth Qiu Huanian had bought. She had nearly memorized the patterns on the cloth but still hesitated to cut it, fearing she might ruin the precious fabric.

Wei Liuhua, seeing from outside the house, couldn't help but go over to give some pointers. Qiu Huanian remembered his previous intention to hire a sewing teacher for Jiu Jiu and directly said, "Sister-in-law, if you have time in the future, please teach my Jiu Jiu more. I'll prepare the gifts and tuition for the teacher."

Wei Liuhua quickly shook her head, "Jiu Jiu can just ask me whatever she wants to learn, there's no need for all this."

But Qiu Huanian insisted, "I want Jiu Jiu to learn everything you know from the beginning. Learning a craft to earn a living, it's only proper to formally become a student. This way, Jiu Jiu will also take her studies more seriously."

Wei Liuhua, tight on money, hesitated before agreeing, "Alright, I promise not to hold anything back and will teach Jiu Jiu everything I know."

Wei Liuhua's sewing skills were quite famous in Du Village.

Jiu Jiu was overjoyed to hear this. She ran out of the house and imitated the etiquette Du Yunse had taught her to formally become a student. Wei Liuhua was flustered, her face turned red with happiness. This was the first time she was respected for her skills, having previously only been exploited by Zhao and her sister-in-law Qiaoxing.

Qiu Huanian gave Wei Liuhua half a catty of meat, six eggs, a plate of Sorghum Candy, and a plate of dried tofu, making up the four items for the apprenticeship gift. He initially wanted to pay tuition, but Wei Liuhua firmly refused, saying it was too early and she would accept it only after Jiu Jiu had made some progress.

The night Zhao's family left the village, Yun Cheng returned to Du Village. He had come back from the county school specifically to worship his ancestors before heading to the prefectural city to take the civil service examination.

The clan leader wanted Du Yunse to give Yun Cheng some advice but didn't know how to ask due to his previous support for Zhao. In the end, Meng Fuyue took some gifts and personally brought Yun Cheng to Du Yunse's house the next morning.

Du Yunse did not refuse and took Yun Cheng to the main room to test his studies, offering advice on how to approach questions and write essays.

Qiu Huanian stored the eggs and meat given by Meng Fuyue and chatted with her in the yard.

"I also hate Zhao to the core, but who can blame her for having a good son? My father-in-law can't bear to lose a scholar with the surname Du, so he has to let her continue to roam free. Don't hold it against him too much; there will be other opportunities."

Qiu Huanian smiled and shook his head, "The clan leader has also helped Yunse and me a lot. We don't hold any grudge against him for this matter. Even if the clan leader had directly asked Yunse to guide Yun Cheng today, Yunse would have gone."

"I know you two are upright and good-hearted kids. It's just that my father-in-law feels ashamed and doesn't dare to face you two for the time being."

Meng Fuyue looked at the coffin in the yard and changed the topic, "My husband and I will accompany Yun Cheng to the prefectural city for his examination. We won't be able to help with the grave relocation, but your Uncle Bao Ren has already arranged everything. Whether it's the people to accompany you to Shangliang Village or those to dig the grave, you don't need to worry."

"How are Qiu Chuanzong and Zhou?" Qiu Huanian asked.

Meng Fuyue noticed that Qiu Huanian didn't even call them father and mother anymore, her heart raced for a moment, but then she felt a sense of relief.

"They are still locked in the pigsty, given some water and food daily. A few days locked up won't kill them. My father-in-law has agreed with the village head of Shangliang Village to keep them locked up until after you've relocated the grave, to prevent them from causing trouble."

Shangliang Village is a mixed-surname village, and the Qiu family is not the largest surname there. The current village head is not surnamed Qiu and wouldn't confront Du Village over the Qiu Chuanzong family.

In the matter of Qiu Huanian relocating his mother's grave, Du Zhenhe still did his best.

Du Yunse guided Yun Cheng for more than an hour. After Yun Cheng returned home, the clan leader asked him, "What did Yunse say?"

"Brother Yunse asked me about the Four Books and the Classic of Filial Piety, and also had me recite a few essays I wrote at the county school. He pointed out all the shortcomings in my essays and answered all the questions I had."

Yun Cheng paused and then said, "Brother Yunse's knowledge is definitely not just at the level of a scholar; he could even be a provincial graduate or a metropolitan graduate. What's more, no matter how simple my questions were in his eyes, he never showed impatience or gave perfunctory answers."

After returning home, Yun Cheng heard about Zhao's attempt to harm Sister-in-law Huanian and disagreed with his grandfather's decision. He had been classmates with Du Yunjing at the county school for nearly a month and really couldn't see anything commendable about this clansman.

Du Zhenhe sighed upon hearing this, "Yunse is a good kid. You should look up to him and spend more time with him. Oldest son's wife, you should also help Brother Hua more in the village."

After lunch, Yun Cheng was about to leave. The pre-booked carriage had already arrived at the village entrance, and many villagers came to see him off.

Meng Wudong also drove a mule cart with Meng Yuanling to send their cousin off for the examination. Meng Yuanling opened his mouth several times and, taking advantage of the crowd's inattention, pulled Yun Cheng aside and handed him a pouch.

"I made this myself. It contains herbs to refresh and stimulate the mind, specially ordered from the county town. Don't you dare dislike it!"

Yun Cheng took the pouch, "Cousin Yuanling, where did you get the money?"

Meng Yuanling's cute face showed a bit of pride, "I helped Brother Hua sell candy for a few days, and Brother Hua shared the profits with me."

"Take your exam seriously, don't goof off in the city, and don't get sick, understand?"

After Meng Yuanling finished speaking, he quickly slipped away as if afraid of being discovered. Their little exchange went unnoticed by anyone.

Yun Cheng's eyes followed Meng Yuanling's retreating figure, and he spaced out for a moment. He didn't understand why, but he suddenly wanted to take a few more glances at his cousin, to see the dimples on his cheeks when he smiled.

On the other side of the carriage, Meng Fuyue was talking to Qiu Huanian, "It will take about three or four days to get to the city, and there are still a few days left before the exam. After the results are out, it will take at least ten more days to get back. We might miss the cotton planting season. Brother Hua, don't hesitate to ask my second and third sons for help."

Qiu Huanian nodded with a smile, "Wishing Yun Cheng good luck in his exam, and a safe journey for you all."

"Thank you for your kind words. We'll go ahead and scout the way, take note of things to pay attention to, so it will be easier when Yun Se goes for the academy exam."

After Yun Cheng's family of three left the village, Qiu Huanian began to busy himself with the grave relocation.

Although matters like inviting the feng shui master, digging the grave, and preparing the burial site had already been arranged, Qiu Huanian still had to review them several times himself to avoid any mistakes.

Additionally, the grave relocation was considered a small-scale funeral, and after it was done, a few banquet tables needed to be prepared at home to thank those who helped.

Qiu Huanian ordered twenty catties of tofu from the Meng family tofu shop, bought twenty catties of large bones, ten catties of meat, ten fish, ten catties of glutinous rice and white flour, five catties of dried vermicelli, one catty of white sugar, along with various seasonings and farm vegetables, enough for ten tables.

The main dish was large steamed buns mixed with cornmeal, each table had a dish of scallion mixed tofu, a dish of sweet glutinous rice balls, a braised fish, a bowl of vermicelli stir-fried with meat, a pot of corn bone soup, and other vegetarian dishes could be added as needed.

The women and young men from Du Village volunteered to help, preparing the necessary vegetables in advance, covering them with sieves and vegetable covers, and storing them indoors, ready to be stir-fried on the day.

On the day of the grave relocation, Du Yunse got up early and didn't read. Instead, he and Qiu Huanian sprayed soil fertilizer on the roots of the cotton seedlings, moved the breeding trays to the roof to absorb sunlight, then packed up and set off to Shangliang Village in a mule cart.

Including the mule carts borrowed from the clan leader's family, Wei Liuhua's family, and Meng Yuanling's family, a total of four mule carts carried more than a dozen people, making a big show as they entered Shangliang Village. People working in the fields outside Shangliang Village watched from afar.

The feng shui master had calculated the lucky hour for digging the grave to be at one o'clock in the afternoon, about an hour away. The village head of Shangliang Village received them and had villagers take them to Qiu Chuanzong's house to rest.

Along the way, many people stood by the roadside, secretly watching them.

Shangliang Village hadn't changed much in the past six or seven years. Qiu Huanian could vaguely see familiar things from the original owner's memory and find familiar paths.

Compared to his mostly accurate memories, the villagers of Shangliang Village were a bit unsure about recognizing Qiu Huanian.

Qiu Huanian had been sold at the age of ten and had never returned since. The people of Shangliang Village still remembered him as the skinny, bone-thin young boy. Seeing the handsome, confident young man walking at the front, many couldn't help but rub their eyes.

—Is that Brother Hua?

They all knew in their hearts that this was indeed the Brother Hua who had nearly been starved and beaten to death by his father and stepmother. His face bore a striking resemblance to his birth mother, Mei Xueer, and no other family in Shangliang Village had such good looks.

When they arrived at Qiu Chuanzong's house, several uncles from the Qiu family hid, afraid that the people from Du Village might suddenly attack and take them away.

The Qiu family had gone to make a scene and ended up losing face. The reasons for Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui's arrests could no longer be hidden. People from other surnames in Shangliang Village, fearing that the Qiu family might drag them into trouble, united to warn them that if they got into legal trouble again, they would be driven out of the village.

Thus, the Qiu family in Shangliang Village was now isolated and without support.

In the end, it was Qiu Huanian's distant third aunt who tremblingly came to give them the keys to open the door.

Qiu Huanian remembered this third aunt. When the original owner was a child and starving, he had run to her house, and she had given him a small piece of sorghum cake, which he swallowed in two bites.

When her son saw this, he caused a scene in the clan, and the original owner was beaten, and the third aunt never dared to give him anything again.

Qiu Huanian stepped forward to support the old woman. The third aunt's hazy eyes looked him up and down, "Is it really Brother Hua who has returned?"

"It's me, Third Aunt."

"Good, good..."

Qiu Huanian took the key, and Du Yunse went to unlock the door. Qiu Huanian took a deep breath and walked in, found some stools and invited everyone to sit in the yard. When there weren't enough stools, they simply sat on tables and platforms.

The Third Aunt-Grandmother hesitated several times, on the verge of speaking but holding back. Seeing this, Qiu Huanian said, "There are no outsiders here. If you have something to say, just say it. Don't worry about it being heard by those who shouldn't know."

The people who came with them today were all trustworthy and close friends from the village. Whatever they heard, they wouldn't gossip or report back to the Qiu family.

The Third Aunt-Grandmother trembled as she asked, "Are you here to move your mother's grave?"

Seeing Qiu Huanian nod, she pressed further, "Is it true that you've divorced? Is Xue'er no longer Chuanzong's wife?"

After Qiu Huanian confirmed, the elderly woman, her white hair and withered skin, suddenly shed two streams of murky tears. "Such a sin! Such a sin!"

She cried bitterly, and Qiu Huanian, seeing this, also felt distressed. But he still had questions to ask. "Third Aunt-Grandmother, I remember you were the one who rescued my mother. I also heard that she wasn't willing to marry Qiu Chuanzong. Can you tell me more about it?"

The Third Aunt-Grandmother continued to mutter about the sin, but under Qiu Huanian's persistent questioning, she finally recounted the events of that time.

About seventeen or eighteen years ago, the northeastern border was tense with war, and the south was frequently hit by floods. The entire country was in turmoil, with Zhang County frequently seeing large groups of refugees passing through. Villagers would occasionally find unfamiliar corpses by the roadside when they left the village.

Once, the Third Aunt-Grandmother went to the mountains to pick wild vegetables and saw a young woman, around twenty years old, lying on the ground in the bushes. Though dressed in coarse clothes, her skin was delicate and smooth, unlike that of a country girl.

She initially thought the girl was dead, but upon closer inspection, she realized the girl was just exhausted and unconscious, still breathing.

The Third Aunt-Grandmother felt that the girl wasn't from an ordinary family and took her back home. However, after the girl woke up, she refused to speak about her origins or where her family could be found. Over time, some members of the Qiu family grew restless.

"That day, Chuanzong said there were cheap ducklings and chicks for sale at the town market. I left early but didn't see what he mentioned. When I returned home, no one was in the yard except your mother, who was crying on the heated bed, her clothes clutched tightly, her face and body covered in bloody marks. I knew something terrible had happened."

"Your mother wanted to end her life, but I stopped her. I told her it's better to live a hard life than to die. Since she wouldn't say where she was from and no family came looking for her, she might as well settle down in Shangliang Village. At least Chuanzong had hands and feet and could provide food. I made the decision for her, telling Chuanzong to properly hold a banquet and marry her."

"I never expected that Chuanzong... he was truly a beast!"

"After you were born, Chuanzong despised you for being a boy. Your mother's health deteriorated, and she couldn't bear more children. Her beauty faded, and he started beating her frequently, locking her up, forbidding her from going out or seeing anyone. No matter how much I tried to reason with him, it was useless."

"Before your mother died, he had already started an affair with a young widow from the neighboring village, Zhou, and even brought her home to live with him."

"The last time I saw your mother, she was so emaciated she could barely get off the heated bed. She mentioned you once but didn't continue. I knew she understood that my words held no weight, and entrusting you to me would be futile."

"Finally, she only said to me—'Third Aunt, it would have been better if I had died back then.'"

"She said—'I don't want to be buried here after I die. I want a divorce. I want to go home.'"

The elderly woman, recalling the past, clutched her chest and wept uncontrollably. "Such a sin! Such a sin!"

The people from Du Village in the yard listened with heavy hearts. Du Yunse held Qiu Huanian's hand, looking at him with concern and sorrow.

Qiu Huanian suppressed the bitterness in his heart and asked, "Do you know anything about my mother's origins?"

The Third Aunt-Grandmother shook her head. "She never spoke of it, not even in her most difficult times. But from her accent, I felt she grew up in the south."

"Oh, when I first saved her, she told me that Xue'er was just her nickname. Her real name was Mei Zhengchun (Plum Striving for Spring), and she asked me not to tell anyone."

"Zheng as in 'strive,' and Chun as in 'spring'?" Qiu Huanian asked uncertainly.

"Yes, yes. She said the plum blossom's true meaning might not be to bloom in the snow, but to strive for spring, which is why it blooms earlier than other flowers. I've remembered that until now, but she never mentioned that name again."

Qiu Huanian fell silent for a long time. In the original host's memories, his mother was always weak, silent, and vague. Only today did Qiu Huanian vaguely understand what kind of girl she had once been.

Du Yunse softly comforted him, "At least we know her name. If you want to search, we'll keep looking. One day, we'll find out about your mother's origins."

Qiu Huanian closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "You're right. Today is just the first step. We'll find it eventually."