Chapter 97 Farewell

Chapter 97: Farewell

Three days later, Zhu Zening finally returned to Changping by carriage. His wound had healed and was no longer an issue, though he still walked with a slight limp.

The first thing he did upon returning was to meet up with Song Tingzhou and visit Wu Zhaoyuan.

This time, no one in the Wu family blocked them; in fact, they acted as if they were invisible. Realizing that Prefect Wu didn't care whether Wu Zhaoyuan lived or died, Madam Wu also completely pretended that the man didn't exist in the household.

The attitudes of those above shaped the views of those below. This courtyard wasn't even supplied with food. Wu Zhaoyuan himself had little savings, and all the medicines for treatment cost money. If it weren't for Third Master Zhu's silver, they might soon not even have had enough to eat.

Qiu Ying was busy all day taking care of Wu Zhaoyuan, so the courtyard went untended, overgrown with weeds.

"Zhao Yuan, how are you?"

Song Tingzhou helped Zhu Zening into the room. Before Zhu Zening even saw him, he was already calling out.

Wu Zhaoyuan was propped up against the bedding, reading a book. His face was pale, and he looked gaunt. Hearing Zhu Zening's voice, he struggled to get off the kang.

"Don't move! Your body isn't healed yet; just rest on the kang." Zhu Zening stepped forward to stop him, but the sudden movement pulled at his wound, causing him to hiss in pain.

"Zening, what happened to you?" Wu Zhaoyuan asked in a weak, feeble voice.

Neither Zhu Zening nor Song Tingzhou was good at lying, and for a moment, both fell silent.

Wu Zhaoyuan seemed to understand that Zhu Zening's injury might be because of him. The man who hadn't shed a single tear upon learning of his mother's death suddenly had red-rimmed eyes.

"I've burdened you all. Qiu Ying told me everything—all these days I've been ill, you've been outside thinking of ways to help me. I..."

As he spoke, he tried to kneel and kowtow to the two of them.

Song Tingzhou had no choice but to set Zhu Zening aside and lift Wu Zhaoyuan back onto the kang.

"Why put on such a show with us? Did Brother Zhu and I do this just to get your kowtow?"

After that commotion, Wu Zhaoyuan slumped on the kang, breathing heavily. "I know... I understand. But aside from kowtowing, I don't know how else to repay you for saving my life."

Zhu Zening hobbled over, frustrated that he wouldn't listen. "You were always smarter than me, yet you stumble into such danger. Next time, don't make Tingzhou and me worry—that would be repayment enough!"

A friendship between gentlemen is restrained and polite.

The three of them met each other's eyes, each hiding emotions. Zhu Zening, the youngest, was the first to shed tears. Wu Zhaoyuan's eyes were also red. Song Tingzhou was a bit stronger than them, but his heart also ached. In just a few short days, each had faced their own trials.

Physician Fan had already left, stopping by the Zhu residence on his way. Zhu Zening then learned that his father hadn't lied—Zhaoyuan had indeed been poisoned with aconite. The poison was easily confused with a common cold, and only a physician like Fan, who specialized in difficult and complicated cases, could identify it immediately.

The three chatted for a while longer, outwardly asking about studies, but inwardly they all understood. Some secret matters weren't convenient to discuss now; they would have to wait until Wu Zhaoyuan fully recovered.

Being in the Wu residence was inconvenient after all. From time to time, a few low-ranking servants would loiter by the courtyard gate. Neither Zhu Zening nor Song Tingzhou could stay long. After comforting Wu Zhaoyuan, they each went home.

Song Tingzhou finally shook off the gloom of the past few days; even his steps were no longer as heavy.

"Da Lang's back. How is Juren Wu?" Chang Jinhua was picking vegetables in the courtyard with Bi Yun when she saw Song Tingzhou return and asked.

"He can already get out of bed and move around, but he's still very weak and needs to recuperate for a while." After saying this, Song Tingzhou instinctively headed toward the west room.

Before he even entered, through the open window he could see that the bedroom was empty. Instead of going in, he looked through the study window—also empty.

"Mom, where's Wan'er?"

Chang Jinhua knew he would ask. "Huang Zheng came looking for him, said there was something at the shop. Xue Sheng took him there by carriage."

Song Tingzhou turned back toward the door. "Then I'll go to Qingxiao Pavilion to find him."

Chang Jinhua looked at her son's back with some exasperation. "Didn't he just get back? Doesn't he ever get tired?"

Bi Yun covered her mouth and snickered.

—

The matter at Qingxiao Pavilion was neither big nor small—two of the writers who worked there had actually been poached by Baojin Studio.

Money talks. The benefits at Qingxiao Pavilion were top-notch, so Baojin Studio must have spent a fortune to lure those two away.

Though Meng Wan had anticipated something like this, he couldn't help feeling frustrated. Back then, those gentlemen had written absolute garbage; he had painstakingly trained them up, and now someone else was reaping the harvest.

Coupled with his worry over Song Tingzhou's mood due to Wu Zhaoyuan's situation, it had left Meng Wan on edge these past few days as well.

He held a brief meeting with the remaining staff to give them a stern warning, then came downstairs to find Song Tingzhou waiting for him in the first-floor lobby. He also casually lit a stick of incense for the statue of Emperor Wenchang.

As he hurried down, he said, "Why are you here? Is Juren Wu okay?"

Seeing him rush, Song Tingzhou stepped forward to meet him. "He's already awake. Take it slow."

Taking Meng Wan's hand, Song Tingzhou felt his own anxious heart slowly settle.

Meng Wan teased him, "I'm not a child. You think I'll fall walking down the stairs?"

Song Tingzhou frowned slightly. "The stairs are too steep."

Meng Wan wrapped his arm around Song Tingzhou's right arm as they headed out, coaxing softly, "Don't worry, I always hold the railing. But maybe some of those scholars have poor eyesight—I'll have Huang Zheng get a carpenter to fix it."

"You haven't been eating much lately. I bought some mung bean cakes and left them at home. Eat them as a snack."

"Sure. Did you buy the thousand-layer cake as well?"

"Yes."

Huang Zheng was right downstairs. Those two said they were looking for him, but they only had eyes for each other. Huang Zheng smiled bitterly. Having grown used to their relationship, who would ever settle for less?

Those young people who had originally followed their parents' arrangements were now being influenced by Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou into aspiring youths longing for love on their own terms.

Because of Wu Zhaoyuan's incident, both Song Tingzhou and Zhu Zening had delayed going to the prefectural school for a long time. The metropolitan exam was next spring, and time was pressing. Though Zhu Zening's injury hadn't fully healed, he went back to the prefectural school the very next day.

Third Master Zhu didn't leave this time. Previously, he often stayed away from home, partly to avoid Second Master Zhu's sharp edge. Now that the family was dividing their property, he no longer had so many scruples.

Even a mosquito's leg is still meat. After all the effort he'd put into running the shops, to simply hand them over and work for Second Brother—how could Third Master Zhu be willing?

The elders of the clan also remembered his hard work over the years and how he occasionally helped the younger clan members. But the salt business had to stay with the main branch—there was no question. After all, it was an imperial merchant business; it couldn't fall into outsider hands.

"The private property you built on your own is yours. Your and Fourth Brother's concubine mothers are of low status and have no dowries, so the antiques and calligraphy in the house cannot be taken." Second Master Zhu lightly uttered words belittling his half-brothers.

Third Master Zhu was used to swallowing his pride and didn't show much reaction, but Fourth Master Zhu had a fiery temper and immediately exploded.

"Concubine mothers may have no dowries, but everything in our quarters was earned by us! On what basis is that considered public property?"

"On what basis?" Second Master Zhu asked flatly.

His tone was sarcastic. "On the grounds that you are sons of concubines. Because you weren't lucky enough to be born from the main wife's belly."

"Zhu Yu, you—" Fourth Master Zhu slammed the wooden armrest beside him, his eyes bloodshot, standing abruptly, his face twisted with rage as if he wanted to rip Second Master Zhu apart.

The low-key Zhu Da played the peacemaker, trying to smooth things over, and said, "Lao Si, we are all brothers, why make things so tense? Let me decide: the properties under your name will not be taken by the family; they will all be yours."

He made it sound nice, but those were all built by Fourth Master Zhu himself, having nothing to do with the Zhu family. If anyone dared to touch them, given Fourth Master Zhu's temper, he'd probably smash the whole old mansion to pieces.

Third Master Zhu sat in his chair, with a wry smile at his eldest brother. "Father said back then that you could maintain the family's legacy, and indeed, you've clung to every bit of property." Like an old watchdog.

The eldest Zhu's face stiffened; he clearly understood his younger brother's mockery. As the legitimate eldest son, he held no real power over the household, even less than his two younger brothers.

"Enough nonsense. Your private properties and Fourth Brother's will be allocated to you separately. You each get one-tenth of the family's farmlands and estates. Any objections?" Second Master Zhu cast a cold glance at his two half-brothers.

"Since the family assets are all in Second Brother's hands, it's naturally whatever Second Brother decides. Younger brother will defer to Second Brother's decision—after all, you're the most capable legitimate son of the family!"

When Third Master Zhu spoke, the eldest Zhu's cheek twitched involuntarily, forcing a stiff smile. "Third Brother, don't worry. The clan head and the clan members are all watching. You and Fourth Brother each taking one-tenth of the family property is nothing. Second Brother won't shortchange you."

Now that they were about to be separated, Third Master Zhu no longer feared offending anyone. "I hope so."

If they shortchange me, can't I also manipulate the accounts I collected in the county town?

One-tenth? Hmph, even if they don't give it to me, can't I take it myself? I have to secure an inheritance for my son.

After the division of the family, Fourth Master Zhu moved out the fastest. He had been living outside for a long time anyway.

"Third Brother, I still have a few escort agencies and gambling houses under me. Your salt shops have all been taken over by Second Brother. What will you do now?" Fourth Master Zhu worried for his brother.

Third Master Zhu patted his younger brother's broad shoulder and said with relief, "It's kind of you to still think of your third brother. Don't worry, after all these years, I'm not foolish. There are so many managers following me, and Second Brother certainly won't tolerate them. For the sake of these subordinates, I have to take a risk."

He then remembered something and reminded his brother, "By the way, you can manage your escort agency well, but as for the gambling houses... you'd better close them."

"Why is that?" The escort agency barely breaks even with those men on payroll, while the gambling houses were Fourth Master Zhu's main source of income. He was certainly reluctant to give them up.

"I have an uneasy feeling. If you heed my advice, close all the gambling houses." Third Master Zhu's tone grew heavy.

—

Zhu Zening moved to a new home, very close to the Huaqi Alley where the Song family lived. Song Tingzhou and Wu Zhaoyuan, who had just recovered from a serious illness, both came to congratulate him.

Third Master Zhu had bought the property and then went off on a business trip, leaving Zhu Zening at home.

"Zhao Yuan, if you don't mind, you can come and live with me, or you could stay at the school dormitory. That would be good too." Afraid that Wu Zhaoyuan might overthink it, Zhu Zening changed his suggestion midway.

Although Wu Zhaoyuan had gone through a great ordeal, the melancholy between his brows had dissipated. "Thank you for your kindness, Ze Ning, but I have decided to go to the Chongwen Academy in the south."

Song Tingzhou asked in surprise, "If you go to Chongwen Academy now, what about next spring's metropolitan examination?"

Wu Zhaoyuan had clearly thought it through. "After this experience, I've come to see things clearly. Staying in Changping... might not lead anywhere. Only in the south can I give it a try. I'll skip next year's metropolitan examination. The academies in the south are all renowned. I might as well take this prime time to go south and broaden my horizons."

In the past, he studied hard to escape the control of Prefect Wu, to achieve success and make those who looked down on him see him in a new light.

Now that he had broken away from the Wu family, he wanted to live for himself, to find the purpose of studying for the imperial examinations, and to see his true heart.

What he left unsaid, Song Tingzhou and Zhu Zening understood.

Wu Zhaoyuan had made up his mind. As brothers, they could only raise their tea cups and say "take care."

In early May, Zhu Zening and Song Tingzhou saw Wu Zhaoyuan off at the ferry west of the city. All the words that needed to be said had been said. Qiu Ying called from behind, "Young master, the boat is here."

The three of them clasped their fists in farewell. Zhu Zening and Song Tingzhou, without prior agreement, one stuffed a money pouch into Wu Zhaoyuan's arms, the other tossed a bundle to Qiu Ying.

After completing their actions, they turned and left, their carefree backs softening the sadness of goodbye.

Wu Zhaoyuan clutched the money pouch, both touched and amused.

Qiu Ying ran over and whispered, "Young master, the bundle thrown by Juren Song contains silver, tonics, pastries and fruits... and even a short blade!"

Wu Zhaoyuan took the bundle and felt the hard, cold object at the bottom. He said with a sigh, "So thoughtful. It must have been prepared by his husband."

While Song Tingzhou went to the ferry to see people off, Meng Wan dragged a small stool over to the courtyard and nibbled mung bean cakes in tiny bites.

Chang Jinhua thought he looked like a little dog and couldn't help teasing him. "I've got peanuts inside. Want some?"

Meng Wan swallowed the mung bean cake, clapped his hands, and said, "Yes, I'll get some myself."

Chang Jinhua stood up. "Sit down. They're still raw. I'll fry them up for you."

Meng Wan called out cheerfully, "Thank you, Mother. Mother is so kind!"

Chang Jinhua's mouth couldn't help turning up, her steps becoming lighter.

When Song Tingzhou returned, Meng Wan and his mother-in-law each brought a small stool, with a small basin of stir-fried peanuts at their feet, eating and shooting the breeze.

Xue Sheng took advantage of the nice weather and led the horse to the back for brushing and washing. Bi Yun was letting dough rise in the kitchen to make red bean buns for dinner.

Meng Wan proudly showed off a handful of shelled peanuts. "Mom just fried them. They're really fragrant."

Mother spent all that time frying them, and so it turns out they're all shelled for Da Lang.

Meng Wan quickly fed Song Tingzhou one peanut and put the rest in Chang Jinhua's hand. "Who said they're all for him? I peeled them all for you, Mother. I only gave him one."

Chang Jinhua shook her head with a smile. "I was just teasing you, son. You two eat them yourselves. I'll go check on the kitchen."

After she left, Meng Wan pulled Song Tingzhou to sit down. While eating peanuts, he asked, "Has Juren Wu left?"

Song Tingzhou also grabbed a handful of peanuts from the basin and started shelling them. "He's gone. Before he left, he went to the river to burn incense. No more worries."

Meng Wan nodded. "That's good. I heard that to get into Chongwen Academy, you have to pass three rounds of exams. Will he be okay?"

Song Tingzhou handed the shelled peanuts to Meng Wan and said gently, "If he doesn't make it the first time, he can try again. Brother Wu is like a new man now. As long as he calms down, it shouldn't be hard."

Meng Wan ate them himself and occasionally fed one to Song Tingzhou. Chang Jinhua called from the kitchen, "Don't eat too many snacks. You won't be able to eat dinner."

"We know, Mother."