Chapter 100 Former Classmate

Chapter 100: Former Schoolmate

Meng Wan stepped through the door just as Song Tingzhou was about to come looking for him.

"Did you go to the shop? Why didn't you have Xue Sheng escort you?"

Meng Wan was in a good mood and smiled. "I didn't go to the shop. I just wandered around nearby, stomping on bugs for fun."

Song Tingzhou couldn't help but laugh. He put an arm around Meng Wan's neck and said, "Stomping on bugs? Aren't you afraid of dirtying your shoes?"

Meng Wan looked at his soles, covered in mud. He said carelessly, "Well, they're already muddy anyway." He called out to Bi Yun, "Bi Yun, go to the room and bring me a clean pair of shoes. Bring a pair for my husband too."

Song Tingzhou hadn't changed his shoes when he returned either, so both of them had mud on their feet. The paths in their courtyard were paved with bluestone slabs, kept spotless by Xue Sheng's cleaning. Dirtying them would mean extra work.

During the evening meal for the family of three, Meng Wan said to Chang Jinhua, "Mother, tomorrow let's go visit Jiang Fulang."

Chang Jinhua picked up a spare rib and placed it in his bowl, puzzled. "Why go to his place? He's already troubled enough. Visiting and making him entertain us would only add to his worries, wouldn't it?"

Meng Wan had just finished gnawing on the spare rib when Song Tingzhou put a piece of roast goose in his bowl.

"You have a point. Without a proper reason, we'd be imposing on him. How about we invite her out to watch a play and listen to music instead?"

Seeing another pair of chopsticks reaching toward him, he quickly ate the roast goose, scraped his bowl clean, and put down his chopsticks. "Don't keep piling food on my plate. I'm full!"

Chang Jinhua's chopsticks halted mid-air, and she put the meat into her son's bowl. "Then give it to Da Lang. If you don't want meat, eat some more vegetables."

Meng Wan's eyes flickered. He suddenly leaned close to Chang Jinhua and said, "Mother, are you hoping for a grandchild?"

Chang Jinhua nearly choked on her rice. This sly one—just a few extra pieces of food in his bowl and he saw right through her.

"I just think you're not as plump as others. I wanted you to put on some weight," Chang Jinhua said stubbornly.

"Oh~" Meng Wan said seriously, "In the tenth month of this year, I'll be going with my husband to the capital to prepare for the metropolitan exam. Now isn't the time to have a child. We need to settle the household first."

Chang Jinhua couldn't hide her disappointment. In the village, children were simply born and raised. Her family wasn't short of silver now, but Wan Geer always had his reasons. She trusted him.

"Then tomorrow, no spare ribs. We'll have noodles instead."

She believed him, but she could still show her temper.

Meng Wan smiled helplessly. "Whatever Mother makes, I'll eat."

Back in their room, the two sat opposite each other at the desk, each busy with their own work. Meng Wan was the first to set down his brush. It had taken him nine days to paint a spring rain scene. The detailed brushwork was finally complete. He planned to send it to his teacher for critique in a couple of days, and it would be over a month before Mr. Xiang's reply arrived.

Seeing Meng Wan put down his brush, Song Tingzhou, who had been watching him, said, "Wan'er, today after school, I encountered that woman from yesterday again."

Meng Wan's face showed displeasure. "How coincidental. Was she waiting for you on purpose?"

Song Tingzhou nodded honestly. "She was waiting for me on purpose. She said those things again. I didn't even listen to the end before I ran home."

Meng Wan couldn't hold back a smile. He walked over to Song Tingzhou and sat on his lap, praising him. "That's my husband. So upright and honorable."

Song Tingzhou took his hands and placed them on his own shoulders. He wasn't satisfied with this compliment. "It's not because of my character. It's because you are in my heart. There's no room for anyone else."

Seeing his earnest explanation, Meng Wan's heart suddenly trembled in his chest. A bittersweet emotion flowed through him, warming his limbs.

He threw his arms around Song Tingzhou's neck, closed his eyes, and leaned against his chest, letting out a soft "Mm."

South of the city, there was also a large entertainment venue. It was said there was a resident opera troupe quite famous there. Unlike Xue Sheng's troupe, which had to travel far and wide, this troupe had put down roots and no longer wandered.

Meng Wan reserved a second-floor box and invited Jiang Fulang to watch the opera. On the box's table were dried peanuts, roasted sunflower seeds, and two plates of candied fruit Meng Wan had bought separately.

Jiang Fulang brought a young attendant along. The attendant's pregnancy mole was beside his lips.

Meng Wan silently thought it a pity. It wasn't one with a mole on the forehead. He wondered if it was just coincidence, but he hadn't encountered such a one even once, which only piqued his curiosity even more.

It was only after he invited Jiang Fulang out a third time that he finally saw that young attendant named Xiao Liu.

"Xiao Liu's mole is really attractive," Meng Wan said.

Madam Jiang smiled gently. "Everyone who sees Xiao Liu says the same. Three years ago, a book became wildly popular in the prefectural city, and later it was adapted into an opera. I was a huge fan of it at the time. When I met Xiao Liu, he reminded me of the fox spirit Xiao Liu from the book. Coincidence, isn't it?"

Meng Wan, who had written that book and created that character, had never imagined that a real person would be named Xiao Liu, and with his pregnancy mole also between his eyebrows. But the fox spirit Xiao Liu was peerlessly beautiful, while Madam Jiang's young attendant was plain-looking, the kind you'd hardly notice in a crowd.

Meng Wan gave Xiao Liu a casual glance, then smiled faintly. "Very coincidental."

Changping Prefecture School—

For the past few days, Song Tingzhou had Xue Sheng drive him to and from school each day. He never encountered that woman again. He breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he was afraid of a woman, but such incidents could easily be misunderstood if seen by others. Even if he had done nothing wrong, hearing any gossip about it would only add unnecessary trouble for Wan'er.

Though the path home was now free of that pest, someone even more annoying emerged in the prefecture school.

Zhang Jizu approached him with a delighted expression. "Brother Song, what a coincidence to run into you! Are you heading to the public dining hall? How about we go together?"

Three years had passed, and he had actually passed the prefectural exam and become a *xiucai* this year, even entering the prefecture school.

Song Tingzhou stared at him, his expression unreadable. After a moment, without responding to his words, he turned and left with Zhu Zening.

"Does Brother Zhang know Song Tingzhou?" Zhang Jizu was an expert at forging connections. He hadn't been at the prefecture school long but had already befriended many like-minded companions.

Hearing the question from his fellow *xiucai*-classmate, Zhang Jizu smiled bitterly. "Brother Song and I are from the same hometown. We studied together for a few years in our early days. I never thought that when we met again, he would already be an esteemed Juren Master. Well, I suppose it's just me, the one who reached too high."

At these suggestive words, the others couldn't help but sympathize with him.

"You were both townsmen and former classmates, yet he was so cold? Isn't that too arrogant?"

"That's right! A *juren* may be something, but what's there to be proud of?" The one who said this was definitely a newly enrolled *linsheng* in the prefecture school.

"Song Tingzhou is exceptionally talented but has a strange character and few friends," said a student who had interacted with Song Tingzhou before.

Zhang Jizu's eyes flickered. "Oh? Brother Song hasn't changed his temper. But I've seen he often goes around with a classmate who looks quite young."

Someone replied, "That's Zhu Zening, a descendant of the imperial merchant Zhu family. The family is enormously wealthy."

Another countered, "His third branch has been separated from the family. They're no longer part of the main Zhu household."

Zhang Jizu took note of all this. He thought to himself: *Song Tingzhou, since I've come to the prefectural city, you'd better not hope to rise any higher. What I can't reach, you won't either!*

Over the years, he had repeatedly traveled to Changping to take the prefectural exam, failing again and again. The *linsheng* Zheng even let his own son languish rather than marry him, a mere *xiucai* candidate.

He had buried himself in his studies and finally, at twenty-seven, passed the exam to become a *xiucai*. Then he reluctantly married into the Zheng family, wedding their homely and much older son.

Even though he had crossed class boundaries from a remote town, he felt no joy. After old *linsheng* Zheng spent money and pulled strings to get him into the prefecture school, he learned that Song Tingzhou had not only become a *juren* but also ranked among the top in the school.

A sharp mind, excellent grades, good looks, and a husband who could also earn money and manage the household. What right did that reticent Song Tingzhou, who wouldn't say a word if beaten with a stick, have to all this?

After school ended, Xue Sheng drove the carriage and stopped at the Song family's doorstep, with an ordinary horse-drawn carriage trailing behind them. After Song Tingzhou got off, the curtain of the following carriage was lifted, revealing Zhang Jizu's hypocritical smiling face.

"Brother Song lives here, so close to the prefectural school—this must be expensive, right?"

Song Tingzhou paused mid-step as he was about to walk forward, then suddenly turned back and said, "I heard your ranking in the prefectural exam wasn't that good. How did you get into the prefectural school? I also heard that after you got married, you lived with the Zheng family—so did Zheng Linsheng pull some strings for you?"

His voice was not intense, but rather very calm. Yet when those cold and indifferent eyes glanced at Zhang Jizu, Zhang Jizu still felt a chill run through him.

He could no longer maintain his hypocritical expression. "I don't know what you're talking about." After saying this, he dropped the carriage curtain and urged the driver to leave quickly.

Song Tingzhou watched the Zheng family's carriage with a deep, piercing cold gaze.

"Why are you standing at the door and not coming in? I only knew you were back when Xue Sheng led the horse inside." Meng Wan peeked his head out to look at him.

When Song Tingzhou turned around, the coldness in his eyes instantly softened. "I was just talking to someone."

Meng Wan called to him, "Come on in, dinner's ready! I made your favorite scallion pancakes."

Summer had just begun in the past few days, and the weather was starting to heat up. Meng Wan had been busy in the kitchen and was covered in a thin layer of sweat, his fair complexion tinged with pink. The way he tilted his head to look at him was incredibly adorable.

Song Tingzhou's heart melted into a puddle. "You've worked hard, Wanwan."

"Not at all! Come on."

A large platter of scallion pancakes was golden and crispy on the outside, with the scallions fried to a golden brown. When torn apart, you could hear a crisp crackling sound.

Each person had a bowl of cucumber and egg soup. On the table were two plates of cold dishes to eat with the scallion pancakes, leaving a lingering fragrance in the mouth.

Meng Wan first picked up a piece of pancake for Song Tingzhou. "You've always loved my pancakes, and I haven't made them in a while."

Song Tingzhou reached out and picked one for him. "Wan'er makes them delicious."

Seeing Chang Jinhua quietly taking a pancake for herself, he added, "I also enjoy the meals Mother makes on ordinary days. You've worked hard, Mother."

Chang Jinhua couldn't help but laugh. "Da Lang must have learned this from you—he can speak such sweet words now."

Meng Wan chuckled and said, "My husband spoke from the heart. He's not the type to be glib."

Chang Jinhua snorted. "He's not, but you are."

After dinner, Song Tingzhou accompanied Meng Wan for a stroll in the alley. They happened to run into Master Jiang taking Concubine Tao out.

The two sides exchanged pleasantries briefly, but Concubine Tao always shrank behind Master Jiang, not daring to lift her head.

Once the Song couple had walked far away, Master Jiang said in a dissatisfied tone, "Song Fulang was speaking to you, and you didn't even respond?"

Concubine Tao looked flustered. "I... I..."

Master Jiang frowned deeply, as if disgusted by her embarrassment. "Forget it. Let's go back. After all, she's just a village woman, not as bold as Meng Fulang."

Meng Wan chatted with Song Tingzhou as they walked. "No wonder Mother suddenly became anxious about the baby matter recently. Guess what?"

Song Tingzhou shook his head.

"Sister Chunfang is pregnant again! She's really going to have two in three years!" Meng Wan said in admiration.

After Feng Jinzhang failed the examinations, he became much more subdued, mainly because the rich young men stopped hanging out with him. When he heard that his younger brother and sister-in-law had arrived, he moved to the breakfast shop and managed to repair his relationship with Lu Chunfang a bit.

In recent years, Lu Chunfang had been in good health, and women are more fertile than xiaoge, so it's not surprising she got pregnant. Last year she had her first daughter, and Meng Wan and Chang Jinhua went to the full-month banquet. Now the first child is only one year old, and she's already pregnant with the second.

Not only her, but Qin Niang also gave birth to a daughter. Seeing others having children one after another made Chang Jinhua envious.

Song Tingzhou held Meng Wan's hand. "We're not in a rush."

Thinking of Jiang Fulang, who had difficulty bearing children, he added solemnly, "Even if I have no children at forty, I'm willing to spend my life with you."

Meng Wan said matter-of-factly, "Of course. Otherwise, do you expect me to let you take a concubine? If you dare to mess around outside, I'll naturally go south to join my master, and I'll make sure you can never find me."

Song Tingzhou's grip on Meng Wan's hand tightened, filled with panic and unease. He quickly assured, "I would never..."

"Enough."

Meng Wan interrupted him and chuckled lightly. "How could I ever give you that chance?"

After sending off the completed painting for the assignment, Meng Wan began preparing the refined outline so that the writers in the pavilion could brainstorm and develop similar stories based on it.

In addition, he worked on a few true comic books, a blend of modern line drawing and ancient ink styles. He thought they looked decent, but he wasn't sure if readers would accept this style. He could test the waters with one book.

The affairs of Qingxiao Pavilion were actually quite tedious. Fortunately, Huang Zheng oversaw other aspects, so Meng Wan only had to focus on what he wanted to do.

The next morning, as usual, Song Tingzhou left first. Meng Wan took Bi Yun out, first went to the pavilion for a meeting, called a few senior employees, organized a brief outline from the general one, and distributed it to them.

Baojin Studio had subsequently poached several people from the second floor. Fortunately, Meng Wan had plenty of ideas in his head. Let them poach—he still had new ones.

But this also helped him filter them out. The remaining ones, including Wan Sui, had been with him from the start and were basically not going to jump ship, so he could delegate tasks more confidently.

Next, he had to find a publisher for his comic book. The first choice was undoubtedly Kongmo Bookshop, which used to specialize in books for the imperial examinations but had gradually changed its style due to their long-term cooperation with Meng Wan.

If there's a bargain to be had, it's not like a merchant to pass it up. Second Master Nie didn't handle the bookshop's affairs, but the shopkeeper there wouldn't miss a chance to make money.

Since they were old acquaintances, the shopkeeper didn't put on airs. The books Meng Wan wrote had always been split 60-40 in their favor. Besides, Meng Wan was just testing the waters this time and didn't plan to look for another bookshop, so Kongmo Bookshop had the exclusive deal.