Chapter 123 Return to Changping

Chapter 123: Returning to Changping

Although Zhu Zening was easygoing and unwilling to dwell on many matters, he had one thing going for him—he did as he was told.

Knowing that Meng Wan wouldn't set him up, he indeed stepped forward to stop the sedan chair and said his piece sincerely. He couldn't see the expression on Lan Niang's face inside the sedan chair, but Fu Peisheng's expression flickered as he ordered the sedan chair carried back.

The members of the Chai family thought they had backed down and began to taunt them again.

"Oh, why have you come back? Weren't you being all tough just now?"

"Who do you think the Chai family is? There are plenty of young ladies and gentlemen in the capital who want to marry into our family!"

"Such a fussy girl can't even tolerate a secondary husband—where is the logic in that?"

"Exactly, exactly!"

Every member of the Fu family was furious. Fu Peisheng stepped forward and shouted, "This is the mansion my family bought. Since the marriage is off, you people of the Chai family came from somewhere, so get the hell back there!"

"What do you mean, your mansion? Can't you see the inscription says 'Number One Scholar's Residence'?"

"If you want to leave, leave now. Don't barge into the Chai family's mansion."

The Chai family members were shocked and angry, clearly not expecting them to come for the house. They were illiterate and only knew that the plaque hanging over the main gate read "Chai." In their eyes, this mansion had long since become theirs—why would they hand it back to the Fu family? They immediately rushed forward to argue with the Fu family.

Meng Wan managed to grab a long wooden pole and quietly handed it to Zhu Zening, then pointed at the plaque hanging over the main gate—"Number One Scholar."

Time to show off and score some points.

Amidst the chaos between the two families, a loud crash suddenly rang out. The plaque hanging over the gate had been knocked off.

All the Chai family members glared angrily. Zhu Zening held tightly onto the pole, thinking to himself, What are you staring at? A group of shameless people bullying a young lady and trying to steal her place.

He stood there fearlessly and said, "Naturally, this mansion goes to whoever paid for it!"

Seeing that Fu Peisheng was still spaced out, Meng Wan grew anxious. He walked over to the sedan chair and asked Lan Niang, "Miss Fu, do you have the house deed and land deed for the mansion in your hands?"

Fu Peilan was sharper than her brother. She realized that Meng Wan and his companions were helping her and quickly replied, "Yes, they're in my dowry chest. Do I need to bring them out and confront them?"

Though she usually pretended to be composed in front of noble families, she was still an unmarried young lady who tended to freak out in major situations. Today, she had already done well.

Meng Wan gave a reassuring smile. "With your family background, why lower yourself to argue with them? Just sit back and relax—don't worry."

Even though this was only her second meeting with Meng Wan, Lan Niang felt comforted and oddly at ease from just a few words and a smile.

"Before, at the Earl of Huai'en's mansion... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so rude."

Meng Wan thought to himself: Let Zening put in some effort, and we'll soon be family—no need to be so polite.

But aloud, he nonchalantly calmed her down. "That wasn't rudeness at all. I know you had your difficulties. Didn't I tell you that day? That fancy dress only gives you empty fame."

Meng Wan's words carried a deeper meaning. "Just like this fallen plaque—'Number One Scholar'—but who knows that this mansion actually belongs to your family? For a year or two, you might hold the deed and claim this is your property. But after ten or twenty years, this mansion will silently become the Chai property."

Even the Fu family might come to think it was only natural—isn't that scary?

"Lan Niang, you live for yourself, and only yourself. What kind of person you want to be—that should be decided by you alone." Not stuck in other people's chatter.

The front of the new mansion was in chaos. The guests inside, feeling something was off, came out to watch the commotion. Chai Jun returned.

What was supposed to be a joyous occasion had turned into this embarrassment, and he was mortified. But the fault was truly his. Chai Jun said sincerely, "This mansion does belong to the Fu family. Since the marriage is off, my family naturally won't keep it. But my relatives are all here—could I ask Brother Fu and Miss Fu to allow a few days for me to settle my parents and siblings, and then I'll move out immediately?"

Fu Peisheng was good-natured and easily swayed. Seeing Chai Jun's sincerity, he wavered. "Well..."

"And what about Miss Fu?" Zhu Zening suddenly interjected.

Having gotten involved, he, as an outsider, saw things more clearly.

Fu Peisheng came to his senses. Yes, he couldn't just send his sister back home like this. Letting the Chai family stay for a couple of days wasn't a big deal, but not today! His face instantly turned cold. "You wronged my sister first. Do you expect my family to take the loss and inconvenience my sister just to accommodate your relatives? Move out now, or I'll take you to court and accuse you of occupying a private residence!"

Knowing he was in the wrong, Chai Jun was secretly ticked off at Zhu Zening for meddling. "I don't believe I've offended you, Brother Zhu. In fact, I've always been grateful to you and Brother Song for lending me clothes at the Baohe Hall. I don't understand why you keep interfering in my private matters with the Fu family."

At this, Fu Peisheng's gaze also shifted to Zhu Zening.

Zhu Zening, being stared at by them: ...

Actually, I don't know why either. My father pushed me into this! The pole in my hand was given to me by my sister-in-law!

Heavens! Who would believe that!

Zhu Zening's eye twitched slightly. "I... I just think Miss Fu is innocent and wanted to speak up for her."

Fu Peisheng, deeply impressed, cupped his hands in a bow. "You are a man of real integrity, brother. I will surely come with gifts to thank you another day!"

Zhu Zening said awkwardly, "That's not necess—"

"Then we'll roll out the welcome mat!" Third Master Zhu quickly stepped forward and agreed, simultaneously silencing his son.

The Fu family had many relatives, all hoping to see Lan Niang's marriage to Chai Jun fall through. Even if the Chai family wanted to cause trouble, they would gain nothing. Besides, Chai Jun still cared about saving face, so he could only make his family pack up and leave.

As the Chai family was leaving, they kept grumbling. "Tomorrow, we should demand back all the betrothal gifts we gave the Fu family."

"Two boxes of jewelry and several bolts of fine cloth!"

"And don't forget the fruits and wines and stuff. We can't let them get away with it."

"Damn right!"

Fu Peisheng had had enough. "Those items were all bought with money my family gave Chai Jun! Your family didn't pay a single cent!"

The onlookers were shocked. They hadn't even provided a betrothal gift, but they had taken advantage of the woman's family by occupying a mansion, and now the wedding had ended like this? Was this what the new Number One Scholar was capable of?

Facing the pointed fingers and whispered comments, Chai Jun finally felt humiliated. He couldn't help but yell at his family.

Carrying their bundles, the family left like refugees under the weight of public criticism. Only then was Lan Niang's sedan chair carried into the mansion's rear courtyard.

No feast today. Fu Peisheng stood at the main gate, apologizing to every relative one by one.

Lan Niang stepped out of the sedan chair alone. The orange glow of the setting sun paled in comparison to her fiery red wedding gown. She wore a phoenix crown studded with jewels, and her eyes, as she surveyed the small mansion, shimmered with tears. It seemed she was always choosing the wrong path.

"Miss," her personal maid, Hu Niu, called out.

Lan Niang instinctively went for a handkerchief to dab her tears but lowered her hand at the last moment. Instead, she lightly dabbed her eyes with her fingers and turned around. "What is it?"

"Master Zhu told me to give you this. He's at the moon gate." Hu Niu pointed at the arched gate. Lan Niang followed her gaze but only caught a glimpse of an elegant silhouette.

"Oh, he's gone," Hu Niu said in surprise.

Lan Niang looked down at what Hu Niu had handed her: a clean white handkerchief and a small white porcelain box, smaller than the palm of her hand.

She gently lifted the lid and brought it to her nose, sniffing it. A crisp, herbal scent wafted over slowly.

Opening her palm, the scratches that had been pierced by her fingernails were no longer bleeding, though a faint stinging pain from the sweat still lingered.

—

Having attended a wedding that felt like a farce, Song Tingzhou and Meng Wan could no longer afford to tarry in the capital; otherwise, they would miss the deadline for taking up their posts. Besides, if they had time to stay in the capital, they would rather return to their hometown to live. They hadn't yet seen what their new house looked like!

They packed what they needed, hired some escorts who had a decent reputation in the capital, loaded two carts of belongings, and left most of the rest in the capital. They didn't bring any servants. In this way, they set out on the road back to their hometown traveling light.

They first traveled by water from Shengjing to Fengtian, then transferred to the official road from Fengtian to Changping to rest and reorganize.

After they left, the house in Changping was entrusted to Huang Zheng for management. It was still neat and unchanged, except that the bedding hadn't been aired in a long time and had become slightly damp in the summer.

Huang Zheng was helping them unload the carts. Most of the items remained on the carts, only daily necessities needed to be taken off for use.

When he saw Meng Wan taking out the bedding to sun-dry, he remembered this oversight. Embarrassed, he rubbed his face and said, "Sorry, big brother, I forgot about this."

Meng Wan spread the bedding on the clothesline and casually replied, "It's fine. The climate here is dry, and it's only been these days as we approach autumn that the bedding got damp. It'll be fine after a good airing."

Huang Zheng asked, "So how long will you be staying in Changping this time?"

Meng Wan exchanged a glance with Song Tingzhou, who was working, and the latter said, "Maybe three or four days, maybe five or six days."

Huang Zheng was surprised. "Is there something else to take care of?"

Song Tingzhou said in a deep voice, "Yes, there are some matters."

After the long and tiring journey, Huang Zheng took the escorts to Qingxiao Pavilion to settle in for the night. Xue Sheng went to the shops on the street to buy some food and brought it back. The three of them filled their stomachs, washed up, and rested for the night. The next morning, Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou took gifts to visit the Nie family.

"We arrived in the prefectural city only yesterday and didn't have time to send a visiting card to you, Teacher. Please forgive our discourtesy," Song Tingzhou said, sitting at the lower seat in the Nie family's hall, apologizing to Teacher Nie.

Teacher Nie stroked his beard, unconcerned. "This is hardly worth mentioning. You should have rested well; there was no need to rush to come to me."

Nie Er Fulang liked Meng Wan. Having not seen him for over half a year, he was very affectionate and pulled him over to sit beside him. "Was Shengjing fun?"

Meng Wan complained quietly to him, "Too many rules, and most people are terribly dull. In the half-year there, I barely went out a few times!"

Nie Er Fulang laughed heartily at that. "How can it be as exaggerated as you say? But you're right about one thing, just like your teacher said—people in Shengjing are terribly boring."

Their laughter and chatter were unrestrained, causing Teacher Nie to glance over several times. "Wan Ge'er, are you still writing books?"

Meng Wan straightened his slouched body and answered formally, "To answer you, Teacher, I am still writing, but it's slower now." After all, he no longer intended to make a living from it; he only added a few lines when he had insights.

Teacher Nie sighed, "You are all good children."

Song Tingzhou suddenly spoke up. "I came here this time, first to visit you, Teacher, and second to ask you to bestow a courtesy name upon me, your student."

Originally, when a man reached the age of twenty and underwent the capping ceremony, his courtesy name should be given by his father or a respected teacher. But Song Tingzhou had neither a father nor a teacher, and now that he was about to become an official, he still didn't have a courtesy name.

The implication of his words was that he wanted to formally take Teacher Nie as his master.

Teacher Nie's expression was complex. "You are now an official. You should find a teacher who holds a position at court and can add some support to your career." He had long admired Song Tingzhou, but had hesitated due to these considerations.

Hearing the softening in his words, Song Tingzhou knelt before him decisively. "From the time we first arrived in Changping, you, Teacher, have helped us, the couple, greatly. Later, you taught me for three years in the prefectural school. You are devoted to scholarship and possess both virtue and talent. I humbly beg you to accept me into your tutelage as a disciple."

Seeing this, Meng Wan also knelt down. "Teacher Nie has a noble character; your integrity is like an orchid. My husband is truly honored to have you as his master. When taking a teacher, one should respect their character and knowledge, not their high status, to be considered a worthy master."

Teacher Nie's emotions surged, and he felt a mix of feelings, unable to speak for a long time.

Nie Er Fulang couldn't bear it any longer. "If you accept, accept; if not, then don't. Hurry up and let the children get up!"

Teacher Nie then helped Song Tingzhou up, and Meng Wan got up on his own afterward.

"Very well, I will accept you as my disciple." Teacher Nie's voice trembled slightly.

"I'll go look through the Book of Changes to find an auspicious day for the apprenticeship ceremony." Teacher Nie was erudite and proficient in the Four Books and Five Classics; such matters of finding an auspicious day were within his ability.

"Teacher, no rush. We will only stay in the prefectural city for a few days. We will return to our hometown in a few days. Would it be acceptable to hold the apprenticeship ceremony when we return to the prefectural city?"

"Agreed." Teacher Nie was overjoyed and naturally agreed.

Teacher Nie then kept Song Tingzhou to talk in the study. At noon, they had a meal at the Nie family's before going back.

Next door, Jiang Fulang was playing with a little toddler in the alley. The one-year-old little boy had just learned to walk, stumbling as he threw himself into Jiang Fulang's arms.

Meng Wan greeted him, and he asked with a smile, "I heard long ago that Song Langzhong passed the imperial examination. Have you just returned from Shengjing and are going back to your hometown to pay respects to your ancestors?"

Meng Wan crouched down to play with the little boy. "Yes, we're resting at home for a few days before returning to our hometown. How have you been lately, Jiang Fulang?"

Jiang Fulang's expression was gentle. "I'm fine, thank you for asking, Wan Ge'er. But have you seen Xiao Liu since then? He left without leaving a single word."

Meng Wan paused in his movement, his eyes dimming a little. "He might have returned to his hometown too."

Later in the evening, Huang Zheng came to report the accounts from Qingxiao Pavilion. During the half-year Meng Wan was away, the prefectural city had changed tremendously.

First of all, the prefectural magistrate's three clans were all executed. Not to mention other things, anything related to the salt affairs was a heinous crime. If the Wu family hadn't had such deep roots in the court, the entire nine clans would have been executed to deter the imperial government.

Wu Yong's three clans included his paternal clan, maternal clan, and the family of Madam Wu. The families of Wu Yong's father-in-law, mother-in-law, married daughters, Ge'er, and children—none were spared. They were all dragged to the market and beheaded, and the bloodstains hadn't been washed clean even now.

The master of Baojin Studio was among them. Huang Zheng had gone to the market to watch the excitement at the time, and after returning, he had nightmares all night.