Chapter 203: Identification

Chapter 203: Accusation

The crowd followed the maidservant hastily to the garden. Meng Wan, afraid that someone might truly have met with an accident at his home, hurriedly made his way into the garden.

When he arrived at the scene, he found that things were not as bad as he had imagined. The water at the edge of the pond was shallow, only reaching above a grown person's knees. Juan Niang had fallen in but hadn't choked on water; she was merely drenched from head to toe, with some moss clinging to her.

"Wuwuwu..."

"Ah... I want to go home!"

"Mom... I want my mom."

"Dad, come quickly... wuwuwu."

At this moment, there were not only A Yan and Juan Niang in the garden but also many other children of the guests. The little ones couldn't sit still; after eating for a while, they started to fuss, so the adults, afraid of losing decorum at the Song residence, let the maids take them out to play.

Each young master and miss had brought their own attendants, but with so many children, it was hard to keep an eye on everyone. During play, Juan Niang was pushed by someone, and her maidservant, unable to steady her, fell into the pond with her. Fortunately, the edge of the pond was not deep, and they were quickly pulled out by other maids.

The two maids attending Juan Niang were not very steady; they panicked and left the young miss to go find Xiao Qin Shi, leading to the scene at the banquet.

Xiao Qin Shi's face turned ashen. She first slapped the maidservant who had come looking for her, then scolded the other one who had stayed by Juan Niang and gotten wet. "Useless things! Can't even watch a child properly. Just wait until we get home—I'll deal with you!"

After speaking, she glanced at Juan Niang but didn't go over to comfort her. Instead, Juan Niang's great-grandmother, Old Lady Zeng, stepped forward and grasped the child's cold little hand. "Let great-grandmother see. Did this scare our girl? Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Tell great-grandmother, how did you fall?"

The summer heat was intense, so Juan Niang wasn't cold after falling in, but she still shivered a couple of times. Her eyes involuntarily darted toward a chubby little boy in the crowd. He glared back at her fiercely, making her eyes fill with tears. She said pitifully, "Great-grandmother... no one pushed me."

A child's lie was obvious to the adults. The children present ranged in age; the oldest was that chubby boy, about eight years old, and the youngest was Meng Wan's A Yan.

Meng Wan first looked around and saw that his son was safe and sound, neither crying nor fussing, and immediately felt relieved. "It's all because my servants are too few, which startled the children. I apologize to the ladies and gentlemen here."

Except for the Zeng family, everyone else had a lower social standing than the Song family, so they dared not accept his apology. They hurriedly said, "It's nothing, nothing."

"Yes, bumps and scrapes are common among children. Meng Fulang, don't take it to heart."

Among the children, some were quiet and some were mischievous, and it couldn't be blamed on Meng Wan. But as the host, he had to show proper demeanor.

He bowed apologetically to the crowd and then said to Xiao Qin Shi, "Juan Niang is all wet. If you're at ease, Madam Xiao Qin, let my servants take her to bathe and change clothes."

Xiao Qin Shi refused. With so many people watching, if she let the matter of her daughter being pushed into the pond slide, she would lose face in the inner quarters from now on.

Instead of answering Meng Wan, she walked over to Juan Niang, grabbed her arm, and said coldly, "Xiumei told me everything just now. Someone pushed you into the water. If you dare lie to me again, don't come into my room when we get home, and I won't acknowledge you as my daughter!"

Meng Wan looked on bewildered. He truly didn't understand why a mother would say such harsh words to her own flesh and blood over a trivial matter.

Even the adults found these words excessive, let alone Juan Niang, who was only five years old. She burst into tears and clutched at Xiao Qin Shi's skirt, terrified that her mother would truly abandon her. "Mom, I'll talk. Please don't abandon me."

Juan Niang wiped her tears with one hand and pointed with the other toward the chubby boy. Unexpectedly, Xiao Qin Shi's expression grew even worse. "Are you sure before you point? How could your cousin push you?"

It turned out that the chubby boy was the son of her natal family's elder brother, Xiao Qin Shi's own nephew.

Juan Niang was young to begin with, and after being frightened repeatedly, she lost her own confidence. Her finger wavered and pointed toward the children of the Qin family, where A Yan was standing.

"Is... is it him?"

Xiao Qin Shi's eyes swept toward A Yan. Just as she was about to say something, Chu Ci, who had been sent by Song Tingzhou upon hearing the news, strode over. Without a word, he scooped A Yan into his arms and cast an unhappy glance at Xiao Qin Shi.

Meng Wan smiled at him and then said to the crowd, "This is my godson. He's protective of his younger brother. I hope you'll understand."

"Meng Fulang, what are you saying? Sibling harmony shows closeness; we envy you."

"Yes, my children fight every day until they're at each other's throats."

No one dared say anything else; all were words of praise.

After listening to their flattery, Meng Wan changed his tone and said to Xiao Qin Shi, "A Yan is not yet three years old. Juan Niang is thin, but she's nearly five. Could a child two years younger than her push her down?"

By now, he was already somewhat impatient. He did enjoy a bit of gossip now and then, but he had little patience for bickering over such trivial matters with these people. Meng Wan felt it was a waste of time.

Meng Wan asked A Yan, who was looking bewildered in Chu Ci's arms, "Good boy, Juan Niang says you pushed her. Did you?"

A Yan was somewhat like Song Tingzhou in that he was extremely calm and rarely angered. He shook his little head. "A Yan did not."

"Then did you see who pushed her?" Meng Wan asked again.

A Yan shook his head again. "No, I didn't."

Just then, a child called out, "I saw it! It was Qin Yongshun who pushed her!"

"Kang'er, don't talk nonsense." The child who spoke was the son of the Vice-Prefect, about six years old. The Vice-Prefect's husband, probably afraid of offending someone, quickly stopped him.

Meng Wan said lightly, "Since it wasn't A Yan who pushed her, Juan Niang needs to apologize to her little brother."

It wasn't that he wanted to make things hard for the little girl, but her mother, Xiao Qin Shi, was about to frame his son. Meng Wan was already annoyed.

"S-sorry, A Yan... wuwuwu..." Juan Niang was frightened by the tense atmosphere among the adults and felt it was all her fault, though everyone could see clearly that it was just the adults' scheming.

Xiao Qin Shi protected her nephew, wronged her own daughter, and foolishly tried to throw her weight around in front of Meng Fulang.

Meng Wan wasn't afraid of anyone playing tricks in front of him. He patted Juan Niang's half-wet hair to soothe her and unexpectedly noticed a large bruise on her neck.

Meng Wan paused, then put down his hand. With a cheerful smile, he said to Qin Yongshun, who looked like a little bully, "Little Master Qin, since you pushed her, why don't you apologize to your cousin?"

Qin Yongshun was used to being domineering at home. How could he apologize to Juan Niang, whom he looked down on? He immediately threw himself on the ground, rolling around and throwing a tantrum.

Madam Qin, distressed that her son might hurt himself while crying, hurriedly coaxed him up from the ground and promised him many rewards to stop his crying. "Meng Fulang, I'm truly sorry for the trouble my child has caused you. When I get home, I will definitely bring Yongshun to his aunt's house to apologize. How about we let it go for today?"

No matter what she thought in her heart, Madam Qin was outwardly very polite to Meng Wan.

Meng Wan adjusted the gold hairpins in his hair—two intricately crafted ones he had deliberately worn today. Under the bright sunlight, the intertwined gold threads shimmered with a soft glow. The rubies at the ends of the hairpins were even more dazzling than the pins themselves, adding a touch of opulence to his appearance.

Meng Wan put on an impeccable smile. "You're too kind, Madam Qin. Since this is a family matter between the two ladies, as an outsider, it's not my place to interfere."

Madam Qin gave an awkward smile. "The banquet is over. I'll take my child and leave now."

"Take care, Madam. I won't see you out. Ye Geer, please escort Madam Qin for me." Meng Wan gestured to Huang Ye.

By social rank, as the wife of a merchant, it wasn't necessary for him to personally see her to the door; a polite gesture was enough. This also served as a reminder to others who might think of putting on airs.

Old Lady Zeng, who had remained silent all along, said to Meng Wan, "Meng Fulang, since the matter is settled, could I trouble you for a room so Juan Niang can change into some dry clothes?"

"Please don't worry, Old Madam. I'll have someone take you there right away. However, we don't have any clothes suitable for a young girl here. Should I send a servant to a clothing shop to buy a set?"

"No need to trouble yourself, Meng Fulang. We'll have someone fetch some from home," Old Lady Zeng said politely.

Meng Wan's expression was unreadable. Earlier, when he suggested taking Juan Niang to change, no one responded. Now they remembered the child was still wet?

Interesting.

He gave Zhu Yan, who was leading the Zeng family, a meaningful glance, though he wasn't sure if the child understood.

After this incident, no one really wanted to stay longer, but out of respect for Song Tingzhou's official authority, they hesitated to leave. So they lingered in the garden in small groups, sipping tea and chatting, whiling away the time until the men drinking in the front courtyard finished and could go home together.

Meng Wan rewarded his son with a plate of fruit and asked Chu Ci to take him back to his own small courtyard to eat together. Chu Ci had probably been reluctant to stay in the front courtyard anyway, so bringing A Yan back was a good chance for him to escape.

"Du Fulang, why are you sitting alone in the pavilion?" Meng Wan placed a plate of fruit on the stone table in front of a Fulang.

This was the same Fulang who had earlier stopped his son from speaking. His partner was the newly appointed Vice-Prefect, who had arrived a few days later than them, and still didn't even have a proper place to stay. The invitation had been delivered directly by Song Tingzhou at the government office.

The previous Vice-Prefect Luo had been at odds with Song Tingzhou and was suspected to be under Prince Lian's command. He had been transferred somewhere unknown, which made it convenient for Song Tingzhou to conduct his affairs at the prefectural office.

The newly appointed Vice-Prefect Du had only been around for a short time, so it was still hard to tell his character, but at least he seemed better than Vice-Prefect Luo. Du Fulang appeared cautious and reserved, and Meng Wan wanted to probe a little, to see if he came from a clean background.

Du Fulang seemed flattered and rose to bow. "You flatter me, Meng Fulang. Our family is new here and not familiar with anyone, so I thought I'd sit alone for a while."

Meng Wan gestured for him to sit down and placed the fruit plate in front of Kang'er, who was eyeing it eagerly. "Try some of our fruit. It was picked fresh from the tree this morning."

Kang'er glanced at his father, and only after seeing him nod did he reach out to grab a piece, eating with great enjoyment. Children are simple and easily satisfied; out of a hundred, only two or three are born spiteful.

"Don't be offended, Meng Fulang. I stopped Kang'er earlier because I was afraid he might say something wrong," Du Fulang said nervously.

Meng Wan gave a nonchalant smile. "A small matter like this—I won't take it to heart. You worry too much, Du Fulang."

Du Fulang didn't seem entirely convinced. "That's good to hear. My husband and I are newcomers, without any connections or close allies. We're really afraid of offending people."

Meng Wan laughed. "The Qin family is just a merchant household."

"Not exactly. Didn't Mr. Qin donate for the title of Secretariat Director? Besides, their family has deep roots and great influence locally. I heard that even Prefect Zeng, when he first arrived at Xiwu Prefecture, had to..." Du Fulang swallowed the rest of his sentence and rephrased it. "He was also very courteous to them. Let alone a small family like ours."

Meng Wan was somewhat surprised. It seemed Vice-Prefect Du had done his homework—having been here only a few days, he had already gathered so much information.

He chatted a bit more with Du Fulang and learned that he and Vice-Prefect Du had been transferred from Huzhou. Previously, Vice-Prefect Du had been a County Magistrate in Huzhou, where he had offended the local gentry and struggled during his three years in office. So now that he had been reassigned to Xiwu Prefecture, he was extra cautious to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Meng Wan, seeing that Du Fulang spoke with sincerity, said, "You mentioned you haven't found a place to stay yet? I know two reliable housing agents. How about I have them help you look?" He recalled a time when he and Song Tingzhou had been in a similar predicament, and Nie Zhiyao had helped them find a house.

No, back then they were worse off than Du Fulang was now; Song Tingzhou was just a lowly scholar (xiucai).

"Thank you so much, Meng Fulang. This is really my first time handling such matters," Du Fulang said gratefully.

"It's just a minor effort. I just hope you don't think I'm being too meddlesome."

Meng Wan was always good with polite conversation, and after chatting with Du Fulang for a while, the two grew much closer. Du Fulang even invited Meng Wan to visit once they bought a house.

A little later, the Zeng family brought Juan Niang, who had changed clothes, over to take their leave. Meng Wan saw them out, and the other wives took the opportunity to leave as well.

Meng Wan sent off group after group. In the front courtyard, a few tables of guests remained, and Song Tingzhou couldn't get away just yet.

So Meng Wan went to Chang Jinhua's room to sit with her and talk about the day's events.

"That child is truly pitiable," Chang Jinhua said, referring to Juan Niang.

Meng Wan clicked his tongue. "Indeed pitiful. I noticed the Zeng family didn't seem to care much for her. The two maids with her today looked like they were just assigned at random as rough servants—not even as capable as Zhu Yan."

Right then, Zhu Yan came in to add tea. The little girl couldn't help but smile at the praise from her master. "Oh, master, I did as you instructed and followed them, but the Zeng family didn't want my help. They shooed me out once we reached the guest room. All I heard from inside was scolding."

Who else could they be scolding? Surely Xiao Qin Shi wouldn't be scolding Old Madam Zeng? And Old Madam Zeng wouldn't reprimand her granddaughter-in-law in someone else's home. So the only one being scolded was Juan Niang.

Chang Jinhua frowned and guessed, "Could it be that Xiao Qin Shi favors boys over girls?"

Meng Wan teased, "Oh, Mother, since when do you know about 'favoring boys over girls'?"

Chang Jinhua shot him a look. "If you have another child, I'll love them whether it's a boy or a girl."

She added, "I'd also love a boy, but they wouldn't be as free as A Yan."

The world is harsh on women, and even harsher on boys. Chang Jinhua understood.

Meng Wan looked up at the sky, then down at the ground, avoiding the topic. "Ah, I should go see where Xiao Ci and A Yan have gone."

Chang Jinhua watched him slip out the door and scolded, "What are you running from? I'm not forcing you."