Chapter 355 Reluctance

Chapter 355: Hard to Say Goodbye

"...Those two people were like that—they started the fight first, then after a few words, they just left."

"If Uncle Ge had been there, those two definitely wouldn't have gotten away."

A Yan went on and on for a while, still sneakily snitching that Old Ge couldn't take them.

Old Ge limped in, one hand on his back, and knocked A Yan on the back of the head. "You little rascal, ain't your grandpa tough? I let 'em off easy—it's not that I couldn't beat them!"

A Yan rubbed his head and turned around, making a funny face at Tong'er behind Old Ge's back.

Tong'er made one back at him, then Old Ge, who was right there, knocked him twice.

Meng Wan sat inside fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan. "With skills like that, why go digging up graves on a mountain? What kinda grudge could they have?"

After all, Sanquan Village is tiny—who could they have pissed off?

Que Geer had moved into the shelter. Meng Wan told him to learn to write and do embroidery with the other children there, since he couldn't really make a living in Sanquan Village. Meng Wan planned to take him to the charity school when he left, where he could do odd jobs and help take care of the kids.

Just then, Chang Jinhua came back after buying over ten pounds of pork lard for the shelter kids. She walked over to Meng Wan and dragged him away from A Yan and Tong'er.

"The Tians' grave next door got dug up!" Chang Jinhua exclaimed.

Meng Wan thought, well, now we know who pissed someone off.

Noise was coming from the courtyard next door. The Tian family had quite a few members. Most of the older folks from Xiao Mei and Tian Xing's side had died, so uncles and aunts came by to comfort the young couple. They said nice things in the yard, but the second they left, they'd brush themselves off like they were scared of catching something.

The Tian family was just too cursed. All their deaths had been creepy enough, and now even dead they couldn't rest. Grave robbers usually hit new graves to strip the bodies and sell the clothes—nobody'd ever heard of stealing rotten bones. Now folks were even more scared to get close, and even the village kids were told not to play with Xing Geer.

Before, the kids had been warned by their folks, but when Xing Geer came up, some would still say a few words to him. This time, they avoided him like the plague and wouldn't even talk to him. Only A Yan and Tong'er would still come around to play with him sometimes.

The whole grave-digging thing never got solved, and after a couple days, everyone forgot about it. Then the villagers started spreading rumors that Yang Chun from Yangjia Village got killed. His parents, not willing to let it go, reported it to the county office in Guyang County, and later the constables even came by to question Que Geer.

Que Geer had been recovering at the shelter the whole time. Not only could the kids there vouch for him, but the villagers could too. In the end, nobody was caught, and then the rumor changed to say someone had been caught—some drifter from who knows where.

Meng Wan: "..."

As expected of someone from the Censorate—they really could spin nonsense into something believable.

"Husband, someone's here." Chi Yu was tanned dark from sitting on the wall in the sun. A real man from the Lingnan mountains—Meng Wan couldn't take even a little sun and was soaked in sweat, but Chi Yu didn't give a damn about the heat.

"Who's here?" Meng Wan walked toward the door.

An old man and a young man came out of the village, the younger one with a basket on his back—probably bringing something.

The two really did head straight for his door. When he saw Meng Wan come out, the young man froze for a second, then recovered and said, "Greetings, Uncle."

Meng Wan could tell the young man had the refined air of a scholar even in plain clothes, so he guessed who he was. "Just call me Little Uncle." Then he said to the old man, "Fifth Brother, bring the boy inside and sit."

The honest-looking farmer nodded and followed Meng Wan inside, looking nervous, bumping into Chang Jinhua and greeting her. "Auntie."

The two families were only distant clan relatives and had never visited each other before. Chang Jinhua, who'd been away from home for years, thought for a second before recognizing him. "Fifth Brother? You've changed. Come in and sit—is this Song Zhi? He's all grown up."

Song Zhi's dad hadn't even gotten inside before he started apologizing. "That eldest aunt of his has a mouth on her, just like that. Auntie, please... don't take it personally. Song Zhi and I bought some things from the prefectural city..."

He was a man of few words and couldn't explain himself well. Song Zhi bowed deeply to Chang Jinhua and Meng Wan. "Auntie, Little Uncle, my father and I rushed back overnight. We didn't even go home—we went straight to my eldest aunt's house. As a younger generation, I couldn't speak out of turn, but my father gave her a thorough scolding. These things aren't worth much, but they're a small token of our family's sincerity."

In the basket were two bolts of brocade cotton cloth and a box of pastries. The oil paper wrapping on the cloth had come loose a bit, revealing a pinkish-orange fabric—the kind an unmarried young man might like.

Chang Jinhua had the servants serve tea and refreshments to comfort the two. No matter how angry she was at Song Zhi's eldest aunt, that anger shouldn't be taken out on Song Zhi and his father—she knew where to draw that line.

Meng Wan saw them out, looking wilted from the sun, half-closing his eyes. He said lazily, "Song Zhi, if your eldest aunt bothers my mother again, I won't be so easygoing next time."

There was an undeniable authority in his words. Song Zhi had no doubt about the seriousness of it. Flustered, he made more promises, and after leaving the Song family, he went to his own aunt's house and gave her another scolding.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the weather began to turn cool. Meng Wan still remembered how Song Tingzhou had pitifully begged him to return to the capital early before leaving, so he started nagging Chang Jinhua about setting off before it got cold.

Chang Jinhua was annoyed by his nagging at first, but after a few days of it, she grew gloomy. Finally, she laid her cards on the table with Meng Wan.

"Can Mother stay in the village for the New Year this year?"

Meng Wan was startled at first, then thought it over. Chang Jinhua was getting older and hadn't been home in a long time—wanting to stay for the New Year was only natural. "That's fine, then. I'll write to my husband, and we'll return to the capital next year."

He'd just have to let Song Tingzhou down a little—after all, he bore heavy responsibilities now, unlike Meng Wan, who managed the rear.

Chang Jinhua knew he'd misunderstood and added, "Mother will stay here alone for the New Year. You take A Yan back to the capital—don't delay his studies."

"How can that be?" Meng Wan was worried about leaving Chang Jinhua alone in her hometown.

Chang Jinhua laughed. "Why not? Your mother isn't so old she can't walk. Didn't you want to recruit people to grow cotton? Mother will stay and help you watch over it next spring."

Meng Wan paced around the room twice, then asked Chang Jinhua, "Mother, you really won't come back with me?"

"Wan Geer, have some pity on your mother. Being cooped up in a courtyard all day is no life for anyone. Those six months in Shengjing weren't as comfortable as Lingnan." Chang Jinhua had originally been an ordinary farmer. Following Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou had broadened her horizons, but after finally being persuaded to open her own shop and earn money, being shut back up in a big mansion was suffocating her.

When Chang Jinhua said to let Meng Wan pity her, she knew he cared most about her feelings and never did anything to upset her. Compared to Song Tingzhou, Meng Wan was more like her own son.

Sure enough, Meng Wan only thought it over for one night before agreeing the next day. However, he insisted on leaving Wei Ying, Yunque, Songshan, and Song Qiao with Chang Jinhua.

Chang Jinhua only wanted the two maidservants. She told Songshan and Song Qiao to go with Meng Wan, to drive the cart and run errands on the road, so Chi Yu wouldn't have to leave Meng Wan's side.

Knowing Meng Wan was still uneasy, Jin Gu also volunteered to stay behind. But Huang Ye would definitely return to the capital with Meng Wan—this meant mother and son would be separated again.

"Times have changed. Knowing he's working under Meng Fulang, what do I have to worry about?" Jin Gu was carefree and showed little reluctance. She meant what she said. Huang Ye's indenture contract had been burned by Meng Wan, who had also properly registered him and Jin Gu in the household registry. More than a servant, Meng Wan treated Huang Ye as a subordinate, even a younger brother. With a master like that, what did Jin Gu have to worry about?

The Song family had helped them mother and son too much to ever repay. It was only right to carefully look after the old lady.

Huang Ye was at ease too. His mother had survived years in the mines; a little time in the countryside to relax would do her good.

With everything settled, Meng Wan was eager to return to the capital—Song Tingzhou's letters urging him back were arriving one after another.

Before leaving, Meng Wan visited all four counties' charity schools. Fortunately, there was no repeat of the Guyang County situation. The other schools were all normal—the children taken in were grateful, and only someone who hadn't had enough of being a beggar would cause trouble.

Que Geer was left at the charity school in Guqing County. This school was special: all the children taken in were surnamed Yan. At the entrance stood not a stele carved with Meng Wan's name, but a stone statue of Yan Changsheng that the people of Guqing County had erected after the flood.

Everyone in Guqing County should remember Yan Changsheng's contributions. Without him, there would be no one left in Guqing County.

Meng Wan had purchased farmland in all four counties. Except for the land in Sanquan Village and the twenty-plus mu compensated to him by the Zhang family in Guyang County, everything else was registered under the charity schools' names, ready to plant cotton next spring.

"Are you sure you won't come to the capital with me and stay in the village with your aunt?" Meng Wan asked Yu Geer as he stepped onto the carriage.

Yu Geer's attitude was firmer than before. "I'm not going, cousin-in-law. It's good staying in the village with Auntie."

"Oh, suit yourself then." Meng Wan was fairly satisfied—the more people who stayed to keep Chang Jinhua company, the better.

He was busy with many matters and gave a few more instructions. Finally, he singled out Song Rui from the shelter. "And Song Rui, study hard at the clan school. Your clan uncle said that if you can pass the imperial exam at the county level, he'll bring you to Shengjing to study."

Song Rui couldn't believe it. "Go to Shengjing?"

Meng Wan, already seated in the carriage, called back from inside, "Right, study hard."

Half of the mountain goods and furs Meng Wan had procured were left for Chang Jinhua; if she weren't around, there'd be no point in him keeping all this stuff. Even so, the five carriages that came were now seven heading back to the capital.

All the household servants—men, women, and boys alike—could ride horses and drive carts, a skill learned in Lingnan. With fewer hands to drive on the way back, Meng Wan hired two coachmen, each with their own cart, just enough to haul the mountain goods.

As the vehicles drove out of the village, Chang Jinhua stood at the gate watching until the tears came. She hadn't shed a tear when Song Tingzhou left, accustomed to his frequent absences in Lingnan, but with Meng Wan taking A Yan and Tong'er away, she felt a hollow ache in her chest.

Jin Gu called out to her from the courtyard, "Old Madam, it rained yesterday—shall we go pick mushrooms in the mountains?"

Chang Jinhua wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, "Have Wei Ying grab the baskets—let's go!"

On the way back, Meng Wan stopped by Changping Prefecture as usual to rest for the night. If he weren't worried about Song Tingzhou getting anxious, he could've stayed another day or two. Huang Zheng was no problem, but he needed to visit the Zhu family.

After the Zhu family was raided and their assets confiscated, Third Master Zhu had moved. Even if they could've bought back the old place, he and Fourth Uncle Zhu didn't want to—the whole family had died off, and living there would feel cursed.

Later, when Zhu Zening married, Third Master Zhu, who traded sugar in the north, bought a new residence, five courtyards deep. Over the years, he'd done well and expanded it himself. Compared to the old imperial merchants and salt dealers, he came up short, but his money pouch was stuffed with his own hard-earned cash.

It was rare to find him home when Meng Wan called, and he gave a bitter smile at the sight of Meng Wan, his face had more wrinkles, and his hair was streaked with gray.

"It's all fate—can't not believe it. Maybe the Zhu family just wasn't meant for officialdom." Third Master Zhu sighed deeply. The spirited energy he'd once had when he wanted to invest in Meng Wan's relay stations seemed to have faded, and his once-erect frame had begun to hunch.

Meng Wan didn't know how to console him. "Third Uncle, don't blame Zening. When villains scheme deliberately, even the utmost caution can't prevent it."

Life isn't a storybook—when things are going fine, who can know that one day someone might set their sights on you for some reason?

Lan Niang, standing behind the door, felt her nose sting. "It's kind of you not to resent him, but to speak up for him instead."

Meng Wan shifted aside, letting Lan Niang sit beside him. "I said that to comfort Third Uncle. Where's Zening? If he came out, I'd scold him a few times to vent my frustration."

Lan Niang knew he was saying it deliberately—if Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou truly resented Zhu Zening, they wouldn't have come calling at all.

Her tension eased, and she broke into a smile through her tears. "He knows he's lost face and is hiding, too ashamed to come see you."

"He didn't seem like a fool before; I don't know why he's grown so daft." Meng Wan feigned a scold, mainly to reassure Third Uncle Zhu, who was in poor spirits.

"Third Uncle, your family has escaped disaster twice—that's already a stroke of immense luck. Don't dwell on it. Think of when you were a salt merchant in the county—wasn't that good too?"

Third Uncle Zhu had told himself these things before, but the circumstances were different. He was competitive, always hoping his son would change the family's fortunes. Watching the platform rise and fall, how could he be content?

It was too late to say anything more. Third Master Zhu sighed again. "Wan Geer, your third uncle is old. I don't want to stir things up anymore—I'll skip the relay station down south. Your fourth uncle is rash by nature, and I don't trust him to go alone, so I'll keep him close."

Meng Wan understood his shift in mindset and could sympathize. "I understand, Third Uncle. If the Zhu family needs anything from me, just send word to the capital."

Third Master Zhu and Lan Niang were deeply grateful. Knowing Meng Wan would leave at dawn, they busied themselves preparing local specialties from Changping Prefecture for him to take back.

The next morning, Zhu Zening came out to see Meng Wan off. Another two cartloads of goods were loaded up, carriage and all, for Meng Wan. The coachmen were Zhu family servants, who would drive back on their own after delivering Meng Wan to Shengjing.

"Second Sister-in-law." Zhu Zening spoke to Meng Wan with his head bowed.

His once-plump belly had shrunk, and his face couldn't be described as merely thinner—his chin was sharp. His expression was haggard, with heavy bags under his eyes. Of the three of them, he'd been the youngest, but now he looked over a decade older. Clearly, the addictive drugs had done their damage.

"Zening, Lan Niang should have passed on what I said yesterday. Your second brother and I don't blame you, but that was indeed said to comfort Third Uncle and Lan Niang."

Meng Wan's expression turned cold. "You've already let down your family and friends. If you continue to wallow in despair, you'll be doing us all a disservice. Third Uncle is old now—no one will protect you anymore. Take care of yourself."