"Old clan elder." A voice suddenly sounded from outside the door.
The people in the room looked up and saw Zhan Lao Er standing in the yard, covered in dust.
Before, Zhan Lao Er had been selling vegetables for the village and was highly sought after by the villagers. Although he didn't put on the ugly pretense of superiority like Xiao Yao Shi, he still maintained an air of condescension.
For the sake of money, the villagers had to humor Zhan Lao Er even if they were unhappy. However, with the vegetable business failing, the men were fine, but the aunts and young wives in the yard were not so polite.
"Zhan Lao Er, what are you doing here? I heard your wife slandered Xiao Yu and Teacher Lin in court." The aunt's grandson studied at the Lin family's private school, so he naturally disliked Zhan Lao Er and Xiao Yao Shi.
Beside her, a young wife sneered, "Perhaps it's because of this that Taifu Restaurant rejected our vegetables. They dare to slander their own niece; who would dare to do business with someone worse than an animal!"
"I'm too ashamed to even listen to the dirty words Xiao Yao Shi said before!" another voice chimed in.
Today's court trial was attended by several villagers outside the court, in addition to Uncle Hu, who drove the ox cart. After returning to the village, they told the village chief and the old clan elder everything that happened in court, and the whole village knew.
Zhan Lao Er wished he could kill Xiao Yao Shi, who was lying in bed crying, but what was more important now was to salvage the vegetable supply business with Taifu Restaurant.
Having been flattered and fawned over by the villagers for more than ten days, Zhan Lao Er had become too accustomed to being praised. How could he bear to return to the status of being glared at and spat upon behind his back?
"Old clan elder, Taifu Restaurant refused me on the grounds of Xiao Yao Shi's improper character," Zhan Lao Er said, looking at the old clan elder and the others who had come out. He looked distressed, feeling both guilty and remorseful. "It's my fault for not managing her properly and implicating everyone. This is all my fault."
The few women who had been mocking him looked at Zhan Lao Er, who was bowing his head in apology, and felt ashamed to blame him further.
The men in the village felt the same. No matter how bad Zhan Lao Er was, he had helped the village earn money by selling vegetables before. One couldn't be heartless! In the end, it was all Xiao Yao Shi's fault; her loose tongue had harmed the entire village.
The old clan elder waved his hand. "It's done now, and there's no use saying more. In the future, you should manage your wife well and honestly farm in the village."
"But selling vegetables can earn more money to supplement our household expenses. Old clan elder, I cannot let Xiao Yao Shi implicate the entire village. I plan to apologize to Master Xie. As long as we can continue to sell vegetables for the village, I'll agree even if I have to beg him on my knees!" Zhan Lao Er spoke with great sincerity.
This time, the villagers felt even more embarrassed to blame Zhan Lao Er, and a glimmer of hope arose in their hearts. If it really worked out, every household could earn money by selling vegetables again!
Zhan Fei Yu leaned against the doorframe, her dark eyes wide as she watched Zhan Lao Er. Her former second uncle, who was always driven by self-interest, was quite the actor.
Seeing that he had stirred up enough emotion, Zhan Lao Er looked up and met Zhan Fei Yu's smiling, chubby face, his expression stiffening.
Grinning, Zhan Fei Yu's eyes curved as she waited for Zhan Lao Er to continue.
"Old clan elder, to show my sincerity in apologizing, I want to divorce Xiao Yao Shi first. That way, Taifu Restaurant cannot use her as an excuse!" Zhan Lao Er said with a stern face, his eyes showing reluctance, but for the sake of the villagers, he had to divorce his wife.
The old clan elder and the others were stunned, as if they had swallowed a fly, staring at Zhan Lao Er, who was "exposing his relatives for the greater good."
Even though Zhan Fei Yu knew Zhan Lao Er was shameless, she still underestimated the extent of his shamelessness. This was truly a case of having it both ways!
With red eyes, Zhan Lao Er knelt on the ground with a thud, his hoarse voice filled with grief and resolve. "Old clan elder, whether you agree or not, I must divorce Xiao Yao Shi to give Master Xie an explanation. The village's vegetable business cannot be ruined because of me!"
Without waiting for the old clan elder and the others to agree, Zhan Lao Er staggered to his feet and pushed through the crowd, presumably heading home to write the divorce letter.
"Wait!" Zhan Fei Yu extended her hand like Er Kang and called out loudly to her former second uncle's tragic back, "No need to write a divorce letter, I'll speak to Taifu Restaurant!"
Turning to the disapproving old clan elder and others, Zhan Fei Yu said crisply, "Great-grandfather, as the saying goes, it's better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage! Master Xie owes me a favor, so Great-grandfather, you don't need to worry. If I speak to him, it's equivalent to him repaying the favor, and he would never dare to take advantage of my kindness."
The old clan elder and the village chief were not indifferent to the failure of the vegetable business, but Zhan Fei Yu's future was more important than earning money. However, hearing her say this, the old clan elder and the others felt a bit more hopeful.
"Fourth Brother is helping in the restaurant's kitchen. I'll have Fourth Brother deliver a message tomorrow, and I'll go see Master Xie after school this afternoon," Zhan Fei Yu said to the village chief.
The village chief was stunned. What did Xiao Yu mean by that? Was she planning to have Fourth Brother lead the vegetable business in the future?
The old clan elder glared at the stunned village chief. He looked quite shrewd usually, but now he was acting foolish.
Zhan Lao Er, who had just reached the courtyard entrance, heard Zhan Fei Yu's words, and his expression immediately became ferocious. This damned girl not only stopped him from divorcing his wife, forcing him to be burdened by the crippled Xiao Yao Shi, but she also wanted to snatch the vegetable business!
Grinding his teeth, Zhan Lao Er wished he could turn around and hack Zhan Fei Yu to pieces. Killing someone wouldn't be as ruthless as her! The villagers in the yard, however, were smiling happily. Compared to Zhan Lao Er, they naturally trusted Zhan Fei Yu, the scholar, more.
...
In the old house, Old Man Zhan was squatting by the main hall door, smoking his pipe. Zhan Lao San had returned from the pier with the ox cart and was unloading it.
"Second sister-in-law, can you stop wailing? It's been all afternoon, and my ears are going deaf!" Ma Shi rushed out of the kitchen angrily, holding a cleaver, and cursed at the east wing where Xiao Yao Shi lived.
Xiao Yao Shi lay on the bed, her voice hoarse from crying. Her knees hurt, her buttocks hurt from the caning, and the bloodstains on her face, scratched by the broom, stung even more when tears soaked them, making her cry out in pain.
Er Lang and San Lang, along with Xiao Niu Niu, had just returned from playing in the village. Before they even entered the yard, they heard Ma Shi's scolding and Xiao Yao Shi's crying. The three children looked at each other and squatted by the wall, watching ants, not wanting to go home at that moment.
A moment later, seeing Zhan Lao Er enter, Old Man Zhan stood up with his pipe and asked anxiously, "Lao Er, did you talk to the clan elder?"
"Second brother, Xiao Yu can now study at the county school. Master Xie doesn't want to offend Xiao Yu, so he wouldn't let you send vegetables! It's useless even if you divorce second sister-in-law!" Zhan Lao San said angrily, looking down on Zhan Lao Er even more.
He had forced his elder brother and sister-in-law away, and then got the vegetable business by marrying off Da Lang to the Xie family's foolish daughter. But what was the result?
Second sister-in-law not only slandered Xiao Yu and Teacher Lin in the village but also dared to speak nonsense in court. Didn't she get caned by Magistrate Chen? The vegetable business also failed. This is retribution!
"Father, I want to divorce my wife! Lao San, I'll send Xiao Yao Shi back to the Yao family with you tomorrow!" Zhan Lao Er said in a chilling voice that made people's hearts turn cold. He looked up, his dark and fierce gaze fixed on Zhan Lao San.
Zhan Lao San, who was usually a rascal, was startled. Just as he was about to retort, he saw Zhan Lao Er turn and go back into the house. He was so angry that he had nowhere to vent his frustration.
Alas... Old Man Zhan dejectedly squatted down again to smoke his pipe, his old face, dark as withered bark, filled with distress. How did such a good family turn out like this?
Inside the house, Old Woman Zhan, who was mending pants by the main door, looked up. Her shriveled, wrinkled old face, however, showed an unprecedented sense of relief. Once this troublemaker was divorced and sent home, this family would be peaceful.
The next day, at dawn, as Zhan Fei Yu stepped out of the courtyard gate, she saw the old house's ox cart pass by. From a distance, she could hear the muffled sounds from the people on the cart, and their feet seemed to be kicking the bottom of the cart.
"What a sin!" Uncle Hu, who was beside her, sighed, shaking his head, and said to Zhan Fei Yu, "Zhan Lao Er tied his wife up with a hemp rope and is sending her back to Yaojia Village."
Zhan Fei Yu watched the ox cart gradually move away in the dim light. When it came to ruthlessness, no one could compare to her former second uncle.
"Xiao Yu, hold on tight," Uncle Hu shouted, and the ox cart slowly moved towards the village entrance.
...
The county school had more than twenty students, divided into Class A and Class B according to their progress. Class A consisted of eight scholars who had participated in the provincial examination but failed.
Class B had more than ten students who had not taken the provincial examination. Some planned to hone their skills at the county school for a few more years, while others planned to take the provincial examination with the Class A students the following August.
In the lecture hall, Teacher Dou was lecturing on the "Shi Tie Shi" (fixed-topic poetry).
"The provincial examination tests five-character eight-rhyme poems, while the Tong Sheng examination tests five-character six-rhyme poems. The official rhyme is limited to one rhyme. The structure and writing style are similar to the 'Zhi Yi Wen' (essay writing). The first couplet is called 'Po Tie' (breaking the topic), the second couplet is called 'Cheng Tie' (continuing the topic), the third couplet is called 'Qi Gu' (raising the topic), and so on."
"Writing poetry is about sentiment; how can it be classified with 'Zhi Yi Wen'?" Wen Min, a round-faced youth, protested, immediately drawing the agreement of his classmates.
When it came to "Zhi Yi Wen," they all got a headache. As for "Shi Tie Shi," as long as it was coherent and did not violate the rules of meter, it was acceptable. The former was a cold and merciless old teacher, while the latter was a young maid with a red sleeve and fragrance.
Zhan Fei Yu, sitting in the front row, couldn't help but laugh at the rising and falling groans.
"Teacher, Junior Sister is attending school for the first day. You can't scare her like this!" Wen Min burst with righteous indignation.
"The teacher equates poetry with 'Zhi Yi Wen.' How are we supposed to live!" A classmate, who always ranked last in "Zhi Yi Wen," said with a mournful face, looking at Teacher Dou with accusing eyes, as if to say, "You are merciless, you are cruel."
Teacher Dou chuckled coldly, "Since you are all masters of poetry, then fine..."
After a moment of thought, Teacher Dou spoke again, "The gentleman should not be idle; he should first understand the hardships of farming and harvesting. Make a five-character eight-rhyme poem on this theme."
Immediately, there was another wave of groans. They only wanted to write about spring flowers, autumn moon, summer lotus, and winter snow, not to choose topics from the Four Books and Five Classics to write poems!
When Zhan Fei Yu was called to the front, Teacher Dou's sternness from before disappeared, and he asked softly, "Do you know where this topic comes from?"
"Replying to the teacher, it is from the 'Shang Shu Zhou Shu'," Zhan Fei Yu lowered her voice, so as not to disturb her senior brothers who were deep in thought below. "It is an article written by Duke Dan of Zhou, who was assisting the young King Cheng of Zhou, to admonish him not to indulge in ease and pleasure."
Teacher Dou asked again, "What is the meaning of this sentence?"
"A ruler should not seek ease and comfort; by first understanding the hardships of farming and harvesting, one can know the suffering of the common people," Zhan Fei Yu said. Her memorization of the Four Books and Five Classics was the foundation for the imperial examinations.
Teacher Dou nodded with satisfaction and continued to explain the "Shi Tie Shi" to Zhan Fei Yu, as she was the only young beginner in the entire county school. "The most difficult part of 'Shi Tie Shi' is the use of allusions, which require the words used to have a source, either historical allusions or phrases used by ancient poets..."
After Teacher Dou finished explaining, Zhan Fei Yu understood how to write the "Shi Tie Shi" for the Tong Sheng examination. Regardless of how well the poem was written, the format must be correct first.
For example, if the topic was "Fish play west of the lotus leaves" and the "fish" character was the rhyme for a five-character six-rhyme poem, it required using ancient poetic lines or idioms as the topic, preceded by "Fu De" (assigned topic). The character "fish" would be the rhyme for this poem.
When class ended, Wen Min was about to take Zhan Fei Yu, who was unfamiliar with the county school, to the refectory. Unexpectedly, a servant walked over quickly. "Young pupil Zhan, the instructor says a guest has come and has been waiting in Sansheng Tower for a long time."
Someone came to the county school to find her? Zhan Fei Yu's first thought was Master Xie from Taifu Restaurant.
Even though Master Xie was not involved in the case of his wife being poisoned, the subsequent rumors were definitely related to him. The village chief's fourth brother should have delivered the message this morning, and Master Xie might want to come and reconcile.
When Zhan Fei Yu walked through a bamboo forest to Sansheng Tower, she saw Chong Guang, with a stern face, standing furiously under the corridor.
Seeing Zhan Fei Yu approach, Chong Guang rushed forward like a firecracker, spitting and roaring, "You foolish girl, how dare you make decisions on such a big matter! And you call yourself a scholar; are Seven Master and I illiterate butchers?"
Her ears were almost deafened by the scolding, Zhan Fei Yu took a few steps back and looked into the room over Chong Guang's shoulder, her eyes shining. "Big brother is here?"
"Chong Guang!" A clear and cold voice came from inside the room, successfully stopping Chong Guang, who was about to roar and rage.
Stepping into the room in a few strides, Zhan Fei Yu looked at Yin Wu Yan, who was dressed in black close-fitting attire. Perhaps he had rushed here, his clothes were a bit wrinkled, but it did not diminish his aura of coldness and nobility.
"Seven Master, I'm so angry with this foolish girl! She doesn't consider us her own people at all!" Chong Guang, who entered behind her, complained angrily, pulled over a chair, and sat down. He wanted to see how the chubby girl would explain.
For such an important matter as movable type printing, Zhan Fei Yu had not informed Yin Wu Yan through Doctor Ji. Instead, she had gone to the county school to find Instructor Zhao. Doctor Ji had been furious and shouted at people before, let alone the hot-tempered Chong Guang.
Yin Wu Yan looked at the little girl in front of him, his gaze appraising. She had grown a bit taller, but her cheeks were still chubby. After being scolded by Chong Guang, there was no trace of guilt or shame in her eyes; they were as clear and bright as ever.
"Big brother, thank you for helping with the teacher's matter," Zhan Fei Yu said sincerely, bowing deeply to Yin Wu Yan in gratitude. If it weren't for the help of the garrison in investigating, this case might not have been so easily solved.
Scholar Zhang had people watching the yamen, and seeing that the constables were not taking any substantive action, he became complacent. He did not expect Zhan Fei Yu to feign an attack on one flank while preparing his main assault on the other. When Chen Fei brought people to arrest those spreading rumors, he caught the other party off guard, and the case could be brought to light.
"If you really want to thank us, why don't you show some sincerity? That movable type printing can be a thank-you gift!" Chong Guang added sarcastically, looking at the chubby girl with increasing anger!
Zhan Fei Yu's expression stiffened, and Yin Wu Yan cast a cold glance at Chong Guang.
The bristling Chong Guang immediately deflated. Although he was still unconvinced, he dared not speak further and could only sit in the chair sulking.
"Let's eat first," Yin Wu Yan walked towards the table, and Zhan Fei Yu followed obediently. Seeing the dishes on the table, she immediately felt ravenous.
It had to be said that watching Yin Wu Yan eat was a pleasure. His innate elegance made Zhan Fei Yu slow down her eating speed as well. The two sat opposite each other, giving an indescribable sense of harmony and rapport.
Chong Guang, with a belly full of resentment, had no intention of eating.
But seeing Zhan Fei Yu and Yin Wu Yan acting as if nothing had happened, Chong Guang was so stifled that he almost spat out a mouthful of blood. What was going on!
After a while, he was so hungry...
Chong Guang touched his shrunken stomach. After receiving a message from Doctor Ji, he and Seven Master had ridden horses for a day and a night to Shangsi County, and they had only gnawed on two pieces of coarse flatbread along the way.
"Uncle Chong Guang, there are many dishes. Big brother and I can't finish them," Zhan Fei Yu turned and smiled at Chong Guang. There were seven dishes and one soup on the table, and indeed, they couldn't finish them.
He had originally planned to eat a few bites, but seeing Zhan Fei Yu's guiltless smile, Chong Guang's face immediately darkened. "I'm not hungry!"
Even if he was hungry, he wouldn't eat. Did this chubby girl want to buy him over with a meal? And the food was brought by himself!
Yin Wu Yan said in a deep voice, "Don't mind him."
"Okay," Zhan Fei Yu nodded, picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork rib, and her eyes lit up at the sour, sweet, fragrant, and crispy taste. "Big brother, did the county school's cook make this?"
If that were the case, she would be able to eat to her heart's content in the future.
Yin Wu Yan looked up at Zhan Fei Yu, whose face was full of anticipation, but did not speak.
"Okay, I shouldn't have had expectations for the county school's canteen," Zhan Fei Yu said with a bitter face. Since that was the case, she had to eat more this meal; she wouldn't be able to eat such delicious food next time.
A moment later, Yin Wu Yan put down his chopsticks and looked at Zhan Fei Yu, whose cheeks were bulging with food. He finally understood why she was fat; her appetite was indeed good.