For half a moment, Xiao Yao Shi impatiently interrupted the mother and son's tender moment. "Big Brother, if you are not benevolent, I will not be righteous. If you don't compensate these five hundred taels, I will divorce my husband immediately. As a woman of virtue, I cannot bear the burden of the second household."
"I will compensate," Zhan Lao Da replied decisively. He had already wronged his parents; he could not harm his second brother's family.
However, thinking of the five hundred taels, Zhan Lao Da looked at Zhan Fei Yu, who remained on the sidelines, with displeasure. "Xiao Yu, this trouble was caused by you. Father knows you are good at studying and have a promising future. You must compensate your second uncle with this money, or Father will report you to the yamen for filial impiety!"
Previously, Madam Zhan had threatened to slit her own throat with a cleaver to prevent Zhan Fei Yu from studying. She had considered reporting them to the yamen or causing a scene at the private school.
But now it was different. Zhan Lao Da, as the father, reporting Zhan Fei Yu to the yamen would be a sure thing. Would the village elders and the clan patriarch beat Zhan Lao Da to death? Even if an adoption were considered, Zhan Lao Da's accusation could end Zhan Fei Yu's scholarly pursuits.
After Zhan Lao Da finished speaking, he hesitated to look at Zhan Fei Yu, as he knew better than anyone how hard Zhan Fei Yu studied. But when he turned to meet Madam Zhan's gratified gaze, Zhan Lao Da's wavering heart instantly hardened.
He had done nothing wrong; it was this child, Xiao Yu, who was disobedient! Disrespectful to elders at such a young age, causing his own second uncle to be seriously injured yet showing no concern. Such a selfish and cold-hearted personality needed to be corrected; it was useless no matter how well he studied.
"Lao Da, Mother knew you were a good one." Madam Zhan nodded with relief, wiping away tears.
"Big Brother, our second household, young and old, is counting on you," Xiao Yao Shi said sweetly. Her husband was right; as long as they elevated Big Brother, the first household would be their second household's beasts of burden.
Zhan Lao Da, entrusted with this important task, was filled with vigor. As the eldest brother, he should bear this responsibility.
Madam Li was angered by Zhan Lao Da. Looking at the smug Madam Zhan and Xiao Yao Shi, Madam Li wished she could kill Zhan Lao Da. "You still want to report Xiao Yu? You are not worthy of being Xiao Yu's father!"
"Madam Li, shut up! Your unreasonable behavior will only harm Xiao Yu!" Zhan Lao Da shouted sternly, glaring at Madam Li. "A loving mother often spoils her children!"
Zhan Fei Yu shook her head at Madam Li. "Mother, don't say any more."
No matter how much she said, it would be useless. There was no need to waste breath. She had felt some pity when her second uncle was stabbed seven times, but it seemed she had been too soft-hearted.
"Constable Fei." As the elder physician, who had been observing, spoke, the Zhan family members in the courtyard finally noticed Constable Fei and his two companions standing not far away.
Constable Ma, who had accompanied Constable Fei, was surprised by the greed of the Zhan family's second household. They had asked for five hundred taels right away. Zhan Lao Er's life was not worth so much silver.
Constable Fei ignored the embarrassed Zhan Lao Tou and looked at the calm-faced Zhan Fei Yu. As expected of the little prodigy valued by the official, she lived up to the saying: "Even if Mount Tai collapses before him, his expression remains unchanged; even if a麋鹿 appears to his left, his eyes do not blink."
"Young lady Zhan, here is twenty taels of silver. It is a reward from Official Chen for saving someone." Constable Fei gestured for Constable Zhao to hand a pouch containing four silver ingots to Zhan Fei Yu.
In normal times, these twenty taels would have made Madam Zhan and Xiao Yao Shi envious. But with the five hundred taels compensation in front of them, twenty taels seemed insignificant.
"Thank you, Official Chen. This student is truly grateful." Zhan Fei Yu was genuinely grateful to Magistrate Chen, both for presiding over the competition and allowing her to enroll, and for sending twenty taels of silver today. If not for the greed of the second household, this silver would have been enough to pay for the medicine at Hui Chun Tang.
Constable Fei's icy gaze swept over the Zhan family members, but he spoke kindly to Zhan Fei Yu. "The official cherishes talent. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you are welcome to come to the county yamen."
Zhan Lao Tou and Zhan Lao Da rejoiced. The magistrate valued Xiao Yu so much!
Madam Zhan and Xiao Yao Shi lowered their heads, concealing their displeased expressions. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law glared at Zhan Fei Yu. If the magistrate valued her, a single word from her could have them dragged to the county yamen and flogged.
...
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Widow Liu was caught having an affair in the small grove, with two men. The villagers finally stopped discussing the injury of Zhan Lao Er and began talking about Widow Liu's bright red silk肚兜 with a mandarin duck design. The two men were identified as so-and-so from the neighboring village.
Zhan Fei Yu, who had gone to the county to buy paper, glanced at the towering outer wall and slowly walked out of the alley, holding a candied hawthorn and nibbling on it.
At the mouth of the alley, six or seven children were gathered around the candied hawthorn vendor, their mouths watering with desire.
"Hiss..." Zhan Fei Yu's chubby face contorted from the sourness. Her gaze inadvertently swept over a figure under the tree, causing her to shiver. Half a candied hawthorn was swallowed directly.
Zhan Fei Yu pounded her chest with her small fists. The first little prodigy in history to choke to death on candied hawthorn was about to be born!
Yin Wu Yan coldly watched Zhan Fei Yu's chubby face turn red and engorged. After a moment, he raised his hand and patted her chest. Half a candied hawthorn, coated with saliva, flew out.
"Cough cough..." A heart-wrenching cough erupted. Zhan Fei Yu gasped for air, raising her hand to wipe her mouth. The saliva mixed with the syrup, making her feel sticky and uncomfortable.
"Wipe it!" a chilling voice said with disgust. Yin Wu Yan threw a white silk handkerchief at her. Every time he saw her, she was so slovenly.
"Thank you, Big Brother!" Zhan Fei Yu squeezed out the words one by one through gritted teeth, silently vowing to stab a voodoo doll of him in her heart. If he hadn't appeared so suddenly, would she have been startled?
Zhan Fei Yu used the handkerchief to vigorously wipe her mouth, then gratefully handed it back.
Looking at the red saliva stained on the handkerchief, Yin Wu Yan's hoarse voice was chilling. "A scholar who has been away for three days should be viewed with new eyes."
Uh... Zhan Fei Yu, who was deliberately trying to disgust him, shivered. Meeting his cold phoenix eyes, she quickly retracted her chubby paw holding the handkerchief.
After a while, in a private room at a teahouse.
Having washed her face and hands before being allowed to sit down, Zhan Fei Yu straightened her small body, placing her hands flat on her knees, looking serious and attentive. "Big Brother, would you believe me if I said I went to buy candied hawthorn?"
Yin Wu Yan poured a cup of tea and took a sip. His gaze, though seemingly distant, was sharp enough to make one unable to hide. "The deceased, Madam Wang, died by suicide. The dagger penetrated more than two inches into her chest."
Zhan Fei Yu's scalp tingled. Why would he bring up the autopsy report of the blind old woman out of the blue?
"The deceased had a circular bruise on the Zhong Fu acupoint." As Yin Wu Yan said this, he saw Zhan Fei Yu's eyes widen, like a startled small animal.