Chapter 182
After paying respects to Kou Yuanxing, Zhan Feiyu did not expect to see Kou's mother. Compared to when they met in Nanxuan Prefecture, Kou's mother was even more aged and emaciated. What remained unchanged was her ramrod straight posture, but her gaze was filled with a sinister and sharp malice, as if the entire world owed her.
"So it's you!" Kou's mother stared at Zhan Feiyu with a gloomy expression. The twisted hatred made her gaunt old face even more ferocious. If it weren't for Zhan Feiyu, how could that little beast have died? If he hadn't died, she would still be the old madam highly praised and flattered by the Kou clan, and in the future, she would be an old matriarch with no worries about food and clothing!
The moment she thought of enduring ten years of hardship, only to have all her hopes dashed during Kou Yuanxing's prefecture examination, Kou's mother wished she could pounce and strangle Zhan Feiyu, the culprit.
"Madam Kou." At Kou Yuanxing's grave, even though Kou's mother was clearly hostile, Zhan Feiyu did not want to say anything unpleasant.
Seeing Zhan Feiyu turn to leave as if nothing had happened, Kou's mother felt a buzzing in her head, her reason completely lost as she furiously cursed, "You killed my son, and you still have the nerve to come to his grave to pay respects? Are you deliberately showing off that you became the top scholar of the prefecture examination, and will go on to participate in the academy examination and the provincial examination! You wretched woman, why aren't you the one who died!"
Amidst the hysterical curses, Kou's mother was like a female ghost, her body skin and bones, her eyes sinister and twisted. Zhan Feiyu and Yin Wuyan were fine, but Kou Hai, her stepson who accompanied her, shivered in fear, realizing for the first time how terrifying his stepmother was.
"Big Brother, let's go," Zhan Feiyu said with a cold expression.
Kou's mother, being such a selfish person, was merely experiencing an emotional breakdown at the moment. In reality, she truly dared not do anything to Zhan Feiyu, otherwise, she wouldn't have fled back to Koujia Village with the Kou clan members that day. Only Tutor Xiao remained in Nanxuan Prefecture to await the conclusion of Kou Yuanxing's case. Fundamentally, Kou's mother dared not offend Zhan Feiyu, nor Governor Zhang.
Breathing heavily, Kou's mother watched Zhan Feiyu leave. For a moment, she wished she could push her down the mountain, preferably smashing her into a pulp to vent her hatred.
But looking at the expensive pearl cicada hairpin on Zhan Feiyu's head, Kou's mother could only stand in place with a gloomy old face. No matter how much she hated, she was afraid of death.
"Tong Sheng Zhan?" Kou's uncle, who had followed behind out of concern, was startled. He truly hadn't expected Zhan Feiyu to be the one paying respects to Kou Yuanxing.
Previously, the Kou clan members, lured by the promised hefty sum from a mysterious benefactor, had gone to the prefecture city in a large group of over twenty people. In the end, seeing the situation was unfavorable, they had to retreat shamefully to Koujia Village. They gained not a single penny of benefit, but instead spent over twenty taels of silver on renting horses and covering food and lodging expenses.
Casting a cold glance at Kou's uncle, Zhan Feiyu didn't even bother to greet him and continued walking down the mountain.
"Tong Sheng Zhan, please wait." Kou's uncle hurried after her, a smile on his face, "Since Tong Sheng Zhan has come, please come to my humble abode for a short rest. We have offended you greatly before, and we ask for your forgiveness."
Zhan Feiyu was already a Tong Sheng and would surely become a Xiucai after the academy examination in August. Kou's uncle wasn't trying to curry favor; he simply didn't want to make an enemy. The common people should not fight with officials! If Zhan Feiyu were to achieve great success in the future and held a grudge against the Kou clan, it would be a simple matter for her.
Uh... Seeing a large crowd of people at the foot of the mountain, men and women, old and young, Zhan Feiyu was surprised. Didn't the people of Koujia Village have to work in the fields?
"Clan Leader, that's Zhan Feiyu!" A clan member who had previously gone to Nanxuan Prefecture recognized Zhan Feiyu and immediately informed the clan leader beside him.
Kou Yuanxing's death had made the entire Koujia Village aware of Zhan Feiyu, and they also learned that there was someone with even greater literary talent than Kou Yuanxing, and with better luck! She had actually gained the favor of Governor Zhang. Even though she was a young girl, she made the people of Koujia Village so envious and jealous that their eyes turned red.
"We must keep her here!" the clan leader declared decisively. His thoughts were the same as Kou's uncle's, and since Zhan Feiyu had come to pay respects to Kou Yuanxing, there was room for negotiation.
Of course, the clan leader thought more long-term. Koujia Village was not poor, so every household sent at least one male to study. If the family was well-off, like the clan leader's family, all four grandsons were sent to private tutors, and whoever showed talent would continue to study.
The clan leader worried that if this enmity was not resolved, future scholars from Koujia Village would encounter obstacles when meeting Zhan Feiyu.
After a while, seeing the two Kou clan elders trembling and almost kneeling, Zhan Feiyu clearly saw the fear and wariness in their eyes and could only agree, "There's no need for a meal, just a cup of water to rest. I still have to travel back to Shangsi County in the afternoon."
"Very well, Tong Sheng Zhan, please this way." The clan leader was also tactful and quickly agreed, personally leading the way.
After seeing Zhan Feiyu and her entourage leave, the women who remained in place exchanged glances. "So that young girl is Zhan Feiyu? She's already a Tong Sheng."
"I heard my husband say she's from Jinlin Village in Shangsi County. She's only been studying for two or three years. How is her brain wired? If my eldest son were half as smart as her, I'd be smiling in my sleep."
"Mother, she's also a village girl?" The young girl speaking was about fifteen or sixteen years old. She looked down at her rough, calloused hands, then at her faded, washed clothes, and the hole in her cloth shoes.
Thinking of the departing Zhan Feiyu, her fair skin like a peeled egg, her beautiful dress, and the pearl hairpin on her head, the young girl, filled with self-consciousness, suddenly had a thought: after she got married, even if she had a daughter, she would send her to study!
...
Originally, the clan leader planned to take Zhan Feiyu to his own home. After all, the clan leader was the wealthiest in the village and had a set of tea utensils for guests. The tea leaves were also a New Year's gift from his daughter who married into the prefecture city.
However, Kou's mother insisted on taking her to her own home, saying that Kou Yuanxing still had some books in his study and that Zhan Feiyu could help sort them out to give to the children in the village who were studying. This request was impossible for the clan leader to refuse.
Kou Yuanxing's house had three brick-and-tile rooms with courtyards in front and back, considered average in the village. All the family's money had been spent on Kou Yuanxing's studies.
Zhan Feiyu was more willing to go to the study than to drink tea. "Clan Leader, there's no need to be polite, it won't take too much time."
"Then thank you, Tong Sheng Zhan." The clan leader thanked her again gratefully, his heart finally at ease. Zhan Feiyu's willingness to help indicated that she did not hold a grudge against the Kou clan.
Seeing Zhan Feiyu enter the study with Yin Wuyan, Kou's uncle, standing in the courtyard, glanced in the direction of the kitchen and said in a low voice, "Fifth Uncle, why do I feel something is not right?"
Previously, Kou's mother had given thirteen mu of fertile land to the clan, which had resolved the enmity between her and the clan. After adopting Kou Hai, both sides were at peace.
Kou's uncle's grandson had started his enlightenment last year. He and the clan leader had discussed it and planned to take out the books from Kou Yuanxing's study, his writings, and even the ink brushes, paper, and inkstones. The person was dead, and these things were a waste if left unused.
But Kou's mother had flatly refused. Even though Kou's uncle and the others were willing to pay half the money to purchase them, Kou's mother had not agreed. Thinking that she had already given thirteen mu of fertile land to the clan, Kou's uncle and the others did not dare to force her, but they did not expect Kou's mother to bring up the matter again today.
"Let's watch for now. No matter what, we can't let her offend Zhan Feiyu," the clan leader sighed. Forcing the orphan and widow back then was indeed due to the clan's greed, but Kou's mother had not willingly married into Koujia Village. She had a childhood sweetheart neighbor, but Kou's mother's parents had betrothed her early.
Kou's mother wanted to break off the engagement, but the people of Koujia Village would not agree. If the engagement was broken, how could the Kou clan maintain its reputation? After being forced to marry, Kou's mother treated her in-laws and husband with a cold face, let alone the clan members, whom she regarded as enemies.
Later, after Kou's father accidentally passed away, Kou's mother went to the county town repeatedly, and many rumors spread in the village that Kou's mother was going to remarry. Her childhood sweetheart was a traveling merchant who had never married and was rumored to be waiting for Kou's mother.
Therefore, the Kou clan members were also wary of Kou's mother selling the more than twenty mu of land, then abandoning the young Kou Yuanxing and eloping with her lover, the traveling merchant, with the money and belongings. That was why they forced Kou's mother to hand over the fertile land. Of course, this was also due to the Kou clan's greed, coveting these more than twenty mu of fertile land.
In the kitchen, Kou's mother was sitting on a small stool, adding firewood to the stove. In the flickering firelight, her eyes were eerily sinister.
"Mother, you don't need to add firewood, the water is boiling," Kou Hai reminded her. His parents had died, and although he had grandparents and uncles to take care of him so he wouldn't starve, as he grew older year by year, he had to get married. Kou Hai was only fourteen years old now and had no skills, so he could only work in the fields. Therefore, he had no money for a dowry.
The clan said he should be adopted by Kou's mother to support her in her old age, and Kou's mother would prepare his betrothal gifts in the future. Kou Hai agreed without thinking. He had a house, and later he would have five mu of fertile land. As long as he wasn't lazy, life would go on.
"Hai'er, go find the tea set and wash it." Kou's mother's voice was hoarse. She patted the dust off her legs and watched Kou Hai turn to leave. Only then did she take out a small yellow paper packet from her clothes.
In the study, Zhan Feiyu saw Kou Yuanxing's neatly stacked essays and annotated books. Especially the stacks of yellow hemp paper placed at the very bottom of the cabinet, she felt as if she were seeing herself again.
"Big Brother, speaking of which, Kou Yuanxing was a little better than me. When I first started my enlightenment, I couldn't even afford the yellow hemp paper that cost twenty wen a ream. I used to dip my brush in water and practice calligraphy on the table," Zhan Feiyu said with a playful smile. In her previous life, she was used to using fountain pens and gel pens. She had also practiced calligraphy, but it was impossible for her to write characters as small as a fly's head like the scholars of the Great Qing Dynasty.
Therefore, when practicing calligraphy, Zhan Feiyu, to save money, would dip her brush in water. Kou Yuanxing's family had more than twenty mu of fertile land, so they could at least afford yellow hemp paper.
Yin Wuyan was looking at Kou Yuanxing's "Poetry Collection." He had bound all his poems into a collection, and from the poems, it was evident that he indeed had talent.
"Kou Yuanxing's policy proposals were well-structured, but the reasoning was empty. Even if he entered officialdom through the imperial examinations, he would at most remain in the Hanlin Academy. If he were to serve as an official outside the capital, he would at most be a fifth-rank official." Judging a person by their writings, Yin Wuyan did not believe that Kou Yuanxing's official career would last long, as his temperament and actions were too extreme.
Zhan Feiyu glanced at Yin Wuyan suspiciously. Wasn't Big Brother deliberately belittling Kou Yuanxing? Zhan Feiyu had seen his essay for the prefecture examination, and Governor Zhang had also seen it. It was definitely a masterpiece. If it weren't for Governor Zhang's pragmatism, the title of top scholar of the prefecture examination might have gone to someone else. "Love makes one wish for their survival, hate makes one wish for their death. Kou Yuanxing lacks basic judgment of character. Do you think he can withstand the storms and intrigues of the imperial court?" Yin Wuyan hit the nail on the head. What was the point of Kou Yuanxing's literary talent? How many top scholars in the Hanlin Academy were still compiling books.
Zhan Feiyu thought of Kou Yuanxing being deceived by Wang Linlang and manipulated by Kou's mother, and could only sigh, "A dead person is like an extinguished lamp."
The study door was knocked. Kou Hai entered with a tray, his body hunched, his head lowered. "The tea is ready."
After all, he was uneducated and inexperienced. Kou Hai didn't dare to look at Zhan Feiyu. After placing the teacups, he quickly withdrew from the study.
Looking at the two steaming cups of tea on the table, Zhan Feiyu shook her head. "They are afraid I will retaliate, so why did they dare to accuse Governor Zhang of forcing Kou Yuanxing to death back then?"
It wasn't that Zhan Feiyu looked down on the people of Koujia Village, but thinking of their actions before and after Kou Yuanxing's death, Zhan Feiyu truly despised them. They were greedy and selfish. Fortunately, the Zhan clan members in Jinlin Village were not like this, otherwise, Zhan Feiyu would truly have become an "孤家寡人" (a person who is alone and without support).
"The tea has been drugged," a cold voice sounded. Yin Wuyan's disguised face showed no change in expression, but his phoenix eyes were as cold as ice.
Uh... Although she didn't intend to drink the tea, Zhan Feiyu did not expect the people of Koujia Village to dare to drug it!
Putting down the book in her hand, Zhan Feiyu walked to the table and looked down at the two cups of tea. It was just ordinary tea leaves, emitting a faint aroma. The tea was slightly cloudy. "They put in inferior medicine, didn't they?"
Any colorless and odorless medicine was expensive. It was estimated that a small packet would cost ten taels of silver, and if it was a secret medicine, it would be even more priceless! Zhan Feiyu reached out and touched the teacup. It was still hot. The tea leaves were floating on the surface of the water, indicating that the tea essence had not yet permeated the water. However, the slightly yellowish-brown cloudiness of the tea was caused by the medicine.
"Big Brother, what medicine did they put in? Poison?" Zhan Feiyu couldn't help but ask, her dark eyes blinking. Was she too kind, thinking that the people of Koujia Village invited her to rest to mend their relationship, not expecting them to poison her!
For Yin Wuyan, who came from the Imperial Guards, although he was not as skilled in medicine as Ji Chaocai, he took a glance and then picked up the teacup to smell it. "It's ordinary anesthetic, which can be bought at a pharmacy if you have the money."
The Great Qing Dynasty had strict regulations on medicines. Medical clinics and pharmacies had to register all dispensed medicines. Anesthetics and poisons that were harmful to the human body were strictly prohibited from sale. However, some people sold them privately for money. Of course, due to the law, they only dared to sell medicines with low toxicity. Those that could cause death were probably not dared to be sold privately even for a lot of money.