Chapter 30

Sun Yuanniang arrived at the Ji family’s gate, tidied her hem, and patted her hair. Seeing she looked presentable, she strode into the Ji family’s courtyard.
However, the courtyard was quiet, not a soul in sight.
She walked directly towards the Ji family’s main house. As she reached the eaves, she heard voices from inside. Though she couldn’t make out the specifics, the tone was lighthearted.
It seemed they were still entertaining guests.
Sun Yuanniang was about to sneer. Her family was now notorious in the village, everyone talked about them like they were rats in the street.
The Ji family, on the other hand, was harmonious and happy. If the Ji family hadn’t completely disregarded the You family’s reputation, they wouldn’t be in this situation.
Thinking of this, how could she not resent them?
But before she could sneer, Da Niu, the Ji family’s hired hand, came out.
“Something?”
Sun Yuanniang immediately stood straighter and said, “I’m looking for the village head for something.”
“We’re eating.”
Da Niu had worked for the Ji family for several years. The Ji family didn’t treat him like a servant. When entertaining guests, they would invite him to eat with them if they were familiar, rather than setting up a separate table.
Today, the family was having a good meal, and no one wanted to be interrupted.
Seeing Sun Yuanniang arriving at this hour, he was a little displeased. “Madam Sun, please wait a moment.”
“I have important matters to attend to, and I need to rush to other things after this!”
Sun Yuanniang saw that even a dependent laborer dared to speak to her like this, which made her even more unhappy. It was one thing for the gossips in the village to change from their former fawning attitude towards their family, but to have short-sighted farmers and even a servant dare to order her around:
“You’re just a hired hand, yet you dare to act like the master. If you delay my business, can you bear the responsibility!”
Da Niu couldn’t argue with her, so he could only go in to notify the village head.
Everyone at the table heard that Sun Yuanniang had come, and none of them had pleasant expressions. Ji Yangzong placed his chopsticks on his bowl, cursed a couple of times, and then stood up.
“I’ll go see what it is. Father-in-law and Master Huo, please continue eating. I’ll be back after I deal with this.”
Huang Yinsheng said, “Go ahead.”
Ji Yangzong went out quickly and saw Sun Yuanniang standing there with airs. He frowned unhappily. “What are you doing here again?”
“I’m telling you, Village Head, if you didn’t manage village affairs, I wouldn’t bother coming. But don’t worry, from now on, I won’t come even if you want me to.”
Sun Yuanniang saw Ji Yangzong’s impatient look and felt no shame for the You family’s wrongdoing. Instead, she couldn’t even be bothered to put on a show of politeness. She stated, “We’ve acquired property in the city, and Lingxiao and I will be moving there soon. We’ve come with the official documents.”
Ji Yangzong scoffed. “It seems you can’t stay in the village anymore, and you’re rushing to move to the city.”
“People strive for higher places, just as water flows downhill.”
Sun Yuanniang’s expression was not good as Ji Yangzong directly confronted her. She wanted to regain some face, so she stopped hiding anything and said, “Our Lingxiao is talented and has been promoted by Tongzhi Xue. He is a favored disciple of Master Xue, and moving to the city will allow him to receive his guidance more often.”
“Then you should hurry. Official appointments are about to change, and Master Xue will be transferred at the latest by next March. Don’t let your efforts be in vain.”
“Thank you, Village Head, for the reminder. Even if it’s only for three to five months, it should be easy for Tongzhi to manage two people who don’t know their place.”
Ji Yangzong didn’t say anything. Sun Yuanniang smiled triumphantly at this. “Commoners, after all, cannot contend with officials. Otherwise, why would so many people want to study and take the imperial examinations? It’s all for the chance to have a say one day.”
“Some small townspeople don’t know their limitations. They think that in a small place, they can say a few words and get people to agree, so they feel they’re already accomplished. They act recklessly, thinking they have the upper hand, but they don’t realize that their rashness has already planted the seeds of disaster for themselves.”
Ji Yangzong’s heart jolted.
Sun Yuanniang pressed him, “Village Head, isn’t that right?”
“Even the humblest of townspeople must protect their reputation. If they compromise themselves and dare not speak out due to fear of power, they will only make the wicked more arrogant.”
“Who did the wrong thing first, who harbored malicious intent first, everyone knows.”
A steady voice interjected. Sun Yuanniang looked up, her brow furrowing. “Doctor Huang is here too.”
Following him out were Huang Manjing and Ji Taoyu. To Sun Yuanniang’s surprise, Huo Shu was also there.
She and Huo Shu had no prior connection, but she had run into him several times at the Ji family’s house, and he had often scared her.
As a result, seeing him now made her instinctively fearful. “The Village Head’s house is quite lively.”
With Huang Yinsheng and Huo Shu present, Sun Yuanniang felt a little intimidated.
Not to mention that Huang Yinsheng had been practicing medicine in Tongzhou City for many years and had treated many officials and clerks in the prefecture. Even if she disregarded that, she was still intimidated by Huo Shu, fearing that if they disagreed, he would pick her up again.
“Since you’re here with the documents, Madam Sun, please come and press your fingerprint.”
Ji Yangzong said, leading her to the study where the paperwork was done.
After Sun Yuanniang’s disturbance, they could no longer eat comfortably, but fortunately, they had eaten most of their meal.
Huang Yinsheng handed over the verbal report and didn’t linger in the village, returning to the city.
The outside was chaotic, with many sick and injured people recently. Coupled with the change of season, he was the only physician in the clinic, so he couldn’t leave.
After sending off his father-in-law, Ji Yangzong returned from outside with his hands behind his back. However, worry etched his face, and his expression was not good.
Although he knew Sun Yuanniang was deliberately putting on a show today, her words had undoubtedly struck a chord with him. If the Xue family were to make a move, the Ji family and the You family would be in a difficult situation.
They were now eagerly trying to get close to the Xue family in the city. Although the You family was in the wrong regarding Taoyu’s matter, and You Lingxiao had even shed tears at the gathering, saying he couldn’t bear to part with Taoyu, his double-dealing would likely prevent him from mentioning the Ji family to the Xue family.
However, over time, who knew what other troubles the You family mother and son would stir up? They were always a hidden danger.
Huo Shu probably understood what Ji Yangzong was worried about.
“The Xue family hasn’t set a marriage contract with the You family at this time, which is merely a gamble. You Lingxiao has potential, and for families of officials like these, he is not the only choice.”
Ji Yangzong looked at Huo Shu. “What do you mean?”
“If the gamble loses its potential, based on the Village Head’s understanding of the Xue family, will he continue to support You Lingxiao or abandon his pawn?”
Ji Yangzong said, “You Lingxiao indeed has talent, and he is good-looking, which is what the Xue family values. However, the You family’s background is ordinary, and their clan members are not united. If he loses his potential, the Xue family, with only one daughter, will certainly not support him further.”
Huo Shu responded, “Indeed. If that’s the case, the Village Head need not worry about the You family anymore.”
Ji Yangzong still didn’t quite understand Huo Shu’s meaning, but Huo Shu didn’t say anything further.
Huo Shu glanced in the direction of the Ji family’s kitchen and said,
“Thank you for your hospitality today, Village Head. I’ll be going back now.”
Seeing Huo Shu’s expression, Ji Yangzong collected his thoughts and said, “Little Taoyu and his mother are washing dishes in the kitchen. They should be almost done. I’ll have him see you out.”
“No need to trouble yourself.”
With that, Huo Shu turned and left.
Ji Yangzong frowned, somewhat bewildered.
He returned to the house. Taoyu wiped his hands on his apron and asked, “Did Grandpa leave?”
“He left.”
Taoyu closed the food box. “What about Big Brother Huo?”
“They both left.”
“Left?”
Taoyu’s eyes widened at this. He quickly picked up the food box and ran out.
Ji Yangzong looked at the flustered boy and said to Huang Manjing, “This child.”
“There are still a lot of the shrimp you bought today left, big and fresh. Little Taoyu said that everyone didn’t eat well when Sun Yuanniang came. Seeing that Huo Shu also likes shrimp, he decided to take some leftovers for him to take back.”
“That’s good.”
Ji Yangzong said, “This child is quite thoughtful.”
“Big Brother Huo!”
Huo Shu was walking towards the Zhao family’s direction, preparing to attend to some business. Unexpectedly, a familiar shout came from behind him.
He turned around and saw Taoyu running over the ridge with a food box.
“You’re walking too fast.”
Huo Shu walked back a considerable distance. When Taoyu caught up and they met, he was already panting. He quickly handed the food box to Huo Shu.
“What is this?”
Taoyu panted and said, “The You family came and disturbed the meal. Father was afraid you hadn’t eaten well, so he asked me to bring you this food box. We have a lot of leftover dishes. If you don’t mind them being leftovers, please take them back to eat.”
Huo Shu didn’t comment, but he still took the food box.
He opened it to take a look and then his brow twitched.
The food box contained a plate of shrimp, but they were smaller than the ones on the table at noon. These shrimp had their shells already removed, but the heads had not been twisted off. The shrimp meat was neatly arranged on the plate in two full layers.
Huo Shu remembered that Taoyu had gone into the kitchen right after dinner, and even Huang Yinsheng had only bid a hasty farewell and not seen him off.
He had thought Taoyu was tired from cooking all morning, but he didn’t expect…
A hard-to-describe stirring arose in Huo Shu’s heart, causing his gaze to linger for a long time.
“That, that, I was afraid the plate wouldn’t hold much, so I peeled the shells.”
Taoyu saw Huo Shu staring at the shelled shrimp and felt as if he had been seen through. The tips of his ears turned red. “Do you have vinegar at home?”
Huo Shu heard this and carefully closed the lid of the food box, nodding.
“That’s good.”
Taoyu said somewhat shyly, “I’ll be going back now. I’ve delayed you for a long time.”
“Taoyu.”
Huo Shu suddenly called out to the person who was about to run away.
“Hmm?”
Huo Shu looked quietly at the young man in front of him. Taoyu’s brows moved, and he looked at Huo Shu in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“It’s chaotic outside. Don’t go out. If you have urgent matters and need to go out, tell me.”
“Okay.”
Huo Shu opened his mouth, wanting to say something but not knowing what else to say. For the first time, he felt annoyed by his own silence.
After a moment of stalemate, he could only say, “Go back.”
Taoyu responded.
He walked forward with his back to Huo Shu, his mind blank for a moment. However, as soon as he thought that Huo Shu had accepted the food box, his steps became a little lighter.
As he reached the turn, he suddenly stopped.
Taoyu pursed his lips and slowly turned his head to look at Huo Shu’s retreating back. However, when he turned back, he saw that the person was still standing there, watching him quietly.
The winter wind was a bit cold as it passed by Huo Shu, but it seemed to detour around him. The man stood there in the wind.
Their eyes met. Almost suddenly, in an instant, Taoyu clearly felt something rise in his heart, and with his rapidly beating heart, it slowly became very warm.
Like a flood breaking through a dam, or like spring sun falling to the ground, it suddenly filled his body, making him feel full, and he no longer felt the cold wind.
Taoyu quickly averted his gaze, took a deep breath, and raised his hand to touch his forehead, feeling that something was wrong. He didn’t know if he had caught a cold from the morning wind and was getting sick.
However, these symptoms did not seem like the precursor to a cold, and his forehead was not hot.
Bewildered, he quickly fled back.
Two days later, it was nearing the end of the month.
Ji Yangzong returned from the city with a sullen face.
He had gone to the prefecture yamen to discuss the date for delivering grain to the city with the officials in the household department and to gauge whether they could add more manpower this year.
Unexpectedly, he had terrible luck and ran into the Tongzhi in the household department. He was reprimanded for requesting manpower from the yamen when the prefecture was busy.
Being lectured by his superiors was one thing, but the Tongzhi’s attitude made him suspect that You Lingxiao and Sun Yuanniang had already said something bad about him.
Ji Yangzong was feeling uneasy and depressed.
The situation was chaotic now. If the prefecture did not add more manpower to ensure that all villages delivered their grain to the city granaries, and if something went wrong, although the village head would be held responsible, the prefecture would not benefit at all.
Ji Yangzong thought it was time to find some friendly village heads to discuss rotating grain deliveries to the city.
Just as he was frowning, he saw seven or eight villagers gathered at the head of the village, discussing something heatedly.
Ji Yangzong took a deep breath, his face becoming even more grim. He hoped they weren’t talking about his family again.
However, before he could walk over, some villagers spotted him first.
“Village Head!”
Several villagers, seeing Ji Yangzong, seemed to have found their backbone and rushed over.
Before they even reached him, they shouted, “It’s terrible! Young Master You the Second has been beaten!”
“What?”
The villager repeated, “Young Master You the Second has been beaten!”
Ji Yangzong sternly reprimanded,
“Don’t talk nonsense. He’s a Juren. Who would dare to hit a Juren?”
Seeing that Ji Yangzong didn’t believe him, the villager anxiously said, “It’s true!”
“A few days ago, Sun Yuanniang already submitted documents saying she had purchased property in the city and was moving there. How could she have someone beaten?”
Ji Yangzong feared that the villagers had picked up some rumors and were spreading them indiscriminately, even fabricating such stories.
“Oh my! Village Head, if you don’t believe me, go to the You family’s house and see. They just brought the person back this morning from the village road.”
The villager waved his hands and said, “There was so much blood everywhere! Young Master You the Second’s face was covered in dirt and blood, and it was hard to recognize who he was.”
“Yes, yes, it was too scary! Madam Sun was crying and shouting so loudly that half the village could hear her.”
Ji Yangzong saw that the villagers were speaking with such detail, and it wasn’t just one person saying it. A chill ran down his spine.
“Did they say who did it?”
“People from another village carried Young Master You the Second back. They said there was a bandit riot outside, and those bandits were on horseback with knives, robbing and beating anyone they saw. Anyone who passed through their area had bad luck.”
The farmer trembled as he spoke. “Young Master You the Second most likely encountered bandits and was robbed. It was also thanks to kind passersby who carried him back. Otherwise, if he had fainted on the road and bled too much, his chances would have been slim.”
Ji Yangzong’s eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape.
After a long while, he finally asked, “How is he now?”
“We don’t know. We just saw him being carried back.”
The farmers felt that You Lingxiao was truly pitiful for almost losing his life, but now, seeing the bandit riot happening so close, they were all in a panic.
It had been decades since they had seen such a close bandit riot. Those who often went into the city had mentioned it a few times, and there were some rumors, but everyone dismissed them as mere anecdotes, never expecting them to actually reach this area.
Now, people were panicking, and everyone was afraid for themselves.
“Village Head, with the outside so chaotic, what should we do!”
“Yes, will they come to the village?”
Ji Yangzong comforted the villagers, “Everyone, don’t worry. The prefecture has already sent soldiers to pursue them. For now, try not to leave the village.”
“Especially at this critical moment, we must not panic. I will go to the You family’s house first. You all go home and tell your children not to play outside.”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
Ji Yangzong hurried to the You family’s house, still feeling somewhat unsure if the matter was true.
Until he reached the entrance of the You family’s house and saw several You family members standing anxiously in the courtyard, he finally confirmed that You Lingxiao had indeed encountered trouble.
He walked into the courtyard, expecting the You family to be sulking. To his surprise, they came to greet him. “Village Head, you’re here!”
“How is he? Is he badly injured?”
As soon as Ji Yangzong finished speaking, he saw his wife come out from inside upon hearing the voices.
“You came too?”
He asked as he walked inside.
When he reached the entrance of the inner room, he saw Taoyu sitting by the bed.
Ji Yangzong frowned. “Little Taoyu, why are you here!”
“Lingxiao is severely injured, and we couldn’t find another doctor in time. We thought that Brother Taoyu had been taught medical skills by Doctor Huang, so we invited him to take a look first.”
The eldest son of the You family quickly explained.
Huang Manjing followed because she was worried about Taoyu coming alone.
Everyone in the room was waiting for the initial results. Taoyu’s hands were covered in blood. He glanced at his father and then said to Sun Yuanniang, whose face was tear-streaked,
“He mostly has superficial wounds, but the most important thing is that his hand is broken. We need to find a doctor quickly.”
Sun Yuanniang almost fainted upon hearing this. The You family members in the room exclaimed, “Can he still write after this!”
Sun Yuanniang, terrified, grabbed Taoyu.
“Quickly set his bones for Lingxiao. Even if you resent him, it’s not the time to ignore him! This is a life! How can a doctor be like you!”
Huang Manjing saw Sun Yuanniang going crazy and quickly pulled Taoyu from her hand, protecting him. “What are you doing!”
“As a healer, I treat all patients equally. His injuries are severe, and my medical skills are shallow. If I rashly set his bones, it would harm him.”
Taoyu said, “The most urgent thing is to find a skilled doctor.”
Sun Yuanniang finally became a little more rational and immediately looked at the uncles and elders in the room. “Eldest Brother, has the doctor you sent for arrived yet?”
The several branches of the You family hesitated, and not a single person spoke.
Someone muttered, “With the outside so chaotic, how can we dare to go to the city to find a doctor…”
“Your own nephew is like this, yet you are so afraid of death that you won’t even go to find a doctor! Instead, you find a half-baked village physician. Are you trying to kill Lingxiao!”
Sun Yuanniang was so angry that she almost spat out blood when she saw that the You family lineage was only thinking of their own safety at this critical juncture and wouldn’t even send for a doctor.
“Lingxiao is a child of your You family! If anything happens to him, none of you will get any benefits.”
The several branches of the You family were already unhappy about Sun Yuanniang asking them to jointly fund the purchase of a house for You Lingxiao in the city. Seeing her shouting like this in front of outsiders, they retorted directly.
“I say, Lingxiao’s mother, you call us afraid of death. We still have our families to support. If something happens, how will our families live? The money has already been squeezed out by you and your daughter. Now you’re asking us to risk our lives for your Lingxiao. Aren’t you being too greedy?”
“I’m greedy? Back then, you treated us orphans and widows with all sorts of hardship. When Lingxiao got better, you shamelessly attached yourselves. Which of you You family members isn’t greedy!”
Sun Yuanniang seemed to feel she hadn’t vented enough and suddenly stood up. “I’ll fight it out with you today!”
The room was filled with people trying to break up the fight and arguing. You Lingxiao opened his eyes in the noisy environment. Seeing Taoyu standing by the bed, he vaguely thought he had already died.
He tentatively called out, “A’yu?”
However, no one heard him. It was Taoyu who turned his head and glanced at You Lingxiao, then loudly said, “Stop arguing, he’s awake!”
The people in the room stopped their actions and suddenly quieted down. Sun Yuanniang rushed to the bedside. “Son, you’re finally awake. You scared me to death!”
As Sun Yuanniang spoke, she cried, “Your uncles and aunts are all heartless wretches. They won’t even send for a doctor for you.”
The You family members felt a bit embarrassed. The eldest son of the You family hesitated for a moment and said, “Alright, I’ll go.”
“Big Brother, ride our mule. Hurry.”
After the two left, Sun Yuanniang wiped her eyes and said, “Lingxiao, what happened? Did you really encounter bandits?”
You Lingxiao’s breath was weak. Seeing that he was lying at home, he felt a little more at ease, but when he heard about the bandits, he felt a surge of fear.
“I, I don’t know. I just went to pay the remaining money for the house today, and on the road, I heard a commotion. Suddenly, my vision went black, and I fainted.”
As he spoke, You Lingxiao tried to reach for his money bag, but his right hand couldn’t move. Instead, a piercing pain shot through him. “My hand.”
“Lingxiao, don’t move around. Wait for your uncle to bring a doctor to examine you properly.”
The fifth son of the You family examined him and frowned. “The money is gone.”
“What’s wrong with my hand!”
You Lingxiao tried to move his hand again, but it remained unresponsive, only causing him stabbing pain.
The more this was the case, the more frightened he became. “Mother, my hand!”
“Lingxiao, don’t worry. The doctor will take a look, and everything will be fine.”
Sun Yuanniang held You Lingxiao down. “Everything will be fine.”
“My right hand! How will I write!”
Seeing You Lingxiao becoming agitated, the people in the room, fearing he would fall off the bed, rushed forward to comfort and restrain him.
Ji Yangzong looked at this, exchanged a glance with Huang Manjing, and then stepped forward.
“It’s good that he’s awake. With this incident, the village is in a state of panic. I need to stabilize people’s hearts and gather the villagers to make some plans. I’ll be leaving now.”
Unexpectedly, when Ji Yangzong said this, You Lingxiao calmed down.
“A’yu…”
You Lingxiao, lying on the bed, suddenly called out weakly, “Can you not leave? I’m in so much pain all over.”
Taoyu turned his head and looked at the pale-faced person on the bed. Although the blood had been wiped away, his handsome face still had many injuries, making him look quite pitiful.
Ji Yangzong frowned at this, fearing his son would soften his heart.
“I’ve left some painkillers, made by my grandfather. They have a very good effect. Have Madam Sun apply them to you for some relief.”
“I apologize, my medical skills are limited, and I cannot treat your hand.”
Ji Yangzong and his wife breathed a sigh of relief. After saying this, they left the scene of chaos without paying attention to You Lingxiao’s calls.
“I went to the city today, but I didn’t see any bandits.”
Ji Yangzong couldn’t quite understand how You Lingxiao had encountered them and been beaten by bandits.
“I haven’t heard anyone else talking about bandit riots outside either?”
“Didn’t you hear him say he was going to pay the money for the house? I heard it was a second-entry courtyard, so he must have been carrying a considerable sum of money. He must have been targeted by bandits.”
Huang Manjing said, her heart filled with fear. “Bandits are fierce. They kill and rob without any regard for human decency. The fact that he survived is thanks to divine protection.”
Ji Yangzong felt that things were not that simple and that there were strange aspects everywhere, but he couldn’t articulate it and dared not jump to conclusions.
Seeing You Lingxiao like this, he didn’t feel much sympathy. Those who do evil deeds will eventually receive retribution.
After thinking, he looked at Taoyu, who had been silent since leaving the You family’s house. “Why aren’t you talking? Are you scared, or are you feeling sorry for Young Master You the Second?”
Taoyu shook his head, denying that he felt sorry for You Lingxiao.
As a scholar, he knew better than anyone how important reputation was, yet You Lingxiao still used it to frame him.
When he learned the truth of the matter, he had already given up all hope. If there were any feelings, it was only disgust.
However, hearing about the bandit riots outside, he was indeed a little scared. “You Lingxiao’s hand bones are severely fractured. Even if my grandfather came, I’m afraid it would be beyond repair.”
He could set bones, but he didn’t have the ability to set such severe fractures. Asking another doctor was just to give them some hope.
The Ji couple heard this and their faces showed shock. Just as they were about to speak, a figure leaned against a tree trunk ahead, seemingly waiting for them.