The Overachieving Little Husband of the Top Scholar’s Household - Chapter 130: The Eight Characters

Chapter 130: The Eight Characters

Qiu Huanian glanced at Jiujiu, silently asking what was wrong with Chunsheng.

Jiujiu was three years older than Chunsheng and, in the absence of their two elder brothers, had naturally taken on the role of head of the household. Attentive and perceptive by nature, she had, of course, noticed the issue with Chunsheng.

“It’s that Yuan Ruo hasn’t been to the academy for several days now.”

Qiu Huanian frowned slightly. “Did anyone go to find out why?”

“I sent Auntie Jin to the Shu family to ask. Ru Tang and Fu Xia said that Yuan Jia-jie had family matters and had taken leave. She hasn’t come to teach them in several days either.”

Yuan Jia was Ru Tang’s teacher; after Madam Huang took Wei Fuxia as her goddaughter, Yuan Jia ended up tutoring both girls.

“So it’s just a normal leave, then?”

But Chunsheng quickly spoke up, “No — I know for sure it’s not!”

Qiu Huanian poured him a cup of kumquat honey tea. “Don’t rush, speak slowly.” Du Yunse looked over as well.

“Yuan Ruo stopped coming to the academy the day after the news came that you’d won the championship. That day, everyone congratulated me, and Yuan Ruo, stuck on the outside, seemed a little upset. I invited him to come play at our house the next day, and he agreed — but from the next day, he didn’t even come to the academy anymore.”

Jiujiu added, “I even had someone go to the place Yuan Jia and Yuan Ruo rent, but no one answered the door no matter how much they knocked. We don’t know where they’ve gone.”

Qiu Huanian nodded. This was indeed strange.

If Yuan Ruo had to leave the very next day, he wouldn’t have agreed the day before to visit. Yuan Jia was a very principled and courteous person, strict in her discipline of her brother. Even in an emergency, she would have had someone send word — she wouldn’t simply fail to show up.

Qiu Huanian looked at Du Yunse. Du Yunse nodded. “I’ll write a note shortly and ask the Prefectural Surveillance Commissioner to investigate.”

In the Yu Dynasty’s administration, the Tixing Ancha Shi — Prefectural Surveillance Commissioner — was akin to the head of the police. As the champion, Du Yunse only needed to send a short written request to have him act.

The previous Surveillance Commissioner of Xiangping had apparently been in the Prince of Jin’s faction, protecting the human trafficking ring; when exposed, he killed himself to cut off all leads.

The new commissioner, mindful of his predecessor’s grim end at Du Yunse’s hands, promptly mobilized a team. By the next morning, one of his officers arrived to report the findings.

“Master, Young Master, no need to worry. The Yuan siblings are still in Xiangping — they’ve just moved somewhere else.”

“Why would they suddenly move?”

The officer explained, “Their father once served as zhubu¹ of a county under Xiangping. He drowned during a storm while supervising canal repairs. The magistrate, honoring his service, granted the family a large settlement. But Yuan Jia’s mother remained grief-stricken and died in childbirth a few months later.

“Yuan Jia has several paternal uncles. When both parents died, they wanted to take her and her newborn brother into their home — really to get at that settlement silver. Yuan Jia knew their intentions and steadfastly refused.

“Fortunately, her younger brother Yuan Ruo is male; even though he’s young, he can hold the household’s registration. If it had been a woman or a male spouse, by law, if the uncles complained to the authorities, the two minors would have been placed under close relatives’ guardianship.”

The Yu Dynasty did allow for female-headed households, but the requirements were strict; skilled women like the Huang sisters could do it, but not a teenage girl with an infant in arms.

“In later years, when the relatives pressed too hard, Yuan Jia simply took her brother and quietly came to the prefectural city. The rest you know — she found work as a teacher, and Yuan Ruo studied at the same school as the Young Master.”

Yuan Jia was fiercely independent; she had never shared her hardships with the friends she’d made locally, and Yuan Ruo, like his sister, never let slip the difficulties at home.

“Did those relatives arrive in the city a few days ago?”

“Sharp eyes, Young Master.” The officer praised, then added, “They somehow found the siblings’ address and…”

“Yes?”

“…and arranged a betrothal for Yuan Jia — this time even bringing the groom to fetch her.”

“….” Qiu Huanian almost laughed in anger. The troublesome relatives had found an easy path: however capable Yuan Jia might be, she was still an unmarried young woman without parents to arrange her match. As her “elders,” they could simply marry her off — and then take their time stripping away her and Yuan Ruo’s property.

Knowing that the champion’s family valued the siblings, the officer said, “We located them last night and told them the Master and Young Master had returned and were looking for them. Would you like to see them?”

Qiu Huanian thought for a moment. “Since they left in haste, their current lodging must be poor. I’ll send someone to bring them here directly to stay.”

He sent Jin San with the carriage, along with Ma Nao and Xingmi, to fetch them.

“When poor, keep to self-cultivation; when prosperous, aid the world.” With his rising status and wealth, Qiu Huanian could do more — and was willing to help within his means.

It was not only because Yuan Ruo was Chunsheng’s good friend; Qiu Huanian also genuinely admired Yuan Jia’s character and capabilities.

Chunsheng stayed in the front courtyard awaiting news. When he heard they had been sent for, his face lit up with joy.

A short while later, Jin San returned with the carriage. Chunsheng dashed forward, eager to see his friend.

“Yuan Ruo! Finally! Why didn’t you tell me there was trouble at home—”

His happy half-complaint broke off as he saw Yuan Ruo jump down. In just a few days, the boy seemed to have lost weight; his small face was swollen-eyed and red, and he bit his lip without speaking.

“Yuan Ruo?”

Yuan Jia followed, patting her brother’s head with a light, apologetic laugh. “Something inconvenient came up suddenly — I must beg the Young Master’s pardon on his behalf.”

Chunsheng scratched his head. “I’m not blaming him. I’m just glad you’re here.”

Brought in to the main hall, the siblings’ low spirits were plain. Qiu Huanian had Mumian prepare a side room for them to stay in.

Yuan Jia looked apologetic as she said, “Young Master, the arithmetic manuscript you encouraged me to write — I fear I can’t complete it now.”

She had a gift for mathematics, and Qiu Huanian had urged her to compile her ideas into a book for publication.

“What happened?”

Yuan Ruo bit his lip, then spoke. “It’s my fault. When we left in a rush, I packed my sister’s papers, but missed part of it — right from the most important section.”

His eyes reddened again. “When she noticed, she tried to sneak back to get it — but those nasty people were lying in wait. She escaped, but they burned all of her papers…”

Yuan Jia drew him into her arms. “It’s not your fault — this is the work of those people. How could it be on you?”

Hearing that the papers had been burned, Qiu Huanian’s frown deepened.

As someone who had written two books himself, he knew well how much time, energy, and heart went into such a work. Even if she could rewrite it, given her state now, she might not be able to bring herself to start over.

He sighed. “Stay here and rest for a few days. When you’ve recovered, we’ll decide what to do next.”

Yuan Jia stood to offer thanks. “With Master Du’s championship and no gift from us, and you still troubling yourself over our sake — I am truly ashamed.”

Qiu Huanian smiled. “It’s nothing. Having you here will make Chunsheng so happy — he’s been talking about Yuan Ruo constantly.”

Yuan Jia relaxed slightly, a fleeting shadow in her eyes as she gave an almost unseen shake of her head.

Once the siblings were settled, Qiu Huanian pulled Du Yunse away to change clothes. Their time at home was limited, and today they were to visit the Zhu household to formally acknowledge their godson.

“Isn’t fate strange? Our Eight Characters² match perfectly with the little kitten’s, and the most auspicious day for the godparent ceremony happens to be our second day back.”

In the carriage, as he checked the gifts, Qiu said this with a smile.

Dressed in matching tones, Du Yunse’s lips curved. “Does Hua Ge’er believe in that sort of thing?”

“Better to believe it could be true than to dismiss it — it’s a happy occasion, letting yourself believe makes you happier.”

As for ill omens? — sorry, feudal superstitions should be discarded.

“Then does Hua Ge’er want to know what our Eight Characters predicted for us?”

“Oh?”

Qiu was intrigued.

After last autumn’s provincial exam results, they had held a memorable wedding. Meng Yuanling had collected Qiu’s birth data ahead of time to have it matched, but he had never asked for the details — only that it was favorable.

“We’re not there yet — tell me now.”

Du Yunse took Qiu’s arm in his hand and said slowly, “Our Five Elements complement each other; our zodiac signs are in harmony — it’s the best of marriages. My day pillar sits on zheng cai³, showing I gain much from my spouse; Hua Ge’er’s day pillar sits on zheng gong⁴, showing a spouse both intelligent and resourceful, who, when meeting wealth, brings fortune.”

Qiu blinked. “Are you secretly praising yourself?”

Du Yunse laughed. “It’s in the stars. Hua Ge’er is a gift from Heaven to me.”

Qiu thought he caught an undertone. “Did the astrologer say anything else?”

Du Yunse’s voice was low and pleasant. “He said that combined, our Eight Characters yield a fine line of verse.”

“What is it?”

“‘Heaven’s star falls to the open fields; all the grain grows with shared grace.’”

The carriage fell utterly silent. Qiu and Du Yunse did not speak for a long time.

On its face, the ten-character couplet was vague — just a metaphorical blessing. But to Qiu, who knew his origins, and Du Yunse, who half-suspected, it hinted at thoughts they hardly dared pursue.

Qiu instinctively gripped Du Yunse’s arm; Du Yunse patted him in reassurance. “That astrologer doesn’t know what it might mean — I’ve arranged matters to be sure. You need not worry.”

Qiu exhaled and smiled in wonder. “I just didn’t expect it to be so uncanny.”

“Yunse, I—”

But Du Yunse shook his head gently. “I’ll wait for the day Hua Ge’er is willing to tell me everything.”

Qiu said no more, simply leaning against him and listening to the sound of the carriage rolling along the wide street.

One day, he would tell Du Yunse openly, leaving no secrets between them — but that day would be far in the future, perhaps when they were about to leave this world altogether.

Footnotes:

1. 1. Zhubu (主簿) – A county-level administrative and records officer in imperial China.

1. 1. Eight Characters (八字) – Refers to the Four Pillars of Destiny: year, month, day, and hour of birth, used in Chinese astrology.

1. 1. Zheng Cai (正财) – “Proper Wealth” in the Four Pillars system; relates to income from normal means and the influence of a spouse.

1. 1. Zheng Gong (正宫) – Literally “main palace” in astrological context; here, shorthand in the reading for a stable and capable marriage partner.