The Overachieving Little Husband of the Top Scholar’s Household - Chapter 23: Injustice

The onlookers, who had gathered to watch the commotion, felt utter disdain upon hearing Qiu Chuanzong’s words.

People in rural villages rarely had the awareness to sign formal documents. Many matters were settled with just the witness of the village chief and trusted neighbors—everyone knew that Qiu Huanian had been exchanged for two bushels of sorghum by Widow Li. For the Qiu family to try and exploit this loophole was simply shameless!

And yet, they had the audacity to call Qiu Huanian heartless and venomous just moments ago? Weren’t they just describing themselves?

Being pointed at and criticized by so many people made Qiu Chuanzong feel uneasy. If not for the fact that Qiu Gui was his only precious son, he would never have thrown away his dignity to make a scene in Du Family Village.

They had come with the intention of forcing Qiu Huanian—who supposedly still didn’t know the truth—into pleading for Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui’s release under the weight of filial piety.

After all, at the root of this whole mess was that wretched spawn, Qiu Huanian. If he had just obediently handed over his earnings, followed them back home, and been resold to a wealthy family, none of this trouble would have happened!

As Qiu Chuanzong thought this, his gaze toward Qiu Huanian grew increasingly hostile.

Du Yunse, unable to tolerate it any longer, was about to step forward when Qiu Huanian grabbed his hand, signaling him to hold back for now.

Qiu Huanian’s gaze swept over the onlookers from Du Family Village until he spotted Zhao shi, who was hiding among the crowd. He let out a chuckle. “Actually, I already know exactly why Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui were arrested.”

These words startled the Qiu family members who were aware of the inside story. But they quickly reassured themselves, thinking Qiu Huanian was merely bluffing.

After all, Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui had been taken away so suddenly that even many villagers from Shangliang Village didn’t know the reason. There was no way Qiu Huanian could have found out.

“What, you don’t believe me?” Qiu Huanian said, half-truthfully. “Yesterday, Zhou shi snuck into Du Family Village to meet with someone. That person happens to know everything about this matter.”

Du Family Village had only one main road leading in and out. Some villagers who had been working near the entrance the previous day took a closer look at Zhou shi’s face and suddenly recalled, “It’s her! She came alone yesterday afternoon. I remember wondering which family’s distant relative she was.”

“What was she doing in our village? If she was here to see Hua ge’er, why is she causing trouble again today?”

“From what Hua ge’er is saying, could someone in our village be colluding with the Qiu family?”

Realizing the situation was turning against her, Zhao shi tried to slip away, but she had been standing too close to the front. In the dense crowd, sweating profusely, she found herself unable to push through and escape.

Qiu Huanian added meaningfully, “If you don’t want people to know, then don’t do shady things. And besides, there’s more than one way for information to get out.”

Hearing this, Zhou shi’s first thought was that after she left yesterday, Zhao shi must have sold out the Qiu family to clear herself of any suspicion.

All of Zhou shi’s pent-up anger and resentment exploded in an instant. She locked onto Zhao shi and lunged, grabbing her by the hair.

“This is all your fault! My family is suffering because of you! Did you really think you’d get away with it? I’ll expose everything you’ve done right here in front of your entire village!”

“If I’m going down, you’re going down with me!”

Zhao shi cried out in pain and shouted, “Quick! Quick, get her off me!”

As chaos erupted, Du Yunse shielded Qiu Huanian, pulling him away from the scuffle.

With the village chief absent, the ones who held the most authority in the village were his eldest son, Bao Ren, and his eldest daughter-in-law, Meng Fuyue.

Meng Fuyue, recalling how Zhao shi had previously denied ever looking down on her maternal nephew, Meng Yuanling, pursed her lips. Though she made a show of trying to mediate, she made no real effort to intervene.

Zhao shi had always been overbearing and was not well-liked in the village. Moreover, judging by Zhou shi’s words, there seemed to be a significant scandal involved, so even those nearby didn’t sincerely step forward to help.

Yun Hu wanted to rush in but was stopped by a fierce glare from Wei Liuhua. Realizing it was better to stay out of it, he withdrew his hand.

Meanwhile, as Zhou shi wrestled with Zhao shi, she spat out furious accusations.

“You said Qiu Huanian had turned into a fox spirit, seducing people left and right—so we should sell him to where he belongs!”

“You said since Widow Li never signed any documents back then, as long as we refused to acknowledge the deal, the law would be on our side!”

“You said Du Yunse hadn’t returned yet, and his family had no one capable of standing up for him—so even if Qiu Huanian resisted, we could find another way!”

“You—”

As Zhou shi continued her tirade, the villagers of Du Family Village cast increasingly hostile glances at the Qiu family.

The Qiu family, panicked, attempted to pull Zhou shi back, but Meng Fuyue stepped in to block them. “What’s the rush? Planning a brawl? You really think you’re going to win in our village?”

Realizing the villagers of Du Family Village were closing in to support Meng Fuyue, the Qiu family grew frantic. Qiu Chuanzong wanted to say something, but in his agitation, he failed to notice that the memorial tablet of his late wife, which he had been holding, had suddenly disappeared.

Looking around hurriedly, he spotted a young ger standing not far away, holding the paper tablet. The ger smirked and raised an eyebrow at him.

Enraged, Qiu Chuanzong moved to strike him, but in the chaos, someone shoved him from behind. He fell flat on his face, getting trampled several times before he could get back up.

Yun Kang and Chun Sheng, who had sneaked over, exchanged a victorious high-five and, using their small size to their advantage, swiftly darted away before anyone could react. Outside the crowd, Jiujiu scolded them with a mock sternness but couldn’t help chuckling as well.

By the time Zhou shi and Zhao shi had exhausted themselves and stopped fighting, all their dirty dealings had been thoroughly exposed.

Disheveled and sitting on the ground, surrounded by a sea of eyes, Zhou shi’s rage had yet to fully subside, but she was already beginning to regret her impulsiveness.

Zhao shi desperately wanted to deny passing information to Qiu Huanian, but Zhou shi refused to give her the chance to defend herself. Her scalp was bleeding from the hair-pulling, her lips were swollen, and all she could do was curse inwardly.

Just then, a pair of slender ankles appeared in their field of vision. Looking up, they saw Qiu Huanian, accompanied by Du Yunse, smiling down at them.

“I almost forgot to mention,” Qiu Huanian said cheerfully, “I only knew that you came to the village yesterday to meet Zhao shi. I had no idea what you talked about.”

“But even before Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui were arrested, I already knew the whole story.”

“Because the traffickers who specialize in abducting young gers and selling them to the south—were caught by Yunse and his friends.”

Qiu Huanian’s bright eyes curved into a cunning arc, his smile like that of a little fox. “Surprised?”

Zhou shi spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed, unconscious. Qiu Huanian looked down at her, tightening his hold on the memorial tablet of Mei Xue’er, the original owner’s mother.

“You, you—” Zhao shi stammered, her entire body trembling. She wanted to say something but couldn’t. A deep sense of fear washed over her. This version of Qiu Huanian terrified her!

Just as Qiu Huanian was about to completely expose Zhao shi’s misdeeds, the crowd suddenly erupted.

“The village chief is back!”

The head of the Du family village, Du Zhenhe, entered with a dark expression. His sons and daughters-in-law quickly approached to brief him on the situation.

Du Zhenhe struck his cane heavily against the ground and glared at the Qiu family.

“You schemed against Hua ge’er, turned the truth upside down, and caused trouble at my doorstep—do you take me for a fool?”

Qiu Chuanzong wanted to run, but a few young men from Du Family village immediately came up and grabbed him. Some members of the Qiu family tried to stop them, but Du Zhenhe’s words, “Do you also want to be locked in the pigsty, or do you want to go to prison?” immediately dispelled their intentions.

After capturing Qiu Chuanzong and his wife, the village chief turned to Qiu Huanián and said, “Hua-ge’er, you have suffered an injustice. How do you want to deal with your father and stepmother?”

Qiu Huanián lowered his eyes in silence, gripping Du Yunse’s hand, who was about to speak. He took a deep breath, his heart surging with strong resentment and bitterness, yet he was helpless.

Both Qiu Huanián and Du Yunse understood the deeper meaning in the village chief’s words. He only mentioned Qiu Chuanzong and Zhou-shi, not even a single word about Zhao-shi—he intended to protect her.

Zhao-shi had leaked information to outsiders, given ideas, and participated in the abduction of a fellow villager’s husband. Her crimes were unforgivable, and she should have been handed over to the county magistrate along with the others. But she had a good son, Du Yunjing.

Although Du Yunjing’s talent was not as outstanding as Du Yunse’s, he had consistently ranked among the top in the county school. At less than twenty years old, he was already confident in passing the scholar examination. Such aptitude was enough to be praised even in the entire Xiangping Prefecture.

With Du Yunjing about to take the provincial exam soon, if his mother were implicated in the county magistrate’s strict investigation into the human trafficking case, it would undoubtedly affect his future.

Du Yunse was the qilin(rare/prodigy/gifted) child of the Du clan, while Du Yunjing was also a young talent of Du Family village. Since there was no evidence proving that he himself had committed any grave mistake, the village chief certainly could not bear to see his efforts go to waste, so he had no choice but to protect Zhao-shi.

Ultimately, the village chief’s care and favoritism toward both Du Yunse and Du Yunjing stemmed from the same fundamental reason. There might be differences in priority, but he could not simply abandon one for the other.

Meng Fuyue, standing nearby, also realized what her father-in-law meant. Unwilling to accept it, she wanted to speak up, but Baoren held her back.

Seeing Du Yunse’s obvious dissatisfaction, the village chief was filled with internal conflict and agony. It was only when he saw Qiu Huanián stopping Du Yunse that he sighed in complicated relief.

Qiu Huanián closed his eyes briefly. The original host’s blood feud had yet to be avenged, and he himself had almost been plotted against by Zhao-shi, nearly falling into the abyss. Of course, he wanted to take this opportunity to deal with Zhao-shi, but with the village chief protecting her, he could do nothing about her today.

Qiu Huanián met the village chief’s gaze, looking at his graying hair and upright posture, and slowly clenched his fists.

He could not blame the village chief. Du Zhenhe was a typical patriarch in a rural clan-based society. In his heart, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust were all very important, but the interests of the clan were far above everything else.

Because of these values, he had once helped Qiu Huanián’s family a lot. Now, for the same reasons, he was helping someone else—it was only natural.

Qiu Huanián only felt powerless and stifled. The situation had been so favorable, and he had almost eliminated the hidden dangers once and for all, avenging the original host. Yet, because of the village chief’s few words, it all disappeared. In the end, it was because his power was too weak and his status too low.

Feeling Du Yunse tightly grasping his hand, Qiu Huanián turned back and gave him a reassuring smile, indicating that he was fine.

Since he could not deal with Zhao-shi today, he might as well take this opportunity to secure something that was usually difficult to achieve.

Under everyone’s gaze, Qiu Huanián held the memorial tablet of his biological mother in both hands and said to the village chief, “I will not argue about other matters for now, but I want to move my mother’s grave. I want to relocate her from Shangliang Village and bury her near Du Family village’s cemetery.”

As soon as these words fell, the crowd erupted in an uproar.

Qiu Chuanzong cursed, “Your mother married into the Qiu family. In life, she was one of our Qiu family, and in death, she is our Qiu family’s ghost. What right do you, a ge’er, have to move her grave?”

Qiu Huanián looked at him with cold eyes. “Then let’s have a divorce.”

The onlookers murmured among themselves, “Divorce… divorce… but hasn’t she been dead for so many years?”

Since when could the dead get divorced?

Qiu Huanián remained unfazed. “Since the dead can be married in a ghost marriage, why can’t the deceased divorce the living? These are all human customs that, once communicated to the underworld, should follow the same logic.”

Qiu Huanián smoothly laid out his reasoning. “Once divorced from Qiu Chuanzong, my mother will only have me as her descendant. It is only right that I move her grave. Now that I belong to Du Family village, naturally, I will move her near Du Family village’s cemetery.”

Qiu Huanián’s argument was logically sound, making it difficult for others to refute for a moment. However, anyone could sense the strangeness and absurdity of it, making them hesitant to agree.

“Village chief, do you think it makes sense?” Qiu Huanián did not need the crowd’s approval. At this point, the Qiu family could no longer resist. As long as Du Zhenhe nodded, the matter would be settled.

Du Zhenhe had not expected that after Qiu Huanián accepted the compromise regarding Zhao-shi, he would turn around and present him with an even greater dilemma.

He stroked his beard and, instead of answering, asked in return, “There are many restrictions on a woman’s divorce. What reason do you have for your mother’s divorce? If there is none, it may instead affect your reputation.”

Du Zhenhe did not agree with this matter, but since he had just firmly protected Zhao-shi, he could not continuously reject Qiu Huanián’s demands.

Qiu Huanián had already prepared his argument—the reasoning was ready-made. “Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui conspired with traffickers to harm me. Their exposure and imprisonment were due to Yunse. I am already irreconcilable with that family and have severed all familial ties with them. My mother’s spirit in heaven does not wish to remain in the Qiu family, alone and associated with criminals, so she appeared in my dream, asking me to divorce on her behalf.”

“……”

Du Zhenhe gazed deeply at Qiu Huanián. Clearly, the claim about a dream visitation was fabricated, but it was more than enough.

For Qiu Huanian, severing ties with the birth father and stepmother who had harmed him and fulfilling his mother’s final wishes was only right and proper. For the already deceased Mei Xue’er, even in death, making a clear distinction from a major criminal of the imperial court was beyond reproach—no one could find fault with it; in fact, she might even be praised as a chaste and virtuous woman.

Du Zhenhe began to doubt himself—was it really the right decision to let Qiu Huanian become disheartened for the sake of Du Yunjing? But he couldn’t go back on it, because Du Yunjing, after all, was a promising scholar of the Du clan.

For a clan to develop in the long run, internal stability was essential, and balance had to be maintained. A little internal strife could be tolerated, but absolute chaos was unacceptable.

In the end, Du Zhenhe sighed and said, “Hua-ge’er is right. Later, we’ll invite the village mediator and the local bailiff as witnesses, have Qiu Chuanzong sign the divorce agreement, and ask the Yin-Yang master to determine an auspicious day to move the grave.”

Of course, Qiu Chuanzong did not want to agree, but he had already been captured by the people of Du Family Village. Whether he wanted to sign or not, he had no choice.

After dispersing the crowd that had come to watch the commotion, the group went to the village chief’s house. Qiu Huanian personally took up the brush and wrote the divorce agreement. Once the village chief and others reviewed and signed it, Qiu Chuanzong was forced to press his fingerprint seal onto the document.

In the pigpen, Qiu Chuanzong cursed bitterly in unwillingness, “You wretched spawn! Beast! I should have strangled you to death back then!”

“You whore’s son—mmph, mmph—”

Meng Fuyue couldn’t stand it anymore. She grabbed a handful of pig dung and stuffed it into Qiu Chuanzong’s mouth before turning away to wash her hands.

Qiu Huanian folded the signed divorce agreement and placed it inside his robe. Looking down at Qiu Chuanzong, whose mouth was full of pig dung, he said in a low voice, “When I was in Shangliang Village, I was still young, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t hear anything.”

“You know very well why the fleeing Mei Xue’er ended up marrying a useless man like you.”

“Divorce was probably her long-held wish, but she couldn’t achieve it while she was alive. Now, at last, it has come true after her death.”

“Qiu Chuanzong, when you commit too many heartless acts, you will inevitably face retribution. Do you think there’s none? You’re wrong—I am your retribution.”

After finishing his statement, addressing Qiu Chuanzong directly by name, Qiu Huanian did not linger. He turned and left. Before stepping out of the village chief’s house, Du Yunse suddenly turned back and bowed to the village chief.

“Yunse, you—”

“I have no reason to plead with the village chief, but Zhao and her son have repeatedly humiliated and schemed against my husband. I, Du Yunse, will never let this go unpunished.”

Without waiting for Du Zhenhe’s response, Du Yunse quickly caught up with Qiu Huanian.

Qiu Huanian kept his head down, walking hurriedly. He didn’t slow his pace until he reached a desolate spot by the riverbank, where he finally let out a breath and loosened his tense posture. He stood there, staring silently at the flowing water.

Du Yunse couldn’t hide the pain and guilt in his eyes. From his perspective, if not for his own lack of status, Hua-ge’er wouldn’t have suffered such humiliation today. They had clearly identified one of the culprits, yet they had no choice but to endure and let her go unpunished.

Qiu Huanian felt weary. His own emotions, mingled with the residual feelings from the original owner of his body, churned in his chest, refusing to dissipate. Looking into Du Yunse’s deep, sorrowful gaze, his heart suddenly raced a few beats, and a sharp sting pricked his nose.

Taking a deep breath, Qiu Huanian hoarsely said, “I need money to buy a coffin for my mother and hire the Yin-Yang master.”

“Alright.”

“I want to bury her in the hollow across from my parents’ graves. The place is serene, with mountains and water, and she can still see… still see…”

“Alright.”

“Du Yunse, hurry up and become the top scholar. I’ll endure this humiliation just this once.”

“Alright.”

Du Yunse couldn’t hold back anymore. He stepped forward and gently embraced Qiu Huanian.

He didn’t dare press too closely. His hands merely hovered over Qiu Huanian’s smooth, delicate back, barely making contact, as light as a feather.

In this restrained yet deeply meaningful embrace, Qiu Huanian gradually calmed down.

“Let’s go home.” Qiu Huanian shook his head and chuckled. “I don’t know where Jiujiu and Chunsheng have run off to. Let’s go back and eat.”

“Alright.” Du Yunse walked beside him, shoulder to shoulder.

…

Although the village chief ultimately protected Zhao, after Zhou had spoken so much in public, the people of Du Family Village were well aware of her misdeeds.

After this incident, wherever Zhao went, she felt that people were whispering behind her back. Even Fu Bao received cold stares when he went out. Finding it impossible to stay in the village any longer, they had no choice but to depart early for the prefectural city to accompany Du Yunjing for his academy exams.

Zhao’s original plan was to rent a single carriage and travel with Fu Bao and Du Yunjing while making Li Gu’er and Du Baoquan shamelessly hitch a ride with the village chief’s household, who were also sending Yun Cheng to the prefectural city for his examination.

But with things turning out as they did, Zhao knew she had completely lost face in front of the village chief and dared not ask for a free ride. Gritting her teeth, she rented two carriages at once.

Traveling by carriage from Zhang County to the prefectural city took three days, and renting one cost three qian of silver. When she paid the fee, Zhao felt as if her heart was bleeding. Her husband, Du Baoquan, complained endlessly, making her grievances even harder to bear. Although she had been the one to make all the decisions, Du Baoquan had never once opposed or tried to stop her.

The night before Zhao’s family left the village, Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse went for a walk by the river. By chance, they saw Li Gu’er again.

Li Gu’er was coming from the direction of the back mountain, walking hurriedly with her head lowered. She didn’t notice them until she was quite close.

At first, she saw Qiu Huanian, and a flash of panic and resentment flickered through her eyes. Then her gaze landed on Du Yunse, and she suddenly froze.

Because she had been jealous that Qiu Huanian had caught Du Yunjing’s attention, and because Du Yunjing had always disliked Du Yunse, she had spread many rumors in the village based on what Du Yunjing had told her. Later, when Du Yunse returned to the village and Qiu Huanian became more capable, she feared retaliation and had been avoiding them ever since. That night was the first time she truly saw Du Yunse’s face.

Bathed in moonlight, with the river murmuring beside him, he was as graceful as jade, unparalleled in the world.

Compared to him, the Du Yunjing she had been infatuated with was nothing but a dim firefly against the brightness of the moon—utterly insignificant.

Qiu Huanian noticed that Li Gu’er was staring at Du Yunse and slightly raised an eyebrow. For some inexplicable reason, a faint displeasure arose in his heart. He stepped forward half a pace and said, “Gu’er, who have you been meeting this time?”

Li Gu’er snapped back to her senses and hastily stammered, “Who could I be meeting? Stop talking nonsense! I was just taking a walk at night.”

After speaking, she clutched the items she had just obtained from her old lover in her hometown and hurried away.

She had no better options left. This trip to the prefectural city with Du Yunjing was her only chance, and she had to seize it. With the two medicinal ingredients she had obtained, everything would surely go smoothly.

…

Before dawn the next day, the Zhao family, bringing ample silver and money, left the village in a mule cart driven by the eldest son, Yunhu, heading to Zhang County to join up with Du Yunjing and travel to the prefectural city together.

In the afternoon, Yunhu returned alone, driving the mule cart. Without Zhao Shi watching, Wei Liuhua finally dared to come openly to find Qiu Huanian.

“I was really scared that day, afraid she would figure it out and suspect that I was the one who passed on what she and Zhou Shi said to you.” Wei Liuhua shook her head, still feeling lingering fear.

“I knew you hadn’t split from the family yet, so of course I wouldn’t forget that.”

Qiu Huanian deliberately claimed that she didn’t know the content of the conversation, only that Zhou Shi had come to Du Family village, making them believe that she had been bluffing them all along—just for this purpose.

Qiu Huanian took out a piece of sorghum candy to tease You Ge’er. Wei Liuhua carried the child out. Although You Ge’er was still very thin and weak, his complexion no longer had a bluish-black hue. His large, bright eyes and delicate, pointed chin made him very endearing.

Wei Liuhua noticed the new coffin parked under the pear tree in the courtyard. The coffin had cost Qiu Huanian a tael of silver and was made of high-quality wood, three inches thick, painted with bright, colorful patterns.

“The date for the grave-moving ceremony is set?”

“It’s set. I’ve also spoken to the village chief of Shangliang Village. The yin-yang master picked a date three days from now. We’ll be hosting a few banquet tables at home then, so sister-in-law, make sure to come and join the feast.”

Wei Liuhua agreed to come and help in the kitchen on that day, though she still found it unbelievable. Such an unusual event—moving the grave of a divorced mother—was actually being accomplished by a ger like Qiu Huanian.

Inside the house, Jiujiu was struggling with the two bolts of cotton fabric Qiu Huanian had bought. She had practically memorized the patterns on the cloth but still didn’t dare to pick up the scissors, afraid of ruining the precious material.

Seeing this from outside, Wei Liuhua couldn’t help stepping in to offer a few pointers. Qiu Huanian recalled wanting to hire an embroidery teacher for Jiujiu and said directly, “Sister-in-law, when you have time, please teach Jiujiu more often. I’ll prepare the apprenticeship gift and tuition.”

Wei Liuhua quickly shook her head. “If Jiujiu wants to learn, she can just come to me. There’s no need for all that.”

But Qiu Huanian insisted, “I want Jiujiu to learn everything you know from the very beginning. Learning a craft to make a living requires proper etiquette. She’ll be more serious about it this way.”

Wei Liuhua, financially strained, wrestled with her thoughts for a moment before agreeing. “Alright, I promise I won’t hold anything back. I’ll teach Jiujiu everything I know, one thing at a time.”

Wei Liuhua’s embroidery skills were well-known in Du Family village.

Hearing this, Jiujiu was overjoyed. She ran out of the house and, following the etiquette Du Yunse had taught her, formally bowed to her master. Wei Liuhua was flustered, her face turning red with embarrassment, yet deep inside, she was immensely pleased. This was the first time her skills had been treated with such respect. In the past, all she had received was Zhao Shi’s and her younger sister-in-law Qiao Xing’s exploitation.

Qiu Huanian brought out half a jin of meat, six eggs, a plate of sorghum candy, and a plate of dried tofu, making up the four required items for an apprenticeship gift. She originally wanted to offer tuition money as well, but Wei Liuhua refused, saying it was too early. She would only accept payment once Jiujiu had made real progress.

On the night the Zhao family left the village, Yun Cheng returned to Du Family village. He had specifically come back from the county school to perform ancestral rites before heading off to the prefectural city to take the tongsheng exam.

The village chief wanted to ask Du Yunse to tutor Yun Cheng for a bit, but since he had previously sided with Zhao Shi, he didn’t know how to bring it up. In the end, it was Meng Fuyue who, early the next morning, personally brought gifts and led Yun Cheng to Du Yunse’s home.

Du Yunse did not refuse. He took Yun Cheng to the main house to test his studies and gave him pointers on essay composition and structuring arguments.

Meanwhile, Qiu Huanian put away the eggs and meat Meng Fuyue had brought and chatted with her in the courtyard.

“I also hate Zhao Shi to the core, but what can we do? She has a good son. My father-in-law isn’t willing to let go of a scholar from the Du family, so she gets to continue enjoying her days. Don’t hold too much resentment—there will be other opportunities.”

Qiu Huanian smiled and shook her head. “The village chief has helped me and Yunse a lot. We don’t blame him for this. Even if he had directly sent someone to ask Yunse to tutor Yun Cheng, Yunse would have done it.”

“I know you two are righteous and upright kids. It’s my father-in-law who feels ashamed and doesn’t dare to face you two for now.”

Meng Fuyue glanced at the coffin in the courtyard and changed the topic. “Since Yun Cheng is going to the prefectural city for the exam, my husband and I will accompany him. We won’t be able to help with the grave-moving, but your uncle Baoren has already made all the arrangements. You don’t need to worry about the people going to Shangliang Village or those digging the grave.”

“How are Qiu Chuanzong and Zhou Shi?” Qiu Huanian asked.

Meng Fuyue noticed that Qiu Huanian didn’t even call them father and mother. Her heartbeat quickened slightly, but after a moment, she felt a sense of satisfaction.

“They’re still locked in the pigsty. They get water and food every day, so they won’t die. My father-in-law has spoken with the village chief of Shangliang Village. To prevent them from causing trouble, they’ll be released only after the grave-moving is done.”

Shangliang Village was a mixed-surname settlement. The Qiu family wasn’t the largest clan there, and the current village chief wasn’t a Qiu either. He wouldn’t risk a conflict with Du Family village just for Qiu Chuanzong’s family.

When it came to Qiu Huanian moving her birth mother’s grave, Du Zhenhe had indeed done his part.

Du Yunse tutored Yun Cheng for over an hour. When Yun Cheng returned home, the village chief asked him, “What did Yunse say?”

“Brother Yunse tested me on the Four Books and the Classic of Filial Piety. He also had me recite some essays I wrote at the county school and pointed out all my weaknesses. He explained everything I didn’t understand in detail.”

Yun Cheng paused before adding, “Brother Yunse’s knowledge isn’t just at the level of a xiucai—he is absolutely capable of being a juren or even a jinshi. But what’s most admirable is that no matter how simple my questions were in his eyes, he never showed impatience or brushed me off.”

After returning home, Yun Cheng heard about Zhao Shi’s attempt to harm Huanian. He didn’t fully agree with his grandfather’s decision. Having studied alongside Du Yunjing at the county school for nearly a month, he hadn’t seen anything particularly commendable about this clansman.

Hearing Yun Cheng’s words, Du Zhenhe sighed, “Yunse is a good child. You should take him as a role model and keep close ties with him. As for Huanian from the eldest branch, help him out whenever you can in the village.”

After lunch, Yun Cheng was ready to set off. The rented carriage had already arrived at the village entrance, and many villagers came to see him off.

Meng Wudong also drove a mule cart, bringing Meng Yuanling along to send off their cousin. Meng Yuanling hesitated several times before finally pulling Yun Cheng aside when no one was looking and handing him a sachet.

“I made this myself. It’s filled with herbs that refresh the mind and boost concentration. I had someone go to the county to get them specially. You better not look down on it!”

Yun Cheng took the sachet and asked, “Cousin Ling, where did you get the money?”

Meng Yuanling had a hint of pride on his adorable face. “I helped Brother Hua sell candy for a few days, and he shared some with me.”

“Do well on your exams. When you go to the provincial city, don’t mess around, and don’t you dare get sick, understand?”

After saying this, Meng Yuanling quickly slipped away as if afraid of being caught. No one noticed the brief interaction between the two of them.

Yun Cheng’s eyes followed Meng Yuanling’s retreating figure, lost in thought for a moment. He didn’t understand why, but he suddenly wanted to take a few more looks at Ling Biaoge, to see the dimples that appeared on his cheeks when he smiled.

On the other side of the carriage, Meng Fuyue was speaking with Qiu Huanian. “The journey will take three to four days, and after arriving in the provincial city, there will still be a few days before the exam. Once the results are out, we’ll head back, but even then, we’ll be gone for at least ten days. We might miss the cotton planting. Brother Hua, feel free to order my second and third brothers around as you need, don’t hold back.”

Qiu Huanian smiled and nodded. “I wish Yun Cheng success in his exams. Safe travels to all of you.”

Meng Fuyue responded, “Thank you for your kind words. We’ll scout things out first and note everything we need to be mindful of, so that when Yun Se goes to take his county-level exam, things will be more convenient for him.”

After Yun Cheng and his parents left the village, Qiu Huanian began making preparations for the grave relocation.

Although arrangements had already been made for inviting the feng shui master, breaking the ground, and digging the burial site, Qiu Huanian still needed to personally oversee everything to ensure there were no mistakes.

A grave relocation was considered a minor funeral event. Once it was completed, a banquet would also need to be held at home to properly thank those who helped.

Qiu Huanian placed an order at the Meng family’s tofu workshop for twenty catties of tofu. He also bought twenty catties of pork bones, ten catties of meat, ten fish, ten catties of glutinous rice and wheat flour, five catties of dried vermicelli, and one catty of white sugar. With additional seasonings and homegrown vegetables, he put together enough food for ten banquet tables.

The main staple food was steamed cornbread. Each table was served scallion-tossed tofu, sweet glutinous rice dumplings, a braised fish dish, stir-fried vermicelli with meat, and a large bowl of corn and pork bone soup. Other vegetarian dishes were prepared as needed.

The women and young men of Du Family Village came to help of their own accord, prepping the ingredients in advance. The prepared food was covered with bamboo steamers and dish covers and stored indoors, ready to be stir-fried fresh on the day of the event.

On the morning of the grave relocation, Du Yunse did not study as usual. Instead, he and Qiu Huanian fertilized the cotton seedlings at their roots with organic fertilizer. They then moved the seed trays to the rooftop for sunlight exposure before gathering their things and setting off in a mule cart for Shangliang Village.

Along with the mule carts borrowed from the village chief’s household, Wei Liuhua’s family, and Meng Yuanling’s family, there were a total of four mule carts carrying over a dozen people. They made an imposing procession as they arrived in Shangliang Village, attracting the curious gazes of villagers working in the fields.

The feng shui master had calculated that the auspicious time for breaking the ground was at a quarter past noon. With over an hour to go before then, the village chief of Shangliang Village welcomed them and had some villagers lead them to rest at Qiu Chuanzong’s home.

Along the way, many people stood by the roadside, secretly watching them.

Shangliang Village had changed little over the past six or seven years. Qiu Huanian could vaguely match some familiar sights with the original owner’s memories, recognizing paths that seemed familiar.

While his memories roughly aligned with reality, the villagers of Shangliang Village found it difficult to recognize Qiu Huanian.

He had been sold at the age of ten and had never returned since. Their last memory of him was as a frail, skeletal young boy. Now, seeing the strikingly handsome and confidently poised young man at the front of the procession, many couldn’t help but rub their eyes in disbelief.

—Was this really Hua Ge’er?

They all knew deep down that it was indeed him, the same Hua Ge’er who had nearly been starved and beaten to death by his biological father and stepmother. His face bore a six- or seven-tenths resemblance to his mother, Mei Xue’er. No other family in Shangliang Village had such fine features.

Upon arriving at Qiu Chuanzong’s home, several of Qiu’s uncles and elders hid away, fearful that the people from Du Family Village might cause trouble and drag them into it.

The Qiu family had marched in to stir up trouble but ended up utterly humiliated. The truth behind Qiu Fu and Qiu Gui’s arrest could no longer be concealed. The other families in the village, worried about being implicated, had joined forces to warn the Qiu family: if they stirred up another legal dispute, they would be driven out of the village.

As a result, the Qiu family was now completely isolated in Shangliang Village.

In the end, it was Qiu Huanian’s distant great-aunt who trembled her way forward to unlock the house for them.

Qiu Huanian remembered this great-aunt. When the original owner was a child and starving, he had once run to her home. She had given him a small piece of sorghum cake, which he had swallowed in just two bites.

When her son found out, he had caused a huge commotion within the clan, leading to a severe beating for the original owner. After that, the great-aunt had never dared to give him food again.

Qiu Huanian stepped forward to support the elderly woman. Her cloudy eyes scanned him up and down. “Is it really Hua Ge’er?”

“It’s me, Great-Aunt.”

“Good, good…”

Qiu Huanian took the key from her, and Du Yunse went to unlock the door. Taking a deep breath, Qiu Huanian stepped inside, found some stools, and invited everyone to sit in the courtyard. Since there weren’t enough stools, some sat on tables and benches instead.

The great-aunt hesitated several times before finally speaking. Qiu Huanian noticed and reassured her, “There’s no outsiders here. Say whatever you need to say. You don’t have to worry about the wrong people hearing.”

Everyone who had come with them was someone they trusted in the village—people who wouldn’t gossip or report back to the Qiu family.

The great-aunt’s hands trembled as she asked, “You’ve come to relocate your mother’s grave?”

When Qiu Huanian nodded, she pressed on, “She really divorced? Xue’er is no longer Chuanzong’s wife?”

When Qiu Huanian confirmed it, the elderly woman suddenly began to cry, tears streaking down her wrinkled face. “What a tragedy! What a tragedy!”

Her sobs were heart-wrenching. Qiu Huanian felt heavy inside but pressed on with his questions. “Great-Aunt, I remember you found my mother. I also heard that she hadn’t willingly married Qiu Chuanzong. Can you tell me the details?”

Still muttering about the tragedy, the great-aunt eventually relented under Qiu Huanian’s persistent questioning and revealed what had happened back then.

Seventeen or eighteen years ago, war raged in the northeast, and floods frequently struck the south. The entire country was in turmoil, and Zhang County often saw large waves of refugees passing through. It wasn’t uncommon to see unfamiliar corpses along the roadsides.

One day, while gathering wild vegetables in the mountains, the great-aunt had found a young woman of about twenty lying in the underbrush. She wore coarse clothing, but her delicate skin suggested she wasn’t a common village girl.

She originally thought that the young woman was already dead. Curious, she went over to take a look, only to find that the woman had merely fainted from exhaustion and was still breathing.

Third Uncle’s wife felt that the young woman did not belong to an ordinary family, so she rescued her and brought her home. But after waking up, the young woman refused to reveal anything about her origins or say where her family could be found. As time passed, some members of the Qiu family grew restless.

“That day, Chuanzong said there were cheap chicks and ducklings for sale at the town market. I left early in the morning but didn’t see anything of the sort. When I got home, there wasn’t a single person in the yard. Only your mother was there, clutching her clothes and crying on the kang. Her face and body were covered in bruises. That’s when I knew something terrible had happened.”

“Your mother wanted to take her own life, but I stopped her. I told her that living in hardship was still better than dying. Since she refused to say where she was from and no family came looking for her, I suggested that she stay in Shangliang Village. After all, Chuanzong at least had hands and feet and could earn a living. I made the decision for her and told Chuanzong to hold a proper wedding feast and marry her.”

“I never expected it—Chuanzong, he… he truly was a beast!”

“After you were born, Chuanzong resented you for being a ger. Your mother’s health deteriorated, and she could no longer bear children. She also wasn’t as beautiful as she had been at first. So he would beat and kick her at the slightest provocation, locking her up, forbidding her from going outside or seeing anyone. No matter how I tried to persuade him, he wouldn’t listen.”

“Before your mother even passed away, he had already started an affair with that widow, Zhou Shi, from the neighboring village and brazenly brought her into the house to live with him.”

“The last time I saw your mother, she was so thin she no longer looked human. She couldn’t even get off the kang. She mentioned you to me but didn’t say anything more. I knew that, in her heart, she understood that my words carried no weight. Entrusting you to me would be futile.”

“In the end, she only said one thing to me. She said—‘Third Uncle and Aunt, it would have been better if you had just let me die back then.’”

“She said—‘I don’t want to die and be buried here. I want a divorce. I want to go home.’”

The elderly woman, who had seen much of the world, clutched her chest and wept bitterly at the memory. “Such a sin! Such a terrible sin!”

Everyone from Du Family Village listening in the courtyard felt their hearts tighten. Du Yunse held Qiu Huanian’s hand, looking at him with worry and distress.

Suppressing the bitterness in his heart, Qiu Huanian asked, “Do you know where my mother came from?”

Third Uncle’s wife shook her head. “She never spoke a word about it, not even during the most difficult times. But judging from her accent, I always felt that she grew up in the south.”

“Oh, right. When I first brought her back, she told me that Xue’er was only her nickname. Her full name was Mei Zhengchun, and she told me not to tell anyone.”

“Zheng as in ‘to strive’ and Chun as in ‘spring’?” Qiu Huanian asked uncertainly.

“Yes, yes. She said that perhaps the true meaning of a plum blossom wasn’t to bloom in the snow but to refuse to yield and strive for spring. That’s why it blooms earlier than all the other flowers. I’ve remembered those words ever since. But after that, she never mentioned this name again.”

Qiu Huanian fell silent for a long time. In the original owner’s memories, his mother had always been frail, quiet, and indistinct. Only today did he finally catch a glimpse of what kind of girl she had once been.

Softly, Du Yunse comforted him, “At least you now know her name. If you want to search, we will keep searching. One day, we will find out where Mother came from.”

Qiu Huanian closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. “You’re right. Today is just the first step. We will find her origins eventually.”