The Overachieving Little Husband of the Top Scholar’s Household - Chapter 88: The Incident at Qingwu Nunnery

Chapter 88: The Incident at Qingwu Nunnery

Although Qiu Huanian did not attend the religious ceremony at Qingwu Nunnery hosted by the prefect’s wife, he remained well-informed of the unfolding events.

Recognizing it was not an opportune moment to disturb Su Xinbai, he instead asked Meng Yuanling—whose social network was more extensive—to stay alert and report anything unusual. He also instructed Jin San and Old Lady Jin to listen for any circulating rumors.

In truth, such precautions were almost unnecessary. Word of what transpired at Qingwu Nunnery had already swept through the city by the end of the very day the invitation was extended.

“You mean the prefect’s wife discovered a mysterious female monk there?”

Jin San nodded gravely. “It’s true. The Provincial Judicial Commissioner’s Office dispatched numerous officers. The city is ablaze with speculation that the nunnery had been kidnapping missing young girls and boys.”

Qiu Huanian’s expression darkened in silent contemplation.

There was something peculiar about the whole affair. The prefect’s wife had announced her visit days in advance—ample time for anyone involved in wrongdoing to erase any trace. Why, then, had something so incriminating been left exposed?

It might be a calculated trap laid by Prefect Si Jing to flush out the mastermind behind the scenes.

When Meng Yuanling returned with further information, he reported, “Brother Hua, I heard that Min Leyi went to Qingwu Nunnery today.”

“Leyi?” Qiu Huanian sighed. “If he received an invitation, that nanny of his would have ensured he attended—ostracized or not.”

“Was he harmed?”

“Thankfully, no. From what I’ve gathered, some criminals attempted to kill the mysterious monk to silence her, but Min Leyi intervened just in time. He saved her.”

“Was he injured?”

“I made sure to ask. They said he came through unscathed. With his martial skills, that makes sense.”

“I’ll prepare a gift and pay him a visit tomorrow,” said Qiu Huanian.

…

With Qingwu Nunnery under strict official lockdown, the scheduled ceremony was inevitably canceled.

For the safety of the noblewomen in attendance, they were relocated to a large estate near the prefect’s residence.

Amid the confusion, Min Leyi found himself separated from his servants. Disinclined to seek them out, he wandered alone until he found a quiet place to sit and reflect.

Footsteps snapped him from his thoughts. Turning, he saw someone he liked even less than his nanny.

“Miss Su. What is it now?”

Su Xinyue regarded him with a smirk. “So the rumors are true. You’ve finally learned to behave—no more crude peasant nonsense.”

Min Leyi’s eyes narrowed. “Su Xinyue, weren’t you just released from three months of confinement? Back already and eager for more?”

“You—”

Su Xinyue bristled but quickly fell silent at the sound of a cough. Both turned to see Min Leyi’s ever-watchful nanny approaching.

Su Xinyue immediately composed herself, retreating to the side.

Min Leyi stood with his head bowed.

“Young Master Min, there you are. This place is too crowded and full of eyes. Come with me,” the nanny said.

Min Leyi hesitated, knowing full well what awaited him.

“Young Master Min?” she called again, her tone cool but firm.

Catching the gleeful look on Su Xinyue’s face, a wave of frustration surged in him. He followed.

The matron led him to a quiet room—empty but for a table and a set of tea.

“This is your temporary resting place, arranged by the estate steward.”

Min Leyi swallowed hard and gave a stiff nod.

The nanny turned slowly. “Since we’re alone, I must take this moment to correct your conduct.”

“Why did you place yourself in danger today?”

“I had gone off to find a quiet corner after offering incense. Suddenly, I heard screaming and sounds of a struggle. How could I just walk away?”

“You could have called for help.”

“There were only noble ladies nearby. I was the strongest among them. If I had run to fetch guards, that woman would have been strangled by the time they arrived!”

“That was her fate—Heaven’s will. And you, a young master of esteemed birth, saw fit to endanger yourself?”

Min Leyi bit his tongue, but his indignation was visible.

Her gaze hardened, etching deeper lines into her weathered face.

“This was a matter of life and death, and still you show no remorse? You’re already infamous for brawling, and now this? What will people say?”

“I had no choice. Last time it was a cat. This time, a human life!”

The matron’s cold stare pierced him.

“How many times have you spoken back today? If my counsel is no longer welcome, I will resign.”

Fear crept into Min Leyi’s heart. If she left, he’d face the Yu clan’s scrutiny alone.

“Please don’t be angry. I won’t speak out of turn again.”

But the matron was not done.

“You’ve yet to admit wrongdoing.”

Min Leyi’s jaw clenched. His small fists trembled, but he remained defiant.

Without another word, the matron picked up a switch from the table—a long, slender willow branch, stripped of its leaves.

“Hold out your hands.”

Min Leyi hesitated, then extended his hands. The puncture wounds from earlier were still visible.

“Do you acknowledge your mistake?”

He remained silent.

The switch came down with a sharp crack, raising angry red welts across both palms. His shoulders twitched from the pain, but he did not utter a sound.

“Will the young master now admit fault?” Her voice was like ice.

Again, silence.

The next strike was harsher. The sound echoed through the empty room.

“Will the young master admit fault?”

…

The beating continued, each blow sharper than the last. By the end, his hands were raw, the skin broken and oozing in places, yet not a word of submission escaped his lips.

The matron had never encountered such stubbornness. Any further and his hands would be permanently damaged.

She set the switch aside.

“Think about it carefully. I will ask again tomorrow.”

The door closed behind her.

Min Leyi stood frozen, then wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

The pain was excruciating. Never before had he endured anything like it.

As a mischievous child in the countryside, his grandmother had occasionally spanked him, but even those moments bore some warmth.

This was different.

In a daze, he wandered out of the room, keeping to quiet corners to avoid prying eyes.

At last, beneath flowering trees near the wall, a familiar figure intercepted him.

Su Xinyue’s eyes glinted as she took in his swollen hand and tear-reddened eyes.

“I knew you’d get whipped. Did you cry for real this time?”

She had been waiting for this.

Min Leyi’s voice rang out, raw but defiant.

“What do you care? I never regret anything!”

“Still pretending?” Su Xinyue sneered. “Don’t you get it?”

“Get what?” he demanded.

“You’re nothing but a wild brat—mothered but unmannered. The Yu family never really considered you. If they did, you’d be engaged by now.”

“If Yu Min’s grandmother had no say, why come here at all? She took one look, saw you weren’t good enough, and left it to that nanny to polish you up.”

Her tone dripped with scorn and veiled envy.

“If your father weren’t Yu Min’s mentor, you wouldn’t even be here. The Yu family is noble. Yu Min is a renowned prodigy. How could someone like you measure up?”

“You’re lying!” Min Leyi shouted.

“Am I? Everyone sees it. Every banquet you attend, people mock you behind your back. They’re betting on whether you’ll actually change.”

As Min Leyi’s eyes brimmed again, Su Xinyue laughed cruelly and turned to go.

“Learn your manners. Maybe then you’ll stand a chance of being accepted into the Yu family.”

…

By nightfall, Qiu Huanian heard that the situation at Qingwu Nunnery had finally been resolved, with several suspects arrested. The noblewomen had all returned safely.

Relieved, he instructed Old Lady Jin to prepare Min Leyi’s favorite pastries. He would visit him tomorrow.

Meanwhile, at Qingfeng Academy on Xiuyan Mountain, Yu Min stood in the dim light, hesitating.

Earlier, the nanny hired by his sister-in-law had sent a servant to inform him that Min Leyi had been severely punished for his obstinacy.

She wanted to keep him informed, to avoid future confusion.

Yu Min, familiar with Min Leyi’s temperament, could imagine the severity of the discipline.

Despite custom urging him to avoid seeing his prospective fiancé, he couldn’t help but go.

In the rear garden of the Min residence, nestled by the mountain, a large Taihu rock led to a secluded pavilion.

Yu Min climbed up and spotted a small figure in the pavilion’s shadow.

Min Leyi sat curled up, arms wrapped around his knees, his face hidden in darkness.

Yu Min stepped forward, unsure how to begin.

He had never seen Min Leyi so quiet.

Truthfully, he didn’t know him well.

Min Leyi was vibrant, unruly, and impulsive—seemingly reckless, but guided by a fierce inner code. He was like the blazing sun rising over a river at dawn.

Before Yu Min could find the right words, Min Leyi spoke.

His voice was hoarse, wounded.

“Yu Min, did you know your sister-in-law dislikes me? That when she claimed she couldn’t decide about the marriage, she was lying?”

Yu Min froze. Why was he asking this now?

“Tell me the truth,” Min Leyi said, voice trembling with fury.

“…I only know that Grandmother gave her the engagement bracelet, but she never presented it.”

Min Leyi gave a bitter laugh. His nails dug into his injured palm.

“So you lied to me. Made me believe it was all settled. Made me try—so hard…”

Yu Min stepped forward, anxious. “No! I never meant to deceive you. If you just—changed—how could we not be engaged? I’ve always thought of you as my betrothed.”

“So you do think I’m not good enough, that I have to change to deserve you?”

Min Leyi raised his head. Tears streaked his face, and Yu Min was struck speechless.

“I—I didn’t mean it like that…”

Min Leyi gazed at Yu Min through tear-filled eyes, the tender affection once budding in his youthful heart shattering like a reflection on rippling water, like the moon mirrored in a broken stream—scattered by the wind, leaving only an irreparable wound behind.

With trembling fingers, he untied the jade token Yu Min had given him and flung it back.

“Marry whomever you please, teach whoever you wish—I won’t be marrying anyone!”

Without sparing Yu Min another glance, he clenched his jaw and fled down the mountain path, desperate to outrun the tears threatening to fall, afraid that even a heartbeat’s hesitation would betray his anguish.

Yu Min, a fraction too late, reached out in vain, watching blankly as the boy’s figure disappeared into the distance.

The jade token in his hand, cold and smooth, suddenly felt unbearably heavy—like a mountain he had never known he carried.

When he had chosen it, it had seemed inconsequential. But now, cradled in his palm, it felt infinitely precious, almost unbearably so.

Just like Min Leyi—only after hearing those devastating words, “I’m not marrying anyone,” did Yu Min truly feel the weight of panic and regret crash over him.

Clutching the token tightly, he staggered back toward the academy. The evening lessons had ended; students were finishing their wash and preparing for rest.

He came upon Du Yunse and seized his sleeve like a drowning man grasping for a lifeline.

“Mr. Du… I need to ask you something.”

Du Yunse calmly pulled his sleeve free; aside from Qiu Huanian, he disliked physical closeness with anyone.

“Ask, if you must, Mr. Yu.”

“Have you and your husband—Qiu Huanian—ever argued?”

Du Yunse’s brows creased ever so slightly, his gaze turning frost-edged.

“Mr. Yu, that question is rather inappropriate. Why should I divulge private matters between myself and my husband?”

Yu Min realized how unreasonable he sounded, but the weight in his chest wouldn’t let him keep silent.

“There must have been disagreements, though? Even if small—minor quarrels?”

Du Yunse cut him off, his voice cool and measured. “To me, my husband is flawless. I could never bring myself to hurt him with petty disputes. And whatever troubles you may be facing, they are not my concern.”

“Also, my husband and you are not acquainted. Please refrain from bringing up his name so casually.”

Without another word, Du Yunse turned and walked away.

Yu Min stood frozen in the moonlight, unmoving even as the dew soaked through his thin robes.

…

The summer dusk lingered, and Chun Sheng’s private lessons ran late into the evening.

After his return, Qiu Huanian and the others began dinner. Not long after, Yuan Jia arrived with her younger brother, Yuan Ruo.

The visit concerned the cooling oil.

Chun Sheng had brought it to school, and curious little Yuan Ruo, having never seen it before, asked about it. Chun Sheng, ever generous, gave him the bottle. Upon learning this, Qiu Huanian had simply replaced it with a new one.

Yuan Jia bowed in gratitude. “Yuan Ruo is still a child and tends to be curious. Chun Sheng was very kind to offer his, but it caused you extra trouble, Township Lord.”

Qiu Huanian smiled. “It’s a matter of friendship among classmates. A jar of cooling oil is hardly worth such formality.”

Still, Yuan Jia insisted. “Your lordship may be generous, but I must teach my brother not to develop the habit of asking for things. That’s why we’ve come in person.”

Yuan Ruo, with his embroidered headband, red lips, and snow-white skin, resembled a child from a painting of the Guanyin.

He bowed earnestly. “Thank you, Lord.”

Amused, Qiu Huanian handed him a fruit.

“Take this jar with you for now. In a few days, the cooling oil will be available at Qiu’s Six Staples—two taels a jar, no limit. If you find it effective, you may buy it then.”

Yuan Jia relaxed and lingered to converse with Qiu Huanian.

She truly had a gift for mathematics. She had already mastered Qiu Huanian’s Elementary Mathematics: Equations, and had even begun formulating more advanced problems.

“My father was once the county’s chief clerk. He handled granary accounts and waterworks daily, so I learned some arithmetic from him growing up.”

“So it’s in your blood.”

“Only rudimentary skills,” she said modestly.

Qiu Huanian saw great potential in her and encouraged her to write her own text and submit it to Qimin Bookstore.

Yuan Jia hesitated. Few women or young men dared write books in those times. Qiu Huanian was a noble Township Lord; she, a commoner woman, hardly dared to dream.

“You should know, Qimin is run by the young master of the Su family. He judges by merit, not background. If your work is good, he will certainly publish it.”

Yuan Ruo tugged her sleeve. “Sister, why not give it a try?”

Yuan Jia drew a deep breath. “Then I shall try. Once the draft is ready, I’ll bring it to you.”

…

After the siblings left, Qiu Huanian had Jin San secure the gates and prepared to rest.

But just as he was settling down, a knock echoed through the compound.

“So many visitors today…”

Throwing on his robe, he asked old lady Jin to check the door.

When he stepped into the courtyard, he saw a familiar face he hadn’t expected.

“Brother Yi? What brings you here so late?”

Min Leyi’s eyes were red and dry, his tears long spent. His throat sounded hoarse, scraped raw by sobs and wind.

“Brother Hua… Please, let me stay. I’ve got nowhere else to go.”

Qiu Huanian called for hot soup, dismissed the others, and brought Min Leyi inside.

“Tell me everything. I’ll see what can be done.”

He wrapped a small blanket around Min Leyi and offered him the soup.

Bit by bit, Min Leyi recounted the day’s events, his voice breaking as he spoke. Qiu Huanian listened silently, now and then lifting the bowl for him to drink.

Min Leyi’s gaze turned lost.

“Brother Hua… was I wrong? Should I go apologize?”

Qiu Huanian shook his head.

“You hurt no one. On the contrary, you saved someone. How could that be wrong?”

“The matron’s logic may suit many, but not you. If you know in your heart what’s right, don’t let yourself waver.”

The matron had taught self-preservation—a virtue in a rigid society. But Min Leyi was the kind who would protect a stray cat against power and rules.

He could never accept the belief that “her death was fate.”

Hearing this affirmation, Min Leyi exhaled shakily, the storm in his heart easing.

But when he raised his hands, pain surged through him, and he winced aloud.

Qiu Huanian took his hands and examined them—swollen, blistered, raw with lash marks, some crusted, others infected.

From a cabinet, he retrieved ointment and began to apply it with practiced care.

Years of poor health had made Qiu Huanian almost a physician in his own right. His home held a collection of medicines for various ailments.

Min Leyi watched as Qiu Huanian gently smoothed the ointment over his palms and wrapped them in fresh gauze.

“You’ve truly suffered.”

Qiu Huanian hadn’t expected the Yu family to run such a risk-free scheme—under the pretense of helping Min Leyi adjust, they had in fact set a trial to see if he could be molded to their standards. If not, they could easily reject him.

Min Leyi rubbed his eyes with bandaged fists.

“The Yu family is powerful, but not everyone is desperate to join them. That was never my goal.”

“I said it already—I’m not marrying, even if it kills me. I can’t go home either; that matron will surely come scold me again. Brother Hua… please take me in.”

Qiu Huanian sighed. “I’ll have Jin San inform your father that you’re here, so he won’t worry. Rest now. We’ll discuss everything once you’ve slept.”

Min Leyi had reached his breaking point—anger, humiliation, and exhaustion swirling in his chest. Qiu Huanian knew it was no time for decisions.

In such a society, it was difficult for a youth like Min Leyi to break away from family entirely. Yet from what both Du Yunse and he understood, Headmaster Min was not wholly inflexible.

A sincere conversation might yet resolve things.

Min Leyi nodded.

“Brother Hua, you’re the best.”

“Sleep. I’ll have the guest room prepared.”

Hearing his voice, Nai Shuang, who had been dozing in her cat bed, stretched and padded into the room, settling at his feet.

Min Leyi reached out with open arms.

Nai Shuang leapt into his lap and curled up. He leaned forward, pressing his face into her soft fur.

“You’re a good girl, Nai Shuang. I was right to save you,” he whispered. “If I do something wrong, I’ll admit it. But I won’t accept blame for something I didn’t do. Worst case, I’ll go back south, live single, and enjoy the peace.”

“I’m not afraid.”

Nai Shuang purred in response.

…

Min Leyi spent the night in Qiu Huanian’s guest room. The next morning, Qiu lent him fresh clothes to wash and dress.

Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng left for school, Meng Yuanling went about his duties, and Qiu’s Six Staples busied itself preparing for the cooling oil launch.

Qiu Huanian rose late, breakfasted with Min Leyi, and redressed his bandages, pleased to see the swelling had subsided.

Jin San approached. “Township Lord, there’s a visitor at the gate.”

“Who is it now?”

“A scholar in Qingfeng Academy robes, says his name is Yu Min. He wants to see Young Master Min.”

Min Leyi stiffened, clearly unsettled.

Qiu Huanian frowned. “If you’d rather not see him, I’ll send him away.”