Chapter 38

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Since the Shan Chang changed, the discipline at Nanlu Academy has become very strict.

The bell had not yet rung, and there was still a while before class, but the students in the Xue Zhai, fearing punishment for being late, had already filled the room.

While waiting for the teacher to arrive, some were reviewing their studies, but more were gossiping.

"Have you heard? The Song Stall owner who sells glutinous rice at noon has been sending food to those Taixue students!"

"Heard? I saw it with my own eyes! I slipped out at noon to buy rice, and half my body was still inside the academy when I saw those Taixue students, two by two, carrying many things inside—those Taixue students really have it good, eating outside food so openly without anyone catching them!"

"So did you see what they were eating?"

"It was covered with a lid, how could I see anything? But I did see that Song Xiaoniangzi using a stove to stir-fry salted duck egg yolks, it smelled wonderful, and I don't know what she's making..."

This person's tone was full of longing, and continued: "This kind of good fortune, why doesn't it fall to us at Nan Lu! We're all students, why is our fate so much worse!"

"I know! It's pig trotter rice!" someone beside him interjected, "At noon a fellow townsman of mine came to deliver something, he saw it and told me, saying it smelled so good that everyone passing by gathered at the door to watch the fun, and someone offered two hundred wen on the spot to buy a portion, but no one paid him any mind."

"Is pig trotter rice that expensive?"

"Those Guozixue students have plenty of money!"

"So how much is a portion normally?"

"It was given away, not sold, so no amount of money could buy it—it's said they helped her a great favor, so the Song Stall owner sent them breakfast and lunch like this."

"Helped her a great favor?" Immediately someone who knew the ins and outs was unhappy, "Isn't it just copying a copy of the 'Wei Xing Tong'? What great favor is that? Do Taixue students have no shame! If they asked us, we could copy it perfectly for her without sending all this stuff!"

Hearing it was copying the 'Wei Xing Tong', another curious person who didn't know the situation asked: "Nowadays even stall owners doing business in Food Alley can read? What do they want the 'Wei Xing Tong' for?"

"It's said her family encountered a disaster and is trying to protect their family property."

"You don't know? That Song Stall owner is Song Huai Zhou's sister!"

"Ah?"

"Ah!"

For a moment, the previously noisy Xue Zhai suddenly fell silent, and everyone looked over.

"Is it that Song Huai Zhou who went to Hejian for study last year and finally encountered bandits?"

"It's him."

"Isn't his family's food shop? It seems they only have one daughter, and usually they talk about her like a treasure, so why is she now setting up a stall at the entrance of Food Alley?"

"A while ago, a body was fished out of the Bian River, you know that, right? It was Song Huai Zhou's father, and now only that sister is left in the family. It's said she owes many debts and even sold the food shop."

"If she's Song Huai Zhou's sister, wasn't she betrothed long ago? Now is exactly when she needs help, why isn't her husband's family stepping forward?"

"It's only a betrothal, not a marriage. Encountering such a thing, the husband's family must be keeping their distance, otherwise how could they let a young lady suffer so much?" someone speculated.

"Exactly. In this day and age, look at everything through money and power. Even if they were married, they could still divorce. The Song family has lost both person and wealth, so they're not like before!"

"Even so, there should be some good faith. Even if the marriage doesn't happen, they can't just watch an old acquaintance suffer without lending a hand. To stand by and do nothing is truly cold-blooded."

"Cough cough."

"Say less."

"Perhaps they helped, but just didn't say so."

Suddenly someone beside him pulled his sleeve, and others interjected a few sentences to change the topic.

"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

The speaker was suddenly at a loss.

Soon someone leaned close to his ear, said something unknown, and this person exclaimed "Ah," then turned to look at Lin Yiwen in the corner.

Not long after, the whole room whispered to each other and then secretly looked at Lin Yiwen.

Lin Yiwen was already sitting in the back, in a corner. To look at him, most people had to turn around, making large movements that couldn't be hidden.

Especially since the room had been noisy with all sorts of talk, and the class bell hadn't rung yet, the entire Xue Zhai had gradually quieted down.

The student sitting at the same table as Lin Yiwen didn't dare lift his head, only pretending to read, but didn't turn a page for a long time.

Lin Yiwen sat with his head down, feeling both vexed and angry.

In this short moment before class, to him it felt as long as a sixty-year cycle. He finally waited for the teacher to enter and start lecturing, but he couldn't absorb a single word, always feeling everyone was secretly peeking at him and saying who knows what behind his back.

Finally class ended, and he approached the teacher, only saying he had severe diarrhea and needed to leave the academy to see a doctor.

This student was always obedient and did well in his studies, so the teacher naturally wouldn't make things difficult, readily issued a leave slip, and told him to get proper treatment and not delay his studies.

Lin Yiwen naturally had no stomachache, but hurried home.

Only his mother was home. Seeing her son return so suddenly, she was first startled, but upon learning it wasn't anything serious, she became happy, poured him tea, and said: "Why didn't you say a word earlier? It's rare that you're back, I'll go add two good dishes for you!"

Lin Yiwen hurriedly pulled his mother back, hesitated for a moment, and asked: "Mother, what is the situation with our marriage to the Song family now?"

"It's already been cleanly called off, and the birth-date cards have been taken back—why are you suddenly asking about this?"

"Is there really no way? I think the Song family has helped us a lot before, and besides, she... has a gentle temperament and a good appearance, actually there's nothing wrong..."

Lin Yiwen's words had just fallen when he heard someone push the door open heavily at the entrance and say: "She was born into the Song family, with such a father, that is the greatest mistake!"

—It was actually Lin's father returning.

His complexion was very bad, and he stared at his son and asked: "Today isn't a rest day, why are you back? How did you come back?"

Lin Yiwen hemmed and hawed a few words.

Lin's father's expression immediately became even uglier, and said: "What can't be said openly and aboveboard? If you don't explain, I'll go ask your teacher!"

Lin Yiwen was startled, and hurriedly said: "My stomach is a bit uncomfortable, I took leave to come out for a trip, I'll go back soon."

Lin's father snorted coldly and said: "For a woman, you've learned to deceive your father—you don't even have a degree, and you have leisure to think about women? When you eventually pluck the osmanthus in the Moon Palace, plenty of good daughters will fight to marry into our family. With such vision, you're fixated on a merchant's daughter?"

Lin Yiwen had a belly full of grievances, and at this moment he could no longer suppress them, pouring them all out as he said: "I originally had a marriage contract with Miss Song, and now that her family has met with misfortune, they call off the marriage just like that. If others find out, what will they say about me?"

"If you don't say anything, how would others know?" Lin Fuzi only thought his son was making excuses, and spoke displeasedly.

"She's now selling food at a stall outside Nanlu Academy, everyone can see it—how could they not know!"

Hearing this, Lin Fuzi was also somewhat surprised, and hurriedly asked: "She came to find you?"

"No, she didn't." Lin Yiwen's voice lowered.

These past days, the reputation of Song Ji Glutinous Rice had grown larger and larger; at first he hadn't thought much of it, until the matter of the copying gradually spread, and more and more people learned of the stall owner's life story. He happened to hear of it, and only then realized that the legendary stall owner was actually his former fiancée—it was truly like a bolt from the blue.

He had originally thought it was aimed at him, but after waiting and waiting, he didn't see that Song Miao come to find him, nor did he get to eat a single bite of glutinous rice or shaomai.

For a moment, he couldn't say whether he was disappointed or relieved.

Lin Fuzi then let out a sigh of relief and said: "She's just a woman; if this matter is spread abroad, it will do harm and no good. As long as you don't show your face and don't meddle, she can't enter the academy anyway, and it will gradually pass. No one will keep harping on it."

He added: "Once you achieve fame and success in the future, no one will care even more—if anyone is truly to blame for this matter, it can only be blamed on the Song family themselves for being unworthy. With a family like that, who would dare to associate with them?"

Speaking to this point, he was already quite angry, looking at his wife he said: "Had I known this would happen, I shouldn't have formed a marriage alliance with the Song family back then. I was never very satisfied with it—they're just merchants after all. If it weren't that we were truly hard up at the time, and you kept urging me on, how could we have come to this pass!"

Lin's Mother only felt wronged and said: "Back then we could barely afford a meal; if it weren't for the Song family..."

She had only spoken half her sentence when she saw her husband's expression as if he wanted to eat someone, and dared not continue. Instead she muttered in a low voice: "You agreed to it back then too, and you said that Song Huai Zhou had great prospects. Even though he was a merchant, if he passed the jinshi examination, the two families would be considered a suitable match..."

"How could I have known he was so short-lived?! People are dead, and you say this!" Lin Fuzi flew into a rage out of embarrassment.

He turned and saw Lin Yiwen looking absent-minded, and was both angry and annoyed, but in the end felt heartache for his son. He said: "Song Dalang is addicted to gambling; even if he didn't die, I would still have called off the marriage for you. Moreover, Song Dalang's wife and Song Huai Zhou died one after another so closely—that's truly unlucky. Now Song Dalang is also dead, and who knows if it's because that Song daughter has a harsh fate, killing off her whole family? Who would dare to gamble on that?"

He added: "You just read your books. Once you've read them well, you'll have everything. As for other people's gossip, let's not say there isn't any right now. Even if there is, if we examine it seriously, we're in the right!"

Speaking to this point, he shouted again: "Let it go for today. If I ever find out you've run out of the academy over this little matter again, just wait and see if I don't break your legs!"

Lin Fuzi had been a teacher for a long time. Since childhood, with his son, he used the ruler and teaching tools whenever he said he would, never hesitating. With such a strict father, now that he slightly darkened his face and spoke a few words more harshly, Lin Yiwen dared not say anything more.

After the family of three finished eating, Lin Fuzi drove the people toward the academy.

It was Lin's Mother who, taking the opportunity of seeing him off, comforted her son: "I know you can't get past this in your heart. But I can't show my face. Wait until your sister returns another day, and I'll have her make a trip to the Song family to send some money, more or less. It can count as a gesture of goodwill."

She sighed again and said: "I originally liked this daughter very much. Alas, her fate was not good—she had affinity with you but no destiny."

On the way back, Lin Yiwen had already exhausted countless thoughts. Earlier, in front of his father, he hadn't dared to speak. Now, facing his mother, he was much more at ease, and only said: "Mother, actually there is another method. You see if it works."

He hesitated for a moment and asked: "Although the Song family is not in good shape, it has nothing to do with that Miss Song. I've known her for several years. We can't exactly be called childhood sweethearts, but I can't just coldly watch her like this. Mother, you say—what if I take her in as a concubine?"

"If she enters our family's door, a daughter marrying into a family also counts as having a husband's family to rely on. We would have done our best, and others would have nothing more to say."

Lin's Mother was stunned for a moment, then hesitated: "Your father just said she has a harsh fate. You're not..."

"Naturally one fears that when marrying a wife, but taking a concubine doesn't have so many particulars?" Lin Yiwen had now become a person with his own ideas. "I'm afraid Father will have something to say again. Mother, you help persuade him first, and see what he says?"

"The Song family owes so many debts now. We'd better not touch this jinx. Even if we really take her in, where would the family get money to pay off her debts?"

Lin Yiwen had heard many rumors about the stall owner even without inquiring. Just sitting there, he could hear his classmates discussing it. Naturally, he knew there was something wrong with the property deed, and that there might be room for a turnaround. He hurriedly said: "I heard there's more to the sale of that house. If it can be preserved, and the property is sold, even if the debts can't be fully paid, it wouldn't be lacking by much."

He paused, then said: "Even if only that much is left, it just so happens that I also need to take the Taixue examination this year. There are some subsidies. Taking out a portion to help pay off some of it would be fine."

"Moreover, we didn't know before, but now we know that Miss Song actually has a good skill. Just by making glutinous rice, shaomai baskets, and such food to sell in Food Alley, she already has quite a bit of business. I reckon she can manage on her own. All things considered, it wouldn't be unbearable."

Seeing that her son had thought of so much, how could Lin's Mother not understand his thoughts? She didn't think about whether Song Miao was willing or not—by this point, what choice could she have? She only said: "Don't be anxious. I also feel heartache for this girl. If she can enter our family's door, it would naturally be good. Let me first sound out your father's opinion, then we'll talk."

She added: "You just focus on your studies. Everything else is a small matter. Don't let something like this delay your schooling."

After laying it all out to his mother, Lin Yiwen's heart was considered half at ease.

The matter of the Song family happened suddenly. He was studying at the academy, and when he received notice from home, he was truly startled. Afterward, all the negotiations and calling off the marriage were decided by his parents. He couldn't make any reaction, and had even less chance to meet that Miss Song in person.

Now that there was a solution, he should tell her a word, to make her happy.

After leaving home, he didn't hurry back to the academy through the main gate. Instead, he turned to Suanzao Alley.

Afraid of being seen, Lin Yiwen inevitably took some care to conceal himself as he walked. But before he had even reached the middle of the alley, he saw many people ahead—some carrying pots, some carrying boxes. Judging by their dress, they looked like Taixue students.

Indeed, as he walked closer, he heard everyone discussing "pig trotter rice," "glutinous rice," and so on. There was also discussion about whether the Song family's property being sold so cheaply counted according to the law, and whether Song Dalang, being a son-in-law living in his wife's home, could make the decision to sell it—clearly, they had come to find Song Miao.

Although he didn't know why everyone had come, Lin Yiwen didn't want to run into them. Seeing that everyone had already arrived at the door of the Song Family Eatery, he didn't approach. Instead, he found a concealed corner across from the Song family to stand and watch, observing and waiting.

Song Miao, however, didn't know about all these things behind her.

She had been busy all day and was quite tired. In the afternoon, after returning, she first prepared some ingredients, then took a nap. She had just woken up and was still feeling groggy when she heard a group of people knocking on the door outside in turns.

The voices were polite and cheerful. At first listen, one could tell it was that group of pig trotter rice Taixue students.