Chapter 93: Misunderstanding

Hearing Cheng Wu's mother call out, Zhou Qing smiled and waved at Cheng Wu. "Your mother's calling you. Go ahead, I'll call you when it's time to sell the couplets."

After saying that, she turned back into the courtyard.

Watching Zhou Qing's retreating figure, Cheng Wu scratched the back of his head and walked toward his mother.

Cheng Wu's mother, in a huff, grabbed his arm and pulled him sharply.

"Didn't I tell you to stay away from her? Why are you so thick-headed?"

Cheng Wu stiffened his neck and replied, "Mother, I just want to marry Zhou Qing."

Cheng Wu's mother spat on the ground in frustration.

"No way. Zhou Qing was kissed by that man Shen, and the whole village saw it! If you marry her, what will become of our family? You might not mind wearing a green hat, but your father and I won’t stand being the laughingstock!"

"Mother, you know the circumstances back then. That must have been—"

Before Cheng Wu could finish, his mother impatiently cut him off.

"Stop with your excuses. I'm telling you, as long as I have breath in my body, I will never let you marry her."

"But I will!" Cheng Wu protested.

"You dare?! Your Sixth Aunt has already found you a girl from Li's village to meet in a few days."

"I don't want to!"

"No way!"

"Mother!"

Cheng Wu was growing desperate.

Before, when Shen Li was still around, he might have given up on the idea. But now, with Shen Li gone and Zhou Qing still remembering their past promises, there was hope.

What if Zhou Qing had feelings for him after all?

Clenching his fists, Cheng Wu blurted out, his face flushed, "If you force me to marry someone else, I'll die in front of you!"

Throwing down these words, Cheng Wu turned and stormed off toward his house, without bothering to head to Shen Li's courtyard anymore.

His mother, both anxious and angry, chased after him, whipping off her shoe and smacking him on the back of the head with it.

"Ungrateful brat! How dare you threaten your mother?"

Cheng Wu winced in pain, stumbling forward a few steps before steadying himself. He turned to look at his mother.

His mother, wobbling on one foot, struggled to put her shoe back on, her face livid with anger.

Seeing her like that, Cheng Wu sighed.

"Mother, why don’t you understand? Zhou Qing’s father, after all these years of not studying, has only recently started and already passed the entry-level scholar exam. Imagine if he continues and eventually passes the county-level exam and even the provincial one, becoming an official. 

If he becomes an official, who knows where he'll be assigned?

If I marry Zhou Qing, and her father becomes an official, we won’t be living in Qingyang Village anymore. 

By then, no one will remember those silly old rumors.

And if it really bothers you, I could always take a concubine later. Why are you so stubborn?

Besides, the Huaishan Academy in our village is under their family's name, and even the county prefect personally came to celebrate his success! The prefect himself once taught there. If her father becomes an official, imagine how high-ranking he could be!"

Seeing that his mother still wasn’t convinced, Cheng Wu switched tactics. Lowering his voice, he tugged on her arm and whispered.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Wu's mother frowned, thinking it over.

Cheng Wu nodded, pressing on. "Doesn’t what I’m saying make sense?"

Cheng Wu's mother started to soften.

Cheng Wu had two younger brothers and a sister. 

If they became in-laws with an official, not only would Cheng Wu’s status rise, but his brothers could also have better futures. 

His sister would also be seen in a more favorable light, possibly even marrying into a wealthy family in town.

And Zhou Qing? She had practically grown up under her watch. 

Though her temper was a bit fiery, her heart was good, and she was capable and hardworking.

It was just that one public kiss...

Seeing his mother's expression loosen, Cheng Wu pressed his advantage, "Mother, if we don’t propose now, and if Uncle Huaishan really passes the provincial exam, do you think they’ll still want to consider us for a marriage?"

Cheng Wu's mother's eyelid twitched, as if the prize she had almost secured was slipping away.

"I’ll discuss this with your father when he gets home."

Cheng Wu finally exhaled in relief.

He truly liked Zhou Qing. All that talk of marrying for status or taking a concubine was just to convince his mother.

A real man doesn’t plan to take advantage of his in-laws.

------

Zhou Huaishan's celebratory banquet lasted two full days.

During those two days, Huaishan felt more exhausted than when he had spent day and night studying.

He had to maintain his persona, talking to nearly everyone in the village.

From dawn until dusk.

Not only discussing the present, but also rehashing the "good old times" they supposedly shared!

Good old times, my foot!

If he hadn’t passed the scholar exam, if the county prefect hadn’t personally come to the banquet, and if the Huaishan Academy hadn’t produced a prefect, would these people be acting all chummy with him?

Huaishan hated people who shamelessly tried to forge connections out of nowhere.

He didn't mind dealing with those he was genuinely on good terms with.

But the ones who used to side with the Sun family and Zhou Huaihai to trample on them—he had no patience for those hypocrites!

They, as the so-called idle rich, would never stoop to such behavior.

It was like someone seeing a nice cricket and shamelessly claiming they had some "deep connection" with it just to take it. 

Is that something a decent human being would do?

Reclining on the heated brick bed, legs crossed and foot bobbing, Huaishan lay there, full of complaints.

"Daughter, next time I pass an exam, let’s not host another banquet!"

Zhou Qing chuckled and nodded. "Alright, we won’t."

Seeing her smile, Huaishan suddenly felt uneasy. His bobbing foot paused, and he glanced at her warily.

Zhou Qing grinned widely. "Father."

Huaishan jolted upright. "What are you planning?"

"Father, we've rested for two days already..."

Huaishan, alarmed, shot to his feet.

Towering over Zhou Qing, he stared down at her with the determined look of a man ready to face his fate.

"Are you telling me to start studying again? Keep dreaming!"

Zhou Qing...

Huaishan, still riled up, pointed at her.

"Does this count as rest? 

Do you know how torturous these past two days have been? 

Not only did I have to eat, smile, and make small talk, but I had to endure people who used to badmouth us cozying up to me. Do you know how much self-restraint it took not to punch them?"

Zhou Qing...

With a grand gesture, Huaishan dismissed the idea.

"This isn’t rest! And to anyone who suggests you should be studying, I say—have a heart!"

Zhou Qing...

Did he eat too many peaches or get carried away by the crowd?

Watching Huaishan with a mix of amusement and helplessness, Zhou Qing gently said, "I didn’t say you should start studying. Don’t get so worked up."

Huaishan eyed her suspiciously. "Not studying?"

Zhou Qing nodded. "No studying. I’ll even give you ten more days of rest."

Hearing this, Huaishan immediately sat down, his face glowing with the joy of a loving father. 

"Good daughter, how about some beggar's chicken later? I will cook one for you."

Zhou Qing...

Just then, Zhou Ping entered, arms full of freshly cut red paper.

"Big sis, Second Uncle, it's all cut!"

The fatherly smile on Huaishan's face instantly froze.

He looked at the red paper, then at Zhou Qing, back to the paper, and then to her again.

"No studying, but you want me to write couplets, don’t you?" His voice trembled with barely concealed frustration.

"Mhm."

Huaishan let out a wail of anguish.

"You trickster! You call this a break? Look how many hundreds of sheets you’ve cut! Is this what you call a vacation? Do you even know what a break is?!"