Chapter 51 Dr. Xu's pageboy has arrived.

Chapter 51 Dr. Xu's pageboy has arrived.

The ferry crossing fell silent; everyone froze. Du Min had long been the pride and hope of Dujiawan, and none of them could accept this.

"Impossible." The village chief refused to believe it. "Du Min isn't the kind of person who would risk his future for a moment of anger. He wouldn't drop out of school. Who did you ask?"

“It’s true. Kun and I went to the prefectural school to inquire. At first, the gatekeeper ignored us, but after we pleaded with him, he finally revealed that Du Minzhen had dropped out of school.” The boatman, who was from Dujiawan, confirmed this.

“We were afraid the gatekeeper would get the wrong information, so we stayed at the ferry outside the prefectural school for more than an hour. When the school let out for the day and the students and servants came out to eat, we asked them and they all said that Du Min had dropped out of school,” Du Kun added.

The village chief felt dizzy and shouted angrily, "Idiot! Idiot! Go find this good-for-nothing! His parents spoil him too much, letting him run wild. Today I'll teach him a lesson on behalf of his parents."

“Eighth Master, may I say something?” Meng Qing spoke up. Although it was a question, she didn’t wait for an answer and continued, “I am Du Min’s second sister-in-law. I’ve been taking care of his food and drink in the city for half a year, but I only bring him some food. I can’t help him with anything else. You could say that Du Min got into the prefectural school entirely because of his own abilities, whether it’s his talent or his connections. It’s all thanks to his hard work and social skills. He got it all by himself. It’s like a businessman who works hard to earn a hundred strings of cash, but after a few days he doesn’t care about it anymore and throws it into the river. The hundred strings of cash are his, and the loss is his. It has nothing to do with anyone else. You can call him a spendthrift or say he’s useless. I understand your disappointment, and so do I. But no one has the right to punish him for this.”

The village chief's face darkened. "What do you mean? Do you think we're meddling? This is a matter for our clan, it has nothing to do with you, so don't interfere."

Meng Qing smiled, and asked seriously, "Eighth Master, are you going to divorce me for Du Li?"

“Niece-in-law, your Eighth Uncle didn’t mean that. You’re a woman, you don’t understand. That’s just how it is in the clan. Your Eighth Uncle is the most senior member of the clan, so it’s only right that he disciplines the younger generation,” Uncle Du said.

"Fine, if you insist on taking the hundred strings of cash that Du Min drowned as yours, there's nothing I can do." Meng Qing stepped aside. "Let me remind you, even if Du Min leaves the prefectural school, he can still participate in the provincial examination. If he's destined for officialdom, he'll eventually enter the officialdom."

These words stunned the village chief. His anger subsided considerably, and he stopped shouting for violence. He explained, "I just hate that he's so useless. He didn't cherish such a good opportunity; others would kill for it. Second sister-in-law, you've been in contact with Du Min a lot. Has he ever told you what he's thinking?"

Aunt Du sized up her niece-in-law; she was a formidable person.

Meng Qing shook his head. "Like Eighth Master, I think Du Min is not the kind of person who will give up the imperial examination easily. I guess once his mental illness is resolved, he will be able to concentrate on his studies. Alas, this is a battle between father and son, and none of us can interfere."

The village chief thought to himself that this might not be the case.

"You guys chat, I'm heading back now. The room's probably a complete mess." Seeing that she had achieved her desired effect, Meng Qing left.

"Eighth Master, are we still going to find Du Min?" someone asked.

"We've been searching for ages and still can't find him. Where are we supposed to look? We can't exactly report him to the authorities." The village chief waved his hand. "I'll go check his house."

Meng Qing met Mr. and Mrs. Du halfway there; both of them looked utterly defeated.

“Father, Mother, my third brother really dropped out of school,” she said.

"Impossible! I don't believe it! I'm going to go into the city to ask for myself!" Old Du was practically out of his mind; he just couldn't believe it was true.

The village chief arrived with his men at this moment. He shook his head and said, "It's true. Young Kun and his uncle went to the prefectural capital to study. They not only asked the gatekeeper, but also the students and pageboys inside."

Du Laoding's only remaining hope was gone. The gatekeeper might lie, but the students who had a grudge against Du Min wouldn't help him lie and deceive others.

Mrs. Du swayed and collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face. "He's so foolish. No matter how angry he is, he shouldn't have risked his future."

Du Laoding was filled with regret. What had he done by threatening Du Min?

Fearing that the two men might die of anger, the village chief sighed and advised, "Don't give up. Du Min can still study on his own, he can still take the imperial examination, and at the very least, he can open a private school to teach children to read."

“Yes, he opened a private school in the village, so the children in our village don’t have to go to Pingwang Town to study anymore. My grandson is so young, he can only come back once every ten days, and I can’t stop worrying about him,” said the old woman at the village entrance.

The others' eyes lit up; this was a good thing.

Mr. and Mrs. Du could not accept it even if they died. Ever since they learned that Du Min had entered the prefectural school, they had imagined countless times the scene of Du Min passing the imperial examination and bringing glory to the family. The old couple even planned for Du Min to try his luck next year, and if he was not good enough, he could take the exam again the year after, and the year after that, he could go to Chang'an to participate in the provincial examination.

"Old Ding, what exactly did you say to Du Min that made him so angry that he ruined his future?" the village chief asked again. "Don't do anything foolish again. When Du Min comes back, talk to him properly. Don't act like you're his father. The important thing is that he calms down and continues to study."

Du Laoding seemed not to hear.

"Old Ding!" the village chief called out again.

Du Laoding still didn't respond.

“Eighth Master, if Du Min returns, I will inform you,” Meng Qing said.

"Alright." The village chief was also tired; he was too exhausted to exert himself any longer.

"Brother, help Father and Mother up, let's go back," Meng Qing said to Du Ming.

Du Ming couldn't help the elderly couple by himself, so Aunt Du asked her son and daughter-in-law to help.

Du's father and mother went back and lay down. Du Laoding's relatives gathered in the courtyard to discuss the matter. Du Li came back and stood for a while, then took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention and slipped away with two bundles of straw.

"The people who went into the city have returned, and they brought back news that you dropped out of school," Du Li came to report. "Du Min, don't let this become a reality."

“Impossible.” Du Min firmly believed that given Dr. Xu’s sudden improvement in attitude, it was impossible for him to have been betrayed.

Du Li felt a little relieved and said half-jokingly, "Your second sister-in-law is counting on you to marry me, so don't you dare run away with my wife."

This was the second time Du Min had heard him say such a thing. He found it both funny and infuriating. He sat on the straw and looked at his second brother, saying incredulously, "You have quite a big heart. How could you say such a thing? Don't you feel bad about it?"

"What's there to be upset about? Your second sister-in-law married me and gave birth to my child. I truly benefited from it all." Du Li was quite satisfied.

Du Min crossed his legs and began to seriously consider this person. Finally, he concluded, "You are not like the people in our family. We are all petty and calculating people, regardless of age."

“I’m also prone to holding grudges, otherwise I wouldn’t have kept bringing up old grievances.” Du Li didn’t turn around.

Du Min recalled that it was true. In his memory, Du Li always had a bitter face, as if everyone owed him something. He couldn't remember when he changed, but it seemed to be after the marriage.

"Did my second sister-in-law give you a lesson?" he joked.

Yes, but not entirely. Du Li has found a better family. He no longer covets the family he was born with. He made a choice, abandoning his old wounds. But he can't say it, for fear that this petty person will become jealous of him again.

"Alright, that's about it." Du Li walked away, and a new haystack was beginning to take shape. He clapped his hands and said, "Something happened at home, I can't stay away, I have to go back. Take care of your own dinner tonight, and be careful not to get caught."

“Leave the goose here.” Du Min was worried that he was sleeping too soundly to hear anything.

Du Li thought for a moment and said, "I've been herding the chickens, ducks and geese back. If they stay here tonight, and I'm not staying here, wouldn't that be blatantly telling everyone that you're hiding here? Don't sleep in the straw shed tonight. Hide in this haystack. Even if Dad comes looking for you, he won't be able to find you for a while."

Du Min shook his head. "I just wanted to make sure he couldn't find me, not make him think I'd really disappeared. You're too meticulous; don't scare the old man to death."

"Whatever you want," Du Li said, ignoring the suggestion.

As dusk fell, Du Li returned home. There were only a few people left in the yard, and when they saw him return, they all showed disappointment.

“It’s getting dark, let’s go back.” Uncle Du stood up. “Second brother, if your third brother comes back, go and tell him.”

Du Li nodded, took the child who reached out to him, and asked, "How are your parents?"

"Nothing's happening yet." Meng Qing shook her head. "You take care of the child, I'll go help my sister-in-law cook." She didn't want to eat that bland vegetable soup anymore.

Du Li glanced into the west wing, but the old couple didn't move their eyes or say a word.

As night fell, the chickens and ducks returned to their coops, and the village quieted down.

After the Du family finished cooking, Li Hongguo went into the house and called the two elders to get up and eat, but neither of them ate.

"I'll go pick Jinshu up tomorrow. My parents love their eldest grandson, and seeing him will make them happier," Du Ming boasted to Du Li and Meng Qing.

Du Li and Meng Qing didn't react much.

Du Ming glanced at the two men, then picked up a few pieces of chive and egg omelet and went out to eat.

Li Hongguo came in and said, "No matter how much we call you, you won't eat. You say you have no appetite."

Meng Qing thought for a moment and said, "Leave two bowls of porridge in the pot, and they can get up and eat when they get hungry."

Li Hongguo sighed, "That third brother is a troublemaker. He made the two old folks sick. He'll really get what's coming to him."

Meng Qing didn't reply. She had finished eating and carried Wang Zhou back to the house to breastfeed.

In the middle of the night, Meng Qing leaned close to Du Li's ear and asked, "Did you hide Du Min?"

"...You guessed it too? I was just covering for him."

“As long as he’s still in the village, the only person he can rely on is you.” Meng Qing turned over. “Now that the news of his dropping out of school has been confirmed, it doesn’t make much difference whether he hides or not. Your father probably won’t be looking for him anymore.”

“He was afraid of being beaten,” Du Li said.

Meng Qing chuckled, "That's right. Your Eighth Uncle was going to use the whole village to find him today, and he wanted to teach him a lesson on behalf of your parents, but I stopped him."

"You managed to stop that? You're a female strategist!" Du Li exclaimed in admiration.

Feeling pleased, Meng Qing asked with a smile, "What are your third brother's next plans?"

"I'll go ask him tomorrow. He said he needs to hide for a few days." Du Li didn't know either. "Why don't you go ask him yourself tomorrow?"

"With such a big thing happening at home, it's too unusual for me to take the children to Sangtian. I can't go." Meng Qing wanted to stay at home to remain calm and be ready to cover up any loopholes for Du Min at any time.

Upon hearing this, Du Li also decided that he could no longer visit Sangtian so frequently.

The night passed silently.

The next day.

As soon as it was light, Uncle Du came to the door and asked, "Did Du Min come back last night?"

“No,” Du Li shook his head. “I suspect he went back to the city.”

"Where are we going to find him?" Uncle Du sighed. "This child, we mustn't let him do anything rash again."

No sooner had Uncle Du left than Aunt Du and Sister Yun arrived with bowls of rice. Upon learning that Du Min had not returned home all night, both the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law looked worried.

"Father, Mother, dinner is ready. Get up and eat something," Li Hongguo called again.

Mr. and Mrs. Du still had no appetite, but they were so hungry that they could not bear it and had no choice but to ask her to bring the food in.

That day, the Du family courtyard was constantly bustling with people. Meng Qing also found a job: she sat on a stool outside the courtyard, specifically responsible for answering questions like: "He hasn't come back," "I haven't seen him at all," "My in-laws are both lying in the house," "They're not sick, and they've eaten..."

On the third day, Du Laoding finally came out of the west wing. Now the whole village came to question him about what he had said to Du Min that made Du Min ruin his future. Du Dabo, in particular, seized on Du Laoding's mistakes and scolded him relentlessly, coming to berate him six times a day.

On the fourth day, Du Laoding couldn't sit still any longer. He went to Du Li's mulberry fields alone. This time, he was blocked by four geese again, but he did not hesitate and continued forward.

The thatched hut was empty, the bed was cold, and the stove was cold. Old Du couldn't find any trace of Du Min's life here, but he had a feeling that Du Min was still here.

"Third brother, are you trying to drive your father to his death? Now I'm branded with the crime of forcing you to ruin your future. I'm a sinner to the entire village and clan. You've achieved your goal. Stop hiding and come out." Old Du paced around the thatched hut, his blood boiling. He looked up and shouted, "Du Min, I did wrong and said wrong things. This punishment is enough. What more do you want from me?"

Inside the hollow haystack, Du Min's expression softened.

"How cruel you are! I only threatened you, it was just a joke, I didn't do anything, and you did something so heartless. You might as well have poisoned me with rat poison!" Old Ding was filled with hatred. He hated his heartless son. He wished Du Min would die by suicide at the prefectural school this summer, so he could remember him for the rest of his life. Instead of now, he had to force himself to accept that he had a stupid and vicious son, and he had to speak softly to appease him and coax him to continue studying.

"Third brother, go back, your father knows he was wrong." Du Laoding left the thatched hut and wandered around in the mulberry field, repeatedly shouting, "Third brother, go back, your father knows he was wrong."

Du Min sat motionless in the hollow haystack, pondering whether his father was truly afraid.

Just as Du Min was about to come out, the voice came back. Du Laoding apologized, but his anger was still there. Seeing that Du Min still didn't show up, he was incorrigible and started threatening again: "I know you're here, but I didn't bring the whole village to block you. I'm giving you face. I'm going back first. You can go back by yourself tonight. As long as you go back, I won't pursue what happened these past few days."

Du Min's face turned cold, and he stopped moving.

After spending half a day in Sangtian, Du Laoding returned and instructed, "Second brother, call all your chickens, ducks, and geese back tonight. Keep them at home for the next few days and don't let them out."

Du Li's heart skipped a beat. He said with difficulty, "The chickens have grown long feathers and now they fly up into the trees every night and never come down. I can't catch them at all."

"If you can't catch the chickens, fine, but if you chase the geese and ducks back, they won't climb trees too, will they?" Old Ding stared at him menacingly.

“Okay.” Du Li agreed without hesitation.

This made Du Laoding waver a little. Could it be that Du Min wasn't there? But he couldn't care less about that now. He had to get Du Min back first. If Du Min didn't show up, the village chief would report it to the authorities. Then this shameful story of a father forcing his son to ruin his future would spread throughout the entire Wu County.

After Du Laoding left, Du Li hurriedly went to Meng Qing for help: "Dad told me to bring the ducks and geese back. He's probably going to catch Lao San in the middle of the night. What should we do? Should he show up?"

Meng Qing nodded, "It's time for him to show up. If he doesn't, the people in your village will report him to the authorities."

“I went to tell him that he was leaving the village tonight and would come back by boat tomorrow to sort us out first,” Du Li said.

“I’ll go with you.” Meng Qing had something to discuss with Du Min.

In the evening, Du Li and Meng Qing took the children to the mulberry fields. When the geese saw her, they regarded her as an enemy and came running over, flapping their wings and squawking loudly.

Wang Zhou's eyes lit up, and he laughed loudly, calling out "Goose, goose, goose!"

Du Li chased them away, saying, "Blind things, look closely, these are the mistress and the young master."

Meng Qing chuckled and threatened, "Be careful, you might end up in a deep fryer."

Wang Zhou was still staring at Meng Qing, not only at the goose, but also at the goose, his meaning was very clear.

Meng Qing made a few "goose, goose, goose" sounds, and he was immediately satisfied.

Hearing their voices, Du Min crawled out from the haystack again. "It's you guys."

"Your dad's coming to catch you. He told us to drive the ducks and geese back," Meng Qing said. "How about it? Time to show your face?"

Du Min was unwilling.

“It’s time to show up. If you don’t, your Eighth Master will report you to the authorities.” Meng Qing continued, “If you want your father to learn a lesson, you’ve already achieved your goal. As for what happens next, you have to show up to explain.”

“He never learns his lesson, and now he’s threatening me again.” Du Min scoffed.

"That's because he already believes the rumor that you dropped out of the prefectural school, and he's even accepted it. He's thinking about the next step, and so are the other people in the village. They're all discussing how to let you continue your studies, hoping you can become self-taught. If the news were to spread now that you can still study at the prefectural school, oh my! It would be a lifeline! Your father would be willing to be your grandson; he'd definitely listen to you." Meng Qing joked.

Du Min was amused by her, "What you said makes sense."

"How do you plan to tell your parents that your dropping out of school was a lie? I heard from your second brother that you plan to tell them directly?" Meng Qing asked.

Du Min nodded. "I want my father to know that he can threaten me, and I can also outmaneuver him."

“This method is indeed straightforward, but what will the villagers think if they know you’ve tricked them? They’ll definitely curse you behind your back, and it might even damage your credibility, causing them to stop believing you,” Meng Qing disagreed.

Du Min thought to himself, what do the villagers have to do with me? Their thoughts wouldn't affect me. As long as I remained in their favor, they would continue to treat me well. But this thought made him hesitate. He couldn't be sure he could rise to officialdom, or that he could live a life of glory.

“These days, people of all ages from the village have been coming home several times a day, all worried about your safety. Whether they're just curious or bored, there's genuine concern in their hearts.” Meng Qing had witnessed it firsthand; many people felt sorry for Du Min and were worried that he might take his own life.

"Third brother, sincerity should not be betrayed. Just think about how it feels to have your sincerity toyed with." Meng Qing wanted him to change his ways.

The only time Du Min was truly manipulated was in front of his parents. He took a deep breath and said, "Second sister-in-law, what's your idea?"

"I'm going back to the city tomorrow. Leave the rest to me. It's better if you don't know. Only your true reaction can fool the others," Meng Qing assured him, patting his chest.

“Okay,” Du Min agreed.

Meng Qing gave a few more instructions, and then she and Du Li drove the ducks and geese away.

After they left, Du Min restored the haystack to its original state. While it was still light, he left Sangtian and walked downstream along the river. This river connected several villages and eventually flowed into the Qingpu River. There were plenty of boats and ferries along the way.

Old Ding did not come to Sangtian to arrest Du Min that night. He had already given the signal. If Du Min still didn't know what was good for him, he would have no choice but to lead the whole village to Sangtian to ambush him every day.

The next morning, Du Min appeared at the ferry crossing by boat, and the whole village was in an uproar as soon as he showed up.

Meng Qing wanted to leave but also wanted to watch the excitement. In the end, her desire to watch the excitement prevailed. She didn't return to the city. Instead, she asked a passing boatman named Zhu to deliver a message to the Meng family, asking Meng Chun to come over.

Meng Chun arrived by boat that afternoon, carrying large and small bags, making it seem like he was coming to visit his sister and nephew. He stayed at the Du family's house for one night and returned to the city the next day.

After seeing Meng Chun off onto the boat, Du Li returned, took the ox, and headed to the mulberry fields.

"Second Brother, leave the cow here, I'll go herd it later." Du Min ran out to stop him.

Du Li glanced at his father.

Old Du's face darkened again, but he still spoke kindly, "What are you doing herding cattle? Didn't we agree yesterday that you would stay home and continue your studies, next year..."

“The books have all been burned, what’s the point of reading them?” Du Min interrupted him. “I’ll take over the household chores first. If I can’t handle it, I’ll apply to a private school next year to become a teacher and gain two or three years of experience. Then I can come back and open my own private school and help out the family during the busy farming season.”

"Do I need your help with the family?" Old Ding shouted again.

Du Min ignored him and led the ox away from home.

Old Du was so angry he was panting heavily. He had managed to get that heartless bastard back, but he still couldn't do anything about him.

With nowhere else to turn, Du Laoding approached Meng Qing, saying, "Second daughter-in-law, your father has noticed that among the whole family, the third son is the only one who respects you. Could you please persuade him to continue his studies? I can buy him new books if they are burned."

"Father, how could my third brother possibly listen to me?" Meng Qing was taken aback. She whispered, "I only have a little face-saving relationship with him, which I got by exchanging money and food."

Old Du seemed not to hear him and continued, "As long as you can persuade him to continue his studies, even if you live at your parents' house year-round, your mother and I will never say a word."

Meng Qing's face showed hesitation. "Then shall I give it a try?"

Old Du laughed, "You're eloquent and persuasive, so give him some advice."

Meng Qing verbally agreed, but in reality she didn't take any action. When Du Laoding came to ask, she looked bitter and claimed that Du Min's face changed as soon as she mentioned it, and he accused her of meddling.

Du Laoding was not satisfied with the answer. He repeatedly urged Meng Qing to talk to him again, and even cheered her on, telling her that as a sister-in-law, she should not be afraid of Du Min, a younger brother-in-law.

He abandoned his conversation with Du Min and instead put pressure on Meng Qing.

After four days of this, a man claiming to be a pageboy of Dr. Xu from the prefectural academy arrived at the Dujiawan ferry.

"Auntie, does Du Min, the scholar, live in this village?"

"Yes, yes, what do you need him for?"

"I am Dr. Xu's page. Dr. Xu sent me to urge Du Xuezi. If he does not return to the prefectural school within three days, the prefectural school will really expel him."

"What?" Aunt Du exclaimed loudly. She stopped washing her clothes and dragged the fake page into the village.

"Second brother, second sister-in-law, Dr. Xu's page has arrived. Du Min can still go to the prefectural school to study; he hasn't dropped out yet—"

"What? What did you say?" The villagers rushed out upon hearing the noise.

Old Ding Du also ran out, his shoes falling off in the process, nearly tripping him, but he didn't stop. He rushed to Aunt Du's side, looking at her as if she were a deity, and asked anxiously and nervously, "What did you say? Du Min can still go to the prefectural school to study?"

"Dr. Xu's page has been found, and he wants Du Min to start classes within three days." Aunt Du was overjoyed.

Old Du was like a dead man who had drunk elixir of immortality and was overjoyed to be reborn. He wept with joy, knelt on the ground and laughed heartily, then burst into tears again, as if he had gone mad.