Chapter 65 Drugging

Chapter 65 Drugging

As noon approached, Du Min and the Meng family slowly arrived outside the examination hall to look at the results. There weren't many people outside at this time, and the area in front of the results was sparse. They easily squeezed into the crowd.

“Du Min…” Meng Qing murmured. She quickly scanned the list and saw Du Min’s name in line 32 or 33.

“Here, I found it.” Meng Qing stood on tiptoe and raised her hand to press the line of text.

"It's him, it's him." Meng's father looked at him twice, then patted Du Min's shoulder heavily. "Good lad, you've really made something of yourself. You passed the exam on your first try."

Du Min stared at the words, and it would be a lie to say he wasn't excited. This was the most powerful affirmation of his thirteen years of hard study, and also an affirmation of himself. At this moment, he felt that everything he had done in the past was worthwhile.

"Du Min!" Master Xie called out from outside the crowd.

Du Min snapped out of his daze and walked out of the crowd with a radiant smile. "Master, what are you doing here? Are there students from Chongwen Academy taking the provincial examination this year?"

"Yes, but none of them passed the exam. I heard your name was on the list of successful candidates, so I came to see you." Master Xie looked Du Min up and down. "Congratulations! You've made great progress since you went to the prefectural school. You're not even twenty years old yet, and you've already made it onto the list of successful candidates on your first attempt at the provincial examination."

Du Min humbly bowed, saying, "My current glory is inseparable from the nurturing grace of the Master."

Master Xie reached out to help him up, but he shook his head and said honestly, "I have taught at least thirty or fifty students, but you are the only one with exceptional talent. My contribution is not great."

"Without your generous teachings, I would not have the glory I enjoy today." Du Min was grateful to Master Xie and said sincerely, "I have nothing to repay you with at the moment, but how about I offer you a meal and some wine first? Tonight, I would like to invite you to dinner at Hu Si Restaurant. I wonder if you are free?"

"No need for that. Go celebrate with your family first. If you have time another day, could you please send me a copy of your answer sheet?" Master Xie made the request.

“Alright,” Du Min readily agreed. “Next time, I will invite you, Master, to go out for tea and wine again.”

Master Xie nodded, then nodded to the Meng family before leaving.

"Let's go eat at Niu Ji Restaurant. This meal is on me," Meng's father said, making a grand promise.

"I'm here to invite you. I want to thank my second sister-in-law, second brother, uncle, and aunt for taking care of me, and also for Brother Meng's kindness in sharing a room with me," Du Min said with a smile.

“Okay, you can treat me this time. After dinner, we’ll buy some drinks to take home. We’ll drink with you tonight, but we won’t force you. We’ll drink slowly and test your alcohol tolerance so you know what you’re capable of,” Meng Qing said.

"Great!" Du Min exclaimed excitedly. "We won't leave the table until we're drunk tonight!"

The group happily took a boat to Niu Ji Restaurant. After the meal, Meng Qing and Du Li went to Hu Si in Rujiao Fang to buy wine and Sanlejiang (a type of Chinese liquor), while Du Min went to show his face to Dr. Xu. Meng's parents and Meng Chun took Wang Zhou back first.

Watching Meng's parents leave by boat, Meng Qing asked, "Third brother, what are you planning to do next? Pretend you know nothing and pack your bags to head north?"

Du Min nodded. "I've been thinking about this these past few days. Master Chen has this intention but hasn't revealed it yet. He probably sees us as tools to be used at will. We don't have the right to sit at the same table with him to discuss things. Since that's his thinking, and I need his help, it's better not to expose him. It's more beneficial for me if he looks down on me than if he's wary of me."

Meng Qing nodded, "You're right, then let's wait for him to contact you."

"Should we notify your family?" Du Li asked. "If we do, you'll have to lie again to explain why you're not going to Chang'an for the exam this year."

Du Min was still hesitant. He wanted to share the good news, since passing the provincial examination and becoming a tribute student was not a shameful thing, so why hide it? But he didn't want his parents to benefit from his success. The thought of them being proud and flattered because of him made him unhappy.

"Let's not talk about this now. I'll finish what I'm doing first." Du Min couldn't make a decision and wanted to postpone it for a few more days.

*

At this moment, the villagers of Dujiawan were lying in bed about to take a nap when they suddenly heard the joyous sound of gongs and drums. People of all ages got up from their beds and went outside.

"What's going on? Where did that gong and drum sound come from?"

"I don't know, I heard the drumbeats coming from the village entrance."

"Let's go, let's go take a look. I haven't heard of anyone in the village getting married today."

"It's only past noon; even if you were to get married, it wouldn't be this early."

"Could it be good news? Did Du Min pass the provincial examination? I remember the provincial examination was in the autumn."

"Oh my! That's quite possible. No wonder Old Du has been going to the city so often these past few days."

"Old Ding, did you hire this drummer?" the old woman at the village entrance asked as she ran to the ferry.

Old Du Ding stood at the ferry crossing, his face beaming. On a boat on the river, two men stood at the bow and stern, beating gongs and drums. Looking at the villagers attracted by the sound of gongs and drums, he announced triumphantly, "Our Du family's ancestral graves are emitting auspicious smoke! My third son has passed the provincial examination and become a tribute student. He can go to Chang'an to take the imperial examination and meet the sage."

"Really? Du Min took the provincial examination this year? How come I haven't heard anything about it?" the old woman at the village entrance asked.

"Yes, he was afraid he wouldn't pass the exam, so he asked me to keep it a secret for him. I went to the examination hall myself today, and he's on the list." Old Du Ding waved his arms and shouted, "My son, Old Du Ding's son, is going to become an official! Our Dujiawan is going to produce a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination)!"

The village chief came running over with a radiant face. He shook Du Laoding's hand and said, "Oh my! Laoding, you are so lucky! Where is Du Minren? He is really successful and has brought honor to the Du family."

Du's mother, Du Ming, and Li Hongguo arrived, and they squeezed around Du Laoding, proudly accepting everyone's congratulations.

"Second sister-in-law, you are so lucky! Once Du Min passes the imperial examination, you will be an old lady of the government and enjoy endless blessings."

“I think Du Min has been clever since he was a child, and he looks destined to become an official.”

"Won't your family move to the foot of the capital from now on? You'll live a good life and never have to touch the mud again."

The villagers showered him with compliments and envy. Even Uncle Du and Aunt Du eagerly squeezed in, vying to congratulate Old Ding and his mother.

Old Du was triumphant; who would dare say he lived like a joke now?

After a stick of incense had burned, the drumming stopped, and the villagers' excitement gradually subsided.

"Old woman, go back and get a string of cash to pay the drummer's bill," said Du Laoding.

Du's mother obediently replied with a "Yes."

“My house is nearby, take it from my house,” the old woman at the village entrance quickly said.

"No need, no need, I have money at home, I'll go back and get it, I'll be back in a bit." Du's mother didn't want her to share in her family's joy.

"Old Ding, where's Du Min? Hasn't he come back?" the village chief asked again. "I was thinking of having the village pay for a pig and a sheep to celebrate for him."

“Du Min will definitely thank his teachers first, so he can’t come back.” Uncle Du said firmly, “The children’s matter is more important. Our village can celebrate a couple of days later.”

"No, the Meng family called him away." Old Ding's face darkened.

"The Meng family? Which Meng family? The second son's wife's family?" The village chief frowned, his old face falling. He shouted in a rough voice, "What a despicable bastard! That Meng guy has snatched someone from our Du family! His son-in-law is the second son, not the third! He has no manners whatsoever. Du Ming, take the uncles and brothers from the village to the city and call Du Min back from the Meng family."

"Uncle Ba, no!" Du Laoding shouted to stop them. "Du Min knows what he's doing. Don't cause trouble, don't ruin him."

Destroy him? The villagers immediately thought of the harsh words Du Li had uttered when he left last year. It seemed that Du Min's secret was related to the Meng family.

"Old Ding, tell me, what exactly does the Meng family have against Du Min? Can we help them settle this?" the village chief asked.

Old Du shook his head and left with a bitter expression.

"Daming, Jinshu's mother, tell us what happened." The village chief turned to another target.

Du Ming and Li Hongguo couldn't very well say they didn't know, so the couple shook their heads dismissively and left without a word.

Aunt Du gave her granddaughter a wink, and the next moment, Qiao Mei was pulled away by her cousin. But Qiao Mei knew nothing about it and couldn't give a clear answer when questioned. In the end, she went back crying.

"Father, what exactly has the Meng family gotten hold of our third son? Is he going to be threatened by the Meng family for the rest of his life?" The first thing Du Ming did upon returning home was to ask Old Ding.

Old Du remained silent.

Li Hongguo stood at the door, looking at Du Laoding, and asked, "Father, my third brother is destined to be an official. Are you willing to let him be taken away by that Meng family man? He's already lost his mind. I think he'd love to recognize the Meng family couple as his parents."

Du Laoding looked up and glared at her, "Shut up."

"Why are you still being so stubborn with us? Your second son doesn't acknowledge you, and your third son is about to too. With his current character, even if he becomes an official, he probably won't take you to enjoy a life of luxury. You and my mother are probably counting on us to support you in your old age. Why are you still hiding this from us?" Du Ming was eager to find out what he could do to Du Min. If he missed this opportunity, Du Min, this coveted prize, would slip through his fingers.

"Old man, you better watch your mouth. If a sixth person finds out about that, Amin will hate you to death." Du's mother returned, took off her straw sandals and slapped the sole of one of them on Li Hongguo, then went into the west wing to chase Du Ming away. "Do you think we don't know what you're thinking? You're just hoping to threaten the third son and make him listen to you. Give up, don't even think about it."

"Mother, are you not treating us like family anymore? Our third son is successful now, and you don't need us to make money for him anymore, so you're going to kick us aside?" Du Ming glared with his bull-eyed eyes and threatened, "If you don't give me an explanation today, the relationship between us mother and son and father ends today. Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me."

Du Laoding laughed, "Rely on you? I'd rather rely on the second brother."

"What?" Du Ming thought he had misheard. "Relying on the second son?"

"Yes, you're lazy, cunning, and calculating, and you have no conscience. What can I expect from you?" Old Ding deliberately mocked him.

Du Ming felt a void in his heart. He looked at the mean-looking person in front of him and felt no strength to be angry. He moved his mouth but could not make a sound.

When Du's mother saw Du Ming like this, she panicked and turned her head to scold him, "What nonsense are you talking about, you old fool?"

"I have no conscience?" Du Ming said. "You've always seen me like this? What heartless thing have I done in front of you?"

"I can't be bothered to talk to you, get out." Old Ding Du said coldly, shooing him away.

Du Ming nodded. "Okay, I'll remember what you said. Don't forget it either."

"What are you doing now, you old devil? There's a joyous occasion at home today, why are you making such a mess? If you're unhappy, go cause trouble at the Meng family's house," Du's mother scolded.

"Do you think I'd dare to cause trouble? Those shallow-minded people took money from the Meng family. Can that money be made public? The Meng family is using this money to threaten us. Do you think I'd dare to cause trouble?" Old Ding Du roared in anger.

"What are you yelling about?" Du's mother kicked him, and she quickly went to close the door.

Seeing that the door was closed, Li Hongguo quickly and quietly came out of the silkworm room, and quietly pressed her ear to the door, trying to eavesdrop on more conversations.

“I know my son. Du Min isn’t someone you can easily manipulate. Just bear with it a little longer. Once Du Min becomes an official, anyone who dares to threaten him will be finished,” Du’s mother advised him.

Du Laoding glanced at the closed door; the light, blocked by the door panel, lingered in the crack of the threshold, making it half dark.

"Do you know who I met today? Dr. Xu's pageboy." Old Ding chuckled to himself with satisfaction. He said expressionlessly, "This pageboy is not the same one who came to our house last year. I asked him how many pageboys Dr. Xu had, and he said he only had one."

Du's mother's hand trembled. "What do you mean?"

"The pageboy who came to our house was a fake. Your youngest son and those two scoundrels conspired to deceive us, to deceive the whole village." Old Du slammed his fist on the table in anger. "The dropping out of school was a lie! The pageboy was a fake too! That fake pageboy was hired by Meng Qing, and Du Min was hidden by Du Li. Our whole village was completely fooled by them, and the three of them secretly enjoyed the show."

"You bitch! It must have been Meng Qing who instigated this!" Mother Du was so angry she could hardly breathe, and her whole body was trembling.

Old Ding thought to himself that this was not necessarily true. Du Min was not a kind person, but Meng Qing was not innocent either, since he had gotten involved.

"Do you still think Du Min is just pretending to be fooled by the Meng family? He's become the Meng family's dog, biting whoever he's told to." Old Ding Du glanced at the doorway, where light filled the gap between the threshold and the door panel. He smirked smugly; the show was about to begin.

"What do you plan to do?" Du's mother asked.

"What can I do?" Old Ding Du shrugged. "Do you have any brilliant ideas?"

"Divorce Meng Qing. We can't let her have anything to do with our Du family anymore."

What if she threatens you with your youngest son?

Du's mother was speechless, filled with regret. "I shouldn't have agreed last year. It's not like we can't afford to send Amin to school."

Du Laoding remained silent. Back then, who could have imagined that Du Min would be able to enter the prefectural school, and who could have predicted that he would pass the exam on his first try?

Qiaomei's cries echoed in the courtyard. Du's mother impatiently yelled, "Cry, cry, cry! All you know how to do is cry! Are you mourning someone? Shut up!"

Old Du opened the door and went out, asking, "Why are you crying?"

Qiaomei shut her mouth, not daring to speak.

"Where are your parents?" Old Du asked in a different way.

Qiaomei shook her head, "I couldn't find my mother."

"Why are you crying? Who bullied you?" Old Du walked over and squatted down in front of her. He chuckled and said, "Your third uncle is going to be an official someday. Who would dare to bully you then?"

Qiaomei cried pitifully, "Sister Huahua, Sister Huihui, and Da Niu and Er Niu all grabbed me and asked me what secrets my third uncle had. I said I didn't know, and they told me to come back and eavesdrop. I refused, and they tried to beat me. Waaah, I miss my brother. If my brother were home, no one would dare to bully me."

Du Laoding wiped away her tears and said, "Your brother only comes back twice a month. If you expect him to back you up, you'll get beaten every day."

Upon hearing this, Qiaomei's crying, which had just stopped, started again.

"If you eavesdrop and tell others, you won't get a beating, and your parents won't blame you," Old Ding Du said with a smile.

Qiaomei listened to her. She wiped away her tears and said, "I'm not going out today."

However, within an hour, Qiaomei forgot what she said. When a child came to call her to play, she ran off happily. But when she came back in the evening, she was all tearful again.

"Mom, I want to sleep with you tonight." Qiaomei clung to Li Hongguo as they went to bed.

Li Hongguo said impatiently, "Go back to your room and sleep."

"I want to sleep with you, but I'm scared." Qiaomei refused.

Du Ming's eyes darted around, and he said, "Let her sleep with us."

Li Hongguo glared at him; with the child around, it was inconvenient to talk.

Du Ming pretended not to see it, and he even deliberately brought up the matter of the fake pageboy when Qiao Mei was awake.

After Qiaomei fell asleep, Li Hongguo asked, "What are you planning?"

“If I deliberately tell the villagers about the fake pageboy, it's best if Qiaomei spreads the word so that Lao San won't hate me. She's just an innocent little girl; would Lao San really hit her? Besides, she'll get married eventually anyway. Even if I don't offend him, Lao San won't benefit much,” Du Ming said.

Li Hongguo did not object, which can be considered as tacit agreement.

"What are your thoughts on the fact that the third brother has financial dealings with the Meng family?" Du Ming asked.

“We know he has this weakness. If he doesn’t listen to us, we’ll threaten him too.” Li Hongguo snorted. “Not only Du Min, but also Meng Qing. She has to obey me too. I can’t bear to ruin Du Min, but I can’t bear to ruin her? I’ll go find her tomorrow.”

Upon hearing this, Qiaomei secretly opened one eye.

"What are you going to do?" Du Ming sat up.

Qiaomei was so frightened that she quickly closed her eyes.

"You'll find out tomorrow night." Li Hongguo was overjoyed. She wanted to see how Meng Qing would put on airs in front of her after that.

Upon hearing this, Du Ming stopped asking questions. He faced north, staring intently at the dark wall, as if trying to see the two old people sleeping in the west wing from afar. He still cursed with resentment, "I have no conscience? I should have destroyed both the old and the young, that's what it means to have no conscience."

Li Hongguo ignored him and pondered her own affairs.

*

At this time, the Meng family.

Du Min pushed the wine pot away, and said dizzily, "I'm not drinking anymore, or I'll get confused again."

"Then I won't drink anymore, I won't either." Meng Qing tilted her head back and finished the last sip of wine. She stood up, counted the contents, and said, "We actually emptied four jars."

Meng Chunsong loosened his belt and said, "The wine was weak; it just made me feel like I was drinking a lot of water."

Du Min: "...Your brother-in-law and I are both drunk. You're saying you drank a lot of water?"

“Ignore him, I’m a little dizzy too,” Meng’s father said. “Let’s stop drinking here tonight. We can drink more next time when we feel like it. You have to go back to Dujiawan tomorrow, so go to bed early tonight.”

Du Min sighed. Too lazy to go back and deal with it, he simply said, "I'll go back later, this afternoon. If I go back, I'll just be treated like a monkey by the villagers." In the afternoon, he went to see Dr. Xu and learned from Wei Shutong that he had met Du Laoding outside the examination hall.

Du Li felt uneasy. "Father knew you passed the exam, but he didn't show up and left. Is this like him?"

"You're eager to go back and show off, aren't you?" Du Min said.

Meng Qing chuckled as she tapped her face with her hand on her chin. She guessed that Du Laoding was probably rushing back to figure out how to discard someone after they've served their purpose. After all, in his opinion, now that Du Min could go to Chang'an to take the imperial examination, there was no need for the Meng family, their money bag, to exist anymore.

"Go back this afternoon, and sleep in a little longer tomorrow morning," Meng Qing said, afraid that Du Laoding would dawdle, so she gave him another half day.

*

The next morning, Li Hongguo didn't even eat breakfast before eagerly carrying two large bamboo baskets out the door.

"Where are you going?" Du Ming asked.

"Go into town and buy some meat." Li Hongguo walked away without looking back.

"Qiaomei, come out and play." Uncle Du's two granddaughters and two grandsons ran over with bowls of rice in their hands.

Qiaomei wasn't feeling well. She shook her head and said, "I'm not going. I haven't eaten yet."

"Come to my house for dinner."

“Go ahead,” Du Ming said.

Qiaomei remained silent.

“She’s not going,” Mrs. Du said sternly. “You all go back to eat, don’t wander around our house.”

Du Ming: "..."

He had nothing to say. In order to prevent the plan from being disrupted again, he personally led Qiaomei out after breakfast.

He then returned home.

"Dad, I'm still home. I have something to discuss with you."

Old Du didn't even look at him, as if he hadn't heard him.

"I know the third brother's secret. Aren't you scared?" Du Ming threatened him in a menacing tone.

Du Laoding looked up at him.

"Give me thirty strings of cash, or I'll ruin your youngest son." Du Ming shook his leg and said arrogantly, "Look, now that's what you call heartless."

"You really have no conscience." Old Ding Du chuckled. He opened his mouth and dared to ask for only thirty strings of cash. He was really all talk and no action. He said disdainfully, "I won't give you a single coin. If you're so capable, then go ahead and spout nonsense."

"You think I'm lying to you? Du Minxin is greedy. He got involved in things he shouldn't have, getting entangled in business, didn't he? I should have known, but I didn't expect him to be so bold. Last year, when he wanted to bring his second son's wife back to the city, it wasn't because he wanted her to bring him food and drink..."

"Shut up!" Old Du noticed a long shadow on the ground next to the cattle pen and quickly interrupted.

Seeing that he was finally panicking, Du Ming was extremely pleased. He insisted on saying what he didn't want him to say: "The Meng family has been running a paper horse shop for ten years, and even after emptying their coffers, they could only come up with a dowry of 120 strings of cash. But last year, the Meng family acted as if they had found money. They rented a painted boat to go boating on the river on New Year's Eve, ordered food and wine from restaurants to celebrate Wang Zhou's first birthday, and even bought the child a silver bowl weighing half a jin. Where did they get so much money? And how did their business suddenly become so prosperous? It has something to do with the third son, right?"

As Du Laoding watched the figure emerge, he felt immediately at ease.

"Du Min is too audacious," the village chief said quietly. Now he also had something on Du Min.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, Qiaomei said it's a lie that his third uncle dropped out of school last year, and that page is a fake too!" The village chief's grandson shouted as he ran.

The village chief looked at Du Laoding, "Is the pageboy a fake?"

Du Laoding nodded bitterly, "Eighth Uncle, I'm incompetent. I raised such a rebellious child. I ran into Dr. Xu's pageboy outside the examination hall yesterday morning, and that's when I found out that the one from last year was a fake pageboy, hired by the Meng family to act."

"The Meng family! It's the Meng family again!" The village chief completely lost his patience. "Take some men, let's go to the Meng family."

"Uncle Ba, no, the Meng family is going to use Du Min as leverage, I'm scared," Du Laoding said, feigning concern.

"Coward! Meng Qing isn't your Du family's daughter-in-law, and her child doesn't bear the Du surname? They dare to use Du Min to threaten you. From now on, whether Meng Qing and her child live or die is none of the Meng family's business." The village chief didn't believe it. He thought, "She's just a merchant, why is she afraid of death?" He said, "Call your men, everyone come with me."

Dujiawan only had two boats, one of which had been hired by Li Hongguo. By the time the village chief sent someone to borrow three boats from Wangjiawa, Li Hongguo had already arrived at Wumen Ferry.

"Someone's knocking on the door, Qingniang, go see who's knocking." Meng's mother was chopping vegetables and couldn't free her hands to open the door.

Meng Qing had just gotten up. She wiped her face haphazardly and said, "Coming, coming, stop knocking."

The door opened, and Li Hongguo swaggered in. She saw that Meng Qing's hair was still wet and said with a sour tone, "Second sister-in-law, you're so lucky! The sun is already shining on your butt and you're still asleep."

Meng Qing closed the door and followed him. "Why are you here? Is something wrong?"

“Yes,” Li Hongguo put down two baskets and said, “Give me the money and fill both baskets.”

"Are you out of your mind?" Meng Qing asked incredulously.

“I know your secret. You’re still involved in business. If you don’t want me to report you to the authorities, give me hush money right now. I don’t need more, just two full baskets will do,” Li Hongguo said arrogantly.

Meng Qing's expression changed.

"Sister-in-law, are you still asleep? What nonsense are you spouting? Where did you hear this nonsense?" Du Min walked over with a long face, followed by Meng Chun and Du Li.

Li Hongguo was startled. "What are you doing here?"

"Who told you that?" Du Min asked uneasily.

"Your parents said that, Third Brother, you have quite the nerve to have financial dealings with merchants." Li Hongguo remembered that she had something on Du Min, so she was no longer afraid of him.

Du Min's face turned pale. "Who else knows?"

"Just me and your older brother."

"What are you going to do if I don't give you hush money?" Meng Qing asked. "Who gave you the right to come and ask me for money?"

"Are you interrogating a prisoner? Stop rambling and give me the money," Li Hongguo said impatiently.

"Let's go home and resolve this," Du Li said. "Third brother, let's go back now."

Du Min nodded, and then strode out angrily.

Meng Qing pulled Li Hongguo along, "Let's go."

Li Hongguo stumbled as she was pulled, but she wasn't angry. Instead, she smiled and said, "You'll be in for a world of hurt when we get back."

Meng Chun wanted to go with them, but Du Li stopped him, saying, "Don't go. Stay home and take good care of Wang Zhou for us."

"I have a feeling something bad is going to happen," Meng Chun said anxiously.

"Everything will be alright, I'll protect your sister." Du Li said this and quickly chased after her.

The boat that Li Hongguo had hired was still waiting at the ferry. When the boatman saw Du Min, he greeted him excitedly, "Du Min, you've got potential! I heard you're a tribute student?"

Du Min forced a smile and nodded. "Brother, are we going back by boat?"

"Go back and wait for your eldest sister-in-law. She said she went to find your second sister-in-law." As he was speaking, he saw the figures of the two sisters-in-law, and Du Li also ran over after them.

The four people boarded the boat one after another. The boatman sensed that something was wrong. He asked a few questions and when no one wanted to talk to him, he awkwardly shut his mouth.

As the boat left Wumen, Du Min picked up another wooden oar to paddle. Seeing his eagerness, Du Li went to relieve him, saying, "I'll do it, I'm stronger."

An hour later, the boat carrying four people encountered four menacing boats on the river. Almost all the able-bodied men of Dujiawan were on the boats.

When Du Min saw his father on the boat, and then looked at the other menacing people on the boat, his hands, which were behind his back, were soaked with cold sweat.

"Father, Eighth Master, what are you going to do?" he asked loudly.

"What are you doing? I'm here to arrest you." The village chief glared at him, then glared at Meng Qing, and cursed, "You shameless woman, you've caused so much harm, and you still have the nerve to come back."

"Who is this slut calling a slut?" Meng Qing asked.

"I'm going to curse you."

Meng Qing smiled.

"Eighth Master, watch your mouth. If you want to curse a slut, go back to your own home. If you keep hurling insults, I'll go back to your house and stand in your yard all night cursing you." Du Li was furious. Meng Qing was not someone he could insult.

"We'll talk about it when we get back," the village chief's son said. "Dad, there are still so many boats on the river. We don't want people to laugh at us."

The village chief glanced at the other boats on the river, then remained silent.

Five boats headed towards Dujiawan together. About half an hour later, the boats approached the Dujiawan ferry, where a large group of people were waiting.

When they were disembarking, Du Min pushed Li Hongguo off first, and then took the opportunity to tell her, "Second sister-in-law, please bear with me for now, I'll take care of this."

Meng Qing glanced at him.

"No matter what the villagers say, don't admit it," Du Min advised.

Meng Qing took a deep breath. "Okay, I hope you can resolve this as soon as possible and not give me a chance to participate."

"What are you two talking about? Why are you two so close together, sister-in-law and brother-in-law?" People on the shore were staring at Meng Qing and Du Min.

Meng Qing jumped off the boat, dusted herself off, and asked with a raised eyebrow, "Why do you think we're getting so close?"

"Shameless!" the old woman at the village entrance cursed.

"How am I shameless? What shameless thing have I done? I'm not lying in my brother-in-law's bed like you. Saying something makes you shameless? Then what are you?"

Meng Qing didn't listen to the gossip in the village last year for nothing.

"I'll tear your mouth off!" The old woman at the village entrance was furious, her face flushed red. She lunged forward to hit him.

“If you dare touch a single hair on my head, I’ll make sure the whole of Wu County knows about your good deeds,” Meng Qing threatened.

"Alright, stop making a scene." The village chief roared, staring at Meng Qing and asking, "Was it you who caused the trouble when Du Min dropped out of school last year? Did you also hire the fake page?"

“You’ve asked the wrong person, haven’t you? The person involved is right here, ask him.” Meng Qing found it strange. “Du Min, you’re the one who dropped out of school, you speak.”

"What fake pageboy?" Du Min denied it. "Who said there are fake pageboys?"

"You still won't admit it! I ran into Dr. Xu's pageboy outside the examination hall yesterday, and he's not the same person who came last year at all." Old Du looked disappointed. "You've been keeping the whole village in check for half a month. Aren't you very proud of yourself?"

“Dr. Xu changed his page last winter, so this year’s page is definitely not the same person as last year’s. Father, you’re being strange. I’m your own son, and you don’t believe me but you believe an outsider.” Du Min also looked disappointed. “You’ve already come to the entrance of the examination hall, can’t you ask me yourself?”

“You’re still lying. I asked that page, and he said that Dr. Xu only has one page.” Old Du was furious that he was still being stubborn even at this point.

Du Min sighed wearily, "Dr. Xu really only has one page this year. The one from last year went home to get married and left in the winter. If you still don't believe me, come with me to Dr. Xu tomorrow and ask him. He can't possibly lie to you."

Old Ding Du wavered, but he refused to let Du Min go, insisting, "That page said that Dr. Xu only has one page, and no others."

"I already said I'd take you to confront Dr. Xu tomorrow, what are you still arguing about? What's your purpose today? Everyone outside is happy for me that I passed the provincial examination, why are you trying to make things difficult for me? Are you jealous of my success?" Du Min was furious. He questioned me relentlessly, "Last year you threatened to stop me from studying, to prevent me from taking the provincial examination, to ruin my future. Fine, I dropped out and came back. For your sake, I didn't tell a word to the elders in the village. In the end, you begged me to return to the prefectural school, and you said all the nice things before I went back. This year, I was afraid you would threaten me again, so I didn't dare tell you I was going to take the provincial examination. You still found out secretly, and the moment you found out, you want to ruin me?"

The room fell silent as everyone's gaze shifted from Meng Qing and Du Min to Old Ding.

"Old Ding, what exactly happened?" The village chief was also affected by Du Min's words. "You really threatened to ruin his future?"

Du Laoding couldn't refute it.

Uncle Du rushed out and slapped Old Ding Du with all his might, yelling, "You vicious bastard! I'll beat you to death today!"

"Uncles and brothers, I'm telling you the truth. My father just doesn't like me being close to my second sister-in-law's family. He demanded that I stay away from the Meng family, but I disagreed. He thought I was disobedient, so he threatened to ruin me. That's the day I said I wanted to drop out of school, and the next day I packed my bags and came back. You all know what happened after that," Du Min pleaded, feeling wronged.

Old Ding rushed up and slapped Du Min across the face. The next moment, he was dragged away by the others, and Uncle Du slapped him twice more.

"Uncle Ba, look at him, he's even slandering his father to protect the Meng family." Du Laoding imitated Du Min, denying what he had said.

The village chief ignored this and asked in front of everyone, "Du Min, you're involved in business? Don't rush to deny it. We can all see that you're close to the Meng family. What does your second sister-in-law's family have to do with you? None of us relatives see you being particularly close to them. If there's no benefit to it, why would you be close to the Meng family?"

Du Min's heart finally settled down; that damned old man had finally used that knife against him after all.

"When Du Li left last year, he boasted that he had something on you that he could ruin you. Was that the case? If that's false, would your father be afraid of him?" the village chief's eldest son chimed in.

Li Hongguo looked at her father-in-law, that muddle-headed old man, who had actually exposed this matter.

"Du Min doesn't know anything about business. He just introduces business to the Paper Horse Shop. It was all Meng Qing who tempted him. She told Du Min to introduce his teacher and classmates to them, and she would give him half the money for every deal that was made." Old Ding Du rushed to take the blame for Du Min.

The village chief immediately understood Du Laoding's intention. He had kept this a secret for nearly two years, not saying it earlier or later, but now that Du Min had passed the provincial examination, he had revealed it, all in order to break free from the Meng family's control over Du Min.

"Du Min, was it your second sister-in-law who seduced you? It's understandable that a poor student like you would be blinded by money for a time, as long as you can turn back in time." The village chief chose to side with Du Laoding, as the Meng family's reach had indeed gone too far.

Meng Qing chuckled, then remained silent, quietly watching Du Min.

Du Li glared at everyone present with hatred. "Father, Mother, are you trying to discard me after I've served my purpose? Are you sure that just because Du Min passed the provincial examination this year, he'll definitely pass the imperial examination next year?"

"Shut up." Old Du glared at him with disgust.

"Du Min, were the fake page and fake school dropout incidents instigated by your second sister-in-law?" The village chief tried a different approach to get Du Min to speak.

"I am deeply honored. Thank you all for thinking so highly of me and for going to such lengths to snatch me away," Du Min said calmly. "My decision to drop out of school was my own, and the servant is not a fake. As for the merchant accusation, I deny it. Those of you present who do not believe me can report me to the authorities. I, Du Min, as a tribute student, guarantee that I am not afraid of investigation. If any discrepancies are found in the accounts, I will not refute anything and will voluntarily shed my scholar's robes, never again engaging in the imperial examinations."

Du Li breathed a sigh of relief.

The village chief's face was tense.

"Eighth Master, may I invite you to my home for a chat? I haven't eaten a single grain of rice since last night, and I'm so hungry I can barely stand." Du Min knew that this matter couldn't be resolved by resorting to shamelessness.

The village chief's expression relaxed. "Alright, I'll go to your house."

"Father, let's go." Du Min walked to Du Laoding's side with a handprint on his head.

The crowd followed them as they moved. Du Min remained silent throughout the journey, as did Old Ding. When they returned home, Old Ding pulled Du Min along and quickly led him into the west wing.

"I'll give you a choice. To be honest, you are a treasure I raised with my own hands, and you can only belong to me. I can't just hand you over. If you destroy Meng Qing with your own hands today, I'll immediately go out and change my mind. I was just talking nonsense today." Old Du stopped beating around the bush.

“I forgot to tell you something. Meng Qing has two receipts that I wrote for her, both with my fingerprint on them. If I ruin her, I’m finished too.” Du Min laughed bitterly. “Father, you’ve ruined me. From now on, as long as I’m alive, everyone in Dujiawan, young and old, is my father and can threaten me.”

Old Du took a step back in fear, "You're lying to me! You must be lying to me."

"I would ruin myself to protect Meng Qing? What would I gain? If I didn't have this leverage, I wouldn't have ruined her anyway." Du Min said, then opened the door and walked out.

"What do you want to tell me?" the village chief asked with great interest.

"After I pass the imperial examination, I will receive 500 mu of permanent land. I will give 300 mu to the village as sacrificial land, and the harvest will be used to support the education of Dujiawan's descendants. If there is any surplus money, the village chief can do with it as he sees fit." Du Min sacrificed his own flesh to gain the villagers' concession.

With 300 mu of land, the annual harvest would yield at least 50 guan (a unit of currency), and the village chief was extremely satisfied.

“Your father is getting senile. I’ll ask a doctor to come and prescribe some medicine for him another day.” He wisely changed his tune; he didn’t want to ruin Du Min, as ruining him would benefit no one.

Du Min thanked him, then quietly looked around before walking through the crowd without a word.

The next day, Du Min returned again. He strolled leisurely through the village, ignoring all the stares.

When he got home, he found Li Hongguo and handed her a medicine packet that was almost soaked with his sweat.

"I know you're a smart person, find a chance to feed it to your parents."