“Of course not!” Cao Lingyun shook her head. “I will teach too I’ve read quite a few books, after all. And my elder brother and brother-in-law can come and help the children build strength and health ”
Her expression dimmed slightly as she spoke. In truth, she had someone far better in mind for that task: Zhou Hongbo, who happened to be free and at home these days. But then she remembered how many times she had bluntly turned him down before, and she quickly dismissed the idea.
Seeing her spirits sink, Master Tang assumed he had dampened her enthusiasm. He hastily agreed, “Very well, very well! I’ll do it, alright?!”
After finally seeing off Cao Lingyun who had fallen into deep, pensive thought for some reason Master Tang stroked his beard and waved toward the inner room.
“She’s gone!”
At his call, a figure stepped out from behind the curtain, straight and proud as a pine tree the very person Cao Lingyun had been too shy to mention as a potential teacher.
Zhou Hongbo showed no trace of guilt for having listened in. As he passed the chess table, he flicked his sleeve and left behind a thick stack of banknotes.
“One thousand taels!” Master Tang’s eyes widened as he counted, and he chuckled. “Young Duke, you certainly are generous.”
“Give it to Lingyun,” Zhou Hongbo said. He paused, then added, “But don’t tell her it came from me.”
…
With the generous secret donation, plus the savings she had accumulated over the years, Cao Lingyun soon had the school up and running properly. Thanks to Master Tang’s renowned reputation, families came in an unending stream to enroll their children.
By the time the second batch of students was nearly full, Cao Lingyun finally found time to feel a little sorry for Master Tang’s heavy workload. She decided it was time to invite the other teachers she had carefully selected to join them.
So before lunch, she rode in her carriage to the Wang residence. She had intended to bring gifts and visit her elder sister and brother-in-law, but the moment she stepped into the main hall, she spotted a familiar figure seated at the table.
Tall, elegant, and noble truly a gentleman in every way.
Who else could it be but Zhou Hongbo, whom she hadn’t seen in quite some time!
“Young Duke… Duke Bo!”
Cao Lingyun quickly hid the paper bag of dried fruits swinging in her hand like a flail behind her back, and smiled awkwardly at him.
“Come, come! Lingyun, you’ve arrived just in time! Sit down and eat with us!”
Her sister and brother-in-law looked at her with such obvious anticipation that they might as well have had the words hurry up and get married written across their faces. Cao Lingyun shivered slightly and took her seat but it was already too late. Barely had they exchanged a few words when the couple glanced at each other, made a flimsy excuse about needing to fetch something from the back room, and left the two of them alone at the table without the slightest subtlety.
Truly my own sister… Cao Lingyun thought to herself, half-amused and half-annoyed. With nothing else to do, she picked up her chopsticks and began picking at her food.
Silence stretched between them for a long while. Finally, Zhou Hongbo spoke.
“…Are you worried I will bring up the matter of our marriage?”
Cao Lingyun looked up, her large eyes blinking in surprise. She wasn’t quite sure how to answer.
“You needn’t worry,” he continued, looking down at the clear tea in his cup. “My mother is indeed overly eager to see me wed. A few days ago, she even spoke to the Emperor and asked for an imperial decree to grant the union but I stopped it every time.”
Silence fell again, until Cao Lingyun gave a soft, quiet laugh.
“Young Duke… it is not that I do not wish to marry.”
Zhou Hongbo’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with astonishment.
But Cao Lingyun only looked at him steadily, let out a long, determined breath, and made a decision that would change everything.
“…It is only that I need more time. There are still matters I must resolve first.”
The words had barely left her mouth when clang! a sharp, clear sound rang out across the table.
Zhou Hongbo’s silver chopsticks had slipped from his fingers and clattered onto the surface.
“Young Duke?”
Cao Lingyun glanced at him in concern. He stood up abruptly, brushing his sleeves in a moment of obvious disarray. “My apologies. I was being rude.”
But the next moment, he could not hide the bright, overflowing joy that lit up his face. He looked straight at her and said, “What you just said… it is alright. I can wait.”
Their eyes met. Outside the window, the branches of the flowering crabapple swayed gently in the breeze.
…
After the meal, Cao Lingyun spoke with her sister and brother-in-law about hiring teachers. Once all matters regarding the school were settled, she ordered her carriage to return home.
Ever since the scandal involving Cao Linglan, the Cao household had been unsettled for days. But Peng Xue was, after all, the favorite concubine of Cao Jianfeng. She had wept and pleaded repeatedly, and in the end, the whole messy affair had been swept under the rug and left unresolved.
So when Cao Lingyun walked into the main courtyard, she heard Aunt Peng’s sharp, arrogant voice shouting once again.
“It is not that I wish to make things difficult for you, Sister! But the management of this household is in my hands now. After such a mistake, how can I possibly let it pass without a proper explanation?!”
Cao Lingyun’s expression darkened instantly. As she expected, surrounded by a group of servants and maids, her gentle, helpless mother Liu Ruoyan stood weeping silently.
Cao Jianfeng and the Old Madam of the household stood to the side, their faces equally cold and indifferent letting Aunt Peng put on her theatrical display.
Cao Jianfeng was well known for spoiling his concubine while neglecting his lawful wife. And the Old Madam was no gentle soul. Back then, seeing that the Liu family was wealthy, she had forced the marriage between the two families. But once her son had passed the imperial exams and become an official, she had turned her nose up at Liu Ruoyan, looking down on her for being born into a merchant’s family.
The fact that Aunt Peng had been able to run wild and dominate the household all these years was entirely due to the Old Madam’s secret backing and encouragement.
Prompted by Peng Xue’s words, the Old Madam snorted coldly. “Jianfeng, look at the wife you married! Coming from such a small, common family, she really has no sense of decency! I asked her to buy bird’s nest, and she dared to steal the silver meant for it, replacing it with inferior goods!”
Cao Jianfeng’s face was grim. He looked at Liu Ruoyan with cold disdain, showing no intention of investigating the truth behind this absurd accusation.
“Liu,” he said sternly, “if you do not tell the truth now, do not blame me for casting aside all affection and divorcing you ”
“Master, I never did…” Liu Ruoyan was by nature kind and gentle, almost timid. She was so choked with tears at his words that she could barely speak.
Cao Lingyun’s heart ached at the sight. She stepped forward quickly and gently supported her mother’s frail shoulders.
She did not speak immediately, but turned back and looked at everyone present with clear, sharp eyes.
Aunt Peng ignored her. A sharp, mocking smile on her lips, she beckoned a short, stout man to come forward.
“Since Sister refuses to speak, I will bring someone who will speak for you!”
The man wore a felt hat and had shifty, cunning eyes. He pointed straight at Liu Ruoyan. “It… it was her! I remember this lady! And… and the old nanny who was with her! That day, this lady specifically asked for the lower-grade bird’s nest I sell. She even paid extra silver and told me she wanted the kind that looks exactly like the finest quality, but isn’t”
“That is a lie! I have never seen you before in my life!” Liu Ruoyan finally found her voice to deny it.
The short, stout man glanced at Aunt Peng, who was signaling him to keep going. He cleared his throat and gained sudden confidence. “How could you not remember? I was worried that day, so I spoke up and told you this bird’s nest is cheap because it’s mixed with wild honey. If you give it to elderly people, it will upset their stomachs and ruin their health ”
He deliberately spoke the words elderly people with heavy emphasis. As soon as he finished, the Old Madam slammed her cane onto the ground, her face twisted in rage.
“Enough! I heard that clearly! Liu, you are truly bold beyond measure! You have the heart of a beast, plotting to harm your mother-in-law! We Cao family will never accept such a wife! Jianfeng, write a letter of divorce immediately! Cast this wicked woman out, who has no respect for ethics or family!”