The house next door was obviously no longer livable, and she did not even know where her next meal would come from.
Repairing the house was even more impossible.
Every household in the village was crowded with family members. Even if people were kind-hearted, none had a spare room.
Fu Shiyue rarely stayed at home. If she lived there alone, it would avoid gossip while also giving her a place to stay.
After thinking it through, Xue Zhi did not act coyly and nodded directly.
“Alright. But I can’t stay for free.
One hundred copper coins a month for rent… would that be acceptable?”
Her eyes held a probing look as she stared at Fu Shiyue, then hurriedly explained,
“Scholar Fu, if you think it’s too little, then I… I… I simply won’t be able to stay.
With my current circumstances, one hundred coins is already the most I can afford.
Anything more… I truly cannot pay.”
The price was low.
She was not sure he would agree.
Fu Shiyue smiled lightly.
“One hundred it is.
But I’ll have to trouble you to clean the room.”
Originally, he had said she could stay without paying rent at all.
But she clearly did not wish to owe him anything.
If that was the case, then he would let her stay with peace of mind.
“Alright!”
Then Xue Zhi quickly added,
“Scholar Fu, may I borrow some paper and ink?
And some money as well.”
When she said the last sentence, she looked a little embarrassed.
Not only had he already spent money treating her illness, she had stayed here for free without paying rent, and now she was asking to borrow money too.
Thinking of it that way, her cheeks gradually turned pink.
“The paper and ink in the study are yours to use.
How much do you need?” Fu Shiyue asked readily.
“Twenty coins will be enough.”
At once, Fu Shiyue lowered his head, took out a pouch from his robes, counted out thirty coins, and held them out to her.
“Here.”
“Scholar Fu… this is too much.”
“Take it. If it isn’t enough, ask me again.”
“Then… thank you.”
As she accepted the money, she added,
“I’ll repay you as soon as possible. Thank you.”
Fu Shiyue said,
“From now on, you may stay in this room.
I’ll be returning to the academy shortly, and anything in the house may be used.
If you need anything, come find me at Nanxi Academy.”
With that, he rose and left the room.
His monthly leave had already ended, and today he was meant to return to the academy.
But Xue Zhi had remained unconscious, and he could not simply leave her unattended in his home.
So before leaving, he had asked Auntie Zhang to look after her.
Now that she had awakened and would be staying, it was only proper to inform the village chief.
Thus, after packing his belongings and saying farewell to Xue Zhi, Fu Shiyue stopped by the village chief’s house on the way.
“What?!”
The village chief immediately objected.
“Shiyue, you are the only scholar in our village.
How can you let Xue Zhi live in your house?
If rumors spread, your reputation may be ruined.
Her name in the village is already poor enough.
Fu Lin has only just died, and she immediately demanded a divorce.
Though there were reasons, it still looks improper.”
“Village Chief, I understand your concerns.
But Madam Xue is alone and ill.
And you know the condition of the Xue house.
I… I can’t just drive her away.”
“Shiyue, you are kind-hearted.
But outsiders won’t think so.
They’ll only say the two of you had long been plotting together.
Maybe they’ll claim you’ve been secretly involved for some time already.
Don’t blame me for speaking harshly.
The truth is, what people say would be a hundred or a thousand times worse.
Forget about yourself for a moment.
Have you considered Xue Zhi’s situation?
A woman living alone in a man’s house—does that sound proper?”
“But what should Xue Zhi do?”
That single sentence left the village chief speechless.
After a long silence, the chief struggled and asked,
“Then what about you?”
“I am a man. Rumors will not affect me much.
Besides, I live at the academy and rarely return.
There should not be any issue.”
There was a probing meaning in Fu Shiyue’s gaze.
Faced with him, the village chief finally chose to compromise.
“Fine.
There is no other solution anyway.”
Then he added,
“She may stay for one month at most.
After one month, Xue Zhi must move out.”
Fu Shiyue’s monthly leave came once every month.
By the time he next returned, it would be exactly one month later.
As long as the two did not meet often, gossip should not become too severe.
Only after receiving the village chief’s approval did Fu Shiyue feel at ease enough to leave for the academy.
After Fu Shiyue departed, the villagers gradually learned that Xue Zhi was living in his house, and gossip quickly arose.
“What’s going on? Why is Xue Zhi staying at Scholar Fu’s home?”
“Scholar Fu actually agreed to let her live there?”
“Could it be…”
“Do you think Scholar Fu and Xue Zhi…”
“Isn’t it obvious? They must have been involved for a long time.
Otherwise, how could she move into his house right after the divorce?
He helped write the divorce papers, paid out of pocket for a doctor, and now lets her stay there.
I’m telling you, Fu Shiyue and Xue Zhi definitely have something going on.”
“Get lost!”
A young girl frowned and snapped back impatiently.
“Fu Shiyue is a scholar.
Xue Zhi is only a widow.
What kind of noble lady couldn’t Scholar Fu have if he wanted one?
I heard even the headmaster of Nanxi Academy wants to marry his daughter to him.
How could Scholar Fu possibly fancy Xue Zhi?
If you ask me, Xue Zhi is scheming.
She deliberately seduced Scholar Fu to earn his pity.
Hmph! Xue Zhi is too shameless.
No wonder her mother-in-law disliked her.”
The girl speaking was Lin Xiaoman, one of the famous beauties of Fu Family Village.
So many marriage proposals came to her home that the threshold was nearly worn flat.
But Lin Xiaoman had only ever liked Fu Shiyue.
She had hinted at her feelings before, but Fu Shiyue was like a block of wood who understood nothing.
Fu Shiyue was handsome, talented, and a scholar.
Many girls admired him.
Yet he had never shown interest in any woman who approached him.
But now things were different.
He had voluntarily helped Xue Zhi.
That had never happened before.
Just then, the village chief happened to pass by and overheard them.
“Enough!”
He scolded angrily.
“What nonsense are you all saying?
Shiyue already explained everything to me.
Xue Zhi was seriously ill, newly divorced, and her old house is uninhabitable.
She is all alone.
What would you have her do?
Shiyue was simply being kind-hearted.
Since he stays at the academy most of the time and the house is empty, he rented it to her.
For five hundred copper coins a month!”
With the village chief’s explanation, the crowd finally changed the subject.
In truth, everyone believed Fu Shiyue had a bright future ahead.
There was no way he would become entangled with a newly divorced widow.
The Great An Kingdom placed great importance on reputation for those taking the imperial examinations.
Even the most learned person could not participate if their name was tarnished.
After all, before taking the exams, one needed guarantors willing to vouch for their character.
If a person’s conduct was bad, who would agree?
To lose one’s reputation was no different from destroying one’s official future.
Especially for Fu Shiyue, who still sought scholarly honors—
He would never do something so foolish as dig his own grave.