Looking for Trouble
The next day, Uncle Li and Aunt Li from next door came over with their son, Little Shu, to visit Zhang Shi.
While the three adults chatted in the main room, Little Shu was sent out to play. Yang Lan was studying in the study, and Lin Qiao was feeding the chickens in the backyard. Little Shu didn’t hesitate and ran straight to the backyard.
Yang Lan saw this through the window and shook his head with a smile.
Little Shu was only nine years old today, so there was no need to worry about the usual boundaries between men and Ge’er. As he thought about this, he paused, realizing that his own thinking had started to align with the people of Willow Leaf Village.
Soon after, he saw two angry people coming from the backyard.
Yang Lan raised an eyebrow, wondering if one of the chickens had upset them.
“Husband!”
Just as he was lost in thought, Lin Qiao burst in, followed by a peeking Little Shu.
Yang Lan put down his pen and looked at him. “What’s wrong?”
He felt a bit helpless but mostly happy. Over time, Lin Qiao’s deep-seated belief of being useless had finally started to waver, and he was no longer so cautious around him.
Lin Qiao’s lips pressed into a line, and he told Little Shu, “You tell him.”
Little Shu nodded and slowly began to speak.
It turned out that Yang Qingnian’s visit yesterday wasn’t a coincidence; someone had instigated it.
According to Little Shu, they were all picking wheat in the field when Yang Sen suddenly suggested a competition. The loser had to complete a dare.
“Yang Qingnian is the fattest and laziest, so he lost. Yang Sen picked the most wheat and dared Yang Qingnian to come to your house and insult you.”
As he spoke, he hung his head. “I knew it was wrong, but no one listened to me. I’m sorry, Uncle Yang, I couldn’t stop them.”
Yang Lan chuckled, squatting down to pinch Little Shu’s cheek. “You know so much at such a young age?”
Hearing this, Little Shu perked up again. “My dad says I’m smart too. He’s sending me to study with Scholar Qi next year!”
“Good boy, it’s not your fault. You’ve done very well.” Yang Lan smiled and patted his head.
Little Shu’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Yang Lan nodded, then thought of something and asked, “Was it you who brought the Village Head?”
The Village Head’s house was in the center of Willow Leaf Village, while theirs was at the edge. For the Village Head to arrive so quickly, someone must have informed him.
Little Shu shook his head. “It wasn’t me, it was Wen Ge’er! Wen Ge’er is so nice, I’m going to marry them someday!”
Yang Lan almost laughed at his determined expression. “Alright, I support you. Could you thank Wen Ge’er for me?”
“No problem!” Little Shu dashed off.
After he left, Yang Lan stood up and pulled Lin Qiao to sit down on a chair.
“What’s wrong? Why the long face?”
Lin Qiao frowned at him, tentatively asking, “Do you know who Yang Sen is?”
Yang Lan was taken aback. He hadn’t paid attention earlier, but now he searched the original owner’s memories and realized that Yang Sen was the son of his father’s elder brother.
Seeing him silent, Lin Qiao assumed he was upset and awkwardly hugged him, comforting, “Husband, Father said that when your father passed away, your uncle wanted to adopt you and have Father remarry. It was Father who chose to leave and take you with him. They’ve ignored you and Father for years, clearly not caring about you. You don’t need to be sad for them.”
The original owner only knew that Zhang Shi had sacrificed a lot for him. It turned out this was the truth.
He sighed, regretting that the original owner never understood Father and blamed him for severing ties with the Yang family, which made their lives harder.
“I’m fine. I stopped expecting anything from them long ago and consider them strangers.” Yang Lan squeezed Lin Qiao’s hand to reassure him.
As for the other person Little Shu mentioned, Wen Ge’er, neither he nor Lin Qiao knew them, so they planned to ask Zhang Shi later.
Li Jiang and Aunt Li didn’t stay long and left before dinner. In the village, everyone had their own share of food, and no one wanted to take advantage of others.
During dinner, Yang Lan told Zhang Shi everything Little Shu had said.
Zhang Shi sighed after hearing it. “Back then, taking you away caused a lot of trouble with the Yang family. Last year, your grandparents passed away, and conflicts with them will only increase.”
Yang Lan wasn’t afraid of these issues, but he would soon be going to the academy, which had dormitories, and he could only return home once every two weeks.
What if someone came to bully Zhang Shi and Lin Qiao while he was away?
What if the whole family moved to town? A vague idea flashed in his mind.
Before he could think it through, Zhang Shi said, “I know Wen Ge’er. That child is pitiful. They’re not from this village, they fled from the south. Their family died, leaving only them and their grandfather. The Village Head took pity on them and let them settle here.”
Yang Lan paused. Without a home or land, and with the villagers being so xenophobic, life must be incredibly difficult.
“Fortunately, their grandfather is a carpenter with skills, so the two of them didn’t starve. When I used to cut chicken grass in the fields, I’d pick berries and give some to Wen Ge’er on the way back. That child is shy and timid but grateful.”
Lin Qiao nodded in agreement.
Yang Lan said, “Father, why don’t we invite them over for a meal someday to thank Wen Ge’er for their help?”
Zhang Shi readily agreed. “Sure!”
Yang Lan had a feeling that the Yang family wouldn’t let things go after suffering a setback, but he didn’t expect them to act so quickly, and this time they targeted Lin Qiao.
That morning, Zhang Shi and Lin Qiao went to cut pig grass, leaving Yang Lan alone at home to study.
Suddenly, a weak voice called from the front gate, “Is Scholar Yang here?”
Yang Lan looked up from his book, feeling exasperated. Was the same drama about to unfold again?
But he still left the study and saw a thin, small Ge’er at the gate. He paused in his steps.
“Who are you?”
The little Ge’er looked at him nervously. “I’m Qi Wen.”
This surname wasn’t found in Willow Leaf Village, except for the family that had fled here.
Qi Wen, Wen Ge’er.
Yang Lan confirmed the identity of the little Ge’er in front of him and softened his voice. “So it’s Wen Ge’er. What brings you here?”
“Scholar Yang, please save your husband. He’s been taken by some people!” Wen Ge’er said anxiously.
What?!
Yang Lan’s face darkened immediately, and he followed Wen Ge’er toward the village center.
On the way, Yang Lan learned that Wen Ge’er, Zhang Shi, and Lin Qiao were gathering wild vegetables in the field when two burly men claiming to be Yang family elders came and forcibly took Lin Qiao and Zhang Shi away, ignoring their resistance.
Yang Lan’s expression was grim as he quickened his pace.
Meanwhile, the gate of Yang Xinlong’s house was tightly shut, and a row of elderly men and women sat in front of the courtyard.
Lin Qiao and Zhang Shi supported each other, huddled in the center.
“Father, don’t be afraid. Wen Ge’er has gone to find Husband. He’ll come to rescue us soon.”
Despite trying to stay calm, Zhang Shi could hear the tremor in his voice.
He held Lin Qiao’s hand, reassuring him, “I’m not afraid.”
While they whispered to each other, the chairs in front were filled with people.
Yang Xinlong jogged over to the person in the center, bowing respectfully. “Elder, all the clan elders are here.”
Yang Da Ye nodded, bending down to tap his pipe on the ground, casually glancing at the two in the middle of the courtyard.
“Yun Ge’er, Lan Xiaozi’s marriage was such a big event, why didn’t you inform us clan elders? Do you not regard us at all?”
Zhang Shi looked at him, forcing a smile. “Elder, what are you saying? How could I dare? When Lan’er was gravely ill, I went to ask my brother and sister-in-law for help, but they were worried about Lan’er bringing bad luck to them. Later, I thought it made sense, so I didn’t invite you all for your own good.”
Yang Xinlong’s face turned red with anger. “You Ge’er, don’t talk nonsense! I never said such a thing!”
Zhang Shi lowered his eyes. “If you say so, Brother, then perhaps I remembered wrong.”
The people in the courtyard immediately cast reproachful glances at Yang Xinlong. They all knew Yun Ge’er’s character, and no one believed he was lying.
Yang Xinlong’s wife, Liu Shi, was furious and shouted, “Back then, we saw you as a struggling widow and kindly wanted to adopt Yang Lan. You didn’t appreciate it and even severed ties with us. So why should Yang Lan’s life or death concern us? Why should I lend you money?”
The crowd was in an uproar. So it was about borrowing money, no wonder they said such things to Zhang Shi.
Zhang Shi discreetly curled his lips into a smile, quickly smoothing it out, and put on an even more timid expression.
Yang Xinlong, humiliated and angry, slapped Liu Shi across the face. “What nonsense are you spouting? Get inside if you’re out of your mind!”
Liu Shi, with her fiery temper, couldn’t stand being embarrassed in front of everyone and screamed, lunging at Yang Xinlong.
In no time, both Yang Xinlong and Liu Shi were sporting bruises, leaving the other Yang clan members speechless.
Yang Da Ye had seen enough, and he slammed his cane on the ground. “Enough! You disgraceful fools, Xinri, Xinmin, hold them back.”
Hearing their names called, two men from the crowd stepped forward, pulling the fighting couple apart and tossing them aside.
Yang Da Ye looked at the two in the center and asked, “Do you know why I called you here today?”
Zhang Shi and Lin Qiao exchanged a glance and both shook their heads.
“Yang Lan is aiming for the imperial exams. Although his grades haven’t been great, he’s still the hope of the Yang family. But I heard he’s been selling herbs,” Yang Da Ye said gravely. “Do you know that if someone reports him for engaging in commerce, he’ll be forever barred from the exams?”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shi and Lin Qiao’s hearts skipped a beat.
They had no idea about this!