Chapter 6: Scholar Yang

Seeing her son in a panic, Madam Sun forced herself to pull herself together.

“Bin’er, don’t say nonsense. We didn’t harm her; she died of illness on her own. What reason do they have to blame us?”

“Don’t be afraid. Later, I’ll burn some paper money for her in the courtyard.”

Hearing this, Yang Wenbin calmed down a little.

“Mother, I’m going out for some fresh air.”

With that, Yang Wenbin walked out in a daze.

Madam Sun prepared the paper money and burned it in the courtyard, murmuring as she went.

“Don’t come looking for us. If you have anyone to blame, blame your poor parents who sold you. We bought you, so your life belongs to us.”

Meanwhile, Jiang Lihua was visiting neighbors in the town, carrying pastries she had bought.

Humans are social creatures. To live in the village, one must maintain good relationships with neighbors, so there will be help when needed.

After finishing a visit, Jiang Lihua walked alone down the road and saw a young man approaching with a sullen expression.

She looked closely and realized it was Yang Wenbin.

Yang Wenbin was seventeen this year and, like Ni Wenyu, had just passed the county-level scholar examination.

As one of the two scholars in the village, he was quite proud.

However, despite being a scholar, Ni Wenyu was four years younger and had taken much of the spotlight.

Therefore, he disliked Ni Wenyu greatly. When the original owner was at the Yang household, she often heard Madam Sun and Yang Wenbin curse Ni Wenyu.

Yang Wenbin also noticed the stylishly dressed Jiang Lihua.

He felt she looked familiar but couldn’t place her.

With an air of charm, he bowed slightly and said, “I am Scholar Yang of Lihua Village. May I ask who you are? I don’t recall ever seeing you here.”

Jiang Lihua smiled coyly, “I’m Ni Wenyu’s cousin.”

“My cousin is also a scholar, only thirteen years old. Do you know him?”

Things weren’t going well. That brat was clearly trying to provoke him.

Yang Wenbin scowled and turned to leave, unwilling to pay her any mind.

But Jiang Lihua was not about to let him go so easily and hurried after him.

“Scholar Yang, Scholar Yang.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“These are pastries my cousin and I bought in town. They’re expensive. You probably don’t often get to eat such treats.”

She pulled out the pastries from her basket and offered them to him.

Yang Wenbin wanted nothing more than to throttle the girl. When, as a respectable scholar, had he ever been so humiliated?

He glared fiercely at Jiang Lihua. “Brat, take your pastries and get lost, or don’t blame me for being rude.”

Seeing that Aunt Li and some others who had been visited were coming over, Jiang Lihua’s eyes flicked cleverly. She leaned close to Yang Wenbin and whispered, “You’re just jealous because my cousin is better than you, aren’t you?”

Yang Wenbin’s face darkened. Suddenly, he stepped forward and raised his hand to slap Jiang Lihua.

Before his hand could touch her, she covered her face and cried out, “Scholar Yang, please don’t hit me! If you don’t want the pastries, that’s fine.”

“Aunt Li, what’s going on here?” The women hurried over at the sound.

“Aunt Li, I met Scholar Yang and kindly offered him some pastries to take home. But he thought I looked down on him and tried to hit me.”

“Scholar Yang, what do you mean? Lihua was only being kind. If you don’t want the pastries, just say so. Why hit her?”

“Exactly! Lihua gave all of us pastries. How could she be looking down on you?”

Yang Wenbin hadn’t expected Jiang Lihua to trap him like this.

“Aunt Li, I advise you not to meddle. I am a scholar, not some commoner you can criticize.”

Hearing this, the women exchanged embarrassed looks.

“Well, hitting someone is wrong no matter what.”

Jiang Lihua defused the tension, “Aunt Li, it’s fine. He’s a scholar; we can’t pick a fight with him, but that doesn’t mean we can’t avoid him.”

Her words only made the women more insistent.

“A scholar shouldn’t just hit people.”

“Right! My cousin is also a scholar, and he always respects our elders, unlike some people.”

“Indeed, Scholar Ni is the youngest scholar in our village.”

“How can there be such a difference between people?”

Listening to the women’s chatter, Yang Wenbin found himself at a loss for words despite his justification.

“Brat, I’ll deal with you sooner or later.” With that threat, he swept his sleeve and left.

“Aunt Li, thank you all. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what would have happened...” Jiang Lihua lowered her head and wept softly.

“Oh, Lihua, you’re alright, that’s what matters. The Yang family is always unreasonable. Next time you see them, stay far away.”

“The Yang family aren’t good people. Poor little child bride at the Yangs; sold off at such a young age.”

“You know, I haven’t seen her out for days.”

“Maybe she’s been mistreated and fallen ill.”

“Aunt Li, how did that girl come to be sold to the Yang family? Does she still have family?” Jiang Lihua wanted to learn more; the original owner was too young to remember.

“I heard her father accidentally broke his leg and needed money for treatment. With no other choice, they sold her.”

“That girl’s family lives in the next village and have no contact with us. We don’t know if she still has relatives.”

“A few years ago, her family came looking for her, but the Yangs stopped them. They said she was sold to them and forbade the visits.”

“Lihua, why do you ask?”

“Just curious, Aunt Li. These pastries are for you all. I’ll be going now.”

Jiang Lihua handed the pastries to Aunt Li and hurried away.

Left behind, Aunt Li and the women exchanged looks.

One woman whispered, “Hey, don’t you think Lihua looks a bit like Jiang Lihua?”

Aunt Li frowned, “How so? Lihua is lively and charming, easy to like. Jiang Lihua keeps her head down all day, says little, and is dirty and gloomy. No resemblance at all.”

Another woman agreed, “Yes, Aunt Li’s right.”

“Hehe, Aunt Li, how should we divide these pastries?”

“You won’t be left out, just look at you all.”

As for Yang Wenbin, after meeting Jiang Lihua, he had no heart to relax and went home with a dark expression.

Madam Sun saw her son’s gloomy face and asked, “Bin’er, what’s wrong? Did someone upset you?”

“It’s that new brat who came to the village.”

“That cursed distant cousin? I heard she just arrived and will be living here. What did she do to you?”

“That brat came around with a basket of pastries. When I greeted her, she actually…”

“Madam Yang, are you home?”

Before Yang Wenbin could finish, a voice interrupted from outside the yard.

“Yes, come in. What is it?”

Widow Zhang entered, “Nothing much, just cold and nothing to do. I came to visit.”

Madam Sun invited, “Come in quickly and warm yourself by the fire.”

“Oh, Scholar Yang is here too?”