Chapter 347 Flirtation

Chapter 347: Harassment

"Sister Liu, come sit over here. The beans you brought yesterday, I was just about to make them into sauce for noodles today. Xiao Er, go fetch a stool."

These past few days, people had been coming and going from the Charity School entrance, and naturally there were curious neighbors watching. Manager Zhang's story spread from mouth to mouth until everyone knew about it.

Moreover, Meng Wan had a sweet tongue, addressing everyone as "Elder Sister" or "Aunt" or "Uncle" whenever he met them. Within just a few days of moving into the Charity School, he had become chummy with the neighbors, who often came by to chat and sit at the door calling Manager Zhang a beast, a real animal.

After Sister Liu arrived, other married women and men gradually gathered to help pick beans, all preparing their evening meals. The children followed their fathers, mothers, or grandmothers here—the Charity School was spacious both at the entrance and in the front courtyard, so they enjoyed coming over to play.

Meng Wan also shooed the eight children off to go play. A few beans didn't require their help anyway. Yu Geer came out from the kitchen after kneading dough to cool off, and sat beside Meng Wan picking beans too.

"Wan Geer, your cousin is such a handsome young man—has anyone asked for his hand yet?" Someone teased Yu Geer.

"Not yet, he's only sixteen, no rush." Meng Wan had someone in mind, but it would depend on Yu Geer's own opinion.

Sister Liu said, "You're such a kind soul, taking in all these little beggars. Your family clearly has money to spare. Quite a few people have been asking me about Yu Geer."

The Charity School was a long way from Yu Geer's sister-in-law's place, and Yu Geer hadn't come to the county town much before, so no one knew about his family situation, let alone Meng Wan's background.

When asked, Meng Wan only said his husband was working as a government official elsewhere and would soon return to pick him up.

People asked out of kindness, but they would surely only introduce just average families. Since Meng Wan was responsible for Yu Geer, he needed to make plans for him, so he said tactfully, "Back in our hometown, there's a family school. Two of my husband's cousins have passed the imperial exam and earned the title of scholar—both quite young..."

At this, everyone understood, and marveled again at how Meng Wan had spare money to run this thankless endeavor—his family must have real standing!

Yu Geer stole a glance at Meng Wan. So he meant the Song family's scholars?

They chatted for a while longer, and as the sun was setting and the working men would soon be home for dinner, everyone picked up their vegetable baskets and went home to cook.

The rich smell of chicken soup drifted out from the Charity School. The chicken, stewed for a full hour, was falling off the bone. Meng Wan scooped out all the meat, while Yu Geer had already ladled out eight bowls of noodles.

The noodles hadn't been cooled in cold water, for fear of hurting the children's stomachs. Meng Wan ladled chicken broth over each bowl of noodles, then topped them with blanched greens. He shredded the chicken, divided it into two portions, and split it evenly across all eight bowls.

"Time to eat!" Zhifan called over the children who had been wiping down the doors with nothing better to do.

"Go wash your hands at the well first. The noodles are all served—one bowl each, come eat."

Everyone sat on small stools around two low square wooden tables in the main hall, eating noodles. The adults had chilled noodles with bean and minced meat sauce, while the children had chicken soup noodles. Whichever kind, the flavors were rich and fragrant, drawing in a little hungry cat.

"Meng Fulang, you... you're having noodles?" The little beggar who had encountered Meng Wan at the noodle stall before crept slowly through the doorway, wearing a sycophantic grin.

Meng Wan lifted a chopstick-full of noodles mixed with shredded beans and minced meat, coated in glossy brown sauce—it looked absolutely tempting. "Oh? Aren't you afraid of being kidnapped? Why come knocking on my door voluntarily? Not afraid I'll sell you this time?"

The little beggar swallowed his saliva. "Oh, what are you saying! I just didn't know who I was dealing with before!"

Meng Wan found his hungry look amusing. "You even know that saying? Go wash your hands at the well and come have a bowl."

The little beggar trotted joyfully into the yard, calling back to Meng Wan while washing his hands, "I learned it from the opera troupe when they came to the county to perform!"

Chi Yu grabbed him an empty bowl and filled it with the minced meat noodles. Even though he was a beggar, he kept himself fairly clean, and had no unpleasant smell even in the middle of summer. Even with just one arm, he took good care of himself.

He was too embarrassed to sit beside Meng Wan to eat, nor did he take a stool—he just squatted off to the side and ate.

"If you want to join the Charity School, we'll accept you too. Will you come?" Meng Wan, now full, set down his bowl and chopsticks to ask.

The little beggar seemed to have expected this question. He quickly swallowed the noodles in his mouth and replied, "Thank you for the offer, Meng Fulang, but I'll pass."

Meng Wan asked with interest, "Why?"

While saying that, the little beggar had already taken another big bite. "Mm... if I were still a little kid, perhaps. But I'm already thirteen this year. When autumn comes, I'll find work at the docks. I can support myself without begging—wouldn't it be embarrassing to compete with these little ones for food?"

The little beggar actually had a place to stay—his parents had left him a thatched-roof cottage. But when they passed away, he'd sold the family's few acres of poor farmland to pay for their funerals. With no food in the house, he'd been forced to go begging.

Meng Wan hadn't expected him to say something like that. He looked deeply moved, and was silent for a long while. Only when the little beggar finished his bowl of noodles did he fill another bowl for him.

"Since you're so determined, I'll keep an eye out for you too. If I hear of any work opportunities, I'll come find you at your place."

The little beggar beamed with joy—everyone knew Meng Wan seemed to have connections in the county, certainly more than this orphaned beggar boy. "That would be wonderful! Thank you, Meng Fulang."

Food from a big shared pot always tasted better than what you'd get at an inn. Early the next morning, Meng Wan went personally to the market. They hadn't had meat in a while, so he bought some pork for everyone—the kids could finally have some meat.

Chi Yu followed Meng Wan, carrying a heavy basket of groceries. As they neared the Charity School entrance, they spotted a man pacing back and forth at the gate in the distance.

Chi Yu held the basket in one hand and clenched his fist with the other. "Fulang, let me go beat up this creep so he never dares come back!"

Meng Wan stopped him and said quietly, "Not yet. Go to the Han family..."

Chi Yu was quick on his feet. After sending him off, Meng Wan didn't show himself but rested by the neighbor's doorway.

Sister Liu was washing clothes in her courtyard. Seeing him carrying a big basket of meat and veggies, she quickly called out, "Wan Geer, come sit inside! Why are you standing at the door?"

Meng Wan put his finger to his lips. "Sister Liu, keep your voice down. Look at the Charity School entrance."

Sister Liu hurriedly put down the clothes and rushed to the door. Seeing Scholar Han peering into the school from outside, her eyebrows shot up and she cursed, "This bastard has no shame! How many times has he come now? Isn't he basically trying to ruin your life?"

When an unmarried girl had men coming to court her, it meant her family had raised her well.

But Meng Wan was already married, running the Charity School alone. Having a man show up at his door every few days—even if he'd never let him inside—what would people think? And what if his husband found out?

This wasn't courtship—it was pure malice!

She looked at Meng Wan, and sure enough, he appeared upset and helpless.

Sister Liu planted her hands on her hips, fuming with righteous anger. "Don't you worry! I'll call your Aunt Zhang and Sister Li, and we'll all go out together. Let's see if that shameless bastard dares to say anything!"

Fifteen minutes later—

"Xuan Lang, what are you doing here?" A woman in a pink dress came over flicking a handkerchief and holding a parasol. Seeing Scholar Han actually there, her eyes went wide with disbelief.

Not just her—beside her, Yang Bao'er was also embarrassed and furious. "Are you crazy?! Get home right now!"

Scholar Han was irritated. "Who asked you to come? Go on, get out of here."

"You think I want to be here?! They came to our door! If you don't care about your reputation, I care about mine!"

Scholar Han was being pulled and tugged by his husband and his concubine, and the surrounding neighbors had all gathered to watch.

Sister Liu led the charge. "What's all this? Making a scene at the Charity School entrance—it's shameful!"

The crowd surged forward all at once, and Chi Yu pushed through to kick Scholar Han several times.

"What's going on here?! All this noise—have you no shame?!"

Magistrate Ding, seeing the commotion from a distance, shouted sternly.

The constables came forward to pull everyone apart. When the crowd broke up, Scholar Han's face was bruised all over, and he was clutching his waist, unable to stand up straight. His concubine, devoted as she was, helped him up with concern.

The moment the officials showed up, the neighbors scattered, afraid of getting involved. Some even ran home and locked their doors—you wouldn't believe how fast they moved.

"Your Honor, these ruffians—how dare they... how dare they lay hands on a scholar! This is utter lawlessness... utter lawlessness!" Scholar Han, bent over with his chest heaving, gritted his teeth and roared.

He was used to being treated with respect; the local gentry in the county town always greeted him courteously. Now, being beaten in the street was one thing, but having the dignity of a scholar publicly torn to shreds—that humiliation stung the most.

"Why were you beaten?"

Before Magistrate Ding could speak, another man stepped out from behind him—tall, with an imposing posture. He stood half a head taller than Magistrate Ding, with a handsomeness that carried an edge of aggression. His gaze was cold, and the aura around him was that of a man accustomed to giving orders, a true higher-ranking official.

Anyone with half a brain could see how uneasy Magistrate Ding was beside him. Magistrate Ding was already the county's top official, so this man's identity was obvious—he must be an official of higher rank, a Superior Officer.

Scholar Han, still too pained to straighten his back, found himself overshadowed by the man before him. A sudden immense pressure rose in his chest, and his nerves involuntarily tightened. "Your... Your Honor, please understand, this student... this student is..."

"Your Honor! He harassed our husband, showing up at our door day after day with lewd words! He even said he'd divorce his own husband to marry ours!" Chi Yu appeared from nowhere, rattling off accusations without pausing. Most of Scholar Han's injuries came from the shoving, but the majority were from Chi Yu's cheap shots.

Song Tingzhou had already pieced together part of the story from the gossip of the surrounding townsfolk. Hearing Chi Yu's words only made his blood boil. When angry, he made no dramatic gestures—just a cold furrow of his brow, darkening eyes, and a gaze at Scholar Han that was unnervingly cold.

"As a scholar of Guyang County, enjoying the emperor's favor, yet you commit such scandalous acts. Magistrate Ding..."

Song Tingzhou's words reached Magistrate Ding's ears, jolting the magistrate, who had been watching, into action. "Rest assured, Lord Song. A man of such depraved behavior shall have his scholarly title stripped, his student status revoked, and he shall never be employed again."

Provoking this living devil was Scholar Han's bad luck. Such a fool would be useless even if he'd passed the exams, let alone as a lowly scholar.

Scholar Han was still reeling from the shock that the high official before him was actually Meng Wan's husband. Yang Bao'er, who had been skulking in a corner since Song Tingzhou appeared, was forced to come out.

"Brother Song, please let him off this once." Yang Bao'er looked at the man before him with a conflicted look, hesitated for a moment, then knelt before Song Tingzhou.

Magistrate Ding would handle the rest. Song Tingzhou was eager to find Meng Wan, so he stepped past the two and headed for the charity school. The weather was hot and his clothes thin; as he moved, the fabric clung to his shoulders, hinting at his solid, strong arms.

Yang Bao'er twisted around to watch him leave. "Brother Song, won't you grant me this one favor? Even if I did you wrong back then, please don't take it out on my husband."

At those words, Song Tingzhou finally gave Yang Bao'er a proper look. He thought for a moment, racking his brain, and recalled a name. "You're from Yang Family Village?"

So he didn't even recognize him?

Yang Bao'er was embarrassed to death, but for Scholar Han's career, he had to brace himself. "I'm Yang Bao'er from Yang Family Village. Brother Song, could you, for the sake of... for the sake of what our families once shared..."

Song Tingzhou's voice turned colder. "My family has no connection to yours. Don't try to claim kinship. Magistrate Ding, Guyang County is your jurisdiction—I'll leave this to you."

After speaking, fearing Yang Bao'er would press further, he strode through the gates of the charity school.

"Oh, seen your old flame, have you?"

Meng Wan was hidden in the shade just inside the gate, arms crossed, having watched the whole scene. Though his words teased Song Tingzhou, the joy in his eyes was unmistakable.

Song Tingzhou walked over, took Meng Wan's hand in his own, and said with some exasperation, "Wan'er, I have no memory of him."

So many years had passed; he'd long forgotten even the man's name and face.

Meng Wan pinched the back of his hand, let out a soft snort, then couldn't help but ask with concern, "Why did you come back alone? Where are your men?"

Shengjing wasn't as far as Lingnan, but it was still a two-month journey, fraught with danger. He should have brought at least a dozen guards or escorts.

"Ge Quan and his family came too. I only brought Tao Ba and Eleven with me—they're outside watching that scholar." Song Tingzhou had urgent business to attend to and hadn't returned to Sanquan Village before reaching Guyang County. What luck to run into Meng Wan like this.

Meng Wan understood—Ge Quan alone was worth more than a hundred guards.

The more private matters weren't something to ask about just yet. Meng Wan led Song Tingzhou to his resting room. "So how many days will you stay in the county? I still need to find a new steward before I can leave."

"Two days is enough. Did you replace the steward here?" Song Tingzhou sniffed the sweat on himself and insisted on bathing before entering the room to rest.

"That bastard nearly ruined me. I'll tell you tonight—you wash up first. I'll have Zhifan buy more food." Meng Wan told him where the bucket was and let him fetch water himself.

It was hot summer, so Song Tingzhou didn't bother with warm water—just drew two buckets of cold water to rinse off.

After washing, he remembered his change of clothes were still with Tao Ba and the others. He'd just called Meng Wan's name when the man came in smiling, bundle in hand.