Chapter 353 Song Zhi

Chapter 353: Song Zhi

Song Tingzhou and Ge Quan's party traveled with urgency. The court was in need of capable men, having demoted a pile of civil officials. Although he was still nominally the third-rank Shuntian Prefect, he was actually handling other official duties on top of that.

Fortunately, Fang Jinrong was used to roaming the jianghu with Ge Quan, so he never complained about the journey. As long as he wasn't cooped up in some residence day after day, anywhere was fine.

"We only got to see Wan Geer twice this trip. What did you two head to Guqing County for the other day?" Fang Jinrong asked curiously.

Song Tingzhou glanced back down the road from his horse, his tone tinged with nostalgia. "To visit an old friend and burn three sticks of incense." He and Meng Wan had brought a knife and shovel, but to their surprise, Magistrate Yan and Xiao Liu's graves were spotless, without a single weed. Even the steamed buns and fruit left as offerings remained untouched, dried out by the wind.

Fang Jinrong looked thoughtful. "A good friend you both shared? He must have been a wonderful person."

Meng Wan had met too many people in his short life; the only ones who could truly be called his friends were Nie Zhiyao and Fang Jinrong. Fang Jinrong didn't know much about Song Tingzhou's friends, but Ge Quan said he was an upright and shrewd official.

Anyone remembered by both Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou must have accomplished great things.

Song Tingzhou nodded in silence.

After several days on the road, they ran into an unexpected person.

"Uncle?" The young man on horseback had a handsome, refined face. As they passed each other, he suddenly called out to Song Tingzhou.

Song Tingzhou reined in his horse. "You're Song Zhi?"

Song Zhi dismounted in a hurry, covered in dust, and bowed respectfully. "After getting Uncle's letter, I took leave from the prefectural academy and rushed back to the village with my father. I didn't expect to run into Uncle here. My aunt was rude to the old madam—that was my failure to keep her in line. I hope Uncle won't hold it against us."

He spoke politely and properly, without shirking blame. And counting the days, he'd made it from the prefectural city in just a few days—he clearly hadn't wasted a moment after getting the letter, traveling day and night to get back.

Song Tingzhou didn't dismount. He looked down into the young man's eyes, which were clear and full of guilt. Their acquaintance was too brief to tell if it was genuine, but the first impression was decent enough.

"Keep your aunt in line, or it'll hurt your official career. One misstep can ruin a man's life." Song Tingzhou was in a hurry, so he finished speaking and rode off with a crack of his whip.

Song Zhi bowed toward his retreating figure. "Thank you for your guidance, Uncle. I'll keep it in mind."

---

Que Geer's injuries hadn't healed yet when Yang Chun's family showed up with people in tow. They'd already learned about Meng Wan's background and had been too nervous to come for several days. But then they figured Que Geer and Song Tingzhou were distant relatives at best—Que Geer would have to come back eventually. Yang Chun's parents brought the village head of Yang Family Village to mediate, hoping the Song family would let him go.

"Since the village head has come, as a junior I'm afraid I wouldn't host you properly. Why don't I let our clan head talk to you instead?" Meng Wan refused to let them in and turned to tell Songshan to fetch someone from the clan.

The village head of Yang Family Village gave a simple smile. "No need for all that trouble. Just have Que Geer come out and talk to Yang Chun. Once the young couple clears the air, Que Geer will go home."

Meng Wan just smiled, leaning against the doorframe without a word, clearly not budging.

Having learned of Song Tingzhou's identity, this group didn't dare force their way in like last time. They could only stand awkwardly outside the gate.

The clan head soon arrived with the clan's able-bodied young men. Song Tingzhou had only just left—if Meng Wan got harassed by others, wouldn't that mean they'd failed in their duty?

"Wan Geer, what's going on? I heard people from Yang Family Village came to cause trouble?" The clan head eyed the group warily—over thirty able-bodied men blocking the front of Meng Wan's house sure looked like they were here to make trouble.

The village head of Yang Family Village recognized the clan head. "Old brother, we're here to pick up Que Geer. He's Yang Chun's husband after all—it's not right for him to keep staying in Sanquan Village and not go home, don't you think?"

If this were an ordinary family, they wouldn't have been so polite—they'd have barged in and taken him by force long ago.

The clan head also knew about Que Geer staying at Meng Wan's place. He tested the waters: "Wan Geer, what do you think..."

Meng Wan's expression shifted from his earlier stubbornness. "Oh, you're here to take Que Geer home? Why didn't you say so earlier? Chi Yu, go call Que Geer out."

The people from Yang Family Village hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. They figured this family was tired of Que Geer too—after all, even his own family wouldn't take him in. It was already generous of distant relatives to look after him for these days.

Among the crowd, Yang Chun wore a satisfied look. He'd already planned how he'd discipline Que Geer once he got him home, to make sure he never dared run away again.

Que Geer had only been recovering at Meng Wan's for four days, and his injuries were still shocking to see. A pale yellow cloth bandage was wrapped around his forehead, and his face was deathly pale from blood loss. Seeing so many people outside the door didn't surprise him much—they'd been making a racket, and he'd heard everything from inside the house.

He looked at the familiar and unfamiliar faces outside, until his gaze met Yang Chun's sinister eyes. Under the blazing sun, he couldn't help but shudder.

"Que Geer, the Yang family has come to take you back. Do you want to go with them?" Meng Wan reached out and pressed his shoulder. The not-so-broad palm seemed to lend Que Geer some strength. He stopped trembling and said firmly, "No. Yang Chun, I won't go back with you!"

"You worthless piece of trash! Looks like you haven't had enough beatings!" Yang Chun's anger flared. He burst out of the crowd and charged into the courtyard.

Chi Yu was faster. He shielded Meng Wan and Que Geer, his fists cracking as he clenched them. "Looks like you're the one who hasn't had enough beatings! How dare you act up in front of my young master's husband—take this!"

His fist flew straight at Yang Chun's face. A crisp crack came from Yang Chun's nose, followed immediately by a scream of agony.

Yang Chun clutched his nose and wailed, blood streaming down both sides of his mouth to his chin.

Que Geer stood only three steps away from him. The moment Yang Chun charged over, his legs went weak. The beatings and abuse day and night were no lie—his instinctive fear of Yang Chun made him take half a step back, but Meng Wan steadied him, holding him firmly in place.

"Do you want to spend your whole life hiding from Yang Chun? Whether or not you go back with him, remember this: he's just an ordinary man—not tall, on the thin side. You can't beat him, but you don't have to be so scared you can't even face him."

Meng Wan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unexpected weight. A hint of resolve suddenly appeared on Que Geer's plain features. He steadied his footing, straightened his back slightly, and watched as Chi Yu's punch broke Yang Chun's nose bridge, making him let out an ugly howl.

An unfamiliar sense of satisfaction welled up in his chest.

Que Geer unconsciously curved his lips upward. He probably didn't even realize he was smiling.

Meng Wan caught the expression on his face and fell into thought.

People who'd been abused for a long time rarely found the will to resist. They wouldn't have Que Geer's courage to repeatedly run away and save himself. It seemed he possessed considerable bravery on his own.

With Yang Chun beaten, the previously peaceful atmosphere suddenly grew tense. The people from Yang Family Village started shouting and pushing forward, and the Song side naturally wouldn't stand for it. If not for the village heads on both sides holding their people back, a full-blown brawl would have broken out by now.

The village head of Yang Family Village didn't dare trouble Meng Wan, so he scowled and berated Que Geer instead. "Que Geer, look at yourself! Get back home with Yang Chun now!"

Que Geer stiffened his neck. His voice was soft, even a bit shaky, but still persistent: "I won't go back!"

"You—!" Yang Chun's cousin raised his voice, about to threaten Que Geer again, but Chi Yu's glare shut him up.

Chi Yu raised his muscular arm—his thin summer shirt couldn't hide his bulging muscles. The Yang family yielded to his intimidating presence and quieted down for the moment.

Meng Wan first had Chi Yu let the Song family members in. Some of Que Geer's relatives wanted to persuade him. They were also angry that Que Geer had been beaten like this, but their first thought was to teach Yang Chun a lesson, make him apologize to Que Geer, and once both sides had cooled down, Que Geer would still have to go back in a few days.

"Que Geer, don't worry. Your uncle will have your brother punch him a few times to let off steam for you."

"In a bit, your third uncle will call your parents to come get you. It's not right to keep troubling Wan Geer. Just wait at home. Yang Chun needs to show proper attitude when picking someone up—if he won't talk properly, we won't go with him!"

"That's right!"

Not just the people from Yang Family Village—even the Song family members assumed Que Geer would eventually go back.

A hint of despair spread in Que Geer's eyes. Sanquan Village, Yang Family Village—it seemed there was nowhere he could belong.

"Have you decided that you'll never return to Yang Family Village, and you won't regret it?" Meng Wan's voice pierced through like an arrow cutting through the darkness, striking straight into Que Geer's overcast sky.

Que Geer, crushed under the weight of suffocating despair, still grasped that arrow, dragging his torn and bleeding flesh, and forced out from his throat: "Even if I die, I won't die in the Yang family."

Meng Wan watched him for a moment, then suddenly turned to the elderly clan head. "Clan Head, what does the clan rule my husband established say? 'Righteousness means discerning right from wrong and acting with propriety. The clan supports one another, aiding the poor and protecting the weak. Clan public assets shall be used primarily to support the orphaned, widowed, and impoverished. In times of natural disaster, man-made calamity, illness, or legal disputes, members shall aid one another in hardship and join forces to help'?"

He stepped forward with Que Geer, raising his voice so the Yang family could hear: "Does page six of the Song clan rules state that if a married daughter or young man of the clan is ostracized by their in-laws after their husband's death, abandoned by a gambling-addicted husband, or suffers severe beatings from their husband's family, and wishes to divorce, the clan must proactively intervene and assist?"

The clan rules, neither too thick nor too thin, were jointly revised by Song Tingzhou and Meng Wan, and Meng Wan knew every rule by heart.

Now that there are more scholars in the Song family, even if not all have passed the imperial examinations, any kid in the family can read a decent number of characters. The clan chief had studied the rules book thoroughly, and as soon as Meng Wan mentioned it, he recalled that such a provision did indeed exist.

Since the new clan rules had just been put in place, people couldn't be expected to accept them immediately, but with Song Tingzhou as a High Official backing them, people still felt a healthy dose of respect.

The clan chief pondered for a moment, "Since that's the case, then let it be a divorce. Draw up the divorce papers and have both the Yang family and Que Geer put their thumbprints on them. When the harvest season officials come around, file it together with the land tax."

"Di—divorce?" Que Geer was stunned. This was a road he'd never thought of. Could he really get out of the Yang family without a scratch?

The Song clan members buzzed with discussion.

"Divorce? Divorce won't do. If they divorce, who will be responsible for Que Geer? His folks won't speak up, but his brothers and their wives won't put up with him."

"In our Song family, we only have widows—divorce is unheard of. People would laugh their heads off."

"No, no. If Que Geer gets a divorce, how are the other women and young men in the clan supposed to find spouses later?"

"Que Geer, you can't divorce!" Que Geer's parents, who'd clearly been hiding somewhere listening in, without ever showing their faces, now rushed out upon hearing the clan chief say he should divorce.

Song Zhi's eldest aunt had lost all that fire she had for pestering Yu Geer. After all, Que Geer was her own son. Her eyes were red as she hugged Que Geer and sobbed, but the words spilling out of her mouth told him to go back to that den of wolves.

Que Geer's face had lit up a little at the sight of his parents, but after hearing their words, his face went numb. "Why didn't you take me away that day?"

Pointing at the wounds on his face, he remembered that terrifying moment—he hadn't cried when his face was soaked in blood, but now, facing his parents, he sobbed hoarsely, "Do you know that after you left, Yang Chun struck me again and even grabbed a knife? If I hadn't run away, I'd be dead in the Yang house by now! Are you happy only when you've pushed me to my grave?"

Song Zhi's eldest aunt hugged him and wept, "My poor child, Que Geer, why is your fate so cruel!"

She couldn't say one sensible thing—she didn't offer to take Que Geer home, and she didn't let him divorce either.

Que Geer's father said hatefully, "Even if you die in that Yang house, you will not get a divorce!"

"Quit your hollering—what you say doesn't matter anyway." Meng Wan rolled his eyes. "Didn't you listen to the clan rules the other day? Orphans with no parents, and young men or women who've been divorced and have nowhere to go, can all be placed in the charity hall."

Que Geer couldn't believe it and rubbed his eyes, but then he noticed he was still wearing Wei Ying's clothes—the fabric was way softer than anything he owned—so he stopped and just wiped his face with his hand. "Clan rules? Charity hall? Can I really go to the charity hall?"

Meng Wan said to him, "Why not? You're able-bodied. You can settle in the charity hall for now, but you're only allowed one year of rest. After that year, you must support yourself."

Song Zhi's eldest aunt wailed, "He's just a young man, with no money and no land—how will he support himself in the future! The only man who'd take him would be some old widower past his prime."

Meng Wan was annoyed just looking at her, and said to the other clan members, "What kind of family is the Song clan, and what are those Yang people? Que Geer's parents are useless—this is boosting the enemy's morale and deflating our own."

Facing the Yang family, Meng Wan asked boldly, "Are the young men and women of our Song clan worried about marriage these days? Which family in the surrounding villages would dare laugh at us?"

The members of the Song Clan straightened their backs and said with wide grins, "Even the Landlord in town wants to pave the roads in our village! Our village's scholars and student candidates are marrying young ladies from the town and county seat. Our women and young men aren't in a hurry to marry, and if they do, they certainly won't marry into a family like the Yangs."

Everyone wore looks of disdain.

No one could remain indifferent seeing Que Geer beaten like this. As long as Que Geer divorced and it didn't affect their interests, everyone was willing to play the role of a kind elder who cared for the younger generation.

That's not sarcasm—that's just human nature.

The clan chief stood before the village head of Yang Family Village and settled the outcome of today's farce with one sentence: "Que Geer is a member of the Song family, not someone to be trampled on by just anyone. Even if the Yang family is his husband's family, that doesn't change!"