Chapter 4: I’ll Take You Home

He Mingjie, aware of his own guilt and fearing others would gossip about his poor character, quickly shifted the topic.

Looking disdainfully at Wen Yunqing, who had rolled up her trousers and was barefoot, he snickered, “This is truly vulgar. You’re supposed to be a scholar after all.”

In He Village, there were only two educated individuals—Wen Yunqing and He Mingjie himself. They had studied under the same teacher, who had always praised Wen Yunqing for her exceptional intelligence, saying that with time, she would surely achieve great things.

That thought filled He Mingjie with deep jealousy.

Fortunately, Wen Yunqing’s father had passed away two years ago, forcing her into mourning for three years during which she couldn’t participate in exams. This allowed He Mingjie to pass the childhood examination first and establish his presence here.

“Exploiting the dowry of your elder sister-in-law while treating her with arrogance and rudeness—that is the true disgrace to scholarly conduct,” Wen Yunqing unceremoniously exposed his hypocrisy.

Usually, he wouldn’t bother to respond to He Mingjie’s petty antics, wanting to make things a bit easier for his sister in the He household. But today, he couldn’t contain his anger, and his words became sharper—though it was still the truth.

He Mingjie fancied himself a scholar and still cared about his image. Stung by Wen Yunqing’s words, he felt utterly humiliated, tossing out a dismissive “nonsense” as he retreated to his room.

Wang didn’t have time to focus on the squabbling youngsters; she had her eyes on the gifts the aunts had brought.

The aunts exchanged glances, unsure how to proceed in the awkward situation, caught between the family drama and their past cordial relations with Wen Yunhe, so they tentatively chimed in.

“Eldest sister-in-law, take care. Now that the eldest son is gone, we were planning to come see you. Seeing you like this, it seems you are fine,” one chubby aunt observed, hinting at Wang.

“Older sister, the fact that you said she has no children is a good thing. If Wen Yunhe truly had a child, that would be a greater shame,” another chimed in.

“I think your daughter-in-law is quite capable; she has been handling everything in your household in an orderly fashion these past two years, far surpassing my own,” added yet another aunt.

“Let it be! They are both pitiful. Wen Yunhe is now a widow. Can’t we allow her a couple of days to grieve?” they offered, voicing their support for Wen Yunhe. The original owner was gentle and kind, and she had many friends in the village.

This kindness, now repaid, was her reward for the good deeds she had done.

Wen Yunhe felt a warmth of gratitude; the original owner was indeed a good person, and she was reaping the benefits of that goodness.

However, today was not the right time to bring up the divorce, so she didn’t completely sever ties.

Seeing the aunts rallying in her defense, Wang’s face darkened like the bottom of a pot, but she forced a smile. “I’m just grieving over my son’s death. This child… still hasn’t gotten up, so I spoke too harshly.”

“Please, sit down. Mingyu, go brew some tea for our guests,” she ordered.

Wang was keenly aware of the importance of her reputation. With a son and daughter still unmarried, she had to endure these criticisms for the time being.

Mingyu hurried off, eyeing the eggs the aunts had brought along. Tonight, she would get to enjoy delicious, scrambled eggs again.

Before the aunts could say anything further, Wang shamelessly swept the gifts from their hands into her own embrace.

“You all brought gifts? How polite of you! Just coming over is enough.”

If they thought it was polite, why steal it?

Taking advantage of the moment when the adults were engaged in conversation, Wen Yunqing rushed to his sister’s room to check on her.

Upon entering, he found her lying on the bed, face as pale as death, with deep bruises around her neck. She looked skeletal and ghostly. If it weren’t for her eyes still moving, he might have believed she was already gone.

At that moment, he couldn’t care about avoiding suspicion or the decorum expected of a scholar; fearing for his sister’s well-being, he charged right in.

“Big sister, are you still in pain? Have you had your medicine?” Wen Yunqing reached out, wanting to touch his sister’s wounds, but fearing that he might hurt her. His eyes were filled with concern, and there was a hint of tears in his voice.

He hadn’t cried when he heard those hurtful words from the He family, but now, seeing his pitiful sister, he could no longer hold back.

Wen Yunhe didn’t respond, weakly squeezing out a few words: “Little brother, I… miss home.”

It was largely an act, of course. In reality, she felt much better. After her trip to the space, she didn’t know why, but her physical pain had significantly diminished.

She was putting on a show for the onlookers.

However, Wen Yunqing took her words seriously. He quickly wiped away his tears with his sleeve and forced a bitter smile.

“Big sister, let’s go home. No matter what, I will make sure you recover. You mustn’t give up on life; apart from your brother-in-law, you still have us.”

With that, Wen Yunqing picked her up—both her and the tattered blanket she was lying under. He also grabbed the medicine pouch from the cabinet and tucked it into his own clothes.

Although he hadn’t fully grown yet and wasn’t particularly tall, the strength in his arms was surprising; he held her securely without jolting her, providing a tremendous sense of safety.

Wen Yunhe’s heart suddenly softened as if it were melting. She had never been cared for this way before. Having someone stand by her side felt incredibly comforting.

Despite being a scholar, Wen Yunqing often helped with household chores, so he was quite strong. Plus, Wen Yunhe was exceptionally light; with the blanket, she probably weighed less than eighty pounds. In the past, when she lived at home, life hadn’t been prosperous, but she hadn’t been so thin and bony.

Over the past two years, he had watched his once vibrant and beautiful sister transform into a pitiful woman worn down by life’s hardships.

As he carried Wen Yunhe out, he felt a suffocating fire of anger brewing within him.

Wang caught a glimpse of him taking his sister away and was furious. Not bothering to put her things down, she rushed over to block them.

“Wen family boy, what do you think you’re doing? Wen Yunhe is a woman of the He family! Do you think you can just take her without asking us first?

Unless the He family divorces her, even if she dies, she remains part of the He family!”

Wen Yunqing met Wang’s gaze fiercely, wishing he could devour her whole.

“Aunt, don’t bully us so much! My sister is not someone who can’t find a husband and was forced into your family. At first, it was He Mingjie who persistently pursued her, that’s how our mother reluctantly agreed to the marriage. Over the past two years, my sister has toiled day and night, serving her in-laws with heart and sincerity without ever neglecting her duties.

Now that my brother-in-law has just passed, you’re treating my sister this way. I’m sure he must be restless in the afterlife upon seeing her suffer at your hands.”

As they spoke, another wave of visitors arrived.

The news of He Mingjie’s death and Wen Yunhe’s attempted suicide had just spread in the village earlier that morning. It came mainly from the family of the barefoot doctor who had treated Wen Yunhe, whose talkative daughter-in-law let it slip.

Families who had relationships with them were now arriving with gifts to offer their condolences.

Seeing more and more people gather in the courtyard for the spectacle, Wang felt a wave of fury. How could she be humiliated by this boy who hadn’t even finished growing up?

“You’re just a young child, don’t speak nonsense! Wen Yunhe chose to hang herself; how is that the He family’s responsibility? My son even brought a doctor for her, how could we harm her?”

“What significance does the doctor’s medicine have if you don’t even brew it? Do you expect my sister, a sick patient, to get up and cook? Are you all seriously incapable?

You treated her rudely and threatened her with divorce. This was seen and heard by several aunts. Am I speaking out of turn? The truth will speak for itself.

I refuse to dwell on past grievances, but if you had even a fraction of compassion for her, you wouldn’t obstruct me from taking her home to care for her.” Wen Yunqing aimed for a compromise.