Chapter 25: Startling News

But in the village, wherever he went, he couldn’t escape being surrounded by people, who stared at him as if watching some kind of performance—after all, in Beiguan Village, there were quite a few people who couldn’t even recognize a single character.

In their eyes, a scholar like Xia Dalang was nothing less than a star descended from the heavens!

Having encountered a “star,” how could they not get a good, long look?

This was exactly what Xia Dalang hated most. But when facing outsiders, he was always mild and polite, so he naturally couldn’t just break character.

He could only suppress the impatience bubbling in his heart and interact with the villagers.

The more he exchanged pleasantries with them, the more irritated he became.

These illiterate villagers, who couldn’t even recognize a single character, had nothing new to say when it came to compliments.

It was either “a star descended from the heavens,” “so handsome and spirited,” or “bound to have a bright future.” There were only three to five phrases in total, repeated over and over.

Ever since he’d returned to the village before the New Year, he’d been hearing the same words on loop—his ears were practically calloused!

Xia Dalang felt his face going stiff from all the forced smiling. Just as he was wondering how to extricate himself, someone came to his rescue.

At the entrance of the village came a middle-aged man wearing a dark green satin robe that didn’t fit him properly. His face was covered with a full beard, and his expression was fierce. He wore official boots and looked like someone not easy to deal with.

Beside him was a woman dressed in a deep purple skirt and blouse, her face caked with heavy makeup. She had a large silk flower pinned to her temple and was carrying a basket, walking quickly.

The stark contrast in their attire and their unfamiliar faces immediately drew the villagers’ attention.

A “star descended from the heavens” was rare, but he was still a local. As long as his grandparents lived in Beiguan Village, he would inevitably return. This, however, was fresh and exciting and couldn’t be missed.

As the crowd surged toward the two strangers, Xia Dalang felt a wave of relief, though there was also a faint trace of inexplicable disappointment.

Shaking his head, he held his book and walked off into the distance.

The truth was, he had gone out today for a bit of peace and quiet.

He knew that his mother, Liu-shi, wasn’t really venting her temper at him when she slammed things around or scolded Yin Hua. She was just letting off steam.

But in that atmosphere, how could he possibly focus on reading?

So he’d come out to avoid it, only to nearly be swarmed by the villagers.

Xia Dalang walked far away and did not see the green-robed man and the heavily made-up woman stop to ask the villagers a few questions before heading straight for the Xia family home.

The two knocked on the door and stepped into the courtyard, leaving Xia Daohua stunned: that green-robed man was none other than the bearded man she’d seen before!

She hesitated for a second, then turned and ran straight to the old couple’s room to find Xia Yujiao, hurriedly saying,

“Auntie, that man—the one I can’t remember—he’s here at our house!”

Xia Yujiao’s face went deathly pale for a moment before returning to normal, though a flicker of resoluteness appeared in her expression.

Daohua looked at her worriedly, and Yujiao, noticing her gaze, offered her a reassuring smile.

But Daohua didn’t feel comforted.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that something about her aunt was off.

Before Daohua could figure out what was wrong, the two strangers had already knocked on the old couple’s door.

Grandpa Xia and Zhou-shi’s expressions turned grave.

They both recognized the man and woman—and neither of them were easy to deal with.

The man was a xiao qi (junior officer) from the Qianhu Office in town.

He liked to drink and gamble and often stirred up trouble, but his clan uncle was the deputy qianhu stationed at Beiguan Town’s Qianhu Office, and the qianhu valued him greatly.

So when the man got drunk and bullied ordinary people or small vendors, even the county magistrate turned a blind eye. As for the common folk, they were too afraid to speak up.

As for the heavily made-up woman, she was someone with a complicated background.

On the surface, she was a well-known official matchmaker.

She was formidable and highly skilled at what she did. Any match she brokered would always succeed. But if you wanted her to take on a job, the price had to be high.

Her “secret” identity—which wasn’t exactly secret—was that she was the concubine of a powerful merchant in Beiguan Town who bullied others and dominated the market.

Zhou-shi felt a headache coming on but still smiled and said,

“Oh my, isn’t this Sister-in-law Song? What an honored guest! What brings you here today?”

Sister-in-law Song laughed. “Sister Zhou, congratulations! A happy occasion has come your way!”

Zhou-shi was puzzled. “And what happy occasion might that be?”

Song replied, “Sister Zhou, are you not going to invite me in for a cup of water?”

Zhou-shi paused, then stepped aside to let her and the bearded man in.

Grandpa Xia and Zhou-shi offered them seats, and Xia Yujiao went to prepare sugar water for the guests.

Xia Daohua remained at the side, pretending to play while openly eavesdropping.

After sitting down, Song got straight to the point:

“This is Master Jin from Beiguan Town. His family is quite wealthy. His clan uncle is the deputy qianhu at Beiguan Town’s Qianhu Office, and he himself has already earned the rank of xiao qi through military merit.

“Recently, Master Jin’s wife passed away, and he is seeking a new wife.

“He heard that your daughter, Miss Yujiao, is gentle, virtuous, and well-mannered. He asked me to act as matchmaker and has come personally to propose marriage today.

“He wanted you and your husband to see him for yourselves.”

Grandpa Xia and Zhou-shi were stunned. “But… our Yujiao is already engaged!”

Zhou-shi looked at Song suspiciously. With Song’s reputation, how could she have failed to learn the girl’s situation before coming to propose?

Grandpa Xia stared at the bearded man, feeling increasingly angry.

With that face of his, how dare he even think of his daughter?

Song glanced at the bearded man, then turned back and said,

“Sister Zhou, you should know, some time ago, the young man from the Xie family who was engaged to your daughter went out with some friends and accidentally fell into an icy river.

“That boy was frail to begin with, and after the shock and illness from that incident, he’s now breathing out more than he’s breathing in. The Xie family is already preparing his burial plot!”

“What?”

The old couple and Xia Yujiao were all shocked, their faces changing dramatically.

If such a thing had truly happened, why hadn’t the Xie family sent word?

Since Xie Bao and Xia Yujiao were already engaged, the Xie and Xia families were closer than others. In such a situation, by both emotion and propriety, the Xie family should have informed them immediately!

Xia Daohua’s expression also darkened. She was thinking beyond what the old couple were—how could it be such a coincidence that the bearded man had recently lost his wife, and Xia Yujiao’s fiancé had “accidentally” fallen into an icy river at just the right time?

There was no way this was that simple!

(End of Chapter)