Chapter 175

Time slipped by quickly, and ordinary folks spent their days discussing trivial matters about their neighbors. In the blink of an eye, it was already the bitterly cold December.

As soon as December began, the snow started falling heavily and densely. Changle Town was blanketed in white snow everywhere. Children frolicked and rolled around in the snowy fields, while the streets became much quieter as the cold weather kept many indoors.

With the year-end approaching, families in Changle Town began preparing their New Year’s goods—some slaughtered their pigs for the New Year, while others stayed home, lighting fire pits for warmth and chatting idly. It was indeed the laziest and most carefree time of the year.

“Yuan girl, on the twelfth day, Huzi is getting married. Can you come over and help your aunt out?” Aunt Tie Zhu called out to Wang Yuan’er from over the wall.

Wang Yuan’er responded with a smile, “You don’t even have to ask, Aunt. Of course, we’ll come over to help. It’ll be nice to soak up the festive cheer. They say getting married brings good fortune for the New Year—congratulations to you in advance!” She made a respectful gesture as she spoke.

Originally, Aunt Tie Zhu had wanted to pair Huzi with Chun’er, but Huzi was fond of Meizi from Li’s family. In the end, she couldn’t go against her son’s wishes and, after much persuasion, officially engaged Meizi through a matchmaker. The wedding day was set for the twelfth.

“Ah, I still prefer your Chun’er,” Aunt Tie Zhu said with a face full of regret as she looked behind Wang Yuan’er but didn’t see Wang Chun’er around. “Chun’er has such a good temperament; I genuinely like her.”

Wang Yuan’er covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, “Aunt, this is fine to say here, but you must not bring it up in the future. If Meizi hears it, she might feel uncomfortable, and it could strain the harmony between our families.”

“I know, I know, I’m just saying, just saying,” Aunt Tie Zhu nodded.

“Actually, I think Huzi and Meizi make a good match. Look, Huzi is an honest and quiet person with a reserved personality. Chun’er is also not much of a talker. If you pair two quiet people together, how would they spend the next decades of their life? Meizi is different; she’s cheerful and lively. With Huzi being calm and Meizi energetic, it’ll be much more interesting. Just wait and see—in the future, the two of them will surely live a harmonious and prosperous life.”

“Hopefully. But you know Huzi is an honest man. I’m just afraid his wife will dominate him. Meizi is quite feisty!” Aunt Tie Zhu thought of Meizi’s strong personality and felt a headache coming on.

“There’s good in being feisty. Huzi is the eldest son—getting a slightly feisty wife will help her manage the household, won’t it? Plus, she’ll give you a big, chubby grandson to dote on. Just you wait and enjoy the blessings!”

“What you say makes sense. You’re really good at talking and amusing people,” Aunt Tie Zhu laughed heartily and said, “Alright then, it’s settled. On that day, all of you come over for the wedding breakfast and help me out.”

“Alright.”

Wang Yuan’er returned to the house, where Wang Chun’er was sewing a piece of clothing. Seeing her come in, Chun’er said, “Chatting with Aunt Tie Zhu again?”

“Yes, Huzi is getting married on the twelfth, and she asked us to go over and help out.” Wang Yuan’er sat down, glanced at the clothing in Chun’er’s hands, and frowned slightly. “You’re sewing clothes for Hou Biao again, aren’t you?”

Back then, Hou Biao ended up renting the Zhao Family’s small courtyard for one tael of silver per month, using just one room. Over the past month or so, they gradually became familiar with each other. Somehow, Wang Chun’er had started sewing clothes for both Hou Biao and his daughter Hou Dan.

And sure enough, this piece of clothing—it must belong to Hou Biao!

This piece of clothing—it’s indeed Hou Biao’s!

Wang Chun’er’s face turned slightly red. She raised her head and said, “It’s just a small favor, nothing much. Besides, he’s a grown man with a little girl. How would he know anything about needlework? Helping him isn’t without reciprocation—he sometimes brings us wild goods from the mountains. Just the other day, he brought back a wild pheasant!”

While Wang Chun’er was helping with sewing clothes, Hou Biao didn’t take her help for granted. He seemed to have some skills of his own, occasionally hunting game in the mountains and letting Wang Yuan’er and the others have a taste.

“That’s true, but you are, after all, an unmarried young woman, and he has that kind of background. You need to be cautious so as not to allow others to gossip,” Wang Yuan’er expressed her concern.

Wang Chun’er pressed her lips together slightly and said, “Brother Hou isn’t that kind of person. He’s… really good!” With that, she lowered her head and continued sewing.

Hearing this, Wang Yuan’er felt her heart skip a beat. Her brows furrowed tightly, but she quickly dismissed her thoughts, saying, “Anyway, as a young woman, your reputation is important. Avoid what should be avoided.”

Wang Chun’er acknowledged with a faint “hmm” but did not stop her sewing. Wang Yuan’er couldn’t help but sigh softly. She wondered if, after the one-year anniversary of their mother’s passing, they should consult Matchmaker Zhu to see if there were any suitable young men for Chun’er to consider.

As the year-end approached, those who had pigs slaughtered them for the New Year, while others bought pork to make cured meat. In previous years, the Wang family would buy pork for this purpose. Just last year, Madam Zhang had caused an embarrassing scene over a few pounds of meat.

In the blink of an eye, another year had passed. However, this time, Grandma Wang didn’t seem to intend to buy meat. Wang Yuan’er guessed it was unlikely this year. The second branch of the family had emptied out the main house’s funds to invest in a merchant ship. What silver would Grandma Wang have left to buy meat for curing?

Wang Yuan’er looked at their own savings—about two hundred taels of silver. She discussed with her sisters, suggesting that they buy more meat on their side this year. Once the cured meat was prepared, they could give a few pieces to their grandpa and grandma as an act of filial piety.

Wang Qing’er pouted and said, “Grandma is so biased! She’s given even her burial savings to Second Uncle’s family, and we’ve gained nothing from it. Yet we still have to go out of our way to show filial respect.”

“Their favoritism is their business, and our filial respect is ours. A few pieces of meat don’t cost much,” said Wang Yuan’er. Although she also felt unfairness and discontent, she understood that favoritism, like the differences between ten fingers, is a common thing. As for filial piety, as long as one fulfills the formalities and does not leave room for gossip, that’s enough.

In the household, it was always the eldest sister, Wang Yuan’er, who made the decisions. None of the sisters objected and went along with her choices.

Hearing about their plan, Grandpa Wang later commented to his wife, “When it comes to filial piety, the children of the eldest branch are beyond reproach.”

Grandma Wang pursed her lips and remained silent.

On the twelfth day, Wang Yuan’er brought the girls along to help Aunt Tie Zhu with some tasks. During the hustle and bustle, she overheard the latest developments about the “Drum of Justice” case—apparently, it had been resolved.

“I heard that the ten thousand pieces of gold were dug out from the ground, shining so brightly it nearly blinded people. Nothing was missing; all were of full weight and value. The official in Yuhang was incredibly bold, burying them intact on a hill by the river and planting fruit trees to conceal it—for six whole years!”

“Indeed. It’s such a pity about Master He. He was known as an excellent official for river management, but who would have thought he’d suffer such a huge injustice? Losing such an official who genuinely worked for the people is heartbreaking, while those corrupt officials still live freely.”

“Now that the injustice has been redressed, it must be a solace to the He family’s spirits in heaven.”

“True enough. Tsk tsk, ten thousand pieces of gold—isn’t that an incredible amount? We probably wouldn’t see that much gold in our entire lifetime!”

“Hah, not just one lifetime—ten lifetimes wouldn’t be enough to see that kind of gold. Ten thousand pieces of gold! No one in our town has such wealth, even if everyone’s assets were combined!”

While arranging the dishes, Wang Yuan’er overheard the elderly folks talking about the “Drum of Justice” case. Had it really been resolved and vindicated?

“Uncle Shu, according to what you’re saying, the He family’s case related to the Drum of Justice has been vindicated?” Wang Yuan’er asked curiously.

“Of course, it has! The emperor even restored the He family’s old residence and confiscated assets to Miss He. He also posthumously honored Master He with some noble title, something like ‘Brave Lord’,” Uncle Shu replied naively. “Good people always have a day when injustices are corrected.”

Wang Yuan’er nodded with a smile, feeling that the resolution of the case was indeed great news. But alas, the people involved were no longer here; posthumous titles seemed rather futile. She lowered her head, chuckling softly, while neatly arranging a tray of chicken. Suddenly, an idea struck her.

The He family, Miss He?

Hmm, it had been some time since she last saw Miss He. Could it have something to do with that He family? And what about Cui Yuan?

She recalled that Cui Yuan had also been quite mysterious. It had been a long time since she had last seen him!

Regardless of whether Miss He is connected to the He family or not, she had nothing to do with Wang Yuan’er. They were from completely different worlds—Miss He was a noble’s daughter, while Wang Yuan’er was just a farm girl.

A wealthy young lady paired with an aristocratic gentleman, Wang Yuan’er’s mind flashed with images of the two together. An inexplicable pang of sourness filled her heart, and she shook her head, dismissing her thoughts. What was she even thinking?

“Yuan’er girl, the grand banquet is in the hall!” Someone called out.

“Coming!” she responded.

While Wang Yuan’er lived an ordinary, mundane life of family routines, the He family’s old residence in the capital was filled with heart-wrenching cries.

Cui Yuan gazed at the woman sobbing on the ground and then shifted his attention to the dozen memorial plaques above her. He let out a deep sigh. In the end, he had successfully fulfilled his mission, clearing his teacher’s name. This was the most meaningful thing he had accomplished in all these years.

“How wonderful, how wonderful!”

The sobbing gradually turned into choked sobs as Cui Yuan stepped forward to help He Xiuxian up, saying, “Stop crying already; this is supposed to be a day for celebration.”

“I—I am happy.” He Xiuxian, having been kneeling on the ground for a long time, went weak in the knees when she was suddenly pulled up and fell straight into Cui Yuan’s arms. Her sobbing ceased instantly, and her face turned bright red.

Cui Yuan, however, didn’t pay much attention. He steadied her and guided her out, saying, “The teacher’s name has been cleared, he has been posthumously titled ‘Brave Lord,’ and the family’s assets have been returned. Ah Xian, you should be happy.”

“If it weren’t for you, Brother Cui, my father and mother wouldn’t be able to rest in peace in heaven,” He Xiuxian paused, blinking as she looked at him. “Brother Cui, your great kindness and virtue, I have no way to repay you, I…”

“What’s the point of saying such things? Since I call him my teacher, this is what I ought to do. Go wash your face already—your beautiful face looks like a crying kitten,” Cui Yuan lightly patted her arm. “There are quite a few people to meet next!”

He Xiuxian blushed and nodded, walking away while looking back with every step.

Cui Yuan watched as her figure disappeared down the corridor. He then turned and returned to the Buddha hall with the memorial plaques, offering another stick of incense. Bowing three times before the memorial plaque labeled “He Zhenghong,” he respectfully placed the incense on the burner, saying, “Teacher, you can now rest in peace.”