Chapter 11:  A Woman’s Path Isn’t Limited to Marriage

Xu Qingye looked at him calmly, his eyes filled with incomprehension.

“Family matters?”

Huang Heyu quickly explained, “The Song family previously accepted our betrothal gifts and agreed to marry Miss Song to me as a concubine.  My purpose today is to take Tang’er back to the Huang Residence.”

Hearing “Tang’er” again from Huang Heyu’s mouth, Song Yuntang felt utterly disgusted.

Xu Qingye coughed, covering his mouth, then asked, “If you’re here to collect someone, why didn’t you go to the Song family home, but instead came to the mountains?”

Huang Heyu glanced towards Song Yuntang, smiling wryly, “Isn’t it because Tang’er is disobedient? If she were obedient, I wouldn’t have to resort to this.”

Song Yuntang nearly rolled her eyes to the heavens.

“My father and elder brother clearly returned the Huang family’s betrothal gifts yesterday.  You beat people, and I haven’t even sought compensation for our injuries yet, and you dare to barge in and take me!”

Xu Qingye, having heard this, looked at Huang Heyu.

“Taking someone back by force—is this your idea, or Master Huang’s?”

Huang Heyu was taken aback.

“What?”

“Since I’ve encountered this matter today, I cannot simply turn a blind eye,” Xu Qingye said slowly and deliberately. “If this is your idea, considering your young age, if you leave now, I’ll pretend I haven’t seen you. But if this is Master Huang’s doing, then I will definitely report this to the magistrate. We shall see if Master Huang can withstand an official investigation.”

Huang Heyu frowned. “Mr. Xu, must you interfere even with my family taking a concubine?”

Xu Qingye stood tall and straight. “Marriage, whether a man taking a wife or a woman marrying, should be a matter of mutual consent. Young Master Huang’s actions today are clearly coercive.  The laws of our Great Xia Dynasty are always strict. Forcibly seizing a woman, the lightest punishment is caning, the heaviest is exile. Young Master Huang is a clever man; he should know how to choose wisely.”

Huang Heyu wanted to tear into him right then and there, but Xu Qingye was not someone to be easily offended.

After all, his arrival in the mountains with a large group of people wasn’t unnoticed; Ma Zhaolan, who had guided them, was one of the witnesses.

Xu Qingye was a sickly man. If anything happened to him, people would suspect Huang Heyu of foul play.

Given Xu Qingye’s reputation in the surrounding villages, if the villagers actually pressed charges, Huang Heyu wouldn’t be able to clear his name.

“Mr. Xu, are you determined to oppose my family, the Huang family?”

Xu Qingye remained unmoved, saying calmly, “It’s not directed at the Huang family.  I simply act against injustice wherever I see it.”

Just then, Song Jinbao, leading a group of people carrying hoes and carrying poles, arrived from the foot of the mountain.

“Tang’er, are you alright?”

He ran towards them, breathless and sweating profusely.

Behind him were Zhao Qiao’e and Song Jinsheng, second uncle Song Jinwen, and the eldest uncle’s family of six. Zhuzi and Zhuangzi, being younger and less accustomed to physical exertion from their studies, were panting and lagging behind after running from the private school to deliver the news and then following into the mountains.

Seeing this, Song Yuntang, who hadn’t received family support for a long time, felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

“I’m fine.”

As Song Jinbao approached, he looked at Huang Heyu. “Young Master Huang, we made our intentions clear yesterday and apologized to you and Master Huang. Why do you persist in targeting my daughter, Tang’er?”

Huang Heyu looked at him. “I said yesterday that breaking the engagement damages the Huang family’s reputation. I didn’t agree, so it was just your family’s wishful thinking. Your daughter is still considered a member of the Huang family.”

Zhao Qiao’e quickly came to Song Yuntang’s side, examining her.  Seeing that she was unharmed, she finally relaxed, along with eldest aunt Wang Hongying, protecting Song Yuntang behind them.

“Young Master Huang, why make things difficult for our poor family? Many girls in the nearby villages would be willing to be your concubine. My daughter, Tang’er, refuses; what’s the point of forcing her to marry you?”

“Her unwillingness now doesn’t mean she won’t be willing after she enters my family.”

Seeing so many people arrive, realizing he couldn’t take Song Yuntang away today, Huang Heyu chuckled, his peach blossom eyes fixed on Song Yuntang.

“Tang’er, you’re lucky to have met Mr. Xu today. I hope your luck will be as good next time.”  He beckoned his men to descend the mountain. “Listen up, Song Yuntang belongs to me, Huang Heyu.  Anyone who dares to marry her will be opposing the Huang family!”

Seeing Huang Heyu’s unreasonable and arrogant behavior, Zhao Qiao’e wept with anger.

“A woman’s reputation is already damaged by a broken engagement. Now this man has made a big fuss about it. How will our Tang’er ever marry?”

Song Yuntang muttered quietly behind her. “Then she won’t marry. A woman’s path isn’t limited to marriage.”

In her previous life, she died on a blind date.  Coming here and experiencing this turmoil over a broken engagement, she had absolutely no interest in marriage.

Zhao Qiao’e turned around and poked her head. “What nonsense are you saying?  There’s no such thing as a woman not marrying! Do you want your parents to be ridiculed?”

Song Yuntang covered her forehead, pursing her lips. She knew her words were somewhat shocking in this era, so she obediently shut up.

Song Jinbao bowed respectfully to Xu Qingye.

“Thank you, Mr. Xu, for buying us time. If Mr. Xu hadn’t sent Zhuzi and Zhuangzi to inform us beforehand, we wouldn’t have known that Young Master Huang followed Tang’er into the mountains.”

“It’s nothing. I heard villagers discussing the Song family’s matter these past two days.  Seeing Huang Heyu leading people past the private school, I was worried he would do something bad, so I sent Chengzhi and Chengliang to deliver the news.” He looked at everyone. “Now that Miss Song is safe, I should return to the private school. Farewell.”

“Mr. Xu, please go slowly.” Song Jinbao looked at his twin sons, who were still catching their breath. “Zhuzi, Zhuangzi, quickly help Mr. Xu down the mountain.”

Zhuzi and Zhuangzi ran to Xu Qingye, supporting his arms on either side.

“Mr. Xu, we’ll help you down the mountain.”

“Actually, it’s not necessary…”

Xu Qingye was about to refuse when Song Jinbao quickly laughed, “Mr. Xu, don’t be shy. My two boys are strong. Let them support you; it’ll be safer going down the mountain.”

Xu Qingye swallowed the words at the tip of his tongue because of Song Jinbao’s enthusiasm. He shook his head helplessly and let the Zhuzi and Zhuangzi brothers escort him down the mountain.

After seeing Xu Qingye off, the group didn’t dare leave Song Yuntang alone on the mountain to pick wild vegetables, so they took her down the mountain with them.

Reaching the foot of the mountain, Song Jinbao looked at Song Jinzhu and Song Jinwen.

“Eldest brother, second brother, thank you today.”

Eldest brother Song Jinzhu waved his hand.

“We’re family; it’s nothing. But in the future, you must be more careful and not let Tang’er go out alone.”

Song Jinbao nodded quickly. “After what happened today, how dare we?”

Eldest aunt Wang Hongying grumbled beside them. “Speaking of which, your second sister-in-law didn’t do a good job. She didn’t investigate Huang Heyu’s character before meddling in Tang’er’s marriage. Now, finding a husband for Tang’er will be difficult. Maybe we should find someone from a distant village to marry her off and end Huang’s obsession.”