Chapter 12: The True Face of Cheng Dahai

"Hexi?"

"Is it the one from Cheng Dahai's family?"

The middle-aged man frowned slightly.

Cheng Dashan did not notice the strangeness in his expression and quickly replied, "Yes! Cheng Dahai is my elder brother, and my nephew, Cheng Xiaoyuan, is also studying under you."

"Hmm."

The middle-aged man responded with indifference. He glanced at the family of three, opened his mouth, and said, "I shouldn't really be saying this, but since your child has such talent, I feel compelled to offer a word of warning in advance."

"Please, sir, enlighten us."

The three members of the Cheng family were somewhat confused.

"In the future, make sure you never end up like your eldest uncle!"

"What?"

All three were stunned.

A look of disdain flickered in the middle-aged man's eyes as he continued, "Although Cheng Dahai managed to pass the examination for a child scholar in his early years, his character is not quite upright. Anyway... just remember what I said."

"Yes, student will remember!" Cheng An nodded respectfully.

However, the middle-aged man clearly had more to say. Cheng Dashan and his wife exchanged glances, both feeling puzzled. In their eyes, the Cheng Dahai of the past was a man of great capability—not only a scholar, but a man who spoke with great eloquence. Were it not for this, Lady Liu would not have endured Old Lady Han's bullying for so many years without daring to resist. He was an educated man, after all! Just like the thoughts of their second aunt, Yao Chunhua, even if everyone knew deep down that they couldn't count on the eldest brother's family in the future, they dared not easily offend them. What if he passed the county exam? What if he passed the provincial exam?

But listening to the middle-aged man's tone... could there be another side to Cheng Dahai that no one knew about?

Before Cheng An could ponder this further, the middle-aged man looked at him, his eyes softening with a smile: "Since you are willing to study and have such talent, you should be even more diligent! As for the tuition... fifty wen will suffice; it is just a token gesture."

"Fifty?"

"Isn't it four hundred wen?" the kind and straightforward Liu Cuiyun asked instinctively.

Every year, when the school collected tuition, the eldest brother's family would conspire with Old Lady Han to ruthlessly squeeze the second and third branches of the family, so Lady Liu remembered the figure clearly.

"Where would it be that much?" The middle-aged man smiled and added, "Usually, two hundred wen is enough for a student, but... I heard your family has many mouths to feed and has to borrow money to get by every year... A little less is fine. This child has a spark of intelligence, and I am willing to teach him."

In these times, most teachers still possessed a sense of integrity. The amount of tuition was not actually important; what mattered was the student's character, whether they had the aptitude for study, and if they were worth teaching.

***

"Borrowing money?" While happy, Lady Liu was stunned. "Although we aren't wealthy, aside from the two years when his eldest uncle was preparing for the provincial exams, we have rarely borrowed money from anyone!"

Borrowing money was not a glorious thing in these times. Even ordinary folk knew that unless it was a last resort, one should never borrow money, lest outsiders mock you for being unable to sustain your household.

"Is that so?" The middle-aged man quickly waved his hand with a smile, though a trace of intense disgust flashed in his eyes. "...Then I must have misremembered. No matter."

"That won't do," Lady Liu insisted stubbornly. "Our family may not be a prominent one, but we cannot bear the reputation of being 'debtors' for no reason. It is better for you to clarify, sir."

"This..." The middle-aged man felt awkward.

"The mother of my child is right," Cheng Dashan said, bowing politely. "Sir, please do not mind. Just tell us. Whatever my elder brother owes you, we will certainly make it up to you later."

"Why should we?" Lady Liu flared up. "He incurred the debts himself; why should we pay for him?"

Cheng Dashan quickly grabbed Lady Liu's hand and whispered, "Are you foolish? Our son will be studying here! If we don't pay, what will people think of us?"

"But..."

"I have my own plans. We'll talk when we get home!" Cheng Dashan asserted his authority as a husband. Lady Liu had no choice but to fall silent.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man no longer held back. He sighed and said, "Last year, he borrowed three taels from me, claiming that the burden on his family was too heavy and that, as the eldest, he had to help his younger brothers..."

"And just a couple of days ago, he came to borrow another tael, claiming it was to pay the taxes for the second and third branches of the family."

"What?" Lady Liu could no longer contain herself. Her eyes widened, and she shouted in anger, "What a Cheng Dahai! To think he would lie through his teeth—how shameless! Does a man full of such lies deserve to be called a scholar?"

"I was soft-hearted for a moment," the middle-aged man sighed, his voice turning cold. "It wasn't until a few days ago that I heard he was keeping a mistress in Peach Blossom Lane that I realized I had been deceived!"

"What did you say?" Cheng Dashan looked up in disbelief.

Fearing they wouldn't believe him, the middle-aged man said solemnly, "Though I, Du, would not claim to be a gentleman, how could I casually spread rumors regarding someone's reputation?"

"You mean..."

"This Cheng Dahai not only borrows money without repaying it but is also secretly keeping a mistress?"

"I, Du, saw it with my own eyes!" The middle-aged man's tone was firm.

***

Lady Liu's eyes were full of astonishment! One could easily imagine what expression Old Lady Han would have if this news reached Hexi Village today. And what would the eldest sister-in-law, Qin Dongzhi, have to say?

The son and husband they had prided themselves on for years was, in private, not only a habitual liar who refused to repay debts but also secretly keeping a mistress in town... The amount of information was overwhelming!

Lady Liu shook her head involuntarily, blurting out, "No, this must not come from our mouths, or Mother might be angered to death."

She detested Old Lady Han, but she knew the gravity of the matter. If she were the one to stir the pot and it caused the always overbearing Old Lady Han to drop dead from rage, she would never be able to shake off the reputation of being a vicious daughter-in-law.

...

The journey home was long, and by the time they arrived, it was already dark. A dim oil lamp was still burning in the south room. Upon hearing movement in the courtyard, Qin Dongzhi darted out like a ghost, wielding a broom and slamming it fiercely toward Lady Liu.

"Liu Suyun, I'm going to finish you off today!"

"What are you doing, Sister-in-law?" Cheng Dashan moved quickly to block Qin Dongzhi.

Qin Dongzhi was not afraid in the slightest; she shoved Cheng Dashan aside and cursed, "Get out of the way! I'm going to beat this bitch to death!"

"It's all because of that little bastard of yours running his mouth that I've been scolded by the villagers all day! Children don't know better; it's the adults who teach them... If I don't beat this bitch to death today, none of us will have any peace!"

"You're the bastard! Your whole family are bastards!" Lady Liu was also enraged, the pent-up resentment surging in her heart. "Which word did my son get wrong? What, you have the face to do these things, but you're afraid to let people talk about them?"

"Come on, try hitting me today!"

"You..." Qin Dongzhi was held by the wrists by Cheng Dashan and couldn't move. She hadn't expected such a fierce reaction from Lady Liu.

"You bitch, you dare to come back?" At this moment, Old Lady Han emerged from the room, trembling. As soon as she saw Lady Liu, she began to wail and curse.

"You shameless thing, daring to speak ill of your husband's family in front of outsiders! How dare you? I, Han Changjuan, have lived for over sixty years; when have I ever been scolded like this? You bitch, why don't you just die?"

"Third, what are you standing there for?" She turned to look at Cheng Dashan, ordering in an unquestionable tone, "Why don't you beat this disrespectful, unfilial bitch to death for me!"

Cheng Dashan did not move, his cold gaze fixed on Old Lady Han. The night was too dark for Old Lady Han to see the gloom on her son's face. She hurried a few steps forward and raised her cane, slamming it hard against Cheng Dashan's shoulder.

"You beast, why haven't you done it yet?"

"Have I raised you for all these years in vain?"