The people of the Chen family all waited for his news, and seeing the book boy gasping for his breath as he ran back, they just treated it as him being in a hurry to report.
“How was it, did he pass, what place?” They impatiently asked.
“Got, got, got………”
“Quickly say it.” They were itching to beat it out of him.
“Passed, got, fifth place.” After saying these words, the book boy was finally let off, and he was finally able to greatly gasp for air.
The Chen family members were filled with great joy. Thank goodness, thank goodness he wasn’t affected when he took the exam.
The firecrackers outside the door crackled as they were set off, and the long prepared copper coins were also brought out.
Speaking of which, the place they were currently staying at was a three-sectioned little courtyard[1] that the Chen family’s first branch had helped purchase. It wasn’t a place where high officials and noble personages gathered like clouds, but it was still a relatively decent district, with none of those strange and shady people mixed in. Although it hasn’t been considered long since they’d moved over, the neighbors in the surrounding all knew that their family had a youngster with impressive learning. Once the firecrackers sounded, everyone all knew, nine times out of ten, he’d passed the exam, and successively came out from their homes to get in on that cheerful atmosphere. As for the Chen family, they scattered the prepared copper coins with all their might, and at the same time, hurriedly sent someone to the Chen family’s first branch, and also……….the Luo family to report the good news.
All the lively jubilation seemingly was unable to affect a single person, and that was the one that ought to be happy to his heart’s content the most.
The book boy leveled his breathing, before finally running to his young master’s study. Chen Zheng Ming was still the same as before he’d left, sitting upright at his desk reading. He was reading, and his hands were also moving, but the book boy that has followed him for many years express, young master right now was very questionable. “Young master, you got fifth place.”
“Oh.” He’d just finished reading a page as he flipped to the next.
“Young master, the whole family is all very happy.”
“Oh.”
The book boy swallowed his saliva, “Young master, today, there were many people that weren’t candidates in the exam looking at the lists, they seemingly were looking at…….”
“What?”
“……….you.”
Chen Zheng Min stared at the writings, still without any movements, but the book boy knew, he had heard his words. “Then that means, it’s already spread like the wind and rain all over the capital?” Afterwards, he suddenly had the book in his hand smashed to the ground, and even overturned his desk. No longer able to maintain his composure on the surface, he turned exceedingly violent, “They’re all watching, all waiting, waiting for younger cousin and I to cancel the engagement. Think I don’t know, those bastards, each and everyone all with ambitions of wild wolves. Just because younger cousin has advantageous that’ll benefit them, they’re all eagerly hoping for me to cancel the engagement with younger cousin sooner, so that they can have a chance themselves. Bastards, bastards………….”
The things that Chen Zheng Min have always cherished normally, this while, all got smashed and torn apart by him.
“Li Ru Yu, Li Ru Yu that slut, she definitely must have been arranged by them too, deliberately ruining my marriage with younger cousin. Such vicious methods, such malicious intentions, they all deserve to die, all deserve to die…………”
“Young master, young master, don’t be like this, don’t be like this……” The book boy was frightened to death.
There naturally were also people outside that noticed the ruckus inside, similarly quite frightened, and hurriedly ran to report to Chen third old master and them.
Hearing that something had happened to Chen Zheng Min, the whole family quickly rushed over. Chen Zheng Min was someone who’s been gentle and good-tempered since childhood, yet now he was nearly about to tear down the house. The joyous mood had also vanished instantly.
Chen Zheng Min’s grandmother and mother both instantly shed tears, what sins, what sins…….
“I’ll take a trip to the Luo Manor.” Chen third old master suddenly opened his mouth.
“Old master, what are you going to the Luo Manor for?” Chen third old madam asked has she wiped her tears.
“What for? ‘To untie the bell, still need one that understands the bell.[2]‘ Naturally it’s to go invite that girl over to console him, else with him like this, how is he going to enter the palace to face the Emperor tomorrow and participate in the court exam?” Chen third old master calmly replied.
“But, with things like this now, will that girl come? Will elder sister-in-law let her come?”
“If she doesn’t come, I’ll just kneel down and beg them.”
“Old master——–” Never mind Chen third old madam, even the others were quite shocked.
“Enough, let someone prepare a carriage for me.” Chen third old master glanced to Chen Zheng Min once more before turning to leave.
And the Chen third old master that arrived at the Chen Manor really did as he said he would, meeting Luo Old Madam, and after explaining his intentions for coming and getting rejected, Chen third old master directly knelt down.
Luo Old Madam instantly pulled down her face, “Third brother, must you insist on going this far?”
“Elder sister, our entire family is counting on Min’er. Do you know how unresigned I was that time when I left the capital? If I can’t see Min’er walk into officialdom and climb onto a high position, I will die with regret. Elder sister, I’m already someone half way buried into the dirt[3]. In the end, I just have this last bit of hope left. Elder sister, won’t you grant my wish?”
Luo Old Madam coldly watched on, “Since you already know you’re someone halfway buried into the ground, then even if Min boy steps into officialdom after the court exam, how high of a position do you think you’ll be able to watch him climb to?”
Chen third old master’s body stiffened, and a moment later, “Elder sister, are you really unwilling to grant my wish?”
“Grant your wish, how do I grant your wish? Let our family’s third girl go console Min boy? Or do you want us to directly have third girl stuffed into your family? What, Min boy slept with a junzhu, and now think it can be over with just like that? A junzhu can’t serve as a concubine, so you want to let third girl go become your grandson’s concubine?”
“Elder sister, I wasn’t thinking this………”
‘Pah’, Luo Old Madam directly had the teacup smashed over. “Before you didn’t think this, but when your grandson went crazy, you thought this right? What you’re like, even if we hadn’t seen each other in ten twenty years, I still understand very clearly. Originally I was still thinking, now that you’re elder in years, this personality of yours should have changed, but not only did it not, it has become even more uncouth?”
“Elder sister, if you’re unwilling to grant my wish, then I won’t have any reason to live anymore, just directly let me hang to death on your Luo family gates.”
“Disgraceful———–” Luo Old Madam was greatly angered, as she rushed forward, and slapped him across the face.
Chen third old master’s body twisted from the blow, but he properly knelt back down once more, “Elder sister, please grant my wish.”
“Someone come, have him beaten out of the manor with the rod!”
“Elder sister, you’d rather watch your own younger brother die, rather abandon the Luo family’s reputation, then to give up a single granddaughter?”
Jing Wan stood outside for a long while. The conversation inside, she for the most part all heard. How to put it, she really didn’t expect this third (maternal) great-uncle to be such an obstinate, stubborn and selfish person. In the couple of times they’d met previously, she’d always thought he was an amiable little old man. Even that day when she cancelled the engagement, he was still very easy to talk to. Turns out, that was just because she hadn’t touched upon his bottom line yet? As long as Chen Zheng Min was well, and this branch of theirs has hope of rising again, he can endure anything, and not care about anything, but once this bit is touched upon, he’s able to even ‘disregard his own family’[4]?
This was practically just like someone with a split personality, suddenly having the other personality pop out.
“Where did everyone all go off to? Have him beaten out of here.”
“Elder sister……..”
“Grandmother.” Jing Wan turned into the room, “Don’t be angry, I’ll just take a trip to the Chen family’s residence.”
Chen third old master lifted his head and looked to Jing Wan. There was still blood on his forehead, yet he let out a smiling expression, appearing exceedingly unbecoming, “Third girl, it’s still you that’s magnanimous and virtuous.”
Jing Wan looked to him and suddenly tilted her head, revealing a little girl’s innocence, “Third great-uncle, could it be that you thought that by agreeing to take this trip with you, I’ve also agreed to become older cousin Min’s concubine? How big is his face, how big is your face? Between him and the Luo family, I choose the Luo family, and between him and myself, I choose myself.”
“He’s your fiancee, women should just view their husbands as the sky, where’s your ‘three principles and four virtues’[5], where did all your lessons go?” Afterwards, he turned and angrily looked to Luo Old Madam, “The Luo family raised such a young lady?”
“Former fiancee, I’ve already withdrew from my engagement with him.”
“Since you’ve been betrothed to him, then you’re his person, even if you’ve cancelled the engagement. Could it be that you’re still thinking of marrying someone else? Shameless!”
“Heh, indeed, your soon to marry in granddaughter-in-law(LRY) knows shame.”
“You……..”
“What?” Jing Wan remained smiling.
“Going against an elder, where’s your etiquette and decorum?”
“Oh, that kind of thing, when facing a person, I naturally have, but when facing a ‘I don’t even know what’ thing, what’s that, this young miss really doesn’t know.”
Probably because he’d never encountered a young lady like Jing Wan before, unable to beat her with words, he just turned to Luo Old Madam again, “Elder sister, this is the kind of granddaughter you raised? Too disappointing.”
Luo Old Madam sneered endlessly. She never thought that this younger brother of hers would become like this. Previously he’d appeared so normal, those shortcomings of his from before completely unseen. If she’d known that he’d actually already become like this, even if she was worried about Wan Wan’s marriage not being favorable, she still wouldn’t have had Wan Wan betrothed to Chen Zheng Min.
“Grandmother, I’ll first go see older cousin Min. Since things have already become like this, then it’s better to have some things explained clearly. As with third great-uncle, will have to trouble grandmother to take extra care of him for a while. When I return, if he still wants to hang himself to death in the Luo Manor, this granddaughter will personally find a rope for him and personally tie the rope on our gate. And when time comes, if he doesn’t go up, I will let someone hang him up there.” Jing Wan gently smiled at Chen third old master.
Chen third old master, however, suddenly trembled in fear.
[1] The third picture below is the three-sectioned courtyard. The Chen family third branch’s whole family lives in this one courtyard so their residence can’t be considered a manor.
[2] I think the intended meaning of this should be pretty self-explanatory, basically you need someone who’s suitable for a specific task.
[3] It’s a saying meaning that he’s near death because of old age.
[4] The saying’s full meaning is ‘to be self-centered and not make allowances for even the needs of one’s own relative.
[5] There’s a footnote on chapter 103 part 6; it’s also added to the historical notes too.
T/N: Tbh you can say that Jing Wan dodged a bullet with this one, Grandpa Chen is a huge red flag, rather than say he has a split personality, she just didn’t know his true personality to begin with.
