By the time Duan Yan and Song Fengsui came down from the mountain, it was already well into the latter half of the night.
The villagers, dressed in straw rain capes and carrying torches, had entered the mountain under the guidance of two hunters. They shouted all the way to the cave, and only then did they manage to find the two men. Seeing that both were still safe and sound, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
By then, the rain outside had stopped. Duan Yan and Song Fengsui sat around the fire, and their clothes were almost dry. The group then made their way safely back to the village under cover of darkness.
Once they arrived home, Song Fengsui—who had spent an entire day and most of the night in the mountains—had long since exhausted all his strength. Although Duan Yan had carried him down the mountain, he was still utterly drained. His body felt weak and limp, and his head was heavy.
After strenuous labor, the body was already in a weakened state. Having also been drenched by the rain and frightened half to death, he had clearly allowed the cold to enter his system. He would probably have to take to his bed with an illness.
Before going to sleep, he forced himself to sit up and take some medicine. Then he tugged lightly at Duan Yan’s hand and said in a low voice, “You should go back and get some rest. Come see me tomorrow after noon.”
Duan Yan agreed. “Then you get a good night’s sleep too. Tomorrow I’ll bring you a bowl of porridge made with large bones.”
The Song family had noticed that the two men were even more intimate than before, and had more or less guessed what was going on. They did not interrupt them, allowing them to speak together. Still, they did not overstay their welcome; after a few words, they took their leave.
Song Wushen and Song Xuemu had also gone into the mountains, and both had returned covered in mud and looking thoroughly bedraggled. They did not keep Duan Yan there for long. Knowing that he had spent even more time in the mountains than they had, and that he too must have been exhausted after such a long night, they urged him to return to the estate and rest. Anything that needed discussing could wait until tomorrow.
At that hour, many households in the village still had their oil lamps burning. Most had men who had gone into the mountains, and their families had been unable to sleep, keeping watch by the light as they waited. Once everyone had returned, the village remained noisy for a while before gradually settling back into silence.
“Second Brother, you’re finally back! Did you find him?!”
The candles in the Zeng household had yet to be extinguished. When Zeng Jingui saw the enormous commotion in the village and learned that even his second brother had been called out to search the mountains, his heart had been pounding restlessly.
He had stayed awake by the oil lamp for most of the night. The moment he saw his second brother return, he did not even wait for him to catch his breath or drink a bowl of soup. He grabbed him and asked, “Did that man with the surname Song come to any harm?”
Madam Zeng had only just relaxed upon seeing that her son had returned safely. Noticing that he was soaked from the waist down and that his cloth shoes were caked with mud, she felt sorry for him. She could not help scolding Zeng Jingui.
“Why are you making such a fuss? It’s the middle of the night, and you’re still awake. You’re old enough to know better, yet you’re still so nosy about other people’s business. You can see that your second brother is soaked through, but you don’t think to fetch him a pair of straw sandals to change into?”
Zeng Erlang dropped heavily onto a stool. As he pulled off his shoes, he said, “Gui was worried because he went into the mountains gathering herbs with the Song family physician.”
He did not keep them in suspense and continued directly, “Once we got into the mountains, it was like the whole place had become a maze of spirits after the rain began. If Hunter Qiu and the others hadn’t led the way, so many of us would only have gone around in circles. Even when we shouted and searched, our voices couldn’t carry very far.
“Then Hunter Qiu said that Duan Yan often used to take people into the mountains to hunt. If nothing had happened to him, he would surely have known to hide in a cave to escape the rain. So everyone followed him, and sure enough, we found them there.”
“Duan Yan and the Song family physician were both there!” Madam Zeng let out a sigh of relief and murmured, “Amitabha. They’re lucky to have escaped unharmed.”
“Exactly. Before we entered the mountains, we heard Madam Xu describe what the place looked like, and everyone thought Brother Song was probably doomed. In the end, Duan Yan acted quickly. He went in ahead of us and truly managed to find him.”
Zeng Erlang was fond of gossip, and as he spoke, a grin spread across his face. “The two elders of the Song family also went looking for him. When we came back down, Duan Yan was the one carrying Brother Song. I’d say the relationship between those two is truly extraordinary. They must already have their parents’ and elders’ approval. It’s fortunate Brother Song is all right. Otherwise, who knows how furious Duan Yan would have been? Once autumn came, we might even have had a wedding feast to attend.”
“Is that really so? But the village was saying earlier that the village head’s Zhou Qingyun…”
Mother and son were so absorbed in their gossip that neither noticed how silent Zeng Jingui had become. It was only when Madam Zeng glanced at him that she suddenly cried out, “Oh my! Gui, what’s happened to you? Your face has gone completely white!”
Zeng Jingui was cold from head to toe, and his lips trembled. “...Nothing. He’s all right?”
When Zeng Erlang saw that he looked as though he was about to be frightened to death, he quickly reassured him. “He’s fine! Everyone saw him being carried down the mountain in good condition. He suffered a few injuries, but they were only minor ones and nothing serious.”
“Duan Yan only said those few words to you earlier because he was anxious. He’s usually an easygoing man, unlike Chen Hu, who used to lord it over the estate. Now that Brother Song is safe, you don’t need to be afraid.”
After hearing “he’s fine” several times in a row, Zeng Jingui suddenly burst into tears.
The fog in the mountains had been so thick. He had even changed the markings on the trees and sent them toward the depths of the mountains. Then the heavy rain had come...
How could that man possibly have such a hard life?
The two of them had given completely different accounts of what happened. If they were made to face one another and argue about it, wouldn’t the truth be exposed at once?
“He must be a fox spirit in disguise, with nine lives!” Zeng Erlang said.
“What nonsense are you talking about, you foolish child?” Madam Zeng and Zeng Erlang both thought something was wrong with him. They questioned him carefully, asking whether something had happened, but no matter how they pressed him, they could not get anything out of him.
In the end, they let it go and told him to go to bed early.
It was nearly noon the next day when Duan Yan finally woke.
The light in the room was not particularly bright, which made it easy to sleep. He had assumed it was still early. Only after he had slept until he was fully rested and awake did he rise and glance out the window, discovering that the day was overcast and that the sun had not appeared.
He washed up, then, as promised, went to the back kitchen. He cracked two large pork bones and set them simmering in a pot of porridge.
While that cooked, he also prepared two refreshing pickled side dishes. Once everything was tidied away, he hurried straight to the Song family’s home.
When he left, his heart was filled with delight, and he walked so quickly that he scarcely noticed his own pace. But when he caught sight of the Song family’s house, he inexplicably began to feel awkward.
The words the two of them had spoken in the cave the previous day still echoed in his ears. Whenever he thought of them, the skin beneath his cheeks grew hot. Their relationship was different now. They had only been apart for half a day, yet knowing that he was about to see Song Fengsui again made him feel strangely bashful.
In truth, yesterday’s ordeal had frightened him badly. He had been terrified that he might never see Song Fengsui alive and well again. When the man had been lost and then found, the feelings he had kept buried in his heart had suddenly become impossible to contain, and he had confessed everything to him.
Who could have imagined that after laying everything bare, the two of them would actually become lovers?
After returning home the previous night, Duan Yan had lain in bed for a long while without falling asleep. His mind was filled with Song Fengsui’s words—especially the fact that Song Fengsui felt the same way.
While they had been in the cave, he had been muddled and had not experienced any particularly intense emotions. But after they parted and he returned home to quiet, recalling it all made him feel as if electricity were coursing through his body. He became so exhilarated that his heart kept pounding, never once settling down.
By the time the roosters began to crow, Duan Yan had finally grown somewhat sleepy. Yet even as he hovered between wakefulness and sleep, he was already looking forward to waking up so he could go see Song Fengsui again.
He had yearned so desperately to see him yesterday, and now that they were truly going to meet, he found himself feeling a little bashful and uneasy, as though he were returning to his hometown after a long absence.
It was Mu Linghui who spotted him dawdling along and called out first, urging him to come inside.
“Suisui was just asking about you. He spent so long in the mountains yesterday and caught a chill, so he isn’t feeling well and still hasn’t gotten up. He hasn’t eaten lunch either. He said you would bring it over for him.”
The moment Duan Yan heard that Song Fengsui was unwell, all the awkwardness and unease caused by the change in their relationship vanished from his mind. He hurried straight into the room.
Song Fengsui had heard his voice from outside. Though his whole body felt light and weak, he still forced himself to get up and tidy himself. By the time Duan Yan entered, he was already dressed and sitting at the edge of the bed.
His complexion was truly poor. He had always been fair, and without any color in his face, he looked even paler, his illness all the more apparent.
Duan Yan quickly went over and bent down slightly. “How are you feeling? Where does it hurt? I’ll go get a physician!”
Song Fengsui gently shook his head. When he saw Duan Yan, a glimmer returned to his eyes.
“It isn’t anything too serious. I’m just weak, and my throat hurts a little. I took some medicine last night to keep it under control; otherwise, it would probably be worse this morning. My body has always been like this. I fall ill easily, but I can endure it well enough. As long as I take my medicine properly and rest for a few days, I’ll be fine. Calling another physician wouldn’t make any difference.”
Duan Yan’s brows drew tightly together. How could he not know about Song Fengsui’s poor health? Still, seeing him looking so sick inevitably made his heart ache.
He coaxed him gently, “Then eat some porridge while it’s still warm, and take your medicine afterward. That way, it won’t be so harsh on your stomach. I even made the pickled watermelon rind you said you liked.”
Song Fengsui’s eyes had already settled on the food box Duan Yan brought. He nodded.
“Perfect timing. I’m hungry.”
The corners of Duan Yan’s lips lifted. He hurriedly fetched a bowl and chopsticks, served the dishes and porridge, then touched the rim of the bowl to make sure it was not too hot before placing it in Song Fengsui’s hands.
Mu Linghui reached out from the side, originally intending to help, but she did not manage to get a chance. With just a few deft movements, Duan Yan had already settled everything, and Song Fengsui was peacefully eating his porridge and side dishes.
She stared at the two of them for a moment before revealing a warm, affectionate smile.
Duan Yan had often come over before, but most of the time he merely helped out with chores in the courtyard. Song Wushen and his younger uncle had frequently praised him for being quick and capable at his work.
Previously, with both families watching, Suisui and Duan Yan had always behaved with great restraint and rarely acted so intimately. Only now, seeing the way they got along, did Mu Linghui realize that Duan Yan not only knew how to work, but also knew how to care for someone.
Almost everyone in the family had tacitly approved of the two of them seeing each other. Now that they saw them no longer avoiding intimacy in front of their elders, they guessed that the two had grown even closer after what happened the previous night.
Mu Linghui had never opposed their relationship, but she had been somewhat concerned about whether Duan Yan was someone Suisui could truly entrust himself to. Yet after witnessing what happened yesterday, watching Duan Yan rush alone into the mountains without hesitation to search for him, she understood that such devotion could only come from having someone deep in one’s heart. How many people would be willing to risk themselves like that otherwise?
Having endured so much, she had come to understand that fame, wealth, and status were all fleeting. No matter how splendid a person’s position or identity might be, if they could not weather hardship together, then it was nothing more than an empty show—useful for adding flowers to brocade in good times, but liable to scatter faster than anything when trouble came.
It was rare for the two of them to be able to face difficulties together, and Mu Linghui was finally able to put her mind at ease.
Without saying anything more, she quietly left the room.
The two people sitting at the small square table did not even notice when Mu Linghui slipped away.
They secretly stole glances at each other—Duan Yan looking over, then Song Fengsui looking back—with smiles in their eyes, as if they had both eaten something sweet as honey.
Though neither said a word, their silence seemed to convey more than a whole basketful of conversation.
In such a moment, both their hearts settled.
They had been afraid that one of them might forget what had been said in the cave yesterday, or perhaps reconsider it carefully overnight and decide to take it back.
Logically speaking, they both knew that would never happen. But when two people were so deeply immersed in happiness, how could they bear even the slightest stirring of uncertainty?
Song Fengsui ate three bowls of porridge before finally stopping. He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and said to Duan Yan, “Perhaps it was because I wasn’t feeling well, but I had several frightening dreams about the mountains while I was asleep.
“At one moment, someone was trying to push me. The next, I had fallen into some kind of maze that bewitched the mind. When I woke up, my head hurt terribly, and it took a long while before the pain eased.
“We spent all of last night talking about us, so I never had the chance to ask you properly. How did the Zeng family’s young master get back?”
Song Fengsui had asked Duan Yan about Zeng Jingui the previous night, but after learning that he had returned safely, he had not asked further. The mountains had been cold, and they had been terrified of attacks from wild beasts, leaving him in no mood to inquire closely about what had happened to Zeng Jingui.
Duan Yan was puzzled by the question.
“What do you mean, how did he get back? He returned to the village safely with the gathering party.”
Song Fengsui frowned deeply, sensing that something was wrong. He told Duan Yan how Zeng Jingui had approached him yesterday, how the two of them had gone together to gather medicinal herbs, and how Zeng Jingui had disappeared after descending a steep slope.
“The fog in the mountains was so thick that it was almost like a Bewitching Hollow. I clearly followed the marks I had left on the trees, but instead of returning to Toad Rock, I ended up somewhere I didn’t recognize.”
Recalling how he had wandered through the forest fog the day before, Song Fengsui still felt a lingering chill.
Duan Yan’s brows knitted even more tightly after hearing this.
“That doesn’t make sense. After Zeng Jingui came down the mountain, I even spoke with him. The people in the party said he was the last person to see you, but he claimed that he had wanted to ask you to accompany him and that you refused, so he simply gave up. He never mentioned…”
He did not finish the sentence before suddenly realizing the truth.
“That young master was lying!”
“I followed the marks on the trees exactly as you described, and even then I felt something was strange. If you couldn’t find your way back by following the marks, I’m afraid the thick fog wasn’t the only reason.”
A chill ran down Song Fengsui’s back. He had already thought Zeng Jingui was strange, but he had never imagined that the young man could be so vicious.
“I didn’t know him before this. We had no grudge between us. Why would he go so far as to harm me?”
Duan Yan comforted him. “No one can say for certain until we investigate. You nearly lost your life in the mountains yesterday. This matter cannot be left without an explanation.”
Song Fengsui nodded lightly.
Afterward, Duan Yan arranged for several people to enter the mountains once more. In addition to the people from the estate, he specifically asked Madam Xu and Mr. Xiao, who had both gone into the mountains to gather herbs the previous day, to make the trip again.
Zeng Jingui’s thoughts might have been malicious, but he was not careful in his actions. His lies were full of holes, and the group quickly gathered a considerable amount of evidence after entering the mountains.
That evening, the group arrived at the Zeng residence.
When Madam Zeng saw the Village Head arrive with so many people—and all of them figures of some standing—she had no idea what had happened. But the atmosphere clearly did not bode well, so she asked cautiously, “Village Head, what brings you here at this hour? It isn’t time to pay the land tax yet.”
Village Head Zhou handed the coil of hemp rope in his hand to Madam Zeng. “Take a look. Is this thing from your household?”
Zeng Erlang had only just returned from the fields. Before he even had time to wash the mud from his feet, he hurried into the house.
He stared blankly at the many people gathered there.
“Oh dear, all hemp ropes look alike. I—I wouldn’t dare say for certain it belongs to our family.”
Madam Zeng took the rope and examined it over and over.
It was Zeng Erlang who, upon seeing the rope, found its length familiar. He immediately darted into another room and rummaged around for a while, then hurried back out. “It is ours!
Yesterday, Gui took a coil of hemp rope with him when he went into the mountains to gather herbs. I’d completely forgotten to ask about it. Just so happens the original coil at home is gone—two zhang long.”
He had thought Gui had lost the rope, and that someone in the mountains had found it and come to return it.
“Exactly two zhang,” Duan Yan said evenly.
“Brother Zeng Erlang, call your Third Young Master Zeng out. We have something to ask him.”
At those words, Zeng Erlang and Madam Zeng exchanged a look. They had already sensed that something was wrong.
“...Gui, he—he went to his aunt’s place early this morning.”
Duan Yan and Song Fengsui frowned at the same time. They had not even questioned the young master yet, but he had already fled out of a guilty conscience!
“He isn’t even home? During the busy farming season, he still has the leisure to go visiting relatives?”
Village Head Zhou snapped, “Go! Bring him back at once!”
Madam Zeng startled violently. “Village Head, what on earth has happened? Why are you making such a frightening fuss?”
Zeng Erlang asked repeatedly as well, “Did my third brother do something wrong? He’s still young and doesn’t know better.”
“Being young and not knowing better means he can—”
Before Village Head Zhou could shout the rest, Duan Yan cut him off. “Some matters are not yet certain. We only wish to ask Third Young Master Zeng for clarification, so as to avoid any misunderstanding. It would be bad for everyone otherwise.”
If Village Head Zhou started loudly accusing him of harming others and costing lives, the Zeng family might well hide Gui away.
“Let us do it this way. I’ll arrange for two men, and the Village Head can send two as well. Brother Zeng Erlang, lead the way. We’ll go to your aunt’s village and bring Third Young Master Zeng back.”
No matter how slow Madam Zeng and her son might have been, they knew something serious had happened given this display. Yet they did not know what it was. Everyone spoke in half-sentences and refused to explain clearly, which made them frantic with worry.
With the village’s most respected people gathered here and demanding that they fetch him, the Zeng family did not dare refuse. In any case, they thought, their third son was only a young master—how great a disaster could he possibly have caused? Thus, they hurried through the night to the neighboring village to bring him back.
Duan Yan had no intention of leaving. He stayed in the Zeng household with Song Fengsui to wait.
Since even Duan Yan was not leaving, Village Head Zhou naturally did not dare depart either. There was only so much happening in the village, and when people noticed that so many had gathered at the Zeng home after nightfall, word spread quickly. Some could not resist coming over to ask what was going on.
Nearly two hours later, Zeng Jingui was brought back.
The moment he entered the house, he crumpled to the floor.
When five people had come to fetch him at his aunt’s home, he had known he was in trouble. He had not wanted to return, and the sight of the even larger gathering awaiting him at home terrified him all the more.
He was so frightened that his mind had gone blank. His eyes and nose were smeared with something—whether tears or snot, no one could tell—and he looked utterly wretched.
Madam Zeng threw herself to the ground and gathered Zeng Jingui into her arms, wiping at her own tears as well. In deep grievance, she cried, “He’s back, he’s back! Just how serious is this, that you have to frighten a young master like this?”
The idlers outside did not dare enter the house and could only crowd around to watch from outdoors. Seeing that Old Master Zeng and the eldest son were away doing business, leaving few men in the house to support the family, they felt that Duan Yan had brought far too many people to the Zeng home and was throwing his weight around. They could not help speaking up for them.
“That’s exactly right. A whole room full of burly men—are you trying to frighten someone to death?”
Though Zeng Jingui looked pitiful now, Duan Yan could not summon the slightest sympathy for him. If Zeng Jingui was pitiable, then had Song Fengsui not been wronged yesterday as well?
“Who is driving whom to death is still uncertain! Zeng Jingui, will you tell us yourself, or shall I tell everyone for you?”
Zeng Jingui only cried and shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything.”
“Fine. Since you refuse to admit what you did and lessen your guilt, then don’t beg for leniency when the time comes.”
Duan Yan said, “Yesterday, when you came down from the mountain, you cried and said you had not gone herb-gathering with Brother Song. During the time you claim you were not with him, where were you? Is there anyone who can testify for you?”
“I was alone. I was alone.”
“Alone? Then was it a ghost who looked exactly like you and went with Brother Song? A ghost who even stole your family’s rope and had Brother Song use it to climb down the slope to gather herbs?”
Seeing how stubbornly this young master refused to admit it, Duan Yan felt he was exactly like Chen Hu—except Chen Hu had been dead for well over seven days now.
He flung the Zeng family’s rope before him. “Even your second brother recognized this as your family’s hemp rope. Look at it. Do you still claim you don’t recognize it?”
Zeng Erlang’s heart lurched. Only then did he understand where the rope had come from.
At this point, Song Fengsui stepped forward and recounted everything that had happened the previous day before the gathered crowd.
When he was done, he took out a set of clothes. “You used my sachet. Even if you threw it away afterward, the medicinal sachet I prepared to ward off insects has a deep, potent fragrance. It would not fade easily within two days. Before we went to bring you back, I had already asked your mother to find your clothes. They had not yet been washed.”
Song Fengsui gave the garment a sharp shake. Everyone in the room could faintly smell the scent of medicinal herbs.
The people outside pointed and whispered. “That truly is the outfit Gui wore into the mountains yesterday!”
“The markers I made on the trees in the mountains were altered. The markers leading out of the mountains were changed to point deeper into them. Village Head Zhou, Madam Xu, and Mr. Xiao have all gone to inspect them. Of all those who went up the mountain, aside from you and me, every other person has someone to testify that they were not absent at any point.”
Song Fengsui said, “Do you have anything else to argue? If you do, we can debate it before everyone, so you will not be falsely accused. You are a young master, after all; we will not resort to torture or forced confessions.”
Zeng Jingui cried so hard he could barely catch his breath. With all the evidence laid out before him, how could he possibly argue any further? He only buried himself in Madam Zeng’s arms. “Mother, save me. I don’t want to be executed!”
Having heard the full account and, without knowing it, handed over the evidence herself, Madam Zeng was both heartbroken and furious. She struck Zeng Jingui twice. “Foolish, foolish child! You’re a young master—how could you do something so cruel and harmful?”
Zeng Erlang staggered back two steps as well. Gui was the only young master in the family, and they had always doted on him. How had they loved and indulged him until he had grown such a venomous heart?
Outside, the onlookers were so shocked that one after another covered their mouths.
Once Song Fengsui saw that he had admitted it, he asked the question that had troubled him. “You and I never had any dealings before this. Gui, why did you go so far as to harm me?”
“...Who told you to flirt with everyone? You were with this one, yet still clung to that one...”
“You bewitched Brother Qingyun, then got together with Duan Yan, and… and you even tried to seduce my cousin. My cousin and I were already betrothed, yet ever since he got to know you, he hardly pays me any attention anymore!”
“Nonsense!”
Village Head Zhou, who had remained silent all this time, saw that the matter somehow involved his own Qingyun. His face turned green, and he became even more agitated than Song Fengsui, the wronged party himself.
“You jealous little fool! Qingyun and Doctor Song are completely innocent. They’ve barely exchanged a few words—where did this talk of seduction and entanglement come from? A filthy mind sees filth everywhere!”
Song Fengsui’s brows twitched slightly. “Since Village Head Zhou has already cleared up Zhou Qingyun’s part in this, there’s naturally no need for me to say more. As for Duan Yan, I’ll admit it openly: we are indeed together.
“As for your cousin… who is he?”
Someone outside called out, “Ye Xingzhi.”
Song Fengsui had never expected it to be him. His lips pressed into a thin line. Earlier, he had used Ye Xingzhi to provoke Duan Yan, and now it seemed he was finally getting his comeuppance.
Still, he had only mentioned it to Duan Yan in private. In public, the two of them had always behaved with perfect propriety. If Ye Xingzhi had not been someone who understood proper etiquette, Song Fengsui would never have discussed medicinal herb cultivation with him so often.
“I’ll tell you plainly as well: Ye Xingzhi and I have no improper relationship whatsoever. If he no longer pays attention to you, you should look for the reason elsewhere.”
Song Fengsui found the whole thing utterly absurd. He had never imagined that the root of it all would be Ye Xingzhi.
Back in the capital, he had seen all sorts of people fighting over romantic rivals, but he had truly never seen anyone try to take another person’s life over it.
Having said everything that needed to be said, Song Fengsui continued, “In the end, all matters in the village are still under the Village Head’s authority. I’ll leave the judgment to you, Village Head.”
Village Head Zhou shuddered. Why had the matter been thrown back onto his shoulders in the end? If his judgment failed to satisfy Duan Yan, he would suffer for it too. His resentment toward Zeng Jingui deepened considerably.
“We all live in the same village, yet over nothing more than groundless suspicions, you attempted to take someone’s life. This is utterly lawless! If we don’t punish it properly, the whole village will descend into chaos!”
“Gather the entire village for a meeting. Zeng Jingui, you will explain the matter before everyone and apologize to Doctor Song. That is the first point.
“The Zeng family will compensate the Song family with ten strings of cash as recompense to Doctor Song. In addition, all the medicinal herbs allocated to the Song family this year will be provided entirely by the Zeng family. That is the second point.
“Zeng Jingui’s heart is vicious. Since he was born and raised in this village, we will make sure he remembers this lesson for the rest of his life. In the presence of the village elders, he will receive thirty strokes at the ancestral hall. That is the third point!”
When he finished, Madam Zeng collapsed to the ground together with Zeng Jingui. The two of them fainted side by side.
Village Head Zhou cautiously asked Duan Yan and Song Fengsui, “Are you satisfied with this punishment?”
Duan Yan was mainly waiting to see what Song Fengsui thought.
Song Fengsui considered the matter. Although he had been harmed, he had not actually suffered any lasting consequences. His father had once served as a magistrate, so he knew that whether the victim had truly been injured or merely targeted made a difference in the severity of the sentence.
Under this judgment, Zeng Jingui would lose his reputation, suffer a financial loss, and be physically punished as well. He would be punished in every way, and the sentence was already severe. Yet it would not destroy him completely or leave him with no hope for the future.
Song Fengsui nodded.
Village Head Zhou then turned to the Zeng family. The two people on the ground had fainted, and although it would be difficult to question them, he could hardly splash water on them to wake them. They could not evade punishment simply by passing out.
His gaze fell upon the sobbing Zeng Erlang.
“Our family accepts it. We will abide by Village Head’s judgment.”
Zeng Erlang was heartbroken, but he was still an upright man. He knew that his younger brother had committed a truly grave offense. If he went unpunished, it would be against Heaven and reason.
The Song family had already been merciful. They had not used Duan Yan’s influence to send Gui to the authorities. If the matter had gone to the yamen, it was difficult to say whether Gui would have survived.
Under such circumstances, how could they possibly protest?
The whole affair dragged on until midnight, but at least it had finally been settled properly.
The villagers were still bursting with energy. They formed groups and discussed the day’s events, each one sighing and exclaiming over what had happened.
Duan Yan escorted Song Fengsui home. In truth, the Zeng residence was much closer to the estate than to the Song home, and he had considered asking Song Fengsui to stay at the estate for the night.
But then he thought that they had only just gotten together. Bringing him home so soon might make Song Fengsui overthink things, and it might also leave a poor impression on the Song family.
Though he could not keep Song Fengsui overnight, his heart was still surging with excitement.
“Earlier today, you said… Why did you say that in front of everyone, in a situation like that…?”
Hearing him stumble over his words, Song Fengsui knew exactly what he meant. Instead, he pretended not to understand.
“What did I say?”
Duan Yan coughed lightly. “You said we were together.”
Song Fengsui blinked. “Aren’t we?”
“Of course we are!”
Duan Yan hurriedly acknowledged it first, then continued, “I was only thinking that saying it in front of everyone might harm your reputation. In the future, if we…”
Song Fengsui’s small face visibly turned fierce. “If we what?”
Duan Yan immediately swallowed the words that would have spoiled the mood. “In the future, we’ll invite them all to our wedding feast!”
The tips of Song Fengsui’s ears flushed red. He thought to himself that this man certainly knew how to change direction.
“…Mm. That—that’s bound to happen sooner or later.”
