Song Yifeng secretly gritted his teeth but had to force a smile as he said to Steward Li, “I’ve been looking for a house these past few days, preparing to move out, but I haven’t found a suitable one yet. My mother is also ill. Steward Li, please give me a few more days. I’ll move as soon as I find a house.”

The property agent who sold the house for the Ye family had told Steward Li all about Song Yifeng passing the provincial examination and then breaking off his engagement. Steward Li had a very low opinion of Song Yifeng’s character. He also understood clearly that the Ye family had sold this house at an extremely low price precisely because they didn’t want the Song family to continue living there, to vent their resentment.

Normally, since they were all scholars, and Song Yifeng might become classmates with his young master at the prefectural school in the future, and might even become colleagues with his master after passing the imperial examination, he should show some courtesy and grant a few more days’ grace as a matter of course.

But since the Ge family had received such a good deal and was indebted to the Ye family, they naturally had to help vent some anger.

He said, “Our young master has already arrived in Lin’an and urgently needs to move in. I can’t give you too many more days. Let’s do this—I’ll give you three days. We’ll come to take possession of the house in three days.”

Song Yifeng swallowed his anger and said, “Alright.”

Only then did Steward Li leave with his strong men.

Steward Li’s arrival with a group of strong men had already alarmed the neighbors. Song Yifeng had been too distracted to notice when he returned, but after Steward Li left, these people began asking questions from all directions. Only then did he realize that besides those at the door, neighbors had even set up ladders against the wall to watch the commotion.

He entered the house with a black face. Xiao Xiang also supported Madam Yu as she followed him inside.

The neighbors on the wall and at the main gate exchanged glances, climbed down from their ladders, gathered outside the main gate, and began to whisper among themselves.

“Didn’t the Song family just move in not long ago? What’s happening?” asked those who didn’t understand the situation.

Ye Yaming had already infiltrated the prefectural school to control public opinion—how could she have overlooked the alley where Song Yifeng lived?

Hearing this question, some of those who had been bribed immediately began to recount Song Yifeng’s ungrateful deeds at length.

Finally, one of them asserted with certainty, “This information came from Secretary Wu at Official Li’s mother’s birthday banquet. It’s said that the Ye family invited Mrs. Wu to be a witness to the broken engagement. Mrs. Wu saw and heard everything personally—I’m not making this up.”

“Hmph, that’s what I thought,” immediately agreed a woman who had always disliked Madam Yu’s manner. “This Madam Yu always said that the Ye family’s daughter wasn’t good enough for her son, saying her son would become a high official in the future. When I asked what she used to do and how they bought this house, she just hemmed and hawed, unable to explain clearly.”

“Exactly! She’s nothing but a country woman who had nothing and made a living washing clothes after coming to the city. It was only because of the Ye family that she could live a good life. Yet she still acts so superior, looking down on everyone. Bah!”

“The Song mother and son are such ungrateful wolves! They relied on the Ye family’s money to study for the examinations and live a life with servants at their beck and call. Now that he’s passed the provincial examination, they suddenly don’t acknowledge the Ye family anymore.”

“That’s right. The Ye family’s daughter was so good to them, coming every few days to bring fish and meat, making new clothes for festivals and holidays, and even giving Madam Yu jewelry at the end of the year. But they just broke off the engagement without a second thought—they’re so heartless.”

“Aiyo, I wouldn’t dare associate with such people. Who knows when they might stab you in the back!”

Realizing that the courtyard gate was still open and the neighbors were likely gossiping about his family, Song Yifeng told Guizi to go close the gate.

When Guizi returned, the Song mother and son noticed his troubled expression. When they asked what was wrong, Guizi hesitated, reluctant to speak.

“Speak!” Song Yifeng commanded.

He wanted to know exactly how these people were talking about him. As a scholar, reputation was paramount. He didn’t want to be criticized because of the house sale. Even if there was criticism, he needed to know what was being said.

Guizi had no choice but to repeat what the neighbors had said.

Madam Yu greatly valued material wealth. The sudden transition from having a house, land, and savings to having nothing was a devastating blow that had made her fall ill.

Her cold hadn’t actually been that serious; after one or two doses of medicine, she was almost better. But for the past two days, she had been listless, without any energy, seeming to have aged considerably all at once.

Now, hearing these words, her body swayed, and she nearly fainted. Xiao Xiang quickly supported her.

Song Yifeng, however, couldn’t attend to his mother. His face flushed with anger as he stood up, intending to go out and berate the neighbors.

Madam Yu grabbed him: “Don’t go. What’s the point of arguing with them? You’ll just lose your dignity.”

After her son had passed the licentiate examination, she had inquired about the imperial examination requirements from Yin De’an. To pass the provincial and imperial examinations, talent was certainly important, but one’s reputation couldn’t be too poor either. Otherwise, if word reached the examiners’ ears, or if someone wrote a letter of accusation, all hopes for an official title would be dashed.

Initially, they had thought that since the Ye family was merchants, they wouldn’t dare offend them, might even want to maintain some goodwill, and would protect Song Yifeng’s reputation, perhaps even sending them some silver to spend—that’s why they had broken off the engagement with the Ye family.

They never expected that the Ye family would dare to damage her son’s reputation.

“These rumors, do you think the Ye family spread them?” Madam Yu asked.

The neighbors had said they heard it from Secretary Wu. But Madam Yu didn’t believe it at all. Perhaps it wasn’t that she didn’t believe it, but rather that she was intimidated by the powerful and wanted someone to hate—and that was the Ye family.

Song Yifeng recalled that Wang Wenzi had mentioned hearing it from Secretary Wu, which made him connect it to Mrs. Wu who had witnessed the breaking of the engagement that day—she was likely the wife of Secretary Wu from the prefectural government.

Just now, hearing Guizi say that the neighbors had learned about it from Secretary Wu, he believed the matter was true. He only resented that Secretary Wu, as a government secretary, was such a gossip.

He had still been harboring some hope, thinking that perhaps only a small circle of people knew about this. Those were all officials who wouldn’t spread gossip everywhere, and among them was Official Wang who appreciated his talent. Although he could no longer become Official Wang’s son-in-law, he hadn’t been interested in Wang’s family anyway, so things weren’t too bad. As long as he passed the imperial examination, today’s troubles would mean nothing.

But now he felt uncertain.

Just how many people had Secretary Wu told about this, that even the peddlers in this alley knew about it? How badly would his reputation be damaged? Would it affect his chances when he took the imperial examination in the future?

Seeing that her son still hadn’t answered, Madam Yu became convinced that the Ye family was behind this, and she immediately began cursing them.

Song Yifeng said, “There’s no point in discussing this now. Since people here have already started gossiping, there’s no need for us to stay here any longer. Let’s quickly find a house and move out.”

With that, he stood up and instructed, “I’m going to look for a house,” before leaving with Guizi.

As they stepped out of the door, Guizi said, “Young Master, please wait a moment. Let me check if those people are still outside.”