Ping’an Inn was located in a secluded alley on Pingqiao Street. It had a two-bay entrance and a three-courtyard layout with only seven or eight guest rooms in total. Most of the guests were merchants from Shandong doing business in roasted goods. The courtyard was piled high with rice crackers, melon seeds, and peas, and the smell of roasted goods could be detected from far away.
Ma Fushan didn’t dare bring Zhou Shaojin to Ping’an Inn. He spent a string of cash to borrow the reception hall of the neighboring house to question the old beggar.
“…Although the Old Master was a scholar, he had a robust build… He loved drinking. Every time he went out, he’d get completely drunk, and I’d support him back and help him with tea and water… He was close friends with Twelfth Master Gu of the Gu family. Twelfth Master Gu came from a wealthy background, so how could the Old Master have the nerve to always let him pay? When he occasionally reciprocated, his purse was always shy. Each time he’d send me to the pawnshop, and I’d always wrangle with the pawnshop people for a long time, turning dead pawns into live ones, and getting more silver for live pawns…” The old beggar exaggerated his own contributions as much as possible.
Zhou Shaojin, standing behind the main hall, felt her heart tighten as she listened. She whispered a few words to Shi Xiang.
Shi Xiang nodded, went out, and said something to Ma Fushan.
Ma Fushan glanced at the old beggar prostrate on the ground with his head lowered, nodded slightly, and said: “The Gu family you mentioned—is it the Gu family of Plum Blossom Lane?”
“Yes, yes!” The old beggar had been talking to himself for so long. Now that the person sitting above finally had a reaction, he excitedly raised his head.
Ma Fushan immediately gave a cold snort.
The old beggar only saw half of a white embroidered skirt standing beside the black lacquered armchair. Knowing there were female family members in the room—perhaps even an important head maid from beside Second Miss Zhou—he didn’t dare look further and quickly lowered his head, prostrating himself on the ground.
“Answer only what you’re asked,” Ma Fushan said in a heavy voice. “Don’t let your mouth run wild with nonsense.”
“Yes, yes, yes.” The old beggar nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.
Ma Fushan gave a satisfied hum and said: “What else? Continue speaking!”
“Ah!” The old beggar looked up in shock, then quickly lowered his head again.
First he was told to answer only what he was asked, now he was told to continue speaking. Should he answer what he was asked or continue speaking…
The old beggar muttered to himself. Thinking that when he just mentioned the Gu family, the Zhou family people seemed quite interested, he continued: “The marriage of the eldest Miss Zhuang was arranged by Twelfth Master Gu as the matchmaker. She married into the Cheng family as Master Zhou’s second wife. Speaking of the eldest Miss Zhuang, she was truly virtuous. The Old Madam lay bedridden for over ten years, and when the eldest Miss wasn’t even as tall as a table, she was already worrying about household necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt. By the time she came of age, suitors had worn down the threshold. Unfortunately, the eldest Miss had been betrothed since childhood to a son of the Cheng family of Cunyi Lane…”
At this point, he fearfully broke off the topic and looked anxiously at Ma Fushan.
Ma Fushan was utterly shocked.
This was the first time he’d heard that Madam Zhuang had once been betrothed to Cheng Bai.
But he had experienced much and wouldn’t lose his composure over this. However, thinking of Zhou Shaojin… he couldn’t help but glance behind him at the main hall.
Zhou Shaojin felt as if struck by lightning, her limbs rigid. For a long while she couldn’t recover.
Mother had actually been betrothed to Cheng Lu’s father!
Did Father know?
Could the Cheng family not have known?
Father should have known, right?
Otherwise why would he have married off Mother’s personal maid…
And Uncle Zhuang, who had driven Mother nearly to jumping in the river… What matter could have driven Mother to nearly jump in the river…
Zhou Shaojin’s head buzzed. She didn’t know how long passed before her limbs regained sensation.
She wrote a few words and had Shi Xiang pass them to Ma Fushan.
Ma Fushan took the note and glanced at it, then said: “We all know about this matter you mentioned. However, since you brought it up, I’m curious to ask—if Madam Zhuang was betrothed to the Cheng family since childhood, how did Madam Zhuang end up marrying the Cheng family’s son-in-law?”
“This, this I don’t know…” the old beggar said haltingly.
Ma Fushan laughed coldly: “You say you served Old Master Zhuang, but when asked about Old Master Zhuang’s household affairs, you claim not to know. I think you didn’t come to seek refuge with the Zhou family—you came to extort silver from the Zhou family! Someone!” He shouted loudly. “Take the Master’s calling card to Jinling Prefecture Office. Say someone is impersonating an official’s dependent, and request Magistrate Shen Qingyun to issue an arrest warrant to take this person into custody!”
“No, no!” The old beggar jumped up in fright, rushed forward to clutch Ma Fushan’s leg, and wailed: “Steward Sir, I truly haven’t lied. The older neighbors in the neighborhood also know about this matter. It’s just that the Cheng family treats people kindly, and Master Bai has already passed away from illness. The young master of the Cheng family is a scholarly seed, so they don’t want to speak of their family’s affairs…”
“You still dare to spout nonsense!” Ma Fushan kicked the beggar to the ground. “The Cheng family treats people kindly—does that make Old Master Zhuang tyrannical and unreasonable? When the wind blows the parasol tree, others will naturally gossip. No matter how kind the Cheng family is, can they control other people’s mouths? I think you’re tired of living… Someone, come quickly! Drag him out!”
“Steward Sir, I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you.” The old beggar rushed forward again and clutched Ma Fushan’s leg. “It’s not that the Cheng family treats people kindly—I was confused and spoke nonsense…”
“You still won’t tell the truth!” Seeing this wasn’t working, Ma Fushan said: “I’ll be frank with you. This time Second Miss only had a maid follow along. If you’re honest, when Second Miss’s reward silver comes, I’ll naturally smooth things over for you. But if you dare be dishonest before me, I’ll immediately report to Second Miss that you’re a fraud…”
The old beggar had come for the silver in the first place. Hearing this, his mind immediately turned.
This Steward Ma wanted to share the silver with him… So what he should say and shouldn’t say had nothing to do with him. As this Steward Ma said, when the time came he would naturally smooth things over for him…
He felt he understood Ma Fushan’s intention.
“Chief Steward Sir, I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you everything!” He smiled ingratiatingly. “That year the Zhuang mansion’s residence was collapsed by snow, but Old Master Zhuang had made an appointment with Twelfth Master Gu early in the morning to go to the Western Heavens. Where would he get the silver to repair it? Old Master Zhuang, thinking the household had the old and young to care for, settled the Old Madam and the eldest Miss in the residence that was the Old Madam’s dowry property…
“It was only one lane away from the Cheng family, so if anything happened, the Cheng family could help look after them.
“At first everything was fine. The Cheng family’s madam would often come to see Miss Zhuang and the Old Madam, and when Master Cheng Bai had time, he’d also send servants over to ask if there was anything needed. But as time went on, things became somewhat wrong…” He paused, then continued: “The eldest Miss Zhuang was truly beautiful. Even palace ladies or celestial maidens from heaven couldn’t compare. Anyone who saw her couldn’t help but be moved.
“When Master Cheng Bai hadn’t seen Miss Zhuang yet, things were fine. But after seeing Miss Zhuang, he lost six of his seven souls, and the one soul remaining in his body was also scattered. He stopped studying and would run to the Zhuang household as soon as he opened his eyes each day. Anything the Zhuang household needed, however trivial, he’d take care of it all himself. Afraid others would become suspicious, if anyone around asked, he’d just say there was something at his bedridden aunt’s maternal home.
“At that time, the Zhuang household kept its doors tight and didn’t associate with other families besides the Cheng family. The neighbors didn’t suspect anything.
“If this had been in a powerful noble family, it would have been a good marriage match. But unfortunately, whether the Cheng family or the Zhuang family, both were small households… Especially the Zhuang family—once Old Master Zhuang left for several years, they relied entirely on pawning things to get by. That Master Cheng Bai was originally unworldly. Over several years, he actually became a regular customer at the pawnshop. All the internal and external affairs of the Zhuang household fell to Master Cheng Bai. Because of this, he even delayed one year of the civil examinations!
“Old Madam Cheng saw this and became displeased. Several times she hinted and advised Master Cheng Bai, but everything went in his left ear and out his right… Old Madam Cheng had no choice but to appeal to Miss Zhuang. Miss Zhuang also advised him, but not only did he not listen, he felt this was an opportunity and kept finding excuses to chat with Miss Zhuang, leaving her unable to advance or retreat… Old Madam Cheng became even more displeased, saying Miss Zhuang couldn’t restrain Master Cheng Bai, only knew how to be pampered and spoiled, couldn’t manage household affairs, and couldn’t oversee domestic matters.
“Miss Zhuang had grievances she couldn’t voice. She simply stopped seeing Master Cheng Bai.
“This even caused an incident.”
Zhou Shaojin, Ma Fushan, and the others couldn’t help but prick up their ears to listen.
“Master Cheng Bai had a classmate surnamed Wang who was so close to Master Cheng Bai they could wear the same pants. Once, when Master Cheng Bai was truly distressed, he confided in this man surnamed Wang. The one surnamed Wang gave Master Cheng Bai advice, telling him to climb over the Zhuang family’s back wall.
“Master Cheng Bai actually… actually listened to this man surnamed Wang and went to climb the Zhuang family’s back wall.
“Didn’t this man surnamed Wang then see Miss Zhuang… He wrote many vulgar poems to Miss Zhuang, making Miss Zhuang so angry that… she called Master Cheng Bai over and gave him a thorough scolding.
“Master Cheng Bai did stop associating with that man surnamed Wang, but Old Madam Cheng developed a concern. She heard from some nun that Miss Zhuang was a fox spirit reincarnated who would bring discord to the family… Plus that man surnamed Wang didn’t give up. Seeing he had no way to approach Miss Zhuang, he set a trap and had people lead Master Cheng Bai to gamble and visit brothels.
“Master Cheng Bai wouldn’t go to brothels, but gambling… At first he always won. When he won, he’d quietly supplement the Zhuang household. As time went on, those running the scheme closed their net—how could there still be times of winning? He inevitably stole things from home to sell.
“Once, he even stole a gold hairpin Miss Zhuang wore… Another time, having lost silver with no way to pay, he actually wanted Miss Zhuang to personally prepare a banquet to apologize to those people… Although the matter was eventually settled with silver, Miss Zhuang’s attitude toward Master Cheng Bai changed somewhat… Previously she would still speak a few words with Master Cheng Bai in the Old Madam’s presence, but afterward she never met with Master Cheng Bai again.
“Later, when Old Master Zhuang returned and learned of these matters, he sighed about beauty being a calamity. He told Old Master Cheng that if Master Cheng Bai could pass the scholar examination, the two families would still marry. But if Master Cheng Bai was still without official status after a few years, the two families would break the engagement.
“Master Cheng Bai naturally didn’t want to break the engagement.
“Those years he stayed at home studying with his door closed.
“Old Master Zhuang kept his daughter at home, waiting for Master Cheng Bai to achieve official status.
“As a result, when Miss Zhuang reached twenty, Master Cheng Bai was still without status.
“Old Master Zhuang saw his health declining like the setting sun, gradually failing, and feared he wouldn’t live to see Miss Zhuang marry, so he proposed breaking the engagement with the Cheng family.
“At first Miss Zhuang didn’t agree. No one knows what Old Master Zhuang said to Miss Zhuang, but she agreed.
“Old Master Zhuang sold the ancestral property and scraped together five hundred taels of silver to send to the Cheng family.
“Since the Cheng family had an agreement with Old Master Zhuang beforehand, they didn’t say much and quickly broke the engagement with the Zhuang family, then betrothed the daughter of Scholar Dong from west of the city as their daughter-in-law.
“Old Master Zhuang then moved to live in Plum Blossom Lane.
“Later, Miss Zhuang married Master Zhou, the Cheng family’s son-in-law.”