Chapter 47: Husband and Wife

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“You all know what our town’s academy used to be like. If the village chief hadn’t invited Master Fang, students from other towns and counties would never have come to study here. But with more students, there’s bound to be more mischief. In the past, it was just the beginner and intermediate classes that caused trouble. Today, though, it’s the more distinguished students making a scene.”

“The more distinguished students?”

The diners nearby couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.

The students of the Wenhwa Hall were all preparing for next year’s county examination, many of them exceptionally talented. Rumor had it that a few were capable of earning top marks even in the provincial exams.

The steward put down his noodles at once. “Tell us, what happened?”

Seeing everyone’s eyes fixed eagerly upon him, the storyteller’s spirits lifted. He glanced at Su Tang, who was pretending to be busy while clearly eavesdropping. “As it happens, your husband is involved.”

Su Tang gasped, “What happened?”

She wiped her hands and came out from behind her stall, now openly listening.

“During archery lessons, two started quarreling for some unknown reason. The teacher intervened and calmed things down. But just as peace returned, another student went headfirst into the latrine...”

A collective shudder ran through the crowd; suddenly their noodles seemed far less appetizing.

The storyteller hurried on, “Let’s skip the messy details. While he was still trying to clean himself up, he claimed it was Young Master Lu who kicked him in.”

“Did anyone see it?” the steward pressed.

“No. The teacher went to find Young Master Lu, who was with Master Fang at the time. Master Fang confirmed they’d been together for quite a while, so it was impossible for him to have gone to the latrine. The teacher then asked why the student suspected Young Master Lu.”

“And what did he say?” the steward asked.

“He said the academy was always harmonious, except for a quarrel with Young Master Lu a few days prior. He insisted that only students from Wenhwa Hall were present during that archery lesson, so apart from Young Master Lu, it couldn’t have been anyone else. The teacher then questioned Young Master Lu, who explained that Liu Er had confronted him yesterday, and that since joining the academy, he’d only ever spoken to a handful of people and never thought their quarrel would be taken so seriously. He certainly hadn’t expected someone from his own hall to be behind Liu Er’s actions.”

“Well done,” the steward praised. “Young Master Lu isn’t as taciturn as we thought.”

Su Tang silently gave her young husband a mental nod of approval.

Indeed.

“So, how did Master Fang decide the matter?” asked the steward.

“Master Fang would never see his own student wronged. He declared that the student must leave the academy at once. However, the student had some connections; his classmates pleaded on his behalf. In the end, Master Fang named a price.” The storyteller raised a finger.

Everyone wondered, “What does that mean?”

The steward guessed, “A hundred taels?”

“I don’t know,” the storyteller replied. “Master Fang didn’t specify. But let’s say it was a hundred taels. That sum would go to the academy’s funds, and the student must also apologize to Young Master Lu.”

“Did he apologize?”

“Of course,” said the storyteller. “Otherwise, he’d have been expelled. But as for the mysterious kicker, there’s still no evidence.”

“Could it be there was no kicker at all?” someone speculated.

“Maybe...”

Their suspicions hung in the air, but Su Tang, who had remained silent until then, declared firmly, “He must have slipped and fallen on his own.”

The others, including the storyteller, glanced at Su Tang, then exchanged glances themselves, finally agreeing that the young lady must be right.

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Word had spread that this very young lady had, with the courage of an army, rescued Young Master Lu just the day before.

Her own husband was a student of Wenhwa Hall, so surely they were all of a similar character.

Seeing the diners nodding quietly, Su Tang asked, “Does anyone know the student’s full name?”

“I don’t recall, only that his surname is Fang,” the storyteller replied.

Ah, Fang.

Su Tang smiled softly.

*****

The sun was setting.

Outside the academy gates.

Jingyuan emerged just in time to see Su Tang chatting happily with another student.

He recognized the boy. It was Liu Hu from the beginners’ class, who had shared a piece of water chestnut cake with him a few days ago.

As Jingyuan approached, Su Tang spotted him immediately. “Husband!”

She called out from afar.

Liu Hu quickly bowed, then scurried away.

Jingyuan was silent.

Su Tang explained, “He has urgent matters at home.”

Jingyuan said nothing, his gaze drifting to another student not far away.

Huang Wenzhao met their eyes, nodded slightly, then turned and walked off without a word.

Su Tang’s smile widened. “I suppose our classmate Huang must have urgent business at home too.”

Jingyuan looked at her.

Su Tang lifted the box in her hands with a grin. “This time, I didn’t give any away. They’re all for you.”

Inside the box were water chestnut cakes, steamed rice cakes, and some other pastries whose names even Jingyuan didn’t know, all bought in town.

As Jingyuan ate, the two walked home together.

In the carriage, Huang Wenzhao lifted the curtain slightly, watching the students streaming out of the academy. Among them, those two figures stood out unmistakably.

He stamped his foot. The coachman asked, “Young master?”

“To the Fang residence,” Huang Wenzhao ordered.

“Yes, sir.”

The coachman cracked his whip, and the carriage rolled forward.

There was only one road from the academy into town; carriages traveled down the center, pedestrians kept to the sides. Soon, the carriage passed Jingyuan and Su Tang.

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A breeze stirred, fluttering the carriage curtain. Su Tang’s delicate features glowed faintly in the light, like pearls strung together.

Huang Wenzhao gazed for a moment, then turned away.

“Sister.”

“Brother.”

A little girl came skipping over from beneath the phoenix tree, bowed politely to them both, then looked up with a toothless, beaming grin.

Su Tang, noticing the gap where a tooth had fallen out, couldn’t resist pinching the little one’s cheeks. “You’re growing up—you’ve lost a tooth!”

The little girl was about to dodge when a piece of pastry appeared before her.

Jingyuan had handed her the treat. “Here, take it.”

She glanced back at her father, who was busy at his stall and couldn’t leave his post.

Just then, Su Tang exclaimed, “Oh, little brother got there first! I was going to let you try it too!”

Before she finished, the girl had snatched the pastry from Jingyuan’s hand, darted behind him, and grinned mischievously at Su Tang.

Su Tang narrowed her eyes and pounced with playful claws.

The little girl let out a squeal, then burst into delighted laughter.

Her father, hearing her cry out, immediately looked over. On seeing Su Tang and Jingyuan, he relaxed and returned to his business, smiling as he sold a bamboo basket to a waiting customer.

The little girl’s father hurried over.

Seeing him approach, she stopped hiding and quickly bowed to Su Tang and Jingyuan.

“Thank you, brother and sister.”

Her father gently scolded, “You should say thank you to the gentleman and lady.”

“No!”

“No!” Su Tang and Jingyuan exclaimed at once.

They both looked at each other in surprise, then quickly looked away.

Jingyuan was silent.

Su Tang smiled. “Just call us brother and sister. We’re still very young ourselves.”