CFRSIO Chapter 9

The villagers of Tao Village did not expect the Zhang family to be so resolute. In fact, the land leased by the Zhang family had supported many people, and the Zhang family, being righteous, managed their land far better than others. Those who leased it had greatly benefited.

Moreover, because the Zhang family were outsiders, they did not dare to demand excessively high rent, so their rent was lower than that of tenants in nearby villages.

What a pity. They were greedy and insatiable. The Zhang family simply didn’t want to be taken advantage of anymore, but instead, they were being slandered. They truly deserved it.

Some of the elderly, whether due to their own senility or instigation from their descendants, sat directly on the ground and threw a tantrum, crying and wailing as if they had suffered some immense injustice.

When the wailing subsided, a man wearing brocade robes, who was clearly a noble, stepped forward.

“This land, the Zhang family has already sold it to me. Now this land is mine.”

The village chief of Tao Village, who was called over, almost fainted upon hearing this. What! What was this person saying! What did he mean this land was now his! This was a matter of betraying one’s roots and losing all virtue!

The village chief had clearly forgotten that in the early years, when they didn’t have the money to buy back the village’s land, the Zhang family had spent money to purchase it, only to be bullied by them openly and covertly.

They were unrighteous and ungrateful, so how could they have the face to blame the Zhang family!

“Shuda! Quickly… quickly go find the Zhang family!” Fortunately, the village chief was supported by his eldest son, otherwise, he would have collapsed.

How could they be willing to let the village’s land fall into someone else’s hands? Naturally, they immediately asked Tao Shuda to find Uncle Zhang. However, it was unfortunate, as their entire family was not home that day.

They were not at home early in the morning, nor late in the evening, but precisely at this time, they were not home? Of course, it was intentional. Uncle Zhang did not want to continue arguing with them about these trivial matters. After all, no matter what they said, the people of Tao Village would not consider him as one of them.

Uncle Zhang took his wife and son to the town. The shopkeeper Wang, who came to buy the land, was a good person. Although he had some ulterior motives, Uncle Zhang had to admit that the conditions he offered were extremely good.

Shopkeeper Wang not only bought the farmland but also bought the Zhang family’s blue-brick house in the village. He not only offered a price higher than the market value but also gave them the deed to a grocery store.

In fact, the deed to a grocery store alone was enough to buy Uncle Zhang’s land and house. Uncle Zhang naturally refused, but Shopkeeper Wang’s words were not without reason.

“Brother Zhang, please accept it. When your shuang’er gets married in the future, you won’t be looked down upon.”

Shopkeeper Wang still felt that Lin Yunliang would not give up. He greatly admired Lin Yunliang, which was why he took the liberty of adding the deed to a shop. It was just a shop, compared to the money Lin Yunliang had helped him earn during this time. He knew which was more important.

Moreover, if the two of them really ended up together, then he had helped them greatly this time. He had already hitched himself to the Zhang family so quickly, perhaps not foresightedly.

Upon hearing this, Uncle Zhang’s heart skipped a beat. It was indeed true. Only then did he agree.

“Shopkeeper Wang, about Lin Yunliang…” Uncle Zhang hesitated but still spoke, only to be interrupted by Shopkeeper Wang.

“Brother Zhang, Master Lin is no ordinary man. His character is absolutely trustworthy.”

Shopkeeper Wang was speaking highly of Lin Yunliang to Uncle Zhang. Lin Yunliang had known him for so long, and when had he ever seen him care so much about others? Except for the first time he made a lot of money from him, the subsequent collaborations were all calculated based on profit sharing, and Lin Yunliang did not earn less.

Moreover, he had heard quite a bit of other news. Lin Yunliang’s ambition was far greater than he had anticipated.

Thus, today, Uncle Zhang took his wife and son to town.

“Father, where is this?” Zhang Qing’an asked doubtfully.

Aunt Zhang also looked at Uncle Zhang with a confused expression.

“This is our family’s shop,” Uncle Zhang said with a bright smile.

He had not expected the location of this grocery store to be so good. He had originally thought that Shopkeeper Wang would give him a shop in a remote location, but seeing it now was an unexpected surprise.

The shop was located near East Willow Street. As soon as they walked in, the young shopkeeper inside quickly came out.

“You must be Master Zhang, right?” The young shopkeeper saw that the arrivals were a family of three and looked completely unfamiliar, so he guessed their identities. He immediately smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

Seven days prior, the original owner of the shop, Shopkeeper Wang, had come to find the young shopkeeper and told him about the shop transfer, instructing him not to be rude when he met the new owner.

The young shopkeeper had been with Shopkeeper Wang for many years, and this was the second time he had seen Shopkeeper Wang attach such importance to someone named Zhang. The first person he had attached such importance to was Lin Yunliang.

So, upon seeing Uncle Zhang and his family, he immediately approached them respectfully.

“My name is Xu Li, and I am the shopkeeper appointed by Shopkeeper Wang,” Xu Li quickly explained his identity.

The three of them were stunned. Mother Zhang and Zhang Qing’an immediately turned to look at their father and husband.

Their expressions were consistent, all of them curious and expectant of Uncle Zhang’s explanation.

Uncle Zhang did not speak, but Xu Li spoke first, “Master Zhang, you, Madam, and Young Master, please follow me.”

Xu Li pretended not to see the unspoken communication between them. He spoke calmly.

The location of this grocery store was just near East Willow Lane. It usually did business with the residents of East Willow Lane. East Willow Lane was a place inhabited by wealthy people, so there was no shortage of business. Many people also passed by.

Coincidentally, Lin Yunliang was passing by. He saw familiar figures appearing in the shop and thought of who the owner of this shop was, and immediately understood.

There was some helplessness. This Shopkeeper Wang. It was originally a troublesome matter, but Lin Yunliang surprisingly did not have this thought. Of course, he would not tell anyone about his own thoughts.

However, Siam, who had been honestly following Lin Yunliang during this time, had something to say.

“It’s Zhang Qing’an!” Siam’s voice was cheerful. Seeing that Lin Yunliang did not stop but continued towards the Lin Residence, after glancing between the shop and Lin Yunliang three or four times, he reluctantly looked at the shop one last time, then turned and ran up quickly.

“Are they also moving to town?” Then I can go find him to play with! Great! Wonderful! The kitten is happy.

The little cat beside him did not voice his thoughts, but his joy was clearly conveyed to the person beside him. Lin Yunliang, who could guess why he was happy, did not realize that he himself was also happy.

Tao Village:

Tao Village was neither big nor small, but the young people had fast legs and understood the village’s situation. They had been waiting for a long time and had not seen any of the Zhang family appear, and they were already impatient.

That group of people was naturally not good people. They directly dug up the crops in the fields without any heartache. The people of Tao Village were heartbroken. Those wheat seedlings had taken them months of hard work to grow to their current state.

Yet, they were casually dug up. Who could accept such a blow? Some of the elderly, who had been working in the fields their entire lives, could not withstand such a blow and directly fainted.

The young people immediately went to help the elderly, while some of the hot-headed youths were about to rush forward and fight those who destroyed their fields. As for the timid ones, they were on the side, cursing and not forgetting to drag Zhang Qing’an’s family into their insults.

Little did they know that these people had received instructions before they came and knew the actions of the Tao Village people, so they did not hesitate to use their fists.

Although they did a lot of farm work, they also had strength, but it was no match for those who professionally earned their living with their fists. Soon, they were beaten black and blue.

A group of people lay on the ground in a sorry state, sighing. There were injuries all over their bodies and faces.

At this point, the village chief could no longer stand by and watch. He had to grit his teeth and come out again. He had arrived much earlier, but before he got close, he saw the situation here, which scared him so much that he almost fainted.

He was helped to the side to rest. Now, with the villagers being beaten like this in front of him, if he didn’t come out, did he still want to be the village chief! This was not what he wanted to see.

The village chief had a good plan. He had a son, and he would let his son inherit the position of village chief, and then pass it on to his grandson. His family would definitely be the leaders of the entire Tao Village.

However, he did not expect such a situation to occur today.

“Brave warriors! Brave warriors, please show mercy!” The village chief stepped forward.

Tao Shuda also stood beside the village chief. Although his name was elegant, he looked rough and strong. Having worked as a merchant in his early years, he had gained some strength. Standing beside the village chief at this moment, he looked like he was there to cause trouble.

“May I know your name, sir, and why you are suddenly here to dig up the wheat seedlings on our Tao Village fields?”

“Our Tao Village are all farmers, and we all rely on the crops from the land for our livelihood.”

The news of someone coming to cause trouble was spread throughout the village by someone. Gradually, more men and women ran out. Soon, someone recognized that the people who had come to “cause trouble” were Butler Xu from the Xu Residence.

“Butler Xu? What is this…”

Butler Xu had naturally come with orders. He had already felt that Lin Yunliang was no ordinary person, and after seeing him again, he was even more certain.

The third time Butler Xu saw Lin Yunliang was at a banquet.

That banquet was no ordinary one. Not only were wealthy people from several nearby towns invited, but even officials were present. Master Xu’s status was barely enough to be on the fringes, and to be able to attend, he had already spent a large sum of money and effort.

Initially, he thought Lin Yunliang was just a servant brought by some master, but when he saw Shopkeeper Wang talking to someone, he realized that Lin Yunliang could now be called “Master Lin.”

Perhaps it was because Butler Xu’s attitude had been quite good before, that at the banquet, even though he saw Lin Yunliang, he did not say much, and Master Xu had the opportunity to get some soup. Although it was not much, it was much more than before.

Now that he had received this errand, he naturally had to handle it properly.

However, at first, Butler Xu did not quite understand why Lin Yunliang had such an attitude. After all, Tao Village was Lin Yunliang’s hometown, so he should not have been so heartless.

But now Butler Xu knew. This group of people was truly vile. He knew who the owner of the land was when he bought it, not to mention he also heard that there was a young shuang’er in the Zhang family. Hearing them curse the Zhang family like that earlier, he understood even better.

No feelings were formed casually. The people acting here were clearly his people, but these people were indiscriminately slandering and spewing filth, which was truly infuriating.

Butler Xu sneered, unfolded the deed in his hand, and said loudly, “Now this land belongs to Master Xu of the Xu Residence.”

“Why can’t my butler dig up the weeds in the Xu family’s land?”

“Those are not weeds!” The village chief did not expect that Uncle Zhang had really sold the land.

Butler Xu held the deed in his hand steadily, letting everyone see the words clearly. The village chief was literate, otherwise, he would not have been qualified to be the village chief. Of course, he saw the contents of the deed, and now he was even more about to faint.

Hearing someone righteously claim that the well-growing wheat seedlings were weeds, they felt even more heartbroken.

Butler Xu did not indulge these people. “It was like this before, but from today onwards, these fields belong to the Xu family, to Master Xu.”

“From now on, the Xu family will not ask for grain as rent. It will be five taels of silver per mu.”

“Those who want to rent the land should bring the silver tomorrow and go to the Xu Residence to sign a new deed.”

“If you cannot pay the rent, there are plenty of people willing to rent it.”

“Let me make myself clear, the Xu family does not allow any arrears. If anyone dares to be in arrears, the Xu family will certainly not let them off.”

“Consider it yourself.”

“Also, today my butler will dig up all the weeds in the fields!”

“Get to it!”

“Yes!”

“Butler Xu! Butler Xu!!”

“Ah! My land!”

“What are you doing!”

“Stop! Quickly stop!!”

Tao Village was going to have a great loss today.

But Zhang Qing’an’s family in the town had no idea. However, even if they knew, they wouldn’t care. Deep affections, if not maintained with effort, will gradually wear away. What’s more, their relationship was originally not very close.

The grocery store was not large, and there was a small compartment behind it for people to rest.

They were only here to take a look today, so after browsing, they left. However, the situation of their departure was unexpectedly seen by someone else.

Xu Kun respectfully sent them off, “Master Zhang, please go slowly. I will deliver the accounts to your residence in a few days.”

“Okay.”

Tao Zhiyuan stared at the departing Zhang Qing’an family in shock. Looking at Zhang Qing’an’s back, his eyes became dark and unfathomable. He knew that the Zhang family had some wealth, but he did not expect them to have the ability to buy a shop in town, and it was this grocery store located in East Willow Lane.

Tao Zhiyuan had been in town for a longer time, so he naturally knew that this shop did business with the wealthy people of East Willow Lane. Even a small amount of what those wealthy people had at their fingertips would be enough for people like them who worked the land to eat for a lifetime.

Now, seeing Zhang Qing’an’s family walk out of this shop, some thoughts once again arose in his mind.

He had never intended to simply break off the engagement. No matter what, he had to get something from Zhang Qing’an to make up for his years of hardship.

Now, it was even less possible to simply break off the engagement.

He immediately hurried after them. Then, he deliberately took a detour and appeared in front of them.

“Uncle Zhang, Aunt Zhang.” Tao Zhiyuan saw the three of them and immediately walked over. As the saying goes, one should not hit a smiling person. Tao Zhiyuan greeted them first.

Then he looked at Zhang Qing’an with a seemingly affectionate gaze, which made Zhang Qing’an feel nauseous. He avoided his gaze and did not want to see this person. His expression turned cold when Tao Zhiyuan appeared.

“An’an.” He deliberately used an extremely intimate address.

Tao Zhiyuan had never used such an intimate address even when they met privately. He also thought that this person had been in town for a much longer time than them. A thought arose in Zhang Qing’an’s mind: could this guy have seen them come out of the shop?

Coincidentally, Zhang Qing’an was right.

When Father Zhang saw Tao Zhiyuan, his expression also turned cold. Mother Zhang was not aware of the little secret between father and son. Seeing that both father and son had very indifferent expressions, she understood that they did not welcome Tao Zhiyuan.

Although she did not know why, she knew her old man well. When the Tao family came to propose, the old man was very uncooperative. An’an was their only son, doted on since childhood. Now that some boy from outside wanted to marry the child they had doted on for many years, he was naturally displeased.

But An’an also… Mother Zhang knew that Zhang Qing’an liked Tao Zhiyuan. When Zhang Qing’an was young, she and Father Zhang went out for a while due to an accident, and they sent him to his maternal grandfather’s house to stay for a while. The red string bracelet on his wrist was obtained at that time.

He always kept it very carefully, and even when she wanted to see it, Zhang Qing’an would object.

His maternal grandfather’s house was not far from Tao Village. Later, they learned that the bracelet seemed to have been given by Tao Zhiyuan.

This was also why the couple agreed to the marriage. After all, with the childhood affection, they would surely get along when they grew up. The couple had also had contact for a period before getting married, and they married because they truly had feelings for each other.

Now, it seemed that things were not quite the same.

Tao Zhiyuan did not expect their family to treat him with such cold faces. His smile was almost shattered, and he was full of resentment. However, thinking of his plan, he immediately suppressed his anger. His smile became even brighter as he said,

“Uncle and Aunt are rarely in town. How about I, your nephew, take you two elders and An’an around?”

Tao Zhiyuan understood the principle of “one cannot catch a wolf without sacrificing a child.” His ambitions were not small, so at this moment, he naturally had to put on a good show.

Tao Zhiyuan was even more generous in taking the Zhang family to eat. Zhang Qing’an knew that this person likely did not have much money on him, as he had asked him for money before.

Since the person had already offered and appeared generous, he should not be polite.

Zhang Qing’an said, “It is said that the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish at the Jade Pavilion is exquisite. Since Brother Zhiyuan is so generous, Father and Mother, shall we go to the Jade Pavilion?”

Upon hearing this, Tao Zhiyuan almost fainted. That was the Jade Pavilion! A restaurant in town that only the rich could afford! This Zhang Qing’an was truly… Well, well, as long as he could appease him for now, and when they got married in the future, Zhang Qing’an would still be at his mercy!

Coincidentally, Shopkeeper Wang was at the Jade Pavilion today and was somewhat surprised to see the four people walking in.

Seeing Tao Zhiyuan’s eyes constantly falling on Zhang Qing’an, he thought to himself, could it be because of this guy that his brother Lin chose to do these things secretly? However, that guy did not seem like a good match.

As a shopkeeper who had run a restaurant for many years, Shopkeeper Wang naturally had a pair of discerning eyes, and he also noticed Father Zhang’s disdain and dissatisfaction with Tao Zhiyuan, which made him understand even more.

He specially went to serve them personally.

Shopkeeper Wang, with a quick glance, guessed what the half-scheming Father Zhang was thinking, so he was happy to cooperate.

He immediately stepped forward with a feigned look of surprise and looked at Tao Zhiyuan, “You… are Tao Zhiyuan, Tao Tong Sheng, right?”

Tao Zhiyuan did not expect Shopkeeper Wang to recognize him. However, being recognized by a noble like this satisfied his vanity. Therefore, he nodded his head in a pretentious manner.

“Yes, this student is indeed Tao Zhiyuan.”

“But how do you know me, Shopkeeper Wang?”

Shopkeeper Wang did not show it on his face, but in his heart, he despised him greatly. How could this person compare to his little brother Lin? He continued, “I know a teacher from the academy.”

He continued to flatter him, saying, “The teacher from the academy told me that the Tong Sheng is the most outstanding among everyone. He will definitely succeed in the next imperial examination.”

After speaking, he revealed a fawning smile and cupped his hands in greeting, as if the other person was already a Xiucai.

“Then we can congratulate Scholar Gui in advance.”

This vivid description made it understandable why people liked to hear flattery. Indeed, who would not like such pleasant and complimentary words?

Tao Zhiyuan was floating on cloud nine, unaware that the people around him had unnatural expressions, especially Zhang Qing’an, who now only felt that he had been incredibly blind back then, thinking why he had considered this person to be that special person he met in his childhood, and even missing him.

Don’t ask, just regret it.

Mother Zhang also felt very uncomfortable. Hadn’t they always said that Tong Sheng Tao was calm and steady? What did this demeanor have to do with “calm and steady”? Oh, he only had the word “heavy,” right?

Father Zhang concealed his thoughts and expressions by lowering his head to drink water. In his heart, he admired Shopkeeper Wang, as he could not do this kind of talking nonsense. He was usually honest.

“Since that’s the case, then Tong Sheng Tao must try our new dish called ‘Dominating the Top’.”

It had to be said that he was indeed a businessman. He had good eyesight and immediately understood Tao Zhiyuan. Tao Zhiyuan considered himself superior as a scholar and felt that after living in town for so many years, he was half a town resident. In his heart, he did not think that Shopkeeper Wang’s flattery was problematic at all. He only felt that he deserved it.

“Then give me one portion.” With a wave of his hand, he ordered this dish.

Shopkeeper Wang was an old fox, how could he only have this dish? He continued to coax him into ordering several more dishes before bowing and retreating.

The waiter following him was very confused. “Shopkeeper, is that Tong Sheng really that capable?”

In his heart, he also admired him. From the waiter’s years of judging people, this so-called Tong Sheng was not as extraordinary as the boss said. Moreover, looking at him now, he should be over twenty years old. If he were truly a genius, he should have been a Xiucai or even a Juren long ago. Why was he still a Tong Sheng?

Shopkeeper Wang smiled and did not answer, only saying, “Go instruct the kitchen to make the dishes more exquisite.”

“Yes.” The waiter did not understand Shopkeeper Wang’s smile, but upon receiving the order, he quickly ran off.

Shopkeeper Wang had some admiration. After all, in his opinion, Lin Yunliang was an absolutely good match, but Zhang Qing’an chose Tao Zhiyuan, so Tao Zhiyuan must have some ability.

But how could he know? Tao Zhiyuan was just borrowing someone else’s light.

This meal was barely a success, at least for now.

When Tao Zhiyuan heard the total cost, he uncontrollably let out a sharp cry, “What!”

“How much did you say?”

The waiter frowned, as if he thought this Tong Sheng had such a loud voice, but Tao Zhiyuan did not care about that at the moment.

“Three hundred taels.” The waiter repeated.

Upon hearing the price again, Tao Zhiyuan almost fainted. He knew that the food at the Jade Pavilion was always expensive, but he never expected that a meal would cost three hundred taels. He only had a hundred taels on him.

It was what he had brought out… He originally thought of spending a small amount of money to appease the Zhang family, and then he would not be short of money. But he never expected that a meal would cost him so much face and dignity.

“Tong Sheng, you can’t afford it, can you? You ordered the hidden menu of our Jade Pavilion, and our shopkeeper only made it because he saw you were a scholar.”

“And you yourself were satisfied, weren’t you?”

He was satisfied. The dishes at the Jade Pavilion were expensive. Although he was in town, he was poor and had never eaten there. This was his first time here today, and he did indeed eat with great satisfaction, but he never expected such a high price.

This was not…

“Little Brother, I’m not…”

“If you can’t afford it, just say so. What kind of person are you? Although you are a Tong Sheng, our Jade Pavilion is a legitimate business!”

This damn fellow. Tao Zhiyuan’s expression could barely be maintained.

Seeing that more and more people were gathering, Tao Zhiyuan knew that if he did not pay, he would lose all face, but he truly did not have enough money.

“Everyone, everyone! Please judge!”

“Where can a Tong Sheng eat without paying? Our shopkeeper, to make everyone happy, specially spent a lot of money to find several chefs specializing in spicy food from the south! Today is the first demonstration by the chefs.”

“And yet this Tong Sheng eats without paying! How can there be such a thing!”

As soon as the waiter spoke, the eyes of everyone around him changed. Tao Zhiyuan was so angry that his face turned red. When had he ever been treated like this?

“Little Brother, I didn’t say I wouldn’t pay, it’s just…” This price is too high!

Even though the waiter had explained a lot before, Tao Zhiyuan still felt that three hundred taels was too high.

The waiter felt a little guilty. He knew that a meal for three hundred taels was too expensive in their town, but this was the shopkeeper’s order, and what did it have to do with him knowing that the waiter…?

Therefore, he immediately and righteously retorted, “Since you didn’t say you wouldn’t pay, then quickly pay!”

“Everyone is waiting!”

“I…”

Tao Zhiyuan was now in a difficult situation. His handsome face turned red. In his heart, he cursed Zhang Qing’an, how hateful. He was good-intentioned to treat them to a meal, but it resulted in this. Zhang Qing’an was even more excessive.

He didn’t even think of speaking up for him!

He was left in such a predicament! Truly hateful, and his resolve to not break off the engagement became even firmer. If the engagement was broken off, wouldn’t he lose even more!

And their shop in town! Tao Zhiyuan was not stupid. Account books were not something that could be casually shown to anyone!

In the end, how was this matter resolved?

It was resolved by Father Zhang stepping forward and paying the money. And Shopkeeper Wang, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, finally came out. He accepted the money.

Of course, he was not stupid. Taking money from Father Zhang would not be to his advantage, would it? This money naturally had other uses.

The matter was resolved, and the onlookers dispersed in twos and threes.

Tao Zhiyuan could only thank Father Zhang with a red face. However, his eyes held unconcealable anger.

If he had money, why didn’t he take it out earlier? He had to wait until he lost face to take it out!

This Zhang family was truly hateful!

Father Zhang gave Zhang Qing’an some more money and said, “An’an, take your mother to the town to wander around.”

“Okay.” Zhang Qing’an happily accepted and left with his mother. During this time, he did not even give Tao Zhiyuan a proper glance.

Tao Zhiyuan’s heart was even more choked with anger.

“Tao Zhiyuan.” Father Zhang said with a cold face. Although the events of today were not a major issue, they were enough for them to see Tao Zhiyuan’s true colors.

The old father, who had not agreed much in the first place but only out of consideration for his son’s wishes, could finally speak his true feelings.

“Nephew is here.” Tao Zhiyuan still had some foresight. Seeing Father Zhang’s attitude, he understood. And he certainly would not give up and let Zhang Qing’an go just like that? That would be too easy for them.

“Is all the money in your household managed by your mother?”

“Naturally, it is managed by my mother. This nephew does not understand these things.”

“Don’t understand?” Father Zhang sneered, “You’ve also seen that An’an is the only son of my Zhang family, and he has been doted on by his mother and me since childhood.”

“Today, for just a meal, you can’t even come up with the money. Will you expect me, your future father-in-law, to subsidize you in the future?”

Father Zhang’s choice of words was not pleasant. He did it intentionally. Since they had already decided to go to town, there was no need to maintain any pretense.

“Uncle Zhang, your words are a bit too much!”

“If we get married later, our two families will be one family. Why should one family speak separately?”

“Don’t forget, you and An’an are not yet married. Do you really think I’m unaware of how much An’an has subsidized you privately?”

“Tao Zhiyuan, I will visit your home in a few days. At that time, I hope the Tao family has prepared the returned betrothal gifts.”

“Uncle Zhang!” Tao Zhiyuan said with a dark expression.

He didn’t know why. Was it just for a meal? This Zhang family was truly shortsighted. No wonder no one in the village liked them.

“An’an marrying me is considered a high climb. Although I am a Tong Sheng, I will soon become a Xiucai. Are you sure you want to give up such a good marriage?”

“Then wait until you become Scholar Gui!”