Chapter 610 - 225: No Coincidence, No Story
Chapter 610: Chapter 225: No Coincidence, No Story
"It is only right, please accept it. If you fall ill and it delays your journey to the capital, affecting your Imperial Examination next year, even a thousand deaths would not absolve us of the blame."
After some consideration, Meng Jintang finally cupped his hands in a bow and said, "In that case, I will boldly borrow it."
"Just take it and use it. As for the thank-you gift, I will have it delivered to your lodgings tomorrow."
"There is truly no need for that."
"It is necessary. Otherwise, owing such a great favor would make my sister, her husband, and their family unable to eat or sleep in peace."
Not knowing what came to mind, Meng Jintang eventually gave a slight nod and agreed. At this time, his attendant brought over a cloak. Meng Jintang put it on and stepped into the dense night.
After Meng Jintang left, Xu Shiling asked Zhao Jing in a low voice, "What kind of grievance do you have with this scholar?"
Zhao Jing said unhurriedly, "I should let you know, Uncle Xu Shiling, this person’s surname is Meng, named Meng Jintang."
"His surname is Meng? Meng Jintang? Why does this name sound a bit familiar?"
The three people surrounding Yao’an stiffened. Unwilling to face this awkward situation, they huddled even closer around Yao’an, asking about his well-being.
Seeing this, Zhao Jing could only continue, "The Meng family in Qingshui County built their fortune on silk. Their eldest son fell in love with Chen Wanqing at first sight in his early years and specifically hired a matchmaker to propose."
When Xu Shiling heard "built their fortune on silk," he actually remembered who this Meng Jintang was. Wasn’t he the young man who was initially engaged to Wanqing?
He had heard that the man had bad luck. When he went to the Prefecture to take the exams, he encountered water bandits and almost lost his life. He barely survived, but like Mrs. Zhao, he fell into the water and lost his memory, taking several years to recover it. His family was even more outrageous; they actually wanted Qing’er to be buried with him.
After finding out the details of these matters, Xu Shiling had wanted to teach the Meng family a lesson, but De’an had said, "Forget it, Jing has already taught their family a lesson."
Why did Zhao Jing step in to teach the Meng family a lesson? This was actually a matter from before they settled in the Prefecture.
Right before their departure, Mrs. Zhao suddenly fell ill, forcing Zhao Jing to change their itinerary and wait until she recovered before setting off. It was during that time that the news of Meng Jintang becoming a scholar reached Qingshui County.
Although Meng Jintang had fallen out with his parents and brothers, family scandals were not to be aired in public. The Meng family certainly didn’t present it that way to outsiders. They claimed that Meng Jintang was someone who repaid kindness. Since he had received the grace of that grandfather in Guiyang County, he had to live right under their noses and treat the descendants of his savior kindly. What would be the point of bringing the bride back to Qingshui County? If her ancestors couldn’t see whether or not they were treating their descendants well, wouldn’t they be anxious in the underworld?
Anyway, no matter how unpleasantly the two parties clashed in private, on the surface, they were still an affectionate and harmonious family.
Furthermore, after Zhao Jing achieved the Junior Triple First, Mrs. Meng was unwilling to accept that Chen Wanqing was living a good life, and she even grew resentful of Zhao Jing. One day, when she went out for a stroll with her second son, she happened to run into Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing, who were selling ginseng at the pharmacy.
Mrs. Meng didn’t know they were selling ginseng. Assuming they were buying it, she deliberately caused trouble. She bid up a ginseng root worth only fifty or sixty taels to two hundred and fifty taels. As a result, she was thoroughly tricked by Chen Wanqing, suffering a massive financial loss and losing immense face. She wanted to strike back, but then the Holy Decree of commendation arrived, leaving Mrs. Meng indescribably furious.
Under these circumstances, the news of Meng Jintang becoming a scholar arrived. For Mrs. Meng, it was like drinking ice water in the sweltering heat—she felt thoroughly refreshed and elated. When Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing were on their way to the Chen family, she deliberately blocked their path. She said to the bystanders in a passive-aggressive tone, "What’s the use of a Junior Triple First? He is but a Scholar. How many Scholars spend their entire lives failing to pass the exams and become a scholar? There are plenty of examples of those who are brilliant in their youth but amount to nothing when they grow up."
She stopped just short of pointing at Zhao Jing’s nose and cursing him to never make any further progress.
Zhao Jing could endure it, but Chen Wanqing absolutely could not. The two of them didn’t go to the Chen family. Instead, they took a detour to find Zhao Chong.
Zhao Chong was that very merchant who had troubled Zhao Jing to write a visiting card for him, successfully becoming a protégé of Mr. Zhang. Coincidentally, he was also in the silk business.
Zhao Jing offered strategies to Zhao Chong, allowing him to snatch away a great deal of the Meng family’s business. During those days, gloom and misery shrouded the Meng family, and not a single person, from top to bottom, could unfurrow their brows. That alone wasn’t enough. When the situation escalated to a certain point, Zhao Jing also sent someone to inform Old Master Meng, as well as Second Meng and Meng the Third, of the true reason why their business was being snatched away.
Mrs. Meng’s good days had come to an end. Not only was she stripped of her household management rights, but she wasn’t even allowed to leave the manor. Old Master Meng personally brought in a statue of a Bodhisattva and ordered her to practice the vow of silence at home if she had nothing to do, so as to spare the family from further disasters.
Afterward, Old Master Meng even sent an invitation to Jing, hoping to arrange a gathering with Zhao Jing and Zhao Chong to beg for leniency. Zhao Jing ignored him, and Zhao Chong was even less likely to spit out the meat that had already reached his mouth.
Thus, the Meng family suffered a very real and severe loss.