Chapter 64 Open Your Eyes

The two walked all the way to the courtyard gate without speaking a word, the one in front leading the ox cart, the one behind holding a torch.

One ahead, one behind. He walked, and the other followed, gazing.

The others in the house had already fallen asleep. On the table in the main room, a bowl of rice was left, covered with some meat and vegetable dishes—all of his favorites.

"Thanks." Xie Yanzhi took the bowl and was about to return to his room when he suddenly turned around, meeting Xie Tingyun's slightly sorrowful gaze.

It was just for a fleeting moment, though, and Xie Yanzhi even doubted if he had seen it wrong.

For Xie Tingyun had instantly resumed his usual haughty and disdainful demeanor.

Xie Yanzhi: "You’ve settled things with Aunt Jiang, right? Tomorrow I’ll take her to the county town, and Jiang Yun will speak with her again to ensure nothing goes wrong this time."

Xie Tingyun did not drop the ball either; he gave a slight nod.

"Right on time, she mentioned to me today that she needs to discuss it with Ah Yun once more before making a decision. Still, there should be no major issues. If I hadn't happened to track her down, she might have just run away straight."

"Ran away??" Xie Yanzhi frowned.

"A biased mother-in-law, an absent husband, a lost daughter, and now her only son has been cast aside as well. To be honest, she’s making a smart choice. Taking the money and her son to start anew far away might just give her a second chance at life."

Xie Yanzhi's brows knitted tighter and tighter.

He disagreed.

Deep down, he felt that Jiang Yun would not agree to leave, or perhaps, the time to leave had not yet come. Although the two had only met twice, that was simply his intuition.

However, he kept it to himself and let out a light hum. "If she runs away, what am I supposed to do? She gets to live a fine life, while these past two days I've been pointed at and accused of seducing a widow!"

The more Xie Yanzhi thought about it, the angrier he grew. He was, after all, a dashing and elegant young gentleman.

Being falsely accused of theft was one thing, but now that the widow had vanished, they were dragging him into it as well!

So furious was he that he stormed back to his room and aggressively finished off the large bowl of rice.

The commotion made by the two in the main room was naturally heard by Cheng Zhi. Choosing to pretend she heard nothing, she coaxed the two children to sleep. Suddenly feeling a bit hungry and hearing that the main room had quieted down, she tiptoed outside.

The moment she stepped out, however, she locked eyes with Xie Tingyun.

Only a single oil lamp sat on the table as he held a book in one hand.

Cheng Zhi pursed her lips, unsure of what to say. In truth, she was not particularly skilled at comforting people. Xie Tingyun, however, lowered his head once more, and she headed to the kitchen to eat some leftover food, only emerging a good while later.

The person in the main room had not left yet, and suddenly spoke up, "Let Jiang He come over to study together tomorrow as well. One more is no burden."

Cheng Zhi was startled, followed immediately by a surge of pleasant surprise.

Ever since that day, she had actually asked He'er why she was unwilling to come and study together.

He'er had fidgeted for a long time before replying that Master Xie had only announced the recruitment of male children, and as a girl, studying so much was of no real use.

When He'er said those words, there was not much grievance in her voice, merely a statement of fact. She felt fortunate to be able to learn alongside Cheng Zhi, but if she could not, she held no deep resentment either.

Cheng Zhi had sighed inwardly, yet had no words to offer. After all, it was Xie Tingyun who put in the effort to teach, and she had no qualification to point fingers.

During the period she had spent guiding He'er, she realized that although she recognized many characters herself, she lacked the proper methods for teaching, which often left He'er unable to fully grasp the lessons.

Fortunately, He'er was diligent and clever, managing to stumble through her studies nonetheless.

Now that Xie Tingyun had taken the initiative to offer instruction, it could not be better!

Cheng Zhi hastily curtsied, "Thank you, Master Xie!"

"No need. If you have time..."

Xie Tingyun's words paused abruptly. Cheng Zhi tilted her head slightly in an expectant listening posture.

"If you have time, keep a closer eye on Yanzhi. He has become far too wild here; even I can no longer rein him in."

A trace of exhaustion and deep helplessness hung in Xie Tingyun's brow and eyes.

Though she did not know how Cheng Zhi went about raising children, Jiang He was quiet and sensible, Cheng Hu was introverted and eager to learn, and Cheng Yuan was exceptionally clever.

In this village, he had no one else he could trust, and thus had no choice but to seek help from this woman and learn a thing or two.

Yet Cheng Zhi frowned slightly, hesitating for a long while before she spoke. "Master Xie, if you genuinely wish the best for Yanzhi, please indulge me with a piece of advice."

Xie Tingyun's brows instantly knitted into a deep frown. "When have I ever not wanted the best for him? A parent's love for their child means planning deeply for their future. He is unruly right now; I can hardly keep indulging him!"

Cheng Zhi curled her fingers tightly, gathering her courage.

"Master Xie, I am merely a woman and perhaps know very little, but I know this: to truly love a child is to give him what he loves and let him do what he enjoys. A young child needs guidance, but in a couple of years Yanzhi will be of age to marry. He is no longer a little boy. Perhaps you should open your eyes and listen to his thoughts."

Xie Tingyun rejected the notion almost without a thought: "Xie Yanzhi is playful, competitive, and lacks self-discipline. He doesn't even understand what he ought to be doing—how can I put my mind at ease?"

"What he ought to be doing? Does that mean studying for the imperial examinations?"

"What else? Could it be staying here in this village..." Xie Tingyun retorted instinctively, but halfway through, catching sight of the person drawing closer before him, he realized his impulsiveness and pressed his fingertips to his brow.

"I didn't mean it that way."

Cheng Zhi's expression remained unchanged: "Whichever way you meant it is of no concern to me. But in my humble opinion, a child's life belongs to the child himself. Since he has no passion for books, perhaps there is something else he loves and excels at? Since your ultimate goal is his well-being, why not simply ask him clearly and then help him along his path?"

Seeing that Xie Tingyun had taken her words to heart, Cheng Zhi continued, "Master Xie, pardon my boldness. Since you acknowledge Yanzhi as your only child, surely you do not wish to remain in a cold war with him until father and son grow estranged in the end?"

Xie Tingyun seemed to age several years in an instant. The upside-down book he held slipped from his grasp and fell onto the table.

"Thank you," he said in a hoarse voice.

---

The next day, when Cheng Yuan arrived at the estate holding a visiting card, the guards at the gate did not even glance at it; the moment they saw her face, they smiled and stepped aside.

Clutching the visiting card in her hand, Cheng Yuan felt her heart pounding.

It felt rather strange.

Could the magistrate not have already sold her out?

Rehearsing her excuses inwardly, Cheng Yuan slowly paced her way into Qi Yunyue's courtyard.

"Sister Yuan? You're here."

Qi Yunyue was embroidering a handkerchief inside the room. When she looked up, her eyes were red and swollen, tinged with a complex mix of emotions.

Cheng Yuan felt a thud in her chest, though she plastered an expression of astonishment across her face.

"What is this? Who bullied you? Was it that scoundrel Lu Bai?"

Cheng Yuan produced a newly made cake and placed it before her, yet Qi Yunyue could not even muster a smile.

"Thank you, Sister Yuan. I asked you to come today to ask for a favor."

A favor? It wasn't that she had been sold off? Cheng Yuan let out a heavy sigh of relief, only for her heart to leap right back into her throat upon hearing the request.

"Are you out of your mind? The magistrate has already placed you under house arrest, and you're still thinking of meeting Lu Bai?"

Qi Yunyue burst into tears.

"My father even reassigned my personal maid; he simply doesn't want me to see Brother Lu ever again. But I don't believe it—Brother Lu must have his reasons."