Chapter 65 It is He Who Owes Him

"But my dad refuses to let me see him again. He thinks I lose my mind and act a fool the moment I lay eyes on him."

Qi Yunyue wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, sobbing intermittently. Cheng Yuan remained silent, only nodding repeatedly in her heart.

Who could argue with that?

"However, Sister Yuan, I have truly thought it through this time." Qi Yunyue grabbed a corner of Cheng Yuan's sleeve, her expression pleading. "Just let me see him one last time. Regardless of right and wrong, truth and falsehood, I will immediately give up and never associate with him again."

With these words, she closed her eyes tightly, and two large streams of hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

A trace of surprise rose in Cheng Yuan's heart. The magistrate actually had quite a way with things to be able to talk sense into such a hopelessly infatuated girl.

She sighed softly, gazing quietly at Qi Yunyue until the latter grew increasingly flustered.

"Sister Yuan..."

"Yunyue, it's not that I am unwilling to help you, but aren't seeing him and not seeing him the same as telling right from wrong?"

Qi Yunyue fell into despair.

"However..."

"I can help you see Lu Bai, but I cannot let him see you," Cheng Yuan said.

"Yunyue, did you really think the visiting card could reach my hands so easily, and that I could come here without the magistrate's permission just to hear your plea?"

Qi Yunyue gripped her handkerchief tighter.

This was her father's greatest concession.

Her eyes filled with tears, she said, "Alright, I agree."

***

Xie Yanzhi woke up before dawn as usual. Sleepy-eyed and preparing to go to the backyard to scoop up a bowl of melting snow water to wake himself up, he suddenly caught sight of a figure standing in the kitchen.

"Dad?" Xie Yanzhi frowned, a sudden sense of foreboding washing over him.

He had never seen Xie Tingyun awake at this hour before. What trick was he trying to pull now?

A hint of unnaturalness crossed Xie Tingyun's face, but the darkness of the early morning hid it from Xie Yanzhi's view.

He opened his mouth and stammered for a moment, "...About the Jiang family, Aunt Jiang will be coming over shortly."

Xie Yanzhi let out an "oh," then tried to walk past him.

"Oh, and another thing," Xie Tingyun called out.

Xie Yanzhi turned back, his eyebrows knitted with slight impatience.

Seeing a face almost identical to his own in his youth, Xie Tingyun lost his focus for a moment.

"Once this matter is settled, let's have a proper talk."

Xie Yanzhi uttered another indifferent "oh," turned away, and did not linger.

As he turned his back, he rolled his eyes. He wondered what grave matter it could be; as it turned out, it was just another attempt to lecture him.

***

After speaking, Xie Tingyun finally let out a sigh of relief.

Seeing Xie Yanzhi about to leave the house, he stopped him. "Return early."

Xie Yanzhi walked off with a bizarre expression on his face.

Xie Tingyun heaved another long sigh. First showing a cooperative attitude, and then following up with care and concern—surely he hadn't done anything wrong.

After feeding the old ox with grass at his doorstep, Xie Yanzhi noticed a hesitant figure approaching through the misty haze.

As the person drew closer, the usual arrogance on Aunt Jiang's face was replaced entirely by guilt and anxiety.

Seeing Xie Yanzhi, she visibly relaxed, quickened her pace, and plopped straight onto the ox cart.

"Nephew, let's go."

"Who is your nephew?" Xie Yanzhi glared at her discontentedly.

"Ah, yes, yes, yes." Aunt Jiang was not annoyed, continuing to force a ingratiating smile.

Since everyone else was still asleep, the two of them made the journey without incident.

When they arrived at the county town, the first rays of dawn were just breaking.

Xie Yanzhi's stomach growled loudly with hunger. Aunt Jiang glanced at him repeatedly, but he simply pretended not to notice.

"It's still early, but there's nowhere else to go. Auntie, you can go wait by the academy entrance. In a couple of hours, Jiang Yun will come out."

"You aren't going to wait with me?" Aunt Jiang froze.

Xie Yanzhi wore a bewildered look. "You're mother and son talking, why on earth would I need to be there? Are you afraid the two of you will say one thing to my face and another behind my back? Do you think I even care?"

Aunt Jiang's face turned the color of a bruised liver, looking as though she wanted to curse him out but was utterly powerless to do so. With a light snort, Xie Yanzhi took hold of the ox's lead rope and turned away.

He had heard yesterday that at Cheng Yuan's shop, the first one hundred customers would get some sort of special discount—anyway, they were selling pastries cheap! He couldn't afford to be late.

Aunt Jiang shouted relentlessly from behind, "Then how am I supposed to get back later?"

"Walk!"

That single word almost drove Aunt Jiang to fury. She longed to point right at his nose and hurl insults, but the thought of her dear Yun Yun forced her to swallow her bitter resentment.

The mere thought that once this matter was concluded, she would become the true mistress of the Jiang family and no longer have to suffer under her vicious mother-in-law brought a wave of comfort to her heart.

Yun Yun was capable, and when the time came, she would definitely live a much freer life than the Eldest Jiang's wife!

Just you wait, she thought, when the time comes, I'll trample every single one of you beneath my feet!

***

After finishing his lessons, Jiang Yun walked out with slow, measured steps. The mere thought of his mother's face made him want to turn right back around.

Yet, another face flashed through his mind, and his fingers brushed against a jade pendant.

He should be here too.

Jiang Yun quickened his pace, scanning the crowd intently as he reached the entrance.

His gaze paused when he spotted his mother, and seeing no one else beside her, a dark shadow crossed the depths of his eyes.

"Yun Yun! Over here! Over here!"

Aunt Jiang waved happily and trotted over. "Yun Yun, you must be tired from studying, right? You haven't eaten yet, have you? This is something Mother specially brought from home, it's still warm!"

Aunt Jiang fished out two cakes wrapped in old oiled paper from inside her tunic, garnished with minced meat and scallions.

The warmth forced into his hand made Jiang Yun frown.

He shoved her hand away, his tone harsh. "I've already eaten. Eat it yourself."

The cakes slipped from her unsteady grip and fell to the ground. Aunt Jiang froze for a second, then quickly picked them up and patted the dust off.

"Mother isn't hungry. You can take them back later, I put so much meat inside..."

"Aren't we here to deal with something today? Let's find somewhere to talk."

Out of the corner of his eye, Jiang Yun caught the surprised and curious stares of surrounding fellow students, so he bypassed her and strode ahead.

His back was straight, resembling a stalk of winter plum blossom.

"Oh right, right, there's business to attend to. Mother almost forgot."

Aunt Jiang hurriedly followed with an ingratiating smile.

Jiang Yun led her through a few alley corners and seated her at a noodle stall by the roadside.

"Two bowls of clear broth noodles."

"Coming right up, patron! Just a moment!"

"Mother's not hungry, you don't need to buy any, save your money..." Aunt Jiang's face was flushed with happiness, but she waved her hands in refusal.

Unwilling to exchange any more words with her, Jiang Yun tapped his fingers lightly against the table.

"You've clearly seen what kind of person Grandmother is. Once this matter is resolved, we can finally get rid of her. Life at home will be much easier for you after that, just keep my father in line."

As for the unspeakable, vicious deeds she and his grandmother had plotted together, he couldn't even be bothered to bring them up; after all, it wasn't just one or two times.

He was the one who owed him.

"Ah, ge... get rid of her?" Aunt Jiang was so startled she dropped her chopsticks onto the floor.

Jiang Yun shot her a glance, and she nodded repeatedly.

"Whatever you say, whatever you say, I'll listen to my son in everything."

The more Aunt Jiang looked at Jiang Yun, the more pleased she felt. He was truly her own flesh and blood.

Sensing her intense, adoring gaze, Jiang Yun could barely maintain his polished composure.

"From now on, at the academy entrance, do not say you are my mother. I am already looked down upon enough as it is."

With those words delivered, Aunt Jiang froze. Right on cue, two steaming bowls of noodles were brought to the table, and the steam quickly blurred the space between them.