Chapter 11: Falling into the Trap
The dozen or so students in the schoolroom, the oldest no more than sixteen or seventeen, studied by candlelight until midnight and rose before dawn.
They sat upright in the schoolroom all day, shaking their heads as they recited poems and read books. Occasionally, when their spirits flagged and they dozed off, they would immediately pinch their thighs to wake up. They also had to be careful not to misread or answer incorrectly, or their palms would be swollen by the ruler.
When the sun rose and their stomachs rumbled with hunger, they would put down their books only after receiving the teacher’s permission and go to the courtyard to eat in groups of three or five.
Apart from the majority of students from nearby villages who brought their own food, a few boarding students paid extra tuition each month and ate at two tables in the main hall with the Zhong family, sharing the same dishes.
Only after the pots and pans were cleaned up would the cooks and servants settle down. A few of them would huddle in the back kitchen to eat their lunch. And it was at this time that Cui Jingkong would arrive.
His status in the Zhong residence was special. Because of Teacher Zhong’s particular regard for him, he would even occasionally appear at the Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn Festival family banquets. The servants had originally treated him as a master, but Cui Jingkong did not act as such. He would put a few dozen wen in the east kitchen every month for his meals and eat from the same pot as them.
Today’s meal was vermicelli with vegetables and steamed buns, with plenty of oil. He was about to grab a bowl from the table as usual when a hand came down from above, intercepting the bowl closest to him.
“Oh, Scholar Cui, my apologies, my apologies. Please take the other bowl! This is the one I saved for myself. I’ve already taken a sip!”
The cook’s dark face had a simple and honest smile, but he held his hand firmly over the bowl, his knuckles raised. Cui Jingkong glanced at him without a word, then, as he wished, picked up the bowl next to it and walked back to his guest room.
The cook followed him at a distance. Seeing him close the door, he quickly ran to report to Zhong Changxun, who was standing by the lake in the courtyard. “Second Young Master, I saw him go in with my own eyes!”
Zhong Changxun knew that Cui Jingkong had fallen into his trap. Now, everything was ready, and all that was missing was the final push.
He squinted his small, beady eyes at a thin, trembling classmate opposite him and said impatiently, “Zhang Xiang, are you going to jump or not? Do I have to push you? Think about your father’s leg—”
He drew out the last word, his threat obvious. Zhang Xiang gritted his teeth and jumped into the lake with a splash.
At this time, the Second Miss was feeding the fish in the pavilion in the west courtyard. Seeing the fish swim towards her, her face was filled with joy. She was a simpleton who was always happy, her intelligence stunted.
Scheming and plotting were far from her world. Only the short-haired young guard was always within three steps of her, not too close, not too far, silently standing behind her.
“Someone fell into the water!”
Suddenly, a cry for help came from over the wall. The Second Miss, who had been pointing at a koi in the pond for him to see, immediately lost her innocent expression and became flustered. She grabbed the short-haired young man’s sleeve and shook it pleadingly.
“A… A’Shan, is that person going to drown!”
The Second Miss had a pure and kind heart, no different from a simple five or six-year-old child. Seeing that she was about to cry with anxiety, the young man glanced at the maidservant behind her and, reassured, went to investigate.
After he left, the maidservant, who had been standing obediently, stepped forward and whispered a few words in the Second Miss’s ear, tricking her into following her in a daze.
After winding through many turns, the maidservant looked around nervously. Confirming that there was no one else nearby, she pushed open a door and then shoved the Second Miss inside.
The maidservant saw the faint silhouette of a man standing in the room. Relieved, she took out something from her sleeve, scattered a handful of pollen into the room, quickly shut the door and bolted it, and scurried away.
Everything was proceeding smoothly. On the other side, after lunch, Zhong Yun went to her father’s study as usual for some private conversation. She was quite excited today, her heart filled with self-satisfaction.
In a short while, Cui Jingkong would be ruined and forced to marry the simpleton.
If the two were to be properly married, there would be nothing to criticize. But the root of this marriage was rotten, so it would naturally not bear good fruit.
If this shocking scandal of an unmarried man and woman having illicit relations were to be deliberately spread, not only would Cui Jingkong’s path to success be cut short, but her legitimate mother would also have to swallow this loss.
After all, her daughter’s reputation would be ruined. What was there to argue about? One could imagine what kind of life this unwilling, resentful couple would have in the future.
Thinking of this, the hand with which she was fanning her father unconsciously moved faster. Just then, the butler ran in from outside, calling, “Master, Master!” He was covered in sweat. “Scholar Cui just fainted in the schoolroom!”
Zhong Jide didn’t notice his daughter’s arm suddenly stiffen. He was shocked. “What happened? Did he eat something bad? Quick, call a doctor!”
“When I heard the report, I immediately had a horse prepared. He’s already being rushed there.”
Zhong Jide had barely sat down when a flurry of footsteps approached. Another group of people rushed in, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed. “Master, several cooks in the kitchen seem to be poisoned. They’re delirious. And… and Second Young Master somehow fell into the water!”
This time, it was Zhong Yun’s turn to cry out, “What!”
Her father no longer had the time to be shocked. He was overwhelmed and rushed out.
Zhong Yun quickly followed, her heart suddenly trembling, her fingertips almost digging into her palms.
It’s over. Something has gone terribly wrong.
***
Before the incident, A’Shan had switched the medicine packets. But Cui Jingkong had insisted that he only pour out half, wanting to retain the basic effects so that the act would be more convincing. But even though he had expected it, it was not a pleasant experience.
The coachman in front saw him with his eyes closed, his face flushed, and feared something might happen on the way. The whip he used on the horse’s rump grew stronger.
But then he heard a slightly hoarse voice come faintly from behind. “No need to go to the clinic in town. Just go back to Qianshan Village.”
The coachman shook his head repeatedly, only saying not to make things difficult for him. He would not dare to disobey his master’s orders.
Before he could finish his sentence, a liang of silver was placed before his eyes.
His body temperature continued to rise. He felt his breathing gradually become heavier, but his soul seemed to have detached from his body. His phoenix eyes were cold and deep, his tone cool but brooking no argument:
“I am but a scholar, with little money in my purse. I’m afraid I cannot afford the clinic’s fees. Perhaps it is just a headache and fever. I have herbs at home. Please trouble yourself to take me home to rest for a while.”
The coachman hesitantly took the silver, bit it, then, his face beaming, tucked it into his pocket and turned the carriage around as he was told.
When Cui Jingkong got out of the carriage, his legs were already a little weak. He saw that the gate of the fence in the distance was wide open. He frowned. Waves of passion washed over him like waves crashing against his crumbling reason.
He forced himself to walk quickly into the house. A woman’s teasing voice pierced his ears. “Oh, Zhen’niang, it must be inconvenient for you to live with your brother-in-law! The man Auntie mentioned today, if you’re interested, just let Auntie know!”
Feng Yuzhen was just about to refuse her misplaced good intentions when there was a strange sound at the door. She looked up and saw her brother-in-law, whom she hadn’t seen for six days, leaning against the doorframe. It was getting dark, and the man stood against the light, his expression unclear.
Her heart felt as if it had been suddenly gripped by a large hand. She stood up almost instantly.
“Kong’ge’er…”
Auntie Qian was also startled to see him suddenly standing at the door. She stood up and was about to make some polite remarks, but Cui Jingkong’s cold face did not allow for much talk. She could only say a few perfunctory words and quickly left.
Only Feng Yuzhen and Cui Jingkong were left.
A widow being persuaded to remarry, and being caught by her brother-in-law…
Before she could prepare her words, before she could open her mouth to ask why he had suddenly returned and to ease the delicate atmosphere between them, Cui Jingkong’s tall figure swayed twice and fell straight down.