Zhang Lingyue knew that life would not be easy for her and her mother after they returned to their hometown. The imperial edict clearly stated that for the next three generations of the Zhang family, no one would be allowed to enter officialdom through the imperial examinations. This undoubtedly cut off the future of the Zhang family's descendants.
As the saying goes, "All trades are inferior, only reading is noble." Now that they were forbidden from studying for the exams, were they supposed to work in the fields, doing back - breaking and unpromising farm work?
If the Zhang family members once revered and admired Prime Minister Zhang, now they hated him so much that they wished they could grind his bones to dust. They would never even consider burying him in the ancestral grave. Some even proposed to directly remove Zhang Chengen's name from the family genealogy.
Literati who were well - versed in Confucian teachings attached great importance to human relations, kinship, and the concept of returning to one's roots after death. Such a proposal showed how much the clan members hated him!
Fortunately, this proposal was ultimately not passed.
After all, during Prime Minister Zhang's lifetime, he had indeed done a lot for the Zhang family. The clan's farmland and the school were all managed or strongly supported by him.
Even back then, many young men of the Zhang family had used his status to commit crimes in Qinghe. Some had even caused human deaths, but even so, the local county magistrate didn't dare to deal with them casually.
The current head of the Zhang clan was a reasonable man. He comforted the clan members with a few words and was willing to allow Prime Minister Zhang's body to be buried in the ancestral grave, but in the most remote corner.
That place was always used to bury the most heinous clan members.
Madam Zhang knew that this was the old clan head's concession out of old affection. She didn't dare to ask for more. After the Taoist priest had chosen an auspicious day, Zhang Chengen's coffin was finally buried in the loess in the presence of the Zhang mother and daughter.
From then on, it would truly be just the mother and daughter depending on each other.
When Zhang Chengen was alive, he had someone repair the family house in their hometown, so they still had a place to live. As for the money to live on...
Although all of Prime Minister Zhang's property had been confiscated, Madam Zhang still had her dowry and there were also several shops under her name. So, there would definitely be no problem with the mother and daughter's future life.
"My poor child, you've suffered."
Madam Zhang gently stroked her daughter's temple, with tears in her eyes. "By the time you finish mourning, you'll be twenty years old..."
Since her father had passed away, as his daughter, she had to observe three years of mourning, during which no happy events could be held. This was the rule.
Zhang Lingyue was already not young. Now, with another three - year delay, once the mourning period was over, she would truly become an "old maid" who couldn't get married. After all, in this era, even the daughters of farmers usually got married at eighteen or nineteen. It was extremely rare for a girl to be left unmarried until twenty.
Moreover, when a girl of this age went to be betrothed, the prospective groom's family would inevitably suspect that she had some hidden illness.
"It's okay, daughter wishes she could accompany mother for the rest of her life."
Zhang Lingyue hugged her mother's arm and coquettishly laid her head on her mother's shoulder. In a place where Madam Zhang couldn't see, her eyes were slightly red.
Actually, there was another sentence she didn't say.
If the person she was to spend the rest of her life with wasn't the one she wanted, then she would rather remain unmarried for the rest of her life.
The little things they had shared in their youth had penetrated deep into her bones. Every frame of the memories was filled with sweet happiness. Even now, just thinking about them made her chest ache.
Zhang Lingyue thought that she would never like someone like this again in her life.
......
Lin Zihan arrived in Qinghe on the second anniversary of his teacher's death.
When he found the old Zhang family residence, he saw that it was surrounded by people. After a little inquiry, he found out that a local playboy wanted to forcefully marry the Zhang family girl regardless of the mourning period.
Zhang Lingyue had never realized so strongly that having a man in the family was so important. When faced with such unreasonable things, it would be easier for a man to resolve the situation.
"Master Huang, please behave yourself!"
Dodging Master Huang's outstretched hand again, a flash of disgust crossed Zhang Lingyue's eyes.
"Why are you being so formal, Yue'er? Once I marry you, we'll be a family. There's no need for such formalities!"
As he said this, his lecherous hand reached out again. Just as Zhang Lingyue was about to take another step back, someone intercepted his hand first.
Brother Zihan!
It was Brother Zihan!
If the real person weren't right in front of her, within reach, Zhang Lingyue would almost have thought she was having a hallucination.
However, he seemed to have lost weight!
The proper Confucian robe on him looked a bit loose.
"Where did this pretty boy come from? How dare you ruin my good deed?"
"Do you think a prefect officially appointed by the imperial court can ruin your good deed, Master Huang?"
Raising his sword - shaped eyebrows slightly, Lin Zihan held Master Huang's wrist with one hand and his official seal with the other, looking proud. Master Huang broke out in a cold sweat just after a single glance. "You... You're the newly - appointed Prefect Lin?"
"Should I be honored that you, Master Huang, actually know my name?"
......
As the saying goes, "The common people don't fight against officials." Even though Master Huang was extremely powerful in the local area because of his wealth, he didn't dare to go against a prefect. Immediately, he tucked his tail between his legs and fled with his servants in a hurry.
The crowd rushed out like a flowing stream. The small courtyard, where one could only see the square sky when looking up, was suddenly left with only Lin Zihan and Zhang Lingyue.
"Silent, we gaze at each other, only a thousand lines of tears." This saying probably described this moment. It was Zhang Lingyue who wiped her tears first and looked up with a smile. "Prefect Lin, long time no see."
"It really has been a long time!"
Lin Zihan responded, his eyes carefully tracing her delicate eyebrows and eyes up and down. She was just the same as before, as if he had never left, but also as if there was a vast expanse of water and mountains between them.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable under his gaze, Zhang Lingyue started another conversation. "I really have to thank you, Prefect Lin, for what happened today. If it weren't for you..."
"Yue'er, don't be afraid! Mother will come and drive those bastards away for you!"
The long - awaited reunion atmosphere was instantly dispelled by this sentence. Before Zhang Lingyue could ask Lin Zihan to leave, Madam Zhang had staggered quickly and trotted up to the two of them.
Originally, it shouldn't have been Zhang Lingyue, a young lady in the boudoir, who had to deal with Master Huang. But Madam Zhang had been so offended by Master Huang's lewd remarks that she had fainted. That was why Zhang Lingyue had to show up.
After Madam Zhang woke up, she was so anxious that she rushed to the front yard.
Unexpectedly, Master Huang was gone, but there was someone she didn't want to see even more!
"Get out! You ungrateful wretch! How dare you have the face to step into our Zhang family's old residence? Get out! Get out of here!"
Picking up a stick from the ground, Madam Zhang waved it randomly, trying to hit Lin Zihan. Lin Zihan didn't dare to fight back. He could only dodge her attacks while trying to explain.
"Madam, I..."
"Don't call me Madam!"
The stick fell straight in front of Lin Zihan and hit the ground hard. Madam Zhang was old after all, so she had to stop and rest for a while. However, her verbal attacks didn't stop.
"Lin Zihan, you ungrateful wretch. Prime Minister Zhang never had a student like you in his lifetime. Get out! Get out!"
The kindness Madam Zhang had shown him in the past was still vivid in his mind. Lin Zihan didn't dare to disobey, so he quickly changed his words. But Madam Zhang had launched a new round of attack. "Lin Zihan, you won't leave, right?"
"Fine. If you don't leave, I'll smash my head against the stone pillar. I'll let everyone in the world know that you, Lin Zihan, not only forced your teacher to death but also want to force your teacher's wife to death..."
As she said this, she pretended to run into the pillar. Fortunately, Zhang Lingyue was quick - witted and quickly hugged her around the waist.
"Mother, don't!" She hugged Madam Zhang tightly, and tears welled up in her eyes. At the same time, she pleaded with Lin Zihan beside her. "Prefect Lin, I beg you to leave!"
Since Madam Zhang was threatening to kill herself, Lin Zihan didn't dare to stay any longer. He took a deep look at Zhang Lingyue and finally left the Zhang family residence helplessly.
As soon as his figure disappeared, Madam Zhang, who had been so desperate to die just now, gradually calmed down.
Zhang Lingyue was worried, so she quickly checked on her mother's body. "Mother, did you hit anywhere?"
"Slap!"
A slap landed on Zhang Lingyue's face. Madam Zhang had used almost all her strength, and her breathing became a bit急促. Zhang Lingyue was stunned by this sudden slap. "Mother?"
"Even now, you still want to marry that ungrateful wretch, don't you?"
Madam Zhang slumped on the ground and almost pointed at her daughter's nose and scolded. "That's why you've been telling me over and over again that you don't want to get married. You've been waiting for him, haven't you? You knew he would come to Qinghe to find you, didn't you?"
"I didn't!"
Ignoring the pain on her face, Zhang Lingyue quickly defended herself. "Mother, I didn't! I really didn't know that Brother Zihan would come to Qinghe!"
"Then why don't you want to get married? Huh?"
In another year, Zhang Lingyue would be out of the mourning period. For her daughter's future happiness, Madam Zhang had to humble herself and start arranging her marriage at this time. Who would have thought that Zhang Lingyue was very uncooperative.
Either she said she didn't like the prospective groom or she just said she didn't want to get married.
Madam Zhang always thought that her daughter's standards had been raised in the capital. It wasn't until she saw Lin Zihan today that she noticed something was wrong. It turned out that Yue'er had never forgotten that ungrateful wretch!
This question from her mother really stumped Zhang Lingyue. She couldn't say a single word. Finally, she could only insist that she just didn't want to leave her mother's side.
Madam Zhang had seen through her little tricks long ago, so her words became even harsher.
"Yue'er, don't you forget that that ungrateful wretch is the chief culprit who killed your father! Mother will never agree to you marrying him! Never!"
"I know what you said..."
Zhang Lingyue gave a bitter smile. "You've emphasized this to me countless times in the past two years. I also know that Brother Zihan and I will never be together in this lifetime. So, from the moment I left the capital, I've given up the idea of marrying him!"
"So, mother, please believe me, okay?"
"Not possible! Unless you get engaged first!"
Without giving her daughter any chance to hesitate, Madam Zhang continued. "The Scholar Luo who lives in Ping'an Alley. Mother has inquired about him. He's a hard - working student. Even if he doesn't pass the highest - level imperial examinations in the future, he won't let you suffer."
Zhang Lingyue knew that her mother had been running around humbly for her marriage recently, but she didn't know it had reached this stage.
"Mother, does it have to be like this?" She tried to struggle.
"Yes!"
"Then fine, I'm willing!"