Although Xu He wasn't a scholar, he could still gauge his children’s progress. Fortunately, both he and Zhang Fangyuan had grown up amidst gossip and knew better than to let others’ words shake their confidence.
Some merchant friends shared their indignation, while others urged them to send the children to a formal academy.
Now that the little ones were six, they could enroll in an academy, but the couple felt they were doing fine under Luo Yan’s tutelage. For Ruili, the little ger, basic literacy was enough, since he couldn’t sit for the imperial exams, their expectations were modest.
Truthfully, they didn’t demand much from either child. But Ruijin genuinely loved studying and aimed for the exams, so they paid closer attention to his education.
They had asked Ruijin if he wanted to transfer to an academy, with their connections, securing a spot with a top instructor wouldn’t be hard. But Ruijin, ever steady, insisted he was content with Master Luo’s school.
Since the child, who attended the classes was satisfied, the couple saw no need to fuss over the teacher. Though gossip irked them, it never truly troubled their hearts.
After some discussion, they realized their carriage had stopped moving. Zhang Fangyuan, who had a meeting to attend, frowned. "What’s going on?"
"Master, there’s a commotion ahead. Should we intervene?"
Zhang Fangyuan lifted the curtain. The alley was narrow, just wide enough for two carriages to pass. Though no vehicles blocked the way, a crowd had gathered, making passage tricky.
Having lived in the city long enough, such scenes weren’t unfamiliar. The aggressive atmosphere suggested nothing good.
Even villages with their sparse populations, still saw frequent quarrels. In the crowded city, disputes were even more common, except here, people weren’t bound by kinship and avoided meddling, lest they be dragged to the magistrate’s office as witnesses.
"Why didn’t we take the main road?"
The coachman replied, "Master, you’re in a hurry to meet your guest at Qianchun Lou. It’s almost mealtime, and with today’s fine weather, the main road would be jammed. This detour saves time."
"Fair enough, this path is usually quiet."
Xu He frowned at the scene ahead, several burly men loomed, obscuring the center of the conflict. He wasn’t one to interfere in others’ affairs, especially matters even the authorities struggled to manage.
But if they could resolve the disturbance quickly, it’d be for the best. "Drive the carriage forward. We’ll try to mediate, and one of you fetch the patrolling constables."
Following the plan, Zhang Fangyuan stepped down first, shielding Xu He behind him as they approached with their servants. Before they could speak, a voice rang out:
"Young Master, someone’s coming, looks like they’ve got servants. It’ll be trouble if this drags on. Let’s just leave the fool and go. She’s not worth your anger."
"Pah! Ungrateful wretch! I, your lord, showed you favor, yet you cling to your pauper husband. Take these coins and bury him with them!"
With a clatter, silver scattered on the ground, and the group swiftly dispersed.
Zhang Fangyuan who was tall enough to see over the crowd, caught a glimpse of the retreating figure, vaguely familiar, but the young master strode off without a backward glance.
Once the bullies left, the victims came into view: a young couple, the husband, bruised and battered, lay on the ground while his wife sobbed over him.
Their plain clothing marked them as poor. The wife, though dressed simply, had delicate features that likely drew unwanted attention. Even without asking, Zhang Fangyuan pieced together what had happened.
A lecherous young master, emboldened by wealth, had harassed the woman. When her husband intervened, he was beaten. Such bullies always preyed on the weak, knowing the powerless couldn’t fight back.
Seeing the pitiful state of the couple and the meager coins tossed at them, Xu He’s heart ached. He stepped forward to help the woman up. "Your husband is badly hurt. Take him to a doctor, delaying will only worsen his condition. Once he recovers, you can file a complaint at the magistrate’s office."
"This alley was empty, no witnesses. How can we accuse him?" The woman wiped her tears. "That was Qin Shang, the Qin family’s young master. He is rich, powerful, and cruel, how can commoners like us challenge him?"
Zhang Fangyuan’s brow furrowed. "Qin Shang?"
The woman nodded.
Now he understood why the figure seemed familiar. Qin Shang was indeed a notorious bully, a cousin of Qin Zhong, Zhang Fangyuan’s former employer. Like his kin, Qin Shang was vile, with a particular reputation for preying on women.
The couple was right. Without power or influence, they stood no chance against local tyrants like the Qin family. The hopelessness of their situation was crushing.
"Go to the doctor first. As the saying goes, ‘as long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood.’"
[留得青山在不怕没柴烧 (liú dé qīng shān zài, bù pà méi chái shāo): lit. As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood; fig. As long as one’s health or core strength remains, there is always hope for recovery or success.]
The scattered copper coins on the ground were pitiful. Without a word, Xu He slipped the woman some money from his own purse. As she knelt to thank them, the servants returned with constables, who helped escort the couple to a clinic.
The young wife, supporting her husband, kept turning back to bow tearfully in gratitude.
As Xu He watched them depart, a pang struck his heart. He couldn't help but think that if his own family had remained poor, they too might have fallen victim to similar injustice, making his sympathy for their plight all the more poignant.
Zhang Fangyuan, sensing his thoughts, ruffled his hair. "Don’t worry. Even without money, I’d fight. The one on the ground wouldn’t be me."
"Now’s the time for jokes?" Xu He swatted his hand. "Hurry to Qianchun Lou, you’ll be late."
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