Once the oxcart had passed through the county town gates, Xu Su Ying finally asked for the details of what Mrs. Zhu had told them.

Chen Wanqing told her mother everything she knew, which made Xu Su Ying so angry she started cursing again.

"When you get down to it, the man is at fault. What’s the damn point of blaming the woman when he’s the one who can’t keep it in his pants? Just kick her out and take the house back. Stripping them naked and throwing them out in the middle of the night... isn’t she afraid that mother-daughter pair will hold a grudge and get their revenge if they ever get the upper hand?"

"My third aunt isn’t one to think that far ahead. She was angry, so naturally she had to vent. Besides, you know how she is—she’s always valued gold, silver, and copper coins more than her own life. For Third Uncle to spend a fortune buying a house for someone else... that must have really set her off."

"Heh. If she’s got the guts, she shouldn’t just go after the woman. She should deal with Chen Lin, too. Chop his manhood into pieces and feed it to the dogs. Let’s see how he’ll go chasing women then."

Never mind how helpless Chen Wanqing felt or how she tried to soothe her mother’s temper. The other three people on the oxcart were once again scared into holding their breath, quieter than chickens during a plague.

This just went to show that Xu Su Ying was the head of this household, a position she’d earned entirely through her own formidable nature. She was the kind of person who could be so ruthless she even scared herself. It was easy to understand, then, how she could keep her husband and son completely in line.

The oxcart’s wheels rumbled along the country roads. Whenever they came across fellow villagers they recognized, Chen Song would invite them to ride on the cart.

So, by the time they reached the Zhao Village, there were three extra people on the cart in addition to their family of five.

Of the three, one was from the next village over. He got off the oxcart at the village entrance, said his goodbyes, and left. The other two were residents of the Zhao Village.

These two villagers had also gotten an earful of the rumors in the county town. They hadn’t said anything earlier, afraid of embarrassing Chen Song in front of a stranger, but now they couldn’t hold back.

"Dasong, you have to do something about the old residence. Look at this mess—it’s one thing today, another tomorrow. We all know you separated your households long ago, but outsiders don’t. They’re acting without any decency over there. If this keeps up, it’s going to drag you down with them sooner or later."

"They’re just common folk, so they’re not afraid of losing face, but you’re different. You’re going to be an official now. You have a reputation to maintain out in the world. Having a mother, father, and brother like that... it’s a disgrace."

Chen Song listened patiently to his elders’ warnings, then said, "Uncles, you’re all looking out for me. I’ll take your words to heart. I will come up with a plan to ensure the old residence doesn’t drag me down..."

After the two villagers left, Xu Su Ying said, "They have a point. Outsiders aren’t going to stop slinging mud at us just because we’ve separated households. People with the same clan and surname can get dragged into trouble, let alone us—his own brother and sister-in-law. Husband, you need to deal with Chen Lin, and you need to be strict about it. Also, have you figured out who incited Chen Lin to take out those high-interest loans to plot against you?"

"I have. I’ll confirm it when I go to the government office tomorrow. Once it’s confirmed, you just watch how I’ll deal with him. As for our third brother, let me think. I need to come up with a foolproof plan to sort out him and the old residence once and for all."

As they spoke, they rounded a bend and saw they were almost at their doorstep.

But before they even saw the familiar phoenix tree by their gate, they spotted someone else: Zhao Jing, walking unhurriedly toward them with two books in hand.

The young man was still wearing that familiar, slightly worn, blue cotton robe. His features were handsome, his bone structure refined, and when he looked at people, his gaze was clear and steady.

And this exceptional young man was their son-in-law.

Xu Su Ying’s face lit up instantly. She even urged Chen Song, "Quick, quick, hurry the oxcart over. I wonder what Jing is coming to our home for at this hour."

Chen Song snorted. "What could he be doing? On the surface, he’s obviously here to bring books for your son. As for what schemes he’s secretly plotting, I refuse to believe you can’t guess."

Xu Su Ying refused to listen, treating his words as nothing but pointless grumbling.

The oxcart stopped, and she was the first to jump down, her face blooming into a smile. "Jing, you’re here! Quick, come inside and sit."

Zhao Jing smiled warmly and bowed in greeting. "Auntie, Uncle Dasong. I had someone acquire two volumes of selected works from past county exams, and I’ve made a special copy to give to De’an."

The "selected works" from the county exam were a record of the outstanding policy essays from the previous year’s exam, written by all the Scholars, including the top scorer and the government-stipended students. These were then published in a collection, which was known as the "selected works."