Top Scholar

Chapter 523 Dehua
As darkness fell, Su Youcai staggered back to the top scholar's residence.

The Su brothers were waiting in the hall. When they saw him return, they hurriedly served him a sour bamboo shoot soup to help him sober up, and then helped him lie down on the bed in the inner room.

After they finished serving him, the two brothers planned to tiptoe out and discuss the matter in detail when he sobered up the next day, but Su Youcai stopped them:

"Don't leave."

Su Youcai opened his eyes and slurred, "Let's say some things now, because once we're sober, we won't be able to say them..."

The two brothers exchanged a glance; their father was drunk in body but not in spirit.

He sat down by the bed and listened quietly.

Su Youcai remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking:
"Your maternal grandfather's surname is Wang, given name is Qiong, courtesy name is Dehua, and style name is Jinxi. He is from Taiyuan, Shanxi. He is currently the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and the Superintendent of the Grand Canal Transport."

"Yes." The two brothers nodded; they had already learned about their grandfather's identity during the day.

Now they wanted to know about their mother, so they listened quietly.

Su Youcai's gaze drifted to the dark night sky outside the door, his thoughts drawn back to Taiping Town more than twenty years ago...

“Back then, my father failed the county examination twice. Your uncle suggested that I become a student of Wang Jinshi, who had been demoted to Taipingyi.”

"Back then, your maternal grandfather offended Consort Wan and was exiled to this remote and impoverished place. He was very disheartened and initially refused to talk to me at all. So I went to the post station every day to help with chores, sweeping the yard, carrying water, and chopping firewood, but it was no use no matter how long I tried."

"Later, your uncle said he wanted to cater to their tastes, since people from Shanxi love vinegar, so he dragged me along a hundred miles of mountain road to the county town to buy Shanxi aged vinegar. As a result, we rescued your maternal grandmother, your mother, and your young uncle from the jaws of wolves on the way... the one you met today."

"That's why your maternal grandfather agreed to teach me to read. He taught me the elegant, ornate style popular in the capital, a combination of parallel and free-flowing prose, something I couldn't learn from Mr. Cheng before." At this point, Su Youcai chuckled self-deprecatingly, then said helplessly:
"But fate is cruel. A few years later, a retro movement arose, and the classical style of writing became completely outdated. As a result, Mr. Cheng passed the imperial examination with his classical style, while I failed time and time again... Never mind, let's just say that my literary luck was saved up for my son."

Su Youcai shook his head, as if trying to dispel that unpleasant memory, and said with a sweet smile, "Let's get back to the point. During my time studying at Taiping Post Station, your mother and I spent every day together, and we gradually developed feelings for each other."

"That was the most carefree and sweetest period of my life, but unfortunately, it didn't last long. Emperor Xianzong passed away, the Crown Prince ascended the throne, and your maternal grandfather, who had been demoted for defending the Crown Prince, was naturally summoned back to the capital immediately." Su Youcai's voice lowered, his emotions complex and difficult to describe.
“I was penniless back then and didn’t have the guts to ask your mother to stay, but she was braver than me. She actually confessed our affair to your grandfather. He immediately flew into a rage and gave me a thorough dressing-down—”

“He said I was a piece of donkey dung from a remote mountain village, all show and no substance, and that I would never pass the imperial examinations in my lifetime. He also said that the Wang family of Taiyuan had been officials for generations, and their eldest daughter should never be married to someone like me. Those words were like knives to my heart at the time, and just thinking about them made me feel suffocated. But as I've grown older, I've come to realize that he was right.”

Su Lu listened silently without saying a word. This matter was difficult to comment on, and besides, it was not his place to comment on his parents' affairs.

"The teacher kicked me out of the post station and set off for the capital with his family the next day. But to everyone's surprise, your mother secretly stayed behind."

"When your maternal grandfather found out, he was furious and sent people back to arrest your mother, but she hid and refused to show herself. He had no choice but to spread the word that he would sever all ties with your mother and have nothing to do with her anymore."

Su Youcai sighed deeply, covered his face with his hands, and said in a muffled voice, "Back then, I swore to your mother that I, Su Youcai, would pass the imperial examinations with my own abilities so that she could stand tall in front of your maternal grandfather. If I failed, I would never mention the Wang family of Taiyuan again."

He gave a bitter laugh, a deep self-deprecating tone, and said, "Who would have thought that more than twenty years later, my words would come true. That's why I've never mentioned my grandfather to you..."

"..." The two brothers sighed in unison, this was even more difficult to judge.

"Then we got married. Although your mother was from an official family, she was not spoiled at all. She helped my sister-in-law manage the household very well, allowing me to concentrate on my studies. I studied hard, but I failed the exams again and again."

“Your mother suffered so much with me, but she never complained, and she never mentioned her family. Only occasionally, when the night was quiet, I saw her secretly weeping under the moon, and I knew she was suffering. But I couldn't even comfort her, because I was the source of her pain.” Su Youcai choked up as he said.
"Then you two brothers came into being. When Qiu was two years old, it was an exceptionally cold winter, and our family was dirt poor. Your mother caught a cold, but she couldn't bear to spend money to see a doctor, so she brewed some herbal medicine for herself. And then, alas..."

"After she left, I was completely devastated. Although I continued to take the exams, I did worse and worse, and eventually I became a laughing stock. It wasn't until Qiu Ge'er said to me, 'Dad, I want to study,' that I was finally pulled back on track."

The two brothers' eyes reddened as they finally understood why their father had remained silent all these years.

“Your mother’s life was so hard…” Su Youcai cried like a helpless child. “She missed home, missed her parents, missed her brother, but in the end, she never said a word of regret. She always said that she had never regretted choosing me…”

"I always want to prove that her choice was right, but I don't have the ability! Every time I fail, it's like slapping her in the face and proving that your grandfather was right... Waaah..."

Su Tai was at a loss and could only turn to look at Su Lu. Su Lu sighed softly, his voice gentle yet firm:
“Father, people can only decide their direction, not whether the road ahead is smooth or thorny. So whether Mother’s choice is right or wrong depends on what is most important to her. If Father has always been the most important person in Mother’s heart, then her choice cannot be considered wrong…”

"Yes, yes." Su Tai nodded hurriedly and said, "If Mother were alive today, who in the world would dare say she made the wrong choice?"

“Yes, life isn’t an exam; there are no standard answers. In the end, it’s just a mess.” Su Lu comforted Youcai, saying, “What’s past is past; it’s not something that can be easily resolved, Father.” “Yes, life is a mess…” Su Youcai murmured, his emotions gradually calming down.

He continued, “Actually, when your mother passed away, I contacted your maternal grandfather. But the letter I sent through various intermediaries received no reply... I only learned today that your maternal grandmother had also passed away not long before. Your maternal grandfather originally planned to ask your mother to come back for the funeral, but he received the bad news before the obituary was even issued. Anyone in his position would not have contacted him again.”

"That's the situation now," Su Youcai said softly, wiping away his tears one last time.

"What are your plans, Father?" Su Tai asked in a muffled voice.

“I don’t have any plans.” Su Youcai shook his head. “My teacher didn’t do anything wrong to me. On the contrary, it was me who ruined his daughter’s life. It’s only natural that he cut ties with me. But you two are his grandsons. Whether you want to acknowledge this relationship or not is up to you.”

"We've been through so many years, what's the point of recognizing each other now?" Su Tai said in a low voice, "What do you think, Qiu-ge'er?"

“I’ll listen to my brother on this matter,” Su Lu said without hesitation.

"Sigh, your grandfather is in a difficult position too." Su Youcai sighed. "It would have been easier if you had contacted him earlier, but now that you two have become the top scholars, he can't bring himself to do it."

Su Tai said in a low voice, "I'll think about it some more."

"No rush, take your time to think it over." Su Youcai patted his son's hand. "So many years have passed, just let nature take its course."

~~
The next day, the family got up and ate breakfast as if nothing had happened. After breakfast, the men went to their respective jobs, while the women continued to tidy up and settle things at home.

In the days that followed, Su Lu remained incredibly busy, leaving early and returning late every day, and he didn't see Huang E during the day. This made him feel very guilty. That afternoon, it was time for the Leopard Transformation class again, and everyone continued to investigate the Buddhist temple separately.

Su Lu then took his elder brother home, called his sister-in-law and Huang E, and went for a stroll in Xishan, thus balancing public and private matters.

Auntie usually doesn't join in the fun with young people, but when she heard that they were going to Xishan to worship Buddha, she insisted on going along.

My second brother was training troops at the regiment, and my second sister-in-law was heavily pregnant and it wasn't appropriate for her to go to the temple, so she didn't come along.

However, with a group of male members of the Su family accompanying them, and people from the West Depot secretly following them, there was no need to worry about safety...

The group, consisting of men on horseback and women in carriages, arrived at Fuchengmen in a grand procession.

The nine gates of the inner city each served a different purpose. For example, Chaoyang Gate, which they used to enter the capital, was a gate for transporting grain, so a sheaf of grain was carved inside the gatehouse.

Inside the barbican gate of Fuchengmen, there is a carved plum blossom.

"Let me test you," Su Lu asked with a smile, "Why are plum blossoms carved here?"

It was already summer, and the carriage doors and windows were covered only by thin gauze curtains, allowing the women to see everything clearly.

Zhu Yin then laughed and said, "The carvings of ears of grain at Chaoyang Gate indicate that it was used for transporting grain, while the carvings of plum blossoms here indicate that it was used for transporting flowers."

Su Lu then looked at Huang E, who chuckled and said, "The plum blossoms of Fucheng herald the arrival of spring..."

"My wife is amazing," Su Lu exclaimed. "She even knows that."

"Husband, have you forgotten that I lived in the capital?" Huang E covered her mouth and laughed.

"What do you two mean by not speaking properly?" Zhu Yin asked her husband.

“The ‘plum’ in ‘plum blossom’ is actually a homonym for ‘coal,’” Su Man said with a faint smile. “Because the coal mined from Mentougou and Zhaizhuang in western Beijing all entered the capital through this gate, Fuchengmen was also known as the Coal Gate. That’s why my sister-in-law said ‘Fucheng plum blossoms herald the warm spring.’”

"Ah, I see, Senior Brother knows so much," Zhu Yin said, swooning.

Aunt rolled her eyes...

Amidst laughter and chatter, the group exited Fuchengmen and headed along the wide avenue towards the scenic Xishan Mountain, which everyone said was beautiful.

(End of this chapter)