"May I ask if this object was dug out from a tomb?" Lusheng casually asked a question.

Chen Jiaorong nodded. "It was unearthed from a tomb. You still haven't answered me. To what extent is considered having mutual understanding like my younger sister said?" He shifted the topic back to his sister's marriage affairs.

Having evaded it once before, Lusheng let out a sigh now that it was brought up again.

"There's no rush for such matters. Elder Brother Chen will naturally see clearly in the future. Moreover, Yunxi and I have only known each other for such a short time. Is your family really so assured to let her marry me?"

"The very fact that you can say this. Originally, I was not assured but now I truly am!" Chen Jiaorong laughed. "If you agreed, we can even double the dowry!"

Lusheng forced a smile.

He knew first was because Chen Yunxi genuinely liked him. Second was the Chen household had always fretted over being unable to marry off their afflicted daughter. Having finally met a suitable match, they clung on tightly refusing to let go.

"Let's talk about this in the future. At least after my prospects are set during the imperial exams," Lusheng propped up the exams as a shield against this.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiaorong's gaze instead revealed even more admiration. This was temptation to instantly gain tens of thousands in family fortune with just a nod. If it were him facing the same situation, he would definitely have agreed without hesitation. After all, once engaged there were still concubines to take and third, fourth, fifth wives. Although his younger sister Chen Yunxi's legs were a bit long which was akin to having ruined features, but she still had other merits.

"Then let it be said, we'll wait till after Brother Lu's exams to decide. Yunxi is no longer young and has come of marriageable age. I still ask Brother Lu to not delay," said Chen Jiaorong.

Helplessly, Lusheng could only nod. The two left the wine house parting ways. Seeing the darkened skies, Lusheng turned to return home.

After resting for the night, he went to the academy again the next day. He had just sat down in his seat when clamoring sounds came from outside.

"What's going on out there?" Lusheng looked towards Song Zhenguo currently sorting out books beside him.

Song Zhenguo's expression was overcast as he responded heavily: "Wang Ziquan's family is here."

Lusheng saw quite a few students in the lecture hall get up and walk to the windows and entrance to take a look. Indistinct sounds of women and children's sobbing also drifted in from outside.

He stood up, hearing several classmates sighing.

"It seems Ziquan has gone missing. His family came, a young widow with two children. I heard while his elderly father was reporting this officially to authorities and looking for people, he was violently beaten at the government office into serious injuries. By the time he returned home, he was bedridden and illness-stricken. Sigh..."

"How could the yamen beat someone?"

"Isn't it because his father refused to believe his own son had drowned. He knelt outside the yamen and wouldn't get up so the newly appointed prefect who has the worst temper against these kinds of troublemakers..."

"Feel sorry for this widow and orphans..."

"Yeah. What a pity... His elderly father also seems to be on the brink of death..."

The more Lusheng listened, the more awful he felt. Wang Ziquan's family were previously also merchants. Although not a large business, they still had some family fortune. But now they were utterly ruined.

Song Zhenguo also heard the talk around them. He shoved through people and came over to stand with Lusheng.

"It's my fault. If I hadn't called him out that day..."

"Don't overthink. This is unrelated to you," Lusheng patted his shoulder but Song Zhenguo's expression remained overcast without responding.

The two exited the lecture hall one after another. There, they saw an alluring young widow looking to be eighteen to nineteen years old accompanied by two children aged around one to two kneeling on the main street which everyone from the academy had to pass through. Head lowered, she was garbed in plain white hemp mourning clothes.

Already dozens of onlookers surrounded them and the commotion still seemed to be heating up.

"Let's go over to take a look," Lusheng tugged Song Zhenguo and took the initiative striding out.

"No need! I'll go myself! This is my fault! Just me is fine!" Song Zhenguo grabbed him as he heavily stated, "Don't delay your exams over this trivial matter. Go back! I'll handle this!"

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

From a distance, Song Zhenguo shouted towards Lusheng before getting on the carriage himself and leaving together with them.

Lusheng watched that black carriage with red engraved patterns depart. He recognized it as the official government carriage.

He stood at the academy entrance for a spell before turning back to continue attending class.

Wang Ziquan's family matter spread for a time within the academy before swiftly being suppressed. Lusheng saw officials come over to speak with academy officials several times. Perhaps the news being clamped down was facilitated by them. Wang Ziquan's family also stopped making a fuss.

Ever since accompanying them that day, Song Zhenguo's face eased up quite a bit seemingly reassured and relieved. Presumably, some compensation was provided to Wang Ziquan's family.

The waves from this disappearance case swiftly settled not long after the initial sensationalism. Life at the academy gradually went back to normal as if this incident never occurred at all.

............

Song Household

Song Zhenguo silently ate the meal a servant girl had just served of chicken, duck, fish and goose laid out on the table. But he lacked any appetite with worries weighing on his mind.

Indistinct sounds of his father's footsteps and chatter drifted in from outside but he did not exit to pay his respects. Song Zhenguo just sat inside his bed chambers, heaving a long sigh.

As migrants to Yanshan City, his father had only just gotten his business up and running. Being exceptionally busy worsened his normally foul mood. With this matter added on top, he was even more dejected.

"Why can't father understand Yun'er's virtues? If I marry her into our household, our family would definitely become harmonious in the future with assured success in enterprises. With Yun'er's support, household stability is guaranteed and I would certainly find some success in the imperial civil service exams..." Song Zhenguo lamented at heart.

Pu chi pu chi.

In the midst of eating, a black pigeon suddenly flew over to the window again, blinking its pinkish eyes while staring at him.

Coo coo.

The pigeon called out twice.

Seeing this, Song Zhenguo's expression instantly revealed delight.

He rushed over in a few steps, hurriedly grabbing the pigeon and removing a paper roll from under its leg which he swiftly unfurled.

'There's no need to worry about what Yun'er said last time any more. Yun'er used the threat of death on herself to finally coerce the boat madam who agreed that tomorrow night during festivities, as long as Brother Song can prepare ten thousand silver taels, they will free Yun'er. Brother Song need not worry. Ten thousand taels is a lot but over these years, Yun'er has also saved up quite a bit herself and can make up the majority at least.

Tomorrow night, Brother Song must come alone. Yun'er will hand over her entire being to Elder Brother then. Look forward to... cherishing me...'

After reading, Song Zhenguo only felt a surge of irrepressible elation bubbling up from the depths of his heart straight to his head. Standing erect, his complexion swiftly flushed red as he clutched the paper roll, ceaselessly pacing around the room.

"Yun'er... my Yun'er...! You are mine! I will definitely bring you away from that dreadful flower boat and give you a proper position in my household!" He muttered heavily with clenched fists. But Yun'er's prior reminder for him not to visit the flower boat on Incense Pouch Festival had been completely forgotten amidst the excitement.

After madly venting his emotions for a spell in the room, Song Zhenguo slowly calmed down.

"But Yun'er mentioned before not to go to the flower boat during Incense Festival too. Worried that I'd get hoodwinked?"

He pondered for a moment, his complexion gradually cooling down while hesitating for a period just standing in place.

"When I see Yun'er, I'll ask about why I wasn't allowed to visit during Incense Festival. Perhaps there's some special reason," decided Song Zhenguo.

Brimming with joy, he started preparing silver bills. Ten thousand silver taels was still a huge sum for him too. In order to urgently gather this amount, pooling together his savings over the years which he had completely lavished on Yun'er recently, there was still some difficulty. Although Yun'er said she herself could make up the majority but how could he let his own woman shoulder this burden?

"Whatever, I'll go borrow from elder sister first." Without even finishing his meal, he rushed to the door just about to head out. Suddenly, recalling something, he stopped.

"For such a joyous occasion, Yun'er may feel too embarrassed for me to come alone. But for happy events like this, I should still let two good friends share in the celebration first before finalizing matters." Song Zhenguo swiftly sat back down at his desk, preparing inkstone and water to start penning letters to the two good friends he had left.

But upon picking up his brush, he hesitated again, setting it back down.

"Forget it. Still better I go alone. Lest any complications arise, increasing uncertainties. I can notify others after successfully settling this."

He swiftly borrowed fifteen thousand silver taels from his elder sister, claiming it was for business investments of his own. Very soon, all preparations were in order.

.....................

The imperial exams were drawing nearer. His household also sent little maid Qiao'er over to Lusheng which came together with an additional thousand silver taels to supplement his recent expenses.

But Lusheng also understood this money came from his family liquidating all kinds of properties and shops, preparing to move. Moreover, due to that massive explosion at Jiuliu City, many were also migrating causing property sale prices to drastically plunge. To repurchase estates in future, ample savings still had to be set aside.

Thus, being able to squeeze out another thousand silver for him had already used up all their reserves. After all, the Lu household was currently in a precarious situation.

As the chaos slowly settled down, Lusheng gradually moved Wang Ziquan's matter to the back of his mind, concentrating his efforts on self-improvement while also seeking ways to earn money.

"Clear springs in the mountain's heart! Yellow nuggets in Red Ravine! Birds all over White Sand Town! Rivers of golden ginger outside Xinjiao River!"

"Yanshan City, ah! My hometown, Yanshan City! My native land, la la la la la la la la la..."

"La la la! La la la la la!"

"La la la! La la la la la!!"

Lusheng stood expressionlessly at the window listening to the earsplitting shrill male singing voice outside.

He was jolted awake before three in the early morning, right at tiger hour. Then he saw batch after batch of these tone-deaf teams continuously streaming down the streets outside, some voices sharp, some rough. They noisily paraded past while heartily singing songs.

Currently, a long procession below his window blew suona horns while boisterously singing songs. Decked out in red and blue, most were middle-aged aunties and uncles, banging drums and gongs, shouting rhymed sales pitches as they sluggishly headed towards the city center. This served as the folk song prelude heating up before Incense Pouch Festival arrived.

What left Lusheng even more speechless was the surrounding neighborhood residents who came out to watch this lively scene. Instead of finding it noisy, they were high-spiritedly following along with the team, some even singing together. Even officials from the magistrate came to maintain order.