Chapter 9

"… Some say that the relationship between a jailer and a prisoner is like that between a wolf and a sheep, and that they can never form a friendship. What nonsense! As long as one is human, they have feelings. What’s wrong with a jailer? A jailer is also a human, with emotions and desires, and has family and friends!"

Ye Xiaotian seemed to be back in the prison, earnestly brainwashing the officials and defending the jailers: "Mr. Yang was imprisoned three years ago, and I became a jailer three years ago. From then on, Mr. Yang often taught me how to read the I Ching and the principles of being a good person. 'The eyes are the masters of the fields and palaces, clear and distinct in the same way. If the yin and yang are exposed, the parents' wealth will be empty.' This is a verse from the 'Ma Yi Xiang Shu' that Mr. Yang taught me to memorize. Let’s set this aside for now. In short, Mr. Yang appreciated me very much. He even said that I had an extraordinary appearance and would have a life of wealth and honor."

Ye Xiaotian continued, "That day, the imperial decree was issued, and Mr. Yang was to be executed the next day. I brought him a few cups of wine and some small dishes. It was very dark in the prison, and it was raining outside. I lit a candle, and under the candlelight, Mr. Yang couldn’t stop crying…"

County Magistrate Hu, Lady Yang, Chief Steward San Shou, and all the mourners listened in stunned silence. Ye Xiaotian spoke so quickly that they couldn’t get a word in. Ye Xiaotian was like the most dedicated actor, fully immersed in his performance.

Ye Xiaotian’s face showed a look of sorrow, and he said gloomily, "Mr. Yang said, 'Xiaotian, I have been in prison for three years, and none of my old friends have come to see me, nor have any of my relatives. You are the only one who can be considered my lifelong friend. At the end of my life, there is only one person I cannot let go of, and that is my daughter. I entrust her to you, will you accept her?'"

When Lady Yang heard "in prison for three years, no old friends have come to see me, nor have any relatives," her cheeks flushed with shame, and she lowered her head. But as soon as she lowered her head, she heard the next sentence and quickly raised it again, so fast that her neck bones seemed to crack.

For a moment, the courtyard was silent.

"Clang… clang clang clang clang…"

A suona on the ground bounced a few times, dropped by the musician in the corner. A chanting monk raised his cymbal and rubbed his bald head, looking around. The beautiful woman, who had been shedding tears, now stared at Ye Xiaotian with wide, tear-filled eyes, utterly astonished.

Ye Xiaotian sighed deeply and looked up, "I come from a humble background and a poor family, so I am not worthy of a noble lady from the Yang family. But Mr. Yang said that after this ordeal, he has seen through the world and believes that a peaceful life is better than a life of wealth and honor…"

As Ye Xiaotian spoke, he became more and more emotional. When he lowered his head, his eyes were already brimming with tears. He was moved by the lies he had fabricated.

Yang Lin and his wife had a strained relationship, and he was well aware of his wife’s dislike for their daughter. He knew that once he died, his wife would mistreat their daughter. As for Ye Xiaotian, Yang Lin had a high regard for him.

Ye Xiaotian had done Yang Lin a favor, and the superstitious Yang Lin believed that Ye Xiaotian would have a life of peace and prosperity. Therefore, it made sense for Yang Lin to make such a seemingly odd decision at the end of his life, given the circumstances at home.

Ye Xiaotian looked at County Magistrate Hu and said solemnly, "Mr. Yang… no, my father-in-law, also wrote in the letter that he wanted me to take my wife and mother-in-law back to the capital to take care of them. At the end of his life, he was most worried about family discord, which would bring shame to the family!"

Ye Xiaotian added this to consider that if he only took the young lady away, she would be constantly worried about her mother and might even resent him. It would be better to take her mother along, even if it meant one more mouth to feed in a poor household.

County Magistrate Hu looked at the letter, then at Ye Xiaotian, and was speechless, his beard trembling.

Ye Xiaotian thought, "Old man, I’ve made a concession, I’ve already made a concession. I don’t even want the five hundred taels of silver, and I’m even taking away your thorn in the side. Don’t push me too far. Killing someone is just a nod of the head, and when there’s a chance to forgive, forgive."

County Magistrate Hu thought about the content of the letter, Ye Xiaotian’s words, and his calm expression. He found it all absurd and was somewhat confused. How could this young man make up such lies and speak with such sincerity?

Denying his words and tearing up the letter? It wasn’t impossible, but it would make others suspicious and believe Ye Xiaotian, which would be detrimental to his reputation.

If it involved dividing the family property, he might risk destroying the letter and killing Ye Xiaotian, ignoring any gossip. But now Ye Xiaotian wanted nothing and even solved the problem of the thorn in his side. What reason was there to refuse?

County Magistrate Hu’s eyes flickered, and he suddenly chuckled.

He smiled, put the letter in his sleeve, and said calmly, "The letter indeed says that. In my opinion, this is indeed a bit absurd. However, my brother-in-law was always impulsive, so it’s not surprising that he made such a decision. Since it’s his last wish, I cannot go against it. San Shou, go and bring the young lady here."

A smile had just appeared on Ye Xiaotian’s lips when it froze like frost on a window: "Young lady? The young lady is right here, why do we need to go and fetch her?"

Ye Xiaotian quickly turned to look at the beautiful woman bound in ropes. She was staring at him with her large, beautiful eyes, looking shocked, but her gentle appearance made even her shock seem pitiful.

Ye Xiaotian was confused: "What… what’s going on here?"

...

Lady Yang, hearing such an unusual last will, immediately said angrily, "Brother, this is really inappropriate. He must have been senile to make such a will. I do not agree with this…"

County Magistrate Hu’s face darkened, and he shouted, "I am not just your brother, but also the County Magistrate of Jingzhou! I am not interfering in your family affairs as your brother, but as the County Magistrate, I am making a judgment. You need not speak further!"

County Magistrate Hu was truly a bit unhappy. Wasn’t this a good solution? His sister was being a bit too presumptuous. The will clearly stated that a house, fifty acres of good farmland, and a shop in the south of the city were to be given to the beloved daughter. Humph, did Yang Lin think that after three years in prison, he still had the final say in the family?

Now that Ye Xiaotian had provided a convenient solution, why not take it? Did he want to force this young man to reveal the truth of the will in public, causing embarrassment for everyone? Women are unreasonable!

Lady Yang rarely saw her brother speak to her so sternly. Although she was unwilling, she was intimidated by his reprimand and dared not speak further.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

A little girl of three or four years old wobbled into the courtyard. Her round, chubby face was like a cute red apple. Her small hand was held by a stern-looking old woman, and she walked timidly.

The little girl had two pigtails, and her innocent appearance was very endearing. She wore a patchwork dress made of various fabrics, which looked like a colorful robe, making her even more adorable.

A thin white ribbon was tied around her forehead and waist, indicating that she was in mourning. She looked around the courtyard, and when she saw the woman bound in ropes, she suddenly burst into tears.

She broke free from the old woman’s hand and wobbled over, hugging the woman’s leg and crying loudly, "Mom, mom, you big meanies, let go of my mom!"

The little girl was very scared. Since she and her mother were expelled from the Yang family, they had lived in a desolate little courtyard, never separated. Yesterday, two stern old women from the Yang family suddenly came and forcibly took her back.

They told her that her father had died and made her wear a white ribbon to mourn. They also said that her mother was a lowly concubine and not worthy of mourning her father. She was very afraid in the large Yang family house. Now she had finally seen her mother.

"Yao Yao, Yao Yao…"

Shui Wu, seeing her daughter, burst into tears. Her arms were bound, so she could only squat down and gently touch her daughter’s face with her cheek. Both mother and daughter were crying, and many of the mourners turned away, unable to bear the sight.

Ye Xiaotian’s eyes were wide as a bull’s: "The Yang family’s young lady… the Yang family’s young lady… is only this big? That old man Yang Lin, his daughter is still a little baby!"

Ye Xiaotian’s mouth twitched, and he shouted in his heart, "How could I have thought that an old man with white hair would have a daughter who is only three or four years old? If you calculate backwards, she was only one year old when he was imprisoned. What clever and beautiful, what pretty and adorable?"

In fact, in both the north and south, it was common for girls to marry at thirteen or fourteen, especially in the south. Taking a young girl as a concubine was also very popular among scholars. Ye Xiaotian was not unaware of this.

However, Yang Lin was too old, and he had been in prison for three years, so Ye Xiaotian’s thinking was misled. He assumed that Yang Lin’s concubine had been taken in at least ten years ago. When he saw Shui Wu, who still looked young, he naturally assumed she was Yang Lin’s daughter.

Seeing this, Ye Xiaotian felt like crying: "Heaven, strike me with a lightning bolt, don’t torment me like this!"

If he had known that Shui Wu, who looked like an unmarried girl, was actually Yang Lin’s concubine, he would have said that Yang Lin, to repay a favor, wanted to give his concubine to him.

It was common for scholars to give each other concubines, and it was considered elegant. If he had said that Yang Lin, to repay a favor and to ensure his concubine’s well-being after his death, wanted to give her to him, it would have been much more reasonable than marrying a four-year-old girl. But now…

Ye Xiaotian looked at the little girl, who was hugging her mother’s leg and crying, and felt like crying himself. He thought, very conflicted, that even if he took her as a child bride, he would have to wait at least ten years. He felt utterly defeated.

P: Ah, yesterday’s sentence meant that you wouldn’t easily guess the plot, not that Xiaotian would make up some lie. Many readers who skimmed over the words didn’t notice the difference, so most guessed the already obvious "will."

So, I was quite proud, thinking that today’s readers would be so shocked that they would lie in Xiaotian’s arms and say, "I guessed the beginning of the story, but not the ending…" But, someone really did guess it! There are truly many talented readers, amazing beyond measure!

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