Chen Zhu bit his lip, with no retort.
Wang Qiaoxin, who had never been pleased with Old man Chen, was now even more displeased. She coldly answered on his behalf, "Shi Mei didn’t pass the examination for a high official position; this time he only went to Yecheng to try for the Scholar title. Only after becoming a Scholar would he have the chance to go to the capital and compete for the title of top scholar. Don’t tell me you don’t know? "
What’s this about knowing or not knowing? In their minds, only passing the exam for a high official position mattered!
The phrase "didn’t pass the examination for high office" completely occupied Old man Chen’s mind, and he didn’t hear what she said afterward. His face suddenly became gloomy, and the tapping of his walking stick grew more vigorous. He roared in a low voice, "If you didn’t pass the exam for high office, why did you come back? You unfilial son, you still have the face to return! Why didn’t you die out there! You’re useless!"
In the past, Chen Zhu had been scolded by Old man Chen every other day, so when he heard his father’s words this time, although it pained him, he simply bowed his head and accepted it without saying anything.
It was Wang Qiaoxin who couldn’t stand it anymore. She hadn’t even scolded her man yet, and now someone else was doing it! Even if it was his own father, it wasn’t right!
"Hey, what kind of father are you? You actually curse your own son to die out there! Did you even listen to what I said? Only after becoming a Scholar can he go to the capital and compete for the top scholar! Even if you scold him and hit him now, he can’t go take the exam and win the title of top scholar for you! Such a country bumpkin, understanding nothing!"
Aunt Chen dared not dissuade her husband but, seeing this woman standing up for her son, although somewhat shocked, she felt a hint of joy.
Old man Chen, however, was displeased. In this household, he was the absolute authority. When he said one, neither his wifey nor his son dared to say two. Now suddenly there was this young girl confronting him, and it infuriated him immensely.
"You, who are you? I don’t need an outsider to interfere in my family’s business!"
Wang Qiaoxin rolled her eyes at him, fed up with this blind old man, "I am Shi Mei’s fiancée. We have come back to take you and the old lady to Yecheng for our wedding."
Old man Chen and his wife were completely dumbfounded. When had their son gotten engaged? And to a woman from Yecheng?
"Miss, could you have made a mistake?" Aunt Chen asked, still stunned.
Old man Chen, however, had already raised his walking stick high, not caring who was in front, swinging it madly back and forth, spitting as he loudly cursed, "You good-for-nothing! Instead of taking the exam, you brought back a wild woman! Let’s see if I don’t beat some sense into you, let you squander your time outside! Let you be ungrateful! Let you be blinded and deceived by a wild woman!"
Chen Zhu quickly protected Wang Qiaoxin and dodged to one side while Aunt Chen, not daring to step forward, also moved aside. As Old man Chen was blind, he flailed around with his walking stick, causing chaos, tiring himself out after a short while.
The front door of their home was never locked, and villagers who had initially been eating were now gathered at the doorstep to watch the commotion. Hearing the woman speak of marriage, they too were stunned for a long while.
Wang Qiaoxin had never been so humiliated in her life, actually being attacked with a stick by a blind old man from the countryside and scolded as a wild woman!
Her nails dug into her flesh with anger as she coldly pushed away Chen Zhu’s arm and, as if declaring to them, said loudly, "I, Wang Qiaoxin, am not some wild woman; I am the legitimate daughter of Magistrate Yecheng Wang Hong. If it hadn’t been for my pleading with my father, Chen Zhu wouldn’t know where he might be starving and freezing right now! Hmph, my father kindly gave him food and clothing and even changed his name to solve his brilliant career path. And you, not knowing how to be grateful, start by scolding me! If it weren’t for Shi Mei’s sake, I would’ve had you arrested long ago!"