Although the Wang family had wailed for several days and even reported the matter to the authorities, the Yun estate had already fallen into such a state of ruin that the officials couldn't be bothered to intervene.
Left with no other choice, Wang had to sell the old residence and move with his son and daughter into a small courtyard. If they were frugal, the money from the sale would have been enough to sustain their lives.
However, these were people accustomed to luxury; they were used to spending money lavishly in their daily lives, and no amount of silver could withstand the squandering of these three.
In desperation, Wang set his sights on his own son. He still favored his daughter a bit more, so he thought that by marrying off his son for a hefty dowry, he and his daughter could live a few comfortable days.
As it happened, Zhang Dafu, the pig butcher, had taken a liking to Yun Ziqing and was willing to pay a bride price of one hundred taels to marry him.
Although Yun Ziqing was unwilling, Wang was more than happy to agree!
The matter was essentially settled.
The father and son had originally come to Zhang Dafu’s place to ask for some meat, but they never expected to run into Yun Zimu, who had been sold off.
Yun Ziqing bit his lip hard, a flash of jealousy crossing his eyes. Why should a lowly concubine-born son live better than him?
Not only was his wife handsome, but she also appeared to dote on him greatly.
While Zhang Dafu treated Yun Ziqing well, her body was covered in fat and the stench of raw meat, which was truly nauseating.
If he could marry a wife like that, it would be worth it even for a smaller dowry.
Yun Ziqing thought about going out to call out to them, but he was stopped by Wang.
"What are you doing?"
Wang glared at Yun Ziqing in disapproval. Because he had sold those concubine-born children, his wife had scolded him severely. Wang felt guilty in his heart and had no intention of seeing them again.
From now on, they would live their own lives, and he would pretend they were all strangers.
In truth, Wang was mostly afraid. If one of those little wretches managed to climb up to a powerful family and came back to settle old scores, it would be disastrous.
After all, he hadn't treated those concubine-born children well in the past, so it was inevitable that they would harbor resentment.
"I'm going to say hello! Father, Yun Zimu is living well now; we can't just watch and ignore his father and brother, can we?"
Even now, Yun Ziqing felt that all the good things in this world should belong to him; a concubine-born son was simply unworthy.
"They’ve already been sold; they belong to someone else now. Why are you trying to get involved?"
Wang grabbed Yun Ziqing’s arm, refusing to let him step forward. It wasn't until the donkey cart had traveled far away that the father and son finally emerged, still tugging at each other.
"Oh! Uncle Wang and Ziqing are here. Come on in and sit."
Zhang Dafu, who had just sold half a pig and the lard from the past two days, was in a good mood. She greeted them while washing her blood-stained hands in a water basin nearby.
Yun Ziqing covered his nose in disgust. After seeing Yun Zimu’s wife, he felt even more strongly that Zhang Dafu was unworthy of him.
"We won't go in. These are pastries Ziqing made himself, brought specifically for you to taste."
Wang handed the small package of pastries to Zhang Dafu. Seeing the large silver ingot that Zhang Dafu tucked into her bosom, his eyes gleamed with greed.
Although this daughter-in-law wasn't much to look at, she was capable of earning money.
Once Ziqing married her, their family wouldn't have to spend money on meat, and they could always ask her for handouts.
Wang’s little scheme was well-calculated, but he didn't realize his son had developed other thoughts.
"Thank you, Ziqing, for still thinking of me..."
Zhang Dafu blushed, took the pastries, and immediately popped one into her mouth, looking incredibly satisfied.
"How is business today?"
Wang shifted his gaze from the silver ingot Zhang Dafu had tucked away to her face, which was puffed out from chewing the pastry, and asked with a smile.
Zhang Dafu wiped her mouth casually and said with a grin, "A big customer came today and bought half a pig in one go, along with a lot of lard. It’s truly rare."
Yun Ziqing’s eyes flickered, and for once, he took the initiative to speak to Zhang Dafu.
"Was it the young lady who just left?"
"Yes, that’s her!"
Seeing that Yun Ziqing was speaking to her, Zhang Dafu’s face flushed even redder.
"Buying so much, aren't you afraid it will spoil? Is there some event happening at home?"
Yun Ziqing asked suspiciously. Could it be that the little wretch Yun Zimu was pregnant?
He had only seen Yun Zimu sitting on the cart earlier and hadn't clearly seen his stomach.
Thinking of this possibility, Yun Ziqing’s expression suddenly turned ugly. His hands, buried in his sleeves, clenched tightly, and his heart grew increasingly resentful.
"The young gentleman said it seems they built a new house and needed to buy more meat to give as thank-you gifts to those who came to help."
Zhang Dafu scratched her head, relaying the bits of conversation she had overheard to Yun Ziqing.
"They even built a new house..."
Yun Ziqing muttered, the jealousy in his eyes barely contained.
"That is indeed a happy occasion."
Wang smiled dismissively, his hand hidden at his side secretly tugging at Yun Ziqing’s sleeve, fearing he would lose his composure in front of Zhang Dafu.
"It’s not busy right now, Uncle Wang, why don't you and Ziqing come in and sit for a while?"
Zhang Dafu invited them inside again. Yun Ziqing acted as if he hadn't heard, ignoring her completely, and Wang waved his hands repeatedly.
"We won't go in. We just came by to see you. Seeing that your business is doing well, I can rest easy. We’ll be heading back now."
Though Wang said he was leaving, his eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the two pork knuckles on the cutting board.
The pig was quite fat today, and the knuckles were large enough.
If he went back and made braised pork knuckles, Ziqin would surely love them.
Yun Ziqin was Wang’s only daughter. Because she was younger than Yun Zimu and spoiled by Wang, she was not an easy child to deal with.
Although Zhang Dafu was simple-minded, she wasn't stupid. She grinned, pulled a piece of twine from the side, deftly wrapped one of the knuckles, and handed it to Wang.
"Then, Uncle Wang, take this knuckle back for Ziqing and little sister Ziqin to eat."
Wang feigned a polite refusal before accepting the knuckle, though his smile didn't reach his eyes.
He had clearly wanted both, but Zhang Dafu had only tied up one for him. He couldn't bring himself to ask directly, and he felt a stifling frustration in his chest.
However, in Zhang Dafu’s view, this one knuckle was enough for the three of them to have a meal.
Wang came by here all the time and took meat home almost every day, so Zhang Dafu thought she would give him less so they could eat something fresh later.
But in Wang’s eyes, this was a lack of tact. She clearly saw he had his eye on both knuckles and only gave him one—it was truly infuriating.
Carrying the single knuckle and dragging his son out of the butcher shop, Wang began to grumble as soon as they turned the corner.
But the distracted Yun Ziqing didn't hear a word Wang was saying; his mind was entirely filled with Yun Zimu and his handsome wife.
The two people being thought of were currently sitting on the donkey cart, heading home. Su Qiye raised her hand to shield Yun Zimu’s body, fearing he might bump against the edge of the cart, while all of Yun Zimu’s attention was focused on the chirping cage.
(End of chapter)