Chapter 6: 6. Chapter 6: Cleaning Up

Chapter 6: Settling Accounts

A cold wind blew, the chill seeping straight into the bones.

After waiting another two days without any word from Matchmaker Liu, Lady Wang couldn't help but feel anxious. To make matters worse, the villagers' pointed whispers—fueled by Granny Fan's words—caused her to vent her frustration on others.

She could no longer sit still.

With a heavy heart, she pounded loudly on Matchmaker Liu's door.

From within the courtyard came a creaking sound—the sound of footsteps on snow, approaching from a distance.

Matchmaker Liu looked haggard; she had been plagued by nightmares lately, terrified that her secrets would be exposed. When she opened the door to find Lady Wang, her eyelid twitched.

"It's you."

She leaned against the heavy door, blocking the way, showing no sign of hospitality.

"The house is a mess, so I won't invite you in for tea. If you have something to say, say it here."

Ever since Erlang began his studies, Lady Wang had been held up by the neighbors, who flattered her as the future mother of a scholar. She had become quite conceious of her elevated status, and being slighted by Matchmaker Liu caused her face to darken.

However, the Dong family matter was urgent, and since she was the one asking for a favor, Lady Wang did not press the issue.

Suppressing her emotions, she glanced toward the neighboring house.

Selling a niece was ultimately a disgraceful matter, so Lady Wang would not make a scene. She lowered her voice and asked, "How is the matter I entrusted to you progressing?"

"Give me a straight answer. Has the local gentleman taken an interest in someone else? Or is he playing hard to get, thinking twenty taels is too expensive?"

Seeing her silence, Lady Wang took a step forward.

"You did take two eggs from me; you must see this through to success."

Matchmaker Liu: "..."

She feigned difficulty: "Everyone knows how much your husband prizes that niece."

"If he comes knocking with a knife demanding an explanation, there are only me and my father-in-law in this house. What could we possibly do to him?"

Lady Wang frowned.

Unexpectedly, Matchmaker Liu's tone shifted.

"But you underestimate Master Dong far too much. What is twenty taels to him? If she catches his eye, he wouldn't hesitate to spend a hundred."

The greedy Lady Wang gasped, "A... a hundred taels?"

She had thought twenty taels was an extortionate demand. In her entire life, she had never seen such a sum of money.

Matchmaker Liu lifted her chin. "I recall your Erlang is studying in town."

"Master Dong is quite someone; he has connections even with the County Magistrate. If he takes a liking to her, sending Erlang to the best academy in town would be nothing more than a word from him. He could even waive the tuition fees for you."

These words struck Lady Wang right in the heart.

It was true that Erlang was favored by his teacher, but how could a town school compare to an academy in the county?

It was the heavy burden of the household that had hindered Erlang's progress. If they could become in-laws with the Dong family...

She became agitated with excitement. "You can rest assured. If this succeeds, I will never reveal that you were the matchmaker. My husband won't come after you."

"And your commission will not be lacking."

"I shall have to trouble you to put extra effort into this."

Matchmaker Liu smiled.

However, in the next instant, she shoved Lady Wang violently.

Caught off guard, Lady Wang fell heavily, her body sinking into the snow, the cold making her shudder.

She cursed loudly, "Are you mad?!"

"You're the one who's mad!"

Matchmaker Liu demanded, "Has your conscience been eaten by dogs? Do you even consider yourself an elder?"

"Have you no shame? Are you not afraid your niece's biological mother will climb out of her grave to settle the score with you!"

Her voice was loud and clear, quickly alerting the neighbors.

Before long, an elderly man hurried out. He was dressed in thick cotton clothes, his expression solemn.

"What is happening here?"

He led the way, followed by many villagers.

The mountain paths in Xilin Village were difficult to navigate, especially in the harsh winter. The Village Head's family valued tradition and always used a pig's head for ancestral sacrifices. Every year, they would buy a pig from the butcher in the neighboring village and drag it back to be slaughtered.

If any household wanted meat, they would bring money to get a cut.

But there was only so much pork; after the Village Head's family kept some and set some aside for relatives, there wasn't enough to go around.

These villagers had to scramble to place their orders with the Village Head in advance.

It was a luxury that occurred only once a year, so they had to grit their teeth to let their hardworking families taste meat.

As a neighbor to Matchmaker Liu, how could she not know that many people had been coming and going from the house next door these past few days?

She had also been waiting for Lady Wang to show up.

Sure enough, the Village Head led the inquiry with confusion, "Why are you fighting? Can't neighbors speak to each other properly?"

Seeing it was him, Lady Wang's eyes flickered. She didn't dare argue and scrambled to her feet.

"It's nothing. I just lost my footing."

Matchmaker Liu sneered, lifting her chin high. "Oh, so you dare to do it but not admit it? You do feel guilty, don't you?"

She addressed the crowd, "I pushed her. It's a mercy I didn't use a broom to drive her away. Since everyone is here, come and judge for yourselves."

"Everyone knows that her niece is as beautiful as a flower. If it weren't for her mother, would the Hu family be where they are today? If it were me, I would have loved that girl like my own daughter."

"But whenever Hu Dazhu is away, what kind of life does Wan'er have?"

"I think what Granny Fan said makes sense. When Wan'er fell into the water, I suspect she had something to do with it!"

Lady Wang: "???"

Even if Yu Tingwan lost her footing, it was her fault?

The Village Head frowned. "You shouldn't speak such things recklessly. People have hearts of flesh. That girl lived under their roof for years; how could Dazhu's wife harm her?"

Lady Wang: "That's right! I..."

"Bah!"

Matchmaker Liu sneered, "She's blinded by money. She wants to sell her niece to the local gentleman Dong and insisted that I act as the matchmaker."

The crowd looked at one another; this was quite the spectacle.

Someone couldn't help but say, "Once, when I went to the Hu house, Wan'er was drenched in sweat from exhaustion. Instead of letting her rest, Lady Wang scolded her for being clumsy."

"Tch, that's nothing. After the disaster that hit Wan'er's family, it wasn't easy for the girl to survive. Just a few days after arriving in Xilin Village, Lady Wang was cursing her, asking why she didn't just die with her parents."

"Never mind Wan'er, she treats her daughter-in-law with nothing but beatings and insults."

"That little Mrs. Xu isn't any better; when my family held a banquet, she took food and gifts without even being invited."

Lady Wang was stunned, truly unable to understand why Matchmaker Liu had suddenly turned on her.

"You were the one who first suggested..."

Matchmaker Liu's voice drowned her out. "I am a matchmaker, not a human trafficker! How old is that girl? Am I supposed to push her into the Dong family? Master Dong is old and has strange private habits; the girls carried out of his room are always covered in blood. If I were to facilitate this and word got out, who in these ten villages would ever trust me to help them find a match again?"

"Do you think I would agree to such a heinous act?"

The Village Head's face darkened. "Enough!"

"Lady Wang, your Yaozu is the most promising youth in this village. As his mother, don't hold him back. Use your brain for once!"

"Selling a niece? How could you even think of such a rotten idea? If this gets out, your Erlang will never be able to hold his head up outside this village."

Lady Wang's eyes darted around, feeling a sense of fear, but she remained stubborn. "How could it be that serious? Is the Dong family really that bad?"

The Village Head spoke sternly, "Do you dare say that to Hu Dazhu's face?"

"Do you think I want to meddle in your family's business? I advise you to keep your wits about you these next few days. Once the whole family is gathered, if Hu Dazhu agrees, I certainly won't stop it!"

"But if you try to do things behind his back, you'll see how I deal with you!"