TFWYH – Chapter 90 Women’s Opinion

He was only delivering something on behalf of his brothel sweetheart to Widow Hong. Who knew that when he arrived, Widow Hong was bathing—and hadn’t shut the door.

He was at the age of hot blood, and then…

Ahem…

Who would’ve thought Doctor Zhang would catch him in the act.

Luckily, he ran fast!

Anyway, since Doctor Zhang never saw his face, he could deny it to death.

But he hadn’t expected that within just a few days, the whole village would be spreading rumors like this.

Ling Cangshun regretted it bitterly, and he blamed Widow Hong.

It was all her fault for seducing him.

He was a tongsheng! If this matter reached the town, how could he hold his head up again?

“Father, Mother, I didn’t do it. That Doctor Zhang is making things up. I was just passing by, I never did anything with Widow Hong.”

Old Man Ling frowned, about to speak, but before he could, Old Madam Liu leapt up.

“That damned, filthy slut! Come, son, we’ll go demand justice for you!”

Old Madam Liu instantly revived to full energy and grabbed her son’s hand to drag him out.

Ling Cangshun’s heart thudded in panic, and he quickly pulled his hand back.

Seeing her son’s guilty look, Old Madam Liu’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he quickly explained:
“I’m a tongsheng! If I go make a scene with a widow, how will I show my face again? Mother, this is like mud falling into your crotch—whether it’s shit or not, everyone says it is. I’ll just go back to town later. After a while, those ignorant villagers will forget.”

He’d be crazy to confront Widow Hong.

Wasn’t it humiliating enough already?

Old Madam Liu didn’t know what he was really thinking, but she thought her son’s words made sense.

Her son was still young and already a tongsheng. To be entangled with a widow—what a disgrace!

“My poor son, you’ve suffered so much.” Madam Liu was heartbroken and began cursing the ancestors of everyone spreading the rumors.

Old Man Ling sighed, also thinking his son was right.

What was done was done. Whether it was true or not no longer mattered. The only thing left now was to avoid suspicion.

Ling Cangshun, seeing he’d fooled them, finally let out a long sigh of relief. He puffed up again, acting high and mighty:
“Mother, give me some money.”

“Huh? More money again?” Madam Liu said miserably. “Didn’t your elder brother just take five taels of silver back to town for you a few days ago?”

Five taels!

That was still the five taels Tang Wan had given her.

All spent already?

Ling Cangshun snapped impatiently:
“That’s nowhere near enough! The prefectural exam is coming up, I must pass as a xiucai this time, and I need to grease plenty of palms. Not just that—ink, brushes, paper, inkstones, everything costs money. I have to eat, don’t I?”

“This…”

“Give it to him!”

Old Madam Liu was still hesitating when Old Man Ling cut in.

She had no choice but to go inside and fetch the money.

In truth, she wanted to say: Why don’t we just stop studying? It’s too expensive!

Second Son was dead, Eldest Son sent only one tael of silver a month—it was already barely enough to cover the youngest’s schooling.

Wouldn’t it be better to save up and get him a wife instead?

She came out with the money.

Just then, Qian-shi came back from washing clothes. Seeing her mother-in-law handing money to her brother-in-law again, she erupted like a volcano.

“No way! Didn’t we just send him money a few days ago? More again? If he spends everything, what are we supposed to eat?”

“Short-sighted woman!” Ling Cangshun sneered. “The prefectural exam is coming—I need money for connections!”

“Bah!” Qian-shi wasn’t buying it:
“You were a tongsheng at twenty-two. Now you’re still a tongsheng! You’ve been trying for seven, eight years and still haven’t passed xiucai. Every day all you know is asking for money. Don’t think I don’t know—you’re just taking the money to enjoy yourself. You’re nothing but a useless weakling!”

Old Madam Liu exploded:
“Qian-shi, who are you calling names?!”