TIPS – Chapter 2

Song Jinmei knew exactly what mattered most to her father. Her current demeanor clearly signaled that something had happened—something Song Man would least want to hear.

“Father, please don’t get too angry when I tell you this. The doctor said you need to rest and avoid stress,” she began cautiously. After a pause, she continued, “The day after you left, I accidentally discovered that my brother was secretly meeting a man at home…”

Song Man was shocked. “You’re not making this up, are you?”

Although he was often dissatisfied with Song Jingwei’s temperament, he never imagined his son would commit such a disgraceful act. The Song family would never produce a child with such immoral behavior!

“I’m not making this up. If you don’t believe me, go see for yourself—he still has traces of his shameful act on his body. There’s no way to hide it,” Song Jinmei insisted.

Her conviction left Song Man with no room for doubt. His face turned livid as he growled, “I will go see for myself. If this is true, I will—I will kill him with my own hands! Our Song family will not tolerate such a shameless disgrace!”

Seething with rage, the two of them stormed toward Song Jingwei’s quarters.

Two burly guards stood at the entrance.

“I had them stationed here to prevent him from eloping with that man,” Song Jinmei explained. “If that were to happen, our family’s reputation would be ruined.”

Song Man nodded approvingly. “You did well.”

His daughter’s understanding only made his son’s lack of propriety all the more infuriating.

Father and daughter stepped into Song Jingwei’s room, immediately greeted by the faint aroma of tea.

Inside, Song Jingwei was calmly sipping tea and reading a book. When he heard the commotion at the door, he briefly glanced up. He had been debating whether to call for someone, but the moment he saw Song Man glaring at him with fury, he knew there was no need—the outcome would be the same regardless.

“Are you mute now? Have you forgotten how to greet your elders?” Song Man barked, his anger flaring further at his son’s silence.

Just by looking at Song Jingwei’s indifferent expression—like a pig that didn’t fear boiling water—Song Man knew that his daughter hadn’t made up this story. His son really had been with a man.

Song Jingwei closed his book and hesitated for a moment before deciding to speak. Leaving things unaddressed would only make them drag on unnecessarily. “You believe everything she says?” he asked.

Song Man, barely restraining his fury, demanded, “Did you or did you not engage in disgraceful acts with a man in this house?”

If the question was that direct, Song Jingwei saw no need to deny it. “Yes,” he said.

Song Man’s immediate reaction was to look around for something to use as a weapon. Finally, he grabbed a nearby embroidered stool and shouted, “I’ll beat you to death, you shameless disgrace of a son!”

“Father!” Song Jinmei rushed to stop him. He couldn’t beat him—not yet. If he got injured before certain things were set in motion, it wouldn’t be satisfying enough.

“Don’t hit him! You mustn’t!” she pleaded. “You’ll only harm yourself in anger.”

“Move aside! Let me kill this disgrace! He has done something so shameful—he has ruined the Song family’s honor!” Song Man roared.

But killing Song Jingwei was never Song Jinmei’s true intention.

“Father, calm down. This matter hasn’t been exposed yet. The only ones who know are you, me, and him. There’s still a way to fix this,” she reasoned.

“How?” Song Man demanded, still boiling with rage. Reputation was his greatest concern.

“If you think about it, you’ll understand. My brother only did this because he was overwhelmed by emotion—he must be deeply in love with that man. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have…” She hesitated before adding, “He wouldn’t have even drunk river water…”

“What did you say?!”

It was one thing to engage in a shameful act, but drinking river water? That was another matter entirely. Now, Song Man truly wanted to beat Song Jingwei to death.

“Father, calm down! Don’t hit him!” Song Jinmei once again blocked him.

A quiet, mocking laugh escaped from Song Jingwei’s lips.

He simply found this whole scene amusing.

Song Jinmei was putting on a show for herself, talking to herself, directing the entire drama. And yet, he had no desire to argue or defend himself.

Maybe he just didn’t care. Maybe he found it beneath him.

“What are you laughing at?! After doing something so disgraceful, you still have the audacity to laugh?” Song Man thundered, raising the stool in rage.

“I’m not laughing at anything,” Song Jingwei said indifferently.

Then he met his father’s furious gaze and calmly asked, “Tell me—what do you plan to do with me?”

There wasn’t the slightest ripple in his eyes.

Song Man could no longer see the foolish, naive boy he once knew.

This son of his had truly changed—all for the sake of a man.

Even though Song Man did not have high expectations for Song Jingwei, he was still heartbroken.

“Father, this is not your fault. Since he has chosen to disgrace himself, you should just let him be. Otherwise, he’ll only end up resenting you and claiming you weren’t a good father,” Song Jinmei said, striking precisely at Song Man’s weak spot—his inability to tolerate others saying he was not a good father.

“Is that true?” Song Man glared at Song Jingwei and asked, “Do you really think I’m not a good father?” How dare he say otherwise! Who gave birth to him, raised him, provided him with food, clothing, and shelter? How dare he deny that!

Song Jinmei grew anxious, regretting that she had shifted Song Man’s focus onto this matter. She quickly said, “Of course, you are a good father. If you fulfill my brother’s wish, he will surely be grateful to you.”

Thankfully, Song Jingwei was perceptive. Ever since Song Man arrived, he had not argued for himself, clearly knowing that no matter what he said, he could not defend himself. So he simply chose not to speak at all.

“Fine, fine! Since you’ve chosen to disgrace yourself… I’ll let you have your way and live your so-called carefree life!” Song Man glared fiercely at Song Jingwei, full of displeasure, and stormed off. He remained bitter about his son’s foolishness. To think that he once considered passing the family business to him—what a mistake that would have been!

Fortunately, the incident was discovered early, leaving room for regret.

After Song Man left, Song Jinmei remained behind, both skeptical and curious. She sneered and asked, “Could it be that you’ve truly fallen in love with that man and are eager to marry him?”

Without lifting his head, Song Jingwei replied, “You could also choose not to make me marry.”

Song Jinmei’s voice turned cold. “Forget it.” She then turned and walked out of Song Jingwei’s room, instructing the guards at the door, “Keep a close watch on him. Don’t let him leave.”

By the afternoon of the next day, Song Man had calmed down a little and summoned Song Jinmei to discuss what should be done about Song Jingwei.

For the past day and night, he had been thinking nonstop, but he still could not make up his mind. “No matter what, we cannot allow this matter to tarnish the Song family’s reputation,” he declared. Then, turning to his daughter, he said, “Perhaps it would be best to keep it a secret and forbid them from meeting again.”

Song Jinmei immediately rejected the idea. “That won’t work. Sooner or later, the truth will come out.”

Song Man nodded gravely. Indeed, the only way to keep something hidden forever was never to do it in the first place. “Then what do you suggest?” Letting the two be together would still make them a laughingstock. The only male heir of the Song family throwing away everything for a man—people in Lihua Town would never stop laughing at them.

“Father, I have the perfect solution,” Song Jinmei said. “Why not marry my brother off as a daughter, with a grand wedding? People will praise you for being kind and generous, for loving your children dearly. After all, this was his own request—if you let a few words slip, others will understand. The poorer his husband is, the better. That way, people will say you treat all people equally and have a noble and learned character.”

Song Man was tempted. Over the years, he had done countless good deeds, yet his reputation had not significantly improved. Now, this was an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. He asked, “Who exactly is this man?” He had heard his daughter mention that the man was poor.

Song Jinmei replied, “I’m not entirely sure yet. We’ll need to send someone to investigate.” She had already said too much; it would seem suspicious if she knew everything. Now was the time to make contact with that man and investigate his family situation—whether he had a wife and children.

In her ideal scenario, the man would already have a wife and kids. If Song Jingwei were sent to him, they could all tear each other apart.

That night, Shen Junxi left town under cover of darkness, walking for over an hour to return to Chashan Village.

By the time he arrived home, his elderly parents had already finished their dinner. His father was resting in his room, while his mother sat under the dim light, sewing.

Seeing Shen Junxi return, his mother, Yang Shi, immediately put down her needlework and wiped the corners of her eyes before stepping forward to greet him. “Junxi, why are you back?” Usually, when he went to town to sell tea, he would either return early or spend the night at a classmate’s home. It was the first time he had come back so late.

Shen Junxi set down the basket on his back and signed simply: Delayed on the road.

Yang Shi was a gentle woman. She believed whatever her son said, so she only asked a few more questions out of concern before heading to the kitchen to make him some noodles.

His father, Shen Dongming, had spent the whole day picking tea in the fields and was exhausted, so he had gone to bed early. Shen Junxi, afraid of disturbing him, moved carefully past his door.

He walked into the open-air courtyard, drawing a bucket of cold water under the pitch-black night sky. He took off his clothes and slowly cleaned himself with a fine cloth.

When his fingers brushed against his waist, he paused for a moment. It was as if he could still feel the lingering sensation of those long legs wrapped around him. The thought made him shudder slightly. Immediately after, he felt a tightness in his lower abdomen, and his normally pale face flushed completely red.

Luckily, Shen Junxi was used to maintaining his composure. Even as his body reacted, he remained calm, continuing to wash himself as if nothing had happened.

“Junxi, come eat your noodles.”

Yang Shi brought out a bowl of noodles and set it in front of him with a gentle smile. “I added an egg for you—eat up.”

Shen Junxi gestured a sign of thanks to her, making Yang Shi smile even more warmly. Her heart ached for him. “Eat up, then get some rest. You have to pick tea again tomorrow.”

As she watched her son quietly eat, Yang Shi discreetly wiped her tears.

Her Junxi was never meant to be this pitiful. It was all because of her failing body that they had missed the chance to treat his voice.

Five years ago, Shen Junxi was the envy of everyone in Chashan Village, a talented scholar preparing for the imperial examinations. However, his plans were delayed due to his mother Yang Shi’s illness. Not only that, but he also caught a cold in a heavy rainstorm, and his condition worsened until, though his body recovered, he lost his voice.

A promising scholar, now unable to speak, was no longer fit for the imperial exams. He couldn’t even utter a word. Yang Shi cried for two whole years over this. Now, in the fifth year since it happened, her once-proud scholar son had long since fallen from grace, reduced to being the village’s well-known “mute scholar.”

After finishing his bowl of noodles, Shen Junxi noticed his mother crying for him again, feeling a little helpless. He stood up, gently wrapped his arms around her frail shoulders, and patted her comfortingly.

He was fine, really.

Losing his voice wasn’t the end of the world—he had learned sign language, and his family understood him well enough. Though he could no longer take the imperial exams, he could still read and study. More importantly, he devoted himself to farming, managing the family’s ten-acre tea plantation to support his loved ones.

Looking back, he realized how much his studies had cost the family, draining their savings so much that they barely had emergency funds left for his mother’s treatment. Only then did he understand how much his pursuit of the exams had burdened them. His lost voice was just fate’s way of making the choice for him—he put down his books, rolled up his sleeves, and became a farmer.

“All right, I’m not crying anymore, so don’t worry,” Yang Shi brushed away her son’s hand and pulled herself together. No—she was even stronger than before. “You don’t have to fret. Your father and I have saved enough for a bride price. Just a little longer, and we’ll be able to get you a wife. Then those gossiping women can see that our family isn’t so poor that we can’t afford a bride.”

Shen Junxi patted her hand, signaling that there was no rush.

Yang Shi sighed guiltily, “It’s not for them—I’m doing this for you. If not for my illness, you and your father would already have a grandchild by now.” She lamented, “Fortunately, Xiao Lan isn’t the type to care about status. Even though your engagement was set years ago, she’s had it tough, waiting for you all these years.”

Back then, when the incident happened, the people who used to flatter their family quickly avoided them, afraid they’d ask for money. Even Xiao Lan’s family, the Xue family, who had arranged the engagement, tried to keep her from visiting.

At the time, Shen Junxi was eighteen, and Xue Lan was thirteen. Their families had agreed they would marry in two years. But of course, that never happened. The Xue family wanted Xue Lan to marry elsewhere, but she refused. Since her parents couldn’t control her decision, they could only stop her from visiting Shen Junxi.

Just like that, five years passed. They barely saw Xue Lan or her family. All they knew was that she still wasn’t married.

Yang Shi, being soft-hearted, assumed Xue Lan was still waiting for her son and always praised her in front of Shen Junxi, reminding him to treat her well in the future.

But Shen Junxi had seen too much of the world’s coldness to believe it. He doubted there was any future between him and Xue Lan. The Xue family was one of the wealthiest households in Chashan Village. Back then, they had agreed to the engagement because of his scholarly potential.

Now that he had lost his voice and his hopes of taking the imperial exams were gone, he was nothing more than a mute scholar. The Xue family would never let their daughter marry him—not after delaying it for so long.

Only his foolish parents still thought Xue Lan remained unmarried because they hadn’t saved enough for the bride price, believing that once they did, everything would work out.

Thinking about all this, Shen Junxi’s usually clear eyes grew slightly hazy. He wasn’t upset about not marrying Xue Lan but rather saddened for his naïve, hopeful parents. That was why he worked so hard—to improve their lives, to shield them from mockery and scorn.

“All right, go rest now. I still have to finish embroidering this petal, so I won’t keep talking to you.” Yang Shi urged him to sleep.

Shen Junxi signed for her not to stay up too late, as it would hurt her eyes.

“I know, I know. Now go.” Yang Shi nodded.

Shen Junxi nodded in return but still sat with her for a little while before heading inside to rest. He took off his outer robe and sat on the simple, worn-out bed, staring at the dark, aging room. A brief moment of shame flashed through his mind.

Their family was poor, and he himself was not very capable. Instead of daydreaming, he should focus on improving their lives.

That fleeting moment of indulgence from that night… He should just treat it as a passing sunset glow in this old house, a memory to bring out occasionally but never hold on to too tightly.

He was exhausted today. Shen Junxi lay down, and soon, sleep overtook him.

By dawn, his father was already in the courtyard, carrying a basket and waiting for him. When he saw his son, he smiled and said, “Xige’er, you came back last night?”

Shen Junxi smiled and signed in response.

Shen Dongming waved his hand, “Go wash up quickly, we need to set out soon.”

After freshening up, he set off with his father to the tea plantation. The journey from their home to the tea fields took about fifteen minutes. Their land was connected to the village’s communal tea fields, and from a distance, they could see other villagers already picking tea leaves.

Ever since Shen Dongming’s family split from the larger Shen family, they had lived in a more secluded part of the village, with only a few neighbors nearby. They weren’t particularly close to anyone else.

Part of it was because Shen Dongming was too honest and not socially adept, and part of it was because Yang Shi was just as mild-mannered. Among the village women, she was often the one being bullied. As a result, their family remained insignificant in the village. If not for Shen Junxi’s past status as a scholar, most villagers wouldn’t even have known that they were once part of the prominent Shen family.

But now, even that hope had faded. Shen Junxi had fallen into obscurity, and their family had nothing left to make them stand out.

Shen Dongming was well aware of his family’s situation. When he encountered friendly villagers, he would grin and greet them, but when he came across those with ill intentions, he would lower his head and focus on picking tea, ignoring them.

At this time, the sun had just risen, and dew still clung to the tea leaves, making them look fresh and vibrant. They would stop picking once the sun became stronger. After filling their baskets, father and son returned home for breakfast.

Initially, Shen Dongming had been chatting enthusiastically with Shen Junxi, but when he saw the people standing in their courtyard, his expression instantly darkened. The visitors were none other than Xue Xin, the head of the Xue family, and his wife, Chen Shi.

“Dongming, picking tea so early?” Xue Xin greeted them cheerfully, as if there had never been any bad blood between their families. He also greeted Shen Junxi, “Junxi, you’ve grown so much.”

Not wanting his son to be put in a difficult position, Shen Dongming forced a smile. “Brother Xue, why don’t you come inside and sit?”

Chen Shi immediately responded, “We’re not here for tea, so there’s no need to sit inside.”

Yang Shi, who was standing nearby, looked uneasy. She wanted to speak but didn’t know how, so she could only glance at her husband and son.

Shen Dongming said, “Since that’s the case, Sister-in-law Xue, you might as well speak plainly. We’re listening.” He had already sensed the reason for their visit. His greatest concern was his son, Shen Junxi, and he only hoped the news wouldn’t hurt him too much.

Xue Xin smiled as if he hadn’t noticed the tension. “It’s like this—Dongming, you still remember my daughter, right? Time flies, and she’s grown up. Recently, her aunt introduced her to a family—the assistant magistrate’s family from our county. What do you think of that match?”

Shen Dongming opened his mouth but could only manage a dry response. “An assistant magistrate… that’s certainly a good match.” Compared to their own poverty-stricken household, it was infinitely better.

Chen Shi smiled. “I told him it was a good match, but he insisted on coming here to ask for your opinion. You know, our family once thought highly of your Junxi, but life is unpredictable, and our Lan’er isn’t fortunate enough. Now that her aunt has arranged this, we can’t stand in the way. We just hope you don’t think we’re looking down on Junxi.”

Shen Dongming forced himself to nod, eager for them to leave. “It was only a verbal agreement, nothing formal. Your daughter can marry whoever she wants. There’s no need to say anything more to us.” As Junxi’s father, he should be berating Xue Xin for his opportunism, but what would be the point? Junxi still wouldn’t be able to marry Xue Lan, and they would only invite more insults from Chen Shi.

Shen Junxi silently grasped his father’s calloused hand—these hands had endured so much hardship for him. He would never resent his parents, only love and protect them.

Chen Shi continued, “I’m glad you understand. I just wanted to make sure. After all, the groom’s family is of high status and values reputation. I wouldn’t want rumors about a past engagement spreading. Not that I think your family would say anything, of course—it’s just to prevent others from gossiping. So if you ever hear such talk, please help clarify things.”

Xue Xin, still somewhat decent, pulled at Chen Shi’s sleeve. “We’ve said enough. There’s no need to linger—let’s go.”

The Shen family didn’t try to stop them. Though only Shen Junxi had lost his voice, at that moment, it felt as if their whole family had. No one could find the words to say.

Shen Junxi gently pulled his parents into the house, set down his basket, and went into the kitchen to bring out breakfast. He carefully placed the dishes on the table and used his calm, reassuring gaze to comfort his parents, serving them food as if nothing had happened.

“Junxi…” Yang Shi’s eyes reddened. As parents, they had failed. They could do nothing while others trampled over them.

Shen Junxi shook his head—he didn’t mind. It didn’t matter.

Shen Dongming spoke gruffly, “Don’t be upset. It’s just an engagement that was called off. There are plenty of other girls out there.” But deep down, he knew finding a wife wasn’t easy in these times. Most families preferred to marry their daughters into better circumstances. Feeling guilty, he added hesitantly, “If no girls are available, we can always find a handsome young man instead. What do you think?”

He didn’t know if Junxi liked men or not. These days, good women were scarce, and even those who didn’t originally prefer men often ended up with male partners out of necessity. Though it was common to have children, such marriages were often unstable and filled with strife.

Shen Junxi patted his father’s hand, signaling for them to eat quickly before the food got cold. He wasn’t in a hurry to get married. In truth, he had no interest in marriage at all—none whatsoever.

What he didn’t know was that soon, an engagement that would shake the entire Tea Mountain Village—and even the whole Lihua town—was about to fall upon him.