TIPS – Chapter 43

In Chashan Village, he was the scholar everyone admired and respected.

Pei Hongxuan was playing with Hei Ze at the entrance when he looked up and saw him—the so-called “scholar” Shen Dongying, a hypocritical man in refined clothing. What was he doing here?

“So, it’s Young Master Pei,” Shen Dongying said absentmindedly, glancing inside the courtyard as if looking for someone. “I wonder if my elder brother’s family is home?”

Pei Hongxuan petted the little dog and replied, “This is your elder brother’s house. Why ask an outsider like me?”

Shen Dongying awkwardly shut his mouth, glancing at Pei Hongxuan but choosing to ignore him. At this moment, Shen Dongying felt that everything at the entrance—the dog, the man, and even the old, narrow house—was beneath him. Even if Pei Hongxuan’s leg fully healed in the future, he still wouldn’t want someone like him teaching at his private school.

He took a step forward, but Hei Ze suddenly barked at him: “Woof woof woof! Woof woof woof woof woof!” Despite its small size, its barking was loud and fierce.

Shen Dongying turned pale and quickly stepped back.

“Hahaha…” Pei Hongxuan laughed at his cowardice.

Just as Shen Dongying was about to become angry out of embarrassment, Shen Dongming came out holding his smoking pipe and asked in confusion, “Hongxuan, what’s wrong with the dog?” Their Hei Ze rarely barked, and when it did, it usually meant something was up.

“Nothing much, Uncle Shen,” Pei Hongxuan replied with a smile as he patted Hei Ze, leading it back into the courtyard. “A stranger came by.”

When Shen Dongming saw Shen Dongying, he was surprised. “What are you doing here?” If he remembered correctly, this was the first time Shen Dongying had ever visited his home. And judging by the situation, it didn’t seem like a friendly visit.

“Eldest Brother, your dog doesn’t bite, does it?” Shen Dongying asked with lingering fear, still shaken from earlier—even though it was just a fluffy little puppy.

“It doesn’t,” Shen Dongming said, suddenly recalling that his younger brother had been afraid of dogs as a child. Was he still scared even now as an adult? “Come inside if you have something to say,” he added. He didn’t want to stand at the doorway discussing matters that could strain their relationship.

Shen Dongying silently followed Shen Dongming inside. As his eyes swept over the old and simple furnishings, a sense of satisfaction and superiority filled him. It wasn’t that he hated Shen Dongming, but he couldn’t help but compare their situations. They were brothers from the same mother, yet he was living far better than Shen Dongming.

“Have a seat. I’ll pour you some tea.”

When Shen Dongying saw the teacup, he waved his hands hastily. “No need, no need. I’m not thirsty.” Who knew if their cups were even clean? He was overthinking it, though—since Song Jingwei managed the household, nothing in this house was ever unclean.

“Alright then,” Shen Dongming said. “So, tell me, why are you here?” He casually took a seat and puffed on his pipe.

Shen Dongying got straight to the point. “Eldest Brother, let’s not beat around the bush. I’m here about the school.” Seeing Shen Dongming looking at him, he confidently continued, “I know you’re opening this school just to compete with me, but have you thought about the profits and losses? Have you considered the impact on our Shen family’s private school?”

Shen Dongming bluntly replied, “I don’t know about all that. My daughter-in-law entrusted the school to Xi’er and Hongxuan. If you want to discuss it, I’ll call my daughter-in-law out to talk to you.” With that, he tapped his pipe, stood up, and went to call for him.

“…!” Shen Dongying was dumbfounded. Was Shen Dongming actually going to consult his daughter-in-law about this? He couldn’t wrap his head around it. He couldn’t imagine himself ever having to seek his wife’s opinion on such matters. But for Shen Dongming, it seemed perfectly natural.

As Shen Dongying stood there lost in thought, Song Jingwei walked in from outside. Dressed in a comfortable long robe, his clothing wasn’t burlap, cotton, or even the silk that villagers envied—it was something different, hard to place.

Song Jingwei glanced at Shen Dongying without much expression and asked casually, “What do you want to talk about?”

His arrogance was infuriating. Shen Dongying frowned and said unhappily, “Xi’er’s wife, you should be calling me Third Uncle.”

Just then, Shen Junxi entered the room, standing slightly behind Song Jingwei. Hearing this, Song Jingwei turned to him and asked, “He says he’s your Third Uncle. Has he ever treated you well?”

Shen Junxi blinked in confusion, not immediately understanding the point. But after a moment, he realized—Song Jingwei was probably trying to put Shen Dongying in his place. Whether or not it was for revenge, Shen Junxi wouldn’t contradict him. So he firmly shook his head.

“Oh?” Song Jingwei turned back to Shen Dongying and said, “You just said we should speak plainly. Why not get straight to the point?” He completely ignored the earlier attempt to demand respect.

Shen Dongying’s face turned sour. He had come to confront the Shen family alone, thinking he would outtalk them all. But now, it felt more like he had walked into the lion’s den—everyone in the Shen family was united against him.

“Fine, I’ll be direct,” he said. “My father and I do not want you to open this school. There are two reasons. First, you haven’t thought this through properly—it’s more like a reckless gamble. Even if you do open it, you’ll only lose money. Second, you are fully aware that my second brother and I run the only private school in the village. By opening another one, you’re deliberately setting yourselves against us.”

Song Jingwei said, “I have two reasons for opening the school. First, there are too many children in the village who can’t afford to study. I’m willing to spend money to help them get an education—that’s my business. Your family even opposes something that benefits both others and yourselves? Is this what you call being a scholar? Did a dog eat your conscience? Can you really just stand by and watch as all the poor children in the village are left without education?”

As he spoke, Song Jingwei sneered mockingly, “If that’s the case, then I look down on you—and your entire family.”

Shen Dongying’s face went from blue to white, then from white to red, as if someone had knocked over a palette of colors. He was nothing but a hypocrite, pretending to be benevolent and righteous. Calling him a selfish and deceitful phony wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Now that he had been directly exposed, he was utterly humiliated.

“As for the second reason, you’re right—I don’t like you. I’m absolutely doing this just to go against you.” Song Jingwei smirked and openly admitted it.

Not only did Shen Dongying feel like he had just swallowed a mouthful of filth, but even the rest of the Shen family was slightly surprised. In their eyes, Song Jingwei was someone who rarely displayed emotions. His tone was always calm, never hurried or slow, making it hard to tell whether he was pleased or angry.

But one thing was certain—whatever he said always left his opponents speechless.

Shen Dongying struggled to regain his composure, clenching his fists as he asked, “So, what you’re saying is that you’re determined to go against the Shen family?” His gaze was fixed on Song Jingwei.

Song Jingwei shook his head. “I just dislike you. Opening the school is for the children in the village. If you oppose it, then you’re a hypocrite.”

Shen Dongying nearly coughed up blood. He glared at Song Jingwei and snapped, “But you literally just said you’re doing this to go against me!”

“Did I?” Song Jingwei glanced at him indifferently. “The choice is yours. If you dare to play dirty tricks, I’ll ruin your reputation and make sure you can’t stay in this village.”

Before Shen Dongying could even argue, Song Jingwei continued, “You lack nothing right now—not money, not status, correct? So why not continue being the fake gentleman you pretend to be? That way, we can at least keep the peace.”

The Shen family members, including Pei Hongxuan, were all stunned. This was both a show of kindness and a blatant threat, completely trapping Shen Dongying with no way to fight back.

“You… You really dare to do that?” Shen Dongying’s last hope was their family bond. He gave up arguing with Song Jingwei and turned to Shen Dongming instead, pleading, “Eldest Brother, say something! We’re brothers by blood! Just because I rejected that scholar, you’re all pushing me into a corner like this? How can you do this?”

To outsiders, his words might seem reasonable. But everyone present understood the reality —they had never received the kind of familial love he was trying to sell them now. So what was this sudden ‘brotherly concern’ supposed to mean?

“Third Brother, you’ve heard my daughter-in-law’s explanation. He’s opening the school purely to help the village’s poor children. This has nothing to do with you. Besides, as a scholar, shouldn’t you be happy to see more children getting an education?” Shen Dongming looked at his younger brother with an unusual expression, questioning him for the first time. “Or are all those sacred texts you’ve read meaningless to you? Did you open your private school just to make money? Are you afraid that my school will cut into your profits, and that’s why you’re trying to stop us?”

For Shen Dongying, being doubted by the very person who had admired and looked up to him since childhood—someone he had always considered a mere laborer—made him feel like his world was spinning. He couldn’t tolerate such accusations and immediately retorted, “You’re talking nonsense! I didn’t open my school just for money!”

But the moment those words left his mouth, he had nothing else to say.

If he insisted on opposing the school, wouldn’t that just confirm that he was indeed a hypocrite?

No. That was absolutely unacceptable!

A sudden thought came to him—he couldn’t be the one to take the lead on this issue. The second brother, Shen Dongqi, was also part of the private school. He was currently doing business in the neighboring town, so why not notify him and let him handle it?

This idea seemed feasible because Shen Dongqi was a businessman, a peddler who only cared about profits. If he stepped in, no one would criticize him the same way they would criticize a scholar.

With that, Shen Dongying hurriedly left the Shen family’s house. He needed to write a letter immediately and have someone deliver it to Shen Dongqi, urging him to return.

Oh, and Shen Dongqi’s wife, Liu Shi—she was obsessed with money. If she found out that the Shen family’s school would cut into their earnings, she would definitely cause a scene.

But then, Shen Dongying remembered—Shen Dongming’s daughter-in-law was no simple man. With just a few words, he had completely shut him down. Could Liu Shi really be capable of dealing with him?

At that moment, Song Jingwei had no idea that he had unknowingly invited trouble upon himself. But even if he did, he wouldn’t have cared.

He had always been straightforward—handling things as they came. If reasoning didn’t work, he’d use threats. And if that still didn’t work, then they’d take it to the authorities.

With that in mind, he turned to Shen Junxi and said, “Come inside and help me write a letter.”

It had been a while since he last contacted Zhang Benqing, and he needed to update him on the progress of the road construction.