Chapter 26: A Married Couple’s Spat Leaves No Grudges

The teeth marks on Zhang Chen's face must have been left by Tian Yachun. He made no effort to hide or cover them; he remained composed, utterly indifferent to both the marks on his face and to Tian Yachun herself.

Zhu Qingzhu stole a glance at Tian Yachun and thought to herself, "Zhang Chen must despise her. Even if he doesn't divorce her once he rises to prominence, her life in the Zhang household will be miserable. In the long run, she is the truly pitiable one."

Upon returning home, Zhang Chen entered the front parlor to find Tian Xuewen, Madam Zhao, Zhang Erchen, Tian Yayi, and Shi Keren, a renowned elder of Dengzhou Prefecture. Zhang Chen's head steward, Zheng Shizhen, was busy entertaining them with a sycophantic smile.

"Zhang Chen, you unfilial wretch! I knew that if you went three days without a beating, you'd be climbing onto the roof to tear off the tiles!" Madam Zhao stood up abruptly the moment she saw him.

She wore a dark, Wuman-style bun, a blue short-sleeved blouse over a pale lotus-pink half-sleeve jacket, and a white floral gauze shawl draped over her shoulders. A purple pleated skirt and deep green upturned-toe shoes completed her attire.

That morning, Tian Xuewen had stormed into the Zhang estate, mocking and deriding Madam Zhao. His point was clear: he was in awe of the Zhang family’s upbringing, as they had produced a brilliant son-in-law capable of swindling his own father-in-law out of 60,000 taels of silver. This fraud was the hottest gossip and the biggest joke in Fushan County. Madam Zhao, having anticipated the reason for his visit, had promised to discipline her son severely. Tian Xuewen had been satisfied at the time, stroking his beard and saying, "I shall go invite Master Yi'an. I hope you will trouble yourself to make a trip to Zhang Village this morning, Madam."

Shi Keren, the distinguished elder from Dengzhou, was a Jinshi scholar from the Wanli era who had retired as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in Nanjing. He was a prominent Confucian scholar in the Shandong Provincial Administration. When Tian Xuewen announced his plan to have Master Yi'an deal with Zhang Chen, Zhang Erchen had offered a silent prayer for his brother.

This morning, while hosting Tian Xuewen alongside her son, Madam Zhao had maintained strict etiquette. After Tian Xuewen departed, Zhang Erchen had tried to persuade his mother not to go: "Mother, my older brother is no longer the man he once was. Yesterday, he swindled 110,000 taels of silver with ease—that is not something the old Zhang Chen could have done."

"Mother, if you hadn't sent him to the Tian family to be a live-in son-in-law, perhaps he would still listen to you." Zhang Erchen took a sip of water. "I am certain he no longer acknowledges you as his mother. Going to Zhang Village will only bring you humiliation. Just feign illness and stay here."

"He doesn't acknowledge me? He wouldn't dare!" Madam Zhao roared. "I will have that unfilial wretch beaten to death!"

Ignoring his protests, she accompanied Tian Xuewen to the village. Her stern gaze swept over Zhang Chen. "Return the 60,000 taels you swindled from Magistrate Tian! And you, you unfilial wretch, you will sell that little harlot Xia Hua to a brothel immediately and apologize to Miss Tian!"

Madam Zhao acted with swift, ruthless authority, barking orders the moment they met. Tian Xuewen and his nephew, Tian Yayi, exchanged satisfied glances. Elder Shi Keren, his eyes half-closed, remained aloof; he had only come to avoid offending Tian Xuewen.

*My mother overestimates herself,* Zhang Erchen thought, feeling a sense of impending disaster.

Tian Yachun and Zhu Weijin, who had returned shortly after Zhang Chen, watched to see how he would react.

"Madam, this is hardly appropriate," Zheng Shizhen muttered, cursing her silently. *Old woman, this isn't the main Zhang estate; you have no authority here!*

Zhang Chen finally reacted, his anger turning into a cold laugh. "Second Brother, who is this madwoman? Why have you brought a shrew into my home? There is a saying: a married daughter is like spilled water. As a live-in son-in-law, I am also 'spilled water'." He cast a look of disdain at Madam Zhao. "That is to say, I have nothing to do with the Zhang family anymore. If she were sensible, I wouldn't mind calling her 'Mother' when we cross paths. But if she continues to treat me like an object, why should I treat her as a mother?"

Madam Zhao’s desire to sell Xia Hua into a brothel had pushed Zhang Chen past his breaking point. While it was common practice for a head mistress to dispose of a servant girl who seduced the young master, this was different.

"Second Brother—or rather, Zhang Erchen—I suppose you won't acknowledge me as your older brother anymore. So be it." Zhang Chen looked at the flushed and furious Madam Zhao. "Zhang Erchen, take this shrew away at once."

"How can you say you don't acknowledge your own brother? You have no conscience, brother!" Zhang Erchen retorted. "I started helping you fight when I was five, from the private school all the way to the county academy! I fought countless times for you. Last year, I was expelled from the academy because of it! Otherwise, I would have become a scholar, then a provincial graduate, and finally a Jinshi!"

The original occupant of this body had been a dull bookworm, a frequent target for bullies. Zhang Erchen, having practiced martial arts since childhood, had indeed fought many times to defend him.

"You were expelled because you ranked last in three consecutive exams," Zhang Chen retorted, refusing to shoulder the blame. "Drink some tea, watch the show, and stay out of my business with the Tian family."

"Father-in-law, feel free to report me to the Education Commissioner’s office. The worst that can happen is that I won't take the imperial exams. Actually, I recall that I know where the office is. On my wedding day, your daughter refused to share the bridal chamber and drove me out to the dangerous Zhang Village." Zhang Chen sat down, looking unbothered. "Everyone knows she wants a divorce. Even the people of Fushan can see that. I took a concubine without your consent because there were reasons for it. I believe the Commissioner will see justice done."

"I had intended to play along and let you scold me, but someone wants to sell my beloved concubine into a brothel. That is something I will not tolerate! The Japanese pirates from Zhifu Island and the bandits from Futou Village are planning to attack Zhang Village to seize the goods we purchased from the Qingzhou firm."

Zhang Chen stood up and headed for the door, his voice echoing back: "Anyone who tries to touch my family will do so over my dead body. A battle is about to begin here. Father-in-law, you had best leave now; I have a war to manage and cannot see you out. Do as you please—if you insist on suing me, I will see it through to the end!"

"Husband, no one is suing you. Go and do what you must; I will see my father out." Tian Yachun turned to the others. "Father, the Zhang Village militia has captured several scouts from the Japanese pirates and the Futou bandits. They will likely attack tonight. You should return to the county seat."

Tian Yachun cursed Zhang Chen under her breath.