Chapter 58: Secrets Under the Sunlight

  For five consecutive days, the hot topic of Yang Fan's elopement with his wife had not yet passed, and Yang Fan was originally intentional, deliberately using everyone's misunderstanding to cover up the fact that Tian Ai Nu had left. However, after being comforted by many people, it seemed as if such a thing had really happened before, making him feel uneasy in his heart.

  He had heard too many comforting words and persuasions in the past few days, he was suffering, he never knew that listening to good advice could be so painful. And this pain fell into the eyes of those with ulterior motives, naturally it had a completely different interpretation, and the people who were trying to persuade him became even more forceful.

  The one persuading him at this moment is Xiao Dong's daughter.

  People always sympathize with those who are more unfortunate than themselves and are more willing to forgive their offenses against them. When Xiaodong heard the news that Yang Fan's wife had eloped with someone else, her resentment melted away, and when she saw Yang Fan at the door, she immediately stopped him, pulled him over, and began to persuade him like a little sister.

  "Second Brother, I've said so much, did you take it in? A real man shouldn't be knocked down by this kind of thing. If she doesn't want you, that's her lack of vision. Buck up and don't be so listless, it makes me look down on you..."

  "Yes, yes, I know. Little Dong, are you going to deliver clothes for someone? Hurry up with your business, I... will definitely perk up."

  Yang Fan made an effort to stick out his chest and burst into a sunny smile, hoping that this little girl with too much sympathy would let him go quickly.

  "Xiao Dong, haven't you sent the clothes to the guest yet? Who are you chatting with at the door?"

  As the voice, Mrs. Hua came out of the yard with great displeasure, but when she saw that the person standing in front of her was Yang Fan, her unpleasant expression immediately disappeared, and she became gentle and amiable at once.

  "Xiao Dong, hurry up and send the clothes to the guest, don't let the guest wait anxiously, mother is talking to Er Lang."

  "Oh!"

  Xiao Dong responded with a sound, finally ending her ideological work.

  Xiao Dong took the clothes and left, pretending nothing had happened. Flower Mother kindly said to Yang Fan, "Second Brother, I've also heard about what's going on at your place. Don't take it to heart! A great man doesn't worry about not having a wife! With you being such a handsome young man, are you afraid of not finding a daughter-in-law?"

  Yang Fan silently screamed in his heart: "It's over! It's starting again..."

  He straightened his waist and said with feigned enthusiasm: "Flower Big Nanny, don't worry, these past few days the neighbors have all been advising me, I've come to realize that it's hard to find a two-legged frog, but there are plenty of two-legged girls around. This matter, I won't take it to heart again."

  "That's it!"

  The old woman clapped her hands and smiled, saying: "I'll tell you the truth, when I first heard that a merchant's daughter had eloped to your house, I didn't approve of it from the bottom of my heart. These merchants are different from us working people, they prioritize profit over righteousness! Do you think a child raised in such a family can have good character?"

  "Second Brother, this merchant's daughter is truly not suitable to be a good wife. You two don't even have a formal engagement, if she leaves, it's just that, there's no need to lose face like this. If you really marry this merchant's daughter, who knows what embarrassing things will happen in the future?"

  The flower lady looked around, stretched out her hand to pull Yang Fan's sleeve, and pulled him down to the eaves of the door. In a mysterious tone, she lowered her voice and said: "Have you heard of Yang Mingsheng, the Langzhong of the Ministry of Punishment in our village?"

  Yang Fan didn't know why she suddenly mentioned Yang Langzhong again, but Hua Danni's notorious reputation was well-known, and he was also afraid, so he hastily nodded his head and said very obediently: "Yes, I've heard of it, Young Master."

  "Listen, I'll tell you a secret," said the old woman mysteriously. "Yang Lang's wife, Qi Niangzi, is actually the daughter of a merchant. When she was young, she had an unclear relationship with her cousin... Yang Lang's daughter is probably not his own child. The way that child looks, especially their eyebrows and eyes, they're about 70-80% similar to her cousin."

  Yang Fan was impatient with this gossip, but Mrs. Hua was enthusiastic and couldn't just leave, so she had to respond vaguely. Mrs. Hua continued enthusiastically: "You can say that marrying a merchant's daughter is like finding a wife who can't be trusted. If you're not careful, she'll secretly have an affair and bring shame to your family. And if you're not even more careful, the child might not even be yours."

  It turns out that Yang Langzhong had no choice back then. Although he was a scholar, his family was very poor. His studies and imperial examinations were all supported by his wife's natal family. Later, when he entered officialdom, it was also his wife's natal family who spent money to smooth out relationships and helped him get a good position in the Ministry of Justice.

  I remember him back then... Oh, right! He was a Palamu official in the Ministry of Justice at that time. When you eat someone else's food, your tongue is short; when you take someone else's money, your hand is soft. His wife can do whatever she wants, can't she? You say if you marry a merchant's daughter and have a rich father-in-law, can you still hold your head up in front of your wife? Won't you just be manipulated by others?

  Let's talk about Yang Langzhong. When he was in the Ministry of Justice, he was a clerk and held a small official position. However, when serving his wife at home, he was more diligent than when serving his superiors in the government office. His daughter had an unclear origin, but he pretended to be deaf and dumb and tolerated it. On the other hand, his wife was extremely arrogant.

  I remember that when Qi Niangzi was about to give birth, Yang Zhanggong happened to leave Dongdu for a business trip to Shaozhou. The journey was thousands of miles long and took two or three months. By the time he returned, the child was almost a month old. As a result, Qi Niangzi was not reconciled and insisted that her husband had listened to others' gossip and used it as an excuse to leave the capital. In a fit of anger, she took the child back to her parents' home.

  She did something wrong to her husband, but she still dares to be so arrogant, what is she relying on? Isn't it just the power of her natal family? Poor Yang Zhangguo had to kneel down and kowtow to his father-in-law, begging for forgiveness and humility, only then was he able to bring his wife back.

  But in less than two years, Yang Zhanggu has been promoted, and since then, he has been on a roll, rising steadily to become the majestic Langzhong of the Ministry of Punishment. He's not like before, Yang Langzhong is now a high-ranking official with great power, and these past few years have been tough for Qiniangzi and that eldest daughter from the Yang family."

  Yang Fan was originally extremely impatient with her gossiping about other people's family affairs, but he had been in Luoyang for so long, and the thing he had been investigating all along had never left a "Shaozhou". He was extremely sensitive to this place name. At this time, he suddenly heard the two words "Shaozhou" from Huadaniang's mouth, and his heart suddenly thumped, and he hastily asked: "Is what you said true?"

  "What's not true? In the past, I was a needlewoman at the Yang family. Others may not know about what happened in the Yang family, but those who worked inside the Yang household knew everything. At that time, Qiuniang was so domineering and Yang Zhang was so tolerant, I saw it all with my own eyes."

  Yang Fan hastily said, "No, no, no! Nephew is asking, Yang Langzhong went to Shaoguan on official business, is this true? At that time, wasn't Yang Langzhong just a minor official? If the imperial court had any official business that required someone to rush to Shaoguan from afar, they wouldn't send a ninth-rank petty officer, would they?"

  "Hey! As a woman, I don't understand those official things, who should be sent and who shouldn't. But Yang Zhang's departure from the Eastern Capital two or three months ago is absolutely true, I was working as a needlewoman at the Yangs' at that time, and I heard it clearly."

  Qiniangzi was scolding Yang Zhanggong for being late when his wife was right next to her, and she heard with her own ears Yang Zhanggong explaining that he had been ordered by his superior to go to Shaoguan on a very urgent mission, which is why he came back late. He explained it several times in a humble tone, could his wife really have misheard?

  "Oh......, Big Sister, what year was it that year?"

  "That year......, Ah, I don't remember clearly, the imperial court's era name is always changing, even my mother doesn't know what this year's era name is. Anyway, it was two months before Yang's daughter was born. So, as I said, a merchant's daughter is really not worth marrying, especially when you're neither an official nor rich, and people will look down on you, marrying a beautiful wife won't bring happiness either..."

  "Yes, yes, yes! Aunt Hua's words are enlightening. Nephew has understood and will remember them in his heart."

  Yang Fan nodded silently, secretly remembering the matter in his heart. After finally getting the talkative Flower Madame to shut up, he left with a satisfied heart, and Yang Fan also quickly departed.

  He had already learned some news about Yang Lang from Hua Danni, and if he were to ask Hua Danni abruptly about Yang Lang's appearance or pursue the age of the eldest young lady of the Yang family, once something happened to Yang Lang in the future, it would be hard to guarantee that she wouldn't think of herself, so he had to take a detour.

  Yang Fan started strolling around the alley, actively pulling those idle villagers who were chatting at the entrance of the alley to chat with him. Under his probing and questioning, he soon got the information he wanted to know.

  Yang's daughter is seven years old this year. Seven years ago was the second year of Yongchun, and at the end of that year it was changed to the first year of Hongdao. The month when the girl was born was the beginning of summer seven years ago. According to what Hua Dama said, Yang Langzhong went to Shaozhou two months before the child was born and returned one month after the child was born. These three months coincided with the time of the blood case.

  Is this Yang Langzhong the person he is looking for?

  P: Is Yang Mingsheng the protagonist's crush? If you think so, vote for Guang! If not, vote for Guang too! ^_^