CHAPTER 482: CHAPTER 474: WHO IS THE REAL PERSON STANDING UP FOR THE QIN FAMILY?

Ding family.

Ding Shouxin frowned deeply, berating his younger brother and sister-in-law, and even had a few critical words for Old Mrs. Ding.

Recent illness left Old Mrs. Ding looking pale, and now berated by her eldest son, her heart felt unbearably stifled. She pounded her chest and said, "Just curse me for being a burden in your way. Would it be better if I just died?"

Ding Shouxin’s temples throbbed as he held back his anger and said, "Mother, you know full well, I’ve held this position for three years and now is the crucial time for advancement. Why must such rumors spread at this juncture, claiming I’m ungrateful? What good can come of this? You realize this has reached Lord Governor Xiao, who summoned and reproached me. And those literati, they all openly label me an ingrate."

Old Mrs. Ding, feeling guilty, said, "How did it spread so wildly? Aren’t the Qin family considered criminal officials? Even the Saint has condemned them, so who would dare defend them?"

With a dark expression, Ding Shouxin replied, "Qin Yuanshan once held a third-rank office and had many students. Every Imperial Examination season, officials vie for their students’ favor. Though he belonged to the Guanglu Temple, some still approached him."

Hadn’t he too sought recognition from those who hailed from the same hometown, looking up to them as teachers?

"Besides, what does it mean to stand up for someone? They’re merely questioning my character; where is the crime in that? The literati’s pen is as sharp as a blade; they care not whether one is a criminal official or not, focusing only on character. Can that be considered a crime? Some literati are madmen, holding respect for their teachers and traditions in the highest regard, to the point of being ridiculously stubborn. In their eyes, slighting one’s teacher calls for divine retribution. They have nothing to lose, unlike me; I still aspire to gain recognition and advance further. If I offend my superiors, what prospects can I hope for?"

Mrs. Ding spoke with a heavy voice, "This year, the gifts we sent to the governor’s mansion for the Spring Festival were all returned, a clear mark against the master."

Old Mrs. Ding was shocked, "Is it really that serious?"

"Ding Shouxin recalled Yu Qiucai’s scornful look and felt a burning shame.

For the sake of a small shop, barely worth a bit of silver, the Ding family’s hard-earned reputation plummeted because of it.

Why were their actions so shortsighted?

Ding Shouxin glared coldly at Ding Laosan. It was his wife who caused this mess, achieving nothing and causing only trouble, insisting on taking from the Qin family, thus saddling him with the foul reputation of betraying his teacher.

Ding Laosan and his wife wished they could drop dead right there.

"What can we do? When we try to visit, they don’t even let us through the door," Old Mrs. Ding said, feeling anxious.

"I will personally visit them tomorrow," Ding Shouxin said. "I will kneel if I must to get inside."

"What?"

Old Mrs. Ding’s eyes widened in disbelief, "How can that be appropriate? If you do such a thing and are seen, won’t they say you’ve been in close contact with a criminal official? If that reaches the Emperor’s ears, then what?"

Ding Shouxin sneered, "The Emperor has myriad affairs to attend to and would hardly notice a magistrate of a small prefecture city. But the same can’t be said for my immediate superior, nor the literati who greatly value respect for one’s teacher."

If one of his subordinates were ungrateful, let alone bold enough to threaten him, he’d always be wary of them potentially stabbing him in the back after being promoted.

It was also his fault for initially wanting to sever ties to avoid being implicated with Qin Yuanshan’s faction, not expecting his brother and sister-in-law to cause trouble with his mother.

Such profound regret!

Old Mrs. Ding’s heart sank, glaring reproachfully at Third Madam, blaming her entirely.

Mrs. Ding San’s foot hadn’t fully healed when her mother-in-law’s glare, sharp as a knife, caused her to flinch. She retracted her foot in fear, failing to notice her injury, and bumped it against a chair leg. A piercing pain shot through her instantly.

It’s pulled again!

Why am I having such bad luck lately?

"I remember, the Qin family had a girl who was sent to live in the old residence since she was little, due to her poor health. She was raised in the Daoist Temple, wasn’t she?" inquired Ding Shouxin to Old Mrs. Ding. "Mother, didn’t you meet her?"

Old Mrs. Ding paused for a moment, recalling the cool and indifferent young girl whose face she could scarcely remember. Disdainfully, she said, "Indeed, there was such a person, likely being raised in the Daoist Temple. I only saw her once or twice. That girl was very peculiar and not likable at all, but why do you ask?"

"Is it the Qingping Temple outside the city?"

"Yes, I suppose so, but why are you asking about this?" Old Mrs. Ding was somewhat puzzled. Their family believed in Buddhism, so for worshipping, they would only visit Wuxiang Temple or Yunling Temple in the state government. The Daoist Temple, however, was not a place they frequented.

Mrs. Ding said, "I made some inquiries, and it seems that just recently, Governor Xiao’s daughter suffered from some evil influence. Yu Qiucai introduced a master from Qingping Temple, who is quite young."

Something flickered through Old Mrs. Ding’s mind, too fleeting to grasp before she was interrupted.

"Eldest sister-in-law, are you suggesting that Mr. Yu and Governor Xiao might get involved because of this and that it’s related to the girl from the Qin family?" Ding Laosan said.

Mrs. Ding replied, "The nanny said that both the Xiao Family and the Yu Family hold that master in high regard. If the Miss Qin has been raised in the Daoist Temple since she was young, she certainly must know that master. If she asks him for a favor, wouldn’t it be just a matter of one word?"

Mrs. Ding San’s face turned pale as ash as she thought of something, her lips quivered, but she dared not utter a word.

At this moment, Ding Laosan looked at her and said, "I remember, when your steward Liu was seeking help at the preserved fruit shop, didn’t someone come out to help dismantle the situation? Wasn’t that person from Qingping Temple?"

Ding Shouxin immediately turned his eyes to Mrs. Ding San.

Cold sweat emerged on Mrs. Ding San’s forehead as she stuttered, "They said... he’s the Junior Temple Master from Qingping Temple, his Daoist name is Buqiu."

With that statement, not only Ding Shouxin but also Mrs. Ding understood.

"So you are saying, because you, third sister-in-law, wished to take over that shop, with just one word from Miss Qin, that Taoist named Buqiu intervened to protect his own. Thus, roping in Mr. Yu and Governor Xiao to our detriment, tarnishing the Ding family with the reputation of an ingrate?" Mrs. Ding took out a handkerchief to dab the corners of her mouth and continued, "Third sister-in-law, you are truly senseless."

Her eyelids are too shallow to contain tears.

"I... I had no idea there was such a girl from the Qin family!" protested Mrs. Ding San, claiming innocence, as she had been unaware of such connections.

Mrs. Ding had no patience to even glance at this fool, instead, she turned to Ding Shouxin, suddenly stiffening, her face turning deathly pale.

"What’s wrong?" he asked.

Mrs. Ding, pale as a ghost, replied, "My lord, the matter of Miss Xiao encountering evil spirits wasn’t spread at all. Now they say she’s recuperating, but Governor Xiao still heeds Yu Qiucai’s advice to pressure you; he’s probably selling the favor of the Daoist. This also proves the man’s abilities, otherwise Governor Xiao wouldn’t have acted like this."

Ding Shouxin furrowed his brows, then what?

Swallowing nervously, Mrs. Ding’s expression was a mix of fear and panic. She looked around, her gaze sliding across the faces of Old Mrs. Ding and Mrs. Ding San, and said, "My lord, isn’t it too unusual for the Ding family to be facing such continuous misfortune recently?"