Dean Gu had originally intended to keep a low profile, which was why he switched to an ox cart to enter the village.
Little did he expect that he would still attract the attention of the village head's family.
Seeing the father and son trio following behind, Dean Gu turned his head and said, "Gentlemen, this old man needs to have a word with Third Royal Highness... er, Xie Xun alone. I hope you wouldn't mind giving us some privacy."
Village Head Yang immediately realized his mistake, his face showing a hint of embarrassment. "As the Dean says, please go ahead. We won't disturb you."
After watching Dean Gu walk away, Village Head Yang turned his gaze back.
Yang Wei, covered in mud, stood not far away with a dejected expression on his face.
Even if you threw ten taels of silver into the water, it would still make a sound. But throwing it at this waste of a person not only showed no improvement or learning, but he even dared to insult the Dean!
Just thinking about it made Village Head Yang's anger flare, and he grabbed a stick from the side of the road. He rushed forward and struck Yang Wei on the back with two blows of the stick.
"Village Head, uncle, I didn't mean to," Yang Wei cried. "I really didn't mean it. I didn't know he was the Dean."
"Even if he wasn't the Dean, is that any way to treat an elder?" Village Head Yang grew angrier with each word. "Have you forgotten all the teachings of the sages?"
With that, he struck Yang Wei with two more blows.
The last time Yang Wei failed an exam, he didn't even have the heart to hit him.
He had always thought that young people deserved a chance to redeem themselves for their youthful indiscretions.
He had hoped that Yang Wei would have shown some improvement over these days, but to his dismay, he only grew more useless and more infuriating than before.
Mrs. Wang, Yang Wei's mother, was returning from the fields carrying a hoe. Seeing her son being beaten and made to kneel on the village road, she immediately grew furious and demanded an explanation from the village head.
Village Head Yang was too angry to speak, so he let Yang Er explain to her.
At first, Mrs. Wang angrily defended her son, but after hearing that he not only failed to recognize the Dean but also verbally abused him, she lost all her strength.
"Village Head, this..."
"If Yang Wei ends up being expelled from Luming Academy in the future, it will be his own fault!"
Village Head Yang left those cold words and walked away with his two sons.
Yang Wei watched the retreating back of the village head, his heart filled with fear.
"Mother, I don't want to be expelled from the academy. Please help me think of a way."
On the east side of the village.
Dean Gu knocked on the door of the residence.
Jiang Xiaoxiao came to open the door.
Dean Gu glanced around inside, asking her, "Is Third Royal Highness here?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao gestured with her eyes towards the kitchen area. "He's cooking."
Upon hearing this, Dean Gu's expression turned serious. "Miss, how could you let Third Royal Highness work in the kitchen?"
Despite his temporary fall from grace, he was still of esteemed royal lineage. How could he be reduced to being a cook for others?
Jiang Xiaoxiao asked, "Isn't it you who does the cooking in your own home?"
Dean Gu paused, unwilling to admit his fear of his wife. "That's because I choose to!"
Jiang Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. "Go tell Xie Xun that if he's willing, I can also cook for you."
That's more like it!
Dean Gu grunted, about to head to the kitchen to find Third Royal Highness.
Suddenly, he remembered something and stopped. He asked Jiang Xiaoxiao, "Can you cook?"
If she were just an ordinary girl, Dean Gu wouldn't have asked further.
But this young lady was a highly accomplished exorcist and a local celebrity in the county.
Would a person like her know how to handle culinary tasks?
Jiang Xiaoxiao responded honestly, "Although I nearly burned a hole in the pan a few days ago, I've now grasped the essence, and it definitely won't happen this time."
Dean Gu: "..."
Dean Gu arrived just in time to join Xie Xun and Jiang Xiaoxiao for their midday meal.
Gazing at the dishes on the table, which looked homely but smelled incredibly appetizing, Dean Gu couldn't help but swallow.
Although it was undignified for Third Royal Highness to cook, one had to admit, it smelled delicious!
Jiang Xiaoxiao brought over bowls and chopsticks.
Just as Dean Gu sat down, Mrs. Wang's cries could be heard from outside.
"Dean, sir, our Wei has been feverish and delirious these past few days, which is why he spoke such nonsense to you. Afterward, he didn't even remember it himself. I beg you, sir, to be magnanimous and not hold it against him!"
As Mrs. Wang cried, she approached the residence.
Just as she was about to step onto the porch, a chopstick suddenly flew out from inside, hitting the ground right in front of her with pinpoint accuracy.
Mrs. Wang was startled.
Jiang Xiaoxiao's voice came from inside, calm and composed, yet somehow sending chills down one's spine. "Take another step forward, and whichever foot you move will be left behind."
"You... you... you!"
Mrs. Wang pointed towards the hall, too angry to speak.
She had already heard about the young lady who had come to live with Xie Xun, with rumors spreading that she was Xie Xun's unbetrothed wife.
Xie Xun himself was an orphan with no parents, so where did this supposed unbetrothed wife come from?
Not to mention that they were living together before even getting married, which was simply scandalous and a breach of propriety!
"Jiang Xiaoxiao, I didn't come looking for trouble today, so don't go inviting misfortune upon yourself!"
Mrs. Wang was someone who bullied the meek but feared the forceful. She especially looked down on Xie Xun the most in the village.
Whenever the village women gathered to gossip, Mrs. Wang never failed to add her own commentary.
Many of the rumors that Xie Xun was a harbinger of calamity and misfortune could be attributed to her contributions.
Now, to be intimidated by a mere girl, how could she swallow such humiliation?
Taking a deep breath, Mrs. Wang kicked the chopstick aside and was about to step onto the porch when Xie Xun's chilling voice rang out, "Uninvited and unwelcome, it seems you have no intention of leaving here unharmed."
Hearing those words, Mrs. Wang felt a sense of dread.
Xie Xun had always struck her as an eerie person.
Several years ago, Xie Xun had acquired a rabbit from somewhere.
One time, when Xie Xun was not home, the rabbit had escaped and stolen some vegetables from her garden.
Mrs. Wang recognized it as Xie Xun's rabbit and beat it to death with her hoe, then deliberately sent the carcass back to him, locking it in its cage.
Later, she saw Xie Xun washing the rabbit by the river late at night.
Even later, she noticed that Xie Xun had embroidered a pink rabbit on his sleeve.
For a man to embroider flowers was one thing, but to embroider a rabbit on his clothes was simply bizarre.
In all her years, Mrs. Wang had never seen such an odd person.
Being a big mouth, she had spread this story to everyone in the village the very next day.
Some said that Xie Xun had likely used this method to keep the rabbit's spirit by his side.
Others said that the rabbit's spirit might even turn into a human someday.
Xie Xun had lived in Shi Mo Village for over a decade, and no one had ever seen his parents or what they looked like. The only wet nurse he had was even killed by him.
For Xie Xun to suddenly have an unbetrothed wife was something Mrs. Wang didn't believe.
She thought instead that it was that rabbit that had turned into a human.
Yes, it had to be that.
Because the villagers all said that Xie Xun's so-called unbetrothed wife was dazed and foolish, able to sit quietly all day without speaking.
Wasn't that just like a rabbit?
The more Mrs. Wang thought about it, the more afraid she became, forgetting why she had come in the first place. She retreated two steps and ran away, screaming at the top of her lungs, "Ghost! There's a ghost!"
The once arrogant and aggressive woman was now panic-stricken in an instant.
Dean Gu was completely baffled and looked towards Jiang Xiaoxiao. "Is there a ghost in the house?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao replied, "It's her mind that's haunted by ghosts."
