Chapter 997 - 995: Casual Conversation

Words : 1300 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

Chapter 222 of "The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure" opens with dynamic events: Chapter 997: Chapter 995: Casual Conversation In the rear courtyard, Old Granny Zhang was inquiring of... Read on for more!

Chapter 997: Chapter 995: Casual Conversation In the rear courtyard, Old Granny Zhang was inquiring of Lady Qi: "Big sister, what on earth has happened in our family to alarm such a Noble Patron? Could there be some underlying issue?" Not to mention, migrating graves is a taboo topic, generally avoided by people to prevent bad luck. Why would such a high-ranking Noble Patron, of all people, choose to involve himself in such an ominous affair? Although Old Granny Zhang believed her son-in-law was quite promising, she wasn’t delusional enough to think he had reached a status where even officials of such eminence would give him face, right? As the saying goes, when one has nothing to offer but still acts considerate, there must be something else, either deceit or theft! To come all the way here hastily, surely there’s something amiss. Lady Qi was also puzzled to no end, pondering over it for a long while without feeling that her husband’s relationship with Governor Chen was so close that he’d overlook such a thing as migrating his disciple’s mother-in-law’s grave? Honestly speaking, if it were other disciples, even if it were their biological mother’s grave being moved, as masters, they wouldn’t necessarily attend. This is simply because the person being relocated today was Qi Huan? Lady Qi was also contemplating whether Governor Chen had any past dealings with the Qi family. Then, upon further thought, it seemed unlikely, as the one buried in the grave was Qi Huan, and aside from them, only Song Hong would know, right? Thus, she wore a troubled expression: "Indeed, just this morning, as my husband and I were getting ready to leave, Lord Chen arrived at our doorstep. My husband had no choice but to invite him in for tea, explicitly stating we were occupied today, sincerely apologizing, and would invite him for drinks another day. Yet Lord Chen insisted on coming along." "Our household head had no other options, having mentioned it was a grave migration, hoping Lord Chen would be considerate, but instead, Lord Chen remarked that he planned to visit the countryside with my husband today, so he might as well join us." "My husband tried to persuade him for quite some time, mentioning the taboos involved, yet Lord Chen seemed indifferent, leaving my husband with no choice but to bring him along." Lady Qi felt somewhat embarrassed and even a bit annoyed at Lord Chen, thinking, isn’t this adding to the confusion? At that moment, Lord Chen, unaware of the silent reproach from the women in the rear courtyard, merely sneezed twice in the front courtyard. Imperial Doctor Du glanced at him briefly, and then returned to what he was doing. Song Chongjin silently occupied the least prominent seat, saying nothing. There were only three people at the dining table, with two remaining silent, making the atmosphere somewhat awkward. However, what kind of person was Governor Chen? He was known for his resilience and ability to adapt to situations, having endured much worse in his past; a little awkwardness at present was nothing to him. Rather than taking it to heart, he took the initiative to praise Song Chongjin for his filial piety, and also admired the location of the estate, particularly the garden outside. He even casually referred to him as his virtuous nephew, adopting a stance that underscored a close relationship with Song Chongjin. At this point, Imperial Doctor Du couldn’t hold back: "I say, Lord Chen, if you have anything to say, just speak plainly. Don’t scare the child with all this roundabout talk." Governor Chen chuckled: "Oh, listen to you, Old Du. I genuinely admire this virtuous nephew of mine; young and promising, his future is boundless—" This made it difficult to continue the conversation, leaving Imperial Doctor Du’s heart sinking, as he tentatively asked, "Lord Chen, what is this about?" At that moment, Governor Chen feigned profundity, smilingly remarked: "No need for more inquiries, Old Du. Rest assured, it’s nothing bad. Come, let’s eat!" He managed to take over as host, urging Imperial Doctor Du to begin the meal. Imperial Doctor Du’s heart was still hanging, but fortunately, with years of experience in the palace, he maintained composure without showing signs of distress. Upon hearing Governor Chen’s words, he wisely refrained from probing further, and instead turned to Governor Chen for a change of topic: "Come, try some of the special home-cooked dishes unique to our Jing County. Back when I was in the palace, I missed these tastes, but no matter how I cooked them, they never tasted quite right. Now that I’m back, I can finally enjoy them again; Lord Chen, have a taste—" The exchange brought a bit of liveliness to the table. After a few bites, Governor Chen began asking about Song Chongjin’s family: who else is there besides his mother handling the grave migration today? Where is his father? His tone was casual and familial. Song Chongjin felt his hand holding the chopsticks slightly stiffen, knowing that the moment had come. He stood up respectfully to reply: "To answer Lord Chen, my family currently includes only my wife, Lady Wang, and my mother-in-law, no one else. To be honest, I was sent to my foster mother shortly after birth, always believing I was her biological child. It was only last year that I accidentally learned of my true lineage and that my biological mother was buried behind the temple." "My wife and I originally planned to move her grave earlier, but we couldn’t find a suitable place until we recently came across this estate, which led to today’s event." When Governor Chen inquired about his father, Song Chongjin withheld such information. Governor Chen smiled, casting another glance at Song Chongjin but did not push further, instead asking about Song Chongjin’s daily life, how he studied, took exams, and got engaged to his current wife. He left nothing unasked, almost uncovering every aspect of Song Chongjin’s life in recent years. Imperial Doctor Du sat beside him, smiling outwardly though his back was drenched in sweat. Facing Governor Chen, he couldn’t remind or interject anything, merely bowing his head over his meal. Yet Song Chongjin answered each question simply, without elaboration. On his face was no sign of distress, neither embarrassment, grievance, evasion, nor anger. He remained calm, answering without an extra word, making no attempt to hide the hardships and indignities of those years. Imperial Doctor Du, listening, found himself immobilized, looking at Song Chongjin with a complex expression. He recalled hearing his wife say that according to hints dropped by Song Chongjin’s mother-in-law, his past foster mother had been unreliable, and Song Chongjin had endured significant hardship. Yet, hearing Song Chongjin’s responses now, they were truly unsettling, leaving one at a loss for words. Even with Imperial Doctor Du’s disposition, the thought of Duke Weiguo, Song Hong, and his part in this distress, stirred an impulse to administer a dose of medicine and have him perish on the spot. For the esteemed Duke Weiguo, with such prowess in the court, maintaining numerous wives and children at home, why was only this child subjected to such torment? By the end of Governor Chen’s inquiry, though his face revealed nothing, he was genuinely surprised. He had remarked to Zhu Haoran the previous day, upon reading the report on Song Chongjin, that Duke Weiguo’s actions were improper. Leaving aside the specifics, this was undeniably his flesh and blood. If you were heartless, you could let him drift in obscurity, a mere village fool, living a life’s anonymity. That would suffice. If he held any regard for blood ties, why not choose a stable family, offer more silver, and provide greater care as the child matured? No issues would arise from that.

Chapter 997 - 995: Casual Conversation

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