Fenshan Village was bustling once again.
At the ancestral hall, packed with ancestral tablets, villagers crowded inside and out, filling every inch of space. A constant buzz of chatter filled the air as they pointed at Old Lady Gong and her two servant women, who were tied up in the center.
The village chief, the party secretary, and the most respected elders of Fenshan Village were all present.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, the village chief called for silence and began to explain why he had summoned them, as well as what had happened in the Gong family.
When the villagers heard that Old Lady Gong had poisoned her own son with arsenic, they gasped. An uproar instantly erupted.
The village chief’s face was grim. “Every family has its petty squabbles. Every family has its arguments. But I never imagined that our Fenshan Village would be shamed by an attempted murder!”
“Now, in the presence of our ancestors, the victim, and our fellow villagers, as village chief, I have communicated with the victim, Gong Er of the Gong family. I will now announce the resolution.”
“…”
At that time, the police system was still far from perfect. Even if Old Lady Gong were sent to the police station, given her advanced age, the rural authorities’ laziness, and the lack of personnel, the police wouldn’t want to get involved.
What would they do with her? Feed her for free?
In that era, as long as no one had died, the police generally mediated family cases and told the parties to resolve things themselves. As a result, the position of village chief held great authority, replacing many official roles.
“Well, Old Lady Gong is finished~”
“She deserves it. Poisoning her own son with arsenic? Even if he’s not her biological child, he’s still a human life.”
“Gong Er is the only man left in the Gong family. My god, if she’d succeeded, the Gong line would have ended. Old Master Gong would have to come back as a ghost to haunt her!”
The villagers whispered among themselves.
Old Lady Gong had lost all her former sharp-tongued arrogance as the matriarch. Her small, thin body trembled like a candle in the wind as she lay on the ground, terrified, waiting for the verdict.
“Everyone, quiet down.”
The village chief bellowed. When the crowd fell silent, he announced loudly, “Based on the result of our discussion with the victim, Gong Er of the Gong family, the village has decided to allow Gong Ze, second son of the Gong family, to sever ties with Old Lady Gong. Furthermore…”
After hearing the outcome, the crowd buzzed with surprise and discussion.
Some thought the punishment was too light.
Some thought Old Lady Gong was incredibly lucky.
Others sighed with emotion, remarking that the Gong family had raised a good man.
When Old Lady Gong heard that Gong Ze would not kick her out of the house—that although after her death she would not be entered into the family genealogy or ancestral hall, he was still willing to let her stay in the Gong family home and provide for her in her old age—she sat on the ground in stunned silence.
The village chief glanced at the dazed Old Lady Gong, his heart full of disgust.
“Gong Er spared you for the sake of his father and elder brother. He said that you were, after all, his father’s wife and his elder brother’s biological mother. He said he was afraid of breaking their hearts when their bodies were barely cold… But have you ever once considered Old Master Gong? Or that Gong Er is also Old Master Gong’s child? That he is your son’s younger brother? That he calls you ‘mother’?”
“How did that child treat you? And how did you treat him?!”
“If you hadn’t done all this, that child was planning to take you to the capital to live out your days in comfort. You’ve truly wasted Gong Er’s filial devotion!”
Just looking at her made the village chief’s blood boil. He let out a heavy “Hmph.”
Old Lady Gong, tears streaming down her face, regretted her actions bitterly.
She realized that the child she had seen as a thorn in her side had actually been planning to care for her in her old age. If she hadn’t broken his heart, her future could have been so bright.
“How did it come to this…”
Old Lady Gong sat in a daze for a moment, then collapsed on the ground, wailing.
But regret was useless. No matter how much she beat her chest and stamped her feet, she had already lost her chance at a comfortable, prosperous future.
None of the watching villagers pitied her.
“She deserved it.”
“Who can she blame? She brought it on herself…”
In the end, Old Lady Gong returned to the Gong family home. She wasn’t thrown out or sent to the ruined temple on the mountain. But after Gong Ze left, all the servants of the Gong family’s old residence were dismissed, leaving only the two servant women behind with her.
The servant women, who had once lived comfortably, lording it over others by borrowing the old woman’s influence, were now forced to clean the enormous house, do laundry, cook, and perform heavy labor every day. Before long, they couldn’t take it and began to slack off.
Old Lady Gong still tried to order them around like before, but these two women—having become her confidantes in the first place—were naturally just as morally deficient as she was.
Now that Old Lady Gong had lost her former power and her money, and since Gong Ze, the head of the Gong family, no longer acknowledged her and would never return to Fenshan Village, what right did a lonely old woman like her have to order them around?
Gradually, the two women grew bolder. Taking advantage of Old Lady Gong’s age, they first simply disobeyed her orders, then began speaking to her with sarcastic malice. Eventually, they even took the food allowance for themselves, eating and drinking lavishly while refusing to cook for the old woman.
Furious and resentful, Old Lady Gong eventually kicked them out after a screaming fight.
Before leaving, the two women cursed at her, pointed fingers in her face, and ransacked her room of all its valuables. Old Lady Gong couldn’t stop them; she could only sit on the ground and cry.
When she was left alone in the vast Gong family mansion, after several days of hunger, Old Lady Gong had no choice but to swallow her pride. She picked up an unfamiliar vegetable basket and went out to buy groceries.
But news of the poisoning had spread, and her reputation was already ruined. Whenever the people of Fenshan Village saw her, they pointed and whispered, refusing to have anything to do with her.
Old Lady Gong lived every day in regret. After a year of such hardship, the nationwide Cultural Movement began. The landlord class was denounced by all. Old Lady Gong was dragged away, imprisoned, and paraded through the streets.
Not only was she forced to work in the fields, but the Gong family’s old residence was also confiscated. In the end, she could only live in a cattle shed.
Within half a year, Gong Ze, now in the capital, received a letter from the village chief saying that Old Lady Gong had passed away.
Gong Ze sent a sum of money, entrusting the village chief with holding a proper funeral and feast in her honor. Any remaining funds were to be used to build up Fenshan Village and repair the ancestral hall.
The village chief couldn’t help but sigh with emotion as he read the letter. Gong Ze was both successful and remarkably filial and loyal.
Even after what Old Lady Gong had done, he was still willing to give her a proper burial.
The village chief held the funeral for Old Lady Gong and told the villagers how Gong Ze had donated money to repair the ancestral hall. According to tradition, the names of those who donated to the ancestral hall’s repair were to be carved on a plaque.
In an instant, Gong Ze’s reputation and image in Fenshan Village reached its peak.
[Ding—]
[Congratulations, Host. The main quest has been completed.]
[Refusing to kill while still achieving revenge for the original owner: Completed. Whitening Gong Ze’s villainous image: Completed.]
[Achievement unlocked: Virtuous reputation spreads through the village, name engraved on the plaque. Please continue your hard work~]
When the system’s chime sounded, years later, Gong Ze held a sleeping young man with small braids in his arms. He smiled faintly and lowered his head to kiss the young man’s forehead.
By then, Gong Ze had become the owner of a chain of stores in the capital. Lu Youling had transformed from a little beggar into the most outstanding student at the Capital University of Medicine.
Shuisheng, now the store manager, sent a runner to say that Mr. Feng had once again invited Gong Ze out for tea.
But those were matters of the future.
For now.
On the train to the capital, a shawl was draped over Gong Ze’s shoulders—Feng Xueping had insisted on giving it to him, claiming the pattern was too flashy for his own taste. Beside Gong Ze sat Lu Youling, chattering excitedly with Shuisheng, exclaiming in wonder at the scenery outside the window.
Feng Xueping sat across from them, arms crossed, next to his grandfather. Hearing Lu Youling and Shuisheng’s remarks, he scoffed and called them two little country bumpkins.
Lu Youling and Shuisheng made funny faces at him, which made him laugh despite himself. He then turned to “complain” to the gentle, frail-looking man, asking Gong Ze to control them.
Gong Ze glanced at Lu Youling and Shuisheng, who were blinking innocently, then kindly explained to Feng Xueping, “They’re young. When I first left home for the capital, I was just the same.”
“Hee hee, I knew Gong Ze is the best~” Lu Youling grinned sweetly. Shuisheng puffed out his chest with pride.
Their Second Master would never be harsh with them.
“Tch. You’ll spoil them rotten one day. They’ll end up walking all over you,” Feng Xueping said with a roll of his eyes.
But upon hearing his words, Lu Youling started arguing with him again. The two, who were supposed to become a pair in the original story, couldn’t stand each other. They both felt the other was hogging the spot beside Gong Ze, and their quarrels were a raucous mess.
Amidst the lively chaos, Old Mr. Feng and Gong Ze sat holding their teacups, watching them. They exchanged a glance, smiled, and clinked their cups together.
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