11 Tang Zizheng’s Struggle

Duan Sida and his wife were startled and paled by the threat. When they came back to their senses, the two of them hurriedly chased the angry matchmaker Li.

"Matchmaker Li, please wait! Please listen to our explanation! There must be a misunderstanding here!"

When Duan Sida desperately called for Matchmaker Li, Duan Yixin calmly watched the three people disappear from her sight before going to wash the clams and shrimps. After cleaning the clams and shrimp, she went to the kitchen.

She divided the clams and shrimp into three portions and stored two portions in the warehouse. She then filled the only small clay pot in the kitchen halfway with water and put the clams and shrimp in it.

She lit a fire with a lighter from the warehouse and put the clay pot on the small stove. After a while, the clams and shrimp were ready. Duan Yixin took the clay pot off the stove and enjoyed her late lunch.

Meanwhile, at the Tang clan's ancestral hall, everyone from the Tang clan was present. Tang Sanniu, the village chief of Yunshan Village and the head of the Tang clan, sat in the main seat. To his left and right were the elders of the Tang clan and his brothers.

Kneeling in the center of the ancestral hall, Tang Zhizheng lowered his eyes and did not dare to make a sound. His cousins ​​stood behind their parents with various expressions on their faces. Some of them were worried about Tang Zhizheng, while others took pleasure in his misfortune.

In the silent Tang clan ancestral hall, Tang Sanniu picked up the teacup and calmly took a sip of tea. After calming down, he put down the teacup and looked at the grandson that he was most proud of.

"Do you admit your mistake, Erlang?" He asked after a long silence.

Tang Zizheng clenched his hands that were hidden under his wide sleeves, but there was no expression on his handsome face. When everyone thought he wouldn't answer, Tang Zizheng raised his head and looked at his grandfather.

There was unwillingness hidden in his eyes when he said, "I didn't do anything wrong. What mistake should I admit?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Sanniu grabbed the teacup and threw it in front of Tang Zhizheng. With a bang, the tea cup broke into pieces, frightening the women in the ancestral hall.

Those who screamed in surprise quickly covered their mouths and lowered their heads, praying that no one would notice that it was them who had just screamed. A piece of broken ceramic flew and scratched Tang Zizheng's cheek, but he didn't react as if he didn't feel any pain.

Tan Sanniu's face was full of anger. He pointed at his second grandson with trembling fingers and gritted his teeth. After a long silence, he lowered his hand and said with disappointment clear in his tone, "Unfilial child!"

As soon as these words came out, there were surprise gasps in the ancestral hall. As someone who is trying to be an official, the word 'filial piety' is a burden as heavy as a mountain for Tang Zizheng. 

If he was said to be unfilial by his elders, then Tang Zizheng's future would be over. Once this matter spread, his chance to participate in the imperial examination would be gone forever. His whole life will be ruined, and there is nothing he can do about it.

After a few seconds, Tang Zizheng's mother, Yi Mengni, came to her senses and rushed out from behind her husband. She knelt down beside her son, kowtowing to her father-in-law with tears staining her face.

"Father, please let Zheng'er go! He couldn't bear the reputation of being unfilial!"

She repeated this sentence over and over again as she banged her head against the ground. The dull sound of her head knocking on the ground echoed continuously in the silent ancestral hall, but no one dared to intercede for her, including Tang Zhizheng's father, Tang Jiahuan.

Seeing his father sitting on the chair with an indifferent expression, Tang Zizheng's heart was as calm as water. He turned to his mother, held her hand, stopped her from kowtowing, and said calmly, "Mother, please stop. Your forehead is bleeding."

Eldest Madam Tang paused and turned to look at her son, only to see blood dripping from his cheek.

Feeling heartache, she gently wiped away the blood on Tang Zizheng's cheek and said sadly, "It's all Mother's fault. I should have refused your marriage engagement with Xin Niang. My cowardice has harmed you, Erlang."

Tang Zizheng frowned slightly when he saw his mother's tears. Until this moment, he still didn't know why he impulsively broke off his marriage engagement in public. If he were his normal self, he would talk to Duan Yixin in private about this important matter.

But that is only if he really wanted to break off the marriage engagement. But the truth is, he never had any intention of doing so.

With her kindness and her sacrifice for him over the years, it was impossible for him to cruelly break off their marriage engagement in public, ruin her reputation, hurt her, and destroy her future. 

Even though there is no love between them, there is still good affection and a close relationship between them, who have grown up together for decades. After thinking about it again and again, he still couldn't understand his own behavior.

When his grandfather asked him just now, he wanted to plead guilty, but the words he said were different from what he wanted to say. This situation really frustrated him, but he had no way to vent his emotions.

He took a deep breath to suppress his emotions, helped his mother up, and said, "Mother, this is not your fault. Please don't blame yourself."

After speaking, he looked at his grandfather. He originally wanted to say that he was going to apologize to Duan Yixin, ask for her forgiveness, and repair their marriage engagement.