On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The late spring sunshine shines through the spider-web-like alleys of the capital and onto the mottled vermilion lacquer door of Chen Mo's house.

The door lintel is low, without any of the grandeur of an official's family. Only the worn-out lines on the doorpost reveal the traces of time.

Chen Mo got off the carriage, waved away the driver, looked up at the newly built swallow's nest under the eaves, and the corners of his mouth rose unconsciously.

Although the meeting with Lin Zhen at the palace today was full of hidden plots, it still ended in a good result.

Pushing the door open, I saw the courtyard paved with blue bricks and a few roses planted in the corner, which were my wife Wang's favorite varieties.

The curtain of the main hall was lifted, and the daughter-in-law Xiaofang poked her head out in an apron. Seeing it was him, she smiled and said, "Dad is back? Mom is in the kitchen watching the last dish. Dinner will be served soon."

She stepped aside to let him in, took his official hat, and her fingertips touched the dust on the brim.

"It's dusty on the road, I'll go get you a basin of water to wash."

"Xiaofang, take a rest and let your mother-in-law come." Chen Mo waved his hand. He liked this kind, down-to-earth and hardworking daughter-in-law very much.

His eyes swept across the main room.

The furnishings in the house were simple, with an octagonal table and four elm chairs. On the wall hung a plaque with a pattern of "Iron Pen Bright" given to him by a friend when he passed the imperial examination. The edges of the plaque had faded a little.

The sound of children playing came from the compartment on the left. It was grandson Chen Xiaobao and granddaughter Chen Yaya playing with pebbles.

"Grandpa!" Xiaobao heard the noise and ran out in his slippers, the little bun on the back of his head swaying. "Mom said there's stewed meat for us today!"

Chen Mo bent down and touched his head, and felt the unique warmth of a child in his palm.

Yaya followed behind, timidly tugging at the corner of her brother's clothes, her big eyes curiously looking at the new gilded waist badge on his waist.

"Are you hungry? We'll be having dinner soon! You must have a good meal today, and no leftovers!"

"it is good!"

Chen Mo smiled and pinched Xiaobao's face, then turned and walked towards the inner room.

In fact, the family is not short of money, but Chen Mo has always maintained a simple lifestyle.

His old wife, Wang, was standing in front of the stove, stirring the stewed meat in the casserole with a spatula. Amid the smoke, the white hair at her temples was particularly conspicuous.

Hearing footsteps, she said without turning her head, "Are you back? Go wash your hands quickly. Xiaofang has washed the blue cloth gown you always wear and hung it out in the yard to dry."

There were four dishes and one soup on the table: stewed meat, stir-fried vegetables, braised pork elbow and a plate of cold cucumber, with a bowl of egg drop soup in the middle.

Xiaofang served Chen Mo a bowl of rice, and gave some to Wang and herself.

Chen Mo picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of stewed meat with fat and lean meat and put it into his mouth. The aroma of the fat melted on the tip of his tongue, reminding him of when he was young and stayed up late to write manuscripts in the Hanlin Academy, his wife would always leave a bowl of meat like this for him.

"Looking at the way you look today, I'm afraid there is some good news?" Wang put down her chopsticks, wiped her hands with her apron, and her eyes fell on his face.

Chen Mo really couldn't hide his joy today. There was a smile on his face all the time, and even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were smoothed out a little.

"Your mother really understands me." Chen Mo put down his chopsticks and took a sip of soup. "Let me tell you, the newspaper is now under the direct management of His Majesty."

He paused deliberately, looking at the surprised expressions of his wife and Xiaofang: "Your Majesty has given me a promotion and appointed me the rank of Deputy Director of the Ministry of Works, a fifth-rank official, and my salary has doubled!"

Xiaofang's chopsticks trembled slightly, and then she said happily, "Really? That's great! Dad will be a high-ranking official in the future!"

Wang's face was also filled with surprise, yet a little uneasy: "How did such a good newspaper come to be owned by Your Majesty? Is it not a big deal?"

She knew that her husband was of upright character and was afraid that he would be involved in court disputes.

What's more, the newspaper has always been managed by the prince, so how could it be suddenly handed over to His Majesty?

"What kind of trouble could it be?" Chen Mo took a bite of greens and said, "Your Majesty is wise and knows how hard the reporters at the newspaper work. From now on, they will all be assigned positions in the Ministry of Works, eating imperial food, and even receiving pensions if they die in battle."

He thought of Lin Zhen's expression as he slammed the table, and laughed inwardly, "From now on, reporters looking for gifts from me will probably be lining up at my door."

When Wang heard this, the smile on her face faded a little. She had been cautious all her life and was most afraid that her husband would make a mistake.

He hesitated and said, "Giving gifts? Wouldn't that be bad? Accepting gifts right after your promotion? If the higher-ups find out, they might report you."

"What do you know!" Chen Mo put down his chopsticks, his tone somewhat smug, "This is called interpersonal relations. I secured a position for them, so they should thank me. Besides, our family will have a better life in the future. It's time for Xiaobao to start his education, and it's time for Yaya to buy new clothes."

Wang looked at his high-spirited appearance and said nothing more in the end. She just whispered: "It's enough to have enough money to spend. We don't want to be greedy."

She paused, as if she had made up her mind. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the edge of her apron, her knuckles turning white from the effort. "By the way, you got a promotion. Can you think of a solution for Dapeng's problem?"

The smile on Chen Mo's face froze instantly, his brows furrowed, and he slammed his chopsticks heavily on the table, making a crisp "pa" sound.

"It's Dapeng again!" He put down his chopsticks, his voice sinking with obvious impatience, "I've told you so many times, he got into trouble himself, no one can save him!"

Dapeng is Wang's younger brother and Chen Mo's brother-in-law. He was thrown into jail for rape half a month ago. The county magistrate has already convicted him and he is only waiting for the autumn execution.

Wang has been crying these days, nagging Chen Mo in his ear all day long, begging him to use his connections to smooth things over.

"He didn't rape!" Wang was anxious, her voice rising a little, her eyes instantly red. "The woman clearly volunteered. It's her family who's scornful of the poor and favors the rich. Seeing that Dapeng has no money and power, they're turning against him! A few days ago, they told Dapeng to prepare six thousand taels of silver, otherwise they'd sue him to the end."

She became more and more excited as she spoke. She put down her chopsticks and leaned forward, as if trying to make Chen Mo believe her through her eyes.

"Whether it was voluntary or not, the county magistrate has already ruled. It's clearly written in the document: it's rape!" Chen Mo interrupted her impatiently, his tone firm. "There's witnesses and evidence. How can you ask me to save her? I just got promoted and this is the height of the crisis. How can I possibly go to the Ministry of Justice to rescue her? Do you think the prince will agree?"

He thought of how although Lin Zhen appeared calm today, the unquestionable majesty in his eyes made him even more annoyed.

"If the Crown Prince doesn't agree, does His Majesty also disagree?" Wang's voice was filled with tears, and she finally couldn't hold back her tears. "You just did such a big thing for His Majesty. You are a favorite of His Majesty. How can she not agree to her request for mercy? It's just a matter of words!"

She reached out and tried to pull Chen Mo's sleeve, but he dodged her without leaving a trace.

"Nonsense!" Chen Mo slammed his hand on the table, shaking the dishes and causing some soup to spill. "How can someone who's just been promoted ask for favors from His Majesty? Do you think His Majesty is your daughter-in-law? Besides, the evidence in Dapeng's case is solid, and the county magistrate's verdict is correct. This is the law! Do you understand the law? If I go and plead for mercy, that would be interfering with justice and breaking the law knowingly!"

He stood up, his back facing Wang, his chest heaving slightly with excitement.

"He is my biological brother!" Wang also stood up, her vision blurred by tears. "We grew up together. I watched him grow up. I know what kind of person he is! He was just confused for a moment and said a few more words to that woman. At most, he used physical force. How can it be considered rape? Chen Mo, you can't be so cruel!" Her voice was filled with despair, and her body trembled slightly.

"I'm not cruel, it's the law!" Chen Mo turned around abruptly, anger in his eyes. "Do you think officialdom is just a game? If I interfere in the case because of personal connections, not only will I fail to save Dapeng, I won't even be able to keep my official position! What will happen to our family then? Who will take care of Xiaobao and Yaya?"

He pointed to the inner room, his voice a little hoarse with excitement.

"That's a life!" Wang cried. "When the autumn execution comes, Dapeng will be gone! I only have this one brother. If he really raped me, it would be fine, but this is a false accusation! How can I explain this to my dead parents?"

She fell into a chair, covered her face with her hands, and burst into tears.

"An explanation? If I lose my job because of this, I will be sorry to our ancestors!" Chen Mo panted, trying to calm down. "This matter is not negotiable. Don't mention it again!"

He turned around and tried to leave, but Wang grabbed the corner of his clothes.

"Chen Mo!" Wang raised her tearful eyes, her gaze filled with disappointment and resentment. "I've been married to you for so many years, and I've suffered so much, but I've never asked you for anything. Now my only brother is dying, can't you just think of a solution for my sake? Even if you can ask the prince, ask His Majesty, even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance..."

"That's enough!" Chen Mo shook off her hand, his tone cold, "I said no! If you make trouble again, don't blame me for being rude!"

There was fatigue and determination in his voice, and it was obvious that he didn't want to dwell on this topic anymore.

"You're welcome? What do you want?" Wang also lost her temper. She wiped her tears and looked at him sharply. "Do you think that now that you've been promoted, you can look down on us, your family? Have you forgotten how my father helped you in the past?"

These words were like a thorn, piercing Chen Mo's heart.

He recalled that he was poor in the past and it was his father-in-law who helped him so that he could concentrate on his studies and pass the imperial examination.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the guilt in his heart, and said in a deep voice: "I haven't forgotten. But these are two different things. Those who break the law must be punished, and no one is exempt."

"In your eyes, the law is more important than family?" Wang sneered, her eyes full of mockery. "Well, Chen Mo, you have a heart of stone. I see through you!"

She stood up, no longer looking at him, turned and walked into the inner room, slamming the door.

Chen Mo stood there, looking at the closed door, feeling a tightness in his chest.

He knew his wife was upset, but he also had his own difficulties.

The officialdom is like a battlefield, one wrong step can lead to eternal damnation.

He sighed and sat down on the chair tiredly. The joy he had just felt had long since disappeared, leaving only endless irritability and helplessness.

Xiaofang had been eating with her head down, not daring to make a sound. Seeing the two of them had finished arguing, she spoke cautiously, "Dad, Mom is... worried too."

Chen Mo waved his hands, not wanting to talk. He picked up his chopsticks, but his mouth felt bitter, and he could no longer taste the aroma of the stewed meat.

Just as the two were arguing, there was a knock on the door, followed by the servant's voice: "Master, someone is looking for you outside. They say... they say it's sent by Boss Zhang."

Chen Mo frowned.

Boss Zhang?

He didn't react for a moment.

Wang also stopped crying and looked at the door in confusion.

"Which Boss Zhang?"

"It's the prince's wife, Zhang Li."

"Please come in!" Chen Mo straightened his clothes and walked into the main room to sit down.

He needed an excuse to end this suffocating argument.

The door curtain opened, and a lean man in a blue shorts and a leather belt walked in. He had a fawning smile on his face and bowed as he entered, "Excuse me, sir, are you Editor-in-Chief Chen?"

"Yes, yes, I'm Chen Mo." Chen Mo looked him over. "Your Excellency?"

"My humble servant, Awen, was sent by Madam Zhang Li."

"Then I wonder what can I do for you, brother?"

Ah Wen rubbed his hands together and said, "This is what I mean. Our boss has just opened a new clothing store called Jinxiu Pavilion in the West Market. He wanted to put an ad in your newspaper and asked me to inquire about the price."

Don't give face to the monk, give face to the Buddha. Of course, the prince's wife cannot be lazy.

Chen Mo nodded: "Of course you can advertise, but the newspaper is now under the control of His Majesty, so the pricing must follow the new rules."

"Our boss said the price is negotiable." Ah Wen pulled out a heavy purse from his pocket and placed it on the table. "This is the deposit. There will be a generous reward after the deal is done."

Chen Mo looked at the purse on the table, then looked at Awen's flattering smile, and suddenly understood something in his heart.

Zhang Li came to advertise at this time, probably not just for business, but also to see the attitude of this new official.

He picked up the purse and weighed it. It was heavy, probably containing a lot of silver.

He recalled the argument he had just had with his wife and the difficult financial times at home. He sighed and said with a smile, "Since this is Madam Zhang's business, it must be properly arranged. Go back and tell her that I'll take care of the advertising. I guarantee it will be a great success."

When Ah Wen saw him accept the purse, his smile grew even brighter. "Thank you so much, Mr. Chen! Our boss said he'll need you more in the future!"

He said a few more polite words before turning and leaving.

After Awen left, the main room was silent.

Wang came out from the inner room with tears on her face. She looked at the purse on the table, then at Chen Mo, opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

She knew that her husband had made a choice. Between family and future, he chose the latter.

But who knew that when Chen Mo put the purse into his sleeve and sat down to eat again, he felt that the stewed meat in his mouth no longer had the same fragrance as before.

He knew that from the moment he accepted the purse, he would no longer be the newspaper editor who only knew how to write. He had already stepped into the muddy waters of officialdom, and his old wife's tears were like needles, piercing his conscience from time to time.

After dinner, Chen Mo wiped his mouth and said, "I will ask the prince for help with Dapeng's matter, but whether it can be done depends on what the prince says. However, I suggest you don't hold too high hopes. After all, the prince is also a person who hates evil."