Her Husband is Both Delicate and Fierce; The Little Stutterer Coaxes Him Through Tears - Chapter 2

That afternoon, Yu Tingzheng didn’t have to work in the fields, but he had to head up the mountain to gather firewood. The mountain was full of wild fruits, pheasants, and rabbits; if he caught something, he could roast it over a fire. For him, missing a full meal at home wasn’t a tragedy, he was used to finding his own way.

After finishing his meal and resting for a moment, Yu Chengfeng prepared to head to the academy. He whined to Madam Jiang about not wanting to go to school, claiming he’d rather go to town to apprentice and learn a trade. Madam Jiang eventually shooed him out. As soon as he saw Yu Tingzheng, he immediately puffed out his chest.

Turning back, he shouted at Madam Jiang, “Mother, the teacher is going to teach us horse riding and archery today! I’ll learn well. Once I’ve mastered it, I can protect you and Father!”

Madam Jiang beamed at this, telling him to be careful not to get hurt or exhausted, adding that whether he protected them or not didn’t truly matter as long as he was well.

As Yu Chengfeng passed Yu Tingzheng, he shot him a smug, superior look.

Yu Tingzheng didn’t take it to heart. He returned to their room wanting to rest, but upon entering, he saw a pair of filthy shoes tossed onto his small floor-bed. He pursed his lips slightly, walked over to move the shoes, and swatted the dirt off his mat.

He shared a room with Yu Chengfeng. His brother slept in the bed; he slept on the floor. Before the age of ten, Yu Chengfeng had slept with their parents, only insisting on his own room after being teased by other children in the village.

There were only two bedrooms in the house. Yu Tingzheng had originally thought they would share the bed. He knew his brother disliked him, and he had hoped this would be a chance to grow closer. It wasn’t until his parents put new quilts on the bed and told him to sleep on the floor that he realized there was no bed for him.

After a short nap, Yu Tingzheng was pulled awake by the ear by Madam Jiang. He grabbed his wood-cutting knife and left the house.

To reach the mountain, he had to pass the auntie’s house. When he arrived, he noticed the grand carriage was gone. Peeking through the picket fence, he saw only a few servants sweeping the yard; the young master from noon was nowhere to be seen.

An inexplicable sense of disappointment washed over him. With his head hanging low, he chopped at the weeds along the road with his knife as he walked.

By the time he had finished cutting wood and eaten some wild berries, the sky was already growing late. He trudged down the mountain with a heavy load of timber on his back. Passing the fenced courtyard again, he couldn’t resist peeking inside.

Still, there was nothing to see.

The auntie came out and spotted him. “Little Zheng, gathering wood again? Are you tired? Why don’t you come in for a drink of water and a rest?”

“No… Auntie. I have to… get home quickly.”

If he was too late, there would be no food left at all.

Yu Tingzheng’s face was slick with sweat, and his neck was marked with red scratches the mountain was thick with mosquitoes, and he had been bitten again. Before leaving, he took one last, lingering look at the fenced yard.

The auntie chuckled. “Stop looking. They’ve gone back to the city. They only came today to see the courtyard. Now that they’ve chosen it, it needs to be cleaned and organized. They won’t move in for a few days.”

Yu Tingzheng’s face flushed hot. He gave a flustered response and scurried away like a thief caught in the act.

From then on, whether he was working the fields or gathering wood, he would steal a glance at the courtyard. Though he never saw anyone, the hope in his heart kept him from feeling truly dejected.

A few days later, having nothing to do, Yu Tingzheng went to the academy to listen to the teacher’s lectures. He couldn’t go inside, so he hid outside to listen in secret.

Yu Chengfeng was inside the classroom, sitting with perfect posture, seemingly listening more intently than anyone. However, when the teacher called on him to answer a question, he could only stammer. Eventually, he was given a punishment, and that was the end of it.

When school was dismissed, Yu Tingzheng didn’t leave fast enough. He was caught by the other students. They surrounded him, and the chubby son of the Village Chief pointed at his nose, laughing. “Well, well, Yu Tingzheng! Sneaking around to listen to the teacher again? You didn’t pay the tuition, so how do you have the face to eavesdrop?”

The others jeered in agreement. “Exactly! Your parents didn’t pay any silver, so you have no right to be at the academy.”

“What’s the point of a little stutterer like you studying anyway? You’d be better off going to town with your father to haul goods and earn money for the family.”

“Since we caught you, we should hand you over to the teacher. Let’s see if you ever dare to do such sneaky things again!”

Yu Tingzheng’s hands and feet felt leaden. He hung his head like a child who had done something terribly wrong, his face burning. Hearing that they would hand him over to the teacher made him panic, his complexion turning deathly pale.

The teacher hadn’t arrived yet, but his brother had. Seeing him, Yu Chengfeng’s face twisted in disgust. “What are you doing here?”

“I… I came to… see you.” Yu Tingzheng didn’t dare admit he was there to eavesdrop, fearing the teacher would truly be angry.

Yu Chengfeng didn’t believe him. “Don’t lie to me. You’re here to steal the lessons. I’m going home to tell Mother and Father.”

At this, Yu Tingzheng’s face grew even worse. This was a fear far greater than being caught by the teacher. His parents already disliked him; they made him work the hardest, fed him the least, and gave him the floor to sleep on. If they found out he had caused trouble, he was terrified they wouldn’t want him anymore that they might even sell him.

Seeing him unable to speak, Yu Chengfeng jumped with agitation. “Ha! You really were here to steal lessons. Just wait until we get home; I’ll make sure Mother and Father deal with you!”

Panicked, Yu Tingzheng reached out to pull at his sleeve. “No don’t tell them.”

Yu Chengfeng reacted as if he had been touched by a plague, pushing Yu Tingzheng away with an exaggerated shove.

Yu Tingzheng, caught off guard, lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. He landed hard on the sharp gravel, letting out a muffled groan of pain. The crowd erupted into boisterous laughter.

The chubby boy laughed the loudest, clutching his stomach. “Chengfeng, how do you have a brother like this? He’s a stutterer and a coward! Hahaha.”

Yu Chengfeng smiled along with the group, but his eyes turned dark and resentful as he glared at Yu Tingzheng. He didn’t want this person to be his brother at all.

“What are you all doing?”

A voice came from behind them. Thinking it was the teacher, the crowd quickly scrambled to clear a path. However, the person who stepped forward was an elderly man. He walked over and helped Yu Tingzheng up.

Before Yu Tingzheng could even say thank you, he caught sight of the young master standing behind the old man. His eyes widened in shock.

The old man brushed the dust off the boy’s clothes, his gaze sweeping sternly over the group. “An academy is a place for teaching, for nurturing character and knowledge. Yet here you are, a mob bullying a peer. I shall have to ask the teacher what kind of skills are being taught here.”

The children feared the teacher more than their own parents. Hearing that the old man might report them, they fell silent, their faces filled with panic.

Only the chubby boy remained defiant. “He isn’t a student of this academy! He’s just a thief stealing lessons. We were just teaching him a lesson. What’s wrong with that?”

Yu Tingzheng locked eyes with the young master for a few seconds. His face grew hot, and he lowered his head, his hands clenching tightly. He felt an intense, burning shame, as if he were being roasted in a furnace.

The old man replied calmly, “To learn such lowly methods of ‘teaching’ at such a young age. I believe it is you who are bringing shame to this academy and your teacher.”

The chubby boy’s face turned bright red, and he opened his mouth to argue further, but the youth behind the old man spoke up with a cold, indifferent voice.

“Uncle Yu, ignore this. It is but a small village academy. If the atmosphere is this poor, we shall simply find another.”

The butler, Uncle Yu, began leading the young master away, sighing with worry. “We’ll have to discuss this with the Madam. If you don’t attend school in the village, the only option is the town. The road is long and difficult; I fear your body won’t handle the daily commute.”

Pei Qingyu walked at his side, his hands down. He wasn’t at a loss for words; he was simply too lazy to respond.

The butler sighed again, wondering if that fortune-teller was actually reliable. How was this a “blessed land”? While it wasn’t a desolate wasteland, the conditions were truly abysmal. He glanced at the young master only fifteen, yet already tall and as beautiful as fine jade.

The young master had been born frail and sickly. Doctors had predicted he wouldn’t live past eighteen. As the date drew closer, his health grew worse every year. The Old Madam, unable to let go, had spent a fortune on a mystic. Following his advice, they had come to Yanti Village, claiming that living here for half a year would dispel the illness. It sounded like superstitious nonsense, but they had no other choice.

As the butler was lost in thought, he failed to see a ditch in the path. He tripped and fell flat on his back into the mud.

Pei Qingyu looked down at him as if observing a curious animal. His beautiful face remained expressionless, which actually made the butler feel less embarrassed as he scrambled out of the ditch with a red face.

Yu Tingzheng had been following them from a distance. Seeing the butler fall, he let out a soft “ah” and moved forward to help. But halfway there, he froze. Remembering the humiliation from moments ago, his face burned with an unnatural heat. He took a few steps back, twisting his fingers nervously.

Suddenly, the young master turned back. His gaze fell upon Yu Tingzheng, calm and indifferent.

Yu Tingzheng instantly froze in place, his mind buzzing with a blank static. He swallowed hard, staring wide-eyed as he fidgeted with his fingers.

He saw the young master knit his brow slightly before turning his head away once more.