I Crossed Over with My Enemy, Only to Find Him Running the Empire - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Wu Canghai

“How dare you talk back!” Zhang Jinhua’s voice grew even louder, spittle flying. “Who else could it be but you? You spend all day inciting trouble! You never do a single good deed, but you’re the best at playing the stirrer. I think you’re just itching for a lesson!”

Today’s scolding dragged on from after lunch until the sun dipped low in the west—a full hour of relentless berating.

Wei was scolded so severely she couldn’t even lift her head.

Finally, Zhang Jinhua grew tired of shouting. She waved a hand dismissively. “Get to the river! Wash that whole basin of clothes. If you don’t finish, don’t bother coming back for dinner! For the next three days, don’t even think about eating, and don’t you dare slack on a single chore!”

The dirty laundry in the wooden basin was piled high like a small mountain, caked with mud and sweat from the fields. It was incredibly heavy.

Wei felt as though a wad of cotton was stuffed in her chest—stifling and bitter. Yet, she didn’t dare defy her mother-in-law. With red-rimmed eyes, she struggled to lift the basin and shuffled toward the riverbank at the village entrance.

The riverbank was quiet, save for a few older children splashing in the water.

Wei set the basin down on a flat rock and picked up the wooden washing bat, striking the clothes rhythmically but listlessly. Her eyes kept darting toward the small path leading from the village to the town.

When the scolding began at noon, she sensed things were going south and had secretly sent her second son, Qinglin, to the town academy to find her eldest, Canghai. By her count, he should be back by now.

She waited for him like one waits for the stars and the moon. In this house, only Canghai truly understood her, and only he could give her some backbone.

The sun sank further, and the sky flushed with the glow of sunset clouds.

Wei’s arms were aching, and her anxiety grew. Just as she was about to look again, she saw a figure approaching from the distance on that small path.

He was tall and lean, dressed in a washed-pale blue scholar’s robe and carrying an old book chest. His pace was steady, carrying an air of refined elegance that felt entirely distinct from the rustic countryside.

Who else could it be but her eldest son, Canghai?

Tears streamed down Wei’s face instantly. Ignoring the basin of clothes, she dropped the bat and stumbled toward him.

“Canghai! My son! You’re finally back!” Wei grabbed his arm, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.

Wu Canghai stopped. Seeing his mother’s tear-stained face, his brow furrowed slightly, but his voice remained calm and steady. “Mother, speak slowly. What happened? Who gave you such a hard time?”

With that question, Wei’s grievances burst forth like a flood.

Through her sobs, she recounted the day’s events in a jumbled mess. She focused heavily on how unreasonable her mother-in-law was, and how she had originally planned to sell that child-bride Li Qiaoqiao from the fourth branch to raise money for his future travels, only to be set up and harmed by that wretched girl instead.

“Mother did it all for you! I thought about how expensive your studies are and how much you’ll need for traveling later. Li Qiaoqiao is just a mouth to feed; selling her was for the best.” Wei wept, her face a mess of tears. “But what about your grandmother? She clearly has money in her hands! She’d rather save it to treat your ‘foolish’ fourth uncle, Tie Niu, than give a cent to you. She’s biased! Her heart is completely crooked!”

She grew more agitated, her words becoming reckless: “And your father—he’s a useless, quiet clod! You couldn’t beat a word out of him with a stick. If he had any spine, would we have to suffer this indignity? I bet it’s because your father isn’t Zhang Jinhua’s biological son, so she doesn’t care about us at all! She just bullies us.”

Wu Canghai listened quietly, his face expressionless. He didn’t get angry, nor did he offer much comfort. He only spoke once his mother had finished her venting.

“Mother, you said you wanted to sell Fourth Aunt for money. Whose idea was that originally?”

Wei blinked, stammering, “No one… I thought of it myself…”

Canghai glanced at her. His gaze was peaceful, yet it made Wei look away guiltily.

He didn’t press her. He simply said softly, “Mother, selling a family member—especially an elder—would hinder my future if word got out. The masters at the academy value character above all else.”

Wei panicked slightly. “I… I didn’t think that far…”

“It’s no matter.” Canghai’s tone softened. “I will earn my own future. I can save money by transcribing books. You needn’t worry about it, and you certainly shouldn’t take such dangerous risks.”

He paused, then added, “As for Grandmother, the money belongs to the grandparents; they have their own plans. Treating Fourth Uncle is a parent’s duty. Regarding my travels, I will find time to discuss it with my grandfather personally.”

His words were airtight. He subtly pointed out his mother’s wrongdoing while simultaneously soothing her and taking the burden onto himself. There wasn’t a single word of blame, yet Wei found herself falling strangely silent.

“Really? You’ll talk to your grandfather?” Wei asked, as if grabbing a literal lifeline.

“Yes.” Canghai nodded. “Rest your heart, Mother. The laundry isn’t finished, is it? Let me help you.”

With that, he actually put down his book chest, rolled up his sleeves, walked to the riverbank, and began skillfully striking the dirty clothes with the bat. His movements were steady and methodical; it was clear this wasn’t his first time doing this.

Looking at her son’s composed demeanor, Wei’s agitation finally began to settle. She wiped her tears and knelt down to wash with him. The setting sun cast their shadows long across the ground.

Once the mountain of laundry was done, Canghai helped his mother carry the basin. One after the other, they walked toward the Wu courtyard where cooking smoke was beginning to curl into the air.

…

Downstream, behind a few large boulders, Li Qiaoqiao and Wu Ya were crouching, their eyes fixed on the scene upstream.

Li Qiaoqiao had originally intended to find a chance to apologize to Wei and ease the tension. She hadn’t expected to witness Wei intercepting her eldest nephew and pouring out her woes.

They weren’t close, but the riverbank was quiet and the wind was blowing their way, so snippets of the conversation drifted into their ears.

Hearing Wei twist the truth, pin the idea of selling people on her, and claim she “intentionally harmed others,” Li Qiaoqiao’s hands shook with rage.

Wu Ya pressed her hand down and shook his head, signaling her to stay calm and keep listening.

And so, they heard Wu Canghai’s response.

At first, Li Qiaoqiao thought the young man was quite reasonable for not joining his mother’s hysterics. But the more she listened, the more a chill crept up her spine.

That voice was too calm—too calm for a teenager. His own mother was weeping and distressed, yet his face showed no sign of urgency or heat. He didn’t even frown.

Every question he asked hit the mark. His comforting words were beautiful, but upon closer inspection, not one word actually supported his mother’s anger or promised to fight her corner against the grandmother. Instead, he light-handedly pinned the blame squarely back on Wei and noted how it would ruin his future.

Finally, he could actually roll up his sleeves and wash clothes as if nothing had happened.

Li Qiaoqiao felt a prickle of fear. She subconsciously leaned closer to Wu Ya and whispered, “Did you hear that? How old is he? His mind is… terrifyingly deep!”