Chapter 490: Regretting teaching my son to seek a title
This was precisely the reason people held what was called a “chongxi” ceremony.
It was an old superstition passed down through generations. When someone in the household was gravely ill or in mortal danger, the family would deliberately hold a joyous event—usually a wedding—in hopes of driving away misfortune. The belief was that happy celebrations could dispel evil spirits and calamity, inviting the blessings of fortune instead.
In their hearts, they prayed that “when joy arrives at the door, all misfortune retreats.”
If luck was on their side, danger might turn into safety.
For this reason, the wealthy Li patriarch was fully supportive of the idea.
Li Shu was the treasure of his heart, the pearl in his palm. As long as there was even the slightest chance of bringing her back safely, he would never abandon it. In fact, if Madam Chen had not proposed the idea of holding a wedding for chongxi, he himself would have suggested it sooner or later.
However, at this very moment, the Li patriarch was not present at the wedding.
Nor was Zhu Ping’an’s elder brother.
At this very moment, both of them were out on the vast sea.
Even before the messenger sent by the Marquis of Linhuai arrived with the grim news, the Li patriarch had already learned about the incident.
Given his wealth and status, he had far more efficient channels for obtaining information. In that regard, even the Marquis of Linhuai could not compare.
When the Li patriarch first heard the news, he lost his composure on the spot.
According to those present, he was so furious that he began loudly cursing his own elder brother—the Marquis of Linhuai—across the air.
After venting his anger and demanding accountability from the Marquis, he immediately began organizing a massive search operation.
Even if it meant turning the entire sea upside down, he would find them.
As for the Marquis’s claim that dozens of ships had searched for a whole day and found nothing—Li family’s third son, a hot-blooded and impulsive young man, nearly beat the messenger to death on the spot.
“You searched for one day and dare come report like that?!” he had roared.
The poor messenger was lucky to escape alive. The fact that he wasn’t beaten to death was only because the hotheaded third son wanted to accumulate some virtue for his younger sister.
“If you can’t find them in one day, search for two! If two days aren’t enough, search for three! If three days don’t work, then search for a year!”
“If one hundred ships aren’t enough, send two hundred! If two hundred aren’t enough, send three hundred! If three hundred aren’t enough, send five hundred!”
“If you can’t find them within ten li, search a hundred li! If a hundred li isn’t enough, search two hundred li!”
“Don’t give me excuses!”
He had long been fed up with those distant relatives in the capital.
Poor as beggars, incapable of anything useful, yet always acting superior.
Soon after, the Li patriarch secretly dispatched a confidential report:
“Bandits have infiltrated the sea. The criminals must be captured immediately.”
With that single message, he acted first and reported later, directly mobilizing the coastal garrisons to launch ships into the sea.
At that time, the maritime ban had just been partially lifted, allowing fishing boats to venture out.
In addition to the naval forces of the garrisons, the Li family also spent enormous sums of money to recruit hundreds of fishing vessels for the search.
Every single boat carried three portraits.
One of Li Shu.
One of Zhu Ping’an.
And one of the bun-faced little maid.
Meanwhile, Zhu Pingchuan had also joined the search.
The moment he heard that the Li family was organizing ships to search the sea, he didn’t hesitate for even a second before volunteering to go along.
Several young men from Xiahe Village followed him as well.
Even Zhu Pingjun—Zhu Ping’an’s cousin from the eldest uncle’s family—went along.
On the surface, he said he wanted to help search for Zhu Ping’an.
But in truth, he had another reason.
He had long since grown utterly sick of his wife.
The woman had only one eye and constantly relied on the fact that her father was a scholar to act superior and domineering at home. Ever since their marriage, Zhu Pingjun had not enjoyed a single peaceful day.
So when he heard that Zhu Pingchuan was joining the search at sea, Zhu Pingjun fled the house like a prisoner escaping his cage.
Of course, he slipped away secretly.
His mother would never have allowed him to go.
Back in Xiahe Village, the wedding ceremony was far simpler than usual.
After all, there was no real bride or groom.
Once the rooster and hen completed the ceremonial bows, they were placed together inside a cage and carried into the bridal chamber.
The elaborate rituals were skipped entirely.
Instead, the wedding banquet was opened wide to everyone who had come to watch the spectacle.
Meanwhile, in the backyard of the Zhu family residence—
Madam Chen, Zhu Ping’an’s mother, sat on the bed with a pale face and deep worry etched into her features.
“Second sister-in-law, please don’t worry so much,” said the fourth aunt, who was heavily pregnant. While speaking, her eyes kept drifting toward the piles of dowry gifts in the room out of habit. “Zhi’er is the incarnation of the Wenqu Star. Heaven will surely protect him.”
“That’s right,” the third aunt added, trying to comfort her. “Zhi’er is blessed by the heavens. Remember when he was a child and everyone thought he wouldn’t survive? Didn’t he recover just fine? It’ll be the same this time. Zhi’er is clever and capable. So many people survived out there on the sea—he’ll definitely be fine too.”
As she spoke, she picked up the bowl of herbal medicine placed nearby, gently blowing on it to cool it.
“Come on, drink the medicine while it’s warm. Then eat a little porridge. You haven’t eaten anything for two days. Ping’an is the most filial child—if he finally comes home and sees you like this, he’ll be heartbroken.”
Madam Chen slowly shook her head.
“I can’t eat…”
“Mother, please listen to Aunt and drink the medicine,” Zhu Pingchuan’s wife, Juan’er, urged gently. “Pingchuan and the Li family have already gone out to sea to search for Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law. There are hundreds of ships looking for them. They’ll definitely find them. Please drink the medicine, Mother. The whole family is still relying on you. Only if you recover your strength can we endure this.”
Since marrying into the Zhu family, Juan’er often felt as though she had stepped into a dream.
Back in her parents’ home, she had barely had enough to eat or wear.
But now she not only had enough food—she ate well. Her clothes were beautiful, and she even wore gold and silver jewelry. Every time she returned to her parents’ house, she felt proud beyond words.
Her mother-in-law Madam Chen had a fiery temper, but that sharpness was only directed outward. Toward her family, she was warm and protective.
Her father-in-law was honest and kind.
Her husband Pingchuan had a good temperament, ambition, and ability—and treated her wonderfully.
This kind of life was something she had never even dared to dream of before.
And she knew very well that all of this had been made possible largely because of her younger brother-in-law, Zhu Ping’an.
So when Pingchuan decided to go to sea to search for him, she did not try to stop him. Instead, she urged him to search as carefully as possible.
Madam Chen had always been the pillar of the household.
But ever since hearing the news of Zhu Ping’an’s disappearance at sea, she had seemed like a person who had lost her soul.
She barely ate or drank, crying day and night.
Juan’er had tried to persuade her many times before, but nothing worked.
Now that the third and fourth aunts had come to help comfort her, she joined in again, hoping with all her heart that Madam Chen might finally recover a little.
But Madam Chen only shook her head again.
“I don’t want anything… I just want my Zhi’er…”
Tears streamed endlessly down her face.
“Second sister-in-law—”
“Mother—”
The others tried to comfort her again.
Madam Chen choked with sobs.
“I have food and drink here… but what about Zhi’er? What could he possibly eat or drink out there on the sea? My Zhi’er loves to eat the most… but now he probably can’t get a single bite of food.”
Her tears flowed even faster.
“Every time I see food now… I only think about how my Zhi’er might still be hungry out there. And my heart hurts so much I can’t bear it.”
“I regret it so much,” she cried. “If I had never let Zhi’er go to the capital for the examinations, none of this would have happened! What was the point of taking those exams—becoming a top scholar, a juren, a xiucai? If he had just stayed home safely, that would have been enough. Farming the land, driving carts… that would have been perfectly fine.”
“I don’t want any of this—no titles, no mansion.”
“I just want my Zhi’er back.”
The more she spoke, the more grief overwhelmed her.
If time could turn back, she would never allow Zhu Ping’an to go to the capital again.
She had already prayed countless times to the heavens.
She was willing to give up all the honor, wealth, and status she now possessed—even her own life—if only Zhu Ping’an could return safely.
“Mother…” Juan’er whispered, unable to stop her own tears from falling.