Chapter 888 Fierce Yanyan (2)
The man was none other than Du Wencai’s father, Du Laizi. Because he had an inflated sense of self-worth but was actually incapable, and because he was lazy and did nothing but loiter on the streets every day without engaging in any real work, taking advantage of others whenever he could, the neighbors looked down on him. They simply nicknamed him "Leprosy" and, over time, this nickname stuck to the extent that people forgot his real name.
Mrs. Liu’s face turned a livid shade of blue with anger. Remembering how she had been blind enough to find such a shameless and thick-skinned family for her daughter, she felt nauseated. She wished she could grab a broom and sweep them all out of the house.
Suppressing the urge to burst into curses, she stopped Liu Tinglan, who was about to step forward to argue, and said coldly, "Why our two families should break off the engagement, you know very well in your heart! If you want to make a scene, go ahead and make it as big as you want, but I would like to see, with your Du Family being so unashamed, intending to extort from our Liu Family, once this gets out, I wonder if your precious son will care at all about his future."
In Great Chu, to join the government through the imperial examinations, one not only needed talent but also a good reputation. People with disreputable conduct usually didn’t have good reputations, and for this reason losing one’s position and honors was not unheard of.
Just like the Top Third Scholar, who drunkenly fell into a river and drowned three years ago; he was a man of improper conduct, causing unrest in his inner household. He fell out of favor with the senior officials and ended up unsuccessful in the officialdom. Even if he hadn’t died, his career would have come to an end.
Du Laizi was counting on his younger son to pass the imperial exams with flying colors next year, hoping to live a life of luxury riding on his son’s coattails. Seeing Mrs. Liu using this as leverage against him, he immediately hurled abuses at her, "How dare you, you wretched woman, to curse my son; do you really think I’m afraid to beat you?"