Ji Yingying cheerfully chatted with the white horse as she rode, arriving at the old steward’s back door after about the time it takes to burn an incense stick. She dismounted, wrapped some soil in her handkerchief, and knocked on the wooden door: “Elder, elder!”

The anxious steward, who had been waiting inside, first spotted the horse, then hearing the knock, hurried to open the door.

Seeing the horse and Ji Yingying outside, the old steward couldn’t help but ask, “Miss Ji, where is our young master?”

Ji Yingying, holding her handkerchief with the wrapped soil, peered inside the door: “It wasn’t convenient to ride together. He’s practicing staff techniques by the river and told me to return first. I’ve bought all the materials. Where’s my maid?”

The old steward awkwardly stroked his beard: “I invited her to rest in the side room. I’ll fetch her right away.”

He had locked Ling’er in the room to prevent her from running away and causing trouble.

Ji Yingying understood perfectly but didn’t expose this, following him into the courtyard.

The old steward unlocked the door. Hearing Ji Yingying had returned, Ling’er was nearly mad with joy, rushing out to examine her mistress from head to toe: “Miss, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. See? Everything’s perfect. Don’t tell the madam about today’s events when we return. Otherwise, she’ll surely sell you off.” Ji Yingying lowered her voice to frighten Ling’er.

Ling’er wasn’t foolish and nodded in agreement.

“Elder, please lead the horse to the riverside.”

Ji Yingying asked for a bucket and sent the old steward to fetch the horse. While Ling’er kept watch at the door, she snuck into the kitchen to scrape ash from the stove. The kitchen had plenty of rice straw for kindling, and in no time, she had a bucket of straw ash water. She had Ling’er carry it out of the courtyard.

The old steward removed the saddle and bridle, leading the horse to Huanhua Creek, using a bucket to pour water over its body.

As he poured and scrubbed, he noticed the red color had faded slightly, but several bright red streaks remained on the white horse. He sighed, watching the mistress and maid approach with their bucket, thinking that the young Miss Ji was truly mischievous. At least she was willing to admit her mistake and had prepared the solution to clean the horse.

Remembering how Young Master Yang had carried off Ji Yingying on horseback, the old steward’s hands trembled. He recalled the master’s words: “My son is eighteen, of marriageable age…”

Master Yang’s meaning had been simple. Our third son has come of age. It’s time for him to marry. After marriage, he must establish himself. He can’t remain unable to understand account books, can he? When I die, the concubine’s sons will establish separate households. He must be able to maintain the shops and farms I give him, right? So please teach him well.

The old steward had only remembered the first sentence. He wondered why, although Young Master Yang had kidnapped her in anger, Miss Ji had returned alone and happy on horseback. After imagining countless scenarios, he finally found the most reasonable explanation: Miss Ji was lovely, and his young master had been captivated by her.

However, Miss Ji and the Zhao family’s second son were childhood sweethearts. The old steward sighed for Yang Jingyuan. If his young master could steal this marriage prospect, he would be delighted to see the Zhao family’s moldering faces.

“Just pour on the solution.”

In front of the old steward, Ling’er poured the straw ash water over the dyed areas. The red immediately dissolved into drops of red water falling into the river.

The old steward stroked his beard in approval: “This solution is indeed effective.”

In less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, they had restored the horse’s coat to pure white.

“Elder, it’s getting late, I must return home. Young Master Yang said the riverside is quiet, perfect for practicing martial arts. He’ll return in the evening, please don’t worry about him.”

With strength enough to break tree branches, walking back would be good exercise. Ji Yingying, touching her empty stomach, decided to let Young Master Yang walk back by himself, and changed her words. She took Ling’er and bid farewell.

The old steward, seeing the horse was clean, didn’t suspect anything. He led the horse back.

Ji Yingying took Ling’er through the streets straight to the market: “Starving, aren’t you? I’ll treat you to something good!”

“Miss, I’m not hungry. The elder served me a meal,” Ling’er quickly said, then looked at Ji Yingying in surprise, “Miss hasn’t had lunch? Let’s go home, we have no money left.”

Ji Yingying opened her palm to show her the silver ingot: “Who says we have no money? We have five taels of silver!”

Ling’er was so shocked her jaw nearly dropped: “Miss, where did this come from?”

“I earned it! I promised to help you earn real money, didn’t I? Well, here it is! Alright, alright, I’ll tell you. I cleaned his horse, and he gave me money for materials and labor to prepare the solution.”

Everyone who ran a dye house knew that to remove red flower dye from fabric, you just needed to “soak the dyed silk” and pour alkaline rice ash water over it, and the red would “completely transfer away.” The washed-off red dye water didn’t need to be discarded either—”store it in mung bean powder,” and when needed later, it could be released to dye things red again, “without wasting a single drop.” Was a bucket of straw ash water worth five taels of silver?

From the bottom of her heart, Ling’er thought Young Master Yang was a spendthrift. But if they earned his silver this way, what if he spread the word about kidnapping her mistress today?

Seeing her worried expression, Ji Yingying quickly reassured her: “Young Master Yang and I made a handshake oath that today’s events are forgotten, not a word to be mentioned.”

“Amitabha Buddha!” Hearing about the handshake oath and agreement to forget everything, Ling’er’s tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and she happily begged Ji Yingying, “Miss, next time you go to Bamboo Forest Temple, please take this servant along. I made a vow today. I need to burn incense for the Buddha there.”

Seeing her sincere expression, Ji Yingying felt touched. She usually disapproved of Ling’er acting as her mother’s spy and often scolded her. But Ling’er did care for her. She nodded in agreement and went to the money shop to exchange the silver ingot.

The sun was already declining in the west. Ji Yingying hurriedly filled their stomachs with two bowls of dan dan noodles. Then she bought grass jelly from Zhang’s shop and two brown sugar pancakes for Xiang’er before rushing home.

Ji Yingying now had four taels and nine maces of loose silver, and of the hundred copper coins she’d exchanged, she’d only spent twenty-some wen. She treasured this silver and feared Ling’er would tell her mother, so she continued educating Ling’er along the way: “If madam asks where the money came from, how will you explain?”

Ling’er felt wronged again: “Miss is unharmed, and I’m not a fool. If madam doesn’t ask, I naturally won’t say anything.”

Being out all day, her mother would surely ask what they had done. So Ji Yingying instructed her: “Just say you accompanied me to see flowers at the flower farmer’s. This season, the chrysanthemums are blooming…”

She stopped in her tracks as the thought that had long eluded her suddenly appeared clear as day. Ji Yingying grabbed Ling’er’s hand, so excited she could cry: “Ling’er, I know! I know what I want! Let’s go home! Remember to tell madam we went to see flowers.”

She rushed home quickly. Ling’er started, then immediately understood what Ji Yingying had realized, and happily followed.

“Mother!” Ji Yingying ran through the front gate, noisily bursting into the back courtyard, “Mother, I’ve figured it out!”

“What kind of behavior is this ruckus?” Madam Ji’s voice suddenly rose sharply from the main hall. She gave a meaningful look to Nurse Li beside her, then apologetically said to Madam Zhao, “Second Miss has a lively temperament, she’s offended Madam Zhao.”

Madam Zhao had never thought much of the Ji family, and hearing Ji Yingying’s boisterous voice, she liked them even less. Seeing Madam Ji’s careful attentiveness, she sighed: “Madam Ji, as a widow raising children and supporting the Huanhua Dye House, you truly have it difficult. After Second Miss marries, she’ll have a mother-in-law to guide her.”

Her expression clearly said, “Being a widow making a living isn’t easy. Everyone understands if Second Miss Ji lacks proper upbringing.” She also implied to Madam Ji: you can’t educate your daughter properly, but I’ll discipline Ji Yingying in the future.

Madam Ji felt a surge of anger stuck in her chest, her face flushing red.