Xiao Ergou remained motionless, as if in a deep sleep. After an indeterminate time, he finally stirred, disturbed by the numerous flies buzzing around him. Opening his eyes, he focused on a particularly persistent fly. Suddenly, his hand shot out, snatching the insect from the air. Methodically, he pinched the fly, slowly tearing off its wings and legs. With a faint smile, he tossed the mutilated insect off the haystack. He repeated this process, catching fly after fly with unerring precision.
Shun’er found the scene both disgusting and exciting. Catching flies wasn’t particularly difficult if one tried hard enough, but Xiao Ergou’s swift, precise, and merciless technique was remarkable. Who would have the time to perfect such a skill? An errand boy shouldn’t have such leisure. Even with free time, most wouldn’t develop such a disturbing habit. Intrigued, Shun’er continued his vigil.
As daylight faded and the sun sank, Xiao Ergou, having exhausted his supply of flies, returned to his exaggerated snoring. Just as Shun’er resigned himself to an extended wait, a barefoot child with a runny nose broke the silence.
“Second Brother, Mother says come home for dinner,” the child called out, his words slightly slurred.
“Coming,” Xiao Ergou replied lazily, rising to his feet.
“Second Brother, show me a trick,” the child pleaded, tugging at Xiao Ergou’s hand.
Shun’er’s ears perked up. Tricks? This could be interesting.
Xiao Ergou glanced around warily before smiling. “Alright, I’ll show you a disappearing trick.” He produced an orange segment from his sleeve, waved it before the child, and then popped it into his mouth. “See? It’s gone.”
The child stared blankly before bursting into tears, kicking his legs in frustration. “I want orange! I want orange!”
Sighing, Xiao Ergou retrieved another segment for the child, who quickly shifted from tears to laughter. “I don’t want to see that. I want to see you fly,” the child demanded.
Shun’er’s interest piqued further. Carrying orange segments while sleeping, and able to fly? This man must be incredibly agile.
Xiao Ergou picked up the child, striding forward. “Fly? Your brother can’t fly. Stop talking nonsense, or you’ll never eat meat again and might even be sold off. Let’s hurry home before San Ya and the others eat all the meat.” The child, distracted by the promise of meat, forgot about flying.
Shun’er pondered the situation. A child’s desire for meat was easy to satisfy. He slipped down from the tree and quickly moved ahead.
As night fell, Mudan and Yuhe sat by lamplight, tallying their losses. Beyond refunding Jin Buyan’s deposit, they owed an additional 5 million coins, totaling nearly 20 million. This didn’t include labor costs, rootstock expenses, and other investments. The losses were staggering, and Mudan’s heart ached at the thought of how long it would take to recoup such a sum. Lin Mama, Kuan’er, and Shu’er stood by silently, occasionally refilling water, trimming the lamp, or offering food.
After a long while, Mudan set down her brush with a soft sigh. While she could afford the losses, she worried about Jin Buyan causing trouble. His mysterious nature made him difficult to locate; even Jiang Changyang couldn’t find him. She wondered if Lü Fang would have any luck.
Tao excitedly called from the corridor, “Mistress, the Master, and Young Master Lü have arrived.”
Realizing they likely hadn’t eaten, Mudan quickly instructed, “Go to the kitchen and see what food is available. Prepare it quickly and bring it up.” She set aside her ledger, adjusted her appearance in the mirror, and went to greet them.
Jiang Changyang and Lü Fang were speaking in low voices. Hearing the door, Lü Fang stood to greet Mudan, while Jiang Changyang merely glanced at her with an ambiguous expression. “You’re still awake?”
Sensing something off in his look, Mudan smiled, “I was calculating our losses. How did you two meet up?”
Jiang Changyang eyed her briefly before asking about food, mentioning they hadn’t eaten since lunch.
Mudan offered, “We have flatbread and chicken soup. How about some noodle soup as well?”
“Anything filling will do,” Lü Fang replied with a smile. “Mudan, this incident wasn’t my father’s doing. He’s willing to sell you our grafted seedlings at market price. Let’s calculate how many you need, and if it’s not enough, we can find other solutions.” He added awkwardly, “Ahem, the old man is getting on in years, a bit confused…” While his father wasn’t responsible for the sabotage, Lü Fang found it hard to justify Lü Chun’s eagerness to profit from Fang Garden’s misfortune.
Mudan smiled, accepting the offer graciously. “That works, thank you. Perhaps we could explain this to Jin Buyan—half supplied by your family, half by me. Your family’s peonies are also renowned; I’m sure he won’t object too strongly.” She thought to herself that regardless of Lü Chun’s actions, Lü Fang had helped her out of a crisis. Some things were better left unacknowledged. Allying with Lü Chun to isolate Cao Wanrong would be ideal.
“We can discuss everything else, but we need to consult with Jin Buyan first and see what he thinks,” Zhong Hua said. At this point in their cultivation, they were after reputation. Given the current situation, they could both make money and become famous in Jiangnan. Lü Fang could imagine how pleased Lü Chun would be, even if he wouldn’t admit it.
“Still no sign of Jin Buyan?” Mudan inquired, looking at Jiang Changyang and Lü Fang.
Jiang Changyang’s expression remained neutral, while Lü Fang looked disappointed. “Indeed,” he said, glancing at Jiang Changyang. “However, Cheng Feng mentioned seeing him a couple of days ago, so we might have another chance. Worst case, we’ll compensate him with a few million coins, even if it means no profit from this deal.”
Mudan nodded in agreement. Unexpectedly, Lü Chun’s ill intentions had benefited her, becoming her backup supplier. She realized Lü Fang was truly a good person. With this thought, she smiled at him. “I’m fortunate to have met you.”
Lü Fang appeared somewhat embarrassed. “It’s my father who caused you trouble. Thank you for not holding it against him.”
Jiang Changyang watched the two smiling at each other, clearly kindred spirits, and felt quite displeased. He grunted, “Enough with the mutual thanks. I’ll get to the bottom of this matter. Those who need to pay will pay, and those who deserve jail will be jailed. I’ll ensure he never deals with peonies again and can’t set foot in the capital.”
Shortly after, food arrived. The two ate, bid farewell, and retired to their quarters.
Kuan’er and Shu’er efficiently set up the screen and prepared the bedding before leaving. Mudan finished washing up and, while combing her hair, smiled at Jiang Changyang, who was still sprawled on the couch reviewing account books. “Go wash up and sleep. The water will get cold.”
Jiang Changyang ignored her.
Undeterred, Mudan tossed aside her comb and shamelessly snuggled up to him, drawling, “I said, go to sleep. The water’s getting cold.”
Jiang Changyang glanced at her sideways. “You’re telling me to sleep?”
Mudan nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
“Why are you telling me to sleep?” he asked.
Pointing at the window, she replied, “Because it’s dark. It’s time for bed.”
Jiang Changyang looked away, his face expressionless. “Can’t sleep. Won’t sleep. I want to see how much this capable person of mine has earned, lost, and what assets remain.”
Knowing he was picking a fight, Mudan softened her approach. She crawled into his arms, hugging his waist tightly, and whispered, “Don’t be angry. I just thought you were too busy and didn’t want to distract you, so I handled what I could on my own. We haven’t seen each other for days. Don’t you miss me?”
“No,” Jiang Changyang snapped the account book shut, his tone sour. “If you didn’t want to distract me, you wouldn’t have told me anything. Now an outsider is telling me about my affairs. Forget it, I don’t want to talk to you.” He then sat Mudan up properly. “It’s fine if you don’t want to talk to me, but I want to talk to you.”
Mudan stubbornly clung to him, refusing to move. “I’m tired. I don’t want to move.”
Jiang Changyang looked at her sternly. Mudan blinked innocently at him. “I didn’t mean to tell him. He came on his own, worried we might suspect him.” Seeing no reaction from Jiang Changyang, she quickly added, “Actually, we’ve uncovered some information. At least we know it wasn’t the Lü family. And I know someone climbed over the wall – someone very agile. We’ve found a suspicious person, and Shun Hou’er says we’ll know more in two days…”
Jiang Changyang remained silent as she chattered on. When she mentioned Shun Hou’er, he snorted coldly. “I’d forgotten about him. I’ve decided to give him ten lashes.”
Mudan abruptly stopped talking. “Why?”
“No reason,” Jiang Changyang said flatly. “Just because he didn’t follow my orders. Don’t plead for him. Military orders are absolute. He must be punished.”
Mudan bit her lip and smiled sheepishly. “You’re teasing me… You’re not an unreasonable person.” She hugged his arm and shook it repeatedly.
“Let go. You’re shaking my bones apart,” Jiang Changyang said, dizzy from her shaking. He flicked her forehead and said sternly, “We’ll let it go this time, but don’t let it happen again.”
Mudan quickly smiled. “Shall I help my lord wash up?”
Jiang Changyang looked at her belly and sighed. “Forget it. I’m just ill-fated. Just take care of yourself.” He couldn’t even get justice.
As they lay side by side, Jiang Changyang said softly, “Release everyone tomorrow.”
Mudan’s eyes brightened. “You have a plan?”
“Hmph,” Jiang Changyang rolled his eyes at her, speaking arrogantly. “What can you hide from me? I was too busy before, and I needed time. Now, just wait and see how I clean up this mess for you.”