There was actually such a thing?!

Yu Tang immediately became interested and very much wanted to listen, but unfortunately, the distance from the courtyard to the tea room was only two zhang. Even with her intentions, dawdling only covered a few steps before arriving. She simply hid behind a pillar to listen to what they were saying.

Unfortunately, their voices were too low and also somewhat distant—she couldn’t hear anything.

Yu Tang was very disappointed. When decorating the ceremonial hall, she was somewhat distracted and almost knocked over the fruit plate on the long table. Only then did she restrain her thoughts and focus her energy on Yu Yuan’s wedding.

The wedding procession went very smoothly.

The bride got out of the sedan chair, performed the wedding ceremony, and was sent into the bridal chamber. Yu Tang then took Chen Shi’s arm to go see the new bride.

Miss Xiang wore a full set of red wedding garments with her head full of pearls and jade ornaments, dressed extremely beautifully. The female guests who came to observe all praised her without exception, all feeling the Yu family had made an excellent marriage match.

As the younger sister-in-law, Yu Tang naturally had to take extra care of the newly entered sister-in-law.

She quietly asked Xiang Shi, “Sister-in-law, are you hungry?” Then, wanting to help Yu Yuan curry favor with Xiang Shi, she said, “When Elder Brother went to fetch you, he repeatedly instructed me to take good care of Sister-in-law. I’ve hidden some pastries. If Sister-in-law gets hungry or needs to use the toilet, remember to tell me—I’ve already thought of solutions.”

The bride couldn’t leave the bridal chamber. If the husband’s family didn’t arrange things in advance, if she got hungry or thirsty, she wouldn’t even have a cup of water to drink.

Xiang Shi had long known that although Yu Tang was Yu Yuan’s cousin, the two branches of the Yu family only had these two siblings, as close as children of the same mother, and she was her only younger sister-in-law. Naturally, she also wanted to curry favor with her younger sister-in-law. Hearing this, she quickly said, “My wet nurse also came along with me. She has a water pouch and food there, so you don’t need to worry.” As she spoke, she quietly slipped a pouch that had been prepared and hidden in her sleeve into Yu Tang’s hand, saying with a low laugh, “This was specially prepared for you. Earlier there were too many people, so it wasn’t convenient to take it out. You take it to buy flowers to wear.”

Sister-in-law’s kind intention—Yu Tang naturally accepted it openly and generously.

However, the pouch felt heavy in her hand. Yu Tang suspected it contained silver ingots or silver melon seeds.

This was an extremely generous meeting gift.

Yu Tang felt grateful in her heart. She thanked Xiang Shi with a grin, then stayed by Xiang Shi’s side to care for her. Only after Yu Yuan had finished toasting outside and returned to the bridal chamber did she leave.

On the second day for the family recognition ceremony, the recognition gift Xiang Shi prepared for Yu Tang appeared to be, according to custom, a pair of shoes and socks and two jackets. However, the socks were made of Songjiang three-ridged fine cloth, the shoes were adorned with pearl-sized pearls, and the two jackets were even more—one bright red with gold embroidery all over, one yellow-green double-colored kesi silk, extraordinarily magnificent. Even Chen Shi, upon seeing them, couldn’t maintain her elder’s restraint and directly exclaimed “too precious.”

Perhaps truly very satisfied with this marriage, Xiang Shi smiled radiantly, joy flowing from her eyes.

She said gently, “Younger sister is so beautiful—she should naturally dress beautifully and prettily. Auntie saying this makes me embarrassed instead.”

Chen Shi, thinking that Yu Tang’s marriage matter still wasn’t settled and these two outfits were indeed the icing on the cake—she looked at them very fondly and stopped saying words of refusal, having Yu Tang thank Xiang Shi again.

Yu Tang warmly took Xiang Shi’s arm and sweetly called “Sister-in-law,” making Xiang Shi, who had grown up with a bunch of boys at the Wei family, so happy she repeatedly responded. If she hadn’t been afraid of breaking the rules, she would have almost pulled off the Hetian jade bracelet she had just put on to give to Yu Tang.

Yu Tang had made up her mind to get along well with Xiang Shi—yesterday when she returned home and opened the pouch Xiang Shi had given her, she discovered it was full of gold melon seeds.

This showed Xiang Shi’s regard for her.

Three days after the wedding, Xiang Shi and Yu Yuan went to the Wei family for the bride’s return visit.

They had to make two return visits.

The first was to the Wei family, the second would be nine days later to the Xiang family.

Fortunately, both return visits went smoothly.

Afterward, the newlywed couple began counting their small treasury, and the new bride busied herself learning the neighborhood and getting to know the neighbors.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the third month.

During this period, Yu Tang had someone inquire about Li Duan’s wedding. The Li family’s main gate was tightly locked, refusing visitors.

It was said that Madam Li had fallen ill and gone to Hangzhou City for treatment, and Li Duan had gone to Hangzhou to attend to her illness.

The neighbors were all discussing, saying Li Duan was quite filial, not even studying anymore but accompanying his mother to Hangzhou City. They wondered if it would delay next year’s metropolitan examination?

Others were discussing what illness Madam Li had, whether it would be dangerous, and sighing that if Madam Li couldn’t pull through, given Master Li’s age, he would definitely remarry. At that time, the two Li family brothers wouldn’t have such an easy time.

Yu Tang listened while curling her lip, secretly regretting that she hadn’t heard anything of interest to her.

At this time, the Peng family, Tao family, and other families had all set off to return home. Pei Yan estimated the Yu family should also be about done with their busy period and invited Yu Wen to his home for tea.

Yu Wen knew this was to discuss the auction matter.

Seeing that Xiang Shi was also shrewd and capable, he asked Yu Yuan, “Should we have Xiang Shi come along too?”

Yu Yuan immediately said, “Better to have her stay at home! The fewer people who know about the map matter, the better!”

Like his mother Wang Shi and aunt Chen Shi, who still didn’t know even now—just because Xiang Shi had married him and handled matters fairly reliably didn’t mean they should treat her differently.

As long as his nephew had no objections, Yu Wen also didn’t want to create trouble unnecessarily.

He handed the items prepared for Pei Yan to Yu Yuan, “Hold these carefully, be careful not to break them!”

It was a pair of sky-blue Ru kiln long-necked plum vases.

He had asked Master Wu to buy them.

Master Wu had expended effort to find them for their family. The two plum vases cost four thousand four hundred taels of silver, and this was still considering Master Wu’s face. At the time, Master Wu had feared their family didn’t have that much silver and tactfully said, “There’s also a pair of coral pieces, red-colored, about three chi tall. Good for giving as gifts or keeping for your daughter’s dowry trousseau, only one thousand two hundred taels.”

Yu Wen had unhesitatingly chosen that pair of plum vases.

The banknotes obtained from auctioning the map were still warm in his bosom when Yu Wen counted out four thousand four hundred taels and gave them to Master Wu.

Master Wu, holding the banknotes, chuckled continuously and said to Yu Wen, “I’ve lived next door to you for such a long time. I never expected you to be so composed, with such a substantial family fortune.”

Yu Wen’s face had immediately reddened then as he said, “This is to thank someone else’s family. No matter what, we must show some sincerity.”

Master Wu wasn’t one to pry unnecessarily. Hearing this, he didn’t ask much and left with the banknotes.

Yu Yuan carefully carried the brocade box containing the pair of plum vases and went with Yu Wen and his daughter Yu Tang to the Pei family.

Pei Yan still received them in the study where he had first met them.

It was exactly when spring was warm and the sun was beautiful. They sat under the camphor tree in the courtyard in front of the study to talk.

“Something unexpected happened during the auction.” Pei Yan wore a fine cloth straight robe with a lustrous sheen, his jet-black hair very casually bound with a green bamboo hairpin. His expression was comfortable as he sat relaxed and at ease in the armchair, saying, “Originally I thought they had discussed a strategy among themselves, and this map probably wouldn’t fetch a high price. Who knew the Tao family would join forces with the Sheng family and Yin family, while the Wu family joined forces with the Song family and Peng family, jointly bidding down the map. The Li family, as rumored before, didn’t involve themselves in these matters. Although it differed from the original plan, at least no major trouble occurred, so it can also be considered complete merit and virtue.”

Yu Wen didn’t conceal his gratitude at all and said, “More than complete merit and virtue—this is the best possible outcome. Neither will one family dominate and attract disaster, nor will everyone have it and not know how to cherish it. Without the Third Master, how could this matter have gone so smoothly? Speaking of it, we really must thank the Third Master!”

Pei Yan politely demurred a few times.

Yu Tang, however, seemed about to speak but stopped.

Pei Yan smiled and said, “Miss Yu, if you have anything to say, please speak directly. I will certainly speak without reservation and hold nothing back.”

He appeared to be in a very good mood.

Yu Tang then wasn’t polite and said, “The Peng family and Song family…”

If she remembered correctly, the Song family and Pei family were relatives.

Pei Yan was unconcerned and said, “Even the great trends of the world unite and divide—how much more so with relatives? You don’t need to worry about the Song family. With whom they join forces is their own decision. No matter what happens in the future, they’ll bear the consequences themselves. Those of us on the sidelines can only remind them; we can’t force them to act.”

By that tone, he didn’t think very highly of the Wu, Song, and Peng families joining forces.

Yu Tang thought of her previous life when the Jiang family emerged in Suzhou City.

This showed that even without this auction, in a few years the Song family would gradually lose their current prominence.

This was perhaps a matter of individual capability.

She was only worried that with the Peng family and Song family together, if her grievances with the Li family involved the Peng family, Pei Yan would stand on the Peng family’s side. Now hearing him say this, her suspended heart finally settled.

Then Pei Yan asked about the sea buckthorn trees, “How is it? Have those several trees survived?”

Previously Pei Yan had given the word, but before Yu Tang could send someone to the Pei family to dig up the trees, Hu Xing had led people to deliver the trees to the Yu family. Yu Wen had asked Fifth Uncle to plant the trees at the foot of the mountain. These days Yu Tang hadn’t had time to go look.

“I’m planning to go look in a couple days,” Yu Tang said. “Father has also handed over management of the estate to me. I heard from the women at home that these days are when the seedlings are emerging. I want to go take a look.”

On their side, they planted rice. After the seedlings were planted, it would take several days to know if they could survive, and after surviving, it would take several months to know if they were growing well.

Yu Bo had handed over the forest land matter to Yu Yuan. Yu Wen, considering Yu Yuan could also help look after Yu Tang, had handed management of the family’s one hundred mu of paddy fields to Yu Tang.

In a few days, Yu Tang planned to return to the old residence together with Yu Yuan and incidentally look at those several transplanted sea buckthorn trees.

Pei Yan said, “If you have anything you don’t understand, just send someone to ask Hu Xing. If he’s not available, he’ll also instruct the knowledgeable stewards below to help you take a look.”

Yu Tang thanked him repeatedly.

Pei Yan brought up the Peng family matter, “They should have already discovered these two maps are identical. They won’t let the Li family off. As for the Li family, they’ll most likely expose you all. I don’t know how many people on your side know about the map matter. You’d best unify your story. If anyone asks, bite down tight and just say you don’t know anything. Lu Xin’s belongings and such were all returned to the Lu family. If they still don’t believe it, you can ask the Lu family to testify.”

Yu Tang’s heart immediately tightened.

Yu Wen said even more nervously, “Alright, alright. Only the three of us in the family know—no one will speak carelessly. Please rest assured.”

Pei Yan was somewhat surprised and very satisfied with Yu Wen’s prudence. He said, “If you really can’t avoid it, remember to have someone come tell me.” He added, “I can help you resolve immediate crises but can’t resolve lifelong worries. If you can quietly dispel those people’s suspicions, that would be best.”

Yu Wen nodded repeatedly.

A’Ming ran in to report, “The eldest young master of the second branch of the Hangzhou Gu family had someone deliver an invitation, saying he wants to visit you tomorrow.”

The eldest young master of the second branch of the Gu family—Gu Chang?!

Yu Tang was stunned.