Yu Wen returned very late, reeking of alcohol.

Yu Tang, who had been paying attention to her father’s whereabouts, heard the commotion and came out. While helping A’Tiao support Yu Wen, who could barely stand, she said: “Father, did you go buy the Li family’s land?”

Initially, she hadn’t wanted her father to buy the Li family’s land because she felt that land’s water supply couldn’t bypass the Li family and the Li family’s main branch’s irrigation channels. If the Li family cut off the water, the field would be ruined. Future entanglements with the Li family would be too deep and too troublesome.

Yu Wen chuckled with a very pleased expression, held up three fingers toward Yu Tang, and said unclearly: “It’s thirty mu, I bought thirty mu.” Then he vigorously rubbed Yu Tang’s head. “It’s all yours now, all saved for you.”

A warm current flowed through Yu Tang’s heart, but this warmth was quickly replaced by confusion.

She struggled to help her father toward the courtyard, saying: “Father, wasn’t it said that Master Wu would buy the larger portion and you the smaller? How did you suddenly buy thirty mu? Also, what about irrigation for those fifty mu? Did you discuss it clearly with the Li family before signing the deed?”

“Don’t worry!” Yu Wen pushed away A’Tiao and Yu Tang, staggering as he tried to go inside himself. “Third Master has arranged everything for me. The Li family’s main branch has also agreed. Master Wu only wanted twenty mu…”

How did this matter involve Pei Yan?

Yu Tang was dumbfounded. After a long while she came to her senses and wanted to ask her father carefully what exactly had happened. But Yu Wen had already stumbled into the inner chamber with unsteady steps, loudly calling Chen Shi’s given name, shouting “I’m drunk, why aren’t you coming to help me inside,” making Chen Shi’s face turn red as she hid in the inner chamber, unwilling to come out.

She could only press her forehead and return to her own room, thinking to block Yu Wen at the main chamber door early the next morning.

Unexpectedly, Yu Wen had already left early.

Yu Tang looked at the pale fish-belly white just appearing on the horizon and said in surprise: “This early?!”

Chen Shi’s face was full of fatigue. She smiled helplessly: “He said he had an appointment with Master Wu to go see the Li family’s land.”

So it seemed Mother already knew Father had bought thirty mu of paddy fields from Li Duan’s family.

Yu Tang said: “Did Father say anything else?”

“No.” Chen Shi said. “Last night he just took advantage of being drunk to act crazy. What could he say?” Having finished, her ears turned red.

Yu Tang didn’t notice and accompanied her mother for breakfast.

Yu Wen returned with an excited expression all over his face.

As soon as he entered, he said to Yu Tang and Chen Shi: “This is wonderful! Those thirty mu of paddy fields that can grow jade-stalked rice are now our family’s. Third Master Pei didn’t come forward himself—he had Steward Pei help. Water was channeled over from the Pei family’s irrigation ditch, and ordinarily the Pei family can help watch over it. I saw that steward from Li Duan’s household—his expression wasn’t very good.” Having finished, he deliberately rubbed his daughter’s head again and said, “I didn’t expect I could enjoy our A’Tang’s blessing this early!”

What was all this about!

Yu Tang glared at her father.

Yu Wen paid no mind and sat down next to Chen Shi with a grin. Taking advantage of Chen Pozi going to bring him porridge, he explained: “I originally didn’t know that the paddy field next to the Li family’s was actually the Pei family’s. I even made a special trip to ask Third Master Pei to help mediate. Third Master Pei just said to rest assured and buy the land, and if anything came up to find him. At first I thought he was preparing to persuade the Li family’s main branch not to make things difficult for us in the future. Who knew he would actually dig an opening in the Pei family’s irrigation channel head? This is much better than signing any contract with the Li family—if the Li family were to go back on their word in the future, would I have to take the contract to find the Li family every time? However, I also have some regrets. The two hundred mu of best paddy fields in Lin’an are in the Li family’s hands. The Pei family has fields adjacent to the Li family’s, so if the Li family wants to sell land, the Pei family might want to buy too. But things have come to this point—saying anything more wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Having finished, Yu Wen sighed and said with feeling: “The Pei family is truly magnanimous and kind.”

But Yu Tang said: “Is it because of this that Master Wu only bought twenty mu? And those twenty mu are between our family’s land and the Pei family’s.”

“How did you know?” Yu Wen asked in surprise.

The little person in Yu Tang’s heart rolled her eyes at Yu Wen several times. But as Father said, things had come to this point—saying more was useless.

Yu Wen also brought news that was vastly different from her previous life: “I heard Master Wu say that after the tenth month, the Li family might move to Hangzhou City.”

Both Yu Tang and Chen Shi were greatly startled.

People are lowly when away from home.

Ordinary people wouldn’t easily leave their hometown.

Chen Shi said urgently: “Who said this? Why would the Li family move to Hangzhou City?”

Yu Wen said: “Master Wu heard it from the Li family’s steward. That steward also said the Li family had already bought a residence in Hangzhou City and quietly transported some household items to Hangzhou City. They’re just waiting until the first of the tenth month to make ancestral offerings, then they’ll move. As for Li Duan, he’s also going to follow Master Li to the capital to study. He’s a provincial graduate, isn’t he? Next year is the metropolitan examination—it’s right for him to go to the capital early. It shouldn’t be false.”

The jinshi examination came every three years. Counting the days, it was time for the metropolitan examination.

Chen Shi nodded and discussed with Yu Wen how to cultivate the newly purchased thirty mu.

But Yu Tang’s thoughts had drifted off somewhere.

In her previous life, Li Duan had failed to take the examination twice in a row, then passed the jinshi examination on his first attempt. The Pei family’s eldest young master Pei Tong and a collateral branch member named Pei Chan also passed the jinshi examination together with Li Duan.

Three jinshi from Lin’an in one session caused a sensation throughout Suzhou and Zhejiang.

Now the situation had changed. If Li Duan took the examination early, would he still be able to pass the jinshi on his first try? If he went to the capital to study, she would certainly find it hard to encounter him in the future, much less exact revenge. Should she just watch Li Duan leave Lin’an like this?

Was Liu Xiaoshan’s death to be settled just like that?

Yu Tang was unwilling.

She felt that someone like Li Duan fundamentally didn’t deserve to be an official, fundamentally didn’t deserve to have achievements in the civil service examinations.

Previously she’d felt she still had time. Now thinking about it, everything should be arranged as early as possible.

Yu Tang’s brows were tightly locked.

In terms of the civil service examinations, not to mention her—even if her father came forward, there was no way to do anything to Li Duan.

In terms of life, the marriage between the Li and Gu families was already finished. Although the Li family was now selling land, it had nothing to do with her, and moreover the Li family was only temporarily short of money. As long as Li Yi remained an official, the Li family would quickly overcome their difficulties.

Unless the Li family stopped being officials.

The thought flashed by, and Yu Tang remembered something.

In her previous life, five years later—that is, the second year after Li Duan passed the jinshi examination and was selected as a Hanlin bachelor—Li Yi had gotten into trouble.

When he was magistrate of Rizhao, he had handled a case of a widowed sister-in-law and younger brother-in-law committing adultery. Li Yi sentenced that widowed sister-in-law to death and the younger brother-in-law to exile three thousand li away. That younger brother-in-law was weak and died halfway. As a result, five years after the incident, that widowed sister-in-law’s son grew up and beat the drum at the Court of Judicial Review to lodge a complaint. He was willing to first endure fifty heavy strikes just to accuse Li Yi, saying that originally the widowed sister-in-law hadn’t committed adultery with the younger brother-in-law at all. Rather, a master from a wealthy Li-surnamed household in Rizhao had attempted to rape the widowed sister-in-law and been beaten by the younger brother-in-law. Bearing a grudge, he instead falsely accused the widowed sister-in-law and younger brother-in-law of adultery. It was a wrongful case.

When the news spread, Li Yi’s reputation was damaged.

The Gu family came forward and turned the tide. In the end, Li Yi was lightly punished with a three-month salary deduction and that was that.

People outside all said that Li-surnamed wealthy household had vicious intentions, cursing the Li family head to die a terrible death.

But the Li family forbade discussion of this matter.

Yu Tang had inadvertently overheard Gu Xi’s dowry woman and wet nurse privately complaining that Lin Shi treated Gu Xi harshly, imitating Gu Xi’s tone to mock Li Yi for being “shallow-sighted, thinking he’s really someone’s elder after a few flattering words, not knowing right from wrong when he sees silver.”

At the time she thought that woman was just venting on Gu Xi’s behalf. But now looking back and thinking carefully, these words had significant implications.

Even Mrs. Tang was a xiucai’s wife, yet to curry favor with Magistrate Tang she eagerly tried to claim kinship with Magistrate Tang. The Li family head in Rizhao shared Li Yi’s surname—perhaps like Mrs. Tang, he had recognized Li Yi as a nominal relative. If the Li family head wanted to frame the widowed sister-in-law and younger brother-in-law, it wouldn’t work without Li Yi’s help. “Not knowing right from wrong when seeing silver”—perhaps it meant Li Yi had accepted silver from the Li family head back then.

Unfortunately, at that time she valued Lin Shi’s likes and dislikes too much. Since Lin Shi forbade others from discussing this matter, she really hadn’t inquired about anything.

Calculating the time, the case of the widowed sister-in-law and younger brother-in-law should have been judged when Li Yi was about to leave Rizhao.

That matter people in Lin’an City all spread about—how Li Yi had Li Jun bring back cart ruts that sank three fen into the earth… perhaps it really was related to this matter?

Thinking of this, Yu Tang patted her own head.

This was just wild speculation.

If Li Yi had such a large sum of silver in hand, why would he sell those fifty mu of perpetual tenant land that could produce jade-stalked rice?

Wait!

Yu Tang’s heart thumped.

If the Li family wanted to launder this silver, they could also do it through selling these fifty mu of perpetual tenant land.

Her heart beat chaotically.

In her previous life, the Li family hadn’t sold these fifty mu of perpetual tenant land.

However, when Gu Xi married in, Lin Shi went around telling others how abundant Gu Xi’s dowry was and how much benefit the Li family gained.

Had Gu Xi really brought that much dowry in back then?

Yu Tang tried hard to recall details of Gu Xi’s life.

Gu Xi had rather high standards. Her clothing and accessories were mainly plain, dignified, and appropriate. Although she added clothes and jewelry every year, she only wore them when she needed to attend social functions. Usually at home she wore half-worn clothes and a few pieces of jewelry she said she particularly liked. In outsiders’ eyes, her clothing and accessories never repeated. Each appearance was bright and beautiful, not only earning praise but causing many to imitate her. In the eyes of the Li household’s servants, Gu Xi was simple and generous, thrifty in managing the household. She never stinted on money that should be spent, but wouldn’t spend a single fen more on money that shouldn’t be spent. In Gu Xi’s words, this was principle, this was the bottom line.

Yu Tang sneered coldly.

Previously she hadn’t known and thought wealthy families lived like this.

But now looking at Old Madam Pei again—

She herself couldn’t wear bright clothes during mourning, so she spent money to dress up the younger generation in the family. Even someone like her who was just there to chat and keep her company benefited… What kind of wealthy family was Gu Xi! Clearly her finances were limited yet she wanted to put on the appearance of wealth, gilding her own face.

Thinking this way, Yu Tang made new discoveries.

In her previous life, Lin Shi had no kind words for Gu Xi, yet was very generous with money. Especially after the Li and Lin families made money from maritime trade and learned that Gu Xi had discovered Li Duan’s filthy thoughts about her, she not only often called masters from Jinlou Building to the house to make jewelry for Gu Xi, but also bought several shops in Hangzhou and the capital and registered them under Gu Xi’s name.

She had thought Lin Shi was compensating Gu Xi for her son’s sake. But thinking about it now, that might not be the case.