Yu Tang found this very strange.
She and Pei Yan had just parted ways—how could he suddenly appear at the back door of their family shop? Could there be some urgent matter for which he needed to find her?
Yu Tang was just about to step forward and ask when Zhao Zhen, who was driving the carriage, had already recognized her. He quickly turned to lift the carriage curtain and spoke a few words to the person inside. Pei Yan then lifted the curtain and jumped down from the carriage.
“Why have you come here?” Yu Tang asked.
Pei Yan had already changed into different clothes—a blue Hangzhou silk straight robe with a white jade hairpin, looking as refined and handsome as an ink wash painting.
Yu Tang blinked her eyes.
She felt that the reason she could tolerate Pei Yan so much was partly because she had received many favors from him, and partly because Pei Yan was truly handsome.
Among all the people she knew, no one was more handsome than Pei Yan.
Seeing her, Pei Yan seemed somewhat surprised. Upon hearing her question, he looked around for a moment, then instead of answering, asked in return, “This is the back door of your family’s shop?”
Yu Tang nodded.
Pei Yan then pointed to a decorative moon gate not far away and said, “The side door of the Pei Family Silver Shop.”
To think such a coincidence existed!
Yu Tang clicked her tongue twice inwardly and said, “I didn’t expect to encounter Third Master here. Since you’re busy, I’ll head back first.”
However, after thinking for a moment, Pei Yan said, “Since we’ve run into each other, I might as well go into the shop and take a look.” With that, he lifted his feet and headed toward the shop. As he walked, he continued, “Is the young master in the shop? That box I brought over for holding ink sticks came from the most famous scholar’s items shop in the capital, but I haven’t been to look at it myself, so I don’t know whether they regularly stock such items or only have them occasionally. I think we should send someone to inquire. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles without danger!”
However, Yu Tang was curious about why he would suddenly run to the Pei family’s silver shop and still have time to visit their family’s shop.
She couldn’t help but ask, “Is there nothing happening at the silver shop?”
“What could possibly be happening!” Pei Yan answered nonchalantly. “I’m planning to have Manager Tong take charge of all our family’s silver shops as well. The shop in Beijing took on military salary business, which I don’t think is quite appropriate. It’s still more reassuring to use the old people from home.”
Wasn’t taking on military salary business a good thing?
Yu Tang’s mind raced quickly.
Was it because the Pei family no longer had anyone serving as officials in the court, so taking on such business would obstruct others from making money?
She trusted Pei Yan’s judgment very much and nodded repeatedly, saying, “If Manager Tong takes the helm, it will certainly be reassuring. However, Manager Tong is not young anymore, and your Pei family should have quite a few silver shops, right? Will the old gentleman be able to manage them all?”
Pei Yan said, “I’m having Chen Qi work together with him. He’s an old hand from the family, so it’s better for him to handle certain matters. As for things like accounts that require energy, there’s Chen Qi.”
This arrangement was quite good too.
Yu Tang thought to herself as she followed Pei Yan into the shop.
Xia Pinggui and Yu Yuan were standing under the old locust tree in the shop’s courtyard, holding Pei Yan’s ink stick box and talking. Hearing the commotion, they looked up and immediately came forward.
“Third Master, how did you come here, sir?” Xia Pinggui said respectfully.
Pei Yan waved his hand very casually and said, “How is your research coming along?”
Xia Pinggui hurriedly said, “The young master and I were just looking it over again and again, and we feel that the things we carve still lack sufficient distinction in layers, which is why the lines appear unclear to people…” His eyes gleaming, he spoke eloquently about his feelings and discoveries, looking at Pei Yan as if regarding a teacher—no, with even more respect than he looked at her eldest uncle, conveying an anxiety to gain Pei Yan’s approval.
Yu Tang felt a toothache coming on.
How was it that one after another, everyone would lose their usual composure in front of Pei Yan?
After listening to Xia Pinggui’s words, however, Pei Yan was very appreciative of him and said quite directly to Yu Yuan, “Although his carving skills are ordinary, his eye is quite good. Just do as he says. It should indeed be for the reason he mentioned—the things your family carves don’t have very clear layering.”
Yu Yuan nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, afraid of missing even a single word from Pei Yan.
Fortunately, Pei Yan didn’t stay long at the Yu family shop before preparing to leave. Yu Yuan and Yu Tang saw him off, still leaving through the back door.
Zhao Zhen brought out the footstool.
Pei Yan had already placed one foot on the footstool when he suddenly turned back to Yu Tang and said, “How is that merit box your family is making coming along? My mother will move into Zhaoming Temple on the fourth day of the fourth month. Will your mother also attend the sutra lecture meeting then? Why don’t you and your mother move into Zhaoming Temple early together? On the eighth day of the fourth month, there will certainly be many people—whether one can even go up the mountain will be a question. If you go late, I’m afraid there won’t even be a place to rest.”
He had already received word that the Gu family would arrive two days early. He needed to tuck Yu Tang in with his mother to prevent her from targeting Gu Xi and doing something that would require him to clean up the mess—he would be very busy those days and didn’t want to be distracted by this little girl!
Yu Tang thought about how in her previous life, when Zhaoming Temple held dharma assemblies, all the wealthy families of Lin’an had to reserve rooms in advance, or else, just as Pei Yan said, there truly wouldn’t even be a place to stand.
The Pei family was the most prominent family in Lin’an. Following their womenfolk, she would certainly be able to reserve a good place.
Her mother’s health wasn’t good. If she could benefit from the Pei family’s fortune and reserve a quiet place, then her mother wouldn’t have to work so hard.
“Wonderful!” Yu Tang immediately agreed. “I’ll thank Third Master in advance here. I’ll go to the manor tomorrow to kowtow to the Old Madam in gratitude.”
The little girl was quite sensible after all.
Pei Yan nodded with satisfaction.
He felt that although this little girl was sometimes quite mischievous and worrisome, she also had obedient moments.
Pei Yan set off to return to the manor.
Yu Tang also returned to Green Bamboo Lane.
She discussed attending the Buddha Bathing Festival with her mother.
Due to her health, Chen Shi hadn’t visited crowded incense assemblies or lantern markets for many years. Naturally, she was overjoyed to hear this and said, “Your sister-in-law is still in confinement, so your eldest aunt will definitely stay home to look after her. Most likely, only our household will be going. When you go to thank the Old Madam tomorrow, remember to bring more soybean cakes. Didn’t you say last time that the Old Madam kept the soybean cakes in her room but gave some of the other pastries to others? I figure the Old Madam must like eating soybean cakes.”
Yu Tang paid this no mind, letting her mother arrange everything. Instead, she returned to her room to fiddle with her clothes and accessories.
In public settings, Gu Xi usually dressed elegantly and gracefully—she couldn’t lose to Gu Xi.
She stayed busy until the hour of Hai in the evening before finally selecting the clothes and accessories to take to Zhaoming Temple. The next morning when she got up to go to the Pei manor, she yawned several times.
It was during Pei Yan’s morning greeting that Old Madam Pei learned the Yu family womenfolk would accompany her to Zhaoming Temple. She deliberately said with seeming deliberation, “Will it be inconvenient? Our family has many people and will occupy most of a courtyard when we move in. Second Daughter’s in-laws also said they want to go to the temple with us.”
Pei Yan hadn’t thought much about it at all and said, “Are you talking about the Yang family? Aren’t his parents and younger siblings all at his father’s post? How many womenfolk could come? The Yu family has even fewer people. I figure at most it would be the mother and daughter plus two servants—we can easily squeeze out a room. If that doesn’t work, have the Song family make room! If not for your sake, I wouldn’t even let them through the family gate. They should know their limits!”
Having spoken to this point, what more could Old Madam Pei say?
She smiled and agreed cheerfully, thinking about whether to arrange the Song family people in the small courtyard on the east side, which was adjacent to the Great Buddha Hall. When the masters of Zhaoming Temple performed dharma services there, not only would they chant sutras before dawn, but they would also frequently hold water and land dharma assemblies…
As for the Yu family, if as her son said, only Yu Tang and her mother were coming, they could just stay with their family’s womenfolk.
Having made up her mind, when Yu Tang arrived, everyone spoke very happily.
Not only did they agree to stay together, but according to Old Madam Pei’s intention, they would also travel to Zhaoming Temple together with the Pei family’s mule carts.
After Yu Tang returned and told Chen Shi, Chen Shi told Yu Wen, who thought for a moment and said, “Why don’t we also buy a mule? It can pull the cart for you when you go out.”
Lin’an was mountainous—without going on long journeys, there was no use for a mule cart at all.
Chen Shi disagreed: “Why compete with others? Keeping a mule that eats better than people, and having to specially hire a servant to look after it. With that money, we might as well save more dowry for our A’Tang.”
Yu Wen chuckled and had to give up.
Chen Shi began selecting jewelry.
Soon it was the fourth day of the fourth month.
Yu Tang and Chen Shi rose at the hour of Yin. Chen Shi recounted the pastries to be given to the Pei family womenfolk once more and gave detailed instructions to Chen Pozi and Shuang Tao before heading to the Pei manor with Yu Tang, her heart full of trepidation.
Old Madam Pei had already gotten out of bed. Hearing that Chen Shi had arrived, she had them brought over and asked if they had eaten breakfast yet.
Chen Shi immediately stood up to speak, her expression somewhat at a loss.
Old Madam Pei smiled kindly, feeling that Chen Shi being this way was actually quite good—at least she wasn’t presumptuous and didn’t actively stir up trouble.
“The Yang family womenfolk came yesterday. It’s a cousin staying with the Yang family, who brought two maids and two older servants.” She said with a smile, “Once they come over, we can set out.”
Chen Shi smiled and responded affirmatively.
Yu Tang didn’t know the Yang family had a cousin staying with them.
After everyone boarded the mule carts, Fifth Miss, who insisted on squeezing into the same cart as Yu Tang, told her, “She’s a relative from Young Master Yang’s stepmother’s side, surnamed Xu, a year older than Sister Yu. This is also our first time meeting her. However, Sister Xu is quite amusing. As soon as she arrived, she gave Second Sister a mutton-fat jade pendant—it was so beautiful.”
Yu Tang smiled, but inwardly thought about the Miss Xu she had just met.
Of medium build, wearing a purple-green kesi vest, with ruby earrings the size of lotus seeds, exuding wealth throughout. When rewarding servants, she casually gave out two taels of silver ingots, very generous indeed. With an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and large almond eyes that sparkled, she clearly appeared to be a lively and clever person.
She wondered whether, once at the temple, she would behave properly and not cause trouble.
The large group arrived at Zhaoming Temple before the midday meal.
As it turned out, they encountered the Song family’s carriages at the temple gate.
Compared to the Pei family’s convoy, they had even more people.
An old servant accompanying the carriage came on behalf of their Grand Madam to pay respects to Old Madam Pei, saying that it was inconvenient outside, and once they were in the temple, she would come personally to kowtow to Old Madam Pei.