Seeing this, Ma Xiuniang couldn’t help smiling as she tapped Yu Tang’s forehead with her finger: “I think you already made up your mind early on. Coming here to talk with me was just to make your resolve even firmer.”

Yu Tang was slightly stunned.

Ma Xiuniang continued, “Think about it—if you truly felt this match was inappropriate, would you come find me to discuss it back and forth? You’d definitely keep silent, return home and not go out, just waiting for this storm to pass. How could you be so anxious and restless, running here to ask me?”

Yu Tang thought about it and felt Ma Xiuniang’s words made quite a bit of sense.

Perhaps deep in her heart, that’s truly what she thought.

Yu Tang laughed awkwardly twice in embarrassment, feeling as if a weight had been lifted. Only then did she realize her stomach was quite hungry.

Seeing this, Ma Xiuniang glared at her with feigned annoyance: “You haven’t had dinner yet, have you? Sit for a bit—I’ll go have the kitchen make you something good to eat.”

Yu Tang thanked her repeatedly.

While the food hadn’t yet been served, Ma Xiuniang curiously asked about her and Pei Yan: “How did you two start talking? I see Third Master Pei is quite cold. He’s not like that with you usually, is he?”

Yu Tang also wanted someone to talk about Pei Yan with, so she told Ma Xiuniang how she and Pei Yan had met, even defending him: “He just seems a bit aloof, but actually he’s very good to people. Gentle and considerate, and very intelligent too.”

Thinking of what Pei Yan had asked her on the mountain, her face couldn’t help showing some redness, her eyes and brows carrying some shyness: “I don’t know what others are like, but he first asked if I was willing before going to my family to propose. My heart felt especially happy. I felt he valued me greatly, so I didn’t want to give up.” After speaking, feeling her words were too bold, she added, “Perhaps it’s my misconception. But I don’t want to find someone who requires me to obey him in everything…”

Ma Xiuniang made several “tsk tsk” sounds, teasing Yu Tang: “Gentle and considerate—as if I’ve never seen Third Master Pei! I think you’re seeing everything through rose-colored glasses—whatever he does is good.”

Yu Tang’s face flushed with embarrassment.

After all, she was still an unmarried young lady.

Ma Xiuniang knew when to stop and didn’t tease her further. Instead, she said seriously, “As long as you know what you want. In the future, if you encounter anything to complain about, think back to what you said today, and things will surely become clear.”

Yu Tang nodded repeatedly. She had lunch at the Zhang residence, talked with Ma Xiuniang for a while longer, then returned to the Yu household with Shuang Tao.

Lady Chen was drying medicinal herbs with Aunt Chen for making Dragon Boat Festival sachets. Seeing Yu Tang suddenly return alone, she was startled. She dropped what she was doing and hurried over: “Why did you come back at this time? How did things with the mountain forest go? Where’s your brother? Did he come back with you and go to your uncle’s house first? Or did he stay at the old home?”

Only then did Yu Tang realize she’d done something wrong.

She hurriedly reassured her mother: “I had some matters, so I came back early. Brother is still at the old home accompanying Third Master Pei! The mountain forest matter is going quite smoothly—Third Master Pei plans to have our family plant some Qingzhou peaches to see if we can increase our income.”

Lady Chen became even more anxious: “What matter required you to come back alone early?”

Yu Tang thought quickly and said hastily, “It’s Third Master Pei—he plans to draw a few more designs for our shop. I thought of Young Master Zhang, so I came back early to see what plans Young Master Zhang has. Isn’t the sixth day of the sixth month coming soon? If we can make some lacquerware with new patterns, the family business will surely do better than last year.”

For carved red lacquer, sun-drying was a process that depended on heaven’s blessing. If the sun was good in summer, the lacquerware produced would be good. If the summer sun wasn’t good, it would be impossible to make good lacquerware.

Lady Chen also understood this principle.

She always trusted her daughter, and besides, what Yu Tang said made sense, so she didn’t suspect anything. She quickly welcomed her daughter inside, calling for Aunt Chen to ladle some mung bean soup for Yu Tang.

Seeing her mother no longer suspicious, Yu Tang breathed a sigh of relief, though her heart felt quite guilty.

She’d only thought of her own matters and rushed back in a hurry, forgetting to check on her elder cousin who’d been drunk the day before yesterday.

If Elder Cousin knew she’d disappeared, he’d definitely be very worried.

She could only try to make amends, quietly instructing Shuang Tao to send word to Yu Yuan. Fearing Shuang Tao wouldn’t be willing, she said, “You can take the opportunity to talk with Wang Si. See what plans he has so I can help you prepare in advance.”

Like whether they’d live in the back rooms behind the Yu family shop after marriage, or rent a house outside? How much savings did he have? What things needed to be added for the wedding?

Though Yu Tang didn’t have much money on hand, she could still afford to cover their wedding expenses.

Shuang Tao’s face reddened as she ran off in a flash.

Only then did Yu Tang feel tired and took a good nap to catch up on sleep.

Over there, Pei Yan had gotten up early that morning planning to intercept Yu Tang to have breakfast together. Who knew that when he finished getting ready and went out, Yu Tang was nowhere to be found.

His heart panicked a bit, but then he discovered Shuang Tao was also missing, which calmed him somewhat. He urgently sent Qing Yuan to find them.

Qing Yuan didn’t find the person, but saw Yu Yuan—who’d been lying in bed for a day—walking over with unsteady steps and a deathly pale face. He asked Pei Yan, “Why are you here? Where’s my sister?”

Pei Yan certainly didn’t dare say Yu Tang might have been frightened away by him. He could only help cover Yu Tang’s tracks: “Didn’t see anyone early this morning—perhaps she went for a walk. I sent someone to look.”

Yu Yuan didn’t suspect anything either and asked Pei Yan about yesterday’s mountain trip.

Pei Yan took the opportunity to bring Yu Yuan to where he was staying, had servants set out breakfast, and discussed his plans with Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan thought Pei Yan’s ideas were excellent and kept nodding, carefully asking when the Qingzhou peaches should be planted, when they’d be harvested, how they differed from other peaches in taste or appearance…

By the time they’d finished discussing yesterday’s matters and had breakfast, Qing Yuan walked in with a somewhat strange expression and said a few words in Pei Yan’s ear.

Pei Yan raised his eyebrows, barely restraining himself from laughing aloud.

This little girl—he’d always thought she was quite bold, but what happened? Hearing his marriage proposal, she actually got scared and ran away.

This was fine too.

If she’d stayed here, he’d definitely be distracted and unable to accomplish anything properly.

Letting her go back to calm down for a couple of days was good.

So Pei Yan made up an excuse for Yu Tang, saying she had matters and returned to Lin’an city, and having Yu Yuan stay here was sufficient.

Yu Yuan found it rather strange. He felt Yu Tang wasn’t the type to abandon Yu family matters to rush off for something else, but there were exceptions to everything—he couldn’t be certain. He could only suppress his confusion and agree with a smile, accompanying Pei Yan up the mountain.

The two stayed at the Yu family’s old residence for another two or three days. Having finally decided what to plant, Pei Yan left Hu Xing with Yu Yuan to continue coordinating the tree seedlings, while he himself returned to Lin’an city.

Most of those who’d come to participate in Zhaoming Temple’s Buddha Bathing Festival had already returned, but Fourth Madam Song was still staying as a guest at the Pei household, often accompanying Old Madam Pei in Buddhist worship.

When Pei Yan returned, Fourth Madam Song was recommending a niece from her natal family to Old Madam Pei: “She’s also obedient and well-behaved. I hadn’t thought of it before, but now that I recall, the more I think about it, the more suitable she seems for Xiaguang. If you also think it’s good, I’ll have her come stay with me for a few days so you can see her with your own eyes.”

As Old Master Pei’s mourning period neared its end, people coming to arrange marriages for Pei Yan were about to wear down the threshold.

In the past, Old Madam Pei had been quite certain about what kind of daughter-in-law to find for Pei Yan. But ever since her eldest son died suddenly of illness and her youngest son retired from office to return home and inherit the family business, Old Madam Pei no longer knew what kind of daughter-in-law would be better for her youngest son.

But one thing had never changed for her.

This daughter-in-law must be someone Pei Yan himself liked.

Otherwise, it would be too unfair to her youngest son.

Pei Yan came to pay his respects to Old Madam Pei just as she’d escaped Fourth Madam Song’s matchmaking attempts to see her youngest son first.

Pei Yan didn’t plan to beat around the bush with his mother. After performing his greeting, he sat in the seat below his mother’s, picked up the tea the young maids had brought and took a sip: “These past few days I helped the Yu family inspect that mountain forest. Unexpectedly, Hu Xing turned out to be quite useful. I’m thinking of having him specifically manage the inner courtyard. I’ll find one of the managers to take over his duties so he can wholeheartedly attend to your orders.”

Old Madam Pei hadn’t known that Pei Yan had spent these days working on Yu family mountain forest matters. Hearing this, she was quite surprised: “What happened with the Yu family that required you to personally intervene?”

Pei Yan’s ears felt a bit hot.

Though he’d experienced much, this was his first time with such matters, so he inevitably felt somewhat embarrassed. He coughed lightly twice before saying, “Hasn’t Miss Yu always been worried about her family’s mountain forest? So I went to help take a look.”

But was he the type to casually help people with such things?

Old Madam Pei looked at her son suspiciously.

The Song family had begged this son of hers countless times openly and secretly, yet she’d never seen him help the Song family with even one idea.

Under his mother’s scrutiny, Pei Yan felt somewhat uncomfortable and coughed lightly twice more.

In a flash of understanding, Old Madam Pei suddenly comprehended.

She was astonished beyond measure, her finger pointing at Pei Yan trembling slightly: “You, you… have you taken a fancy to Miss Yu?”

For the first time, Pei Yan felt as if he’d been stripped bare and seen through completely. But he still nodded: “I think Miss Yu is very good.”

Old Madam Pei also felt Yu Tang was quite good, but to actually become her daughter-in-law… she still felt there could be better choices. She said thoughtfully, “Have you, have you mentioned this to the Yu family?”

Pei Yan smiled: “Of course I had to tell you first! Don’t I need you to help me arrange this matter?”

Old Madam Pei looked at this son of hers—distinguished and handsome, yet rebellious and disobedient since childhood—not knowing whether to feel comforted or moved.

But Pei Yan had no intention of giving Old Madam Pei a chance to discuss this matter with him. He directly dumped the matter on Old Madam Pei, adding, “This way the household will be peaceful too. Otherwise, one after another keeps coming to arrange marriages for me, all with people who came from who knows where. If we end up entangled with some family, our household won’t even be able to maintain neutrality.”

Old Madam Pei didn’t believe her son’s reasoning. She looked at Pei Yan suspiciously: “Are you someone who’s afraid of trouble? Why do I feel you’d rather the world be in chaos?”

Pei Yan replied righteously, “Mother, you’ve misunderstood me. Who doesn’t want peaceful days? It’s just that when you can’t have what you seek, you have no choice but to engage in battle. I think Miss Yu is excellent—we know her background, her family affairs are clean, her personal matters simple. She’s perceptive, can endure hardship, and isn’t afraid to shoulder responsibilities.” Finally adding, “For families like ours, household peace and safety is most important. Look at my eldest brother, then look at my second brother.”

This left Old Madam Pei speechless for quite a while, not knowing how to respond.