Hearing this, Yu Tang’s face felt burning hot, yet her heart felt sweet as honey. Her voice was like sugar so thick it couldn’t dissolve: “Who’s going to your house to choose courtyards? I’m going home for the Dragon Boat Festival!”
Pei Yan watched her snow-white skin gradually become tinged with blush, like applying color to a sheet of plain white paper. And he was the one applying that color. In an instant, his heart stirred, as if he had drunk a cup of sorghum liquor, becoming pleasantly intoxicated.
He felt indescribably happy and couldn’t help but lean near her ear and say, “Just celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival at our house! I’ll accompany you to watch the dragon boat races.”
Why lean so close?
Yu Tang once again caught that faint sandalwood-like scent from Pei Yan’s body.
Her face grew even redder as she stammered, “That, that would require my mother’s consent!”
In other words, Yu Tang herself agreed.
Pei Yan was completely satisfied.
Yu Tang must also really like him—otherwise she wouldn’t have answered him this way.
“Don’t worry, leave this matter to me.” Like a peacock displaying its feathers, he patted his chest in assurance as if looking down upon all under heaven. “You just think about what you want to wear for the Dragon Boat Festival.” Speaking of this, he remembered something: “In a couple days, I’ll have someone from the silver shop come to make jewelry for you.”
Then what would that make her?
“I don’t want any!” Yu Tang refused Pei Yan without even thinking. “I have new jewelry and I’ve made new clothes.”
They certainly wouldn’t be as skillfully crafted as what the master craftsman he found could make.
Pei Yan still wanted to insist, but Yu Tang had already stood up and walked to the large tree nearby, fanning her face with her hand: “The weather is too hot!”
Whether it was because her face was flushed or because the sun was intense, who could say?
Regardless of the reason, Pei Yan looked at A’Ming with some displeasure, feeling that this boy still wasn’t sharp enough. Of course he was best at serving in the study, but bringing him out was rather inconvenient. Hu Xing was good, but when he was together with Yu Tang, he didn’t particularly like bringing Hu Xing along.
He needed to add another young servant.
As Pei Yan was thinking this, he saw the young servant who had been casting Yu Tang’s fishing rod produce a cattail leaf fan from somewhere and stand on the steps vigorously fanning them.
He looked at that young servant with approval, memorizing his appearance, then took the cattail leaf fan from the young servant’s hands. While fanning Yu Tang, he said, “Do you have any other places you want to go for the Dragon Boat Festival? The dragon boat races probably won’t determine a winner until around three in the afternoon. Once the racing starts, I can accompany you to walk around. There will be few people at Tiaoxi Hall that day—do you want to go rest there? When it’s time for the prize-taking, we can go watch who will win. That won’t be too late.”
Tiaoxi Hall was a waterside pavilion donated by the Pei family, located on the banks of the Tiaoxi River, occupying more than ten mu of land. Built in imitation of Hangzhou’s academies, it was the favorite gathering place for local Lin’an scholars. Every first and fifteenth of the lunar month, many people played there.
When Yu Tang was small, she often went there to play with Yu Wen. After her seventh birthday, she never went again.
The spacious and open hall of Tiaoxi Hall, the tall and dense forests, the babbling streams—all left deep impressions on her.
Yu Tang was somewhat moved.
Pei Yan encouraged her: “Everyone likes to play in Tiaoxi Hall’s open hall. Actually, behind Tiaoxi Hall there’s a villa. Not only are the flowers and trees lush there, but there’s also a library pavilion. Next to the library pavilion is a cool pavilion. Before I entered official service, when I occasionally had friends visiting from Hangzhou, I would take them there to stroll around. We can also roast meat there to eat. We can have our midday meal there. What do you think?”
Yu Tang was quite eager.
Pei Yan made the decision: “Then it’s settled. When the time comes, I’ll send Qing Yuan to accompany you there.”
He also needed to think of a way to clear the area, lest anyone see them and it be bad for Yu Tang’s reputation.
He could leave this matter to Hu Xing to handle.
But on that Dragon Boat Festival day, his mother’s side would also need people to serve her.
He could send a steward then.
Then Pei Yan suddenly discovered that Yu Tang had very few people available to her.
But since his mother had agreed to help Yu Tang become familiar with Pei residence affairs early, she certainly wouldn’t overlook such small matters.
His mind raced, and he unconsciously began testing what Yu Tang liked.
Yu Tang had no guard against Pei Yan, and she truly enjoyed chatting with him. Before they knew it, they had talked about many things, completely forgetting about fishing.
At Ku’an Temple, Old Lady Pei, who was planning to stay for the evening meal before returning to the villa, heard that Pei Yan had taken Yu Tang fishing. Her mouth hung open for quite a while before she could close it. She asked Nanny Chen, “I didn’t mishear, did I? With his temperament, he actually knows to take Yu Shi fishing?”
“It’s true!” Nanny Chen’s eyes and brows were full of joy. “Not only did they go fishing, but the two of them had endless things to talk about. They just stood on the steps by the pavilion—the sun was shining on their faces and they didn’t even move.”
Old Lady Pei laughed heartily, remembering when Pei Yan was small. She and Old Master Pei had taken this child to Zhaoming Temple to eat vegetarian food. When she and Old Master talked for a bit too long, he was full of impatience, clamoring that next time they went out they shouldn’t bring him. She hadn’t expected that these past few days, it would be his turn to talk endlessly with his future wife.
Her youngest son had truly grown up.
Old Lady Pei asked Nanny Chen, “Where are they having their evening meal?”
Nanny Chen smiled and said, “They’ll probably have their evening meal at Miss Yu’s place. The person who came back to report said that the kitchen women at Third Master’s place are all gathered together playing mahjong, while the kitchen women at Miss Yu’s place have already started making pastries.”
Old Lady Pei, seeing that her youngest son’s evening meal was taken care of, stopped worrying. Supporting herself on Nanny Chen’s hand, she stood up and said, “Come, let’s go look at Ku’an Temple’s kitchen. Their abbess boasted that their temple’s dried preserved vegetable baked cakes are the most fragrant—the ones sold outside can’t compare. Let’s go taste them, and we can bring some back for Third Master and the others.”
Nanny Chen smiled and responded “Yes,” supporting Old Lady Pei as they went to Ku’an Temple’s kitchen.
On Yu Tang’s side, however, she was troubled.
They… had only caught two fish.
One was the foot-long black carp she had caught at the beginning, and the other was a chopstick-length crucian carp that Pei Yan had “caught.”
And Pei Yan was still in his mourning period!
Yu Tang discussed with him: “How about we forget it for today? We can come fishing another day—these two fish, they’re not good for frying or making soup.”
If one truly wanted to cook, any kind of fish would do.
Pei Yan saw through Yu Tang’s feelings. He smiled slightly and had the young servants release both fish, even saying, “Consider it an act of merit!”
Yu Tang breathed a sigh of relief.
Pei Yan smiled faintly.
He had never planned to bring them back. The so-called “eating fish” was just to make Yu Tang think he wanted her to carry the fish basket, teasing her.
But that she could keep his affairs in mind at all times made him even happier, so he said, “You don’t need to worry about me. Our family isn’t that rigid. Three years of vegetarian diet—we in the prime of life can manage it, but the elderly and children cannot. Usually we also eat egg custards and such. You haven’t officially come to our family yet, so eat whatever you want. Don’t worry about me.”
But given Pei Yan’s personality, when Old Master Pei passed away he couldn’t even stand bright flowers. During the mourning period, he would certainly strictly require himself to observe all the mourning rituals, right?
Yu Tang nodded but didn’t become indulgent. Instead, while Pei Yan went back to his room to change clothes, she went to the kitchen and arranged for a vegetarian meal.
When Pei Yan ate, he said nothing, but after the meal, he sent someone to deliver a Hetian jade handle piece to her.
Made of pure white and delicate seed jade the size of a goose egg, only at the hanging loop did it utilize the yellow skin material to carve an exquisitely lifelike reclining fawn. It was extremely rare, and Yu Tang liked it very much.
When Old Lady Pei heard about this, she also sighed and said to Nanny Chen, “There are reasons why he likes Yu Shi. Look how thoughtful she is. And she can laugh and chat in front of him—how could he not be moved?”
Nanny Chen was afraid Old Lady Pei would develop some dissatisfaction toward Yu Tang. Those who served them closely would find it difficult to choose sides, creating many unnecessary troubles. Hearing this, she quickly said, “This is also Miss Yu’s good fortune—she and Third Master are compatible!”
Old Lady Pei said nothing more. After washing up, she retired for the night.
As for Yu Tang, having newly acquired that handle piece, she lay in bed playing with it for quite a while before sleeping.
The next day when she woke, she was thinking about what to give Pei Yan to express her thanks when Third Miss, Fourth Miss, and Fifth Miss came together, saying they wanted to go with her to pay respects to Old Lady Pei.
Yu Tang, thinking of Miss Yang’s purpose for going to Ku’an Temple yesterday, knew they hadn’t come to find her merely to pay respects to Old Lady Pei. She couldn’t help but smile for quite a while before saying, “You want to tell me about Miss Yang and Young Master Yan, right?”
“That’s right, that’s right!” Fourth Miss was the liveliest and the first to jump out. She winked at Yu Tang and said, “Sister Yu, guess what happened yesterday?”
Generally with this kind of marriage arrangement, if the other party’s appearance had no obvious defects, both sides would agree.
Fourth Miss asking this way left Yu Tang somewhat confused.
She said curiously, “What happened?”
The three Pei family young ladies exchanged glances and said to Yu Tang in unison, “Sister Yu, you must guess first. If you can’t guess, then we’ll tell you.”
Yu Tang was playing along with the children. Without really thinking, she randomly suggested several reasons, all of which were predictably denied by the three Pei young ladies. Finally, it was Third Miss who couldn’t hold back and said to Yu Tang, “This marriage match definitely won’t work out.”
“Then quickly tell me what happened?” Yu Tang put on a surprised expression, urging them to speak quickly.
Third Miss sighed and said, “Young Master Yan’s appearance—he’s too ugly.”
As long as there wasn’t anything else wrong, that was fine.
Yu Tang breathed a sigh of relief.
Who knew she had relaxed too soon? Fifth Miss added from the side, “And the one who came to accompany Young Master Yan for the viewing was Young Master Yan’s cousin. Who knows what kind of thoughts Young Master Yan had—this cousin he brought was as handsome as Pan An. When Miss Yang saw him, her face immediately darkened. She said the Yan family must have done it on purpose, wanting her to break off the engagement.”
Third Miss said, “Second Sister didn’t return to her room all last night—she was comforting Miss Yang. Miss Yang is in a difficult position now. If she doesn’t break off the engagement, the Yan family, or rather Young Master Yan, clearly doesn’t want to marry into an alliance with the Yang family. But if she does break it off, she would be falling right into Young Master Yan’s scheme, and Miss Yang is unwilling to accept that.”
“Miss Yang is in a dilemma.” Fourth Miss said indignantly, “The Yan family’s behavior in this matter was too improper. If they’re unwilling, they shouldn’t have sought the marriage in the first place. Since they did seek it, how could they do such a thing!”