The mention of mushrooms reminded Hua Zhi of something. “What is the situation at the estate? The mushrooms must be coming in quite plentifully by now.”

Nian Qiu covered her mouth with a light laugh. “I thought you had forgotten! The daily yield has been very high. Besides supplying the food pavilion, Steward Chen dispatches people to carry away all the remaining stock. From what he has said, stewards from various households who wish to purchase have a set place to collect — and each day there is never any surplus left over.”

Steward Chen — that must be Chen Qing. It seemed she needed to make time to visit the estate. If the moment was right, this business needed to be expanded properly. She made a mental note of it, then rose to her feet. “Let us go to the food pavilion. I want to look over the ledgers.”

“Yes.”

They had their midday meal at the food pavilion. Fudong brought out every skill she had to prepare a table full of dishes — not large in portion but many in variety — and even the rice itself was made with flair, fragrant and soft and glutinous, perfectly to Hua Zhi’s taste.

“Right, Yingchun — select the finest mushrooms and send some to the families we are close to. And that mushroom oil Fudong prepares — send a bottle to each household as well. Do not forget Madam Sun’s family. With Xiao Liu not in the capital at the moment, she has nothing to hold onto as a reminder of him. Whatever we have to eat, make a habit of sending her a share. You need not ask my permission for that again — just arrange it yourself and do it with care.”

“Yes.”

After a moment’s thought, Hua Zhi looked toward Fudong. “Fill two jars of that mushroom oil for me — I have someone to give them to.”

Fudong acknowledged this and went off immediately to see to it.

Occasional voices drifted in from outside, but there was no clamor, none of the boisterous high-spirited talk that ruins an atmosphere, none of the embarrassing behavior that comes with too much drink. The measured propriety of the noble houses was on full display here, and once a tone of prestige had been established, whoever came along to shatter it would simply be the unwelcome one — the food pavilion need not do a thing, and that person would be driven away by the other patrons themselves, too embarrassed ever to return.

On the whole, the food pavilion’s development had gone exactly as she had anticipated.

Hua Zhi lowered her head and drank her tea. When she put it all together — a lower-end offering in those two streets of small food stalls, a middle-tier position with the seafood venture, a high-end presence with the food pavilion, and then the mushroom and preserved goods businesses in hand, with a share of soap profits flowing in as well — added up, she had begun to build something of a modest commercial standing.

“Young miss, Steward Chen has come.”

“Have him go to the back lane.” Hua Zhi rose. “None of you need to follow me — each go about your own tasks.”

“Young miss!” Yingchun was alarmed. This would not do at all — how could their young miss go off alone with a man? If anyone were to see them, there was no telling what rumors would spread.

Hua Zhi flicked her on the forehead. “This is not an ordinary matter — it is better if only I go. Do not worry.”

“But—”

“No buts. If you have nothing to do, go prepare a room — there will be a child coming to stay at the house.”

“…” Yingchun had no idea what more she could say. Their young miss drew children to her in such an extraordinary way — how many was that now!

In the back lane waited an unremarkable carriage, driven by Chen Qing. When he saw Hua Zhi come out, he bowed respectfully at once. “First young miss.”

“Steward Chen.” Hua Zhi inclined slightly in return, a partial bow. The steward at the Shizi’s side was no ordinary man — if he showed her respect, she could not treat him as nothing.

Chen Qing would not dare accept such courtesy, and made a smooth step aside as though it were of no consequence, lifting the carriage curtain. “First young miss, please.”

She had barely set her foot on the step when a pair of hands reached out from within the carriage. Without even looking, she knew whose they were. She laughed before she spoke. “Truly, not the slightest bit surprising.”

Gu Yanxi laughed as well, drawing her inside the carriage and lowering the curtain. He took the jar she was carrying and asked, “What is this?”

“Mushroom oil — made from shiitake. Older people tend to have mild palates, and the Empress Dowager would likely enjoy this kind of plain, fragrant oil. Bring it when you next enter the palace. If she takes a liking to it, she can simply ask Fudong for more in the future — it is nothing precious.”

Gu Yanxi looked at her with a warmth in his eyes that lingered a long while before he finally gave a quiet sound of acknowledgment, then changed the subject. “I heard you went to look at the shopfront this morning. How was it? Satisfactory?”

“Yingchun and the others know my standards well. I am quite satisfied.”

“Only your maids would manage to hold on to so much authority — running a business entirely on their own judgment.” He had known that A’zhi was looking for a shopfront, but nothing suitable had been on hand at his end, and then he had followed along north, only to return and hear from his people that Yingchun had spent several thousand taels of silver to purchase a shopfront herself. Given the time between A’zhi locating the premises and the purchase being finalized, it clearly had not been decided while A’zhi was present — which meant it was entirely Yingchun’s own decision-making at work. He was not sure whether to say that Hua Zhi was daring or that Yingchun was daring.

Still, those maids of hers did have quite the nerve. Even the one who seemed the softest, Fudong, had managed to shoulder quite a lot by now.

Hua Zhi looked rather pleased with herself. “In all these years, I have only managed to train out a few people like them. Of course they need to be capable.”

“And you are not worried they might turn against you?”

“Would turning against me be better than staying with me?”

Certainly not. Gu Yanxi shook his head with a smile. No master could compare to Hua Zhi for giving her full trust — and those with a bond of indenture had their contracts in A’zhi’s hands; if they tried to take the money and run, they would be caught and it would mean their end. The choice was obvious to anyone.

Watching the face full of that little self-satisfied air, Gu Yanxi could not resist pinching her nose. This woman — her trust was never given freely. Whether it was those maids of hers or him, once she gave it, it was complete, without a shadow of doubt.

Hua Zhi let him pinch away, even swaying a little along with it, her eyes bright with laughter. With capable maids, and all her ventures fully prepared with only the final piece still waiting, she need only sit back and watch the money come rolling in. Her mood truly could not have been better.

The two of them sat looking at each other and laughing, looking rather silly about it — yet neither could conceal how much they were enjoying themselves.

The carriage came to a stop. Chen Qing did not dare come forward to lift the curtain — he simply gave a knock on the carriage panel.

Gu Yanxi stepped out first, then reached a hand back for Hua Zhi. As she descended, he simply gathered her into his arms and lifted her down. Chen Qing dared not look up, yet he could not quite stop himself from sneaking a glance from the corner of his eye — and that one glance was enough to turn his face red, while the two in question looked entirely unconcerned.

The carriage had stopped in what appeared to be a back lane. Hua Zhi looked toward Yanxi.

He gestured for Chen Qing to lead the way ahead, then said quietly, “We should keep out of sight for now. Today we are just here to listen.”

Hua Zhi understood at once. Yanxi had no intention of meeting Haoyue face to face. She knew that Chen Qing had been impersonating Yanxi to get close to Haoyue — and it seemed this identity would continue to be used.

Chen Qing brought them both to a room. Once the tea was seen to, he received the Shizi’s signal and bowed his way out.

Hua Zhi looked around the room — there was nothing about it that stood out. She studied it for a good while and could not figure out what it was for. Gu Yanxi deliberately waited until she turned to look at him, then unhurriedly walked to the cabinet on the right and split it in two from the center, revealing what lay concealed within.

With the cabinet out of the way, one could see that the two walls had been opened through, leaving a doorway-sized opening covered only by some material whose nature she could not quite make out.

She was just about to step forward and touch it when a hand closed around hers. Gu Yanxi brought a finger to his lips, then moved to the center of the room and shifted the table and chairs into position, gesturing for A’zhi to sit. He sat down as well.

Hua Zhi suppressed a laugh. The only thing missing here, she thought, was melon seeds — the essential accompaniment to watching a show.