When it came time to write the contract, Yuan Shijiu held his brush, hesitating to put it to paper. He furrowed his brow in deep thought. Mudan, tense and repeatedly swallowing, feared he might spot a flaw or change his mind. Noticing a half-read book on the low table, she picked it up to fan herself, muttering, “It’s sweltering. A four hundred million coin deal, and not even a cup of tea offered.”
Yuan Shijiu glared at her irritably, snatching the book from her hands and handing it to a nearby servant. He then began writing the contract with swift, fluid strokes. Mudan, seeing him finish and press his vermilion seal, finally relaxed. She quickly affixed her seal, dried her copy, and said, “The money will be delivered by tomorrow at the latest.”
Yuan Shijiu appeared dazed, staring blankly at her with the dejected expression of someone who had just lost in love. As a fellow enthusiast who understood the pain of parting with beloved objects, Mudan empathized with Yuan Shijiu’s current state. However, she dared not show sympathy and instead called for Yuhe and Madam Feng to prepare for departure.
Suddenly, a gentle female voice said, “Please, have some tea before you go.” A young woman appeared, wearing a white short jacket with a long, bean-green six-panel skirt. Her hair was adorned with a single silver hairpin, and her face bore a few white freckles. She gratefully offered Mudan a cup of tea, then cast a worried glance at Yuan Shijiu.
Mudan, noting the woman’s fair complexion and gentle demeanor, guessed she might be Yuan Shijiu’s wife. Not daring to refuse, she accepted the tea with both hands and retreated to drink it.
Yuan Shijiu frowned upon seeing the woman and said, “Why are you out here? Go back and rest.”
The woman, undeterred, picked up Yuan Shijiu’s copy of the contract and read it through. She then smiled at Mudan and asked, “Where is your garden located, young lady?”
Mudan, fearing the woman might realize her garden was near Jiang Changyang’s, hesitated but felt compelled to answer. Nervously, she said, “It’s by the Yellow Canal, the one called Fang Garden.”
The woman replied, “If my husband and I wish to see these stones in the future, would it be possible to arrange a visit?”
Mudan responded, “Of course, but there will be a fee.”
Yuan Shijiu’s face instantly darkened. The woman chuckled and said, “That’s only fair in business. You’re willing to spend so much to buy all these stones; you must be a person of refined taste.”
Yuan Shijiu snorted disdainfully, not even bothering to look at Mudan.
Feeling overwhelmed, Mudan couldn’t bear to stay any longer. She hastily made an excuse and left. As they exited Yuan Shijiu’s gate, Yuhe stifled a laugh. Mudan tugged at her, whispering, “Hurry, let’s go.”
When they reached the spot where they had parted from Jiang Changyang earlier, he was nowhere to be found. Instead, a young boy, not yet of age to wear his hair in a topknot, approached with a flatbread in hand. He said, “Are you looking for someone, miss? The gentleman in the brown robe asked you to walk two streets further. He’s waiting for you at the corner.”
Mudan thought to herself that she wasn’t the only one who found Yuan Shijiu difficult to deal with; Jiang Changyang was wary of him too. She couldn’t help but glance back at Yuan Shijiu’s gate, where she saw the servant’s thin, dark head poking out, watching her leave like some foolish spendthrift. She pretended to glare at him irritably before turning away.
After walking two full streets without seeing Jiang Changyang or Wu, Mudan was puzzled. Suddenly, Wu emerged from a nearby alley, quickly glancing behind them several times to ensure they weren’t being followed. He then beckoned them over. Following Wu for a short distance, they came upon a small restaurant with a “Zhang’s” sign. Jiang Changyang stood at the entrance, looking out. Seeing them approach, he smiled and said, “It’s about mealtime. This place makes excellent rabbit meat and roasted pears. Let’s sit down to eat and talk.” He led Mudan and the others inside. The owner seemed familiar with him, merely nodding in greeting without getting up, allowing Jiang to guide the group to a private room in the back.
Though called a private room, it was far from elegant. The tables and chairs were all unvarnished, exposing the raw wood, but at least they were clean. While Jiang Changyang examined the contract, Mudan carefully observed his expression and said softly, “I angered him. He wanted five hundred million coins, but I bargained him down to four hundred million. He has quite a temper.”
Jiang Changyang set down the contract without commenting on the price. Instead, he asked with interest, “I’d like to know how you managed to anger him so.”
Mudan, suppressing her unease, recounted the events. Jiang Changyang laughed heartily and said, “You did hit his weak spots. He despises two types of people most: those who doubt his true abilities and pretend to understand when they don’t, and those who look down on others because of their wealth or power.”
Mudan smiled, “And I managed to embody both types perfectly.” She added quietly, “That’s why he hates me so much and set the price so high. But I figured my garden needs these fine stones anyway. Finding them elsewhere would be time-consuming and costly in terms of transportation and damage, so this price…”
Jiang Changyang interrupted her, “With this money, his problem can be solved. My friends and I will be pleased; it’s within our expected range. We’re asking for help, so we can’t set a fixed price for you. As agreed before, you’ll take these stones for one hundred million, and I’ll cover the rest.”
Mudan felt she was taking too much advantage and causing him to spend more. Feeling guilty, she insisted on paying two hundred million. Jiang Changyang was silent for a moment, then said, “If you feel uneasy, then pay one hundred and fifty million. As I told you before, these stones will be below market price. If I let you contribute both effort and money, that would be unfair of me.”
Mudan tried to argue further, but he firmly stated, “No more discussion. It’s settled. There’s plenty of time ahead; this won’t be our only dealing. Why calculate favors so precisely?”
Mudan was at a loss for words and had to agree. Soon after, the food arrived, and Jiang Changyang enthusiastically urged them to eat. After the meal, the restaurant served roasted pears. To be honest, Mudan couldn’t taste anything special about the roasted pears, but seeing Madam Feng and Yuhe praising them, and Jiang Changyang and Wu enjoying them with relish, she felt obliged to offer a few words of fake praise. However, she truly didn’t enjoy them, taking only two bites before setting it aside, saying she’d eat it later.
Jiang Changyang noticed her barely touched pear but didn’t ask if she disliked it. He quietly gave Wu some instructions, and Wu left. Seeing everyone had finished eating, Mudan arranged with Jiang Changyang to deliver the money to the He family by that evening, then took her leave.
As they left Zhang’s restaurant, Wu caught up with them, carrying a basket. He handed it to Yuhe, saying, “This is from my master, to thank Miss He for her assistance today,” then turned and left.
Yuhe opened the basket to find four or five large, fresh pears nestled inside. She exclaimed excitedly, “Miss Mudan, these are Ai family pears!”
At that time, most pears were fashionable to steam or roast, but the Ai family pears were known for their crisp, tender, and fresh taste when eaten raw, though they were rare. Mudan, who also loved these pears, smiled and said, “Let’s take them home and share them with everyone.”
The next day, after the money was successfully delivered, Da Lang hired many mule carts and organized a group of strong servants and workers. They carefully wrapped the stones in straw mats and carried them out of the Yuan family home in batches. Yuan Shijiu never appeared. Mudan guessed he probably couldn’t bear to watch, fearing it would break his heart. She thought that if she ever had to sell all her beloved peonies for some reason, she too would be unable to watch them leave.
To cut a long story short, after the stones were transported to Fang Garden and properly arranged under the guidance of the monk Fuyuan, more than ten days had passed. During this time, Yuhe went to intercept the gardener Zheng near the Liu family’s place. As she had expected, since Mudan’s departure, Liu Chang and Liu Chengcai had their minds elsewhere. Lady Qi was not only no longer carefully cultivating peonies as before but even found the word “Mudan” irritating. Consequently, gardener Zheng’s days were not pleasant. When he heard the conditions Yuhe offered, he immediately agreed.
Within two days, gardener Zheng had resigned from his position and quietly moved his family to Fang Garden, becoming Mudan’s right-hand man. Mudan, who was grafting and transplanting various peonies, was delighted by his arrival. However, she only allowed him to do simple technical work and look after the flowers and trees, not revealing key aspects to him. More often, she preferred to have Yuhe assist her, consciously teaching Yuhe some techniques rather than relying on experienced workers. Even so, gardener Zheng was of great help, allowing her to relax considerably.
On this day, having finally reached a stopping point, Mudan realized it had been nearly half a month since she’d been home. With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, she needed to return to help with the preparations. She left Yuhe to look after the garden and packed her things to return to the city.
When Madam Qin saw Mudan return, she was overjoyed. She held Mudan’s hand, asking her many questions. Seeing Mudan’s hands had become rough, she was heartbroken and wanted to tell her to stop doing such work. But seeing Mudan’s ambitious expression as she described her vision for the future, Madam Qin could only sigh and refrain from speaking her mind. Instead, she instructed Madam Xue to have the kitchen prepare nutritious meals for Mudan and urged Mudan to bathe and change clothes.
After her bath, Mudan sat in the corridor to dry her hair. She noticed Shuangshuang staring blankly nearby, without its usual clamor. She gently flicked its beak and smiled, “Little one, we haven’t seen each other in days. Did you miss me?”
Shuangshuang strutted a few steps haughtily, pretending not to see her. Ruer came over, laughing, “It’s probably angry that you were gone for so long this time. It hasn’t been willing to talk for days.”
Mudan sighed and grabbed some pumpkin seeds to feed it, letting it peck from her palm. She spoke to it softly, regardless of whether it responded. Shuangshuang ate the seeds but didn’t acknowledge her. After a long standoff between the woman and the bird, Shuangshuang finally called out softly, “Mudan!”
Mudan smiled, rubbing its head affectionately, and said, “Little one, next time I’ll bring you along.”
Madam Bai called from the corridor, “Mudan, come here. Your Aunt Li from the maternal side is here.”
Mudan hesitated, “What does she want?”
Madam Bai smiled, “I don’t know, but she insists on seeing you.”