Xie Baozhu had assumed that after the matter of the fourteenth girl, her dealings with Beirong Marquis Li Weifeng would be at an end. She had never expected that Li Weifeng would simply stride into her home with such brazen ease.

“I’d like to borrow a stove,” Li Weifeng said. “I was out hunting nearby — didn’t catch much, just a few wild pheasants. I was thinking of finding a village to borrow a stove and braise them, and then — what do you know, I spotted Old Qiu! I asked where he was headed, and Old Qiu said he was coming to see you all. It was only then that I remembered — we can’t be far from Xie’s Village! What a coincidence! So no need to go anywhere else — I came straight to find you.”

When a person describes something with an excess of unnecessary and trivial detail, there is no need to wonder: he has a guilty conscience.

Qiu Baba’s face remained expressionless.

His cart was practically at the gates of Xie’s Village when his current employer suddenly came bounding out of the trees as though he had been lying in ambush there for some time, and had the audacity to say, Oh, Old Qiu, what a coincidence.

Xie Baozhu gave no sign of her thoughts and began tidying the books on the stone table. “Eighth Uncle, please entertain the Marquis on my behalf. I’ll go to the back — I wouldn’t want to disturb him.”

“Hey, hey!” Li Weifeng stepped forward hastily. But he couldn’t think of what to say — he could hardly declare, Don’t go, I just want to talk with you, mostly because I want to hear your voice, it’s extraordinarily, extraordinarily beautiful.

Watching her tidy her books, he could only grasp at anything to make conversation: “Why are you wearing that thing in your own home?” He pointed at Xie Baozhu’s bamboo hat.

Xie Baozhu replied, “It’s stuffy inside, so it’s more comfortable to be out here. But I don’t tolerate the sun well, so I have to wear something whenever I’m outdoors.”

Li Weifeng pressed on, “It must be nice not having to cover your face at home.” Such a beautiful face!

Xie Baozhu said, “Brother Zheng said that here in the village, he could guarantee my safety and that no one would be forward with me. So I’ve stopped wearing it.”

“…” Li Weifeng asked, “Who is this Brother Zheng?”

Xie Baozhu replied, “He’s the garrison officer stationed in the village — Officer Zheng.”

Li Weifeng: … That was like a wolf guarding the henhouse! Even if he hadn’t stolen anything yet, there was absolutely a thieving intent in that heart of his!

Li Weifeng could find absolutely nothing else to say to Xie Baozhu. Seeing that she was about to take her books to the back courtyard, he reached over in a moment of desperation and plucked one from her arms. “Hey, what are you reading?”

Xie Baozhu had her hands full of books and was powerless to stop him. She could only watch helplessly as, still speaking, he flipped open the volume.

Qiu Baba covered his face with his hand.

“Oh, this seal of yours is nicely carved,” Li Weifeng said admiringly. “It looks a lot like the one at my estate. The one at my place uses ancient script — is this ancient script too? Hey, I recognize these two characters: Beizh? Rong? And I recognize this one too — it means manor. I don’t recognize the last one.”

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Li Weifeng lit up with delight: “What a coincidence! The books at your place have the same seal as the Beirong Manor, and my estate is called Beirong Marquis’s Estate…”

As he spoke, his voice trailed off. Something had finally started to feel wrong.

Even his personal guards covered their faces.

Every lantern, every furnishing, every carriage in the estate bore the mark of “Beirong Marquis’s Estate,” while the books in the study were all stamped with the seal reading “Beirong Manor Collection.”

Steward Qiu had carved quite a few leisure seals and left them in the study — though in truth it was mostly Steward Qiu himself who took pleasure in handling them. The Marquis had praised them warmly, feeling that these objects, arranged around the study in varying sizes, made the room look pleasingly scholarly, as though someone actually read books there.

When he would gather everyone in the study to lecture on military formations, he would even tip those seals out of their boxes and arrange them on the maps to represent “our forces” and “enemy forces.”

A versatile use for them, indeed.

To take something without asking is theft — and even though they were to be returned, they had nonetheless been taken without the true owner’s permission.

Not that Xie Baozhu particularly minded the cost of the books. A person who had the foresight to stockpile provisions in a private estate in advance would certainly have thought to stash money in other places for emergencies. Her silver and valuables had been distributed across several inconspicuous residences throughout Yunjing, and she had retrieved only a small amount to keep on hand for daily expenses. Xie Baozhu had money — she simply chose not to display her wealth.

That was precisely why Prince Shou had lamented that even with money, one could not buy the pastries at Chen’s Shop — because she genuinely had money.

But even so, the conduct itself was improper. Even Xie Baozhu felt her face grow a little warm.

“Those are indeed your family’s books,” she said, with a slight discomfort. “Eighth Uncle occasionally borrows a few for me to read. Once I finish, I return them. I have never damaged any. If any have been, I will compensate you at full value.”

“Compensate? What do you need to compensate for — why stand on ceremony with me!” The rightful owner of the purloined goods, Beirong Marquis, broke into a beaming smile. “So you like to read! Old Qiu, next time you come, bring more books — don’t be stingy!”

Qiu Baba covered his face and sighed.

The “next time” came soon enough. When Qiu Baba arrived, his expression was blank, and eight personal guards followed behind him — the boxes were too heavy, requiring two guards per box to carry — and in total, four enormous crates of books were delivered.

Prince Shou asked, “Why hasn’t that fellow come?”

Qiu Baba replied, “He hasn’t returned to the estate in too long. His wife at home has caused a scene, and his father-in-law came to invite him to dinner. He couldn’t get away.”

Prince Shou let out a scoff.

Prince Shou and Qiu Baba also shared a meal together.

“What a fool. Who does it that way?” Prince Shou said. “He should bring only one book at a time and arrange a day to come pick it up. When he comes to pick it up, he brings the next one. And tucked inside the book, a dried flower — or a single leaf — paired with a verse of poetry.”

Qiu Baba said, “Yes, isn’t that exactly how you won our Princess back in the day?”

At the mention of the Princess, who had perished in the upheaval of war, Prince Shou’s tears fell again. “It was all my fault — I shouldn’t have let her return to Yunjing just because I felt bad leaving her alone.”

“That’s all in the past now, all in the past.” Qiu Baba comforted him, “Focus on what’s in front of us. I worry so much I can’t sleep — that employer of mine… Ai, why are you not at all worried?”

“What is there to be worried about?” Prince Shou wiped his tears and gnawed at a chicken leg. “I’ve lost everything. All I have left is Da Hu and this life of mine. If he dares bully Da Hu, I’ll just put my life on the line against him.”

A few days later, Li Weifeng came again, and he brought news for Xie Baozhu. “That old Officer Zheng — he’s been transferred, I hear. The new one coming is named Niu, and he used to be under my command. Very reliable. If you ever need anything, just find him — I’ve already had a word with him.”

No wonder Officer Zheng had suddenly vanished, and the newly arrived Officer Niu was so especially attentive and considerate toward her household.

Xie Baozhu’s brow furrowed.

“Hey, you’re going so slowly with that. Let me help.” Li Weifeng said, rising from where he had been crouching at the edge of the field — he had been squatting down to talk to Xie Baozhu — and reached out for her hoe.

Xie Baozhu stepped aside: “No need. The household doesn’t depend on this crop for food. I do this for enjoyment. It’s merely the pleasure of the rural life.”

“I knew it,” Li Weifeng laughed heartily. “If you farmed like that, the whole family would be living on nothing but air and bitterness.”

The sunlight was fine, the air was fresh, and the beauty before him moved with graceful ease.

Li Weifeng felt a sense of ease and contentment he couldn’t quite put into words. It had been a very long time since he’d felt this way. Since entering Yunjing, there had always been so many endless worries to manage and pointless affairs to wade through.

Just as he was enjoying himself, Qiu Baba came to call him: “Marquis, the rabbit stew is ready.”

Li Weifeng’s excuse for visiting never changed across all these years — borrowing the stove.

Li Weifeng thus called out to Xie Baozhu, “Come eat!”

Before Xie Baozhu could say a word, Qiu Baba spoke: “Madam’s stomach is delicate. She must eat little and often — she takes five meals a day, and it’s not yet time for her next one.”

“I’ve just eaten,” Xie Baozhu said politely. “Please go ahead, Marquis.”

Qiu Baba also said with perfect courtesy, “Please go ahead, Marquis.”

Li Weifeng felt, for the first time, that his steward truly had no sense of occasion. He went off in low spirits.

Er’zhu crouched on the field’s edge and laughed in delight.

“Madam, he’s really something,” she said, standing up and brushing the dirt from her skirt. “Madam, he likes you, doesn’t he? Do you think he’ll come to propose?”

Xie Baozhu smiled faintly, leaning on her hoe and wiping off her sweat, and told Er’zhu, “His new wife is the granddaughter of the Prime Minister. And he has a daughter as well.”

Er’zhu’s mouth fell open. “What?”

Xie Baozhu continued, “He also has an outer residence, and in that outer residence live ten beauties bestowed upon him by imperial decree.”

Er’zhu’s eyes nearly popped out of her head!

She nearly erupted. She brought her hoe down on the ground and drove it into the earth!

“Then what does he want?! I thought he seemed cheerful and easygoing — I figured he was a bachelor! What is he thinking?! Ahhh! Isn’t this just taking advantage of someone?!”

Er’zhu had been hired from the neighboring village.

Ever since coming to serve beside Xie Baozhu, she had gained far more worldly experience than she had ever imagined. In her heart, Xie Baozhu was a figure of almost celestial grace.

This Marquis Li was a Marquis — she didn’t know exactly how great a rank that was, but it was certainly a high office. Er’zhu had initially been delighted, thinking that Xie Baozhu, with her frail constitution, would never be able to find a husband in their village — and here was this Marquis Li who so evidently liked her. Officials had money; they had no need for a wife to be sturdily built and capable of hard labor, so he likely wouldn’t mind that her health was poor.

Er’zhu had even been happy on Xie Baozhu’s behalf — only to find out that this man named Li had a wife already! The scoundrel!

“He simply wants to take me as a concubine,” Xie Baozhu said. “Or else set me up in an outer residence, kept like a hidden treasure.”

Er’zhu erupted entirely. “He can go to the devil! Men are all such rascals — earn a little extra and they start dreaming of taking concubines!”

“Don’t be afraid, Madam!” Er’zhu raised her hoe. “As long as I, Er’zhu, am here for a single day, I will not let that scoundrel come anywhere near you!”

Xie Baozhu: …

I really shouldn’t have read you so many storybooks.

Er’zhu returned to the house bristling with righteous fury — only to find that Li Weifeng had already left. Prince Shou had finished the pot of meat and rather unceremoniously sent him away.

Er’zhu declared, “Just you wait. Next time he dares to come!”

A few days passed, and Li Weifeng came again — but this time he could not get past the front door.

Er’zhu blocked the entrance with her hoe, glaring fiercely: “Our household has an unmarried young lady, and you — a man who already has a wife — keep coming around every other day. What exactly are you thinking?! Get lost!”

Er’zhu was a prime candidate for marriage in her own village; many men wanted to marry her precisely because her strength was a match for any man. When she swung her hoe, the wind roared.

Beirong Marquis fled in embarrassing haste.

His personal guards ran after him, laughing until their sides ached.

When Er’zhu returned, Xie Baozhu rubbed her temple and teased her, “He’s quite a high official, you know. A very, very senior one. Weren’t you afraid?”

Er’zhu thought it over and said, “Now that you put it that way, I am a bit. But one look at the man himself, and he doesn’t seem like a high official at all — all grins and laughs, like one of the village layabouts back home. Just couldn’t feel frightened.”

Prince Shou said, “Well done, Er’zhu! I’ll give you a raise!”

Er’zhu happily agreed.

Prince Shou said, “That animal he left by the door — go pick it up and braise it. Don’t let it go to waste.”