When Yu Tang returned, she rode in the Pei family’s sedan chair.
She didn’t know if it was because she was a guest of Heming Hall, but the sedan chair moved smoothly and steadily, arriving at Green Bamboo Lane with barely any jostling.
Entering the gate, she saw Wang Si carrying firewood into the house.
She couldn’t help but ask curiously: “How did you get here?”
Wang Si grinned at her foolishly. Before he could answer, Shuang Tao emerged from the kitchen and eagerly replied: “He had nothing to do, gathered lots of firewood, and thought since our family still needed to buy firewood, he drove the cart into the city. Miss, come quickly and see—the family woodshed is completely full.”
Yu Tang smiled and went to take a look, then returned to her room to change clothes before going to pay her respects to Chen Shi.
Chen Shi was discussing the ancestral worship ceremony for the first day of the tenth month with Chen Pozi. Seeing Yu Tang enter, she stopped the conversation and had Chen Pozi make Yu Tang a bowl of osmanthus sugar water.
Chen Pozi smiled and went off to do so.
Chen Shi then took Yu Tang’s hand and had her sit beside her, asking warmly: “Didn’t you say you’d go and come right back? Why are you returning so late? Did the Old Mistress keep you for a meal?”
Yu Tang smiled and nodded, recounting her encounter with Gu Xi and Madam Shen.
Chen Shi was quite surprised: “Madam Shen came? Your father was called out by Old Master Wu. When he returns I’ll ask him if I should go greet Madam Shen.” She was also very curious about Gu Xi and asked: “Is that young lady pretty?”
“Quite pretty,” Yu Tang answered matter-of-factly.
“So you had lunch together?”
Yu Tang shook her head: “No. Madam Shen said she needed to go back and pack her things, so the Old Mistress didn’t keep them.”
Unlike her—when she mentioned leaving afterward, the Old Mistress had repeatedly urged her to stay, even keeping Second Madam for lunch and having Fifth Miss brought over as well.
The Old Mistress’s attitude toward Madam Shen seemed more like maintaining face.
Of course Chen Shi didn’t know these differences. Thinking that Madam Shen had insisted on leaving, she didn’t ask further, only asking with concern: “Are you comfortable at the Pei residence? If you’re not comfortable, just find an excuse to visit less in the future.”
Though she intended to repay the Pei family, if her daughter suffered any grievance, she would rather repay the Pei family in other ways.
Yu Tang felt her mother’s warmth and couldn’t help but hug her mother’s arm: “Don’t worry, the Old Mistress is a very good person. I’m perfectly comfortable with her.”
Moreover, after Madam Shen and Gu Xi left, the Old Mistress had carefully inquired about the Li family selling land.
Judging from the Old Mistress’s expression, while Pei Yan hadn’t suspected anything, the Old Mistress had grown suspicious.
When she was leaving, the Old Mistress had called Hu Xing over, probably to ask about the Li family matter.
Looking at it this way, in the future if she had any issues, rather than seeking out Pei Yan, she might as well approach the Old Mistress.
Yu Tang nestled beside her mother, drinking osmanthus sugar water while listening to her continue discussing ancestral worship matters with Chen Pozi.
Over there, Wang Si finished unloading the firewood, came in to pay his respects to Chen Shi, and prepared to return to the village.
Chen Shi rewarded him with twenty copper coins and asked if he wanted to return to his hometown for New Year’s.
Wang Si felt the travel expenses were too great and didn’t plan to go back.
Chen Shi then invited him to spend New Year’s at their house.
Wang Si was overjoyed, thanking them repeatedly before driving his cart away.
Chen Shi then said to Chen Pozi: “He’s quite an honest fellow with an eye for what needs doing. Last time when the master returned to the old residence, it was he who helped reconcile the accounts.”
After Mid-Autumn Festival, the Yu family began collecting rent.
Previously they had always asked Yu family clansmen to help, but everyone had their own affairs. Though they said they’d help, they could only assist—they couldn’t really manage things. Weighing, calculating, and recording had to be done either by Yu Wen or Yu Bo personally. This time when Yu Wen returned to collect rent, Wang Si had bustled about from start to finish without once requiring Yu Wen to personally step in—Yu Wen only needed to keep the records. Upon returning, he had remarked to the family: “Can you believe Wang Si doesn’t know a single character, yet he calculates accounts faster than I do, without a single error.”
Yu Tang had also heard about this.
She smiled: “Chen Pozi also doesn’t know a single character, but have you seen her buy groceries? She’s always the one getting the better deal—has anyone ever gotten the better of her?”
Everyone laughed heartily.
Chen Pozi was extremely proud.
At this point in the conversation, Chen Pozi gave Chen Shi a meaningful look.
Seeing this, Chen Shi coughed lightly twice and sent Yu Tang away: “Go rest in your room. Later I’ll take you to visit your eldest aunt and discuss the ancestral worship matter while we’re at it.”
Ever since Xiang Shi became pregnant, Wang Shi had been all smiles serving Xiang Shi food and drink every day. She didn’t even go to the shop anymore and visited their house less frequently.
Yu Tang knew Chen Pozi wanted to have a private conversation with her mother again.
Last time she eavesdropped, she had still been quite young. Her mother had been bedridden with chronic illness, and Chen Pozi, fearing Yu Wen might have ideas, had advised her mother to buy a maid for her father as a bed-warming servant.
This time she pretended to leave but hid beneath her mother’s window to eavesdrop.
This time Chen Pozi was urging her mother to match Shuang Tao with Wang Si, saying: “After all, our family needs to bring in a live-in son-in-law. Shuang Tao has reached marriageable age. Originally A’Tiao would be best, but A’Tiao is too young, and Shuang Tao can’t really talk with him normally. I think we might as well keep Wang Si.”
Chen Shi looked thoughtful.
Yu Tang scurried back and found an opportunity to ask Shuang Tao: “What do you think of that Wang Si?”
Shuang Tao might have misunderstood that Yu Tang was inquiring about Wang Si’s character to consider keeping him on, and spoke at length praising Wang Si. However, even so, it was clear Shuang Tao had a very good impression of Wang Si—she just didn’t know if Wang Si could settle down and stay?
Yu Tang smiled with pursed lips, then went with Chen Shi to her eldest uncle’s house.
Xiang Shi was already showing, sitting there with a suffering expression drinking chicken soup. Seeing Yu Tang enter, she immediately grasped at her like a lifeline, quickly instructing Xia Lian: “Quick, go ladle a large bowl of that chicken soup for Miss.”
Xia Lian’s face was full of conflict.
Yu Tang quickly said: “I don’t drink chicken soup. Just brew me a cup of tea.”
Xiang Shi tried to persuade her: “The weather’s turned cold—a bowl of chicken soup would be perfect.”
Yu Tang said: “I’m not drinking it! If eldest sister-in-law can’t finish it, let my eldest brother help. I don’t want to be scolded by eldest aunt.”
“She won’t, she won’t,” Xiang Shi said sheepishly.
Yu Tang laughed and quietly told Xiang Shi about Xia Lian and Xia Pinggui’s matter.
Xiang Shi was very surprised. When Xia Lian came to refill their tea and bring refreshments, she kept staring at her until Xia Lian wondered if there was something dirty on her face. Only then did Xiang Shi let Xia Lian go. Then she whispered to Yu Tang: “I think they’re quite suitable. It just so happens your eldest brother wants to expand the shop. With Xia Pinggui managing the shop, both your eldest brother and your eldest uncle would feel most at ease.”
Yu Tang also felt they were suitable and pondered to herself—if it worked out, would their family be hosting two happy occasions next year!
When she and her mother returned home, they encountered Yu Wen at the gate.
The weather was too cold—he was stamping his feet from the chill.
Chen Shi said with concern: “Where have you been? Didn’t you hire a sedan chair to come back?”
Yu Wen sighed deeply: “Wasn’t it about the ancestral worship? Old Master Wu dragged me along to order a pig. Then halfway we ran into Teacher Shen. He was drinking at a small wine shop by the roadside. I noticed something seemed off about him, but Old Master Wu insisted on going over to greet Teacher Shen. As a result, we were both kept there drinking at the small wine shop. You know my alcohol tolerance—how could I dare drink much? Old Master Wu can hold a thousand cups, so the two of them drank neck and neck while I just kept pouring wine for them both. When they’d drunk their fill, Old Master Wu’s attendants carried him home, but I still had to escort Teacher Shen back to the county school. However, I ran into Xiao Chuan at the county school. I heard from the teachers there that Xiao Chuan studies very diligently—he’ll definitely have no problem passing the scholar examination. If that really happens, the Wei family will finally be able to turn things around.”
With so many sons and so much land, the Wei family’s life was still tight—the most important reason was the heavy taxes they paid. If Wei Xiao Chuan could pass the scholar examination, it would exempt the Wei family from part of their taxes, which would be no small sum for the Wei family.
Chen Shi nodded repeatedly: “Was Teacher Shen drinking alone at the small wine shop?” As she spoke, she glanced at Yu Tang, as if asking “Didn’t Madam Shen come?”
Yu Tang also pricked up her ears to listen.
Yu Wen clearly didn’t know about this matter: “He said he was in a bad mood. He didn’t even teach today’s classes—had another teacher substitute. Come to think of it, Teacher Shen is quite pitiful. When I escorted him back, his room was cold and desolate, with just one befuddled young servant boy dozing there. When asked to brew a bowl of sobering tea, he didn’t even know where to start. What a waste of Teacher Shen’s excellent scholarship!”
This didn’t seem to have much to do with scholarship, did it?
Yu Tang pondered this in her mind.
Chen Shi had evidently thought the same thing. She frowned: “I heard from A’Tang that Madam Shen came. Didn’t Madam Shen leave someone to serve Teacher Shen?”
Yu Wen was astonished: “Madam Shen came? When did this happen? Why didn’t Teacher Shen mention it once?”
Chen Shi said hesitantly: “I was thinking of discussing with you whether to go pay respects to Madam Shen, but hearing you say this, I don’t know what would be best anymore.”
Yu Wen pondered: “Let me make some inquiries first before we decide.”
Chen Shi agreed.
Two days later, Yu Wen came to discuss the Madam Shen matter with Chen Shi. Yu Tang listened from the side.
“Properly speaking, since Madam Shen has come all this way and we’ve received Teacher Shen’s kindness, even if we can’t invite Madam Shen to our home as a guest, we should at least go visit Madam Shen.” He said with difficulty: “But according to Shen Fang, Teacher Shen and Madam Shen have been at odds since their marriage, and because of this they only have one son. When Madam Shen came to Lin’an, she stayed at Old Mistress Pei’s residence, and Teacher Shen hasn’t mentioned a word of it to anyone around him.”
Whether or not to visit Madam Shen had become very awkward.
In her previous life, Yu Tang hadn’t heard about Teacher Shen’s affairs, so she couldn’t make a decision either. But after thinking for a while, she advised her parents: “Why don’t we just act as if we don’t know? At the time, the Old Mistress didn’t introduce whose daughter I was, and Teacher Shen hasn’t mentioned anything to you either. It’s better not to complicate matters.”
Yu Wen thought about it, felt Yu Tang’s approach was feasible, and added: “After all, our family has no contact with the Shen family’s womenfolk. Not knowing Madam Shen came is understandable.”
This matter was settled as far as Yu Wen was concerned, but it aroused Chen Shi’s great interest. She secretly ran to Old Master Wu’s house to ask Madam Wu if she knew Madam Shen had come to Lin’an.