In her previous life, Ku’an Temple had been very poor. Everyone struggled at the edge of subsistence, so naturally there weren’t any major conflicts. But during those years at the Li family, Yu Tang had witnessed too many instances of good intentions leading to bad outcomes.

People don’t resent scarcity but rather inequality.

After dinner, she went to visit the second madam.

The second madam happened to have a guest. Aunt Jin welcomed her with a smile to the adjacent side room, saying to her: “Someone from the Yang family came. Our second madam can’t very well refuse to see them. Miss Yu, please wait here for a moment. As soon as the visitor leaves, I’ll go inform the second madam.”

Yu Tang couldn’t help but feel somewhat curious.

It was already lamp-lighting time—what urgent matter did the Yang family have that they sent someone to Ku’an Temple to see the second madam?

She was also afraid of confusing the eldest madam’s maternal family with the Second Miss’s in-laws and making a fool of herself like she had in front of Pei Yan, so she asked in a low voice: “Which Yang family?”

Aunt Jin was the second madam’s dowry servant. Not long after accompanying the second madam to the Pei family, she had followed the second madam’s family to their official post, only returning to Lin’an when the old master passed away and the family observed mourning. She probably didn’t know as much about the Pei family as Yu Tang did. Hearing Yu Tang’s tone, she assumed Yu Tang knew the Pei family very well, so she lost her guard against outsiders and said quietly without any wariness: “It’s people from the eldest madam’s maternal family side. It seems the Yang family was afraid the eldest young master would delay the great examinations, so they introduced a private tutor for him. Unexpectedly, the Third Master didn’t agree. The Yang family person and the Third Master parted on bad terms, but there was nothing they could do. They wanted to find our second master, but our second master went to Mount Wutai, so they found their way to the second madam. At this point, she disdainfully curled her lip. “Nine times out of ten, they want our second madam to help speak on behalf of the eldest young master. But they should think about it—what kind of family is the Pei residence? Does the eldest young master of the Pei residence need the Yang family people to hire a private tutor for his studies? Our second master and third master are both successful candidates of the two examinations. What private tutor could compare to our second and third masters? Moreover, even if our second and third masters are both busy and don’t have the time, isn’t there still Dowager Master Yi? And if not him, Dowager Master Yong also has a provincial graduate degree! The Yang family’s meddling reaches too far! If you ask me, it’s all because the eldest master spoiled them when he was alive!”

As for whom he spoiled, that went without saying.

Properly speaking, Yu Tang shouldn’t be listening to these things, but she was truly somewhat curious about the grudge between the eldest madam and Pei Yan. At this moment, her mind even began racing rapidly, wondering fantastically whether the eldest madam had selected Gu Xi as her daughter-in-law because she wanted to compete with Pei Yan?

Even she could see that Gu Xi had designs on Pei Yan—could others not see it?

She just didn’t understand it. Of all the people Gu Xi could marry, why did she have to come to the Pei family to muddy these waters, why did she insist on marrying into Lin’an City?

Yu Tang said softly: “Thank you, Aunt Jin. I’ll wait here. When the second madam is free, just have someone call me.”

Aunt Jin liked straightforward people like Yu Tang. She immediately smiled warmly, personally brewed a cup of tea for Yu Tang, brought her preserved fruits as tea snacks, and only then went to attend to the second madam.

Yu Tang figured that given the second madam’s shrewdness, the Yang family would probably return empty-handed.

She drank her tea and couldn’t help but crane her neck to look toward the main hall of the second madam’s quarters.

As it happened, just as she looked over, the door curtain of the second madam’s main hall was suddenly swept aside. Yu Tang saw a woman in her forties walk out with an indignant expression. Aunt Jin followed behind her unconcernedly, her voice seeming enthusiastic but actually perfunctory as she called out loudly: “It’s so late at night, please watch your step. It’s so late, I’m afraid you won’t be able to enter the city. Why don’t you stay here for the night before leaving!”

The gold ornaments on that woman’s head flashed in the lantern light—one could see she was a servant woman with status in a wealthy household.

Yu Tang ran to the window lattice. She only heard that woman give a cold laugh and say: “I dare not trouble you. We have our master’s visiting card and have already reserved a room at the post station. However, I still have a message to ask you to convey to your second madam—what has happened to our eldest young mistress today may well happen to others tomorrow.” Having finished speaking, she raised her head high, puffed out her chest, and strode outward.

Yu Tang saw Aunt Jin roll her eyes at the woman’s back while still calling out enthusiastically and loudly: “Go slowly, at least let me see you off part of the way.” Then she slowly pursued.

Yu Tang smiled with pursed lips, thinking that this Aunt Jin, who usually kept her eyes lowered and was the type one couldn’t pick out at a glance in a crowd of maids and old servants, turned out to be quite an interesting person.

She quickly went back and sat down properly again.

Before long, Aunt Jin came to take her to see the second madam. On the way, she warned her in a low voice: “The second madam is in a somewhat bad mood. If there’s any discourtesy, please don’t take it to heart.”

Yu Tang quickly said: “My timing is unfortunate. But my matter is somewhat urgent. If I didn’t come, I’m afraid something problematic might arise, so I had to impose with a thick face.”

Aunt Jin smiled: “Miss Yu is a sensible person. If you say it’s urgent, the matter must certainly be pressing.”

With just those two sentences, they had arrived at the second madam’s main hall.

A young maid came out to lift the curtain.

Yu Tang walked in to see the second madam sitting alone in a master’s chair before a square table.

The dim lamplight shone on her face, making her expression appear extremely stern.

Yu Tang stepped forward and curtsied.

The second madam’s expression cleared slightly as she invited her to sit down and talk.

Yu Tang then voiced her concern: “When I went to the residence that day to test the incense-making, I didn’t pay attention. But today when the abbot mentioned it like that, I realized that if someone with ulterior motives obtained this incense formula, they could independently blend Buddhist incense with a sandalwood scent. This would originally be a good thing—we might even be able to exclusively sell that sandalwood-scented Buddhist incense. But I’ve also heard of an incident where someone, seeing their neighbor’s poverty, kindly invited them to help sell food at their shop. As a result, that neighbor obtained the recipe for making the food and simply opened the same kind of shop themselves, using various methods to force the original food-selling shop to close. So I was thinking, should we perhaps not give the entire incense formula to Ku’an Temple all at once? The formula could be entrusted to the head steward of the family shop to manage. They would only need to help make various Buddhist incenses. We won’t profit from them but will pay them more wages. What do you think?”

The second madam had of course also heard the story of Mister Dongguo, but Buddhist incense and such things, for her, were merely pocket change for needles and thread—she hadn’t taken it seriously at all. Although she felt Yu Tang’s words made sense, she didn’t think this was a particularly serious matter. However, she still liked Yu Tang very much, feeling she was conscientious and meticulous in her work, and also dared to take responsibility—worthy of praise. So she smiled and said: “Your consideration is very thorough. Tomorrow let’s go discuss it with Dowager Madam Yi together before deciding what to do.”

Hearing this, Yu Tang could only rise to take her leave: “Then I’ll come over tomorrow to see Dowager Madam Yi with you.”

The second madam had Aunt Jin see her out.

This was the second madam’s courtesy toward Yu Tang.

Yu Tang smiled and expressed her thanks, accompanied by Aunt Jin as she left the hall.

Aunt Jin already knew the result of the conversation. She comforted Yu Tang: “Don’t worry. Dowager Madam Yi will surely understand your concern.”

Yu Tang wasn’t reassured at all.

Ever since Dowager Madam Yi married her eldest daughter-in-law, she no longer managed the third branch’s household affairs, devoting herself wholeheartedly to caring for Dowager Master Yi, who had poor health. She would probably think even more simply than the second madam.

She didn’t know what Old Madam Pei would think if she were here.

Yu Tang sighed inwardly. Who would have known that when she got up the next morning and was on her way with the several Pei young ladies to pay respects to Dowager Madam Yi and the second madam, she would encounter Pei Yan?

He wore, as usual, a very ordinary plain-colored fine cloth Daoist robe edged with dark blue. Standing there with his upright bearing, he was like a pine facing the wind—distinguished in bearing.

Yu Tang’s footsteps couldn’t help but pause, and her face began burning hot.

She looked left and right, saw a tree as thick as two arms could embrace, and whooshed behind it in one movement.

The several Pei young ladies quickly stepped forward and respectfully curtsied to Pei Yan.

Pei Yan’s expression remained cold as always, but his voice was very gentle: “So early in the morning—are you going to pay respects to your elders?” Having finished speaking, he glanced at the several Pei young ladies.

As the eldest, the Second Miss responded on behalf of the several young ladies.

Pei Yan then said gently: “Then hurry along!”

The several Pei young ladies curtsied to him again and filed past him.

Only then did Shuang Tao discover that her own young lady had disappeared.

But in this situation, she couldn’t very well shout everywhere. She thought that after Pei Yan left, she would search for her. Perhaps Yu Tang had just gone to the privy or been captivated by some flower or plant and stopped for a moment.

But Pei Yan just stood there without leaving.

Yu Tang was burning with anxiety.

Later, when paying respects to Dowager Madam Yi and the second madam, if she wasn’t there, what kind of situation would that be!

Had she known it would be like this, she should have brazened it out and rushed past together with the several Pei young ladies.

Yu Tang bit her lip and looked around, wanting to find another path that could lead to Dowager Madam Yi’s and the second madam’s courtyard.

But Pei Yan slowly walked to the tree where she was hiding, murmuring as he went: “I heard that agreeing to this marriage was Miss Gu’s own idea. I wonder if Gu Chang will agree? If Gu Chang doesn’t agree, and the Pei and Gu families only have an oral agreement, Mother and I are strongly opposed… I also forgot to ask Pei Tong’s opinion. If Pei Tong is also unwilling…”

Then would this marriage proposal be called off?

Yu Tang continued Pei Yan’s words in her heart, while the little person in her heart covered its mouth and giggled.

Calling it off would be good—it would prevent Gu Xi from marrying into the Pei family and spoiling a good pot of soup.

However, why would Gu Xi agree to this marriage proposal? She and Pei Tong shouldn’t have met, right?

But it was hard to say.

Perhaps when she didn’t know about it, Gu Xi had already met Pei Tong?

Yu Tang was a bit curious about what Pei Tong looked like.

Was he as handsome as Pei Yan, which made Gu Xi change her mind?

Or had Pei Tong fallen in love with Gu Xi at first sight?

Then what about Pei Tong’s maternal cousin?

Yu Tang’s mind was in chaos, and her eyes appeared somewhat unfocused.

As a result, she heard Pei Yan’s surprised voice by her ear: “Miss Yu, what are you doing standing behind this tree? It’s fortunate I discovered you, otherwise when the workers repairing the road come by later, wouldn’t they startle Miss Yu?”

It was over, over—she’d been discovered by Pei Yan.

How could she be so unlucky?

Yu Tang pulled up her legs and ran.

She heard Pei Yan’s anxious voice by her ear again: “Wrong way, wrong way! Miss Yu, that way is the temple’s vegetable garden. The latrines are also over there. They water the fields every day there. Be careful not to step in it!”

It would have been better if Yu Tang hadn’t stayed at Ku’an Temple before. Having stayed there, she naturally knew what Pei Yan meant by these words.

She instantly froze in place.

“Miss Yu!” Pei Yan’s voice, tinged with laughter, rang in her ear once more.

Yu Tang closed her eyes, feeling she was truly, truly, truly unlucky!