Pei Yan only sat in the dharma hall for half an hour before leaving on the pretext of having business to attend to.

Master Peng and the others all knew he was departing for Hangzhou, but Master Wu and the other gentry didn’t know. Seeing Pei Yan leave, Master Wu said in a low voice to Master Wei: “Third Master Pei is really quite busy. Yesterday he disappeared early in the morning, and today he only came to sit for a little while. I wonder what he’s so busy with?”

Master Wei’s attention wasn’t on Pei Yan—he was craning his neck looking for Yu Wen.

Yu Wen had come with them, and yesterday everyone had rested together. But just now someone had come looking for Yu Wen, and after Yu Wen went out with that person, he never returned. Nearly a quarter-hour had already passed, and he still hadn’t seen Yu Wen.

Master Wei waited another two quarter-hours. Yu Wen’s seat was still empty, so he became somewhat anxious. He quietly said something to Master Wu, then bent at the waist and squeezed out of the dharma hall.

Yu Wen was standing with Chen Shi not far from the dharma hall, under a boxwood tree as thick as two arms could embrace, talking.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was wondering whether to go forward and greet them, Yu Wen’s gaze suddenly swept over and saw him.

Yu Wen was slightly startled. He lowered his head and said a few words to Chen Shi, then quickly walked over: “Why did you come out? Is something wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing.” Master Wei waved his hand and smiled: “I came out to look for you. As long as you’re alright.”

Hearing this, Yu Wen was silent for a moment before saying: “My wife came to find me, saying yesterday there were too many people in the dharma hall—it was too stuffy, and our daughter fainted.”

Master Wei was greatly shocked and repeatedly asked how Yu Tang’s health was now.

Only then did Yu Wen show a trace of a smile, saying: “Third Master and Old Madam Pei promptly helped summon a physician. Before the medicine could even be used, she recovered. My wife said our daughter’s health isn’t very good—after we return, we must nourish her properly.”

“Indeed, indeed!” Master Wei said, also breathing a sigh of relief.

Yu Wen smiled: “Speaking of which, I must thank Madam Wei and Madam Wu. After our daughter fell ill, both madams personally came to visit. Great kindness needs no thanks—when the sermon assembly is over, everyone should come to my place for a simple meal together.”

Master Wei exchanged a few polite words. Yu Wen went back to say a few more words to Chen Shi, saw her off, and only then returned to the dharma hall with Master Wei.

Everyone was listening intently to Master Wuneng’s sermon, but Yu Wen was thinking about Jiangchao.

He didn’t know when Master Jiang’s boat would return. When the time came, he should also buy his daughter some ginseng and bird’s nest to nourish her constitution. And maids and servants—he needed to buy a few, so that if something happened, there would be someone to attend to it without needing the Pei household’s people to help.

Chen Shi had told Yu Wen about Yu Tang’s condition. Yu Wen had thoroughly comforted her, and now that she had her pillar of support, her complexion looked much better on the way back. Sitting beside Old Madam Pei, she not only had the mind to listen to what Master Wuneng was saying, but could also interject a word or two when the several old madams were chatting.

Gu Xi watched from the side with a cold laugh.

This Yu family really treated themselves as if they had generational friendship with the Pei family, conducting themselves accordingly. They didn’t even look at their own origins or whether they had the qualifications!

Thinking of this, the corner of her eye swept over Miss Wu.

Last night, Gu Chang, fearing she wouldn’t be accustomed to the vegetarian dishes at Zhaoming Temple, had specially sent someone to deliver some pastries. It happened that Miss Wu was visiting her. Perhaps the person delivering the items reported to Gu Chang when they returned, because despite the late hour, Gu Chang specially came to check on her and also admonished her not to become too close with Miss Wu. She wasn’t very happy and brought up the Wu family’s plans.

Gu Xi could still clearly remember the mocking look in Gu Chang’s eyes when he heard about this matter: “Don’t listen to such nonsense. How could the Pei family possibly marry into the Wu family? The Jiang family can marry a Wu family daughter because the Jiang family has no foundation. The Wu family knows this too. Sending a daughter over and spreading the news everywhere is just trying to take advantage—if Pei Xiaguang takes a liking to Miss Wu, that would be best. If Pei Xiaguang has no intention of marrying into the Wu family, he certainly wouldn’t be comfortable stating it so bluntly. The Wu family can take this opportunity to broadcast it everywhere, borrowing the tiger’s威 to make威, gaining advantages in business.” He also told her: “You should learn from Miss Xu. When you hear or see something, remain impassive. First think it through carefully in your heart, then decide what to do. Otherwise, you’ll be used by others.”

With Miss Wu’s manner, acting somewhat recklessly like a naive older sister—could she be used by others?

Gu Xi was somewhat skeptical.

She was still planning to visit Miss Xu at noon later.

Gu Xi gathered her thoughts and wholeheartedly listened to Master Wuneng telling stories from the scriptures.

Yu Tang and Miss Xu found it uninteresting after listening for a while. Miss Xu had heard it many times and felt Wuneng’s level was just like this. Yu Tang felt she didn’t quite agree with Master Wuneng’s words—what kind of cause you plant determines what kind of fruit you’ll reap. If there’s no good result, it’s because the sins of the previous life were too deep, and this life is for atonement. Once the sins of the previous life are fully atoned for in this life, naturally the next life will have good results, and so on.

In her previous life, she had been who knows how much kinder than in this life, yet she only avenged half her grievances by herself.

If everything relied on heaven, she would have had to die swallowing her anger in the Li family’s rear courtyard.

Perhaps the reason the bodhisattva let her be reborn was because her temper was too stubborn and she wouldn’t listen. The bodhisattva found her too annoying and sent her to this life instead.

This showed that the squeaky wheel gets the grease was the real truth.

Thinking about the scripture she still hadn’t copied a single character of for Pei Yan, Yu Tang quietly discussed with Miss Xu: “How about we go back first! Otherwise, when everyone disperses later and sees us, not only will we have to greet them, we’ll also have to explain why we’re here.”

Anyway, Pei Yan had already left. She had seen her mother and father leave the dharma hall together—the sermon assembly no longer held much attraction for her.

Yu Tang’s suggestion suited Miss Xu’s wishes perfectly.

After listening for half an hour, the two quietly returned to Yu Tang’s side room.

Yu Tang felt her whole person relax. She prepared to copy scriptures according to the original plan and asked Miss Xu: “Will you join me?”

“Of course!” Miss Xu said, continuing to grind ink for Yu Tang.

Yu Tang smiled.

The two busied themselves in the side room.

Qing Yuan left Qing Ping and Qing Lian here to serve and prepared to go find Hu Xing herself to have him send more fresh fruits over these next few days.

Yesterday the cherries she had brought over, Miss Yu had enjoyed eating very much.

She had originally thought it was because Miss Yu liked eating cherries, but then discovered that last night Miss Xu had sent over some crabapples, and Miss Yu had also enjoyed those very much.

After careful observation, she discovered that Miss Yu actually liked eating all kinds of fruit, but it had to be fresh—otherwise she would only taste it and put it down.

She needed to tell Hu Xing about this matter.

Hu Xing was shrewd and would naturally know what to do.

Just as Qing Yuan walked out of the courtyard, she saw someone who looked like a young maid softly crying beside the bamboo grove at the courtyard’s edge.

Qing Yuan couldn’t help but furrow her brow.

Before one’s master, crying and wailing was most taboo. Even if one’s own parents died, one could only hide in one’s own room and cry when no one was around.

Zhaoming Temple was full of people with loose tongues—anything could happen. But it couldn’t be the Pei household’s maids losing face.

Her expression hardened as she said to the young servant following her: “Go see who’s crying there.”

The young servant quickly walked over. Before long, he brought the maid over, saying: “She says she’s Bai Zhi from First Madam’s quarters, sent to the kitchen to fetch vegetarian buns. But the buns were already snatched up by others. Fearing she couldn’t complete her task and that First Madam would punish her, she’s hiding here crying!”

A trace of coldness flashed in Qing Yuan’s eyes as she asked the young maid: “Are you newly entered into the household?”

Bai Zhi hesitantly nodded.

Qing Yuan instructed the young servant: “Go invite the steward matron from First Madam’s quarters to come take her back and properly teach her the rules. Not knowing anything, yet already daring to walk about freely—I don’t know if it’s because her heart is too big, or because she thinks the Pei household’s face isn’t worth anything and can be trampled and torn at will.”

The young servant was frightened into trembling, hurriedly responding “yes” before running like the wind toward the meditation room where First Madam was staying.

That Bai Zhi was so frightened she froze, unable to recover her senses for a long while.

Qing Yuan glanced coldly at Bai Zhi, left a young servant there to watch her, and strode away.

Only then did Bai Zhi shiver and come to her senses. Pulling at that young servant’s sleeve with teary eyes, she said: “Young brother, please teach me—where did I offend that young lady?”

That young servant was young after all. Seeing Bai Zhi’s pair of almond eyes, pitiful and delicate, he couldn’t help but say in a low voice: “First Madam’s meditation room is to the east while this is to the west—why did you run here to cry? Do you know whose courtyard this is? Do you know who lives here? Over just a few buns, is it worth such a fuss? If First Madam really needed them urgently, she could have the kitchen make another steamer. Over such a small matter, you’re already helpless—no wonder Miss Qing Yuan doesn’t like it. Miss Qing Yuan is the most capable senior maid by Third Master’s side. When Third Master assigns tasks, he only cares about results, not process. When Miss Qing Yuan first started serving by Third Master’s side, who knows how many situations she encountered! Even we don’t know how many lessons we’ve learned following along!”

But thinking back, they had also learned quite a lot.

This was also why those serving by Third Master’s side wouldn’t cry casually no matter what happened.

Bai Zhi was shocked.

This was different from what she had expected, and different from what First Madam’s wet nurse, Nanny Yang, had said.

Would she be sold off by the Pei household?

Thinking of this, she bit her lip, feeling she probably wouldn’t be sold.

No matter what, she was First Madam’s person. For the sake of face if nothing else, the Pei household wouldn’t treat First Madam this way.

But these people were really too bullying! Yesterday First Madam had already sent her to the kitchen to say something, telling them to bring more vegetarian buns today. The kitchen people looked down on others like dogs, saying they had all been taken by Miss Yu.

Thinking of how the people at home were still waiting for her buns to show off, she couldn’t help but start crying in front of Nanny Yang.

Nanny Yang was furious and came up with the idea for her to wait here and cry a few times when Qing Yuan came out. She also said:

If Qing Yuan stood up for her, she would naturally take her to the kitchen and have the cooks make her another steamer of buns. If Qing Yuan wasn’t willing to stand up for her, she should just obediently come back.

But now Qing Yuan was having Nanny Yang come take her back—had she done this task right? Or wrong?

Bai Zhi’s heart was in turmoil, at a complete loss.