In the evening, Yu Wen and Yu Yuan returned from the Wei family’s home, and Yu Bo, who had heard the news, also rushed over.

The family sat in the hall discussing this matter. Yu Wen made no effort to hide his regret over this match: “Truly a family of honest people. Not to mention Mr. Wei—he’s a man—but even Mrs. Wei, upon seeing me, didn’t say a single word of reproach. She kept saying they had wronged our A’Tang and repeatedly told me that if there were any gossip or rumors in the future, we could push it all onto their family. Tell me, why didn’t we discuss marriage with their third son from the start? Then this wouldn’t have happened.”

Yu Bo also felt it was a pity and said, “Then tomorrow I’ll also go over and send a funeral gift! And A’Yuan should go help the Wei family. Since they’re being so decent, we can’t just turn a deaf ear. Even if there’s any gossip or rumors in the future, we can’t push it onto the Wei family. That child is already gone—how can we ruin his reputation? Our family’s children are children, but aren’t other families’ children also children?”

“That’s the right reasoning.” Wang Shi sighed deeply. Worried that Yu Tang might hear and be upset, she went to check on her.

Yu Tang sat quietly by the window like an eggplant struck by frost.

When she first heard the news of Wei Xiaoshan’s death, she felt shocked. After the shock came regret, and after regret came deep sadness.

So young, and already gone.

How heartbroken his parents must be!

Putting herself in their shoes.

Back then, when she learned of her parents’ misfortune, it was like the sky had fallen.

His death must have made his parents feel like the sky had fallen too.

Whenever her mind was idle, she would remember those eyes of his that bloomed with joy when looking at her.

Yu Tang couldn’t help her eyes becoming moist.

Thinking further about the Wei family’s decency, she suddenly felt regret for this fate that had never even begun.

She sat there listlessly, not wanting to say a word.

Wang Shi came over and gently embraced her, saying softly, “A’Tang, this isn’t your fault. Life is still long. This is just a small hurdle. With time, it will get better.”

Only then did Chen Shi realize she had neglected her daughter’s feelings. She quickly came over to comfort her together with Wang Shi.

Yu Tang didn’t want to worry the elders in the family, so she rallied her spirits to talk with them. Finally, she asked them, “Can I go burn incense for the Wei family’s second son?”

Chen Shi and Wang Shi looked at each other. After thinking it over, they said hesitantly, “A’Tang, we all know you’re sad, but our family and the Wei family don’t really have any relationship. It wouldn’t be appropriate for you to go.”

Yu Tang nodded.

Although she pitied Mrs. Wei for losing her son, she had to be more considerate of her own mother’s feelings.

When Yu Yuan went to the Wei family the next day, she had him burn incense for Wei Xiaoshan on her behalf and console the Wei family with a few words.

Yu Yuan readily agreed.

When Mrs. Wei learned of this, she cried like a waterfall, saying Wei Xiaoshan had no fortune.

Yu Yuan felt dejected and spent the next several days helping at the Wei family.

Because Wei Xiaoshan hadn’t married and died suddenly, and his parents, uncles, and other elders were still alive, according to custom he couldn’t be buried in the ancestral tomb, nor could the wake be held for the full seven-times-seven forty-nine days. The Wei family discussed adopting Wei Xiaoyuan’s second son to Wei Xiaoshan so that Wei Xiaoshan would have an heir and could be buried in the ancestral tomb. But the problem was that Wei Xiaoyuan currently only had one son. The adoption would have to wait until he had a second son. What about the person to break the mourning pot and serve as chief mourner?

Wei Xiaoyuan proposed having their youngest brother Wei Xiaochuan substitute.

The Wei family all thought this was feasible.

Wei Xiaochuan agreed with red, swollen eyes.

The Wei family elders decided to hold the wake for Wei Xiaoshan for two-times-seven, fourteen days.

Mrs. Wei refused, wanting to hold the wake for her son for three-times-seven, twenty-one days.

But observing three cycles of seven required spending more silver. The Wei family had initially agreed to send one son to the Yu family as a live-in son-in-law because having too many sons meant too much expense, especially with the youngest son Wei Xiaochuan who had exceptional talent for studying. The family could barely afford it.

Mr. Wei thought further ahead—while the deceased was important, the living were more important.

He leaned toward observing two cycles of seven.

The Wei family parents had a conflict.

When Yu Wen learned of this from Yu Yuan, he took twenty taels of silver and went with Chen Shi to the Wei family.

Yu Tang, meanwhile, was in low spirits and wanted to talk privately with Ma Xiuniang.

In her previous life, Li Jun had fallen from a horse. In this life, Wei Xiaoshan drowned.

How could she not have thoughts about this?

Ma Xiuniang also knew about the Wei family’s matter and naturally welcomed Yu Tang to visit. Not only that, she thoughtfully sent her younger brother to Zhang Hui’s place and bought many snacks and treats to entertain Yu Tang.

Yu Tang had a belly full of thoughts, but after meeting Ma Xiuniang, she didn’t know what to say.

Ma Xiuniang was understanding. Since Yu Tang didn’t speak, she didn’t bring it up either. She just quietly sat with Yu Tang by the banana tree in her family’s courtyard for half the day without saying anything. When Yu Tang was leaving, Ma Xiuniang asked if she wanted her to come keep her company at home.

Yu Tang’s heart warmed, and her mood immediately improved considerably.

She hugged Ma Xiuniang tightly for a while before heading home.

But as her sedan chair had just entered Green Bamboo Lane, she discovered several neighbors gathered at her family’s gate.

Yu Tang’s heart tightened. She urged the sedan carriers to hurry. Before the sedan had even stopped properly, she lifted the curtain and got out.

A neighbor who recognized Yu Tang quickly said, “Miss Yu, where did you go? Your house was robbed. A’Tiao has already gone to find Master Yu. You should hurry home and take a look too!”

Yu Tang was greatly startled. She pushed through the crowd and entered the gate.

Chen Pozi was sweeping the floor. Seeing Yu Tang return, she quickly came forward and said, “Miss, it’s nothing serious. Just a few cuts of meat and half a vat of rice were stolen.”

Yu Tang frowned.

Lin’an City had enjoyed favorable weather for several years. Things were almost never lost on the streets, and such incidents rarely occurred. Even later during the disaster years, when the Pei family opened their granaries to distribute grain and closed the city gates to refuse entry to refugees, there were almost no theft incidents.

This showed that Third Master Pei, after becoming clan head of the Pei family, had done some good things.

Yu Tang asked, “Did you check carefully?”

“I checked carefully.” Chen Pozi said, “I even checked the items in Madam’s storeroom against the account books one by one. Everything is still there.” At this point, she patted her chest in relief. “Fortunately I turned back halfway. Otherwise, my sin would have been great!”

Yu Tang asked carefully and learned that Chen Pozi, seeing no one at home, had planned to visit the neighbors. Halfway there, she thought that since she’d just be sitting around chatting anyway, she might as well bring her needlework. That’s when she caught the thief and prevented more things from being stolen.

“Are you alright then?” Yu Tang asked with concern.

Chen Pozi said with a red face, “I’m fine, I’m fine. Had I known, I wouldn’t have gone out.”

Yu Tang said, “Just be more careful in the future.”

Chen Pozi complained, “In all these years in Green Bamboo Lane, no one’s ever had anything stolen. I don’t know what scoundrel came from where.”

Yu Tang asked, “Did you report it to the authorities?”

“Yes!” Chen Pozi said. “Mr. Wu next door helped report it. But the door wasn’t broken and the windows weren’t pried open, so I’m afraid even reporting to the authorities won’t turn up anything.”

Mainly because the stolen items weren’t valuable, the yamen wouldn’t take it seriously.

No matter what, the fact that a stranger had broken into the house… Yu Tang felt unsettled.

Yu Wen and Chen Shi didn’t return until evening. Hearing about this matter, Yu Wen also felt unsettled and instructed A’Tiao, “Go buy a large yellow dog to guard the house.”

Previously, their family didn’t keep dogs mainly because Yu Tang was still young then, and they feared frightening her. Now that they’d been robbed, they couldn’t just ignore it.

A’Tiao acknowledged and left.

Yu Tang asked Yu Wen about his visit to the Wei family.

Yu Wen sighed and said, “The Wei family didn’t want to accept our silver. Only after much persuasion did they finally accept it. But they insist it’s a loan, with six percent interest to be repaid within three years.”

Yu Tang was somewhat surprised.

She hadn’t expected the Wei family’s finances to be so thin.

Yu Wen said, “What are you thinking? Last year, someone who helped them press oil fell ill. Not only did they help pay for medical treatment, they also took in that family’s two children. Their funds have been tight since then.”

Chen Shi spoke up about the Wei family: “Mr. Wei and Mrs. Wei are both people of great kindness. Their family also has a cousin, said to be Mrs. Wei’s natal niece. She lost her mother in childhood and was raised in the Wei family. Mrs. Wei treats her like her own daughter, teaching her to read and manage the household. At this funeral, many of the inner quarters’ affairs have been handled with that girl’s assistance. I see her manner and behavior are somewhat similar to Mrs. Wei’s—shrewd yet still kind, which is truly rare.”

Yu Tang wasn’t particularly interested in these details. She said, “So for Wei Xiaoshan’s funeral, how many cycles of seven was decided?”

Chen Shi said, “Three cycles of seven.”

That was good!

Yu Tang sighed inwardly.

Outside, a man’s voice could be heard speaking loudly.

Yu Tang and the others thought it was a yamen officer coming to investigate today’s theft case. Without waiting for Chen Pozi to announce the visitor, Yu Wen pushed open the door and went out. But who knew the person entering would be an unfamiliar, plump, white-faced man.

He wore a bright blue Hangzhou silk robe with medallion patterns. Round-headed and broad-faced, upon seeing Yu Wen he urgently asked, “Are you Master Yu, Yu Huili?”

“That’s me!” Yu Wen responded.

The man’s expression clearly relaxed. He said, “I’ve come from Hangzhou. You know Master Lu, Lu Xin, don’t you?”

Yu Wen, along with Chen Shi and Yu Tang who had come out behind him, all froze.

The man had already continued: “I’m from Taihu. Some days ago, I stayed at the same inn as him. Five days ago, he drank excessively and suddenly died at the inn. The innkeeper reported it to the authorities. The authorities said to handle it ourselves. The innkeeper had heard Master Lu say you two were sworn brothers. Seeing I was returning home, he asked me to bring you a message. See if you can help buy him a coffin and bury him. Otherwise, the innkeeper will drag him to the charity cemetery.”

“Ah!” Yu Wen, Chen Shi, and Yu Tang looked at each other.

What was all this!

Chen Shi said to the man, “Shouldn’t you go report this to the Lu family?”

The man smiled bitterly and said, “I did go. But they said Lu Xin and his father had already gone beyond the five degrees of mourning with the Lu family. They don’t associate in daily life either. Before Lu Xin left, he sold the ancestral house, and moreover, to get a few more taels of silver, he sold it to outsiders. Whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with them.” The man, perhaps fearing Yu Wen would be like the Lu family and not care about this matter, added, “Anyway, I’ve delivered the message. Whether you go help collect his body is your business now. I’m in a hurry to return home, so I won’t disturb you any longer.” Having said this, he turned and left without even drinking a cup of tea.

Yu Wen paced back and forth.

Chen Shi said, “You’re not really going to Hangzhou to collect his body, are you?”

Yu Wen glanced at Yu Tang and said, “I’d better make the trip! Consider it accumulating merit for our A’Tang.”

Chen Shi wanted to speak but stopped.

She thought of the Wei family.

Doing good deeds brings blessings to one’s descendants. They only had Yu Tang as a daughter. As long as it was good, they hoped it would fall upon her.

Chen Shi stamped her foot and instructed Chen Pozi to prepare Yu Wen’s traveling pack.

Yu Tang had originally wanted to stop him, but then thought that her father had always been kind to others throughout his life. No matter how bad Lu Xin was, the man was already dead and could never trouble her father again. To let her father have peace of mind, she might as well let him make this trip to Hangzhou.

Consider it doing a good deed.

In her previous life, she’d lost track of news about Lu Xin.

She didn’t know if Lu Xin had died in a foreign land like this in her previous life, or if they’d lost contact after her parents died.

This had become yet another mystery.