The next day, before the yamen officers could come to the house to inquire about the case, Yu Wen rushed off to Hangzhou.

Chen Shi and Yu Tang saw him off at the dock.

The one minding the pawnshop was surprisingly young Shopkeeper Tong rather than Shopkeeper Tong himself.

Yu Wen couldn’t help asking, “Where did Shopkeeper Tong go?”

Young Shopkeeper Tong smiled and said, “The Pei family has another pawnshop in Hangzhou City. Every month at the beginning of the month, my father goes there to check the accounts. With so much happening in Lin’an City recently, my father has been busy here and hasn’t gone to Hangzhou City for several months. He wanted to take advantage of these few days when things aren’t busy to go take a look.”

The Pei family’s Grand Master and Old Master had passed away one after another—no wonder Shopkeeper Tong hadn’t gone out.

Yu Tang thought to herself, but Yu Wen was very pleased, saying, “The Pei family has another pawnshop in Hangzhou City? Where is the pawnshop? I’m going to Hangzhou City—I’ll go find him for a meal when I get there.” He added, “Had I known he was going to Hangzhou City, we could have traveled together for company.”

Young Shopkeeper Tong had already had someone bring tea over for the Yu family to drink, and asked with concern, “Master Yu, what are you going to Hangzhou City for? The Pei family pawnshop is by Shiyao River in the Fangren Lane area. Five storefronts with a tall shop sign—you can see it from far away. My father will be staying there for two or three days. Next to the pawnshop are several bookstores and antique shops. When you get there, Master Yu, you can browse around together with my father.”

Yu Wen looked worried and distressed.

He’d like to browse, but Lu Xin couldn’t wait!

He said, “I’ll have to arrange it with your father next time.”

While the two were talking, the boat to Hangzhou City arrived.

Yu Tang and her mother saw Yu Wen onto the boat.

Before the boat had even left the dock, a magnificent three-sailed large ship stopped beside the passenger boat.

Everyone looked on and pointed.

Yu Tang saw a青衣-clad man with an upright bearing leading a group of people rushing over, directing his attendants to set up a gangplank.

Someone nearby commented, “See that? That’s the Pei family’s chief steward, Pei Man.”

“Really, really!” someone said. “Move aside a bit, let me see.”

Yu Tang was quite surprised and stood on tiptoe to look a few more times.

That man called Pei Man was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a gaunt face, resolute gaze, and serious expression—he looked very difficult to talk to.

Yu Tang curled her lip.

Servants resembled their masters.

At a glance, this was someone Third Master Pei liked to use.

Just like him!

She silently criticized him a few times in her heart, then saw a man wearing white brocade robes descend from the large ship. About thirty years old, sporting a mustache, holding a black lacquered gold-painted Sichuan fan in his hand, looking arrogant and haughty. As soon as he disembarked, he said to Pei Man with a stern face, “Where’s Xiaguang? Why didn’t he come to meet me? I came all the way from the capital specifically to see him! I can understand him not going to Hangzhou City to welcome me, but I’ve already reached Tiao Creek Dock and he’s still not coming to meet me. Is this how one treats guests?”

Pei Man assumed a very humble posture, respectfully stepping forward to bow to the man, addressing him as “Zhuangyuan Zhou,” saying, “Our Third Master has been tied up with family matters. Otherwise, given your friendship with our Third Master, how could our Third Master possibly not come to meet you?”

Zhuangyuan Zhou just snorted twice and complained, “I told him not to bother with all this messy business. A rural backwater—what’s there to stay for? He just wouldn’t listen. Now look—in such fine weather, he has to deal with mundane affairs. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache for him.”

Pei Man smiled apologetically, neither confirming nor denying.

Zhuangyuan Zhou probably hadn’t expected Pei Man to respond anyway. He waved his hand at him and said, “Let’s go! Where’s the sedan chair? Xiaguang knows my temperament—what incense are the furnishings in the sedan chair scented with?”

Pei Man quickly said, “Third Master personally instructed this. It’s scented with our Third Master’s personally made Pear Blossom White.”

Hearing this, Zhuangyuan Zhou glanced at Pei Man and laughed mockingly, “No wonder Xiaguang chose you to serve at his side. With your ability to lie through your teeth without making people hate you, you’re suited for this position—your Third Master never uses incense, let alone personally makes it.”

Pei Man could indeed speak well. Smiling, he said, “Everyone says you and our Third Master are friends who offer frank criticism. Only you understand our Third Master this well.”

It’s just that when he smiled, he still carried a touch of coldness and wasn’t particularly warm.

But his words obviously pleased Zhuangyuan Zhou. Zhou no longer found fault. With a “swish” he opened his fan and waved it twice, saying, “Lead the way.”

Pei Man quickly made a “please go ahead” gesture and accompanied Zhuangyuan Zhou toward the sedan chair waiting beside the dock.

Servants filed down from the ship carrying trunks and boxes.

Yu Tang just watched for a moment and saw no fewer than ten of those trunks and boxes, each lacquered with fine tung oil, shining so brightly they could reflect people’s shadows, their four corners wrapped in auspicious cloud-patterned brass. There were also seven or eight women dressed plainly and wearing veiled hats standing at the ship’s rail, apparently waiting to disembark. She didn’t know if they were Zhuangyuan Zhou’s maidservants or female family members.

The people nearby erupted in discussion again.

“This must be Third Master Pei’s good friend, right?”

“Coming from the capital, and a Zhuangyuan scholar too—Third Master Pei has such face.”

“Look at all this pomp—this Zhuangyuan must also be from a wealthy family.”

Yu Tang, however, was thinking that so Third Master Pei’s courtesy name was “Xiaguang.”

Was it from “my heart loves her, why wouldn’t I speak of it?” Or from “for ten thousand years, may there always be assistance?”

Or perhaps “mountain colors lush beyond crimson railings, rosy light rippling on green pine tops?”

However, Third Master Pei was indeed like pine and bamboo, like light and pearls—outstanding in appearance.

And that Zhuangyuan Zhou.

She hadn’t heard of him in her previous life. She didn’t know which year’s examination he had topped. However, that arrogant and haughty manner was exactly like Third Master Pei’s—the two were indeed worthy friends.

As Yu Tang was thinking, the passenger boat carrying Yu Wen left the dock.

She and her mother waved to her father until the boat had sailed far away. Only then did she help her mother to the pawnshop to greet young Shopkeeper Tong before heading home.

Over there, Zhuangyuan Zhou and Pei Man had already disappeared from sight, leaving a steward-dressed person directing servants to load the trunks and boxes.

The tall stacks of trunks and boxes filled two carts and still weren’t finished.

Yu Tang couldn’t help clicking her tongue.

Just coming for a visit, yet bringing so many things—one could see how particular this person was.

She couldn’t help being somewhat curious about this Zhuangyuan Zhou’s identity.

Returning home, A’Tiao had already followed Yu Wen’s instructions and brought back a small yellow dog.

With its small body, soft fur, and large dark eyes, one look could warm your heart.

Yu Tang couldn’t help squatting down to pet the puppy. The puppy made soft sounds under her palm.

Her heart was melting. She asked A’Tiao, “Where did you get it? Has it been named?”

A’Tiao smiled and said, “Just caught it from our family’s tenant farmer in the countryside. It’s called San Huang.”

Yu Tang said, “Huh? Why is it called San Huang?”

A’Tiao laughed, “They said four were born at once, this is the third one, so they casually called it San Huang.”

Yu Tang smiled, “But it’s the only one in our family. Let’s call it Xiao Huang instead.”

Everyone said “good.”

Chen Pozi used bone broth to mix with rice and fed it.

Xiao Huang ate with snuffling sounds.

Chen Shi found it interesting and also came over to pet its head.

Yu Tang remembered she had some dried meat Ma Xiuniang had given her in her room. She ran back to get it, but heard movement at the back door.

Everyone in the house was in the front courtyard. Could a thief have gotten in?

Yu Tang pondered this, grabbed a wooden bar used for barring the door, and called out loudly, “Who’s there?”

Not only did the back door not quiet down, but with a clang, someone threw a rock into the back courtyard.

So this wasn’t a thief, but someone who was dissatisfied with their family.

Yu Tang was very angry.

Their family had always been kind to others. There had never been any quarrels with neighbors. And that thief last time only took some food—perhaps that was also someone playing a prank.

She ran over in three quick steps and opened the back door, seeing a boy wearing bright blue fine cloth clothes quickly running away from their back door.

Because it was morning and also the back alley, there weren’t many people around. Yu Tang saw clearly. She couldn’t help being stunned and murmured in confusion, “Wei Xiaochuan!”

That’s right, that boy was Wei Xiaochuan, whom she had seen during the matchmaking meeting last time.

What was he doing running to their back door? Knowing he’d been discovered, he still threw rocks at their back door? As if he had some grievance.

She remembered how he’d swung that small branch beating the grass beside him last time.

Also with that huffing, very dissatisfied manner.

What had their family done to offend him?

Thinking of Wei Xiaoshan, she quietly beckoned A’Tiao to inquire: “The Wei family’s youngest son, called Wei Xiaochuan—go see what he’s been doing lately.”

A’Tiao had once gone to the Wei family with Yu Wen and said, “He should be attending county school, right? I heard from the Wei family people that when his brothers were being tutored, he would listen from the side. At three years old he could recognize characters, at five he could recite the entire Book of Filial Piety. Although young, he entered county school early and will probably take the examination next year.”

Yu Tang was very surprised and even more worried that something might have happened to this child. By rights, such a precocious child shouldn’t behave so angrily.

A’Tiao acknowledged and left. Soon she returned to tell her that Wei Xiaochuan was properly and dutifully attending county school!

Yu Tang thought it over and had Shuang Tao take several boxes of pastries, then went with A’Tiao to the county school.

Because they asked through the county school teacher, although Wei Xiaochuan was unwilling, he still came out of the study hall with a stern face and asked Yu Tang coldly, “What do you want with me? Our two families don’t have any relationship anymore!”

Yu Tang felt even more certain there was some problem here.

She said, “Don’t tell me it wasn’t you throwing rocks at our house this morning. A man of honor dares to act and take responsibility. If you have something to say, say it; if you have business, state it. What kind of hero acts like a coward?”

After all, he was still a child. Wei Xiaochuan’s eyes turned red with agitation and he shouted, “You think I don’t dare confront you? It’s my fourth brother who stopped me, wouldn’t let me find you. You fox spirit, face that brings disaster! My second brother was an excellent swimmer. He only went to the river to catch fish to marry you, and ended up drowning in the river. And my third brother—hearing you were beautiful and that your family chose my second brother as the live-in son-in-law, he got into a fight with my second brother. Now that my second brother is gone, third brother is filled with regret and feels he can’t hold his head up among his brothers. If it weren’t for you, how would my second and third brothers have ended up like this!”

Yu Tang was stunned.

“Don’t come looking for me again! If you come find me again, I’ll tell everyone all the good things you’ve done!” Wei Xiaochuan yelled at her and ran off in a flash.

Yu Tang felt her whole body turn cold. She could barely stand.

In her previous life, Lin Shi had also cursed her as a fox spirit, but she had only sneered inwardly. Now, Wei Xiaochuan cursed her, and she remembered those eyes of Wei Xiaoshan’s that had looked at her blooming with joy and amazement, bright and sparkling like morning stars.

Her tears couldn’t help falling.