Wei Xiaochuan became excited and quickly said, “Elder Sister, don’t worry. Although he’s at the prefectural school and I’m at the county school, we have mutual acquaintances. Whatever he does every day, I guarantee I’ll tell you.”

Yu Tang said, “But you also can’t neglect your studies, alright?”

The Li family wanted that painting. They would either fall into her trap—whether by theft or robbery—to obtain Lu Xin’s “relics,” or like in her previous life, force her to marry Li Jun.

If the Li family fell into her trap, a gentleman’s revenge could wait ten years—she could spend ten or twenty years slowly investigating Wei Xiaoshan’s true cause of death. But this life was different from her previous life. She had parents and an older brother. If the Li family wanted to interfere in her marriage again, they could only use cunning, not force. They would surely have follow-up moves.

She would just wait.

Right now, the urgent matter was to pacify Wei Xiaochuan so this affair wouldn’t affect his studies or even his future prospects.

Wei Xiaochuan showed a hint of a smile and said, “Elder Sister, don’t worry. I know what’s important.”

His words had barely fallen when Yu Tang heard her mother’s voice: “What are you doing here?”

The two looked in the direction of the voice together.

Chen Shi was surprised and said hesitantly, “This is Xiaochuan, right? The Wei family’s Fifth Young Master?”

Wei Xiaochuan quickly stepped forward to bow to Chen Shi.

Chen Shi happily embraced him and said, “Good child, did you come to our house for some matter? Why aren’t you inside talking? Standing at this back gate isn’t proper. Quick, quick, quick, come inside with me.” She then called loudly for Shuang Tao, “Pack some of the pastries that young master Yuan bought back from Hangzhou the other day for Xiaochuan to taste.”

Wei Xiaochuan’s face turned bright red. He quickly said, “Aunt, there’s no need! I just came to see Elder Sister. The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon. Our county school is on break, and I still need to go back to help the family with farm work!”

“Oh my!” Chen Shi liked him even more upon hearing this and said, “You’re already studying at the county school, yet you still help the family with farm work! How wonderful. Not like some scholars who, after reading a few books, won’t lift a finger to help with anything. However, since you’re rushing back for the festival, I won’t keep you. But you must take the pastries. If you don’t like them, let your brothers and sisters try them.”

Wei Xiaochuan agreed, thanked Chen Shi, took the pastries, and went home.

Chen Shi then closed the door and interrogated Yu Tang: “Xiaochuan is a child not yet three feet tall, and he’s studying at the county school. Why did he suddenly come looking for you?”

Yu Tang could only say, “Can’t I inquire from him about Miss Xiang?”

Chen Shi slapped her once and said, “This matter isn’t settled yet. If you cause some trouble because of this, just watch—I won’t lock you in the woodshed.”

Yu Tang knew her mother always had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. When she was young, no matter how much trouble she caused, her mother never laid a finger on her. Deliberately trying to amuse her mother, she called out loudly for “Father,” saying, “Mother is going to hit me!”

Yu Wen quickly emerged from the study. Before even seeing anyone, he was already calling out loudly, “If you have something to say, say it properly. Why hit the child!”

“Yu Tang!” Chen Shi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Yu Tang had already scurried over to Yu Wen’s side with bent waist.

Yu Wen could tell at a glance that Yu Tang was just playing around. He spread his hands helplessly toward Chen Shi and said, “Forget it, forget it. I’m going to practice calligraphy. I won’t get involved in your affairs anymore.”

Yu Tang then ran to her mother’s side to apologize and changed the focus to tomorrow’s matchmaking meeting: “What clothes should I wear? What if I steal Miss Xiang’s thunder and she dislikes me as a younger sister-in-law before even entering the family?”

“Then we’ll marry you off.” Chen Shi pinched her daughter’s cheek but still helped her daughter select clothing.

Yu Tang chose the lilac-colored garment she had worn when accompanying Ma Xiuniang at the hairpin ceremony. Though Chen Shi wasn’t entirely satisfied, she didn’t say much. The next morning, she and Wang Shi and the others took sedan chairs to the Yu family’s farmland estate in the countryside. After lunch, they would pretend to be passing by the Wei family on their way back from the countryside and visit the Wei family.

Yu Tang looked at the scenery along the way, her mood somewhat downcast.

Usually, such matchmaking meetings took place at temples or nunneries.

But their family and the Wei family had circuitously arranged to meet at the Wei household—probably fearing she would be moved by the surroundings and think of her own marriage prospects.

Her parents’ devoted love—she had no way to repay it.

Yu Tang took a deep breath, reminding herself that she must be cheerful and happy in front of her mother.

The Yu family’s old residence in the countryside was quite large—a five-courtyard compound of blue brick houses. A distant widower relative and his adopted son lived there, helping their family look after the house and manage the farmland. Yu Tang had to address him as Fifth Great-Uncle and call his adopted son Seventh Uncle.

This Fifth Great-Uncle was in his sixties, honest and sincere. In her previous life, he had always helped the Yu family look after this old residence. Knowing Yu Wen and the others were returning, he had cleaned the house early and prepared a feast.

Yu Tang ate with her mother, aunt, and the other female members indoors, while Yu Wen and Fifth Great-Uncle and the others drank wine outside.

Fifth Great-Uncle asked Yu Wen, “The Mid-Autumn Festival hasn’t passed yet. The grain in the fields has been harvested but hasn’t been tallied yet. Should you go look at the granary first?”

Yu Wen smiled and said, “Today we just came to the countryside to have some fun. As for matters in the fields, just follow the usual practice.”

Fifth Great-Uncle looked at the somewhat overcast sky, not understanding what there was to enjoy about the countryside in this kind of weather.

But he was an honest person. Since Yu Wen didn’t say, he was too embarrassed to ask. Because of Yu Yuan’s matter, they still had to visit the Wei family in the afternoon. Yu Wen didn’t drink wine. And because the appointed time with the Wei family was still early, after finishing the meal they didn’t disperse. While drinking tea, he chatted with Fifth Great-Uncle about matters concerning the farmland.

Seventh Uncle was a man in his early forties, of medium height, dark-skinned, and robustly built. For some unknown reason, he had never married. When Yu Tang was young and came to the estate with her father, he would often carry her around on his shoulders to play, and buy her snacks and hair ribbons. He was very fond of her.

Later, when her parents died, he had made a special trip to pay his respects and had intermittently carried rice to give her several times.

Seventh Uncle stood outside the door beckoning to her.

Chen Shi and Wang Shi saw this and said to Yu Tang with smiles, “Go on! Let your Seventh Uncle take you around the estate so you won’t be bored.”

Since her rebirth, Yu Tang hadn’t yet seen this Seventh Uncle.

She smiled and went outside.

Seventh Uncle pulled out a crude birdcage from behind him that looked homemade and said, “For you to play with.”

Yu Tang looked and saw the cage contained several sparrows.

Most likely also caught by Seventh Uncle.

He had roasted sparrows for her before.

She smiled with pursed lips, thanked Seventh Uncle, and took the birdcage.

Seventh Uncle asked her, “I’m going to pick osmanthus flowers in a bit. Do you want to come? I’ll make osmanthus sugar for you to eat.”

Yu Tang didn’t really want to go, but she wanted to see her uncle’s mountain forest.

In her previous life, after this mountain forest was sold to the Pei family, the Pei family had planted a type of fruit in the forest, then made it into candied preserves to sell. It was said to sell extremely well in Hangzhou. Because of this, Gao Shi often cursed Yu Yuan as worthless, saying he was useless guarding a treasure mountain and had actually sold such a good mountain.

Yu Tang had been so angry after hearing this that she didn’t eat for several days, but in her heart, she had to admit that the Pei family’s steward was very capable—even such a mountain forest could be turned into a money-making scheme in their steward’s hands.

In this life, she wanted to try as well.

Yu Tang brought the birdcage inside and gave it to Chen Shi and Wang Shi, saying, “Let Eldest Cousin use it to amuse Miss Xiang. I’m going with Seventh Uncle to pick osmanthus flowers.”

Chen Shi quickly admonished her, “Don’t pick them yourself. Be careful not to get flower juice on your hands—it won’t wash off for ages.” Still not reassured, she called Seventh Uncle inside and told him to watch over Yu Tang.

Seventh Uncle repeatedly promised.

Yu Tang and Seventh Uncle went to the foot of the mountain where osmanthus was planted.

Among the lush green leaves hung brilliant clusters of small yellow flowers.

Seventh Uncle gave her a cloth bag and said, “You stand in the shade of the tree. I’ll go pick the flowers.”

Yu Tang smiled and agreed.

While Seventh Uncle was picking flowers, she stood on tiptoe, looking around and chatting with him: “I see other families’ mountain forests all plant walnuts, peaches, plums, and such. Why doesn’t our family’s forest have anything?”

Seventh Uncle skillfully picked osmanthus flowers while saying, “Your uncle’s mountain forest isn’t good. The soil quality is particularly poor. In your grandfather’s time, they tried planting walnuts, but the walnuts that grew were bitter and astringent and couldn’t be sold. Later they tried planting bamboo shoots. A whole grove of bamboo grew, but the shoots that came up were like dry firewood. As for peaches and plums, even less worth mentioning… By your uncle’s time, they just let it be. Growing a few miscellaneous trees to sell as firewood is also fine! You’re a young lady and don’t know—in winter, firewood sells very well. Even Linan City has supply shortages… I heard that it sells for even more in Hangzhou, but your Fifth Great-Uncle’s health isn’t good, so I can’t go too far away. Otherwise, I would go sell firewood in Hangzhou…”

Yu Tang was somewhat dazed.

Go to Hangzhou to sell firewood? Wouldn’t the money from selling firewood be less than the boat fare for transporting it?

In her previous life, she had never paid attention to these things. Information went in one ear and out the other—she just found what this Seventh Uncle said quite interesting. But in this life…

Yu Tang smiled bitterly and shook her head inwardly.

Having experienced her previous life, no matter how much she pretended, there was no way to return to how things were before.

She was arranging the osmanthus flowers Seventh Uncle had picked when she heard a “rustling” sound by her ears, as if someone was coming through the grass.

Yu Tang looked up and saw several slovenly young men.

Seeing Yu Tang, their eyes lit up. They even exchanged glances—clearly harboring ill intent.

Yu Tang’s alarm bells rang loudly. She called to Seventh Uncle, “Do you know these people?”

Seventh Uncle turned around and smiled, “Oh, they’re a few local hooligans from our village. Don’t mind them. They won’t dare do anything!”

Though he said this, he looked extremely nervous. The flowers that could be plucked off with a light pinch earlier now wouldn’t come off even after two hard tugs.

Could this Seventh Uncle have some grievance with them?

Yu Tang said urgently, “Seventh Uncle, let’s go back! I still need to accompany Mother and Aunt to visit the Wei family. Next time I’ll come keep you company picking osmanthus.” After speaking, she went to pull at Seventh Uncle’s sleeve.

Seventh Uncle’s lips twitched, but he said, “No need. Don’t go back yet. I’ll be done picking in a moment.”

Something’s wrong!

Yu Tang looked toward those hooligans. They were striding rapidly toward her.

Their momentum was somewhat fierce.

Yu Tang looked at Seventh Uncle again.

His hand picking flowers was gripping the branch tightly, his knuckles white.

Yu Tang suddenly thought of the Li family she had been guarding against all along…

She turned and ran.

“Stinking girl, you stop right there!” Those people shouted loudly at her.

Then someone grabbed her collar.

Yu Tang turned around and saw Seventh Uncle’s face full of apology.