Pei Yan was so angry that his liver hurt seeing Yu Tang completely ignore his words.

He had originally thought that since this ungrateful thing wouldn’t listen, he wouldn’t bother with her anymore and just let her fend for herself. But after Yu Tang finished instructing Shuang Tao, she came over to him again, smiling warmly and gently saying: “Third Master, I know you don’t care for such things, and I know that today’s matter was improper on our family’s part. Just let me go buy some good tea to serve you—otherwise I’ll feel uneasy in my heart from now on. The vegetarian meal is the same—you’re still in your mourning period, so it’s inconvenient to keep you here longer. At least let us show our consideration. If you find it unpalatable, just give it to your servants. In any case, it’s a token of our family’s gratitude.”

Most importantly, she needed to let everyone know the Yu family’s gratitude toward Pei Yan, to compensate in public opinion for the grievance he suffered by personally attending the Yu family’s opening ceremony.

But she couldn’t say these words.

Based on her intuition, if she stated this so bluntly, Pei Yan would definitely turn hostile.

Looking at the face before him smiling as brilliantly as spring flowers with a hint of ingratiation, the depression in Pei Yan’s heart seemed to slowly dissipate somewhat.

Forget it!

As a man, why should he quibble with a young lady?

Besides, who doesn’t make mistakes when they’re young?

What matters is being able to correct one’s errors.

He might as well give her some guidance.

Pei Yan’s expression cleared slightly. He gently sipped his tea and said in an indifferent tone: “Have your little maid come back. I don’t lack that cup of tea from you. What I’m afraid of is that your family’s servant will take it upon himself to make all the decisions for you, thinking that tea costing five taels of silver per pound looks no different from tea costing five hundred taels per pound, so he simply buys the five-tael-per-pound tea and brings it back. If word gets out, people will think I like drinking coarse tea, and wherever I go from then on I’ll be served tea like dishwater. I’ll be uncomfortable, and others will be uncomfortable too.”

What did he mean?

Yu Tang was a bit confused.

She had already instructed Shuang Tao to have someone buy good tea. Tea at five hundred taels per pound was beyond their family’s means—even buying half a tael to serve guests wouldn’t be enough to keep up appearances—but surely they wouldn’t buy five-tael-per-pound tea to serve him?

Also, what did he mean by “wherever I go from then on the tea will be like dishwater, I’ll be uncomfortable and others will be uncomfortable too”?

His discomfort was understandable, but why would others also be uncomfortable?

Yu Tang looked at Pei Yan’s sharp eyes and brows, suddenly understanding.

This guy was mocking her.

She hadn’t caught on at first.

But could she be blamed? Who could mock someone like him—with such a calm face, his tone neither high nor low, neither angry nor heated, as indifferent as water?

Could someone really speak without revealing any emotion?

Yu Tang complained internally, unable to even properly scold Pei Yan.

This person was so petty, so moody and unpredictable—if her mind worked even slightly slower, who knew what he would imagine on his own again.

Yu Tang’s mind raced.

Tea leaves… cheap… thinking he liked coarse tea…

It did align with his consistent pattern of cherishing his reputation and liking to put on airs.

As for others being uncomfortable, did he mean that he only associated with wealthy families, so if other families wanted to serve him coarse tea they’d have to make a special purchase?

Several moments had already passed, and Yu Tang still hadn’t figured out exactly where she had gone wrong. But the accounting room was deathly quiet. The young clerk who had been serving in the accounting room at the start had disappeared somewhere when she came in. Pei Man and Hu Xing kept their heads lowered like wooden posts, as if afraid someone would notice them. Shuang Tao trembled just seeing Pei Yan, and once given an errand, immediately ran off like a wisp of smoke. If she didn’t speak, there would be no other voice in this room, and in a few more moments, the atmosphere she had worked so hard to lighten would become heavy again.

Talking with Pei Yan was truly exhausting!

Yu Tang sighed internally but didn’t dare show even half of it on her face. She could only make something up: “Look at what you’re saying—it’s the thought that counts! Whether it’s tea at five taels per pound or five hundred taels per pound, it’s all meant to make you feel welcome, it’s all sincere…”

But before she could finish speaking, she heard Pei Yan snort coldly and say: “So by that logic, a door knocker costing two taels is also ‘it’s the thought that counts’?”

Caught completely off guard by Pei Yan’s mockery, Yu Tang was so startled she nearly stumbled and fell.

Her first thought was how did he know that door knocker cost two taels of silver?

Her second thought was did Pei Yan want to settle this account with her now?

Her third thought was it’s over, it’s over—with Pei Yan’s arrogant personality, he must think their family was fooling him!

Yu Tang didn’t have time to think carefully and first protested her innocence: “Third Master, you’ve misunderstood. Sending you that door knocker was my idea. When I was browsing the antique shop with Father, I thought that door knocker was interesting and wanted to make you happy too…”

Pei Yan raised an eyebrow and unceremoniously interrupted her: “Wrapped so nicely, and saying it was found in some antique shop—clearly you wanted to present it as an important gift. Then you shouldn’t let the recipient know it was a two-tael item! Buying something from my own shop to give to me—only that brain of yours could come up with such an idea. What, now you want to buy tea from my shop to serve me? Order vegetarian dishes from my restaurant to send to me? Does that brain of yours only think about convenience? Can’t you think of anything else? ‘It’s the thought that counts’? When I receive such things, you come and show me—where can I find your family’s sincerity?”

Yu Tang’s face flushed bright red all at once.

But could she be blamed?

How many shops in all of Lin’an City didn’t belong to the Pei family?

She would love to buy something good, but aside from Pei family shops, where could she go?

Although she struggled with this internally, her reason was clearer—this matter was indeed handled improperly on her part.

At the very least, there was no sincerity in it.

But who could have anticipated that such a busy man would know that among his family’s so many shops there was actually one selling such a door knocker!

Yu Tang couldn’t help being shocked—could he possibly know about everything in all the Pei family shops?

This, this shouldn’t be possible!

Pei Yan suddenly discovered that Miss Yu not only had a radiant face, but her bright black-and-white eyes were also constantly speaking, never calm as still water.

Looking at the way she looked at him, he didn’t even need to use his brain to know what she was thinking.

Pei Yan couldn’t help but laugh coldly again, lecturing her: “There’s no paper in this world that can wrap up fire. Since you’ve done such a thing, you must anticipate the day when you’ll be exposed. Rather than fobbing others off with phrases like ‘it’s the thought that counts,’ why not carefully consider what you should say when giving gifts?”

Yu Tang nodded submissively.

But looking at her like that, Pei Yan could tell she still fundamentally didn’t understand what he had just said.

He thought for a moment and simply said directly: “Everything depends on sincerity. If you think that door knocker is interesting, when giving the gift you should tell the person it’s not valuable, it’s just for fun, and casually pack it in any box. If you think that door knocker is an antique, when giving the gift you should explain the item’s provenance. The way you did it so perfunctorily—a two-tael item packed in a ten-tael brocade box, and bought from the recipient’s own shop—tell me, who would like receiving such a gift?”

Was he telling her how to conduct herself?

Yu Tang was completely stunned, taking a long moment to react.

Really—Third Master Pei was really telling her how to conduct herself and act in the world!

Yu Tang immediately became so excited she didn’t know what to say.

There was a type of person who would only lecture you if they considered you one of their own.

Like the first time she met Pei Yan, he wouldn’t even listen to her explanations. But now, he was actually pointing out where she had gone wrong.

This was truly reaching the heavens in a single step!

It showed that her efforts had yielded results.

What in this world could make one feel that their efforts were more meaningful than this?

Yu Tang felt her eyes becoming somewhat moist. She quickly expressed her loyalty: “Third Master’s lesson is right. I’ve taken it to heart. I definitely won’t make the same mistake again.” Thinking of his contrary personality, she quickly added: “I’ll have someone call Shuang Tao back right away. Whatever tea we have in the shop, I’ll use that to serve guests. You’re not a picky person. As for the vegetarian meal, it still must be sent to your residence. But it must be the best vegetarian meal the restaurant can provide.”

At least his words hadn’t been wasted.

Pei Yan’s expression improved somewhat.

Yu Tang breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt some heartache over the silver she’d have to spend on the vegetarian meal.

It probably couldn’t be done for less than fifty or sixty taels.

And vegetarian meals were always more expensive than regular banquets.

Couldn’t they save some money?

He wanted reputation, didn’t he? And elegant reputation at that?

Yu Tang suddenly thought of an idea. For the sake of her family’s silver, she immediately said carefully: “Third Master, what do you think—could I change the vegetarian meal from the restaurant next door to one from Zhaoming Temple or some other temple?”

That should be classy enough, right?

And the masters at the temple, knowing this vegetarian meal was being sent to the Pei family, would definitely make it excellent without charging much silver—if they asked for too much money, how could they solicit donations and incense money from the Pei family? After all, the temple flew the banner of austere simplicity!

Pei Yan looked at Yu Tang’s eyes, clear as water yet occasionally flashing with a hint of cunning, and his mood improved a bit more.

A teachable child!

This young lady was truly clever, but unfortunately she had fallen into the Yu family—such ordinary, common people. Her parents lacked insight and couldn’t teach her much. It was rather like a pearl covered in dust.

“You may!” Pei Yan felt he had always been a person who dealt with facts as they were—good was good, bad was bad. Since Miss Yu had thought of an idea that was both money-saving and elegant, naturally it should be affirmed.

See, she knew it—Pei Yan as a person openly liked simplicity and plainness, but in his bones what he actually liked most was luxury and magnificence. But no matter how luxurious and magnificent, it still had to appear simple and plain.

Yu Tang felt she had gained a new layer of understanding of Pei Yan, and he became more approachable in her mind.

She immediately found the young clerk who had been serving in the accounting room earlier to go chase after and bring back Shuang Tao, then went to find her eldest aunt who was watching over the warehouse and small workshop in the back. She asked her to send someone to Zhaoming Temple to arrange the vegetarian meal, and whispered instructions to her eldest aunt: “Make sure people know this is our family’s respectful offering to Third Master of the Pei family.”

Wasn’t this announcing to the world that their family had gained the Pei family’s protection?

For the Yu family, this had a hundred benefits and not a single harm.

What reason did eldest aunt have not to agree?

“Understood,” Wang Shi replied with a smile. “Rest assured, I know how to handle this matter. I’ll definitely handle it well.”

But Yu Tang was still somewhat worried and quickly said: “Going too far is as bad as not going far enough.”

“I know, I know.” Eldest aunt smiled at her meaningfully and said: “I definitely won’t let people criticize our Yu family for fawning over the Pei family.”

Yu Tang smiled with pursed lips.