The steps ascending along the mountain gate across from them were packed shoulder to shoulder—only a sea of bobbing heads could be seen.

Zhou Shaojin was left speechless.

Thank goodness Madam Wang had gone to find a solution. Otherwise, if they had to squeeze their way up like this, she wouldn’t mind, but she feared Old Madam Guo would faint from stuffiness and distress.

She quietly lowered the sedan curtain. From the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught sight of a blue-lotus colored figure.

With an ape-like back and wasp-like waist, very familiar.

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but lift the curtain to look.

At the foot of the mountain, several men were following the flow of people up the mountain.

Everywhere else was so crowded people couldn’t move, yet they were smoothly ascending.

The one walking in the middle wore a blue-lotus colored Hangzhou silk straight robe with a jade belt. To his left was someone wearing a treasure-blue auspicious cloud pattern straight robe, tall and powerfully built—he also seemed familiar from somewhere. To his right was someone wearing a purple-red five bats celebrating longevity pattern straight robe, tall and fat, his flesh seeming to jiggle as he walked. Around the three of them followed several nimble-bodied men. Among them was one thin and tall, wearing a brown fine cloth straight robe with a cloth belt of the same color at his waist. In the crowd, that figure inexplicably carried a hint of desolation, like a stranger who had inadvertently wandered among those people.

Yet to Zhou Shaojin, it looked like Huai Shan.

“Could it be that Uncle Chi arranged to tour Lingyin Temple with friends?” she murmured.

If Uncle Chi had indeed arranged to tour Lingyin Temple with others, it truly wouldn’t be convenient to bring them along—Old Madam Guo was an elder after all, and they would inevitably have to consider her preferences. But elderly people and young people had different tastes.

So Uncle Chi had secretly run off to play!

Zhou Shaojin smiled with pursed lips and lowered the sedan curtain. Suddenly she felt even Lingyin Temple had become much more endearing, and she felt more at ease.

Famous ancient temples were all rather similar. After seeing the temples at Mount Putuo, viewing other temples gave one the feeling of “seeing all mountains as small after ascending Mount Tai.”

Zhou Shaojin followed Old Madam Guo in offering incense at the Great Buddha Hall. Madam Wang accompanied them to the side chamber to have their fortune slips interpreted.

Coming toward them, Cheng Chi and a group of people were descending the steps.

Zhou Shaojin was greatly startled.

The one wearing the treasure-blue auspicious cloud pattern straight robe was actually that Xiao Zhenhai she had seen at Jiangbei Bridge that day.

The other she didn’t recognize—plump and pale like a steamed bun, his features all squeezed together, yet his skin was rosy and smooth like an infant’s, seemingly ready to break at a touch.

Huai Shan, wearing the brown fine cloth straight robe, had his hands tucked in his sleeves and followed behind Cheng Chi expressionlessly.

Several pairs of eyes suddenly met.

A gleam of light flashed in Huai Shan’s eyes. Cheng Chi, however, continued speaking to Xiao Zhenhai with his usual composed expression.

Zhou Shaojin instantly realized that Cheng Chi did not want these people to know of her relationship with him.

She couldn’t help but take a deep breath, trying her best to appear calm and composed. Like those young girls visiting the temple fair for the first time, she looked at them curiously for a few moments, then grabbed Chun Wan and whispered, “Don’t make a sound!” She then shifted her attention to a woman nearby carrying a basket selling snow pears. Smiling, she asked in Mandarin, “How much are these snow pears each?”

“Three coins each!” the woman answered, lifting the blue coarse cloth covering the basket. She picked out a large, round one for Zhou Shaojin. “Would the young miss like to buy one?”

“Yes.” Seeing that Chun Wan and the others had all gathered around without anyone glancing at Cheng Chi, Zhou Shaojin said, “We’ll take one for each of us.” She considered it a reward for their obedient cleverness.

Cheng Chi passed by them.

Zhou Shaojin heard that Xiao Zhenhai say, “Jiangnan truly produces beauties! I never expected that just casually strolling around, I’d encounter a beauty. It’s a pity this young lady’s clothing and ornaments are luxurious, and the pair of South Sea pearl flowers on her head are rare South Sea pearls. Clearly she’s either wealthy or noble. Otherwise, I’d inquire which family’s daughter she is and bring her back as a concubine…”

That plump, pale one even said, “Why go to such trouble? Just send someone to follow her and you’ll know her background. With Brother Xiao’s wealth and character, as long as you set your mind to it, what family’s daughter wouldn’t be easily captured…”

Zhou Shaojin felt her hair stand on end.

No wonder Uncle Chi didn’t want those people to discern their relationship—these two were not good people at all!

But how could Uncle Chi be with such people?

Zhou Shaojin pondered this in her heart, pulling Chun Wan’s hand as she ran toward the side chamber next to the auxiliary hall.

Old Madam Guo, supported lightly by Madam Wang, was just rising from the table of the great monk who interpreted fortunes. Seeing Zhou Shaojin’s pale face, she couldn’t help but furrow her brow slightly. “Did someone show you disrespect?”

As she spoke, she glanced with displeasure at Ji Ying, who was following closely behind her.

Ji Ying, innocently reprimanded, felt rather helpless, grumbling inwardly: It was Cheng Zichuan who told me to stay by your side every step… Besides, I’ve been keeping an eye on Zhou Shaojin too…

“No, no.” Zhou Shaojin quickly stepped forward to take Old Madam Guo’s arm. “I saw some ruffians charging about outside, so I hurried over.”

Old Madam Guo’s expression showed slight anger. “At such a large temple fair, shouldn’t the authorities have sent people to patrol? How did they let those ruffians get in?”

Madam Wang quickly said, “In previous years there were always people managing things. I don’t know what happened this year. I’ll go check!”

“No need, no need.” If Madam Wang ran into Cheng Chi, she would surely step forward to greet him, and then Uncle Chi’s visit to Lingyin Temple with friends couldn’t be concealed. Old Madam Guo would certainly be displeased. Zhou Shaojin waved her hands repeatedly at Madam Wang. “When I came, I saw yamen runners heading that way, which is why I avoided them—a gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall, to avoid being inadvertently caught up in trouble.”

What “gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall”—more like timid and fearful!

Though Madam Wang thought otherwise in her heart, her face showed full agreement as she smiled and said “Yes.”

Old Madam Guo also didn’t want complications and instructed Nanny Lu, “Go out and take a look. If those people have gone far, we’ll depart for West Lake! There are people everywhere. At this rate, we’ll be lucky to reach West Lake by dusk.”

Zhou Shaojin wanted to gain a bit more time for Cheng Chi. Smiling, she called out to Nanny Lu, “Nanny, while you’re out, please call Bitao in for me. I just had her go buy pears but forgot to give her money.”

Nanny Lu smiled and agreed, leaving the side chamber.

Shortly after, Bitao and several young maids entered carrying pears.

Zhou Shaojin had Bitao place the pears in Old Madam Guo’s sedan chair. “I didn’t expect the weather to be so hot and the air so poor. I don’t know if these pears taste good, but they smell wonderful. If you feel stuffy in your chest, smell these pears.”

“You’re still the most thoughtful one.” Old Madam Guo was very pleased to hear this.

Nanny Lu walked in with a smile. “I circled around the great hall and didn’t see those ruffians. They must have been dealt with by the authorities already.”

Zhou Shaojin felt relieved.

Old Madam Guo nodded with satisfaction. “Now that’s what a magistrate should be like!” Lightly supported by Zhou Shaojin, she left the side chamber and headed toward the Incense Cloud Path to the side.

At the moon gate not far away, sedan chairs from the Yutai Money Exchange were waiting to take them down the mountain.

Madam Wang said with a smile, “Donating several hundred taels of silver to them each year, if they can’t even provide this small convenience, who would trust their temple incense in the future!”

Old Madam Guo smiled noncommittally.

Everyone left Lingyin Temple together.

There were also many people touring West Lake. By the time they found the pleasure boat Qin Ziping had arranged, it was indeed already sunset.

Madam Wang kept flattering Old Madam Guo, “You truly have experience, Old Madam. Though this is your first time coming to Hangzhou Prefecture, just by looking at the situation on the road, you could guess most of what would happen. I’ve lived forty-some foolish years and am already a grandmother myself, yet I don’t know when I’ll have Old Madam’s discernment…”

Old Madam Guo chuckled, continuously bringing the pear in her hand to her nose to smell. Clearly, she was very satisfied with Zhou Shaojin’s suggestion.

Qin Ziping and several servant women came to welcome Old Madam Guo aboard.

Old Madam Guo saw that the servant women were all strangers with rather crude manners. “Where did these people come from?”

Qin Ziping said with a smile, “They originally served on this boat. I was afraid we’d be short-handed, so I temporarily kept them to help the young ladies.”

Old Madam Guo nodded and led Zhou Shaojin to sit in the boat cabin.

Unlike the pleasure boat they had taken from Jinling to Zhenjiang, this one was more luxurious. Red-lacquered wooden floors, yellow gauze palace lanterns, scarlet red brocade cushions, pastel teacups with lids, cloisonné incense burners… not like what ordinary households used.

Qin Ziping explained with a smile, “This is the pleasure boat of Master Zong, the richest man in Jiangnan. Hearing that Old Madam was coming, he specially sent it over.”

Old Madam Guo’s husband and son both held positions as Minor Nine Ministers. She had seen countless instances of such flattery and currying favor.

She sat on the arhat bed without much concern.

The boat slowly began to move.

At first Zhou Shaojin didn’t notice, thinking it was a neighboring boat leaving the dock. Only when the scenery outside the window changed to green mountains and clear waters did she realize with alarm, “Uncle Chi hasn’t boarded yet? Aren’t we waiting for Uncle Chi?”

“Fourth Master will board at Leifeng Pagoda,” Qin Ziping said with a smile. “He instructed me to first accompany Old Madam and Second Young Miss to view West Lake’s scenery.” He then explained, “Fourth Master has visited West Lake countless times already.”

The implication was that he was already tired of the scenery around West Lake.

Zhou Shaojin didn’t quite believe Qin Ziping’s words.

She felt that Cheng Chi must be accompanying friends and unable to reach the West Lake dock in time to tour with them, so he had chosen to board at Leifeng Pagoda instead.

It seemed Uncle Chi’s friends weren’t all that great!

If they were good friends, since today was the Mid-Autumn Festival, they should have let Uncle Chi return early to accompany his family.

Zhou Shaojin certainly wouldn’t expose Cheng Chi. Grumbling inwardly, afraid that Old Madam Guo might grow displeased, she smiled and kept up cheerful conversation before Old Madam Guo.

Old Madam Guo seemed not to have noticed anything amiss and spoke with Zhou Shaojin with a beaming smile.

Three steps brought a scene, ten steps a painting.

West Lake’s landscape truly lived up to its reputation. But when Zhou Shaojin heard Madam Wang say these were all man-made landscapes, her interest waned somewhat, and she began to miss the capital’s grandeur and magnificence.

With difficulty, the boat reached Leifeng Pagoda, and the sky had also darkened.

Madam Wang asked Old Madam Guo if she wanted to go ashore to “take” a few bricks back to Jinling.

Everyone was puzzled.

Madam Wang said with a smile, “In the previous dynasty, there was a woman who couldn’t conceive for a long time. She prayed to Buddha everywhere without success. Then one day at Lingyin Temple, she drew a fortune slip that told her to worship whatever she encountered upon leaving the temple. Who knew that when the woman left the temple, what she saw was Leifeng Pagoda. But her family was poor—how could she have the means to worship an entire pagoda? After thinking for a long time, the woman carried a brick home and placed it on the family altar, worshipping it day and night. Before long, she gave birth to a son. After this story spread, women from Hangzhou city often sneak to Leifeng Pagoda under cover of night to carry back a few bricks to worship… It’s said to be very efficacious for seeking children.”