Cheng Chi and Song Min stood steadily at the bow of a black-canopied boat, watching Qin Ziping and others on the neighboring boat repeatedly place wooden planks on the river’s surface according to their instructions, using pocket watches to time how long it took for the planks to float from upstream to downstream and measuring the distance.

Huang Yijun, standing behind them, muttered quietly, “Can you really calculate the water flow this way? But even if you measure the water flow, what use is it? Every year on the eighteenth day of the eighth month is when the Qiantang River tide surge is at its greatest. From ancient times to the present, this has never been wrong. Even if you calculate that the tide will come a few days early, there will still be a tide surge on the eighteenth of the eighth month—it’s just a matter of degree. Who would notice such details…”

Last night they had been drinking wine quite happily when Old Master Song and Cheng Zichuan suddenly decided to go see Hangzhou Bay on the Qiantang River. He had been entrusted by his brother-in-law to safely and smoothly “escort” Song Min to the capital, so he had no choice but to put down his chopsticks and follow them to Hangzhou Bay.

Old Master Song and Cheng Zichuan had walked around Hangzhou Bay for most of the night. He sat to the side watching his upper and lower eyelids fighting each other, not knowing when he fell asleep. When he was shaken awake by Cheng Zichuan’s attendant, the sky was already bright. Old Master Song and Cheng Zichuan immediately rushed back to Baiyang Village. That Manager Qin somehow found several black-canopied boats. After hastily eating breakfast, they squatted on these boats, and then he watched Manager Qin follow Old Master Song and Cheng Zichuan’s instructions, having the wooden plank float from this boat to that boat, then from that boat to this boat, while Manager Qin used Cheng Zichuan’s pocket watch to check the time.

Old Master Song showed no trace of being the father of a super first-rank official. Like some country bumpkin who had never seen the world, ever since Cheng Zichuan pulled that cloisonné enamel pocket watch from his sleeve, his eyes seemed glued to it. He even shamelessly asked Cheng Zichuan “where did you get this pocket watch?” Little did he know that although such pocket watches were rare, they were sold outside Dongzhi Gate in the capital. His brother-in-law even had one that he usually kept in storage. His brother-in-law seemed quite fond of it, but if Old Master Song, who was his brother-in-law’s father, asked for it, how could his brother-in-law refuse?

Staring at someone’s pocket watch so eagerly… how embarrassing!

That wasn’t even the worst of it. When Cheng Zichuan said he got it from Westerners and promised to get one for him too, Old Master Song’s expression could only be described as deeply grateful. He even started obsequiously calling Cheng Zichuan “Master Cheng.” If his brother-in-law heard this, where could he hide his face?

No wonder his brother-in-law was determined to “invite” Old Master Song to his side no matter what.

And they had been watching that wooden plank float back and forth for nearly an hour already. When would this end?

The sun shone on the river surface. The weather was exceptionally hot. His head was dizzy and swollen. He wished he could disembark immediately.

But Old Master Song was “playing” happily with Cheng Zichuan. What could he say?

Huang Yijun looked at Cheng Chi’s youthful face and muttered a few sentences under his breath. Because his voice was too low, no one could hear what he was muttering.

Lang Yue, who was serving nearby, rolled his eyes.

This Huang Yijun—at first he was quite modest and polite, but later when he discovered that Fourth Master was only five years older than him yet he was still a cultivated scholar while Fourth Master was already a presented scholar, he started feeling uncomfortable. When Old Master Song wanted to treat Fourth Master as an equal, he began feeling completely disconcerted, as if Old Master Song treating Fourth Master as an equal was some great transgression.

However, this couldn’t really be blamed on Huang Yijun.

He was clearly an honest, proper, rule-abiding scholar, so naturally he couldn’t understand what Fourth Master and Old Master Song were doing!

Lang Yue said to him somewhat sympathetically, “Young Master Huang, would you like to sit in the cabin? The sun outside is too strong.”

That would be good!

Huang Yijun thought to himself that Old Master Song didn’t need him anyway. There was no point in him staying here.

“Then I’ll trouble you, young brother!” he said politely.

A small boat rowed over vigorously.

Cheng Chi and Song Min frowned simultaneously. Cheng Chi instructed the attendant beside him, “Where did that boat come from? Tell them to change course!”

Old Master Song also said, “They’ll affect the plank’s floating speed this way. Who knows how much more time we’ll have to spend?”

Cheng Chi’s face was grave as water.

A sharp-eyed guard shouted at the small boat, “Where are you from? We’re doing something here. Can you stay close to the riverbank?”

The person in the small boat laughed and said, “Manager Qin, this humble one is from the Zong family estate. I’ve been sent by Old Madam’s order to deliver tea and refreshments to Master Cheng and Old Master Song.”

Qin Ziping looked toward Cheng Chi.

Cheng Chi smiled bitterly.

Qin Ziping quickly packed up the items and sent someone to receive the delivery and bring it onto Cheng Chi’s black-canopied boat.

Cheng Chi bowed to Old Master Song and said helplessly, “It seems we can only have some tea before continuing to measure the water flow.”

Song Min laughed heartily and said, “Ginger is spicier when old! If she hadn’t sent someone to deliver some tea and refreshments, you and I would probably have stood at the bow until our return journey.” As he spoke, he sighed, “Don’t find Old Madam troublesome either. When I was your age, I wished I could traverse all the great rivers and lakes of our dynasty in a single day. I was always impatient about family matters, thinking they were a burden. But after my first wife passed away and there was no longer anyone nagging me or managing me, I instead felt empty inside, as if I had no anchor. In the end, no matter where a person goes, they need a home, with people waiting for you and thinking of you—only then does life not feel lonely. However, even if you take my words to heart now, you may not truly understand. You’ll have to wait until you’re older and have more experience to comprehend.”

Cheng Chi made no sound.

He lowered his eyelids and looked at the black lacquer, red-bottomed, gold-speckled crabapple flower tiered food box, neatly arranged with cloud cakes, peach pastries, rose preserves, radish cakes, assorted candied fruits… As if trying to escape Song Min’s words, his thoughts suddenly drifted far away.

These refreshments were definitely not prepared by his mother.

If his mother had prepared tea and snacks for him, they would certainly be freshly made. These kinds of cloud cakes and peach pastries bought from shops outside would never be placed in the tiered box.

An exquisite little face appeared in Cheng Chi’s mind, with dewy eyes looking at him hopefully, filled completely with trust… Like a small cat eager for its master’s praise—he only needed to pat her head and she would be happy for a long time.

Apart from his mother, only she could command those servant women in the household.

He drank his tea and tasted everything in the tiered box, finally eating the radish cake.

At the Zong family estate, Zhou Shaojin sat properly below Old Madam Guo’s seat, smiling as she listened to Old Madam Zong, Old Madam Guo, and Madam Song talk.

Old Madam Zong, suddenly finding herself with an additional cabinet minister’s wife present, didn’t know how excited she was. Her speech even trembled somewhat. That fawning and flattering manner made Madam Song, who rarely socialized, feel at a loss and quite unaccustomed. Fortunately, Old Madam Guo was there to guide her, and she gradually recovered her composure.

Madam Song couldn’t help but cast a grateful glance at Old Madam Guo.

Part of the reason she rarely went out socializing in the capital was because Song Jingran’s first wife had a reputation for virtue and grace among the official families from Huguang. Another major reason was that she wasn’t good at socializing. Others always compared her to Song Jingran’s first wife, making her even more afraid to go out.

Here with Old Madam Guo, without such comparisons, she felt socializing wasn’t something that made her nervous and anxious anymore. The atmosphere quickly became relaxed and pleasant.

Old Madam Zong warmly invited Old Madam Guo and Madam Song to visit her home.

Old Madam Guo politely declined, only saying that Cheng Chi had arrangements for tomorrow, and invited Old Madam Zong to visit Jinling when she had time.

Old Madam Zong naturally agreed wholeheartedly.

After having lunch at the estate, Old Madam Zong, thinking Old Madam Guo still needed to entertain Madam Song, very tactfully took her family’s womenfolk and took her leave.

Madam Song breathed a sigh of relief.

Cheng Chi and Song Min returned.

The estate became busy again.

Servants brought in water to help the two men wash up. The kitchen prepared a new feast. Madam Song packed her things to prepare to return to Hangzhou Prefecture.

As for Zhou Shaojin, knowing that Cheng Chi had eaten all the radish cakes, she smiled until her eyes curved into crescents and had Chun Wan go reward the kitchen staff.

Chun Wan said, “Should we write down the recipe for these radish cakes to take back with us?”

“Of course!” Zhou Shaojin smiled. “We’ll make some more tomorrow and see if Old Madam likes them. Then we can have the kitchen at Hanbi Mountain Villa make them accordingly.”

Chun Wan nodded repeatedly and helped Zhou Shaojin grind ink.

Madam Song came to take her leave of Old Madam Guo, saying reluctantly, “I don’t know what Father-in-law is planning. If we could travel together with Old Madam, that would be my fortune.”

Never before had anyone guided her on how to receive and treat people the way Old Madam Guo had. She had learned so much today.

However, Old Madam Guo had no intention of traveling with them and smiled, “That depends on your father-in-law’s wishes!”

Madam Song nodded repeatedly and sincerely invited Old Madam Guo to visit their home in the capital.

Old Madam Guo agreed.

The two women had been saying goodbye for some time, but unexpectedly Cheng Chi and Song Min failed to appear.

Old Madam Guo was astonished and sent someone to inquire.

It turned out that after lunch, Cheng Chi and Song Min had gone into the study and hadn’t come out for more than half an hour.

Now not only Old Madam Guo, but even Zhou Shaojin found it strange and said, “What are Uncle Chi and Old Master Song doing?”

Madam Song had no idea.

Song Sen said loudly, “Sister Zhou, I know what Grandfather is doing—he must be doing calculations with Uncle Cheng! Grandfather told me that if you want to control flooding, you must know how fast the water flows. To know how fast the water flows, you must learn to do calculations. Grandfather must have seen the Qiantang River tide surge nearly sweep people away, so he’s calculating numbers so Father can control the flooding and make the Qiantang River stop having tide surges every year.”

Making the Qiantang River stop having tide surges every year—never mind anything else, first all the literati and poets under heaven would curse Old Master Song bloody.

Song Sen’s innocent childish words made Old Madam Guo and Zhou Shaojin burst into laughter.

Madam Song, face flushed, went to cover Song Sen’s mouth.

But Song Sen twisted his head and dodged behind Zhou Shaojin.