If Yu Tang weren’t going to marry Pei Yan, she would just be a playmate for her daughter.

Thinking this way, Second Mistress’s attitude toward Yu Tang became even more gentle and soft.

Yu Tang could feel Second Mistress’s goodwill toward her. She smiled and thanked Second Mistress, then entered the hall shoulder to shoulder with her.

Seeing the two of them—one dignified and beautiful, the other bright and radiant, like two flowers—Old Madam Pei An’s eyes curved with delight. She smiled and beckoned to them, “Come, come sit over here by me.”

The two smiled and paid their respects to Old Madam Pei An, then sat in the seats below her. Old Madam Pei An then asked Yu Tang, “It’s a bit cold on the mountain. Did you bring a cape? If you’re cold, remember to speak up. Don’t tough it out. It would be bad if you got sick.”

Yu Tang respectfully said, “I brought a cape. I also brought a lined jacket.” She smiled and looked at Second Mistress. “If I need anything, I’ll go find Second Mistress.”

Second Mistress smiled and nodded at her.

Old Madam Pei An nodded with satisfaction.

As the several people were talking, Second Miss Pei arrived with Miss Yang and several younger sisters.

The room filled with cheerful laughter and conversation.

Nanny Chen busily directed the maids and matrons to serve tea.

Everyone had dinner in Old Madam Pei An’s room, then moved to the west side room to drink tea.

Old Madam Pei An said, “I know you all don’t like having elders watching over you. I brought you here because I want you to play happily for a few days.” As she spoke, she sighed and smiled, “Once you’re married and become the mistress managing the household, you’ll know how rare such days are. I won’t restrict you—you play your own games, and I’ll play mine. But there’s one thing: you cannot go play in the water behind the mountain. It’s too cold, and getting soaked in cold water is no joke. Moreover, as young ladies, you mustn’t catch a chill—it won’t be good for you in the future.”

Fourth Miss was overjoyed to hear this. She exchanged glances with Fifth Miss but obediently answered “yes” along with the other sisters.

Old Madam Pei An found it amusing and specifically called out Fourth Miss by name, saying, “If you’re naughty, I’ll send you down the mountain and hand you over to your grandmother for discipline.”

Fourth Miss immediately deflated.

Miss Yang and the others all smiled with pursed lips.

When they returned from Old Madam Pei An’s quarters, the sun was already setting in the west. Yu Tang yawned and went to sleep first. Who knew she would sleep so deeply that when she opened her eyes, it was already the next morning? The morning sun shone through the snow-white Korean paper, illuminating the room brightly.

Qing Yuan had already arrived and had brought Qing Ping and Qing Lian with her.

One was helping Qing Yuan prepare breakfast, while the other was waiting with Shuang Tao to serve Yu Tang as she washed up.

No matter what, Qing Lian and Qing Ping were Pei Yan’s maids. Yu Tang smiled and thanked them.

The two maids—whether or not they had received someone’s instructions—if before they had been respectful, now they were somewhat reserved.

Yu Tang didn’t say much more and just treated them as usual. Only then did Qing Ping and Qing Lian gradually become more natural.

However, when she went to pay her respects to Old Madam Pei An, she was kept behind by Old Madam Pei An, who said she wanted to play leaf cards and was missing one player.

Yu Tang was neither skilled at nor particularly fond of playing leaf cards. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but point at herself and ask Nanny Chen in surprise, “Me?”

Nanny Chen smiled and said, “Precisely you, Miss.”

Everyone was quite astonished.

At this time, it was late spring and early summer, and the weather was getting warmer. Everyone had changed into summer garments. The country estate was shaded by green trees, and walking through the forest with a gentle breeze was cool and comfortable. Since Old Madam Pei An wouldn’t allow the girls to play in the water, Second Miss Pei suggested going to the back mountain to pick flowers.

Hearing this, the young ladies couldn’t help but show sympathetic expressions, but fearing they too would be conscripted by Old Madam, sympathy aside, each ran faster than the last.

Yu Tang smiled and shook her head, following Nanny Chen to Old Madam Pei An’s card room.

Only Miss Yang was puzzled. She quietly asked Fourth Miss, “Why did Old Madam Pei An keep only Miss Yu? Is Miss Yu very good at playing leaf cards?”

Fourth Miss was thinking about the wild redbud trees on the back mountain. While walking quickly forward, she said dismissively, “It’s probably because Sister Yu is the oldest among us? Old Madam is afraid we’ll get impatient.”

Even if they were impatient, they wouldn’t dare just throw down the cards and run, would they?

What did playing cards have to do with age?

Moreover, she couldn’t see that Miss Yu looked particularly fond of playing cards.

Miss Yang scratched her head.

Yu Tang, meanwhile, under Nanny Ji’s guidance, concentrated on learning to play leaf cards.

Old Madam Pei An clearly intended to teach her. Not only did she play very slowly, but she would also occasionally give Yu Tang pointers on why to play cards a certain way. Fortunately, Yu Tang was quick at learning anything. In just half an hour, she had grasped some of the principles. She played with proper form and could occasionally win a hand.

“It seems your arithmetic must be quite good,” Old Madam Pei An said with satisfaction. “Can you use an abacus?”

“Yes!” Yu Tang smiled. “My grandfather was a merchant. When I was small and he had nothing to do, he taught me how to use an abacus. Later, my mother’s health wasn’t very good and her energy was limited, so sometimes she would call me over to help keep accounts.”

Old Madam Pei An was even more satisfied and said, “Perfect. The residence has just sent out all the Dragon Boat Festival gifts. Come over early tomorrow and help Second Mistress calculate the accounts for the household’s Dragon Boat Festival礼gifts, so we can have a clear understanding in our hearts.”

Yu Tang’s heart jumped. She had a vague idea, but looking at Old Madam Pei An and then at Second Mistress, she couldn’t detect anything unusual on either of their faces.

Could she have guessed wrong?!

Yu Tang felt conflicted inside but didn’t show it on her face. She smiled and agreed.

Then Old Madam Pei An began telling her which people in the family liked to play leaf cards and what their characters were like.

In Yu Tang’s mind, the Pei family elders transformed from names into flesh-and-blood people.

Her confusion grew even stronger, and she wondered whether she should ask Pei Yan about it.

Pei Yan returned to his own lodging but tossed and turned for half the night before falling asleep. The next day, he woke up very early, before dawn.

With dark circles under his eyes, he returned to Lin’an city.

Pei Yan was afraid he couldn’t resist going to find Yu Tang.

He had never known that the feeling of embracing someone could be so wonderful—truly as the books described, like soft fragrant warm jade, soft like cotton, like clouds. If he held too tightly he feared breaking her, if not tightly enough he feared losing his hold.

How could he have been so pathetic as to run away?

If he encountered such a situation again next time, he should gracefully hold her a bit longer.

After all, A’Tang would soon be his wife. It wouldn’t matter if he held her for a while.

Thinking this way, he suddenly felt his wedding date should be moved up.

Wasn’t there a saying “rich or poor, marry a wife to celebrate the New Year”? His father had worried about his marriage until his death. This year if he brought a wife back to pay respects at his grave and offer incense, his father would surely be very happy.

Pei Yan returned to the city and handled some household affairs. His heart immediately felt like it had grown wild grass—itchy. He couldn’t sit still or stand comfortably at home and just wanted to go up the mountain to look.

He felt this wasn’t a sustainable situation.

He needed to think of a way to go stay at the country estate for a few days.

His mother was teaching Yu Tang how to manage a household. Yu Tang, encountering this for the first time, would surely be overwhelmed with so much information all at once. Perhaps she needed his guidance!

The more Pei Yan thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed.

After thinking about it at home for several days, he finally decided to go to the country estate to take a look.

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to leave, he was blocked at the door by First Mistress.

“Third Uncle,” First Mistress said politely to Pei Yan, “we’ve discussed several dates with the Gu family and would like you to help us look them over. Do you have time?”

When had his eldest sister-in-law ever needed to hear his opinion? Nine out of ten times, she was here to ask him for money.

If it were any other time, he might have pushed this to his mother, but now, Pei Tong’s wedding date also related to his own wedding date. He didn’t refuse. He had A’Ming take the document and said, “I’m just about to go up the mountain. After showing it to Mother, I’ll give you a reply.”

First Mistress smiled and said, “Then please ask Third Uncle and Mother to decide as soon as possible. The Gu family also has a happy event to celebrate—the Gu family’s eldest son, Gu Chaoyang, and a young lady from the main branch of the Yin family, who is Yin Mingyuan’s legitimate cousin, have become engaged. As her elder brother, he can’t very well marry after his younger sister, can he!”

This marriage, when examined closely, had much to do with Pei Yan.

Pei Yan secretly curled his lip, but his expression remained coldly stern as he said, “I’ll give eldest sister-in-law a reply as soon as possible.”

First Mistress left satisfied.

Yu Tang could barely contain the joy in her heart, feeling that sometimes First Mistress could do things that were pleasing to the eye.

Pei Yan quickly went up the mountain and showed Old Madam Pei An the wedding dates First Mistress had written down.

Over these past few days, Old Madam Pei An had already gone through all the family’s in-laws once for Yu Tang. For some complex relationships, she had even specially drawn a diagram following Pei Yan’s previous method. When Old Madam Pei An mentioned someone from some family, Yu Tang could now understand.

She looked at the wedding dates First Mistress had sent over, all concentrated in May of the following year. Her expression turned unfavorable as she snorted coldly several times and said, “I think as long as it’s not before yours, he can make as much fuss as he wants. My son hasn’t even married yet—I don’t have time to worry about my grandson. I’m not the type of old lady who’s desperate to hold a great-grandchild.”

As long as it didn’t delay Pei Yan’s own wedding, he couldn’t care less about these matters. But Old Madam’s dissatisfaction reminded him of something. He said, “Mother, I heard that eldest sister-in-law has her eye on your riverside property by West Lake. Is this true?”

Since Pei Yan served as the Pei family’s clan head, there were plenty of people who tried to curry favor with him. Even if he didn’t ask, some matters would reach his ears, and moreover, she hadn’t planned to keep this matter secret.

Old Madam Pei An said upon hearing this, “She said that their Yang family’s foundation is in the north, and she doesn’t understand southern affairs. She didn’t expect it would be so difficult to buy a property in a good location here. She accidentally learned that the riverside house was part of my dowry and asked if she could pay double the silver to have me sell the riverside house to her.” Speaking of this, Old Madam revealed a cunning look. “I said my dowry was left to me by my mother, and I had planned to keep it for my daughter. Who knew I’d have such fortune—I only gave birth to three sons and no daughter, so I’m planning to give this riverside house as dowry to my granddaughter.”

Pei Yan froze, then shook his head helplessly.

It was impossible for the first branch to have a granddaughter. The second branch had Fifth Miss. He himself wasn’t married yet and might also have a daughter. What Old Madam said truly struck at the heart.

The thought flashed by, and Pei Yan casually glanced around several times.

He didn’t see Yu Tang.

He didn’t know if she had avoided him because of his arrival, or if she simply wasn’t here to begin with.