Everyone in the Yu family had good features.

High nose bridges, large eyes, jet-black hair, and snow-white skin. If there was any defect, it was that they weren’t tall.

A typical southern appearance.

Therefore, although Yu Bo was already past his thirties and, from doing business year-round, greeted everyone with a smile, he still looked refined and scholarly—like a man of letters rather than a merchant.

Yu Tang’s eldest cousin, Yu Yuan, needed even less mention. Besides having delicate and elegant features, he also carried a hint of shyness in his speech and actions, possessing the gentle temperament of the boy next door, making people feel naturally warm toward him.

But Yu Tang knew that this eldest cousin of hers was very decisive. In her previous life, if he hadn’t held things together, even with the Li family’s five thousand taels of silver, her uncle wouldn’t have been able to buy back all the ancestral property her family had sold.

Yu Tang was very grateful to this eldest cousin.

While her father and uncle were talking, she used tea in place of wine and quietly toasted Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan was surprised.

His cousin had been indulged by her uncle and aunt. Although she had reached maturity, she still had a child’s temperament. Besides eating and drinking, she knew nothing else, never concerning herself with family matters and never engaging in social courtesies.

Yu Yuan couldn’t help asking Yu Tang in a low voice: “Do you have something you need me to do?”

Or perhaps she had gotten into some trouble again and needed him to help put in a good word for her with Second Uncle and Aunt.

Yu Tang was taken aback.

Was this really how she appeared in her eldest cousin’s mind in her previous life?

She couldn’t help but re-examine herself.

Over there, Yu Yuan saw her expression and mistakenly thought he had guessed correctly. He naturally consoled her in a low voice: “Don’t be anxious. Whatever it is, tell me slowly. If it’s urgent, I’ll help you with it right away. If it’s not urgent, then wait a couple of days—these next few days I need to help Father with shop matters. After we get through these couple of days, I’ll take care of it for you.”

Yu Tang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Thinking carefully, in her previous life she really hadn’t troubled this eldest cousin of hers any less.

She quickly gave Yu Yuan a sweet smile and toasted him with another cup of tea, saying: “I saw that Brother has been working hard these past few days, which is why I’m toasting you.”

“Really?!” Yu Yuan was somewhat skeptical.

Yu Tang pouted her lips and was about to say something when Uncle, sitting in the seat of honor, suddenly raised his voice: “I don’t agree with this matter! If our parents had knowledge in the afterlife, they wouldn’t agree either.”

The room fell silent because of this statement.

Yu Yuan and Yu Tang also quickly sat up properly.

Chen Shi had already grabbed Yu Wen’s sleeve and said in a low voice: “Husband, I don’t agree either.”

Yu Wen looked at his wife and gently sighed. He wanted to say something but was interrupted by First Aunt: “Second Uncle, we all know you’re anxious. But this isn’t something that can be solved by being anxious. You also said that Imperial Physician Wang specializes in pediatrics and may not necessarily be able to prescribe the right medicine to cure Sister-in-law’s illness. We’re strangers in the capital—we don’t even know which direction the door of the Imperial Medical Bureau faces. If you rashly take Sister-in-law there like this, not to mention whether you can find a suitable doctor, Sister-in-law’s health probably can’t withstand such ordeals!”

Because Yu Tang’s grandfather had greatly esteemed this eldest daughter-in-law of his when he was alive, Wang Shi’s words in the family had always carried weight.

Yu Wen looked at Wang Shi somewhat at a loss and said: “Then, then what should we do? I can’t just watch the children’s mother waste away like this!” As he spoke, his eyes reddened.

Chen Shi quickly said: “Husband, this is because of summer sickness, not because my condition has worsened. I know you’re worried about me. But Elder Brother and Elder Sister-in-law make more sense. Even if we’re going to the capital to see a doctor, we need to ask someone to inquire first, and wait until my health is a bit better before discussing it.”

Yu Wen immediately became somewhat dejected.

Wang Shi then gave her husband a meaningful look, but Yu Bo was still immersed in his dissatisfaction with his younger brother and said: “I’m telling you, you’re also a father now…”

This was the opening line he always used when lecturing Yu Wen, and the family was all familiar with it. Yu Yuan, afraid his father and uncle would have a dispute, couldn’t care about anything else and interrupted Yu Bo’s words: “Father, there’s something you need to discuss with Second Uncle.”

Yu Bo stopped the topic, and both his and Yu Wen’s gazes fell on Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan said: “I heard that the First Master of the Pei family’s coffin will be sent off tomorrow for burial. Should we set up a roadside offering? No matter what, when we did business on Changxing Street before, the Pei family looked after our family quite a bit.”

Eighty or ninety percent of the businesses on Changxing Street belonged to the Pei family. Those bailiffs from the yamen not only didn’t dare run wild on Changxing Street but also often patrolled there. Those of them who did business on Changxing Street also benefited from this—not only was public security good, but there had never been any extortion or shakedowns.

“We should set up a roadside offering.” Yu Bo nodded repeatedly and said to Yu Wen, “It would be best to also write a funeral oration. You’re a scholar—this should be easy for you, shouldn’t it?”

Yu Wen agreed, saying: “I’ll write it tonight and have someone send it to the Pei residence tomorrow.”

Yu Bo thought for a moment and said: “Have A’Yuan deliver it. Changxing Street has been burned down—the Pei family definitely won’t just watch it lie waste like this. Have A’Yuan make a few more trips to the Pei family and become familiar with the Pei family’s stewards and managers. If there’s anything in the future, we’ll be able to speak with the Pei family.”

Yu Wen nodded. Shuang Tao ran in to report: “Master Lu is here!”

In the Yu family, to be called Master Lu and to come during mealtime could only be Lu Xin.

Yu Tang frowned.

Yu Wen had already personally gone to welcome him in.

“Elder Brother! Elder Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law.” Lu Xin greeted everyone present as a family friend and said with a smile, “A’Yuan and A’Tang are here too! Looks like today is a family reunion!”

Everyone rose to greet Lu Xin.

Chen Shi warmly instructed Shuang Tao to bring a set of bowls and chopsticks for Lu Xin, saying: “We didn’t know Uncle would be coming, so we haven’t prepared any good wine or dishes. Please make do for now. I’ll have someone go make a few more dishes right away so you can have a good drink with the children’s uncle and eldest cousin.”

Lu Xin wiped his still-greasy mouth and smiled: “Sister-in-law, no need to be polite. I’ve already eaten before coming.”

Yu Tang raised her eyebrows.

Lu Xin, like her father, was a scholar. But while her father simply didn’t want to continue studying, Lu Xin couldn’t continue due to poverty and lack of money. Her father therefore felt that Lu Xin was just a fish stranded on the beach, temporarily down on his luck, and given time would surely pass the imperial examinations. He not only often brought Lu Xin home to freeload food and drinks but also frequently helped Lu Xin financially.

In her previous life, Yu Tang didn’t think this was a problem.

Even if Lu Xin and her father were fair-weather friends, they were still friends who could make her father happy.

But ever since learning that the news about Wang Bai was revealed by Lu Xin, she hadn’t liked Lu Xin much.

She noticed that Lu Xin’s parrot-green Hangzhou silk robe still had a few oil stains on it and said somewhat sharply but feigning innocence: “Where did Uncle Lu eat? Our family made braised pork knuckle today. Chen Pozi said you love eating this most. Last time you came to our house, you ate an entire plate of braised pork knuckle.”

Lu Xin’s old face flushed red, and he said hastily: “I ate at the Pei family’s. Didn’t the First Master of the Pei family die suddenly of illness? Their Second Master and Third Master have both returned, and the family has guests like clouds and famous scholars everywhere. The Pei family was afraid the household stewards wouldn’t entertain them well, so they specifically invited me and a few friends to help receive guests.”

Yu Tang secretly pursed her lips.

What receiving guests—it was going to the Pei family to freeload food and drinks!

Yu Wen didn’t doubt it at all. He had Shuang Tao go make tea for Lu Xin and invited Lu Xin to sit at the table: “Then just add a little more as you like.”

Lu Xin had always treated the Yu family home as his own and sat down without declining.

Yu Wen said: “It makes sense that the Third Master would come back, but why did the Second Master also return?”

The Pei family had three masters. The First Master and Second Master were from the same examination year and had both been selected as Hanlin bachelors together. Because they had to avoid conflicts of interest, only one of the brothers could remain in the capital. The Second Master volunteered to take a posting outside and became a county magistrate in Hanyang County under Wuchang Prefecture. Now he was the prefect of Wuchang Prefecture. The Third Master had passed the imperial examination as a Hanlin bachelor last year and was now observing politics in the Ministry of Justice.

With the First Master’s death, the Third Master was in the capital, so it made sense for him to come back with the funeral procession. But for the Second Master to specially rush back from Wuchang Prefecture—even getting leave wouldn’t be easy.

“You’re telling me!” Lu Xin sighed. “That’s why people say the Second Master is honest, genuine, and filial! I reckon that coming to mourn the First Master is only part of it—the main reason is probably that he heard the old master was ill and wanted to come back to see him.” At this point, his expression changed, and with somewhat exaggerated emotion, he called Yu Wen by his courtesy name in a low voice: “Huili, I heard that when the Second Master saw the old master was ill, he immediately took his own calling card and sent someone to Suzhou City…”

Yu Wen’s eyes lit up: “You mean?”

Lu Xin chuckled: “I made inquiries for you. Yang Douxing will arrive in Lin’an tomorrow evening. You must seize the opportunity.”

“Excellent!” Yu Wen was eager to try, but then his expression dimmed: “Last time when we went to see Imperial Physician Yang, didn’t his disciple say he had injured the meridians in both hands and couldn’t practice medicine anymore?”

Lu Xin dismissed this: “Well, we’ll just have to see if he comes to Lin’an tomorrow!”

The implication was that if he came, the injured hand meridians were just an excuse.

Yu Wen worried: “But if it’s an excuse, even if he comes to Lin’an, he may not agree to see the children’s mother.”

“How can you be so foolish!” Lu Xin said urgently. “Of course we had no way in Suzhou City, but this is Lin’an. If we seek help from the Pei family—we’re all neighbors—how could the Pei family not help say a few words?”

Yu Wen nodded repeatedly, seeing hope.

Yu Tang just treated it as listening to nonsense.

In her previous life, she didn’t know if Yang Douxing had come to Lin’an or if Lu Xin had tipped off her father. The result was that Old Master Pei passed away not long after the First Master Pei died, the Second Master and Third Master returned home to observe mourning, and her father also took her mother to Mount Putuo to see a doctor shortly after.

Clearly, no matter what had happened, Yang Douxing had no effect on her mother’s condition.

Yu Bo worried about things backfiring: “I know the Pei family’s head steward. Why don’t we have A’Yuan go inquire first!”

“Better not!” Lu Xin objected. “Normally, if you sought them out, it would naturally be fine, but now,” he said this, looking left and right, being somewhat mysterious as he said in a low voice, “I heard that the old master wants to keep the Third Master at home to manage the family business, and the First House doesn’t agree—they’re all quarreling about it!”

“Ah!” Everyone simultaneously gasped.

The Pei family’s ancestors, fearing their descendants would be incompetent and squander the family property, leaving later generations without money to study and preventing talented scholars from getting ahead, stipulated that whoever served as the family patriarch would control four-fifths of the ancestral property.

That was no small sum.

Of course, these properties weren’t all for the patriarch’s personal enjoyment. As the Pei family patriarch, one had the responsibility and obligation to use the ancestral property to support impoverished clan members who wanted to study, maintain the scholarly culture of the clan school, and ensure the Pei family business could be passed down through generations.

This reminded Yu Tang of something.

In her previous life, the patriarch of the Pei family was Third Master Pei.