Yu Yuan was actually afraid Yu Tang was acting too excessively and would anger Gu Xi’s wet nurse, which would defeat their purpose. He tugged on Yu Tang’s sleeve and pretended to scold her: “Look at your temper—it flares up at the slightest touch. How will I dare take you out in the future? If you have something to say, sit down and say it. Everyone’s watching us! If you’re not afraid of being gawked at, I still am!”
He thought he could drag out the time as much as possible and say a few more bad things about the Li family in front of the mother and son.
Yu Tang understood the mother and son quite well. She felt her words were already sufficient to make them suspicious and thus investigate the Li family matter. Since the objective was achieved, she had no intention of further entanglement with the Gu family mother and son. They had already paid for the two bowls of noodles—they couldn’t be wasted. Better to eat quickly and leave.
She sat down.
Yu Yuan’s expression cleared considerably. He quickly said: “That’s right. The noodles are getting soggy—eat first!” Finishing, he said apologetically to Gu Xi’s wet nurse: “Please don’t be angry. My sister is good in every way, just has a bit of a quick temper. However, this can’t all be blamed on her.” Speaking to this point, he began complaining about Gu San: “How come you didn’t tell me you’re from the Gu family? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have invited you to eat noodles together.”
Since Yu Tang stood up, Gu San’s mind had already turned several circles. At the moment, he still couldn’t distinguish whether the Yu siblings had coincidentally encountered him or were intentionally waiting for him here. But regardless of whether it was the former or latter, what they said about the Li family matter made his heart turn slightly cold.
His mother was the eldest miss’s wet nurse. Their family’s fate had been tied to the eldest miss from the very beginning—it was a relationship of mutual prosperity and mutual loss. Regarding the eldest miss’s marriage, the eldest young master had disagreed. But he couldn’t withstand the second master’s susceptibility to persuasion—in just a few words, he was swayed by his remarried wife. Wanting to compete with the first branch and find support for the family’s three young masters, they set their sights on that young Recommended Man from the Li family and forcefully arranged this marriage for the eldest miss.
If what the Yu siblings said was true, then their eldest miss’s prospective husband’s family might truly be as the eldest young master had initially said—foundation too thin, lacking background, probably without much propriety.
Breaking off the engagement was impossible, but the eldest miss’s entire life would be ruined!
Gu San was anxious as fire. How could he still eat bamboo shoot noodles? He only wanted to quickly send someone to investigate clearly what had happened in the Li family, so he could go back and report to the eldest young master and let them see what should be done about the eldest miss’s marriage contract.
“Mother!” He, who hadn’t spoken all along, shot his mother a look, indicating she shouldn’t engage in verbal sparring with Miss Yu right now. Then he smiled apologetically at Yu Yuan: “Brother Yu, seeing you and Yao San’er have been friends since childhood, I thought he’d told you about my identity. I misled you—that’s my fault. From your words, it seems your Yu family has some grievance with our eldest son-in-law’s family? However, just as Miss Yu said, my mother and I are after all just servants. Regarding our employer’s matters, we’re not in a position to say much. Please forgive us both. As for this same table, Miss Yu, after I finish lunch I have to rush to the shop to help. Just consider it sharing a table with strangers. We’ll leave immediately after eating.”
Truly worthy of being Gu Xi’s right-hand man—his words were watertight, covering all bases.
Yu Tang had no intention of being relentless.
She nodded and sat down to eat noodles.
This shop’s noodles truly lived up to their reputation. Even without an appetite, one sip of the broth and the delicious taste immediately opened her appetite. The noodles were even more perfectly chewy, making Yu Tang involuntarily focus on eating.
Gu Xi’s wet nurse’s mood, however, was very complicated.
The Gu family was one of the most prominent families in Hangzhou, but with many branches came many conflicts. Even if the Yu siblings had a grudge against the Li family and wanted to ruin their eldest miss’s marriage with the Li family, they couldn’t possibly be completely fabricating rumors. Though not many people came to eat noodles at this small shop, eighty or ninety percent of the patrons were Hangzhou locals. The Yu siblings’ words would soon spread. If the Li family truly was as disreputable as the Yu siblings said, wouldn’t their eldest miss’s marriage become a laughingstock in Hangzhou? The eldest young master would be mocked for ten or twenty years?
Then there was the family’s stepmother, who already resented the eldest young master for being capable and found him disagreeable everywhere. Unable to find fault with the eldest young master, she tormented the eldest miss instead. Who in the Gu family didn’t know this? If the Li family was truly improper, where would their eldest young master’s face go?
How could she still sit still? She casually ate two bites of noodles and couldn’t eat anymore. When her son’s noodles arrived at the table, she kept shooting him looks, indicating he should eat quickly so they could leave.
But Gu San calmed down.
Things had come to this point. Rather than flee in panic and let the people of Hangzhou watch their joke, better to inquire more from the Yu siblings.
He ate several more bites of noodles continuously. Feeling his stomach was about fifty percent full and that Yu Yuan had also eaten about enough, only then did he speak: “Brother Yu, what exactly happened with the Li family? Can you tell me about it? I know you’re not one who enjoys gossip and slander, but you also now know the Li family’s relationship with our family. I’m worried about our family’s eldest miss—my mother is the eldest miss’s wet nurse. If the eldest miss marries, my mother will certainly accompany her to Lin’an. I’ll also have to go along to serve. Because of this, the eldest young master arranged for me to apprentice in various shops. Even if just for my own sake, I must ask. Please don’t hesitate to tell me, Brother Yu. I thank you in advance.” Finishing, he stood up to bow to Yu Yuan.
The commotion Yu Tang had just caused had only just subsided. If Gu San actively asked about the Li family matter again, Yu Yuan didn’t want further complications. He quickly pressed him back onto the stool, saying quietly: “Brother Gu, please don’t do this. Whatever it is, we can just talk it out properly.” Finishing, he looked around fearfully as if afraid of trouble.
Of course Gu San also didn’t want the matter to blow up.
He took advantage of the momentum to sit back down, cupping his hands toward Yu Yuan: “Brother Yu!”
Yu Yuan sighed. Concealing the map matter, he quietly told the mother and son about all the things Madam Li had done after failing to marry Yu Tang, including the matter with Wei Xiaoshan.
The two’s expressions grew increasingly ugly as they listened. When they heard that the Yu family had even invited Pei Yan to be an intermediary, both simultaneously gasped. Gu Xi’s wet nurse even exclaimed quietly: “So you’re saying Lord Pei also knows about this matter?”
From their appearance, they seemed somewhat wary of Pei Yan.
Yu Yuan’s heart stirred. He quickly glanced at Yu Tang and said: “He knows! Not only does Lord Pei San know, but everyone in our Lin’an with any standing all know.”
Gu Xi’s wet nurse’s expression immediately became very ugly.
Yu Tang’s eyes turned. She intentionally snorted coldly: “Now you know we’re not speaking nonsense! If you still don’t believe it, by all means go ask Lord Pei San.”
Gu Xi’s wet nurse didn’t make a sound.
Gu San’s smile appeared somewhat forced. He stood up and helped his mother up: “Brother Yu, it’s time for me to go to work. I’ll take my leave first. When there’s an opportunity in the future, I’ll treat you to tea again.”
Yu Yuan stood to see them off, saying perfunctorily: “Brother Gu, my sister has a straightforward temperament. If there was anything offensive in her words, please don’t take it to heart.”
“How could I!” Gu San said modestly.
The two exchanged pleasantries, then each dispersed.
Yu Yuan watched the mother and son’s retreating figures and let out a long breath, saying to Yu Tang in a cheerful tone: “Ah, our luck was really good today. Finally resolved this matter. Otherwise, having me speak ill of the Li family in front of others—I really would have had trouble getting the words out.”
Yu Tang smiled understandingly: “Speaking of luck, it’s also Brother’s good luck. If you hadn’t taken pity on me and brought me to eat noodles, how could we have encountered the mother and son? How could we have so smoothly spoken with them? Thank you so much for this, Brother!”
Yu Yuan’s face turned bright red. Too embarrassed to continue this topic, he changed the subject: “So what should we do next? Should we return to Lin’an early?”
They had originally planned to rest here for two days and two nights and return tomorrow.
Yu Tang thought about it: “How about we return early tomorrow morning? For the remaining time, let’s browse Hangzhou and see how other people’s shops are arranged. How the clerks greet customers. What kind of business is easiest to do. Also, what kinds of designs those porcelain shops, pewter shops and such sell… What do you think?”
“Sure!” Yu Yuan said with a light laugh. “We’ve finished our most important business. Everything else is negotiable.”
Yu Tang nodded.
The two siblings happily went shopping.
The mother and son talked quietly for a long time behind the Gu family’s silk shop before separating. Gu San patted his own cheeks to make himself look less dejected before entering the shop, while Gu Xi’s wet nurse walked all the way back to the Gu residence with a somber expression.
The next day before dawn broke, someone came out from the Gu residence’s back gate and boarded a boat to Lin’an.
The Yu siblings were also on this boat.
Like when they came, the two found a corner to sit down, quietly discussing what they’d seen and learned in Hangzhou these past two days. Yu Tang also took the opportunity to encourage Yu Yuan to seize control of the Yu family lacquerware shop: “I don’t want you to defy Uncle, but I feel that without destruction there’s no construction. Rather than our family shop being half-dead like this, better to put it in a desperate situation to achieve rebirth. If Uncle is willing to hand the shop over to you to manage, let Uncle go manage our family’s estates and forests. If Uncle insists on running the shop himself, you might as well go manage the family’s estates and forests. When the estates and forests start turning a profit, Uncle will know you’re capable. What you say will naturally carry weight in our family. When you discuss with Uncle again how to run the shop, Uncle will certainly carefully consider your opinions.”
This way, Uncle and eldest cousin wouldn’t have conflict, and Uncle could slowly hand over the shop.
Yu Yuan was deep in thought.
Yu Tang continued: “I previously thought similar to you—have Uncle continue managing the family shop while you come to Hangzhou to do business. But after following you and thoroughly browsing Hangzhou these past two days, I discovered that any shop that can establish itself here has some little tricks of their own. This still isn’t something money can solve. Doesn’t the book say governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish? We can’t be hasty either—we must proceed gradually.”
Yu Yuan said: “Is it like you?”
Yu Wen used to never consult Yu Tang when doing things. Now when encountering matters, he asked Yu Tang’s opinion. If Yu Tang opposed something, he would mostly give it up. Even his father, if he heard something was Yu Tang’s idea, would now think it over carefully.