In the elegant study, two basins of silver charcoal burned brightly. The charcoal glowed red-hot in the copper basins without emitting a trace of black smoke—clearly high-quality fuel. A thin layer of warmth filled the room, making one’s cheeks feel slightly flushed.
Several people sat around a rosewood table, with a delicate red plum screen behind them—refined and tasteful. Business matters had already been settled, and now they chatted about trivial things in a relaxed atmosphere.
Xie Yushu picked up the porcelain spoon from her bowl and scooped a small mouthful of lotus root powder into her mouth. The sticky, chewy texture slid down her throat, followed by a light, refreshing sweetness that slowly rose up, leaving a fragrant aftertaste in her mouth.
She thought to herself that Su Chi would surely love this dessert too.
Her thoughts gradually drifted away, landing unbidden on Su Chi.
She wondered if he was resting well at home.
Every night, he always needed to nestle in her arms to sleep soundly. These past few days when she hadn’t been home, had he been able to sleep well?
Had her father arrived? Was the shop busy?
All sorts of random thoughts came rushing in at once. It had only been a day, and she already missed Su Chi this much.
Suddenly, the porcelain spoon clinked against the edge of the saucer, making a crisp sound. Xie Yushu snapped back to the present and hurriedly took a few more bites of the glutinous rice cake. The flavor was indeed excellent.
It was sweet but not cloying; the jasmine honey filling melted quickly on her tongue—delicious.
Tang Zhiyi had already eaten most of the lotus root powder in her bowl. She looked up at them, a hint of unconscious pride in her voice: “Is it to your liking?”
As she spoke, her brows and eyes carried a touch of arrogance. Her husband was unparalleled at making small snacks—no one could fail to love them.
Xie Yushu and Ye Youchun nodded repeatedly, saying it was delicious.
Suddenly, Xie Yushu curved her lips into a smile, her voice light and cheerful: “My husband is very skilled too.”
She seemed to have caught the hint of boasting in Tang Zhiyi’s tone and refused to be outdone.
It wasn’t that she intended to compete with this Boss Tang’s husband; she simply felt that Su Chi excelled in every way. He was so dexterous and capable—she couldn’t help but sing his praises in front of others.
Tang Zhiyi paused briefly, then smiled.
Jiang Wanxue, sitting beside her, watched the two women’s sudden rivalry and couldn’t help but find it amusing.
Both of them were already married and established, yet they still acted like children—truly childish.
He lowered his head, covering his mouth to stifle a laugh, then looked at Xie Yushu with curiosity: “Boss Xie is married too?”
“Yes.” Xie Yushu nodded. At the thought of Su Chi, her brows and eyes unconsciously softened with tenderness.
Once they finished the snacks, Tang Zhiyi had the things cleared away. She and Jiang Wanxue led Xie Yushu and Ye Youchun on a tour of the residence.
The Tang family’s mansion wasn’t even considered large by Tang’an County’s standards—just a three-courtyard, three-exit compound. Not extravagant, but every detail showed exquisite taste and care. The layout was square and proper, open and spacious.
Entering through the Tang family’s main gate and passing the screen wall, one reached the outer courtyard—wide and clean. On the east and west sides stood two rockeries, artfully arranged with stones of varying heights. At their base grew several clumps of cold-hardy heavenly bamboo. The plant was toxic and cultivated purely for ornamental purposes.
In winter, the leaves remained green, and the bright red berries stood out vividly against the dreary winter landscape.
A glance upward revealed the spacious main reception hall, where servants moved quietly, wiping vases and wooden pillars.
Circling the rockeries and passing through the long covered veranda, one arrived at the inner courtyard—quieter than the outer one. Various winter-blooming plants had burst into flower, releasing waves of delicate fragrance. Passersby would be dusted with a cool, lingering scent that could still be detected even after walking some distance away.
The inner courtyard had several side chambers, facing south with windows set with simple, elegant lattice work. The middle room was where they had just held their discussion; pushing the door open, warm air rushed to greet them.
They viewed the rest of the residence as well. It was a meticulously designed compound, where every blade of grass, every tree, every brick and tile revealed the caretaker’s thoughtful attention.
The servants, bundled up warmly, went about their sweeping and cleaning tasks. When they saw their mistress leading distinguished guests through the compound, they all bowed in greeting.
Xie Yushu looked around curiously. Having seen most of it by now, she felt completely at ease and directly voiced whatever came to mind:
“Boss Tang, your family is wealthy and well-established. Why do you choose to live only in Tang’an County? From what I know, merchants with considerable businesses usually move their entire families to Jiangzhou Prefecture. Boss Tang is quite unconventional.”
Tang Zhiyi took the moon-colored feathered satin cloak handed over by a servant and gently draped it over Jiang Wanxue’s shoulders before replying unhurriedly: “To be honest, Jiangzhou Prefecture is where my family’s ancestors have lived for generations. That place is filled with their shadows everywhere. Since I’ve resolved to make my own way without relying on their connections, there’s naturally no reason for me to go back.”
She paused, her tone flat: “Besides, Tang’an County lacks nothing compared to Jiangzhou Prefecture. Though it’s not as large as the prefectural capital, the land and sea routes here are equally convenient. It’s a hub where merchants from all over gather and exchange goods. I actually think this is a prime location.”
Jiang Wanxue picked up where his wife left off, his voice gentle and unhurried: “It’s because I like Tang’an County that Zhiyi settled here. But truth be told, this place really doesn’t lack anything compared to the prefecture.”
“In the west part of town, there’s a private school run by a retired Hanlin scholar—he teaches excellently. There are also two academies funded by the county government, with reasonable tuition and good teachers. As for medical care, there’s no need to worry—the renowned Sun family has pharmacies everywhere, one on nearly every few streets. If you have a headache or fever, it’s very convenient to see a doctor.”
“When it comes to food, the restaurants and eateries here are too numerous to count. You can find cuisine from all over the country here, so your taste buds will never be disappointed.”
“The fabric shops are even livelier. With both land and water routes running smoothly, merchants come daily from the north, southwest, and inland regions—silks, cottons, wools, patterns galore that’ll make your eyes dazzle.”
“The county also has several carriage and donkey cart rental shops. If you’re in a hurry to travel, just pay a deposit and rent one for a few days—it’s truly convenient.”
“And most importantly, housing. I dare say, throughout all of Jiangzhou, aside from the prefectural capital itself, the finest residences are right here. Whatever style of courtyard you want, you can find one that suits your taste here.”
Jiang Wanxue rattled off Tang’an County’s advantages like counting family treasures, covering clothing, food, housing, transportation, healthcare, and education—every word struck a chord.
Xie Yushu’s brows twitched. This place was indeed very appealing. She hadn’t realized that the world had developed far beyond her imagination.
Outside Songwan Town, things were already this convenient.
In that case, Songwan Town truly was small and cramped, lacking all the amenities this county had to offer.
But setting that aside for now, what really caught Xie Yushu’s attention was what the Tang family husband had just mentioned about the Sun family.
How could she have forgotten about that!
Sun Wuyou’s family was right here—she was the fifth young lady of the Sun family.
When the Tang family husband spoke of the “renowned Sun family,” his tone was matter-of-fact, as if stating something everyone knew.
Only now did Xie Yushu realize belatedly that the Sun family truly carried some weight.
Sun Wuyou was indeed the noble young lady of a prominent family. No wonder Guizhi held her head so high, as if mentioning the Sun family meant everyone would know of them.
That really was her own lack of knowledge.
But by that logic, if the Sun family was such a formidable household, why had they raised Sun Wuyou to be so innocent and carefree? It didn’t fit the temperament of such a family at all.
As they chatted, the wind outside picked up again. Tang Zhiyi invited them inside the main hall to warm themselves by the brazier and have some hot tea—lunch would be served soon.
Previously, she never kept business guests for meals, but this time she specifically asked Xie Yushu and the others to stay for lunch.
Both her merchant’s instincts and her instincts as a friend told her:
Xie Yushu was someone worth befriending.
Jiang Wanxue had already arranged lunch well in advance. The kitchen staff had been busy since early morning, and now, having received the husband’s signal, they brought out the dishes one by one.
On the mahogany table, before each person sat a bowl of stewed pigeon soup, tender and falling off the bone. In the center of the table were a dish of braised mutton, a plate of yellow wine-braised fish, a serving of crab roe tofu, a plate of stir-fried morel mushrooms with vegetables, and a pot of steamed rice with dried scallop shreds and dried shrimp.
Every dish was sumptuous, every plate a delicacy—the kind of fare ordinary families could never hope to eat on a daily basis.
Xie Yushu inwardly clicked her tongue in amazement.
Truly wealthy.
When would she be able to provide this kind of lavish life for her own husband?
After the meal, she took her leave of the couple and returned to the inn with Ye Youchun.
Once they were out of sight, Tang Zhiyi had someone bring over a bowl of silver ear and lotus seed porridge sweetened with osmanthus honey. Jiang Wanxue had just accompanied them in eating quite a bit of rich, oily food, and now his stomach was feeling uneasy.
He had mentioned a few days ago that his stomach was bothering him and that he needed to eat lightly for a while. Yet just now, he had picked up his chopsticks as usual, wearing a smile on his face as if nothing was wrong.
But she had caught the occasional look of discomfort that flickered across his face as he forced the food down, and it pained her.
“I told you there was no need to eat with us,” Tang Zhiyi said, her tone carrying a hint of displeasure.
She pulled him onto her lap and gently pressed her warm hand against his stomach, massaging it carefully.
When the porridge arrived, Tang Zhiyi scooped up a spoonful, patiently blew on it to cool it down, and brought it to his lips.
After a few mouthfuls, Jiang Wanxue’s stomach felt somewhat better. Out of habit, he leaned back into her embrace and tried to defend himself: “With guests eating their meal, how could I sit there eating bland food by myself? Is that how a husband should behave?”
“It wouldn’t have mattered. No one would have said anything.”
Jiang Wanxue’s beautiful eyes drooped slightly, a hint of grievance in them, which immediately prompted Tang Zhiyi to soothe him: “You’re right, you’re right. Here, have a few more sips.”
When the bowl was nearly empty, Jiang Wanxue’s eyelids unconsciously grew heavy. Still wanting to act spoiled, he murmured, “I’m a bit tired. Stay with me for a short nap.”
No sooner had he said this than he drifted into a deep sleep in Tang Zhiyi’s arms.
Tang Zhiyi carried the sleeping Jiang Wanxue back to their inner chamber, her breathing softened to near silence. She helped him out of his outer robe, laid him gently into the soft bed, and tucked the covers around him before getting up and stepping out.
Once outside, she instructed Tang Er, who was waiting by the door: “Go to the Sun family later and ask them to send someone over. Have them come to examine my husband once he wakes up.”
She was truly worried about his health—she feared something might be wrong with his stomach.
“Yes, ma’am.” Tang Er acknowledged and turned to stride quickly out of the Tang residence.
·
Back at the inn, Xie Yushu said she wanted to wipe herself down. She had fallen asleep without washing last night, and now she felt terribly uncomfortable, as if lice were crawling on her skin.
Ye Youchun went downstairs to ask the servants to boil some water, but the kitchen was busy preparing lunch for the resting guests and had no free hands to heat water for them. Without making a fuss, Ye Youchun simply went to the kitchen herself and boiled a pot.
Her employer was easygoing about most things, but cleanliness was the one area where she would not compromise one bit.
She really was particular about hygiene—even in winter, she had to bathe every day.
Unlike rough folk like herself, who could go half a month without washing.
Once the water was ready, Ye Youchun quickly carried two basins of hot water back to the room. Xie Yushu used one basin to wipe herself down, getting about seventy or eighty percent clean. Though it wasn’t as thorough as a proper bath, one had to learn to be content—there were no facilities for bathing here anyway.
There was still one basin left, still steaming. She told Ye Youchun to wipe herself down too, to refresh herself a little.
Ye Youchun shook her head and declined: “I bathed a few days ago at home.”
Xie Yushu frowned at that.
Tsk.
She spoke earnestly, trying to persuade her: “As a woman, you should also take care of your cleanliness. Only when you present yourself well will men notice you. Otherwise, what man would willingly take a liking to you?”
Ye Youchun was taken aback, not expecting such blunt, straightforward words. Her ears reddened as she silently accepted the hot water and dry towel.
She was getting older—other women in the village her age already had children—but her family wasn’t well-off. She had her grandmother and younger brother to support. How could she afford to drag some innocent young man down? So she had never dared to think about such matters.
Xie Yushu noticed that this quiet, reserved woman actually blushed—it seemed she wasn’t completely uninterested in men after all.
The best course was to focus on helping her earn money first, and let matters of the heart come later.
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