Chapter 83 Nighttime Verification of the Gold Voucher: Tell him I'm your husband!

That night, Guo Jia brought Deng Zhao's merchant map from his study and waited in the main hall.

While waiting for someone, he took out the piece of linen and examined the shredded material he had chipped off the gold certificate by candlelight. He dipped some of the powder in and smelled it, but there was nothing unusual about it.

He casually picked up a small ceramic dish from the table, placed it on the incense burner stand, and lit a candle underneath. After a short while, he saw wisps of blue flame rise from the dish, and the stench of sulfur wafted into his nose along with the white smoke, making him flinch backward.

This thing is indeed poisonous. Therefore, my guess was correct.

"Fengxiao, I heard from Ajie that you're investigating the gold certificates?"

While Guo Jia was still pondering, Deng Zhao and his wife, along with Deng Jie, each carried a pottery steamer, followed by several servants carrying various utensils. "How about we put it here?" they asked.

Yu Qiu ordered his men to prepare a table and a lampstand, the candlelight illuminating the table and desk. He then took out two gold certificates from his sleeve: "I got these from the market; they should be enough."

Deng's mother led the curious Deng Ming downstairs, and the family sat around the table.

Guo Jia slowly poured vinegar into three earthenware pots, while Deng Zhao took out the prepared gold nuggets and brass.

Everyone watched intently as Guo Jia placed the gold nuggets, brass, and gold certificates into different ceramic steamers and heated them over a fire.

The three earthenware pots had been cooking for a long time. The one containing the red gold showed no abnormalities, while the one containing the bronze could be heard hissing inside when approached. The pot containing the gold certificate made a louder sound than the one containing the bronze, and even emitted white smoke accompanied by a pungent odor, causing Deng Ming to cover his nose.

Guo Jia reacted quickly, snatching the child back to Yu Qiu's side: "Young master, stay away, it's poisonous!" Madam Deng quickly took the child from Yu Qiu and moved to the side of the hall.

After the vinegar in the three earthenware stills had boiled dry, Guo Jia used copper tongs to remove the metal residue and arranged it on three earthenware dishes:

The gold nugget remained as bright as new, completely unaffected. Yu Qiu picked it up with a handkerchief and wiped it clean. Guo Jia laughed and said, "Gold is tempered in fire and will not be destroyed even after a hundred refinements, let alone mere rice vinegar."

The surface of the brass block was covered with bluish-green crystals. Guo Jia used copper tongs to move them around: "Copper reacts with acetic acid to form 'verdigris.' The Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica states that this substance can be used in medicine. If the gold certificate is made of brass, then it doesn't matter."

Deng Jie nodded in agreement.

Everyone looked at the third dish, which was clearly made of neither gold nor copper. The gold certificate had turned from a bright gold color to a dark brown color. Guo Jia gently poked it with copper tongs, and the black powder fell off in a flurry, crumbling into dust.

Deng Zhao approached for a closer look, frowned, and exclaimed, "Isn't this just rust?"

Guo Jia placed the copper tongs on the table. “The Huainanzi says, ‘When iron is put into vinegar, it smells fishy.’ This thing is not only not gold, but it also contains arsenic poison. It is called ‘ghost gold’ in the market. Wearing it close to the body for a long time will definitely harm your health.”

"It's actually Ghost Gold!" Deng Zhao's palm strike sent the powder on the table flying.

"So it wasn't water or food poisoning at all, it really was the problem with this gold certificate!" Deng Jie took out a transcribed medical record from his sleeve. "After the teacher reminded me, I started to pay attention. Yesterday I went to ask around again to make sure I had it recorded. If you can use it, brother, you can also submit it to the prefect as evidence!"

"Can this be considered fraud by the Wu family? We'll go and inform the Prefect tomorrow and ask him to make a decision. We'll drive the Wu family out of Wancheng!" Yu Qiu was furious at the thought that various shops were still hoarding his family's poisoned gold coupons.

"It's hard to say. If he insists that he is innocent, it will only alert the enemy..." Deng Zhao frowned and bit his fingers, thinking about how to succeed in one fell swoop.

"Don't be hasty, gentlemen," Guo Jia said, unfolding a map and showing it to the group. "If it were just merchants harming others, they would also be harming themselves, since they did lose money exchanging so much grain. But as Miss Deng said, what merchant would do a losing business?"

He looked at Deng Zhao, "Brother Yuanming, do you know that today your sister and I saw Xu Hong at Wu's Rice Shop? He actually said, 'Next year, the Yuan family and the Zhou family will merge...'"

Guo Jia narrowed his eyes, tapped the two ceramic dishes on the inscriptions "Nanyang Prefecture" and "Jiujiang Prefecture" respectively, and explained to the crowd:

Yuan Shu, currently in Nanyang, has his supply lines cut off due to the alliance between Yuan Shao and Liu Biao. Chang'an is just west of Wuguan Pass, so Yuan Shu's only way out is to advance eastward.

Guo Jia placed the third ceramic dish on the "Lujiang County" sign, making a muffled sound.

The Zhou family of Lujiang County and Shucheng, which is exactly what Xu Hong said, will unite with the Yuan family, which has held high office for four generations, and the local gentry Zhou family to consolidate their power and then expand outwards.

"You mean... this isn't just Wu trying to squeeze out our business... or is he paving the way for Yuan Shu?"

Deng Zhao frowned deeply. He had already mastered the art of "commercial warfare on the surface, military strategy at its core" during his time as a merchant in Jingzhou, after all, he himself had served Liu Biao and risked his life for him. Thinking of this, Deng Zhao clenched his fists.

"That's right. By releasing discounted grain in exchange for widespread arsenic poisoning, we can weaken the people. When Yuan Shu's army besieges the city, the entire city will be filled with sick men. How will they resist?"

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the flickering candlelight reflecting the solemn expressions of the crowd.

Deng's mother spoke first, her voice trembling slightly: "If that's really the case, wouldn't the people of Wancheng be..." She looked down at Deng Ming in her arms, the child blinking innocently, unaware of what the adults were worried about.

"Does Fengxiao have a solution?" Deng Zhao asked in a deep voice, tapping his knuckles on the table. "We cannot stand idly by, whether for public or private reasons." Yu Qiu nodded emphatically as well.

But Guo Jia calmly put away the three plates, his gaze sweeping over the map indifferently. "Of course there are. This matter can be divided into three steps."

He placed a plate in front of Yu Qiu: "Gold vouchers contain arsenic poison and must be stopped from circulation immediately."

The most urgent task is to secretly collect the gold vouchers without informing the people, while also preventing Wu and Xu Hong from becoming suspicious. Therefore, Madam needs to work with the embroidery shops, cloth shops, and rice shops in the city under the pretext of "festival rewards" to collect the vouchers in the form of silk and grain, secretly noting the names and addresses of those who exchanged them, so that if anyone is poisoned in the future, they can be treated accordingly.

Yu Qiu frowned slightly, clearly displeased. "Recovering the gold certificates isn't difficult, but the 'ghost gold' we collect is a disaster if it piles up in the warehouse. Not only do we not know how to store it, but it was also obtained by exchanging grain and cloth from the Deng family. Even the Deng family, no matter how large, can't afford to have all the business in this city tied up in their own hands."

Deng Zhao knew that his wife was usually shrewd and calculating, and he would have readily agreed based on his own feelings, but as she said, it was indeed a considerable loss.

Guo Jia smiled gently, having anticipated her question, and placed the second dish in front of Deng Zhao: "That's right, this is the second step."

Brother Yuanming, I would like to trouble you to transport the recovered gold vouchers to Jingzhou under the name of 'iron materials' and exchange them for grain with Liu Biao.

Judging from the current situation, Liu Biao will definitely go to war with Yuan Shu next spring, which is exactly the time when he is short of military supplies.

Although the poisonous gold is deadly, when melted and mixed with pig iron, it can be used to forge arrowheads. Its toxicity causes wounds to fester and heal slowly, making Yuan Shu's batch of poisonous gold a perfect opportunity to turn into arrows aimed at him! And when Brother Yuanming returns with the grain, it will also solve the food shortage crisis in Wan City.”

Upon hearing this, Deng Zhao couldn't help but exhale a breath of pent-up anger, and immediately clapped his hands in approval, "Fengxiao's plan is brilliant! Not only will it not harm my family, but it will also make Yuan Shu reap what he sows!"

Yu Qiu's brows immediately relaxed, and the corners of his lips finally curved into their usual smile: "Ah, what a brilliant plan!" He turned to look at Deng Jie, who was still staring at Guo Jia with a deep, serious expression. "A-Jie, is there anything else you want to say?"

Before Deng Jie could speak, Guo Jia gently tapped the third plate in front of her and said in a soft voice, "Miss Deng, you've waited long enough. The third step is naturally yours to take care of."

To prevent the public from thinking that the Deng family is buying gold certificates to preserve their value, I urge you, along with the staff of each clinic, to subtly inform the patients that they should sell their gold certificates as soon as possible, or at least not keep them close to their bodies.

As for this 'arsenic poisoning,' I have no idea how to cure it. I'll need your help, young lady. I'm willing to serve you faithfully."

A hint of disappointment appeared in Deng Jie's eyes, but he still reached out and took the ceramic dish into his own hand.

"Don't worry, Ah Jie. At least we know the source now, so we have some clues. Tomorrow, talk to the doctors at the clinics and you'll get some results. If you need any medical records or herbs, your sister-in-law will find them for you!" Yu Qiu comforted Deng Jie by patting his back. Deng Jie nodded slowly and unconsciously gripped the ceramic plate tightly.

"Fengxiao, don't forget about Wu Gao and Xu Hong. What do you plan to do with them? If we just let them go, they will probably still be a threat to Wancheng." Deng Zhao crossed his arms and pondered whether there were any omissions in his plan.

Guo Jia closed his eyes slightly and circled "Wancheng" on the map with his finger. "That's right. However, we have no authority to handle this matter. We still need to rely on Lord Lu. But we must have a legitimate reason for doing so."

He closed his eyes and devised a plan in his mind, "If only I could get the Prefect to personally find out that Xu Hong is the person behind the Wu family, and also get evidence that Xu Hong is Yuan Shu's spy..."

“I do have a way to send a message.” Yu Qiu suddenly clapped his hands. “The embroiderer Liu is embroidering the congratulatory gift for the Lord. Go and take a look tomorrow. We can bring her into the mansion under the pretext of inspection.”

She glanced at Deng Zhao out of the corner of her eye, a slight smile playing on her lips, "While we're at it, we can also go and see that... Miss Lu, and subtly hint to the Prefect to check the grain."

Guo Jia nodded, "That's a good method. Now, only the most crucial step remains: how to make Wu Shi and Xu Hong's connection known to the Prefect..."

"I...I'll give it a try?" Deng Jie felt a surge of excitement, remembering Xu Hong's attitude towards her, thinking that there might still be a chance.

"No way!" Guo Jia immediately opened his eyes and glared angrily in rebuttal, his voice so loud that even he was startled, and everyone else was taken aback.

Seeing Guo Jia's strange expression, Deng Zhao turned to Deng Jie and asked, "What method do you have?"

Seeing Guo Jia's expression, Deng Jie shrank back and didn't dare to speak.

Deng Zhao turned to look at Guo Jia, who crossed his arms and said impatiently, "What other method is there? The honey trap, of course."

A sly glint flashed in Yu Qiu's eyes as he deliberately pressed, "If it's just about luring the snake out of its hole, A-Jie can try it out. If you're worried, you can go and protect her. A-Jie, why don't you tell me your thoughts first?"

She deliberately stared at Guo Jia's fingers, and sure enough, they started twitching incessantly after hearing her words.

Deng Jie glanced at Guo Jia, then remembered that she had told Xu Hong that the man waiting at the door was her "husband." Her ears turned red, and she said timidly, "How about... how about I discuss it with Mr. Fengxiao?"

Yu Qiu turned around but didn't see the old lady and her son. Ming'er must be tired. The old lady must have taken Deng Ming away at some point. She stepped forward and took Deng Zhao's arm. "Alright, husband, let's go back first."

Only the two of them remained in the waiting room. Guo Jia approached Deng Jie and asked, "What are your thoughts, young lady?"

She lowered her head and twisted the hem of her clothes, her voice soft, as if afraid that Guo Jia wouldn't hear her. Her head trembled slightly as she turned towards Guo Jia: "Xu Hong said today... if I am willing to go back to Shucheng with him, he can guarantee that I will have no worries about food and clothing."

Guo Jia glared at her coldly: "So, young lady, you intend to turn the tables on me?"

“That’s because… I even told him that my ‘husband’ was waiting outside the door…” Deng Jie kept his head down, trying to squeeze out some words.

"Huh?" Guo Jia suddenly raised his voice, feigning surprise as he leaned closer and shouted, "Tell him I'm your husband!"

Startled, Deng Jie quickly covered his mouth with his hand: "Sir, please don't shout!"

Meeting his teasing gaze, she became angry and embarrassed, and pulled her hand away: "I'm discussing serious business with you!"

"Please forgive me, young lady. I'm giving you serious advice. Please continue." Guo Jia couldn't help but laugh at her flushed face.

“I mean! Tomorrow we’ll arrange a time with my sister-in-law and then I’ll go to him and tell him that he can’t come up with the two thousand dollars from his home, and that I’m willing to go with him.”

Deng Jie avoided his gaze and turned around to ponder his plan. "You, you pretend to be a drunken, gambling scoundrel and barge in to pester him. If you can stall until the Prefect arrives... What do you think, sir?" Deng Jie finished speaking and turned to look at him.

In the candlelight, his eyes were deep as he gazed intently at her.

His gaze was so direct that it made her heart skip a beat, and she hurriedly changed her words: "Wasn't that... too clumsy? Or should we think of another way..."

"No." Guo Jia suddenly became serious and raised his hand to stop her. "Your plan is sound and the best course of action."

He bowed solemnly, "It's just that I'm sorry to trouble you again, Miss. Jia is really..." He choked up as he spoke, swallowing back his frivolous jokes.

In the flickering candlelight of the bedroom, Yu Qiu, with her long hair loose, leaned against the couch, propping her face up as she lay on her side: "Today's method of testing poison with the gold voucher was truly ingenious. What's even more remarkable is that it saw through Yuan Shu's schemes so clearly and could give us such detailed advice. This Guo Fengxiao is indeed a remarkable person."

Deng Zhao was untying the belt of his outer robe when he heard this and replied smugly, "When have I ever misjudged you? I told you before, Fengxiao is no ordinary person."

Yu Qiu chuckled: "A few days ago you said you wanted to match him up with A-Jie, and I just thought it was a joke. We can't let someone like him get away."

“How could it be a joke?” Deng Zhao sat down beside her. “Fengxiao is exceptionally talented and of good character. If Ajie could marry him…”

“Not bad, not bad!” Yu Qiu interrupted him, a sly glint in her eyes: “I think they get along quite naturally now, but they need some outside help. Husband, just watch me get serious tomorrow.”

Deng Zhao was taken aback, his brows twitching slightly: "What does Madam wish to do?"

She blew out the candle, put her arm around Deng Zhao's neck, and a soft laugh came from the darkness.

After everyone had breakfast, they agreed on lunch time and decided on their afternoon plans, and then went out one after another.

As is customary, Yu Qiu would first go to the various shops to check the accounts, but considering that he would be collecting gold vouchers today and the accounts would inevitably be complicated, he called Jiao Zhongqing to accompany him.

As she walked, she instructed, "Starting today, the accounts must be kept in separate ledgers. Every transaction involving the exchange of grain and cloth, and the deposit of gold certificates, must be verified against the invoices. In short, everything related to gold certificates must be copied separately."

She kept moving and giving instructions, "Yuanming will explain the matter of the gold voucher collection to all the shops. You need to explain the accounts of our side to your respective accountants, sign and seal them. When the time comes, whichever shop makes a mistake, they will have to bear the loss themselves. But you must not make any mistakes." Yu Qiu made him repeat the verification twice more according to her standards.

Jiao Zhongqing followed closely behind, carrying counting rods and a bag of account books. He had never seen his wife so meticulous before. Although he did not know the reason, he understood that today's matter was of great importance.

Deng Zhao sent his servant Afu to inform the shop owners to meet in the main hall of the building, saying that it was the end of the year and there were important matters to discuss.

After the shop owners were seated, Deng Zhaocai explained his intentions and gave instructions on how to collect the gold vouchers. Although he did not explicitly state that the gold vouchers were poisonous, he hinted at it by mentioning the illness in the city and repeatedly instructed them: "This item must be placed in a wooden box with a red silk lining, and you must never touch it with your bare hands."

Several astute shopkeepers exchanged glances. Although their wealth did not match that of the Deng family, they had handled a considerable amount of gold, silver, and copper items. They immediately grasped the key point, and one of them suggested, "Sir, why don't you prepare some incense and medicine in the shop and say it's for praying for blessings during the New Year?"

Upon hearing this, Deng Zhao clapped his hands in approval, secretly marveling at how worthy he was of being the old workshop owner, and the worry between his brows eased slightly.

Guo Jia leaned against the railing on the second floor of the pavilion, his fingertips lightly tapping the lacquered wooden handrail.

He could faintly hear the laughter and chatter of merchants coming from the main building. He listened intently and suddenly heard light footsteps coming from the corridor, accompanied by the crisp sound of jade pendants jingling. He turned and walked towards the corridor.

Deng Jiezheng lifted the hem of her skirt and stepped over the corner of the corridor. Her lotus-colored skirt shimmered softly in the morning light, and the gold hairpin in her hair swayed gently with her steps.

Deng Jie had anticipated that she might meet with Xu Hong in the afternoon, and since she was going to visit the market clinic today, she summoned a maid to help her with her hair and makeup to avoid being recognized at a glance.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, sir." Deng Jie quickened his pace as Guo Jia came to greet him from the attic onto the veranda.

Guo Jia slowed his pace three steps away from her, his nose twitching slightly.

It wasn't the familiar bitter taste of medicine, but a sweet fragrance. "The young lady is dressed very formally today."

Guo Jia hadn't seen her dressed like this for several days, and was pleasantly surprised. He then put on his usual playful expression, "If I stood in front of Xu Hong looking like this, he probably wouldn't recognize me."

"I just wanted to avoid him." She raised her head, straightened her posture, slowed her pace, and came over with her hands clasped.

He then gave a deep bow, which made Deng Jie blush. "Please don't make fun of me, sir!"

Deng Jie led Guo Jia to visit several medical clinics in the city.

Most of the doctors in these clinics were her mentors whom Yu Qiu had arranged for her over the years. When they saw her arriving in formal attire, followed by a young man who looked like a scholar, they assumed she was sent by the Deng family to investigate, which was not surprising.

Upon hearing that the recent illnesses in the city were caused by arsenic poisoning, the old doctors either slammed their fists in shock or stroked their beards and sighed deeply, but they all tacitly agreed to keep it a secret, only saying that they would change their instructions to patients from "avoid the cold" to "avoid the metal element."

As for the prescription, although there is no cure, the approach has been adjusted. For mild cases, a decoction of licorice and soybeans is used, while for severe cases, egg white is used to induce vomiting, which can at least temporarily alleviate the toxicity.

Guo Jia was flipping through the dusty medical books in a corner of the clinic.

The musty smell of bamboo slips mixed with the aroma of herbs reminded him of the bamboo slips his family used to keep mixed with herbs when he was a child, and a wave of emotion washed over him.

While examining the items, he suddenly noticed a faded old bamboo slip with the words: "Realgar contains arsenic poisoning; sulfur powder mixed with honey can alleviate the symptoms..." He frowned, quickly went to Deng Jie's side, gently placed the bamboo slip on the table, and asked the old doctor, "Where did you get this prescription? Is it reliable?"

The old doctor took it and examined it closely, looking at it from both sides: "This is...right! More than ten years ago, a traveling doctor surnamed Hua stayed here for a while. When he was researching the toxicity of realgar, he said he wanted to use it in surgery. At that time, he also mentioned that using sulfur was 'fighting poison with poison'."

Guo Jia was slightly surprised: "Could it be Hua Yuanhua from Pei State? He is quite famous in the Central Plains. It is said that he performed surgery on a young master of the Chen family in Xuzhou and became famous overnight. I heard about him when I was in Yingchuan."

Deng Jie's eyes lit up. The word "surgery" sounded like a legend. He took the bamboo slip, his eyes shining, and looked up at the doctor, asking, "Uncle Wu, is this prescription feasible?"

Wu Bo stroked his beard and analyzed: "Sulfur and realgar are produced in the same place, but sulfur is warm in nature and can neutralize fire toxicity. Honey can delay the release of sulfur toxicity and protect the internal organs, so it may be worth a try. However, it is necessary to use freshly mined sulfur, as the old sulfur in the clinic has long lost its medicinal properties."

Deng Jie and Guo Jia exchanged a glance, then bowed to the physician in farewell.

As the two walked out of the clinic, the sun was already high in the sky. After a busy morning, they were both quite hungry. Smelling the aroma of pastries from the street vendors, Deng Jie's eyes revealed a longing.

Guo Jia quickly stepped forward and wrapped one up for her, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, young lady."

Deng Jie held the warm pancake, smiled shyly, broke off half and gave it to Guo Jia, saying, "You've worked hard, sir!"

The two strolled slowly side by side through the market. Deng Jie chewed on a pastry while thinking that if they could subdue Xu Hong today, it wouldn't interfere with tomorrow's free clinic, and they could go into the mountains to search for minerals the day after.

Guo Jia turned to look at her in surprise: "Miss, you work so hard every day, it makes me seem like an idle person."

Deng Jie smiled and said, "These past few days, you've been offering advice and accompanying me on my travels. You haven't had a moment's rest."

She lowered her voice, "Besides, there's nothing to do at home anyway, so I might as well do something useful."

Guo Jia was about to reply when he suddenly saw a familiar figure emerge from the street corner. He instinctively reached out to stop Deng Jie, only to see Xu Hong staggering out of the tavern, completely drunk.

"Oh, whose young lady is this..." Xu Hong squinted at Deng Jiehua's gorgeous clothes and hairpins, his gaze sweeping over her face, and he passed by her without even noticing.

Deng Jie's stiff body only relaxed slightly after Xu Hong had walked away. Guo Jia suppressed a laugh and said in a low voice, "I told you! If he knew that the doctor in coarse linen clothes yesterday was with this person in front of him..."

After laughing, Guo Jia suddenly became serious: "The young lady just said 'I have nothing to do at home,' but she immediately went to work for others. Isn't this the benevolence of a doctor? She even goes to the deepest mountains and forests to help herself."

Before Deng Jie could even speak in her defense, he deliberately shook his head and said for her, "Others might not understand, and the doctors at the clinic are so busy, they can't do without you, can they?"

Deng Jie's smile faded, his steps faltered slightly, and he crushed a few pieces of the pastry in his hand. After a moment of silence, he said, "Sometimes it's not that we don't want to, but that we can't."

She looked up at the banners fluttering over the clinic in the distance. “If a doctor is too soft-hearted, he is more likely to make mistakes. I once saw a patient who insisted on refusing acupuncture and herbal medicine, insisting on using Taoist talismans and water. As a result, he delayed treatment and regretted it too late.”

“But that was his own choice, not the girl’s fault,” Guo Jia said quietly, offering words of comfort.

Startled by the slight trembling of her long eyelashes, he looked back at her, which made him momentarily flustered. He quickly changed his tone, "I meant... what you said is right, the so-called 'great benevolence is not benevolence,' we really shouldn't be too soft-hearted! Then tomorrow..."

He took a half step closer without making a sound, gently placing his right arm against her shoulder, and whispered to her side, "After Jia plays the villainous husband for you, I'll go up the mountain to be your medicine boy the day after tomorrow. In any case, what I, Guo, am best at is being idle."

An hour ago, Yu Qiu led Jiao Zhongqing through the East Market, clearing out each shop and handing over accounts to each stall. Yu Qiu watched him verify with the accountants of each stall and pointed out any omissions.

She deliberately left Liu's embroidery workshop until last. Only after confirming that all the other workshops had been cleared out did she turn towards the embroidery workshop.

Seeing Jiao Zhongqing wiping his sweat, Yu Qiu deliberately slowed her pace: "Would you like to rest? This is the only one left."

"No, no need for that!" Jiao Zhongqing's neck instantly turned bright red, and his voice changed tone.

Seeing his expression, Yu Qiu noticed that he wasn't this nervous when they went to the other shops. Why was he acting like this was a major crisis even though it was the last one? Suddenly, she remembered Deng Jie's expression last night and had a plan. She chuckled and urged Jiao Zhongqing, "Since you're not tired, why don't you hurry up and go?"

Jiao Zhongqing responded repeatedly and hurriedly straightened his clothes.

Jiao Zhongqing was hurrying towards the embroidery shop when Yu Qiuyuan suddenly turned and went into Qianchuan Liquor Shop.

When Jiao Zhongqing arrived at the entrance of the embroidery workshop, he turned around and found that his wife was gone. He stood outside the door, not daring to go in, and peered inside through the window lattice.

"Oh, why don't you go in first?" Yu Qiu's voice startled Jiao Zhongqing as she gracefully arrived.

Jiao Zhongqing responded repeatedly, but then followed behind Yu Qiu.

Yu Qiu entered and looked around. The girl in the outer room saw her master coming and quickly went to greet him. Yu Qiu then asked her to take Jiao Zhongqing to the accountant.

As Jiao Zhongqing passed by the embroidery room, he stretched his neck further inside.

Yu Qiu shook his head and chuckled. Which girl was he so concerned about? He lifted the curtain and went into the embroidery room.

Only one of the five looms in the room was working; the other embroiderers were gathered together, arguing animatedly: "The crane's beak should be outlined with gold thread," and "Aren't the crane's eyes too small?"

The girl weaving was the first to spot Yu Qiu and quickly stood up, shouting, "The master is here!" This startled everyone, and Liu Lanzhi stood up from the crowd, still holding a silver needle and gold thread in her hand.

This is a common occurrence. Ever since Liu Lanzhi became famous at the Lu family's residence two years ago with her painting "Four Auspicious Creatures Offering Good Fortune," such scenes have been played out several times a month.

This girl was sixteen years old, two years younger than Deng Jie, but she had been learning weaving and embroidery for three years.

She originally learned from an old woman surnamed Zhao, but in a short time she surpassed her teacher. After her work was appreciated by the prefect, all the embroidery gifts in the Lu family were made by her and never changed hands again. In less than two years, she was able to take over the embroidery workshop herself and changed it to the name Liu.

Liu Lanzhi is meticulous and conscientious. She always cherishes her works. No matter how big or small her embroidery is, she always pays attention to technique and has a story behind each piece. She is meticulous in every detail, which has helped her reputation to grow stronger and stronger.

“Master, you’ve come at the perfect time.” Liu Lanzhi turned the embroidery frame toward Yu Qiu. “Look at this crane…” The crowd parted to welcome Yu Qiu to look at it. “I feel like something is missing in its charm.”

The "Pine and Crane Longevity" painting on the frame was nine-tenths complete. The crane feathers were dyed with five kinds of white silk threads in layers, and the pine trunk was also embroidered with vigor and strength. But as she said, she always felt that the crane was missing something. Yu Qiu couldn't explain why either. The girls' discussion could be heard again.

Yu Qiu felt anxious thinking about Xu Hong's matter and interrupted everyone, saying, "If we keep arguing like this, when will the project be finished? There are only a few days left until the deadline we agreed on with the Prefect."

"If I had a clear idea, I could finish it today..." Liu Lanzhi frowned, twisting the gold thread in her hand.

A short girl standing nearby suddenly brightened up and exclaimed, "If the master could call over that new accountant Jiao, perhaps Lanzhi would have a better idea of ​​what to do!"

After saying that, she pursed her lips and suppressed her smile. Everyone who heard this agreed and started telling Yu Qiu about what happened yesterday. Yu Qiu immediately understood. Seeing Liu Lanzhi's shy and awkward manner as she tried to stop the other girls, she raised her hand and said, "I understand. It just so happens that he is here today. I will keep him here after he finishes settling the accounts."

When Liu Lanzhi heard that he really would stay, her face turned bright red.

“However, it must be completed today, and I will personally take you to the Lu residence tomorrow,” Yu Qiu added.

"That's good, this time it's safe." The embroiderers scattered with giggles, but all pricked up their ears, waiting.

Before long, Yu Qiu led Jiao Zhongqing back.

The young man clutched his sleeves tightly, his steps unsteady. He thought to himself, "How can I let my employer know about this? It's so shameful!" But when he saw Liu Lanzhi in front of the embroidery frame, his breathing became erratic.

"Please take a look, sir." Liu Lanzhi led Jiao Zhongqing to sit down, and the two sat side by side. "I have revised everything you said yesterday, but how should this crane be made more lifelike?"

“The Mao Commentary says, ‘The crane’s cry is a metaphor for a wise man living in seclusion.’ Therefore, I think it should be depicted with its head held high, gazing into the distance. Add a wisp of dark blue to its side, and then use gold thread to dot the eyes…” Jiao Zhongqing took out a bamboo slip from his sleeve and sketched a draft on it.

The two leaned closer to examine the embroidery, carefully studying the details and comparing them on the embroidery frame. The faint scent of osmanthus oil from Liu Lanzhi's hair lingered around Jiao Zhongqing's nose. Her gaze shifted, and the silver needle flew across the embroidery frame following Jiao Zhongqing's guidance, sometimes pausing to ponder, sometimes suddenly enlightened.

The embroiderers watched with bated breath, seeing the crane's head gradually rise with Liu Lanzhi's needlework, and its expression becoming more and more lifelike according to Jiao Zhongqing's suggestion. They all praised the two for their seamless cooperation.

Seeing that Liu Lanzhi had finally regained her neat and confident demeanor, Yu Qiu was relieved. "Excellent, excellent! In that case, Lanzhi must finish the work today, and I will bring you to the mansion to present the gift tomorrow."

She patted Jiao Zhongqing on the shoulder, "I'll give you credit for finishing today's work. Later... I'll reward you by having you come to the embroidery workshop to help Lanzhi sort out some old grievances!"

A burst of good-natured laughter immediately filled the embroidery room, as everyone congratulated Jiao Zhongqing, saying it was a good gift.

Jiao Zhongqing blushed and agreed, while Liu Lanzhi remained silent, too shy to speak, and continued embroidering.

Guo Jia and Deng Jie stepped into the mansion side by side, and the corner tower dining hall was already filled with the aroma of food.

Guo Jia was used to the lavish lifestyle of the Deng family, where he was treated to such a sumptuous meal every day at noon. Apart from the Yuan family mansion in Ye City, he was the only one who had such good fortune here.

Upon seeing the two return, Yu Qiu quickly invited them to sit down, as Deng Zhao and the others were already waiting for them.

After Guo Jia took his seat, Yu Qiu brought over a pot of exquisitely crafted celadon wine and personally poured it for him: "Fengxiao, try the newly arrived Jiu Yun Chun Lao! It is said that the recipe was learned from Pei Guo by Qianchuan Lifang, and the cellar was only opened today."

She had been calling Guo Jia "Master" until yesterday, but now she suddenly called him by his courtesy name so intimately and naturally. Hearing this, Deng Jie's silver chopsticks hung in mid-air, and he stared at Yu Qiu with wide eyes. When did his sister-in-law become so intimate with Master Fengxiao?

Deng Zhao was stunned. Just the day before, he had privately complained that Guo Jia and he were drinking at home and wasting time, but today he had personally gone to find such a rare wine.

But then she casually pulled a scroll of bamboo slips from her sleeve: "Isn't it a coincidence? Today I went to the cloth shop to check the accounts, and someone came to exchange this scroll of the 'Strategies of the Warring States' supplement for cloth. You said before that you had been looking for it for a long time, didn't you?"

Guo Jia, holding his wine cup, paused for a moment, then understood. It must be the reward for the advice he had given them last night. He felt relieved and smiled, "Thank you, Madam..."

“Call her sister-in-law,” Yu Qiu corrected, then turned to Deng Zhao with a smile: “Yuanming, don’t you think so? Since we address each other as brothers, this is the proper way to address each other.”

Deng Jie's chopsticks-holding hand remained suspended in mid-air, unable to fall. His astonishment and disdain deepened as he looked at his brother and nodded stiffly, "Madam...you are right."

"Ah, sister-in-law!" Deng Jie couldn't help but feel that it was too deliberate and too snobbish. Just because Guo Jia had planned for the Deng family yesterday, her current attentiveness was embarrassing. She thought of changing the subject and asked, "How is Miss Liu's embroidery preparation going?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I was about to tell you. Jiao Zhongqing is staying there to help her finish the work, so it won't be delivered to the Lu residence until tomorrow at the earliest."

Yu Qiu's joking expression vanished. "But Xu Hong is leaving the city tomorrow, so I'm afraid he might not be able to make it in time..."

“We even ran into him today!” Deng Jie put down his chopsticks, losing his appetite. “How about… I go and ask him out this afternoon, and set a time for our ‘elopement’?” Deng Jie looked at Guo Jia.

Guo Jia pursed his lips and nodded, "I'll protect her secretly."

"That would be best, at least delay it until after 9 am," Yu Qiu calculated.

"And..." Deng Jie was still thinking about the sulfur when his mother interrupted him, "Eat first!"

Upon hearing this, Deng Zhao coughed lightly and raised his wine cup: "Not bad, not bad, we can discuss the rest after the meal!"

Seeing that Deng Jie was looking downcast, Guo Jia picked up an empty cup, poured a little wine into it, and pushed it in front of her. "Don't worry, young lady. Why don't you try the fine wine that your sister-in-law has specially prepared?"

A knowing glint flashed in Yu Qiu's eyes. She gladly poured herself a cup and raised it to Deng Jie, saying, "Such a fine wine is hard to come by. Ah Jie, please do me the honor and wish us success tomorrow."

Seeing this, Deng's mother called Deng Ming to join in, holding up their earthenware cups filled with honey water. Deng Jie then broke into a smile, took a small sip, and frowned, saying, "How could you all like to drink this kind of thing?" This made everyone laugh. She pushed the cup forward, saying, "I don't like to drink it anymore."

Just as Deng Zhao was about to reach for the wine cup, Guo Jia naturally led it to his side, saying, "This kind of blessing should be enjoyed by Jia." Yu Qiu raised his hand to stop Deng Zhao, and the two smiled at each other.