Pei Yan wore a bamboo green gown without even a hairpin, let alone other ornaments. He was clean and tidy, but still had a gloomy face, looking at everything nonchalantly. Zhou Zijin wore a purple-red brocade gown with a royal blue flower pattern, with jade pendants, three gold things, and a purse hanging around her waist, a jasper hairpin on her head, and a red lacquer and gold-painted folding fan in her hand. She was talking to Pei Yan, who nodded from time to time, with a perfunctory attitude.

There was a boat parked in front of the two men.

The two-masted sailing ship was about ten meters long. The bright tung lacquer could reflect people's shadows. It had carved window lattices, white gauze curtains, and tung lacquer lanterns hanging on it.

It was not the boat Zhou Zijin took that day.

It was smaller and more exquisite than the boat Zhou Zijin was on that day.

Pei Man was at the side of the boat, instructing his servants to carry boxes and baskets, and it looked like someone was going out.

Yu Tang stretched his neck and took a quick look.

Yu Wenzhe perked up and said to Yu Tang and Yu Yuan with a smile, "I didn't expect to meet the third elder of the Pei family here. You wait here, I'll go say hello."

Yu Tang thought of Pei Yan's arrogance and didn't want his father to be so cold, so he pulled Yu Wen's sleeve and whispered, "He didn't see us, and he has friends. Do we have to go up and say hello to him?"

The most important thing is that her father is not planning to take the imperial examination again, nor is he planning to be an official. Is it necessary for him to be so close to the Pei family?

Yu Wen said, "The Third Master of the Pei Family is a good person. Wasn't I there to help when the old lady of the Pei Family was gone? The Third Master of the Pei Family came to greet us every day and sent two servants to serve us. He was courteous and sincere. Now that we have met, how can we pretend that we didn't see him?"

But even though you value others, others may not value you?

Yu Tang held onto Yu Wen's sleeve and said, "Dad, our ship is almost here."

They took a passenger ship to Hangzhou city.

Yu Wen said, "It's still early. Even if the ship arrives, it will still have to stay at the pier for a quarter of an hour. It won't be late." After saying that, he threw away his sleeves and was about to go.

Yu Tang was so angry that he stamped his feet secretly.

But Yu Wen stopped and turned around as if he remembered something.

Yu Tang was delighted, thinking that Yu Wen had changed his mind.

Who knew that Yu Wen waved to Yu Yuan and said, "Come with me and say hello to the third elder of the Pei family. Pei Man is here too, so if you make yourself familiar with him, it will be easier for you to find him if you have any business in the future."

Her father took the initiative to greet Pei Yan, and her eldest cousin wanted to make himself familiar in front of Pei Man. Yu Tang was very angry.

But Yu Yuan had already happily followed her father, so it was useless for her to be angry.

Yu Tang covered her eyes, not wanting to see her father being treated coldly by Pei Yan, but to her surprise, Pei Yan was quite polite to her father, and even raised his eyelids to look at her while talking. Because of his glance, Zhou Zijin also noticed her and looked at her, and then she didn't know what she said to her father. Her father waved his hands vigorously, and Zhou Zijin laughed a few times and looked at Pei Yan.

Pei Yan had a cold face and said nothing.

Zhou Zijin stopped talking too.

Pei Yan called out to Pei Man.

Pei Man dropped what he was doing and immediately strode over.

Pei Yan pointed at Yu Yuan.

Pei Man bowed to Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan hurriedly returned the gift, seeming a little nervous.

Pei Yan said a few more words, and Yu Yuan saluted Pei Man again. Pei Man returned the salute and turned around to go back to his work.

Yu Wen and Pei Yan exchanged a few words, and Pei Yan nodded. Yu Wen also said hello to Zhou Zijin, and everyone dispersed.

Yu Tang breathed a sigh of relief, and as soon as her father came over, she couldn't wait to ask, "Dad, what did the third elder of the Pei family tell you?"

Yu Wen's face was full of happiness. He said, "The third elder of the Pei family is really nice. His friend is also nice. He heard that we were going to Hangzhou City and that we were on the same route as them, so he invited us to take a boat with them. I saw that the third elder of the Pei family looked like he had something important to do, so I politely declined. As expected, the third elder of the Pei family did not keep me. However, it is not unreasonable that he can observe government affairs in the six ministries at such a young age. I just talked to him for a few words, and he called Pei Man over to introduce him to your brother. With such a keen eye, he will definitely have a smooth career and be very successful in the future."

Yu Tang curled his lips inwardly.

What about his smooth career and rapid success? He never became an official later.

Moreover, he was in charge of the six ministries at such a young age. Wasn't it because he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar? It should have nothing to do with whether he had good vision, right?

As for her father's praise of Pei Yan, she didn't believe it at all. She felt that her father praised him like this because he went to see him with good intentions.

Otherwise, when Zhou Zijin suggested that they take a boat to Hangzhou together, why didn't he just say a few polite words?

He didn't want to go with them at all.

Moreover, he was unwilling to maintain even the most basic courtesy and didn't even say a polite word.

Yu Tang suddenly remembered the way Pei Yan looked at her the last time she met him.

How infuriating!

She puffed out her cheeks.

Yu Yuan also praised Pei Yan endlessly: "He is kind and polite to others, not arrogant at all. I thought that people like him who achieved success at a young age were very noble and would not be willing to deal with people like us. The third elder of the Pei family is indeed a scholar. He is well-educated, well-mannered and generous."

Yu Tang couldn't listen any longer and said, "Brother, what do you mean by 'people like us'? What's wrong with our family? Don't belittle yourself!"

Yu Yuan was embarrassed.

Yu Wen laughed, patted his nephew on the shoulder and said, "I thought you should study hard with me, but my elder brother insisted that you follow him to do business. You see, people who study are more respected than others. You don't have the opportunity to study anymore. Your children can't follow your old path in the future. Even if you sell all the shops at home, you must support your children's education."

Yu Yuan agreed with this and nodded continuously.

Yu Tang didn't think so. She defended Yu Yuan, saying, "If my brother didn't follow my uncle to do business, not only would my uncle be in trouble, but we would also have trouble making ends meet. I think my uncle is right."

"You kid!" Yu Wen said, "You're like a firecracker, igniting at the touch of a button. No, you ignite without being lit. I didn't say anything, I just hope your brother can have a long-term vision, and the kid must study."

The father and daughter were talking to each other as the boat came by.

Yu Tang boarded the ship with his father and brother.

Before entering the cabin, she couldn't help but glance towards Pei Yan.

The servants were still moving the boxes.

Thinking of the scene when Zhou Zijin came, she couldn't help but whisper to Yu Yuan: "Brother, what are they going to Hangzhou for? Is the third master of the Pei family going too?"

Yu Yuan was stunned for a moment, and also looked towards Pei Yan, saying, "I heard from that Zhou Zhuangyuan that the newly appointed Zhejiang Provincial Education Commissioner Yu Shi is a fellow student of Master Pei San. Zhou Zhuangyuan seemed to have something to do with that Provincial Education Commissioner Yu Shi, so he dragged Master Pei San with him. Otherwise, how could Master Pei San, who was still in mourning, just run to Hangzhou City casually?"

Yu Tang was a little surprised, and suspected Pei Yan maliciously in his heart.

Maybe he said all these things to her father in order to ask her father to help him tell others about his intention to go to Hangzhou, so that no one would think that he was not at home to observe the mourning period and went to Hangzhou city to play.

Yu Tang looked down on Pei Yan again.

There were not many people on the boat today, just a few people, and there were many empty seats.

They found a corner and sat down.

After the boat started, the cool breeze of early autumn blew on people's faces, refreshing and cool, very comfortable.

Yu Yuan went to buy some snacks for Yu Wen and his daughter, and the three of them drank tea and chatted.

Yu Wen asked Yu Tang: "Is there any place you want to go? Or is there anything you want to buy?"

Yu Tang was so preoccupied with painting that she had no mood to go out and play. However, since she had arrived in Hangzhou, she had to bring something back for her mother and Ma Xiuniang.

She took her father's arm and said with a smile, "Can I buy some handkerchiefs and headscarves?"

Yu Wen was surprised and asked with a smile, "Are you only buying these?"

Every time he went out, Yu Tang wanted to write out a long list and ask him to buy everything.

Yu Tang blushed and snorted, "Wasn't that just because I was ignorant?"

Yu Wen laughed when he heard this, but he felt unusually relieved. He waved his hand and said, "Don't worry about the money. Just buy whatever you want. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the income from the farm will be paid to us, and we will have money to spend at home."

Yu Tang sighed secretly.

Why didn't she realize in her previous life that her father was a person who lived beyond his means?

However, she also seems to be...

Yu Tang was embarrassed.

Someone was leaning against the boat window and screaming.

Everyone in the cabin was startled and looked outside.

Then they saw a two-masted tung-lacquered ship paddling in the water as nimbly as a fish, riding the wind and waves and passing by them.

"It's the Pei family's boat!" someone shouted, "I've seen it. When Old Master Pei was alive, he always took a boat like this to go to Hangzhou City."

"Is it true?" It would have been better if the man didn't say anything. Once he said it, more people leaned over to the boat window to watch.

“So fast!”

"it's beautiful!"

Everyone praised it.

Someone shouted, "Look, is that an official badge? Anyone who can read, please take a look at what is written on it?"

Yu Yuan also leaned over to take a look.

Yu Tang pulled him back and said, "Brother, what's so good about this? It's just a boat. People think we have never seen it before."

Yu Yuan chuckled and said, "Isn't this just jealousy? I wish we could have a boat like this one day."

Yu Tang pouted.

Yu Yuan patted her head and said, "Atang, don't be angry. In the future, I will make a lot of money so that your nephew can study hard. When Atang returns to her parents' home, I will let your nephew also hold up his official badge and use a big ship like this to pick you up."

What nonsense are you talking about!

Yu Tang said: "I'll just stay at home, why go back to my parents' home?!"

Yu Yuan smiled sullenly and looked at Yu Wen as if asking for help.

Yu Wen, who had been silent just now, slammed the table and said seriously: "Atang is right. We should do a good job in business first, and then find a way to let our children and grandchildren study. This is the Pei family. When we first moved here, we didn't participate in the imperial examination immediately. It was not until the second generation that we started." Then he said to Yu Yuan: "I have misunderstood your father all these years. When we return to Lin'an, I will treat you to a drink!"

Yu Yuan said "I dare not" embarrassedly.

Yu Tang lost interest in talking.

Why do I keep running into people from the Pei family everywhere I go, and they always mention the Pei family in everything they talk about!

Can't she live in a place without Pei Yan and the Pei family?

So angry!