Chapter 77 An old friend values romance over friendship
Yu Man slurped the last noodle from her bowl into her mouth. The broth was delicious, and the egg was fried to a perfect golden brown with slightly charred edges and a runny yolk—just her favorite cooking time. Satisfied, she put down her bowl and her gaze fell upon the dazzling array of congratulatory gifts on the table.
“So many…” she murmured, a smile playing on her lips. She picked up the nearest long, flat wooden box. It felt heavy and carried a faint scent of paulownia wood. Opening the lid, she found a pair of thick, bluish-gray knee pads neatly folded inside, their stitching fine and even. Two slips of paper were pressed underneath.
The handwriting on the first note was crooked and clumsy, like a beginner's strokes, each one deliberate and forceful: "Aman, the wind in the capital is harsh, unlike at home. Protect your knees, don't let them get cold. Father." Through the handwriting, Yu Man seemed to see his father under the oil lamp, frowning, holding a brush that was too delicate for him, clumsily but earnestly writing these words.
The handwriting on the second note was much more delicate: "Sister, Mother said these knee pads are stuffed with new cotton, they're so warm! Xiuxiu missed you too, so she secretly embroidered a little flower inside, look for it! — Xiuxiu and Mother (Mother dictated, Xiuxiu wrote it down)." Yu Man's heart softened. She picked up the knee pad and carefully felt it. Sure enough, in the inner lining near the knee, she felt a slightly stiff embroidery. She looked closely at it in the light, and saw a delicate daisy embroidered with blue silk thread, quietly resting on the cotton fabric.
Then, she opened a blue brocade pouch embroidered with cloud patterns. Inside were several packets of snacks carefully sealed in oiled paper, and a familiar aroma wafted out—hawthorn cake, dried plums, and sesame candy, all specialties of Laizhou. The accompanying note was written in Xue Han's neat and elegant small regular script: "Aman, happy birthday. Although you've been busy lately, remember to eat on time. I made these snacks myself to whet your appetite and relieve your fatigue. Shan Chun and I will take care of things at the shop, so don't worry."
Yu Man felt a warmth in her heart, and then she opened the other gift boxes with different packaging.
First, there was a long box made of rosewood, its faint, cool woody fragrance wafting out even before it was opened. Lifting the lid, on a red silk lining, lay a wild ginseng of exceptional quality, its whiskers clearly defined like dragons, likely decades old. Beside it, a slip of paper bore bold, unrestrained handwriting, its strokes powerful and penetrating: "Madam Yu, I spent three days in the old forests of Shuoyuan to obtain this; it is most suitable for replenishing qi and blood. Wishing you good health and happiness, Madam. Next time we meet, we must plan a feast together! — Xi Queping" A simple drawing of a wine pot was also included at the end, quite charming.
How could there still be a Young Master Xi?
Yu Man looked up at Pei Ji, who only glanced at the wild ginseng and said, "It's alright."
Seeing his expression, Yu Man guessed what was going on. She looked at the square black iron box beside him; it was heavy and cold to the touch, exuding a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay. Opening the delicate hidden clasp, she found the interior lined with dark velvet, upon which lay three miniature daggers crafted from meteorite iron. Each was no more than the length of an adult's palm, devoid of any superfluous decoration, its blade gleaming with a cold light, its killing intent concealed.
The attached note contained only two bold, angular characters: "Self-defense." It was signed "Jin Chuchuan."
Extremely practical.
Most eye-catching of all was a carved box made of golden nanmu wood, its grain exquisite and its carving intricate. Lifting the lid revealed a set of shimmering glass wine vessels—a pitcher, a saucer, and several cups—lined with bright yellow silk. The vessels were incredibly thin, almost transparent, refracting a dreamlike rainbow of colors under candlelight, dazzling yet elegant. The handwriting on the note was rounded and generous, exuding a sense of boldness: "A small gift, wishing Lady Yu's restaurant a constant stream of customers, abundant wealth, and a life as clear and bright as this glass cup! —Chunyu Zhi"
Looking at these gifts, each with a different style but all carefully chosen, Yu Man comforted herself.
It's alright, they're just friends I met once.
She continued to unpack and examine the package. When her fingertips touched a slightly rough cloth bag, and inside were a few smooth, round river pebbles and a note with slightly blurred ink and clumsy, crooked handwriting, she was truly stunned.
The note read: "Wishing Lady Yu a happy birthday and a peaceful and prosperous year." It was signed "Songzi".
Pine nuts?
Yu Man was both surprised and suspicious. He quickly searched through other similar cloth bags or small boxes and found many more "gifts" from Xingcheng Village: a packet of dried wild chrysanthemums with a note that read "Er Qiao"; a few wild chestnuts, "Xiao Chun"; and even a piece of tanned, soft rabbit skin, "Pan Yue"...
Her eyes widened as she looked, and finally she couldn't help but raise the stack of various slips of paper with different handwriting, turning to look at Pei Ji who had been watching her:
"You...you didn't actually search every single household, every man, woman, and child in Xingcheng Village, did you?" That must have been an enormous undertaking! Xingcheng Village isn't huge, but it still has dozens of households!
Upon hearing this, Pei Ji's expression remained as gentle as ever.
“No,” he replied casually. “I just asked someone to deliver a letter to Village Chief Yu, asking him to convey my greetings to the villagers. If anyone was willing, they could write a blessing to express their feelings. Village Chief Yu is a warm-hearted person, so the matter was handled smoothly.”
Yu Man raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing it was that simple: "That's it? Just one letter?" Even if Uncle Zhengde was enthusiastic, it wouldn't be enough to get the whole village to respond so actively, would it?
Pei Ji paused, then added somewhat helplessly, "In addition, some money was donated to repair the roof tiles of the village ancestral hall and village school. Last year there was a lot of wind and rain, and I heard that some of them leaked."
Yu Man: "..." She was speechless for a moment, looking at Pei Ji's indifferent appearance, her emotions churning.
This is far more than just "donating some money"; it's a real investment of real wealth, benefiting the village and earning heartfelt blessings from everyone in the village! Repairing the ancestral hall and village school is an immense act of kindness and merit in a rural area where clan ties are strong. The old village chief is probably going door-to-door, drumming and gonging, telling everyone how the current high-ranking official, Lord Pei, cares for the villagers and generously donates. Wouldn't everyone be rushing to write their blessings?
“Lord Pei,” she said, rubbing her forehead, her tone a mixture of emotion and teasing, “your generosity…is making me a little jealous.” The cost of repairing the ancestral hall and village school, plus the possible “compensation” for the old village chief, must have been considerable. And he went to such lengths to celebrate her birthday…
A faint smile appeared in Pei Ji's eyes as he rose and walked to her side. He reached out and brushed away a stray hair from her cheek, his fingertips warm. Then, he leaned down slightly, his voice low and indulgent, close to her ear:
"Not much." He paused, his breath brushing against her earlobe, leaving a slightly ticklish sensation. "It's enough to support you alone."
With just a few simple words, Yu Man's ears suddenly burned and her heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly looked away and muttered, "Who wants you to support me..." But she continued to unwrap the gift to hide her blush.
Sure enough, many of the items unpacked next were things she had glanced at and touched several times while shopping with Xue Han that day, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to buy because she was thinking about the difficulties of starting a business and the need to save money: the hairpin inlaid with sapphire and fluttering butterfly wings; the box of rose dew that was said to be from Persia and had a refreshing and lasting fragrance; and several exotic pastries with unique shapes that she had praised as "interesting" at the time... all of which were now perfectly preserved in the gift box.
Xue Han actually acted as a spy!
Yu Man was both annoyed and amused.
...
In the days that followed, Yu Man once again focused on the renovation of her new shop in Yulin Lane. The Empress Dowager's birthday was fast approaching, and the capital's prosperity and bustle reached their peak. The long streets were constantly teeming with carriages and horses, with various ceremonial processions and birthday celebrations coming and going in an endless stream. Foreign merchant delegations dressed in outlandish costumes attracted particular attention. Even the students at Qingyan Academy were filled with anecdotes during their leisure time about certain aristocratic families moving to the capital and noblemen spending lavishly to collect rare treasures as tribute.
The general layout of the shop was finalized; bricklayers were repairing the walls and floors, and carpenters were building counters and tables and chairs according to Yu Man's drawings. However, the most spacious white wall standing alone in the center of the main hall left Yu Man somewhat hesitant. The wall was too plain, appearing empty and cold; if she hung ordinary calligraphy and paintings, it wouldn't quite match the elegant yet lively atmosphere she wanted to create for her restaurant.
That afternoon, she and Xue Han stood in the empty hall, gazing at the wall with worry. Sunlight streamed in through the high window, casting bright spots of light on the polished floor.
"How about... having a large painting done on this entire wall?" Yu Man suddenly spoke up, gesturing vaguely in the air with his finger. "No screens, no calligraphy or paintings, just a painting on the wall. The subject matter could be a gathering of scholars for a banquet, a scene of foraging for delicacies in the mountains and fields, or even a lively scene of cooking in the kitchen... In short, it should be related to food and refined tastes, so that it can become a scenic view, showcasing the elegance of our shop, and also provide something for customers to admire while waiting for their food."
Upon hearing this, Xue Han first frowned in deep thought, her finger unconsciously tapping her chin. Then her eyes suddenly lit up, and she clapped her hands in praise, "Brilliant! In this way, our food stall will not only be a place to satisfy our appetites, but will also be filled with elegance and conversation topics! The students of the academy, as well as the literati who like to indulge in refined pursuits, will definitely like it! Perhaps it will even inspire them to compose poems and couplets!" She became more and more excited as she spoke, as if she could already see the lively scene of guests filling the hall, pointing out and commenting on the murals.
But after the initial excitement, problems arose one after another. Xue Han said with difficulty, "The idea is excellent, but... it's not easy to find a painter. He needs to have superb painting skills, be able to handle such a large-scale mural, understand the artistic conception we want, and not ask for too much money... The famous painters in the capital are probably busy painting birthday celebration paintings for various families right now, so it's not certain that we can hire them. Even if we can, the fee will probably be staggering."
Yu Man's first thought was Luo Wanxi. With her exquisite and lifelike brushwork, she would surely excel at painting figures, flowers, and birds, and with her clever mind, she might be able to create a unique charm.
The next day, she learned from Gu Chengling about Luo Wanxi's recent situation: "Awan has been under pressure from orders from Jinxiuge at home. The new season's clothing designs all depend on her, and she has been working day and night, with piles of drawing paper covering her desk."
Yu Man didn't speak, but instead pondered other candidates. She wasn't too anxious, thinking that if all else failed... she could let Pei Ji paint it? He was proficient in both calligraphy and painting, but she didn't know if he was good at murals that required a grand and majestic style.
Hmm, I'll go back and sound them out.
He returned from the shop a little earlier than usual that day. Just as he reached the door, he saw his servant standing with his arm outstretched, blocking someone's path, his face serious.
The man being stopped was tall and slender, wearing a worn-out gray cloak and a wide-brimmed, tattered straw hat pulled low over his head, almost completely obscuring his face, revealing only a slightly taut chin and two rather thick, but somewhat awkward-looking, mustache. He was lowering his voice, trying to explain: "...Young man, I am truly an old friend of your Lord Pei. If you go in and inform him, he will surely know."
The servant remained unmoved, his tone respectful yet firm: "I apologize to this... chivalrous gentleman. My master has instructed that strangers must first present an invitation or state their full name and purpose of visit before being introduced. Your attire..." He subtly glanced at the man's overly deliberate understated appearance, the meaning of which was self-evident.
Yu Man stopped in her tracks, watching the man's retreating figure. The silhouette beneath the cloak, and the voice, though lowered, still carrying a lingering air of carefree untamed spirit… She blinked, a guess forming in her mind, and tentatively called out softly, "Young Master Xi?"
Startled by the sound, the man whirled around! He lifted the brim of his straw hat, revealing his eyes, which stared directly at Yu Man. He instinctively touched his mustache: "Lady Yu?!" He scrutinized Yu Man from head to toe. "This…you recognized me?" He felt his disguise, though hastily put together, was complete with a straw hat, old clothes, and a fake mustache—enough to blend into the crowd without a problem. How could he have been seen through so easily?
Yu Man couldn't help but chuckle. His gaze swept from the oversized, ill-fitting straw hat to the thick, loosely attached fake mustache with slightly upturned edges. He smiled and said to the wary servant, "It's alright. This is indeed Lord Pei's good friend, Young Master Xi Queping. Let him in."
The servant then stepped aside, his wary expression vanishing, replaced by obsequiousness. He bowed and said, "So it is Young Master Xi. I was blind. Please, young master."
Xi Queping followed Yu Man into the courtyard, clicking his tongue in amazement: "How strange... how could my disguise be such a failure?" As soon as he entered the courtyard, he immediately and impatiently ripped off the suffocating tattered straw hat, tossed it onto the stone bench, and then carefully pulled at his fake beard, only to hiss as he did so, revealing his originally handsome face. He let out a long sigh of relief, "Finally, I can breathe! This damn thing is so uncomfortable to wear!"
He stretched his neck, then smiled and cupped his hands to Yu Man: "Madam Yu, how have you been? Several months have passed since we last met, and you are even more beautiful than before."
Yu Man led him to sit down at the stone table in the courtyard, gestured for the servants to serve tea, and then said with a smile, "Young Master Xi is too kind. But why are you dressed like this to enter the capital? Is there something important on your mind?"
"It's a long story, and it's a mix of... official and personal matters." Xi Queping's expression turned slightly awkward for a moment. He quickly took a sip of tea, then seemed to remember something and asked, "By the way, did Madam Yu receive the birthday gift I sent by messenger a while ago? Is that old ginseng still suitable? I personally spent three days searching in the old forests of Shuoyuan to find it, and its age is definitely up to standard!"
When he asked this question, there was a hint of mischief and curiosity in his eyes, as he recalled the scene from half a month ago—
In a simple guest room at an inn in Shuoyuan County.
Xi Queping, Jin Chuchuan, and Chunyu Zhi sat around a table, on which lay three letters with identical handwriting and formal, polite wording. Their core message was the same: to prepare a suitable birthday gift for Lady Yu.
Jin Chuchuan was the first to finish reading. His handsome, cold face didn't even twitch an eyebrow. With a flick of his finger, the thin letter fluttered back onto the table. He parted his thin lips slightly and uttered two words: "Sick." He then stood up, his black robes billowing in a cold wind, and left the room without looking back, as if staying even a moment longer would be a waste of time.
Chunyu Zhi held the letter, shaking his head, his face full of emotion: "Senior Brother Pei truly cherishes that Lady Yu, treasuring her so much that he even gathered all our efforts to ensure a perfect birthday gift. So devoted! Truly rare!" He carefully folded the letter, tucked it into his robes, and rose to walk away, muttering to himself, "What should I give to repay Senior Brother Pei's kindness? South Sea coral? A luminous pearl? Or that new set of glass cups? I need to think carefully..."
Only Xi Queping remained still. He held the letter, staring at Pei Ji's familiar, neat handwriting that seemed to penetrate the paper. He first raised an eyebrow, then couldn't help but smile, his grin widening until finally he leaned back in his chair, gazing at the roof beam, and laughed silently for a long time.
Finally, it was Pei Ji's turn to beg him for help.
After sitting alone with Xinle for a while, he stroked his chin and pondered, "What should I send? Gold and silver jewelry are too vulgar and don't match the fun of this matter... I heard that there are fine ginseng that have been aged for a long time in the deep mountains of Shuoyuan. It is good for replenishing qi and nourishing the body, which is a practical gift."
Not long after all that fuss, when he and Chunyu Zhi were about to send the gifts back to the capital by messenger, Jin Chuchuan came out of the house with a cold face, shoved a dark iron box into the messenger's hand, and left without saying a word.
Xi Queping followed the man's movements with his eyes, then put his arm around Chunyu Zhi's shoulder and asked, "Do you think this person has always been such a good actor?"
Chunyu Zhi smiled and dodged his arm, replying, "Isn't Senior Brother Xi always like this...unrestrained and free-spirited?"
Xi Queping pretended to hit him: "Haven't you ever been beaten up before?"
Chunyu Zhi slipped away quickly, disappearing into the distance.
As the recollection ended, Xi Queping's smile deepened.
Yu Man, unaware of Xi Queping's inner thoughts, sincerely thanked him: "I have received all the gifts. I am so grateful for your thoughtfulness, Young Master Xi. The ginseng is of excellent quality, and Sister Xue has already kept it safe for me, saying it is best for making soup in winter. The dagger from Young Master Jin and the glass cup from Young Master Chunyu are also very precious and exquisite. I am truly unworthy of them and feel very bad."
"Oh, you're too kind, Madam Yu!" Xi Queping waved his hand, his smile becoming even more mysterious. "We've done our best to add some joy to your birthday. Besides, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have Pei Ji write a letter personally, so we naturally have to make a good impression!" He winked, his words clearly teasing.
Yu Man chuckled at his words. The two sat down in the approaching twilight and chatted. Xi Queping asked, "By the way, when is he coming back? Besides some official business, I did have something to discuss with him during my trip to the capital."
Yu Man looked up at the sky; the lanterns in the courtyard had been lit one by one by the servants. "It should be almost time. Normally, if there are no unexpected events, we should be back by noon. But today..." she paused, "it will take about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea tonight."
Xi Queping: "Oh? Was there some urgent official business at the government office that caused the delay?"
Yu Man shook his head and honestly said, "No, it's not that. It's just that today is the fifth day of the lunar month, and Zhang Si's fish soup in the West Market is on sale. He said he would bring some back with him. Zhang Si's stall does very good business, and she only sells a limited amount each day, so you always have to queue for quite a while to buy some."
Xi Queping was taken aback at first, then asked with great interest, "Is that fish soup really that delicious? So delicious that our Lord Pei was willing to squeeze into a street stall?"
"It's really delicious." Yu Man nodded. "The fish is freshly killed and sliced very thinly. It cooks in no time when it's put into boiling water. The soup base is made by simmering fish bones and old hen all night. It's rich and not greasy. Finally, it's sprinkled with fine ginger shreds and coriander, and a few drops of pepper oil. Eating a bowl of this in winter warms you from your throat to your stomach."
Her description was so detailed that Xi Queping's appetite was whetted: "Now that you mention it, I'd like to try it too! I'll definitely ask him to bring me some next time!"
As they were speaking, familiar, unhurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, steadily treading on the bluestone slabs.
Pei Ji carried a double-layered bamboo food box, which was tightly covered but still had a little steam escaping from it, and stepped into the courtyard as the last rays of daylight appeared.
He spotted the two men by the stone table in the courtyard at a glance. Without pausing, his gaze swept briefly over Xi Queping, his tone calm and even, as if he had expected his arrival:
"You're here?"
Xi Queping stood up to greet him, circling Pei Ji for a short while before deliberately sniffing the food box. "I'm not coming! Lord Pei, you're such a busy man. To see you, I have to wait until you've finished queuing to buy the fish soup!" He reached out to lift the lid of the food box. "Let me see what kind of divine fish soup is worth our Lord Pei personally squeezing into that humble market stall?"
Pei Ji subtly twisted his wrist, deftly avoiding the food box in his hand, and walked smoothly to Yu Man. "Be careful, it's hot," he whispered to Yu Man, before turning to Xi Queping, his tone slightly indifferent: "There's no fish soup. There's freshly brewed Mengding tea in the study. If you need anything, come in." With that, he led the way to the study.
Xi Queping clicked his tongue: "Prioritizing women over friends, the ancients were right!" But he still quickly followed.
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