Yuan Yunzhong walked the length of the gallery and turned back to Yinyu Hall.
The servant boy following him couldn’t stop wondering.
If Young Master Yuan neither sought out Miss Song nor admired the scenery, then what was the purpose of going out?
He scratched his head, coming face to face with Liu Zi and Young Master Shao.
Shao Qing raised the oil-paper wrapped package in his hand and said, "I heard these pastries were called Candlewick Cakes, and I thought they’d be as fine as beef slivers in lantern shadow, thin like wick grass. Turns out they taste just like the ones from Zhou Ji’s Cloud Cake."
He shook his head, clearly disappointed and feeling duped.
Yuan Yunzhong didn’t even give him a glance and walked straight into the room, getting changed with the help of the servant boy.
Leaning against the door, Shao Qing, with a piece of Candlewick Cake in his mouth, said, "Where have you been this time? I turn around, and you’ve changed your clothes three times."
Yuan Yunzhong ignored him, took the tea passed by the servant boy, sipped it, and comfortably lay back down on the Drunken Master’s Chair, picking up the book he had been reading halfway through.
Shao Qing, having grown up with him, knew his temperament well and didn’t mind. He sat down on the nearby Taishi Chair and instructed Liu Zi, "Set out the pastries for the young master to try. After all, I went through the trouble of standing in line to buy them; making them into a teatime snack is only appropriate."
Yuan Yunzhong, with his eyes downcast on his book, said, "Take it back to your own room to eat. Don’t drop crumbs here."
"Oh!" exclaimed Shao Qing in surprise, "You haven’t lost your temper like this in many years."
Yuan Yunzhong looked up, staring at him silently.
He immediately looked down and waved his hand, saying, "I’m leaving, I’m leaving."
He pulled Liu Zi out of the study with him.
Yuan Yunzhong quietly read his book, yet the pages remained unturned for a long time.
The close-serving servant boy was contemplating whether to change his tea when he suddenly saw him slam the book shut with a "snap" and place it on the small round table beside him.
The servant boy jumped in fright.
Yuan Yunzhong’s voice came to his ears: "Where is Shao Qing?" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
The servant boy snapped out of it after a moment and hurriedly said, "I’ll go call Young Master Shao immediately."
Yuan Yunzhong remained silent.
Seeing this, the servant boy quickly went to call Shao Qing over.
Yuan Yunzhong asked Shao Qing, "Didn’t anyone ask anything?"
"Ask what?" Shao Qing was puzzled. Suddenly, he realized and praised, "You know, the corner spot you randomly picked, both upstairs and downstairs, they sure are tactful. Seeing us return, they acted as if nothing had happened, no questions asked. Even if they struck up a conversation, nobody mentioned it, just asking, ’How’s the weather today? Have you eaten?’"
Yuan Yunzhong stared at him coldly.
Immediately, Shao Qing closed his mouth and thought carefully for a long time, cautiously asked, "What do you want to ask?"
Yuan Yunzhong’s temples throbbed as if his eyes pained him, and he closed them, saying to him, "Go away!"
Perplexed, Shao Qing backed away and started gesturing with Liu Zi, who was waiting outside: Do you know what’s gotten into him?
Liu Zi shook his head, equally bewildered.
Shao Qing crouched there, muddled for a good while, then simply had Liu Zi bring him a stool to sit on as he continued to wait.
The warm sun gradually set, and someone from the kitchen came to ask when they should prepare dinner.
Through the drooping Xiangfei Bamboo Curtain, Shao Qing glanced at the person lying on the Drunken Master’s Chair and nudged Liu Zi, "You ask, okay?"
Liu Zi repeatedly waved his hands.
Shao Qing thought for a while, then had the meal set in the hall before sneaking into the study and whispered, "Young Master, dinner is ready!"
Yuan Yunzhong opened his eyes, his gaze cool and clear.
Shao Qing chuckled dryly twice.
Yuan Yunzhong rose and went to the hall.
He glanced at the dishes as if remembering something, and said nonchalantly, "What is Miss Song doing?"
"Oh!" Shao Qing immediately said, "She has been in Madam Song’s room copying Buddhist scriptures with the two Miss Songs."
Yuan Yunzhong nodded slightly and began to drink his soup.
Shao Qing remembered a piece of news he had just received and said, "Wan Xiaoquan plans to place the deed over Miss Song’s family’s Jade Porcelain, what do you think?"
Yuan Yunzhong nodded slightly again, his expression stern, "Does Miss Song know?"
"Miss Song probably doesn’t know," Shao Qing speculated, "We just received the news and were about to send someone to tell her."
Yuan Yunzhong responded indifferently, and Shao Qing waited quietly for a moment, but there was no further comment.
The young master wasn’t planning to help, which made it a difficult matter for Miss Song, but for them, it was merely a casual remark.
Miss Song had always been quite decent, why not do her a favor when it’s convenient?
Shao Qing thought this, the words almost reaching his lips, but seeing Yuan Yunzhong’s icy expression, he swallowed the words back and pondered how to break the news to Song Jiyun.
Song Jiyun didn’t yet know about this.
She was with Madam Qian and her two sisters cutting paper, grinding ink, discussing recent events at home, not thinking about the changes in Song Daliang’s family nor the difficulties the kiln factory faced. She spent half the day peacefully practicing calligraphy, copied seven or eight pages of Buddhist sutras, and when she returned after dinner, said, "Just leave the ink and brush here; I’ll come and copy a few pages when I have the time, and see how much I can do by the first day of October."
They planned to offer these at the temple during the October 1st worship.
Madam Qian helped her straighten her clothes with a smile and said, "There’s no need to rush; it’s the thought that counts."
Song Jiyu then, laughing, took Song Jixue’s arm and said, "If sister doesn’t have time, we can help you copy."
The sisters chatted cheerfully at the doorway of Madam Qian’s courtyard for a long time before finally saying goodbye.
But before she had even stepped into her own courtyard, Xiang Zhan told her, "Steward Zheng has returned; he said there’s something urgent and is waiting for you in the study in the outer courtyard!"
Song Jiyun immediately turned and went to the study in the outer courtyard.
Zheng Quan looked grave and said, "Miss, Old Master Song’s kiln factory has started to encroach on our kiln factory."
"Tell me, what exactly happened?" Song Jiyun asked as they settled down, and the servant girl served refreshments and then withdrew.
Zheng Quan spoke gravely, "I have been investigating why those master craftsmen from several workshops had defected to Old Master Song’s kiln factory, and I just got a clue. Master Luo came to me, saying that these past few days, seven or eight apprentices, not yet fully skilled but quite talented, have resigned. Some even had long-term contracts, involving various stages like shaping, glazing, and handling. He found it suspicious, had looked into it, and asked around, yet discovered nothing.
"His suspicions grew.
"So he asked me to find out what was going on.
"If there really is no issue, our Song Family Kiln Factory isn’t the kind of place that falls apart just because a few leave; if they want to leave, let them leave. He brought me the deed to sign for their release. We’ll collect whatever penalty fee is due, and no one is forced to stay."
Song Jiyun leaned back in the Taishi Chair, pondered for a while, and asked, "Your investigation found that it’s related to Song Daliang’s new kiln factory?"
"Yes!" Zheng Quan said, "Not only that, but I also found out that those master craftsmen managed to defect because Old Master Song blackmailed them with some leverage over them, though what exactly that leverage is, I haven’t yet discovered."
At this juncture, his tone slightly hesitated and added, "The Imperial Kiln Factory’s Mr. Han seems to have agreed to provide designs to Old Master Song’s kiln factory."
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