Chapter 14
Talking to a smart person is always relaxing.
Song Jiyun smiled and said,
“If the young master has any conditions, feel free to bring them up.”
The man looked at the paper, then slowly pointed at two words on it and said,
“So now, I’m called Li Si?!”
Song Jiyun blinked her eyes, smiling, and replied,
“But my fiancé’s name really is Li Si!”
The man spread his hands, and the marriage contract that Song Jiyun had mimicked her father’s handwriting for fluttered down lightly onto the travelogue.
“This name is too ugly!”
Song Jiyun’s smile remained unchanged as she said,
“Then I’ll have to find another place for the young master to stay. After all, I’m a woman with a fiancé now, so it’s not appropriate for you to stay here.”
The man said, “Indeed, it’s not appropriate.”
Song Jiyun nodded with a smile and started walking toward the silk cabinet’s door.
However, just as her hand touched the door panel, she seemed to remember something and turned back.
While walking, she said,
“I’ve been so busy these days that I’ve gotten muddled. This incense burner’s incense needs replacing. Liuzi, who serves the young master, will now serve my fiancé, so the young master can only be moved to the west side courtyard.”
As she spoke, she began carefully replacing the incense in the burner.
“The west courtyard is full of servant women. Who knows if you’ll encounter those who lack discernment, mistaking treasures for gravel and jade for tiles. If they act arrogantly and injure someone, that would be troublesome.”
The man said softly and seriously,
“You’re right. After all, this is a family where they can force their granddaughter to marry during the mourning period. It wouldn’t be surprising if the servants bullied new ones.”
Song Jiyun turned back.
The man raised his eyes.
Their gazes collided in the air.
One appeared to be smiling.
One appeared to be serious.
But in their eyes, calculations only they could understand were surging.
The air seemed to freeze.
Their gazes were locked, neither willing to back down.
From outside, Xiang Zan knocked on the door and said,
“Eldest Miss, Brother Quan is back.”
Song Jiyun smiled faintly and turned to leave.
Just as her hand reached the door panel again, the man suddenly said,
“The name on the marriage contract doesn’t sound good!”
Song Jiyun lowered her head and laughed silently.
When she turned back, her expression was solemn.
“The young master can think of a better-sounding name to replace it.”
The man showed a thoughtful expression as if seriously contemplating what name would be good.
By then, Song Jiyun had opened the silk cabinet’s door and said,
“Since the marriage contract needs to be redone, we can discuss it later.”
With a “snap,” she shut the silk cabinet again.
***
Zheng Quan returned as Song Jiyun had anticipated, bringing back 800,000 silver notes.
“The head steward said he was afraid this much silver would attract attention, so he split it into notes of fifty and a hundred taels and deposited them in banks across various regions,” he reported.
“He also left an address for Eldest Miss, saying that if you ever need anything, you can send a message to him, and he’ll risk his life to help.”
The address was for a candle shop next to Xiangji Temple in Hangzhou.
Though a bit far, it might come in handy someday.
The head steward had not betrayed her father’s trust, and she felt a sense of satisfaction.
She handed the note back to Zheng Quan and said,
“Memorize the address and burn the note.”
Zheng Quan agreed.
Song Jiyun then asked about his journey and learned that it had gone smoothly.
He had also sent a letter to Mount Longhu requesting help in finding a few skilled martial arts brothers.
“There won’t be a reply so soon—it’ll take a few days.”
This wasn’t something that could be rushed.
She nodded and said warmly,
“You’ve worked hard these days. Go check on Madam Zheng; she’s been worried about you since you left!”
Zheng Quan scratched his head awkwardly and said,
“Didn’t Eldest Miss say I still need to go to Nanchang and Shangrao?”
“That’s not urgent,” Song Jiyun said, stroking the red-lacquered gold-painted box containing the silver notes.
“With this as leverage, the rest can wait until after Father’s funeral.”
She had initially planned to leave something for her eldest uncle and third uncle.
Now, it seemed there was no need to leave them a single penny.
As for Nanchang and Shangrao, she needed to make new plans for them.
Zheng Quan responded with an “alright” and left with Xiang Zan to visit Madam Zheng.
***
Song Jiyun returned to the silk cabinet.
The man’s eyelids were slightly lowered, his face calm, as though he was deep in thought.
Song Jiyun smiled and asked,
“What does the young master think my fiancé should be called?”
The man looked at her seriously with his deep, dark eyes and said,
“Chengsi.”
Dream on!
Chengsi meant “inheritor,” implying he could gain something from pretending to be her fiancé. Was it so easy?
“I think Jizu sounds better,” Song Jiyun said coldly.
What belongs to her family stays with her family.
Once the act was over, he could leave.
“That works too,” the man said thoughtfully.
“Have Liuzi pack my things. Staying here is indeed inconvenient.”
Still acting like a wealthy young master, wanting servants? That’s unnecessary!
Song Jiyun smiled and said,
“My fiancé has traveled a long way and is a guest in our house, so naturally, he should stay in the guest courtyard. But this marriage was arranged years ago by my father and his family. He should’ve come for the wedding long ago. Unfortunately, his family fell into poverty. It’s only now, after years of saving, that he has the money to fulfill the agreement.”
This way, no one could associate him with the wealthy young master from the capital.
And it allowed her to keep him under her watch.
She continued,
“This way, when my fiancé leaves Liang County, there will be a proper explanation for my family.”
Her underlying meaning was clear: once this was over, he could leave.
The man frowned and said,
“That doesn’t seem right.”
Song Jiyun replied seriously,
“What’s wrong with it? My fiancé wants to get married, but without money for trade, how could he establish a household? Besides, since he’s marrying into my family, we can’t let him fall into decline. Business capital is necessary.”
As she spoke, she leaned in and asked,
“How about 100,000 taels?”
Even a governor wouldn’t earn that much in three years.
The man hesitated and said,
“A poor man’s ambition isn’t poor. How could I use my wife’s family’s money to do business?”
Song Jiyun couldn’t help but mock him internally.
Don’t think just because one butcher dies, people have to eat spoiled pork.
Choosing you was just a way to solve two problems at once.
If you don’t want it, someone else will.
She said firmly,
“It seems I’ve misjudged you. In that case, after I’ve completed my tasks, I’ll have someone escort you to the capital. You’re an outsider and don’t know how treacherous the waters of Poyang Lake can be. Every year, it floods and is rife with water bandits. Without protection, it’s hard to travel north safely.”
Traveling north from Liang County, the fastest route was via water, which required passing through Poyang Lake.
The man sighed and said,
“It seems I have to do business after all.”
Song Jiyun replied, “Not necessarily. Carrying too much money is also unsafe. It’s better to have a local guide.”
The man handed the marriage contract back to her and said, “Change the name!”
Without a word, Song Jiyun redrafted the contract and handed it to him.
The man inspected it carefully, as though he had never seen a marriage contract before.
By this time, Song Jiyun was so tired she could barely stand.
Having completed such an important task, her tension eased, and sleepiness overcame her.
She instructed Liuzi to accompany the man and hurried to rest.
***
At midday, the courtyard was covered in dense greenery, and the cicadas chirped incessantly.
A guard pushed the window open and entered, seeing his master holding the contract, muttering,
“How did she make the Hu family’s pine soot ink look so aged on this paper?”
—
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