The charming maid’s laughter left the three people in the room somewhat at a loss.
“Young Master Han, you’re overthinking it. I am not here to catch a son-in-law,” the maid said, stifling her laughter.
At these words, Han Yuanchao let out a sigh of relief, though he still looked a bit sheepish. Unable to help himself, he turned and glared at the other two.
The pair exchanged an equally sheepish glance before breaking into smiles themselves.
“What a shame. I really thought this time I’d finally get to face a moral dilemma, tasting the bitter righteousness of making an unavoidable yet upright decision.”
“Exactly, exactly! I’d already planned it all out. The moment Yuanchao abandoned an old promise to pledge loyalty elsewhere, I would sever ties with him.”
The maid, who had just managed to suppress her laughter, burst out laughing again. Her crisp laughter echoed through the doorway, bringing a touch of liveliness to the otherwise dreary inn during this bleak holiday season.
“I wonder what delightful event those scholars have encountered,” the curious shop attendant muttered as he stole glances their way.
The laughter faded, and the people in the room composed themselves.
“You’re saying your master wishes to ask for my help?” Han Yuanchao asked, sounding a bit surprised.
The maid nodded in affirmation and slid a pouch of money toward him.
“Yesterday, upon seeing that woman and her child in such pitiful circumstances, my master wished to offer some assistance. However, due to unavoidable reasons, my master cannot leave the house. Moreover, since you’ve shown kindness to that woman before, if the help is delivered through you, she’ll find it easier to trust,” she explained.
Han Yuanchao was surprised but eventually nodded.
“Your master is truly chivalrous,” he said. “It’s just…”
“My apologies for delaying your diligent studies,” the maid interjected, bowing with an apologetic expression.
Han Yuanchao hurriedly returned a half-bow.
“There’s no need to be so formal,” he said. “Studying is not something achieved in a single moment.” After a brief pause to consider, he nodded. “Very well, I’ll accompany you tomorrow.”
“I’ll come here tomorrow to meet you, Young Master. Once we’ve visited that woman, I’ll be able to report back to my master and set their mind at ease,” the maid said as she rose to take her leave.
Han Yuanchao walked the maid out, watching as she donned her cloak and hood before disappearing into the wind and snow.
“Yuanchao, you don’t think she’s a swindler, do you?” one of his companions asked with a hint of doubt.
“A swindler? What would she swindle me for?” Han Yuanchao replied with a laugh.
His companion scrutinized him for a moment, feigning seriousness.
“Your heart,” he said.
Han Yuanchao burst into laughter and playfully punched him.
“Before you start talking about severing ties, you’d better hurry up and rent me a carriage. Tomorrow, make sure all of you bring your attendants and come along with me. That’s what’s important right now,” he said with a grin.
A rented carriage, along with six or seven attendants, should be enough to deal with any petty thieves in the capital. If it were a more serious threat…
“Considering that my family is regarded as a prominent clan in Su-zhou, I doubt anyone in the capital would go to great lengths to target me,” Han Yuanchao said with a smile. “And if someone truly did put in that much effort, it would no longer be something I could handle alone. In such a case, better to wait and watch than to act rashly.”
“Whoever said that chivalry is for fools deserves a slap,” his companion remarked, shaking his head with a sigh.
The maid stepped into the house, followed by two young servants, each carrying two bundles.
She had only taken a couple of steps when the sound of firecrackers exploding came from nearby.
“Jin Ge’er, no mischief!” she quickly called out, covering her ears with her hands.
Jin Ge’er, who had darted off after opening the door, laughed mischievously and tossed aside the bamboo pole in his hand.
The maid pulled open the door, and the cheerful laughter, warm air, and fragrant aromas inside greeted her.
The chatter within the house came to a halt.
“Ban Qin is here,” Xu Maoxiu said with a smile.
“Greetings, Young Master,” the maid said with a bow, then turned to greet the other men seated in the room, offering each a polite bow.
Afterward, she turned to take the bundles handed to her by the young servants and placed them inside the room. The servants excused themselves, and the maid slid the paper door shut, sealing off the cold air outside.
“Miss Ban Qin, you’re far too formal. How could we possibly deserve you addressing us as ‘Young Master’ with every word? But Third Brother insists that accepting your courtesy is a way of respecting you. I, for one, just don’t get it,” said a man seated at the far end of the room.
“If you don’t understand, then don’t try to. Just say less,” another man scolded him softly.
Having only met them a few times, the maid thought carefully for a moment before recalling that this was the eldest brother, Fan Jianglin.
“With the New Year approaching, there wasn’t time to tailor clothing, so Miss asked me to buy ready-made garments,” the maid explained, pushing the bundles toward them.
The men erupted into laughter and chatter again.
“How could we make our little sister getting us new clothes?” Xu Maoxiu said.
Cheng Jiao-niang, who had been sitting quietly listening to their conversation, smiled faintly.
“Aren’t the womenfolk in the family meant to take care of things like this?” she said. “Though I didn’t make them myself, so I suppose I took the easy way out.”
Fan Jianglin and the others expressed their thanks.
“I’m not sure if they’ll fit. Gentlemen, please try them on so the tailor can make any necessary adjustments,” the maid said with a smile.
“Oh, it’s been ages since I’ve had new clothes for New Year!” Xu Bangchui exclaimed, grabbing a bundle and heading out with a grin so wide his face seemed to split.
With him leading the charge, the others shed their reservations as well.
“Perfect timing to take a bath, too. No sense in getting the new clothes smelly before wearing them.”
“Fourth Brother, you’re the smelly one. I just bathed yesterday.”
“Third Brother, it’s about time you trimmed your beard, too.”
“You go ahead, brothers. Once you’ve freshened up, we’ll all have dinner together,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
“Then we’ll leave it to you,” Xu Maoxiu said.
Following his lead, the other brothers quickly expressed their thanks as well.
Cheng Jiao-niang returned their courtesy, and with laughter and chatter, everyone got up and headed out.
The room still carried echoes of the earlier chatter and the distinct scent left by the men.
The maid first attended to Cheng Jiao-niang, helping her drink some water, then read aloud a passage for Cheng Jiao-niang to transcribe. Only after completing these tasks did she kneel and sit before her.
“Miss, Young Master Han has agreed. Tomorrow, I will accompany him,” she said.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
“Miss, why did you ask me to find a doctor to go instead of…” The maid hesitated before asking.
Miss could diagnose illnesses herself, so why go to the trouble of bringing in an outside physician?
Cheng Jiao-niang rested her hand on the armrest and lowered her head.
“He is not worthy of my care,” she said.
Was she implying that someone of such low status didn’t qualify?
The maid wondered but quickly dismissed the thought. It wasn’t her place to ponder her mistress’s reasoning. Simply asking that question had been presumptuous enough. She hurriedly shifted her thoughts, covering her mouth with a soft chuckle to lighten the mood.
“Miss, that Young Master Han was quite amusing earlier,” the maid said.
Cheng Jiao-niang raised her eyes to look at her.
“Oh? How so?” she asked.
It was rare for Cheng Jiao-niang to take an interest in others, which made the maid suspect that this Young Master Han must indeed be an old acquaintance of hers. Straightening her posture, she explained.
“He thought we were coming to propose marriage,” the maid said with a laugh. “He rejected me so earnestly and righteously.”
Cheng Jiao-niang’s lips curved slightly into a faint smile.
“What made him think that?” she asked.
“Well, it’s not entirely his fault,” the maid chuckled. “In the capital, it’s a common tradition. Every year during the grand examinations, the wealthy and powerful families seek out promising sons-in-law from among the scholars. Why, just recently, Wang Weizheng, a junior editor at the Secret Pavilion, was fought over by two influential families. The matter even escalated to the emperor’s attention.”
“The customs of the capital are certainly… amusing,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, her smile deepening slightly.
“Other places may not be as extreme as the capital, but a good young man will always be in demand as a potential son-in-law, no matter where he is,” the maid said with a laugh.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
“But for Young Master Han to think that way…” The maid couldn’t help but laugh again.
As they were laughing and chatting, footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a soft cough.
“Sister,” came Xu Maoxiu’s voice from outside.
The maid quickly walked over with a smile and opened the door.
“Third Young Master, that was quick…” She looked up mid-sentence and suddenly froze, her words trailing off.
Cheng Jiao-niang also glanced over at the sound, her hand pausing slightly over the scroll she had been sketching.
Standing outside the door was a man dressed in a brand-new cyan cotton robe, sturdy cloth shoes on his feet. He had a tall and robust build, his features clean and fresh, with a trace of moisture still lingering on his face from just having washed. With thick eyebrows, large eyes, a broad forehead, and a square jaw, his skin was rough but couldn’t hide his strikingly handsome appearance.
“It fits quite well; no need for any alterations,” he said, glancing down to inspect his clothing.
