Xie Miao’er’s mind worked quickly. “You really overheard it.”
Indeed, he had been eavesdropping!
She should have immediately retorted with something cheerful, but Xie Miao’er caught the seriousness in his pupils. Instead of answering right away, she propped herself up with both hands on the bed and sat up.
She raised her hand to smooth the messy strands of hair near her temples and said seriously, “Young Master, you’re asking this question because you think I’m not living well in some way, aren’t you?”
Without waiting for him to answer, she continued, “I… I’m doing quite well. Except that I occasionally miss my family.”
Lu Huaihai said, “Then come back more often to visit.”
Xie Miao’er smiled, but when the smile reached her lips, it inevitably carried a hint of bitterness. “Alright.”
Speaking of it, the Xie family was in the capital, and now she wasn’t just separated from her parents by a century of time but also thousands of miles apart.
No matter what, she couldn’t see them again.
Her obvious dejection surfaced.
Yet Lu Huaihai suddenly felt a sense of relief.
He was glad that, in a moment of impulsiveness, he hadn’t overthought things and had come directly to find her.
Otherwise, after the New Year’s Eve festivities, when the children went to sleep, she would have been left alone in a house full of memories but devoid of the people who once made it home.
That would have been truly pitiful.
So he said, “If they know this in the afterlife, seeing you manage the family business and care for your younger siblings, they would surely feel comforted. There’s no need to grieve.”
He thought she was sad for her late parents and tried to comfort her.
Xie Miao’er, unaware that Lu Huaihai had already imagined her as a pitiable figure in his heart, pressed her lips together and said, “I know.”
Lu Huaihai’s words, though unintended, hit the mark.
She was someone who had narrowly escaped death. If her parents knew she was alive and continuing her life, no matter where she was, they would surely feel happy for her.
Thinking of this, the faint sorrow in Xie Miao’er’s heart dissipated like smoke.
She was very good at adjusting her emotions; otherwise, she would have long succumbed to the torment of illness.
Her expression visibly relaxed, which made Lu Huaihai think his clumsy attempt at comfort had worked. After a pause, he said, “Get some rest.”
In the bronze brazier, the charcoal burned quietly. The dim firelight cast shadows on his sharply defined profile.
“In a moment.”
Xie Miao’er lifted a corner of the quilt, took out a copper coin, and handed it to Lu Huaihai. “New Year’s money.”
Lu Huaihai looked at her, his eye twitching slightly. “No need.”
Xie Miao’er said, “Just put it under your pillow. This isn’t an ordinary copper coin; it has been blessed with incense at the temple. It’s for good fortune, to ward off evil and keep bad dreams away.”
Seeing her insistence, Lu Huaihai was just about to accept it when he heard her continue, “I also gave one to Tengteng and Ying’er tonight.”
If Lu Huaihai remembered correctly, she was referring to those two little children who hadn’t even grown to the height of a horse’s legs.
Did she think of him as a child too?
Lu Huaihai fell silent, deliberately pretending not to hear her words, and in one swift motion, lay down, turned to his side, and closed his eyes.
Smooth and natural.
Seeing him unresponsive, Xie Miao’er didn’t dwell on it. She withdrew the copper coin into her palm and muttered, “Better watch out for nightmares.”
After all, wasn’t he the one who had trouble sleeping at night before?
Perhaps because Xie Miao’er’s presence lingered in his senses, Lu Huaihai actually dreamed that night—and it was about her.
It was a strange dream. He stood before the vast, surging river, and she was holding a pole on a small boat, swaying amidst the wind and rain, trying to ferry him across to the opposite shore.
But he had always been a light sleeper. Just as the sky was beginning to brighten, he woke up. The dream was abruptly cut off, leaving him no chance to see how it ended.
Having slept soundly the previous night, Xie Miao’er also woke early. She was already sitting up, squinting her eyes in a daze.
Lu Huaihai’s soft chuckle drew her attention.
“What is it?” she asked blankly.
His voice was hoarse. “Seems there truly was an ‘evil spirit’ in my dream.”
Xie Miao’er was completely unaware that the “evil spirit” he referred to was her. In a rush, she reached under the quilt to retrieve the copper coin. “Did you really have a nightmare? I told you, you had to use the New Year’s money to suppress it.”
But for him, it had been a pleasant dream.
Lu Huaihai didn’t say much. When she stretched her palm toward him again, he simply said, “Happy New Year, Xie Miao’er.”
His fingertips brushed against her palm as he took the copper coin from her hand.
Xie Miao’er froze.
Yes, it was already a new year.
Finally snapping out of her daze, she smiled at him and said, “May the four seasons bring you blessings, Shaoye.”
The old has passed, and the new has come.
—
As for Lu Huaihai’s shameless act of sneaking out on New Year’s Eve, Lu Paizhang was thoroughly displeased.
However, by around 4 or 5 a.m., before the Lu Residence’s gates had even opened, Lu Huaihai had already ridden back on horseback. Judging by the timing, he must have returned as soon as the curfew was lifted.
At least he knew some sense of propriety.
When he dismounted nonchalantly and greeted him just as casually, “Father.”
That familiar feeling of heart palpitations immediately resurfaced. Lu Paizhang let out a cold snort. “Still know how to come back?”
“I do, and I even remembered to return to wish you a Happy New Year.”
Lu Paizhang had already suspected that Lu Huaihai’s unusual behavior over the past few days wasn’t normal at all. But his mood had improved quite a bit lately, so after a few sarcastic remarks directed at his son, he let the matter slide.
In the past, Lu Huaihai would have certainly retorted sarcastically, but today, he was in an unusually good mood. No matter what his father said, his response was just one word—“Hmm.”
It was like punching cotton, leaving Lu Paizhang unprepared and unsettled.
Madam Su, who had rushed out intending to prevent a father-son argument, saw the two walking side by side without so much as a quarrel. Her jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
What a rare sight! She thought to herself that she should burn a few more sticks of incense later.
She glanced at them a few more times before finally saying, “Let’s have breakfast first.”
After breakfast, as was customary, they needed to pay respects to their ancestors with incense before heading out to exchange New Year’s greetings.
Since the Lu family had moved here, most of their relatives were no longer in the area. There weren’t many people to visit, aside from a few colleagues and friends Lu Paizhang had made over the years as an official.
However, this year, there was one more household to visit: the home of Meng Cheng, the Prefect of Taizhou.
Lu Paizhang had already sent a greeting card to the Meng family, and Meng Cheng had reserved time to receive them.
After a brief chat with Lu Paizhang, Meng Cheng turned his attention to Lu Huaihai.
“Not bad. You’re in good spirits. How’s your preparation?”
Lu Huaihai replied, “Archery and horseback riding—never neglected for a single day.”
After a few simple pleasantries, Lu Paizhang got to the main point of the visit. “…These are all basic skills. About his military merit, do you think it’s enough to secure first-class recognition?”
Meng Cheng shared the information he had: “Rest assured, apart from the position of Qianhu, there will be additional rewards. However, the situation in the capital has changed drastically. It’s best to remain cautious.”
Meng Cheng was a steady official with his own faction and sources of information far superior to someone like Lu Paizhang, who had settled into a comfortable, quieter life. Naturally, Lu Paizhang pressed for more details. “Drastic changes? Brother Meng, what do you mean by that?”
Meng Cheng lowered his voice and uttered just four words: “Prince Sheng is gravely ill.”
Hearing this, Lu Paizhang was shocked.
Over the past few years, the current emperor, influenced by alchemy, had grown paranoid and indecisive. He had not named a crown prince, leaving only two adult sons who had been enfeoffed as kings—Prince Sheng and Prince Ping. Under the emperor’s deliberate manipulation and indulgence, the two princes had been locked in a fierce rivalry, achieving a precarious balance.
Now, with the scales suddenly tipping to one side…
It was hard to say whether this was a blessing or a curse.
Meng Cheng added, “It’s always wise to remain cautious. For now, these matters don’t concern us directly.”
After leaving the Meng residence, Lu Paizhang gave Lu Huaihai a few more words of advice before sighing. “It’s just bad timing, getting caught in the middle of a brewing storm. Remember, make this trip quick. Don’t linger in the capital.”
Lu Huaihai saw things clearly. “When the tree falls, ants don’t get crushed unless they’re under the branches. Only if I climb higher would I need to worry about where to land.”
How could Lu Paizhang not understand this? He hadn’t lived decades without gaining some insight.
Still… he sighed, patted Lu Huaihai’s shoulder, and said, “Do what you think is best. On the seventh, the garrison will finalize the examination. Once the papers are issued, report to the provincial governor’s office.”
As for whether his son could pass the examination, Lu Paizhang had no doubt at all.
If he couldn’t even clear that hurdle, what was the point? Might as well go sell roasted sweet potatoes on the street.
—
Xie Miao’er returned to the Lu family on the third day of the new year.
Upon her return, she handed out two heavy red envelopes—one each to Yue Chuang and Yue Lian.
The little miser, Yue Chuang, immediately brightened up, her eyes sparkling. “This is too kind of you, Auntie.”
If it weren’t for the fact that she said this while stuffing the red envelope into her arms, Xie Miao’er might have believed her.
A few days after her return, Xie Miao’er received a letter from Cheng Yuandao. The letter mentioned a potential business deal and asked for her decision.
It turned out that a merchant from the capital was looking to purchase a batch of lightweight Yanluo fabric. However, their originally contracted textile workshop had encountered issues and could not supply the goods, so they turned to the Xie family’s textile workshop instead.
The Xie family’s workshop was relatively small, but its fabrics were quite well-known in Taizhou. Additionally, Cheng Yuandao had prepared for the spring season early, so they were capable of meeting the demand.
The problem was that the capital merchant needed the goods urgently, while Cheng Yuandao was hesitant. He had never done business with this person before, and he also had to manage the workshop’s operations, making it difficult to leave. But if no one accompanied the delivery, he feared that after delivering the goods to the capital, they might not receive the rest of the payment.
Xie Miao’er pondered for a while and thought of the perfect candidate, then picked up her pen to reply.
However, she eventually crumpled the paper into a ball, deciding to wait a little longer before sending the reply.
That evening, Xie Miao’er sought out Lu Huaihai, explained the situation to him, and then said, “Young Master, what do you think of this idea? Since you’re heading to Hangzhou soon and will continue by water to the capital, why don’t I go with you? Having more people on the journey would make things safer.”
She was the most reliable candidate for this trip. Moreover, she could take the opportunity to visit the capital and see what the city she had lived in a century ago had become.
The journey by water to the capital would take at least a month. It would be a bumpy and exhausting trip, and since she had mentioned missing her family before, Lu Huaihai had been considering whether to invite her to accompany him.
He hadn’t expected her to bring it up first.
Not only did Lu Huaihai agree, but he also added, “Shouldn’t we hire some bodyguards to escort the fabric? If we travel with the Lu family, we could save that cost.”
After a moment of thought, Xie Miao’er happily said, “Taking advantage of the Lu family doesn’t feel right. I’ll ask the Third Madam if she’s willing to join in, and we can split the profits. It’ll be like working on the business together.”
Madam Su naturally had no objections. Adding a few extra guards was no trouble, and it would make the journey much safer.
As a result, up until the day of departure, Xie Miao’er was so busy running around that she was busier than Lu Huaihai.
She worried about this and that, even dreaming about calculations. She left all her luggage packing to Yue Chuang and Yue Lian and didn’t lift a finger herself.
Even after leaving the Lu residence and riding in the same carriage as Lu Huaihai, she still felt a sense of unreality. Every now and then, she would stick her head out of the window to look back.
Lu Huaihai asked, “Your first time traveling far?”
Xie Miao’er retracted her head and replied, “Yes, it’s my first time ever.”
Just as they left the city, the convoy was stopped by someone.
Startled, Xie Miao’er’s mind was instantly filled with chaotic plots from novels.
“Could this be… a robbery?”
“No,” Lu Huaihai replied. “Even robbers know how to pick their spots. This isn’t some desolate countryside—are they here to die?”
“Then…”
Outside the carriage, a man’s loud voice suddenly called out, “Hey! You’re just leaving like that?”
Lu Huaihai didn’t even bother getting out of the carriage. He lifted the curtain and said, “Li Chenglan, are you here to send me off?”
“What else? To attend your funeral?”
Hearing Lu Huaihai mention the name of the young man outside, Xie Miao’er froze, her back stiffening.
What? What did he say his name was?
Lu Huaihai eventually dismounted from the carriage to exchange a few words with Li Chenglan.
“No need for a funeral, but I had to come for the send-off.”
“You…”
“But there’s no need to miss me. Who knows? We might see each other again in the capital in a while.”
Lu Huaihai didn’t take it seriously. Li Chenglan had always been someone who said whatever came to mind. Even if he claimed he was going to swim back and forth across the Grand Canal, Lu Huaihai wouldn’t be shocked.
After the brief pleasantries, Lu Huaihai returned to the carriage.
It was then that he finally noticed something unusual about Xie Miao’er.
It seemed that ever since Li Chenglan had appeared, she had been tense and uneasy.
Recalling the infamous escapades of his troublesome friend, Lu Huaihai narrowed his eyes dangerously and asked, “Do you know him?”