Chapter 58: Abundance

"But I have one more condition," Su Tang said.

Liu Ziyu suppressed the excitement in his heart and nodded repeatedly. "Please speak, sister-in-law. Whatever it is, I will surely accomplish it."

"It is that Liu Erlang must pass the county examination," Su Tang replied.

Liu Ziyu was taken aback.

Su Tang glanced at Lu Jingyuan, who was sitting nearby. "To speak plainly, Liu Erlang can help me now, but if in the future he wishes to win people's trust, being my husband's close friend will not be enough—he must also have a scholarly title. Since Liu Erlang is my husband's schoolmate and confidant, I cannot treat him as I would just anyone else."

Her words were tactful, but even Li Qingtian could discern her meaning. The young mistress intended to give Liu Ziyu an important position.

As Liu Ziyu listened, tears welled in his eyes. Realizing he was losing composure, he quickly wiped them away, leaving only reddened rims behind.

"Brother Yu was right, sister-in-law is truly a wonderful person," Liu Ziyu said.

"Brother Yu?" Su Tang inquired.

"Brother Yu's family has been weaving bamboo for generations," Liu Ziyu explained. "Even the memorial tablet for your late husband was woven by Brother Yu and his father."

Su Tang was delighted. "That’s wonderful! I had planned to seek him out tomorrow, but since you know him, why not pass a message for me? I still have more work to trouble him with."

"Just tell me," Liu Ziyu said eagerly.

"Let's talk after we've eaten," Su Tang replied.

"…Alright, alright."

*****

Night fell.

In the inner room, Lu Jingyuan sat at a desk covered in paper, pen in hand, copying from the "Doctrine of the Mean."

"...The reason why the Way is not practiced, I know: the wise go beyond it, the foolish fall short..."

The characters were before his eyes, the words flowed from his brush, yet his mind could not settle.

From the main hall outside the door, the low murmur of conversation drifted in, at times faint, at times clear.

"Like this..."

"If we use this pattern here..."

"Sister-in-law, I think if we do it this way, it might be better..."

"Yes, that could work. Let's make two samples first, and then decide."

Just from the sound of their voices, it was as if he could see the two of them sitting together, deep in discussion.

He had thought Liu Ziyu timid and reserved—during the day, surrounded by classmates, he only dared to slip him notes in secret. Unexpectedly, when it came to calculations, he showed real talent.

Lu Jingyuan looked at the characters on his desk, then finally set down his brush and left the room.

In the main hall outside, Su Tang and Liu Ziyu were pointing and gesturing over sheets of paper. Li Qingtian stood nearby, holding a tray of tea and pastries.

At the sound of movement, both Su Tang and Liu Ziyu looked up almost simultaneously.

"Husband," Su Tang greeted him with a bright smile.

Liu Ziyu shivered. "It's getting late, I should head back."

"Sister-in-law, brother, I'll take my leave."

Before Su Tang could say a word, he dashed off at full speed.

"Wait a moment," Su Tang called after him. "It's too dark outside."

"It's not dark, it's quite bright," came his voice from afar, already at the gate.

Su Tang glanced up at the blurry crescent moon above.

Bright? Where?

"Take a lantern," Li Qingtian hurried after him.

In the blink of an eye, Liu Ziyu was almost out of sight by the time Su Tang reached the courtyard gate.

Su Tang slowly turned to look at Lu Jingyuan.

Lu Jingyuan glanced at her. "You have class tomorrow."

"Tired, I need to rest." He turned and made to leave.

"Husband," Su Tang caught up to him with a beaming smile. "You have helped me a great deal today. With Liu Erlang, such a master of calculation, we now have our steward."

Lu Jingyuan looked at her.

What was she really trying to say?

Su Tang's smile grew even brighter. "Husband, do you know of any other talented scholars at the academy?"

"You know, even passing the county exam is only the beginning—then comes the prefectural, the provincial. There are many talented students at the academy, but not all will succeed. And no matter how one studies, in the end, one cannot escape daily necessities. If you could arrange some work for your classmates, it would be a kindness among friends..."

"I think—" Lu Jingyuan began slowly.

Su Tang raised her brows, smiling, as if all attention was on him.

Lu Jingyuan's expression was serious. "Did you have this plan all along when you wanted me to go to school?"

Su Tang was taken aback. "Absolutely not!"

Lu Jingyuan nodded, then strode away.

Ah, what was wrong with this little husband of hers?

Su Tang had just begun to grumble internally when she saw, to her surprise, Li Qingtian had returned, eyes red as if about to weep.

Su Tang was startled and quickly led Li Qingtian into her room. As soon as the door was closed, Su Tang was about to speak, but Li Qingtian's voice, choked with emotion, interrupted her.

"I remember a month ago, when you had a fever, you said you feared you might never see your grandfather again, and that your parents would grieve in the afterlife. Back then, I only prayed for you to wake up, willing to do anything if only you recovered. Luckily, Heaven favored you, and you did wake up."

"Later, you changed, became different from before. I thought you no longer wished to go back, only wanted to be an ordinary woman. I belong to you, and no matter what you do, I will always follow."

"But just now, the young master's words awakened me. I realized you have never forgotten—you still wish to return home."

A twitch flickered at Su Tang's temple. Softly, she asked, "What makes you think that?"

"They dared lay hands on you. Who knows what evil intentions they harbor? No news has come from the capital these days; the Grand Preceptor must have taken that imposter as his granddaughter. If you return, you might not even be allowed through his door. That's why you need to earn money."

"You sold the recipe for spicy soup, befriended the village head, and now even the county magistrate listens to you. You sent the young master to the academy to meet more scholars, like Liu. You went to great lengths to have him study under Master Fang—even though Master Fang is not at court, the Fang family has been noble for generations and will surely help you. This way, you can return to the capital."

"You've done so much, and I had no idea. I was truly foolish, so foolish..."

***

Deep into the night.

Su Tang lay in bed, the image of Li Qingtian—struggling to hold back tears, her voice choked, weeping like a string of pearls breaking—still vivid before her eyes.

Ah—

Really, she hadn't thought through so much.

It was only because of the system that she started her business, only to avoid trouble that she befriended the village head, and as for sending her young husband to school, it was just for stability.

That night, when the young master suddenly spoke at such length, it surely wasn't his own idea—it must have been a hint from Master Fang.

Regret for not caring for one's elders until it's too late.

Family ties.

In her own time, she had never valued them much, but now, they were as weighty as a mountain.

The former self was gone, but she had taken over her place.

If the false noblewoman was truly after the Grand Preceptor, she couldn't let the original miss never see him again—not even from afar, not even to hear his voice.

That was why she was so eager to grow stronger, to build something big.

At the very least, once she succeeded, she could establish her own family record, no longer needing to ask anyone's permission for anything.

Who could object then?

But who could have guessed their imaginations would run so far...