CH 45

Chapter 45 – Dissemination

No matter the age of the child, in the eyes of their parents, they will always be their child.

Madam Chen felt that Yu Wen’s words were a little uncaring, but when she saw that Yu Wen had already fallen asleep, she couldn’t help but empathize with her husband, thinking that he was probably too tired. After giving it some thought, she still felt that she was not concerned enough for her daughter. As such, she got up early the next morning and personally made a bowl of glutinous rice balls in sweet rice wine and brought it to Yu Tang’s room.

Yu Tang often enjoyed such treats in her previous life, but this was the first time after her rebirth, so she was startled as she crawled out from under the blankets, saying concernedly, “Mother, what’s wrong?”

Madam Chen did not answer her. Instead, she smiled as she stood at one side, watching her daughter get dressed and said, “These days, mother did not have the chance to talk with you. Why don’t we go to the temple and enjoy a vegetarian meal together?”

After the demise of the Pei family’s grand elder, Madam Chen often went to the temple to burn incense for him.

Yu Tang rinsed her mouth with clear salt before replying, “Old Aunty Chen isn’t free today? Father and I are going to visit Uncle Lu’s grave later. It will be his double seventh day soon, so Father wants to burn some paper for him.” This was also a good opportunity to let the people in Lin’an City know that they had gone to Hangzhou City and brought back Lu Xin’s belongings to be burnt for him.

Madam Chen was a little disappointed, but she was still glad that Yu Tang was going with Yu Wen, and would spend some time together as father and daughter.

She nodded in agreement and said, “Drink this glutiuous rice balls in sweet rice wine that Mother made for you. It won’t taste nice if it gets cold. I’ll ask Old Aunty Chen to make some baked biscuits for you and your father to eat on the road.”

Lu Xin was buried near Qingshan Lake in the outskirts of the city, and it took four hours to get there from Lin’an City. It was a mountainous region, and there wasn’t even a tea house on the way, so they could only eat dried provisions.

Yu Tang nodded, as she changed into a plain set of moon-white short jacket and dress and combed her hair into a simple bun. After drinking her mother’s glutinous rice balls in sweet rice wine, she then went out of her room to have breakfast together with her parents.

After breakfast, Old Aunty Chen’s baked biscuits were ready, and Madam Chen personally packed side dishes in a food box and instructed Ah Cam. “Make sure to be attentive, don’t let Master and Young Lady get hungry.”

However, Yu Wen was more concerned about Madam Chen and refused, “Let Ah Cam stay with you! I have Ah tang as my companion.”

Both of them were unwilling to compromise on this which made Yu Tang smile.

She asked Old Aunty Chen for a small basket.

Old Aunty Chen asked with confusion, “What do you need the basket for?”

Yu Tang looked towards her father and said, “We need it for Uncle Lu’s joss sticks and paper.”

Old Aunty Chen went to find an appropriate sized basket and gave it to Yu Tang, who went out together with her father to buy joss sticks and other necessary materials.

As expected, as soon as they stepped out of the house, they met many familiar people. Everyone knew that Yu Wen went to Hangzhou these past few days, and so they were curious to see him carrying paper offerings the day after he returned, not knowing what he was going to do. Most of them asked him about what he was doing, and some of them stopped to ask about the interesting happenings in Hangzhou.

Yu Wen replied the crowd as per what he had previously discussed with Yu Tang. “Scholar Lu had left some of his belongings in Hangzhou, so I went there to help him pick them up. When his double seventh day arrives, I will burn all of them to him.”

Everyone praised Yu Wen for his generosity and kindness.

Yu Wen courteously accepted their kind words, then hired two sedan chairs to depart for Qingshan Lake.

The gravesite of Lu Xin was surrounded with green cypress trees and there were still remanants of firecracker ashes left from when he was buried.

Yu Wen sighed as he knelt in front of the green grave stone of Lu Xin as he burned the paper money, saying. “I don’t know which words you spoke were true and which were false. However, be it truth or lies, I hope that you can forget about what happened and have an early reincarnation. Don’t live your life like you did anymore- being so frivolous and impetuous.”

Yu Tang was at the side, looking curiously at other people’s tombstones.

Some people had many children, good fortune and longevity; others died at a young age; some left an area beside them, waiting for their partners to be buried together, and others already had complete family graves.

The autumn wind blew over, causing the empty forest to make chilling rattling sounds .

Yu Tang rubbed her arms and said. “Father, are you cold? It’s eerie here, let’s go back first!”

Yu Wen nodded and went down the mountain with Yu Tang.

Not long after, many people in Lin’an city heard the news.

Even Ma Xiuniang, who took this opportunity to visit Yu Tang, asked curiously about this matter. “What did Scholar Lu leave behind?”

“Some calligraphy, paintings, books and scrolls.” Yu Tang replied, “They’re all his personal things that he uses frequently, and so it’s not appropriate to leave them in our house.”

Ma Xiuniang said sympathetically, “Uncle Yu is also unlucky to have made such a friend. After his death, all these things became none of his concern, but Uncle Yu instead has to run around and settle his matters for him.”

Yu Tang did not want to speak further on this, so she smiled and asked her instead, “What have you decided to wear when brother-in-law’s family comes for the engagement ceremony?”

Knowing this will also help Yu Tang in choosing a less eye-catching dress that will complement Ma Xiuniang’s dress, and not draw attention away from Ma Xiuniang.

Ma Xiuniang blushed as she replied, “My mother prepared a vermillion red one for me.”

Yu Tang laughed as she commented, “Then I’ll wear a lilac one!”

Ma Xiuniang nodded in response and whispered to Yu Tang, “My mother secretly gave me three tickets of ten silver taels each, telling me to keep it for myself, so that after my marriage, I wouldn’t have to ask Gentleman Zhang for silver just to buy my face powders and creams.”

Yu Tang did not experience such things herself before, so she asked, “Don’t you have about four acres of land as your dowry?”

Ma Xiuniang replied “My mother said that although the four acres of land is my dowry, but those earnings are all limited. The Zhang family is not wealthy, so if I’m not careful with my spending, their family might be dissatisfied with me……”

Upon hearing this, Yu Tang was glad that she did not have to marry out.

After a few more days, the news travelled all around Lin’an City, and Yu Tang felt certain – if those people don’t come to steal Lu Xin’s relics, they’ll burn it. Whether the former or the latter, they can finally be rid of this worrisome matter.

These days, Yu Wen was either at home studying the map, or carefully inquiring in Lin’an City, those who were doing business in Fujian, the size of their businesses, their personalities and and so on. There was even once he was asked about the purpose of his questions, whether was it because the Yu Family were contemplating changing their business.

He brushed it off ambiguously and bluffed his way through, only to find himself in a cold sweat when he reached home.

Yu Wen told Yu Tang about it, saying, “From this, it’s clear that I’m not cut out to do such devious things.”

Yu Tang laughed, but she was indeed a little worried about her father’s capability to go to the capital or Fujian to ask for information.

Yu Wen, however, reassured her, “If this happens once, it will definitely happen again; people need opportunities to practice.”

There was some truth to that.

In her previous life, she was a person who was unconcerned about general matters, but yet now she’s able to handle matters somewhat decently.

Fearing that she would think too much of it, Yu Wen took out two paintings copied by Master Qian and admired them, and remarked, “You say, this Master Qian is so skillful, so why is he in this business? Although it pays more, but it’s also risky, and it’s not possible to leave his mark in history. Such a pity.”

Who doesn’t have some secrets they hide?

Yu Tang did not comment, but when her mother came to call them for dinner, as she helped her father tidy up the paintings on the table, she suddenly froze as if she was struck by a bolt of lightning.

“What’s-What’s this?” She asked with a slight tremor.