Lu Yang instructed him to send letters to the Hanlin Academy. Since they hadn’t settled down yet, it was more convenient to send them via Xie Yan than through him.
Lu Yang said, “Once I’m settled, I’ll travel around and see the world. When we meet again, we’ll both be people with broader horizons.”
Hong Chu was a little surprised. “You can just leave?”
Lu Yang nodded. “Yes. Even before I thought of it myself, he said he would let me go explore. I send him to read ten thousand books; he sends me to travel ten thousand miles.”
Hong Chu remarked that they were a perfect match—a phrase far more meaningful than mere luck.
By mid-May, they traveled together for part of the way. Lu Yang, with the children, returned to their hometown with Zhao Peilan to perform the ancestral rites and meet up with Xie Yan. Hong Chu, with a dozen or so brothers, passed through Sanshui County, made a brief stop, and continued further south.
Sanshui County remained much the same. The slow pace of a city’s change made returning home feel as if Lu Yang had never really left.
They had a place to stay in the county. Lu Lin tidied the house, and Magistrate Zhang organized the residence. Xie Yan chose Lu Lin’s home.
When the brothers reunited, bringing along two children, Lu Lin was delighted. He held the younger one, looked at the older, and commented that Lu Yang had grown thinner.
Lu Yang laughed, feigning indignation. “Thinner? I left the county barely carrying any flesh. Now you can even pinch two taels off my face.”
Lu Lin said it was just baby fat from pregnancy; it would drop off in time.
Lu Yang teased him a little but genuinely wanted to help him flourish. The small county business needn’t hold him back.
He told Lu Lin about the bustle of Sanshui Alley, the familiar faces, and that Lu Lin was already acquainted with Chen Jiu. Once Chen Jiu’s family moved to the provincial city, he hoped Lu Lin would go as well.
There, with his newly acquired estates, the study was lighter work than the small shop, and daily tasks were fewer. The couple could live more easily.
Lu Lin hesitated, reluctant to leave.
Lu Yang linked arms with him and said, “Brother Lin, just go. Your family has two elder brothers, and your brother-in-law has siblings. Whether you’re here or not, the family is cared for. In the provincial city, life is easier. You’ll have more companions, a smoother life, and it will be easier to raise children and send them to school. Only then will I feel I’ve done right by you. We’re brothers—I care for you.”
If possible, he wished to take more people to the capital, but he understood the family’s burdens and the weight Xie Yan carried, so he took things step by step.
Lu Lin still hesitated, thinking the county estates were important. Many depended on them; staying here had its advantages. Hesitation was consideration.
Lu Yang persisted, reasoning, coaxing, even feigning tears, insisting that in the provincial city, visiting each other would be easier. By traveling the waterways to the capital, they could meet often.
“What about the small shop?” Lu Yang asked. “Let Big Song handle it.”
He gently touched Lu Lin’s belly. “Any signs yet?”
Lu Lin shook his head, uncomfortable. “For some reason… we can’t conceive…”
He could earn money; the family’s dissatisfaction could wait. By the time the Zhang family complained, Xie Yan would have returned as a successful candidate in the imperial exams. The prestige of a juren and a returning zhuangyuan would ensure politeness and warmth; the Zhangs would not speak harshly. Yet pressure weighed on him, and he still felt guilty toward Zhang Tie.
Lu Yang frowned, thinking about when they would move out of the shop and how it would be reasonable to do so.
After moving, a New Year would pass. Even if both families refrained from speaking, subtle tension would linger, leaving Lu Lin uneasy despite the change in environment.
Lu Yang wanted him to go to the provincial city quickly. There, no one would pressure him about conceiving. His brother-in-law treated him well, never giving him cause to feel upset. Together with Lu Liu, he could manage a new life, familiarize himself with the study, and visit the seal workshop, keeping him occupied and free from worry.
Good days and hopeful plans, a bit of nourishing food, and by next year, they could have children.
Thinking this through, Lu Yang urged him to depart.
Lu Lin laughed and cried at once. “How can it be so quick? I need my elder brother to come teach me first.”
Lu Yang insisted they go before year’s end. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
He would already be gone from the provincial city; how could he wait? Yet Lu Lin agreed.
They stayed only briefly in the county, resting one day before returning to the estate.
The household gates had been renovated, and a clan school was being constructed. The family returned to pay respects to Xie Yan’s father.
Along the official road, people lined the way, far livelier than when a juren returned.
Representatives from the four western villages arrived, as did some townsfolk—some curious, some envious.
The Xie family relatives felt cornered, embarrassed, and pale with fear. They knew their past deeds; regret and anxiety mounted daily.
In Chenjiawan, people clustered around, some following Elder Chen, claiming distant kinship. Others followed Youngest Chen, daring him to connect through marriage. Laughter and tension mingled in the crowd.
From Li Zhai, some brought gifts and construction materials, including prime beams. The new residence and clan school could make use of them.
Er Tian, among the entourage, watched the new zhuangyuan. San Miao asked if he wanted to go to the provincial city; Er Tian feigned ignorance. “Deliver the goods; I’ll go then.”
For those long settled in the county or villages, Sanshui County’s changes were slight, yet the Xie estate gained fame far and wide.
Xie Yan returned early, adding good farmland at greater expense than before. The surrounding plots became highly sought after; many bought them to attach themselves to literary prestige.
This displeased Xie Yan. Initially, he wished to refuse any sale, but considering that buyers sought a better future for their descendants, he sighed and let it be.
They couldn’t stay in the county long. Lu Yang paved the way for Brother Lin; the Lu family estate and Shangxi Village were visited. Regarding Lu Lin going to the provincial city, neither family dared to object.
The journey to the capital was long, and they returned immediately to the provincial city.
Lu Liu and Li Feng reserved the Denggao Tower, upstairs and downstairs filled with people from Sanshui Alley.
Xie Yan brought his family first to the Cui residence. Despite repeated refusals, Elder Cui could not resist; he allowed them inside briefly.
He had already advised Xie Yan and spoke a few words to Lu Yang.
Lu Yang was smart and temperate. In the capital, the streets were full of nobles; a husband’s status came from men. Enduring slights and contempt was common—no need to take it personally.
“People gather and disperse, especially in the capital. Those making life difficult today might be gone tomorrow. Focus on your own life.”
Business could be conducted as well; no one forbade his husband from engaging in trade. If he could withstand criticism, he could pursue anything. Yet the capital valued official rank; one had to see things with perspective.
Know what you want, then pursue it.
Lu Yang felt like crying. Life’s fortunes were uncertain: some people were cruel, others gave without expecting anything.
Yet everyone had to move forward, facing helplessness and regret. He bowed with Xie Yan, saying farewell.
The luncheon at Denggao Tower was at noon. Outside, the sun blazed; inside, it felt like evening with lamps lit. Guests were slightly inebriated after three rounds of wine.
Upstairs and downstairs, Lu Liu and Li Feng attended to everyone—seating, serving, ensuring guests ate and drank well, laughter ringing out.
The two little ones couldn’t keep up with Lu Liu, so they clung to Lu Yang, calling him “Papa,” begging for food.
Lu Yang introduced them to their younger brother, teaching them to recognize Little Meat Bun and Little Sweet Bun.
They all called out “Bao Bao,” which soon turned into “Hug Baby” or “Baby Hug,” a phrase they often used, rolling off their tongues naturally.
Lu Yang then invited Lu Liu and Li Feng to eat, letting them rest.
“No need to fuss so much. Just watching you makes me tired. Why don’t you feed people directly?”
Lu Liu immediately picked up a small bowl of food, intending to feed him.
Lu Yang didn’t refuse and opened his mouth to accept it.
Beside them, Li Feng and Xie Yan clinked glasses, drinking together.
Gathered as a family, the table had more tea than wine. Xie Yan hadn’t even drunk much with Li Feng before.
They clinked several times. Xie Yan, with a low tolerance for alcohol, soon stopped and reached for a painting.
“I hurried to finish this painting. Your whole family is in it.”
Li Feng took the scroll, unfurling it, and couldn’t resist teasing.
“Keep painting more. Later, become a professional painter so you don’t have to suffer through studying.”
It was a viable path. Xie Yan said, “If I can’t make it as an official, I’ll become a palace painter.”
Li Feng: “…”
Even being called fat made him out of breath.
The scroll was horizontal. Unrolled, it depicted the entrance of Sanshui Alley.
At the alley’s entrance lived two fathers—his family and He Qingzao’s.
The painting started with them. As one looked forward, the scroll continued backward, showing the Lu family diagonally across, then the Luo family’s two households opposite, Luo Erwu’s house facing Lu Liu’s, and Lu Liu’s house next to Lu Yang’s.
It was a long scroll, capturing neighbors and friends peering from their doors, laughing and chatting. Each household had its own scene, together forming a vivid slice of everyday life.
The painting was named Sanshui Alley, with a small inscription at the end: “When people meet again.”
