Lu Liu thought about it for a moment, then painted a drooping willow and a mountain on the lantern.
His painting skills were even worse. His hands shook, the tree came out crooked and twisted, and no matter how you looked at it, it didn’t resemble a willow at all. So he wrote the character “柳” beside it.
He wanted to paint a mountain peak. With no other embellishments, he simply drew the mountain very tall, so that the “peak” would stand out.
To make the two match, he also wrote the character “峰” beside the mountain.
Lu Yang felt his teeth ache from the sweetness, then followed suit, painting a poplar tree and a rock. The rock looked very much like the one he’d bought at the dockside market. Because of his technique and coloring, it didn’t look especially distinctive—but he could recognize it himself, and that was enough.
He didn’t have any particular attachment to it. Once it dried, he pasted it onto the lantern.
Lu Yang also made an extra lantern to give to Zhao Peilan.
A woman’s thoughts were obvious enough. He didn’t tease her or say much, letting her draw and write in the room however she liked.
After the tenth day of the eighth month, Lu Yang had to start making the rounds again.
The festival gifts went to the same people as always. He rotated through several households, and it took two days to finish.
Right after that came Old Master Wu’s birthday. The Wu family kept a low profile and didn’t host a banquet. Their two families were close, and with Xie Yan not at home, Lu Yang insisted on going over to pay his respects.
Wu Pingzhi finally put down his books, left the private school, and came to Lu Yang’s place so they could go together.
As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Lu Liu.
He jumped in shock. “When did you get pregnant? Your belly’s already this big! How many years have I been studying?”
Lu Liu had met Wu Pingzhi before—back when he was at the shop. His brother had swapped places with him, and almost as soon as the swap was done, Wu Pingzhi had come by. They’d even talked business together.
Lu Liu said, “Are you looking for my brother? Wait a moment.”
As he spoke, he turned toward the room and called out, “Brother! The God of Wealth is here!”
Wu Pingzhi frowned deeply. Who was this? And who was the God of Wealth?
Lu Yang had just finished changing clothes. Hearing that Wu Pingzhi had arrived, he picked up the birthday gift as well.
When he came out and saw Wu Pingzhi’s shocked expression, he formally introduced everyone.
“This is my younger brother, Lu Liu. He married into a mountain stronghold. Have you met his man? The one named Li Feng.”
Wu Pingzhi couldn’t make sense of it.
What? Hadn’t Xie Yan married Lu Liu?
He pressed down his confusion for the moment and asked instead, “Who’s the God of Wealth?”
Lu Yang smiled broadly. “Of course, that would be you.”
Wu Pingzhi: “……”
So he had such a grand nickname.
Lu Yang wanted to bring his brother along to the Wu household. His brother had never been to the home of a prominent family before; it would be a good chance for him to see more of the world.
One more person was no trouble, and they looked so alike anyway. Wu Pingzhi nodded and agreed.
Lu Yang calculated their departure. He’d left the carriage at home. Three people, two carriages—plenty of room.
It wasn’t convenient to talk in detail on the road, so they chatted about studies and everyday matters.
Wu Pingzhi would wait until after Mid-Autumn to return to the academy. With such a large family business, routine matters could be handled by the managers, but when it came to social obligations, he had to step in personally.
His father’s health still hadn’t fully recovered and couldn’t bear too much strain. This birthday, they’d used his poor health as an excuse not to send out many invitations. If Wu Pingzhi didn’t show his face at all, the other merchants would start having ideas.
Wu Pingzhi counted the days and felt that Xie Yan and the others ought to be back soon.
“Will they make it back before the festival?”
Lu Yang didn’t know. No one could say how things were going in the prefectural city.
Lu Liu said, “It’s fine. If they don’t come back, I’ll spend the festival with you.”
Lu Yang knew he was being considerate, but he didn’t plan to keep him in the county for the holiday.
He’d been away too long already. If he still didn’t return for the festival, gossip would start up in the stronghold.
Lu Yang didn’t say anything for now. He’d wait a couple more days. If Li Feng still hadn’t returned, he’d send his brother back to Li Village.
Setting that aside for the moment, they arrived at the Wu residence and first offered birthday wishes to Old Master Wu.
It was Old Master Wu’s first time meeting Lu Liu, and like his son, he was greatly surprised.
“I’ve traveled all over these years and never seen brothers who look so alike.”
Both Lu Yang and Lu Liu smiled brightly. When they smiled, they looked cheerful and radiant, their other qualities fading into the background. Standing together, it was hard to tell them apart.
Old Master Wu had thought only Lu Yang would be coming and had set the table with three sets of bowls and chopsticks. Once they were seated, he had a servant add another set.
The Wu household was large, but the frontage was modest, nothing ostentatious.
It was very different from a farmer’s home, or from the house Lu Yang was renting now. Upon entering, there was a seven-foot-wide screen wall. Behind it were several water jars, then a small front courtyard with bamboo poles and other odds and ends.
Up two steps and to the east was the old master’s courtyard, connected to a warm greenhouse, a tea room, and the main hall. Past the hall and to the west was Wu Pingzhi’s small courtyard.
They went to the main hall but didn’t head west. Instead, they set the table and ate in the tea room.
The space was small and a bit crowded, but it clearly showed the family’s wealth.
The house was built of blue bricks. The ground was paved with stone, the roof tiled, the walls plastered. Along the walkways, pots of flowers were arranged at varying heights, red and green together, very pleasing to the eye.
The meal was well done: meat and vegetables, fish and meat, soups, vegetarian dishes, even mushrooms. All prepared in simple, home-style ways.
They drank tea during the meal, not wine.
Each person received a longevity bun to share in the birthday star’s good fortune.
The conversation afterward was still about everyday matters.
Old Master Wu said that Lu Yang bore the burden of the household and had it hard, and that Lu Liu, traveling about with such a large belly, wasn’t having an easy time either.
Lu Liu hurriedly set down the longevity bun, unable to bear those words.
“No, no, I haven’t been running around. I just came to the county to play with my brother. I didn’t do any work—just ate, drank, and went out to have fun every day.”
Hearing that tone, Wu Pingzhi cast him a quiet sideways glance.
Soon after, Lu Yang spoke up.
“We’re close enough that there’s no need for formalities between our families. With so few people at home, of course things are harder. Look at Brother Wu—studying while also handling family obligations, that’s hard work too. You need to be understanding and take good care of your health. Don’t be anxious. Once your health is better, he’ll have no worries. You stay at home earning money, he goes out to earn a degree. What a wonderful life that is.”
Wu Pingzhi looked straight at Lu Yang.
The person he knew as Xie Yan’s husband had to be Lu Yang. In their usual dealings, this was exactly how he was—smooth, thoughtful words delivered one after another. Because his tone was sincere and warm, people couldn’t find him annoying and would always respond cheerfully.
But Wu Pingzhi remembered having once described Xie Yan’s husband as “immature.”
Thinking again of the name Lu Yang had just introduced, he realized that the pregnant young husband was actually Lu Liu.
Ah. What a mess.
Forget it. He’d ask Xie Yan about it next time.
Was that really his husband? Did he even know his husband wasn’t named Lu Liu?
Old Master Wu didn’t know what his son was thinking. He was chatting happily with Lu Yang.
“You, young man—you speak all these words to the outside world, but cover your own ears and don’t listen to a single one. Look—couldn’t all of this be said about you as well?”
Lu Yang laughed heartily. “Hey, hey, you’re right. I toast you!”
Wu Pingzhi then turned to Lu Liu. “Brother Lu, shall we talk some business?”
Lu Liu’s hands shook, and a bit of tea spilled out.
Flustered, he grabbed a handkerchief to wipe his hands and the table, answering as he did. “Sure, sure—what kind of business talk?”
Wu Pingzhi said, “Buying low, selling high. Making something out of nothing.”
Lu Liu’s hands shook again. This time, there was no tea in them.
Wu Pingzhi’s head started to ache just watching him.
Which meant he really had met Lu Liu before—and at that time, Lu Liu had been Xie Yan’s husband.
You could switch husbands after getting married???
The table was small, and Lu Liu couldn’t hide his feelings on his face. One look was enough for Lu Yang to understand.
This was a family that could be trusted, and after enough time together, the truth wouldn’t stay hidden anyway. He spoke frankly.
“Uncle Wu, Brother Wu, there’s something I should tell you. My name is actually Lu Yang, and Lu Liu is my younger brother. We switched before the wedding. We just never happened to run into you afterward, so we didn’t explain.”
That explanation put Wu Pingzhi at ease.
Switching before the wedding was far better than switching after.
