At noon, after finishing class, Lu Ling went out early to wait at the gatehouse for Shu Rui.
The old gatekeeper, having been kindly treated by Shu Rui recently, would often receive a cup of tea or some snacks from the shop whenever Shu Rui came to deliver meals.
Seeing Lu Ling arrive, the old man brought him a stool, poured some tea, and invited him to sit in the gatehouse to wait.
Zhong Dayang strolled out leisurely, and seeing Lu Ling enjoying such hospitality, squeezed in to grab some tea as well.
The old man narrowed his eyes, poured a bowl of water for Zhong Dayang from the kettle, and said, “There’s no water in the hall? You just come here to eat.”
Zhong Dayang noticed there wasn’t even a leaf of tea in the bowl—it was just plain water. He pouted and complained, “Old Master Pang, you’re so biased! The cups are all here—Lu’s is proper tea, mine is just water!”
Pang laoye ignored him. “Eat or don’t, I don’t care.”
“Let’s see if I eat it then!”
Zhong Dayang twisted his arm and immediately drank Lu Ling’s tea straight down.
“Hey! You little rascal! You just had to drink it—now I’ll have to report you to the hallmaster!”
Pang laoye’s eyes bulged as he picked up the broom leaning in the corner, but Zhong Dayang jumped around, dodging him.
They ran circles around the gatehouse, getting hot, until Pang laoye finally poured another bowl of tea for Lu Ling.
Then he said to Zhong Dayang, “You little rascal, you drank my tea—just watch. I’ll go eat first, and then we’ll see.”
Zhong Dayang replied, “You’re so biased and yet want me to guard the door? I’ll run as soon as you leave.”
Pang laoye said, “You may run at noon, but let’s see if you get out in the afternoon.”
When Pang laoye left, Zhong Dayang plopped down in a chair and said to Lu Ling, “Shao really knows how to handle people—look at how he charmed that old man. You have to be polite.”
Pang laoye had once been an instructor at Master Zhang’s martial hall and a relative of the current hallmaster. Now retired, he couldn’t stand idle life and had taken the gatekeeper post. Though a simple gatehouse, instructors and martial students treated him with respect. He was gruff and didn’t indulge anyone.
“Ah, Shao said he likes fried meatballs. Whenever the shop makes them, he brings a plate along.”
Lu Ling casually mentioned this, but inside he was secretly delighted.
While they were talking, his sharp eyes caught a familiar figure through a window facing the street.
Descending the steps quickly, he saw that today not only Shu Rui had come, but also his mother, both carrying food, laughing and chatting, quite close and familiar.
Lu Ling was momentarily stunned. It struck him that Shu Rui and his mother seemed almost like family—how could they be so close?
“Shao, you’re here! I’ve been waiting for you with your brother!” Zhong Dayang ran over cheerfully.
“What’s on the menu today?”
Brother? Liu shi heard Zhong Dayang and thought—didn’t Shao say he had no siblings?
“Simple fare: stir-fried green beans with minced pork, and crispy lotus root cubes.”
“You made the sour pickled beans with meat? It’s really appetizing. Last time we had it, everyone said it was delicious.”
Seeing Lu Ling hadn’t come up yet, Zhong Dayang called back, “Xiao Lu, did you trip over something? Hurry up and help carry it in!”
Only then did Liu shi realize that the young man Zhong Dayang referred to as Shao’s brother was indeed their Lu Ling.
Zhong Dayang then noticed Liu shi, well-dressed and neat, not like someone doing manual labor. He asked, “Shao? Who is this lady? I’ve never seen her before. Where’s Qing, who usually comes with you?”
He spoke rapidly, like a buzzing bee, and Shu Rui didn’t know how to answer all his questions.
Before Shu Rui could respond, Liu shi spoke first: “I am Lu Ling’s mother. Young man, are you a close friend of our Ling’er?”
Upon hearing this was Lu Ling’s mother, Zhong Dayang immediately straightened up. “Ah! Aunt! I’ve never met you before.”
“I’m comrades with Xiao Lu,” Zhong Dayang said, “usually at the martial hall, it’s just the two of us who get along best.”
Shu Rui couldn’t help but smile. At that moment, Lu Ling walked over and glanced at Liu shi. “You came too?” he asked.
Liu shi, worried that Lu Ling might be displeased that she had arrived unannounced, hurriedly explained, “Shao said he was coming to the martial hall to deliver meals, and he worried I’d be bored at home, so he invited me along. I just arrived in the prefectural city and don’t know the area well, so I thought I could go with you to deliver the food and have a look around.”
Lu Ling exchanged a look with Shu Rui. Feeling a mix of unspoken emotion, he still followed Shu Rui’s lead and reached out to take the meal boxes from Liu shi’s hands.
“Next time, don’t come,” he said.
Shu Rui frowned slightly. Seeing this, Lu Ling, still uneasy, added the rest of what he had meant to say: “It’s hot at noon; it’s easy to get heatstroke.”
Liu shi heard this and felt pleased. “Shao drove the carriage here—very fast—so it didn’t feel hot at all.”
“Bai mu, you just arrived in the prefectural city? You should take the time to look around. Chaoxi Prefecture is the liveliest place!”
Zhong Dayang came closer. “If you’re not familiar, I’ll have my mother show you around. She loves going out. On hot days, she’ll take people to temples or vegetarian restaurants, or have fortune tellers read your fate—plenty to do.”
Liu shi found the young man remarkably warm and said, “That sounds nice. I just hope it doesn’t trouble your mother.”
“No trouble at all. She’d love someone to go out with; she hates being alone.”
Shu Rui then said, “Let’s go inside and divide the food; standing around outside makes everyone wait.”
And so, the group entered the martial hall.
Shu Rui served the martial students, instructing Lu Ling to show Liu shi around the hall, but Lu Ling insisted on helping serve the dishes. Zhong Dayang took the rice bowls and asked someone to watch the gatehouse, so he could guide Liu shi around for a couple of laps.
Returning, the meal was served, and Lu Ling led Shu Rui and Liu shi to a nearby pavilion to sit. Zhong Dayang went back to the gatehouse, leaving them in peace.
After walking around, Liu shi saw that the martial hall was much larger and better equipped than the small hall Lu Ling had trained in back in the county. Her heart eased, thinking her son could start here safely.
Her husband, though harsh-tongued, also cared for Lu Ling. He had even said last night that now that he held an official post at the prefectural office, he’d watch out and arrange some good position for Lu Ling. For now, however, the land and the position were not yet familiar or stable, so there was no rush.
Liu shi opened the meal boxes for Lu Ling: a plate of osmanthus glutinous rice lotus root, a plate of fragrant stir-fried field frogs, and deep-fried golden loaches.
“I don’t know if your taste has changed, but these are what you used to love.”
Looking at the dishes, Lu Ling’s brows twitched slightly. When they lived in the countryside, he often climbed trees or fished in the fields, bringing home frogs and loaches for his mother to cook.
He said nothing, picked up a chopstick, and tasted the food. Some flavors, though the world had changed, remained unchanged. His eyes softened slightly as he looked at Shu Rui. “Try some.”
Shu Rui hesitated. He knew Lu Ling wasn’t hiding anything and smiled wryly. “You eat first. I already had something from the shop.”
“No, try it. My mother’s cooking,” Lu Ling insisted.
“When I was a child in the countryside, I liked these dishes,” he added.
Liu shi was delighted and also took chopsticks. “Shao, listen to him. Try the dishes Lu Ling liked as a child.”
Shu Rui had no choice but to pick up chopsticks and taste a few bites. Truthfully, Liu shi’s cooking wasn’t particularly refined, but the glutinous rice lotus root was sweet and tender. The frogs and loaches had some fishiness and might be hard for those with delicate tastes, but the dishes were rich and oily, reflecting the early years when the Lu family was poor and oily meat was a luxury.
“Can you manage it, Shao?” Liu shi asked.
Lu Ling watched Shu Rui eat a few bites. He knew the quality of Shu Rui’s culinary skills—what he had from the shop couldn’t compare. Offering these dishes was a way to let him know a bit of Lu Ling’s past.
“They’re well-made. Every meal from the shop is praised, even better than the old cook. Mother needn’t worry about him criticizing,” Lu Ling said.
Liu shi felt warm hearing this, scolding lightly, “Then why did you insist on embarrassing your mother?”
Shu Rui laughed. “It’s not about taste. The heart behind the cooking matters most. I could never have this at home, so it tastes perfect to me.”
“If you like it, come to our home anytime. Mother will cook for you,” Liu shi said.
Shu Rui smiled, replying, “Alright.” He only hoped that when he did come, the mood would remain the same.
Their conversation and shared meal brought mother and son closer, far more comfortable than the awkwardness of yesterday.
Watching Lu Ling eat, Liu shi couldn’t help asking, “Lu Ling, what’s the young man’s surname? He’s very lively, keeps asking about you and Shu Rui, even inquiring about your family—your parents, what they do… Are you really that close?”
Lu Ling understood her meaning. “He doesn’t know about my father; I never told him.”
Hearing this, Liu shi said, “Then he really is just naturally like that—what a fine young man.”
Lu Ling snorted lightly, turning his face. “Who would be kind without reason? He probably thought you were family and let things slip.”
Liu shi looked puzzled, but Shu Rui understood what Lu Ling was hinting at. Normally, he might explain, but with Liu shi present, it was better to remain quiet.
“Oh! He must have thought you were Shao’s family. That’s why he called you his brother,” Liu shi realized. “He really treated you both like family.”
“Exactly,” Lu Ling said. “We call each other brothers, though technically we’re cousins.”
Liu shi was confused. “Why like that? Did you adopt each other?”
Shu Rui quickly explained, “Back when Lu Ling had amnesia, he stayed at an inn. Since we were often together, it was natural for people to ask. Calling each other relatives helped us watch out for troublemakers.”
Liu shi nodded in understanding. It made sense. If Lu Ling stayed at the inn as a tenant, some unscrupulous person might have taken advantage of his memory loss.
Hearing this, her gratitude toward Shu Rui grew. If it had been anyone else, they might have exploited Lu Ling; Shu Rui had been considerate and careful.
Seeing clearly that her earlier worry—that someone liked Lu Ling—was unfounded, she felt relieved, though a little disappointed it wasn’t a romantic matter. Truly, a good young man need not worry about being appreciated.
She took Shu Rui’s hand. “Thank you for looking after Lu Ling so thoroughly. I don’t know how to properly thank you. If a fine young man takes notice of you someday, I’ll be happy for you, but life’s important matters must not be rushed. Because of how well you care for Lu Ling, I’ll keep a careful watch for your own sake.”
Shu Rui smiled faintly, secretly glaring at Lu Ling, thinking he’d make him pay later.
“Mother, you’re too kind. Lu Ling has also helped me a lot. Without him, I would have had so much trouble managing the shop alone. As for whether the young man is suitable, I haven’t thought about that yet. My priority is still keeping the shop my parents left me running well.”
Hearing this, Lu Ling remained silent, not daring to add a word.
Liu shi sensed that Zhong Dayang liked Shao and decided not to bring it up. She changed the topic: “Don’t mind my chatter. Since your father passed the imperial examination, many people come to the house, and there are always those with hidden agendas. Now that he’s an official, you need to be careful.”
Lu Ling, having worked in a prominent household for years, understood perfectly.
He said, “With that temperament, how did he even manage to secure an official post in a prefectural city?”
Liu shi coughed slightly, embarrassed to speak of family matters in front of Shu Rui.
Lu Ling added, “Mother says Shao doesn’t speak carelessly.”
Seeing him say this, Liu shi nodded and continued, “Your father’s temperament wasn’t much different when you were young. Raised by your grandparents, he spoke without thinking but wasn’t overly strict at school. Later, he farmed in the countryside—no one minded then.
“Years ago, he passed the xiucai exam. Life changed; he began interacting with important people, and his mouth caused headaches. Though he passed the exam, there were barely any proper connections or positions to take, so he had no official post.
“He devoted himself to study, eventually passing the juren exam. Now that your brother is older and can go out, he is clever and observes your father—better than before.
“At the beginning of the year, the county office had an opening for a clerk. Your father submitted paperwork. With his juren title, the position should have been secure. But after waiting, no reply came. He even spent money to inquire through connections, yet the position was taken by someone else.”
Madam Liu sighed as she spoke. “I heard the one appointed this time is just a young man who’s only read a bit of books, without even the slightest degree or title to his name. He spent an enormous sum of silver, donated money, and bought the post. When your father found out, he was so angry he couldn’t eat for two days straight.”
“It just so happened that you sent some money home at that time. Your younger brother and I talked it over, took out the savings our family had put away, and went to pull some strings as well. We were lucky—things worked out. Your father ended up getting a better posting in the prefectural city.”
Listening to Madam Liu, especially when he heard that the county post had been bought with money, Shu Rui immediately thought of his cousin.
Though it felt unlikely that things could line up so neatly, the more he thought about it, the more it seemed possible. There were only so many official posts in the county, and this one, too, was obtained without any degree, purely through money. If he counted the timing, wasn’t it just about right?
Lu Ling, meanwhile, was thinking that his father truly had good fortune. Now that Second Brother had grown up and was clever, there was someone to help look after his father’s career path. Otherwise, being an official would really have been difficult for him.
He turned his head and noticed that Shu Rui didn’t look very well.
Something clicked in his mind, and he cautiously asked, “That person who bought the county post—do you know what kind of family they’re from?”
They already had a better posting, so why still care about this?
But since Lu Ling asked, Madam Liu still replied, “Back when your father was bedridden, your younger brother went out to inquire, thinking there might still be some room to maneuver with that county post.
“He heard that the newly appointed registrar came from a scholarly family. His father had been a private tutor, with quite a bit of reputation in the villages below the county seat, but he passed away two years ago. It was the man’s brother-in-law who made a big move, donating a great deal of money so this young man could obtain the post.”
Lu Ling immediately sensed something was off. “Brother-in-law?”
Madam Liu said, “A ger from that family married an older wealthy merchant. In any case, once you dig into it, the whole affair doesn’t sound very nice. Things like this aren’t exactly rare out there.”
“Oh, right—his surname is Bai. By the time our family received this appointment, he had already taken office.”
Shu Rui’s heart began pounding wildly. It really was his cousin!
He had already run away from the marriage, and now a ger had married in his place. In the Bai family, aside from him, there was only Second Ger. That meant the one who married into the Wu family… was him?
If it had been anyone else, the Wu family probably wouldn’t have been willing to donate money to get his cousin an official post.
His thoughts were in complete turmoil. His aunt was truly ruthless—after he ran away, she was still willing to push her own biological ger into a pit of fire.
He had originally thought that once he escaped, the marriage between the Bai and Wu families would fall apart, that the two families would fall out completely. Who would have imagined it could still go through as planned?
In the end, the one his aunt cared about most was still his cousin, what she valued most still the family’s wealth and prospects.
Only Second Ger was pitiful—raised delicately at home, and now sent off to fill the Wu family’s pit.