Looking north towards the rivers and mountains

Chapter 307 The Saved Yellow Hair

The party ended in the evening.

Shen Rong, his face flushed from drinking, held Shao Shuyi's hand and uttered many polite words of praise, such as "the younger generation is truly formidable," before being helped by a servant back to the backyard to rest. Shen Mao, Shen Dechang, and Shen Hanjie also took their leave one after another, only Shen Dezai stayed behind, saying he wanted to discuss the details of investing in the grain guild with Shao Shuyi. Just as Shao Shuyi was about to agree, Mo Bei approached, giving him a meaningful look.

Shao Shuyi suddenly realized what was happening and clasped his hands in apology to Shen Dezai, saying, "I have other matters to attend to today..."

"No rush," Shen Dezai said. "I'll visit again tomorrow. Is Shao She located near the old charitable granary in Taicang?"

"Exactly."

Shen Dezai cupped his hands in farewell and took his leave.

Mo Bei leaned close to Shao Shuyi's ear and whispered, "Shao She, Madam requests your presence in the back garden. She has a few words to say to you."

"Okay." Shao Shuyi didn't waste any words and followed Mo Bei through a moon gate, walking deeper into the garden.

The back garden was not large, but it was decorated with great care.

A crescent-shaped pond, a few clumps of bamboo, vines that have already climbed halfway up the artificial hill, and several osmanthus trees by the pond are in full bloom, their sweet fragrance permeating the evening mist.

On both sides of the bluestone path, there are dozens of pots of chrysanthemums, yellow, white and purple, with water droplets still hanging on the petals, obviously they have just been watered.

Shao Shuyi took a quick look around and found the place to be quite nice. He wondered when it had been renovated or if he hadn't been there often enough.

Mo Bei stopped in front of a waterside pavilion, bowed, and said, "Madam is inside. Please come in, Mr. Shao."

The waterside pavilion has windows on three sides, facing the pond. Madam Shen sat on the couch by the window, holding a scroll in her hand, but she was clearly not reading it.

She was still wearing that autumn-colored khaki dress, with a white magnolia hairpin in her hair, as pure and simple as a white lotus in a pond.

Upon hearing footsteps, she looked up, her gaze lingering on Shao Shuyi's face for a moment before shifting away.

"Shao She is here, please sit down." She pointed to the embroidered stool opposite her, her voice neither loud nor soft.

Shao Shuyi bowed and sat down on the embroidered stool.

A censer of incense burned in the waterside pavilion, its smoke curling upwards.

Madam Shen gave a signal, and a maid stepped forward to pour a cup of tea.

"Was the banquet you hosted today, brother, adequate?" she asked.

"I am truly unworthy of Master Shen's hospitality." Shao Shuyi accepted the teacup with both hands and took a small sip.

The tea is this year's Zisun variety, clear and sweet, different from the compressed tea served at the midday banquet, and has a more graceful feel reminiscent of a woman from Jiangnan.

Madam Shen remained silent for a moment, then turned her gaze to the pond outside the window. A few withered lotus leaves floated on the surface, and a kingfisher perched on a dry stem, tilting its head to watch the fish swimming in the water.

"I heard you're going to go overseas with the Fei family?" she suddenly asked.

"Yes." Shao Shuyi did not hide anything and said, "The ocean will open on the eighth day of the tenth month, to Tuta."

"Why did you come to the Fei family?" Madam Shen turned to look at him and said, "If you really want to go to sea, you can always go to the Ye family of Chongming."

After a moment's thought, Shao Shuyi smiled and said, "I am, after all, a seafarer, and I have to curry favor with the deputy commander."

Madam Shen said "Oh," as if she had just realized the reason.

"I told you a lot of things before," Madam Shen said again, "but now it seems I was just too naive."

Shao Shuyi was silent for a moment, then said, "Madam, you've seen it yourself. In this world, the government can't be relied on. If I didn't do business and didn't support my own people, I would have been devoured long ago. Bi Si's gang of thieves ran rampant on the Grand Canal, and the government couldn't handle them. I took action and wiped them out. That's an achievement. Times have changed. As for the matter of trading with foreign countries and the grain business, without the money I made from smuggled salt and without those brave and hardworking men under my command, why would I have Qian Dayong, Zhou Siwen, and other grain merchants listen to me? Madam, you should take heed."

The waterside pavilion fell silent, with only the soft crackling of burning incense remaining.

After a long while, Madam Shen spoke again, saying, "I know everything that my brother and you talked about today."

Shao Shuyi nodded.

"The Shen family joining your grain guild—" She paused, then said, "In the past, there would have been criticism. In this matter, I don't know if it's right or wrong."

Shao Shuyi remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"You're too hasty in your actions and refuse to listen to advice." Her voice was soft, as if she were talking to herself. "But my brother said that the situation in Jiangnan is chaotic right now. Although the Huashan bandits have been wiped out, there's no guarantee that a second Huashan bandit won't appear one day. At times like these, without some fighting power, we'll be at the mercy of others. The Shen family is wealthy, but they don't have any capable retainers. If we train them ourselves, firstly, there might be obstacles from the authorities, and secondly, the people in the clan are good at business, but terrible at anything else. Rather than spending money to support a bunch of useless people, it's better to entrust them to someone we can trust."

When Shao Shuyi heard the words "trustworthy," his lips twitched slightly, but he didn't reply.

Madam Shen raised her eyes and glanced at him, her gaze complex, containing scrutiny, helplessness, and something else she couldn't quite define. But she quickly lowered her eyes again, picked up her teacup, and slowly took a sip.

"My brother says that because he wants to use you." She put down her teacup, her fingers gently tracing the rim, and said, "But I still want to ask you, to what extent do you intend to go? Aren't you sure there won't be any trouble?"

Shao Shuyi was silent for a moment, then said, "Madam, I now have several hundred brothers under my command to feed. Some things are no longer something I can simply stop doing. Besides, it's not like I was completely unprepared. I've been very careful in my actions over the past year. That's all thanks to you, Madam." "What's your credit?" Madam Shen's voice rose slightly, then fell back down. "Are you just flattering me?"

Shao Shuyi pondered for a moment, then said, "Some officials in Jiangyin are truly hateful. Sometimes I want to just kill them all, to end it all and feel relieved. But then I remember what my wife taught me: to always act with discretion. So I restrain myself and continue to feign compliance with them. Last time on the Grand Canal, we captured the bandit leader, but a corrupt official from Wuxi took the spoils and claimed it as a merit. At that time, I was somewhat angry and wanted to kill that dog of a judge, Zhao Liangchen, but in the end, fearing being wanted by the government, I didn't..."

Shao Shuyi pointed to the lotus pond outside and said, "Since we can't even see such a beautiful view anymore, we should pull back from the brink and let this person go. If it weren't for Madam's previous instructions, I would have made a big mistake these two times, and things would have been troublesome."

Madam Shen looked at him for a moment, and her expression gradually relaxed, as if she had unloaded a heavy burden.

"It's just a lotus pond, there's nothing like that." She stood up, walked to the cabinet, opened the drawer, took out a small blue cloth package, and placed it on the table. The package wasn't big, and it felt like tea leaves.

"You mentioned Dragon and Phoenix Tea to Manager Mo yesterday. This is a new product this year, a total of six catties, which I got from my father. I don't usually drink it." She pushed the bundle forward and said, "Take this to entertain your guests."

Shao Shuyi looked at the bundle but didn't immediately take it. He knew she wasn't against drinking the tea; she was just looking for a respectable excuse.

"Thank you, Madam." He finally accepted the bundle.

It's light to the touch, yet surprisingly heavy. Even Shen Wansan probably wouldn't have gotten more than a few pounds from it.

Madam Shen nodded, sat back on the couch, and said, "It's getting late, you should go back now. Be careful on your journey."

Shao Shuyi responded and said, "Take care, Madam."

He turned and took two steps when he suddenly heard Madam Shen say something behind him in a low voice, as if she were talking to him: "Don't fight with people in the future."

Shao Shuyi paused, but without turning around, he simply responded with a "Hmm".

Outside the moon gate, Tie Niu was waiting. Seeing him emerge, he asked in a low voice, "Brother, shall we go?"

"Let's go." Shao Shuyi handed the packet of tea to Tie Niu, glanced back at the direction of the waterside pavilion, and breathed a sigh of relief.

The tea was good, and his tea-making skills were also excellent.

It's truly remarkable that someone who would stop at nothing to climb the social ladder was guided step by step by Madam Shen to avoid going astray. Madam, you mustn't let your guard down, or I might make another mistake.

Shao Shuyi walked with his hands behind his back, his gait slightly bowed, in a relaxed and cheerful mood.

Upon exiting the gate of Pixiang Pavilion, Shao Shuyi saw Mo Bei waiting to the side and walked over to him.

"Shao She." Mo Bei cupped his hands in greeting.

"Master Mo." Shao Shuyi grabbed his hand and said with a smile, "It's all thanks to Master Mo that Madam was able to get things sorted out."

Mo Bei looked a little embarrassed, but still said in a low voice, "When Madam returned to Suzhou for the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Old Madam asked her why she had no children and seemed a little anxious. According to the maids in the mansion, Madam has been living alone for a long time, and her son-in-law has many complaints, which have reached the old residence in Suzhou, hence the question." Shao Shuyi nodded slightly.

Mo Bei hesitated for a moment, then said seemingly unintentionally, "Actually, it wasn't just Madam who asked, Third Miss also asked."

"Third Sister?" Shao Shuyi asked in confusion.

Mo Bei nodded vaguely and said, "Third Miss is the daughter of a concubine, and she is still young. I estimate that we will have to wait a few more years before she can be married into the family."

Taking a son-in-law? Goodbye.

Shao Shuyi cupped his hands in greeting and said, "I see. If you have time, Mr. Mo, would you like to visit the old granary tomorrow? Please invite your nephew as well; it's been a long time since we've gathered." "I have to accompany Mr. Rongfu tomorrow, so I'm afraid I won't be able to get away," Mo Bei replied.

At the same time, he sighed inwardly, "Why can't you understand good and bad advice? Although it's said that we should have a son-in-law, it's not like it can't be changed."

"Then next time," Shao Shuyi shook his head regretfully, then asked, "Does the Mo family of Shihu also deal in grain?"

Mo Bei was taken aback, then nodded and said, "We're selling grain from our own farm."

"How about joining the Wuyue Grain Company?" Shao Shuyi laughed. "It's better to come sooner rather than later. Shen Dezai has already joined by order, so the Mo family can join too." Mo Bei was somewhat helpless, but he still considered it seriously and said, "I'll write a letter back and ask."

"We absolutely have to get in," Shao Shuyi said happily.

He felt like a pyramid scheme leader, constantly making grand promises to lure people in; it was absolutely outrageous.

After Shao Shuyi returned to the ship, Zheng Fan had been waiting for a long time.

The two left Liujiagang by boat overnight and arrived at Shengye Trading Company located in Jiuyicang.

Shao Shuyi didn't stay there for long.

Although he was born and raised in Taicang, he no longer feels any sense of belonging to this place.

After spending three days there, handling numerous matters, and secretly climbing over the wall at Yantietang to deliver a letter, I prepared to leave.

On the first day of the tenth month, before his departure, he received a letter from Yu Yuan from Jiangyin, mentioning that Prince Boluobuhua of Zhennan had arrived in Changzhou several days ago and urging him to return as soon as possible.

Seeing this, Shao Shuyi did not delay any longer and returned to Huangtiangang on the third day of the Lunar New Year.