Chapter 227: Spirits
Gu Yan returned more than two quarters of an hour earlier than the previous two days.
It was the same small warm pavilion as yesterday. Li Xiaonan and Wan Jing had just set up a table full of fresh milk, fresh goat milk, tea leaves, and rock sugar, with a small pot and a small stove, preparing to boil caramel to make milk tea. When they heard Shi Gun shout, Wan Jing was so startled that she almost dropped a large bowl of fresh milk.
“Think again! Did you really not break the rules?” Li Xiaonan grabbed Wan Jing and asked her again anxiously.
“I thought about it, I thought about it, I shouldn’t have,” Wan Jing replied without much confidence.
“He’s much earlier today than yesterday! Hurry up and go out, don’t let him in! He didn’t come in yesterday!” Li Xiaonan pushed Wan Jing, following behind her, and hurried out to meet him.
Gu Yan stood at the entrance of the small warm pavilion, glanced at the warm pavilion, then looked at the nervous Wan Jing and Li Xiaonan, who had a forced smile on her face. Just as he was about to look at the warm pavilion again, Li Xiaonan darted forward, stood in front of Gu Yan, waved her hand, and said, “Let’s go!”
Wan Jing’s eyes widened as she watched. She wanted to pull Li Xiaonan, but Li Xiaonan’s steps were too fast. She couldn’t reach her anymore and could only stare anxiously.
This impudent girl walked in front of the Young Lord! This is presumptuous!
Li Xiaonan rushed to the large warm pavilion in one breath, turned around, and looked at Gu Yan, who was following at a leisurely pace, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, she reacted quickly and managed to get away with it.
Gu Yan followed into the warm pavilion, with Shi Gun behind him, placing the small food box in his hand on the table.
“They say sticky rice lotus root is in season, and I happened to pass by the Yang Family’s old shop, so I asked Shi Gun to buy some. Try it,” Gu Yan said, taking a wet handkerchief to wipe his hands and gesturing to Li Xiaonan.
Li Xiaonan lifted the small food box, took out the sticky rice lotus root inside, and first offered it to Gu Yan, “You try it too.”
Gu Yan curled his lips in disdain, “I never eat these messy things.”
Li Xiaonan placed the dish in front of herself, picked up a piece, dipped it in some osmanthus honey, and took a bite.
The sticky rice was chewy, the old lotus root was fragrant and soft, and the osmanthus honey was sweet and pleasant.
Gu Yan sat opposite Li Xiaonan, took a sip of tea, watched Li Xiaonan eat two slices, and gestured for Wan Jing to take it away, “You won’t be able to eat dinner if you eat more. Let Wan Jing try it too.”
Li Xiaonan sullenly put down her chopsticks.
“Have you been to Linhai Town?” Gu Yan poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of Li Xiaonan.
“Yes, Old Shopkeeper He said his son, He Xiangsheng, has been by your side?” Li Xiaonan asked.
“What’s wrong?”
“Why don’t you let him handle the tasks that Mr. Zhou is handling?”
Gu Yan glanced at Shi Gun, who was standing at the entrance of the warm pavilion. Shi Gun met Gu Yan’s gaze, took a few steps back, and retreated to the steps of the warm pavilion.
“I don’t trust them, father and son,” Gu Yan said, looking at Li Xiaonan.
“Why don’t you trust them? Since you asked me to see Old Shopkeeper He, it means you are hesitating, right?”
“Yes,” Gu Yan gave a vague “yes.”
“I’m definitely not as shrewd as you, so if you’re hesitating, what I can see is limited. So why not see how they do things.”
“The people around you, like Shi Gun, must be loyal. As for the He family, father and son, they just need to do your work well. Why force absolute loyalty?” Li Xiaonan said to Gu Yan.
Gu Yan met Li Xiaonan’s gaze, and after a moment, he snorted, “Tell me, how did you see that the He family, father and son, are usable even if they are not absolutely loyal?”
“I didn’t see it anywhere, I guessed.”
“Your hesitation must be because you sensed they are not like Shi Gun, or Uncle Hong, who are absolutely loyal. With this intuition, you must have had someone investigate the He family, father and son, and found nothing, otherwise you wouldn’t have asked me to take a look.”
“I think your intuition is correct, and my intuition is also very accurate.”
“The He family, father and son, are different from Shi Gun and Uncle Hong. Uncle Hong and others are tied to the Prince’s Estate. Shi Gun is closely related to you. If you are not well, the Prince’s Estate is not well, and they will be crushed to pieces. But the He family is not necessarily like that, right?”
“You also said that the He family are subordinates of the Prince’s Estate. Are subordinates not servants? I heard that the Cao Division in Liangzhe Circuit is also someone’s subordinate?”
Li Xiaonan looked at Gu Yan’s expression.
Gu Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly. One hand on the table slowly clenched, then slowly relaxed.
After a while, Gu Yan said slowly, “The He family’s subordinate status is not the same as that of Jiang Cao Division’s subordinates.”
“Then what is the difference between the He family’s subordinate status and Uncle Hong’s? And what is the difference with the subordinates like Jiang Cao Division’s?” Li Xiaonan stared intently at Gu Yan’s expression.
His complexion was not good, but there was still room. She could ask one or two more questions.
“Does the He family consider themselves subordinates like Jiang Cao Division?” Gu Yan asked back instead of answering Li Xiaonan’s question.
“No. Old Shopkeeper He is famously shrewd, one of the most shrewd in all of Jiangnan. He has walked more bridges than I have walked roads. How could I possibly pry out his words and see his thoughts?”
“But based on my intuition, I think he is quite good. He wishes you well, and he wishes Jiangnan well.”
“On the way back, I was thinking about this. After thinking about it, I thought of the word ‘subordinate.’ Is it that you and Old Shopkeeper He have a disagreement on the word ‘subordinate’?”
“Also, Old Shopkeeper He specifically mentioned that his son is by your side. I thought, is he trying to show his attitude through his actions? You don’t trust him, could he have sensed it long ago?”
“Old Shopkeeper He is incredibly shrewd, a seasoned old fox.” Li Xiaonan clicked her tongue.
“You’re not bad either. Even if you haven’t become a seasoned fox, you’re close,” Gu Yan’s mouth turned downwards.
“I’m still far behind you. If anyone is to become a fox, it’s you first,” Li Xiaonan retorted unceremoniously.
“I’ll go to Linhai Town tomorrow to see He Chengzhe,” Gu Yan changed the subject.
Li Xiaonan looked at Gu Yan, her brows furrowed.
“I’m going to show courtesy and respect, not to question,” Gu Yan said irritably.
“See, I told you you’d become a fox first,” Li Xiaonan smiled broadly.
“Do you have anything to do tomorrow?” Gu Yan snorted.
“Yes, I have to go see my Weaving School. I’ve been delayed for two or three days because of your business. I’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Let Wan Jing go with you,” Gu Yan said.
“What’s she going for? So she can send you a letter every day to report? I’m not your servant, nor am I your subordinate!” Li Xiaonan glared at Gu Yan.
“When you bought those weavers, did you choose them yourself? Do you understand if your weavers are taught correctly and well? Can you tell if the fine cloth is woven well?” Gu Yan said, tapping the table with his fingers.
Li Xiaonan was choked by Gu Yan’s questions.
“If you don’t want Wan Jing to report, then don’t report. I’m so busy, how can I have time to manage you!” Gu Yan snorted.
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. You went to Linhai Town for me, consider this a thank you gift,” Gu Yan leaned back against the chair back.
“The thank you gift for going to Linhai Town was Squirrel Mandarin Fish. This time, I owe you a favor, and you can order me around again!” Li Xiaonan said with a smile.
Shi Gun brought in the dishes with a few servants. After dinner, as Gu Yan walked back after seeing Li Xiaonan off, he asked Shi Gun, “What’s going on with the small warm pavilion?”
“Replying to the Young Lord, they said Miss Li is making some kind of caramel milk tea,” Shi Gun replied with a smile.
“Did she make it?” Gu Yan frowned.
What is caramel milk tea?
“Not yet, they said they just gathered all the ingredients.”
Gu Yan grunted. After walking a few steps, he ordered, “Tell the kitchen to go up and inquire about this caramel milk tea.”
“Yes.”
