When she reached the gates of the Shen Manor, Lin Wu did not detour to the side back entrance, but walked straight up to the main gate.
The gatekeeper seemed to still remember her. Seeing her approaching while holding a child's hand, he greeted her warmly, "Good day to you, Mrs. Lin. Have you come to look for Steward Zhou?"
Lin Wu shook her head. "This humble woman has come uninvited, hoping to meet the master of your household or the young master. I would trouble you to pass the word along."
She paused for a moment before adding, "I know I'm being abrupt, and I may not follow proper etiquette, but I have fallen into difficult straits making a living, so I have dared to come and seek a clear word from Master Shen."
The gatekeeper looked surprised at her words, but nodded nonetheless. "Please wait a moment, Madam."
It was not long before Steward Zhou hurried out to lead her inside. As they walked, he said in a low voice, "It is quite unfortunate. The old master left for a tea stall outside the city to meet friends early this morning and has not returned yet. Right now, only Young Master Shen is in the residence."
Lin Wu nodded. "Thank you for the trouble, Steward."
Steward Zhou led her all the way through the courtyards, feeling rather astonished as he went. He had assumed Mrs. Lin was here for the kitchen maid position, and that they would talk in the front hall or a side parlour. But unexpectedly, the young master had specifically instructed him to bring her to the tea room adjoining the study. That place, while not as private as the inner study, was quiet and rarely visited, normally only used to receive close merchants who needed to discuss matters in detail.
When they reached the walled gate, they could already catch a glimpse of a tall, slender figure inside the study through the lattice window.
As they drew closer, they saw Shen Guanting dressed in a moon-white round-necked wide-sleeved lán shan, looking relaxed and at ease.
Hearing the footsteps, he turned around, a gentle smile on his face. "Mrs. Lin, and this little lady. I did not expect the two of you to visit. Please, take a seat."
There were three chairs already set out in the tea room. Two were regular horseshoe chairs, and the other was clearly a temporary addition, slightly smaller, with a soft cushion placed on top.
Lin Wu led Lin Jing to sit down as arranged. "Young Master Shen, you are far too thoughtful."
The other party's proper, courteous and thorough manner made Lin Wu feel for a split second that she had stepped into a Hongmen banquet.
After all three were seated, a servant stepped forward, set down two porcelain cups, and then withdrew.
Shen Guanting spoke in a calm tone. "I hope you will not take offence at any shortcomings in our hospitality, Madam."
"We are the ones who have intruded uninvited," Lin Wu met his gaze and went straight to the point. "Back then at the Jin Cheng Firm's warehouse, Young Master Shen mentioned a temporary kitchen maid position. Now that Jin Cheng Firm has left Lingzhou, this humble woman has thought over things again and again, and has no other way out, so I have mustered the courage to come and ask: is what you said that day still valid?"
Shen Guanting found it hard to believe that this was the real reason for her visit. This was such a small matter that even if she could no longer pass a message through Jin Cheng Firm, she could have just asked Steward Zhou directly. There was no need for her to come and see him in person. He had assumed that when she came, she would at least beat around the bush about the South Cliff matter, but he had not expected her to open by bringing up this seemingly unrelated old topic.
His smile did not fade as he said, "Of course it still counts. The Zhi Yun Firm could not be more pleased to have Mrs. Lin join us. Only..."
He paused, picked up a plain white porcelain bottle by his hand, and poured liquid into the porcelain cups. A delicate fragrance drifted through the air. "We did not have time to properly prepare whisked tea in this rush. This is cardamom water that I brewed first thing this morning. It is still drinkable, I hope the two of you will not mind the simple offering."
As he spoke, he gently pushed the cups in front of them, the clear sweet water inside swaying softly.
"Thank you for going to so much trouble, Young Master Shen." His overly polite demeanour made Lin Wu increasingly certain that this man must have already guessed Lin Jing's identity.
"This only works if our journeys align," Shen Guanting picked up where he left off. "From what you say, are you also heading south on this trip, Madam?"
Lin Wu's hand holding the porcelain cup tensed slightly, and she looked a little confused. "I have heard that my elder brother has settled down in Chunzhou now. The next stop for our mother and daughter is to go to Chunzhou to find our relatives. I heard that Zhi Yun Firm came here from Huzhou. If you are heading back, Chunzhou is right on your way home, so that should work out, shouldn't it?"
After saying that, Lin Wu took a sip of the water, set down her cup, and looked at him calmly.
Shen Guanting's expression did not change. He shook his head. "Mrs. Lin, you are very well-informed. But this Zhi Yun Firm party is not returning to Huzhou, we are heading for South Cliff."
He gave Lin Wu a gentle smile as he spoke, and openly looked her over under her gaze.
She really was different.
From the moment she stepped through the door, this woman seemed like a whole new person. The timid, flustered look she had before was gone completely. She sat straight, her shoulders and neck relaxed, her eyes calm, and her speech and behaviour poised. Such bearing was not something an ordinary market woman could have. Even his own younger brother and sister, who had been taught by private tutors since childhood, might not possess it. They were either skittish as sparrows, or sneaky and furtive like weasels.
She was truly impressive. By being so unreserved, she was plainly admitting that she knew the Shen family had doubts about her identity, so she had simply stopped going to the trouble of hiding it.
And with her careful, steady nature, if she had not sensed something was amiss, she would never have gone over Steward Zhou's head to come straight to him. This unexpected sharpness and decisiveness made all his earlier roundabout plans seem rather unnecessary.
"South Cliff..." Lin Wu lowered her eyes and murmured thoughtfully. After a moment, she looked up to meet his gaze again. "That name has come up quite often for me today. It is the final destination of that exiled official retinue, isn't it? It seems Zhi Yun Firm shares quite a fate with them."
Shen Guanting's hand holding his cup paused, and he let out a laugh. He suddenly thought his grandfather really ought to come and see this Mrs. Lin, she certainly had a sharp tongue.
"Mrs. Lin, that remark of yours makes it sound as if the Shen family has some shady, underhanded connection with those convicted officials and their families."
Lin Wu shook her head, her expression unruffled. "This humble woman has little experience of the world, and does not know how to speak with proper care. I ask that Young Master Shen forgive me. But I heard that the Shen family has set up porridge and medical aid sheds outside the city, and they just happened to benefit that very group of people too. Such a coincidence is really something that makes people wonder."
"So it seems in Mrs. Lin's eyes, the Shen family can never clear their name of this charge," Shen Guanting thought to himself that she had come here today to turn the tables on him, he had misjudged her earlier, never guessing she had such a sharp, forthright side.
"South Cliff is a trade route the Shen family has long frequented. It is nothing more than a coincidence," he brought the topic back around. "This journey is long and tough, with bandit raids and miasma plagues common along the way. But since I have invited you to travel with us, Zhi Yun Firm will do everything in its power to keep you and your daughter safe."
Lin Wu shook her head again. "Young Master Shen, I am truly grateful for your kindness. But our trip is to Chunzhou to find our relatives. If the journey to South Cliff does not align with our path, then we cannot come along after all."
Shen Guanting was taken aback. He had not expected her to reject him so outright. He continued, "Once we finish our business in South Cliff, the caravan will return to Huzhou. By then, you can travel with the caravan to Chunzhou. But that round trip will add several months to your journey. The road is hard, so the pay will be generous, enough for you and your daughter to settle down comfortably in Chunzhou."
Lin Wu did not hesitate at all, her tone firm. "We are a widowed mother and a young child, we have been through so many twists and turns along the way that we are already worn out both physically and mentally. The road to Chunzhou already feels long and daunting, we dare not take the risk of going all the way to the remote, dangerous South Cliff. This time, I am afraid I must decline your kind offer."
Shen Guanting fell silent for a moment, his gaze falling on the little lady at her side. The child had her lips pressed tight, her small hand clutching the hem of this woman's dress, a picture of utter dependence.
This choice caught him completely off guard. In this drifting, unmoored situation, facing the shelter and generous pay offered by the Cloud Weaving Firm, she had chosen to keep moving forward on her own. Such a decision could only come from either a short-sighted person, or a shrewd one who refused to surrender control of their own fate to others.
And the woman standing before him was clearly the latter.
Once a person chose to rely on others, every step they took would be restricted, and all unforeseen turns would be controlled by someone else. He had always been accustomed to holding all variables firmly in his own hands, and this young woman was exactly the same.
After a moment of silence, Shen Guanting let out a nearly inaudible soft sigh, then chuckled very faintly, his tone carrying a hint of lightness that had not been there before. "It is Guanting who was not thoughtful enough. Since you prioritize your young child, there is nothing wrong with that. Going to Chunzhou is a fine choice too."
His gaze lingered on her calm face for a brief moment, then he stood up. "Please wait a moment, both of you. I am going to fetch an object."
With that, he turned and walked into the inner study, returning after only a few moments.
He walked over to Lin Wu and placed a half-palm-sized silver plaque on the table. The plaque had a simple design, with auspicious cloud patterns carved on the front, surrounding a large character for "Shen".
"Before I left Jincheng Firm, I was given a special instruction to look after you and your daughter as much as possible. The Shen family also shared a meal with Mrs. Lin before, and those minced meat balls, taro cakes, and crystal wontons were all incredibly delicious," he finished naming the dishes before continuing. "It is not easy for you, a widow and your young child, to travel through the world. If you ever find yourselves in a truly desperate situation in the days to come, you can take this object to any shop or estate bearing the 'Cloud Weaving' name in any prefecture or county town, and send word. The Shen family will never refuse to help within our power."
Lin Wu stared at the heavy silver plaque in front of her, and was slightly stunned.
Seeing her dazed look, for some reason, the faint sense of stagnation he had felt earlier when his plan fell apart dissipated quite a bit. His smile deepened, and his tone carried a hint of teasing. "If the so-called desperate situation is just that you lack money to get by, you can even melt this plaque down to spend as silver. It should be worth a decent sum. But..."
He paused, shaking his head with a hint of apparent regret. "If I had known this earlier, I would have had it made of pure gold. That would have been far more practical."
Lin Wu lifted her eyes, meeting his smiling gaze. After a moment of silence, she gave a nearly imperceptible nod. "Young Master Shen, I will always remember your kindness."
With that, she put the silver plaque away.
Seeing that she had stored the plaque, Shen Guanting's smile did not fade at all, but his next words were astonishing. "The Shen family acts according to benevolence and our own conscience. On this trip to Nanya, if we happen to cross paths with an old acquaintance, looking out for them along the way is both a kindness and our duty."
Lin Wu's heart tightened when she heard this. It was perfectly clear who this "old acquaintance" referred to. This Young Master Shen truly acted in unexpected ways, casually tearing through that layer of paper covering the secret at this very moment.
Shen Guanting's gaze fell on her hand holding the teacup. It was a hand that bore the marks of labor, with faint but obvious calluses, a mark of her journey alone. He shifted his sight away, his voice soft and slow. "Mrs. Lin, you and I both know that once some paths are chosen, there is no turning back. Now that things have come to this, no matter what the reason is, you and I are both involved in this scheme, so we are already in the same boat."
Now that the words were out in the open, there was no more need for pretense.
Lin Wu was silent for a moment after hearing this, then the corners of her lips lifted faintly, forming a very slight arc.
To Shen Guanting, that sight was suddenly breathtaking. It was an extremely faint smile, completely different from the timid, ingratiating smiles she had deliberately shown others before. This one carried a calm clarity that seeped slowly from the depths of her eyes. The smile was light, yet it seemed to tinge every feature of her face, like a piece of jade wiped clean of dust, warm and restrained, glowing with a soft, clear luster.
He only let his gaze rest on her face for a split second before shifting it away. He lowered his head, picked up the porcelain bottle, and poured half a cup of warm boiled water for her, then filled his own cup as well.
"The road ahead is long," he raised his cup, his reflection of her in his eyes. "May both of us get what we wish for."
Lin Wu also picked up her porcelain cup, raising it slightly to him.
Beside them, little Lin Jing hurriedly grabbed her own small cup with her tiny hands, raising it earnestly. Her bright black eyes darted between Lin Wu and the Shen Guanting across the table.
Lin Wu's voice was soft but clear. "I take Young Master Shen's good wishes. May we all stay safe along this journey."
After saying that, she drank the warm water in her cup slowly, then set the porcelain cup gently back on the table.
Shen Guanting walked them to the courtyard gate to see them off, then stopped there. Steward Zhou, who had been standing at his side, stepped forward to lead the mother and daughter the rest of the way out. But Shen Guanting did not turn to leave. He stood quietly inside the gate, watching the two figures, one tall and one small, pass through the hanging flower gate and gradually vanish from his sight.
At noon, Shen Zhongming returned from outside. After listening to the steward's report, he went straight to the tea hall.
Seeing Shen Guanting sipping warm boiled water from his cup, he got straight to the point. "I heard that the mother and daughter came to visit. Are they joining the caravan to Nanya?"
Shen Guanting shook his head. "They said Nanya is not on the way to Chunzhou, so they do not want to travel with us."
Shen Zhongming looked surprised, and sat down in a chair. "So that means they really have nothing to do with the Gu family? We were overthinking it. There are always people who look alike in this world."
"No," Shen Guanting set his porcelain cup down. "When she came today, it was less about asking to travel with us, and more about coming to find out our true intentions."
He lifted his eyes to the dappled sunlight outside the door. "I originally thought that in such a precarious situation, if someone knew there was a reliable branch to cling to, they would hold onto it for dear life. But I never expected..."
"Expected what?" Shen Zhongming picked up the porcelain bottle and poured himself a cup of water.
"I never expected someone to be this cautious, steady, and yet sharp and clear-headed." A faint, soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Shen Zhongming stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "That makes perfect sense. Such a young woman who traveled all the way to Lingzhou alone with a child must be clever and clear-headed. And if that child really is related to the Gu family, her courage to move around and handle these matters on her own is even more remarkable."
His tone was full of approval, and he looked at his eldest grandson. "So what are your plans now? It is obvious that she does not want to stay under your watch and be constrained by you."
Shen Guanting chuckled softly. "Grandpa just said it yourself, she is a clever, clear-headed, and courageous person. Such a character is far better than me. If she stayed under my nose, it would not be looking after her, it would only be me holding her back."
Shen Zhongming looked at his grandson, who was completely free of any resentment. "It is a rare sight. A visit from Mrs. Lin has actually taught our Guanting to reflect on himself."
Shen Guanting picked up the bottle to refill his cup, his unhurried voice steady. "It is a good thing. Even though we did not end up hiring that temporary cook, I unexpectedly received guidance from this temporary tutor. I have benefited a great deal."
At that very moment, Lin Wu and Lin Jing had returned to their tiny rented room at the inn.
Lin Wu turned to bolt the door carefully, then checked the windows. When she turned back, she saw Lin Jing already sitting upright on the square stool, untying her small cloth bag and pouring all the copper coins inside onto the table in front of her, then looking up at Lin Wu.
Lin Wu walked up to him, squatted down to bring their eyes level, looked at his eyes that were no longer red, and felt a tight twinge in her chest. Her voice unconsciously dropped to a soft murmur. "A Jing, you heard everything they said back at the Shen residence."
Lin Jing nodded his little head obediently.
She paused for a moment, then spoke more clearly. "The Shen family is planning to stand by and help the Gu family."
Lin Jing's eyes went wide with surprise the moment he heard that.
Lin Wu gently wrapped her hand around his slightly cool small hand, and continued in a low voice. "Their merchant caravan is heading to Nanya too, the same route as the exile convoy. If you..."
She paused, choosing her words carefully, speaking softly and slowly, making sure the little boy in front of her could follow. "If that's what you want, we can go back and ask the Shen family to take you along. Their caravan has plenty of people, the journey is safe and secure, just like when we were with Jin Cheng Trading Company before. They will take good care of you, and you'll get the chance to meet the rest of your Gu family relatives."
The Shen family was going to help the Gu family, who were Lin Jing's blood kin. For this little boy, going there might very well be the more natural, reasonable path to take.
"Take me? All by myself?" Lin Jing's body trembled a little, his voice urgent and confused. "Aren't we going to Chunzhou?"
"We are going to Chunzhou," Lin Wu's voice grew even softer and slower. "But A Wu wanted you to know that you have family over in Nanya."
Lin Jing shook his head hard, the rims of his eyes flushing red instantly. "No! Wherever A Wu goes, I go. I'm only going to Chunzhou with A Wu, I won't go anywhere else."
He stretched out his other small hand, and clutched Lin Wu's fingers tightly too.
Lin Wu looked at his reddened eyes and the small hands gripping hers so firmly. Her voice turned a little hoarse, and she finally nodded. "Fine. Then we'll go to Chunzhou together."
Lin Jing nodded right away with all his might, as if afraid she might change her mind, and quickly added, "I'll eat very little from now on, and I can help with all the work. I'll learn to count copper coins well, and all the money I earn will go to A Wu."
Lin Wu felt a soft, sharp ache in her heart. She reached out her arms, pulled his tiny little body into a hug, and said in a muffled voice. "A Jing is such a good boy. You're the best, most capable little kid A Wu has ever met. I'm just worried you'll have to suffer following me around."
Lin Jing shook his head hard against her chest. "The food A Wu makes is the yummiest. Following A Wu means no hardship at all."
His words made that heavy, dull feeling in Lin Wu's chest melt away all at once. Having made this decision, she felt a long-lost sense of relief.
To be sure, going to Nanya with the Zhi Yun Trading Company under the Shen family's protection would have been the safest, most effortless path. Right now, even though they had decided to head for Chunzhou, the road ahead was full of uncertainty. They had no official travel permits, and had not yet found a reliable cargo ship to take them.
But did she and Lin Jing, especially she herself, have any unavoidable reason to go to Nanya?
No.
They were weak and short on manpower right now. They couldn't offer any real help to that fragile, struggling exile convoy, and would only end up being another burden for others to look after. What's more, there was no guarantee there were no imperial spies watching the exile party. If Lin Jing joined them, the risk of his true identity being exposed would only skyrocket.
She couldn't stake both of their lives on the uncertain kindness of the Shen family, or on old, faded ties from the past.
Besides, the Shen family might look after Lin Jing a little extra for the Gu family's sake, but Lin Wu had no connections to the Gu family at all. Why would the Shen family ever bother to protect her?
And since the Shen family had already stepped in to help, the exiled Gu party already had a fighting chance. That was all the more reason for them not to wade into that messy, dangerous situation.
Lin Jing might have affection and lingering care for the Gu family. But to her, the Gu family were no different from any random strangers in the vast crowd.
She patted Lin Jing gently on the back. "Alright, then we're going to Chunzhou. Once we settle down safely there, we can even go further to Huzhou. A Wu will still sell her flatbreads, and A Jing will be my little accountant, helping us count all our copper coins."
