Shen Guanting read the letter carefully. This one was considerably longer than the last, and the farther he read, the more he understood why.
The words were written in her usual style—plain and straightforward, without any embellishment. She first described their daily life in Huzhou, then added an explanation of what all of Lin Jing’s circles and scribbles meant.
This time, there was indeed much more concerning him. One matter was the business involving the Jade-Soul Bookmarks; the other was the dried meat sent along with the letter.
Setting the letter aside, Shen Guanting rose and walked toward the wooden chest.
Seeing this, Shen Quan asked, “Young Master, shall I open it?”
Shen Guanting gave a slight nod.
When the chest was opened, it was filled to the brim, mostly with the usual things sent by his maternal grandfather and his parents: a newly made winter outfit and several seasonal gifts. Nothing was particularly unusual. The only exceptions were two plain, grayish pottery jars mixed in among the other items, which looked rather out of place.
Shen Guanting immediately took them out. One of the jars had a small leaf painted on it. This, presumably, was the one Lin Wu meant to give him.
Shen Qi was even more curious when he saw the jars. Did the Shen household really have such humble-looking things?
“Could they have sent you two jars of pickled vegetables, Young Master?”
Shen Guanting ignored his muttering and began untying the layers of thick cloth wrapped around the jar mouth. Inside were two fairly large oil-paper parcels, along with a small cloth pouch carefully wound with a strip of fabric. When he untied the pouch, he found another oil-paper packet inside, marked with the same little leaf.
Even Shen Quan could not help taking a step forward to peer at it curiously.
Shen Guanting opened the small oil-paper packet first and poured out a bookmark. Its leaf-vein pattern was clear, and the entire piece was translucent and lustrous, covered in an even sheen. This was the “Jade-Soul Bookmark” mentioned in the letter. The name had even been bestowed by his teacher, Yun Jianshan, himself.
Thinking of his teacher, who had never involved himself in officialdom and had always devoted himself to learning, living a quiet and unassuming life, Shen Guanting could not help feeling amused. His teacher had never taken on a disciple before, yet the moment he finally did, he had accepted such a young apprentice.
For Lin Jing’s sake—and for the sake of his teacher’s peace of mind—it would be best to keep Lin Jing’s true identity hidden for the time being. Otherwise, given his teacher’s temperament, he might well pack his belongings that very night and flee back to his mountain retreat to shut himself away in seclusion.
“So they removed the leaf flesh, leaving only the veins, then brushed it with a layer of peach gum to set it in place.” Shen Qi leaned closer for a better look and could not help exclaiming in admiration. “What a clever idea! But… Young Master, why would anyone send you bookmarks for no reason? Could it be that the Shen family is returning to the examination halls?”
A smile touched Shen Guanting’s eyes. “It’s a business proposition. They want to sell them through the Jizhen Pavilion, and they’ve also asked us to look for leaves from agarwood trees in Nan’ya and bring them back. They want to make some more distinctive varieties.”
Shen Qi still looked puzzled. “Why has the Old Master started doing such refined business?”
In his mind, the only person in the world who could order Young Master Shen about so naturally was the Old Master.
Shen Guanting offered no further explanation. Instead, he unfolded the larger oil-paper parcel. The moment he opened it, a salty-sweet fragrance mingled with the scents of honey and meat wafted toward them.
Shen Qi’s eyes widened. “What is that?”
Shen Guanting picked up a slice and examined it closely. It was glossy and richly red, with an even thickness and a sprinkling of fine white sesame seeds, delicate and lovely to behold. He put it into his mouth. The meat was crisp yet chewy, and the salty-sweet flavor was perfectly balanced. The honey fragrance brought out the meat’s own savory richness without becoming cloying in the slightest.
Her cooking was as good as ever.
Only after slowly finishing the slice did he answer Shen Qi, who had been watching him with eager anticipation.
“Honey-glazed dried meat. It was made by a friend of mine in Huzhou. Sparrow and Tigerhead brought it here especially for me.”
As he spoke, he took two more slices and handed one each to Shen Qi and Shen Quan.
Shen Qi bit into his and could not help exclaiming, “Is this a new snack from the Riverside Tower? It tastes wonderful!”
Whenever Young Master Shen mentioned a friend, Qi Xuan was the only person who came to mind. Shopkeeper Qi ran a restaurant, after all, so it was only natural that he would experiment with new dishes. Shen Qi had been in Nan’ya for so long that he truly missed the food of Huzhou. Look at how pitiful he was—even if the Riverside Tower had released something new, he would have no way of knowing.
At this rate, he would soon be desperate to return home.
Shen Guanting read Lin Wu’s letter carefully from beginning to end, examined the Jade-Soul Bookmark, and tasted the dried meat. Only then did he calmly retie the jar containing the meat and put it away.
Shen Qi stared at his master in disbelief.
Was he really putting it away just like that? Did he have no intention of giving them even one more slice? He had seen clearly that there were two large parcels of meat inside, yet Young Master Shen had given him and Shen Quan only one slice each to sample.
Since when had his master become so stingy?
Perhaps Shen Qi’s accusing gaze was too obvious. Shen Guanting glanced up at him, then remembered that he would be returning to Huzhou before long. If Lin Wu began selling the dried meat, he could simply buy some himself. He could choose whichever flavor he liked and order as much as he wanted.
Besides, they would be working together on the bookmark business in the future. Their relationship was hardly ordinary, and she might even give him some more.
Having thought it through, he decided that he had been quite generous. He took out the oil-paper parcel again and gave Shen Qi and Shen Quan five more slices each.
After dealing with that, he sat down once more and unfolded the densely written letters from Sparrow and Tigerhead. Only then did he learn that the dried meat had not yet officially gone on sale. It was a trial batch prepared especially as the apprenticeship gift for Lin Jing. Even Tigerhead and the others had found it difficult to get a single slice.
Yet he alone had received two whole parcels.
What an honor was this?
He would have to handle the bookmark and message-delivery business with the utmost care.
“Shen Qi, Shen Quan,” he instructed the two men waiting by the door, “go buy some sanzi, savory flatcakes, and other pastries that keep well. Give a small packet to every household at the workshop. We’ll be setting out soon, so consider it an early New Year’s gift.”
Once the members of the Gu and Chen families arrived at the workshop to work, Shen Guanting had the three younger members of the two families brought over as well.
Although Gu Qing had already experienced this once before, she could not help feeling excited all over again.
Noticing her expression, Chen Wang lowered his voice and asked, “Is there news?”
Gu Qing did not dare to be completely certain, but Young Master Shen had summoned them to the study alone. Most likely, just as last time, he had something to pass on to them.
“Are they giving us sanzi and flatcakes too? I saw the two Shen brothers handing them out to everyone just now.” Gu Jue followed the other two inside, his mind still filled with thoughts of sanzi and flatcakes. He only hoped that Young Master Shen would not keep them waiting too long; they still had to go collect their share.
When they entered the study, Gu Qing immediately spotted the letters resting on Shen Guanting’s desk. Though she had already expected this, her heart still gave a sudden thump.
“I called you here because someone has once again asked me to pass some things on to you.” Shen Guanting got straight to the point and gestured toward the three chairs before the desk. “Sit down and we’ll talk.”
The three hurriedly bowed and thanked him. “Thank you for taking the trouble, Young Master Shen.”
Only then did Shen Guanting hand each of them a letter.
Chen Wang was somewhat stunned to find that he had been given one of his own.
“You may look through them here. If anything is unclear, you can ask me,” Shen Guanting reminded them in an even tone before falling silent once more. For a while, the only sound in the study was the soft rustling of paper as they opened and read the letters.
Gu Qing’s fingers were still trembling almost imperceptibly. She drew a deep breath before carefully opening the envelope and taking out several folded sheets of paper.
Gu Jue immediately leaned over, his eyes eagerly scanning the page. It was almost completely covered with drawings and crooked, uneven handwriting, without a single bit of space left unused. He could barely make out a few simple characters. From what he could tell, Chengyao seemed to be saying that he wanted to send them tasty food and copper coins.
Yet even that was enough to send his heart racing. He instinctively gripped Gu Qing’s arm tightly, only barely managing to keep himself calm. His voice, however, still trembled. “Sister, this… this is…”
Gu Qing nodded. She quickly wiped her eyes before looking up at Shen Guanting, her voice slightly choked. “Young Master Shen… thank you.”
Nearby, Chen Wang—the once-famous young talent of the capital—was also having considerable difficulty deciphering the illustrated letter before him. Still, as with the letter Gu Qing and Gu Jue had received, the main meaning was clear enough: the little prince had sent them something delicious. As for the two crooked little figures drawn at the side, however, he truly could not make head or tail of them for the moment.
Seeing that they had all finished looking through the letters, Shen Guanting finally carried out his duties as their messenger.
“They made some honey-glazed dried meat recently. The ingredients are genuine, and the flavor is excellent, so they specially sent some for you to try.” As he spoke, he pushed the small pottery jar toward them.
Looking at the jar, he suddenly remembered that he alone had received two packets, while the Gu and Chen families had only received one packet each.
Gu Qing carefully opened the jar and took out the bundle wrapped in oiled paper.
When she unfolded it, the glossy, ruddy slices of dried meat were revealed. They smelled wonderfully sweet and savory. The other two small pouches contained two bookmarks and some copper coins, and the bookmarks looked exquisitely made as well.
Whether the dried meat or the bookmarks, every item was delicate and thoughtfully prepared. There was no need to ask; they must have been made by A Wu, whom Chengyao mentioned so often. Not only had she saved Chengyao, but she was now living alongside him, making a warm and fulfilling life together.
Even from the lively drawings on the letter—childlike in their strokes, yet full of spirit—it was clear that Chengyao was safe and well. His heart, too, had grown open and grounded.
Gu Qing’s heart filled with immeasurable sorrow and gratitude. Here, they were like duckweed swept into a raging current, drifting wherever the waters carried them, with no one to care about them.
Yet the weighty bundle of oiled paper told them that far away, in a land they had never set foot in, a woman they had never met and the little prince were genuinely thinking of them.
The food and bookmarks, along with the twenty copper coins Chengyao had painstakingly saved himself, were all so tangible and real. The bundle rested heavily in her palm, and for a fleeting moment she felt that the endless days ahead might truly be as Chengyao had depicted in his letter—steady and peaceful, with something to depend on.
As for Chen Wang, when he heard Shen Guanting recount that Lin Jing had found a teacher who did not charge tuition, he was both amused and warmed by the news. Even when he had first learned that the little prince was still alive, he had managed to retain some measure of composure. But now, listening to these trivial yet vivid details of the little prince’s daily life, he could not stop his eyes from stinging.
“This is good… This is very good.” He slowly exhaled, as though trying to release all the heaviness that had accumulated in his chest. “Being accepted as a student by Master Jianshan is a rare opportunity and a blessing.”
He thought that even if his father were still alive, he would be delighted for the little prince.
Chen Wang gently stroked the lustrous bookmark in his hand. In his spare time, his father had also liked making such delicate little objects.
Seeing that the others had sunk into their own thoughts, Shen Guanting spoke at the appropriate moment, breaking the silence in the room. “We will be setting out for Huzhou soon. If any of you have a message or some small item you would like us to take along, you can prepare it over the next two days.”
Huzhou.
The others silently repeated the name in their hearts. So that was where Chengyao was now.
Shen Guanting’s gaze passed over the exquisite bookmark on the desk before he continued, “We will also be entering into a partnership to make and sell these bookmarks. In the future, we will need to find special leaves for the materials, such as agarwood leaves from South Cliff. If you are interested, you can also take jobs through Shen Quan. Shen Quan will remain at South Cliff to oversee the cotton workshop. If you have any other matters, you may seek him out as well.”
At that, Gu Qing hurriedly waved her hands. “We will do our best to find the leaves for Cheng… for Jing. We cannot trouble Young Master Shen any further.”
Shen Guanting gave a light smile. “Madam Gu, there is no need to feel burdened. This is my business as well, not a personal favor. Besides, even brothers must keep clear accounts. We cannot allow the bookkeeping to become muddled.”
Only then did the group leave, each carrying the letters and the bundle of oiled paper. The workshop was also distributing fried dough twists and oil cakes at the moment, so with people coming and going everywhere, they blended into the crowd while carrying their bundles and attracted no attention at all.
The bamboo hut was not far away, so they first took everything back to their lodging.
The moment they entered, Gu Jue could no longer contain the question he had been holding in all the way there. “Sister, how could Young Master Shen understand what Chengyao wrote… or rather, drew? I could barely make it out myself.” Thinking that he was not even as familiar with his younger brother’s drawings as an outsider, he could not help feeling dejected.
Gu Qing carefully put away the bundle of oiled paper. Hearing this, she smiled. “I imagine Mrs. Lin explained everything in detail in the letter she wrote to Young Master Shen. With Jing’s drawings and her explanations, Young Master Shen could naturally understand them.”
Gu Jue was even more confused. “Then why didn’t he show us Sister Wu’s letter directly? Wouldn’t that have been clearer?”
Chen Wang had just finished putting away their things and walked over when he heard the question. He explained, “It was probably done for the sake of caution. Even if Jing’s letter happened to be seen by someone else, it would look like nothing more than a child’s drawings, and no one would be able to discern anything significant from it. But if Mrs. Lin’s handwritten letter fell into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, the risk would be much greater. Our bamboo hut is not exactly secure. It is safer to keep the letter with Young Master Shen.”
Gu Jue finally understood and nodded. Then he stared eagerly at the bundle of oiled paper. “That dried meat looks delicious.”
He actually felt more anticipation for it than for the fried dough twists and oil cakes. But Mother was still at the workshop, so they would have to wait until everyone finished work before eating it together.
Back in the workshop’s study, after Shen Guanting had seen the Gu and Chen families off, he gathered the letters once more and carefully placed them in a locked box.
As Chen Wang had guessed, he had not given Lin Wu’s letter directly to the Gu family for the sake of caution.
But there was another reason as well. The letter had been written to him by Lin Wu. It contained numerous discussions and arrangements between the two of them concerning business, Lin Jing’s studies, and various matters in Huzhou. There was no reason for anyone else to read their private correspondence.
