Chapter 158

At noon, Hu Xiaotian had reserved a table at Hongyan Tower to welcome an old friend who had come from afar; they had just arrived at the entrance and hadn't even gone in yet when they saw Wan Changchun, the steward of the Wan household, hurrying over with four servants. Seeing Hu Xiaotian there, Wan Changchun hurried forward to pay his respects.

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "What a coincidence, Steward Wan—let's have two drinks together."

Wan Changchun held Hu Xiaotian in high regard; he respectfully said, "Sir Hu, I have something to attend to; another day I will come as host to treat you."

Hu Xiaotian saw that the four servants behind him were all strong and sturdy, each with a solemn expression, indicating they had important business; after a moment's thought he guessed it was most likely related to Wan Tingchang, and he asked in a low voice, "Are you going to find Wan Tingchang?"

Wan Changchun's heart jolted; this sir was truly divine—without saying a word, he had guessed it. Hu Xiaotian didn't have clairvoyance, but based on what he knew, a little reasoning made this conclusion easy to reach.

Wan Changchun glanced around, then leaned close to Hu Xiaotian's ear and whispered, "We didn't find him; the young master has already left. I must return to report to the master."

Hu Xiaotian had no interest in Wan Tingchang's whereabouts; the Wan father and son were all no good. If there was anyone in the Wan family worth his concern, it would undoubtedly be the young widow Le Yao.

Wan Changchun was eager to return and report, hastily bidding farewell, but Hu Xiaotian grabbed him, pulled him aside, and asked in a low voice, "How is your lady doing?"

Wan Changchun thought he was referring to the eldest lady Li Xiangzhi, and respectfully said, "Fortunately, Sir Hu intervened in time; the eldest lady has improved greatly."

Hu Xiaotian asked, "And the third lady?" That was the one he truly cared about.

Wan Changchun glanced left and right, then mysteriously said, "Following your suggestion, Sir, we are to send the third lady to Jici Hermitage today."

Hu Xiaotian frowned slightly, "I said, when did I ever suggest that? Sending Le Yao to Jici Hermitage was clearly Madam Wan's idea; how did they pin it on me? These Wan people are truly no good—first-rate at framing others."

After Wan Changchun left, Hu Xiaotian and Wan Tingchang walked into Hongyan Tower together. Liang Da Zhuang had already reserved a seat. The owner of Hongyan Tower, surnamed Song, immediately recognized Hu Xiaotian as the newly appointed county secretary. He hurried over, smiling broadly, and bowed deeply, saying, "I didn't know Sir Hu was coming; please forgive my failure to welcome you properly."

Hu Xiaotian felt a bit flustered at being recognized, his eyes darting around. After all, the previous scene of everyone shouting to beat him had left him with some psychological trauma. Today Hu Tianxiong was coming for the first time, and Hu Xiaotian was hosting; if he let him see everyone ganging up on him, he feared he would lose all face.

Fortunately, the nearby diners didn't notice the commotion here, and few could recognize this County Secretary Sir. After all, Hu Xiaotian had only been here a few days, so his local reputation wasn't high yet. He thought to himself, it seems the posted notice still had some effect; the locals knew he hadn't forced them to donate, so they naturally stopped treating him as an enemy to be shouted down.

Hu Xiaotian smiled and asked, "Shopkeeper Song, do you recognize me?"

Shopkeeper Song laughed, "Sir, you important folks forget things easily. That night at the Government Office, I brought people to deliver food for your welcome feast, but I didn't have a chance to pay my respects."

Hu Xiaotian thought, "We still haven't formally met; no wonder you know me but I don't know you. However, your not coming over to pay respects is almost certainly because Xu Qinglian was present; if he saw you getting chummy with me, he'd surely be displeased." Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "Shopkeeper Song, my old friend has come today—bring out whatever good food and drink you have." He then directly handed over five taels of silver to Shopkeeper Song.

Shopkeeper Song blinked, surprised. He ran a tavern in Qingyun Xian, and frankly he'd grown afraid of these officials who ate and drank for free—from the County Magistrate down to the gatekeeper at the Government Office. Almost everyone had enjoyed free meals and drinks here; just the IOUs in his hand could fill a ledger, and nobody had ever voluntarily produced silver before a meal. Actually, upon seeing Hu Xiaotian, he had already prepared himself not to take money, but when Hu Xiaotian actually produced silver, he was rather taken aback. Shopkeeper Song thought Hu Xiaotian was just bluffing, and he hastily waved his hands, saying, "How dare I accept Sir's silver?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Paying for your meal is only right—take it!" He shoved the silver into Shopkeeper Song's hand and, together with Liang Da Zhuang, headed upstairs.

Liang Da Zhuang had booked an elegant room in advance; Shopkeeper Song hurried after them, respectfully saying, "Sir, please come this way!" Although Liang Da Zhuang had only booked an ordinary room, Shopkeeper Song quickly led them to the best room in Hongyan Tower.

Though the room's décor couldn't compare to that of a luxurious tavern in the capital, it was spacious and faced the window, with various ethnic decorations hanging inside. Shopkeeper Song warmly invited Hu Xiaotian and his companions to sit, then placed the five taels of silver Hu Xiaotian had just given him back where it was.

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "Shopkeeper Song, you really think I'm a freeloader?"

Shopkeeper Song hastily shook his head, "Sir Hu, I certainly don't mean that; it's just that your visit brings glory to my humble shop, which is my honor. I've always wanted to invite Sir Hu over for a seat, and today my wish is fulfilled—I hope Sir Hu will give me this opportunity." This man knows how to conduct himself; his words were smooth and pleasing, making Hu Xiaotian feel quite comfortable.

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "It's best to keep things clear—your treat is your treat, today I'm treating my friend; in any case, take this money, and next time you treat me I'll certainly give you face."

Only then did Shopkeeper Song accept the silver, feeling that this newly appointed county secretary was indeed unlike the officials of Qingyun Xian before. However, it remained unclear whether he was merely putting on an act or truly this incorruptible; time will tell, as the saying goes, "long acquaintance reveals character," and this matter still needs time to be tested.

Having accepted the payment, the meal was naturally prepared with extra care; Shopkeeper Song personally cooked and served Hongyan Tower's signature dishes one by one.

Hu Xiaotian, his servant, and Liang Da Zhuang sat in the room; after three cups, Liang Da Zhuang puzzled, "Young master, since they sincerely offered to treat you, why do you firmly refuse?"

Hu Tianxiong laughed, "Young master, you aim to be an honest official!"

Hu Xiaotian smiled, "My father once told me that to go far in an official career, one must keep one's sights lofty; never let a single leaf block your view of Mount Tai, and those who only care about petty immediate gains have no future."

Hu Tianxiong's eyes lit up; "This young master truly harbors lofty ambitions—quite impressive."

Outside the window was Qingyun Xian East Main Street; from the room one could see the street scene. Hu Xiaotian inadvertently spotted a few familiar faces passing below—chief clerk Guo Shouguang and also a certain Xingshan, the advisor to County Magistrate Xu Qinglian. These people were also heading toward Hongyan Tower. Indeed, Hongyan Tower had practically become the private cafeteria of the officials at the county office; at mealtime, many officials came here to eat, so running into them was nothing unusual. Hu Xiaotian disliked this dog-headed advisor Xingshan intensely; he pointed him out to Hu Tianxiong and whispered, "Remember this person."

Hu Tianxiong asked, "How?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Later, when the chance arises, I'll help you give that bastard a good beating."

Liang Da Zhuang recognized Xingshan and exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't that the advisor to County Magistrate Xu Qinglian?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded, a sinister smile on his face, "Exactly him! This bastard, relying on his connections, dares to spout nonsense right in front of me."

Although Hu Tianxiong didn't know the details, he could tell that this fellow must have offended Hu Xiaotian; venting for the young master was naturally justified, though this method of revenge was rather simple and brutal. Still, since the young master had spoken, he would certainly comply.

Liang Da Zhuang volunteered to investigate the situation, and shortly thereafter he saw Guo Shouguang and Xingshan also leaving; they had merely come to eat, not to drink. After leaving, they waved goodbye to each other. It served Xingshan right to be unlucky—if he had gone straight to the Government Office, Hu Xiaotian would have had no chance to strike today. But he chose to go home.

Dealing with someone like Xingshan hardly requires many people to act; although Liang Da Zhuang was eager to show his mettle, Hu Tianxiong still refused, because the job had to be done without leaving a trace. Given Liang Da Zhuang's abilities, that would be impossible.

In the afternoon, a carriage set out from the Wan mansion, passed through the south gate of Qingyun Xian, and headed toward Lianyun Mountain to the south of the city. Inside were Wan Family's third lady Le Yao, accompanied by the coachman and two servants, while within the carriage also rode Lady Wan's personal maid Zilin.

Le Yao had caught a chill after bathing the night before, and she had been running a high fever since morning. Although her head felt dizzy and heavy, the thought of finally leaving the Wan household's prison lifted her spirits. She couldn't help but recall Hu Xiaotian's bright, sunny smile; her face, already flushed from fever, grew even redder. She wondered silently whether Hu Xiaotian would come looking for her again. The scene of them entwined in bed the previous night remained vivid in her mind; each time she thought of it she felt shy and embarrassed, torn between moral constraints, yet a warm feeling welled up inside her—something she had never experienced before. She suddenly realized that Hu Xiaotian's significance to her had completely changed.

She lifted the carriage curtain and saw lush trees on both sides, indicating they had left Qingyun Xian's city limits. Although she had never stepped outside the Wan mansion since marrying into the family, knowing she was headed for Jici Hermitage—where she might soon face days of the ancient Buddha under a green lamp—her heart felt steadier than before, and she even didn't want to recall the Wan parents' ugly faces.

Zilin stared coldly at Le Yao beside her, showing little kindness; in the eyes of most of the Wan household, it was this third lady who had brought the family a recent string of misfortunes. She said nothing, reached out, and roughly pulled the curtain shut. The light inside the carriage returned to darkness; Le Yao bit her cherry lips, turned her face, and began to cough violently.

At that moment the coachman suddenly pulled the reins; the two fine horses neighed, their hind hooves stamping the ground as their forehooves lifted high, sending mud from the ground flying in all directions. Le Yao and Zilin, thrown forward by inertia, lurched and fell inside the carriage.