Chapter 30: A Chilly Spring Breeze (Please add to favorites and follow for updates)

Next.

Wei Hong engaged in more small talk, inquiring about Wei Tu's living arrangements, his daily needs, and how he was getting along with the Li family.

Regarding these matters, Wei Tu had little to hide, though he paused for a moment to deliberate before answering.

For instance, he chose to withhold the fact that Li Yaozu had once coveted Xinghua.

"Your second aunt still has some private savings. I can lend them to you temporarily to use as Xinghua's redemption money, or I could go there myself..."

"It wouldn't be right to let Xinghua remain a maid in the Li residence forever."

"As for your living quarters, there are many guest rooms in the Huang residence. I will take the liberty of picking one out for you and your wife."

As she spoke, Wei Hong raised an eyebrow and toyed with her handkerchief, a sudden air of sharpness and fierceness appearing on her face. She snorted and said briskly

"Li Yaozu is a sharp man. You wouldn't have needed that much silver to redeem her back then. How could he have the nerve to ask for eleven taels and five mace?"

"Even at eight taels and eight mace, he would still be making a profit in this transaction, and he likely wants to use this opportunity to make you owe him a favor."

As a merchant's wife, Wei Hong had been exposed to such dealings during her years at the Huang residence and was extremely sensitive to the market price of servants. She saw through the "cunning" of Li Yaozu and his wife at a single glance.

"Master Li and the eldest daughter-in-law of the Li family agreed to my redemption without making things difficult. They even recommended me to Master Shan afterward..."

"There is no need to dwell on such a small profit."

Wei Tu shook his head, unwilling to let Wei Hong probe further into the matter.

Three years ago, he had estimated his redemption price to be around ten taels—perhaps slightly more, perhaps slightly less.

He could not gauge the exact amount, as it depended entirely on the Li family's conscience.

Unlike buying goods from a shop, he had no right to bargain when it came to determining his redemption price; he could only let Li Yaozu and his wife set the price.

"Fine, Brother Wei, let's not speak of this. Regarding Xinghua's redemption, what do you think..." Wei Hong asked with a smile.

"There is no need to trouble you with this, Second Aunt."

Wei Tu shook his head and said, "If your nephew intended to borrow money to redeem Xinghua's contract, I would have made the request to Master Shan while I was at the Shan residence."

A Qingcong horse was worth a hundred taels, yet Martial Candidate Shan Wu was willing to lend it to him. The money to redeem Xinghua would likely not even reach ten taels... Wei Tu believed that as long as he spoke up, Shan Wu would certainly lend it to him.

Not only would Shan Wu lend it, but even Shan Fang—who was practically his "enemy"—would be more than willing to lend him the money if he learned of the matter.

Redeeming his wife...

That would be a massive favor!

"It was my recklessness." Hearing this, Wei Hong's smile stiffened, and her fierce demeanor vanished completely.

—She could hear the sense of estrangement in Wei Tu's words.

That he would rather borrow from Shan Wu than her made it clear: as his second aunt, she held far less weight in his heart than Shan Wu.

"I spent my days hunting wild geese, only to be blinded by one," Wei Hong sighed inwardly.

When the martial examinations ended today, she had thought that Wei Tu's lack of rejection when acknowledging their kinship meant he wanted to cling to the Huang family's wealth...

However, once she learned that Wei Tu's master was Shan Wu, that thought vanished instantly from her mind.

The resources of a Martial Candidate, even if not as vast as the Huang family's, were not far behind.

The connections one gained on the official path were something the Huang family could not compare to.

As a disciple of a Martial Candidate, Wei Tu had no need, nor any reason, to shamelessly come and curry favor with the Huang family.

The fact that Wei Tu was willing to acknowledge her was likely because she hadn't completely burned her bridges with him years ago.

"Brother Wei, the kitchen has prepared the dishes. Come and join your second aunt; this is a celebratory banquet prepared specifically for you." Wei Hong masked her embarrassment well, ending the topic by citing the imminent start of the banquet.

—No matter how distant her nephew might be, as long as they were kin and he attained status, her own position in the Huang family would rise along with his.

...

After the banquet.

Wei Tu did not linger at the Huang residence. Using the excuse that he needed to prepare for his exams, he bid farewell to Master Huang.

Hearing this, Master Huang found no suitable reason to detain him, so he instructed the steward to arrange a carriage to send Wei Tu back to the Li residence.

Wei Tu thought about it for a moment and did not refuse.

—Li Yaozu was stingy and believed that letting him stay overnight was a massive favor. Being sent by a Huang family carriage would also serve to dispel any delusions in Li Yaozu's mind.

For a wealthy family to host a poor person is an act of charity.

But hosting someone of equal status is merely social etiquette, not charity.

"Please stay, Martial Artist Wei."

Outside the gates of the Huang residence, just as Wei Tu was settling into the carriage to depart, a coarse voice suddenly rang out from behind the curtain.

The voice, upon hearing it, was clearly that of a fellow martial artist, full of vigor.

"Martial Artist Ruan?" Wei Tu lifted the carriage curtain and glanced out, quickly recognizing the speaker.

Although he had only met Martial Artist Ruan once, the health-cultivation technique Ruan had given him was too important; thus, even after three years, he still remembered Ruan's appearance.

"Back then, I, Ruan, showed much contempt toward the aspiring Martial Artist Wei..."

"I have often blamed myself since then."

"It was I... who failed to recognize a great talent. I hope Martial Artist Wei will not hold a grudge against a small man like myself..."

Ruan's face flushed red. After a moment of awkwardness, he cupped his hands and bowed deeply to Wei Tu, apologizing loudly.

Martial artists were often hot-headed and prone to conflict.

Given how he had humiliated Wei Tu three years ago, he could hardly imagine... if Wei Tu had encountered him during the third round of the "trials," how heavy a blow Wei Tu would have dealt him.

By then, not only would his reputation be ruined, but he might also have been severely injured by Wei Tu, potentially left paralyzed for life.

At the thought of this, Ruan was filled with dread.

Therefore, for the sake of his reputation and his life, he intercepted the carriage and swallowed his pride to apologize to Wei Tu.

On the other side.

Seeing Ruan perform such a grand gesture, Wei Tu was momentarily stunned. After recovering his composure, he said, "I do not care about that matter. Please rise, Martial Artist Ruan, there is no need for such ceremony..."

Back then, he hadn't taken Ruan's insults to heart because they were merely strangers to one another.

What he truly held in his heart were the words of his cousin, Huang Yuanshan, who had looked down upon him.

The feeling of being despised by one's own kin was not pleasant.

However, forgiveness was forgiveness.

Wei Tu was not so magnanimous as to step out of the carriage to personally help Ruan up from his bow or offer words of comfort.

He was no saint or paragon of virtue, nor did he harbor ambitions of worldly conquest; there was no need to act with excessive humility toward others.

Having finished speaking, Wei Tu lowered the curtain and signaled the driver to continue on without delay.

"The things I cared about back then..."

"Even today... I no longer hold such much resentment..."

After the carriage had traveled some distance, Wei Tu lifted the curtain again.

The night air was as cool as water.

The chill was growing stronger.

Wei Tu spread his right hand, feeling the biting spring breeze rushing past the carriage, and then pressed his hand against his cheek.

His cheek felt slightly cool.

He no longer felt that sensation of being burned or scalded that he had felt three years ago.