Chapter Twelve: Plum Blossoms

After some inquiry, he learned that the man who had spent a large sum on braised pork intended it as a treat for his wife at home; he had a younger brother named Wu Song, who had slain a tiger demon two days ago and was now hailed as the tiger-slaying hero of Yanggu County, serving as the chief constable at the yamen. In Yanggu County, apart from the magistrate, the assistant magistrate, and the judicial officer, the "three divisions and six offices" held sway. Of these, the constables were the most prominent, and the chief constable was the head of the divisions—no small position, suggesting considerable ability.

Moreover, Wu Dalang's wife's name was Pan Yinlian.

Su Yang sought out the manager of the Jiangnan Restaurant and asked if there was anyone in Yanggu County named Ximen Qing. The manager said there was not, but there was someone called Dongmen Qing. Well, wasn't that a perfect match? Pan Yinlian must be a woman of soft, alluring beauty, seductive to her bones; he wondered if he would have a chance to see her for himself.

Today's earnings amounted to three hundred taels of silver!

On the third official day of sales, earnings reached five hundred taels!

In three days, the total income was a thousand taels; today was the fifth day, the final deadline for his task.

Though night had fallen, the entrance to the Jiangnan Restaurant was still bustling. All the wealthy households of Yanggu County had arrived, carrying their fortunes, eager to bid for the secret recipe.

In the end, the Zhou family purchased the braised pork recipe for two thousand taels; had it not been for the Zhou family's intervention, the price would have climbed higher. All the major families of Yanggu County knew the Zhou family was backed by the magistrate himself, so none dared bid further.

There were three major families in Yanggu County: the magistrate’s Zhou family, the Feng family, and the Wei family!

Five days had passed!

A total of three thousand taels of silver were earned—far exceeding expectations. He was certain this mission would be accomplished to perfection.

These past few days, Su Yang had been in high spirits at the Jiangnan Restaurant. The entire Wang family’s attitude toward him began to change. Wang Xiahe now called him “brother-in-law” with every sentence, and Liu Wenxiang was far more pleasant to him. Only the eldest daughter, Wang Chunxiao, grew colder toward him by the day, as if she could not bear to see him do well.

Even the Wang family’s maids and servants had become more respectful, always greeting him with a bow and a smile, and Taohua’s status by his side had risen as well. In just four or five days, he had brought in three thousand taels of silver for the Wang family. Altogether, the servants and maids numbered little more than twenty, with their annual wages barely reaching a hundred taels; counting daily expenses, these servants could expect perhaps a hundred and fifty taels a year.

With three thousand taels, the family would not need to dismiss any extra servants for the foreseeable future; they could all stay employed.

However, that scoundrel Zhang Hu still looked at him with undisguised resentment, making Su Yang’s desire to kill him even stronger.

“Little Taohua?”

With a mischievous grin, Su Yang approached Taohua, his lips curled in a wicked smile.

“Sir, let Little Taohua rest for a day, please.” Taohua lay on the bed in the outer room, looking pitiful as she begged for mercy. Su Yang knew he had been a bit excessive these past two days, so after comforting her, he wandered through the courtyard, waiting for the midnight refresh of his panel.

The reward cap for this task was fifty incense points; he wondered how many he would ultimately receive.

In Wang Chunxiao’s room:

She had shed her disguise and wore a gauzy white robe, reclining gracefully upon her bed. Her legs were long and slender, her face stunningly beautiful—a true national beauty. Any outsider who saw her would surely be captivated by her charms.

Xichun sat beside the bed, massaging her mistress.

“Miss, I think the young master isn’t so bad after all,” Xichun ventured softly.

“Hmph.” Wang Chunxiao snorted, recalling all that Su Yang had done these past days—steady and competent in every matter. Her impression of him was slowly changing. Still, for the sake of her pride, she refused to show him any kindness; how could she bring herself to yield?

“Miss, if you always treat the young master so coldly, he’s still a man, and men’s hearts can turn. He still has Taohua in his room…” Xichun continued, “Though Taohua isn’t as beautiful as you, she’s still a lovely girl.”

Seeing her mistress less indignant than before, Xichun pressed on.

“If he dares,” Wang Chunxiao retorted stubbornly, though a strange tension rose within her.

For a long while, the room fell silent.

“Tomorrow, let’s go see his room,” she finally said. “Not that I want to see him—I’m just going to supervise his conduct as a son-in-law.”

Still trying to save face, Wang Chunxiao’s tone remained hard, but Xichun was delighted. As her mistress’s lifelong companion, Xichun earnestly hoped for her happiness. When the young master had first married into the family, even as a maid she hadn’t wanted her mistress to fall into ruin. After all, her mistress was not truly ugly, but a peerless beauty—how could she be wasted on someone unworthy?

Yet, having witnessed the young master’s conduct these days, Xichun felt he was far from spineless; he was calm and insightful. If the mistress and young master truly grew close, she could only imagine how shocked and astonished he would be when faced with her unrivaled beauty. As her mistress’s personal maid, if the mistress were indisposed or with child, the duty of serving the young master would fall to her.

The image of Su Yang’s handsome, composed face brought a blush to Xichun’s cheeks.

Why was she thinking such things?

If her mistress did visit the young master’s room tomorrow, she resolved to do all she could to bring them together.

…

The Wang family estate was quite fine, purchased at great expense, and boasted a small garden of two or three hundred square meters, with a pond, rockeries, bamboo groves, flowering trees, and fruit trees.

The system panel would not refresh until midnight; the money he had earned would be rewarded with incense points. Taohua, exhausted, could not bear more, and Su Yang did not wish to trouble her further, so he went out for a walk to cool off.

The night wind was fresh and cool.

In the garden, the trees rustled, insects sang ceaselessly, and from the breeze came the faint sound of weeping.

Who could be crying in the garden so late at night?

He followed the sound and found, behind an artificial rock, a maid in plain clothing, sitting on the ground with knees drawn to her chest, quietly sobbing.

Bathed in silvery moonlight, her figure was tall and slender, her fingers delicate, black hair framing her cheeks with a casual allure. Her eyes, bright and limpid, brimmed with sorrow and pity—a look that would make any man want to gather her up and lavish her with affection.

Meihua!

A sturdy maid of the Wang household, her most striking feature was her eyes—so pitiful and gentle, impossible to harbor any thought of harm toward her. Perhaps it was these eyes, and her enviable figure, that caused the head maid to resent her, saddling her with all the washing and menial chores.

Barely twenty, an age that should have been full of youthful freshness, yet her slender hands were rough—clear evidence of a hard life.

“Who’s there?” Su Yang’s approach startled Meihua from her hidden tears. She leapt up, wary of the shadow before her, her face pale with fear.

At this hour, it would be dangerous if she ran into a reckless servant or even a thief.

“It’s me, Su Yang!” he announced.

She had seen him a few times before, and as the master of the house, the maids remembered his pleasant, youthful voice.

“Oh, it’s you, sir!”

Hearing it was him, Meihua let out a quiet sigh of relief. Still, the embarrassment of being caught in tears made her lower her head. “I…I’ll be going now.”

“Wait a moment,” Su Yang called her back. “Why are you crying alone at night? Did someone mistreat you? If so, I’ll bring it to Mother-in-law’s attention tomorrow; we must set the servants’ conduct to rights.”

“No one has mistreated me, sir. It’s just family matters weighing on my heart.” Meihua’s eyes were red with tears, making her all the more pitiable.

“You are a maid of the Wang family, and thus one of us. If you have troubles, tell me. I’ll find a way to help—as a scholar, I can always think of something. Besides, you’re close to Taohua; for her sake, I must do what I can.”

Su Yang spoke righteously, his determination clear.

“Taohua is lucky to have a master such as you,” Meihua sighed, feeling a growing envy for Taohua. The young master’s recent display of ability rivaled that of the old master, leaving the whole household astonished. Such a man could stand tall and offer a woman security; he was young, handsome, and a scholar—his prospects limitless.

To serve at his side was a blessing; to be taken in as a concubine would be the fortune of a lifetime.

“What are you thinking about?” Su Yang asked, seeing her dazed expression.

“Ah, nothing…nothing at all.” Startled, Meihua said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”

She had no wish to burden him with her family’s troubles. As she wiped her tears and turned to leave, a thin letter slipped from her sleeve without her noticing.

Su Yang intended to hand it back, but his eyes caught sight of the words on the page. His brows furrowed and a cold anger rose in his chest. He watched Meihua’s retreating figure and shook his head.

Meihua had been sold to the Wang family at around ten years old, to save for her elder brother’s marriage. Apart from her brother, she had a younger sister, barely twelve or thirteen this year.

Last year, Meihua’s sister-in-law passed away. Her brother wished to remarry, but the family had no money, so he set his sights on his youngest sister. If she were sold to a wealthy household, the money would not be much, but a brothel would pay handsomely. Thus, her brother, with their mother, planned to sell their youngest to a brothel for the bridal funds and to continue the family line. Their mother, helpless, had written Meihua a letter.

If Meihua could not find a solution, her little sister would be taken away and sold.

“To have married for years without a child—who is to blame, the woman or the man?” Su Yang snorted, tucking the letter into his sleeve. He had lost interest in wandering and returned to his room to ask Taohua about Meihua’s family and their address.

After coaxing Taohua to sleep, it was already past midnight.

Name: Su Yang (Prospective Immortal)
Incense Points: 50
Realm: Ninth Grade, Blood-Burning Stage
Skills: [Incense Path] [Qi-Watching Technique]
Lifespan: 112+
Family Progress: The family’s progress is going smoothly. To establish a clan in this world, one must be ruthless, blooded, and must personally kill a man—reward: 30 incense points!
Daily prompt: Slitting a throat is the fastest way!

The previous family progress was clearly evaluated at the highest level—earning the full fifty incense points. After all, three thousand taels of silver was no small feat. Fifty incense points were not enough to raise his realm, but could increase his lifespan.

His lifespan was ample for now, so there was no need to add more. Although he was at the Ninth Grade, Blood-Burning Stage, Su Yang felt he still lacked the strength to protect himself in Yanggu County. If Zhang Hu truly sought his life, the outcome was uncertain.

Even the main Wang household employed four experts at the Ninth Grade, Blood-Burning Stage. Perhaps if he kept a low profile, his current strength would suffice, but to establish a clan, raise heirs, and support many servants, vast resources would be needed—and resources would bring conflict. Personal strength was paramount.

Better to save the fifty incense points to increase his power; his lifespan would suffice for now.

Additionally, a new family progress task had appeared on the panel.

Kill.

The first person who came to Su Yang’s mind was Zhang Hu, the Wang family’s martial instructor—the man coveting his supposedly ugly, lame wife. He suspected the man was twisted; otherwise, how could he be interested in Wang Chunxiao’s appearance?

And the look Zhang Hu gave him daily—full of hatred and malice, as if wishing to kill him—left Su Yang wary. One day he might sneak up and strike with a blade in the dark.

He’d thought of having him dismissed, but his word held little sway in the Wang family. If the attempt failed, it might provoke Zhang Hu to act against him. Assassins were hard to guard against.

Therefore, Zhang Hu had to go.

The next morning, Su Yang brought Taohua to Liu Wenxiang’s room for breakfast. His mother-in-law complained of soreness from poor sleep the night before, so he offered to massage her shoulders.

“My dear son-in-law…where did you learn this?” In the room, Liu Wenxiang’s face was full of pleasure; his massage skills were truly masterful.

Her personal maid, Xiliu, stood outside the door. Hearing the sounds from within, she flushed with embarrassment and anxiety, wanting to barge in and stop the impropriety, but not daring to witness it herself. All she could do was stand guard at the door.

In this world, men and women were not to touch each other so intimately. What son-in-law massages his mother-in-law’s shoulders?

If he massages her today, then tomorrow…!

“My dear son-in-law, if I am ever uncomfortable again, may I come to your room?” Liu Wenxiang asked, her body relaxed.

“To serve Mother-in-law is my honor. Rain or shine, I am always at your disposal.”

“Then off you go for now.”

“Yes, Mother-in-law.” He bowed and departed.

Xiliu, hearing the voices, swallowed nervously and wiped sweat from her brow.

Outrageous! Simply outrageous!

If the young mistress found out, what would become of them?

Su Yang noticed Xiliu’s odd look and was about to ask, but saw her scurry into the room as if fleeing, leaving him bewildered.

What was wrong? He was only helping his mother-in-law with a shoulder massage…

…