Chapter 288
Zhou Shuyao had not expected to encounter scions of noble families in such a desolate place as Xiangwu County. Hearing Yang Xu's introduction, that Young Master Qiu hailed from the Qiu family of Qianzhong Circuit, made Zhou Shuyao, who had nearly fallen and was then steadied by Qiu Jinyu, blush with embarrassment.
The Zhang and Zhou families, while considered scholarly official households, now had their highest-ranking official at the fourth rank, a prefect. In earlier years, some clansmen had served in the Provincial Administration Commission, but their highest position was only that of Vice Commissioner, a third-rank official, and none had ever served in the capital.
The Qiu family, however, was different. Not to mention the life-saving grace Old Mr. Qiu, the Hermit Fisherman, had bestowed upon His Majesty, the current Provincial Administration Commissioner of Qianzhong Circuit was the head of the Qiu family. Qiu Jinyu addressed him as his uncle, a provincial governor, a second-rank official.
Furthermore, with Qiu Zongxi's connections, those in official circles knew that Lord Qiu would be transferred to the capital in a couple of years, possibly entering the Grand Secretariat. Although Qiu Jinyu was not from the direct lineage, he bore the Qiu surname, and what was more, he was a rare triple-crown winner, with the prospect of becoming a marquis and a minister.
"Miss Zhou, it's rather crowded here. May I suggest we move a few steps this way?" Qiu Jinyu's voice was clear and pleasant, exuding the refined elegance and nobility of a scion of a prominent family.
"Thank you, Young Master Qiu." Zhou Shuyao nodded slightly and gracefully shifted a few steps to the left. As soon as she stopped, she realized something was amiss; the biting cold wind seemed to have vanished.
Looking up, she saw that Qiu Jinyu had positioned himself to block the wind.
They were the same age, but Qiu Jinyu was a man and a martial artist, tall and slender, a head taller than Zhou Shuyao. As he stood in the path of the wind, Zhou Shuyao beside him was completely shielded.
Zhou Shuyao, who had already been blushing, felt her cheeks flush with a rosy hue once more at Qiu Jinyu's unexpected thoughtfulness.
Yang Xu remained oblivious to the subtle shift. While he treated the Zhang family as strangers, he couldn't bring himself to rudely dismiss Zhou Shuyao, a young lady.
Half an hour later, all the coarse grains at the rice shop were sold out. Yang Xu, who had been busy all morning, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Xiao Xu, it's almost afternoon. Why don't we have lunch at the nearest eatery?" Qiu Jinyu spoke gently. Although he was older, his tone was one of consultation, clearly treating Yang Xu as an equal.
Yang Xu was also feeling hungry. He glanced at Zhou Shuyao, who had been standing there for a quarter of an hour. He couldn't bring himself to ask her to leave. "Xiao Yu mentioned that the food at Babao Tower is quite good. How about we go there?"
After the three of them left in the carriage, they failed to notice that Zhan Feiyu and Qiu Zongxi had been observing from the second floor of the tea house opposite.
"This is a case of being sold and still counting the money for the buyer," Qiu Zongxi scoffed, having lost all hope for Yang Xu's dull wit. While one should not harbor malicious intent, one should also be wary of potential harm, and this brat had clearly not learned a thing.
Zhan Feiyu leisurely sipped his mutton soup. Despite being a tea house, with He Nuan present, a hearty meal of four dishes, one soup, and two pastries was readily prepared. "One learns from mistakes. Besides, if Qiu Jinyu were indeed problematic, with his skill level, it would be abnormal for Yang Xu to detect it."
Especially since Qiu Jinyu had, in a way, saved Yang Xu's life. Moreover, Qiu Jinyu had always presented himself as refined and courteous. If he didn't slip up, there was no way Yang Xu would suspect him without reason.
"Teacher, ultimately, we are assuming the worst of people," Zhan Feiyu teased. The investigation results were not yet out, but they had already concluded that Qiu Jinyu had ulterior motives in approaching Yang Xu.
"My eyes are not blind. Just by the fact that he is Qiu Shao's son, none of the third branch are good people!" Qiu Zongxi snorted disdainfully, his words revealing his exclusion and dislike for the third branch of the Qiu family.
However, even with his fiery temper, Qiu Zongxi would not openly confront Yang Xu. Given his young age, experiencing some setbacks might be beneficial, preventing him from being overly trusting and completely devoid of caution.
Perhaps due to Qiu Zongxi's laissez-faire attitude, Yang Xu had grown increasingly close to Qiu Jinyu in recent times, to the point where they were almost like sworn brothers.
In private, Zhou Shuyao had also visited the Qiu residence. The three of them got along exceptionally well. However, Zhan Feiyu had a heavy workload, entering the study before dawn and not returning to her room until late at night, making it difficult for Yang Xu to disturb her studies.
"Snowy plum blossom viewing?" Zhan Feiyu put down her brush, glancing at the snowflakes drifting outside. She seriously suspected that Yang Xu was the true scholar, while she herself was a martial brute who understood neither elegance nor romance.
Knowing Zhan Feiyu's aversion to the cold, Yang Xu quickly explained, "It's a valley with hot springs, so it's not cold at all..."
Yang Xu had learned about this place from Zhou Shuyao's introduction. The valley had a peculiar terrain, surrounded by mountains on all sides, yet it was completely sheltered from the cold wind, likely due to the underground hot springs. Even though the surrounding mountains were covered in white snow, the temperature in the valley was quite comfortable.
Legend had it that a great scholar had discovered this valley while traveling through Xiangwu County twenty to thirty years ago. He then had people plant plum trees on the mountains surrounding the valley. After more than twenty years, these plum trees had become a plum forest.
Every winter, the mountains were covered in pristine white snow, while at the foot of the mountains, plum blossoms bloomed vibrantly. The valley itself had green grass and hot springs. Gathering three to five friends in the valley, setting up a bonfire, admiring the plum blossoms and the snow, and enjoying a few drinks – what could be more delightful?
"Surrounded by mountains on all sides?" Zhan Feiyu's eyes sparkled. Her first thought was not about the valley's peculiarity, but rather that such terrain was ideal for an ambush; it was a perfect "turtle in a jar" formation. "Alright, I'll go ask the teacher."
Yang Xu clearly noticed his grandfather Qiu's increasingly irritable temper these past few days, so he dared not seek out further scolding. He could only nod at Zhan Feiyu, "Then I'll wait for you. We'll depart tomorrow at the hour of Shen, and should be back by the hour of You."
Watching Yang Xu flee after leaving his words, Zhan Feiyu did not rush to find Qiu Zongxi. She glanced at the water clock, noting that her break time had passed. She added water to the inkstone and ground the ink, continuing with her unfinished homework.
...
Although studying was arduous, time passed remarkably quickly. By the time Zhan Feiyu dried the ink and put away her newly written essay, He Nuan had been waiting for a long time. It was already past mealtime.
He Nuan poured warm water from the copper kettle into a basin and handed her the fragrant soap. "Old Mr. Qiu has been waiting in the side hall for quite some time."
Amidst the splashing sound of water, Zhan Feiyu washed away the accidental ink smudges on her hands. Hearing He Nuan's words, she couldn't help but smile, "You haven't eaten either?"
"Yes, it's likely about the outing Young Master Xu mentioned for tomorrow." He Nuan handed her a cloth towel. After Zhan Feiyu dried her hands, he immediately opened the pearl cream for hand care.
"A'Nuan, if I achieve success in the imperial examinations in the future, you will have half the credit for it." Zhan Feiyu sighed with emotion once more.