Time passed into the fifth month of the lunar calendar, and the dog days of summer had arrived. In the sweltering heat of June, the sun blazed fiercely. The incessant drone of cicadas filled the air as the high sun seemed to be baking the streets with waves of heat. Under the eaves and tree shadows, dogs lay panting, their gaze fixed on the alleyways, seeking a bit of coolness. Occasional carriages stirred up dust, which soon settled back into the heat.

In such weather, those who could avoid it would certainly not venture out into the scorching sun. Business was slow for the shops and merchants. Only the well-located teahouses and taverns were full. Inside, one could order a pot of cold tea, enjoy the shade of the ancient wooden building and the trees outside, listen to a storyteller, and savor snacks, thus passing the day in relative comfort. Of course, wealthy families would likely leave Hangzhou for their cool villas in the nearby mountains to escape the summer heat.

Although Hangzhou lacked the fame of the Qinhuai River in Jiangning, it was nevertheless a well-known pleasure district along the Grand Canal, alongside Yangzhou and Suzhou, boasting numerous brothels. At night, the city was ablaze with lights, and the embroidered chambers echoed with music and dance, creating an atmosphere of intoxicating revelry even more intense than the summer heat. Of course, such scenes were not visible during the day. The women who had been busy all night were either resting or, in the late afternoon, sitting in the cool courtyards, watching the fluttering butterflies, lost in their own melancholy...

Only a few places were slightly different.

Located on the northwest side of the city, "Yihe Garden" was a waterside establishment that opened even during the day. Yihe Garden was not large, but its location was excellent. Even in the sweltering summer heat, a cool breeze would blow through. Ancient camphor trees and cypresses stood both inside and outside the courtyard, providing plenty of shade. During ordinary times, it looked like a teahouse, but in reality, it was the residence of several women who had redeemed themselves from their former lives in brothels.

The leading figure among these women was named Ding Wanjun. She had once been a famous courtesan in Hangzhou. Later, she redeemed herself and retired here. Many of her former patrons still missed her and came to visit. She was selective about her guests, seeing at most one person a day, enjoying tea and conversation.

Later, several other women followed suit and joined her. The place gradually became the tranquil haven it was today. During the heat of summer and the cold of winter, business was particularly good. In the summer, the cool teahouses and the sound of cicadas mingled with the strains of silk and bamboo instruments, said to be especially calming to the mind.

Long Boyuan enjoyed coming here to sit, though a seat was not always available. He liked the feeling. He didn't get angry if he was turned away, because he saw his relationship with Ding Wanjun as a gentleman's friendship. He understood that she had to deal with other people, and she had no choice.

Among Ding Wanjun's... friends, his status was neither the highest nor the lowest. He was the head of the Hangzhou Cloth Merchants Guild. The Long family had been merchants for generations, but this generation produced some scholars. Both he and his younger brother, Long Bofen, showed some talent in poetry and literature. However, their parents said that one of them had to take over the family business, so he took it.

Now, both he and his brother were over thirty. Long Bofen held the title of a "Juren" (a successful candidate in the imperial examination) and had a sinecure position in the Hangzhou government. Although he had no great prospects, he devoted himself to poetry and landscape, spending his days in poetry gatherings. He had become a wealthy idler in the Hangzhou literary scene and knew many people, thus becoming a major support for the Long family. He, on the other hand, had made the family business thrive. Because he had also dabbled in writing and calligraphy in his youth, he had a completely different temperament from the usual money-grubbing merchants. People called him a Confucian merchant. Perhaps that was why he was able to meet Ding Wanjun and become her friend.

Yihe Garden was in an excellent location. If Ding Wanjun and the others had no backing, it would probably have been taken over by someone coveting it long ago. He was probably one of their backers. Several times, people had tried to force Ding Wanjun to sell the place, and he had stepped in to help. He had heard that people with even higher status than him had also intervened.

Ding Wanjun was a skilled and resourceful woman with many connections. He didn't mind. At the age of forty, he had been around and had his fill of all kinds of women. Now, he appreciated her noble character. He enjoyed sitting with her occasionally for a cup of tea and a few words, or even just sitting in silence. There was no **** involved. She spoke to him without reservation. He liked it that way. If they were really involved, he would get tired of it.

It wasn't that he thought a brothel woman shouldn't be noble or shouldn't interact with men. Life was often involuntary. It was enough to maintain a kind heart while struggling along the way. He had studied the classics in his youth and later engaged in business. He had also done many things against his will. Therefore, he felt that she had something in common with him. They both had a feeling of unwillingness but had to do it, so he felt sympathy.

Usually, he wouldn't bring business matters to this place. He would come alone, sit for half a day, and then go back. But today was a little different. In addition to him and Ding Wanjun, who was playing the zither, there was another man sitting opposite him. This man was also a large cloth merchant from the Suzhou-Hangzhou area named Fang Min. He was a good friend of Bai Qianqian, the Bai maiden, in this Yihe Garden. He had happened to meet him today, and the other party was eager to get closer to him, so he also socialized with him for a while, naturally not showing any impatience on the surface.

"...Speaking of which, the war in the north doesn't have much impact on you and me. But the Fang La rebellion in the southwest is really fierce. Recently, another batch of my Fang family's cloth was robbed. This business is getting harder and harder..."

"Although Fang La is causing trouble, I don't think it will last long. I heard that the imperial court has sent Lord Tong Guan to lead troops south. This time, Fang La will definitely be completely wiped out."

"I just think that if the Jin and Liao dynasties in the north fight, my Wu dynasty will definitely have to send troops north as well. But now, let General Tong go south. Who else can go north to attack Liao? It can't be a two-front war."

"Heh, how can you and I know about these things? The affairs of the imperial court are the concern of those in the court. It's enough for us to do our own business..."

He didn't have much of a relationship with Fang Min. He was just saying some idle words that everyone was talking about now. After talking like this for a while, Fang Min talked about some other things.

"...Speaking of which, Suzhou embroidery and Hangzhou embroidery were originally from the same family. Although the Jiangning cloth industry is also developed, it usually does more business to the north. This time, that woman from the Su family came south to do business. She has visited you, right?"

"Yes, I saw her in May. What does Master Fang think?" In big cities, all businesses have their own guilds. If you want to do cloth business in Hangzhou, you must report to the head of the guild, so the first person the visitor would visit was Long Boyuan.

"Heh, I'm just saying. I don't feel anything. That woman seems to be quite honest. Recently, she has been low-key and very polite. I only knew that there was a newcomer when I visited her a while ago. The Su family is also a big cloth merchant in the Jiangning area. Boyuan should know the details of her family, right?"

"I only know a little bit. The Wu family is the leader of the Jiangning cloth industry, and the Su family is second. We don't have close ties with them. I don't know much about this Su Tan'er. I just heard that her elders were once powerful figures, but now they are probably old."

"The Su family originally had a shop here, but it only shipped out some small businesses, which couldn't be put on the table. However, this time she came here. Looking at her behavior, I think she wants to make a difference. She opened a new shop in Yangbatou. Business is temporarily nothing, but I heard that she moved several trees there, which took a lot of effort, and also prepared plum juice for free for passers-by to quench their thirst, without mentioning selling cloth at all. Although it's just a small matter, I think she has great plans."

"Hehe, since she came to Hangzhou to do business and visited you and me, she naturally wants to make a difference. It would be abnormal if she didn't take action. But I think Master Fang seems to be quite interested in this Miss Su..."

Fang Min was nearly fifty years old, so the other party called him Master Fang. At this time, he laughed loudly: "Haha, I just suddenly thought of it and said it casually. Jiangning cloth art is different from my Suzhou and Hangzhou. It's not a matter of one or two days for her to open up the situation. It's just that a woman came over, which makes people feel interesting. Oh, I heard that she has some relationship with the Lou family..."

Long Boyuan nodded: "I know about this. I heard that when the Su family and others went south, they happened to meet Miss Lou and traveled together for several days. The situation of these two people... is also somewhat similar, so they must be very compatible. Since Master Fang has seen Miss Su, he should have also seen the Su family's son-in-law, right? I heard that he is also a scholar, somewhat similar to the Lou family's son-in-law."

"Well, he's very low-key. When I asked him how his poetry and literature were, he just declined a few times, and then it was hard to talk to him, making people almost skip him. I've seen the Lou family's son-in-law a few times. There are only a few differences. I think he still wants to attract attention, but he doesn't have enough talent, and others always dismiss him..."

Long Boyuan raised his eyebrows: "What's the point of talking about a man who abandons his family and becomes a live-in son-in-law..."

He didn't think much of it and didn't bother to mention it. Fang Min didn't say anything. After chatting for a while, Fang Min said goodbye and left. Long Boyuan sat by the window and drank tea. The beautiful woman named Ding Wanjun played a song and then came over to sit down and pour tea again.

"Aren't you afraid that people will hear and spread the word if you talk about business matters here?"

Long Boyuan laughed: "Heh, it's just a trivial matter. Wanjun, don't you take it as a secret?"

"I just think it's quite interesting." Ding Wanjun smiled, "Who is that Miss Su?"

"Another Miss Lou."

"Oh."

Ding Wanjun nodded to show understanding. Lou Shuwan's name was known to many people in Hangzhou, because the three siblings of the Lou family were very capable in the business world. In addition to the Lou family's original huge influence, it was not to be underestimated in any aspect. As for their private behavior, it was useless for ordinary people to point fingers.

The Lou family had people in the business and official circles. Ordinary people played with women, but Lou Shuwan played with men, and she played it openly and uprightly. She was very picky about men. Many people knew that she was with men outside, but they often couldn't determine who she was with. If you thought you were romantic and handsome and wanted to be frivolous in front of her, she would give you a slap in the face. She was chaste and self-restrained. It is said that two scholars wanted to seduce Lou Shuwan, but it didn't work. The other party was annoyed and ruined the two men's reputations.

That woman's behavior was improper, which many people vaguely knew, but she only associated with one man at a time, and at least in Hangzhou, she tried to keep it a secret as much as possible. Because her husband was a live-in son-in-law and she was strong, those scholars were more willing to imagine her as a lonely and noble woman after marriage, which was a bit pitiful. But she didn't like people to pity her, but instead seemed to have a bit of arrogance, thus setting off a kind of beauty... Some scholars were more willing to understand it this way.

"However, this Miss Su takes her husband with her every time she visits... That husband is also a live-in son-in-law, right?" Ding Wanjun said with a soft smile.

"Didn't Lou Shuwan also appear with her husband when she first got married? Lou Shuwan may not have been unwilling to be a wife and mother at first. If a man is incompetent, it's hard for her not to get tired of him if others say too much... What's the name of this Miss Su's husband... Oh, Ning Liheng. When I greeted him, he seemed okay, but then he didn't say a few words. Maybe even the few words he said when he greeted him were practiced. Hehe, I'm afraid it will be difficult to escape this model in the future... Although that Miss Su seems gentle, she doesn't have a petty temper. Her demeanor is generous, her words and deeds are appropriate, and she is subtle. She is a talented person. Ordinary men can't suppress such a woman, let alone a live-in son-in-law..."

Long Boyuan said casually, expressing his opinion. Ding Wanjun was pouring tea, but she was slightly stunned: "Ning Liheng?"

"Huh?"

"You just said... the name of the live-in son-in-law is Ning Liheng?"

"Yes, what's wrong?" Long Boyuan looked at her and smiled, "Could it be that Wanjun knows this person?"

"No, I don't know him." Ding Wanjun smiled, shook her head, thought for a while, and continued to pour tea, "I thought of some other things... I suddenly thought this name was very good."

"Oh."

Although Long Boyuan was called a Confucian merchant, he was not on this path after all. He occasionally read books, but they were all classic ancient books. He despised today's literary world. Ding Wanjun thought that this name was like the author of *Shui Diao Ge Tou* and *Qing Yu An*, but she thought that he was a live-in son-in-law, so she felt that it was impossible. Perhaps it was the same name.

Hangzhou is not small, but not big. If the other party really was the author, he had been here for a month or two, so she wouldn't have to wait until this time to hear about it from Long Boyuan. Other scholars and literati would have probably mentioned it long ago.
(To be continued.) Please vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation.)

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