Encountering Rain at West Lake

Sunlight streamed through the leaves, illuminating the bluestone slabs in the alley and casting a golden hue upon the three figures and their smiles. From afar, it was a delightful scene of old friends reunited in the vibrant month of February.

"...Due to my father's promotion, I followed him to Bianjing...My father now serves as a Principal in the Ministry of Revenue...When I first arrived in Bianjing, I was unfamiliar with the place and made quite a few silly mistakes. But speaking of which, the atmosphere in the capital is indeed different from that of Jiangning. It's hard to explain at the moment, but Brother Ning, if you have time in the future, you must take a trip to Bianjing. I will be your host and do my best to show you around..."

"Actually, the most pleasant surprise after going to Bianjing was the reunion with...Brother Wang. Perhaps Brother Ning doesn't know, but Brother Wang grew up in Bianjing. He is the real host. When I went there, I received a lot of care from Brother Wang, haha...Oh, from the look on Brother Ning's face, it seems you don't remember much about your time here..."

The chatter went on, with Yu Hezhong, the enthusiastic one, doing most of the talking. His words also proudly mentioned his father's official position. The Principal in the Ministry of Revenue was a sixth-rank official, which might not seem like much, but to ordinary people, it was already a high-ranking official. A bookworm like Ning Yi would probably study his entire life without ever reaching such a position. And because his father was an official in the Ministry of Revenue, as long as Yu Hezhong was good at maneuvering and cultivating relationships, it wouldn't be difficult for him to obtain a position in the future.

After a while of conversation, Yu Hezhong noticed that Ning Yi didn't seem to remember much about the past. Otherwise, he would probably have some impression of this Wang surname woman. He said a few words about it and then casually asked about the whereabouts of someone nearby. Ning Yi naturally had no clue. Yu Hezhong laughed and said, "Do you remember Chen Sifeng? He passed the imperial examination last year and is now also working in the Ministry of Revenue. When Brother Ning goes to Bianjing, we can all get together." It seemed that Chen Sifeng was also someone Ning Yi used to know.

The three of them chatted and laughed, with Yu Hezhong mostly assuming that Ning Yi had failed the imperial examination and was living a poor life. He occasionally showed some superiority in his words, especially in front of the Wang surname woman. This was actually human nature. After all, everyone has a desire to show off. If someone only tries to make others look good from the moment they meet, they are either a rare gentleman or someone like Puyang Yi, who believes in the merchant's family education. Of course, honestly speaking, as long as you are prepared for your own positioning, it's easy to get along with people like Puyang Yi, and Ning Yi liked them too. But Yu Hezhong was clearly just an ordinary person, and it wasn't surprising that he occasionally showed off a little. Ning Yi just found it amusing.

However, what was more noteworthy was the Wang surname woman who hadn't said much. Throughout the whole process, she basically just smiled on the side and seemed to feel a little nostalgic about the small alley and the things Yu Hezhong occasionally mentioned. When Yu Hezhong talked about the past, she would occasionally chime in with a word or two. The rest of the time, she would quietly listen. Her responses were proper and unremarkable. But what Ning Yi noticed was that whenever Yu Hezhong showed off, if it only concerned himself, she would smile and nod, adding to the praise. But if he also subtly highlighted or ridiculed Ning Yi, her gaze would always linger elsewhere, showing a slight absentmindedness, and she would never make any suggestive remarks.

This was very interesting.

At most banquets or gatherings, there is always a host, or someone who is valued. Someone shows off and performs, and the host chimes in, making the other person feel very important. But if the attitudes of two guests are opposed to each other, how to maintain a balanced attitude, show fairness, or smooth things over without making someone dislike you, is a very deep lesson.

This woman didn't care about her old friend's bragging and even showed an attitude of being honored to praise him. But if Yu Hezhong wanted to belittle Ning Yi in front of her using subtle methods, she would use this subtle method to maintain her independence and not participate. Of course, since she was ultimately more familiar with Yu Hezhong, she wouldn't interfere with him randomly. She grasped the sense of favor and distance very well.

If she only showed this subtle grasp once or twice, it would be something that ordinary people could cultivate. But if she could be so accurate every time, it would be very intriguing.

This woman should have a very good upbringing and should also have...a circle that is sufficient to allow these upbringings to be exercised and brought into play. Honestly, these days, women ultimately don't have many opportunities to show their faces. Like his wife, Su Tan'er, her upbringing is also quite good. She can maneuver in a certain circle and her grasp of people's hearts is fairly accurate. But compared to the woman in front of him, Su Tan'er seemed a little sharp and not smooth enough in some aspects.

Among the women he knew, Jin'er and Yunzhu used to be in brothels and had also been trained in this area. They both had methods for dealing with other people's relationships. However, Jin'er was relatively lively and often used her vitality to dispel the grievances in other people's hearts. Yunzhu was gentle but inwardly noble and aloof. After getting along for a long time, it was inevitable to feel her inner tenacity and edges. The woman's simple smiles made Ning Yi feel a similar temperament to Puyang Yi.

It was just similar, but it couldn't necessarily be said that she was as skilled. It was of course impossible to understand a person in just a few words of conversation. Ning Yi talked with the two "old friends" for a long time. When they turned to leave, a figure walked out of the slightly dilapidated courtyard gate behind them: "Ah, Master, you're here."

It was Xiao Chan, who had already finished cleaning the room, coming out while wiping the sweat from her forehead. Today, she was wearing a floral jacket, which made her look quite like a pretty little maid. When she saw the two people talking to her master at the door, she said "Uh" and stood behind Ning Yi's body. Xiao Chan was also beautiful. The two of them were slightly stunned when they saw her. Then Yu Hezhong smiled and said, "Oh, this is your sister-in-law?"

The Wang surname woman was still dressed as a man, so she gave a salute first: "Is this my sister-in-law?"

The titles of sister-in-law probably made Xiao Chan feel very vain. Her eyes rolled around, and she was a little surprised and happy. Then she looked at Ning Yi and leaned closer to him: "Uh, no, I'm Master's maid. My name is Chan'er. Are you two...gentlemen?"

"We are old acquaintances of Ning Gongzi. I used to live over there..." Knowing that she was a maid, there was no need to formally introduce themselves. After Xiao Chan gave a salute, she didn't say much. The few of them chatted for a few more words, and Wang and Yu finally turned and left. Ning Yi and Xiao Chan watched their backs. Xiao Chan said, "Master, do you remember things from before? Oh, right...that Wang Gongzi is a woman."

"Even a fool could see that," Ning Yi said, laughing as he patted her head. "I don't recognize them, but they used to live here and remembered me, so they came over to say hello. They probably remember this courtyard..."

The courtyard looked very shabby at this time, with a dilapidated lintel. It had only been two months since the end of the year, but there were no auspicious paintings or spring couplets hanging, which was out of place with the surrounding houses and courtyards. Ning Yi looked at himself, covered in dust and stains, and with a broken book in his hand. He couldn't help but shake his head and smile. Xiao Chan looked around and thought of something. She said, "Xiao Chan will ask someone to renovate the courtyard tomorrow." She thought for a moment and then smiled, "I really want to know what Master was like here before..."

"I heard he was a silly bookworm..." Ning Yi said with a smile, and then looked at Xiao Chan, "Don't tell me you don't know. You know more than I do. Isn't that why Tan'er chose me...Now the goods don't match the description, are you regretting it...Tsk, poor Xi Junyi..."

"Hehe, that's because Miss has good taste...and Chan'er didn't dare to speak at the time. Miss was very serious then..."

The little maid began to chatter about the interesting things before the wedding. The two of them turned and walked into the courtyard.

On the other side, Wang and Yu passed by one courtyard after another. In fact, when they left Jiangning in the past, they were both young. Although they have some memories now, they only remember some of the children's partners here. Yu Hezhong was relatively more familiar. He left for a while in the middle and knocked on a few doors according to his memory to ask around. When he ran back, the Wang surname woman was looking inside the courtyard where she used to live, but the courtyard had already been occupied by another family. Yu Hezhong smiled and said, "I don't remember too many people from before. I just asked and found someone I knew. I chatted for a while and asked about that little Ning. Guess what?"

He left her in suspense, but the Wang surname woman didn't directly ask. She just lowered her head and thought: "His maid is very beautiful, and her clothes are also very good. He probably doesn't live in that courtyard anymore, right?"

"Well, the person I recognized earlier didn't live here for long, so he wasn't very clear. He only remembered it when I pointed to that courtyard. He said that the owner of the house was a live-in son-in-law. The woman's family was a cloth merchant and was said to be very rich. It was quite a lively affair at the time..."

The Wang surname woman looked over there: "That's pretty good..."

"Cough, I was a little carried away just now and shouldn't have asked him about the imperial examination. Since he is a son-in-law, he probably can't take the exam...It's just hard to imagine that he would actually become a son-in-law, sigh..." Yu Hezhong sighed.

"In this world, there are always some situations where people can't help themselves..."

"Uh, I'll come back in a few days and ask my cousin about the situation of those people from before. Oh, Shishi, do you think we should ask him to come out for a get-together in a few days? Just as friends, it might be good for him?"

Yu Hezhong said these words while looking at the woman named Shishi. He saw her smile slightly and shake her head: "If you and Chen Sifeng ask him to come out for a get-together, it would be good. With my status, and him being a son-in-law, it's better not to cause trouble for people. Besides, I'm just passing by. I came back to take a look on a whim. I didn't have any intention of returning home in glory. I didn't...say much to him in the past. Actually, we weren't very familiar..."

Hearing this, Yu Hezhong smiled: "That's true, then...let's leave it at that..."

The two of them spoke as they turned around. After a moment, their figures disappeared at the street corner on the other side of the alley.

This accidental encounter didn't stay in Ning Yi's mind for too long. He also never thought that not long after, the three of them would have another chance to meet. That afternoon, when he returned home, he saw Qin Shaohe, the eldest son of Qin Siyeuan, waiting in the Su family for a long time. He was only visiting as an ordinary person and not as an official, otherwise, it's unknown how lively the Su family would become.

Returning to Jiangning these days, this middle-aged man who already held the official position of Prefect also had many things to deal with and many people to visit. He had missed Ning Yi once in the past few days. It wasn't until today that he finally made time again. He waited in the Su family until Ning Yi returned before meeting him and expressing his gratitude.