Chapter 28: A Welcome Reception and Cleansing of Dust

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The welcoming banquet was held in the side room of Chief Steward Li’s small courtyard.

Virtually every steward from the outer residence of the Yu family’s senior branch had come: Niu Youde, who oversaw all affairs of the outer residence; Chief Accountant Li Damu, who handled the senior branch’s finances, contracts, official documents, and land ledgers; Purchaser Zhao Hongyu; Granary Steward Ma Sanyuan; and Guard Commander Liu Yu.

The guard commander had originally been Cheng Dakuan, but his former deputy, Liu Yu, had now taken his place.

As for Cheng Dakuan, ever since he had been rescued from the water prison, he had been suffering from a persistent high fever and was currently recuperating.

As Chief Steward of the senior branch, Li Youcai enjoyed the privilege of having a separate kitchen prepare dishes for his masters.

In an aristocratic clan, the hierarchy was rigid. Servants and household attendants received strictly differentiated food and lodging according to their rank and position.

Stewards, managers, and accountants like Yang Can belonged to the family’s senior administrative staff and enjoyed the privilege of receiving a regular household ration.

They shared the household kitchen with the masters, though not the same table. The dishes were prepared by the residence’s head cooks, but the portions and quality were somewhat inferior to those served to the masters.

Their daily meals were, in fact, comparable to those of a minor official in the imperial court.

Below them, the serving maids and other servants received different standards of food according to the difficulty of their skills and the nature of their duties.

A personal senior maid like Qingmei, for example, received pastries, eggs, cured meat, and the like as part of her daily ration.

Ordinary maids and servants assigned to rough labor, however, received nothing but millet and pickled vegetables each day, with meat only once every ten days.

Li Youcai had invited Yang Can to the banquet that day, claiming that he had asked his wife to make the arrangements. In truth, he was paying for it himself, while most of the dishes had been prepared by the cooks.

This was Yang Can’s first formal meeting, in his capacity as Second Steward of the senior branch, with the stewards of its outer residence. Although Yang Can already knew some of them, Li Youcai still introduced each person in turn.

The purchaser, Zhao Hongyu, and the granary steward, Ma Sanyuan, were newcomers. When introducing them, Li Youcai gave Yang Can a discreet hint: both men had been appointed by the young mistress, Suo Chanzhi. In other words, they were not part of his own faction.

Yang Can smiled and nodded, thinking to himself, So those two are the ones on our side.

With the death of Young Master Ding Chengye and the young mistress, Suo Chanzhi, taking charge of the senior branch, the branch had now split into two factions: the young mistress’s faction and the faction loyal to the deceased young master.

For the moment, however, the two sides remained relatively peaceful, because it was still uncertain whether the young mistress was pregnant.

If she was not, the senior branch would sooner or later be dissolved.

When that happened, the former stewards of the branch would either be reassigned elsewhere or cast aside entirely.

Thus, before it was known whether Suo Chanzhi was pregnant, neither faction had any reason to clash. Both were waiting.

Even if her pregnancy were confirmed, the two sides would not immediately erupt into open conflict.

They would still have to wait another nine months to discover whether she was carrying a boy or a girl.

Until then, the old and new factions—the young mistress’s supporters and the loyalists of the deceased young master—were fellow sufferers in the same plight.

They would compete with one another, certainly, but until matters became clear by the end of the year, they would not become sworn enemies.

“What affairs of the senior branch will you mainly be handling from now on, Second Steward?” Accountant Li asked with a smile as he poured Yang Can a cup of wine.

Yang Can replied with a pleasant smile, “Chief Steward Li has been exceedingly considerate. Since I am new here, he was afraid I might not manage everything well, so he entrusted me with the six major estates and three great pasturelands returned by Second Master. That should mean less trouble for me.”

“Pfft!”

Li Damu sprayed out his mouthful of wine. Fortunately, he hurriedly turned his head aside; otherwise, he would have ruined the splendid banquet spread across the table.

Less trouble?

The six major estates and three great pasturelands returned by Second Master meant less trouble?

They meant trouble by the cartload!

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Every steward present was a sharp operator. Upon hearing this, they all turned to look at Li Youcai, their eyes saying plainly: Chief Steward, that was low.

Li Youcai’s old face flushed red. He could not tell whether Yang Can was truly foolish or merely pretending to be, so he raised his cup to hide his embarrassment and said loudly, “The estates and pasturelands have long been governed by established rules. As long as one proceeds step by step, nothing should go wrong. That is why I thought it best to have Steward Yang begin with the estates and pasturelands, so that he might first familiarize himself with the affairs of the senior branch. Our Yu family is founded upon agriculture. So long as Steward Yang avoids mistakes, it will be easier for him to make his mark.”

Yang Can raised his cup, his face full of gratitude. “I am deeply grateful for Chief Steward Li’s consideration. I shall remember it in my heart.”

Li Youcai gave a hearty laugh. “I am an old man, and I no longer possess much ambition to climb higher. Naturally, I sincerely hope that every steward of our senior branch will prosper. I am showing you all a little favor today. When you rise to prominence in the future, do not forget this bond between us. Come, come—drink!”

With that, Li Youcai raised his cup and drained it in one swallow. The others promptly raised their cups and followed suit.

To see through everything without saying it aloud—that was the mark of true friendship.

This friendly welcoming banquet continued until nearly the third watch of the night before it finally broke up. Some of the stewards, unable to hold their liquor, were already staggering as they walked.

Li Youcai loved his drink and was more thoroughly drunk than any of them. He lay sprawled across the table, snoring like a dead hog.

The two young servants, Laixi and Wangcai, had been waiting in the adjoining room and had long since begun to doze.

Yang Can woke them and took up a lantern to escort the guests out. Hearing the commotion, Madam Pan came as well.

She saw Yang Can trying to pull Li Youcai to his feet. The chief steward was dead drunk, his body limp and utterly impossible to move.

“Damn that man, drinking himself senseless again,” Madam Pan said irritably. “Leave him alone. Let him sleep here for the night.”

“It would not be proper to leave Brother Li here,” Yang Can said. “Sister-in-law, do not worry. I can get him up.”

At once, Madam Pan went around to Li Youcai’s other side. Together, she and Yang Can each lifted one of his arms and draped it over their shoulders, finally managing to raise him.

After considerable effort, they carried Li Youcai into the main room, around the screen, and into the bedroom.

“Let go, Sister-in-law. I will carry Brother Li onto the bed.”

As Yang Can spoke, he slipped an arm behind Li Youcai’s shoulders. He meant to shift his position, seize him beneath the armpit, and lay him on the bed.

But Madam Pan was slow to let go. When Yang Can reached out, the back of his hand brushed solidly against a soft mound.

He hissed and jerked his hand back in alarm.

Madam Pan had not actually intended to take advantage of him. Startled by his touch, she instinctively released her grip as well. The two of them let go at the same moment, leaving Chief Steward Li entirely unsupported.

A vacant, foolish smile hung on Li Youcai’s face. He swayed where he stood, then pitched forward. With a loud crack, his forehead struck the edge of the bed.

Yang Can jumped in fright. That had been a vicious blow.

Yet numbed by alcohol, Li Youcai seemed not to feel it at all.

His limp body slid down against the bed. He used the footstool as a pillow and fell asleep with a look of perfect contentment, his forehead already swelling purple.

“Chief Steward, wake up. Sleep on the bed…”

Yang Can still wanted to drag him up, but Madam Pan said impatiently, “Enough, enough. Leave him be. Once that man has swallowed two pounds of horse piss, not even thunder could wake him.”

As she spoke, Madam Pan pulled Yang Can to his feet. Her alluring eyes instantly filled with a moist haze.

“Uncle, did you enjoy the food and wine tonight?”

Uncle? The form of address was not technically improper, but the way she liltingly called him that sounded strangely suggestive.

Yang Can braced himself. “The food was excellent.”

“Then… which dish did Uncle enjoy most?”

“Er… all of them. Everything was delicious.”

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Madam Pan said softly, “The Qiang-style boiled meat and the cream yogurt were made by me. I wonder whether…”

“Very good—excellent, in fact. The boiled meat was spicy, fragrant, and wonderfully fresh. It was especially appetizing. And the cream yogurt—having a bowl of it after drinking really clears the head and sobers a man up. Excellent, excellent.”

Qiang-style boiled meat was essentially sliced meat cooked in a spicy broth, a dish that had developed from the blending of Xianbei and Qiang culinary traditions.

As for the cream yogurt, it was made from finely refined dairy fat.

Not every yogurt could be called cream yogurt. Only the finest ingredients and the richest flavor earned that name.

Madam Pan gave a little giggle. Raising a hand, she smoothed the hair beside her temple and said with eyes like silken threads, “If Uncle likes it, just tell Sister-in-law whenever you want some.”

There was still a man lying on the floor. Yang Can felt as though thorns were pressing into his back.

“Oh, all right, all right. Thank you, Sister-in-law. As for Brother Li…”

“Do not mind him. He would sleep soundly even if he were lying in the courtyard.”

As if to prove her point, Madam Pan gave Li Youcai a kick to the backside. He groaned twice, then continued sleeping peacefully.

Yang Can forced out a dry laugh. “If that is the case, then I shall take my leave.”

Yang Can turned and fled, but Madam Pan followed behind him like a shadow.

When they reached the veranda, Yang Can hurriedly turned around. “Sister-in-law, you should go back.”

Madam Pan gazed at him with limpid eyes. “I only finished tidying your residence this afternoon. You do not even know where everything has been put away. Why do I not come over and help you… look for it?”

“There is no need, no need. I have hardly anything. It is already late. Sister-in-law, please go back.”

“Actually, Sister-in-law can also make a kind of milk pastry. It tastes even better than the cream yogurt. Would Uncle like to try some?”

She clasped both hands behind her back and spoke in a soft, intimate voice while thrusting out her bosom so prominently that she might as well have announced the pastry’s place of origin.

“Heh, no, no. I am already full. That is, I have had rather too much to drink.”

“Heehee. Today is Uncle’s first day in office. That dead man gave you a welcoming feast, so Sister-in-law should wash away the dust of your journey as well.”

“No, no. Another day—we shall speak of it another day!”

With that, Yang Can fled as though his life depended on it.

Good heavens! Chief Steward Li had married such a young and charming wife, yet had he failed to satisfy her? Why was she so ravenous, like a hungry she-wolf?

Watching Yang Can disappear in a flash, Madam Pan could not help but giggle. The seductive smile remained on her face, but the warmth in her eyes gradually cooled.

“The Suo family truly is willing to pay any price. To extend their reach into the Yu family, they have even sacrificed one of the Suo family’s Three Beauties.”

The Suo family’s Three Beauties was an honorific bestowed by the reckless young nobles of Long Ridge upon the three most beautiful young women of the Suo family.

They were Suo Xianxiang, Suo Zuigu, and Suo Chanzhi.

Madam Pan suddenly gave another soft laugh. “Unfortunately, Yu Chengye was killed by his second uncle. If Suo Chanzhi fails to conceive, the Suo family’s entire venture will have ended in failure, with nothing to show for it.”

“Ah…”

Madam Pan sighed mournfully and lifted her eyes toward the bright moon overhead.

“If the senior branch is dissolved, I fear I too will become a useless discarded pawn.”

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