Chapter 33

Hong Yan didn't take long to go out and buy lunch; she returned with a few colleagues, each carrying a food box. The group, who were already famished, immediately stopped their idle chatter and began to feast heartily. After a whirlwind of eating, the colleagues cleared away the dishes, while the time travelers patted their satisfied bellies and leaned back in their chairs to digest their meal. Just then, the courtyard gate was knocked on with a "thud thud," followed by a gentle and melodious female voice: "Is Daoist Lin here?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Shaoran, who was leisurely picking his teeth, was so startled that he nearly fell off his chair. Then, he ran back to his room at an incredible speed and slammed the door shut. The remaining people in the courtyard looked at each other in confusion, unsure of what had gotten into Old Xu. Only Liu Wendong, Hong Yan, and Lin Xiaoyu recognized the pleasant voice; it belonged to the young lady Huang Ying'er.

When the knocking came again and they saw the helpless expression on Liu Wendong's face, everyone finally realized that the young lady outside was likely the one Old Xu had mentioned, who admired Zhang Weixin's poetry. Old Xu had fled into the room to avoid her. Although everyone found his behavior extremely despicable, they couldn't ignore the person knocking. In the end, Lin Xiaoyu got up to open the courtyard gate and invited Huang Ying'er and her younger sister inside.

Huang Ying'er was still wearing the apricot-yellow dress, gracefully entering the courtyard with light steps and a slender figure. Her face, unadorned with makeup, was charming and brought a refreshing feeling to the cool autumn afternoon, making all the men present feel a sudden brightness. Only Liu Wendong, who had seen her several times, remained calm.

Facing the intense gazes of the people in the courtyard, Huang Ying'er showed no disgust or shyness. She politely chatted with Lin Xiaoyu and, under her guidance, came to where everyone was sitting. She bowed and said in a soft voice, "This humble girl, Huang Ying'er, greets all the Daoists."

Only then did the so-called Daoists, who had been staring at Huang Ying'er since she entered, come to their senses and hurriedly stood up to return her greeting. Lin Xiaoyu then invited Huang Ying'er to sit down and poured her a cup of tea. Huang Ying'er thanked her and asked, "Where is Daoist Xu? Has he gone out?"

Lin Xiaoyu was momentarily speechless, unsure how to answer Huang Ying'er. Just as she was thinking of how to evade the question, Liu Wendong interjected, "Young lady Huang, Daoist Xu is here, but he ate too much at lunch and is now in his room trying to digest. He probably can't see you. Is there something you need from him?"

Xu Shaoran, who was eavesdropping in his room, was furious at Liu Wendong for saying he was overeating, but he could only endure it. Huang Ying'er was confused by this; she didn't understand why someone who had overeaten would go inside to digest instead of going outside for a walk. However, she wasn't really there to find Xu Shaoran but to see if Daoist Zhang Weixin was among them, so she didn't dwell on the digestion issue.

If it were any other woman, asking directly if a certain man was there would have been a bit embarrassing. But Huang Ying'er, having worked as a courtesan for several years, had a thick skin and could speak frankly without blushing or hesitating: "This humble girl has no particular business with Daoist Xu. I just heard a lot of people in the courtyard and thought Daoist Xu might have many fellow Daoists here. I wanted to ask if the Daoist Zhang Weixin, whom Daoist Xu mentioned at the Mid-Autumn Festival, is here."

Everyone was surprised by the straightforwardness of this seemingly gentle young lady, who got straight to the point. Surprised or not, they couldn't avoid answering her. As the one who had interacted with her the most, Lin Xiaoyu took the lead and introduced Wang Xiaojun and the others to her. When she introduced Zhang Weixin, Huang Ying'er's eyes lit up, and she examined him closely, her gaze filled with both joy and admiration. However, she concealed her feelings well, and most people didn't notice. She compared the person in front of her to the description given by Daoist Xu. Although he didn't look as handsome as Xu had described, he was mature and steady, far more reassuring than those self-proclaimed elegant young men. Moreover, his appearance was acceptable, and he seemed tall, around thirty years old, which was a man's most charming stage. Unconsciously, Huang Ying'er began to evaluate Zhang Weixin's appearance and found herself increasingly satisfied, which made her a bit embarrassed. She quickly gathered her thoughts and adjusted her emotions, treating him as her idol.

Looking at her idol, Huang Ying'er said sincerely, "You are the Daoist Zhang who wrote the wonderful poem 'When Did the Bright Moon Appear.' It is truly a great honor to meet you, Daoist Zhang."

Zhang Weixin felt a stir in his heart when he first saw Huang Ying'er, but it wasn't because he was attracted to her. Rather, he felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had met her before. After some thought, he realized the reason—Huang Ying'er resembled his wife from his previous life, especially her appearance during their student days. This familiarity made Zhang Weixin feel at ease and less concerned about Xu Shaoran using him to deceive others.

Hearing Huang Ying'er's praise, although he didn't want to be a plagiarist, he also didn't want to admit in front of a beautiful woman that he wasn't the true author. So he humbly replied, "This poem was indeed written by this humble Daoist, but it was just for my own entertainment during the Mid-Autumn Festival last year. I dare not call it a wonderful poem. Young lady Huang, you are too kind. The famous works and beautiful verses from the Tang Dynasty are all far superior to my humble efforts."

Huang Ying'er was not convinced by his modesty and said, "Daoist Zhang is too humble. In this humble girl's opinion, your poem is on par with Li Bai's 'Ziye Wuge,' Bai Juyi's 'Changxiangsi,' and Wen Tingyun's 'Yijiangnan,' and it is even more filled with positive and uplifting emotions."

Zhang Weixin, hearing her compare him to Li Bai and Bai Juyi, felt he couldn't accept such praise and hurriedly said, "This humble Daoist dares not compare myself to these great poets of the past. Young lady Huang, you are too kind. I doubt I could even match your understanding of poetry. If there is an opportunity in the future, I would like to learn from you."

Huang Ying'er, flattered by his compliments, said, "Daoist Zhang is too kind. This humble girl has no such ability. I hope Daoist Zhang will not hesitate to teach me in the future."

Zhang Weixin had no expertise in poetry and found Huang Ying'er's knowledge impressive. He knew only a few famous works by heart and lacked theoretical knowledge. Although her voice was pleasant to listen to, he knew he would soon run out of things to say if the conversation continued. He needed to change the topic quickly.

However, Liang Ziyue, who had been observing Huang Ying'er since she entered, had other plans. He noticed that she was not an ordinary woman. In his experience, even a bold woman like Zhong Ziqi would have felt uncomfortable or turned away if she were stared at by so many strangers. But Huang Ying'er remained calm and even smiled back at them, showing no signs of discomfort. This unusual reaction suggested that she was used to such situations.

At first glance, she seemed like a fresh and beautiful young girl, but upon closer inspection, there was a different kind of charm and allure in her, something that was hard for men to resist. Her every movement, from her smile to her tea sipping, was graceful and perfect, as if carefully designed and practiced countless times. While well-bred young ladies might receive some training in manners, it was almost impossible for one to remain so composed and calm in a strange place among strangers. Moreover, a well-off young lady would not stay in an inn for so long with only two attendants. Based on the information he had gathered from Zhang Weixin, Yuxu Zi, and Qingchen, and his own experience with women, Liang Ziyue suspected that Huang Ying'er was likely a courtesan. If not for the admiration in her eyes when she looked at Zhang Weixin, he would have suspected she was a spy sent to gather information on them.

Taking advantage of a pause in the conversation between Zhang and Huang, Liang Ziyue interjected, "This humble Daoist heard from Sister Lin that Young lady Huang is skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and is especially talented in music. You must come from a scholarly family. May I ask, how could your family allow you to travel so far from Yangzhou and stay for so long?"

Huang Ying'er's cheerful expression dimmed for a moment, though this quickly turned into a slightly sad look. Liang Ziyue noticed this subtle change. Huang Ying'er adjusted her emotions and said, "To be honest with Daoist Liang, my family was once a prominent household. However, my father passed away early, and my mother died a few months ago. Now, I only have a close family manager, his adopted son whom I consider a brother, and a maid who is like a sister to me. We came to Youzhou to seek help from relatives, but they had already passed away last year, and their family had moved away. With no other choice, I sent my brother to Kaifeng to find another distant relative. If we can find them, they might help us settle in Kaifeng. If not, we will have to rely on ourselves. Fortunately, my parents left us some money, so we can buy property and start a small business here or in Youzhou, and we won't have to worry about our livelihood."

Everyone felt sympathy for Huang Ying'er's story and offered words of comfort. Only Liang Ziyue noticed the brief moment of sadness and the different expression that followed. It was a mix of self-pity and reluctance to talk about it, different from the sorrow of losing her parents and the decline of her family. This confirmed his earlier suspicion that Huang Ying'er was not as simple and innocent as she claimed. However, it was not appropriate to press her further in this setting, and Wang Xiaojun gave him a look to let it go. Liang Ziyue nodded slightly and joined the others in offering comfort.

After the group's comfort, Huang Ying'er put aside her sadness and regained her composure. Thanks to Zhang Weixin's deliberate guidance, the conversation shifted away from poetry and literature to a wide range of topics. To everyone's surprise, Huang Ying'er found these Daoists to be extraordinary. While they were not well-versed in poetry like Zhang Weixin, they were knowledgeable and well-informed in other areas, with unique insights that she had never heard before. This piqued her curiosity about who they were and where they had acquired such unique knowledge. Of course, she was still most impressed by Zhang Weixin.

The time travelers were also pleased with Huang Ying'er, especially since she could provide valuable information about the south, which would help them better understand the era. If the team planned to expand into the southern market, any information about the region would be valuable. Unfortunately, Fan Wucheng, who was knowledgeable about business, was out buying festival supplies and might not return soon. Otherwise, the team would have gained a lot from her insights. If not for Liang Ziyue's ongoing investigation, the others had considered inviting Huang Ying'er to Yuxu Palace for further discussion.

As everyone was enjoying the conversation, the courtyard gate was knocked on again, and Fan Wucheng's voice was heard: "Old Xu, Old Liu, come open the door. I, Old Fan, am here to see you." The conversation paused, and Liang Ziyue went to open the door, inviting Fan Wucheng, Qingchen, and two young Daoists into the courtyard.

Fan Wucheng greeted Liu Wendong, Hong Yan, and Lin Xiaoyu, inquired about Liu Wendong's injuries, and then looked around at the group. When he saw Huang Ying'er, he was momentarily stunned, only snapping out of it when Liu Wendong coughed lightly. Liu Wendong introduced them, and to cover his embarrassment, Fan Wucheng asked, "Where is Old Xu?" The group burst into laughter, leaving Fan Wucheng confused. He didn't understand why his simple question caused such a strong reaction. Was it because they were laughing at him for staring at the beautiful woman? But the others' laughter didn't seem to be directed at him, and he couldn't figure it out.

Not only was he confused, but Huang Ying'er was also puzzled. As everyone laughed, Xu Shaoran, who had been hiding in his room, finally couldn't stand it anymore and came out. Ignoring the time travelers who were laughing uncontrollably, he said to Fan Wucheng with a helpless look, "Old Fan, I was resting in my room. What's the urgent matter you need to discuss with me?"

Although Fan Wucheng still didn't understand why everyone was laughing, he couldn't say he was just distracted by the beautiful woman and asked out of habit. He quickly made up an excuse, "I don't have any urgent matters. I just noticed everyone was here except you, so I asked. Besides, it's such a nice day, and you're wasting the autumn sunshine by sleeping inside."

Hearing that Fan Wucheng had no important business, Xu Shaoran immediately regretted coming out too early. However, since Fan Wucheng was his brother, he couldn't show his displeasure. He cursed him in his mind for causing trouble and said casually, "I see." He then called Qingchen to bring some chairs and sat down to join the conversation.

Fan Wucheng briefly reported on the shopping, saying everything was ready, and they could return to Yuxu Palace at any time. Wang Xiaojun wanted to have Fan Wucheng and Huang Ying'er discuss the southern market, but it was getting late, and they needed to leave. Moreover, they still didn't know much about Huang Ying'er and couldn't engage in deeper discussions. He nodded and exchanged glances with Zhang Weixin and Xu Shaoran, saying, "Since everything is ready, let's not delay any longer. Grandmaster will return to Huashan after the Double Ninth Festival, and we should return to the temple to receive more of his teachings." Everyone agreed, and the four staying at the inn went to pack their luggage, while the others waited in the courtyard. Huang Ying'er, though reluctant to leave, had no reason to keep them. She got up to say goodbye, saying she had learned a lot from the conversation and hoped to have more discussions in the future. Everyone also got up and saw her to the door.