Chapter 54: Strange Interaction

Since the New Year, Ning Yi and Su Tan'er's way of interacting has become increasingly natural. This naturalness, however, isn't the typical husband-and-wife dynamic of this era, but rather the comfortable interaction of two unique individuals.

After their frank discussion before the New Year, Su Tan'er finally found her footing, and with her mind at ease, many things became simpler. Previously, she had painstakingly tried to maintain the semblance of a "family," but now there was no need to be so deliberate. She used to constantly search for topics at dinner, carefully considering what to say, what might interest him, and what to avoid to prevent offense—a dynamic similar to a business negotiation. Now, this was no longer necessary, and ironically, their conversations became more abundant. They didn't have to force topics; anything they spoke about felt interesting.

Although Ning Yi went for a run every morning, the couple typically ate breakfast at home before heading out. Their destinations differed: Su Tan'er traveled by carriage, while Ning Yi walked lightly. Xiao Chan usually faced two choices at this time: accompany her mistress or her master. While she could also stay home, the other two options were clearly more beneficial. When she went with her master, there wasn't much to do, but she could listen to his teachings and stories. Each time he spoke casually and captivatingly, she would marvel at his vast knowledge.

Su Tan'er, of course, had been quite busy lately, as was typical in early spring, so Xiao Chan continued to accompany her mistress. As mentioned before, despite her innocent and straightforward demeanor towards Ning Yi and Su Tan'er, she was remarkably dependable when handling tasks. Her daily duties extended beyond merely providing attentive service. Once, Ning Yi witnessed her angrily reprimanding someone, her brow furrowed in fierce concentration. As she scolded, she exposed how some individuals were engaging in infighting and undermining each other: "Don't think I didn't notice!" After arranging solutions and adding a few more remarks, she waved a short ruler as if to strike them. Then she paused, staring at the ruler, and scratched her head, muttering, "Oh no, that's the mistress's ruler..." She then spun around and urged, "What are you waiting for, hurry up!" After dismissing everyone, she scurried away, leaving Ning Yi laughing uncontrollably behind her. She was being groomed for a managerial role, and these two aspects of her personality were not contradictory, but rather integral parts of her character.

Ning Yi would return home in the afternoon or evening, sometimes accompanied by Xiao Chan, who would go to find him before her midday lessons concluded. If Xiao Chan didn't join him, he would return alone. Su Tan'er was usually back by midday, often found in her room, the living room, or sometimes seated in the garden pavilion. Juan'er and Xing'er occasionally accompanied her, but at other times they were absent, as they also had responsibilities tending to the various chores of the servants within the main household.

When lost in thought, Su Tan'er had a habit of biting her hand—sometimes her fist, other times gently nibbling her fingers. This was a gesture she typically only displayed when alone. One evening, as Ning Yi returned amidst the lingering glow of sunset, he saw Su Tan'er sitting in the pavilion. Dressed in a pale yellow skirt, she was engrossed in a ledger, her fair teeth gently gnawing on the tip of her thumb, occasionally turning a page. Ning Yi approached and stood for a moment, just about to greet her, when Su Tan'er suddenly turned her head. Still biting her fingertip, her large eyes met Ning Yi's gaze for a brief moment, conveying a hint of innocent bewilderment. Then, she calmly turned back and resumed studying the ledger.

Seeing her disregard him, Ning Yi shrugged and walked away, feeling somewhat unamused. "This woman is truly composed," he thought. He hadn't gone far when Su Tan'er called out from behind, "Husband! You startled me!" When he turned, Su Tan'er was looking at him with a feigned air of indignation, gently patting her chest. A moment later, Ning Yi silently spread his hands, and Su Tan'er, despite herself, chuckled.

From their return home, through dinner, evening leisure, and finally bedtime, they spent their time together, talking and chatting about various topics. Occasionally, Ning Yi felt that Su Tan'er resembled his former self, though their specific problems, moods, and uncertainties differed. He sometimes mused that Su Tan'er's challenges might be even more formidable than his own. As a woman, if the Su family had possessed a slightly more intelligent or capable male, things would have been straightforward. Had she been a bit less sharp, matters would also have been simpler. Yet, she was caught in this predicament, compelled to push forward while constantly confronting issues inherent to her gender.

Occasionally, they would "coincidentally" meet by the pillar on the second floor, every few days, to admire the view of the entire Su family mansion. Su Tan'er would share various random thoughts, some of which she couldn't express in front of others, not even Xiao Chan or Juan'er—either because they were nonsensical or because they involved her business plans, some clever little schemes she was proud of, or even domestic gossip. For instance, a cousin had recently swindled several hundred taels of silver from her, claiming to have found a valuable piece of porcelain that would surely increase in price. Su Tan'er, smiling, gave him the money, then turned to Ning Yi and, biting her finger, confided that the man was keeping a mistress outside. "Later," she mused, "we can threaten him, or else tell his wife and let her raise a ruckus..."

Su Tan'er was intelligent and possessed a great talent for business. Yet, at only nineteen, she often had no outlet for the immense pressures she faced. Ning Yi was perhaps the only person who could offer her a space to decompress. In her view, her husband understood some of what she said, though he might not grasp everything. Ning Yi, in turn, sometimes spoke of things she didn't comprehend, and she would simply listen. During these moments, no matter how peculiar Ning Yi's words were or how incomprehensible his topics, she would not find it strange.

A curious incident occurred: perhaps it began when he offered her a preserved egg during their very first conversation. After their second chat, Su Tan'er hesitated, then asked, "Did my husband not bring any food?" She then added, "Please bring something to eat next time."

Afterward, he would start carrying small snacks for her—a sachet of sugar, peanuts, or candied dates, for example. The Su family was affluent, so providing these items was no burden, and he even managed to find pears that were out of season. On one occasion, Ning Yi casually brought a large flatbread. It was late winter or early spring, and the cold had frozen it as hard as beef jerky. Su Tan'er didn't mind; she took it, slowly tearing off pieces with her teeth, and ate it with great satisfaction. Only then did she comment, "You did that on purpose, didn't you, Husband?"

By February, their conversations grew even more casual. They resembled an unusual pair of friends for their time: one a merchant, the other dabbling in unconventional small inventions. One day, Su Tan'er asked Ning Yi, "Husband, why do you never frequent brothels or accept invitations from those esteemed scholars?"

Ning Yi shrugged, "I only know a couple of poems; that's not enough to win over any ladies..."

Su Tan'er pondered his words for a long while before finally grasping their meaning, then she burst out laughing. "Just shower them with money! My cousins, they extort dozens of taels from me every time, and they only frequent the most renowned establishments. If you, Husband, take a few hundred taels, coupled with your literary fame, meeting someone like Qi Lan or Lu Caicai shouldn't be an issue after a few visits... Oh, and after the Lantern Festival, I heard that Miss Qi Lan is quite fond of you, Husband. For several nights, she's been singing your 'Qing Yu An' every night, her guqin music so hauntingly beautiful. Perhaps, Husband, you could even forge a legendary romance with her..."

She glanced at Ning Yi, her eyes darting. Ning Yi considered for a moment, then nodded. "Is that true? Well then, I suppose I'll go tomorrow night... It's not easy for them, after all..."

Su Tan'er was eating broad beans that evening. She cast a cool glance at him, then crunched on the beans for a long moment before letting out a scoffing laugh. "In that case, Husband, you'd best take Xiao Chan along."

Ning Yi was never short of money, primarily because he could always ask Xiao Chan for it, and he didn't spend much anyway. Su Tan'er also had no objections to his spending habits. However, even if Xiao Chan was usually docile, it was obvious whose side she would take if Ning Yi actually went to visit courtesans. Even if she said nothing overtly, she would undoubtedly resort to underhanded tactics to sabotage him. At this thought, he sighed, "Only women and petty people are difficult to deal with... You, woman, are honey-seducing and dagger-hearted, not honest in the slightest. Give me back my broad beans; you're not allowed to eat them!"

Su Tan'er abruptly stepped back, clutching the small bag, and smiled like a fox. "Tan'er has been in business for years; I've never once heard of a truly honest merchant. So, Husband, you'll have to bear with me."

February passed uneventfully for Ning Yi. His days revolved around his students, Nie Yunzhu, Xiao Chan, Su Tan'er, and chemistry experiments. He occasionally met with Elder Qin and Elder Kang for casual conversation and sometimes gathered information about Song Xian and the Wu Lie Army through other means. He often recalled the female assassin's martial arts, but she had vanished without a trace after the Lantern Festival.

In early March, the Su family business was bustling, yet Su Tan'er managed to set aside a day for an excursion with Ning Yi and three maids to the outskirts of Jiangning City. That afternoon, upon their return, they visited a teahouse. There, they inadvertently overheard a group of scholars at a nearby table discussing preserved eggs. The scholars claimed that the woman currently producing and selling the eggs was a beauty of exceptional talent who merely wished to support herself through her own efforts and had independently developed the preservation method. They added that a talented scholar, who had admired her character and pursued her for several years, had recently employed a clever strategy, opening up sales for this novel item in less than half a month.

In reality, while Nie Yunzhu was indeed busy, it was improbable that preserved eggs had garnered such widespread fame so quickly. The "clever strategy" that the scholars were discussing was, in fact, Ning Yi's own arrangement for Li Pin to find people to act as shills. He found it amusing, wondering how Li Pin had managed to get tangled up with Nie Yunzhu over this, and the part about "pursuing her for several years" seemed utterly careless; Li Pin had clearly landed himself in hot water. However, after listening for a few more moments, he realized the situation was not as he had first assumed.

"This Gu Hong, Gu Yanzhen, became renowned in Jiangning years ago. His current return from Tokyo is for this woman. He now holds an official title, and his profound devotion to her remains, which is truly remarkable..."

"The method he employed was ingenious, resolving the issue in mere days... A talented scholar and a beautiful woman—given time, they are sure to become a legendary romance."

"I, however, disagree. For that woman to appear publicly and conduct such a business, she is truly not a suitable match..."

After listening for a while, he realized that these individuals were entirely discussing the man named Gu Hong, Gu Yanzhen. Recalling Nie Yunzhu's rather loaded questions from a few days prior, he began to piece things together and couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.

The following day, before dawn, when he arrived at the small building, Nie Yunzhu was already waiting for him on the steps, as was her custom. Upon seeing him approach, she offered a smile no different from her usual one. Ning Yi observed her for a moment, then gently rubbed his forehead. "Are you very tired lately?"

"Huh?" Nie Yunzhu paused, then shook her head, looking somewhat confused.

Ning Yi sat down beside her, carefully choosing his words. "Why... didn't you just directly tell that Gu Yanzhen to... stop what he's doing?"

The chilly morning breeze swept through the darkness, and silence enveloped the small building. After a moment, Nie Yunzhu's voice came from beside him. "Li Heng... why... why are you... asking this...?"

"Uh, I just heard... about that Gu Yanzhen..." Ning Yi spread his hands, unsure how to articulate his thoughts.

"I... I, I have nothing to do with that Gu Yanzhen... They're just spouting nonsense... Li Heng... uh... I..."

Nie Yunzhu's voice seemed off. Ning Yi turned to look, and in the darkness, only a faint light emanated from one side of the house. In its glow, the woman's expression appeared somewhat indignant, as if she wanted to emphasize something but struggled to articulate it clearly. Ning Yi observed her for a long moment, finding it difficult to comprehend, then slowly said, "Hmm, I see..."

Nie Yunzhu glanced at him, her brows furrowed as if on the verge of tears. However, she then took a deep breath, looked earnestly at Ning Yi, and emphasized, word by word.

"I have no connection to that Gu Yanzhen."

The month was drawing to a close, with only three days remaining.