TTTQF Chapter 131

Attending the Banquet

October 25th is the day when the Duke's Mansion hosts its banquet for guests. Although Pei Che holds the highest status among those who pass the exam, the Duke's Mansion still follows the proper order when hosting the banquet to avoid being criticized for not adhering to protocol.

Pei Che and Jiang Miao return to the Duke's Mansion two days earlier, bringing their two children with them after getting permission for leave. Since there are tutors at home, the children's studies do not fall behind.

The Duke’s estate prepares brand-new clothes for all of them, from head to toe, meticulously sewn by the mansion’s embroiderers stitch by stitch. Despite the rush, the quality of the garments doesn’t suffer. They fit perfectly and are even more comfortable than the clothes sold in outside shops.

Jiang Miao is gradually getting used to wearing these kinds of clothes. In fact, when he occasionally switches back to his coarse work clothes, he finds them stiff and uncomfortable.

"Master Jiang, here are the account books from the various shops for this month," say Chan Yi and Wen Jing as they bring over wooden boxes filled with account books, two full boxes waiting for Jiang Miao to review.

"Just leave them there. I'll look at them later," Jiang Miao replies, planning to rope Pei Che into helping. It would be a waste not to put such a strong laborer to good use.

The two are surprised at Jiang Miao’s cooperation this time. The shop accounts are only reviewed every two months, and during the last review, Master Jiang tries to shirk responsibility, acting as if these matters have nothing to do with him.

In Jiang Miao's mind, those matters truly didn't concern him before. But things are different now. His relationship with Pei Che has reached a new level, and the things he once didn't want to get involved in now have to be faced together with Pei Che.

He asks someone to bring him a few charcoal pencils and some blank paper, and he also prepares an abacus for Pei Che so they can settle the accounts together later.

Not long after, Pei Che returns from outside. He hasn't even had the chance to sit down when he notices Jiang Miao, beaming brightly.

Jiang Miao, smiling like a flower, leans in close to Pei Che, pulling him down to sit and offering him tea and water. He even suggests giving him a massage.

Pei Che, who has never experienced such treatment before, is utterly confused. He begins replaying everything that has happened today, trying to figure out what could have led to this unusual attention.

However, no matter how hard he thinks, he can’t figure it out—until the next moment. Pei Che stares blankly at the account books in front of him, then turns to look at Jiang Miao.

Jiang Miao, no longer sweet and gentle, glares at him and says, "Hurry up and calculate! What are you looking at me for? You agreed to it yourself earlier!"

Pei Che sighs, pulls the abacus and account books closer, and starts calculating diligently. Jiang Miao, satisfied, turns around and quickly jots down a string of numbers on the blank paper using the charcoal pencil, then begins to calculate.

He works quickly, and in no time, he finishes calculating one account book. After verifying that everything is correct, Jiang Miao picks up the seal placed beside him and stamps the account book with a firm "thud." Before he can put the seal down, Pei Che pushes another account book over for him to stamp.

"Pretty fast!" Jiang Miao thinks to himself. He looks up at Pei Che, who has already picked up another account book. Pei Che's long fingers are swiftly manipulating the abacus, and the smooth beads click crisply under his well-defined hands. It is as if the abacus in Pei Che’s hands isn’t an accounting tool but a guqin, and instead of calculating, he is playing it for his own enjoyment.

Sure enough, good-looking people look good doing anything! Jiang Miao stares at him for a while before picking up another account book and resuming his calculations.

Time passes as the two of them sit across from each other, working through the accounts, until the candles are lit in the room. It’s only then that they finish going through the two full boxes of account books. Most of the shopkeepers appear to be quite honest. After all, with the Duke's Mansion backing them, anyone dishonest would have long been thrown into jail. The few discrepancies seem to be due to accounting errors, likely mistakes made while recording numbers.

However, the specifics will have to wait until after the banquet to be further investigated to determine what is really going on.

The next morning, the mansion becomes busy. Brand-new lanterns and red silk decorations are hung, the flowers, plants, and trees in the courtyard are freshly trimmed and vibrant, and even the stone slabs on the ground look as though they have been carefully scrubbed clean.

The stewards of the mansion are checking the equipment they are responsible for, making sure everything is ready for any unexpected needs the next day. If something is missing today, it can still be replaced, but if something is lacking in front of the guests tomorrow, it will be a major embarrassment. They can’t afford such a mistake, so they spend nearly the entire day guarding the items until nightfall, when all the doors close.

On the morning of October 25th, just before dawn, everyone in the Duke's Mansion is already prepared to welcome the guests. They are full of energy, with each person eager to present their best self to the visitors.

As the sky brightens, the sound of firecrackers erupts in front of the Duke’s Mansion, echoing for a long time and adding a burst of energy to the previously quiet morning. Once the noise fades, guests begin arriving one after another, bringing fine gifts.

Pei Che stands at the entrance with a few of his younger cousins to greet them.

With each compliment Pei Che receives, the darker their expressions grow. It is hard to understand what their parents are thinking, sending them to stand by Pei Che as mere foils.

"Brother, look!" Pei Min says, casually glancing down at the street when his attention is suddenly caught by someone getting off a carriage not far away. He nudges Pei Pu, sounding slightly excited.

Pei Pu, who has been sulking the entire time, glares at Pei Min before finally looking down.

It is a couple, dressed in fine clothes, but compared to those around them, the difference in quality is noticeable. Moreover, their stiff movements and awkward expressions clearly indicate that they are not accustomed to such formal occasions.

"Aren't they the family of that sister-in-law?" Pei Min says in a strange tone. Even though Pei Che has already taught them how to properly address Jiang Miao, Pei Min deliberately refers to Jiang Miao this way.

"What do you want to do?" Pei Pu, who shares the same mother as Pei Min, immediately senses the malice behind his words.

"Don't worry, I'm not doing anything. Just following the rules," Pei Min replies with a smile, then calls over a servant and whispers a few instructions. The servant nods dumbly before heading down to approach the nervous-looking couple.

"Are you guests at today’s banquet?" the servant asks.

"Yes, yes!" the husband quickly replies.

"May I see your invitation?" Though phrased as a question, his tone leaves no room for refusal.

The couple is startled and immediately begins searching, but they can’t find the invitation at first. In the end, they open the bundle they’re carrying, finally retrieving the invitation from the bottom.

The servant takes the invitation and examines it closely, as if trying to memorize every word. He occasionally glances up at the couple with a suspicious look, as though verifying its authenticity. The scene starts to draw attention from the onlookers, and the subtle glances make the couple even more nervous, filling them with the urge to leave as soon as possible.

Being country folk, they rarely venture out. The outside world has always been both fascinating and intimidating to them, and now, in this awkward situation, the calm facade they have been maintaining is quickly beginning to unravel.

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