Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 150 Kindness
Yan Sui got off the carriage again, carrying a food box in his hand and holding a hand warmer in his arms.

He finally managed to free one hand to wave at the departing carriage before turning and running towards the house where Wang Yan was.

Sang Dian spotted Yan Sui running from afar and immediately went forward to lift the curtain and let him in.

A whirlwind carrying snowflakes drifted into the house.

Yan Sui stamped his foot, bowed to Wang Yan, and then put down the things in his arms one by one.

Sang Dian went over to help.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that Yan Sui carried quite a lot of things.

He carried a food box in his hand, a blue cloth bundle on his back, a cloth bag on his arm, and two hand warmers in his arms.

In addition, she was wearing a brand new pair of gloves.

Before Wang Yan could speak, Sang Dian asked, "Where did all of these come from?"

“I just met Benefactor Xie at the village entrance,” Yan Sui said with a smile. “Benefactor Xie was on his way to Baode Temple. He saw me here, called me onto the carriage, and that’s how I got these things.”

Upon hearing that it was a gift from Xie Yuyan, Wang Yan looked up and, sure enough, spotted the hand warmer he had just given to Xie Yuyan among the pile of items Yan Sui had placed down.

In just a short while, she handed it over to Yan Sui.

Wang Yan's gaze swept over Yan Sui's belongings, finally settling on his brand-new boots. There shouldn't be any fur on the temple grounds, and those boots must have been stitched with several layers, looking exceptionally thick.

“These are vegetarian snacks,” Yan Sui said. “Would you like to try some, sir?”

The food box was opened, and the pastries inside were... quite loose, barely holding their shape. But perhaps that's precisely why; they were a testament to her skill.

How can someone who's too lazy to pour tea have the leisure to go into the kitchen?

Wang Yan withdrew his gaze: "You can keep it to eat!"

Sang Dian pursed his lips beside her. Madam Xie gave Xiao Jinzhu so many things, but didn't bring her husband a single thing... This... truly, different people have different fates.

Sang Dian tried to comfort him: "My husband doesn't like these things."

Yan Sui nodded and put the food box away. "Then I'll take it back to my master." As he spoke, he wiped the crumbs from his mouth, which were actually empty; he had already licked them clean.

Sang Dian brought over a cup of tea, which Yan Sui drank in a few gulps. He smiled and said to Wang Yan, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam. You insisted that I eat some pastries before getting out of the carriage."

“She was afraid that you would take everything to the temple and not eat it yourself,” Wang Yan said, pausing for a moment. “Since you’ve already eaten the snacks, there’s no need for the vegetarian meal I left for you.”

Yan Sui's smile froze, and he hurriedly said, "Why are you scaring me, kind sir... My belly is very big, how can a few pastries fill me up?"

Wang Yan looked at Sang Dian, who turned and went to the east room to bring back a vegetarian meal that had been kept warm.

Yan Sui immediately started eating. He knew that Wang Shanren was just joking, but he could also sense that Shanren's mood was not very good.

After Wang Yan finished reviewing the official documents in his hand, he was about to pick up another one when his gaze fell on those items again.

Everything was prepared meticulously, down to the smallest detail. The size of the hand-held garment Yan Sui wore also seemed perfect, showing that a lot of thought had been put into it.

What is the connection between this child and her?
Elders, friends, or family?
When she puts her heart into someone, she's exceptionally attentive; he knows all of this. The flower hairpin, the caring words, the lingering look in her eyes, the hand tightly holding his…

Only now does he realize that there is a difference between the real and the fake.

One will remember, the other has long forgotten.

That's good, that's exactly what he wanted to see clearly.

Once everything was laid bare before him, he knew that the real her was completely different from the one he remembered and imagined.

Wang Yan stood up and walked outside. Yan Sui wanted to follow, but Wang Yan's voice came calmly: "I have finished copying the calligraphy model. It is on the table. It is snowing heavily today. I will have Sang Dian take you back to Baode Temple."

Yan Sui was somewhat surprised. Didn't Benefactor Wang say he would stay for two days? Why was he being sent back so soon?
“Let’s go back,” Sang Dian said in a low voice. “My husband has been busy with official duties these days and has not been able to stay here for a while. The temple is quiet and suitable for studying.”

Yan Sui could only nod: "When will you leave Daming Prefecture, young master?" Well... I'm afraid you can't leave.

Sang Dian cleared his throat: "I'll be staying for a while."

Yan Sui was delighted: "I'll come again in a while."

……

Xie Yuyan was unaware that her young master had been sent back to Baode Temple by Wang Yan; she was still pondering what her master had said.

“When Wang Shanren came to Daming Prefecture last time, I caught a cold. It was Wang Shanren who took me down the mountain to get treatment. He taught me to read and write, and left me with many books and writing materials before he left.”

"The pen... is the same as this."

The pens Xie Yuyan bought as gifts for her master were all ones her master liked to use in her previous life; she never imagined they originated from Wang Yan.

In her previous life, she only heard her master say that the Wang family had been kind to her. She thought the Wang family was Wang Zheng, but now it seems that it might be Wang Yan.

No wonder Master's handwriting is so similar to Wang Yan's; it turns out Wang Yan taught him.

But why didn't her master tell her this? Instead, he let her continue to misunderstand.

Does he not think his relationship with the Wang family is important? Or does he not want people to know that he has close ties with the prime minister?

Coming here and meeting the Master, those previous misconceptions may be corrected.

Just as she wouldn't stop her master from staying in the temple, she wouldn't prevent him from associating with the Wang family unless danger was detected. Who he met and who he liked to be close to was his business, and she should follow his choice.

Wang Yan was willing to teach a child who lived nearby.

Even though he refused to speak when Wang Huai asked him for guidance back then.

After entering the cabinet at the age of thirty, Wang Yan was criticized for being cold and aloof. However, he had this side to him when he was young.

Perhaps this is why the master was willing to help the Wang family.

So, the fact that she was taken care of by her master back then was partly due to Wang Yan.

Xie Yuyan thought to herself, looking down at the string of Buddhist prayer beads in her palm. These were given to her by her master, and each bead had marks of polishing.

She would repay Wang Yan, but as she said, the Wang family didn't need any favors. As long as she went along with things and lent a hand, everyone would be happy.

……

The carriage stopped in front of the Yang family's house, and Xie Yuyan could hear lively sounds coming from inside.

"The lady is back."

The gatekeeper called out, and Granny Li and the others immediately came out to greet them.

“We’ve come to deliver a New Year’s gift to Madam,” Granny Li said with a smile. “The sooner we deliver it, the more at ease we’ll feel, since we’ll be busy with the market at Baode Temple later.”

Xie Yuyan asked, "How is the preparation of the goods to be sold going?"

Grandma Li said, "That's about enough. We'll stop after two more days. We'll sell as much as we can."

At this point, Grandma Li lowered her voice and said, "I'm here this time because I need you to make a decision about something."

Xie Yuyan led everyone to sit down in the main room of the third room.

Grandma Li then asked, "Can our village association bring in more people?"

Xie Yuyan had previously stated that any resident of Yong'an Ward could join the village association upon recommendation from the villagers. That was a good promise then, but now even Granny Li dared not make the decision on her own.

"There might be quite a few people who want to join the village association."