The weather was too cold and damp, so Hua Zhi was unwilling to go out. She only sent Little Six to take Yan Xi—whose facial scars had been concealed—to meet with Zeng Xiangyan and the others. They were gone the entire day.
"The horse racing track still has unmelted snow, so we didn’t go today. We’ve agreed to go the day after tomorrow," said Gu Yanxi, sitting by the brazier. He waited until the chill had left his body before moving closer to A Zhi. "We spent the whole day at the gambling house today and lost over three thousand taels."
"Did you let them win on purpose?"
Gu Yanxi laughed. "Of course. The Seven Constellation Bureau’s miscellaneous studies include this skill—I know a little about it."
The Seven Constellation Bureau really has everything, Hua Zhi thought, rubbing her fingertips, which had finally warmed up a little. "How many more days will you stay here?"
"What were your original plans?"
"I thought that if I only told you in words, you wouldn’t truly understand the extent of Jin Yang’s situation. That’s why I waited here for you to come, so you could personally experience how dire it is. The matters that follow will require you to take charge of the planning. I can only offer ideas—I won’t appear publicly or behind the scenes. I can’t allow the Hua family to face even the slightest risk of disgrace because of this."
Gu Yanxi nodded. "Understood. Leave the rest to me. You just need to tell me your plan."
"Alright." With that matter settled, Hua Zhi finally had a chance to ask about the situation at Yinshan Pass.
"Everything is fine. Old Master Hua had a group of people step back from the sand table work to learn governance under your father’s guidance. Old Master Hua is now in charge of internal affairs at Yinshan Pass, working with Wu Yong to support and protect the pass."
"So, a group of people was eliminated? They had no talent for the sand table?"
"More or less." Gu Yanxi didn’t reveal the whole truth, as Hua Yizheng had intended. Neither of them wanted Hua Zhi to know that warfare had already broken out at Yinshan Pass. Those from the Hua family who had taken on the role of military advisors had to remain in the camp, sharing the fate of the commanding officers. The ones who stepped back weren’t lacking in talent—they were simply too young.
"I’ll bring you the letters later."
"Good." Knowing her family was safe, Hua Zhi didn’t press for more details. For other matters, she could read their letters.
Meanwhile, Zeng Xiangyan was summoned by his elder brother.
"I heard there were new faces today?"
Zeng Xiangyan sniffed, eyeing the jar of wine beside his elder brother with intense longing. With a pleading expression, he said, "Give me a drink, and I’ll tell you everything after a cup."
Zeng Xianglin, the current head of the Zeng family, couldn’t help but laugh at his brother’s greedy demeanor. He personally took a wine cup, filled it to the brim, and handed it to him.
Zeng Xiangyan took a sip from his brother’s hand before accepting the cup, not wasting a single drop.
After taking another satisfied sip, Zeng Xiangyan said, "It was Hua Qian’s elder brother, Hua Cheng, who came to meet with their siblings today. He’s truly a generous fellow—I estimated he lost nearly four thousand taels today."
Zeng Xiangyan clicked his tongue in admiration. Hua Cheng’s composure despite his losses had left a deep impression on their group. Regardless of his background, it was clear he had substantial resources and no shortage of silver. Such people were always welcome in Jin Yang.
"Did you notice anything unusual about him?"
Zeng Xiangyan looked at his brother, frowning slightly. "Is there something wrong with him?"
Zeng Xianglin shook his head gently. "A new face, spending money so lavishly as if it were intentional—we need to be cautious.""What's the big deal? I asked my cousin about it, and that Hua Qian's sister alone has lost seven thousand taels these past few days. After my cousin couldn't go out conveniently, she went by herself. I'd say it's our Jin Yang's entertainment that's truly appealing. And that Hua Qian, though young, carries several thousand taels in silver notes on him. I really wonder what family raised such a nest of spendthrifts."
"Speaking as if you aren't one yourself," Zeng Xianglin teased his younger brother with a laugh. "Have the three siblings been asking about anything?"
"Hua Qian has been following me the whole time, never asking many questions, rarely even looking around. He just plays whatever I play. I think he's mostly curious, typical of a young boy's nature. I observed his elder brother today too—he's quite similar to his younger brother. Not only does he not ask questions, he hardly speaks at all. You'd think he was a silent type, but his betting is shockingly bold. When he didn't even know how to play, he directly placed a bet of a thousand taels. As for his sister, I also asked my cousin. My cousin said she's basically been under everyone's watch the whole time, with no chance to play tricks. From what my cousin said, it seems she's solely focused on having fun. If you ask me if there's anything suspicious about them, I really don't see it. Unless their silver comes from dubious sources—but even if it does, what's that to us? Once it enters our pockets, isn't it our silver?"
Hearing his younger brother's words, Zeng Xianglin's vigilance finally eased somewhat. He hoped they truly were just here with silver and nothing else.
"Brother, you're all too cautious. I heard they won't be staying here long anyway. They were originally just waiting for Hua Cheng to join them here. Probably they'll play for a few days and then leave. I quite like that young Hua brother. Tsk, why don't we have such a well-behaved younger brother in our family?"
Zeng Xianglin wore a half-smiling expression. "I do have a younger brother, he's just not very well-behaved."
"Hehe, brother, if you increase my allowance, I can definitely become better behaved too. While Hua Qian is still here, I'll learn properly from him."
Zeng Xianglin handed him the wine jar. "No allowance, but I have two jars of wine. Want them?"
"Two jars are too few, not even enough for one meal for me. Make it ten jars."
"Keep bargaining and you won't get even one."
Zeng Xiangyan grabbed the wine jar and ran off. Just kidding—this was Miyue wine that only twenty jars were produced each month. With the year almost over, this was only the second time he'd gotten to drink it. There was no way he'd let it be taken back.
Zeng Xianglin shook his head with a wry smile and instructed, "Withdraw half the people from over there."
"Yes."
Jia Yang noticed the movement immediately and reported it to his master.
"Don't mind them. Continue as usual." Gu Yanxi tapped the table. "Tomorrow, go buy some Jin Yang specialties from the street, make it look like we're about to leave."
"Yes."
"Isn't Jin Yang's specialty just gambling? Why not bring back a pair of dice?" Little Six teased while picking up the beans roasted by the brazier one by one and placing them on a plate for Hua sister. The beans weren't particularly delicious, but they were fragrant. After discovering Hua sister quite liked them, whenever he sat by the brazier he would grab a handful of beans to roast.Hua Zhi picked up a nut and leisurely peeled off its outer skin before placing it in her mouth. From time to time, she would feed one to Yan Xi and hand another to Little Six. This scene made Little Six’s eyes grow warm, as he recalled a moment he had witnessed in Xiangyang. After a flood, a family of four had nothing to eat. The father had somehow managed to get a handful of peas, which he skewered, roasted, and distributed entirely to his two children. Yet the children didn’t eat them all themselves—they would pop one into their mouths and then stuff one into their parents’ mouths. Despite the hardship they faced, they were all smiling.
At the time, he couldn’t understand the source of their joy, but now he suddenly grasped it. No matter how difficult life gets, as long as family is together, it’s enough. For him, even when Hua Jie was just snacking on small treats, she remembered him. Even if it was something of little value, it made him happy—truly happy.
It made him feel that he, too, had relatives he could rely on and who relied on him in return.
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