As Zhu Changle tossed and turned, trying various positions, she finally noticed some different activity just as the stalls were being packed up.
The creaking of cart wheels grew louder as they approached from afar. Several people emerged from the rooms below, stretching lazily with relaxed expressions. Someone remarked, "It's quite late today."
"Well, there's a new county magistrate. It's natural to be more cautious."
"Psh, it doesn't matter who comes here."
"This one's different. I'll tell you more later."
Zhu Changle thought gleefully to herself, "They must be talking about how impressive father is."
When the cart finally arrived, Zhu Changle's good mood instantly evaporated at the sight of the sacks piled on it.
The two parties seemed quite familiar with each other. The men opened the sacks, grabbed handfuls to inspect, and stirred the contents. After checking each sack this way, they had them carried inside.
Qiuli, with his keen eyesight, leaned close to Changle's ear and whispered, "It's rice."
Her ear tickled from his breath, and Zhu Changle rubbed it as she nodded. She had already guessed where the rice was going, so she wasn't surprised.
"One hundred sacks, no more, no less," the man said, pointing to a burlap sack on the ground. "There, take that back with you."
Even squinting, Zhu Changle couldn't make out who the person wearing the hat was. They remained silent, opened the sack to peek inside, then retied it and placed it on the cart before waving and leaving with their group.
The three of them retreated from the rooftop. Zhu Changle turned to Dingding, "Are you going back to stake out Gu'an?"
"Aren't you going to Gu'an tomorrow to get medicine? I'll wait for you there."
"Alright, got it." Zhu Changle waved and followed after the others.
Watching Qiuli shadow her closely, Dingding rubbed his chin thoughtfully. What was this guy's deal? Was he trying to replace Dingding at Little Zhu's side? Ha! He must be dreaming! Didn't he know how close he and Little Zhu were? No, he needed to quickly figure out the situation in Gu'an. It was more fun following Little Zhu anyway.
The empty cart made much less noise than when it had arrived, but in the silence of the night, even the slightest sound seemed amplified.
The two of them trailed far behind all the way back to the county town, watching as a side gate opened silently to let the group in before closing just as quietly. They were clearly very familiar with the routine.
Zhu Changle whispered, "If this is a regular transaction, why not store the grain closer? This is quite far."
"No matter who controls the grain, they'll keep it somewhere they can manage. They won't leave it outside the city," Qiuli replied.
After a moment's thought, Zhu Changle understood. Indeed, grain was different from other goods. Keeping it under close watch was the only way to feel secure. If they stored it outside the city, they'd have to post guards. Too few guards couldn't protect it properly, but too many would alert others that something valuable was there. Not only might people from Gu'an come to steal it, even the people of Yunbei might not be able to resist temptation. It was indeed safer to keep it inside the city.
The two of them climbed over the wall to continue following the group. They watched as the carts were gathered in one place before the men dispersed to their homes. Zhu Changle followed the man who had dealt with the Gu'an people, watching him enter his house. She and Qiuli exchanged a glance, remembering that they had already scouted this house when investigating officials' grain stores.
After waiting a while with no further activity, they left to head back.
It was too late to talk, and there was no rush. As they arrived home and Zhu Changle was about to bid Qiuli farewell, he suddenly pulled her behind him. "Who's there?"
Someone emerged from the corridor. In the dim moonlight, Zhu Changle recognized Tang Ming.
Tang Ming was in quite a predicament. After pondering for days what to do, he had waited until tonight only to find Miss Zhu absent. Worried that they might not return and leave directly for Gu'an in the morning, or that she might return but he'd miss her, he could only anxiously wait with no other plan.
Fortunately, his wait paid off. He bowed deeply, "Tang Ming has broken protocol. I ask Miss Zhu to punish me."
"You're lucky this is my home and we thought you were a servant. Otherwise, Qiuli wouldn't have just spoken – he would have acted," Zhu Changle said as she stepped out from behind Qiuli. "Isn't that right, Qiuli?"
"Mm," he agreed.
They were close to Zhu Changwang's room, and a light came on inside. Zuo Qing opened the door. "Is that Fourth Miss?"
"It's me. Did we wake my brother? Tell him it's nothing and to rest well. I'll talk to him tomorrow."
"Yes, miss." Zuo Qing returned to the room without another word, showing no inclination to pry.
Tang Ming observed this, realizing the weight this young lady's words carried in the Zhu household.
Zhu Changle tugged on Qiuli's sleeve. "Qiuli, let's go to your place."
The guest quarters were quiet, perfect for a private conversation.
Zhu Changle removed the wine gourd hanging at her waist and set it aside, clearly not intending to drink the Qingzhu wine. Instead, she found some Yunbei wine in the hall, quite familiar with where it was kept.
"I've gotten so used to this that Qingzhu doesn't appeal to me as much anymore. Dr. Tang, would you like a cup?" she offered.
Tang Ming considered himself a worldly man, but her behavior left him stunned. It wasn't unheard of for someone to invite others for a late-night drink, but for a woman to do so was truly rare.
"I hope to have the chance to drink a victory toast with Miss Zhu," he replied.
"I like the sound of that. Then I'll look forward to that victory drink." She pushed the first cup towards Qiuli, then poured one for herself. When she looked up again, she paused in surprise.
Tang Ming had removed his fake beard.
"I had guessed Dr. Tang might be around thirty, but it seems I overestimated," she remarked.
"I am twenty-four," Tang Ming said, rubbing his slightly stubbly chin with a smile that was half-mocking, half-bitter. "It feels strange to take it off now."
"They say habit is formed through long practice. Wasn't it uncomfortable when you first put it on?" Zhu Changle raised her cup to drink, then glanced at Qiuli and clinked glasses with him.
Tang Ming looked down at the fake beard in his hand, a rush of anger, resentment, and worry flooding back to him.
"I am from Gu'an," he said.
Zhu Changle wasn't surprised. She curled up comfortably in her chair, listening intently. She had a feeling this story would answer half of her questions.
"Heart Ease Medical Hall was opened by my maternal grandfather. The woman who assists there is my mother. Did you meet her?"
"We did. As soon as she saw the handwriting on the prescription, her expression changed. She clearly recognized your writing."
Tang Ming seemed to want to smile but couldn't quite manage it. "I write several letters home each year, so of course she's familiar with it. If I may ask, Miss Zhu, did you suspect my connection to Gu'an that day at the medical hall?"
"No, no, no. Much earlier," Zhu Changle said, wagging a finger smugly. "That day just confirmed your connection to Gu'an."
"I see," Tang Ming nodded. "I had heard of Lord Zhu's reputation and originally placed my hopes on him. When Miss Zhu exposed my fake beard that day, I realized you were no ordinary person either. These past few days have only strengthened that belief."
