Chapter 293: House Swap

Chapter 293: Moving House

Back in West Wu Prefecture, at this hour the house would've been getting dinner ready. But now the yard was dead quiet.

Figuring Song Tingzhou probably wasn't back yet, Meng Wan headed to the kitchen on autopilot to find Chang Jinhua.

"M-Master..." Yuemei scrambled up from behind the stove and bowed nervously to Meng Wan. Huangye's mom, Jin Gu, and Zhu Yan were in there lending a hand too.

Meng Wan said offhandedly, "Don't mind me, keep doing what you're doing. Just taking a peek."

He stepped out of the kitchen and strolled through the golden sunset light to Chang Jinhua's courtyard. Chang Jinhua had slept all morning and perked up a bit by afternoon; she was now sorting through her everyday things.

Meng Wan helped her pack the tea leaves from He Mountain County into ceramic jars and seal them up, then urged, "Mom, you feeling any better? Let Huangye and the others deal with this—you should rest up some more."

Chang Jinhua hadn't eaten or slept well on the road, and the long trip had clearly worn her down. Meng Wan thought the crease between her brows looked deeper than it used to.

"Ye Ge'er's been working hard too—he was busy all morning, so I told him to go rest. I can't sleep anyway, so I might as well stay busy." Chang Jinhua was used to working with her hands; making her sit around doing nothing in the house would be worse than sending her back to the fields.

Of course, it'd be even better if she could reopen her shop.

Meng Wan poked around Chang Jinhua's room, digging through cabinets without a second thought, looking for a snack. Since the house wasn't fully unpacked yet, all he found was half a bag of candied fruit. He took a bite, found it cloying, and put it back.

"The capital's not like West Wu Prefecture. The house is smaller now, and Xiao Ci, A Yan, and you all need people around you. I'll get someone to teach the folks we brought from West Wu some proper manners. They're all young kids—at that age, they pick things up fast."

Meng Wan had known all along they wouldn't have enough hands once they got to the capital. Better to bring their own people from Lingnan than to buy a bunch of strangers in Shengjing.

The disaster in Qin Prefecture had pushed a lot of traffickers to drag kids out of the area—nothing anyone could do about it. If Song Tingzhou hadn't cracked down hard on Qin Prefecture, the whole province would've been overrun with refugees.

Chang Jinhua put down her bundle and sat next to Meng Wan with a sigh. "Wan Ge'er, I just can't bring myself to boss those kids around. They're at the best age—they should be home with their folks, acting spoiled and playing around."

She had a soft heart—that was obvious from how she'd treated Meng Wan from day one. Nobody'd ever seen a seller wait on their own goods before. Other than stitching shoe soles, Meng Wan had never picked up a single bit of needlework.

"Honestly, I'm not totally used to it either. But those kids ending up with us is still better than ending up somewhere else, right? At least they won't get mistreated or beaten. Once we raise them, if they want to get married or take a wife, we'll cover the dowry or bride price." Meng Wan's heart was more level-headed and tougher than Chang Jinhua's, but with his modern republican values, he could never really treat people like slaves. He saw the household staff more like employees—a working relationship.

But there was a big difference between these new servants and Xue Sheng, Bi Yun, and Huang Ye. Meng Wan had already given those three back their contracts. Bi Yun's registration had been moved to the Tao family, and Xue Sheng and Huang Ye were now registered under the Song family—all switched from slave status to free commoner status.

What used to be a nightmare for Meng Wan was now a piece of cake with a big-shot official in the house. One word from him, and the underlings got it all done.

The new servants, including Zhu Yan and Gui Cheng, were different from Xue Sheng and the other three. Meng Wan couldn't be sure these people wouldn't be tempted to turn on him, so he kept all their contracts locked up in his own hands.

He wouldn't be harsh or nitpicky, but he also wouldn't trust them blindly without safeguards. His kindness came with a condition: these people could never threaten the safety of his family.

Chang Jinhua was convinced. She was still a bit uneasy, but she tried to go along with it. She called Meng Wan over to sit on the heated brick bed and talked it over with him. "Wan'er, I want to go back to the countryside to see your dad—fix up his grave, pull the weeds."

Her voice was heavy, her eyes dull, and a sadness hung over her.

Meng Wan agreed right away. "Of course. Rest up here in the capital first and get your health back. Come winter, whether or not your husband's free, I'll go back with you. We'll bring A Yan too, so Dad can see his grandson."

At the mention of A Yan, Chang Jinhua smiled, the lines at the corners of her eyes softening. "Good, good. Let your dad see his grandson and see how well we've raised our A Yan."

Meng Wan was starving. As soon as dinner was ready, he had the servants bring it out. Yuemei worried that since the master of the house hadn't returned yet, serving the meal now might invite his displeasure later.

But Huangye and the others didn't hesitate, immediately ordering the dishes to be served. With the Song household's growing number of servants, Xue Sheng mostly accompanied the masters and didn't manage affairs. Huangye effectively served as the household steward, so when he gave orders, no one hesitated—only Yuemei and her husband remained anxious.

"Sister Yuemei, you and Brother Liu know the area well. From now on, the task of purchasing meat and vegetables will be yours. Gui Qian is literate—let him follow you two and learn the ropes." Huangye addressed the still-frozen Yuemei and her husband.

"Alright, alright!" The couple quickly agreed. They had assumed that when the young master returned, he would favor his own trusted people and push them to the margins. Instead, not only had they been given a task, but a lucrative one at that—naturally, they were overjoyed.

Yuemei's cooking wasn't great, but Jin Gu's skills had been personally trained by Chang Jinhua, and her dishes tasted nearly identical to Chang Jinhua's. Meng Wan enjoyed them.

Fang Jinrong and Tong'er were still asleep, and A Yan was also napping. The excitement of a new place had worn them out by afternoon.

Meng Wan had his meal at Chang Jinhua's place. Mother and son set up a small table on the brick bed, just like they used to in their old home in Changping, with six dishes and a soup.

Chang Jinhua hadn't been fond of soup before, but that habit had developed in West Wu Prefecture. The humidity in Lingnan was heavy, and drinking more soup helped dispel dampness and nourish the body.

Chang Jinhua smiled. "When it comes to soup, I'm not as good as Jin Gu. She's the expert. Would you like some red mushroom and pork bone soup? Let Mother serve you."

No servants attended them. Meng Wan pushed his bowl forward. "Yes, please. Thank you, Mother."

Meng Wan, hungry and craving, drank two bowls of soup, finished a bowl of rice, and ate plenty of dishes. Chang Jinhua, still unwell, had two bowls of soup and a few bites of food before setting down her chopsticks.

They were nearly done when Song Tingzhou returned. He didn't mind the leftovers from his mother and husband, polishing off the remaining dishes.

"Is the Shuntian Prefecture too far from Shichun Lane? How long did the journey take you?" Meng Wan had only been to the Shuntian Prefecture once and hadn't paid attention to the distance. But just now, when he touched Song Tingzhou's heavy outer robe, he found it ice-cold—the fabric was soaked through completely.

The deep autumn in Shengjing was truly different from Lingnan. The days were warm enough under the sun, but mornings and evenings were cold enough to feel like winter. Neither Meng Wan nor Chang Jinhua had remembered how different the climate was.

Song Tingzhou took a cup of water. "About an hour by horse. It'd be faster in the morning when there are fewer people on the roads."

"That long?" Chang Jinhua was surprised too. Neither West Wu Prefecture nor Changping Prefecture was as vast as Shengjing. Did it really take an hour to travel between two central locations? That was nearly the distance from the center of West Wu Prefecture to the city gates.

Meng Wan held the household's financial reins, and he made a decisive call. "Let's move. Chu Ci and A Yan are getting older, and this small courtyard on Shichun Lane is already too cramped. Tomorrow I'll ask around for a broker near the Shuntian Prefecture. We need to move before winter sets in."

Northern winters were brutal—uncomfortable at best, dangerous at worst. Fortunately, much of their luggage hadn't been unloaded yet, so buying a new residence sooner would make the move easier and the unpacking more convenient.

Chang Jinhua had no opinion on buying a house or its size anymore—she left everything to Meng Wan.

Song Tingzhou knew Meng Wan was doing this so he wouldn't have to brave the cold wind on his commute. A warm current flowed through his heart, dispelling the chill better than the mushroom soup he'd just drunk. He rubbed the fair skin of Meng Wan's wrist. "There's no rush. You and Mother should rest at home first after the long journey."

Meng Wan leaned half against him, looking up with eyes full of affection. "What's there to be tired about? I won't go door to door myself anyway—I'll just have someone find a broker to come here. I'll look at the household registers, narrow it down to two or three, and then go see them in person."

After years of buying properties along the way, Meng Wan had become quite experienced at house hunting.

They chatted a while longer at Chang Jinhua's place until Huangye came to report that A Yan had woken up, eaten a bowl of noodles, and fallen back asleep without even brushing his teeth—Huangye had to hold his head up to rinse his mouth for him. Fang Jinrong and Tong'er's room was much the same; no one came out for meals, all eating in their rooms.

Song Tingzhou told Chang Jinhua to rest early, then led Meng Wan to their bedroom and added a thick outer robe for him.

"After so many years away from the north, I almost forgot how big the temperature difference is between day and night." Meng Wan rubbed his slightly reddened nose.

Song Tingzhou followed his motion and covered his hand over Meng Wan's straight, delicate nose—indeed ice-cold. "Did you bring enough thick clothes? Will they be warm enough? We should prepare them in advance."

Meng Wan lowered his hand and placed it in Song Tingzhou's broad, warm palm. "I brought some, but they might not be thick enough. If we find a new house smoothly, I'll immediately commission new winter clothes. We're running low on fabric, so it's a good time to buy new material and cotton."

"Good." Song Tingzhou gripped his hand tightly.

The flowers in the garden had all withered, leaving only bare stems that hadn't been cleared yet. Meng Wan picked up a dead branch and twirled it in his hand. "Chief Clerk Qiao and his family, along with the Tao household's womenfolk, all came with me. They traveled thousands of miles to follow you, so I'll handle their housing. When we buy our new residence, I'll purchase homes for their four families as well."

Song Tingzhou thanked his husband with sincere gravity. "I appreciate your efforts, Wan'er." Though husband and husband were one, Wan'er devoted himself so completely—it deserved gratitude.

Meng Wan waved his hand with a grin. "Heh, it's nothing. We're not short on money now. Other people spend fortunes supporting their retainers; we're just providing lodging. And it's not free—after three years, I'll transfer the deeds to them."

Song Tingzhou stopped walking and looked seriously into Meng Wan's eyes. "That's already more than generous."

Meng Wan tossed away the dead branch, glanced around at their surroundings, and said mysteriously, "Jinrong still has to leave. He'll probably head off after delivering Tong'er here. Cough... someone will rendezvous with him in the shadows."

Song Tingzhou understood his meaning and smoothly changed the subject. "It's good that A Yan has Tong'er for company. I'll ask Zhao Yuan if he knows of any reputable private schools in the capital. His father-in-law is a great Confucian scholar from the south—he might have connections here."

Meng Wan was very satisfied. "Excellent. At this age, he should be studying and learning proper conduct—how can he just loaf around at home?"

After their meal, the two went for a stroll, chatting as they walked, making loop after loop around the compact garden.

Song Tingzhou's wide sleeve hid their clasped hands, and standing close like that, Meng Wan wasn't the only one whose heart felt at ease.

The next morning, Song Tingzhou was up again at the fourth watch. Meng Wan, still groggy, watched his red figure head out, thinking to himself that he'd definitely, right this second, go buy a house—a big one! In a good school district!!!

However, as he was having breakfast with Chang Jinhua, the gatekeeper's husband, Liu Da—Yue Mei's man—came to report that a lady and her husband were at the gate asking to see him.

Meng Wan guessed who it was with a moment's thought—he knew they would come, but hadn't expected them so early.

"Please, invite them in at once."

He then had Zhu Yan clear the breakfast table and replace it with tea and fruit, before immediately going out to greet them.

The house on Shichun Lane had only two courtyards—still too small. As Meng Wan reached the main hall of the inner courtyard, he saw Liu Da ushering in five people.

One of them was familiar—it was Fu Peilan, wife of Zhu Zening, whom he had first met at their wedding in Chai Prefecture. She came in with two senior maids and her husband walking alongside.

The husband beside Lan Niang was about the same age as Meng Wan and Lan Niang, slightly stout, with an ordinary appearance but a bookish air about him. He walked at a leisurely pace, accompanied only by an elderly matron.

Meng Wan wore a warm smile on his face. "Lan Niang, Sister Shushen, please come in. The house is a mess—I should have visited you instead, but you've come to us first. Please forgive any poor hospitality."

Zheng Shushen was Wu Zhaoyuan's husband, the same age as Meng Wan. He spoke softly and gently, with that soft, lilting, honeyed drawl typical of the Jiangnan region—slow, measured, and soothing.

Later, after Chang Jinhua met Zheng Shushen, she told Meng Wan that his speech sounded like singing.

"Since you haven't stood on ceremony with us, I'll skip the formalities and pay my respects to Old Madam Song first, then we can sit and talk properly," Zheng Shushen said gently.

Lan Niang, more familiar with Meng Wan, took his hand and said, "Don't be so polite with family. Don't mind Shushen's gentle demeanor—he's not the petty or troublesome type. We've come to see if you're short on anything we can help with."

Meng Wan felt a warmth in his heart as he led them toward Chang Jinhua's room. "Since you mention it, there is something. Our family wants to move to a residence closer to the Shuntian Prefecture and the imperial palace. Do you know any reliable housing brokers?"

"Moving?" Zheng Shushen exclaimed in surprise. The Song family had just arrived in the capital and was already eager to move? He looked around the Shichun Lane residence—it was compact but complete, even better furnished than his own. Their home was also a two-courtyard layout, slightly inferior in location to Shichun Lane, though still reasonably close to the Hanlin Academy, with neighbors who were minor officials from that institution.