The main hall.
Master Cai was having tea with a young man.
He knew many relatives had come to pay their New Year's respects today, but the families of his three wives weren't worth much. He hadn't paid much attention to any of them.
Come to think of it, Master Cai did have some regrets.
Back then, he had been captivated by beauty and chosen his three wives for their looks. Now, in middle age, with trouble on his hands, he regretted not finding a suitable match from a family of equal standing. As a result, when problems arose, he had no one to turn to for help.
"Master, Third Mistress's nephew has come to visit."
Master Cai's expression turned cold as he listened to the gatekeeper's report. If it was Min'er's relative, then take him to Min'er's courtyard. There was no need to tell him.
"Master, Third Mistress's nephew is a martial artist."
The gatekeeper noticed his master's displeasure and quickly added in a lowered voice. Lin Yan, still outside on the steps before the threshold, heard every word.
A smile played at Lin Yan's lips. This was why he hadn't tried to keep a low profile.
If he had pretended to be unremarkable, they would have taken him to his great-aunt's courtyard. Once she learned he had made something of himself in martial arts, she would have gone to fetch her husband anyway. That might have satisfied his vanity even more, but it would only have complicated matters. There was no need.
"A martial artist?"
Master Cai froze. He had just risen to his feet when a figure had already stepped inside.
Lin Yan crossed the threshold. His gaze first fell on a portly, middle-aged man, who must be his great-aunt's husband. Then he turned his eyes to the other man.
"Junior Brother Lin?"
Before Lin Yan could speak, the young man recognized him and spoke first, surprise on his face. "Junior Brother Lin, are you related to Master Cai?"
Li An was genuinely stunned. The matter he had wanted to discuss with Lin Yan at the martial arts school was the trouble facing the Cai family.
Once his surprise passed, Li An turned to Master Cai, at a loss for words. "Master Cai, you really were joking with me. With Junior Brother Lin here, why would you need me to find someone for you?"
His words only left Master Cai even more bewildered.
What did he mean, with "Junior Brother Lin" here? Could he say that before today, he hadn't even known his family had a martial artist for a nephew?
Lin Yan looked at Senior Brother Li and recalled that, back at the martial arts school, he had sensed Li An wanted to say something to him. Judging by his hesitant expression, he must have needed Lin Yan's help with something.
Now that he had seen Senior Brother Li at the Cai residence and heard what he had said, Lin Yan understood.
The favor Senior Brother Li had wanted to ask of him must have something to do with the Cai family.
Cai Wanlong was still dazed. He had no idea who this young man, supposedly Min'er's nephew, was.
It wasn't that Cai Wanlong had a poor memory. He naturally remembered Lin Yan coming to the Cai residence to seek a Stance Technique over half a year ago, but he hadn't dared to make the connection.
The two stars on Lin Yan's martial arts uniform showed his level of cultivation.
A martial artist who had polished his skin twice in just over half a year—even among the scions of the city's great families, only those with exceptional talent could manage that. How could Min'er's great-nephew, who had needed to come to the door just to ask for a Stance Technique, have reached the second stage of Skin Polishing so quickly?
"Yan'er, this is your great-uncle."
Liu came in behind him and spoke at just the right moment, introducing herself as well.
Once Cai Wanlong learned who Lin Yan was, his jaw dropped even farther. He really was the great-nephew Min'er had brought over more than half a year ago.
No, from today on, he was a nephew.
A few moments later, Cai Wanlong finally came to his senses and immediately called to the gatekeeper, "Hurry and fetch Third Mistress!"
"Sister-in-law... Lin... Nephew, come and sit."
Cai Wanlong was exceedingly warm, fussing as he ushered Lin Yan and Liu to their seats.
Li An winked at Lin Yan, clearly intrigued by the relationship between him and Cai Wanlong.
From Cai Wanlong's reaction just now, the two were plainly unfamiliar with each other. They might even be meeting for the first time.
But if there was so little affection between them, why had Lin Yan come to the Cai residence to pay New Year's respects on the second day of the year?
Lin Yan was a martial artist who had polished his skin twice. His standing far surpassed that of a merchant like Master Cai. And Junior Brother Lin was so young—there was no question of him calling on the family to curry favor.
The rear courtyard of the Cai residence.
Li Min was chatting with relatives from her mother's family, though a hint of impatience showed between her brows.
Whenever these relatives came from her mother's family each year, they mostly complained about their hardships, dropping hints that the Cai family should help them. This year, they were especially full of grievances.
It was only because it was the second day of the New Year that she couldn't avoid seeing them. On an ordinary day, she would have had the gatekeeper find an excuse to send them away.
As Li Min listened absently to her relatives complain, the gatekeeper hurried in. "Third Mistress, Master is asking you to come to the main hall."
"Master wants me in the main hall?"
Li Min was surprised, but got to her feet right away. She had long since grown tired of these relatives.
"Master has something to attend to, so I'll go over first. Cui'er, keep the guests company."
Li Min followed the gatekeeper out of the courtyard and asked curiously, "Why is Master asking me to come to the main hall?"
If an important guest had come and they needed a family member present, they should have called First Madam. There was no reason to call her.
"Madam, your nephew is here."
When there were many people around, the gatekeeper called her "Third Mistress." Now that they were alone, he addressed her simply as "Madam." He understood perfectly well that with such an impressive nephew, Third Mistress's standing in the residence would only rise.
"My nephew?"
Li Min was even more puzzled. Her nephew was sitting in the courtyard, fighting Jun over a few pieces of candied fruit.
Besides, even if it was her own nephew, he had no standing to meet Master Cai in the main hall.
"It's... Young Master Lin. He's already a martial artist who has polished his skin twice."
The gatekeeper quickly explained the situation. Li Min's body trembled. Young Master Lin... polished his skin twice... her nephew...
A young man came to mind. Her great-nephew.
But could that really be?
Only when she entered the main hall and saw Liu and Lin Yan seated in their chairs did she truly believe it. An overwhelming joy rose in her heart.
It really was Liu and her great-nephew.
But this wasn't the time to get emotional. As soon as Li Min entered, she sensed the silence in the room. After a moment's thought, she understood: her husband didn't know Liu or Lin Yan at all, so he must have had little to say to them.
That was probably one of the reasons he had called for her—to liven things up before the room went cold.
"So it really is you, Sister-in-law. I thought the gatekeeper had mistaken you for someone else."
Li Min greeted Liu with a beaming smile. Lin Yan rose as well and bowed, showing his respect for his great-aunt.
"Yan'er has certainly made something of himself. Your elder brother and sister-in-law can rest in peace in the afterlife."
Li Min looked full of consolation. Lin Yan smiled to himself. Before today, his great-aunt probably couldn't even remember the anniversary of his parents' deaths.
But that was human nature. They were only distant cousins to begin with; what affection could there be? Only when you had something to offer did you have real relatives.
With Li Min's arrival, the atmosphere improved considerably. After chatting for a while, Li Min caught her husband's look and smiled as she took Liu's hand. "Sister-in-law, quite a few relatives have come to my home. Come meet them with me."
"All right."
Liu had felt somewhat ill at ease in the main hall. In her eyes, both Master Cai and Yan'er's senior brother were important figures, yet they had treated her with such respect. She hadn't quite known how to handle it.
After Li Min left with Liu, Li An glanced at Cai Wanlong. He now understood the relationship between Lin Yan and Cai Wanlong.
A great-uncle by marriage and a great-nephew—they weren't exactly close.
But during their conversation, he had also heard that when Junior Brother Lin first sought to learn martial arts, he had gone to the Cai residence for a Stance Technique. Given Junior Brother Lin's character, he would surely remember that kindness.
In that case, there was no need to beat around the bush.
"Junior Brother Lin, the Cai residence ran into trouble not long ago, and I'm not strong enough to resolve it. I was planning to ask one of the senior brothers at the martial arts school to help. Since you and Master Cai are related, could you consider whether you'd be willing to step in?"
As a guard for the Cai residence, Li An was responsible for its security and didn't involve himself in its business. But when Master Cai had asked him to find a martial artist who had polished his skin twice, Li An had thought of asking a senior brother from the martial arts school.
Junior Brother Lin had reached the second stage of Skin Polishing at such a young age. Surely the Green Bamboo Gang would be willing to show him some respect.
"If I can help my great-uncle, I won't turn him down. Senior Brother, could you explain exactly what happened?"
Lin Yan didn't refuse, but Li An didn't answer. He only turned to Cai Wanlong.
Cai Wanlong gave a wry smile. "Nephew Lin, it all started two months ago..."
As Cai Wanlong explained, Lin Yan learned what trouble the Cai family was facing.
The Cai family dealt in cloth and had good relations with several of the Prefecture City's large dye houses. Thanks to connections built by their ancestors, they could buy their goods cheaply and earn a few hundred taels a year.
But two months earlier, the Green Bamboo Gang, which had originally operated in the north of the city, withdrew from that area because of the Four Seas Gang. Instead of moving elsewhere in the city, they went straight outside the city and seized a hill by the official road, taking up the business of robbing passersby.
The Green Bamboo Gang naturally wouldn't dare target the merchant caravans of the Tang Family or other great families in the city. But merchants like the Cai family, with no deep roots or martial artist backing them, became targets. The gang demanded half of everything they carried as a toll.
"Nephew Lin, I was hoping to find a martial artist who had polished his skin twice to talk to the Green Bamboo Gang and see if they'd reduce the toll—to twenty or thirty percent."
Cai Wanlong hadn't even dared to hope they might stop paying entirely.
After Cai Wanlong finished, Li An added, "Junior Brother Lin, both the Green Bamboo Gang's chief and deputy chief have polished their skin twice. They also have five martial artists who have polished their skin once, so they're not to be underestimated. But if a martial artist who has polished his skin twice is willing to step in, I think the Green Bamboo Gang would be willing to show him some respect."
As far as Li An was concerned, the Cai residence was simply his employer. If there had been real danger, he wouldn't have asked Junior Brother Lin to help.
Junior Brother Lin had reached the second stage of Skin Polishing at such a young age. The Green Bamboo Gang would surely be willing to show him some respect.
"If I can help my great-uncle, I'm willing to step in and try."
Hearing Lin Yan agree, Cai Wanlong's face lit up. He was now glad he had turned down Min'er's suggestion back then and found Lin Yan a copy of the Stance Technique. Women really did have long hair and short sense.
Without that kindness from back then, even with their family connection, Lin Yan wouldn't have agreed so readily. He would likely have asked Cai Wanlong to offer him something in return.
But now, Lin Yan had agreed without even asking what he would get out of it. Of course, Cai Wanlong couldn't offer nothing—but the difference in meaning was enormous. In the first case, he would have been forced to offer terms. In the second, he would do so willingly.