I Am Your Younger Brother

Guan Lang. The only male descendant of this generation of the Guan family and pretty much Madam Zhang’s life.

Song Caitang had never seen him before, so she would sometimes imagine what he might look like. Perhaps her impression of Madam Zhang was too strong, so she never imagined Guan Lang would turn out looking like this.

The boy was 13 years old, very skinny with a wide forehead and bright eyes. He looked completely harmless and very well mannered as he walked toward them with a book in hand.

Most people thought that merchants would all look intelligent and scheming, but not this boy. He had a steadiness, a confidence and a scholarly elegance beyond his years. He looked more like he hailed from a family of scholars.

The successful merchant family of Luanze had actually produced a bookworm in its third generation?!

Guan Lang came closer and bowed. “You’ve had a rough journey. We don’t really have any rules around here, so please make yourselves at home. Feel free to do anything you like.”

He spoke slowly and bowed slowly too, but it was all perfectly timed. If he was an adult, he would be described as an elegant gentleman. But he was only 13 now, so he was still a child…

Song Caitang instantly understood why some people found the gap between one’s physical age and one’s behavior cute. This boy was very cute.

And this cute boy refused to put down the book in his hand even as he spoke to them.

Song Caitang didn’t even notice that her lips had turned upward into a genuine smile.

After he finished saying that, he sat at the table and opened his book again to read.

He couldn’t take his eyes off the book at all. How could he?

Song Caitang blinked. That… was it? He didn’t have anything else to say?

“Uh, yeah, it’s alright, Guan Lang, you don’t have to worry about us, we know what to do…” said Guan Wan hurriedly, both as though she was used to the way he was, but also as though she was nervous.

No, she was definitely nervous.

This was the first time she had made such a long trip away from home and had even run into trouble along the way. No matter how good was at acting, she couldn’t hide her uneasiness now.

Guan Lang’s eyebrows twitched slightly as he flipped a page of his book and said, “When I heard you were coming, I got the kitchen to buy a lot of things. I think they would know what to do with the ingredients, but I’m not sure if they know how to handle some of these foreign spices and seasonings. It’ll be great if Third Sister could check on them when you have the time…”

Guan Wan had no other hobbies besides cooking, so Guan Lang had really hit the nail on the head with these words. Guan Wan instantly broke into a smile and said, “Sure! I’ll cook delicious food for you!”

“Thanks.” Guan Lang looked up just to say that, then went straight back to reading.

Song Caitang could tell that these words had not come out of his mouth naturally.

It wasn’t easy to get hold of anything from other countries during this era, yet he remembered that Guan Wan loved to cook and knew that this was something that could put her in a good mood. He had noticed how Guan Wan was nervous, so he quickly used this to dispel her anxiety and closed the gap between them.

He seemed absorbed in his book, but he had noticed everything. This boy was very observant and detailed.

He was a true talent.

Guan Lang probably also realized that his behavior could come across as rude, so he took just two more glances at the book before looking up to talk to Song Caitang as well.

“I heard that your journey was tough and you ran into trouble, as well as a storm later on… You’re a smart and adaptable person, Cousin, which is a good thing, but you must also remember that the Guan family is always behind you.”

His gaze was steady and he spoke slowly, as though he had just said some very deep words.

Song Caitang had never spoken to him before, so she wasn’t sure what sort of person he was and didn’t quite understand what he was trying to say.

Was he blaming her for not sending letters to them often?

When this trip was arranged, a letter had been sent to them and someone was sent to pick them up, only for her to appear late because of what happened during the journey. That did make the family worry and gave them some trouble…

Guan Wan wasn’t feeling awkward anymore, so she quickly piped up, “Xiaolang, are you blaming us for not being sensible?”

Her tone of voice and mannerisms proved that she didn’t have a bad relationship with Guan Lang at all.

Guan Lang frowned and realized that his words could be misinterpreted, so he added, “Just like what Eldest Sister always says, the Guans don’t get into trouble, but we’re not afraid of trouble. Cousin, I am your younger brother, Guan Lang.”

His eyes met with Song Caitang’s.

His gaze was clean and pure and it shone from within.

Song Caitang got it now. He was trying to tell her that he was supporting her. He was ready to protect her when necessary.

A child was promising to protect her.

And he had said it with even greater confidence than his own father. He was young and took everything slow, but he was already a young lad who did not fear trouble. He was a sincere, honest and fearless boy.

But he was still young, so Song Caitang felt that it would be best if he could just grow up happily without having to carry such burdens.

“No, you’re the one who needs to remember that I am your older sister.”

Song Caitang smiled, “Since you like reading so much, I think you’ve heard about my capabilities. If you ever get bullied, you can bring me along to frighten them.”

For the first time since he entered the living room, Guan Lang finally had an expression befitting of his age.

His eyes widened and his ears turned red as he protested, “I wouldn’t let others bully me!”

And even if he did, he wouldn’t get her to frighten them!

He wasn’t that useless!

But those words from her did warm his heart, and being able to dissect dead bodies and crack cases was an amazing talent. Some of the cases had even been turned into plays. He had an amazing cousin.

As he read his book, he stole a couple of glances at Song Caitang.

Song Caitang smiled faintly at him. Her first impression of him was very good. This was a smart and mature boy, and he seemed to get along well with Guan Qing and Guan Wan.

There was just one thing she couldn’t understand. She was glad that they all got along, but if that was the case, what in the world was Madam Zhang trying to do?

Did Guan Song and Guan Lang know about the things she did back in Luanze and her current situation? Did they have any opinion on that?

Neither had even mentioned Madam Zhang.

This issue was too sensitive, so Song Caitang didn’t ask about it.

It was soon time to eat.

Guan Song wasn’t around, but this first welcome meal was still a scrumptious one and all three cousins enjoyed themselves…

The only problem was that Guan Lang insisted on keeping a book on the table even during the meal and he would stop to read from time to time.

After they finished eating, Guan Lang gave them stern instructions before letting them return to their rooms, “It’s the end of my school holidays, so I have to return to the academy tomorrow, while my father has left the house to attend to the business… But don’t worry, I’ve already given the servants instructions, so you can do whatever you want. If anything untoward happens, don’t be afraid. Send someone to the academy to inform me immediately. Our position here isn’t as good as back in Luanze, but… don’t worry, your younger brother will handle it.”

Guan Wan grinned and said happily, “That’s great!”

Song Caitang smiled and patted Guan Wan’s head as she looked at Guan Lang, “Don’t worry about us, Wan’er and I will be just fine.”

Song Caitang and Guan Wan returned to their rooms to unpack their things, but they weren’t done for the day yet.

They hadn’t come all the way here to play. They had an important mission – Guan Qing needed them to pass a letter to someone.

Of course, they hadn’t forgotten Guan Qing’s instructions. Since they had arrived safely at Bianliang, they wanted to get this done as soon as possible.

After everything they had gone through before getting here, their bodies seemed to have adjusted to the level of activity expected of each day. The little bit they had done all day had not tired them out at all, so they immediately called for a horse carriage and left the house to deliver the letter.

Guan Qing’s letter was a mysterious one. There was no addressee on the envelope and no other mark or symbol. She had used an ordinary envelope with no special prints on it too. The only difference was that this envelope was sealed with wax instead of glue.

The red wax seal had something embossed on it. It didn’t look like a word and looked more like some symbol. Neither Song Caitang nor Guan Wan recognized it.

As per Guan Qing’s instructions, Song Caitang and Guan Wan walked to the eighth unit along Dengxin Street and found that it was a shop that made candles.

The shop was quiet and there were no customers. The mustached storekeeper was using an abacus to check his accounts while his assistant was napping against a pillar.

Song Caitang walked in with Guan Wan and smiled at the storekeeper as she repeated what Guan Qing instructed her, “Hello there, I’m looking for Sixth Madam Hang.”

The storekeeper didn’t even look up when he heard the two girls walk in, but his fingers instantly messed up the beads on the abacus when he heard what Song Caitang said. He slammed a hand against the abacus as though he was frustrated with himself, then looked up at Song Caitang with a solemn expression on his face. “Who did you say you were looking for?”

“Sixth Madam Hang.” Song Caitang frowned, “Is there no such person here?”

She was quite sure she remembered correctly.

“There is, there is, please wait here.”

The storekeeper didn’t even bother waking his assistant up and went behind his counter to look for this person.

A short while later, a woman emerged.

Song Caitang was expecting a woman, since she was called Sixth Madam Hang, but she did not expect her to be an older lady.

Sixth Madam Hang looked like she was around 50 years old. Her clothes were simple and not flashy, but they were very clean and fitted her well. Her hair was neatly tied into a bun and the only accessory she wore was a hairpin with tassels.

She kept her hands folded in front of her and also kept her eyes on the floor as she walked. Her clothes did not crease, her hairpin did not sway and she did not make a single sound as she walked. Even the pace of her steps was even.

When she came close enough, she bowed slightly and said, “My surname is Hang and I’m the sixth child of the family, so everyone who knows me calls me Sixth Madam. Why are you looking for me?”

She was so polite and she was much older, so Song Caitang and Guan Wan quickly bowed back and said, “Both of us have been sent here to deliver a letter.”

Song Caitang held the letter up.

Sixth Madam Hang took the letter and she noticed the special wax seal, but her expression did not flinch at all. She did not open the letter but kept it, then bowed again, “Thank you.”

The older lady was very polite throughout, but she was clearly not going to ask them to stay for tea.

Song Caitang and Guan Wan weren’t stupid, so they immediately excused themselves.
They’d completed their mission anyway.

Sixth Madam Hang did not try to ask them to stay and just smiled as she bid them farewell.

Song Caitang and Guan Wan had no choice but to bow in return and leave.

They had only met for barely a minute and they had already exchanged so many bows…

This Sixth Madam Hang must be a pretty big shot.

Song Caitang was curious as to who she was and was about to ask Guan Wan when Guan Wan took her hand and swung it gently as she asked, “Cousin, who was that?”

Song Caitang shrugged.

Guan Wan remarked, “Gosh, I really don’t know the sort of people Eldest Sister mixes with. She seems kinda scary…”

After settling the letter, Song Caitang went to visit Old Madam Li.

Old Madam Li was Wen Yuansi’s grandmother, and Song Caitang had been allowed to become an official coroner in Luanze all thanks to this old lady. The old lady was very kind to her and liked her very much, so when she was still in Luanze, Song Caitang visited her often. But suddenly, Old Madam Li had to return to Bianliang, and before she knew it, they had gone a good six months without seeing each other.

Now that Song Caitang was in the capital, of course she had to visit Old Madam Li.

Old Madam Li clearly knew about Song Caitang coming to the capital and was very happy to see her. She said that she had nearly gone to pick her up at the city gate, but decided against it in the end. It would be rude of her to do that and it would make her seem like a domineering old lady instead.

Old Madam Li held Song Caitang’s hand as they sat down to chat about everyday things. The older lady said that Bianliang was further north and very cold in the winter, so those from the south would have trouble adapting to the weather. She had prepared some things and told Song Caitang that she must use them.

She also told Song Caitang about how upset she was with Wen Yuansi, saying that he was always so busy with work, he forgot about her and hadn’t written to her in weeks…

In any case, it was a sweet and warm meeting.

When Song Caitang left, she received a few carts worth of gifts from Old Madam Li and Old Madam Li insisted on sending them back to the Guans’ with her.

“There’s a ceremony at Zhaoze Temple tomorrow and I wanted to ask you to come along, but you’ve just arrived and I thought I shouldn’t tire you out like this. Have a good rest and I’ll bring you around another day! We’ve got plenty of time!”

Song Caitang smiled and accepted the gifts, but she was very troubled inside. Old Madam Li was always so sweet and generous toward her, but she had no idea how to repay her.

She didn’t know how to do anything that was expected of a woman of this era – sewing, cooking, painting, playing an instrument, playing chess – so she couldn’t even make the old lady a nice pair of shoes. How else could she repay her?

But her chance to repay the old lady came in no time

Song Caitang didn’t expect the chance to come so quickly, and certainly didn’t expect it to come this way.

On the second day of the ceremony, Old Madam Li sent someone to ask her to help someone.

To help a murderer who had confessed to their own crime.