The moonlight is hazy, the birds have long stopped chirping, and from afar, the lingering songs of women can be heard. A group of people walk in a line on the ridge between fields, probably because everyone is tired, so no one speaks, they just lower their heads and walk quietly.

  Xue Niang felt very tired and sad today, several times telling herself to go see Jiang Changyang again, but she couldn't help turning back to steal a glance. Suddenly seeing the place where they had just parted ways vaguely, as if there were still many people who hadn't left, she said: "Why are there still people not leaving?"

  The peony turned around to take a look, and indeed saw that there were still many people walking back and forth on the embankment. However, the moonlight was dim, and they were too far away to see clearly what they were doing. She said, "Really? Don't they all want to go home?" In fact, she suspected that they might be lovers, taking advantage of the moment when most people had left to confess their feelings. But thinking again, she felt that her guess was not right. If it were a secret tryst, it should have been when everyone was indulging in revelry, sneaking away to a secluded spot. Why would they still be lingering there now and drawing attention to themselves?

  Jiang Changyang smiled and said, "You all take a look at the hairpins on your heads, are they still there? These people are specialized in waiting around to pick up everyone's fallen hairpins and exchange them for money."

  Everyone heard this and stretched out their hands to touch the hairpins on their heads, and checked their rings. Peony, in order to go out conveniently without drawing attention, was originally wearing very few decorations, with simple styles, just some silver ones, which wouldn't be a pity if they fell off, so she only did a quick check: "Mine didn't fall."

  Xue Niang was carefully dressed, with many decorations on her head, but she had lost a gold hairpin and a pearl flower, and didn't even know when they fell off. Fu's mother hastily said: "It's over, that hairpin was the madam's dowry, it has engraved words on it, we must go find it back." After saying this, she didn't wait for Xue Niang to respond, and immediately turned around and left.

  Although Peony thought it was not certain to find her back, she couldn't just let her mother go alone, so she said, "Let's go together." Thinking that they had delayed Jiang Changyang for so long, she said, "Mr. Jiang, it's late at night, you can go back first, since there are many of us here and my villa is not far from here, it's okay."

  Jiang Changyang smiled slightly: "Sending Buddha to the west, since I've come up here, where is there a reason not to take care of it?" Then he asked Xueniang what kind of hairpin she wanted.

  Xue Niang was anxious because it was borrowed from Madame Dou, and she accidentally dropped it. With a bad mood, she said with a sob: "It's a crimson gold hairpin with a dragonfly shape, inlaid with green jade on its wings. On top of it is engraved my mother's name."

  Before the words were finished, Jiang Changyang had already led Wu Yidao back with a big stride. He didn't lower his head to search around like Pei's mother and others, but instead took out a bag of money from his pocket and handed it to Wu, ordering him to loudly ask the people picking up things on the embankment that whoever knew where the hairpin was should come forward and he would give them the money as a reward. If someone deliberately concealed it, they would be reported to the authorities later and punished for theft. He also warned those who picked up the hairpin not to be lucky, and at most within a day or two, they would definitely find out who it was.

  When Wu Gaosheng asked, Jiang Changyang stood with his hands behind his back, his waist straight and his expression solemn, majestic and unmatched. Xue Niang said softly: "In this way, I'm afraid it won't be found? A hairpin and a bag of money are less than that?"

  Peony, however, was not so sure. If it were just a matter of two pairs of eyes staring at each other, this thing would indeed be hard to find again. The problem is that there are countless pairs of eyes staring, and countless people are jealous, this thing can't be hidden. Offering rewards for reporting, Jiang Changyang's method should be very effective.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, in just a moment, a little kid ran over and handed the hairpin to him, staring at Jiang Changyang with wide eyes. Jiang Changyang indeed took the money bag from Wu's hand and gave it to the kid, patted his head and praised him softly for being clever and capable, the kid excitedly grabbed the money bag and took off running.

  Lost and then recovered, with almost no effort at all. Xue Niang was grateful and worshipful, looking at Jiang Changyang: "Brother Jiang, thank you. I don't have any money on me now, I'll send it to your farm tomorrow to repay you."

  When her mother heard that she had called Jiang Changyang "Brother Jiang" again, she couldn't help but sigh and rub her forehead.

  Jiang Changyang seemed not to have heard that "Brother Jiang" and instead smiled faintly: "Madam Huang, no need to thank me, it's just a small effort. If you really want to thank someone, thank He Niang instead. She and I are friends, and you're her good friend too. I couldn't just watch you two busily running around like headless flies."

  Everything is done for the sake of Peony, otherwise I'm afraid she wouldn't even give herself a glance... Xue Niang was completely stunned, and only after a moment did she softly say: "Of course I want to thank Sister He, but I still have to pay back the money I owe you."

  Jiang Changyang chuckled and said: "It's better to return it to He Nang, this money was borrowed from me by her in the past. I originally wanted to return it to her too, today you're returning it to her just the same."

  Peony was taken aback, when did she ever borrow money from him? She looked at Jiang Changyang with suspicion and saw a hint of pleading in his face. Looking at Xue Niang again, Xue Niang was staring blankly at her, her face pale as the last moonlight faded. Peony suddenly understood that Jiang Changyang had seen through the young girl's thoughts but didn't want to get entangled with her, this was meant to thoroughly dash the young girl's hopes, and she, just happened to be the one in between.

  Peony was in a dilemma. Xue Niang's admiration and affection for Jiang Changyang were only based on his stunning debut of flying horse striking coins, and most of the time she had idealized him to be better than he actually was. In theory, it would be better to end this inexplicable passion as soon as possible. However, emotionally speaking, Peony did not want Xue Niang to look at her with that kind of gaze. But if Peony were to expose Jiang Changyang in public, saying that she had never lent him money, she couldn't bring herself to do it. If she did, it wouldn't just be Jiang Changyang who would be embarrassed, but also Xue Niang would feel deeply humiliated and might even become more resentful.

  "It's just a bag of money, compared to the life you saved for me, it's nothing, I've already forgotten."

  Jiang Changyang saw that she had responded, and he lightly let out a breath. Without looking at Xue Niang's expression, he gazed at Peony and smiled: "What lifesaving favor? I've also forgotten about it. All I remember is that you borrowed a bag of money from me. As for this lifesaving favor, please don't mention it again in the future, lest when I need to ask for help from your household, I'll be too embarrassed to speak up."

  Peony smiled slightly and responded with a "good".

  Xue Niang's shoulders shook twice, she bit her lip hard, quickly turned her head and walked forward quickly. Fu Mama saw the situation, hurriedly went up to block her behind, not letting her tearful eyes be seen by others, turned her head and smiled at Peony: "Since that's the case, we'll treat He Niang the same way too. But in any case, Jiang Gong has put his heart into it, so we still have to thank him."

  "Alright, it's getting late at night, let's talk about thanks tomorrow. Let's hurry up and go."

  Everyone agreed and hastened their pace. This time, it only took a little more than the time to drink a cup of tea before they arrived at the gate of Fang Garden. Upon hearing the footsteps, the several large black dogs that Hu Dalang had raised to guard the door suddenly jumped up and barked loudly for a few times. After smelling the scent on Mudan's body, they let out two hums and then fawned upon everyone, circling around them twice. Hu Dalang, who had been waiting, opened the gate and came out with lanterns to greet his guests.

  Peony and her party bid farewell to Jiang Changyang and entered without mentioning it again.

  Jiang Changyang and Wu Gang turned around, Hu Dalang rushed out again, handing over a lantern: "Sir, my wife said the moon has sunk, it's getting late, and it's hard to walk in the fields. She ordered me to send this lantern for you to light."

  Jiang Changyang was about to say it wasn't necessary, but Wu had already taken over, smiling and saying: "Thank you, brother, for helping me thank your mother on behalf of my father. I'll return it tomorrow."

  Jiang Changyang didn't say anything else, and let Wu lead the way with the lantern. When they had walked far away from Fangyuan, Wu looked puzzled and said: "Do you still remember that bag of money? The one you gave to that kid tonight, was it really that bag of money? It seems like it wasn't?"

  Jiang Changyang said lightly: "So you've marked each of the money bags, and you can tell them apart even with the bag in between. May I ask, is it fragrant or stinky?"

  Wu Fan said with a deadpan expression: "Obviously, the pattern on your purse is different."

  Jiang Changyang fell silent for a moment before speaking unhappily: "I don't have the leisure to remember this, nor do I have the heart."

  "Ah," said the man, "Tomorrow I'll come to return the lanterns. Are you coming? Why not call them together to go and tread on the songs instead? You haven't been seen treading on songs since you came to the capital. Speaking of which, He Niang looks really good when she smiles under the moonlight, but what's even more impressive is that her temper has improved a lot."

  Jiang Changyang didn't say anything and walked away very seriously.

  Wu Zhiyong: "That Huang Niang, you really should help her. If it weren't for her..." Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Changyang swiftly reached out and grabbed his waist pouch, snatching it off him and flinging it into the endless rice fields. Not waiting for him to react, he also seized the lantern from his hand, saying: "You go find it first, I'm going back."

  After Jiang Changyang walked far away with his lantern, Wu still stood in the same place with a sad face. That was made by his wife for him! The old tigress is so fierce that she can eat people, what's good about this now?

  As soon as Peony and the others entered the house, Ah Tao led a few rough maidservants who had stayed behind to bring up hot water and asked if they wanted to have a midnight snack. Peony glanced at Xue Niang, who was tightly pursing her lips and not saying a word, and smiled: "Xue Niang, are you going to eat? I'm really a bit hungry."

  Xuěniáng raised her eyes to look at Púdān, pursing her lips without speaking. Fù Māma saw the situation and hastily intervened to mediate: "Xuěniáng, have some food? It's likely that you'll be making up for lost sleep until noon."

  Xue Niang gently pushed open the door and said: "You go down and eat, I have a few words to say with He sister."

  Yu He looked at Peony with concern and didn't want to leave. Peony was silent for a moment, then said: "You all withdraw, prepare the night meal and bring it up again." Then smiled and looked at Xue Niang: "Xue Niang wants to say something to me?"

  Xue Niang's face scrunched up, and then she burst out crying: "He Jie, you must look down on me, right? I'm a fool, an idiot. I don't know how to read people's expressions, I didn't know."