Lu Yu felt the weight of the cabbages slowly decrease, until a beam of moonlight pierced through the cracks. It was still dark, hours before the sun's rays would peek over the horizon. Poking his head out, Lu Yu took in his surroundings; a small alleyway with no one in sight. Well, no one except a beard-faced man hovering over him.
"You alright kid? Did that fall knock out your brain or something? Old Lu would be turning in his grave if that happened. Hey! Hey kid!"
"I'm fine, Uncle Shen I'm fine. Be quiet, people will notice. Can you get me out of here first?"
He felt himself being lifted once again and set on the ground. Like a newborn calf, his legs turned to mush the moment he touched the floor, causing him to stumble into an unprepared Old Shen. They didn't fall into the muddy ground, thanks to the bodyguard's proficiency in martial arts, but face-planting into a sturdy elbow earned Lu Yu a black eye.
"Just leave it, Uncle Shen, we don't have much time."
"But you look like..."
"They wouldn't recognize me anyway."
"The first impression is most important! How will he respect you after-"
"It'll be fine, Uncle. You're friends with him, aren't you? Besides, this is Chang'an, not Pingzhou. They'll notice if we dawdle any longer."
"Kid..."
Lu Yu looked at him pointedly.
"You're right." Old Shen had no reason to retort.
"Naturally."
"Can you walk now?" Changing the subject, Old Shen patted Lu Yu's leg.
"Of course I can walk, don't doubt my prowess-"
"Get on."
Abandoning the cart and continuing with Old Shen carrying Lu Yu, the duo quickly found themselves at a teahouse. Before they could knock, the door opened silently, letting them enter the complex without much fanfare. A beam of moonlight illuminated the bulky silhouette of the awkward pair as they stepped across the threshold into the shop.
Before Lu Yu's eyes adjusted to the absolute darkness, an arrow pierced through the door, forcing Old Shen to duck. Positioned slightly higher, Lu Yu could feel the bristled ends of the weapon as it embedded into the door that had closed behind them. A second attack followed, sweeping low, which Old Shen also avoided smoothly. Handfuls of needles flew across the room, sticking into beams and floorboards. Thankfully, they had found a place to hide, avoiding the calamity.
Lu Yu held on for dear life, his grasp excessively tight, making it hard for Old Shen to catch his breath. He felt an urge to just drop the little twerp before dealing with the attackers, but thankfully, before the bodyguard could abandon his master, the attacks stopped. A lamp was lit, illuminating the room, and a cold, androgynous voice called out to the pair.
"Who's there? Name yourself!"
"Du Lao Ba, it's me, Shen Pei. Don't you recognize me, you bastard?" There was a pause as if the person struggled to remember.
"Shen Pei? Come into the light so I can see you."
Obliging, Lu Yu was let down from Old Shen's back before they made their way towards the voice. It had originated from the very stairs they were hiding under, so they only needed to turn the corner before falling under a flickering light.
A voice emerged from the figure holding the lamp, "This must be Master Lu's son. I would have never guessed, he's the striking image of his mother."
Lu Yu's face darkened at the mention of Ning Wan, but it quickly faded, hiding his annoyance. The person to whom the voice belonged had come down the stairs, holding an oil lamp at eye level. He was a short man compared to Old Shen. His facial features could easily be mistaken for a girl if not for the outline of an adam's apple highlighted by the shadow cast from the lamp. Half dressed, hair falling to his waist with a bleary look in his eyes, he was obviously startled awake by the noise, but strangely, he seemed unperturbed at the sudden arrival of these guests.
"Ahem!" Uncomfortable with the topic, the bodyguard cleared his throat, reminding Du Lao Ba to go on with the agenda.
"Ah, right! Young master Lu, we have been expecting you. My name is Du Sirui, I'm the owner of this teahouse. You're here for the deeds, is that correct?" Getting straight into business, he called for assistance.
"Yatou! Go get the account books from the Jia bookshelf. All of them." Before long, a girl no taller than Old Shen's waist came staggering inside, carrying a pile of books. Plopping them on the floor, she took a look at Lu Yu and remarked,
"He stinks, needs a bath."
Embarrassed at the criticism, Lu Yu looked down at his cabbage-stained clothes, trying to straighten out the wrinkles to no avail. Old Shen sighed softly, nudging him as if to say, 'I told you so'. Reassuringly, Du Sirui didn't seem to mind, as he was busy organizing the papers he ordered the girl to bring. Without lifting his head, Du Sirui remarked,
"This is the deed for that property you wanted. The compound's between the Eastern Market and the Lu Manor just like you requested. However, the front faces north, so the lighting is quite dim in winter, but there should be no problem in spring or summer."
"That's fine, thanks for your help, Mr. Du."
"Just Uncle Du is fine."
"Aww, Du Laoba is softening-"
Shen Pei was silenced by a stern glare. Picking up another stack of papers from the pile, Du Sirui heaped the heavy load upon Old Shen. There were more than a hundred sheets consisting solely of titles for the businesses his father previously owned.
"I've been holding onto these since your father's trip to the Jiangnan region. Finally, I can give them back to their rightful owner." Du Sirui turned to Lu Yu.
"The profits for the last 5 years have been deposited annually into the banks owned by the Golden Merchant Guild, the Jiangnan Merchant Alliance, and the Lu family's personal accounts. These assets are free for you to use at your disposal." Lu Yu tilted his head,
"All of it?"
"Yes, just remember to pay attention to which account you use, and for what cause." Uncle Du reminded.
Before they could continue on, the girl returned with a bucket and towel.
"Water boiled. Go wash." With this interruption, Du Sirui finally took a good look at Lu Yu's appearance.
"So skinny, Shen Pei, how have you been taking care of this child? Is that cabbage juice right there? And what's wrong with his eye? No wonder he doesn't look like Old Lu. That man would never be caught dead like this."
Old Shen could only lower his head at the barrage of beratement, while Lu Yu was dragged off for a quick scrub that he desperately needed.