Chapter 42 Part 1: Wen Xi Quietly Retreats to the Outermost Circle

“Also, don’t arrange anyone in the study for the next few days. Let them find an excuse to hide in a hidden place.”

“Yes.”

Wen Zhibai was indeed bold. Did she really think Wen Zhaoyin was simply pitying her? So she let her guard down and allowed her to do as she pleased?

This was the Wen family. As the Right Commissioner of the Censorate, how could Wen Zhaoyin not even understand her own family?

She knew far more than they thought.

The encounter Meng Huan had that day in the Crane Garden had already been vividly described to her. She only temporarily decided not to deal with him because he was pregnant.

Engaging in private relations with an outside woman, having physical contact with her, and even attempting to frame Wen Zhaoyin—such a man would not escape death in anyone’s family.

But she wouldn’t let him die. She still couldn’t bear to part with that face and his uniqueness.

She would only “favor” him in a different way in the future.

“Be more accommodating to him during tomorrow’s outing. After all, he won’t be able to go out many times.”

“Yes.”

“I will enter the palace tomorrow and will return late. The carriage doesn’t need to arrive at the corridor pavilion too early.”

“Yes.”

Meng Huan had no idea that Wen Zhaoyin was already well aware of his actions and even took the initiative to instruct people not to watch him too closely, making it easier for him to place the framing item in the study.

After putting away the token, he went to sleep and slept soundly. The next day, he woke up early, full of energy, somewhat looking forward to his first outing in the female-dominated world.

Although Wen Xi usually went out, it was his first time accompanying his young master. He was somewhat nervous and kept looking around before leaving, afraid of forgetting something.

After repeatedly confirming that he hadn’t forgotten anything, he finally supported Meng Huan, who was properly dressed and wearing a veil, onto the carriage.

The carriage wheels slowly turned, and the ride was exceptionally smooth. It gradually drove out of the quiet courtyard and merged with the main street, following the flow of people.

“Young Master, look at how many people there are outside!” Wen Xi lifted the carriage curtain, allowing him to see the scenery outside.

To be honest, Meng Huan was greatly disappointed after seeing it. He had thought that the prosperous and bustling market mentioned by Wen Zhaoyin would be incredibly lively, but he didn’t expect it to be like this.

There were indeed many pedestrians on the street, but it couldn’t compare to the truly prosperous areas of modern times. As the saying goes, it’s easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to return from extravagance to frugality.

He had already seen the towering buildings and bustling traffic of modern times. Looking at the “prosperity” described by ancient people, he didn’t feel anything extraordinary and only found it ordinary.

It couldn’t compare to modern times at all, not in any aspect.

Meng Huan lowered his gaze. He really wanted to go back, back to the fast-paced world where he had lived for more than twenty years, instead of being trapped in this ridiculous place where women dominated and men were inferior.

Seeing that he wasn’t in high spirits, Wen Xi put down the curtain, turned around, and asked, “Young Master, what’s wrong? Did you think of something sad?”

“No, I’m just a little disappointed, that’s all.”

“Disappointed about what?” Wen Xi couldn’t understand the nostalgia and melancholy in his eyes.

Meng Huan shook his head again and lifted the curtain himself to observe the street scene. “It’s nothing.”

Strolling the streets wasn’t that enjoyable, so he decided to find an opportunity to dispose of the token in his hand as soon as possible. Keeping it on his person would eventually bring trouble.

Rubbing the token in the pocket of his inner garment, Meng Huan’s thoughts deepened. It wasn’t safe to throw it away or bury it. If it was discovered by someone, it would either affect him or Wen Zhaoyin.

Therefore, he didn’t dispose of it in the residence but brought it out, intending to find a blacksmith shop to melt it down.

Only when it turned into a pool of molten copper would the original owner not recognize it even if it was placed in front of them. That was the true way to dispose of the item.

He took out the token and handed it to Wen Xi. The latter was startled at first, then quickly hid the item in his bosom, instantly changing from a relaxed state to a nervous one.

Meng Huan chuckled. “If you act like this, Pei Lan will immediately notice. Keep your expression normal.”

“Later, I will distract Pei Lan, and you will find an opportunity to throw the token into the blacksmith’s furnace. Can you do it?”

Wen Xi nervously glanced behind him. Pei Lan was following the carriage not far away. “But there will be other people in the blacksmith shop. What will you do?”

“Leave that to me. You must seize the opportunity!”

With that said, he poked his head out of the window and called Pei Lan over, directly stating that he wanted to find a blacksmith shop to make farm tools, leaving the latter puzzled.

He said that the tools provided for him to use when farming in the yard were not handy, so he wanted to go to the blacksmith shop himself to take a look. If there weren’t any suitable ones, he would draw a picture and have one made.

Pei Lan had never seen a man going out to forge ironware. She was truly perplexed by his bizarre request, but she remembered the Madam’s instructions from yesterday to accommodate his requests as much as possible.

The prosperous areas were mostly buildings for clothing, food, and entertainment. It was only after the carriage had nearly driven off the main road that they found a slightly remote blacksmith shop.

It was almost noon, and there were not many people in the shop, only a few scattered customers who bought and left. Pei Lan felt relieved upon seeing this.

The clanging sound of ironwork came from inside. Meng Huan, supported by Wen Xi, got off the carriage and looked around at the shop entrance before stepping inside.

He was dressed in fine clothing and accompanied by servants and guards. The shopkeeper could tell at a glance that he was not of ordinary status. Putting down the account book in his hand, he quickly came out to welcome him.

“Please come in, Young Master. What would you like to buy?”

Meng Huan walked step by step into the shop and found that the blacksmith’s furnace was inside, in an easily accessible location.

“I want to take a look at some farm tools.”

Hearing his words, the shopkeeper was stunned, not understanding why such a young master, who looked like he came from a wealthy family, would want to buy farm tools. Nevertheless, he dutifully ordered someone to bring out a few items for inspection.

Meng Huan was not satisfied with any of them, saying they were not what he wanted. He asked the shopkeeper to bring paper and pen, as he wanted to draw a picture and have him forge one according to it.

As he drew, he also instructed Pei Lan to call over the blacksmith working beside the furnace to take a look together and determine the feasibility of the design he had drawn.

Although these people were looking at his drawing, they still had to maintain a certain distance from him, forming a large circle. This instantly attracted the scattered customers in the shop to gather around as well.

Receiving his eye signal, Wen Xi quietly retreated to the outermost circle.