When the doorman saw Wu Mingtang approaching, he merely nodded politely.

There was no need to guide him.

After all, he knew exactly where to go.

Everyone in Xuewen Academy knew him, so it was normal for him to come here.

“Is your dean inside?” Wu Mingtang asked the gatekeeper.

“Oh, Shopkeeper Wu! If you’re asking that, then it’s quite a coincidence. Our dean is still at the yamen and hasn’t returned yet. How about I…”

“No need, no need. I’m not here to see him,” Wu Mingtang quickly interrupted.

As he spoke, he was already walking inside.

The gatekeeper was curious but did not stop him. He just couldn’t understand—if Shopkeeper Wu wasn’t here for the dean, then who was he looking for?

Just as Wu Mingtang stepped into the academy, Mo Shanhua arrived right after him, accompanied by County Magistrate Mo Shanrui.

Seeing them, the gatekeeper remained calm, as he was used to such visits.

Of course, he also knew that Mo Shanrui was the magistrate of their county.

Upon seeing them, the gatekeeper gave a slight nod before saying to Mo Shanhua, “Dean, Shopkeeper Wu just went inside, carrying some pastries. But he said he wasn’t here to see you. He only entered a short while ago.”

“Oh? He came all the way here and wasn’t looking for me? Then who could he be looking for?” Mo Shanhua asked curiously.

Hearing that Wu Mingtang was carrying pastries, he quickened his pace.

Seeing this, Mo Shanrui followed closely behind.

…

After placing the pastries down, Wu Mingtang headed toward the courtyard entrance.

Just as he reached the gate, he saw Mo Shanhua and Mo Shanrui.

“Oh? So you really weren’t here to see me?” Mo Shanhua was the first to speak.

“I’m here to pick up Feixuan and Feiyi,” Wu Mingtang said straightforwardly.

It was getting late, and he didn’t want to delay any longer.

Besides, even with a carriage, the trip back to Zhangjia Village would take at least a quarter of an hour.

Counting the round trip, it would take at least half an hour.

“Where’s Jianxiu? Why didn’t she come?” Mo Shanhua asked with concern.

“She’s helping me with the accounting,” Wu Mingtang said awkwardly.

Thinking about it, he had been a bookkeeper for decades, yet he couldn’t match a young woman’s efficiency.

What took her an hour to calculate would take him several days.

How could he not feel embarrassed?

“Oh, I see!” Mo Shanhua nodded lightly, as if it was a completely normal situation.

He didn’t show any sign of mockery, as if this sort of thing didn’t surprise him at all.

Seeing this, Wu Mingtang was dissatisfied and immediately asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“What do I mean?” Mo Shanhua looked puzzled.

Wu Mingtang: “…”

Alright, he admitted—maybe he was being overly sensitive.

Seeing Wu Mingtang’s expression, Mo Shanhua quickly understood.

So he said, “You’re not actually thinking your arithmetic skills can compare to Jianxiu’s, are you?”

As soon as he said this, Mo Shanhua burst into laughter.

Wu Mingtang: “…”

He admitted—he really couldn’t compare.

Not only that, the gap between them wasn’t small at all.

Seeing Wu Mingtang looking truly embarrassed, Mo Shanhua decided to stop teasing him.

He nodded at Mo Shanrui before continuing, “To tell you the truth, Shanrui is also here to see her today.”

“See her? Didn’t her case already conclude? Why is he looking for her?” Wu Mingtang asked nervously.

The more time he spent with Jianxiu, the more he liked her.

He already treated her like his own niece, so of course, he was protective of her.

“Look at you, talking like that. Shanrui is looking for her because of this!”

As he spoke, Mo Shanhua lifted a scroll in his hand.

“What is this?” Wu Mingtang asked curiously.

Without thinking, he took the scroll and opened it.

As soon as he saw the contents, he was stunned.

“This… this is a portrait?”

“Yes, does it look lifelike?” Mo Shanhua asked proudly.

From the way he was acting, someone might think he had drawn it himself.

But connecting it with the conversation earlier, Wu Mingtang quickly understood something.

So he asked, “So this was drawn by Jianxiu?”

“No, not by her.”

“Not her…”

“It was drawn by her sons, Feixuan and Feiyi.”

Wu Mingtang: “…”

What’s the difference? That still meant it came from Jianxiu’s hand, indirectly.

Thinking of something, he turned to Mo Shanrui and asked, “So, you’re here today just to see her?”

“Yes. I wanted to ask her for guidance on painting techniques. With this skill, wanted posters for fugitives will become much clearer in the future. If this happens, the imperial court will surely reward her.”

Mo Shanrui spoke in a calm tone.

But only he knew how excited he truly was inside.

If these portrait techniques were used, the impact on their yamen and even the Dali Temple would be unimaginable.

“If that’s the case, then today might not work. She’s still at Yuexiang Pavilion helping me with the accounts. She should be heading back soon. How about tomorrow? She can come to the yamen then,” Wu Mingtang said apologetically.

Compared to the yamen’s work, his restaurant’s accounts were insignificant.

Fugitives were usually involved in murder cases or other major crimes. What was his business compared to that?

Hearing Wu Mingtang’s words, Mo Shanrui felt a little disappointed.

But looking at the time, he didn’t insist.

As the county magistrate, he knew about Zhangjia Village.

It wasn’t too far, but it wasn’t close either, and there was no time to delay.

Thinking of this, Mo Shanrui said, “Then please pass the message to Jianxiu for me.”

“Of course, it’s just a few words,” Wu Mingtang replied.

“Go ahead, go ahead. The children should be finishing their lessons now—take them home!”

Hearing this, Wu Mingtang nodded at them and left.