The wind in the capital was like a chatterbox weaving through the streets, swirling the scent of late spring willow catkins and locust blossoms, carrying the farce of the spring banquet all over the streets. At daybreak, the clapping of Old Man Wang's bamboo clapper echoed from the bluestone slabs of Suzaku Street. He shouldered a basket of candied haws, the copper bells jingling in the morning mist, and he shouted a newly composed jingle at the top of his voice, the tune twisting and turning:
"Hey—look, look! Miss Shen loves to scratch herself, and she made a fool of herself at the Spring Festival Banquet—the legitimate daughter borrowed clothes but didn't wear them, and her cousin got hurt instead! She stuffed grass scraps into her skirt pockets and scratched her face until it looked like a ghost—"
The clappers clattered deafeningly, and a servant in a purple jacket doubled over with laughter, clutching his stomach. The jade pendant on his waist shone in the morning light. "Master Wang, your words are even more offensive than those of the storytellers in the teahouse! Yesterday, I was listening to a story at Zuixianlou, and when the storyteller told this story, everyone in the audience laughed so hard they spit out their tea!" Aunt Zhang, who was selling tofu pudding nearby, scooped up some snow-white tofu, swirling the wooden spoon in a ceramic bowl. Her voice echoed through three streets, interrupting: "That's right! The maid next door, who works at the Taifu Mansion, said the second young lady was so itchy that she rolled around in the peony bushes and crushed three of the Taifu's most prized 'Drunken Yang Fei'!"
These words drifted on the wind into a passing blue-cloth carriage, and the curtain was lifted with a "swish". Chun Tao's face flushed red with anger, and the pomegranate-red velvet flowers in her bun trembled: "Listen, young lady! This has been made into a jingle, and it says that the second young lady scratched her face so hard that she looked like a ghost-"
Chen Weiwan was fiddling with the tassels on the car window with a silver hairpin. She chuckled when she heard the words. The silver hairpin drew a shiny arc in the morning light, and the pearl pendant on the hairpin swayed gently: "It's a good story. At least she was not wronged." She opened the curtains and saw that the tea stall on the corner of the street was surrounded by people. The storyteller was slapping the wake-up stick and spitting everywhere. He was telling the story of "Miss Shen's poisonous skirt is itchy". The tea drinkers below slapped the table and laughed, and the splashed tea wet the blue cloth gown of the neighbor.
The servants at the back door of the general's mansion were delivering food to the kitchen. Old Wang, carrying water, lowered his voice, the bucket swaying and creating ripples on the flagstones, the water reflecting the wrinkles on his face: "I'll tell you a secret! When the second young lady returned home, the maids changed her clothes, and from her skirt, a handful of dry nettle shavings fell out!" Li Si, chopping wood, dropped his axe with a clang, and wood chips splashed all over his shoes. He wiped the sweat off his face and lowered his voice even more: "I knew it! The other day, the eldest young lady burst into tears in front of the Grand Tutor's wife, and then she changed into the cloud-patterned satin dress the Grand Tutor's wife had given her—tsk tsk, that's what they call a timid person with a bitter heart. She clearly tricked the second young lady!"
Before she could finish her words, a loud clang erupted from the direction of Xiefang Courtyard, like the sound of shattering blue and white porcelain. Liu clutched a half-piece of the shattered porcelain, her jade armor digging into her palm. Blood oozed from between her fingers, staining the emerald green of the armor red. She stared at the crumbs of peach blossom pastry on the ground. They were the ones Chuntao had just delivered and had been knocked over by Chen Ruorou. The gilded insignia of the Seventh Prince's Mansion on the food box stung her eyes in the morning light, as if every golden thread mocked her embarrassment.
"It's rebellion! It's truly rebellious!" Liu kicked over the embroidered cushion beside her, sending pearl tassels scattering across the floor, rolling in a pale mass on the blue bricks. A few fell into the cracks, reminiscent of her shattered heart. "The servants are all laughing, and even beggars on the street dare to make up jokes! If this continues, where will the General's Mansion be able to save face? How can I even have the dignity to attend the lotus viewing banquet next month?"
Shen Ruorou, hair disheveled, slumped over the dressing table. The scratches on the back of her neck were scabby, cracking as she moved, and the blood that seeped out stained her moon-white lingerie red. She grabbed a wooden comb and smashed it against the mirror, cracking it into spiderwebs, revealing her distorted face. "Mother! You must avenge me! It must have been Shen Weiwan who ordered those vendors to make this up! She just wants to embarrass me and ruin my reputation!"
"Revenge? What revenge?" Liu suddenly grabbed her daughter's hair, and the golden hairpin was pulled crookedly behind her ear. The stinging pain made Shen Ruorou scream. "Now the whole capital knows that you are a monkey's butt when wearing a skirt with grass scraps. The servants of Li Xiu's family avoid us when they see us! The other day, I went to the Li Mansion, and the doorman said directly, 'The second young lady is not feeling well and cannot see guests' - why did I give birth to such a fool like you! "
Shen Ruorou screamed, pushing her mother away. The red gold hairpin on her bun fell to the ground, and the pearl on the hairpin rolled to Liu's feet like a frozen teardrop. She pointed at her mother's nose, her voice as sharp as a cat's meow, piercing the morning silence: "It's all your fault! If you hadn't told me to use nettle grass, saying 'a slight tickle can make Shen Weiwan embarrassed,' would I have ended up like this? Now the whole capital is laughing at me. Are you satisfied?"
"You dare talk back?" Liu raised her hand to strike, but heard suppressed laughter from outside the window. Two maids sweeping the yard hid behind a Taihu rock. One of them pointed, her hand covering her mouth, the silver ornaments in her hair gleaming in the morning light. "I heard the second young lady was scratching herself in the room again last night, screaming like a pig being slaughtered. You could hear it through the wall!" The other nudged her companion and lowered her voice, "Hush... Look, the eldest young lady's maid, Chuntao, is carrying snacks over!"
As Chuntao entered, carrying her food box, she saw the Liu mother and daughter tussling. Hairpins fell to the floor, some of them wedged into the carpet. She recoiled in fear, but still bowed. Her voice was crisp and timid, "Madam, Second Miss, my young lady sent for some peach blossom pastries. She said they were freshly made at the Seventh Prince's residence, and she specifically asked for Second Miss to try them."
Shen Ruorou looked up suddenly, seeing the familiar Seventh Prince's seal on the food box. She screamed as if she'd been burned, knocking the box over. Peach Blossom Pastry scattered across the floor, a few pieces rolling to Liu's feet. Chuntao calmly bent down to pick up a piece, blew away the dust, and gently said, "Second Miss, His Highness the Seventh Prince specially ordered this to be made by the imperial chef. Knowing you have sensitive skin, they even used half a teaspoon less sugar."
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