banquet
Early in the morning, Lingdang barely ate any breakfast before carrying her bundle to the West Garden to wait. She looked expectantly at the gate until a familiar servant appeared, at which point her eyes lit up with surprise.
"Miss Qingrou, this is what Master ordered." The servant respectfully handed the sandalwood box he was carrying to Mei Sheng, then bowed his head and withdrew.
Mei Sheng politely accepted the gift, thanked the servant, and watched him leave.
Lifting the wooden box, several thin contracts came into view. Besides the contract for the bell, there were also indentures for some unfamiliar maids and servants. Below that, there were some gold and silver jewelry and various hairpins, gleaming brightly.
Mei Sheng was stunned for a moment, staring blankly at the several indentures that determined life and death, and said with melancholy: They are all just duckweed whose fates are manipulated by others.
She handed the contract to Lingdang, who was a few steps away. After seeing it clearly, Lingdang bowed to Mei Sheng and thanked her, her words filled with excitement and joy: "Thank you, Qingrou. I will remember your great kindness."
Mei Sheng didn't care about these words. After placing the wooden box in Tang Yun's hands, she casually chatted with Lingdang for a few words: "Now that you're home, do you have any plans for the future?"
Lingdang's family were originally small merchants, but their business failed, so she sold herself into the Pei family's kitchen. When Mei Sheng asked her, she suddenly became a little shy: "My parents wrote that I was helped by a benefactor, and my business has improved. Some neighbors and relatives have also mentioned that I should go back home to get married, so they asked me to go back and meet them."
Mei Sheng paused for a moment, then said softly, "That's not bad either." If she could find a good man to marry, it would be much better than this life as a servant.
"Tang Yun, the cheese from yesterday was quite good. Could you please go to the kitchen and get a serving?"
"Alright, young lady."
As the sun rose, the two of them headed towards a side gate inside the mansion, bathed in the morning light.
After the two old women carefully examined the contract and thoroughly checked Lingdang's bundle, they opened the heavy wooden door. As soon as the door opened, Lingdang waved urgently, and a very thin man came into Mei Sheng's view.
His skin was slightly dark, but upon closer inspection, his features were quite handsome, which surprised Mei Sheng, who hadn't expected the traveling merchant to be so young.
The two old women in the distance had sharp eyes, so Mei Sheng could only find a place within their line of sight and whisper her question to the man in front of her.
"Brother, how much do you know about the products from the North and South?"
Upon seeing the woman's jade-like face, Su Ningwan, who usually traveled all over the country, blushed slightly. Knowing that the other party wanted to ask about rare items, he quickly clasped his hands and said, "I have traveled all over the country with my father since I was a child. I would say I know a lot about it, but I can certainly know seven or eight parts. I hope you will tell me what you want."
Upon seeing this, Mei Sheng described the approximate shape of the mint in her mind, and a sense of anticipation arose in her heart.
Su Ningwan came fully prepared and confident. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke firmly: "This thing is called mint. It is widely grown in the south and can be used in medicine and tea. It is the most refreshing thing."
Hearing what she wanted to hear, Mei Sheng concealed her surprise and asked, feigning doubt, "Are they only found in the South?"
Upon hearing this, she looked disappointed: "Don't they have them in the North?"
Seeing the girl's dejected expression, Su Ningwan felt a pang of anxiety. Just as he was about to shake his head, a sudden inspiration struck him. He hesitated for a moment and said, "The northern environment is too cold for it to survive. However, there is a mountain forest in my hometown of Anhe County where this plant should grow. But the mountain is steep and difficult to access. I only encountered it when I was a child out of curiosity."
Mei Sheng nodded slightly, suppressing his excitement. He glanced at the two old women peeking around and asked them about some plants that were common in the south but rare in the north. Then he praised them highly, saying, "Brother, you have traveled all over the country and are truly knowledgeable."
She memorized the mountain forest, only then realizing that the mint she had seen upon first entering this dynasty was not from the south. Fortunately, after the trafficker knocked her unconscious and took her away, Mei Sheng remembered the words "Anhe County".
This place is isolated and inaccessible. Apart from a few travelogues she had seen at the Zhou residence, she knew very little about other regions.
It turns out she should have gone north, not south.
From now on, may you live a long and prosperous life. Take care.
They had only met a few times and weren't really friends. As she watched Lingdang's figure grow smaller and smaller, Mei Sheng felt a lump in her throat and a strange, inexplicable feeling welled up inside her.
Lingdang signed a contract, so even without her help, there would still be the kitchen maid to take care of her, and she could return home in a few years.
Those who signed indentures were slaves, whose entire lives and descendants were nothing more than property in the hands of the powerful and wealthy. In the deep courtyards of mansions, struggles were inevitable. Moreover, what difference was there between being a concubine and a slave?
A thin piece of paper can tightly bind the fate of others, and it can also keep Mei Sheng tightly locked in this deep mansion, never seeing the light of day, and unable to even freely decide to leave the mansion.
Mei Sheng turned and left, suppressing the bitterness in her heart. At least she was now financially secure, and all her plans would have to be made slowly, just like the seven months she spent at the Zhou residence.
Everything remains to be seen.
Before leaving, Lingdang slipped her a sachet. Inside seemed to be a hard object. When she returned to her room and closed the door, she discovered it was a black round coin with a note wrapped around it: "If you want to learn about other rare items in the future, you can take this to the south of the city to inquire about the Anning Caravan and find Brother Su."
Mei Sheng remained silent for a while, then placed the sachet under her pillow, picked up a storybook, and turned to the last page. Inside was a handwritten recipe for plum wine and a drawing of a detailed map of the Pei residence.
Knowing she needed to find a reason to leave the manor, Mei Sheng scoffed, her eyes filled with coldness, as she vaguely remembered the only street outside that Zhou's family had left the capital on.
It seems that her intimate encounter with Pei Jue yesterday had no effect whatsoever; she slept soundly without any dreams.
That's fine, she doesn't have to go and approach them herself anymore. So she covered herself with the blanket and secretly pondered her next step.
study
"Sir, Miss Qingrou had a long talk with the bell-ringer's brother at the side gate this morning." The old woman lowered her head and eagerly reported what had just happened, her words full of flattery.
Pei Jue, who was writing an official document, paused, his brows furrowed, and it took him a while to remember that he had given Mei Sheng some instructions after Mei Sheng left the mansion last time. He did not expect these servants to take it so seriously, so he could not scold them.
Pei Jue's furrowed brows relaxed slightly as he continued writing, his expression focused. He casually asked, "What did you say?"
These official documents arrived urgently from the south, mostly concerning the allocation of supplies and negotiations for joint bandit suppression. There were also some unexpected cases that required his attention.
"All she talked about were rare things from the South; she asked about several of them." After the old woman finished speaking, Han Zhou gestured for her to leave.
It wasn't until noon, when Han Zhou asked if they wanted lunch, that Pei Jue realized that this woman was indeed bold, meeting a man in secret without telling him. Thinking this, Pei Jue immediately felt dissatisfied.
He hadn't let her serve him these past few days because he knew the day he was to take a concubine was approaching, so he wanted to give her some peace and quiet. He never expected her to be so shameless. Pei Jue's face darkened.
"You said she was born in Yanjing, so why would she be so interested in things in the South?" Even when they first met, she made up a story to deceive him, saying she was from the South. Could there be some hidden story behind this?
Han Zhou stood by, stunned for a moment before realizing what his master was talking about. However, he was always taciturn and not good at arguing: "Why don't we ask Miss Qingrou?"
After he finished speaking, Pei Jue remained silent for a long time, lightly tapping the table with his fingers. He was slightly hesitant. If he wanted to ask about something new and interesting, why didn't he come to him?
"Go and investigate her past again."
Han Zhou was puzzled, but still agreed: "Most of our manpower is deployed at the Autumn Banquet, so the message delivery will probably be slower."
Pei Jue nodded casually, thinking to himself, "How could someone run away from me?"
The four corner ice basins were now a bit chilly. Suddenly, Pei Jue remembered her frail figure from yesterday. He played with the gold-painted peony fan on the table, his expression gentle. Perhaps she had been cooped up in the mansion these past few days, which was why she was like this.
He put down his folding fan and pondered for a while: "Tell her to prepare to include her in this autumn outing banquet."
He had already made all the arrangements for this banquet, and it would be good to take her out for a stroll during this opportunity, so as to prevent her from developing any inappropriate thoughts.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was time for the Autumn Banquet. Pei Jue, accompanied by some guards from the manor, surrounded the carriages in layers to provide protection.
Seeing that this banquet was a rare opportunity, Old Madam Pei asked Pei Jue to take Pei Yan along to broaden his horizons, and if there was a chance, she would also help him find a suitable girl.
Under the earnest gaze of Old Madam Pei, Pei Jue nodded in agreement.
The Autumn Banquet, as the name suggests, is a banquet held on the day of the Autumn Equinox. Mei Sheng lifted the curtain by the window and looked out at the road without making a sound. This time, she could finally look around at the scene on the street without any restraint.
The steaming hot buns fresh from the steamer were on the stall outside. As soon as a passerby walked by, the bun shop assistant would call out to attract others to come over.
Besides, a blind Taoist priest sat at a small stall by the roadside, and his imposing presence was indeed intimidating.
After crossing the street, a long line of shops appeared, which Mei Sheng memorized and carefully sketched.
Pharmacies, teahouses, restaurants...
Tang Yun also started to talk excitedly about the banquet: "I heard that in addition to all the royal relatives, even the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince will be attending this banquet."
The Autumn Banquet was held in a mountain villa near the outer city. Yuquan Villa was nestled against the mountains and by the water, and its furnishings were extremely luxurious. Only members of the imperial family and the sons of powerful nobles were allowed to enter.
There is a lake inside, dug out from the ground, with a white jade bridge built in the center of the lake, carved with flowers and beasts. There is also a pavilion on the white jade bridge, where the best girl in Yanjing with the best qin skills will be selected to perform on stage.
At this point, Tang Yun sighed, "I wonder how precious the food at this banquet is!"
Tang Yun swallowed hard and turned her gaze to the girl. Noticing that the girl often looked out of the car, she asked curiously, "Miss, what are you looking at?"
Upon hearing this, Mei Sheng rubbed her eyes and pushed the teacup beside her over: "Come and moisten your throat. I haven't seen these streets outside in a long time, so it's quite novel. Where were we?"
Tang Yun took a sip of water and pouted, "There's nothing surprising about this city. Yuquan Manor has a unique dish called Snow Dew Soup. It uses spring water from the mountains and is made with rare carp from the river and other ingredients. It tastes fresh, tender and smooth."
Her eyes lit up when she talked about food.
Mei Sheng nodded, seemingly lost in thought, while keeping her attention focused on the outside world and listening to Tang Yun's account of the important matters concerning the manor. Occasionally, she would ask a few questions if she didn't understand something.
......
When the carriage finally stopped, Mei Sheng stretched and moved her stiff body, muttering, "The scenery along the way was beautiful, but I have a hard time finding my way. It would be terrible if I couldn't find my way next time."
Seeing Mei Sheng's annoyed expression, Tang Yun covered her mouth and smiled, "My memory is not bad. Next time you want to ask something, I will remind you."
Tang Yun blinked, wondering if the young lady couldn't tell directions. She nodded as if she understood, noting that the young lady had been getting lost even within the manor lately, so it seemed she really hadn't learned to tell directions very well.
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