Chapter 11: Tea and Pastries
Early the next morning, Gu Jinrong came to Paulownia Courtyard to pay his respects to Jinchao.
This younger brother rarely visited her. Jinchao first invited him to sit and have tea, then personally went to prepare some pastries.
Gu Jinrong said, "Eldest Miss, why trouble yourself with such things? Just let the maids and servants handle it."
Jinchao smiled. "You've been in Qifang Alley for over half a year and haven’t had any homemade treats. These are something I recently learned to make—I wanted to prepare them just for you. It won’t take long. If you’re bored, there are some books in my study you can read."
Jinrong was momentarily taken aback. He hadn’t known Jinchao could make pastries, much less that she read books.
He had always assumed she was just as the rumors described—a beautiful fool who knew nothing and only threw tantrums like a spoiled Eldest Miss.
But then again, he thought, just because books were on display didn’t necessarily mean she read them. Perhaps she just wanted to appear well-read.
Stepping into Jinchao’s study, Jinrong was momentarily struck by pity for the shelves full of books. Who knew if their owner even appreciated them?
Liu Xiang, who was attending nearby, said, "The Eldest Miss often reads. These books were just delivered from Jizhou recently."
In the study stood a rosewood desk with a blue-and-white brush washer, a brush rest, and a Chengni inkstone. By the window was a daybed, and through the half-open window, one could see the snowy scenery outside. Nearby stood a single white porcelain vase holding a few sprigs of wintersweet, their fragrance delicate. The walls bore no famous calligraphy or paintings—only an ink painting of bamboo with an inscription:
"Several paths of jade-like hues,
At dawn and dusk veiled in emerald mist.
Its sound pierces the cold window’s dream,
Its roots weave through green moss patterns.
Gradually, it shades the threshold’s light,
Soon hindering the clouds beyond the curtain.
If not a guest of Shanyin,
Who else would cherish this noble one?"
This was a poem by Shaoling the Wild Old Man!
The tense, restless emotions in Jinrong’s heart eased somewhat. The poem had a calming effect.
Qingpu, too, was startled by her mistress. She was actually rolling up her sleeves to cook!
As she kneaded the dough, Jinchao said to her, "It’s nothing. I watched the cooks do it the past few days—it doesn’t seem too hard." Her kneading technique was passable, though her strength was somewhat lacking. Qingpu felt a little reassured watching her.
Jinchao, however, thought to herself: I’ve lived too comfortably—my hands have grown weak. Back in the small courtyard, she could lift a large water vat all by herself. She had learned to cook during that time, too—idle hands needed something to do. Shiye was from Sichuan, and Wansu from Shaanxi, so she had learned to make both northern and southern dishes—and she had become quite skilled at it.
It was almost laughable. The things she had once disdained learning were now what she knew best. Meanwhile, the talents she had once excelled in—like playing the qin and calligraphy—had fallen somewhat by the wayside. Still, she ought to find more time to practice them. She couldn’t let them go to waste entirely...
Qingpu, however, didn’t understand. "Why go to the trouble of making these things yourself?"
Jinchao considered the question. Normally, she wouldn’t bother explaining—she believed actions spoke for themselves. But if she wanted to grow closer to Qingpu, it was better to let her understand her reasoning."I'm not entirely unaware of what people say outside." She rolled the dough thin, then added a layer of crushed black sesame and peanuts that had been stir-fried and ground, followed by a sprinkle of sugar. "The eldest young master has been studying outside—he must have heard plenty of such talk. And with some restless people in the household... In his eyes, I’m probably just a spoiled and ignorant legitimate daughter—perhaps even worse. If I want to get closer to him, I’ll at least need to change his impression of me first."
Jinchao didn’t care much for outsiders’ gossip. Hadn’t she endured enough slander in her past life?
She recalled how Gu Jinrong had once visited her later on. It wasn’t long after their father’s death, and he had looked utterly destitute. He didn’t say much during the visit, but before leaving, he murmured, "Elder Sister, I’ve wronged you. It’s better for you to stay well in the Chen Family than to return to the Gu Family..." His smile had been numb.
When he left, he gave her two thousand taels of silver.
At the time, Jinchao hadn’t understood his circumstances. Only later did she learn of Concubine Song and Gu Lan’s schemes. She realized then that those two thousand taels were likely all he had—yet he gave it all to her, his own sister whom he had once scorned and avoided. Perhaps blood truly was thicker than water; in the end, he still cared for her.
Thinking of that tall yet broken man, his back hunched in despair, Jinchao couldn’t bear to leave Jinrong to his fate.
Qingpu and Old Woman Li attended to the young lady as she made pastries, occasionally passing her the rolling pin or ingredients.
Jinchao prepared Thousand-layer Cake, alternating thin layers of dough with sweet red bean paste, fried until golden and crisp, the surface flaky and dusted with sesame and sugar. She steamed a plate of Yunzi Sesame Leaf Dough Cake, mixing crushed sesame leaves with glutinous rice flour and coating it in powdered sugar. She also made a stack of Salty Crust Cake, shaped like crescent moons, filled with tender egg yolk and seasoned with spiced salt on the crust.
Qingpu found the Salty Crust Cake particularly novel—she had never seen it before.
After washing her hands, Jinchao instructed the servants to deliver the pastries to the study, following shortly after.
Gu Jinrong wasn’t actually reading in Jinchao’s study but sat waiting in the Grand Preceptor's Chair. Soon, Yutong and Yuzhu entered with trays, setting down plates and chopsticks. The three kinds of pastries were arranged on blue-and-white porcelain dishes, steaming and irresistibly appetizing.
Jinrong, however, felt slightly awkward—eating in the study wasn’t something he’d ever done.
Jinchao entered shortly after, smiling. "Not touching your chopsticks—do you dislike your elder sister’s cooking?"
Her tone was affectionate, and Jinrong looked up at her. Jinchao was dressed simply and elegantly, her ink-black hair adorned only with a wooden hairpin carved with magnolia blossoms. He remembered how she had always appeared dazzling before, decked in jewels—now, her plain attire was a stark contrast.
"Mother loves this. She’s ill and can’t handle heavy flavors, so this Yunzi Sesame Leaf Dough Cake is light, sweet, and soft." Jinchao personally placed a piece on his plate.
Jinrong took a bite. It was indeed sweet but not cloying, with a faint fragrance of sesame leaves. Though coated in sugar, the sweetness was just right.
"Elder Sister’s pastry skills are truly impressive," he praised sincerely.
Yet a faint doubt lingered in his mind. Studying Jinchao carefully, he found her smiling gently as she served him Salty Crust Cake. "...This pastry isn’t common in Yanjing. Try it—it’s something new."Gu Jinrong set down his chopsticks and hesitated for a moment. "The food isn't the main issue... I recently heard that Eldest Sister took someone from Second Sister. Is this true?" His tone was full of skepticism.
Jinchao looked up at him, feeling a sudden chill in her heart. She wouldn't dwell on yesterday's incident—after all, he had grown up with Gu Lan, so it was natural they were closer. But she was disappointed that Gu Jinrong could be so easily swayed by others' words!
Heard? From whom else but Gu Lan would he hear such trivial matters as her taking a maid? No doubt in Gu Lan's version, she was painted as the arrogant, ignorant eldest daughter who bullied her half-sister by flaunting her status. Though Jinrong was still young, he was old enough to understand right from wrong. Yet he believed Gu Lan without question and rushed here to confront her, eager to seek justice for his beloved second sister!
Though furious inside, Jinchao's expression remained calm as she replied coolly, "Indeed, it's true."
Gu Jinrong recalled Gu Lan's aggrieved demeanor and her usual gentle, non-confrontational nature. To think she had been bullied to such an extent by Jinchao! In that moment, he forgot everything else and said coldly, "Second Sister's maid—how could Eldest Sister just take her as you please? Though you're the legitimate eldest daughter, there's no justification for oppressing a half-sister like this. If word gets out that siblings in our family aren't harmonious, wouldn't it shame Father and Mother? I think you should return the maid to Second Sister. You already have so many maids—why must you take hers?"
Every word revealed the deep-seated resentment between them.
Jinchao regarded him calmly. "Harmonious siblings? Jinrong, if you speak of harmony, have you practiced it yourself? I am also your sister. The eldest sister is like a mother—yet you show me such disrespect. Have you upheld harmony? After studying the sages' teachings for so long at Qifang Academy, do you still not understand?"
"You say I took someone from your Second Sister, but did you first inquire who this person was? Whether she was important to your Second Sister? Whether she went willingly? Rushing here to confront me—did you consider where my dignity would stand if you took her back? And if you failed, where would your own dignity be? You're already twelve by nominal age, no longer a child. Why do you still act so impulsively, doing whatever comes to mind?"
Her voice turned icy on the last sentence.
Gu Jinrong was momentarily stunned. He had assumed that if Jinchao didn't care, he could take the maid back immediately. If she did care, they might argue or quarrel—after all, he had long been dissatisfied with her!
He hadn't expected Jinchao's words to corner him step by step, leaving him speechless.
He never knew Jinchao could argue so well!
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