Yummy Yummy Yummy

Pei Fei came to the Lin household again for a meal.

Pei Fei and Lin Yan were originally from the same hometown, with similar family backgrounds—both had prestigious surnames, yet both families had declined. The difference was that the Lin clan had completely collapsed, while Pei Fei’s family was merely a withered twig on the grand tree of the Pei lineage. Back in Hedong, the two had studied together, formed literary societies together, and submitted their writings to influential officials together. Cui Xun, the governor of Puzhou, had once praised them as a "pair of flawless jades" for their youthful talent and refined demeanor.

Yet their official careers had diverged drastically. Pei Fei first observed mourning for his grandfather, then for his father, delaying his ambitions for years. He finally passed the Ministry of Rites examination but was stuck at the Ministry of Personnel’s selection process, unable to secure an official post for three years. This spring, he finally passed the Imperial Examination and was appointed as a ninth-rank collator. By then, Lin Yan had already donned crimson robes and risen to the position of Vice Prefect of the Capital.

Comparing oneself to others only leads to despair, and comparing goods only makes one discard them! Fortunately, Pei Fei was genuinely thick-skinned—otherwise, he truly wouldn’t be able to keep company with his old friend like this.

As an old friend and a junior, Pei Fei joined Lin Yan in accompanying Grand Madam Jiang for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Grand Madam Jiang’s memory was poor, yet she remembered Pei Fei, calling him "Twelfth Lad," just as she called Lin Yan "Eldest Lad," treating them like brothers.

The "family" enjoyed the moon and wine in a small pavilion in the rear garden.

Grand Madam Jiang broke off a piece of jujube paste-filled snowskin mooncake and ate it slowly. "This tastes quite similar to the Double Seventh Cake we had the other day..."

Lin Yan smiled—his grandmother’s memory was sometimes surprisingly sharp.

The grand madam preferred soft, sweet, and rich flavors, so she was quite pleased with the jujube paste filling and urged Pei Fei and Lin Yan, "Twelfth Lad, Eldest Lad, you should try some too."

Pei Fei chuckled and picked up a baked mooncake. Just as he was about to break it, he noticed the inscription on it: "A laurel branch from Guilin, a fragment of jade from Kunshan."

On the back was another phrase: "A splendid future—let us toast together."

"Plucking laurel in the Moon Palace"—what an auspicious phrase. The laurel was also fitting for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Lin Yan also took one, but after reading the inscription, his expression froze for a moment before he calmly broke it and took a bite.

Curious about the other inscriptions, Pei Fei picked up another cake. The front read, "The moon is brighter in my hometown," while the back said, "Let us toast to distant family and friends."

Oh, this was rather clever.

A maidservant pouring wine nearby smiled and explained, "These cakes are called 'Moon Fortune Cakes,' like temple fortune sticks—they’re for games during the feast."

"Whose mischievous idea was this?" Pei Fei asked with a laugh.

"This—I wouldn’t know, only that they were bought from outside," the maidservant replied with a smile.

Pei Fei had drawn a "good fortune" and couldn’t help feeling a little pleased. He turned to Lin Yan, "An Ran, what does yours say?"

Lin Yan replied indifferently, "Nothing much, just a couple of auspicious phrases."

But Pei Fei had already reached over and taken the half-eaten cake from him. The front only had four characters left: "Bright and" "lovely," while the back read, "A fine bride" and "a toast."

Pei Fei burst into laughter and handed the half-cake to Grand Madam Jiang. "Congratulations, Grand Madam! It seems An Ran’s happy event is near. We ought to follow the cake’s instruction and toast together."

Grand Madam Jiang was well-versed in the classics and immediately recognized the phrase as from the Book of Songs : "The moon rises bright and lovely." Combined with the maidservant’s explanation and Pei Fei’s words, she guessed the full phrase was "You shall surely gain a fine bride." She too smiled and said joyfully to Lin Yan, "We really should all drink to this!"

Pei Fei winked at Grand Madam Jiang. "An Ran was just trying to brush it off earlier..."

Grand Madam Jiang feigned sternness. "He must drink!"Although the maids and servant women didn't understand poetry, they grasped the meaning of the words and all burst into laughter.

Lin Yan pursed his lips and raised his cup with a resigned smile.

After taking a sip of wine, Grand Madam Jiang curiously picked up a baked mooncake and read the inscription: "Over the sea grows the moon bright; We gaze on it far, far apart." The reverse side read: "At this fine feast, let's raise our cups together."

Grand Madam Jiang chuckled, "How lovely! How fitting for the occasion!"

Both Lin Yan and Pei Fei raised their cups to toast Grand Madam Jiang.

Being elderly, Grand Madam Jiang grew tired after a few sips of wine. As it was getting late, she retired to her chambers first, refusing to let the younger generation see her off. "You all enjoy yourselves. I have A Su and the others."

Lin Yan and Pei Fei only escorted her to the garden gate before returning. With the grand madam gone, Pei Fei became even more at ease. He pulled the plate of fortune mooncakes toward himself and examined each one, finally discovering why his luck seemed so good—none of the "fortune interpretations" were bad: "Official career smooth sailing," "Wealth and peace," "Great talent and noble character"...

If it were just this, it would be dull. But the cake maker had played a joke—like this one: "I raise my cup to invite the bright moon; with my shadow, we make a trio." The words on the back actually read: "You're drunk, stop drinking." Pei Fei spat out his tea in laughter.

Lin Yan frowned at him with an amused smile.

Pei Fei, shaking with laughter, handed him the cake to see.

Lin Yan couldn't help but laugh too, though he quickly pressed his lips together. That young lady—such mischief!

Unaware that her sense of humor was being criticized, Shen Shaoguang was busy selling mooncakes and Flower Cakes.

While the Mid-July Festival had lanterns, the Mid-August Festival also saw lanterns hung in the wards, attracting many visitors. Shen Shaoguang gave A Yuan a handful of coins and let her take the night off, while she minded the shop herself.

Shen Ji's reputation for cakes was now well-established in the ward, especially among children. When they passed by while sightseeing, they would pester their parents to come in and buy some.

Even those who had previously complained about the mooncakes being too expensive would now buy a few—after all, it was a festival. Besides, while buying whole boxes was costly, purchasing two or three pieces was still affordable.

Shen Shaoguang had initially worried about leftovers—after today, they'd have to slash prices drastically. Not only did they not keep well, but seasonal goods also lost value after the festival. Unexpectedly, they sold quickly, and soon only a few remained.

She placed several baked mooncakes into a bag previously used for pancakes and handed it to a couple. "Here you go." Tossing the coins into the money basket, she looked up and saw none other than that Liu gentleman standing under the tree by the entrance.

Lately, though Liu Feng often came to eat, he spoke little. Sometimes he seemed to steal glances at her, but when she looked back, he averted his eyes. At times, he appeared to want to say something but held back.

Shen Shaoguang was tempted to joke as she might have in her past life: "Hey, buddy! Do you have a crush on me?" But mindful of the times, she refrained from being so bold.

Now, seeing him again, standing silently under the tree like part of the scenery, she felt somewhat helpless but still smiled at him.

Shen Shaoguang thought he resembled scenery, while Liu Feng saw her as a painting.

Through the bamboo window, under the lamplight, the graceful beauty with her sparkling eyes and charming smile—even the moon goddess couldn't compare.Author's Note: ① The original quote from "Book of Jin" reads: "A branch of the osmanthus in the moon, a fragment of jade from Mount Kun." This is said to be the origin of the phrase "plucking the osmanthus in the moon palace." The line "The moon rises bright, the fair one lovely" comes from the Book of Songs. The other verses are all quite common, so I won't annotate them one by one.