Shao Jie was quite perceptive. After finishing the official matters, he promptly took his leave. Whether it was an illusion or not, Shao Jie seemed to catch a faint trace of approval on Lord Lin's composed face.
Shen Shaoguang offered to see him out, but Shao Jie politely declined and rode off after stepping outside.
When Shen Shaoguang returned, she saw Lord Lin still sitting there, stroking the cat.
Glancing at the barely touched food on the table, Shen Shaoguang sighed inwardly. Now that the guest had left, the "prop" could be set aside, and afternoon tea could resume!
With a feigned smile, Shen Shaoguang asked, "Would you like anything else, my lord? Or perhaps you'd like to wash your hands first?"
Lin Yan nodded with a smile and set the cat down. Ming Nu flicked its tail at him before trotting over to rub against Shen Shaoguang's legs.
She quickly soothed it, "Good kitty, good kitty. I'm still busy—later, okay?"
Lin Yan glanced at her, then lowered his head slightly as if to reach for something on the table. Remembering his unwashed hands, he withdrew them and folded them neatly on his lap, looking every bit the dignified official.
"Please wait a moment, my lord. I'll fetch a basin of water for you," Shen Shaoguang said, embodying the conscientiousness of the service industry. For someone of Lord Lin's status, washing hands at home or in the office likely involved multiple attendants—one holding the basin, another offering Washbean and hand cream, yet another with a towel, and sometimes even having a maid wipe his hands for him.
But Lin Yan stood up. "I'll come with you."
Saving a trip was always welcome. Shen Shaoguang smiled. "Actually, running water is cleaner for washing hands."
Lin Yan gave her a deep look before smiling and murmuring, "Mm."
Shen Shaoguang raised a brow slightly. What was so funny? Was there something odd about that?
They went to the water vat at the back of the shop. Lin Yan bent slightly over the stone washbasin while Shen Shaoguang scooped water from the vat with a gourd dipper to rinse his hands, then silently handed him the Washbean box.
The shop kept towels for guests, but someone as fastidious as Lord Lin probably preferred his own handkerchief, so Shen Shaoguang skipped the "offering a towel" step.
Suddenly, she understood the meaning behind Lord Lin's earlier glance and smile. "Holding the towel and comb" was a common euphemism for a wife or concubine serving her husband.
Shen Shaoguang bit her lip and glared at him. Really, as the esteemed deputy mayor of Chang'an, couldn't he keep his thoughts wholesome? Less imaginative? More matter-of-fact?
Lin Yan straightened up, shook his hands lightly, and turned to see her expression. He couldn't help but laugh.
Still smiling, he added, "Did you hold Ming Nu earlier? Let me help you wash your hands too."
Shen Shaoguang gave him a wry look. Was teasing her becoming a habit?
Feeling mischievous, she smiled sweetly. "Then I’ll trouble the deputy mayor."
Lin Yan mimicked her earlier actions, scooping water with the dipper and carefully pouring it over her hands.
Her hands were slender and long. Though her skin was fair, they weren’t particularly delicate—a few small red spots dotted the back, likely from splattered oil, and her knuckles were pronounced. These were hands that had known hard work. Lin Yan’s playful expression faded.
He suddenly recalled what she’d said during her first visit to deliver porridge to his grandmother: "When I was in the palace, we never had enough charcoal in winter. My hands and feet would swell, crack, and ooze. If it stayed cold, it wasn’t so bad—just a few painful splits. But the worst was suddenly warming them by the fire. The itching was unbearable." His heart ached even more. He longed to take her hands in his, to rub and knead them, to ask if those old wounds had truly healed...
Shen Shaoguang counted silently to fifteen in her head, following proper handwashing protocol, then turned to look at Lin Yan.Lin Yan smiled gently and scooped a ladle of water to rinse for her.
Having played the diva for a moment, Shen Shaoguang cheered up and asked with a smile, “There’s Osmanthus Sticky Rice Lotus Root today. Would you like to try some, Lord Lin? You can also bring some back for the Dowager.”
Lin Yan smiled. “Alright.”
To show her magnanimity, Shen Shaoguang casually chatted with him about culinary knowledge. “The rice used in this Osmanthus Sticky Rice Lotus Root is from this summer’s new harvest, and the lotus root is also fresh. It’s just a shame the osmanthus flowers are last year’s stock bought from the medicinal tea shop—if you sniff carefully, there’s a hint of codonopsis and scutellaria. Fortunately, the sweetness covers it up.”
“Lotus roots come in nine-holed and seven-holed varieties. The nine-holed ones are white lotus roots—crisp and sweet, perfect for eating raw. The ones used in ‘Fisherman’s Three Delicacies’ are this kind. The seven-holed ones are red lotus roots—mealy and not crisp, unsuitable for raw eating but ideal for making this osmanthus lotus root.”
As they walked back together, Lin Yan turned his head to look at her, listening to her talk about food and drink with a sense of serene contentment, as if time itself had softened into tranquility.
“You stuff the lotus root with glutinous rice, seal it with the cut-off end, then boil it with red dates, malt sugar, and osmanthus flowers. After simmering for about an hour, when the lotus root becomes fragrant and tender and the rice turns sticky, you can take it out, let it cool, slice it, strain the cooking liquid, reduce it to a thick syrup, mix in some sugar-preserved osmanthus, and pour it over the lotus root. It’s both fragrant and sweet.”
Lin Yan felt the urge to tease her again and nodded. “One should indeed eat more sweets. Though it may not suit the season, it suits the situation.”
Shen Shaoguang stopped walking to look at him, but Lin Yan merely chuckled and returned to his desk.
Faced with the now-unrestrained Lord Lin, Shen Shaoguang found herself at a loss for words. According to the principles of organ-nourishing and the five elements, one should “increase sweetness in spring, bitterness in summer, sourness in autumn, and pungency in winter.” Thus, autumn is the season to “suit the time” with sour flavors—so his mention of “suiting the situation” naturally referred to earlier… having eaten too much vinegar (jealousy), one ought to balance it out with something sweet!
Thinking of the stern and aloof Lord Lin from before, Shen Shaoguang sighed faintly and scooped up a spoonful of sugar-preserved osmanthus syrup, about to pour it all over—after all, one gets what one asks for!
But then she suddenly recalled the homophonic pun in the phrase: “seeking a person, one gains a person”… Shen Shaoguang steadied the spoon in her hand and drizzled it carefully, leaving half the syrup behind.
Yet Lord Lin didn’t make any more “improper” remarks. Instead, he asked about her partnership with the Shao family for the new shop.
Knowing he meant well, Shen Shaoguang didn’t hide anything and summarized the main points of their discussions, including profit-sharing and responsibilities.
Lin Yan nodded. “In business, shrewdness and integrity are often hard to balance. The Shao family is quite decent—they know how to adapt, and Young Master Shao is capable and astute. Partnering with them is a good choice.”
Shen Shaoguang smiled. For him to give such high praise to a “rival in love” showed that his earlier “vinegar” (jealousy) was just teasing—perhaps this could be considered “a little jealousy adds spice to life”?
Shao Jie inspected several locations and, after discussing with Shen Shaoguang, finally settled on Qinren Ward.
Qinren Ward was a large, upscale neighborhood southwest of the East Market, where Princess Fuhui’s estate was located. The princess’s residence was built on the foundation of the famed “Chixia Garden,” renowned for its elegance and refinement—though it wasn’t particularly spacious.The Chixia Garden was planted with many renowned flowers, especially peonies, chrysanthemums, and camellias, earning the saying "For the finest blooms of both capitals, look to Chixia." Originally the private residence of Madam Han during Emperor Xuanzong's reign, the villa later changed hands after the Tianbao Incident led to Madam Han's death. It was transferred to the famous rebel-suppressing general Zhou Yan, a descendant of the Yingchuan Zhou clan, who transformed the originally gaudy garden into one of exquisite elegance. Unfortunately, his son was convicted for his words, implicating his ancestors, and the garden changed hands again...
Just as Lao Bai described in his poem The Haunted Mansion : "The former master, a general and minister, was exiled to Bayong for his crimes. The next master, a high official, fell ill and died within. Four or five owners in succession, each met with misfortune." This famous garden had quite the reputation for being "unlucky for its masters," but Princess Fuhui paid no heed. She claimed it as her own and converted it into a princess's residence.
When Shen Shaoguang came to inspect the renovation progress of her new shop, she made a special detour around the princess's residence. Even through the garden walls, she could catch the fragrance of early-blooming osmanthus flowers.
Osmanthus was wonderful—it could be used to make osmanthus sesame candy, osmanthus jujube paste cakes, osmanthus yam cakes, Osmanthus Sticky Rice Lotus Root, and Osmanthus Sweet Fermented Rice Balls. It could also be stewed with duck, chicken, or ribs, not to mention being brewed into sweet porridges or infused into tea and fruit drinks.
Shen Shaoguang gazed enviously at the walls of the princess's residence. What a steal Princess Fuhui had gotten! If she could own such a grand estate herself, she could feast on every kind of flower one by one. Perhaps she could even write The Hundred Flowers Compendium , akin to The Classic of Mountains and Seas , annotating the flavors of each blossom...
Daydreaming about the princess's residence... Shen Shaoguang felt her inner real estate tycoon's heart swelling a bit too quickly. Though owning a princess's residence in this lifetime was out of the question, other "haunted mansions" might still be within reach.
There were quite a few such haunted properties in Chang'an, including one in Chongxian Ward. Of course, the "haunted mansion" in Chongxian Ward wasn't as famous or as large as Chixia Garden—just a modest three-courtyard house. It was said to have originally belonged to a merchant from the south who died of a sudden stroke during intimacy. The next owner, who had no heirs, was killed by bandits while trading in Youzhou. His wife invited monks and Taoist priests to perform fiery, clamorous rituals in the house, but she remained unsettled and eventually moved out.
Passing by the mansion during the lantern festival, one could see its pitch-black interior. Those with vivid imaginations could surely spin countless ghostly fox tales about it.
Alas, even a haunted mansion was a bit too expensive for Shen Shaoguang... And when she thought about the villa in the southern mountains or the holiday home by the Wei River, the road ahead seemed long indeed.
Shen Shaoguang returned to the shop under renovation. This location was slightly larger than Shen Ji's current one, facing the main street. It had previously been a silk shop, so the interior was quite clean, requiring minimal major changes—much to Shen Shaoguang's satisfaction. From the grand gardens of a princess's residence to a small shopfront, it was like a glutton dreaming of bear paws and deer tails but still happily settling for steamed buns stuffed with braised pork head. Shen Shaoguang didn't feel much of a psychological gap.
As a branch location, the style naturally had to remain consistent—whitewashed walls, wooden partitions, and brick floors covered with foreign rugs. Shen Shaoguang discussed with Shao Jie about adding a carved long screen in the middle, with one side arranged with traditional low dining tables and the other furnished with high tables, foreign-style chairs, and long couches.Nowadays, wealthy and noble households also use high tables and chairs, but low furniture remains the mainstream. Shen Ji still primarily uses low dining tables, which is precisely why Shen Shaoguang finds it increasingly inconvenient—group meals are such a hassle!
Shao Jie clapped his hands: "This is exactly what we should do! When Junior Minister Ji and others held their banquet at Qujiang, they used large tables where a dozen or so people sat around together—how warm and lively!"
Shen Shaoguang added, "We could set up a few of these large tables you mentioned, seating ten to twenty people, and also add some smaller tables for three or four. That way, solo diners, couples, or groups can all dine comfortably."
Shao Jie agreed again: "Exactly!"
Shao Jie was quite familiar with Chang'an's taverns. "Just introducing high tables would be groundbreaking in Chang'an. As far as I know, no tavern or eatery has done this yet—though I worry some stubborn traditionalists might criticize it."
Shen Shaoguang grinned mischievously. "If this stirs up public debate, we won’t even need to set up stalls in the East and West Markets." After all, bad publicity is still publicity.
Shao Jie looked at Shen Shaoguang—was this really how things could be viewed? But then again... it made sense.
Shen Shaoguang turned serious again. "Can’t you see, sir? From ancient times to now, from sitting on the ground to using mats, low tables, and stools, then to foreign-style beds, drum stools, and high tables—the trend has always been moving from low to high. Those critics are just like mantises trying to stop a chariot!"
Shao Jie struck his right fist into his left palm. "That’s how we’ll argue with those stubborn folks from now on!"
Shen Shaoguang burst into laughter.
Author’s Note: ① A reference from Teacher Ye Guangqin’s The Tale of Fermented Bean Juice : The osmanthus bought from the herbal medicine shop smells strongly of codonopsis and scutellaria.
————
Author: Deputy Chief Lin, you’re just washing your hands—aren’t you overacting a bit?
Lin Yan smiles: I hope every morning, I can do this...
Shen Shaoguang: Is he flirting again?
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