"I heard Lady Pang has been staying at a nunnery lately to worship Buddha and pray for blessings?" a young girl in a golden pomegranate-patterned silk skirt asked with a smile.
Pang Erniang stood by the pavilion, flattered by the question, and replied with a smile, "Indeed."
"Which nunnery might that be?" the pomegranate-skirted girl pressed with a grin.
Several noble ladies turned their eyes to Pang Erniang.
"It's the Luminous Nunnery in Chongxian Lane," Pang Erniang answered after a moment's thought, adding, "Their Abbot, Yuanjue, is deeply versed in Buddhist teachings."
"The Luminous Nunnery—" the pomegranate-skirted girl's smile took on a knowing tone.
A girl in a jade-colored gown nearby fanned herself lightly with a round fan and raised an eyebrow teasingly, "This year's summer cakes from the Luminous Nunnery were unusually delicious—could it be Lady Pang's recipe?"
Pang Erniang instinctively glanced toward Shen Shaoguang. She hesitated, torn between denying it and seizing this rare moment in the spotlight.
"Does the Pang family have secret recipes? Then it must be an old recipe from Jingzhou or Shu," the pomegranate-skirted girl said, her eyes crinkling with amusement.
The Pang family had shallow roots—unlike the great aristocratic clans with generations-old recipes. The mention of Jingzhou and Shu was a veiled jab at the Pang family's alleged ancestral claims.
The noble ladies' verbal sparring was always like this: sweet on the surface but laced with venom, soft silk hiding sharp needles.
The girls all laughed.
A young woman in an autumn-hued gown embroidered with golden thread playfully tapped the pomegranate-skirted girl's hand. "Twelfth Sister, you're being mischievous again!" She then smiled at Pang Erniang. "Lady Pang, don't take offense."
Pang Erniang's face paled. She bit her lip, torn between turning away or saying something, but ultimately held her tongue.
Shen Shaoguang poked the small stove with fire tongs and placed the pot of steaming zongzi back on it, thinking to herself, Tsk tsk, even someone as domineering as Pang Erniang is being cornered today... it's rather pitiful. Birds of a feather flock together—better not mix with those out of your league.
The woman in the golden-embroidered autumn gown seemed slightly older, as if she were the leader of these noble ladies. "We've rested enough. Let's go take a look over there."
A maid nearby cautioned, "It's crowded there, Fifth Sister. Be careful not to be jostled."
The pomegranate-skirted girl chimed in first, "No matter! I see the capital's officials are there." She winked at the golden-embroidered woman.
The golden-embroidered woman shot her a mock-stern glance, and the group of ladies, surrounded by attendants, left the pavilion and walked along the main path.
They happened to pass Shen Shaoguang's stall. The girl in the jade-colored gown noticed the circle of Ai Wowo (Glutinous Rice Cake) on the bamboo tray and looked curiously at Shen Shaoguang, then at Pang Erniang, who had fallen behind. Out of a shred of kindness, she didn't bring up the earlier topic again.
Pang Erniang had only known Shen Shaoguang sold zongzi and sour plum drinks—she hadn't expected this addition. Her already unpleasant expression darkened further.
The jade-gowned girl slowed her steps, waiting for Pang Erniang to catch up. She chided softly, "You should know better than to mingle with just anyone!" Then she quickened her pace and left.
Pang Erniang stopped in her tracks. She had been holding back tears earlier, but this half-kind reproach finally broke her composure, and she began to cry.
Shen Shaoguang felt awkward and quickly lowered her head, pretending to doze off.
But after a moment, Pang Erniang approached and said resentfully, her voice thick with tears, "Stop pretending! I know you heard everything."
Shen Shaoguang gave an awkward chuckle and rubbed her nose. "Lady Pang, would you like a cup of Jasmine tea to quench your thirst?"Shen Shaoguang had merely made an offhand remark, knowing that noble ladies were particular and usually brought their own food and drinks.
She expected Pang Erniang to storm off in a huff, but to her surprise, the girl glanced at her and actually accepted the bowl of Jasmine tea.
A maid nearby whispered a reminder, "Fifth Lady and the others have already gone far ahead..."
Pang Erniang muttered, "After being humiliated like that, why should I keep tagging along?"
Looking at Pang Erniang’s delicate face marred by two comically thick eyebrows, Shen Shaoguang sighed inwardly—she was still just a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old child.
Shen Shaoguang placed a few Ai Wowo (Glutinous Rice Cakes) on a small white porcelain plate and pushed it toward Pang Erniang before lowering her head to continue rolling dough.
To her surprise, Pang Erniang actually started eating. The maids exchanged glances, then looked at Shen Shaoguang but said nothing.
After finishing the cakes and tea, Pang Erniang seemed to be in a slightly better mood. She murmured, "I’m leaving." She hesitated as if wanting to say "thank you," but the word never left her lips.
Shen Shaoguang chuckled softly—ah, young girls!
Shen Shaoguang had a sharp eye for gossip. Though she didn’t know the identities of these noble ladies, she could guess from their conversation that the earlier verbal sparring had something to do with that handsome young Vice Prefect of the Capital.
After their chance encounter that day, Shen Shaoguang had casually asked the Abbot and learned that this Vice Prefect hailed from the Hedong Lin clan.
The Lin clan was an old aristocratic family listed near the top of the Register of Great Clans. They had survived multiple dynasties and even produced two chancellors in the early Tang. However, they suffered heavy persecution during Empress Wu’s reign—some were executed, others exiled—and had since declined. Even so, in the eyes of scholar-officials who revered ancestral glory and old nobility, they were still far above upstarts like the Duke of Lu’s household.
Moreover, the man was already a substantive fourth-rank official at such a young age—ministers of the Six Boards were only third-rank—and held the crucial position of Vice Prefect of the Capital. Truly, he was favored by the emperor and had boundless prospects.
Shen Shaoguang shook her head. Lady Pang’s youthful infatuation was likely doomed to be unrequited.
While musing over others’ affairs, Shen Shaoguang focused on her own business. As noon approached, the riverside grew increasingly crowded—the dragon boat race was about to begin.
Her stall thrived. The beautiful Ai Wowo were particularly popular and had already sold out. Zongzi flew off the steamers one after another, though the Jasmine tea remained slow-moving.
No matter—if it didn’t sell, it didn’t sell. Shen Shaoguang brewed a cup for herself, sipping leisurely from her usual coarse porcelain mug.
Drums and gongs thundered on the river as people jostled for space, erupting in cheers now and then—the dragon boat race had started.
From her spot, Shen Shaoguang could only see the backs of heads, with no clear view of the river. Still, she fanned herself and craned her neck to watch.
After several rounds, the Red Team won. It was the "Imperial Dragon Boat Team," composed of retainers from the Crown Prince and several princes’ households. Shen Shaoguang smiled—hidden rules existed everywhere.
With the race over, those eligible for the imperial banquet naturally attended, while others gathered for private feasts or parties. Commoners either ate their own packed food or bought snacks before heading home early—the sun was unbearably fierce today.Shen Shaoguang moved her stall a bit further under the tree, took out the remaining zongzi from the basket to steam them, and sat on the folding stool she had brought to rest her legs as she watched the thinning crowd by the riverside. She mentally calculated today's earnings, indulging in her rather distant dream of buying property in the capital—though truthfully, with enough money, becoming a landowner in some scenic countryside would be just as good.
With the imperial procession returned to the palace, the Imperial Guards had naturally left as well, leaving all matters at Qujiang to the jurisdiction of the Jingzhao Prefecture. Bai Fuyin, being of advanced age, had returned to the office first, while Lin Yan led the remaining officials to oversee the final shift of the Dragon Boat Festival.
The sun was blazing, and the river's surface shimmered so brightly it hurt the eyes. Lin Yan clasped his hands behind his back and strolled leisurely out of the shaded pavilion.
Two green-robed officials and several yamen runners moved to follow, but Lin Yan smiled faintly and said, "I'm just taking a short walk. At least this way, my trip to Qujiang Pond won't have been entirely in vain during the festival."
Even if their superior's joke wasn't particularly funny, the officials and runners dutifully chuckled before respectfully letting the young vice-prefect wander off along the riverbank.
When Lin Yan tapped the table, Shen Shaoguang was dozing off, her head bobbing slightly. Startled awake, she blinked her bleary eyes, wiped away any suspicious drool at the corner of her mouth, and stood up with a smile. "Would the gentleman care for zongzi or some Jasmine tea?"
Recalling the chilled, strong Smoked Plum Drink the Imperial Guards had enjoyed that morning, Lin Yan replied mildly, "Jasmine tea will do."
Since no one had ordered tea earlier, Shen Shaoguang had already extinguished the water-heating stove. Now she refilled the iron kettle, moved it onto the stove steaming the zongzi, and fanned the flames to brew the tea.
Lin Yan sat comfortably on the folding stool prepared for guests and waited in silence.
Once the water boiled, Shen Shaoguang rinsed a bowl, added tea leaves, and poured the water slowly. The powdered tea and jasmine flowers floated up, the liquor gradually turning a pale yellowish-green—lighter even than the young lady's light yellow-green gown from that morning.①
Lin Yan lifted the porcelain bowl, took a small sip, then set it down. "Do you find joy in this life among the common folk, young lady?"
Shen Shaoguang glanced at him in surprise. Why such a philosophical question out of the blue? Was this appropriate small talk between strangers? Then she suddenly recalled a past-life memory of a news segment asking "Are you happy?"—was this the vice mayor's random survey on societal happiness levels?
Squinting with a smile, Shen Shaoguang replied, "With the realm at peace and prosperity, and Chang'an so wealthy and tranquil, of course I'm happy—very happy indeed." She felt her answer was perfectly standard, striking just the right balance between flattery and naturalness.
Lin Yan gave her a faintly amused look but said nothing, sipping his tea unhurriedly.
Shen Shaoguang busied herself wiping the counter here and there, tidying up her things. Soon Zhao Er would arrive with the donkey cart to take her home.
When Lin Yan finished his tea, he stood up.
"Five coppers per bowl, sir," Shen Shaoguang said cheerfully.
Lin Yan took out his purse, placed five coins on the table, and strolled away.
Shen Shaoguang felt a twinge of disappointment—she'd hoped for one last tip of the day.
Author's note: ①During the Tang Dynasty, there was actually a method of steeping tea called "ān tea," though it wasn't as common as boiling.
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