Chapter 48.1 Savoring Spring's Verdant Harvest
While most people return from lantern-watching with a lantern in hand, her grandson returns with a box of glutinous rice balls.
Lin Yan met his grandmother's teasing gaze with a slight purse of his lips. He lowered his eyes, smiling gently. "I stepped out for a while and grew hungry, so I visited Shen Indelible for a meal. Shopkeeper Shen was exceptionally courteous and insisted I bring some back for you to taste."
Elder Madam Jiang lifted the lid of the container, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "Are they sweet?"
Looking at his grandmother's childlike expression, Lin Yan chuckled. "It's sweet, with sesame filling." He turned to a maid and requested, "Prepare a small portion for her tonight. We wouldn't want to overindulge."
Before long, the maid returned with a tray bearing a small bowl of yuanxiao, containing just four delicate orbs. A touch of osmanthus honey had been added to the soup, imparting a delightful fragrance.
Elder Madam Jiang delicately scooped one with a spoon, blew on it, then took a careful bite, revealing the rich black sesame filling.
After savoring it slowly, she nodded in approval. "Sweet, tender, and aromatic. It takes a beauty with a creative mind like Miss Shen's to conceive such a treat."
Beauty... Lin Yan cleared his throat, offering a smile and a nod. "Indeed."
"I wonder if your future bride will have such culinary skills. If she possesses even half of Miss Shen's craftsmanship, you'll be quite fortunate."
Lin Yan smiled faintly and lowered his gaze.
Elder Madam Jiang pondered for a moment before remarking, "But you aren't endowed with the most discerning taste buds, as your composure stays unchanged no matter what you eat. Imagine if you were to marry a bride skilled in the culinary arts, and she painstakingly prepares a bowl of shark's fin soup, only for you to consume it as if it were a simple bowl of noodles. Then, when she asks for your opinion, all you say is 'not bad'... It would be quite disheartening for her..."
Lin Yan lifted his gaze and met his grandmother's somewhat mocking yet endearing look. He couldn't help but purse his lips, a helpless smile forming on his face.
Elder Madam Jiang chuckled, and so did the attending maids.
The servant woman, A’Su, had served Elder Madam Jiang for many years and held a certain authority in her presence. She immediately smiled and said, "How can Elder Madam jest about such a thing? Our master is just not as eloquent as some of the other young men."
Elder Madam Jiang smiled and nodded, "That's where his disadvantage lies, he's just like a gourd with its mouth corked. Fortunately, he has a handsome face, which he can use to charm a young lady."
The servant woman smiled and reassured their Elder Madam once more.
The sound of drums echoed from outside, and Lin Yan stood up, saying, "It's getting late, grandmother. Please rest early."
Elder Madam Jiang nodded, "You should go to bed early too."
Lin Yan saluted and left.
A faint voice lingered behind him, "Elder Madam, you fret too much. Our Master is a capable man. He possesses both talent and good looks; there's no need to worry about finding a bride."
"...If he could marry someone with a livelier personality, it would be wonderful if their temperaments complement each other..."
The mention of a lively temperament nearly caused Lin Yan to trip over his own feet.
"Master, may your walk back be safe." The maid standing watch in the corridor saluted.
Lin Yan nodded and strolled out of his grandmother's courtyard along the corridor.
Upon reaching his study room, Lin Yan settled in front of the desk. He picked up a travel journal from the box, skimmed through a couple of pages, returned it, and extracted a calligraphy practice booklet from the stack below.
In a childlike regular script, a quote from the <Classic of Poetry[1]> adorned the page: "Fear not the want of armor, for mine is also yours to wear[2].... The reticent girl is truly lovely, she waits for me at a city corner[3]..." Notably, the words 'armor(衣),' 'robe(袍),' and 'girl(姝)' were meticulously written and thus were circled.
Turning the page, he once again perused the comments at the back: 'A’Ji, your writing is abstruse, upright yet reclined,' 'Be it upright or reclined, abstruse yet uncomplicated'... Lin Yan raised the corner of his mouth, carefully returning the calligraphy booklet to the box. After a brief contemplation, he slid the book into the middle of the stack and summoned the chamberlain outside, saying, "Send this box to the proprietress of Shen Indelible tomorrow."
The chamberlain promptly complied.
…
Not long after the morning meal, Shen Shaoguang took delivery of the books.
Liu Chang saluted and conveyed, "Miss, these were sent over as per Master's instructions."
Shen Shaoguang smiled and expressed her gratitude.
Liu Chang cupped his hands and left.
Yu San stepped out of the kitchen and cast a glance at the book box. Are young men usually so casual when presenting gifts to the fairer sex? Although, on second thought— Yu San examined the ordinary wooden box. Isn't this a bit too understated?
Shen Shaoguang lifted the lid, extracted the top book, and opened it.
It's an antique book? Yu San quickly grasped the situation. These must be unique books, deliberately packed in a modest wooden box, standing apart from the opulent and ostentatious packaging. This Deputy Magistrate Lin... quite the clever schemer!
Observing Shen Shaoguang's engrossed expression, Yu San smirked inwardly, thinking, 'Girls, heh...' With that, he sauntered straight to the backyard.
The collection comprised poems and poetic essays from the Six Dynasties (220-589), predominantly depicting landscapes. The annotations on the side were written in a somewhat familiar handwriting, but the majority were unfamiliar: 'In five decades, I'll relinquish my post and tread the mountains and springs.' Shen Shaoguang sighed wistfully. Alas, he couldn't fulfill his dream of retiring and embracing seclusion at the age of fifty. Life, indeed, is full of unexpected twists.
Shen Shaoguang lifted the book box. A’Yuan offered to assist, but Shen Shaoguang shook her head, saying, "It’s okay, you go and attend to your own tasks."
Yu San entered with a piece of bacon, rolling his eyes upon hearing this. Once girls fall in love, they always become so unreasonable...
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Footnotes:
[1] Classic of Poetry (诗经) - also known as Book of Songs, is the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, comprising 305 works dating from the 11th BC. There’s an english ver of this available on Amazon.