Chapter 29: The Lantern Festival (1)

The next day was still sunny and pleasant. It seemed as though all the rain and snow of Jiankang had been left behind in the old year. After the New Year, there were consecutive days of warm sunshine.

Today was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Both north and south of the Yangtze River had the custom of viewing lanterns during the Lantern Festival. This tradition of lighting lanterns was related to the flourishing of Buddhism. With the spread of Buddhism to the east, the Jiangnan region was deeply influenced, and offering lamps to the Buddha became a folk custom. On the night of the Lantern Festival, Buddhist lanterns would light up every corner of the civilian world, making it an extremely lively celebration. After this festival, the New Year would truly be over.

Very early that morning, Qi Ning and Qi Le came together to their second brother’s secondary residence. When they entered, Qi Ying hadn’t even had breakfast yet.

Lately, both Qi Ning and Qi Le had been confined by their father and eldest brother to study books, making their lives quite uncomfortable. Today, they finally got a rare chance when their father allowed them to visit their second brother’s residence for some fresh air. How could they not feel elated? Upon arrival, they first took a stroll around the garden. Even in the cold winter, they worked up a sweat before heading into the main hall to join their second brother for breakfast.

Qi Ying had heard from Qi Le a few days ago about coming to Fenghe Garden today, but he hadn’t expected Qi Le and Qi Ning to arrive so early, early enough to join him for breakfast.

Qi Ying glanced at his two younger brothers and asked, “Is Elder Brother not coming today?”

“Elder Brother has to accompany Sister-in-law back to her maiden home during the day,” Qi Ning replied. “He said he’ll join us later tonight.”

Qi Ying hummed in acknowledgment and then asked, “Are Uncle and Aunt coming today too?”

Qi Le chimed in, answering, “Yes, yes, they’ll come later.”

Qi Ying nodded and sat down at the round table in the flower hall to have breakfast. Qi Ning and Qi Le also gathered around. Qi Ying instructed Qingzhu to tell the kitchen to prepare two more servings of breakfast. Qingzhu received the order and went off to make the arrangements.

The arrival of the two young masters was sudden, but preparing meals couldn’t be done carelessly. Qingzhu was always efficient in handling matters, but the unexpected visit caused a slight flurry. As a result, when he directed the maids to serve breakfast to the three young masters, he didn’t notice that Qi Ying’s meal had one extra dish compared to the others.

It was Qi Le who noticed this first, exclaiming in surprise, “Huh? What is that in Second Brother’s bowl? Why don’t Third Brother and I have it?”

It was an ordinary porcelain bowl with a lid, blending in among many dishes, so Qi Ying hadn’t noticed it either. Prompted by Qi Le, he opened it to find a steaming bowl of egg custard.

Egg custard was a common dish, nothing special. However, when the lid was lifted, a fragrant aroma wafted out, much more enticing than usual. Qi Ning was enticed by the smell, jokingly saying, “Second Brother is being too stingy, not sharing even a bowl of egg custard with Third Brother and me?”

Qi Ying usually had simple and light meals, consisting of only a few dishes, and had never eaten such egg custard before. He looked at Qingzhu, his eyes questioning. Qingzhu was sweating profusely on his forehead, unsure where this egg custard had come from. He was annoyed with himself for allowing something of unknown origin to be placed on the young master’s dining table and felt very guilty.

Qi Ying did not reprimand him but simply said, “Go ask who made this egg custard and add some for the two young masters as well.”

Qingzhu bowed in acknowledgment and hurried off to investigate.

After querying around, neither the kitchen cooks nor the maids knew the origin of the egg custard. It was only when he questioned a little maid named Zijun that he finally got some clarity.

Zijun was a maid responsible for purchasing and preparing ingredients in the kitchen, always the first to start work each day. Before starting her duties that morning, she had seen Shen Xiling waiting outside the kitchen. The little girl had waited there early just to find her. Zijun and Shen Xiling had only met once before—last night at the entrance of the Forgetfulness Room, where they exchanged only a few words. Zijun couldn’t figure out why Shen Xiling sought her out. When asked, the little girl said she wanted to borrow the stove to make a bowl of egg custard.

This was a minor request, and Zijun, being straightforward, agreed without hesitation.

She saw that the little girl wasn’t very old but was quite skilled in the kitchen. The egg custard she made had an appealing color, added milk, and had a layer of soft tofu at the bottom, sprinkled with green onions, emitting a fragrant aroma that made Zijun’s mouth water.

However, after finishing, the little girl didn’t take the egg custard away. Zijun found this strange and asked her why. The little girl lowered her head, hesitating slightly, and replied, “This isn’t for me… it’s for Second Master.”

Zijun was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

She didn’t know much about this little girl, only hearing that she was brought back by Brother Bai before the New Year. Initially, Master Qi hadn’t taken kindly to her, and seeing her kneeling at the entrance almost frozen to death, he had someone rescue her. Brother Bai even endured a whipping for her sake. Among the servants, there were rumors that this nameless little maid was a relative of Bai Song, and Master Qi gave Bai Song some face by reluctantly assigning Yixiang to take care of her, though she was eventually to be sent away. However, Lianzi from the gatehouse said otherwise, claiming to have personally seen Master Qi rush back to Fenghe Garden on New Year’s Eve for this little girl and even swore he saw Master Qi coaxing her to drink medicine. No one believed him.

Zijun didn’t gossip much, but she thought the little girl was beautiful, prettier than any New Year painting baby she had ever seen. Because of her beauty, Zijun liked her.

Although she had a fondness for this little maid, she dared not casually send her egg custard to the young master’s table, feeling quite conflicted. Seeing her hesitation, the little girl pursed her lips and tentatively suggested, “Sister Zijun, how about this? You help me send it up. If Master doesn’t ask about it, that’s the best. If he likes it and asks, you can say you added it. If Master doesn’t like it, you can say I made it—okay?”

Zijun still hesitated. The little girl’s slender fingers intertwined, and she softly said, “Master was unwell last night and drank alcohol. This egg custard is nourishing and can help sober him up. I really mean no harm; I just want to repay Master for saving my life…”

Zijun saw her sincerity. The little girl, despite her young age, seemed to have experienced much, showing none of the childish capriciousness or naivety. Her words were carefully chosen, and she was very polite, making Zijun like her even more. She thought that she hadn’t heard about Master being unwell, but this little maid knew, indicating some closeness between them. Sending her egg custard up likely wouldn’t cause any trouble.

Zijun steeled herself and nodded in agreement. The little girl was grateful. Just as people started arriving in the kitchen, she quickly slipped away. Zijun suddenly remembered she hadn’t asked the little girl’s name and quickly called her back to inquire. The little girl hesitated, pursed her lips, and replied, “…I’m Fang Jun.”

Zijun thought the name sounded nice but felt it still didn’t match her. She smiled and nodded at her, then watched the little girl dash off.

Today, unexpectedly, the Third and Fourth Masters suddenly arrived, causing chaos in the kitchen. Zijun seized an opportunity to add the egg custard, then worried nervously, regretting her decision. Not long after, Qingzhu entered the kitchen with a grim expression, starting to interrogate about the egg custard’s origin. Zijun realized things weren’t good when Qingzhu reached her. Unable to hold back, she confessed that the egg custard was made by a little girl named Fang Jun.

Qingzhu’s already stern face turned even darker upon hearing the name “Fang Jun.” Though young, he had always served by the young master’s side and was mature beyond his years, instilling fear in the servants. Seeing Qingzhu’s dark expression, Zijun grew even more frightened, unsure what trouble she had gotten into. In the end, Qingzhu didn’t say much, only ordering the kitchen matrons to make two more bowls of egg custard to send up, then quickly left without punishing Zijun. Zijun felt relieved, thinking it was a narrow escape, and later began to ponder who this little girl named Fang Jun really was, making Qingzhu so angry.

In the flower hall, when the newly made two bowls of egg custard were served, the three masters were already halfway through their meal. However, the Third and Fourth Masters were still enthusiastic. The aroma of the Second Master’s egg custard had been teasing their appetites for a long time, and now that theirs had arrived, they eagerly had the lids removed.

The egg custard inside had a beautiful color and emitted a fragrant aroma. However, the Third and Fourth Masters exchanged glances, feeling that it was different from their second brother’s. Upon closer inspection, they noticed that their bowls contained plum meat sauce, while their second brother’s did not, clearly not the same.

Qi Le couldn’t help but complain to his second brother, saying, “How can they switch things like this? Clearly, it’s not the same as Second Brother’s.”

Qi Ying looked at Qingzhu, who pursed his lips, unsure how to respond. Qi Ying raised an eyebrow and asked, “What?”

Since the young master had asked directly, Qingzhu had no choice but to answer honestly, “Third Master and Fourth Master’s egg custards were made by the kitchen matrons, while Master’s was… made by Miss Fang.”

Qi Ying was startled and looked down at the bowl of egg custard.

It was made by Shen Xiling.

Lately, stomachaches had become a common occurrence for him, and yesterday’s discomfort was particularly severe due to drinking. He hadn’t thought much of it, staying up late into the night as usual. This morning, his stomachache worsened again before his younger brothers arrived, and he had just taken medicine. He didn’t know why Shen Xiling had made him egg custard today, perhaps Qingzhu or Bai Song had told her something.

Qi Ying picked up a spoon and took another spoonful of egg custard. A faint aroma of tofu and milk blended perfectly, subtly sweet and light, warming his stomach gently, bringing a sense of comfort. A faint smile flickered in Qi Ying’s eyes. He thought that although the little girl was careless enough to fall asleep outdoors in winter, her cooking skills were surprisingly excellent.

At least, it suited his taste perfectly.

Meanwhile, Qi Ning sensed something amiss and pressed Qingzhu, asking, “Miss Fang? Which Miss Fang? I haven’t heard of any family surnamed Fang in Jiankang—does Second Brother have someone hidden in this Fenghe Garden?”

Qi Ning was sixteen years old, at an age when he was both interested and sensitive to matters between men and women. Hearing Qingzhu’s words, he immediately sensed something fishy. He thought, right, Second Brother must be hiding someone here; otherwise, why would he often stay here? Even though his stepmother tried hard to keep him, he rarely stayed at the main house. Thinking further, it made more sense. Second Brother was such a remarkable person; from royal princesses to noble daughters in Jiankang, which family’s daughter didn’t dream of marrying him? Second Brother had already come of age, yet he had neither a wife nor concubines or attendants—how unusual was that? Now it all made sense; he was keeping a secret lover in Fenghe Garden.

Qi Ning felt he had uncovered a great secret and was determined to see the true face of this Miss Fang today. However, his second brother remained composed and gave him a cool glance, instantly extinguishing the little flame of curiosity in Qi Ning’s heart. He firmly believed that if he pressed the matter further, his second brother would surely find a way to lock him in the study until next year’s Lantern Festival.

Meanwhile, the younger Qi Le was still somewhat confused. He asked, “Hidden someone? What kind of person is hidden?”

Qi Ning stole a glance at his second brother, who was leisurely scooping up another spoonful of egg custard, not even sparing a glance towards Qi Le. As Qi Le continued to chatter, Qi Ning smacked him on the back of the head and said, “Eat your food, you fool.”

Author’s Note: At this time, Shen Xiling didn’t realize that ten years later, it would be Qi Jingchen sneaking her a bowl of egg custard (and doing it just as stealthily).