A day had passed like this.
He said he could stay home for three days. He returned last night—did that count as one day? Purely out of boredom, Ji Yingying found herself overthinking. Due to the mourning period, Yang Jingyuan wasn’t staying at Mingyue Residence but had left early from the guest quarters. Ji Yingying pondered whether the three days started from today or included yesterday.
“Counts don’t count.” She broke off a willow branch and stood by the lake, plucking one leaf at a time while counting. When one branch was finished, she’d start another, much to Xiang’er and Ying’er’s bewilderment.
“My lady, you’ve used up all the willow branches you picked.”
After stripping all the branches, with willow leaves now floating across the lake surface, Ji Yingying finally gave up, muttering, “I can’t help him at all. And I bothered him with something that happened two months ago.”
If she hadn’t mentioned seeing Sheng Fengze two months ago, perhaps they could have spent this time together happily. He had saved up several months of leave just to come back once, and still couldn’t relax.
“Cursed Sheng Fengze! His ghost keeps haunting us!” Ji Yingying’s hatred turned toward Sheng Fengze as she kicked a stone into the lake.
Yang Jingyuan addressed Madam Yang Shi as “Madam.” Madam Yang Shi seemed to be in a poor mood and ordered everyone to dine in their courtyards.
Since they wouldn’t be dining at Bailu Hall for dinner, Yang Jingyuan would surely return to Mingyue Residence. With this thought, Ji Yingying finally found something to do and enthusiastically called her two maids: “Let’s go to the small kitchen to prepare dinner.”
Originally, for Ji Yingying’s safety and her silk color research, Madam Yang Shi had the First Madam set up a separate small kitchen for Mingyue Residence.
Eager to prepare a good meal for Yang Jingyuan, Ji Yingying entered the kitchen with great enthusiasm.
The cook, Old Mother Sun, had been transferred from the main kitchen. With few people in Mingyue Residence, they only needed one cook. Hearing Ji Yingying’s wish to prepare a feast, Old Mother Sun smiled wryly, “Third Madam, please see what dishes we can make.”
Ji Yingying looked at the vegetable basket and was stunned.
Two white radishes, one Chinese cabbage, and five eggs.
The fresh vegetables for Mingyue Residence were delivered daily from the main kitchen according to allotted portions. Eight servants didn’t eat from the small kitchen. After finishing the color matching and setting up the loom, Xueqing returned to Bailu Hall. Including Ji Yingying, Old Mother Ji, the two maids, and Old Mother Sun, five people were eating in the small kitchen.
Ji Yingying couldn’t help wondering if it was her imagination, but since her last visit to Yang Liuju to tell Yang Jingshan about her “icing on the cake” idea, the vegetables from the main kitchen had been decreasing day by day, getting worse and worse.
The First Sister-in-law hates me, doesn’t she? Ji Yingying sighed.
After a hundred days of mourning for Old Master Yang, the Yang family was no longer restricted from eating meat. Ji Yingying hadn’t expected lavish meals, but she didn’t want to mistreat herself and those around her. She hadn’t wanted to bother the First Madam about food, so she occasionally had Ji Fu buy some meat to supplement their meals. She regretted not thinking about buying some groceries earlier. It wouldn’t look good if Yang Jingyuan saw this tonight.
Just when he had stopped hating the Yang family, Ji Yingying didn’t want to anger him again. Suddenly remembering Yang Jingyuan’s vegetarian diet at Mount Qingcheng, she had an idea: “We still have flour, let’s make dumplings tonight. Third Young Master eats vegetarian.”
Tomorrow she could have Old Mother Ji give money to Ji Fu to buy more groceries.
Making vegetarian dumplings was a good idea. Old Mother Sun’s face brightened as well.
When Yang Jingyuan returned at dusk, dumplings filled with radish, cabbage, and egg were served.
Taking a bite of the thin-skinned, generously filled dumplings, Yang Jingyuan paused—vegetarian? He looked at Ji Yingying with touched eyes: “You remembered?”
Ji Yingying laughed, pretending to be attentive: “Of course I remembered, that’s why I made vegetarian dumplings especially. Eat them while they’re hot. I mixed the filling myself.”
“Mm. Delicious.” Yang Jingyuan gazed at her tenderly, eating one dumpling after another until he cleared a large plate. After finishing, he praised Ji Yingying profusely, then said somewhat bashfully, “The hundred days are over, and eating vegetarian every day isn’t good for my health. Tomorrow, make my meat dishes. I want fresh fish sashimi, venison soup, and honey-glazed bear paw. Just these three.”
Did she know how much these three dishes cost? For sashimi, they needed fresh fat carp, which didn’t come from the Jin River—one from the Yangtze River cost five hundred copper coins. Venison was another five hundred, and bear paw was worth three strings of cash, or three taels of silver. One meal would cost five taels of silver. And he said “just” these three?
Golden copper coins danced before Ji Yingying’s eyes. Seeing Yang Jingyuan speak as casually as if suggesting more vegetarian dumplings for tomorrow, she suspected he’d never considered food prices, just tossing silver ingots and walking away.
“Sure, no problem!” Ji Yingying agreed immediately. Yang Jingyuan had brought back five taels of silver. It was his earnings—let him eat it all, she wouldn’t begrudge it. Besides her dowry savings, she still had money saved from her monthly allowance. Yang Jingyuan could keep his pride and dignity; she didn’t need to.
Yang Jingyuan took her hand and led her out for a walk around the lake. When they were alone, he said, “Yingying, don’t touch the monthly allowance from the Yang family from now on. Use those five taels first. I’ll send two taels of silver back each month. It’s not much, but if you’re careful with the money, we can manage. In the future, I’ll earn more to support our family.”
Be careful with the money…
“Alright.” Ji Yingying silently shed tears. Since he’d only be home for a few meals, she could explain later how to manage on two taels of silver.
Thinking about the future and managing a household, Ji Yingying’s face reddened slightly.
“What’s wrong?” Yang Jingyuan sensitively noticed her shyness, and thinking of his own words, his heart suddenly grew hot. “Yingying, three years will pass in a blink. Don’t be too anxious.”
Ji Yingying spat at him: “Who’s anxious!”
Yang Jingyuan said seriously: “I am!”
Ji Yingying burst out laughing and naturally hugged his waist. She nuzzled against his chest and said, “I’ll wait.”
The last sunlit clouds were rimmed with purple, and the bright lake water gradually dimmed. Ji Yingying watched as the light was slowly swallowed by darkness, and autumn insects began chirping in the grass. She felt a deep reluctance to part: “It’s dark already.”
Once night fell, Yang Jingyuan would have to go to the guest quarters. Staying at Mingyue Residence would harm her reputation. Still holding his waist, she murmured, “Third Brother, I regret it. I shouldn’t have told you about Sheng Fengze. It happened two months ago—otherwise, you wouldn’t have had to rush around all day today.”
“Sheng Fengze has left. Don’t fear him.” Yang Jingyuan stroked her hair, hesitated for a moment, but still didn’t tell her what he’d discovered. Perhaps Nanzhao just wanted to negotiate terms with the Great Tang and reduce their annual tribute. They were threatening to revolt to pressure the court. They would be defeated by Tang forces at the border and wouldn’t reach Yizhou City. Why make her worry unnecessarily?
Hearing that Sheng Fengze had left, Ji Yingying’s whole body relaxed: “Third Brother, shall we go to Zhulin Temple tomorrow to fulfill our vow?”
Yang Jingyuan shook his head: “I need to go to Deputy Commander Niu’s mansion with Sang Fourteen.”
Ji Yingying remembered. Niu Seventh Miss had sent a letter saying she would marry in October and asked Ji Yingying to visit when she had time. She said excitedly, “Niu Seventh Miss invited me to see her. The Yang family is in mourning, and I don’t like the Niu family, so I haven’t gone. But I like Seventh Miss. Young Master Sang has been very kind to me. Can I go with you tomorrow? I can bring her wedding gifts early. This way, we can spend more time together.”
“You know how to calculate carefully.” Yang Jingyuan smiled, cupped her face, and pecked her lips, saying reluctantly, “I’ll come pick you up tomorrow morning.”