Li’s residence was in Chongyi Ward, with the same black-lacquered gate as other noble houses. The gatekeeper, recognizing visitors from the He family, eagerly ushered them in. This piqued their curiosity. Inside, they found a five-bay, seven-purlin main hall with two-purlin side rooms at each end—a notch below Liu’s official residence with its five-bay, nine-purlin, and five-bay, five-purlin structures.
Xue reflected on her family’s four-bay main hall and two-purlin side room, sighing inwardly. No matter how wealthy they became, they could never inhabit such grand quarters. Noticing her expression, Mudan smiled, “Sister-in-law, both your sons are bright and intellectual. They’ll surely earn you an honorary title someday.”
Xue beamed at this, but humbly replied, “For families like ours, that might be difficult.” While officials’ sons could rely on hereditary privileges or recommendations for positions, her children would have to climb the ladder through rigorous examinations, without guaranteeing a good post. Though aware of the challenges, what mother doesn’t dream of her child’s success?
Mudan gestured towards Li’s imposing gate. “Isn’t this a prime example? What others have achieved, our He family’s sons can accomplish too.”
Suddenly, a woman’s hearty laugh rang out. “Well said! With determination, who can’t soar to great heights? It’s unlike you to show doubt before even starting. You weren’t like this when you first married into the family.” As the voice faded, a tall, full-figured middle-aged woman with a beaming face whirled into view.
Mudan, realizing this wasn’t Li Xing’s mother—her distant maternal aunt—looked questioningly at He Dalong and Xue. Who was this?
The woman helped Xue up, ignoring He Zhizhong for the moment, and turned to Mudan with a broad smile. “No need to ask, you must be Danniang. I just returned and heard about you. I guessed you’d visit today, and I was right!”
Seeing Mudan’s confusion, Xue quickly explained, “Danniang, you were too young to remember your aunt. She’s only recently returned.”
Mudan finally understood—this was Li Xing’s aunt, Li Manniang, renowned for her archery skills and fondness for hunting with lynxes. Intrigued, she wondered if Li Manniang had brought a lynx to the capital and how thrilling it would be to see one up close. She bowed deeply, “Greetings, Aunt.”
Li Manniang laughed, “With your build, I doubt you could even stay steady on a horse!”
Recalling her less-than-stellar equestrian skills, Mudan blushed. Seizing the opportunity, she said, “I’ve been in poor health these past few years, which set me back. If you have time, Aunt, perhaps you could teach your niece?”
Li Manniang readily agreed, “That’s easy enough! I’ll take care of it. But be prepared for some hard work—otherwise, don’t claim to be Li Manniang’s disciple.”
He Zhizhong, finally finding an opening, interjected, “We’ve come to see Xingzhi. How is he? And where is the children’s aunt?”
Li Manniang replied, “He’s tough as nails, nothing serious. His head took a harder hit than his body, though. My sister-in-law is with the doctor prescribing medicine, so she asked me to greet the guests. Brother-in-law, please come in.”
Li Xing’s courtyard was a small quadrangle. Several old ginkgo trees greeted the eye, their silver-white branches and emerald leaves striking against the azure sky. The corridor was lined with bench-like railings, while beneath it grew over a dozen thriving peonies. When in full bloom, one could enjoy a close view of the peonies just by sitting in the corridor—a truly pleasant sight. Mudan immediately recognized them as premium varieties, and He Zhizhong noticed too, remarking with a smile, “Is there anyone in the capital who doesn’t love growing peonies?”
Li Manniang chuckled, “I doubt it.”
A young maid went in to announce their arrival. Soon, a pretty senior maid emerged, wearing an ivory-white short jacket over a light green half-sleeved blouse with a floral pattern, paired with a light blue six-panel long skirt and white cloth shoes. Her hair was styled in double-hanging braids. Smiling, she greeted them and said, “The young master heard of your arrival and is hurriedly freshening up. He requests that the honored guests wait in the tea pavilion.”
Li Manniang asked with a grin, “Bishui, will you be brewing the tea?”
The senior maid smiled softly, “Yes, it will be me.”
Li Xing’s tea pavilion stood apart, its clear-lacquered carved flower windows complemented by several bamboo groves behind and a vermilion plum tree bearing fruit in front—an elegant sight even from the outside. It was a picture of refined taste, in contrast to the opulence of the Liu family. Dalong remarked, “Looking at Xingzhi’s quarters makes me feel quite inadequate.”
The group entered, stepping on ruyi-patterned doorsills. Inside, instead of the usual water-polished square bricks, the floor was covered with lacquered paulownia wood. A large ice-silk mat in cyan occupied most of the space, with a long tea table atop it holding a set of fine, jade-like Yuezhou celadon tea bowls. To the right stood a square tea table laden with silver tea-grinding tools, sieves, salt containers, and spoons. Slightly lower, a small red clay tea stove sat ready, with a young servant adding charcoal in preparation.
Even the worldly He Zhizhong couldn’t help but exclaim, “Xingzhi truly has refined tastes.”
Li Manniang invited everyone to remove their shoes and be seated, then said, “Bishui, bring out your best tea, water, and skills—no holding back.”
Bishui smiled demurely and reached up to unhook a silver-threaded tea basket from the silk cord hanging from the beam. “The water is Huishan spring water from Changzhou. For tea, we have Sword South’s Mengding Shi Flower, Huzhou Guzhu’s Purple Bamboo Shoot, and Eastern Sichuan’s Small Ball. Which would the honored guests prefer?”
Though the He family had fine teas, Changzhou’s Huishan spring water was truly extravagant. He Zhizhong smiled, “With such excellent tea and water, we’ll defer to the host’s choice.”
Bishui looked uncertainly at Li Manniang, who laughed, “Let’s brew the Mengding Shi Flower. You can’t find such fine teas in Youzhou. Brother-in-law, you won’t blame me for being greedy, will you?”
He Zhizhong laughed heartily, “Of course not!” Then he lowered his voice to ask Li Manniang, “I heard Xingzhi acquired a tea-brewing expert. I assume it’s her?”
Li Manniang nodded slightly, “Indeed, it’s her.”
Hearing this, Mudan focused intently on watching Bishui’s tea preparation.
Bishui first roasted the small square tea cakes until dry, then ground them into fine powder using a tea grinder. She carefully added water to the tea kettle, watching it closely. When fish-eye-sized bubbles appeared on the surface, she immediately opened the salt container and added a spoonful of salt—this was the first boil.
Mudan inwardly sighed. Why add salt? She couldn’t get used to it.
Moments later, when spring-like bubbles formed around the edges, Bishui ladled out some water and set it aside. She then stirred the water with bamboo chopsticks, creating a whirlpool, and added the tea powder to its center—the second boil.
As the tea water boiled vigorously, with foam splashing, Bishui added the reserved water to stop the boiling. She then rapidly whisked the tea, creating foam and turning the liquid a bright white color with a delicate pattern on the surface—the third boil. Only then did Bishui remove the kettle from the stove and pour the tea into cups. Her slender fingers moved with grace, and most impressively, she distributed the foam evenly among the cups.
By this point, everyone was thoroughly enchanted. They praised her skill before tasting the tea. Though Mudan had never seen such an elaborate tea-making process, she sipped carefully, filled with admiration despite it not suiting her taste. While it was fashionable to drink tea with gusto, as with wine, Mudan’s delicate sips stood out, catching Bishui’s attention several times.
Li Manniang, thoroughly enjoying herself, drained her cup in one go. “Bishui’s skill is truly remarkable. Why don’t you come to Youzhou with me? I’ll treat you well.”
Bishui didn’t answer directly. She bowed gracefully and smiled gently, “I’m honored by your praise, madam, but my skills are modest. I’ve heard that Master Quantong at Tong Temple has developed a new tea art technique, creating images of birds, beasts, insects, fish, and flowers on the tea’s surface, as delicate as paintings. That is truly divine artistry.”
Li Manniang smiled faintly and glanced outside. “Why hasn’t Xingzhi arrived yet?”
He Zhizhong said, “If he’s unwell, don’t disturb him. We’ll sit for a while, and when your sister-in-law is free, we’ll express our thanks and leave.”
Just then, Li Xing appeared, his hair loosely tied with a wooden hairpin, wearing a lake-blue gauze robe with a round collar and wooden clogs. He carried a silver bottle and wore a broad smile. He first glanced at Mudan, then bowed to everyone, “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
He Zhizhong smiled, “We heard you were knocked unconscious by a porcelain pillow and were quite worried. But seeing you so lively now puts our minds at ease.”
Li Manniang added, “Your uncle and his family came straight here after visiting the Liu residence.”
Li Xing looked at Mudan with a smile, “Danniang, did you get your divorce papers?”
Noticing the bloodshot eyes and pallor on Li Xing’s face, Mudan felt guilty for causing him to leave his sickbed. She replied, “Yes, I’ve already exchanged them for official documents at the Capital Prefecture. Cousin, you’re unwell; you really shouldn’t have gotten up.”
“Congratulations,” Li Xing said cheerfully, revealing the contents of his silver bottle. “These are lychees from Sichuan’s tribute, quite rare. They’ll serve as a perfect celebratory gift for Danniang today.”
Mudan perked up immediately, her eyes widening. Lychees from Sichuan? In a silver bottle? Could it be the famous “one ride, red dust, concubine’s smile” variety? But when she tasted them, she realized they were fresh lychees preserved in salt.
Li Xing watched her reaction carefully, and seeing her odd expression, he asked disappointedly, “Danniang, don’t you like them?”
Noticing everyone’s gaze and their satisfied expressions, Mudan quickly said, “How could I not like them? I’m just overwhelmed by how rare and precious they are.”
Everyone burst into laughter. Li Xing, ever attentive, noticed Bishui eyeing the lychees longingly. He offered her one, saying, “It’s a rare opportunity. You should try one too.”
“Thank you, young master,” Bishui said joyfully, accepting the fruit with both hands before retreating to savor it.
He Zhizhong cleared his throat. “We have another matter to discuss today. The elder wants to file a complaint against several nephews at the Capital Prefecture.”