Pan Rong and Lady Bai didn’t stay long at Fang Garden. A few days after the Qixi Festival, the Chuzhou Marquis’s mansion sent people to announce that the Marchioness was unwell. Without explicitly asking Pan Rong and Lady Bai to return, they requested to bring Pan Jing back to comfort the Marchioness in her illness. Under these circumstances, Pan Rong and Lady Bai had no choice but to pack their belongings and return to the city.
Fang Garden suddenly felt empty with only Lady Wang and Jiang Changyang remaining. Perhaps accustomed to Pan Jing and Pan Rong’s daily squabbles, everyone felt the place had become much quieter. During dinner, Lady Wang sighed, “You know, having a child around really livens things up. Every time I see Pan Jing’s little pink cheeks, I want to pinch them. But then I remember I’m not his real grandmother, and I might be resented for it, so I have to hold back.”
Jiang Changyang glanced at Mudan with a smile.
Understanding Lady Wang’s implication, Mudan blushed slightly and lowered her head to eat. It wasn’t possible this month anyway, as she was indisposed.
Seeing her opportunity, Lady Wang placed a chicken leg on Mudan’s plate and ladled half a bowl of soup for her. “Eat more, you’ve gotten thin.”
Mudan was already half full. If Lady Wang hadn’t urged her, she might have eaten a bit more, but seeing the large chicken leg and half bowl of soup before her, she suddenly felt full and couldn’t eat another bite. However, Lady Wang had always been accommodating and rarely made requests. So, she decided to eat the meat first, then drink the soup to fill the gaps. She took a deep breath, preparing to pick up the chicken leg, when a pair of chopsticks swooped in from the side, swiftly snatching the chicken leg from her plate.
Mudan secretly rejoiced, her eyes shining as she looked at Jiang Changyang.
Without even glancing at her, Jiang Changyang complained to Lady Wang while eating the chicken leg, “Mother, you’re playing favorites. You give her all the good food.”
Lady Wang glared at him but didn’t expose his ploy. She simply said, “Isn’t being good to her the same as being good to you?”
Hearing this, Mudan quickly picked up the chicken soup and drank it in a few gulps, then looked at Lady Wang with an ingratiating smile. Lady Wang glanced at her, lightly tapped her head, and scolded Jiang Changyang, “Not the least bit endearing.” But she didn’t urge Mudan to eat anything else.
The next morning, after breakfast, Mudan went to the seedling garden. After greeting Gardener Li, she crouched down to check the growth of the peony seedlings planted last autumn, assessing whether they could be successfully transplanted this coming autumn.
Big Black, ever dutiful, stood guard nearby, stretching out his legs and resting his head on them, drooling as he listened to Mudan instructing Yuhe, “Look, the fertilizer and water are just right. We should be able to transplant them before the Mid-Autumn Festival.” She drew a line along the edge of the plot, “Before uprooting, we need to dig a two-foot deep trench here, then dig vertically into the soil, transferring both soil and seedlings into the trench. Only then can we select the seedlings? The large ones will be moved to the nursery, while the smaller ones will be replanted in the plot.”
Yuhe carefully noted this down, then glanced at Gardener Li, who was diligently tending to the peonies not far away. She whispered, “He agreed to teach me how to use the knife last night.”
“Really?” Mudan was delighted for Yuhe and happy for Gardener Li, who had finally found a satisfactory apprentice.
Yuhe looked a bit downcast, “He’s been letting Ashun and Man watch him work occasionally. I guess he still has reservations about me being a woman. After reporting to you, he’ll probably only officially take them on as apprentices.”
Mudan patted her hand, “Don’t worry, you have me.”
Yuhe replied somewhat sadly, “Yes, thankfully I have you.”
Mudan had long wanted to ask her about her relationship with Gui and her plans but hadn’t found the opportunity. Seeing a chance now, she said, “Last time we came, Madam Feng sent someone to ask you to return to Xuanping Fang in a few days.”
“I know. But Fang Garden is busy,” Yuhe’s movements suddenly stopped. Madam Feng had mentioned to her several times that she had found a good match for her, wanting to settle it early so that Mudan could promote her to housekeeper in the future. But her heart was full of thoughts of that person, how could she marry someone else?
Hearing her reluctance to return, Mudan said, “Do you remember when I argued with Cousin Gong last autumn?” At that time, she had directly refused Li Xing.
Yuhe was startled, then nodded, “I remember.”
“It’s good that you remember. If you can’t let go, then go for it. Whether it ends in success or failure, at least you’ll know the truth. What’s the use of dragging things out like this?” Mudan said softly, “If you’ve made up your mind, tell me, and I’ll have someone ask him.”
If he refused, wouldn’t it be awkward to face him in the future? Perhaps it was better to watch from afar, with him knowing nothing… As Yuhe was hesitating, she suddenly saw Gui enter from outside with a smile. He bowed to Mudan and said cheerfully, “Madam, there are guests outside. It’s Lu Wulang and a dark-skinned female guest, along with a male guest who says he’s from Hangzhou. They say they had a prior appointment with you. Shall I show them in?”
“Of course, why wouldn’t I? Yuhe, you come too,” Mudan hurried outside. Without asking, she knew that the ones accompanying Lu Wulang must be Madam Duan and the wealthy Hangzhou merchant she had mentioned, who was looking for famous peonies and a good gardener.
When they reached the main hall, the guests were nowhere to be seen. Even Gui found it strange. Suddenly, Atao came over with a smile and said, “The young master happened to meet them and, hearing they came to see the flowers, took them to view the garden first. They should be near the Half Moon Pavilion by now.”
As they approached the Half Moon Pavilion, they saw Jiang Changyang and Lu Wulang standing in front of a Golden Waist Tower peony, vividly describing its appearance when in full bloom: “The color is pink with hints of yellow. The petals overlap like a tower, with the flower crown reaching up to a foot in diameter. It has more than eight petals and is exceptionally beautiful and rare. We only have this one plant. I’ve heard there are also Jade Waist Tower and Red Waist Tower peonies, but unfortunately, I haven’t seen them.”
Then they heard the man in a brown round-collared robe standing next to Madam Duan ask in fluent official language, “May I ask, young master, how much is this Golden Waist Tower peony worth?”
Jiang Changyang replied with some difficulty, “I’m not sure of the exact details, you’d have to ask my wife. But I remember she was particularly delighted when she acquired this plant, saying that even with money, it might not be easy to find.”
Mudan couldn’t help but smile. It seemed Jiang Changyang could indeed help her with business. This Golden Waist Tower peony was originally part of He Mudan’s dowry, said to have come from the palace, and was extremely rare and valuable. He even knew how happy she was when she got it, describing it vividly.
The Hangzhou merchant didn’t ask further. Instead, he crouched down to examine the Golden Waist Tower peony closely, first looking at the root suckers, then the branches and leaves. He seemed quite knowledgeable. After a while, he stood up and said, “The Jade Waist Tower peony has the same flower shape as this one, just with white as the accent color.”
“May I ask if the guest has seen it before?” Mudan walked over slowly, greeting everyone, and looked at the Hangzhou guest. She was somewhat surprised – Madam Duan’s old friend was so young. This Hangzhou guest was of average height, about seventeen or eighteen years old. Though his clothes were exquisite, his face was weather-beaten, with a beard covering half his face. He had a high, straight nose and narrow, bright eyes full of business acumen.
Lu Wulang, who hadn’t seen Mudan for a long time, now saw that she had shed her youthful naivety and added much more charm than the previous year. Her whole body radiated the allure of youth and young wifehood, and he couldn’t help but stare. Remembering his manners, he lowered his eyes and dared not look again.
Perhaps because beautiful women were common in Suzhou and Hangzhou, the Hangzhou merchant seemed unfazed. Upon seeing Mudan, he merely blinked slightly, then looked directly at her and said with a smile, “I happen to have a Jade Waist Tower peony at home. My mother has always wanted to find a Golden Waist Tower peony to make a pair of ‘gold and jade filling the hall.’ I’ve searched all over the country for years without seeing one, only hearing that they existed in the palace. I came to try my luck, and lo and behold, I was fortunate enough to encounter one.”
Mudan shook her head with a smile, “This Golden Waist Tower peony was part of my dowry. It’s not for sale.”
“My Jade Waist Tower peony, when in Hangzhou, was worth ten thousand coins for a single flower. I imagine this Golden Waist Tower is not cheap either,” the man said with a faint smile, looking around. “Let’s look at the other flowers first.”
Ten thousand coins for a single flower? He was deliberately baiting her; this man wasn’t easy to fool. Mudan whispered to Jiang Changyang, “If you’re not interested, you don’t have to accompany us. Go about your business.”
Jiang Changyang smiled, “I’ll stay with you.” He then bowed to the Hangzhou merchant, “I haven’t asked for your name yet. I am Jiang Changyang, courtesy name Chengfeng.”
The man smiled and returned the bow, “It was my oversight. My surname is Jin, given name Buyan, courtesy name Jimo.”
What a strange name, sounding infinitely desolate. Who would name their child like this? Mudan mused silently, then led the way, “Please come this way, guest. My Fang Garden currently has over a hundred varieties of flowers, among which there are several dozen notable peonies…”
Jin Buyan listened attentively, stopping at each location to ask detailed questions for a long time. He was interested not only in peonies but also in the rocks. He spoke knowledgeably about the origins and value of the rocks, displaying his business acumen.
They walked and stopped like this until midday, still not having seen all of Fang Garden and all the peonies. Mudan’s feet were aching, and she was hungry, but Jin Buyan was still enthusiastic, showing no signs of fatigue.
Jiang Changyang suggested, “It’s nearly noon. Why don’t we have some food and rest before continuing the tour?”
Madam Duan, being overweight and accustomed to life on boats, was already exhausted. She happily agreed. Jin Buyan chuckled, “I’ll follow the host’s arrangements.”
The group sat in the pavilion, and Mudan went to arrange the meal. Not knowing Jin Buyan and Madam Duan’s preferences, she first sent Gui to ask their servants, then discussed with Zhou Baniang. Zhou Baniang said, “Since they’re from Jiangnan, they must like fish, shrimp, and crab, but they might be tired of it. Why don’t we prepare some of our light, homestyle dishes, add a soft-shelled turtle dish, and a dried sea cucumber dish? Cook the rice with fragrant rice, and I’m sure they’ll enjoy it.”
Mudan was very satisfied with this suggestion. She was also instructed to use good wine and fine tableware. After everything was arranged, she went back to entertain the guests. When Madam Duan heard that Lady Wang was present, she volunteered to pay her respects. Considering Qin Niang’s relationship with Prince Jing, Mudan looked questioningly at Jiang Changyang, who nodded slightly. Only then did Mudan lead Madam Duan to meet Lady Wang.