If the divorced wife Wu Shi was the executioner of the father-son relationship between the Wang family, then Commander Mu was their quick-acting heart medicine, always rescuing them from the brink of collapse with immediate effect.
Seeing Wang Qianhu’s disappointed expression of “raising a son is worse than raising a dog,” lamenting that Wang Daxia didn’t care for him as attentively as he did for the neighbor’s little widow.
Commander Mu immediately consoled: “In Second Young Master’s heart, father is naturally more important. He’s eaten so many meals at the neighbor’s house, so he should properly return the favor with a feast. He must prepare well, which shows Second Young Master has improved in understanding human relationships and social customs. He wouldn’t have considered things so thoughtfully before.”
With Commander Mu’s explanation, Wang Qianhu found it quite reasonable and felt somewhat comforted, sighing: “Though our Wang family isn’t some wealthy household with bells and cauldrons, we’ve had a hundred years of heritage. Our kitchen has good foundations, and the feasts we host are quite praiseworthy and presentable.”
“You’ve eaten at our house for years – the cook’s skills should be acceptable, right? Why doesn’t he like it? He goes to the neighbor’s house for meals almost daily after leaving the office. Is the neighbor’s food really more fragrant? Look at the menu he had the kitchen prepare—”
Wang Qianhu handed the menu to Commander Mu: “Except for that crispy fried crab dish which has some unique qualities, the rest are very simple home-style dishes. I’m not bragging, but though our family has declined, we usually eat much better than this menu. Why is he so bewitched, thinking other people’s food is more fragrant?”
Commander Mu wasn’t a compass who could make everything round and smooth. He consoled: “This was all a month ago – why must you dig up old accounts? Besides, it was Ding Wu who did the cooking. Now Ding Wu’s whereabouts are unknown and he’s being hunted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard for deportation. He rarely goes there to eat this month.”
After Ding Rukui’s forty-ninth day memorial passed, the Embroidered Uniform Guard went to the half-renovated pharmacy in Toutiao Alley to “arrest for deportation,” but naturally came up empty. Ding Wu had run away, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard was hunting for him.
“Even without food, he still goes to the neighbor’s house frequently, which shows he’s not there for a meal.” Wang Qianhu asked: “I don’t believe those unseemly rumors flying all over North City. I know my own son best – he and Dr. Wei should be innocent. But if he’s not there for food or beauty, what exactly does he go to the neighbor’s house for every day?”
“This…” Commander Mu was also stumped by this question. He equally couldn’t understand Wang Daxia’s bizarre behavior. Based on his observation and intuition, Wang Daxia was probably still a virgin. He said: “Probably they’re close friends. You and I aren’t related by blood either, yet I’ve lived and eaten at your house for so many years.”
That made sense, but… Wang Qianhu said: “You and I are both grown men. He and Dr. Wei are different genders after all. How can a man and woman be close friends?”
Commander Mu advised again: “Don’t overthink it. As they say, if you’re not deaf, dumb, and foolish, you can’t be a grandfather. Even if Second Young Master and Dr. Wei don’t have a purely platonic relationship, does Master Wang have any way to forcibly drag Second Young Master home and forbid him from stepping foot in the neighbor’s house?”
He couldn’t. Starting from age ten, Wang Qianhu had been unable to control the troublemaker Wang Daxia, let alone now when Wang Daxia was an Embroidered Uniform Guard Captain with grown wings. With Wang Qianhu having no power or position, he had even less ability to control his son.
Wang Qianhu fell silent. After a while, he asked: “What do you think I should do?”
Commander Mu said: “Like riding a donkey while reading account books – we’ll see as we go.”
Meaning since he couldn’t control it, he might as well not try.
At the neighbor’s house, since she was attending a banquet, Wei Caiwei couldn’t dress too plainly. She changed into new clothes – an autumn-fragrance colored robe with straight sleeves and a crow-blue satin horse-face skirt. She undid the mourning hair bun wrapped in white silk and arranged it in a round chignon, inserting a pair of ivory combs and wearing jade gourd earrings. This outfit suited her status as a widow while maintaining propriety.
During Mid-Autumn, everyone admired the moon. Wang mansion, as a noble family with a hundred years of heritage, naturally had a moon-viewing platform built in their garden specifically for climbing high to admire the moon. The evening banquet was set here.
Since Wei Caiwei was a woman, it wouldn’t be proper to share tables for dining. They simply followed ancient customs with each person having their own small table scattered around the moon-viewing platform, eating separately.
Wang Qianhu, Commander Mu, and Wang Daxia were served by boy attendants, while Wei Caiwei was served by a maidservant who arranged dishes and poured wine.
Wang Qianhu had also invited musicians for entertainment. After paying respects, they presented the music list to Wei Caiwei for the guest to select songs.
Southern tunes were fashionable now. Wei Caiwei chose “New Water Prelude” – “Small Garden Released River Plums Last Night” to suit the occasion.
The musicians withdrew, holding sandalwood clappers while accompanying stringed and wind instruments began. Two pretty boys who looked only twelve or thirteen started singing southern tunes. Their voices were lingering like clear springs flowing over stones when gentle, seeming to ride the wind into the night sky’s bright moon when soaring, and crisp like spring river ice cracking when clear – incomparably pure and cold.
Listening to such fine music, her ears felt as if caressed by a lover – incomparably soothing. This was no less impressive than the fine music Wei Caiwei had heard at court in her previous life, showing that Wang Qianhu had invested thought and money into this Mid-Autumn banquet, not looking down on her for being a widow.
Wei Caiwei had originally come to attend the banquet out of consideration for Wang Daxia’s face, with an attitude of socializing with Wang Qianhu. But judging from details like separate table dining and the high standard of invited musicians, Wang Qianhu was quite sincere.
When the song ended, Wei Caiwei raised her cup and toasted host Wang Qianhu.
This song was just for eating mooncakes and snacks as appetizers. When it came time for the main meal, the maidservant cleared the snack plates and brought up the dishes Wang Daxia had the kitchen prepare one by one.
Wei Caiwei looked at the familiar dishes – vinegar-braised cabbage, cucumber with Liaodong golden shrimp, and crispy fried crab – and was immediately stunned: Why were these all Ding Wu’s signature dishes?
Wei Caiwei picked out crispy crab meat from the crab shell, dipped it in the sauce plate – crispy outside, tender inside, and delicious. The taste was ninety percent similar to Ding Wu’s cooking.
Wei Caiwei praised: “Your mansion’s cook truly has exquisite skills.”
Wang Qianhu said: “This is the menu my son went to the kitchen to plan with the cook. He tested this crispy crab dish three times before settling on the taste.”
“My son” Wang Daxia gave her a meaningful look, smiling and nodding: Surprised? Pleased? Come praise me!
Wei Caiwei immediately felt the crispy crab in her mouth wasn’t fragrant anymore: Again treating my medical advice like wind past your ears! Your mouth has two cuts from blade fragments. I specifically told you not to eat too hot or oily foods, not to eat inflammatory foods like crab, and especially not to touch seasonings like soy sauce, vinegar, scallions, ginger, and garlic that irritate mouth membranes – but you just won’t listen!
And you tested it three times? Do you still want your mouth or not!
Wei Caiwei said coolly: “Young Master Wang was very thoughtful.”
Wang Daxia waited for Wei Caiwei to praise him, but the person sitting diagonally across didn’t show the expected surprise. What was wrong? Had the cook messed up? Wasn’t this crispy crab the same taste as the final test dish?
Wang Daxia quickly picked up a chopstick full, dipped it in sauce and ate a bite. It was clearly the same taste – why wasn’t Wei Caiwei happy?
Seeing Wang Daxia still recklessly eating, Wei Caiwei felt both heartache and anger. No longer caring about guest restraint and courtesy, she said: “Has Young Master Wang’s injury healed?”
“Huh?” Wang Daxia finally understood why Wei Caiwei looked displeased: “It’s… better.”
Based on Wei Caiwei’s understanding of him, this was definitely a lie.
Not following medical orders and lying about it – Wei Caiwei’s gaze was colder than moonlight. She asked again: “Healed in just half a day? From which divine physician did Young Master Wang obtain miraculous medicine? Please tell me so I can pay a visit.”
Wang Daxia: “I… um…”
Before Wang Qianhu could ask questions, Commander Mu, who worried endlessly about this family, quickly asked: “What happened to you? Where are you injured? Is it serious? Why didn’t you say anything about being hurt?”
Wang Daxia said: “It’s not a very serious injury, just inside my mouth… I have two sores that hurt a bit.”
Lying was routine for Wang Daxia – his truths were at most one-tenth of his lies. He didn’t dare say he was injured from chewing blade fragments.
Because mentioning this would pull up the radish with mud attached – it would involve Wei Caiwei’s homemade secret weapons, the mooncakes. This would embarrass Wei Caiwei.
Since the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s overnight destruction of two White Lotus Sect lairs, especially the Red Sleeve Pavilion explosion at midnight, Wang Qianhu had been constantly worried about Wang Daxia’s safety. Hearing it was just mouth sores, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ordered the serving boy: “Quickly remove all the wine and crab dishes, have the kitchen cook some cooling preserved egg porridge.”
Captain Mu added: “Brew a pot of chrysanthemum tea, cool it in well water before giving it to Second Young Master.”
So Wang Daxia watched helplessly as all the delicious food was carried away. At this Mid-Autumn moon-viewing banquet, watching others eat and drink while only he had a bowl of oil-free preserved egg porridge and a pot of cool chrysanthemum tea on his table – even beggars ate better than him!
Seeing his son’s deflated appearance, Wang Qianhu’s mood suddenly improved greatly: Boy, you have this day too!
If this were usual, this boy didn’t know how to write the character for “patience.” He would have caused a scene at the Mid-Autumn banquet and stormed off long ago, never sitting here continuing to accompany guests.
How unlike tonight’s obedience – even after being put in his place, he sat still and quiet as a cooked crab – previously he’d been like a live crab running rampant.
Wang Qianhu rarely showed a smile and requested another southern tune, “Drunken Peace,” for entertainment.
Commander Mu observed expressions and had a major discovery: Dr. Wei could control the unruly Wang Daxia with just one glance. Wang Qianhu could say ten thousand words that went in one ear and out the other, but one word from Dr. Wei was enough.
Commander Mu thought: Whether they’re purely close friends I’m not certain, but I’m certain they have the relationship of one thing conquering another – like salt water curdling tofu.
In front of Wang Qianhu, Wang Daxia was an iron plate that oil and salt couldn’t penetrate. But in front of the neighbor, Wang Daxia was a piece of soft tofu, letting the neighbor knead him round or flat at will.
Wei Caiwei initially thought this was a “Hongmen Banquet.” She’d made full preparations to face Wang Qianhu’s probing and “interrogation” at the banquet, even preparing to possibly be scolded.
But after actually attending the banquet, Wei Caiwei found Wang Qianhu to be kind, good-tempered, respectful, unpretentious, not talkative, and easy to get along with.
Wang Qianhu truly invited her as a guest. She could see he sometimes wanted to speak but stopped himself, always restraining himself from making anyone uncomfortable at the banquet.
For Wei Caiwei, who had been enduring various rumors and pointing fingers behind her back, this was already rare. So she relaxed, eating and drinking as she should, playing drinking games and listening to fashionable southern tunes, enjoying the moment.
At the Mid-Autumn banquet, though everyone didn’t talk much, host and guests were all satisfied – except Wang Daxia who couldn’t eat meat.
After the banquet, the slightly tipsy Wang Qianhu said to Commander Mu: “I haven’t been this happy in a long time. Wang Daxia only drank porridge and tea tonight, not touching anything else. When has he ever been so obedient? He actually understood propriety in front of Dr. Wei – truly a miracle.”
Wei Caiwei had drunk fruit wine which wasn’t intoxicating. When leaving, she gave Wang Daxia a packet of medicinal pills to dissolve slowly in his mouth to heal his oral injuries.
The next day, just as Wei Caiwei finished making Lady Li Yiren’s health tonic, someone from the palace’s Ceremonial Directorate came with a yellow register, saying the palace was recruiting court female physicians for the autumn beauty selection, to examine the bodies of selected maidens from various regions for hidden ailments.
Wei Caiwei was overjoyed: Finally, she could meet the future favored concubine Shang Shoufeii!
Author’s Note: After two warm chapters of distributing some sweet and hard mooncakes, we’re about to begin a bloody storm of tearing drama, endless palace intrigue, and succession struggles. Everyone must prepare strong hearts because the upcoming Jiajing imperial family’s various dramatic gossip will continuously break new ground for everyone’s limits.