As expected, people began arriving the next afternoon to inquire about the miniature peony bonsai. Pan Rong, without much discrimination, dug up about ten peonies from his garden and brought them over. Brandishing the vouchers Mudan had written for exchanging bonsai next year, he proudly promoted the offer among his friends, acting like an enthusiastic volunteer salesman.
Upon hearing about this, Lü Fang made a special trip to see the sample bonsai peonies Mudan had kept for promotion. He smiled and shook his head, offering to come to Fang Yuan in autumn to help with grafting peonies and exchange technical insights. Mudan graciously accepted.
As more people came to exchange plants, Jiang Changyang suggested that Mudan could take advantage of this to increase production. However, Mudan pondered why luxury items were so coveted. It was because their high price and rarity made them symbols of status and wealth. If miniature peony bonsai became too easily obtainable, the trend wouldn’t last long even if it caught on. She wanted to maintain their high-end status by ensuring limited supply.
So she instructed that when people inquired, they should be told that only sixteen bonsai peonies would be available in this promotion. She guaranteed that each bonsai would be unique, ensuring that customers would own one-of-a-kind pieces. This idea led her to ask Yuan Shijiu to source unique, small, and exquisite rocks from the market. This would also give Yuan Shijiu a chance to earn money and supplement his family income. According to news from Mama Lin, Yuan Shijiu’s wife was indeed pregnant but living in a rented farmhouse in the suburbs with only a young servant, enduring hardship. Yuan Shijiu was a good man, but his stubborn nature necessitated careful handling.
She shared her thoughts with Jiang Changyang that evening. He strongly agreed and immediately went to Yuan Shijiu under the pretense of discussing a book, then asked for his help. Everyone understood the underlying intent; it was simply a way to offer assistance.
Yuan Shijiu was well aware of his family’s situation. If he refused Jiang Changyang and Mudan’s kind offer now, it would be overly rigid and ungrateful. Without saying much, he briefly pondered before agreeing to Jiang Changyang’s request, leaving the matter of payment to Mudan’s discretion. Jiang Changyang specifically instructed Mudan not to overpay, but to keep it within normal range to avoid disrespecting Yuan Shijiu.
Mudan laughed heartily, “I know how to handle this. You focus on your affairs. Leave the household to me; just step in to shield me from swords and daggers when necessary.” This referred to matters like the troubles with the Duke’s mansion, which only he could effectively handle. His stern gaze was more effective than her shouting ten times. Previously, she had hoped to ease tensions with the old madam and maintain at least a superficial peace during visits. But after several incidents, she had completely abandoned this hope. It wasn’t a matter of misunderstandings that could be resolved; the fundamental issue was that they were fundamentally different people who could never see eye to eye.
On the evening following the day after the Fen Prince’s banquet, when most of the grafting work was complete, a special pair of guests arrived at the mansion. It was Li Xing and Wu Shijiuniang, whom they hadn’t seen in a long time. Mudan was surprised and warmly welcomed them.
Wu Shijiuniang was two months pregnant, her complexion glowing with a rosy tint. She stood happily beside Li Xing, pointing out the six peonies they had brought: “We haven’t been out much, so we only recently heard about this. We wanted to join in the excitement. Xingzhi said I should look at more beautiful things; it’s good for the baby. I thought while outdoor scenery is nice, having a few of these small, beautiful peonies inside to see every morning would be even better.”
It was a gesture of goodwill; they must have heard about her troubles with the guild. Mudan was grateful. She noticed that throughout Wu Shijiuniang’s explanation, Li Xing maintained a faint smile, appearing very calm. Even when their eyes met occasionally, he seemed at peace. He was doing well, and Wu Shijiuniang was a good woman. Mudan was very happy and insisted they stay for dinner. The couple didn’t refuse; in fact, Wu Shijiuniang seemed slightly relieved. A seed planted in the heart, if feared and avoided, will remain buried forever. But if faced, it often turns out less frightening than imagined. Eventually, that seed will be blown away by the wind.
When Jiang Changyang returned home and saw the couple, he showed great enthusiasm and joy. Although he and Li Xing might differ in political views and thoughts, it didn’t prevent them from being relatives and friends. He always believed that there weren’t many people in the world who could truly care for you and your family, so those who did should be cherished. Regardless of Li Xing’s past feelings for Mudan, he had always been sincere towards her. Jiang Changyang was glad that Mudan and Li Xing’s relationship had returned to normal.
With the grafting issue successfully resolved and her relationship with Li Xing back on track, Mudan was in high spirits. She discussed with Jiang Changyang: “The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon. My adoptive father and mother will be leaving, and my family has been unhappy recently because of my sixth brother’s situation. I was thinking of using this opportunity to invite them all to our home for a reunion. What do you think?”
Jiang Changyang smiled, “That sounds good.” But then he hesitated, “We should probably ask first. My adoptive father might want to spend the festival with his brothers from the Fang family.” While Madam Wang might want to spend the holiday with him, Fang Bohui also had his own family. Both had their pasts and now that they were finally together, it was up to the younger generation to be more thoughtful and considerate.
Mudan had met Fang Bohui’s two sons and daughters-in-law before. They were easy to get along with, had their official positions and businesses, lived well, were filial to Fang Bohui, and respected Madam Wang. Madam Wang, being understanding, didn’t live with them, didn’t make things difficult, didn’t force issues, cared where she could, and didn’t worry about things beyond her control. As a result, everyone got along well.
Considering Jiang Changyang’s situation, Mudan very much hoped to spend the festival with Madam Wang. She had the fanciful idea of inviting Fang Bohui’s family as well, but upon reflection, decided against it. If she were in their position, she wouldn’t enjoy spending the holiday with a sudden influx of “relatives” either; it would be uncomfortable and inconvenient. After much thought, she decided to invite Fang Bohui and Madam Wang over for a gathering the day before, essentially celebrating two Mid-Autumn Festivals to satisfy everyone.
Setting aside idle talk, in the days leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, Mudan was busy both with grafting work and festival preparations. In this era before mooncakes existed, she very much wanted to make them. During last year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, they had only drunk a bowl of moon-viewing soup without mooncakes, which left her, accustomed to eating mooncakes, feeling that something was missing. It wasn’t particularly difficult; it was just a matter of adding various fillings to flatbread.
Mudan threw herself into culinary pursuits with great enthusiasm. Not only did she seek out rare ingredients like crabs, fish, and shrimp for the Mid-Autumn feast, but she also led Mama Lin, Kuan’er, Shu’er, and others in daily culinary experiments. In her spare time, she had people bring over her niece Yingni.
Ang, Rongniang, and others, along with Fanli’er, drink tea and play with Shuaishuai. They competed to see who could make the most intricate and delicious-filled pastries.
Zhang Wulang was delighted. He always felt that Fanli’er was becoming increasingly wild, and this trend was worsening. In just over a year, she had effectively become the second-in-command in his place. When he wasn’t around, people would go to Fanli’er with their concerns. At first, it was seen as a joke or teasing, but Fanli’er took it seriously. Despite her young age and being a girl, she showed no timidity and successfully handled several impressive matters that even he couldn’t find fault with.
He let her continue, thinking that he was getting older and had caused plenty of trouble in his youth. He never knew when his time might suddenly come. If Fanli’er could take care of herself, that would be for the best, and he could be at ease. However, as time passed, Fanli’er developed a bad temper, often threatening violence, her temperament becoming increasingly forceful. He found it normal for himself to threaten or even resort to violence without warning, as it showed his masculinity. But the same behavior from Fanli’er was different. Was this how a woman should behave? How could she not understand the concept of gentleness at all? Being strong-willed and capable was good, but one should also know when to yield and read situations correctly. Always resorting to glaring, shouting matches, and sharp words when issues arose – who would dare to marry her in the future?
When Mudan sent people to bring Fanli’er over, it was like a pillow being offered to someone sleepy. Zhang Wulang felt like he should burn incense before Buddha in gratitude. How blissful it would be to be free of this little demon star! So he specifically instructed Shu’er to beg Mudan to make Fanli’er more ladylike, to have some semblance of a girl’s demeanor, and to correct as many bad habits as possible.
He spoke lightly of it, but Mudan invested considerable effort. Yingniang, Rongniang, and the others had been immersed in culinary arts from a young age and were accustomed to staying at home. Fanli’er, on the other hand, enjoyed herself for a few days before becoming bored. She tried every way to persuade Mudan to teach her horseback riding, wanted to play with Jiang Changyang’s hawks, and even wanted to go hunting.
Mudan indulged her to an extent, allowing her to run a few laps in Jiang Changyang’s training ground. She didn’t dare let her play with the hawks, only allowing her to pet them and watch how the servants cared for them. She deliberately engaged in activities like cutting clothes and discussing fashion, etiquette, and proper behavior with Rongniang, Yingni, and her other nieces in front of Fanli’er.
At first, Fanli’er was indifferent, listening when she wanted to and running off to play with Shuaishuai in the courtyard when she didn’t. Later, she sensitively realized that these activities seemed targeted at her and angrily stopped coming. Zhang Wulang must have said something to her, because the next day when Mudan took Yingniang and Rongniang to fetch her, she came out with a smiling face, but made Mudan promise to take her hunting if she improved. Yingni and Rongniang, who were also soon to be married, joined in pestering Mudan upon hearing this. Mudan smiled and agreed.