It was him. Mudan hadn’t expected Jiang Changyang to greet her. He was dressed as simply as before, with his saber still hanging at his waist. His expression, however, was more animated this time. When he smiled, there was a hint of shyness, softening his otherwise stern features and easily bridging the distance between them.
“He’s probably not used to interacting with women,” Mudan thought. She formally bowed to him and replied with a smile, “Indeed, it is.”
Jiang Changyang glanced at the group, realizing they had come for lengtao but hadn’t been served. He said, “Please wait a moment,” and went inside.
Mudan was puzzled. Madam Zhang hurriedly asked, “Do you know him?”
“We met at the Liu residence a few days ago and exchanged a few words,” Mudan replied.
Madam Sun, letting her imagination run wild, said, “He must be going to negotiate with the shop owner so we can have lengtao too.”
Madam Zhang laughed, “You’re always thinking about food.”
Before she could finish, Jiang Changyang emerged with a stocky man wearing Hu-style clothing and six-harmonies boots, adorned with a gold and silver-decorated belt and sporting a full beard. The bearded man gave Mudan’s group a quick once-over and promptly instructed the shopkeeper, “Accommodate these guests and put it on my tab.”
Mudan noticed the man’s dignified demeanor and his special belt, recognizing he was no ordinary person. She thought to herself that since they had reserved the shop, there must be a reason, and while Jiang Changyang’s gesture was courteous, she shouldn’t impose. She bowed gratefully but politely declined.
The bearded man simply smiled and went back inside without further comment. Jiang Changyang said, “You’re too polite. It’s just a bowl of lengtao. Since you’re here, you might as well eat before leaving. It’s not a big deal. If you feel uncomfortable, you can pay for it yourself. Their specialty is the water flower lengtao.”
Mudan hesitated, wondering why he was being so considerate when they barely knew each other. Unexpectedly, she caught a glimpse of pity and regret in his eyes. She suddenly realized he thought she was in a pitiful state, rarely able to go out, and might not have another chance to taste this famous dish for a long time. She smiled gently, “It’s fine, I’ll come back tomorrow.”
Surprised by her response and seeing Mudan’s radiant smile, as well as Yuhe, chatting cheerfully with a maid and the warmth between Mudan and the others, Jiang Changyang thought perhaps something had changed that he wasn’t aware of. He didn’t insist further and bowed slightly, “In that case, please do as you wish.”
After riding about ten zhang away, Mudan remembered she had forgotten to ask where Jiang Changyang lived. She had initially met him through Pan Rong and had promised to send him some peonies as thanks for his help. But now that she had fallen out with Pan Rong and the Liu family, she couldn’t ask them about his whereabouts. It seemed too much to turn back and ask now. She thought, “As long as he’s still in the capital, there will be another chance to meet.”
Upon returning to Xuanping Ward, Madam Sun and Madam Zhang argued over who should pay for the flowers. Mudan firmly prevented them and instead had water brought for the shop assistants who had escorted her home and the two brothers. She generously rewarded the assistants and sent them back with money to buy food for the others at the shop. She also had Mama Lin give ten strings of cash to the two brothers.
The brothers were overjoyed upon receiving the money. “Madam, don’t worry about us. We’ll exchange this for rice, oil, and salt right away,” they said.
The older brother, looking around at the entrance of the He residence, smiled and said, “I’m called Zhang Dalang, and this is my younger brother Zhang Erlang. If we come across flowers like these again, would you want them, Madam?”
Mudan replied with a smile, “I don’t want ordinary ones. They must be unique like these, growing wild with more petals, a stronger fragrance, and different colors. The rarer, the better.”
Zhang Erlang pondered for a moment and said, “I remember now, there’s a strange peony at the foot of Wangsheng Cliff on the back half of the mountain.”
“Strange in what way?” Mudan inquired.
Zhang Erlang gestured as he explained, “I remember seeing it when I was little. It never grew tall or big. Even now, it’s only about one and a half chi high.”
Mudan asked earnestly, “Is it one and a half chi tall when blooming or all the time? Are the flowers large? Does it bloom profusely? What color?” She had a hunch that she might have stumbled upon a miniature peony.
There was a saying among commoners that peonies “grow a chi and shrink eight cun,” but this wasn’t true. Peonies sprout in spring, with the initial growth being stem elongation, followed by leaf growth and bud formation at the tip. There’s a long flower stalk below the bud, which withers and dies along with the remnants of the flower after blooming. Only the bottom third or half of the original stem continues to form mixed buds or leaf buds for the following year’s flowers, gradually becoming woody. So in spring, before and after blooming, the plant appears to grow taller due to the flower stalk elongation, but after flowering, the stalk withers and falls off, making the plant seem shorter again.
From her observations over the past few days, Mudan knew that tall and upright plants with full, abundant blooms were the basic requirements for peony appreciation among the capital’s residents. But they hadn’t considered that smaller, more compact varieties with less annual growth and finer, shorter, more numerous roots would be better suited for potted plants and even bonsai, achieving unexpected effects for indoor decoration. This was one of her future breeding directions.
If this wild peony was true as Zhang Erlang described, only one and a half chi tall even when blooming, it would be an excellent material for breeding miniature peonies. She could imagine the effect of placing such a peony in a pot, combined with other flowers and stones to create an auspicious bonsai arrangement on the desks of nobles and officials.
Zhang Erlang, pondering Mudan’s questions, finally said hesitantly, “The flowers are white, not very large, but there are quite a few. I didn’t pay attention to how tall it was at different times, I just knew it was small. Is there a difference?”
“Of course, there’s a difference. In any case, dig it up and bring it to me. Be very careful not to damage the fibrous roots. If it’s truly as you described, I’ll give you ten thousand cash. Even if it’s not, I’ll still compensate you for your trouble,” Mudan said, unable to explain the details in such a short time.
The Zhang brothers, hearing this, repeatedly promised to dig up and deliver the plant within three days. After confirming the exact location of the He residence once more, they left happily.
After seeing off the brothers, Mudan went to see Madam Cen. From afar, she could hear the joyful laughter of the group and Shuashua’s ingratiating voice saying, “Good Mother!”
Mama Lin explained to Mudan, “It used to love mimicking that phrase the most. It had forgotten it during the three years at the Liu residence, but this morning, hearing everyone greeting the Madam and the children calling for their mothers, it remembered. The Madam was initially upset by it, but later had someone reward it with pumpkin seeds.”
Mudan found it amusing. “This naughty bird adapts quickly. It’s already won my mother’s favor.”
Yuhe laughed, “Without boasting, among all the parrots I’ve seen, this one is the smartest. It was thanks to it that day; I only taught it a few times, and it remembered.”
Mudan pondered, “Go back and tell Kuan’er and Shu’er to be careful. Don’t say anything important in front of it.”
Yuhe carefully agreed. Living in this house, they couldn’t say anyone was bad at the moment. Everyone seemed to care for Mudan, but with so many people around, they had to be extremely cautious not to say anything inappropriate that Shuashua might repeat, causing trouble for Mudan and Madam Cen.
Madam Cen had just woken from her afternoon nap and was resting on a cool couch in the corridor. She was surrounded by the He family women and children, some drinking tea, others chatting, and some listening to the children recite their lessons, creating a harmonious atmosphere. When Mudan entered, everyone smiled and made room for her to sit next to Madam Cen.
Madam Cen took Mudan’s hand and said, “Fortunately, you took many people with you today.” Seeing Madam Sun and Madam Zhang around Madam Cen, Mudan knew they must have already told her about the earlier incident. She smiled and said, “If we had fewer people, I wouldn’t have dared to go out casually.”
Madam Cen nodded, “Is what your cousin Li did true?”
Mudan hesitated for a moment before replying, “It seems to be true. Liu Chang asked him, and he admitted it. Having offended those two, his future might be difficult.”
Madam Cen sighed, “This child… You owe him a great debt of gratitude.” She didn’t know how to continue. Seeing Mudan lower her eyes, seemingly deep in thought, she changed the subject, “Didn’t you buy flowers? Hurry and plant them!”
As Mudan rose to plant the flowers, several nieces and nephews eagerly asked their mothers for permission to follow her to the back courtyard.
Madam Zhang then said, “Mother, I saw that Liu Chang was truly angry today and took all her anger out on Xingzhi. I’m afraid she might make things even more difficult in the future.” As women, she and Madam Sun understood the implications of Liu Chang’s words to Mudan. However, as daughters-in-law, they couldn’t openly discuss their sister-in-law’s private affairs in front of their mother-in-law, so they could only hint at it discreetly.
Madam Cen’s face grew serious as she said, “Continue to interact as usual. An upright person fears no shadow.”
Madam Zhang and Madam Sun exchanged glances and responded in unison, “Yes.”