Mudan stepped forward to examine the wild peony carefully. As promised, it was indeed unusually short, measuring barely a foot and a half including the stem and flower. The bark had a brownish tint with vertical striations, and new shoots were sprouting from the roots. The small leaves were divided into 1-5 lobes with coarse teeth, glossy on top, and covered with silky hairs underneath. There were 10 slightly wrinkled petals with a few shallow notches at the tips. They were white with a faint red blush in parts and a light purple base. The filaments were dark purple-red, turning white near the top.
Mudan immediately identified it as a dwarf peony, also known as the Jishan peony. As she gently stroked the branches and leaves, she couldn’t help but feel moved. As the original plant for cultivated peonies, its root bark was used in medicine. In modern times, it has become a critically endangered species requiring special protection. She never expected to come across one here, and such a highly dwarfed specimen at that – having grown so little in over a decade was truly rare.
Seeing Mudan lost in thought, Zhang Dalang grew anxious: “Young miss, are you satisfied with it?” Zhang Erlang tugged at his sleeve, whispering, “Brother, don’t rush her. Let her look at it carefully.”
Snapping back to reality, Mudan carefully examined the roots. Unlike last time, they were still encased in a large clump of soil, so there was no need to thin out the flowers and leaves. She smiled and said, “I’m very satisfied. Let’s stick to what we agreed on last time – 10,000 cash. Is that alright?”
The Zhang brothers beamed with joy: “That’s fine, that’s fine.”
Mudan pointed out to them: “You did an excellent job this time. In the future, if you find more like this, it’s best to keep the soil around the roots just like this.”
The Zhang brothers nodded, seeming to understand, and left happily with their payment.
Mudan called over a servant woman to carry the basket to the back courtyard. As soon as they entered the courtyard gate, Zhen Shi and Bai Shi came to greet them. Zhen Shi glanced into the basket and smiled, “Danniang, you’re buying flowers again? By next spring, I’m afraid Mother’s courtyard will be full of peonies. How much was it?”
Mudan smiled faintly, “The same as last time.”
“That flower is really expensive. Are you sure you didn’t overpay? Danniang, if you like them, wouldn’t it be more economical to buy flower buds from temples or Taoist monasteries?” Zhen Shi followed closely behind her. “Where do you plan to plant it?”
Mudan replied, “I haven’t decided yet.” The value of something is subjective, she thought to herself.
Zhen Shi’s eyes flickered as she asked, “Will you plant it in the open this time too?”
Mudan said, “It came with soil, and it’s not very big. It can be planted in a pot.”
Zhen Shi smiled, “Yes, yes, it’s best to plant in pots if possible. Otherwise, it’ll be hard to move in the future.”
Thinking so far ahead? Mudan was taken aback and couldn’t help but look up at Zhen Shi. Was this the most polite and subtle way of saying it? Was she worried that Mudan would stay in the family for a long time and not leave, so she was giving her a hint?
Zhen Shi was still smiling, but she averted her eyes somewhat unnaturally.
Bai Shi glared at Zhen Shi and quickly said, “Danniang, mother asked me to come see what the heir’s wife wanted with you. Was it related to the Liu family?”
Mudan lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, “Yes.”
Zhen Shi seized the opportunity to change the subject: “What did she come for? Was she trying to persuade you to go back? Listen to me, don’t believe her lies. A good horse doesn’t eat old grass. It’s not like your parents and siblings can’t support you, so why go back?”
Excessive enthusiasm was merely a cover for inner discontent. Mudan felt a bit stifled but didn’t want to create unpleasantness. She simply said mildly, “I always remember the kindness of my brothers and sisters-in-law. I wouldn’t dare forget it for a moment.”
As Zhen Shi was about to say more, Bai Shi, observing Mudan’s expressions and sensing the meaning behind her words, stopped Zhen Shi: “Good or not, why are you saying these things? Danniang knows what she’s doing.”
“I’ll go in and tell Mother about what just happened,” Mudan said, bowing to her sisters-in-law before entering Madam Cen’s room.
Madam Cen was reviewing account books with Xue Shi. Seeing Mudan enter, she beckoned her over: “Come, tell us what that lady said to you.”
Mudan recounted the conversation word for word. After thinking for a moment, Madam Cen asked, “So you’re saying she’s a good person? You trust her?”
Mudan nodded. If she had any doubts before, she was now determined to give it a try. If possible, she didn’t want to rely on anyone for her livelihood or cause trouble for others unnecessarily. The sooner this matter was resolved, the sooner she could live the life she wanted.
Madam Cen frowned, “You can’t judge a book by its cover. Wasn’t the Liu family also…”
Mudan quickly said, “Don’t be upset. At least my illness is cured now. I was just worried that Lady Bai might have ulterior motives in helping me and didn’t want to cause trouble for the family. Since she says she doesn’t expect anything in return, it’s probably true. It’s not like she would help Liu Chang kidnap me, right? My Sister-in-law has met Lady Bai too. Do you think she’s trustworthy?”
Xue Shi patted Mudan’s hand reassuringly: “I don’t think that lady seems like a bad person.”
Mudan’s eyes lit up, “You think so too, sister-in-law? I also feel she wouldn’t do such a thing.”
Madam Cen glanced at the two of them, thinking that Xue Shi, usually so level-headed and rarely expressing such opinions, must have seen something exceptional in Lady Bai to speak up now. She sighed, “It’s good to give it a try. When the time comes, have your eldest sister-in-law, Madam Feng, Lin Mama, and Yuhe stay close to you. Your eldest and second brothers shouldn’t go far either, just keep watch nearby. I’m sure nothing will go wrong.”
That evening, when He Zhizhong returned home and heard about this, he specially sent someone to inquire about Lady Bai’s character. The reports all said that while she appeared aloof, her temperament and cultivation were excellent. She had no bad reputation, and even her servants praised her generosity. After careful consideration, He Zhizhong decided to let Mudan try on that day.
In the following days, He Zhizhong sent someone to the Liu family every other day to inquire, always receiving the answer that Liu Chang was still confined and stubbornly refusing. Upon further investigation, they learned that Liu Chang indeed hadn’t left the mansion and that Princess Qinghua had visited once, receiving a warm welcome from the Liu family and leaving very happy.
Although all signs indicated that Liu Chengcai was indeed preparing for the divorce, the situation remained in limbo without further progress. As the weather grew hotter, the men of the He family became increasingly irritable. With the men in bad moods, the women also grew restless, often quarreling over trivial matters and losing their tempers when Madam Cen wasn’t around.
Seeing that the peony season was almost over and that Liu Chang truly hadn’t left home, Mudan boldly asked He Zhizhong to take her to the Cao family’s peony garden in the north of the city. He Zhizhong was too busy, so he asked He Wulang and his wife to accompany Mudan instead.
He Wulang and Zhang Shi were very close. Upon hearing this, he first exchanged a delighted glance with Zhang Shi. She rolled her eyes at him but couldn’t help smiling, then turned to ask Mudan, “Shall we leave after breakfast?”
The Cao family’s peony garden wasn’t in the city but outside Guanghua Gate. The garden covered about ten mu of land, with a large crescent-shaped lake in the center, just as rumored. Taihu rocks, artificial mountains, pavilions, and vegetation were artfully arranged around the lake, with lush greenery and buildings on the islets. Peonies and Chinese herbaceous peonies were planted everywhere. The early-blooming peony varieties had already withered, and the late-blooming ones were about to fade, but the Chinese herbaceous peonies were in full bloom.
Mudan toured the garden, silently noting its layout and design while carefully distinguishing the peony varieties. Seeing her stare at some peonies that had already lost their flowers and only had branches, leaves, and fruit left, He Wulang laughed, “Danniang, what’s so interesting about those? Look over there instead.”
Zhang Shi smiled, “Don’t tease her, Wulang. I heard from Yuhe that our Danniang can tell the quality of a flower and what kind of bloom it will have just by looking at the leaves, even without seeing the flower.”
Wulang blinked in surprise, “Really? You’re like our second brother then. He can identify all the ingredients used in a fragrance just by smelling it.”
Mudan chuckled, “It’s not that amazing. At most, I can only identify the variety.” As for predicting what kind of flower it would bloom into, she didn’t have that ability. Peonies were prone to mutations; how could she know?
Shu’er, remembering what Xixia had once said to Mudan, tugged at her sleeve and whispered, “Danniang, you could have a garden like this in the future too. Look, we came with ten people today, and they charged us 500 cash, plus another 500 for renting the boat.”
Mudan just smiled without saying anything. Divorce, establishing a female-led household, buying land, building an estate, planting flowers, creating a garden – it would take at least two years to see results, wouldn’t it?
Before the boat had completed even one lap around the lake, Zhang Shi was already struggling. With a pale face, she covered her mouth, indicating she couldn’t go on. Wulang, alarmed, quickly asked the Cao family’s boatman to steer back to shore. Mudan took out her water flask to offer Zhang Shi a drink, but she just shook her head, not daring to speak.
As soon as they reached the shore, Zhang Shi stumbled off the boat and fell into Wulang’s arms. She immediately turned her head to the side and began vomiting uncontrollably.
While patting her back, Wulang said, “She doesn’t usually get seasick. What’s wrong? Could she be ill?”
“Let’s quickly pack up and go home to call a doctor,” Mudan said. She tipped the boatman and apologized, “I’m sorry we’ve made a mess. Here’s 100 cash. Could you please ask someone to clean it up?”
The boatman eagerly accepted the money, tucking it safely away before smiling, “Don’t worry, young miss. You can leave without concern. We’ll take care of the cleaning.”
“What’s going on here?” A male voice came from nearby. The boatman, startled, stepped back and bowed respectfully, “Greetings, master.”
Mudan turned to look and was surprised to see it was the hawk-nosed, bearded man who had competed with them to buy peonies that day. She hadn’t expected him to be the owner of the Cao family garden.