After the Beginning of Summer, each day grew hotter than the last. Cicadas chirped intermittently, and the summer lethargy made people increasingly reluctant to leave their rooms, preferring to stay indoors.
After her afternoon nap, Madam Lu received word from her maid Lvyao that Princess Ningping had come to visit. A maid stood by with a fan, creating a gentle breeze. Madam Lu reclined on her couch, lacking energy for quite some time, and ordered servants to fetch the Third Young Madam. This meant, naturally, that she wanted the Third Young Madam to receive guests in her place.
Maid Lvyao said with difficulty: “Madam, have you forgotten? The court is on break these few days, and the Third Young Master is home. The Third Young Madam sent word earlier that she would take two days off to accompany him.”
Madam Lu’s hand, which had been rubbing her temple, paused as she remembered this matter.
When husbands had time off, wives should stay home to accompany them… While Madam Lu had worried about her daughter-in-law’s future when Luo Lingyu held authority over household affairs, now that Luo Lingyu wasn’t managing things, Madam Lu couldn’t understand what was so important about accompanying a man. Would meeting with servants and doing accounts interfere with Luo Lingyu talking to the Third Young Master? With the young master at home, wasn’t it just those few matters—why need to specifically take time off?
Yet clearly, for the Third Young Madam, her husband needed companionship.
The proper and rigid Madam Lu was different from Luo Lingyu; she naturally couldn’t understand the romantic inclinations of the newly married couple in the Second Branch. Since Luo Lingyu wouldn’t come to entertain Princess Ningping, Madam Lu feared other young female relatives weren’t familiar enough with the princess, and also worried that not receiving guests might frighten her timid future daughter-in-law… Finally, Madam Lu had no choice but to go out and accompany them herself.
Before leaving, she asked where the Second Young Master was.
The answer came that he was at the government office.
Madam Lu immediately grew resentful: “…Both have time off, yet the Third Young Master comes home while my son doesn’t know to return. Does he still want to get married?”
Lvyao gently consoled her mistress: “The Second Young Master hasn’t figured things out yet.”
Madam Lu said impatiently: “Quickly tell him to get back here and accompany his fiancée!”
Liu Tang anxiously welcomed her future mother-in-law in the guest hall. After arriving, she asked about Luo Lingyu, and upon learning Luo Lingyu wouldn’t come, became even more uneasy, afraid she had come at the wrong time. Madam Lu was quite gentle with her future daughter-in-law, chatting with her for a while. But Madam Lu lacked charm, speaking formally as if giving instructions. Seeing the princess growing increasingly silent, Madam Lu forced herself to suggest—”Tang’er hasn’t toured our garden yet, shall I show you around?”
Liu Tang spoke in a soft voice: “Yes. I won’t be troubling Madam, will I?”
Thus a large group accompanied Madam Lu and Princess Ningping to tour the garden. Halfway through, Madam Lu finally thought of a topic and made an effort to discuss “household management” with Liu Tang. Liu Tang likewise carefully accompanied her future mother-in-law, though when she heard hints in her mother-in-law’s words about having her learn household management once she married, the young princess felt somewhat lacking in courage.
Passing through pavilions and halls, tall buildings, and towers, the group walked along the double-sided corridor on a stone bridge, with carved railings winding along clear green waters. The tall trees and fragrant flora on both banks, lotus flowers, and banana plants, combined with layers of rippling water and sunlight, all swayed beneath their feet. As Madam Lu was about to speak to Liu Tang, she heard the young princess cry out in surprise. Liu Tang had leaned against the railing, bending down to look below, and called out: “Madam, look!”
Below the corridor, green waves rippled across the lake, a lotus pond fragrant with flowers spreading like red clouds. The large lake behind the Lu family residence connected to the Qinhuai River, and the hundred-year-old lotus flowers planted in the lake created a rare sight every summer when in full bloom. But Liu Tang’s exclamation wasn’t because of the blooming flowers in the lake, but because she saw Lu Yun and his wife in a small boat among the lotus flowers, along with young Miss Luo Yunwan.
Lotus leaves as large as plates, green and pink colors reflecting each other, stretched as far as the eye could see, endless to the horizon. The small boat stopped among the lotus leaves, held back by leaves and flowers unable to move forward, the oar simply resting against the boat’s side as it drifted with the water. Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu sat close together, sleeves rolled up as they reached into the water to pick lotus flowers. Many lotus pods lay at the boat’s bow—Lu Yun picked the lotus while Luo Lingyu peeled the seeds, though all ended up benefiting the young lady Luo Yunwan at the other end of the boat.
Luo Yunwan’s voice rang like an oriole’s as she swayed her head reciting ancient poems—
“Green lotus covers emerald waters, hibiscus displays fresh crimson.”
“Golden oar, magnolia boat, playfully picking Southern lotuses.”
“Blue lotus grows in hidden springs, morning sun brilliant and fresh.”
Having wracked her brains to recite all she could remember, Luo Yunwan pleaded: “That’s all, that’s all I remember… Sister, Brother-in-law, give me lotus seeds to eat!”
Hearing her sister’s urging, Luo Lingyu humphed: “I’m busy, no time. Just reciting a few lines and wanting to eat—you’re too greedy.”
Yet when she said she was busy, she wasn’t busy with other things, but rather placing a peeled lotus seed into her husband’s mouth. The Third Young Master lowered his eyes, giving her a light teasing glance, making Luo Lingyu’s eyes sparkle with laughter before she had time for her sister. Luo Yunwan pouted, glaring at her sister. Lu Yun laughed faintly beside them: “How old is Wan’er now?”
Luo Lingyu started, looking up to meet his eyes, secretly wondering if Lu Yun meant to arrange a marriage for her sister now. Her heart leaped with joy, naturally hoping her sister’s marriage would be smoother than her own. Just as Luo Lingyu was about to move closer to curry favor with Lu Yun, he cast her a teasing glance and looked away.
Luo Lingyu: …Was this man just toying with her?
As Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu led their young sister playing in the lotus pond, they suddenly heard Liu Tang’s call from above: “Third Young Master, Sister Luo, Wan’er, what are you doing?”
They looked up, against the sunlight, to see the group on the corridor above, led by Madam Lu with her unreadable expression and Princess Ningping with her curious and delighted face. The noble Third Young Master merely sat in the boat, nodding distantly to the group in greeting. The lively young Miss Luo Yunwan stood up to wave hello to everyone individually. Luo Lingyu, her sash floating in the wind, rose gracefully and answered the question from shore with a smile: “Madam, Your Highness, my husband and I wanted to make lotus flower tea, and since the home’s lotus flowers are all blooming, we came to try it.”
Lotus flower tea?
The group on shore paused, none having heard of it before. Though from the name, they could roughly guess what this tea might be.
Liu Tang’s eyes sparkled as she gazed admiringly at the handsome man and beautiful woman in the boat: Third Young Master and Sister Luo were amazing, seeming able to experiment with anything.
Madam Lu looked at the lotus pods arranged in the boat’s bow, neither approving nor disapproving. But lotus flower tea… Thinking of the lake’s lotus flowers all being picked, leaving it bare, Madam Lu couldn’t help but remind them: “Ahem, you two can pick a couple of flowers, but don’t pick them all. Even if you want to make some ‘lotus flower tea,’ don’t forget about the flower-viewing banquet in a few days. If all the lotus flowers are gone, what will there be to view?”
Madam Lu could see that when the handsome young master sitting casually with one leg bent heard this, his long eyebrows lifted slightly. Though noble and aloof, Lu Yun’s lips curved in what seemed to be a smile, but he said nothing.
Luo Lingyu pressed her lips together, also smiling slightly. Seeing the confused faces of Madam Lu’s group, she explained in a gentle voice: “Lotus flower tea isn’t made by steeping lotus flowers. My husband and I consulted ancient books to try recreating the tea described there—it says to take a small amount of tea leaves wrapped in gauze and place them inside a blooming lotus flower. The flower’s heart opens in the morning and closes at night. Overnight, dew falls into the flower and seeps into the tea leaves in the gauze. In the morning, the tea leaves are retrieved from the flower that has been closed all night and then brewed. That is ‘lotus flower tea.'”
Liu Tang’s eyes widened, hearing this novel method for the first time, and she softly exclaimed “Wow”: “You… read so many books, to even know such obscure things.”
Luo Lingyu smiled brightly, modestly saying: “I just learned about it for the first time too. My husband found it while reading books… Since we had nothing to do this afternoon, we wanted to experiment.”
Madam Lu’s face suddenly reddened as she finally understood the meaning behind the Third Young Master’s earlier ambiguous smile—that proud Lu Yun was probably laughing at people in his heart again. If not for Luo Lingyu’s explanation, Madam Lu might have been secretly mocked by Lu Yun for a long time without knowing what he was laughing about.
…This Third Young Master!
Seeing Madam Lu’s uncomfortable expression, seemingly very embarrassed, Luo Lingyu immediately feigned ignorance and added with a smile: “Once my husband and I perfect this tea, we’ll certainly send some for Aunt to taste.”
Madam Lu’s expression improved somewhat as she nodded. But when she glanced sideways at Princess Liu Tang’s admiring gaze beside her, her heart skipped a beat. Liu Tang looked at the couple on the lake with envy and admiration; even after Madam Lu coughed several times, the young princess was reluctant to leave. Madam Lu felt extremely helpless and once again felt full of resentment toward her son who rarely came home—
How could the difference between people be so great?
Not only was the Third Young Master cultured, but he would also take interesting things from obscure books to please his wife and enjoy time with her. Even in the height of summer, they had the leisure to research some tea.
Her son was like a block of wood, completely ignorant of how to please his future wife.
…No wonder when staying with the Lu family, a beauty like Luo Lingyu fell in love with Lu Yun rather than Lu Xian.
…
After Lu Xian returned, he was naturally severely scolded by his mother, and feeling quite guilty, declared he would certainly make it up to the princess. But Lu Xian didn’t have much time to develop his relationship with his fiancée before the wedding, because soon after, the Lu family and royal family set the wedding date for the Second Young Master and Princess Ningping for next month. Somewhat dazed, Second Young Master Lu Xian was accepting everyone’s congratulations when he suddenly remembered he seemed to have forgotten about Prince Hengyang Liu Mu.
He had promised to use the wedding celebrations as an occasion to get the Emperor’s permission for Liu Mu to return to Jianye.
On a summer evening with light rain falling steadily, Lu Xian paced in his study, pondering how to write this memorial. Amid the lingering rain, there came two knocks at the door from outside. Lu Xian opened it to find, in the darkness, Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu standing together at the doorway.
Rain dripped steadily, the two wearing rain capes and bamboo hats, beautiful as jade. With no maids accompanying them, Luo Lingyu carried a lantern while Lu Yun held a basket. To Lu Xian’s surprise, Lu Yun extended the basket, delivering the so-called “lotus flower tea.” Luo Lingyu explained beside him: “The lotus flower tea we promised Aunt the other day. Second Brother, please try it—if it’s good, we’ll bring more.”
Lu Xian: “You two…”
The Third Young Master didn’t wait for the Second Young Master to finish before interrupting indifferently: “Lingyu and I won’t stay, we need to deliver the remaining tea to the other elders.”
Lu Yun lowered his eyes to look at Luo Lingyu, his gaze full of warmth. Since Luo Lingyu was so good at managing relationships, and he happened to be home, he naturally should accompany her on this special trip. They couldn’t let the Lu family truly think that the Third Young Master didn’t value his wife, could they?
As Lu Yun lowered his head to glance at her, Luo Lingyu covered her face with a smile, her eyes like water, lightly brushing over the Third Young Master. Their eyes met briefly before carelessly moving away. As Lu Yun adjusted Luo Lingyu’s rain cape, his sleeve lightly brushed against the young lady’s damp cheek. In the misty air with endless rain, Luo Lingyu’s eyes moved away but returned, her gaze falling on Lu Yun.
Lu Yun suddenly raised his eyes to look at her, and she pressed her lips together in a smile, just watching how he adjusted her rain cape, completely motionless, not helping at all.
Walking together in the wind and rain was a blessing from heaven. The Second Young Master watched as the couple braved the rain together, then slowly departed into the rain.
Raindrops fell steadily like a stream, landing on the green moss and splashing like lotus petals.
The silhouettes of the young man and woman departing into the night, surrounded by a haze of light mist, seemed like immortals.
…
The night rain was cold and endless. The Second Young Master smiled slightly, closed the door, returned to his desk, and continued writing his memorial. He wrote and revised, constantly refining, all to create a memorial that could win Liu Mu the chance to come and go. Tired from revising, he fell asleep at his desk.
The rain pattered outside the window in the night, and in his drowsy state, he continued the half-finished dream from before.