Marquis Dingxi’s mansion, like all households nowadays, had two meals a day. The kitchen prepared and sent food to each courtyard according to rank and status.

Now that the Old Marchioness was gone, the highest-ranking mistress of the inner quarters was Marchioness Madam Xie.

When Madam Xie accompanied Marquis Dingxi into the dining room, the concubines standing in the room bowed and curtsied.

“Have My Lord and Great Madam rested well?” they would ask together in greeting.

The sons, daughters, and daughters-in-law of Marquis Dingxi’s family didn’t serve breakfast—this was a rule established after Great Madam Xie’s death. The Old Marchioness said that daughters-in-law, as the great wives of the family, had complex affairs to manage, so they should be allowed to eat in peace. They could come to pay respects and chat afterward. Therefore, those serving before the Marquis and Great Madam were the concubines from their own quarters.

Madam Xie, as always, nodded slightly in response. Marquis Dingxi would smile and speak a few words to each woman—nothing more than pleasantries like “good,” “how are you,” “what did you do yesterday.” Of course, he wouldn’t ask everyone, since Marquis Dingxi had five concubines. If he asked them all, the food would go cold. But this still made everyone in the room feel pleased.

After the couple sat down, Concubine Zhou would personally bring over hand towels for Marquis Dingxi and Madam Xie to wipe their hands. Originally this was done by Concubine Huang, the birth mother of the eldest illegitimate son, but Concubine Huang’s health had been declining over the past few years. Madam Xie exempted her from daily service duties, so Concubine Zhou took over.

Then Concubine Song and Concubine Liu would bring two cups of mouth-rinsing tea. The newly arrived Concubine Zhu, being pregnant, was exempted by Madam Xie from standing service and sat to the side. But she would still respectfully rise after the two finished rinsing their mouths to properly arrange the chopsticks.

From this point until the meal ended, everything remained silent. The concubines served dishes and added rice silently, with only occasional inquiries about whether they’d like to try this or that.

Breakfast was simple. Despite having a good appetite, Marquis Dingxi only ate two bowls of porridge and a few bites of pickled vegetables before setting down his bowl and chopsticks. Madam Xie only had half a bowl of rice porridge.

Then came another round of hand-wiping and mouth-rinsing.

“You may all go eat now,” Madam Xie said with a nod after everything was finished.

The concubines all curtsied and withdrew. When they left, the kitchen received word and sent the prepared meals to their respective courtyards.

When Concubine Zhou entered her courtyard gate, Chang Yunqi was sitting in the room reading through Buddhist scriptures that Concubine Zhou regularly copied. Concubine Zhou’s senior maid A’Jin was accompanying him in conversation and laughter.

“Why did you come at this time?” Concubine Zhou asked while washing her hands in a copper basin held by a kneeling little maid. “Did you eat your egg custard?”

The young masters and misses had their meals served after the Marchioness finished arranging hers, so they ate earlier than the concubines.

“I’m grown up now. I don’t like eating that,” Chang Yunqi said with a smile.

Concubine Zhou didn’t look at him, only telling the maids standing in attendance: “Go tell the kitchen to bring an egg custard here.”

The maid acknowledged and left.

“Concubine Mother, don’t trouble yourself,” Chang Yunqi called out somewhat helplessly.

Concubine Zhou had already come over.

“It’s no trouble. Though I’m a concubine, I’ve been in this mansion for so many years. Adding an egg custard beyond the regular meals is still within my means. No one will slap this concubine’s face over such food,” she said calmly.

She reached out to turn his face and examine it carefully.

“Open your mouth so I can see,” she said.

Chang Yunqi smiled and opened his mouth.

“It’s already healed,” he said somewhat helplessly.

“Let’s see if you dare eat random things again,” Concubine Zhou said with some reproach, relieved after seeing for herself. She patted his face.

That day Chang Yunqi had eaten Qi Yue’s spicy chicken pieces, which not only made his mouth swell but also caused blisters, making eating uncomfortable and worrying Concubine Zhou greatly.

“Which cook made it? To put so much Sichuan pepper…” A’Jin asked casually from the side.

Chang Yunqi smiled and mumbled vaguely about not knowing who, then said no more.

“Concubine Mother copies these daily, and your calligraphy keeps getting better,” he said with a smile, changing the subject.

Concubine Zhou had learned calligraphy from her grandfather and was outstanding among her siblings. She had always been quite confident about her writing.

“Speaking of writing, I heard your father say you’re not as good as before. Having your elder brother pursue martial arts is enough for the family. You should abandon those thoughts early and focus on studying and practicing calligraphy—that’s the proper path,” she said.

Chang Yunqi smiled and agreed.

“Then I’ll help Mother copy Buddhist scriptures,” he said, indeed sitting properly and taking up the brush to write slowly.

“This is how old people like me pass time. You’re young—writing less of this preserves your vigor,” Concubine Zhou said.

Her voice was calm, tinged with loneliness and melancholy.

Chang Yunqi’s brush paused slightly.

In just these few days, Marquis Dingxi had added two women to his side. He brought back a woman from outside—though he had kept this woman outside for four or five years, entering the mansion still made her a new person. Yesterday he even heard that a maid in Concubine Zhu’s quarters had been promoted to concubine…

Beauty ages easily, but new faces always bring smiles.

Through the pearl curtain, Chang Yunqi watched Concubine Zhou slowly eating in the outer room. A middle-aged woman had her own charm, but ultimately could no longer match her former bright and glorious youth.

She ate slowly. The dishes on the table were carefully selected—finest rice, dishes perfect in color, aroma, and taste—but Concubine Zhou’s movements seemed so listless and bland.

Chang Yunqi remembered when he was small and at grandmother’s side, father often came to eat together. The concubines were naturally present too, and the family sat together talking and laughing. At that time, every grain of rice Concubine Mother swallowed brought a happy smile to her face.

But such days had been gone for a long time, and perhaps would never return…

She wasn’t eating food—she was eating loneliness.

Chang Yunqi sighed and lowered his head to slowly copy the scriptures.

There were sounds of maids’ footsteps and low laughter in the courtyard. Chang Yunqi couldn’t help looking up through the window, seeing a maid carrying a food box with two or three others surrounding her, taking something from the box.

The woman at the gate coughed, and the maids quickly dispersed.

“Concubine Madam, the egg custard is here,” said the maid carrying the food box as she entered.

“Serve it to the young master,” Concubine Zhou said.

The maid came over, curtsied to Chang Yunqi, and smiled as she called him Third Young Master.

“Just put it down,” Chang Yunqi said with a smile, knowing he had no choice but to eat. He put down his brush.

A’Jin personally brought over a water basin.

“How can I trouble sister like this?” Chang Yunqi quickly stood and smiled.

“Haven’t I troubled myself for you plenty before? Now that Third Young Master is grown up, you’ve become more polite,” A’Jin said with a smile, taking his hands to wash them personally, then taking a towel to dry them.

“Speaking of which, of the four who came from grandmother’s side, only Sister A’Jin is still a second-class maid, right?” Chang Yunqi said, prompted by her service and remembering something. “If Sister A’Jin hadn’t come to Concubine Mother’s quarters, you wouldn’t have…”

“What is Third Young Master saying?” A’Jin said with a smile, shaking his hand. “It’s because A’Jin is clumsy and can’t amount to anything, nobody wants me anywhere. Concubine Grandmother took me in, otherwise I’d have been sent out long ago, running errands for people somewhere, instead of standing here listening to Third Young Master call me sister.”

This made everyone laugh.

“If sister were clumsy, we couldn’t be kept either,” the little maids said.

“Go about your business instead of standing around here,” A’Jin said with mock reproach.

The little maids were about to leave laughing when Chang Yunqi called them back.

“What were you dividing up outside just now?” he asked while slowly eating the egg custard, which was deliberately made bland and tasteless to reduce heat and clear stagnant heat—certainly not delicious.

“It was… oh, it’s called egg cake…” the little maid said after thinking for a moment.

“Where did it come from?” A’Jin asked, frowning slightly. “I’ve told you several times not to randomly ask the kitchen for things. If trouble comes up, it’s Concubine Grandmother’s problem. So many people are watching us privately now…”

“Sister, it’s not from the kitchen. I remember that instruction and haven’t privately asked the kitchen for food,” the little maid said hurriedly. “I met A’Hao on the road and asked her for it.”

“A’Hao?” A’Jin was startled. This name had once been extremely familiar to her, but now seemed somewhat strange. It had been three years since…

“Is there more? Bring it so I can see,” Chang Yunqi interjected.

The little maid responded and took out a piece from her sleeve, wrapped in oil paper, a small piece.

“I was afraid they’d snatch it all from me, so I secretly hid one piece first,” she said with a giggle.

Chang Yunqi took it and opened the oil paper.

“Is this thing edible?” A’Jin also leaned over, looking at this roughly made pastry, though it did smell quite fragrant.

“It’s delicious,” the little maid said hurriedly. “A’Hao made it. It’s very hard to get one. This time when she went to deliver to her master’s family, I happened to meet her. After much begging, I got three pieces for everyone to share…”

As she spoke, Chang Yunqi had already put the pastry in his mouth.

“Mm, mm,” he nodded while handing it to A’Jin. “Sister, try some.”

A’Jin skeptically pinched off a piece and ate it, showing surprise in her eyes.

“Indeed quite good—sweet but not cloying, soft,” she nodded.

That was about it. As a maid of her status, especially one who came from the Old Madam’s side, what hadn’t she eaten? However, if this wasn’t made by the pastry women in the kitchen, but by that girl A’Hao…

“A’Hao made this?” she asked again, remembering that scatterbrained, confused little maid from before.

“Yes,” the little maid nodded. “A’Hao can make lots of delicious things. She even fries oil pastries herself. The cleaning girls Man’er and others have eaten them.”

A’Jin laughed.

“This girl has been locked in that courtyard for these years and actually practiced cooking skills,” she said, shaking her head.

As they talked, Chang Yunqi slowly chewed the pastry beside them, lost in thought about something.

“Have you eaten?” came Concubine Zhou’s voice asking.

“I have,” Chang Yunqi replied automatically.

Concubine Zhou looked at the egg custard on the table with only one bite taken and her face fell.

“Concubine Mother, it’s getting late. I should go pay respects to Father and Madam. I imagine they’ve all gone over,” Chang Yunqi said with a smile, standing up. “When I return, I’ll heat it up and eat it.”

Without waiting for Concubine Zhou to say more, he ran off like the wind.

“Getting more and more disobedient,” Concubine Zhou said, shaking her head.

“Third Young Master is grown up now and knows how to take care of himself. Concubine Grandmother can rest assured,” A’Jin said with a smile, waving her hand as the little maid cleared the things and withdrew.

“What were you all talking about just now? Something about eating and drinking,” Concubine Zhou asked, sitting down at the kang table while opening her scripture book.

A’Jin was briefly silent.

“Speak. If it comes to not being able to speak freely in our own quarters, that would be when I’m dead. No matter how long her hands are, even if she keeps trying to break off Old Madam’s remaining supporters for three years straight, she still can’t reach into my quarters,” Concubine Zhou said casually, a mocking smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.

“Yes,” A’Jin responded while helping Concubine Zhou grind ink. “Should I perhaps pay a visit to Young Madam’s quarters?”