A new pleasure house opened in Pingkang Ward. As a frequent visitor to such establishments, Wu Zhen naturally went to show her support at the first opportunity, and she dragged her husband along.
Mei Zhuyu initially thought it was just an ordinary pleasure house, but as soon as he stepped inside, he sensed demonic energy. Looking at the servants welcoming guests, the graceful dancing girls, and the musicians holding their instruments and waving enthusiastically from upstairs, he paused and asked Wu Zhen, “Are they all demons?”
Wu Zhen grinned, grabbing his arm and making him bend slightly so she could whisper in his ear, “You’ll never guess where I found them.”
Mei Zhuyu truly had no idea; he thought they were from the demon market. Knowing his limited imagination could never match Wu Zhen’s wild thoughts, he didn’t try to guess and simply looked at Wu Zhen, waiting for her explanation.
Wu Zhen didn’t keep him in suspense. She laughed and revealed the demons’ origins: they were the group trapped in that barrier when she was kidnapped by the monster Ying. After Ying’s death, they were freed, and Wu Zhen took the opportunity to invite those she found interesting to come to Chang’an. They had arrived just a few days after Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu.
Even though Mei Zhuyu understood Wu Zhen’s nature, he was still surprised by her casual poaching. However, seeing Wu Zhen’s matter-of-fact expression, he wondered if he was overreacting.
Mei Zhuyu quickly calmed down when he saw a few familiar servant women, now dressed in new clothes, carrying fruits. They were the field mouse demon women who had taken care of “Wu Zhen” in that barrier.
It seemed Wu Zhen had indeed brought back all of Ying’s demon servants, just as she’d said.
Wu Zhen discreetly observed the subtle expressions on her husband’s face, watching him go through a series of emotions: shock, hesitation, disbelief, speechlessness, and finally calm acceptance. Someone unfamiliar with him might think he did not react at all, but Wu Zhen had grown increasingly familiar with him. Even the slightest movement of his eyebrow told her his current mood.
Wu Zhen found it amusing; she loved seeing her husband display various emotions. Inwardly laughing, she coughed and continued her introduction: “I even chose this mansion for them. I initially thought of settling them in the demon market, but they wanted to sing and dance, so I simply helped them open a pleasure house to earn some money for living.”
This mansion, now serving as a pleasure house, had been abandoned for some time. It used to be a pleasure house before, but the previous owner had forced the entertainers and dancers to engage in other businesses, resulting in several deaths. The place became haunted, and eventually, the pleasure house went bankrupt. No one wanted to buy it, which was perfect for Wu Zhen.
There were indeed a few wandering souls in the mansion, all pitiful women in life who had never harmed anyone. Wu Zhen left them alone. Ordinary people might be scared to live here, but these demons moving in didn’t mind; they could even keep each other company.
When the pleasure house opened, it initially had few customers, possibly due to the mansion’s notorious reputation. Wu Zhen brought Mei Zhuyu as part of the first wave of patrons, and they received a warm welcome. Within moments, a group of beautiful women flocked to escort Wu Zhen upstairs.
However, no one dared to touch Mei Zhuyu, and all the demons avoided even looking at him directly. This wasn’t their fault; when Mei Zhuyu entered the pleasure house and sensed the demonic energy, he instinctively released some of his spiritual power, making all the demons realize he was a formidable Daoist priest. If Wu Zhen hadn’t brought him, these demons, used to living in the outside world, would have been tempted to find a place to hide. Like rabbits seeing a hawk or chickens seeing a weasel, it was instinctual. Even as they tried to control themselves, their expressions remained stiff.
Seeing them avoid Mei Zhuyu like the plague, Wu Zhen suppressed her laughter and said solemnly, “Now that you’ve come to Chang’an, you must follow the rules. Since you love singing and dancing, run this pleasure house properly. If you don’t obey the local rules, this Daoist master will be the first to deal with you. Understand?”
“We understand, we understand, my lady!” The group of demons nodded vigorously while eyeing Mei Zhuyu warily.
Mei Zhuyu, being used as a deterrent, remained indifferent. He spent the entire morning silently watching the singing and dancing with Wu Zhen. Unable to appreciate the sensual performances, he found his mind wandering. Wu Zhen couldn’t help but share the subtleties of the performances with him. Left with no choice, Mei Zhuyu refocused his attention, staring intently at the performers, trying to find the charm Wu Zhen described.
In the end, he didn’t find the charm, but his intense gaze made the demons stiffen. One small marten demon was so frightened it transformed back into its original form, trembling as it hid under a cushion. Seeing her husband’s helpless expression, Wu Zhen was thoroughly amused, slapping the table as she laughed heartily.
After this visit, Wu Zhen didn’t drag Mei Zhuyu to watch performances at the pleasure house again. She only went for three days before stopping. News of her visits had spread, attracting many followers. Within days, the pleasure house was officially in business, so she, having served as the initial draw, could gracefully bow out.
As autumn deepened, Wu Zhen had servants bring many chrysanthemums into their home: deep red ink chrysanthemums, delicate white jade chrysanthemums, cool and alluring green chrysanthemums, yellow and pink chrysanthemums. They were arranged in clusters throughout the house, with over a dozen pots placed along the corridor. The fragrance of chrysanthemums could be smelled from nearby, not as overpowering and sweet as osmanthus, but with a particularly long-lasting and refreshing scent, carrying the crisp feel of autumn.
Having just finished enjoying osmanthus cakes, osmanthus tea, and osmanthus-scented dumplings, now that the chrysanthemums were blooming, the kitchen started making various chrysanthemum-based dishes. Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu had chrysanthemum porridge for breakfast, chrysanthemum soup for lunch, and chrysanthemum tea after dinner. Wu Zhen grew tired of it after a few days and began seeking new delicacies. Soon, she had a large basket of crabs brought home.
“Eating crabs in autumn is the most delightful!”
Autumn crabs were at their fattest, and the ones Wu Zhen brought back were particularly large. When steamed and shelled, large golden lumps of roe nestled in the crab shells, making one’s mouth water just at the sight, with a deliciously fresh taste.
In previous years, Wu Zhen would have her servants buy the finest crabs at this time. However, this year, being pregnant, she couldn’t eat much crab. So the entire basket went to Mei Zhuyu, while Wu Zhen could only watch, unable even to drink wine, feeling quite pitiful.
Since she couldn’t join in, Mei Zhuyu found the crabs less appealing, no matter how delicious they were. Seeing him fail to appreciate them, Wu Zhen couldn’t stand it and jokingly said, “Even though I can’t eat them, I can still taste them if you do.”
Mei Zhuyu didn’t quite understand how she could taste them if he ate them. Wu Zhen showed him the answer with her actions, pouncing on him for a thorough kiss after he finished eating. Caught off guard, Mei Zhuyu blushed furiously, the redness spreading down his neck beyond what his collar could hide. When Wu Zhen made to kiss him again, he quickly dodged.
Because Wu Zhen usually ate many crabs in previous years, her friends were accustomed to sending her several baskets of crabs at this time of year. This year, after the crab season started, the Mei household received baskets daily. Wu Zhen had so many friends that baskets from various households almost filled the Mei family kitchen. It was up to Mei Zhuyu and a few servants to eat them all. In just a few days, Mei Zhuyu felt he had gained weight, and he had to practice sword techniques longer each morning.
Wu Zhen was pleased with this development. Lying in bed at night, she stroked her husband’s waist, grinning as she said, “It’s good to put on a little weight. I thought you were too thin when I first saw you.” Too thin and sharp-edged, it made one’s heart ache; he looked like an unhappy child at first glance.
Mei Zhuyu carefully touched her now-protruding belly and pulled the blanket up a little higher. Wu Zhen laughed and deliberately grabbed his large hand, patting her belly with it, making a crisp sound. Mei Zhuyu immediately withdrew his hand, frowning disapprovingly, “Don’t pat like that…”
Wu Zhen teased him: “Why? Are you afraid of disturbing the baby’s sleep?”
Mei Zhuyu held her hand under the blanket and said, “You haven’t been eating well lately.”
Wu Zhen’s appetite hadn’t been good recently, which was common in early pregnancy. Wu Zhen herself didn’t mind; she had eaten all sorts of delicacies before, and missing a few meals wouldn’t hurt. She found it more interesting to find tasty foods for her husband. Wasn’t autumn the time for “sticking to autumn fat”? She had to fatten him up to do justice to the variety of autumn delicacies.
For Mei Zhuyu, Wu Zhen’s poor appetite was a major concern. He worried every day but, unlike Wu Zhen, he wasn’t familiar with Chang’an’s various delicacies. He didn’t know where to find new and tasty things for her. The biggest problem was that he didn’t know what Wu Zhen wanted to eat—something Wu Zhen herself didn’t know either. After all, pregnant women are known for their fickle tastes.
Preoccupied with this issue, Mei Zhuyu often frowned while working at the Ministry of Justice. He already seemed unapproachable, and this expression made him even more intimidating.
“My wife is pregnant and her tastes have changed dramatically. She wants to eat Wang Er’s pickles every day, and our whole family has to eat them with her. I’ve had a toothache from eating them so much lately…” A minor official at the Ministry of Justice was complaining to a colleague when he suddenly heard a voice behind him.
“Excuse me, are these Wang Er’s pickles popular among pregnant women?”
The minor official turned around and was startled to see it was the famous Mei Lang Zhong of the Ministry of Justice, known for his assertiveness at work and his unsociable nature. This man, who usually never spoke to anyone except for work matters, had suddenly come to chat. The minor official was quite flattered, his voice becoming stuttery. It took him a while to remember the question he had been asked, and he hesitantly replied, tugging at his black gauze hat, “Ah, ah? Yes, yes, pickles. My wife likes them, but I don’t know if all pregnant women do.”
Mei Zhuyu decided to give it a try, and the dazed minor official found himself telling Mei Lang Zhong where to buy the pickles. That evening, Mei Zhuyu brought home a large jar of Wang Er’s pickles.
“These taste quite good, very appetizing,” Wu Zhen said during dinner, indeed eating more than usual. Seeing this, Mei Zhuyu quietly sighed in relief.
After Mei Zhuyu went to take a bath, Wu Zhen’s face soured. She drank a large pot of chrysanthemum tea to wash away the salty taste in her mouth. Truthfully, these pickles were far too salty. If it weren’t for her husband’s recent worrying, she wouldn’t eat this stuff just to make him happy. She wondered who had given him this terrible idea.