Because they were in another person’s house, Ming Huashang slept lightly; the moment Li Huazhang stirred, she woke. He was quietly getting out of bed. Hearing her wake, he let the bed curtain fall again and asked quietly: “Did I wake you?”
Ming Huashang shook her head, rubbed her eyes vigorously, and made to get up: “No — I could not sleep well anyway.”
As she spoke, she extended one hand by instinct, without needing to say a word; Li Huazhang already knew, and caught her with practiced ease, a slight turn of his wrist lifting her: “Would you not sleep a while longer? You went to bed late last night.”
It was nowhere near Ming Huashang’s usual waking time; her mind was still foggy. But with a case to think about, how could she dare sleep in? She leaned against Li Huazhang’s shoulder as he helped her up and half-dozed a moment with her eyes shut — then made up her mind to get out of bed: “It is all right. We still have people to question; I am coming out with you.”
They were guests at the Feng estate and had not brought many attendants with them; besides, Li Huazhang disliked having people hovering close by. So when the two of them were in their room, they rarely called for maids. After they had each washed and freshened up, Li Huazhang — not calling for a maid — helped Ming Huashang with her hair himself, combing it up, pinning it, and putting in her hairpins.
Ming Huashang had intended to do this herself, but Li Huazhang looked perfectly composed and nonchalant yet absolutely would not let her take over — he was clearly enjoying himself. Noticing that her complexion looked poor, Li Huazhang even applied a light touch of lip color for her with a brush before he was finally satisfied.
By the time both of them were dressed and had eaten breakfast, nearly half an hour had passed. Ming Huashang glanced at the time and grew a little flustered; Li Huazhang took hold of her and, at his own unhurried pace, straightened her collar. “There is no rush. I have already given orders to surround the Feng estate — no one can leave. You may question for as long as you wish; take your time.”
Ming Huashang thought about it and saw the logic; pressing too hard for results was more likely to cause mistakes. She held her hand warmer to her chest and let Li Huazhang smooth the last wrinkles from her sash as she thought aloud: “Last night after the incident, I saw Feng Kun and Baozhu, but I did not see Feng Yi. Feng Yi is the one with real power, and he is the one Old Master Feng favored. He is surely the last person who would want the Old Master to die — after all, while the Old Master was alive, he and his wife were the effective heads of the household; the moment the Old Master died, the entire family estate would by custom pass to the eldest son, and they would have to live under Feng Kun’s thumb. He cannot possibly be without anxiety. Shall we go to Feng Yi first today?”
Li Huazhang nodded, took her hand, and agreed without any objection whatsoever: “Of course.”
Since Old Master Feng’s sudden death in the night, Feng Yi had been occupied without pause — though Ming Huashang could not quite imagine what he was busy with, given that the body was still in official custody and the Feng household could not yet begin the funeral rites. Upon hearing that the Prince of Yong wished to speak with him, Feng Yi hurried away from his duties to the main hall and, the moment he came through the door, dropped to his knees: “This commoner has come too late — please forgive me, Prince of Yong, Princess of Yong!”
Li Huazhang raised a hand to stop him: “The Feng household has suffered a great blow and there must be a great deal to manage. I understand — Second Young Master Feng need not apologize. Please sit. I have a few things I would like to ask you.”
Feng Yi offered thanks and seated himself cautiously in the lower chair. Li Huazhang looked over his manner and said: “The coroner is still examining the cause of Old Master Feng’s death; we cannot yet return the body to you for now. I hope Second Young Master understands.”
Many people clung to the belief that the dead must be interred in peace. Ming Huashang had expected the Feng household to take some issue with the body being withheld — but unexpectedly, Feng Yi nodded, showing rare and genuine understanding: “That is entirely right. Father died an unjust death; I also want the truth brought to light as soon as possible to clear his name.”
Li Huazhang said: “Thank you for your understanding. Some of these questions are routine and I ask for your cooperation. During the period from the hour of Hai to the hour of Zi last night, what were you doing?”
Feng Yi replied: “After Father asked us to go downstairs, I stayed in the flower cottage keeping watch over the Star-Picking Tower the whole time. At the hour of Hai, Your Highness and the Princess arrived. At the second quarter of the hour of Hai, Elder Brother brought the tea back. I was at the door with Your Highness checking the guards. At the start of the third watch of the hour of Hai, after Your Highness and the Princess returned to your rooms, I worried something might go wrong and went around to check one more time. At the seventh quarter of the hour of Hai I returned to the flower cottage; Baozhu said she was going to the kitchen to fetch pastries, and I was also a bit hungry, so I waited in the flower cottage. After about the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, I suddenly heard someone setting off fireworks. I thought the thief had appeared and rushed with my men to the flower garden, but there was nothing there. Everything after that, Your Highness and the Princess already know.”
“Who was the second person up the stairs?”
“Second,” said Feng Yi. “Baozhu was ahead of me. She said Father had not moved in a long while and something felt off; I panicked, threw all caution aside, and ran up. When I got there, I saw Baozhu pushing Father vigorously and calling out to him. She pushed several times and Father did not respond; we both knew something was wrong. I was frightened out of my wits; Baozhu had her face in her hands weeping; and then, in short order, Your Highness and the Princess came up.”
Feng Yi bowed his head as he spoke, filled with regret: “It is all my fault. It is all my uselessness — I let someone exploit the situation.”
Ming Huashang and Li Huazhang exchanged a glance. Li Huazhang asked: “Then who do you think killed Old Master Feng?”
“It must be the Thief Saint, the Nimble Hand.” Feng Yi clenched a fist in righteous fury: “He sent Father a letter and had long set his sights on the Marquis of Sui’s Pearl. He certainly snuck into the Star-Picking Tower last night to steal it, was discovered by Father, and in a fit of humiliated rage killed Father.”
Ming Huashang tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled: “But the window on the third floor was open the whole time. If someone had broken in, those watching from outside would certainly have seen.”
“We could see everything up until that point, but when the fireworks suddenly went off near the hour of Zi, our attention was pulled toward the fireworks and no one was watching the window. Perhaps it was exactly in that moment that the Nimble Hand entered the third floor, killed Father, stole the pearl, and then slipped away while everyone’s guard was down.”
Ming Huashang gave a slow nod: “That is certainly plausible. But Old Master Feng had no wounds on his body. How did the Nimble Hand kill him?”
Feng Yi hesitated, then said: “He is a jianghu man — he has all manner of means. Once the Nimble Hand is captured, we will know.”
Li Huazhang’s complexion was pale, his brows and eyes cool and composed; the more seriously he looked, the more he resembled something carved from jade — coldly beautiful and unparalleled. He spoke with gravity: “The moment I found that there had been a death, I had people seal off the Feng estate and the city gates — no one can leave. The Nimble Hand is certainly still inside the estate. Second Young Master Feng, could you provide me with a roster of everyone in the household? I want to check each person — even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I will root out the culprit.”
Feng Yi seemed to hesitate a moment, but meeting Li Huazhang’s righteously severe, upright, and commanding gaze, his jaw tightened, and he said at last: “Very well. Please wait a moment, Your Highness — I will go and count the people now. Some of the new recruits will need to have their names recorded fresh, so it may take a little time.”
“That is quite all right.” Li Huazhang was perfectly reasonable, and said generously: “These things cannot be rushed. Take your time — I will wait here at the Feng estate.”
Feng Yi clasped his hands and left at a brisk pace. The roster would take a while; Li Huazhang and Ming Huashang moved on to their next destination and went to question Feng Kun in his courtyard.
Having been told by a maidservant that the Prince of Yong and the Princess of Yong were coming to question him, Feng Kun had been waiting in the main hall early. He sat there with vacant eyes, wringing his hands, clearly not able to keep still. All at once he heard the sound of voices, gave a start, and scrambled to his feet — nearly sending the teacup on the table flying.
Li Huazhang held the curtain aside for Ming Huashang; she had barely stepped inside when she saw Feng Kun’s clumsy movement and hurriedly said: “First Young Master Feng — careful!”
The maid beside him made a frantic grab for the teacup. Feng Kun let out a somewhat flustered laugh: “The Prince of Yong and the Princess of Yong honor this humble dwelling with their presence — I was overcome with excitement. Please, Your Highnesses, take a seat.”
Li Huazhang offered a mild word of thanks and led Ming Huashang to their seats. Only now apparently thinking of hospitality for his honored guests, Feng Kun called for maids to bring tea in quick succession. Li Huazhang raised a hand — those slender, narrow hands like something carved of jade, their every movement carrying an ineffable noble grace: “First Young Master need not go to any trouble. We are here today on official business — a few questions is all. If First Young Master will answer honestly, that is sufficient. The coroner has already examined Old Master Feng and concluded that he was poisoned. First Young Master, I am sorry for your loss. Has any toxic substance ever been seen in the Feng household, to your knowledge?”
On this, Feng Kun did not hesitate at all, shaking his head: “The management of household affairs is in Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law’s hands. What exactly has passed through the house — I do not know.”
Li Huazhang nodded and continued: “According to the household servants, before the hour of Hai last night, when people were still carrying things up to the third floor, they spoke with Old Master Feng and he was in perfectly good health. After the hour of Hai, everyone came downstairs; we personally saw Old Master Feng stand up to drink water, then lie down in the reclining chair. Then at the hour of Zi, we rushed upstairs and found him suddenly dead. Between the hour of Hai and the hour of Zi, Old Master Feng had his window open the whole time — everyone below could see that no one had any contact with him. The only things he could have come into contact with would have been the food and drink up on that floor. First Young Master — you were the one who brought the tea upstairs and were alone with him for quite some time. Did you notice anything unusual on the upper floor?”
Feng Kun’s eyes moved quickly; he held himself stiffly: “I did not notice anything. Everything around Father was prepared by maids and servants — they would know more about it.”
Seeing Feng Kun evade the question, Ming Huashang asked: “Then when First Young Master was preparing the tea, did you encounter anyone suspicious? Or did you let the tea out of your sight at any point?”
Feng Kun’s face went slightly pale. He blinked, then seemed to remember something and said: “I remember now — I went to the tea pantry and had them brew the tea; Baozhu was not satisfied and came along as well. I stood outside speaking with Baozhu while the tea was brewing. When it was ready, I was afraid of keeping Father waiting and did not have time to check it before I took it and went. If someone tampered with it in the tea pantry, I would not have seen.”
Ming Huashang gave a soft sound of acknowledgment and made a mental note of the tea pantry. She said in surprise: “Baozhu also went to the tea pantry? Did she not go back to catch the parrot?”
Feng Kun shrugged indifferently: “She said she was worried I did not know what tea the old man preferred and insisted on going along to tell the tea pantry staff, and then she went back.”
Ming Huashang filed this away thoughtfully. Li Huazhang picked up the thread and asked: “Setting aside Old Master Feng’s death, there is also the matter of the Marquis of Sui’s Pearl going missing. Do you have any idea about the theft, First Young Master?”
At the mention of the Marquis of Sui’s Pearl, Feng Kun’s face immediately became more animated and he showed far more agitation than he had shown moments earlier when being questioned about Old Master Feng’s death. He cleared his throat and said: “I am no great talent and know nothing about solving cases — what does Your Highness think?”
Li Huazhang said: “I would not dare presume to great insight. The Nimble Hand left a letter for Old Master Feng and broadcast the whole affair until it was known far and wide. Then last night at the hour of Zi, fireworks suddenly went off inside the Feng estate, and by the time we went back, the Marquis of Sui’s Pearl had disappeared. Could it be that the Nimble Hand stole the treasure to silence Old Master Feng, and so he killed him to cover his tracks?”
Li Huazhang’s manner was serene and composed; his tone unhurried — he would have been entirely convincing even saying the sun rose in the west. Feng Kun had not expected this to be the Prince of Yong’s “great insight.” His expression faltered a moment before he gave a stilted laugh: “Your Highness is thorough in his thinking — that is certainly one possibility. However, I actually think that the Star-Picking Tower was surrounded from all sides so tightly that not even a bird could fly out. How could an outsider be so familiar with the layout of the Star-Picking Tower, avoid every patrol perfectly, take the goods, and still walk away unscathed? It is easy to defend against an open enemy but hard to guard against one within the household. The Nimble Hand may well be here inside the Feng estate.”
Li Huazhang regarded Feng Kun with attentive eyes and nodded slowly: “That is well reasoned. Does First Young Master mean that the Nimble Hand disguised himself as one of the guards and concealed himself among the patrol teams?”
Feng Kun made a sound of uncertainty and hedged for a moment: “Several of those household men had already been recruited into the estate before Father received the Nimble Hand’s letter. Even if the Nimble Hand is a Thief Saint, he cannot be prescient. Besides, the guards mostly patrol in pairs — how could a single man shake off his partner and climb the Star-Picking Tower in full view of everyone?”
Li Huazhang raised an eyebrow: “I did not quite follow that. If the Nimble Hand neither broke in from outside nor hid himself among the guards — then how did he manage it?”
A flicker of disdain crossed Feng Kun’s face; he said vaguely: “Perhaps there is no Thief Saint at all — and instead there is a traitor within the Feng estate.”
Li Huazhang put on an expression of earnest inquiry: “Then First Young Master — who do you believe the inside informant to be?”
Feng Kun gave a hollow laugh: “I do not manage household affairs, so I could not say anything at random. The external affairs of the household and the patrol arrangements are all in Second Brother’s hands — Your Highness might as well ask Second Brother.”
After coming out of Feng Kun’s courtyard, when they had walked to a place with no one nearby, Li Huazhang asked: “What did you make of the two brothers?”
Ming Huashang had been mulling it over; hearing Li Huazhang’s question, she shook her head slowly: “There are not enough clues yet to build a full picture. But Feng Kun is greedy and self-serving — every time he needs to clear his own name, he pushes responsibility onto others. His account is inevitably skewed, but some things should still be true, otherwise he would not dare say them.”
Li Huazhang asked: “Who would you like to question next?”
Ming Huashang thought for a moment and said: “Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will not be defeated in a hundred battles. Sometimes approaching a problem from a different angle can yield unexpected results. Shall we pay a visit to Feng Yi’s wife, the Second Mistress of the Feng household?”
When the Second Mistress heard that the Prince of Yong and the Princess of Yong had come, she was frankly taken aback. A guest arriving unannounced without a calling card was the height of impoliteness; the Second Mistress could perfectly well have chosen not to receive them — but they were the Prince of Yong and the Princess of Yong. She had no choice but to swallow her irritation, tidy herself quickly, and come out to receive them.
The events of last night had evidently dealt the Feng household a severe blow. Having not seen her for merely one night, the Second Mistress looked pallid and dazed; her make-up was nowhere near as refined as usual. Clearly her spirits were very poor. She forced a smile and greeted her guests: “This concubine greets the Prince of Yong and the Princess of Yong.”
Ming Huashang went forward to support her: “Second Mistress need not stand on ceremony — we are the ones who have come without notice, and we apologize for the intrusion.”
The Second Mistress would not acknowledge any such thing, of course. After the customary exchange of courtesies, host and guests took their seats. When facing Feng Yi and Feng Kun, Li Huazhang had primarily asked the questions; now that they were with the Second Mistress, the two of them tacitly allowed Ming Huashang to lead.
Ming Huashang sipped her tea slowly and eased into the subject: “The New Year was almost upon us, and now Old Master has had this dreadful accident. The authorities failed in their protection and let the criminal take advantage. My condolences to the Second Mistress.”
The Second Mistress managed a brief smile; her eyes stayed fixed on the floor and she could not even produce words of polite conversation. Ming Huashang looked at her and asked: “The coroner believes that Old Master was very likely poisoned. As Second Mistress manages the household, would you know whether anyone in the estate has had access to poisons?”
“Poison?” The Second Mistress furrowed her brow: “All purchases for the estate are handled by a designated buyer. The inner household has almost no contact with outside merchants; especially given the presence of elders and children in the house, anything consumed is subject to particularly strict scrutiny, and there is simply no possibility of any poison being brought in. I do not know of any — perhaps it was brought in from outside by someone else.”
Ming Huashang asked: “Might there be someone within the household with a knowledge of medicinal herbs who could have prepared a poison themselves?”
The Second Mistress gave a dismissive laugh: “Your Highness may not know — the inner household is all women; any number of them may be with child at any time, so there is a particular aversion to such things. When someone in the household falls ill, we do not use medicine from outside at all: we have a physician write a prescription and the dispensary fills it; the dispensary then prepares the decoctions and sends them to each person. The dispensary keeps a record of how much medicine is in stock and how much is dispensed each day; for those medicines of high toxicity, even if someone comes with a proper token to claim them, the dispensary will not release them lightly.”
Ming Huashang inclined her head, looking well-informed: “I see. Would it be possible for us to see the dispensary’s records of prescriptions filled and medicines prepared during this recent period?”
The Second Mistress was somewhat reluctant — these were private household matters and should not be handed to outsiders. Li Huazhang, seeing her hesitate, said: “Second Mistress — we are asking in order to solve the case as quickly as possible. After all, the killer is still somewhere in the Feng estate; if he is not brought to justice soon, no one knows who will be his next victim. Do you not think so?”
The Second Mistress saw his point and said: “What is the Prince saying? Please wait a moment — I will have a maid fetch the ledger.”
The Second Mistress rose and gave a quiet instruction to the maid at her side; the maid accepted and left. Ming Huashang, worried the Feng household might secretly destroy or swap out the ledger, caught Li Huazhang’s eye in a silent signal. The two held each other’s gaze for a moment; Ming Huashang gave Li Huazhang a sharp look, and Li Huazhang conceded defeat and also stood up: “I will go along as well.”
The maid, seeing the Prince of Yong also going to the dispensary, was very ill at ease — but Li Huazhang’s bearing was entirely composed and properly maintained his distance, the very picture of gentlemanly conduct. Neither the maid nor the Second Mistress could say anything to stop him; they could only let Li Huazhang go.
While waiting for the ledger, having nothing better to do, Ming Huashang made casual conversation with the Second Mistress, asking about her movements the previous day.
A woman’s daily movements were far simpler than a man’s. The previous day, the Second Mistress had been nearly ready for bed when she suddenly received word that Old Master Feng wanted her to go and entertain the Prince of Yong and the Princess of Yong. She did not dare be careless and immediately changed her clothes. After settling Ming Huashang and Li Huazhang in, she returned to her room to undress and sleep — only to be jolted awake by the sound of firecrackers almost as soon as she lay down, and then she heard from a servant that Old Master Feng had died.
The Second Mistress was so frightened she had not slept the whole night; she had dozed off briefly toward dawn, but with Old Master Feng’s sudden passing, so many things in the household had gone awry that she had not dared sleep longer, rising early to arrange things, and she had been busy ever since.
Throughout everything, the Second Mistress had had attendants with her at all times, and her maids and women servants could corroborate her whereabouts. Ming Huashang rambled on about various things and casually probed: “Ah, Old Master was discerning throughout his life, and yet to go so suddenly — it truly is a great pity. I noticed yesterday that Old Master was wearing a sachet. When I asked about it, it smelled of medicine. Does the Second Mistress know where that sachet came from?”
The Second Mistress replied carelessly: “That was made by Baozhu — she said it was a secret formula from the previous dynasty that could strengthen the body and calm the mind. Old Master wore it every day.”
Ming Huashang asked with apparent concern: “Was Old Master unwell? Why was he wearing a medicinal formula at all times?”
“Not particularly.” Given that this concerned her late father-in-law, the Second Mistress chose her words carefully: “Old Master’s constitution was still reasonably sound; for some reason, though, he became very particular about health cultivation this year. As it happened, Baozhu had traveled widely with the slave trader and learned a few medicinal formulas along the way, so Baozhu had the dispensary prepare a batch of health-strengthening medicine each ten days, and she made it into a medicine sachet for Old Master. It has been this way for six months.”
“I see.” Ming Huashang said with genuine admiration: “Baozhu truly is capable — she manages accounts, she cooks, she practices acupuncture, and she raises birds. No wonder people always say that without Baozhu, Old Master Feng could not function for a single day.”
The Second Mistress lowered her eyes and lifted her teacup: “That is servants’ talk — a slight exaggeration, but not entirely wrong. Otherwise, Elder Sister-in-law would not have changed her tune and turned into such a devoted wife, wholeheartedly trying to get Elder Brother-in-law to take Baozhu as a concubine. Such a capable helper — Old Master should have taken her along to the underworld. What a pity — in the future, who knows whose gain it will be.”
Ming Huashang could hear that the Second Mistress seemed to have something underneath her words; her eyes moved a little and she put on an air of perfect innocence: “Somehow I get the feeling that the First House does not quite like Baozhu? Just last night, I faintly heard First Young Master cursing at Baozhu and shouting about having her sold off. That hardly sounds like liking her.”
The Second Mistress let out a snort of contempt. With Li Huazhang absent and no man in the room, the Second Mistress spoke more freely, commenting at length with considerable scorn: “Your Highness, you are still young, and the Prince dotes on you, so your household is a peaceful one — you would not understand these shadowy tactics. Even while Old Master was alive, Elder Brother-in-law feared him so much that he still could not help trying to get his hands on Baozhu right under Old Master’s nose. Now that Old Master is gone and only Baozhu knows exactly what private assets Old Master left behind — do you think any man could just let that go? It is nothing more than a ploy to feign hostility while drawing the prey in closer. Who is reeling in whom remains to be seen.”
The Second Mistress’s tone toward Baozhu was quite hostile. Ming Huashang played innocent and made to defend her: “Are you saying that it is actually Baozhu who is stringing along First Young Master — playing him on purpose? But last night during the watch, Baozhu was perfectly proper the whole time; if anything, it was First Young Master who kept making things difficult for her. With Baozhu’s looks and character, she would have no trouble finding a good match. Surely she is not that sort of person.”
The Second Mistress gave a cold laugh, her contempt deepening: “A fly never alights on an uncracked egg. If she were truly a paragon of virtue, why would Elder Brother-in-law be so taken with her and unable to forget her? Suffering harm so it can be pitied, pleading misery — that is exactly how to hook a man.”
The resentment in the Second Mistress’s words was so thick it could not be concealed. If this had merely been gossip about the father-in-law’s maidservant and the elder brother-in-law, it would hardly warrant such barely restrained anger. Ming Huashang thought of Feng Yi’s unusual warmth and protective concern toward Baozhu and began dimly to understand.
From outside came the sound of someone offering greetings — Li Huazhang had returned with the dispensary ledger. Ming Huashang and the Second Mistress both stopped at once; they dropped the gossip and exchanged innocuous small talk. Shortly afterward, Li Huazhang came in. Taking advantage of the Second Mistress’s polite exchange with Li Huazhang, Ming Huashang rapidly scanned through three months of dispensary records.
Apart from some common restorative and fever-treatment medicines, there were indeed no highly toxic medicines issued; Old Master Feng’s courtyard had received a batch of medicines every ten days, recorded under Baozhu’s name — consistent with what the Second Mistress had said. Old Master Feng had been poisoned; if no one on the women’s side could have had access to poison, it looked as though the women of the household could be cleared of suspicion.
Ming Huashang flipped through it roughly, then closed the ledger, smiled, and said: “Thank you, Second Mistress. Since Old Master Feng’s death is a capital case, this ledger must be sent to the coroner for examination. Would that be all right?”
What could the Second Mistress say? Even if it was not all right, it would have to be. She smiled: “What is the Princess saying? You and the Prince of Yong have come on behalf of our Old Master — it is this concubine’s privilege to be of any help. Take it with you freely, Your Highness, for as long as you need. The dispensary is not in a hurry for it.”
Ming Huashang did not stand on ceremony and simply took it. She tucked it into her sleeve, straightened her skirts carefully, and then appeared to ask as an afterthought: “Second Mistress — who do you think murdered Old Master Feng?”
The Second Mistress pressed her lips together once, then again, before slowly saying: “This concubine has not experienced much; I dare not speak rashly. But when Old Master died, the Marquis of Sui’s Pearl also disappeared. The pearl is priceless — even though Old Master bought it at a reduced price, it is worth half the Feng family’s entire fortune. Perhaps someone wanted to seize the family assets and so, in for a penny in for a pound, killed the Old Master.”
After coming out of the Second Mistress’s courtyard, Ming Huashang found it rather amusing and said to Li Huazhang: “Funny enough — three people, three different answers. Feng Yi thinks it was the Thief Saint who stirred up trouble. Feng Kun hinted that it was Feng Yi embezzling from within. And Feng Yi’s own wife thinks it was Feng Kun who killed his father for the inheritance. What a pair of brothers — truly one family, one household.”
Li Huazhang, not having the full picture, declined to comment. He checked the time: “It is nearly the hour of Wu and you have been hungry all morning — shall we go and eat first?”
Ming Huashang shook her head: “No — let us question everyone else and then go home to eat.”
Li Huazhang, in an uncharacteristic departure, offered no objection; he reached into his personal belt pouch, produced an oil paper parcel, pinched out a small cake, and placed it in Ming Huashang’s mouth: “Very well. Have a little something first — we will go home the moment we are done.”
Ming Huashang saw that Li Huazhang had produced pastries from somewhere about his person and was genuinely taken aback: “What — when did you put those there? Why do you carry cakes with you?”
“I have been carrying them for a while; I never thought they would come in useful today.” Li Huazhang’s tone was perfectly matter-of-fact. He fed her the last bite and then, apparently from nowhere, produced a handkerchief and carefully wiped the crumbs from the corners of her lips: “Eat slowly — you will choke.”
Ming Huashang’s mouth was stuffed full of pastry; her cheeks bulged and she could not get a word out. Given Li Huazhang’s nature, it made perfect sense that he would carry weapons, writing materials, and even books about his person — but carrying cakes on him? Ming Huashang would have thought this was strictly her own habit.
Ming Huashang struggled to swallow the plum blossom cake and reflected with private wonder: if this had been three years ago, she would never have believed, not in her life, that her cool and imperious elder brother would carry snacks on him — yet here it was, happening right before her eyes. Marriage, she thought, truly does transform a man completely.