With nine days of marriage leave remaining after the door-greeting ceremony and Mid-Autumn Festival, Lin Yan discussed with Shen Shaoguang about taking an autumn trip to Mount Zhongnan and staying there for a few days. Shen Shaoguang was naturally delighted – August and September were when the wild game was at its most delicious. Roasted rabbit, chicken, deer, lamb – it all depended on what their lord could hunt.
Though Shen Shaoguang knew Lin Yan’s swordsmanship was excellent, hunting live prey with a bow wasn’t something one could master just by practicing in their courtyard in the morning. In his twenty-some years, their lord had to study, take exams, travel, and serve as an official. With limited time and energy, he probably hadn’t had much chance to regularly chase foxes and rabbits in the mountains.
Despite her private musings, Shen Shaoguang wouldn’t voice any doubts – she had learned from past experience. Thinking back to how smug she’d been when discussing “sharing hardships,” “southern hotpot,” and “tangyuan meatballs,” compared to her later begging, making excuses, and threats… it was too embarrassing!
A theorist meeting a practitioner, especially one whose true abilities were unknown, had to be careful.
Lin Yan noticed his wife’s changing expressions and asked with a smile, “What are you thinking about?”
Shen Shaoguang squinted and replied fawningly, “I was thinking we should bring plenty of pepper powder, cornel sauce, honey, and anise spices. That way, when you hunt deer, lamb, or roe deer, we can roast them properly.”
“Such flattery!” Lin Yan ruffled her hair and asked with a smile, “Achi, did you know your ears turn red when you’re not being sincere?”
Shen Shaoguang looked at Lin Yan – surely he was trying to trick her? As an old hand, she wouldn’t give herself away just by telling a little fib.
“It’s true,” Lin Yan said quite sincerely.
Shen Shaoguang half-believingly touched her ears – they weren’t warm…
Lin Yan embraced her, his chest shaking with laughter.
Shen Shaoguang: “…”
Lin Yan kissed her temple, then worked his way to her ear, gently nibbling her earlobe as he chuckled softly, “See? Now they’re red.”
Shen Shaoguang felt half her body go numb with tingles, but still stubbornly retorted, “You’re fabricating evidence – what should your punishment be?”
Lin Yan was already working on her earlobe, his voice slightly nasal: “Mmm, whatever you decide.”
Shen Shaoguang melted in his embrace.
“Your ears do turn red sometimes…” When she was both shy and fierce, she was incredibly adorable.
This time Shen Shaoguang’s ears truly turned red. Before completely losing herself in the moment, she managed to think to herself that their lord’s image had collapsed – his cold aloofness had all been an act.
…
After the newlyweds had their fun, they went together to see the Venerable Lady.
To their surprise, the Venerable Lady said, “Don’t go, don’t go, it’s too far! With you both gone, no one will come for morning and evening greetings, and I can take a couple of days off to sleep in.” Her tone was just like a parent finally able to relax and browse their phone when sending their child to boarding school.
Shen Shaoguang broke into a grin, and Lin Yan smiled as well.
Madam Jiang was truly an interesting and kind old lady, though unfortunately, her health wasn’t good. After leaving Madam Jiang’s courtyard, Shen Shaoguang discussed with Lin Yan about taking Grandmother to Leyou Plains during the Double Ninth Festival instead – it was within the city, and the elderly lady’s health could handle that.
Lin Yan nodded. While Grandmother’s reluctance to join them at Mount Zhongnan was partly to avoid disturbing him and Achi, she also truly couldn’t handle the bumpy journey.
Since they were only staying a few days, Shen Shaoguang had the maids pack just some clothes and daily necessities. They only prepared two carriages, with the attendants on horseback.
Seeing that she hadn’t brought the entire kitchen, Lin Yan was quite surprised but quickly understood.
“Achi, bring those spices you mentioned – the anise, pepper, honey, and such. We probably can’t buy them at Mount Zhongnan.”
Shen Shaoguang nodded, “I packed them.” They were stored in small bottles and jars in the boxes.
“And bring your whole set of grilling equipment – the stove, skewers, and grill.”
Shen Shaoguang: “…Alright.” She had people fetch the barbecue set.
Shen Shaoguang had originally meant to be considerate – bringing everything would mean setting up the charcoal brazier, iron skewers, and grill… only for their lord to return empty-handed…
To be fair, Shen Shaoguang didn’t think there was anything wrong with not being good at hunting – it wasn’t his profession. She imagined Lord Lin returning without catching anything after chasing rabbits all over the mountains for half a day – it would be quite adorable. She could pat his head, kiss him, comfort him, and tell him a life of being perfect at everything would be incomplete.
Shen Shaoguang looked at Lin Yan, imagining his pouty expression, imagining herself being super cool, naturally doing this and that…
“Achi—”
Shen Shaoguang smiled, “Seeing our grilling setup, all the animals in Mount Zhongnan will probably run away.”
Lin Yan smiled at her and vigorously ruffled her hair.
Shen Shaoguang tilted her head and frowned, “My hairpin fell out!”
Lin Yan’s villa at the foot of the mountain wasn’t very large, but it was quite refined. It had a front courtyard, a main courtyard, two side courtyards, and a back garden. The garden was built following the natural terrain, with strange rocks forming artificial mountains and various flowers and trees planted throughout. Among them was a large osmanthus tree that had started blooming, its rich fragrance carried but not dispersed by the autumn breeze.
Shen Shaoguang circled the tree once – ha, no need for Princess Fuhui’s osmanthus flowers this time. This tree alone would be plenty for her to work with. Tomorrow she could make some osmanthus rice porridge first, and maybe some osmanthus cakes too, with less sugar to preserve the natural osmanthus fragrance.
After walking around the villa briefly to stretch their legs from sitting in the carriage all morning, they had a simple lunch. Shen Shaoguang went to take an afternoon nap while Lin Yan took some attendants into the mountains.
Shen Shaoguang slept for about half an hour, got up, had some clear tea to wake herself up, and then took another stroll around their courtyard with Ayuan before heading out, followed by Zhou Kui and another attendant.
Not far away was a small village of about a dozen households, with vegetables growing and chickens pecking in their bamboo-fenced yards. Shen Shaoguang knocked on a gate and bought some vegetables and eggs from an old woman, which Zhou Kui and the others carried.
Leaving the village, they followed a small path up the mountain. Less than two li later, they came upon a small stream with crystal-clear water – you could see the sand and stones at the bottom, with white spray where the water met obstacles.
Shen Shaoguang crouched down and scooped up some water – it was cool. Looking up at the verdant mountains before her and the trees whose leaves had started turning red nearby, the scenery was truly beautiful – Shen Shaoguang thought of that “feast for the eyes” saying again.
This place was indeed a feast – there was a natural stone platform nearby, perfect for setting up the grill.
Shen Shaoguang had Zhou Kui and the others go back for the equipment, “Bring some flatbread too, and the soup pot.”
Shen Shaoguang figured that even if they didn’t catch anything, they could have vegetable egg drop soup and crispy grilled flatbread, which would be quite nice.
Zhou Kui smiled, “Madam thinks of everything – flatbread wrapped around grilled meat, with vegetable soup, perfect.”
Shen Shaoguang smiled and nodded.
As the sun was setting, while Shen Shaoguang sat cross-legged on the stone platform drinking tea and enjoying the scenery, Lin Yan and his men returned.
Seeing the large animal – either sheep or deer – on Zhou Chang’s shoulders, plus the rabbits and pheasants carried by the other attendants, Shen Shaoguang was secretly glad she hadn’t spoken carelessly this time…
With just these few people, how could they eat so much? They only cleaned and cut up the sheep, skewering pieces to grill, and started cooking soup with one of the pheasants.
But Lin Yan said, “Cut off that section of sheep ribs.”
Liu Chang smiled and told Shen Shaoguang, “Our lord is going to make grilled lamb ribs for us. His grilled lamb ribs once earned high praise from the teacher and all the young lords at the academy.”
Shen Shaoguang turned to look at Lin Yan: “…”
Lin Yan smiled at her and slightly raised his hands.
Shen Shaoguang hurried forward to help roll up his sleeves while laying it on thick: “My lord is truly accomplished in both civil and military arts, capable of everything – at home in both the hall and kitchen, skilled at both writing and hunting…”
Lin Yan gave this insincere little flatterer a mock glare.
Shen Shaoguang watched how Lin Yan worked.
He used a knife to make many small holes in the lamb ribs, and after washing them, thoroughly rubbed them inside and out with Sichuan pepper powder, salt, and cornel sauce.
Watching his long fingers massage the meat, Shen Shaoguang’s face suddenly felt hot.
Lin Yan hadn’t noticed his wife’s state, simply placing the seasoned ribs on the wire rack to grill.
Meanwhile, Zhou Kui, who had learned three moves from Yu San, had already grilled the first batch of meat skewers and brought them to Shen Shaoguang.
Shen Shaoguang shook her head with a smile, “I’m waiting for your lord’s lamb ribs.”
Everyone laughed.
As they were all personal servants, there wasn’t much ceremony – Ayuan, Aqing, Liu Chang, Zhou Kui, and the others started eating first.
Shen Shaoguang and Lin Yan chatted while tending the dedicated grill with the rack.
“Who did you learn this from, my lord? You even know to massage in the flavors first?”
“I saw it in a travelogue – this is how the Persians do it.”
Shen Shaoguang joked, “Books contain a thousand pecks of grain, books contain houses of gold, books contain fragrant meat…” She started laughing before finishing.
Lin Yan laughed too, “Mm, what else?”
Shen Shaoguang fell back into old habits, taking Lin Yan’s hand and writing on his palm – “Face” “Like” and “Jade”.
Lin Yan gripped her hand in return, looking at her for a long while with gentle eyes, “Mm, you’re right.”
Shen Shaoguang squinted with a smile.
“Should we sprinkle some anise now?” Shen Shaoguang asked.
The lamb was sizzling with fat, the aroma growing stronger. Lin Yan went to sprinkle cumin powder on the meat and flip it.
…
Shen Shaoguang hadn’t waited on an empty stomach in vain – our Lord Lin’s grilled lamb ribs were truly excellent. Crispy on the outside but tender inside, releasing juices with each bite, with a special pine fragrance – while waiting here, Shen Shaoguang had people gather some pine cones from the woods and put them in the charcoal fire, and it really did add flavor as Master Liang had said.
Ayuan and the others, who were already full, each “reluctantly” grabbed a rib to gnaw on.
After eating the grilled lamb wrapped in flatbread, drinking the pheasant vegetable soup, watching Liu Chang perform with his sword, and the attendants having a round of wrestling, it was time to head back.
The servants and maids walked ahead, while Lin Yan held Shen Shaoguang’s hand as they strolled behind.
Shen Shaoguang confessed to Lin Yan: “I didn’t expect my lord to be so skilled at hunting.”
Lin Yan nodded: “Mm.”
“I was worried earlier today that you wouldn’t catch anything.”
“Mm.”
“And crucially, my lord can even grill meat, and so well… my lord, how are you so amazing?” Shen Shaoguang laid it on thicker.
Lin Yan couldn’t help but laugh.
Shen Shaoguang felt relieved.
However, she had let her guard down too early – she couldn’t escape “punishment” that night.
“My lord, I really can’t anymore…”
Lin Yan sucked on her earlobe, “I don’t believe you, you’re always insincere.”
“This time it’s true, my lord…”
Lin Yan laughed.
“Was there something strange about that lamb? It wasn’t venison.”
…
“Lin Yan! I’m angry!”
…
“My lord, I’ll be good now…”
Author’s Note:
- Such a famous line from Emperor Zhenzong of Song probably doesn’t need annotation.