The first month was packed with festivals – just a few days after Human Day came the Start of Spring, followed by the three-night celebration of the Lantern Festival.

At this time, it was customary to eat spring platters. These spring platters consisted of flatbreads rolled with vegetables.

In this era without greenhouse vegetables, with temperatures below zero, “spring vegetables” was more of a symbolic term. Most people use winter vegetables like radishes, Chinese cabbage, and green onions. Even in the palace, they only added a few more options like celery, garlic sprouts, and yellow chives.

Getting any out-of-season vegetables was truly delightful. Just as in summer when iced dairy drinks were bestowed, the emperor would gift spring platters to noble relatives and high officials at the Start of Spring to show his favor. When Censor Zhou Fengqing had a son at the Start of Spring and received an imperial spring platter, he named his son A Pan, somewhat following the tradition of Confucius naming his son “Li” (Carp).

The palace’s spring platters, given as political gifts, were made with great care. The vegetables were cut into extremely fine shreds – red, white, green, and yellow – arranged separately. They came with four or five kinds of sauces including flour paste, chive flower sauce, and meat sauce. Another plate held the flatbreads which, unlike later generations’ pan-fried spring pancakes, were made from batter mixed with eggs, fine salt, and sesame oil, making them fragrant and soft.

Back in the imperial kitchen, Shen Shaoguang could eat three large rolls of these pancakes along with a bowl of minced lamb soup.

Though she no longer had access to those out-of-season vegetables, she was also free from constraints. Shen Shaoguang tried to recreate later generations’ spring pancakes, making up for the lack of vegetables with meat.

First, the pancakes: though spreading batter was faster, pan-fried pancakes had more texture and were better for rolling. She used hot water to make the dough, divided it into two pieces, spread oil between them, rolled them thin, and cooked them over low heat on a flat pan.

The vegetables were straightforward – radishes, Chinese cabbage, and green onions were peeled, with only the tender parts finely shredded for the raw vegetable plate. Cooked dishes included scrambled eggs, stir-fried bean sprouts with glass noodles, and stir-fried shredded tofu.

Then came various types of meat – classic braised pork knuckle, pork stomach, smoked chicken, braised meat, and even pig ears and face, all shredded and arranged on plates for customers to choose from.

To eat, one would separate two pancakes slightly, spread sauce inside, add green onion shreds, radish shreds, various meats, eggs, and bean sprouts, roll it up, and take a bite.

These spring platters were warmly welcomed as soon as they were introduced. The table full of colorful plates and dishes with enticing aromas was unprecedented for common households. Who had eaten such elaborate, almost luxurious spring platters before? The key was that it wasn’t expensive, since pork was cheap. More importantly, it was genuinely delicious – what started as seasonal festival food became a true delicacy.

The spring platters sold well from the first day of the Start of Spring, with many coming to try them after hearing about them. People first ate in the shop, then many started requesting takeout or delivery. Sales continued until the Lantern Festival when they slightly decreased, but Shen Shaoguang felt people would keep coming to eat them, especially since real spring vegetables would arrive in the second and third months, making the spring rolls even better then.

“By then the Chinese cabbage and radishes won’t be good anymore, but we’ll have spring chives with eggs, spinach with glass noodles, meat with shepherd’s purse, and if we add crisp young cucumbers, these spring rolls…” Shen Shaoguang shared her vision with A Yuan while making tangyuan (glutinous rice balls).

A Yuan swallowed and responded, “I could eat eight or nine of those spring rolls.”

Shen Shaoguang: “…”

Looking at A Yuan’s waist, Shen Shaoguang asked, “A Yuan, have you heard the saying ‘Not dieting in the second, third, and fourth months leads to regret in the sixth, seventh, and eighth months’?”

A Yuan shook her head firmly, “No.”

A snicker came from behind – unmistakably Yu San.

A Yuan thought for a moment, “I’ll start dieting after I try the spring rolls with spinach and young cucumbers.”

Shen Shaoguang nodded, satisfied that there was at least a date set.

A cool voice came from behind, “By the time cucumbers arrive, you’ll be eating summer rolls, and your regret in the sixth, seventh, and eighth months will be inevitable.”

A Yuan glared at Yu San angrily but said nothing.

Shen Shaoguang had slipped up earlier – in her previous life, cucumbers were extremely easy to get and were essential for spring rolls.

Shen Shaoguang turned to warn Yu San with a look, then joked to cheer up A Yuan, “Actually, there are cucumbers in spring, they’re just hard to get. In the previous dynasty…”

Whenever “previous dynasty” was mentioned, it meant Young Miss was about to tell a story. A Yuan and A Chang perked up their ears, and even Yu San’s movements became gentler.

“One New Year, the emperor wanted cucumbers and sent eunuchs to buy some. In that cold weather, where could they find any? By chance, they met someone at the East Market selling two cucumbers. The eunuch was overjoyed and asked for the price. The seller said fifty taels of silver each, one hundred taels for both.”

A Yuan and A Chang’s mouths fell open.

“The eunuch complained about the price, saying several cucumbers could be bought for two copper coins in summer. The seller said if he thought it was too expensive, he didn’t have to buy them. He’d keep them for himself. Then he went ‘crunch, crunch’ and ate one of them.”

A Yuan and A Chang’s mouths opened even wider, with A Chang mumbling, “Just ate fifty taels of silver worth…”

“The eunuch panicked, afraid he’d eat the other one too, and quickly took out the money to buy it. But the seller raised the price – the remaining cucumber now cost one hundred taels.”

Yu San’s lips curled up – he knew Young Miss’s stories always had a twist.

“The eunuch complained about the price again. Hearing this, the seller… The eunuch quickly handed over the money and bought the last remaining cucumber.”

A Yuan and A Chang burst out laughing, and Yu San also smiled, lowering his head to continue making silk basket pastries.

At this time, the Lantern Festival wasn’t yet dominated by tangyuan. Different families ate meat porridge, noodle cocoons, silk basket pastries, as well as fire moths, jade beam cakes, and deep-fried pastries. Boiled porridge, steamed cakes, fried pastries – all kinds of foods competed.

With things already so chaotic, adding one more wouldn’t hurt. Tangyuan needed to make its presence known. Shen Shaoguang made classic black sesame-filled tangyuan and recommended them to customers visiting during the Lantern Festival.

People of this dynasty had a preference for sweets, and most customers received the tangyuan well, including Young Administrator Lin.

During the Lantern Festival’s three nights, the ward gates remained open, and the whole city celebrated. “Lanterns in every home’s market, songs from every building’s tower.” Such prolonged, widespread celebration by all classes of people posed significant security challenges.

During these times, multiple departments in the capital, including the Night Watchers and Metropolitan Administration, coordinated to prevent major incidents. Though they couldn’t prevent every servant girl’s elopement or minor theft, they tried their best.

Lin Yan, as Assistant Metropolitan Administrator, was one of the main persons in charge. After working two consecutive days, he finally got a break on the third day. He had planned to stay home with his grandmother, Madam Jiang, who was elderly and frail with poor mobility, unable to go out in winter to see the lanterns.

But the Senior Madam insisted on sending him out, saying, “Go out during the Lantern Festival to ward off evil spirits and pray for good health.”

Unable to refuse his grandmother’s loving concern, Lin Yan smiled and agreed, planning to walk around the ward briefly to observe the festivities before returning to keep her company.

There weren’t as many people viewing lanterns in the ward as expected, since it was already the third day. Many had grown tired of the nearby attractions and expanded their celebration range, such as going to An Fu Gate to watch the stamping dance or to Chongren Ward to see a hundred performances.

Without the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, Lin Yan found some enjoyment in his walk. Looking ahead from the street, he saw lanterns lighting up trees along the way, scholars solving lantern riddles, ladies surrounded by their maids, and children running with lanterns – a beautiful scene of prosperity and peace.

After walking a few steps, he saw Shen Records’s tavern.

Lin Yan walked over slowly, looking up at the lanterns hanging in front of Shen Records. Though they were ordinary drum-shaped lanterns, the paper decorations were unique, featuring images of wontons, fine wheat noodles, roasted chicken, meat skewers, and other dishes.

Lin Yan couldn’t help but smile.

Lifting the door curtain to enter, he heard Young Miss Shen saying with a laugh, “These are called Beauty Rounds. See how white and soft the skin is, just like a pretty young lady’s face.”

The elderly woman who had brought her grandson for snacks laughed, “What a fitting name!”

Shen Shaoguang was just joking, but if some poet ate these “Beauty Rounds” and wrote verses praising them, creating a new way to describe beauties as “skin like tangyuan wrappers” for future generations, that would be quite unfortunate.

Hearing the door, she looked up and smiled in greeting, “Happy Lantern Festival, Young Master Lin.”

Young Miss Shen’s seemingly gentle smile, the lively paper decorations at the door, and the name “Beauty Rounds” perfectly illustrated the concept of appearances being deceiving. Fortunately, Lin Yan was somewhat used to this and smiled back, “Happy Lantern Festival, proprietress.”

“Would Young Master Lin like to try our glutinous rice balls with black sesame filling? They’re sweet and fragrant.”

Lin Yan nodded, “Very well.”

The tangyuan was quickly cooked and served.

Lin Yan scooped one up with his spoon and took a small bite – it was indeed delicious.

The grandmother and grandson sitting further inside finished and walked out. “Grandmother, this gentleman is also eating a beauty.”

“Not a beauty, a Beauty Round,” the elderly woman corrected her grandson.

“What’s a beauty?”

“The proprietress here is a beauty.”

The child nodded, “The proprietress is delicious.”

Shen Shaoguang, who was collecting bowls: “…”

Lin Yan, with half a tangyuan in his mouth: “…”

Never mind, children say innocent things. Shen Shaoguang carried the bowls back to the kitchen to wash.

Lin Yan somewhat awkwardly glanced at Shen Shaoguang’s retreating figure, then put the remaining half of the white-skinned, black-filled tangyuan in his mouth, soft and sweet between his lips and teeth. Lin Yan took a sip of soup, his expression becoming natural again. With this deceptive appearance… it was indeed somewhat similar…

After washing the bowls, Shen Shaoguang brought out a small box containing some uncooked tangyuan. Seeing Lin Yan had finished his small bowl, she said, “I haven’t seen the Senior Madam for many days, I hope she’s been well. These are uncooked glutinous rice balls, with the same filling but made slightly differently. Please take them back for the Senior Madam to try.”

Lin Yan thanked Shen Shaoguang. He wanted to tell her about her father’s books but found the topic too abrupt. During such a festive season, bringing up those sad matters felt inappropriate, and he didn’t know how to begin.

Shen Shaoguang raised an eyebrow and made casual conversation, “The ward is quiet today, everyone’s gone to An Fu Gate to watch the stamping dance. Why didn’t Young Master Lin go to see it?”

Shen Shaoguang guessed that with his reserved nature, he was probably a homebody who didn’t like to move around much. Of course, he might also be a workaholic – during this citywide celebration, as Assistant Metropolitan Administrator, he probably couldn’t rest easy. He likely worked extra days and, finally having some free time, probably didn’t want to squeeze into crowds.

“The lanterns in the ward are quite nice,” Lin Yan smiled.

Shen Shaoguang nodded, then suddenly asked with a smile, “That day at An Fu Gate, why did you let me go? I thought I was going to be sent to Luoyang.”

Shen Shaoguang had initially thought he might have been afraid of trouble or getting involved in messy situations. Later, through their interactions, especially after hearing the conversation between Minister Li and this Young Administrator Lin, she learned that when he was in a lower position, he had done something similar to what her father in this life had done. He wasn’t the timid, diplomatic type.

Of course, he had better luck, or perhaps because of his low position, he hadn’t angered the emperor enough to bring about a death sentence.

Regardless, her previous assumptions didn’t hold up, and when An Fu Gate was mentioned, she suddenly wanted to ask.

Lin Yan pressed his lips together, “It was His Majesty’s virtuous policy to release palace people, to reduce resentment in the rear palace. The lady showed wisdom, why shouldn’t I help fulfill her wishes?”

After thinking for a moment, Shen Shaoguang smiled and curtsied to him, “Thank you, Young Master Lin, for following heaven’s will and showing kindness.”

This expression of gratitude, both sincere and subtle, was like the gentle spring breeze touching willow branches in legendary tales. Lin Yan smiled, wondering whether such eloquence was natural or learned in the palace.

Since they were discussing the An Fu Gate incident, Lin Yan continued, “During New Year’s cleaning, I found some of your father’s books at home. Sometime soon, I’ll have someone deliver them to you.”

Shen Shaoguang looked up in surprise and nodded in thanks, but her previously lively expression became subdued.

Lin Yan wanted to offer some words of comfort, but they weren’t close enough, and the pain of losing a parent couldn’t be soothed with a few superficial words. Yet leaving now or changing the subject seemed inappropriate, so he could only sit in companionable silence.

Yu San, A Yuan, and A Chang returned from outside, lifting the curtain to find this scene – in the lamplight, the solemn young gentleman and the pretty young lady sitting quietly across from each other.

Earlier today, Young Miss had joked about “the moon rising over willow tips, people meeting after dusk.” Yu San glanced at Lin Yan again – he did look quite presentable…

“Young Miss, that lantern tower was several zhang tall, with hundreds of lanterns!” A Yuan exclaimed excitedly.

Shen Shaoguang turned with a smile to ask, “Really? They say there’s a lantern wheel that can turn, is that true?”