After breakfast, Lin Yan went to court. Taking advantage of the cool morning, Madam Jiang had her servants help her take a walk in the garden. After last night’s rain, the garden was lush with greenery and refreshingly clean.

Pointing to the withering peonies by the railings, Madam Jiang smiled, “What a pity. There’s no young lady in the house to wear them or appreciate them. If we sent them to Young Miss Shen, at least they could be made into flower essence.”

A-Su and the other personal servants laughed, “You’re speaking like a commoner again.”

Madam Jiang suddenly stopped walking. “Go to the storehouse and find my old flower essence-making equipment, including the fruit juicer and the small silver kettles, jade bowls, and cups – the complete set that young ladies use for entertainment. Package them in a gift box and send them to Young Miss Shen.” Madam Jiang sighed, “Otherwise they’ll just go to waste.”

Seeing Madam Jiang’s expression, A-Su bowed and answered yes, leading another servant to carry out the order.

The stone couch in the pavilion had already been prepared with brocade cushions and bamboo mats. Madam Jiang held a servant’s hand to climb the steps and sat down. The servants took out small pots and cups from their baskets and served a bowl of yogurt drink.

The young servant was lively. Seeing Madam Jiang’s somewhat melancholic expression, she smiled, “Are you worried about not having good flower essence to drink in the future? You needn’t worry – when the young master takes a wife, she’ll naturally prepare these things for you.”

Madam Jiang sighed softly, “Whether she makes these things doesn’t matter. As long as they have a good marriage, I’ll be content.”

The servants laughed, “Young master is good, so his wife will surely be good too. When two good people come together, how could it not work out well? Madam, you worry too much.”

Madam Jiang took a sip of yogurt drink and looked at the lush greenery throughout the garden. Sometimes, she thought, even when both people are good individually, they might not be good together, and end up as an unhappy couple…

The items were delivered by Madam Jiang’s servant, so their authenticity was beyond doubt. Looking at the two boxes of exquisite items, Shen Shaoguang had a headache. This was truly the style of the Madam who loved culinary arts and had such feeling and interest. As for the previous screen…

Not wanting to accept double thanks gifts, Shen Shaoguang smiled, “Your household has already given thanks. I cannot accept such generous gifts again. Please relay this to the Madam.”

The servant A-Su smiled, “That was from the household, this is specially from Madam for Young Miss. Madam said she hadn’t had such rich and fragrant flower essence in many years. She also said that come autumn, she’ll surely trouble Young Miss to make osmanthus essence, and hopes Young Miss won’t refuse.”

Heh, so everyone in their household except the master was good with words. And for that master’s gift, Shen Shaoguang couldn’t say it was also from “Madam” – it wasn’t ordinary gold and silver money. She could only laugh dryly and accept these historically significant, exquisite, or decadent gifts.

After seeing off the Lin household servants, Shen Shaoguang returned to examine Madam’s gifts. Made of copper, porcelain, silver, and jade, each piece was delicate and exquisite – things that could be displayed in a curio cabinet in modern times. They offered a glimpse into the leisurely and refined life of a noble family’s young lady. Palace items were also exquisite but tended toward luxury, different from this aristocratic family’s elegance.

Thinking of the equally elegant screen, this time even Shen Shaoguang couldn’t convince herself anymore. Deputy Magistrate Lin, were you struck by lightning?

Thinking of Deputy Magistrate Lin’s smile like a gentle breeze passing over spring mountains, his curved eyebrows and eyes, his attractive lips, and that quite nice embrace, Shen Shaoguang smiled and sighed softly – he was very good indeed, but unfortunately not meant for her…

Yu San came out and saw his young miss alternately smiling and sighing somewhat wistfully at the pile of items from the Lin family. He pursed his lips – heh, even a formidable young miss like their own couldn’t escape matters of the heart. That Deputy Magistrate Lin was just somewhat good-looking, from a good family, and held a high position, that’s all…

Yu San shook his head and went to pull green onions in the back garden.

Shen Shaoguang had A-Yuan help put these things in storage, to decide later whether to return them to Deputy Magistrate Lin or what to do with them – they certainly couldn’t be used in the kitchen. Such art pieces, if damaged, would have future antique restorers traveling through time to beat them up. Rougher items were more suitable for daily use.

Shen Shaoguang stopped dwelling on the Lin family matter, put on an apron, and entered the kitchen. Looking at the fish, shrimp, and clams in the bucket – today I’ll start with you all.

Unlike the large fish usually delivered, today the fish seller brought many clams, small fish, and shrimp, including several loaches, saying they were caught from a different place.

The loaches and clams needed to purge their mud, so she’d cook the shrimp for lunch first. For fresh small shrimp, nothing beats flash-frying.

After trimming the heads and whiskers and washing them clean, she put plenty of oil in the wok and heated it. She seasoned the oil with Sichuan peppercorns, green onion, and ginger, then stir-fried the shrimp over high heat. When the shrimp turned red, she added salt, sugar, and light sauce for seasoning. Just before taking it off the heat, she threw in a handful of chopped Chinese chives and gave it a couple more stirs.

Mm, fresh… mm, fragrant…

Early customers who smelled it got a plate to share, while the rest went into the mouths of Shen’s owner, cook, and waiters, with Shen Shaoguang eating the most.

Even A-Yuan yielded to her, “Rarely see Young Miss enjoy eating something this much.”

With minced meat rolls, fried tofu pouches, braised purple eggplant, cucumber in sesame sauce and garlic paste, and a bowl of thick rice porridge, Shen Shaoguang ate too much.

Why is it always home-style dishes that make people overeat? Shen Shaoguang felt this was the greatest mystery in the culinary world.

Full and satisfied, she curled up behind the counter, counting money and doing accounts. Deputy Magistrate Lin’s moon-and-breeze-like face could no longer trouble Shen Shaoguang. There was nothing that couldn’t be solved by a good meal…

After eating all this at lunch, and with more needed for evening customers, the fish and shrimp were used up. By the time Lin Yan came to the shop, only a few loaches remained.

When he returned in the evening, the steward reported that Madam had sent some young ladies’ items to Young Miss Shen as thanks.

Because Madam Jiang’s spirits were weak, the Lin household’s gift-giving was usually handled by the steward drafting a list, reporting to the master, and the accounting office carrying it out. The previous gift sent to Shen had been Lin Yan’s private property, going through neither the steward nor accounting, directly taken out with the master’s token. Madam’s gift was also private property – when it passed through the main gate, the guard checked it and reported it to the steward.

Lin Yan stopped in his tracks and pressed his lips together. “I see.”

At dinner time, Lin Yan asked his grandmother, “I heard you sent some gifts to Young Miss Shen today…”

Madam Jiang smiled, “Young Miss Shen is from a noble family. Making these preserved flowers and essences for us, she shouldn’t be treated as an ordinary merchant. Money wouldn’t be appropriate, so I sent some items used by young ladies. Usually, these courtesies are handled by the women of the household. Since you haven’t taken a wife, I’m helping you with this concern.”

“Helping with this concern?” Lin Yan smiled, “Yes, thank you for your thoughtfulness, Grandmother.”

Because of this “concern” his grandmother helped with, Lin Yan, who had rarely hesitated since his first years in office, became uncertain and somewhat agitated.

After drinking two cups of tea and calming his mind to finish the documents that needed approval, Lin Yan strolled out of the mansion.

Shen’s shop was open, and from afar he could see the graceful silhouette in the dim lamplight inside.

Lin Yan’s hesitant heart suddenly steadied. He smiled slightly – this was good too.

Shen Shaoguang looked up and greeted with a smile, “Master Lin.”

Lin Yan nodded with a smile, “Young Miss Shen.”

Lin Yan sat at his usual window seat, and Shen Shaoguang brought a plum drink and asked with a smile, “What would you like to order today?”

“Whatever Young Miss arranges will be fine.”

“Would you like some wine? We just got some new Xinfeng wine, it’s very fragrant.” Shen Shaoguang thought having some wine would help hide their faces and make it easier to say what needed to be said.

Lin Yan glanced at Shen Shaoguang and smiled, “Thank you for the kind offer, but perhaps another day.”

“…” Shen Shaoguang smiled, “Please wait a moment, sir.”

Yu San had never prepared loaches before, so Shen Shaoguang handled it personally.

Loaches have small bones and lots of meat. This season they’re best dry-fried, perfect with wine, and very fragrant.

She slowly fried the cleaned loaches in oil – you can’t rush it, they need to be crispy inside and out. Then she took them out. In another wok, she added oil, fried minced ginger and garlic until fragrant, added perilla leaves which pair perfectly with the loach, then put in the fried loaches, seasoned with salt, chopped green onions, and a spoon of light sauce, gave it a couple stirs, and it was done.

As the dry-fried loaches came out of the kitchen, Yu San’s quick dishes – cucumber with eggs, chicken breast with diced eggplant, cumin lamb, and others – were also ready. Along with a bowl of clear noodle soup, everything was placed on a tray for A-Yuan to serve.

Shen Shaoguang washed her hands, came out, and knelt opposite Lin Yan.

Lin Yan smiled, “Thank you for your trouble.”

“Does Master Lin know what this is?”

“Fish?” Lin Yan raised an eyebrow.

Shen Shaoguang laughed, “These are loaches from mud ponds and field ridges, black and whiskered, stubborn in nature, with an earthy smell – hardly the fine fish dishes that sir usually eats.”

Lin Yan smiled, picked up a piece, and with a “crunch” bit into it, chewing slowly.

Shen Shaoguang: “…”

“Crispy and fragrant,” Lin Yan smiled at Shen Shaoguang.

Shen Shaoguang’s planned discourse on humble mud loaches being unfit for noble banquets was stopped in her throat by his “crunch” and comment about it being “crispy and fragrant.”

Being generous by nature, Shen Shaoguang smiled – if it had to be stopped, so be it. She’d wait for him to speak.

However, under Shen Shaoguang’s watchful eyes, Deputy Magistrate Lin unhurriedly ate four or five loaches, half a plate of cucumber with eggs, some diced eggplant, and lamb drank up a small bowl of noodle soup, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, drank half a cup of the clear tea A-Yuan served, and still said nothing.

Shen Shaoguang finally noticed the difference between a crimson-robed high official of the capital and a green-robed subordinate. If this were Clerk Liu, he would never be so composed and calm – he would probably have blushed and stammered something already.

After finishing his tea, Lin Yan looked at Shen Shaoguang, “I have something to ask Young Miss.”

Finally, thought Shen Shaoguang as she put on a smile, “Please speak, sir.”

“The Assistant Prefect Shen of Fenzhou, from the main line of the Luoxia Shen family, has finished his term and returned to the capital these days to report. I’ve had some dealings with Assistant Prefect Shen – he’s quite a decent person. Would Young Miss like to meet him?”

Shen Shaoguang was startled, thought for a moment, and said, “Better not. It would only bring sadness to both sides.” More importantly, it would create trouble for both parties. She had no blood uncles, and this person was some distant cousin several times removed.

Lin Yan looked at her calm, smiling appearance – a gorgeous noble begonia, yet determined to shoulder everything, bearable or not, like the several stems of green bamboo in the front courtyard. Thinking of her wisdom, cleverness, and capability to get things done, the name “Ji” (chickweed) was quite fitting…

Lin Yan nodded and said gently with a smile, “That’s fine too.”

After seeing off Deputy Magistrate Lin, Shen Shaoguang realized – wait, weren’t we supposed to talk about how mud loaches aren’t suitable for grand banquets? And about that mistaken gift?

Lin Yan walked back slowly with his hands behind his back. If she were to reconnect with Assistant Prefect Shen, arranging a marriage proposal would be convenient… Thinking of her expression when talking about the loaches, Lin Yan pressed his lips together and frowned thoughtfully.