The grand wedding procession remained parked at the entrance of Taoyuanju, nearly blocking Sajin Bridge entirely, and the surrounding area was under martial law.
Thanks to Chu Ying, everyone on Sajin Bridge now knew that a little restaurant called Taoyuanju had opened across the river. On its very first day of business, it had garnered high praise from the Princess Consort of Qin. The owner was a young woman who kept her face veiled with white silk; she had a beautiful mole between her brows, and her sweet and sour fish and crispy pork were absolutely peerless. Everyone who tasted them sang their praises as if they were divine offerings, and the children especially loved the candied hawthorn skewers—they could never get enough of them.
Jiang Mo had no idea what people were saying outside. She had been busy all day and was exhausted to the point of numbness. After closing the restaurant, she and Iris grabbed a quick bite, then packed a portion of leftover crispy pork into a food box to bring back to Lihua Courtyard.
It was pitch black by the time she arrived. Manager Fang, who had heard from her subordinates that Jiang Mo had left in the morning and hadn’t returned all day, had been fretting. Seeing her finally arrive, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Young Lady Jiang, going out early and returning late every day is not a long-term solution. I can turn a blind eye for now, but what if someone else finds out and reports it to the Lord?”
She meant to warn her. There were many women in this courtyard, and while they didn’t need to fight for affection, there was no shortage of schemes among them.
Jiang Mo smiled, her eyes curving. “Manager Fang is right. If the Lord finds out, I will take full responsibility alone and will never implicate you.”
She handed the food box she was carrying to Manager Fang. “I made some crispy pork today; it tastes pretty good. Please try some, Manager Fang.”
Manager Fang coughed lightly. She couldn’t help but steal a glance at the food box, catching a faint aroma of the crispy pork.
“I am not a person who dwells on carnal desires,” she said, taking the box while secretly rejoicing in her heart. The candied hawthorns from last time had been delicious, so this crispy pork must be good, too. It was a pity that Young Lady Jiang was so talented, yet the Lord could not see her beauty.
Never mind, she thought. Young Lady Jiang is still young, so it’s normal for her to be playful. I’ll just help cover for her a bit more.
Seeing that Jiang Mo hadn’t left yet and was standing there as if she had something to say, Manager Fang looked puzzled.
“Is there anything else, Young Lady Jiang?”
“Manager Fang, I do have one more thing I’d like to ask about.” Jiang Mo lowered her voice. “I’ve been at Lihua Courtyard for quite a while now, but I haven’t seen the Lord once…”
She paused. Manager Fang thought Jiang Mo was also trying to solicit the Lord’s favor and was just about to speak, but Jiang Mo continued.
“Do you know if there is any way for me to leave?”
Manager Fang was startled. “Young Lady Jiang wants to leave?”
It wasn’t strange for her to overthink; among all the women in the courtyard, there were many who wanted to climb into his bed, but Jiang Mo was the first one who wanted to leave.
“To be honest, Manager Fang, I have heard that the Lord has no interest in beauty and is devoted solely to his public duties, hoping only to be a good official in the eyes of the people. It was truly a helpless situation for me when the Jiang family sent me here. Once the official mistress enters the household, I fear there will be even less hope for me to get ahead. Since that is the case, it is better to make plans early.”
Jiang Mo told her the truth.
Manager Fang felt a pang of pity. Young Lady Jiang was right. To let over a dozen young women in the prime of their lives wither away in this courtyard was indeed inhumane. Young Lady Jiang had great courage.
However…
“I understand your feelings, Young Lady Jiang. But the affairs of Lord Shen are not for us servants to inquire about. Let me do this: I will keep an eye out for you.”
Jiang Mo smiled and thanked her.
“Then I won’t disturb you any further, Manager Fang. Good night.”
It was the first time Manager Fang had heard such a greeting, and she found it quite refreshing. “Good night, good night.”
She watched Jiang Mo return to her quarters, then carried the food box to the front courtyard of the Shen estate.
Not long after, Steward Shen returned as well. Seeing the food box on the table, he laughed.
“It’s good to be off duty and have a midnight snack. Let me see what this is… Huh? Taoyuanju?!”
Hearing his exclamation, Manager Fang asked in confusion, “What Taoyuanju? This is crispy pork given to me by Young Lady Jiang; she made it herself.”