The plea in the woman’s eyes softened Mu Simiao’s heart. She shook her head helplessly. “Then let’s go.”
The attendant’s eyes flickered as he presented the tray to her. Mu Simiao clenched the jade pendant in her palm, and the two followed him upstairs.
The patrons below watched them with envy in their eyes, yet they knew they couldn’t compare to Mu Simiao—after all, her skills in bed were renowned throughout the city.
The sound of wind chimes carried a faint fragrance into the corridor. The woman twitched her nose, sniffing twice, and couldn’t help but sigh. “Truly different from ordinary men.”
Watching her lecherous behavior, Mu Simiao rubbed the tip of her nose. The incense was too strong, the scent too pungent—she didn’t like it.
“Cairen, Nügongzi has arrived.” The attendant gently knocked twice on the door. Shortly after, a voice as warm and smooth as jade responded from within, “Please invite her in.”
The attendant turned and opened the door halfway.
The woman narrowed her eyes and was about to step inside when the attendant stopped her. His tone was gentle but firm. “This Nügongzi, my Cairen has only invited Mu Nügongzi.”
The woman clicked her tongue and retreated to her original position.
Mu Simiao glanced at the two of them, then stepped into the room. The attendant withdrew, closing the door behind him and leaving the two alone.
A beaded curtain of broken jade and sheer gauze hung down, dividing the room into two sections. The Hua Kui reclined on a daybed in the inner room, slowly fanning himself with a round fan, a faint smile playing on his lips.
The atmosphere was thick, but Mu Simiao had no desire to linger. There were trivial matters to attend to at home—mainly, Qi Yuze couldn’t even recognize Huihuicai. If she didn’t intervene, who knew what other weeds he might dig up? It was best to resolve this quickly.
She lowered her head and asked, “For what reason has Cairen summoned me?”
Hearing her puzzled words, the Hua Kui covered his lips with the round fan and glided gracefully toward Mu Simiao. “Nügongzi, you do jest. Lan Tian sought you out naturally for an important matter. Why not guess the origin of this humble one’s name first?”
“The moon bright over the sea, pearls have tears; the sun warm at Lantian, jade begets smoke. A fine name.” Who would have thought that crossing over would require reciting ancient poetry? Fortunately, she had just taken the college entrance exams and hadn’t forgotten it.
“As expected of the one this humble one has taken a liking to.” Lan Tian chuckled softly, using the round fan to gently part the beaded curtain. He stood barefoot before Mu Simiao, then used the tip of the fan to lift her chin. “Mu Niang, why won’t you look at me? Could it be that my appearance does not please you?”
Mu Simiao hadn’t thought that at all; she was merely adhering to the principle of not looking at what is improper.
“No.” Mu Simiao met his gaze, finally seeing his true face.
Lan Tian looked at her with curved eyes, his hair tousled by the breeze and clinging to his cheeks. His slender fingers hooked onto Mu Simiao’s belt as he stepped barefoot onto her shoes. “Mu Niang, I have long admired your reputation.”
Huh? Could it be that the original body was a famous figure? Just as Mu Simiao furrowed her brows, Lan Tian’s next words revealed the reason.
“The elder brothers at Qing Shu Pavilion have told me all about your glorious exploits…” Lan Tian’s suggestive gaze slid upward from her waist, and the round fan moved from her chin to her chest.
Mu Simiao shuddered, instantly understanding his meaning and learning of the original body’s past. This was no place to linger—of the thirty-six stratagems, the best was to flee.
“Well, I have some matters to attend to. Farewell!”
After speaking, she turned to leave, but Lan Tian suddenly grabbed her sleeve. He was crying so pitifully, his tears falling like pear blossoms in the rain, evoking sympathy from anyone who saw him. Mu Simiao sighed helplessly and brushed his hand away: “Cairen, I already have a family. Such behavior is truly inappropriate.”
“You didn’t just acquire a family yesterday, Mu Niang. Why are you unwilling today? It must be that I, Lan Tian, have done something wrong.” As he spoke, he even took a moment to wipe away his tears.
Seeing that he seemed determined to cling to her, Mu Simiao smiled at him, her tone remaining firm: “I have washed my hands in a golden basin. From today onward, I will thoroughly reform my ways and become a proper woman who manages her household well.”
Lan Tian paused in wiping his tears, then lifted his eyes to gaze coldly at Mu Simiao. He scoffed and stepped back: “Thoroughly reform your ways? Are you joking, Nügongzi? Who in this city doesn’t know your usual conduct?”
Mu Simiao felt helpless but couldn’t explain further to him. After bowing to him, she prepared to leave. Lan Tian watched her retreating figure, let out a soft humph, and curled his lips into a cold smile.
“How come you’re out so soon?” A woman looked Mu Simiao up and down, seemingly surprised that she had emerged so quickly.
Mu Simiao glanced at the attendant and took the lead in walking outward: “Yes, let’s return as soon as possible. The roads are difficult to navigate after dark.”
“Hey!” The woman followed behind her, muttering incessantly. Mu Simiao, already irritated, simply ignored her.
When they reached the entrance, two strong women blocked their path. One of them held an abacus and addressed the two: “Are you two Nügongzi settling the bill? One serving of pastries costs fifty wen, one pot of tea costs one hundred wen, watching Cairen Lan Tian’s dance performance costs one tael of silver. Additionally, since this Mu Nügongzi shared a room with the Cairen, the total comes to three taels and one hundred fifty wen.”
Judging by the attire of the people here, this should be the Song Dynasty period. One tael of silver was roughly equivalent to a thousand wen. Although she knew visiting brothels was a pastime for the wealthy, she never expected it to be this expensive.
That plate of cloyingly sweet pastries actually cost fifty wen? The bland tea that tasted like it had been brewed multiple times still cost her one hundred wen? And just watching Lan Tian for a few moments without doing anything cost three taels?
Did she look like an easy target?
Mu Simiao smiled at her and tentatively asked: “Might you have miscalculated the bill?”
“Hey!” The woman tugged at her sleeve, “Simiao, it’s not our first time here. How could they miscalculate?”
As she spoke, the woman stared at her intently: “Didn’t you say yesterday you were treating? I didn’t bring my money pouch today.”
Mu Simiao: ?
Her astonished expression made the woman even more shocked. The woman stammered: “You don’t mean you also…”
“What? You dare to eat without paying at Qing Shu Pavilion? Guards–” The woman’s shout immediately summoned a row of strong, sturdy women, though it was unclear where they came from.
But Mu Simiao truly had no silver. She searched inside her clothing, trying to find some loose change, but her fingers only touched two land deeds.
When the woman saw the land deeds in her palm, her eyes flashed. She immediately snatched them from Mu Simiao’s hand and obsequiously presented them to the woman with the abacus: “Sun Zhangfang, what do you think?”
The woman called Sun Zhangfang took the land deeds and examined them briefly. She clicked her tongue lightly and spoke disdainfully: “These are just two plots of worthless land. At most, they can cover half the bill.”
As she spoke, she tucked the land deeds into her clothes and signaled to the women behind her: “Come, take these two to the authorities.”
Her family was already poor—how could Mu Simiao let their farmland be lost? A sudden inspiration struck her, and she stepped forward, bowing to Sun Zhangfang. “I believe the pastries and tea in your esteemed establishment are not worth this much silver.”
As these words fell, the air grew still. The woman beside Mu Simiao was the first to react, hurriedly tugging at her sleeve in an attempt to stop her from speaking further.
If she wanted to redeem the land deed, Mu Simiao couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
“The osmanthus in the osmanthus cakes is overused, and the petals aren’t fresh. The initial taste is cloyingly sweet, but there’s a slight bitterness afterward—clearly, too much sugar was used, and the heat was too high.”
“As for the tea, though it’s high-quality Biluochun, it was over-roasted, losing its delicate fragrance. Since its appeal lies in its light aroma, your chef only brewed it after three infusions, leaving it with nothing but a burnt bitterness and blandness.”
“Although your establishment is known for handsome men, the food shouldn’t be so carelessly prepared, should it?”
The surrounding crowd was stunned by her words. Sun Zhangfang instinctively turned to Li Chuzi beside him. “Is what this person said true?”
Though reluctant to admit it, Mu Simiao had pinpointed the very aspects she struggled with. She nodded to Sun Zhangfang and then looked at Mu Simiao. “Do you have a solution?”
Mu Simiao curled her lips into a smile. “Bring me paper and ink.”
Everyone exchanged glances. Li Chuzi kicked the woman standing ready nearby. “What are you waiting for? Go get them!”
Moments later, the writing materials were laid out on a wooden table. Mu Simiao picked up the brush without hesitation and began writing. Soon, the page was filled. Though her handwriting wasn’t particularly elegant, it was at least legible—proof that her parents hadn’t wasted their money on those calligraphy classes.
She set the brush down on the inkstone, patted imaginary dust from her hands, and gestured to Li Chuzi. “Please.”
Li Chuzi glanced at her, then leaned in to decipher the writing on the paper. Her eyes scanned from top to bottom, growing brighter with each line.
“Brilliant! Truly brilliant!” Li Chuzi picked up the paper, exclaiming in admiration as if she were about to rush to the kitchen.
Mu Simiao quickly stopped her. “Wait, Chef Li. Could these recipes cover the cost of our meal?”
“Of course.” Li Chuzi’s mind was entirely on the recipes, and she couldn’t care less about their debt, eager to test them out immediately.
Mu Simiao smiled slyly and turned her gaze to Sun Zhangfang. Sun Zhangfang glanced at Li Chuzi, shook his head helplessly, and signaled the row of burly women to step aside.
Mu Simiao paused in front of Sun Zhangfang, hesitating for a moment before speaking. “I can write another pastry recipe for your esteemed establishment. Would you be willing to return the land deed to me?”
“Fine, fine!” Before Sun Zhangfang could respond, Li Chuzi stepped forward, snatched the land deed from his grasp, and thrust it into Mu Simiao’s hands. “Hurry up and write!”
Mu Simiao tucked the land deed into her robe, picked up the brush, and deftly wrote out the method for making Fuling Gao. Fortunately, her mother also made pastries, and she had picked up some techniques through observation.
After writing the final character, Mu Simiao waved to the two of them and strode out of Qing Shu Pavilion.
Li Chuzi retrieved the paper, delighted to see “Method for Making Fuling Gao” written on it. Clutching it tightly, she paid no heed to Sun Zhangfang’s question—”How are we going to explain this to the Cairen?”—and scurried off happily toward the kitchen.
Upon leaving Qing Shu Pavilion, Mu Simiao immediately distanced herself from the woman. Though she claimed the original host would treat today, the original host had clearly been drunk yesterday—she was likely taking advantage, and this seemed to be her usual practice.
“You must have heard what I said earlier. From today onward, I will not return here, nor should you come looking for me at my residence. Let us go our separate ways.”
The woman remained puzzled by the recipe Mu Simiao had just written. As far as she knew, Mu Simiao was not someone who could cook—otherwise, her home wouldn’t be overgrown with weeds.
Author’s Note:
①: “The Inlaid Harp” by Li Shangyin, Tang Dynasty