She slept straight through until after noon.
Were it not for her stomach growling like an empty city stratagem, Wen Lier wouldn’t have bothered getting up at all.
Qing Zhu and Qing Mei helped her dress, while Mama Qin approached beaming with joy.
Wen Lier asked curiously, “Mama Qin, did you find some silver?”
Mama Qin chuckled, “Even better than finding silver.”
“What is it then?”
Qing Mei chimed in cheerfully, “Mistress, His Highness has bestowed gifts upon you.”
“What did he give?” Wen Lier felt a flicker of anticipation.
Could it be that he was pleased with her service last night and rewarded her with gold, silver, and jewels?
Wen Lier adored such worldly treasures.
She shuffled in her slippers to the warm chamber to look.
Expecting to be dazzled by glittering riches, she was instead met with an enormous bowl of soy-braised pig trotters dominating her view.
It was truly a massive bowl, the kind used for serving soup.
Wen Lier: “…”
Qing Zhu and Qing Mei thought she was stunned with joy and urged her to taste it.
Wen Lier found herself torn between laughter and tears—the Crown Prince’s rewards were certainly unique.
She had hoped for money to send home to her parents and brother to improve their meals.
Well, pig trotters were fine too—she did enjoy eating them.
After washing up, Wen Lier sat down for her midday meal.
The bowl of trotters was so ample she couldn’t finish it alone, so she invited Mama Qin and the two maids to join her.
But all three adamantly refused.
“Mistress, this was bestowed by His Highness specifically for you. How could we partake? Please enjoy more yourself.”
Wen Lier stared incredulously at the fickle Mama Qin and accused, “Mama, you never used to let me eat pig trotters, saying they’re greasy and make one fat.”
Mama Qin retorted, “How could this be the same? Pig trotters bestowed by the Crown Prince could never be greasy.”
Wen Lier: “…”
Mama Qin served her a piece and began earnest instructions.
“Did Mistress use the positions this old servant taught you while attending His Highness last night? It seems His Highness was pleased, so you should continue as you did yesterday evening.”
Wen Lier looked at her with mixed feelings.
What positions had she used?
Last night she had simply lain there, letting His Highness take the lead, and couldn’t clearly recall much else.
Though she hadn’t been completely passive like a dead fish, she certainly hadn’t employed any of the elaborate techniques Mama had taught.
Mama Qin truly had no fear of startling the Crown Prince.
Wen Lier didn’t think she could bring herself to flatter and use such seductive tricks just to win His Highness’s favor.
This was fine as it was—living her days peacefully here in Yaohua Hall, going cheerfully to see him when he remembered her, and living her own life when he didn’t.
The only pity was not having her own independent palace, making everything inconvenient.
And not being able to see her parents and brother.
That evening during dinner, Wen Lier saw the same pig trotter dish from lunch reappear.
This wasn’t a new gift from the Crown Prince, but the leftovers from the midday meal.
Mama Qin reasoned that since the trotters were bestowed by the Crown Prince, they shouldn’t be wasted.
Wen Lier saw nothing wrong with this—before entering the palace, her family would also save unfinished lunch dishes for dinner.
Unbeknownst to her, in the imperial palace, even the lowest-ranking mistresses would never eat the same dish for two consecutive meals.
Mama Qin had specifically taken the trotters to the kitchen to have them reheated.
Soon, this matter spread throughout the Eastern Palace.
The next day when paying respects at Fuyao Hall, even Xie Zhenrong couldn’t resist commenting on it.
“If you want to eat braised pork trotters in the future, just have the chef prepare a fresh batch for you.”
Yang Ni Shan let out a scornful laugh nearby.
She had originally thought Wen Lier came from a slightly better family background, unlikely to be as petty as Lin Fujia.
But now it seemed they were equally vulgar.
Just a plate of pork trotters—was it really necessary to reheat and eat them repeatedly?
As if afraid others wouldn’t know the dish was a reward from His Highness.
Wen Lier’s face flushed crimson with embarrassment.
It was just one dish, and it hadn’t even been left overnight. When she ate it, she truly hadn’t thought that much about it.
How did it end up being twisted into such an unseemly story?
Beside her, Lin Fujia’s expression darkened slightly.
Everyone was laughing at Sister Wen for reheating the same dish repeatedly.
Yet she wished she were the one being mocked—receiving a reward from His Highness was such an honor! Those people were just jealous.
Now, among the three Bong Yis, she was the only one who hadn’t yet attended the Crown Prince.
The matron waited outside every day, anticipating the eunuch from Yuqing Hall to summon one of them.
Watching this, Lin Fujia grew increasingly anxious, her mind wandering into wild thoughts.
Had His Highness forgotten there were three Bong Yis in the Eastern Palace?
Was she not beautiful enough to catch the Crown Prince’s eye?
Should she take the initiative to create some opportunity, like a chance encounter with His Highness?
Her daydreaming gave her a headache, so Lin Fujia simply went to Wen Lier’s quarters to play Go with her.
Having lived in the same hall for so long, she knew that besides embroidery and reading romance novels, Wen Lier also enjoyed playing Go.
But Wen Lier’s chess skills were terribly weak—she lost almost every game.
Facing such a weak opponent, Lin Fujia grew bored.
Yet Wen Lier was thoroughly engrossed, clinging to her and refusing to let her leave.
Lin Fujia had no choice but to play a few more rounds, deliberately losing so blatantly that she finally let Wen Lier win one game.
Wen Lier immediately lit up with joy, as if she’d won a million taels of silver, her eyes sparkling and her smile radiant.
Lin Fujia was momentarily stunned.
Perhaps only such a gentle, delicate, and kind-hearted woman could win His Highness’s favor.
Watching Wen Lier bow her head arranging the pieces, Lin Fujia smiled and said, “Sister Wen, just practice more.” Once you get the hang of it, you’ll play well.”
Wen Lier agreed—she simply hadn’t played enough. Everything required practice to master. Once she grasped the skills of Go, she was sure she could defeat Sister Lin, and even her elder brother and father!
After Lin Fujia and her maid left, snow began to fall softly outside.
Wen Lier watched the drifting snowflakes, missing her parents and brother even more.
Before entering the palace, every snowy winter, her brother would accompany her to build snowmen until the entire courtyard was filled.
He would even sculpt a plump pear, saying it resembled her as a child.
Wen Lier had indeed been chubby in her youth—round and plump, praised by everyone as a lucky doll wherever she went.
Her parents and brother doted on her. Though the family lived modestly, any delicacies or treasures were always given to her first.
How carefree those days had been! Why had she been chosen to enter the palace?
Just then, a eunuch from the front hall delivered Wen Lier’s monthly allowance.
Ten taels per month.
After the eunuch left, Qing Zhu handed the silver to Wen Lier.
She knew her mistress would always cradle the silver in her hands for a while upon receiving it each month.
Clutching the silver, Wen Lier walked directly to a pearwood carved cabinet and retrieved her octagonal treasure box.
On the square lid of the box was carved a pear tree, heavy with fruit.
Knowing she enjoyed collecting little trinkets, her brother personally drew the designs and had a carpenter make this for her.
Over the years, whenever she acquired any treasures, she would store them in this precious box.
At the bottom layer of the eight-treasure box lay fifty taels of silver ingots.
These were her monthly allowance from the past few months.
Before entering the palace, her mother had slipped her thirty taels of silver, but after entering the palace, there were expenses everywhere that required tipping, and most of it had already been used up. The remaining few taels were kept with Mama Qin.
Wen Lier carefully placed the ten taels of silver she had received today inside.
Sixty taels now. Once she saved up to a hundred taels, she would entrust someone to take it back home.
That way, if her brother were to marry, there would be silver for it, and the family’s meals could also improve a little.
…