Liu Qingwu had the habit of taking an afternoon nap. After having lunch in the Zheng courtyard, she didn’t linger and returned to the backyard of the West Courtyard.
When she opened her eyes again, the time had already passed Wei Shi. Liu Qingwu knelt on the soft couch in a daze for a while.
“Madam, the kitchen made cherry paste with double-layer milk pudding today.”
Lianxin quietly watched her mistress spacing out and calmly presented the day’s little temptation.
Cherry paste with double-layer milk pudding?
An image of the dessert surfaced in Liu Qingwu’s mind.
The translucent amber-like cherry flesh paired with the rich, creamy double-layer milk pudding made her mouth water subtly.
“Let me get up.”
Liu Qingwu instantly found motivation, eagerly awaiting the dessert. Suddenly remembering something, she added: “Prepare an extra portion and send it to the Zheng courtyard.”
Cherry paste was quite a rarity in this season.
Back in June, during the cherry ripening season, the manors outside the Liu Estate had sent abundant cherries for several consecutive days, and Liu Qingwu received a considerable share.
After consuming cherries for three straight days in the small courtyard, everyone’s teeth became too sore to bite into anything, leaving them only able to drink thin porridge.
Unable to eat any more cherries yet unwilling to waste them, Liu Qingwu recalled the long-standing method of making cherry paste—simple to prepare with a long shelf life.
The cherries were pitted, mixed with half a catty of honey, and slowly simmered over low heat to remove moisture before being spread on a winnowing basket to dry. Then, two catties of honey were added, and the mixture was simmered again over low heat until it achieved a beautiful amber color.
Stored in porcelain containers and kept in the ice cellar, it could last for three to six months.
After pitting and simmering to extract moisture, the quantity of cherries reduced drastically. To protect this hard-won cherry paste and extend its preservation, Liu Qingwu had the porcelain containers placed in jars with water along the rims to better seal out air.
Whenever she craved some, she would take a portion to make desserts. Like today’s cherry paste: placed atop rich double-layer milk pudding, garnished with dried osmanthus flowers, creating an exquisite and delicious treat.
It had been four months since the cherry paste was made, and the stock was nearly depleted—each portion consumed meant one less remaining.
As evening approached, a servant from the front courtyard brought a message from Jiang Yueheng. Due to busy official duties, he would return home later and instructed Liu Qingwu to dine without him.
Liu Qingwu ordered a table full of crimson dishes according to her taste, with the only green likely being the green peppers.
By the time she finished her skincare routine at night, Jiang Yueheng was still nowhere to be seen. Thinking carefully, she realized she hadn’t seen him since waking up.
“Has my husband not returned yet?”
Lianxin wore a troubled expression. In fact, the front courtyard had earlier relayed that if the Shizi returned too late, he would stay directly in the front courtyard.
Seeing her expression, Liu Qingwu immediately understood. If he hadn’t returned, it would have been stated directly; this conflicted look likely meant he had returned but hadn’t come to her.
“Extinguish the lights.”
Liu Qingwu calmly rose and slipped into bed. It was just as well he didn’t come—she could sleep alone in the spacious bed.
Truth be told, including her modern life, she had slept alone for over twenty years. Having someone beside her now was still rather unfamiliar.
In the following days, with little to do, Liu Qingwu frequently visited the Zheng courtyard. Besides familiarizing herself with Hao Ge’er, she also took the opportunity to improve her rapport with the Hou Furen.
Seeing her come daily, the Hou Furen no longer kept her company constantly, allowing Liu Qingwu to wander around the Zheng courtyard freely.
This casual wandering seemed harmless, but it ended up frightening Liu Qingwu greatly.
She had now witnessed firsthand the busy life of a matriarch managing the household. Matters large and small—from formal invitations and banquet arrangements to daily procurement—all had to be reported to the Hou Furen.
The Hou Manor had only five masters, one of whom couldn’t even speak yet. Even so, observing the Hou Furen’s daily routine, it wasn’t exactly hectic, yet she was constantly occupied.
The immersion was so vivid that Liu Qingwu felt as if she had been transported back to her modern-day life of toiling like a beast of burden—a lifestyle she had absolutely no desire to return to.
To ensure she could smoothly continue her carefree, idle existence, Liu Qingwu urgently racked her brains: How could she get the Hou Furen to keep managing everything indefinitely?
Hao Ge’er was still a two-month-old infant—it would be eighteen years before he could marry and bring in a wife to take over!
After much thought, Liu Qingwu decided to leverage her own strengths, such as eating, drinking, and having fun—after all, those were the only things she was good at.
Once decided, she took action. The next day, Liu Qingwu personally brewed a pot of rose and jasmine tea, pairing it with soft, chewy glutinous rice balls filled with sweet paste.
The rose and jasmine tea helped to soothe the spirits and promote beauty, while the moderately sweet rice balls provided just the right touch. When the Hou Furen finished her work and enjoyed this treat, her mood lifted considerably—especially since it was a thoughtful gesture from her daughter-in-law.
As she happily savored the tea and snacks, learning that Liu Qingwu had made them herself, she felt even more pleased and couldn’t help but want to give something in return.
“I recently received a box of southern pearls. The colors would suit a young lady like you perfectly. Take them back with you later.”
Southern pearls?
Liu Qingwu looked puzzled. She had heard of eastern pearls, but southern pearls were a first.
The Hou Furen patiently explained, “These were presented as tribute from the southern regions not long ago. They’re said to be harvested from the sea.”
A maid promptly brought forward an embroidered box filled to the brim with colorful pearls—round, flawless, and smooth to the touch. What made them especially rare was that every pearl in the box was of uniform size; curating such a collection was no easy feat.
Liu Qingwu’s eyes sparkled with delight. “Are these really for me?”
The Hou Furen replied calmly, “I’ve noticed you usually keep your appearance simple. These should be enough for you to have a set of jewelry made.”
“Thank you, Mother! In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony!”
Over the following days, Liu Qingwu put even more effort into her gestures—sending pastries, soups, or other delicacies to the Zheng courtyard without fail.
A couple of days later, Fuling came to report that the east room for Hao Ge’er had been tidied up.
Liu Qingwu set down the storybook she was reading and went to the east room to give it a final inspection.
Most of the furniture had been removed, leaving only the larger, essential pieces. The room looked clean and spacious.
It had already been cleaned, and the windows were open for ventilation. Overall, there were no major issues.
“Just to be safe, have the embroiderers make some cotton padding to cover all the edges and corners—the bedposts, table edges, anywhere with sharp edges.”
Children were active, and it wouldn’t do for him to bump into something accidentally.
“Thank you all for your hard work! Tonight, we’ll have a feast—roast whole lamb!”
That morning, the estate had delivered a freshly slaughtered lamb, perfect for roasting.
The freshly killed lamb was lightly coated with oil to prevent burning, then placed in the oven and roasted until the skin turned golden. Next, shallow cuts were made all over the body, about a finger’s width apart.
It was slow-roasted over low heat until the skin turned crispy. A first layer of seasoning was applied to enhance the base flavor, then it continued roasting slowly. Just before it was fully cooked, a thin layer of oil was brushed on, allowing the heated fat to hold the final sprinkle of barbecue spices.
“Let’s also use the offal to make a lamb organ soup. Add some radishes to replenish energy!”
“This bit of soup definitely won’t be enough to share. Let’s add braised spare ribs for the others in the courtyard.”
After Liu Qingwu said this, everyone became quite excited. Cuiguo immediately went to have the kitchen start preparing the roasted whole lamb, since roasting an entire lamb would still take several hours.