22 The Day Before the Tea Party

Wei Fuqu was true to her word. For the past two days, she had been trailing Wei Jinyun like a shadow, never once leaving her side.

"Sister Qu, I suspect it was actually you who fell into the water the other day," Wei Fuling said, reaching out to pat Wei Fuqu’s head thoughtfully. "This behavior is not like you at all; you’ve grown attached to your eldest sister’s side."

On a clear afternoon, the two sisters stood by Wei Jinyun’s stall. While Wei Fuling occasionally wandered off to chat at other stalls, she kept glancing back, feeling that something was amiss. Why was Sister Qu sitting beside their sister like a stone statue, doing nothing but reading a book or watching her?

"I don't want to talk to you," Wei Fuqu glanced at her, turned a page of her book, and stifled a yawn. "Did you bring any small change today?"

"I did, I did!" Wei Fuling immediately beamed. "I brought plenty. Brother Meng said there’s a medicinal diet shop on Shantang Street that makes excellent congee. On our way home later, let’s buy some lily and longan congee for our sister. If she eats more of it, perhaps her lips will turn a bit rosier."

She knew that since her sister had recovered from her illness, her complexion remained pale and sickly. She stood at her stall every day without a moment’s rest. Wei Fuling and Wei Fuqu had realized that if she couldn’t spare time to rest, she at least had to make time to eat. "Eat what you need to nourish what is lacking"—that was what their grandmother had always told them, just as she used to insist they eat fish eyes and walnuts.

"Yes, we'll buy her a bowl every two days. Granny Jin said it helps nourish the blood and energy," Wei Fuqu said, looking up at the busy Wei Jinyun. "Given our sister’s temperament, she will certainly drink it... She dared to jump into the water the day before yesterday; tomorrow she might dare to climb a tree, and who knows what she’ll do the day after."

"That’s true. Then Sister Ling will be like Sister Qu and keep a close eye on our sister as well," Wei Fuling agreed.

As the cicadas droned in the heat and the shade of the camphor trees stretched out, the two sisters reached a consensus. Wei Fuling pulled her stool next to Wei Fuqu’s, keeping a watchful gaze. When Wei Jinyun turned around after finishing a transaction, she noticed two pairs of eyes fixed intently upon her. She tapped her head, wondering what they had been whispering about. Why had it suddenly turned into a two-person surveillance operation?

The moment the bell for the prefecture school rang, students began to spill out of the main gate.

The first to arrive was still Wu Sheng.

"Oh, good heavens!" A student behind him panted, waving a folding fan frantically. "Brother Wu, you’re getting faster by the day. Why not just go and win the title of Martial Scholar instead of studying poetry and the classics?"

"I want an egg crepe."

"You use that excuse every single day. Aren’t you bored of it?"

The "sobering" ice slushies for these two days were mixed with the first batch of freshly picked honey peaches, making them sweet, juicy, and incredibly fragrant. They were still reserved only for those at the front of the line. As for the pastries, there wasn't much left by the time school let out. Thanks to the reputation built up over the past few days, most had been bought in bulk by early customers to take home.

Then there was the lady in red, named Lu Lingxiang, who came to buy a few pieces every day. After several encounters, Wei Jinyun had become quite familiar with her. Today, she came again to buy pastries, as usual for her second brother. She grumbled about how her brother had brought a lotus flower home to raise, suggesting that he must be "full and have nothing better to do" because he ate too many pastries.

Naturally, she left another remark. Wei Jinyun was too busy to notice, but Wei Fuqu saw it—a classic riddle: "Official Lu raising flowers—full and idle."

"Do you think the Headmaster could let us out of school a bit earlier?" a student who hadn't managed to buy anything sighed, leaning against the camphor tree.

It was different from when he used to buy snacks before. Previously, the pastries were always freshly baked, and one only needed to wait in line a bit longer to get them. Why was Miss Wei suddenly enforcing purchase limits?

"If you don’t want your hands to write anymore, go ahead and tell the Headmaster," Wu Sheng said, though he wasn't buying anything, he stood by the cart to continue the conversation. "Perhaps if the Headmaster is in a good mood, he’ll stuff the pastries right into your head."

"Then Miss Wei should just make more tomorrow..." the student retorted, rolling his eyes at Wu Sheng.

"I won't have time tomorrow; it will have to be the day after," Wei Jinyun said, tidying up her bowls and plates before pouring herself a cup of tea to rest.

"Why aren't you coming tomorrow?" Wu Sheng, who hadn't even bought a pastry, seemed more anxious than the previous student, his egg crepe suddenly tasting flavorless.

"Because I snatched them all up!" Lu Lantang strode over, taking the pastries Wei Jinyun had packed for her, looking smug as she signaled to Master Lu behind her.

"Wait, wait! Why is there still a package? Master, how do you have a package?"

Master Lu held the oil-paper-wrapped pastries, his eyes crinkling into slits as he laughed. "My dear student, I ordered these early this morning."

"That’s cheating!"

"Don’t be angry," Master Lu stroked his beard. "The top ten performers in tomorrow’s examination can come to my home for Tangtang’s tea party."

"I’ve invited Miss Wei to be our pastry chef," Lu Lantang added, turning her head.

A sudden silence fell over the group.

"When is the examination? Master, can we take it right now? Look, I have my brush right here!"

"Master, I’m suddenly inspired! I want to write a poem for you immediately!"

"..."

Wei Jinyun’s small cart and Master Lu were soon surrounded by a throng of clamoring students. It seemed tomorrow’s tea party would be quite lively.

Once the commotion settled, Wu Sheng cleared his throat and stepped up to Master Lu. He bowed respectfully, his voice booming.

"Master, you look no older than eighteen today!"