TTTQF Chapter 23

This Person is Worth Befriending

“Young Master Pei, your aunt is also done with her event. She was talking about you for a long time. Why don’t you go see her?” Master Zhu tentatively suggests. He originally thinks that Young Master Pei will leave after eating, but now that he is waiting for the longevity peach, he will have to stay a little longer.

Pei Che ponders for a moment. “I haven’t yet paid my respects to Aunt today. I should go see her. Please lead the way, Uncle.”

“Alright, let’s go!” Master Zhu beams with joy and quickly leads Pei Che inside. Pei Che, initially unaware, only notices someone watching him from afar and hears some women’s chatter in the wind when Master Zhu starts to lead him to the back courtyard of the Zhu residence.

Pei Che frowns slightly and stops. “There are many ladies in the back courtyard. It’s inappropriate for an outsider to go there. Please arrange for a quiet courtyard where I can catch up with Aunt.”

Master Zhu feels a bit embarrassed. He initially wants to say it doesn’t matter since they are all family, but seeing Pei Che’s cold gaze, he fears angering him and quickly replies, “I didn’t consider it thoroughly! Please wait in the pavilion ahead. I will make the arrangements right away!”

Pei Che observes the pavilion, noting its open surroundings and the presence of people nearby, ensuring that no women will mistakenly enter and ruin his reputation. Only then does he feel at ease. Such sordid affairs are common among the wealthy and powerful, and some might not mind having an extra concubine or two, but Pei Che will not allow such things to happen to him.

He sits in the pavilion, gazing absentmindedly at the archway they have walked through. Suddenly, a few figures pass by the archway. Pei Che recognizes one of the slightly frail figures—it is the same vendor from earlier. He finds the vendor quite eloquent at Puling Temple and doesn’t expect him to be so clueless.

But how does he make the color of that longevity peach come out so naturally?

“Young Master Pei, I’ve arranged for a guest courtyard. Let’s go!” Master Zhu hurries over, his flesh jiggling as he moves.

He leads Pei Che through the archway, taking the path that Jiang Miao has just taken. Pei Che looks ahead and notices those people have turned a corner.

“Is that the kitchen of the residence over there?” he asks casually. Master Zhu doesn’t understand his intention but nods affirmatively.

“I wonder how that longevity peach is made to look so lifelike?” Pei Che glances at him indifferently and continues to ask.

Master Zhu’s heart tightens under Pei Che’s gaze, and he vaguely understands. This lord seems to want to see how the little chef makes the longevity peach. “That’s simple. If Young Master Pei wishes to know, we can go and take a look later.”

Pei Che withdraws his gaze with satisfaction.

Madam Zhu is waiting in the courtyard, looking somewhat uneasy. The last time she saw him was seven years ago at the mourning hall for the heir of the Duke’s mansion and her elder cousin.

She only remembered him dressed in mourning clothes, kneeling there, his once straight posture bent like a small tree bowed by a storm. When they came to offer incense and pay their respects, a flash of pain crossed his lifeless eyes. He bowed low to them and, in a hoarse voice, said, “Unfilial son Pei Che, humbly thanks all the aunts for coming to send off my father and mother!” The once pampered young son seemed to have grown up overnight.

“Aunt, I hope you are well. Pei Che greets you!” Pei Che cups his hands and bows as a younger person should when he sees Madam Zhu.

“Quickly, quickly rise!” Madam Zhu steps forward, supporting him with both hands and examining him closely. “It’s been so many years, I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Pei Che smiles but says nothing. He has a vague memory of this aunt. His mother was a sociable person who often invited her sisters to gatherings at their other residence. After she passed away, aside from his paternal family, he hardly sees anyone else.

Madam Zhu asks Pei Che many questions about his life and studies, eventually inquiring whether the Duke’s household has arranged a marriage for him.

Speaking of which, Pei Che is already nineteen this year. Even though he has worn mourning attire for two years, he should have finished mourning by now. At his age, it is considered late not to be engaged. The Zhu family’s eldest son, who is the same age as Pei Che, married early last year and now his child is a few months old.

“Not yet. My studies are not yet complete, and I do not wish to get engaged too early. Moreover, my marriage is to be decided by my grandmother,” Pei Che quickly explains. He feels he is still young, but wherever he goes, people ask about his marriage.

“How is the elderly lady’s health?” Madam Zhu changes the topic upon hearing his response.

“Since taking the calming pills, Grandmother’s health has improved significantly. Just a few days ago, she mentioned wanting to personally come to celebrate the Old Master’s birthday, but my aunts persuaded her against it to avoid tiring her out.”

Although the Zhu family knows this is just polite conversation, they are still very pleased. This means they have successfully connected with the Duke’s household. In the future, they will no longer need to be so cautious dealing with influential shop managers with powerful backings.

Noticing their expressions, Pei Che adds, “Grandmother is very compassionate towards the poor and the weak. She often says that the common people’s lives are hard, especially the elderly. They sacrifice so much to raise their children, and if they encounter good days, it’s fine, but if they face unfilial children, their old age can be quite miserable.”

Madam Zhu is oblivious to the underlying meaning of his words, but Master Zhu feels extremely embarrassed. His recent eagerness to curry favor has led him to act rashly, even pinching his father out of fear that the old man might anger this young master. He only now realizes the warning in Pei Che’s words.

“The elderly lady is right; we will certainly show respect and care to our elders without the slightest neglect,” Master Zhu replies solemnly, surprising Madam Zhu with his earnestness.

Before she can react, Pei Che has already risen to take his leave. Madam Zhu watches his graceful and elegant figure, reminiscent of the grandeur of the heir and her elder cousin in their prime. They had been a perfect match, who could have foreseen their tragic fate?

…

“Master, that is the room where the pastries are made,” Master Zhu says as they leave the guest courtyard, casually instructing a servant to lead the way since he has never been to the kitchen.

who is sitting on the steps outside, basking in the sun while pounding spinach with a small pestle, looks up upon hearing the voices. Seeing them, he immediately stands up and runs into the kitchen to inform.

“Brother, the master and that handsome gentleman are coming!”

“Why are they coming? Afraid I’ll mess with their longevity peach? What small-mindedness!” Jiang Miao prides himself on valuing food and would never waste ingredients out of spite.

“Master Zhu, what brings you to the kitchen? The longevity peach is almost ready; it will soon be steamed,” Jiang Miao says as he wipes his hands and comes out, standing deliberately in the doorway to block their path. He looks directly at Master Zhu, completely ignoring the presence of Pei Che, as if the latter is an irrelevant bystander.

From Jiang Miao’s attitude, Pei Che is certain that he is deliberately being ignored, greeting only Master Zhu.

“Almost ready?” Master Zhu frowns, thinking that Young Master Pei came specifically to see how the longevity peach is made. What now?

“Yes, it’s about to be steamed,” Jiang Miao lies without blinking, accelerating the process from nearly done to ready for steaming in an instant.

Pei Che, being tall, can easily see over Jiang Miao, spotting the longevity peaches on the table that are not yet colored, with the leaves still unattached.

“Young master, may I have the honor of watching how you color the longevity peaches?” Pei Che asks directly, deciding to abandon subtle hints for a straightforward request.

Jiang Miao looks up, following Pei Che’s smiling gaze, and sees the pile of peaches on the cutting board. Damn it, is being tall such a big deal? He used to be a lofty 1.8 meters tall with added soles! He just hadn’t grown into it yet! For a moment, Jiang Miao wonders if there is a place in Liangjing where he could order milk.

He’s spacing out again. Pei Che thinks that if this vendor studied under his teacher, his palm would be swollen from constant punishment.

“…You can come in,” Jiang Miao steps back, letting Pei Che enter.

Pei Che carefully inspects the floor and walls, finding the place quite clean, which puts his mind at ease. The small peaches on the cutting board have already taken shape, just waiting to be colored.

Jiang Miao tries to ignore the person behind him and resignedly picks up a small bamboo sieve and brush to start coloring the peaches.

As the red liquid seeps through the sieve and onto the peaches, it quickly dyes them with uneven shades. Some areas are darker, some lighter, yet this irregular coloring makes the peaches look more realistic.

“Why not use the brush directly to even out the color?”

The person behind him suddenly speaks, causing Jiang Miao to almost drop the sieve. He rolls his eyes discreetly and replies, “Peaches don’t grow uniformly, do they? The parts exposed to more light are darker, the parts with less light are lighter. Different lighting makes them naturally look different.”

Lighting? Pei Che thinks, considering that when painting, one should also pay attention to the light in the scene. Light areas are bright, shaded areas are dark, so the colors should reflect these differences.

“Thank you, little master, Pei Che has learned a lot,” Pei Che says. The ancients said that when three people walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher. This sentence is indeed true!

Jiang Miao is puzzled by his reaction. He recalls what he just said and wonders if there is anything remarkable about it. Or is this guy trying to steal his technique?

This thought makes Jiang Miao laugh. Whether or not this person is the most handsome man in Liangjing, his outfit alone is worth a lot of money.

Pei Che, now absorbed in thoughts about painting, doesn’t realize that the steamed longevity peaches have been packed and handed to his servant by Master Zhu. It then occurs to him that he doesn’t even know the name of this little master. He vaguely remembers hearing a “Jiang” during that day’s confrontation.

By then, Jiang Miao has already boarded the donkey cart to send them back. Master Zhu is also puzzled when Pei Che asks, as he has always called him “young master.” However, Zhao Xing, who has brought Jiang Miao, would certainly know.

“His surname is Jiang; we all call him Brother Jiang,” says Zhao Xing. “As for his name, I seem to have forgotten to ask.”

“All of you?”

“Yes, his neighbors call him that too,” Zhao Xing explains. “Oh, and he lives in the Bai family house in Tianshui Alley, Yifeng Street, in the western part of the city. If you want more longevity peaches, you can find him there.”

This is the address Jiang Miao had asked Zhao Xing to give if anyone inquired about him. Apparently, this is called “advertising.”

Zhao Xing agrees readily—it’s just a sentence. He thinks Brother Jiang is a good person, loyal and resourceful, and might become a famous pastry chef in Liangjing. If things go well, it will be convenient to invite him for future banquets at their mansion!

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