Chapter 26: Lychee

Chapter 26 Lychees

◎Jade-smooth, ice-pure, untouched by dust; Immortal robes, newly tailored from crimson gauze.◎

Zhou Ying informed her household of her intention to host a literary gathering. Initially, Lady Sun, the wife of the eldest son, was reluctant to allocate funds from the household budget. However, after Grandmother was consulted, the proposal unexpectedly received Grandfather’s full support.

Though it was merely a small affair for the younger generation, the Earl of Guangcheng’s endorsement meant Lady Sun had no choice but to proceed, however unwillingly. The entire household buzzed with activity. Even Zhou Ji, who had been reclusive lately, brightened up and enthusiastically sent invitations to his close friends.

It was already July, the hottest season of the year. The Countess of Guangcheng ordered the shaded Huamao Garden to be prepared. Painting racks were set up, new glazed tiles adorned the overhead structures, and even the flora was refreshed. Chinese trumpet creepers climbed majestically to the pine tops, their vibrant hues resembling a rosy sunset.

With only one day left until the gathering, both cousins were swamped with tasks—confirming guest lists, selecting artworks for display, arranging catering ingredients, and preparing sets of dishes and utensils.

Li Ci also made significant contributions to the event. Besides lending the incredibly rare "Guanyin Portrait" by Cang Yunzi, she also offered the pastry chef from her personal kitchen to create a special dessert for the next day’s banquet.

Fresh milk, collected from within a hundred-mile radius, was repeatedly churned into smooth, delicate butter. This was then molded into a small, dense ice mountain, crowned with a lychee rushed in by the Li Family’s merchant convoy. Thus, the lychee butter ice mountain was complete.

The food tasting was the day’s highlight. The ladies of the Earl of Guangcheng’s household gathered, their eyes lighting up at the sight of the lychee butter ice mountain.

The Countess of Guangcheng was the first to taste it. Though advanced in years, her teeth were still excellent. After one bite, she praised, "I always found buttered cheese cloyingly sweet, but paired with ice, it’s a completely different experience. You clever girl certainly know your delicacies."

Li Ci, far from embarrassed, proudly declared, "I heard ice mountains are all the rage in the capital lately, so I specially hired a chef to go there and learn how to make them. I’m glad you don’t find it too rich, Grandmother."

Next, Lady Sun of the main branch, Lady Liu, and Lady Yao of the second branch tasted it. After a bite, the ladies felt the summer heat instantly dissipate.

Lady Yao was the first to exclaim, "Excellent, excellent! This ice mountain is both beautiful and delicious."

Lady Liu, usually reserved in public, remained silent today, merely offering a quiet smile in agreement.

Having enjoyed the treat, Lady Sun reluctantly conceded, "Thanks to A’Ci, we’re keeping up with the capital’s trends."

Both cousins were utterly delighted, and Zhou Ying in particular couldn’t stop smiling. "Who needs Cang Yunzi’s masterpiece? With this dessert alone, we can outshine the flower-viewing banquet at the Marquis of Jingde's estate."

Her words were no exaggeration. Not only did half a bucket of milk yield only a small amount of butter, but the ice and lychees alone were extravagantly expensive. Likely, even the wealth of the Marquis of Jingde's estate couldn’t compare—only a family as affluent as the Li Family could host such a lavish banquet.

Taking advantage of the cheerful mood, Li Ci secretly scooped a large mouthful of the ice mountain. But just as it touched her lips, Cousin Ying stopped her.

"I’m not being selfish under the guise of duty," Zhou Ying said with a smile, offering a seemingly legitimate excuse. "A’Ci, your health isn’t the best. Just take a small taste, and I’ll help you finish the rest."

Zhou Ling also nodded in agreement. "A’Ci, the next few desserts aren’t tasty at all. You definitely won’t like them. Just have one bite and then go play elsewhere."

Li Ci, sharp-eyed, had already spotted the upcoming treats: crystal rose cakes, cherry cheese fruits, lotus root powder osmanthus pastries, and snow-foam bean water. She loved each one but couldn’t eat any of them.

Being able to eat an extra lychee was already a win!

When it came to desserts, Li Ci’s mind worked quickly. Before her cousins could react, she swallowed that spoonful of ice mountain, snatched the fresh lychee, and dashed away.

-

For the past few days, Huamao Garden had been bustling with activity and noise in preparation for the literary gathering. With only one day left, most of the major items were already in place, but the clamor grew even louder.

The garden was shaded and remote but close to Fangze Courtyard, which made life difficult for those inside. Today, the young master was handling documents in his study, but the noise outside the window grew increasingly loud, startling Nan Xuan into quickly closing the study’s doors and windows. He then fetched a palm leaf fan to cool the young master.

After just a few waves of the fan, Xie Zhenchuan stopped him. "It’s fine. A calm heart naturally feels cool."

He possessed an elegant and dignified demeanor, and even dressed in simple, unadorned summer linen, he still exuded the refined aura of a noble gentleman, untouched by the stifling summer heat, making others forget worldly troubles upon seeing him.

Only his young master could wear linen worth five hundred coins per bolt with such grace and elegance.

But Nan Xuan’s pride lasted only a moment before his face fell again. It might be cooler now, but if the Elder Princess found out, he would surely be severely punished.

With a pained expression, he said, "Please allow this servant to buy some ice from the street for you. We’ll use it discreetly; no one will notice."

"No need," Xie Zhenchuan had already finished his work and casually closed the document in his hand. "Haven’t you heard? Recently, half the ice in Yingtian has been bought by the Earl of Guangcheng’s household for their literary gathering."

Nan Xuan was astonished. "But... I heard the Earl of Guangcheng is incorruptible. Where did he get the money?"

Xie Zhenchuan glanced at him and countered, "Where do you think the money came from?"

"Oh, it’s from Miss Li." Nan Xuan’s mouth twitched, and he immediately understood.

Seeing that the young master was free at the moment, he added, "Then should I open the doors and windows? It might be noisy, but it’ll be somewhat cooler."

Xie Zhenchuan waved his hand. "It’s fine. First, bring me the letters from the capital."

Nan Xuan naturally knew what the young master was referring to. He presented the newly arrived letter box to Xie Zhenchuan, which contained only a thin piece of paper—the small portrait painted by Zhang Kangju.

He couldn’t help but feel curious. Although Minister Zhang wasn’t a jinshi, he was still an academy teacher, so his painting skills shouldn’t be too bad. Miss Li, not yet of age, was already exceptionally beautiful. He wondered how adorable she must have been as a child.

The white jade-like Xuan paper showed faint, uneven, and intermittent ink traces on the back.

Xie Zhenchuan frowned and reached out to examine the painting.

It depicted two round-headed children with hair tied in two small buns, barely distinguishable by their clothing. The short, stout one was tolerable, but even Li Ci was painted like a blurry sticky rice ball, foolishly holding hands and grinning widely—utterly displeasing to the eye.

Seeing Xie Zhenchuan’s displeased expression, Nan Xuan grew nervous, suddenly remembering that aside from Miss Li, there was another person in the painting.

That young master from the humble Xie family wasn’t worth even a fraction of his young master’s pinky finger. It would be best to destroy this painting sooner rather than later.

He cautiously asked, "Young master, what do you think of this painting?"

Xie Zhenchuan set the painting aside and said indifferently, "It barely resembles human forms."

With skills like Zhang Kangju’s, how could he teach painting at the academy? He was clearly leading students astray.

Nan Xuan mustered the courage to glance at the painting. Having served the young master for years, his appreciation for art had gradually improved. "Barely resembles human forms" might be a bit harsh, but painting the well-behaved and adorable Miss Li in such a manner was truly unacceptable.

Xie Zhenchuan had already averted his eyes. With a single light remark, he could determine someone’s fate.

"Have the Zhuoying Department investigate how Zhang Kangju became an academy instructor back then and how he has performed in official evaluations over the years in the capital. If there are any missteps, he might as well refine his painting skills in prison."

Nan Xuan hurriedly replied, "Understood. I will relay this to Bei Ming as soon as he returns to the residence."

He breathed a slight sigh of relief but hadn’t yet finished putting away the painting when the study door was pushed open from the outside, bringing with it a fragrant breeze.

-

Li Ci skipped out of Huamao Garden. The finely crushed ice melted quickly in her mouth, and she savored the sweetness of the butter, reluctant to swallow.

Before the sweetness of the ice mountain had fully faded from her mouth, she was already standing outside Fangze Courtyard. With nothing else to do, she pushed open the courtyard gate with familiarity and made her way unimpeded into the study.

Without even looking up, Xie Zhenchuan knew who had arrived.

Before Li Ci could steady herself and speak, he said first, "The literary gathering is tomorrow. Why are you here, A’Ci?"

In all honesty, Li Ci was the one most eager to stay and help at Huamao Garden, but unfortunately, the desserts were off-limits to her.

To protect Fangze Courtyard, the last sanctuary where she could enjoy sweets, she kept her mouth shut about what had just happened. Instead, she held up the lychee high and said, "I’ve brought something delicious for Brother Xie Zheng!"

In her hand was a fruit the size of a chicken egg, with green and red scaly hard skin, as if just taken from an ice container. Drops of water still clung to its green leaves.

Xie Zhenchuan recognized it at a glance.

Lychees were even rarer in the north than in the south. Even royalty like the Elder Princess only got to eat them once or twice a year. The one in Li Ci’s hand was undoubtedly priceless.

Only Xie Zhenchuan could eat it, while Xie Zheng couldn't eat it.

He displayed just the right measure of curiosity on his face. "What is this?"

Li Ci switched from holding to supporting the fruit, and the lychee rested obediently in her palm as she offered it to Xie Zhenchuan. "This is a lychee."

As if to let him see it more clearly, she leaned in exceptionally close, bringing them less than six inches apart (an intimate distance in this cultural context). Xie Zhenchuan could clearly smell the faint bitterness of the lychee leaves and the scent of huiqing orange blossoms from her.

He nodded cooperatively, putting on a taught expression. "'Jade-like, ice-pure, untouched by dust;/Fairy garments newly tailored in crimson gauze'—so this is what it refers to."

Seeing that Brother Xie Zheng had never even seen a lychee before, Li Ci couldn't help but feel sympathetic, and she became even more convinced that giving the lychee to him was the right thing to do.

She gestured for Xie Zhenchuan to sit down while she enthusiastically said, "Let me show you how to eat it!"

Seeing that she seemed intent on peeling the lychee for him herself, Xie Zhenchuan immediately felt as if seated on a bed of nails. Just as he was about to decline, he noticed her jade-white fingers already deftly peeling open a gap from the stem, revealing the glistening, translucent flesh inside.

The rough, green-red shell accentuated her hands' soft jade-like quality, making them appear even more translucent than the lychee itself.

As the cold fruit flesh met the air, it immediately became coated with a fine layer of mist, and its fresh, sweet aroma wafted through the air, making his mouth water.

"No need—"

Xie Zhenchuan’s words were only half out when the jade-like, ice-pure lychee flesh was already brought to his lips. The dewy moisture, along with the juice that had burst through the skin, moistened his lips, making it irresistible to taste.

He had no choice but to bite down. The lychee's icy, soft flesh released its sweet juice that filled his mouth, invigorating and sweet.

Li Ci still held the empty shell in her hand. After smelling the lychee’s sweetness, she was struck with regret but could only watch wistfully as Xie Zhenchuan’s Adam's apple bobbed, swallowing the lychee flesh.

She heard herself gulp quietly and then reminded him gently, "Brother Xie Zheng, remember to spit out the pit."

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Zhenchuan had already spat the lychee pit into a waste container nearby. He then asked Nan Xuan to bring a fresh handkerchief and handed it to Li Ci.

Li Ci discarded the shell, wiped her hands, and pursed her lips tightly, trying to hide her heartbroken expression. "Well, how was it? Delicious?"

【Author's Note】

Writing this while fearing the chapter might get locked... Swear to heaven it's just about eating lychees!

Xiao Xie: Love to eat, eat more.

"Jade-like, ice-pure, untouched by dust; fairy garments newly tailored in crimson gauze" is from Zeng Gong's "Lychee."