Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Having traveled away from home for so long without returning, Shen Lingwen knew that while the servants had likely kept up their daily cleaning routine at first, over time they would inevitably slack off—especially after a month-long absence.

So he had already planned out his steps upon returning to his courtyard: first, have someone boil water for a bath, then instruct the maids to do a thorough dusting and fumigate the bedding. While bathing, he would send someone to the main kitchen to ask the cook to heat up some flatbread to tide him over...

Exhausted and hungry, Shen Lingwen dragged himself toward his courtyard. As he stepped through the gate, he braced himself for the servants to greet him so he could start issuing orders one after another.

Just as he expected, the servants halted in their tracks, turning to look at him as a cascade of greetings arose:

"Second Young Master!"

"The Second Young Master is back."

Shen Lingwen nodded in acknowledgment, finally reaching the center of the courtyard. Weakly, he began, "Boil water, I need to—"

Before he could finish, two maids emerged from the room: "Second Young Master, would you like to bathe first? The bathwater is already prepared."

The rest of his words caught in his throat.

Huh?

Had the gatekeeper passed word to his courtyard while also notifying the Third Branch?

But when had these maids become so efficient? He hadn't even arrived yet, and the hot water was already ready.

Could it be that with the change of the household mistress and the reshuffling of staff, they were anxious about their positions and thus working more diligently?

With this suspicion, he stepped inside and headed toward the bathing chamber.

Clean clothes were already laid out, neatly hung to one side. Beside the bathtub, boiling water steamed on standby for him to adjust the temperature. Bean soap, towels, and other necessities were arranged on a small stand that seemed to have appeared from somewhere...

Shen Lingwen racked his brain, confirming that his courtyard servants hadn't been replaced. They were the same group as before.

Seeing him standing still, everyone began to step out to give him privacy. Shen Lingwen quickly instructed, "Send someone to the main kitchen to heat up some flatbread for me to tide me over." It was neither early nor late, not a proper mealtime, so a full meal was out of the question.

The maids answered smoothly, "Second Young Master, the main kitchen has already been informed. It should arrive in about the time it takes to burn an incense stick." By the time he finished washing, he'd have something warm to eat.

Shen Lingwen: "..."

He was starting to wonder if he had fallen asleep and was having a strange dream.

Seeing him staring at them without speaking, the young maids grew a little nervous. The young master didn't have a habit of letting servants assist him with bathing, after all. And the mistress had made it clear—under her watch, male masters were absolutely not to take liberties with maids.

Sensing the awkwardness, they decided to retreat first.

Shen Lingwen was left in shock as he undressed and untied his hair, stepping into the tub—how was even the water temperature so perfect?!

What he didn't know was that Zhu Mingli had established strict protocols for washing and eating to ensure she herself could be comfortable the moment she returned home. Previously, when a master returned and wanted something warm to eat, they always had to send someone to request it. After all, what if the master wasn't hungry? Who would be responsible for a wasted request? And who exactly was supposed to go? These duties had never been clearly defined before.

Zhu Mingli had set rules for her own courtyard, and her two senior maids, Lv Qi and Jiao Wei—aspiring to become the "general assistants"—had passed these procedures down to other courtyards.

When Shen Lingwen returned, the gatekeeper sent word, and a whole set of protocols kicked in: preparing water, laying out clothes, fumigating bedding, requesting food from the main kitchen... Everyone had their assigned tasks, and there was no confusion.

Nor was there any worry about doing too much and making mistakes, or about conflicts arising from vying for the privilege of serving the master.

After washing up, half of his fatigue melted away. Shen Lingwen dressed neatly and pushed open the door. The maids immediately came in to open the windows, air the room, and tidy the bathing chamber.

Food had already been set out on the low table.

Zhu Mingli didn't dine in the main kitchen herself, but since her own courtyard had been improved, it was easy enough to extend those improvements to the main kitchen as well.

The main kitchen kept hot food ready, fearing that Shen Lingyi or the twins of the Second Branch might get hungry and need something warm at odd hours.

At first, they used charcoal to keep flatbread warm over a cold fire. But the flatbread, left on a griddle, would become too crisp and hard. They switched to steaming it in a basket, but that made the oily flatbread turn soft and soggy, and with lamb filling, it became too gamey.

During the first ten-day report, Lv Qi mentioned this small problem to Zhu Mingli.

Zhu Mingli immediately revised the main kitchen's menu.

Shen Lingwen stared at the dishes before him—flatbread, congee, and soup—so abundant.

The flatbread had been replaced with a meat-stuffed bun. At the time, there was a kind of stuffed bread called "Gulouzi," which packed an enormous amount of lamb into a baked cake, too heavy for most people.

Zhu Mingli made improvements. First, she reduced the quantity. Second, she braised the lamb with spices, so the longer it sat in the pot, the more flavorful it became. The outer bread was swapped from an oily pastry to a soft, tender white bun, which wouldn't turn greasy when reheated.

Having washed up, Shen Lingwen was ravenous. He couldn't wait to pick up the meat bun and take a bite.

The white bun was soft and fluffy, its core fully soaked in the braising liquid. The lamb was tender and smooth, not greasy at all. The finely chopped fat glistened translucent, the aroma of meat and spices blending perfectly. One bite made him unconsciously suck in air.

A scholar who returns after three days is a different man—when had the main kitchen's skills improved so much?

Little did he know that meat buns made with pork were even more delicious. But since Shen Ji's monthly salary included seven or eight sheep, and Zhu Mingli wasn't fond of the taste, she left all the lamb for the main kitchen to handle.

Shen Lingwen chewed hurriedly, devouring the bun in a few big bites, almost choking and rolling his eyes.

Too bad there was only one—the rest had already been taken by Shen Lingheng after his martial arts practice.

Amazed by the flavor, Shen Lingwen picked up the vinegar soup. This was leftover noodle broth from breakfast, mixed with a bit of vinegar and sprinkled with scallions—simple, light, sour with a hint of freshness.

A very simple soup, but it cut the richness perfectly, pairing surprisingly well with the meat bun. Tilting his head back, he downed it all, feeling a wonderful clarity in his chest and stomach.

He couldn't help but let out a soft sigh, a surge of inexplicable emotion washing over him—home really was the best!

The bun was gone, the soup was finished, and only a bowl of congee remained.

The congee was also different from before. First, there was very little meat, just enough to add flavor; otherwise, it would be too gamey. Various diced vegetables were added, balancing nutrition while bringing a refreshing lightness.

Slowly simmered in an earthen pot, the rice grains had burst into flowers, forming a gelatinous texture. The soft congee still had a slight crunch from the vegetable bits, with a clean, sweet freshness.

Shen Lingwen had already run out of ways to express his surprise. He gulped down the congee noisily, set down the bowl, wiped his mouth, patted his stomach, and let out a long sigh—so comfortable.

Full and satisfied, his body felt lighter. Immersed in the bliss of good food, he mused: no doubt about it, this must be the work of that new aunt by marriage.

Seeing that he had finished, the maids efficiently stepped in to clear away the dishes. Normally, one should take a walk after eating to aid digestion before sleeping, but Shen Lingwen was too exhausted to care.

"Prepare the—" he started, then stopped himself. Times had changed. With that aunt around, did he even need to give orders?

Sure enough, when he entered the inner room, the incense was light and pleasant. The bedding had been changed to a thicker set to match the season, and it was already fluffed and soft—everything was perfectly in order.

Shen Lingwen stood there blankly for a while, unsure how to express his feelings. It turned out that when one was too comfortable, grand speeches didn't come to mind—just a pleasant dizziness.

He slept soundly, waking only at dusk. He experienced the main kitchen's improved dishes again, eating every bite cleanly, sighing at how he had never known dining could be so satisfying.

The next morning, before dawn, Shen Lingwen jumped up and hurried to the Old Madam's courtyard to pay his morning respects, hoping to meet the new aunt and follow her back to her courtyard to present his apology gift.

*

But Zhu Mingli was nowhere to be seen. When he asked, he learned—oh, she didn't come to pay morning respects at all.

After experiencing that series of amazing surprises yesterday, Shen Lingwen didn’t find Zhu Mingli rude at all. Having agreed with his grandmother not to disturb her, he didn’t put up any false pretenses—he was a straightforward person.

Here, he met his elder sister, Shen Lingyi. The two of them accompanied his grandmother through breakfast, then took their leave.

The siblings hadn’t seen each other for a long time and had much to talk about. Shen Lingyi asked about his studies, and he answered each question. Then he shifted the topic: “What is Third Aunt like?”

By now, it must be about time—Third Aunt should have finished her breakfast and distributed the tally sticks, so he could go pay his respects.

But the response was a brief silence.

Shen Lingyi didn’t know how to reply, where to begin. She thought of many things, but as soon as she opened her mouth, tears streamed down first.

Startled, Shen Lingwen said, “Elder Sister, what’s wrong…?”

Shen Lingyi shook her head, sobbing. “It’s nothing. Just that grief and gratitude mix together, and for a moment I couldn’t control myself. Grandmother is old and frail, and I fear that speaking of these things would only add to her worries, so I’ve always been cautious and unsettled. Now, thanks to Third Aunt’s care, I can finally be at ease. Do you understand, Er Lang?”

Hearing this, Shen Lingwen’s nose also stung with emotion.

Unlike the Second Branch, they had lost both parents early. Without their grandmother’s care in childhood, they wouldn’t be where they are today, but precisely because of that, they had become exceptionally cautious.

Shen Lingwen wasn’t the brightest student in the Imperial Academy, but he was indeed the most diligent and eager to learn—all to prove himself and gain some peace of mind.

“Elder Sister, it must be Father and Mother’s blessing from heaven. Since Third Aunt treats you well, you should repay her kindness twofold.”

With her brother’s comfort, Shen Lingyi quickly calmed down.

Once she had composed herself, Shen Lingwen asked, “I was thinking of going to pay my respects to Third Aunt in a while—do you have any advice?”

Shen Lingyi looked puzzled. “Now? Third Aunt has left the mansion.”

Shen Lingwen was also puzzled. “Huh?” How do you know she left?

But it turned out that because Shen Lingyi always liked to hang around Zhu Mingli, the servants of the Third Branch had also become friendly with those of the First Branch. Whenever Zhu Mingli had plans the next day, the servants would inform each other a day in advance, so the eldest young lady wouldn’t come for nothing.

Besides wondering how his sister knew Third Aunt’s whereabouts so clearly, Shen Lingwen was also curious—why would Third Aunt leave the mansion so early in the morning?

Zhu Mingli was conducting a field inspection.

The pharmacy would certainly have to close, but whether the pastry shop could finally open required a personal visit to confirm. Was the foot traffic heavy enough? Were there competing eateries nearby? What was the layout of the shop? Could a bread oven be built in the backyard…

As soon as the ward gates opened, Zhu Mingli boarded the carriage and left the ward along with officials heading to court, people going out for shopping, and those in a hurry.

By the time she arrived at Changxing Ward, it wasn’t too late—the rush right after the gates opened had eased somewhat.

Zhu Mingli lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and carefully observed the shops along the street. Changxing Ward was adjacent to Vermilion Bird Avenue. The carriage passed through the south gate of the ward, turned left onto the street along the wall, continued a short distance, and near the east-west cross street, finally reached the destination.

As she stepped down, a faint scent of medicinal herbs greeted her. Zhu Mingli looked with interest at the pharmacy that now belonged to her.