Lin Shanyue was not frightened this time and quickly recovered. "Young Master, you're awake? I... I'm eating rice porridge and stir-fried greens."
Huo Yi did not explain anything about being asleep or awake. He only knew that he was extremely hungry right now.
"Is there any rice porridge left?"
"Yes..."
"Fill a bowl and pass it to me through the mirror."
As soon as he finished speaking, Huo Yi froze. He could not believe that he was actually begging someone for a bowl of rice porridge!
It felt as though he were acting under some kind of spell.
However, Lin Shanyue agreed immediately and turned to go to the kitchen to dish him up some.
Soon, a bowl of rice porridge was brought to the front of the mirror by her.
"Can... can this get across?" Lin Shanyue asked doubtfully. In truth, Huo Yi was not sure either; after all, he had only tried throwing things over, and nothing had ever come from the other side yet.
"Give it a try."
Lin Shanyue said okay and cautiously pushed the bowl forward. Sure enough, when the rim of the bowl touched the surface of the mirror, it really went in a little!
Then, as if drawn by some suction, the bowl of rice porridge was successfully fed through...
Lin Shanyue's eyes widened, and Huo Yi on the other side did the same.
Right in front of him, there really was an extra bowl of porridge. The porridge was steaming hot and gave off a rich, fragrant aroma of rice...
Huo Yi unconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He wanted to eat it, but he hesitated and dared not use the spoon yet, fearing the same disappointment...
Ultimately, however, he picked up the spoon and cautiously scooped a spoonful of porridge into his mouth...
When the rice touched the tip of his tongue, Huo Yi's eyes widened, and the movement of his hand stopped. He tried hard to savor it, and then suddenly stood up in excitement! The stool made a sharp sound, startling the auntie who helped in the kitchen and Old Bai the housekeeper.
"Young Master?"
Both of them crowded around with concern. Huo Yi pointed at the bowl of porridge in horror... Could he—could he actually taste the flavor?!
The rich aroma of rice instantly awakened his numb taste buds, and for a split second, Huo Yi almost felt like crying...
"Oh, where did such a battered bowl come from? I'm so sorry, Young Master, I'll take it away right now." The auntie reached out her hand to take it.
"Nobody move!"
Huo Yi was faster, stepping forward to grab and hug the bowl to himself. "Nobody is allowed to touch this bowl today."
Old Bai and the auntie were completely baffled. "Yes..."
Huo Yi carried the bowl and the silver mirror back to his room in quick strides, eating the rice porridge while wanting to cry...
"Little Lady, are you still there?"
On the other end, Lin Shanyue had been feeling somewhat apprehensive after passing the porridge over and had not left. Sure enough, the Young Master's voice came through again.
"I'm here."
"This porridge... is truly delicious. Didn't you ask me what kind of offerings you should make earlier... I was thinking, you can just share a portion of your daily meals with me."
Lin Shanyue was taken aback. "You eat these kinds of things...?"
"Yes. To tell you the truth, I have been hungry for a long time and only managed to get some food into my stomach today. Sorry to trouble you, Little Lady, and take all of these."
With that, the mirror changed once more. Lin Shanyue's eyes widened when she saw a bag of flour, quite a few cabbages, cucumbers, and the like appear in front of her, along with a large barrel of... oil? Lin Shanyue was not quite sure. The oil she usually saw was mostly cloudy, but this barrel was exceptionally clear.
"Young Master, is this oil?"
"Yes, rapeseed oil. All these ingredients are yours, and I'll supply fresh vegetables daily; just cook them. Oh, do you lack any seasonings?"
Lin Shanyue was utterly shocked. This demon young master was so remarkably capable...
Not daring to ask for too much, Lin Shanyue hurriedly said, "Your great kindness, Young Master, is something Shanyue will never forget. I wouldn't dare ask for anything more, and I will definitely remember to make an extra portion of food for you from now on."
Huo Yi was swallowing hard on the opposite side. "Good."
Lin Shanyue turned and carried these supplies into the kitchen, leaving Xiaobao to play by himself on the heated brick bed. Huo Yi was still watching this side, and remembering that this little cub could see him, he took advantage of Lin Shanyue's absence to tease him, tossing a plush toy through the mirror as well. Lin Shanyue moved around the kitchen like a hoarding hamster, occasionally hearing Xiaobao's laughter drifting from the room, which finally set her mind at ease.
These items were far too conspicuous. The vegetables were one thing, but especially this rice, flour, and oil. Fortunately, the kitchen had a locked cabinet, and Lin Shanyue put everything inside without hesitation, only pouring out a small bottle of the oil for immediate use.
The quality of this oil was clearly top-grade at a glance, looking somewhat like the most expensive sesame oil, yet even clearer than that. The Young Master called it rapeseed oil, but she had never seen its kind before.
Right now it was the depths of winter, so cabbages were common and radishes were plentiful, but cucumbers... weren't those fruits that only grew in the summer? Lin Shanyue simply could not figure it out, so she had no choice but to accept them as well. With these vegetables, tomorrow she could make stir-fried cucumbers and sweet-and-sour cabbage.
When Lin Shanyue returned to the bedroom, Xiaobao had already fallen asleep, with an extra fluffy toy beside him.
Presumably, this was also a gift bestowed by the demon young master. Lin Shanyue felt that her luck was truly wonderful; a demon who knew how to coax children could hardly be a bad one. Therefore, she cast a grateful glance at the silver mirror. There was no movement from that side either, and Lin Shanyue slowly settled her mind.
The matter of food was blessed by the heavens, but she could not just sit around waiting. After mulling things over for the past two days, she had already figured out a way out—back in Yangzhou Prefecture, spices were all the rage in Jiangnan, and Lin Shanyue's adoptive father had been a spice merchant.
When Lin Shanyue was little, she had been able to recite fragrance manuals backward and forward.
Although her time at the Marquis's Estate had been short, she had seen with her own eyes the fine things used by the Marquis's wife, and noble, high-ranking families all loved using fragrances.
Among them was one called Storax Incense. Its scent was like a hundred flowers blooming all at once, complex yet blended together impeccably.
This kind of spice was very expensive.
However, her father had once taught her a method to make a substitute. This method was a family secret that no one else knew. Lin Shanyue had these items in the sachet she carried with her, and after pondering it in her room all night, Lin Shanyue decided to try her hand at this.
Before going to sleep, she still cautiously moved the silver mirror to a different spot and even pressed her palms together in a bow, which almost made Huo Yi laugh out loud. But he was a polite man; whatever he ought not to look at, he would definitely not look at a second longer, and he put the silver mirror down himself.
-
The next day at the Huoshi Group family gathering, Huo Yi still arrived last. Father Huo had always found this younger son of his an eyesore and launched straight into a torrent of abuse, but Huo Yi was already used to it, sitting lazily at the dinner table, letting things go in one ear and out the other.
"At your age and still so unruly! How are the antiques shop's earnings this month?!"
"Bad, not a single sale," Huo Yi answered lazily.
Father Huo slammed the table hard. "What use am I to have you! I heard from Old Bai that all you do every day is pick up scraps from outside, and you haven't done a single legitimate piece of business! If this keeps up, you might as well quit this business altogether!"
Huo Yi sneered. "I never wanted to do it in the first place. Wasn't it you, old man, who shoved it on me? I have no interest in this antiques shop. Eldest Brother, Second Brother, which of you wants to take it?"
Huo Yi had two older brothers above him: eldest brother Huo Chen and second brother Huo Feng. Huo Chen took charge of the family business, while Huo Feng was making waves in political circles.
Huo Feng said, "The antiques business isn't difficult; what's rare is a good eye. Third Brother has a talent in this area, perhaps he's just lacking a bit of luck."
Huo Chen also chimed in, "Why don't you take a trip abroad another day and see if there are any opportunities?"
Huo Yi was noncommittal, showing little interest.
Father Huo said, "Look at you two, stop covering for him! He's just a good-for-nothing who can't be helped! If your mother could see you like this, she'd be furious enough to die..."
Just as Father Huo finished speaking, Huo Yi suddenly slammed the table fiercely. "Don't mention my mother!"
Everyone at the table froze for a moment. Huo Yi's eyes even turned red. "I've said it before, don't mention her. If you're so capable, why don't you have my mother come and see me instead?!"
Father Huo's expression changed drastically.
"All right, what are you two arguing about again?" Elder Huo came down from the second floor leaning on his cane.
Seeing their grandfather, both Huo Yi and Father Huo reined in their emotions.
"Dad."
"Grandfather."
Elder Huo was the crown jewel of the Huo Family. In his younger days he had been ruthless and merciless, but in his old age he had become amiable. "Well, Third Boy's style today isn't bad. Why don't you find a tailor to make a set for me another day?"
Huo Yi looked down and smiled. "I'll take it off and give it to you."
Elder Huo laughed heartily. "How could I possibly wear your clothes?"
"Grandfather's physique is robust, and your figure looks better than my eldest and second brothers'. Why couldn't you wear them?"
Elder Huo laughed even more happily, scolding him amidst his laughter. With just a few words, Huo Yi coaxed the old man into a state of immense joy, and the atmosphere improved.
They finished a family banquet in peace. Afterwards, Huo Yi suddenly said, "Grandfather, can I go to your study for a moment? I'd like to find a few books."
Elder Huo was overjoyed. "Look at you all, you always say Third Boy is uneducated and ignorant, yet my youngest grandsons are always asking me for books lately. Third Boy, go right ahead, take whichever ones catch your eye!"
Father Huo cast a meaningful glance at his youngest son. Huo Yi smiled. "Thank you, Grandfather."
...
In the Daqian Dynasty, Lin Shanyue was currently experiencing a bout of nervousness as well.
She rose early and made the incense. Of course, before leaving, she entrusted Xiaobao to Auntie Pang's care; after yesterday's events, she and her neighbors had quickly grown familiar with one another.
Lin Shanyue was not going to the market today; she had already planned out her destination and headed straight for Huayue Pavilion in Pingkang Ward.
Pingkang Ward was adjacent to Vermilion Bird Avenue and was one of the liveliest neighborhoods around the East Market.
Around the hour of Si, Huayue Pavilion had not yet opened for business. After Lin Shanyue stepped through the doors, quite a few young flower girls stared at her strangely.
"Could this little lady have taken a wrong turn? We don't receive female guests here."
With her back basket, Lin Shanyue felt somewhat nervous. "No, I want to find the managing lady of the flower house. I have inexpensive Storax Incense to sell."
As soon as she finished speaking, those young flower girls were taken aback instead.
One round-faced little flower girl took pity on her and pointed her in a direction. "We can't make the call on this. You should go find Sister Liu upstairs."
Lin Shanyue nodded in thanks and went up to the second floor. The commotion downstairs had long since reached the upper level, and the moment she arrived, a little maidservant led her over. "Does the little lady truly have Storax Incense?"
"Yes."
"This way, please."
Liu Niang was the manager of Huayue Pavilion. Lin Shanyue sat across from her, only to see her examine it repeatedly for a long time before finally smiling. "Little Lady is pulling my leg. This is not genuine Storax Incense."
Her voice held a chilling rejection.
Lin Shanyue steadied her nerves and nodded. "My Lady is accustomed to seeing fine things, so I wouldn't dare try to deceive you. This indeed is not genuine, but true Storax Incense costs two liang per jin, while mine only costs fifty wen."
Anyone who heard about this price difference would be startled.
True to form, Liu Niang's eyes brightened as she reexamined Lin Shanyue.