Farmhouse Green Plum

As dawn broke and a thin mist still shrouded the lake, Yuan Qing strolled back from the willow-lined embankment, carrying a volume of "Commentary on the Book of Documents".

As he passed a food stall at the alley entrance, he paused for a moment, ordered two servings of cucumber salad, a plate of freshly pickled bamboo shoots, and a pot of warm congee on the stove.

The guest courtyard of the Zhou residence was quiet, with a few drops of dew still clinging to the blue brick floor. As the door was pushed open, the wooden hinges creaked softly, startling the lingering fragrance of incense from the table.

Song Ying was putting on her hair in front of the mirror when she heard the sound. She mumbled, "You're back."

Suddenly, her hand holding the comb paused, and her nose twitched slightly, as if she had smelled something.

"You went to the willow embankment again?" She turned her head, the morning light shining obliquely on her cheeks, her eyelashes casting a faint shadow under her eyes.

Yuan Qing hummed in agreement and placed the food box on the table. "Breakfast is ready: cucumber salad, fresh bamboo shoots, and congee."

Song Ying's eyes lit up. These past few days have been sweltering and the steamed buns and rice noodles have been too greasy. The crisp vegetables and melons that accompany the porridge are the perfect appetizer.

She slammed the comb on the dressing table and quickly tied her hair into a single bun: "I'll be right there after I wash my face!"

She moved quickly and was sitting at the table in no time. With a flick of her chopsticks, the crisp cucumber slices shone green in the morning light, and the aroma of vinegar mixed with minced garlic suddenly filled the air.

She took a bite and her eyebrows lifted. "Which restaurant did you buy this from? This cucumber salad is pretty good. It must have been blanched in well water. It's so refreshing."

"If you like the shop at the end of the alley, I'll buy it back tomorrow."

Song Ying was about to nod when she thought for a moment and asked, "How about I go with you tomorrow?"

Yuan Qing paused as she scooped the porridge, the porcelain spoon hitting the rim of the bowl with a crisp "ding".

"No need, you can sleep peacefully." He pushed the bowl of porridge over, and steam rose between them. "You've had a lot to do during the day, and you'll only get enough sleep at night, which will harm your health."

Yuan Qing longed for it too; since arriving in Chengdu, they hadn't gotten up together to read and practice calligraphy in the mornings for a long time.

He deliberately took a detour to the Willow Embankment because he was drawn to the willow trees there, which resembled the willow groves along the shores of Mingjia Lake.

But he got up far too early; it was late in the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), when even the crowing roosters were still fast asleep.

He had no choice; the provincial examination required a search and entry at 3:45 AM, and considering the time for washing, eating, and traveling, he had to get up no later than 1:00 AM.

In order to be in good condition the day before, he had gotten used to waking up early in advance, and Song Ying didn't need to disrupt his schedule.

Since he insisted, Song Ying had no choice but to go along with him. Thinking that studying was too tiring, she added, "Porridge and side dishes are refreshing, but I'm afraid they won't keep you full. I'll boil a few eggs later."

The two chatted about everyday things, finished breakfast, and Yuan Qing went back to his room to write his essays, while Song Ying checked Ruyi's studies and thought about what food she should prepare for Yuan Qing during the provincial examination.

In this sweltering summer, the most important thing is to clear away heat and relieve summer heat, as well as calm the mind and soothe the nerves, strengthen the spleen and stimulate the appetite, and also fill the stomach. Otherwise, we can use Poria cocos and yam, along with honey, to make Poria cocos and yam cake.

We also need to make some dried meat. Three days and two nights of plain porridge and noodles won't be enough...

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Ruyi put down her book, quickly went to open the door, and then turned around and said, "Master, it's Miss Sui'er."

Sui'er was Pei Yuexuan's dowry maid, and she was very clever.

As soon as she finished speaking, Sui'er peeked out from the doorway and curtsied with a smile: "Dr. Song, our young lady specifically asked me to invite you. She said that the stationery shop has just received a new batch of Huzhou brushes and Huizhou ink, and since Master Yuan's provincial examination is approaching, she would like you to come and choose some with her."

Song Ying glanced towards the study; she still needed to cook some eggs for Yuan Qing as a snack.

Sui'er noticed her hesitation and smiled, "I know you're worried about Master Yuan, but when it comes to studying, others can't really help much. Our young lady gets along very well with you. Since you're new to Rongcheng, she has to do her best to be a good host. Why don't you come along? She's waiting for you at the alley entrance."

“Wife,” Yuan Qing said, leaning out of the window when she heard the noise, “You haven’t had a proper look around Rongcheng yet. Why don’t you go with your sister-in-law? Don’t worry about me here.”

He paused, then added, "Remember to pick out a new ink for me."

Song Ying had no choice but to agree, "Okay, there are pastries in the kitchen, remember to eat them if you get hungry."

Song Ying led Ruyi out the door and saw several carriages parked at the alley entrance in the distance. Pei Yuexuan, dressed in a light purple gauze dress, stood under the shade of a tree. Beside her stood two young women, one wearing an apricot-red jacket and the other wearing a lake-green silk skirt.

"Sister Song!" Pei Yuexuan came over and took her hand.

The woman in the apricot-red jacket looked Song Ying up and down curiously. "This must be Doctor Song? Sister Yuexuan, you must be mistaken. Judging by her age, she's younger than all of us!"

Pei Yuexuan winked playfully, "That's why she's said to be a fairy reincarnated from Guanyin Bodhisattva's seat. Sister Song's medical skills are amazing. I saw it with my own eyes. My husband's distant cousin had a high fever that wouldn't go down and was bleeding from his nose. We consulted many doctors, but the fever wouldn't go down and the bleeding couldn't be stopped."

But after taking one dose of medicine, Song's bleeding stopped that very night, and the purple spots on her body began to fade the next day!

"Sister Pei, you flatter me. It's not a magic pill; how could one dose have such a significant effect?" Song Ying said modestly with a smile, then looked at the two women, "And who are these two?"

Pei Yuexuan slapped her forehead: "Oh dear, look at my memory, I'm so sorry, these two are my best friends."

She affectionately took the arm of the woman in the apricot-red jacket, saying, "This is the apple of the eye of our Provincial Governor Xu. Her husband is the eldest son of the Salt Commissioner Zhou. She will also be taking the provincial examination this year."

Madam Xu covered her mouth and chuckled: "This girl has been talking about you ever since she came back. She said she met a wonderful person who is not only skilled in medicine but also has outstanding looks, which aroused our curiosity. But after seeing you today, she actually didn't say three-tenths of what she was talking about."

Song Ying said a few words of modesty.

Pei Yuexuan then turned to another woman wearing a lake-green silk dress, "This one..."

She deliberately dragged out her words, her eyes and brows brimming with playfulness, "But our Councilor Wang's granddaughter is now married to the young master of the newly appointed Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Yu's family, and she will also be taking the exam this year."

Miss Wang nodded slightly, her pearl hairpin remaining perfectly still. "I've heard Yuexuan speak highly of Sister Song's medical skills, and seeing her today, I can confirm her extraordinary demeanor."

Pei Yuexuan pulled them along, "Alright, let's stop talking and get in the car. Let's go to the shop to look at the brushes. I heard that Moshixuan has just received a new batch of excellent wolf hair brushes."

After the others boarded the carriage, she leaned close to Song Ying's ear and whispered, "I thought that since both of our husbands are going to take the provincial examination, we would get along better. Both of your husbands are hot contenders for the top spot this year. I'll have Shen Jing introduce you to Minister Yuan later."