Chapter 7: Barbecue

A few noble women were gathered together beneath the window, chatting about something with lazy smiles on their faces. When they saw Qin Meinang approaching, one of them reached out to stop her:

“Where have you been for so long? We haven’t heard your sweet, melodic laughter. We’ve been dying of boredom!”

Meinang had mingled with the noble women for a couple of hours, and by now, she could recognize them all and understand their personalities. It wasn’t that she was being snobbish, but she had learned to focus on the ladies whose husbands held prestigious titles, and whose rank was high. After all, in ancient times, those who wanted to get things done usually took the shortcut of associating with the powerful. Although she didn’t want to act this way, her modern experiences had taught her that life was tough why wear pretentiousness on her face and make things harder for herself?

She grabbed the hand of the wife of the Duke of Ding Guo, a woman in her thirties with delicate makeup, and smiled. “Good sister, your hand is so warm and soft, look at this smooth, delicate skin, white and tender enough to pinch water out of! What kind of ointment do you use? The fragrance is so elegant and refreshing! I know you’re an expert in perfumery, could you teach me? I’m too clumsy to make my own, and I can only buy pre-made ones, but the scent is usually so ordinary!”

The Duke of Ding Guo’s wife, flattered by the praise, smiled widely, her face shaking with laughter. She grabbed Meinang’s arm. “Look at this sweet mouth! It’s as if your words are coated with honey, always flattering people. Why would you need to learn from me? Lord Wei Yuan spoils you so much, he wouldn’t let you work at making perfume yourself. Even if you bought pre-made ones, he’d make sure they were the best and most expensive for you… Now let me take a good look at your hand. Let’s compare!”

Meinang quickly smiled and hid behind the wife of Marquis Wei Yuan. “I dare not! Recently, I’ve been tending to a few pots of flowers in the courtyard, and my hands are all rough now. I’m afraid you’ll make fun of me, so I’ll pass on comparing!”

Marquis Chang Le’s wife’s eyes lit up. “The wife of Lord Wei Yuan likes to grow flowers too? Just like me! I also love tending to plants when I have free time. Next time, I’ll invite you to my house to see the flowers I’ve planted in the greenhouse!”

Meinang replied, “I’d love to come! But the flowers I’ve planted don’t look too great right now… However, there’s a plum grove over at Jin Hua Hall, and the plum trees were a gift from the Empress Dowager to our grandmother. They’re red, pink, and jade colored, and the blossoms are beautiful, some fully open, some just buds!”

Immediately, many of the younger noble women gathered around. “Oh, the red plum blossoms against the white snow must look so beautiful!”

Meinang smiled. “The white snow and red plum blossoms really are beautiful! But what’s even more beautiful is if we could have a group of beautiful women admiring the plum grove together, with flowers in full bloom, and everyone looking more radiant than the flowers. Unfortunately, we can’t do that today. With the snow falling outside and it almost mealtime, we must go to the dining hall, ladies!”

Marquis Chang Le’s wife said, “I’m not hungry, if I could admire the plum blossoms, I wouldn’t mind skipping the meal!”

Everyone agreed. “Yes, yes, let’s enjoy the blossoms first and have the meal afterward!”

Meinang was a bit troubled, but the wife of the Duke of Ding Guo slapped her shoulder. “What’s the matter? Don’t want us to see your plum grove? There are many gardens in the capital with plum trees, but none have bloomed like yours. If we don’t get to see it today, we won’t eat!”

Meinang rubbed her shoulder, looking pitiful. “Good sister, that hurts! You’re making things difficult for me!”

The women found her expression amusing and laughed. The wife of the Duke of Ding Guo, completely charmed, started rubbing her shoulder. “Alright, let’s go admire the plum blossoms first. How about that?”

“But I’m worried about everyone getting hungry! All of you are so beautiful and plump. If you go home today and your husbands see you thinner, wouldn’t I be to blame?”

One of the noblewomen pointed at her, laughing. “Oh, so you’re mocking us for being fat?”

Meinang covered her mouth, laughing, and after a bit of playful pushing with the ladies, she said, “I’m not stopping anyone from going to enjoy the plum blossoms. But the grove is really nice, and I’m afraid we’ll get so caught up in it that we’ll miss mealtime and return to cold food.”

She thought for a moment, then suddenly became more animated. “The plum grove has a curved corridor and a water pavilion. How about we imitate the hunters and try outdoor living? We can set up a large pile of charcoal under the corridor, bring over some wine and fruit, and cook fresh beef on the fire to eat. While enjoying the snow and plum blossoms, we can even compose poetry together. That’s surely more fun than sitting at a banquet table eating bland food!”

“Sounds interesting, I agree!” said the wife of Marquis Chang Le’s, clapping her hands.

“Great idea!”

The wife of the Duke of Ding Guo clapped her hands again, and Meinang quickly dodged. The lady laughed and playfully pulled her back. “This is exactly what I want! I joined a hunting trip once, and we did something like that cutting fresh beef in the wild and roasting it over a fire. It tasted wonderful! All the women here today, except for me, are young and won’t have any dietary restrictions. Let’s all have a barbecue in the snow-covered plum grove! How often do we get to enjoy such a graceful activity? Ladies, would you like to?”

“Yes, yes, we’re always sitting and being served. Today, let’s try cooking for ourselves and see if we can feed ourselves!”

The noble women laughed heartily, excited, and followed the wife of the Duke of Ding Guo and Meinang out of Jin Hua Hall, chatting and heading toward the plum grove.

After a snowstorm, the plum grove at Jin Hua Hall had indeed blossomed beautifully, and with the gardeners’ care, several rare varieties of green plums had also opened, their petals emerald green and translucent, like jade carvings. The women, who had never seen such a delicate flower, gathered around it, amazed. Some who had seen it before proudly explained its origins and the complex techniques used to cultivate it, even mentioning its medicinal value. Everyone felt it was even more precious.

Unnoticed, Ning Rulan’s maid, Hong Ye, quietly approached Meinang and whispered, “Third Madam asked me to inform you that two tables have been prepared in the Flower Hall for the elderly and the older madams. You only need to take care of the younger ladies.”

Under the corridor, Cai Mama, following Meinang’s instructions, led a group of servants to set up small round tables with fruit, nuts, wine, hot tea, and various delicate pastries. Dozens of soft embroidered cushions and red clay stoves with hot charcoal had been placed around the area. Several stoves were also set up under the purple leafed trees, with chefs preparing fresh beef, vegetables, and squid for grilling.

The weather was perfect no wind, with gentle snowflakes falling like petals. This scenery was perfect for a stroll in the courtyard.

Meinang’s worry was unnecessary. The noblewomen, used to a life of luxury, were thrilled with the novelty of the experience. They eagerly roasted meat, vegetables, and even sweet potatoes, sharing their creations and urging each other to try the dishes they had prepared. The outdoor setting was far more relaxed than a formal banquet, and the women laughed and ate, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

Sadly, the elderly matriarch’s beloved purple leafed trees were damaged by the snow and smoke, and the plum trees were plundered by the drunken women, who wanted to take branches home to display. Meinang, also tipsy, gave in to every request, and many of the freshly bloomed branches were broken off. Only a few unopened buds remained on the trees.

By the end of the feast, over a hundred pounds of fresh beef had been consumed, and the women, along with their servants, had eaten their fill. Most of the vegetables, pastries, and wine were gone, and only two barrels of wine remained. The wife of the Duke of Ding Guo opened the remaining wine, and the women, feeling merry, divided into groups to play games. They drank every last drop.

After the ladies returned to their homes, enjoying the fun of the evening, the elderly matriarch learned about the state of the plum grove and the purple leafed trees. She was furious, but Meinang had already been carried back to Qing Hua Courtyard in a sedan chair, too drunk to hear her scolding.