Chapter 28: Duck Tail Pastry

The northern spring is always short, as if summer has already arrived just days after people changed into their spring clothes.

Within a few days, the air during the day became noticeably hotter.

Summer had officially arrived.

Xie Yu seemed a bit unwell these days, often spacing out. Yuanpei originally wanted to invite Ma Bing to check on him, but Xie Yu refused.

Yuanpei grumbled, “Her hand injury didn’t stop her from causing trouble!”

Ma Bing herself was a physician. After her injury, she handled it properly, and with medicines sent by various people afterward, her recovery was quick.

Yuan Yuan visited every day, practically becoming her little shadow, which even started to annoy Yuanpei.

Unexpectedly, Ma Bing could use both hands interchangeably. One hand being injured didn’t hinder her from preparing medicinal diets or making many braised delicacies, which smelled tempting.

In the past, they would have certainly invited them over to eat, but now everything was given to that girl instead.

Even the leftovers were taken home to eat!

Only after a few days, Yuan Yuan had already gained weight!

If this continued, she would truly become “Round Round”!

Xie Yu was silent for a moment, then agreed to Yuanpei’s request, but still instructed, “First check if she is receiving guests, then report back to me.”

Recently, Ma Bing seemed to have suddenly become a popular figure in the capital. The Yuan and Ji families expressing gratitude and apologies were expected, but unexpectedly many other families started inquiring discreetly…

Especially Pei Rong, who was already quite old. These days, he kept finding excuses to talk to him, chattering about how it was difficult to find a suitable young man in his own family…

It was really annoying, Xie Yu thought darkly.

Yuanpei went.

Yuanpei came back.

He grumbled discontentedly, “That ‘Round Round’ or whatever is here again! She even said she would go out of the city with Er Liang tomorrow!”

Xie Yu’s fingertips twitched slightly; his brows quickly furrowed and then relaxed. He didn’t speak.

Yuanpei scratched his head. “My lord, shall I still invite her?”

“No need.”

The next day, Yuan Yuan came to the Kaifeng Prefecture early in the morning.

She had been coming frequently recently, and the people at the Kaifeng Prefecture were used to it, so they didn’t stop her, just smiling and asking, “Here to see Doctor Ma again, huh?”

Yuan Yuan happily replied, “Going out to play with my older sister!”

Then, like a cheerful little bird, she flew inside.

“Big sister, I’m here again!”

The officers exchanged glances and laughed.

Who wouldn’t like a pretty little girl who is well-behaved and considerate?

Among the gifts from the Yuan family and the Ji family, there were many bolts of silk and fabric. Ma Bing originally wanted to make her own clothes, but after seeing her sewing, Lady Zhao’s expression showed a bit of pain. She immediately took the fabric away and handed it over to her own seamstresses.

It was just too ugly! The stitches were so big and twisted; how could she even sew like that!

Lady Zhao’s seamstresses were very capable, making almost one set of clothes a day, so Ma Bing now had plenty of replacements.

She had also grown a bit recently, so her old clothes no longer fit well. This situation solved an urgent problem.

Seeing Ma Bing wearing brand new clothes that made her look even more dashing and heroic, Yuan Yuan blushed and immediately showered her with praise, using very elaborate and non-repetitive language, truly worthy of being the daughter of a scholar.

“Big sister, I brought lotus root powder cake and duck tail pastry. Let’s take the carriage and eat on the way,” Yuan Yuan said happily.

Ma Bing wanted to ride a horse.

Her left hand was fine, and her right hand had almost fully recovered, so it wouldn’t affect her performance.

But the little girl looked at her with such pleading eyes that she couldn’t bear to refuse.

So the two of them first got into the carriage together, while Ma Bing’s big black horse followed alongside.

It was Yuan Yuan’s first time seeing her mount, and she couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, “Wow, big sister’s horse is so mighty, much bigger than others!”

The black horse seemed to understand Yuan Yuan’s praise. It raised its head even higher and looked sideways at the horses pulling the carriage.

Hmph, they were all losers!

Ma Bing chuckled, “Horses are like people. To be outstanding, breed naturally matters, but it also depends on how you feed them.”

As she spoke, she took out the small jar that Xie Yu and others had seen before, and from it she gave two brown pellets to the horse, “Besides high-quality soybeans and barley, there’s also…”

Her two red lips moved as she rattled off seven or eight kinds of herbs, all of which had effects such as strengthening bones and nourishing hair.

Now Xie Yu and others also used this, costing two taels of silver per month.

Speaking of which, it was almost more expensive than raising a child in an ordinary household.

Horses were something ordinary families couldn’t even afford to buy, let alone raise.

To be honest, raising a horse was much more painstaking and labor-intensive than raising a child.

Yuan Yuan listened in a daze, just nodding along.

Whatever her big sister said was right!

The place they were going to today was called Jinze, a large lake more than ten miles south of the city. If Ma Bing rode there herself, she would arrive in no time.

But since a young lady was taking the carriage, it was very slow.

Neither of them had eaten breakfast yet, so they opened the food they had brought along.

The Yuan family’s carriage was very spacious, with not only a small table inside but also a small brazier fixed with iron rings and an eighteen-section latticed box integrated into the carriage, filled with all sorts of things. They could even brew tea and enjoy themselves during the journey, very convenient.

Ma Bing had brought a large bag of braised duck feet and duck tongues, as well as a piece of cooked beef sliced into thin pieces. The reddish-brown, glossy, and aromatic meat was very tempting.

In recent years, with the economic development of the Great Lu, animal power had started to have surplus. Although the law still stipulated that it was forbidden to slaughter livestock at will, it was possible as long as one obtained the relevant documents from the government.

Therefore, although beef was rare in the market, it wasn’t completely unavailable.

Ma Bing grew up in the northwest, and her habit of eating mutton and beef was deeply ingrained. If she didn’t have any for a few days, she would feel uncomfortable all over. The day after arriving in Kaifeng, she had already started searching for beef shops everywhere…

Yuan Yuan was at the age of growing up, with a small build but a big appetite. Her mouth was greasy, and her cheeks were full as she said, “Big sister, your cooking is really good.”

Her family’s cook often made beef, but compared to what her big sister made today, it instantly paled in comparison.

Ma Bing took a duck tail pastry and smiled as she heard Yuan Yuan’s praise, saying, “Slow down and drink some Nine-Flavor Porridge.”

The duck tail pastry wasn’t made from duck tails but was a kind of flaky pastry filled with sugar osmanthus and sesame seeds. After being baked, it was shiny and oily, with clear layers and soft, sweet filling, named for its resemblance to a duck’s tail.

The Nine-Flavor Porridge was completely her own invention. It was made by grinding dried red dates, roasted sesame seeds, glutinous rice, soybeans, red beans, mung beans, and other nine kinds of grains and fruits into powder. When eaten, it was simply mixed with boiling water, and it smelled wonderful!

It not only nourished the stomach and spleen but also promoted beautiful hair!

The two of them were eating and drinking as they left the city, but they saw many carriages and horses ahead, blocking most of the road. Everyone was heading to Jinze, so the pace became even slower.

Ma Bing disliked sitting in the carriage for a long time, feeling stifled, so she got out and rode her horse.

The morning breeze of early summer wasn’t hot, but rather carried a bit of cool moisture, feeling very comfortable on her face.

Along the way, numerous wild roses bathed in sunlight and rain, weathering storms yet thriving more vibrantly than the meticulously cultivated flowers in the city. The blossoms—crimson, pink, and purple—burst forth with exuberance, spreading fervently to both sides. When the wind swept through, they rippled like a magnificent sea of flowers.

Ma Bing was so captivated that she turned her head and saw Yuan Yuan eyeing her enviously, so she couldn’t help but laugh, “Want to ride a horse?”

The little girl nodded vigorously.

She had wanted to for a long time but was too shy to say so.

So Ma Bing let her ride alongside.

The big black horse was strong and muscular; carrying a little girl was no problem, even two giant men like Pei Rong wouldn’t be an issue.

Unfortunately, Yuan Yuan had never ridden a horse before and didn’t know where to put her legs. She struggled to mount the horse for a while, her little face turning red.

The big black horse noticed her embarrassment, opened its mouth, snorted a few times, and laughed.

Shorty!

Yuan Yuan, who was being laughed at, was almost steamed red, pouting and covering her face as she crouched down.

Waaah, even the horse is laughing at me!

Ma Bing laughed first, then bent down to pat her head, “It’s okay, you’ll learn after practicing a few times.”

The little girl’s voice came out muffled with tears, “There won’t be a next time!”

Sniffing.

But the next moment, she felt herself lifted into the air:

Ma Bing had directly picked her up from behind and placed her on the horse’s back.

Yuan Yuan: “!!!”

She was startled and clung to the horse’s back, looking at the suddenly lowered ground below, her heart pounding.

“Ahh!” She exclaimed belatedly, “Big sister, your hand isn’t healed yet!”

As soon as the words were out, Ma Bing also mounted the horse, and with a smile, she said, “You’re not even as heavy as a basket of medicine. Besides, I only use my left hand; the right one is just for support. What’s there to worry about?”

Many people thought that lifting things required arm strength, but that wasn’t the case. When exerting force, one needed to engage the whole body, starting from the legs, connecting through the waist and abdomen, and finally transmitting to the arms.

This way, it was both effortless and injury-free.

Yuan Yuan didn’t know how to ride a horse, so Ma Bing wrapped her arms around her, holding the reins herself, and started off slowly.

Yuan Yuan looked at the bandages on her hand for a while, noticing that there was no further swelling, so she finally felt relieved.

But once she felt relieved, it was a big deal!

Big sister’s arms were around her, her chin touching Yuan Yuan’s back of the head, and occasionally a few strands of hair would float over…

Yuan Yuan nervously and excitedly pinched her fingers and tentatively leaned back.

Ma Bing looked down and saw the little girl in her arms with a rosy face and bright eyes, and couldn’t help but smile, “So happy?”

Yuan Yuan didn’t even look at the scenery anymore, just nodding foolishly.

Wow, big sister smells so good!

Smelly, yet soft and fragrant!

Hehe!

The Yuan family’s attendants first laughed, thinking their young mistress had a great relationship with Ma Bing, even better than real sisters.

But after watching for a while, they felt something was a bit off.

This… was their relationship perhaps too good?

After a while, they could see a shimmering silver water surface in the distance, like scattered silver under a clear sky. On the shore, green willows and blooming flowers marked their destination, Jinze.

They first parked the carriage and released the horses before heading to the central green area.

Spring had passed, summer was about to come but not yet, making it the perfect time for an outing. Many young men and women took this opportunity to come here to play.

Some were married, some were not, all chatting and laughing, creating a lively scene.

Ma Bing roughly estimated that the lake was several dozen miles wide, connecting with several small rivers in the south, flowing grandly into the Yangtze River.

On the lake floated several exquisite pleasure boats, from which faint music and drumbeats could be heard, indicating that those who arrived earlier were already enjoying themselves.

There were also pavilions and terraces built along the shore, with winding streams specially dug out for the gentlemen and ladies to enjoy drinking and poetry.

Yuan Yuan introduced Ma Bing to several friends and joined the fun by the stream.

They were playing the “flying flower” poetry game. First, a shallow, wide-bottomed wine cup was placed in the water, allowed to drift, and when it stopped in front of someone, they had to recite something—poems, songs, or folk proverbs were all acceptable, as long as the source was clear.

The next person had to use the last character from the previous line to start their next line.

Originally, Yuan Yuan thought she was the daughter of a military officer and feared she might not enjoy the game, but after several rounds, she saw that Ma Bing was quick-witted and recited many bold and unrestrained frontier poems, keeping up well without falling behind, so she felt reassured.

Everyone played for a while, thoroughly enjoying themselves. As the sun rose higher and the heat became intense, they reluctantly dispersed.

Yuan Yuan, still wanting more, said, “Sister, it’s getting hot now. Let’s not stay on the shore. Let’s go to the lake by boat. There’s a lotus pond at the other end. Although the flowers haven’t fully bloomed yet, the green leaves are lush and the buds are just beginning to open. It’s beautiful too.”

Ma Bing had no objections.

Who would have thought that on their way there, they would run into Ji Fang.

Upon seeing Ma Bing, Ji Fang’s eyes immediately lit up with joy. He quickly straightened his clothes and hurriedly came forward to greet her, “Miss Ma.”

Before Ma Bing could speak, Yuan Yuan had already frowned, pulling Ma Bing to turn around and walk away, “Hmph, who wants to talk to you.”

The Yuan family already knew that he was the one who had caused trouble that day, and none of them had a good impression of him.

“Miss Ma!” Ji Fang was taken aback and hurriedly followed after them.

Yuan Yuan, pulling a sour face, angrily turned her head to glare at him, “What kind of rogue follows someone in broad daylight? How shameless!”

Ji Fang didn’t expect her to be so fierce. He was stunned on the spot, his face turning red, “I’m not…”

Yuan Yuan hummed and dragged Ma Bing away again, muttering as she walked, “Sister, don’t pay attention to him. The Ji family used to be okay in the past. Their ancestors were even granted the title of Count, but unfortunately, their descendants were not ambitious. Now they’re just a bald family with only a few idle positions in the court. He’s already a grown man and only got into the Imperial Academy through favor…”

Though young, Yuan Yuan was indeed from a noble family, and with just a few words, she thoroughly exposed the Ji family’s situation.

Ma Bing smiled and gently pinched her hand, “Okay.”

Yuan Yuan immediately forgot all about Ji Fang and became happy again.

When they reached the lakeside, they saw a pleasure boat moored at the shore, so they called someone to ask about renting it.

The Yuan family attendants first stood on the shore to ask, but no one answered. Thinking that maybe the people inside were sleeping due to the heat, they pushed the door open to enter.

The moment the door opened, a scene came into Yuan Yuan’s view.

“Big sister?”

“Don’t look.”

Ma Bing whispered softly.

She had already smelled the strong scent of blood coming from inside.

Sure enough, the next moment, the person who had gone in to ask stumbled out in shock, exclaiming, “Dead! Dead people!”