On the day of the tasting event, Drunk Immortal Tower was bustling before dawn.
Manager Liu personally oversaw the staff as they arranged the venue.
All the long tables in the ground-floor hall were removed and replaced with display stands.
The stands were draped in dark green velvet, which made the colors of the melons and fruits pop even more.
Three glass display cases sat side by side, each on a hollow-carved wooden base with ice packed underneath to keep the melons fresh and make them look even more glistening.
Inside the first case was a rainbow-striped watermelon. The patterns on its rind had deepened over the past few days—red, yellow, and blue interwoven, gleaming like satin in the morning light.
The second case held a wine-scented watermelon. It wasn’t large, but a small slice had been cut and placed on a dish, and the faint fragrance of wine filled the entire hall.
Manager Liu had thoughtfully placed cups of clear tea nearby, labeled “for palate cleansing before tasting,” to prevent flavor interference.
The third case was the most eye-catching. The square watermelon sat in the center, its glass case a size larger than the others.
The melon’s edges were sharp and defined, its emerald rind showing faint pale-yellow markings as neatly as if painted on.
Around the display stands were arranged round tables covered in moon-white tablecloths.
On each table were bamboo small plates, silver forks, and a pot of freshly brewed Dragon Well tea.
In the center of each table sat a small porcelain dish containing watermelon-based treats: square-cut watermelon jelly, quivering slightly, with visible watermelon seeds suspended inside.
Cold noodles tossed in watermelon juice—pink and served in little cups.
There were also a few refreshing side dishes: watermelon rind julienned, salted, and tossed with sesame oil and minced garlic—crisp and tangy.
By the window, a separate row of long tables held brush, ink, paper, and inkstone—for guests to leave “tasting notes.” Manager Liu called it “cultivating elegance,” but Lin Shuying saw it as a way to collect testimonials.
A Li stood at the entrance with several maids to receive the guests, each holding a wooden tray with small bite-sized melon pieces on toothpicks.
This was Lin Shuying’s idea: “Let the guests take a bite as they enter—sweetness speaks for itself, no need for words.”
The Lin family arrived first.
Lin Moqian made a beeline for the square watermelon as soon as he entered. He’d seen it in the greenhouse before, but displayed under the lights on its stand, it looked entirely different. He circled the glass case twice, examining it closely, before going off to attend to other matters.
Lin Huaizhou stood with his hands behind his back, looking it over for a while, then nodded: “It’s really not easy to achieve this.”
Lin Zhaoye followed behind with a little notebook in hand, muttering to himself as if memorizing some “tasting spiel.” Lin Shuying had put him in charge of introducing the fruits today, and he’d been so nervous he hadn’t slept a wink all night.
Lin Jingshen walked in slowly, leaning on Lin Zhaoye’s arm. His back injury hadn’t fully healed and he still limped, but he absolutely insisted on coming to join the excitement.
Gu Wanyin had dressed up today in a new lotus-pink outfit, her hair perfectly arranged, adorned with a red-gold step-shake hairpin. She took her husband’s arm, swept her gaze across the hall, and murmured: “The setup is quite good.”
Lin Huaizhou nodded: “Shuying’s arrangements are always thorough.”
Wei Fuyu and Zhao Di’er had been helping carry things in the back courtyard. They rushed in, sweaty and flushed, and their eyes lit up at the sight of the square watermelon on display: “This melon is so square—you could use it as a brick!”
Everyone burst out laughing.
Lin Shuying emerged from the back kitchen carrying a freshly made plate of watermelon cold noodles, which she handed to A Li: “Put that over there.” Then she turned to Wei Fuyu, “Brick or no brick, if you can cut this melon open without breaking it, I’ll treat you to braised pork for a whole month.”
Wei Fuyu rolled up her sleeves, grinning and exchanging glances with Zhao Di’er: “Di’er! Braised pork is calling our names!”
Zhao Di’er, originally a bit awkward with Lin Jingshen’s family present, smiled at the remark. She didn’t let Wei Fuyu perform in public and instead pulled her to the back courtyard.
Guests arrived in waves.
First came a few young scions—well-known playboys of Jinling. They crowded around the square watermelon for a while, and one dressed in sapphire blue robes said: “If I bought this melon and put it on my study desk, it’d be more impressive than any ornament.”
Another in stone-gray robes chimed in: “It’s a bit pricey though. Fifteen taels—that’s half a month’s meals at Drunk Immortal Tower for me.”
“Pricey is good,” the sapphire-blue one winked. “Makes it more impressive as a gift.”
Chatting and laughing, they were led inside by Manager Liu.
A waiter brought out the watermelon jelly. The sapphire-blue one took a bite and froze: “This is made from watermelon? How is it so chewy?”
The man beside him laughed: “The description says it’s called jelly—it’s supposed to be like this.”
Next came several madams—wives of Lin Moqian’s business associates. They were more interested in the rainbow-striped watermelon, clustering around the display case and pointing.
“These patterns are so beautiful—just like a rainbow.”
“I heard eating it helps with beauty—is that true?”
Lin Moqian, accompanied by his wife, stepped forward at just the right moment and said with a smile: “Ladies, you’ll know once you taste it. This watermelon has high sweetness and plenty of moisture—regular consumption is indeed good for the skin.” His tone was natural, more like casual conversation than a sales pitch.
Watching from a distance, Lin Shuying admired him: her eldest brother really had a way with business.
— —
By the time Fifth Prince Xiao Shenglan’s carriage stopped at Drunk Immortal Tower’s entrance, it was already the hour of Si. He didn’t wait for the attendant to set down the footstool, jumping straight out of the carriage, startling the two eunuchs and four guards behind him into a flurry as they crowded forward to protect him.
Xiao Shenglan pushed past them impatiently and burst through the doors, immediately calling out: “Auntie! Auntie, where are you?” On his way, he made sure to greet his grandfather, grandmother, and Lin Jingshen and Lin Zhaoye: “Where’s Auntie?”
Everyone smiled and pointed toward the back courtyard.
Lin Shuying emerged from the back kitchen, and before she could speak, Xiao Shenglan had already thrown himself at her.
He was dressed in a apricot-yellow dragon-robe today, his hair tied up high—looking more spirited than usual—but there were dark circles under his eyes; clearly he hadn’t slept well.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Shuying led him inside.
“Seventh Brother is bullying me!” Xiao Shenglan’s voice was loud enough that several people nearby looked over. “He told Father that my studies were poor, so Father punished me by making me copy Mencius ten times! Ten times! I didn’t get to play outside all spring!”
Lin Shuying stifled a laugh: “Did you finish copying it?”
“I did.” Xiao Shenglan pouted. “But Seventh Brother said my handwriting was bad and made me rewrite it all… Auntie, don’t you think he did that on purpose?”
Lin Shuying didn’t answer. She led him to the display stand, picked up a piece of watermelon jelly, and handed it to him: “Try this.”
Xiao Shenglan took a bite, and his eyes lit up: “Delicious! What is this?”
“Watermelon jelly.” Lin Shuying handed him a cup of the cold noodles. “Try this too.”
Xiao Shenglan finished both in two bites, and his mood visibly improved. Carrying the empty dish, he began wandering around the hall. When he saw the square watermelon, he nearly pressed his face against the glass case: “This melon… why is it square?”
“Grown in a mold.” Lin Shuying pulled him over to see the wine-scented watermelon. “This one’s even more interesting—take a sniff.”
Xiao Shenglan leaned in to smell it, frowning: “It smells like wine? Can I eat it?”
“You can, but don’t eat too much—you might get tipsy.”
Xiao Shenglan didn’t believe her and insisted on trying a piece.
Lin Shuying had a waiter cut a small piece for him. He ate it, smacked his lips, and said: “It’s a bit sweet and a bit tangy… not very intoxicating at all.”
Wandering around some more, he spotted a dish of cold mixed watermelon rind on another part of the display, picked it up, tasted it, and made a strange face: “Auntie, is this watermelon rind? Why is it salty?”
“It’s cold-mixed,” Lin Shuying explained. “Clears heat and soothes the summer heat.”
Xiao Shenglan finished the whole dish and went back to look for more jelly.
Wei Fuyu watched in astonishment: “This kid sure has an appetite.”
Zhao Di’er also looked over and murmured: “The Fifth Prince really can eat.”
Lin Jingshen walked over and added: “Takes after his mother.”
Lin Shuying led Xiao Shenglan around the hall for a while longer, letting him sample every snack, before finally settling him at a seat by the window.
Xiao Shenglan took a sip of tea, let out a small burp, and suddenly said: “Auntie, I don’t want to go back to the palace.”
“Why?”
“There’s nothing fun in the palace. Father reviews memorials all day, Mother tends her flowers or holds tea parties with the Empress, Crown Prince Brother ignores everyone, Imperial Sister always pinches my cheeks, and Seventh Brother reads all day…” He counted on his fingers. “Only your place is fun—there’s melons to eat and people fighting.”
“Fighting?”
“Just now in the back courtyard, I saw those two ladies sparring a bit,” Xiao Shenglan said. “You know, practicing—not real fighting.”
Lin Shuying glanced at Wei Fuyu and Zhao Di’er standing by the door and understood. She and her mother spent a good while persuading him before finally talking the Fifth Prince out of following her back to Little Lin Manor.
— —
Seventh Prince Xiao Shengrui arrived at the end of the hour of Si. He had changed into a bamboo-green robe with a white jade pendant at his waist, looking more relaxed than usual. He was accompanied by only one eunuch, no guards.
As soon as he entered, his gaze fell on Lin Shuying.
Xiao Shenglan was pestering her with questions about how square watermelons were grown, so absorbed in the conversation that he didn’t notice his brother.
Xiao Shengrui walked over and stood listening for a while before speaking: “Fifth Brother.”
Xiao Shenglan turned, and when he saw who it was, his expression shifted: “Seventh Brother.”
“Father sent you?”
“Yes.” Xiao Shenglan shrank back behind Lin Shuying. “Mother said to come and broaden my horizons.”
Xiao Shengrui didn’t say much more, just nodded, then looked at Lin Shuying and lowered his voice: “Father is here.”
Lin Shuying was taken aback.
“Upstairs, in plain clothes.”
Lin Shuying glanced upward, then looked back: “Understood.”
“Mother also sent someone,” Xiao Shengrui continued. “You don’t need to do anything special—just carry on as usual.”
He walked over to the display stands, exchanged a few words with Manager Liu as if asking about the melons.
Lin Shuying watched his back, then pulled Xiao Shenglan out from behind her: “Your Seventh Brother isn’t here to cause you trouble.”
Xiao Shenglan peered out, relieved: “Then what’s he here for?”
“To eat melon.”
Yang Wanli had come along as well, but he didn’t go upstairs—he stayed in the main hall. Holding a folding fan, he stood before the display for a while, then went to look at the watermelon snacks. He tried a piece of jelly, nodded slightly, and seemed to be looking for someone.
Lin Moqian had just come out of the back kitchen carrying a freshly cut tray of watermelon.
Yang Wanli spotted him and walked over: “Eldest Master Lin.”
“Master Yang.” Lin Moqian set down the tray and clasped his hands in greeting.
“This tasting event is well done,” Yang Wanli said. “I sampled a few things—the flavors are all excellent. Especially that watermelon jelly—very delicately made.”
Lin Moqian smiled: “It was my sister’s idea. She enjoys experimenting with these foods.”
Yang Wanli paused, then asked: “Has your younger sister studied in a private school?”
“For a few years,” Lin Moqian replied naturally, without much thought. “She’s been clever since she was young—she remembered everything the teacher taught. Later she stopped going and studied at home on her own.”
Yang Wanli nodded and asked again: “Does your household have a young scholar by the name of ‘Lin Wuying’—about the same age as your sister?”
Lin Moqian paused, thought for a moment, then pointed at Lin Zhaoye, who was chatting with someone near the display stand: “There is one about that age—my third brother.”
Yang Wanli looked over.
The young man had delicate features, indeed bearing some resemblance to Lin Shuying.
He remembered that day at the Imperial Academy’s final evaluation—the young master “Lin Wuying” had been about this age, with this same look.
“Young Master Lin is certainly an impressive talent,” Yang Wanli said, his mind made up. “His learning must be considerable as well.”
Lin Moqian cast a skeptical glance at his younger brother, then smiled: “Master Yang, you flatter him too much.”
“With the Third Young Master’s ability, if he participates in this autumn’s provincial examinations, he should pass the juren level. Next spring’s imperial examinations and entry into officialdom—great prospects await him.”
The smile on Lin Moqian’s face froze for a moment.
If his third brother studied even half as hard as Shuying, those words might actually come true. He only said aloud: “Thank you for your kind words, Master Yang.”
Yang Wanli glanced at Lin Zhaoye one more time, then turned to examine the wine-scented watermelon.
Lin Moqian stood there, watching Yang Wanli’s retreating back, frowning slightly. But he didn’t dwell on it and went back to greeting the guests.
After the Fifth Prince had wandered around the hall to his heart’s content, Lin Shuying took him to the back courtyard to see something new.
A few small tables were set up in the yard, with uncut watermelons and several glass molds on them.
“So this is what you use to grow square watermelons?” Xiao Shenglan crouched down and touched the mold.
“Yes.” Lin Shuying crouched beside him. “Once the melon grows big enough, you put this on it, and it’ll grow into a square shape.”
Xiao Shenglan stared at the small melon inside the mold and suddenly said: “Auntie, can I grow one too?”
“You want to?”
“Yes.” Xiao Shenglan was uncharacteristically serious. “I want to grow one for Father. He always says I only know how to play and never do anything useful. If I can grow a square watermelon, he’ll definitely be happy.”
Lin Shuying patted his shoulder: “Alright—I’ll teach you.”
Leave a Reply