Encounter
"Stupid girl, I just saw you!" Mu Feng grinned at Jiujin and waved his fists. "Come down!"
"What do you want me to come down for? You think I didn't beat you up enough last time, huh?" Jiujin rolled up her sleeves. "Come on! Watch me, I'll knock your teeth out!"
"Hey, this stinky girl dares to call herself my aunt in front of me!" Mu Feng was so angry that he laughed.
"You scared?"
"Come up!" Jiujin climbed onto the carriage shaft, standing with her hands on her hips as she pointed at Mu Feng.
"Come down!"
"Come up!"
Lu Qian watched the two of them bickering and sighed. "Xiaofeng, stop messing around and come here already."
Yu Linlang also stepped out of the carriage. Seeing the two of them quarrel like black-eyed chickens, she couldn't help but smile slightly.
Mu Zhao raised a hand and smacked his younger brother on the head. "Don't make a scene in the street!"
Then, he turned to Yu Linlang with a gentle smile, his eyes bright like stars. "Miss Yu, since we've met by chance, why not take this opportunity to share a meal? This plum blossom soup cake is quite delicious."
Yu Linlang, realizing she was a little hungry, nodded graciously. "I would like to thank Your Highness for the treat."
Jiujin helped her down from the carriage, still glaring at Mu Feng beside her, humming and huffing.
Yu Linlang tugged at Jiujin's sleeve, then turned to Mu Zhao. "My maid has a bit of a temper. She actually hit Young Master Mu last time. My apologies."
Mu Zhao smiled warmly. "It's just childish squabbling. Let them handle it themselves—we needn't worry about it."
"Brother!" Mu Feng, who had just been called a child, shouted indignantly.
Mu Zhao ignored him. "Weren't you saying something about helping the old man get rid of the bandits? Why don't you go check on that instead?" He then instructed, "Have the driver move the carriage to an open space ahead so we don't block the road here."
Hearing this, Mu Feng remembered his so-called serious task and rushed over to the food stall. The guards were already helping the old man clean up the broken stools and chairs. Without hesitation, he joined them.
The old man, who ran the soup cake stall, panicked at the sight of a noble young master helping him. He hurriedly reached out to stop him. "Young master, please, you shouldn't trouble yourself!"
Once the cleanup was mostly done, the old man bowed deeply in gratitude. "Thank you, young masters and young ladies, for your help. If you don't mind, allow me to offer you all a bowl of plum blossom soup cake as thanks."
Mu Zhao nodded with a smile. "You run a small business; we can't let you suffer a loss. Please serve us each a bowl, and we'll pay the regular price."
"Alright, alright! Please take a seat, dear guests. I'll prepare it right away!" The old man nodded happily and turned to instruct his apprentice.
Mu Zhao first gestured for Yu Linlang and Jiujin to sit down before taking a seat himself, along with Mu Feng and Lu Qian.
The seating arrangement was simple—Yu Linlang sat to Mu Zhao's left, while Jiujin sat next to Mu Feng on the right.
As soon as they settled down, the two troublemakers started arguing again, this time over chopsticks and bowls. The others—Mu Zhao, Lu Qian, Yu Linlang, and the stall owner's apprentice—watched in silence, their expressions unreadable.
Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Lu Qian finally lost patience. He smacked Mu Feng on the head. "Enough! If you want to bicker, go sit at another table."
Mu Feng sulked, looking wronged. Lu Qian chuckled. "You're a young man, yet you're always arguing with a girl. Alright, alright, I'll get you a chicken leg later, so stop making a fuss."
Mu Feng's eyes lit up at the promise.
Jiujin huffed but didn't say anything. Instead, she carefully picked up a pot of hot water and rinsed her bowls and chopsticks three times.
Noticing three pairs of eyes watching her, Yu Linlang spoke up seriously, "Uh, she… she's been obsessed with cleanliness since childhood."
Mu Feng muttered under his breath, "What a weirdo."
Just then, Lu Qian, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly remembered something. "Miss Yu, do you recall the old woman from that infanticide case? The one who was caught cheating people near Huichuntang in the west of the city?"
Yu Linlang looked at him in surprise. "The family of three that exposed her?"
"Yes, them." Lu Qian's eyes gleamed with intrigue. "You'd never guess what happened to her."
"You mentioned before that the old woman—over fifty years old—was eventually pardoned."
"Yes, she was sent home three days ago. But!" He paused dramatically. "She was killed on the way back… by a mad cow."
Mu Feng, intrigued by the bizarre turn of events, leaned in. "Huh? Brother Lu, why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"
"I only heard about it last night."
"How did she get killed by a mad cow?" Mu Feng asked eagerly.
"She was rammed into a tree. By the time the countryside coroners arrived, her body was already stiff, still stuck against the trunk. When they pulled her down, they found something behind her."
"What was it?!" Mu Feng asked, as if listening to a ghost story.
"Half a talisman from the Hall of Hell."
Mu Zhao narrowed his eyes but remained silent.
Mu Feng, on the other hand, gasped dramatically. "Ah?! Brother Lu, are you saying… this old woman was killed by the King of Hell?"
"The King of Hell has returned!"
He turned to Jiujin and smirked. "Little girl, you probably don't know what the Hall of Hell is, do you?"
He lowered his voice, acting mysteriously. "Three years ago, the Hall of Hell appeared. It was terrifying! They caused an uproar all over the country."
"People say the Hall of Hell only kills the ruthless and wicked, serving justice where it is lacking. Over the past three years, they've executed corrupt officials and criminals alike!"
"Let me tell you, the Hall of Hell is actually quite popular among the people."
Before he could continue rambling, the old man's apprentice arrived with steaming plates of soup cakes.
Mu Zhao patted Mu Feng's shoulder. "Eat. Maybe that'll shut you up for a while."
With the arrival of food, the heavy topic of the Hall of Hell was quickly replaced by enthusiastic discussions about the delicious soup cake.
Yu Linlang scooped up a plum blossom-shaped dumpling, took a sip of the fresh chicken broth, and smiled contentedly.
The soup cakes were plump, their light pink hue floating in golden broth, the delicate shape resembling blooming plum blossoms. The taste was as good as it looked.
The ancients were right—good food truly brings happiness.
Lu Qian sighed in satisfaction. "Changshi wasn't lying. This plum blossom soup cake is as poetic and picturesque as it is delicious."
"No wonder bandits are always causing trouble here," Mu Feng mused. "With skills like this, the old man must be making a fortune."
"Brother, we should come back tomorrow!"
"If Miss Linlang likes it," Mu Zhao said with a faint smile, "then we shall return tomorrow."
Yu Linlang blinked in surprise before meeting the prince's gaze. His smile was subtle, yet meaningful.
For some reason, she found herself smiling back.