Mei Garden was not a single garden but a vast expanse of parkland.
Built along the natural contours of the mountain, the plum trees were interspersed with winding paths paved with variously colored pebbles. Pavilions and towers complemented each other, connected by ornate, meandering corridors. When the plum blossoms were in full bloom, they would draw throngs of visitors to admire the scenery.
Admiring plum blossoms had always been an elegant pastime, and such a spectacular display meant that even with higher ticket prices, they were always in high demand.
However, it was still early, and the plum blossoms had only just begun to open, so the number of tourists was not yet overwhelming.
Situ Yao deliberately slowed his pace, walking alongside me. The soft crunch of his deerskin boots on the snow was the only sound.
A cold gust of wind swept through, sending a flurry of residual snow and crimson petals drifting down from the branches. The scene was so beautiful that I couldn't resist reaching out. Petals and snowflakes landed together in my palm. The melting snow transformed into water droplets, making the petals appear even more vibrant.
As we rounded a bend, a pair of figures appeared ahead.
The man was plucking a plum blossom and tucking it into the woman's hair. She looked up and smiled, asking softly, "Is it beautiful?"
"Exquisitely beautiful."
Her smile deepened, and the two of them continued walking hand in hand.
The woman's hair was unbound, as was customary for an unmarried lady.
I had seen unmarried men and women openly together in Jiangnan, and as long as their conduct was not overly improper, no one would interfere. It was only in the strictly regimented capital that the distinction between men and women was paramount.
Situ Yao suddenly stopped, reaching out to pluck a branch of red plum blossom, about a foot long. "Miss Wang, may I offer this to you?"
I quickly took a step back, shielding my hair with my hand. "Your Highness, I am dressed as a man today."
My hair was also styled in a man's coiffure, not suitable for wearing flowers.
Situ Yao's expression faltered for a moment. "This flower is for you to take back and put in a vase. One should bring something back from a visit to Mei Garden."
As I hesitated whether to accept it, a maidservant with a double-bun hairstyle emerged from the side. She first bowed, then presented a tray to Situ Yao. "Sir, that will be one tael of silver."
Situ Yao looked bewildered. "One tael of silver for what?"
"The branch in your hand is priced at one tael."
Even having witnessed the immense profits of maritime trade, I was still astonished by the exorbitant price of this plum branch. "This single branch costs one tael? Why doesn't your master just rob people?"
The maidservant smiled politely. "Did you two gentlemen not see the sign by the entrance? It clearly states that each plucked branch costs one tael of silver. It is not that my master is trying to extort money, but rather that the plum grove is limited in size, and there are many visitors. If every person plucked flowers, these plum trees could not withstand such abuse."
That made sense.
I looked up at Situ Yao. "Did you see that sign?"
"I was too focused on finding you to notice any signs," Situ Yao replied, taking a piece of silver from his waist pouch and handing it over.
The maidservant accepted the money, her smile widening. "Thank you, sir. If you fancy the plum blossoms higher up, we can also provide a ladder."
A plum blossom costing one tael of silver—only a fool would buy it.
However, I asked, "What about that couple just now, why didn't you charge them?"
"Oh, that gentleman is the garden owner's nephew. We couldn't very well charge him," the maidservant said, paying me little attention and turning her solicitous gaze back to Situ Yao. "Sir, do you need a ladder? Look at the buds on that branch; it's the perfect time to pick it."
I tugged at Situ Yao, urging him to leave.
What garden owner's nephew? Clearly, they had deliberately arranged for someone to emulate the act of picking flowers. Hmph, this Mei Garden was lauded for its purity, but in the end, it was just a trick of a greedy merchant.
This garden owner was truly adept at making money, or rather, at swindling money.
Looking at the plum blossom Situ Yao had forced into my hand, I thought about how some fools actually fell for it. If I had known it would cost one tael of silver, I should have made Situ Yao pick the most beautiful one.
After walking a few steps, I realized I was still holding Situ Yao's hand and quickly let go.
Situ Yao, however, smiled and said, "This one tael of silver was well spent."
"Bah, you lecher." He was clearly pleased that I had held his hand.
This fellow had not only become much thicker-skinned but also considerably more glib. Yet, with his looks and his sincere tone, I truly couldn't equate him with the kind of libertine who casually flirted with ladies. I could only glare at him and ignore him.
The roasted venison in the plum grove was indeed delicious, and paired with the fruit wine, it made me feel utterly content.
Situ Yao also ate his fill. Afterwards, he said, "Venison is a rare delicacy, and it's not available every day in Mei Garden. Would you like to buy some to take back?"
"Let's forget the venison; it doesn't taste as good when re-roasted after cooling. However, this fruit wine, I could stock up on some."
I ordered fifty jars of fruit wine and left my address for them to deliver.