Chapter 24: The Autumn Moon Supper

The Autumn Moon rose over the plum garden, enormous and orange, and the whole Plum Pavilion went out to look at it.

The table had been carried onto the terrace above the pond.

It was long, and low, and crowded with dishes, and not one of them had been tasted by anyone.

Ruoxi stood at the end of it in her Keeper's robe with the plum-red cords, counting chairs.

There were seven.

"Seven," she said.

"Who is the seventh?"

"A surprise," said Lanyin, setting a lantern on the rail.

A small cart rattled up the garden path, led by a eunuch in a gray coat.

An older woman climbed down from it in her best blue jacket, with a covered teapot clutched in both hands.

"Ma!"

"I was invited," said Ruoxi's mother, with great dignity.

"By a card."

Ruoxi turned and looked at Mingzhu, who was coming out of the dining hall in cream silk with the phoenix comb in her hair.

"I wrote it myself," said Mingzhu.

"I signed it with my own name."

Ruoxi's mother put the teapot down on the rail and looked her over from the comb to the slippers.

"Your Highness is wearing shoes."

"Both of them, madam."

"Very good."

Fang Liyun came up the steps then with a tray of steaming bass, ginger and spring onion, and stopped when she saw the tea-seller.

The two women looked at each other, up and down.

"You are the one who makes my daughter's soy sauce," Ruoxi's mother said.

"Two days old," said Fang.

"Three, by the smell."

"Three!"

"Come and show me your pantry," said Ruoxi's mother.

The two of them went away down the steps arm in arm, arguing, while Ruoxi stood with her mouth open.

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