Month: October 2024

The Eastern Palace~ The Eastern Palace was as serene as a temple. The mansion filled with statues of the Buddha and vast collection of classic writings, most transcribed on wooden scrolls, wasn’t a place for a ruckus, but there was one happening. Eunuch Bao almost tripped over the hunched figure in maroon. A senior eunuch […]

Magnolia Manor~ The kitchen was lively and filled with delicious aromas from succulent roasted suckling pigs, golden, crispy-skinned ducks, braised abalones, steamed whole fishes, longevity noodles, and sweet white shrimp filled the air. The summer mitten crabs from Yangcheng Lake and a variety of sweets like cakes, candies, caramelized fruits, crispy treats with honey, sesame […]

Qingshui City~ It was oddly satisfying. A-li found an unexpected pleasure fixing Jinghua’s hair. She dipped the comb into the special hair elixir she had made. The warm mixture was rice water infused with pomelo peels, ginger, and fleece flower root from the garden out back. With a practiced dexterity, a skill she gained from […]

Qingshui City Jinghua- While A-li prepared the dough, I tended to the stove fire. The long day ends with A-li making a simple dinner, liangpi: cold spicy noodles with fresh cucumber and cilantro, a dish perfect for the warm weather. We eat fast, relishing the flavor with little conversation. Afterwards, A-li wordlessly gathers the empty […]

Princess Yueli – A-li “I’m leaving in the morning.” Jinghua said. She hiccupped violently, painfully. Jinghua surprised her by suddenly announcing that he had been assigned a task by Jingyuan. He would be leaving tomorrow morning, as he revealed during the family meal. It was all too sudden. She gasped and choked on her food […]