Page 48 of Markets & Mooncakes

Nate lets out a frustrated noise and I look over. "I made one too thin." He holds up the mooncake which has lotus paste peeking through the skin.

"Ah."

"Well, nothing I can do about that," he says as he puts it to the side. "And definitely something to be wary of."

"Is it an easy thing to fix?"

"Probably not," he says. "But it's good to know how many on average go wrong in a batch in case I ever have to make a specific number of them."

"Thankfully, I doubt that we need twelve for my tea with Veronica and Lady Sun Jinglan."

He laughs. "Probably not. The good news is that it won't be a situation like with Lady Elizabeth where she doesn't like cake."

"Why would you remind me of that? It was very awkward," I say. "And sad when Veronica explained that someone might have made Lady Elizabeth feel bad about her weight and that's why she didn't want to eat cake. I know Mama has her moments of not helping, but at least she doesn't do that."

"The Queen just wants to protect you," he says as he puts the last of his mooncakes on the baking tray.

"I know." I sigh and lean against the table. "The mooncakes look really good. They're so beautiful."

"They are," he agrees. "I'm not sure what I expected when Lady Sun Jinglan mentioned mooncakes to me, but these are far more beautiful than what I had in my mind."

"I thought they'd look more like the moon," I admit.

"She told me that the moon's on the inside," he says. "When you cut through it and see the egg yolk."

Understanding dawns on me. "That makes so much sense."

"I'm going to put them in the ice house to rest before baking. But you're going to have to wait until tomorrow to try them."

"I'm sad we won't get to try them together," I admit.

He steps closer to me and takes my hands in his. "I know. But you'll be able to ask Lady Sun Jinglan all of the questions you have about them, and then you'll be able to tell me about them."

"Are you going to be down here tomorrow night?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "Or not until very late."

"Another lesson?"

"A tailor's appointment, apparently."

"Mama is making you do a lot very quickly." I hope that it's not going to scare him away.

"I know." He raises my hand to his lips and kisses it. "But it'll be worth it."

"Will you come to see me once you're done?" I ask, looking up into his eyes, hoping that he's going to say yes.

"Of course."

My heart lifts at the words. I'm not sure if it's the same as baking with him, but it's just as good. Maybe it's even better.

Chapter 20

I'm a little worried about how it's going to feel to have a stranger in the mountain solar when it's the space for me and my siblings. Well, and for Artie's wife too. I suppose she was a stranger once too, so maybe it's no different for Lady Sun Jinglan. She's a near-stranger now, but she seems to be nice.

At least Veronica is with me, though she seems more flustered than I normally expect. Maybe it's the prospect of seeing Lady Sun Jinglan again. Despite my sister's insistence that there's no chance of there being a dalliance between them, and that she can ignore whatever it is she's feeling towards the ambassador's daughter, it doesn't seem to be possible.

"You can leave if you want," I say.