A Sprinkle of Snowflakes: 1-4 Pineapple Cake

*To think that such shameless people exist in this world.*

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## Transcript

Expand for script.

* Mr. Du promises to attend the hundredth-day celebration in three days, which puts my anxious heart at ease.
* As long as the hundredth-day celebration in three days goes smoothly, I will be able to keep my inn and fulfill the commission of the December Spirit.

* When we say goodbye to Mr. Du, the sky has already darkened.
* After the rain, the sky is clear. The moonlight, no longer obscured by clouds, freely spills onto the road.
* Liansheng and I link arms and chat casually as we walk towards the inn.
* **Liansheng:** Huh? It's so late, why would anyone still be looking for Mr. Du?

* Suddenly, Liansheng slows down her pace. Confused, she looks at the two sedan chairs turning round the corner.
* **You:** How do you know they're here to see Mr. Du?

* **Liansheng:** They're coming in this direction, and only Mr. Du's residence is here.

* **Liansheng:** It's obvious, isn't it?

* Liansheng is curious and playful. We have only just arrived in Maozhou and she has already explored every street in the city.
* **You:** Hmm... Mr. Du seems quite well-known. Perhaps some household is seeking his advice on an important matter.

* **You:** Let's not stare at them anymore.

* Liansheng nods, but as we pass by the sedan chair bearers, she can't help but sneak a glance at the sedan chair.
* **Liansheng:** These sedan chair bearers... seem familiar...

* Liansheng murmurs quietly, and just as I am about to respond, she suddenly stops in her tracks.
* **Liansheng:** I'm going to do some investigating, Master Chef.

* Before I can object, Liansheng transforms into a tiny speck of light and floats towards the sedan chair...

* **Liansheng:** Master Chef! The lady sitting in the sedan is Madam Zhao, the Censorate official's wife.

* Liansheng soon returns. She turns back into her human form, and eagerly gives me the news.
* **Liansheng:** In the other sedan chair, there is a housekeeper holding a food box.

* **Liansheng:** The food box is made to look like a container for pineapple cake, but it's actually filled with silver!

* **You:** Are they giving that to Mr. Du?

* **Liansheng:** Most likely.

* **Liansheng:** And I'm afraid it could be related to the banquets in three days.

* **You:** I guessed as much too.

* **You:** There's a rumor going around that Official Zhao once wanted to demote Official Chen from his position.

* **You:** As soon as news spread that Madam Chen was hosting a banquet for her daughter, Madam Zhao immediately thought of inviting Mr. Du under the guise of having her unborn child become his student.

* **You:** This is clearly a move against the Chen family.

* **You:** Mr. Du avoids fish bones, so logically speaking, when the old servant found fish bones in the porridge, a conclusion could already be drawn.

* **You:** But the old servant was taking a while to decide, which means that the dishes prepared by the Zhao family probably weren't quite to Mr. Du's taste.

* **You:** Madam Zhao is probably feeling a little uneasy since she hasn't received a response from the Du family.

* **Liansheng:** I've never really understood why Madam Chen and Madam Zhao are so eager to invite Mr. Du to dinner.

* **Liansheng:** One child is only 100 days old, and another child is still in the womb.

* **Liansheng:** Is it necessary to make preparations this early?

* **You:** The feud between the Chen and Zhao families is well-known among the people of Maozhou.

* **You:** At first glance, it seems like a dispute over a banquet, but in reality, it's a competition to see who can get Mr. Du's support first.

* **You:** The gentleman has been in office for many years and understands the ways of the world. Once he takes in a child from one family, it becomes difficult for him to take in another as an apprentice.

* **You:** Also, no matter which child the teacher takes as his apprentice first—

* **You:** There will be rivalry and pressure if both children are under his tutelage.

* **You:** So the teacher can probably only teach one of these children.

* **Liansheng:** No wonder the two wives are so anxious.

* **Liansheng:** What do we do now?

* **Liansheng:** Want me to go spy on them?

* **You:** Although Madam Chen is our employer, it's not appropriate for us to get too involved in this matter.

* **You:** Let's just go back to Madam Chen's house and tell her everything that has happened.

* **Madam Chen:** Hmph, Zhao is just asking for trouble.

* After we explain everything, Madam Chen looks at us disdainfully.
* **Madam Chen:** The gentleman has always been upright and honest, and cannot be bought with a few pieces of silver.

* **Madam Chen:** Instead of worrying about this and that, why don't you go back and carefully study the recipes?

* **Madam Chen:** In three days, it will be little Daomi's hundredth-day celebration. You must not fail me.

* Liansheng is very dissatisfied with Madam Chen's reaction.
* She clenches her small fists and glares at Madam Chen with anger.
* **Liansheng:** You can rest assured about our work. It's this Madam Zhao who's the problem.

* **Liansheng:** Aren't you afraid that Mr. Du will accept her gift and change his mind?

* **Madam Chen:** That won't happen.

* **Madam Chen:** In order to help little Daomi stand out, I searched high and low and put in a lot of effort to find a teacher who is both virtuous and talented.

* **Madam Chen:** If what you're saying comes true, then the gentleman can be bought for just a bit of silver, which would make a mockery of all the research I did.

* **Madam Chen:** And if that really happens, I'll just accept it as fate.

* **Madam Chen:** I won't blame it on you.

* Now that Madam Chen has spoken her mind on the matter, I have no choice but to take my leave. But then, she suddenly issues a stern reminder.
* **Madam Chen:** I've mentioned before that the hundredth-day celebration is very important to me.

* **Madam Chen:** If anything goes wrong, I won't let you off the hook!

* Madam Chen's reaction greatly displeases Liansheng, who repeatedly states that she will no longer be involved in this matter.
* In order for the hundredth-day celebration to proceed smoothly, I am doing my best to anticipate all possible scenarios and provide solutions.
* Whenever I come across an uncertainty, I discuss it with Madam Chen. In just one day, I have entered and exited the Chen residence countless times.
* Fortunately, although Liansheng is very unhappy about it all, she keeps supporting me from beginning to end.
* The banquet is only one day away. I arrive at the Chen mansion again, and to my surprise...

* **Attendant:** Why are you all here? Didn't you receive a message from the lady?

* **You:** What message?

* **Attendant:** It looks like you ladies don't know yet, but Mr. Du changed his mind!

* **Attendant:** He's not coming to the hundredth-day celebration tomorrow. He's going to attend the Censorate official's banquet!

* **You:** How could this happen?

* **Attendant:** Oh, after getting the news, the madam hurriedly rushed to the Du residence. You should go take a look too!

* I pull myself back together and hurry to the Du residence with Liansheng.

* When we arrive at the Du residence, there are already many onlookers gathered in front of the courtyard.
* I struggle to push through the crowd and finally catch sight of Madam Chen.
* **You:** Ma'am, what exactly is going on?

* **Madam Chen:** Quit acting like you don't know what's happening!

* **Madam Chen:** How dare you deceive me! I'll destroy your inn!

* **Liansheng:** Deceive you?

* Liansheng spreads her arms and stands in front of me.
* **Madam Chen:** You refuse to admit it?

* **Madam Chen:** The old servant of the Du family tells me that they made the decision early on to attend the Zhao family's banquet.

* **Madam Chen:** No wonder you all came to me that day and told me such a tall tale. Turns out you were just trying to cover your own tracks!

* **Madam Chen:** You two have no shame. Not only did you ruin all of my hard work, but you've also made a fool out of me!

* **Madam Chen:** I'm going to make sure we settle this!

* Madam Chen is furious. She pounces towards Liansheng, but a Du family servant manages to stop her.
* **Old Servant:** Madam, please calm down.

* **Old Servant:** Mr. Du appreciates everything you've done.

* **Old Servant:** You know he avoids fish bones, and it's really hard to detect such things mixed in porridge.

* **Old Servant:** He was also very troubled about the decision. He hopes that you can understand.

* The old servant trembles before Madam Chen.
* Although he is smiling, his tone is firm and leaves no room for negotiation.
* **You:** Hey, Liu, why did your household change their decision?

* Madam Chen is surprised by my confrontation. She looks at us in astonishment.
* Even the noisy crowd has gone quiet. I take a deep breath and turn to face the old servant.
* **You:** Two days ago, I made a dish called "The Jade Three" for Mr. Du. He really liked it and said he would attend.

* **You:** Why has he changed his mind in just two days?

* The old servant turns his gaze towards me, stares at me for a moment, then shakes his head and sighs.
* **Old Servant:** I thought the chef at the Commoner's Court would have more dignity.

* **Old Servant:** When you saw things were going wrong, you turned around and blamed others.

* **Old Servant:** Two days ago, you did indeed visit the master. But after he learned of the intentions for your visit, he asked you to leave.

* **Old Servant:** You guys haven't taken a single step inside this mansion, and we've never heard of this "Jade Three" either.

* **Liansheng:** Hmph! Someone wanted to lick the pot clean when he ate our Jade Three two days ago!

* **Liansheng:** And now he's thrown the spoon away, pretending not to know anything.

* **Liansheng:** I think you received bribes from the Zhao family, and that's why you changed your mind at the last minute!

* The crowd starts chattering away.
* The old servant's expression becomes somewhat strained, but he soon composes himself and glares angrily at Liansheng.
* **Old Servant:** Don't talk nonsense!

* **Old Servant:** Mr. Du's integrity is well-known.

* **Old Servant:** You guys aren't great at cooking, so when you lost the cooking competition, you started making up stories.

* **Old Servant:** Do you have any evidence that the master has received bribes from the Zhao family, as you claim?

* Liansheng is speechless.
* Indeed, we only saw Madam Zhao carrying silver to the Du Mansion, and did not witness the Du family accepting it with our own eyes.
* And no one else was present.
* **Old Servant:** This farce ends here. Everyone, please leave.

* The old servant's face is filled with unconcealed pride, and he turns around to prepare to return to the mansion.
* The people behind us are still discussing, or rather, blaming our inn.
* I feel angry, embarrassed, and anxious all at once, but I must force my mind to start working and think of a solution.
* Finally, just as the old servant steps through the gate, I come up with an idea. It's somewhat risky, but it just might work.
* **You:** I can prove that I didn't lie!

* Upon hearing my voice, the old servant of the Du family turns around in surprise.
* **You:** In the kitchen of your house, there's a pot lid made of cedar wood with six tiny holes on the inside of the lid.

* **You:** I left those holes there when I pinned an anchovy to that wooden lid while making the Jade Three.

* **You:** Just a moment ago, Liu said that I had never set foot in the Du Mansion. Then how would I know there are holes in that lid?

* In an instant, the old servant's face turns gray.
* **You:** (Looks like I guessed right. Three days is a short amount of time and it's easy to overlook one lid.)

* **You:** (They haven't thrown away the lid!)

* **Liansheng:** Right! Do you dare let us enter the Du Mansion and show everyone the lid?

* As soon as these words are spoken, everyone stops talking and all eyes are on the old servant.
* The old servant's face turns pale and then green, and after a long while, he uncomfortably clears his throat.
* **Old Servant:** My master is feeling unwell, so it's not appropriate to have guests inside.

* **Old Servant:** A lid doesn't really prove anything.

* **Old Servant:** I'm getting old and tired, so please go home, everyone.

* **Liansheng:** If he's not feeling well, he shouldn't attend the Zhao family's banquet tomorrow.

* The old servant ignores Liansheng's sarcastic remarks and enters the courtyard of the Du residence, surrounded by many other servants.
* **Middle-Aged Man:** Is what they're saying about Liu true?

* A middle-aged man quickly speaks up to inquire when the gates of the Du Mansion are not yet tightly closed.
* **Middle-Aged Man:** Did Mr. Du really change his mind only after receiving bribes from the Zhao family?

* Unfortunately, besides the heavy sound of the courtyard gate closing, the man receives no answer.
* **Smug Young Man:** There must be another reason for all this.

* After a brief moment of silence, another man cautiously speaks up.
* **Smug Young Man:** Everyone knows that Mr. Du is honest and upright. He wouldn't do such corrupt things even if he's faced with difficulties.

* The young man's words are met with much agreement.
* No matter how much the crowd talks, the vermilion gate of the Du residence remains closed.