Shengjing's spring was nearing its end, gradually showing signs of summer's fervor.
Early in the morning, the gate of the Ke Family's residence in the south of the city was pushed open, and a middle-aged woman came out.
This woman wore a honey-colored silk blouse that was slightly worn, her hair coiled up in a bun, with a plump, round figure and a kindly face. She was carrying a bamboo basket on her arm.
The gatekeeper greeted her, "Nanny Wan."
Wan Fu Household's own nodded in response and headed straight toward the Guanxiang Flower Market.
Madam Ke had a sweet tooth, and Wan Fu was skilled in making sweets, especially expert at steaming cakes fashioned from various fresh flowers. Recently, Madam Ke's favorite had been the Plum Cake, made with plum blossom ground into juice mixed into fresh pastry, pressed into small plum flower shapes and arranged on plates, pleasing to both the eye and the palate.
