Live Again, Love Anew

Chapter 7- Looking at the Elders

Summary

Wei Ying studies poisons. Lan Zhan looks into the Elders. The Aunties in the kitchen love Wei Ying to death. Who is Mao Fenfang?

Beginning Note

Hope my American readers had a fun 4th of July. If you're not American, hope you had a good day regardless. Next chapter is going to be a bunch of big revelations, but not all will be revealed. Enjoy reading!

Wei Wuxian

It's been four days since they'd put their plan into action. They'd managed, between the two of them, to shadow the servant at every meal on the first day. No signs of tampering or foul play was found.

Presently, Wei Wuxian is holed up in one of the private rooms of the library looking up poisons. Lan Zhan is looking into the backgrounds of the Elders in between Uncle's meetings. When it comes time to look into Lan Zhan's parent's backgrounds, Wei Wuxian will take over the research with Lan Zhan doubling as a guard to make sure Uncle doesn't return early, and a sounding board. No one knows Aunty Yue and her husband as well as Lan Zhan, afterall.

Poisons have been a lot more interesting than he first thought. He definitely wouldn't become a healer or anything, but all the reading and names and facts have been surprisingly easy to learn.

Some of the plants he learned about were harmless in small amounts, and used as tea or perfume, and some were even medicinal if used right. Others were poisonous no matter how you cooked it, or cut it, or treated it. There was even this one plant that could kill a non-cultivator if you ate even a single berry.

He also surprisingly learned about a lot of animals. You would think that animals and humans would be affected the same way by plants like these, but that would be absolutely wrong. Some of the less deadly plants that would be toxic to humans in larger amounts are gobbled down by animals by the wagonload without even batting an eye.

Wei Wuxian is reading about a type of ivy that causes rashes when the bell tolls, signaling a new hour and the start of lunch. He picks up the books and carefully puts them back in their places. He then grabs his notes, makes sure the ink is dry, rolls them up, and shoves them up his sleeves. He can put them away in the Jingshi after he grabs his lunch.

He follows the scattered group of people headed to the banquet hall, but instead of entering, he goes around to the back where the kitchens are. The nice aunties there know the routine by now, and inform him that Lan Zhan has already gotten his food as they hand him his bowl and a cup of his preferred tea. Like usual, he tells them they don't have to brew him tea, their job only stipulates that they cook everyone's food, not personally brew anyone's tea, but they brush it off with a pat to his head and, much to his surprise, two candies tucked into his sleeve, luckily the one not holding his notes.

"We've had quite a few births in recent years." An aunty barely three heads taller than he is, who simply calls herself Bai, explains.

Wei Wuxian always calls her 'Aunty Bai', or 'Big Sis Bai', but she always brushes him off; 'I have wrinkles down to my toes. I'm too old for 'big sister' and you're a Young Master. Just 'Bai' is fine.' .

Wei Wuxian counters with, 'I'm not a Young Master, just Lan Zhan's friend.' . Aunty Bai raises an eyebrow and just hands him his food and tea with a pat on the head like she always does.

Not surprisingly, Wei Wuxian insists on a title, and they haven't come to an agreement even weeks later.

"More births means more children." Aunty Bai continues explaining. "So us old coots in the kitchen have tried to make candies and other sweets." She shakes her head with a sigh. "Not many of us are any good. Pastries are simple, but candy? Something different entirely. And I'm sure you know that Master Lan wouldn't give us a budget for this." She sighs again before smiling. "So give it a try with the Second Young Master, would you? If they're any good, just pop in before dinner and I'll give you a few more. If not, then pop in anyway and I'll give you some lotus cakes instead. Now run along! Second Young Master'll probably get grey hair if you make him wait any longer!"