Ever since Fourth Master had coarse grains at Jinyu Pavilion and even awarded the Imperial Kitchen, a trend of imitation had swept through the residence.
Under the honorable guise of frugality.
When Fourth Master dined in the main courtyard, he found two small bamboo baskets on the table, one filled with yellow cornmeal cakes, and the other with the sorghum vegetable cakes he had eaten before.
Fourth Master was momentarily surprised but didn't pay it much mind.
The surprise came from the fact that Fujin never broke protocol when it came to meals. Dinings in the main courtyard were always exceptionally lavish. Both cold and hot dishes, sweets, soups, plentiful in number.
Thus, Fourth Master graciously ate a small, delicate cornmeal cake.
Soon after, Fourth Master noticed that the direction of the wind in the residence was off.
When he visited Lady Li, he, too, found an assortment of coarse grains.