May had arrived.
The temperature in the Jade Capital had stopped climbing, at least.
According to Meng Chunqiu and Jiang Lai, only a few days from then on would be any hotter. Otherwise, the temperature would stay about the same until autumn. By that measure, the Jade Capital really wasn't such a hot city.
Final exams were approaching, too.
Classes would mostly stop late this month, and the various colleges would begin their final assessments after the twentieth. Summer break would start rolling in through June.
Summer break was about as long as winter break, lasting until late July.
Chen Shu put together a few more songs and sold them to Wen Han.
Wen Han must have spoken with Highness Cinnabar over the past few months, or at least learned the price Highness Cinnabar had offered. This time, he opened by offering Chen Shu the same price and terms, making his attitude clear.
That certainly earned him some goodwill.
Chen Shu figured that if he needed more money later, he would sell him "A Laugh Across the Vast Sea" as well. If he didn't, he would leave it. Putting the song together was a hassle.
Not over the next few days, though.
He had to make a trip to Spirit Prefecture.
The fourth day of May.
In the Small Courtyard.
Chen Shu, Chen Banxia, and the little girl sat around the stone table, earnestly wrapping rice dumplings under Peach's watchful eye.
There were both sweet and savory ones.
Chen Shu didn't belong to either camp. Sweet or savory, he loved rice dumplings as long as they tasted good.
The sweet ones came in chestnut and pineapple flavors.
The savory ones had either peas and pork or spicy Crayfish.
Chestnut rice dumplings were fairly common. He added some red rice to