Page 5 of Markets & Mooncakes

"Yes, if possible," I respond, knowing that Nate will have questions. I'm going to have questions. But I know that Nate is going to spend his time thinking about what he might make with the things he discovers.

I look at him only to get a smile that makes my heart skip a beat in response. It's not a new look, but I can tell that it makes me feel differently.

The man behind the counter seems just as pleased by my answer and tells us to wait while he moves around the shelves and pulls a few things down. He reappears a few moments later with a small tray of preserved fruit and sets it down in front of us.

"Please, try." He gestures to it.

"What is everything?" Nate asks, leaning over and taking a look.

"This is ginger," the man says, gesturing to the small yellow pieces covered in sugar. "It helps the body be warm. But it is best if you have a cool body."

I frown, not really knowing what that means.

"I don't think I've heard of that before," Nate says. "What does it mean?" He puts a hand on the small of my back, and I lean into his touch even while being in public. It's nice, I like it. And the fact that he knew what my question was without me saying anything.

"It is about how your body runs. It is a balance between hot and cool," the man says. "There are many ways to tell which you are. And you can be both in different areas of your body."

"Well, that's just confusing," I mutter.

He smiles. "I suspect that you are mostly hot, Your Highness."

I frown. "Is that bad?"

"Neither is bad, neither is good," he assures me. "But you should aim for balance. I have just the thing." He disappears to check through his shelves again.

"This isn't what I expected," I murmur to Nate.

He laughs. "Perhaps not, but you love learning about ingredients. This is just that." He picks up a piece of ginger and eats it. "You'll like it."

"Even if I'm hot?"

His amused smile takes away some of the sting. "Yes."

Even though I've eaten ginger plenty of times in my life, I'm surprisingly nervous as I pick up a piece and put it in my mouth. The texture is firmer than I expect, but also soft in a good way. The taste is well balanced too, sweet and spicy, like ginger should be. "That's good."

The man returns and sets three small teacups without handles down in front of us. He brings over a teapot and pours some over a small clay dragon before adding some to the cups.

"This is chrysanthemum tea," he says. "It is good for cooling the body."

"From the flower?" Nate asks.

"Yes." The man picks up his cup and blows across the top before taking a sip. He sets it down, demonstrating that it isn't poisoned.

Curious about the tea, I pick up my cup. The outside is a little hot, but it's not going to burn me. I take a sip, surprised by how flowery the tea is. I'm not sure what to make of it. The taste is nothing like the tea they've been serving in the castle, even after six years of the trade treaty.

"That's nice," Nate says as he sets his cup down, and I can tell from his expression that he's already thinking about what he could do with the flavours.

"I'm pleased you like it," the man says. "Please, try more of the fruits."

"What's this one?" I ask, pointing to a small brown fruit with wrinkles that are almost highlighted in white.

"They are li hing mui," the man responds.

I give him a blank look, not knowing any of those words or what they mean.

"What fruit is it?" Nate asks as he picks one up, presumably not recognising the words either.

"Plums," the man responds. "They are salty."