Jinling Osmanthus Cake: Hairpin Shadows Entwined with Fate

In autumnal Jinling, Li Xiuyuan, steward of Wenyuan Pavilion, is at his wits' end over the refreshments for the Elegant Food and Poetry Gathering. Who can take charge of the feast's pastries? He searches every street and alley before finally finding Su Haitang, an inheritor of Laomendong's steamed-cake craft, a recognized item of intangible cultural heritage. But Su Haitang makes a bold proposal: create pastries inspired by the Twelve Beauties of Jinling from Dream of the Red Chamber! How can local ingredients like lotus seeds from Xuanwu Lake and water caltrops from Mochou Lake be transformed into pastries that capture each of the twelve women's personalities? And how much of the novel's spirit will they preserve?

The idea even catches the attention of the Third Prince, Xiao Yixuan. Why does he offer to help of his own accord, carrying a Jinling woodblock edition of Dream of the Red Chamber? As he accompanies Su Haitang in choosing ingredients, adjusting copper molds, and controlling the heat, why must Daiyu's "Xiaoxiang Mooncake" blend the bitterness of lotus hearts with the fragrance of osmanthus? And why does Baochai's "Hengwu Cool-Scent Cake" leave a lingering sweetness of almond beneath its plum-blossom fragrance? As they spend time together, Xiao Yixuan falls for Su Haitang's craftsmanship, while Li Xiuyuan, too, falls in love with her. Why does he ultimately choose to step behind the scenes and give her his full support?

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.