が大好きな季節、中秋節となった。
今年は天気に恵まれ、満月の出番まではまだまだある夕暮れの時刻に、食堂前の広場ではたくさんの灯篭が灯されている。
そこで複数設置されている卓を囲む宮女たちが、それぞれに談笑していた。
その中の一人である雨妹がいる卓の上には、中秋節ならではの御馳走が並んでいた。
あれから数回収穫作業に立候補して手に入れた栗が入った月餅や、先日屋台で見たかぼちゃ饅頭を参考に作った月餅、甘薯入りの月餅と、月餅だけでも雨妹も手伝って
これが辺境での巨大月餅ではなく、小さな掌程度の大きさで、食べやすくてとてもいいのだ。
あと月餅以外だと、鴨を焼いたものがあった。
――くぅ~っ、どれも美味しそう!
雨妹は幸せの光景に感激する。
秋の美味しいものを食べながら、お月様を愛でるとは、なんて風流なのだろうか?
今世でこれほど御馳走に囲まれた中秋節は初めてで、雨妹は作ってくれた美娜が月に住まう仙女様に見える。
キラキラした目で卓を見つめる雨妹に、美娜が苦笑を漏らす。
、見てばっかりいないで食べな」
「はぁい、いただきます!」
美娜に促され、雨妹は早速月餅に手を伸ばす。
まずは自分の労力も加わっている栗月餅からだ。
香ばしく口当たりの良い皮に包まれた餡はしっとりとしていて、その中にある小さく砕かれた栗がしっかりと主張していて、甘さもちょうどいい。
「――うん、栗月餅おいしぃ~♪」
とたんに、雨妹はフニャリと表情を緩ませる。
「栗の粒感を残したんだが、イケるだろう?」
美娜も同じく栗月餅を食べながら、「うんうん」と頷いている。
瓜って種しか食べたことなかったけど、実を蒸かせば結構甘くなるのがあるって初めて知ったよ」
美娜が初挑戦のかぼちゃ瓜の月餅を勧めてくる。
こちらは餡がかぼちゃそのままで、なんだか懐かしい気持ちになる。
きっと美娜のことだから、これでかぼちゃ料理を考えてくれることだろう。
月餅ばかりを食べていては口の中が甘くなるので、たまに鴨もつまんだりしていると。
そう言いながら現れたのは、包みを下げた立彬であった。
「あ、立彬様、中秋節おめでとうございます!」
雨妹はまず、中秋節の挨拶を述べる。
「満月の祝福が届くよう、お祈り申し上げる」
立彬も挨拶を返してきたが、それにしても立淋の挨拶はなんだかお洒落だ。
「立彬様、太子宮でも中秋節のお祝いをしているのではないんですか?」
雨妹がそう尋ねると、立彬は眉を上げる。
「あちらは長丁場だからな、ずっと貼りついていることもあるまい」
――お偉い人たちは夜型人間だしね。
夜に寝るのが早い宮女と違って、あちらは中秋節の宴がまだ始まってもいないのかもしれない。
そんな風に考える雨妹に、立彬が持っている包みを差し出してきた。
「これは土産だ。
なんと、立彬は月餅をもってきてくれたそうだ。さすが立彬、雨妹のことをわかっている男だ。
雨妹は受け取った包みを、早速開く。
包みの中はお洒落な箱であり、それに詰められた月餅もまた、お洒落であった。
――きっと太子殿下からだよね、コレって。
立彬が個人的にどこかで手に入れたものである可能性とてあるが、それよりもそちらの方が可能性が高いだろう。
それにしても、月餅に囲まれるとは幸せの光景である。
雨妹がホクホク顔で月餅にかぶりついている横で、美娜が立彬に卓の上の月餅を勧めている。
阿妹が瓜の実の饅頭を食べたっていうから、それを参考に作った瓜の実月餅だ」
立彬がかぼちゃ月餅に手を伸ばし、頬張る。
「うむ、ほんのり甘いな」
「だろう? 瓜にも色々あるんだねぇ」
立彬と美娜が頷き合っている。どうやらかぼちゃは人気を徐々に上げていきそうだ。
そんな風に、この場が月餅パーティとなっていると。
「月見の席に、混ぜてもらってもよいかな?」
そんな男の声がしたので、雨妹がそちらを見れば、手荷物を持った楊に連れられた宦官の
It was finally Yui Mei's favorite season's Mid-Autumn Festival.
They were blessed with fair weather this year. It was dusk, so there was still time before the rising of the full moon. Several lanterns lit the square in front of the dining hall.
The court ladies happily chatted while sitting around the tables that had been set up in that place.
Yui Mei was also there, sitting alone, and a feast distinctive of the Mid-Autumn Festival was spread on the table before her.
There were several types of mooncakes -- ones filled with the chestnuts that she harvested during the several times that she volunteered to gather them, ones that were made based on the squash buns that she had seen at the food stall the other day, ones with sweet potato filling inside, and there were also several different mooncakes that Mei Na made with the help of Yui Mei.
These mooncakes were the size of a small palm unlike those giant ones that they made in the countryside. They were very convenient to eat.
There was also roasted duck aside from the mooncakes.
'Mmm, all of them look so yummy!'
Yui Mei was filled with bliss at the pleasant view.
How elegant was it to be able to enjoy such good autumnal food while admiring the moon?
This was the first time Yui Mei experienced such a splendid autumn feast in this life. Mei Na made all of these, so Yui Mei couldn't help but see her as a fairy from the moon.
Mei Na laughed when she saw her eyes glittering as she stared at the table.
"Hey, Ah Mei, don't just stare at it and start eating."
"Okay~ thanks for the food, let's dig in!"
Mei Na urged on Yui Mei, so she immediately stretched her hand towards the table.
She started with the mooncakes that she also helped make.
The taste of the red bean taste wrapped in the smooth, fragrant skin was mellow, with the bits of chestnut giving it a great contrast. The sweetness was also on point.
"Yup, chestnut mooncakes are really delish~"
Yui Mei broke into a wide grin.
"I didn't crush the chestnuts too much, so it's a bit grainy. Tastes good, right?"
Mei Na also nodded while eating the chestnut mooncakes.
"These gourd moon cakes are also delicious, you know? Gourd fruit can be quite sweet after steaming, huh. I've only ever eaten the seeds, so it's the first time I learned about this."
Mei Na recommended the squash mooncakes that she tried making for the first time.
The filling was made from squash as it is, so it brought a nostalgic feeling to Yui Mei.
It's Mei Na we're talking about here, so she was probably thinking about whipping up more recipes for squash.
Yui Mei's mouth was filled with sweetness due to eating only mooncakes, so she also took some of the duck from time to time.
Libin appeared, and he placed his bundle on the table.
"Oh, Lord Libin, happy Mid-Autumn Festival to you!"
Yui Mei extended her season's greetings first.
"I pray that you enjoy the blessings brought about by the full moon."
Libin returned the greeting, but it was too stylish.
"Libin, isn't the Crown Prince's Palace also celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
Li Bin raised a brow at Yui Mei's question.
"That's over a long stretch of time, and I can't stick around there all the time."
'Ohh, true, the big wigs are night owls, after all.'
Unlike the court ladies who had to sleep early in the evening, the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet over there probably hadn't even started there.
Yui Mei was musing over it, when Libin offered the bundle that he brought.
"Here's a present for you. We're talking about you, so I thought that the more mooncakes you have, the better it is for you."
Surprisingly, Libin also brought some mooncakes for her. As expected of Libin, he really knew Yui Mei too well.
She opened the package right away.
It contained a stylish box, and even the mooncakes inside were elegant.
'This is probably from His Highness the Crown Prince.'
Libin could also obtain something like this on his own, but it was more probable that it was from him.
Nevertheless, being surrounded by mooncakes was truly such a blissful sight.
Yui Mei stuffed her cheeks with the mooncakes, while Mei Na recommended the mooncakes on the table to Libin.
"Libin, these are new products. Ah Mei wanted to eat mooncakes made from gourd fruit, so I made it based on that."
Libin took one of the squash mooncakes and bit it.
"Mm, it's slightly sweet."
"Right? So there's a lot more to gourd."
Libin and Mei Na nodded to each other. It seemed like squash's popularity would increase steadily from now on.
And so, this place turned into a mooncake party.
"Is it alright if I join you this Autumn Moon Viewing?"
Yui Mei turned around when she heard a man's voice. Yang carried a bundle, accompanied by Eunuch Du.
Housekeeper of the Hundred Blossom Palace
百花宮のお掃除係～転生した新米宮女、後宮のお悩み解決します。
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/housekeeper-of-the-hundred-blossom-palace/
Fantasy Romance Shoujo Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Ancient China Complex Family Relationships Different Social Status Female Protagonist Imperial Harem Love Interest Falls in Love First Reincarnated in Another World Royalty
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4104ev/
黒辺あゆみ