Chapter 108: Xia Yu Reveals the Hidden Truth, a Woman Terrified Outside the Teahouse

When guests arrive, do not mock childish playfulness; the bustling red dust of the city intoxicates with a sorrowful charm.

The young girl selling osmanthus cakes was very curious about the two magic tricks performed by Gao Ming, so she felt somewhat disappointed when he left. Unexpectedly, Xia Yu seemed to know the secret behind them.

“Hehe,” Xia Yu smiled mysteriously, then lowered his voice and began to explain.

“As the saying goes, no pies fall from the sky. If you want to know the secrets behind the Five-Colored Wine trick and the Dragon Swimming in Tea trick, you must do something first,” Song Mo suddenly said.

Xia Yu looked puzzled, and the girl blushed shyly, saying, “I don’t have any money…”

Seeing her pitiful expression, Song Mo couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’ve misunderstood. I just want you to taste your own osmanthus cake.”

The girl’s expression tightened slightly as she softly asked, “Could it be that the osmanthus cake isn’t to your taste?”

Song Mo shook his head with a smile. “It’s delicious, but I think you haven’t tasted it yourself yet.”

She lowered her head because she truly hadn’t tried it—she was reluctant to part with it.

The osmanthus blossoms of this Mid-Autumn Festival were about to wither. Though their fragrance lingered, they seemed somewhat bloated. Therefore, the osmanthus used to steam the cakes was gathered from dew-kissed flowers.

Dew-kissed osmanthus is easy to understand—it refers to the flower tips collected early on autumn mornings, glistening with dew, used for steaming the cakes.

This rare osmanthus cake was something the girl couldn’t bear to eat herself; she needed to sell as many as possible before winter came to exchange for silver coins.

Otherwise, in the cold days, apart from the plum blossoms and snowflakes that could freely delight the spirit, millet and charcoal would both require money.

“Go ahead, consider it as me buying it again,” Song Mo said, handing over two taels of silver to the girl.

She was momentarily stunned. She knew Song Mo was generous, but the surprise only lasted a moment.

“That won’t do. These osmanthus cakes were bought by you; I’ll eat them,” she said, though short on silver, she still declined.

Song Mo did not insist and took back the silver.

The girl gently lifted the white cloth embroidered with a kingfisher from the bamboo basket. Song Mo clearly saw only three pieces of osmanthus cake left inside.

She delicately picked up one piece, broke off a small portion with her right hand, and placed it in her mouth. Her manner was exquisitely graceful, hardly befitting that of a street vendor.

“By the way, little sister, what’s your name?” Xia Yu asked loudly and casually.

“Ya’er, Si Ya’er,” the girl smiled gently.

“Ya’er—graceful and silent with tender hands that caress a lover’s robe—such a lovely name!” Xia Yu exclaimed.

Song Mo couldn’t help but glance at Xia Yu with respect; he hadn’t expected his seemingly rough companion to utter such elegant verses.

“Hehe, I originally wanted to praise Jade Sister but ended up using it on Ya’er little sister,” Xia Yu said, slightly embarrassed.

Song Mo suddenly understood—Xia Yu was still thinking about Jade Sister.

“A good story should accompany tea. Let me tell you the secret behind the magic tricks,” Xia Yu said quickly, noticing Song Mo’s uneasy gaze and hastily changing the subject.

It turned out the Five-Colored Wine trick and the Dragon Swimming in Tea trick both held mysteries.

First, the Five-Colored Wine; the wine itself was clear and slightly cloudy, but it could never naturally turn red, yellow, green, or black.

Eager to show off, Xia Yu narrated animatedly, full of pride.

“Guess how the magician Gao Ming made the four glasses of wine change colors?” Xia Yu teased.

Si Ya’er put down her osmanthus cake, rested her cheek on her hand, and pondered. “I saw him blow on it. Could it be because of that?”

Xia Yu grinned broadly. “Of course not. Do you think he’s some god or immortal? Blowing on the wine can change its color?”

Seeing Xia Yu’s denial, a look of confusion spread across Si Ya’er’s charming face, making her seem utterly naive.

“Well? Don’t know, right?” Xia Yu said smugly.

“It’s the fingernail gaps,” Song Mo suddenly said.

Xia Yu’s smile froze. Song Mo knew he was right.

“How did you know?” Xia Yu asked.

“Just a guess,” Song Mo replied casually, though he was certain.

When Gao Ming performed the Five-Colored Wine trick, Song Mo happened to glance up and noticed something.

Gao Ming’s technique was a bit clumsy; while blowing air into the glass, some powder fell from his fingernail gaps into the glass.

In fact, Gao Ming made mistakes—for example, his hand trembled nervously, and a small amount of powder fell on the rim of the glass.

Because the tea drinkers were far from the stage, no one noticed.

“What exactly happened?” Si Ya’er’s large eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Her long eyelashes resembled the shadows of aquatic plants in the garden on a Mid-Autumn night, though less intertwined.

Clearing his throat deliberately, Xia Yu explained, “The secret lies in the magician’s fingernail gaps. The Five-Colored Wine trick requires pre-prepared powders of turmeric, alkali, alum, and gallnut.”

“The first glass—the magician silently flicks turmeric powder as he blows air, turning the wine yellow.”

“The second glass—alkali powder is flicked in, turning the wine red.”

“The third glass—alum powder makes the wine green.”

Xia Yu paused, then continued, “The last glass is more complicated; it requires a mixture of alum and gallnut powder, turning the wine black.”

Si Ya’er’s eyes widened. “Is it really that simple?”

Xia Yu nodded. “The trick looks clever, but once revealed, it’s nothing special.”

Si Ya’er frowned thoughtfully. “Then why does adding turmeric and alum powder change the wine’s color?”

Xia Yu was stumped. After hesitating, he said, “It just changes color. Why overthink it?”

Song Mo pondered silently, thinking it likely involved some chemistry, but dared not say so. What if Si Ya’er asked him what chemistry was?

“What about the Dragon Swimming in Tea trick?” Si Ya’er asked again.

This time, Xia Yu was wiser and didn’t dodge the question. “The Dragon Swimming in Tea trick is also an illusion. The magician first cuts strips of jellyfish skin about two inches long, soaks them in white wine jars, then dries them. This soaking and drying repeats five times before use.”

“When performing the trick, the magician secretly places the treated jellyfish strips inside the teacup. When hot tea is poured in, the strips rotate and swirl like a little dragon swimming in the tea—that’s why it’s called Dragon Swimming in Tea.”

After hearing this, Si Ya’er’s eyes widened in disbelief, and after a long pause, she timidly asked, “So we’re actually drinking jellyfish skin?”

Xia Yu laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, Ya’er. Jellyfish skin is quite nutritious.”

Reassured by Xia Yu’s words, Si Ya’er relaxed.

The three sipped tea before the Buddha, chatting idly. Song Mo and Xia Yu freely introduced themselves and offered help should Si Ya’er encounter any trouble.

As noon approached, Song Mo intended to invite Xia Yu and Si Ya’er to a banquet at a tavern.

At that moment, suddenly, a commotion arose outside the teahouse.

Immediately following was the sharp scream of a woman.

“Mother! Someone’s been killed!”