Jinshi relays the new case brought to him for Maomao by Lakan, that of a deceased metalworker with three surviving apprentice sons. The oldest son got the original workshop shack, the middle son furniture, and the youngest got a fishbowl. The final note in the will asks the sons to “have a tea party together, like old times.”
It’s not like Maomao is going to turn down such an intriguing case, what with the odd bequethals, and upon visiting the workshop shack (under the guise of Basen’s assistant again) she notices a strange chunk of metal prominently displayed. A chest of drawers with a lock but a key that won’t fit is bolted down, while the only window is a western-style, tall, and blocked by a chestnut tree outside.
They have tea together as the will advised, but while youngest son is helpful and hopeful their father’s wishes can be divined, his two older brothers are cynical to the point of disinterest. That is, until Maomao notes the sunlight coming from the strange window, and notices the base of the glass fishbowl matches the shape of a discolored surface of a cabinet located beneath the window.
When she places the bowl on its original position and fills it with water, the engraved design on the bowl focuses the sunlight into a narrow beam that goes straight into the keyhole, creating a wisp of smoke. The middle son’s key now works, as Maomao suspects it had been blocked by hard solder the sun melted.
The molten metal then poured into a mold, creating a key that opens the other drawers, each a different width and containing a different metal. Maomao suspects those differences might be a recipe for a specific alloy. The two older sons, convinced their father pulled a posthumous prank on them, start to storm out in a huff, but they’re stopped by their younger brother.
He wants to honor the will and get along with them again, so he wants them to continue working together. The older sons say he has true talent and Dad only cared about him. But the youngest, who spent the most time with their dad, knows he cared about them all equally. The youngest may have the metalworking talent, but oldest is calm and accurate, while the middle son has the best people skills.
Before departing, Maomao tells the youngest one more thing: should he ever feel unwell, he should visit an apothecary named Luomen at the Verdegris House, and he’ll treat him properly. With that, Lakan reports the case solved to his satisfaction. The three brothers are now working happily together, with the middle son finding and handling clients and the oldest handling the books.
Jinshi asks Lakan to continue his previous story by telling him how he reduced the value of the courtesan he liked, but Lakan tells him to “direct that inquiry to someone who knows that world.” Lakan also said that “those with talent should receive attention,” which not only refers to the metalworker’s sons, but Detective Maomao.
Once Lakan finally leaves, Gaoshun reports something to an already wiped Jinshi, and the next thing we know, he’s summoning Maomao to his chambers and asking her to do his makeup. Could Jinshi be getting ready to go undercover to investigate the courtesan?
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