Chapter 32 Rumors about Braised Lamb

When I arrived at Lu Ji's shop, the shopkeeper had someone deliver a large cartload of goods: three bags of new flour, five cans of sugar, sesame seeds... and newly ordered plum blossom cake molds.

Lu Qiong picked up a jar of sugar, not forgetting to instruct the servant behind her: "Put the new noodles at the bottom of the wooden shelf, and put the rest on top."

A bag of flour weighed about half a person. The servant squatted down in a horse stance, carried the flour on his shoulder, and steadily moved it to the wooden shelf by the back door.

After the things were put away, Sister Yang gave the servant a few copper coins and a bowl of iced bean water, saying, "Young master, you've worked hard."

The servant smiled, brought the bowl to his lips, drank it all in one gulp, and sighed, "So refreshing!"

The bean water left a sweet aftertaste, making him want another bowl. But that was just a thought; he had to deliver goods to the next customer later, otherwise he wouldn't earn any money and would just spend it all.

After seeing the servant off, Sister Yang went around to the wooden shelf and unpacked the newly bought dough to make Qiaoguo (a type of pastry). Although the Qixi Festival was over, many customers still enjoyed it, and even though only one pot was made each day, it sold out quickly.

"Young lady, has the matter of this shop been resolved?"

Lu Qiong picked out the empty sugar jars and put the new earthenware urns on top. Now, she wasn't as anxious as before when she heard about this.

"I'll go talk to Third Sister Shi in the next couple of days and see if I can save this shop. Even if she wants to raise the rent, I'll have to agree."

She had only acquired it for two taels because Sister Yun was in a hurry to sell, but she could only accept a rent of six taels at most; anything higher wouldn't be worth it.

Sister Yang nodded and agreed, "That's the only way."

"However, young lady, you should make things clear to Xuan-jie as soon as possible. There have been some rumors lately, and I'm afraid you've heard quite a bit."

This was also a source of great distress for Lu Qiong. Before the matter was completely resolved, she did not want Lu Xuan to get involved, since she could not help and could only worry in vain.

Lu Qiong put the things away and brushed the dust off her hands: "Let's talk to Third Sister Shi first. It's not too late to talk about it after things are settled."

After moving to Bianjing, Lu Xuan met many people of similar age. Sometimes they would deliberately go to Lu's Restaurant and stay there for a while. They would also walk on the Bian River, enjoying the scenery and chatting.

"My mother said your shop is closing down, is that true?"

Wei Pan was half a head shorter than Lu Xuan, and she had to look up to meet her gaze when talking to her.

This was because none of the family members were particularly tall, and their frames were small. So, Wei Pan's mother spent all her time trying to make her younger brother stronger, but he still didn't seem to grow taller. However, Wei Pan wouldn't just stand by and watch; she would always hide some food for herself, such as adding an extra sweet potato when boiling it, and then secretly taking it away when it was almost cooked.

Once she had hidden something, she would take it to the Bian River to eat, sit on the stone steps and feel the wind blowing across the river, taking away the summer heat.

At first, there was only one person, but later Lu Xuan was brought along. Sometimes when they met Lu Qiong, they could eat freshly baked pastries, washed fruits, and cool, refreshing water.

When Lu Xuan came out, she brought a few Qiaoguo (a type of pastry), which felt soft and fluffy in her hand. She shared half with Wei Pan, her eyes still sparkling with the lights of the streets and alleys: "Where did your mother hear that from?"

"I don't know either, just take it as my mother talking nonsense."

Wei Pan took a bite of the Qiaoguo crumbs, swallowed them quickly, and mumbled, "But you're so lucky to be able to eat so much delicious food every day. This is so soft and fragrant. My mother also made Qiaoguo, but she was stingy with the sugar and didn't put in many eggs. It's like eating a vegetarian steamed bun."

Lu Xuan knew she loved to eat, so she simply gave her the rest: "You eat first, I still have to go back to the shop. Next time I'll bring you some crispy mountain cakes with lots of ice."

Wei Pan was still holding several Qiaoguo (a type of pastry), which were almost overflowing. When she heard about food, her eyes lit up: "Then hurry up and go. Remember to bring me some food next time! I'll bring you some too."

Lu Xuan nodded with amusement: "I understand."

Walking along the Bian River, you'll find shops and stalls everywhere, and as evening approaches, more and more people come out to cool off. At the Zhou Bridge, the lights are dim, and the river reflects the sparse figures of people, with laughter echoing from time to time.

Yang San Niang was also strolling along the Bian River with her three-year-old daughter, Pei Ya. Unexpectedly, Pei Ya's legs were too short to walk fast, and Yang San Niang couldn't carry her. She was both angry and resentful: "If we don't walk faster, we won't be able to eat the soup noodles."

Pei Ya was too young to speak, afraid that she wouldn't get to eat the soup dumplings her mother had mentioned. Her face flushed, she ran off, barely managing to keep up with Yang San Niang's pace.

Yang San Niang led Pei Ya down the bridge and saw Lu Xuan walking from the Bian River beside her. Remembering the rumors she had heard recently, she smiled and asked, "Xuan-jie, where are you going?"

Lu Xuan rarely interacted with Yang San Niang. Even if they met in the alley, they would only exchange a glance and then leave. She neither liked nor disliked Yang San Niang. Pei Ya, on the other hand, was more likable to her.

However, seeing Yang San Niang's smile today made me feel uncomfortable, but I still remembered what my elder sister had said: don't create distance between yourself and others.

She smiled and said, "I came out for some fresh air and was just about to go back to Lu's place, so I won't bother you any longer, Third Sister."

Yang San Niang pretended to be casual and said, "Oh, is your shop going to open with Shi San Niang? That's really a good thing. After all, Shi San Niang is a famous cook in Bianjing. Even rich people can't hire her."

Lu Xuan thought of her sister, who had been incredibly busy these past few days, and her doubts deepened. She had only found Wei Pan's words laughable, but Yang San Niang, with her inquisitive nature and gossipy nature, was undeniably telling the truth.

If what Yang San Niang said is true, then why didn't her older sister tell her? However, Yang San Niang doesn't seem to have good intentions, so it's best not to let her see through the flaws.

"Thank you for your concern, Third Sister. This matter still needs to be decided by Elder Sister. If Third Sister has nothing else to say, I will go back now, as I have been very busy lately."

Seeing that she had no reaction, Yang San Niang felt frustrated and could only vent her anger on Pei Ya. She grabbed her and shouted, "If you don't hurry up, you'll miss us again!"

With something on her mind, Lu Xuan didn't care that Yang San Niang was still behind her, so she quickened her pace to hurry back. Just as she reached the door, she heard her older sister and the others talking about this matter.

It turns out it was true...

"Sister, why did you keep this from me?" Lu Xuan was angry.

Lu Qiong hadn't expected to be overheard. Looking at her red eyes, she was momentarily dazed. Thinking of Yun-jie, it took her a while to calm down. She gently put her hand on her shoulder and said, "Sister can handle this."

Upon hearing this, tears welled up in Lu Xuan's eyes. She felt that her elder sister had never cared about her. In Shangyuan Village, she would always turn to Yu Niang first when something happened. Her trip to Bianjing was premeditated. And now that Lu Ji was in trouble, she had discussed it with her.

She knew in her heart that she didn't want her to worry, but she still felt sad. Yang Jie'er knew, Wei Pan knew, even San Niang knew, but she was the only one who didn't know.

The group huddled together, yet remained quiet. The new diners were at a loss, and after hesitating, they finally spoke up: "Young lady, are there any leftover crispy cakes? My child at home is craving them, so we'd like two servings."

Lu Xuan always made the crispy mountain dessert, and she quickly agreed, "There are still bayberry ones left."

"Then I'll have two servings of bayberries." Seeing the tears on her face, the customer didn't dare to ask for anything more.

Lu Xuan held back her tears and went to the back door to get ice. The hammer pounded loudly, as if the house was about to collapse, which stunned Lu Qiong, who followed her.

Now she finally understood that this person was truly angry and couldn't be appeased. Turning to face the diners, the two stared at each other, and Lu Qiong gave an awkward laugh: "She's strong."

Fearing that diners might not believe him, he added, "It's always like this."

Next, Sister Yang became the messenger. Whenever Lu Xuan needed something, she would call Sister Yang, who would then pass it on to Lu Qiong.

Lu Xuan put the bayberries into a basin, sprinkled a handful of salt on the water, dipped her hands in the water, and gently rubbed the bayberry skin: "Tomorrow I'll bring Pan'er some crispy mountain cakes, as well as Qiaoguo (a type of pastry) and pear blossom cakes."

Sister Yang nodded and turned to pass on the message. Lu Qiong was rinsing cold noodles at the stove next to her. The noodles were still smooth and elastic, and they spun around in the air when she scooped them up.

She agreed first: "No, I've been eating too much of that these past few days, it's too cold."

Before Yang Jie'er could turn her head, Lu Xuan whispered to herself, "I insist, and I want to bring two portions."

Yang Jie'er didn't hear what was said clearly, and Lu Qiong didn't hear it either. They thought that Lu Xuan had taken her words to heart and wasn't so angry anymore, so they felt relieved and went to serve the diners.

I also added a side of braised mutton to the cold noodles; it was tender, juicy, and glistening with oil.

The diner thought the wrong dish had been served: "Manager Lu, I didn't order braised mutton, is there a mistake?"

“No mistake,” Lu Qiong said in a good mood. “I cooked too much braised mutton today, so I just gave you an extra portion.”

Hearing that it was free, the diners felt relieved and took a bite of the braised mutton. The mutton was a large piece that was stewed in a pot with the sauce until it was tender before being taken out and sliced. It was fragrant, soft, and bursting with juice with every bite.

He even slurped up the juices left from the cold noodles, still wanting more. He took a sip of jasmine tea from his teacup to wash away the greasiness of the sauce, and let out a satisfied burp. Only then could he say that life was complete.

As the customer was leaving, he said with a smile, "Manager Lu, your sauce is the best. I can't taste this flavor at other places. They're either not fresh enough or bland."

Lu Qiong smiled and saw him off, saying, "Then you must come again next time!"

Spices are expensive, and other families are reluctant to use them, but she is willing to spend money on them. Moreover, the price of the braised meat she makes is not high. Even if she sells one serving, she doesn't make much money, as it all offsets the cost of the spices.

However, this was all because the shop rent was low. Thinking of this, her smile faded a bit, after all, there was still a big problem.

As long as this matter remains unresolved, I feel like I'm on edge, constantly afraid it will snap.

As dusk approached, the porter came to fetch water and chatted about Shi San Niang. Shi San Niang had come to Bianjing five or six years ago, and the reputation of San Niang's soup noodle shop had also been built up in those years. In her early twenties, she worked as an assistant, just like Sister Yang.

"And then?" Lu Qiong handed him a bowl of water.

Rarely did anyone seem willing to listen to his story. The porter smiled, took the bowl, drank a mouthful, and smacked his lips.

"Later, she saved up some money and borrowed it from a money exchange to open a shop. At that time, it wasn't common to open a shop, so some people advised her not to be impulsive. Unexpectedly, her business became better and better. She not only paid off the debt but also bought a house in the city, which was said to cost several hundred strings of cash!"

That's several hundred strings of cash... so this house must be huge.

Lu Qiong also wanted to buy a house in Bianjing, but she couldn't even afford ten strings of cash, so she could only envy her from the bottom of her heart.

Seeing the envy in her eyes, the porter handed her the bowl and lowered his voice to avoid being overheard: "Don't be fooled by her current success. When she first started out, some relatives came looking for her, saying she was a jinx who had killed everyone in her family. Back then, everyone was terrified and dared not patronize her shop. It was only later that things got better."

Recalling the recent rumors, and knowing that he had received many benefits from Lu Qiong, the porter comforted her.

“You’re no less capable than her. You opened your own shop at the same age. Even if your shop eventually goes out of business, you’ll have enough to talk about for most of your life.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Qiong didn't know whether to be angry or amused: "Don't we need to go to Chen's to change the water today?"

"Oops," the porter tapped his head, "How could I forget? I've been telling you so much..."

He carried the buckets on his shoulder, waved, and hurried off to the Bian River to fetch water.