Chapter 40 Instant Noodles Become a Hit: The Popularity of Instant Noodles Sweeps Bianjing

Gu Tusu had to do heavy work every day, so he never cared about his clothes. Today, he wore an open sleeveless short shirt, his sun-tanned bronze arms exposed, thick and strong. The shirt didn't even have buttons. If it weren't for the long, large handkerchief hanging around his neck to wipe away sweat, his equally strong chest and abdomen, with their muscle lines barely visible, would also be completely undisguised.

Shen Miao didn't think anything was wrong. There were plenty of people dressed like that in this alley. Liu Dalang who made tofu, Wang Sanlang who sold melons and fruits, and Zeng Qilang who sold charcoal and firewood—anyone who often did heavy work at home dressed like that on ordinary days. Perhaps they would only dress properly during festivals like the New Year.

The ancients were more open-minded than she had imagined, a fact she only discovered after traveling through time.

In the Song Dynasty, which outsiders would consider extremely conservative, not only did men frequently expose their chests, but women also wore short-sleeved shirts even in the sweltering summer. The deep-V, half-chest style inherited from the Tang Dynasty was still popular. In recent years, a new trend emerged in Bianjing (Kaifeng) of wearing "underwear as outerwear," where a bra or bellyband is worn over a double-breasted gauze garment. Sometimes, walking the streets and seeing all sorts of different clothing, Shen Miao would wonder who was truly feudal and rigid. [Note]

Upon hearing Gu Tusu's voice, she casually turned her head and glanced at him, then pointed outside, asking Gu Tusu to help her put it in a place under the eaves where it wouldn't be exposed to the sun: "Thank you for your trouble, Second Brother Gu."

Then she turned back to busy herself with making soup dumplings.

Gu Tusu pushed the wine over, and when he came back, he glanced at the lame scholar standing in the shop through the window on the counter.

The scholar wore a long, flowing robe, his hair tied back with a plain silk ribbon, two ribbons cascading down his back like willow branches to his shoulders. He was even more handsome than Rong Dalang, appearing to be no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, with a refined and bright appearance. Standing there, even without speaking, his features were gentle and elegant, inexplicably reminding one of moonlight reflected on snow-covered eaves in winter. Gu Tusu didn't know how to describe him; she only felt a restless, turbulent energy coursing through her heart.

Especially after the lame scholar was slightly taken aback upon seeing him, he actually smiled and nodded, seemingly greeting this stranger in a very friendly manner.

Another scholar? Why is there yet another scholar? Suddenly, a surge of anger, which he didn't know where it came from, rushed to his head. But then he remembered the matchmaker his mother had invited to their house that morning, and his anger dissipated as if someone had punctured it with a needle.

He ultimately said nothing, turned his face away, and only whispered to Shen Miao's retreating figure, "Put it away safely, then I'm leaving."

"Oh, thank you, Second Brother Gu." Shen Miao was making noodles when she glanced back and smiled before getting back to the pot. Ever since she had her conversation with Gu Tusu, regardless of what he thought, she was now able to treat him with an open and honest attitude.

Gu Tusu then turned and left, muttering to himself that he might be destined to clash with scholars.

Others may be in conflict with the year of the God of Wealth, but he is in conflict with the scholar.

He dragged his empty cart back to his home. The yard was quiet and cool, with only a plump sparrow perched on the wall, tilting its head to the left and then to the right, seemingly oblivious to its surroundings.

Gu Tusu stared speechlessly at the chubby little bird that had flown in from who-knows-where. It was already there when he and his aunt had been arguing that morning, and it was still there. Disliking it from every angle and annoyed by its noise, Gu Tusu waved his hand forcefully in the air: "You've been watching my show all day, hurry up and go!"

The sparrow was finally startled and flew away.

After chasing away the birds that had come to watch the commotion, he cautiously went to the kitchen window and peered inside. It was still deserted and cold; Aunt Gu hadn't even left him any porridge. Knowing that his mother was still angry with him, he could only sheepishly knock on his mother's door: "Mother, are you there? I was wrong; I shouldn't have talked to you like that this morning."

Aunt Gu flung open the door and said coldly, "Tell your mother the truth, you refuse to get married, is it because you're still thinking about Sister Shen?"

Gu Tusu remained silent for a long while, then, recalling what Shen Miao had said to him, he shook his head: "No, Mother."

"Then why don't you get married?"

"Does our family have enough money to get a wife?" Gu Tusu shrugged. "I heard what you and Dad were saying. If we're going to borrow money from Xingguo Temple, we might as well save more money and avoid paying more interest. I'm already this old, a year or two won't make a difference."

Aunt Gu looked him over suspiciously.

"Really." Gu Tusu exhaled a breath of stale air and smiled with a hint of self-deprecation. "Mother, don't worry, I understand now. Whether it was three years ago or three years later, my eldest daughter has never had me in her eyes. The man she loves has never been someone like me."

Gu Tusu thought to himself, "My dear sister, she must like the look of a scholar, someone who is handsome and refined, right?" There was nothing he could do about it. His father was dark-skinned, and he had been dark-skinned since he was a child. His aunt had once said with disdain that if they were thrown into a coal mine, they probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between coal and people.

He's a big, burly man who can't read or write; he can't change.

Aunt Gu was relieved to hear what her son said and patted him on the shoulder: "You're right, so give up on that idea. Okay, I'll listen to you. Let's save up some more money, and you can settle down and marry a wife who appreciates you. That's how we'll live a prosperous life."

"Okay, I'll listen to Mother." Gu Tusu smiled, picked up the wood-chopping knife, and went back to work.

Aunt Gu, relieved of a worry, listened to her son chopping wood in the yard and happily took the large soup basin out the door. To celebrate that her stubborn son had finally come to his senses, she planned to go to Sister Shen's soup noodle shop and buy a big bowl of mutton noodles for the whole family to enjoy a good meal! It had been more than half a month since the family had eaten mutton, so they decided to indulge themselves today.

It has to be said that Sister Shen's cooking skills are truly superior to her father's, even better than his. The Gu family and the Shen family are so close that ever since Sister Shen's shop was set up and opened for business, Aunt Gu has been constantly smelling all kinds of delicious aromas wafting from across the street, especially the smell of mutton soup, which makes her dream about gnawing on a lamb leg at night.

Lamb isn't cheap, and she really couldn't make such good lamb soup herself, so to avoid wasting it, she might as well buy it ready-made.

The door to the Shen family's backyard was unlocked, and Aunt Gu pushed it open and went in. This was common in the neighborhood. The alleys behind the main street were usually very narrow, and outsiders rarely came in. The women often did light work in front of their doors, and the children from every household played in the alleys. As long as someone was home, the back door would not be locked, and they would visit each other without ever giving a proper greeting.

However, the Shen family had two dogs guarding the door, so they weren't afraid of thieves coming to their door.

She went inside, first patting the big dog's black head, then patting the little dog's yellow head, before softly calling out, "Big sister?"

No one answered. Full of suspicion, she carried the basin along the porch to the small door connecting the front shop and the back hall.

At this hour, there were few people in the shop, except for a master and servant dressed as scholars eating hot soup dumplings.

Sister Shen was sitting in the kitchen, but her upper body was leaning on the counter. She watched the two of them eat with a smile and softly instructed, "Yanshu, eat slowly. Blow on it for a while before you put it in your mouth. This porridge cools down slowly. Be careful not to burn your mouth."

The scholar then smiled and said, "He went hungry when he was young. Even though he doesn't remember much now, he still eats like a wolf and can't be changed. Last time, he ate two boxes of the cricket cakes that you taught Chef Fang to make. He got indigestion and was rolling around in pain at night. He was disheveled and crying by my bedside. It scared me half to death. I had no choice but to get up in the middle of the night and search through the drawers to find him some digestive medicine."

Shen Miao felt both sorry for him and amused. She rested her chin on her hand and pointed at Yan Shu, who was too busy eating to talk.

"You, you!"

Tiny dust particles floated in beams of light, and a warm, fragrant aroma filled the room. The three of them, separated by a curtain and bathed in sunlight, spoke softly. Their conversation was casual, a mix of topics, yet they exuded a sense of peace and tranquility.

Aunt Gu glanced at it from afar, and for some reason, turned around and silently went back. When she passed the two "dog gates" in the backyard again, she stopped and looked down at the two dogs' puzzled gazes at her return. She asked herself: Yes, why didn't I go over? I need to buy mutton noodles! Why would I come back?

Perhaps it's because they didn't want to disturb them.

She thought.

But why couldn't she bear to disturb them? She couldn't understand it either.

"I'll buy it later." Aunt Gu murmured to herself, looking at the empty basin in her hands.

***

Xie Qi finished off a bowl of soft and fluffy soup noodles, and like Yan Shu, he couldn't help but lean back slightly and let out a comfortable sigh. He had never tasted soup noodles like this before, so inexplicably delicious despite their muddled appearance. Especially since Madam Shen had specially heated up a wok after making the soup noodles, sautéing scallions, ginger, and garlic slices until golden brown, and then poured a spoonful of vinegar over them. Amidst the sizzling white smoke, she poured the boiling hot oil over the soup noodles, making their flavor even more lingering.

When the soup noodles were first served, he thought they looked rather ordinary and just nodded, thinking that the name "Chen Niangzi" was quite fitting, as it was indeed a hodgepodge of ingredients "mixed together in one pot." But after tasting it, the freshness of the vegetables, the aroma of the meat, and the chewy texture of the soup noodles came one after another.

Some soup dumplings taste good at first, but become bland and greasy the more you eat. But this muddled soup dumpling is different. The more you eat, the more you realize how wonderful it is. It has a soft and fluffy texture, like drinking a bowl of porridge, but it is much more interesting than porridge.

"The name 'Muddled' may be taken from the meaning of chaos, but it actually contains profound meaning. I'm afraid I'll never forget today's muddled state." Xie Qi placed his chopsticks neatly on the bowl and smiled gently. "I've bothered Madam Shen again today, but in order to be able to eat such delicious soup noodles, I'm afraid I'll have to bother you again in the future."

"Ninth Brother, just come on over. There's no such thing as bothering someone when you're running a business." Even though she knew that when you run a business, some people would like the food and some wouldn't, what chef wouldn't want to hear customers say it's delicious? She was pleased by the praise, so she smiled and blurted out, "I would be even happier if you could come over more often."

Xie Qi was taken aback, and then a blush crept up his ears: "Really... Then... I'll come often from now on?"

Shen Miao, unaware of anything amiss, smiled and lifted the curtain, then came over to collect the dishes and chopsticks and returned to the kitchen: "Okay."

The increasingly slanting western sunlight outside the shop dazzled Yan Shu's eyes, bringing him back to his senses from the lingering aroma of the noodles on his tongue.

Only then did he realize that it was getting late. He wiped his mouth and turned his head, wanting to ask Ninth Brother if it was time to leave now that the celebrations had been held and the soup dumplings had been eaten.

The dressing on my leg hasn't been changed yet!

But when he looked over, he saw Ninth Brother sitting there blankly, unconsciously rubbing his ear with one hand, while his eyes still followed the departing figure of Madam Shen.

"Ninth Brother? Ninth Brother?" Yan Shu called him in confusion, "We should go back now, Ninth Brother."

Xie Qicai seemed to suddenly wake from a dream, and hurriedly stood up, leaning on his cane: "Yes, yes, Madam Chen, then... then I'll take my leave first. Yanshu, fetch the money to settle the account..."

Shen Miao put the bowls and chopsticks into the sink, wiped her hands clean on her apron, and hurriedly came out to see her off: "It's time to go back. You can't let your leg linger."

As she spoke, she noticed with some confusion that Xie Qi's ears and cheeks seemed to be a little red. Was it because the noodles were too hot?

It is indeed quite hot today.

"Oh, right, Ninth Brother, Eleventh Sister also told us to take some food back with us!" Yan Shu held Xie Qi's arm, his eyes darting around cleverly. "Why don't we buy some pastries from Madam Chen? That way we won't have to go to the pastry shop." That way he could eat one more thing!

Madam Shen's pastry-making skills had completely won him over, and he no longer wanted to eat from other places.

It wasn't just him; now everyone in the Xie family knew of Madam Shen's name. Even Eleventh Sister, after eating Madam Shen's baked buns, had initially declared with great fanfare that she would emulate the ascetic monks of the Great Xiangguo Temple, practicing asceticism by abstaining from food after noon, refusing any snacks or fragrant drinks, vowing to follow this practice to the death. But ever since eating Madam Shen's baked buns, Eleventh Sister had become like a monk who had broken his vows, completely out of control.

Today a box of egg yolk pastries, tomorrow a plate of cricket cakes.

Now, who remembers the bold words they once spoke?

This has led to the fact that the person who consumes the most egg yolk pastries and cricket cakes in the Xie family nowadays is not Yanshu, but Shiyi Niang.

So, Ninth Brother insisted on going out despite his crippled leg, and she even sent her maidservant to tell him to remember to bring her back some good food. It didn't matter what it was, as long as it was delicious, novel, and something she had never tried before.

Xie Qi also remembered his sister's expectant gaze. If he went back empty-handed, she would probably nag him for days. So he looked at Shen Miao and asked, "I almost forgot about this. Did Madam Shen make any more baked buns or other pastries?"

"We did make them, but all the baked buns were sold out early this morning." Shen Miao thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I'm afraid it's too late to make more now."

Xie Qi had already guessed it. With such good skills, even when she was setting up a stall at the market, she never had trouble selling out. Now that she had a shop, naturally even more people would flock to her. He could only nod regretfully, "Then I won't trouble you."

Just as she was about to leave, two little children, barely taller than the table, appeared hand in hand outside the door. They were about four years old. The two little ones had identical pigtails sticking up in the air. One wore a royal blue shirt and the other a scarlet shirt. They had jingling silver locks around their necks. They struggled to step over the threshold with their short legs and called out to Shen Miao in their childish voices, "Sister Shen."

Shen Miao recognized them; these were the children of the Gu family, who lived behind the water house and ran an oil mill. They were twins, still young and unnamed. The chubby one was called A Bao, the older sister, and the thinner boy was called A Di, the younger brother. These two children were quite famous in their alley; everyone knew them. Their birth caused a sensation throughout the entire alley, as they were the only pair of twins born safely in Yangliu East Alley in decades, and a boy and a girl at that. Afterwards, whenever a family in the alley had a wedding, they liked to borrow these two golden boys and jade girls as lantern bearers or children for the bed-rolling ceremony.

When Sister Shen married Rong Dalang, her two children had just learned to walk, so their parents led them, stumbling along, to carry her lanterns.

Shen Miao bent down and spoke to them: "Why are you two here? Where are your parents?"

The two of them brought a large earthenware bowl with them. The younger brother held up the bowl and said to Shen Miao, "Xiang Jie said that your family has soup dumplings that can be eaten by pouring hot water on them. So Mother sent the two of us out to buy a bowl and take it back to try if it's really that amazing."

Ah Bao then pulled out a handful of greasy money and said crisply, "Sister Shen, we brought money!"

Even Sister Xiang is advertising among her friends? Shen Miao was both amused and exasperated. She took the bowl and money and said, "Alright, wait a moment." Then she turned to Xie Qi and said, "Ninth Brother, wait a moment. I'll pack the soup dumplings for them and then help you out with Yan Shu. To keep out the rats, I made the threshold of my shop a bit high. Since you have trouble walking, don't bump into anything."

Xie Qi subconsciously wanted to shake his head and say it wouldn't be troublesome, but for some reason, at this moment, he felt a little itchy and soft inside, and his feet felt like they were glued together, making it difficult for him to take a step.

Shen Miao placed a fried dough cake in the ceramic bowl, cut off a piece of the prepared soup base and threw it in, then added chopped vegetables and a braised egg. After a short while, she lifted the curtain and came out again, bending down to hand it to the two of them: "Here you go. Go home and get boiling water to pour in, then put a plate or a large bowl upside down on top and let it simmer for a little while. Can you count? Count slowly from one to two hundred. When you lift it up and see the soup cake absorb the water and separate, stir it and you can eat it."

After listening carefully, Abao nodded and curtsied to Shen Miao, saying, "Thank you, Sister Shen. We're leaving now."

The younger brother followed his older sister's example and curtsied, but was corrected by his sister, Abao: "That's our etiquette as girls. You should put your hands together. You've forgotten again!"

The younger brother stuck out his tongue, crossed his arms again, and ran after his older sister.

"You two slow down! Don't run, or you'll spill it." Shen Miao watched them chase each other across the threshold and run back into the alley, and she was worried for the instant noodles in her bowl. Luckily, they were dry noodles.

Xie Qi was distracted by Shen Miao's words, "I'll help you in a bit," while Yan Shu's eyes lit up at the soup dumplings in the two children's bowls. He had smelled them earlier! Those soup dumplings, which were said to be easy to make with just a splash, smelled so good! So he leaned forward, blinked, and asked, "Madam Shen, what kind of soup dumplings are those? How did you conjure them up in the blink of an eye?"

Shen Miao then explained to him, "This is my shop's signature dish, deep-fried instant soup noodles. It's very convenient; you just need to add boiling water to make it. Haven't you and Ninth Brother tried it yet? Would you like some?"

Yan Shu was greatly intrigued. She looked up at Ninth Brother, who was staring blankly, seemingly lost in thought. Yan Shu grew anxious and tugged hard at Xie Qi's sleeve: "Ninth Brother, Ninth Brother, let's buy some instant soup dumplings too! We can also get some for Eleventh Sister; she's probably never had them before! If you study late at night, I can just bring water and make them for you. Wouldn't that be great? We won't have to wake Chef Fang in the kitchen anymore. Last time, he was half asleep when he got up to make midnight snacks, and he kept dozing off while making them, almost burning his eyebrows from exhaustion."

Xie Qi snapped out of his daze and nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, let's buy some then, we haven't settled the bill yet."

He didn't actually hear what Yan Shu said, but he was afraid that he might lose his composure and be noticed by Madam Chen.

Whenever he went out, Yan Shu would take charge of his master's purse. So he generously stretched out his hands and counted on his chubby fingers: "Ninth Brother and I will each have a bowl, not a penny left; Eleventh Sister and her maid Ju Li will each have a bowl, First Madam and Granny Xi will each have a bowl, Third Brother... Is Third Brother still at home today? Fine, let's include Third Brother and Mo Chi, and also the young master and the old lady... Madam Chen, we want fourteen bowls!"

So many? Shen Miao was stunned for a moment before slapping her thigh and running to the kitchen: "Wait, let me go see how many pancakes are left. I remember frying only seventy this morning."

I opened the cupboard and counted the money. Luckily, I still had enough; there were fifteen yuan left.

I didn't expect the instant noodles to sell out so quickly! There won't be enough to last until evening. I'll have to fry another batch later. I'm still keeping the oil from frying the noodles in the pot to settle, but I can't fry them anymore. After Xie Qi leaves, I'll put it away and start frying a new batch.

Chen Miao usually reuses oil that has been used for frying once. Oil that has been used for frying is not necessarily inedible. If the oil has only been used once and is still clear with only a small amount of oil residue at the bottom, then only the cloudy oil with residue at the bottom needs to be discarded.

However, leftover oil from frying is more prone to rancidity and should not be used for high-temperature cooking. Chen Miao usually uses it for making dumplings, steamed buns, or when making dough or steamed bread, she sometimes needs to coat the dough with oil, so she can also use this leftover oil. It can also be used to mix cold dishes or to sauté ingredients before stir-frying. Although frying dough requires a lot of oil, she uses it so much that it's not too wasteful.

Xie Qi hadn't brought a bowl with him when he went out. Shen Miao thought for a moment, then cut open a large sheet of oil paper and wrapped the flatbread, sauce, vegetable packet, and braised egg separately. Finally, she found a large wicker basket and put all fourteen flatbreads and ingredient packets inside.

A basket isn't much, and Ninth Brother and Yanshu are considered her mentors, so giving it away wouldn't hurt. Shen Miao was quite blatant in her discrimination; if most people wanted to take things out, she would tie them up with a rope.

Yes, instant noodles can be taken away!

How could she forget such a good business opportunity! Shen Miao had a flash of inspiration and hurriedly went to Ji Ge'er's room to find his writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. When she came out with the basket, her eyes were bright, and she tilted her head slightly to Xie Qi and said, "Ninth Brother, could you please draw a flowchart of how to make instant noodles for me? I want to put it in the shop so that if someone buys it, I can just ask them to make it by following the instructions without having to explain it to them."

Xie Qi naturally agreed to such a small favor, so Chen Miao dictated how to pour water, put in the seasoning packet, pour water again, and put the lid on... He took the pen, pondered for a moment, and then began to write.

In no time, they finished painting one after another.

Shen Miao discovered that Xie Qi not only wrote well, but also painted with remarkable skill: the first picture showed two hands taking dried noodles out of the oil paper package, the second showed two hands putting dried noodles into a bowl, the third showed two hands putting in sauce, the fourth showed one hand holding a kettle and pouring water into the bowl, creating steaming hot vapor; the fifth showed a flat-mouthed plate covering the bowl, and the sixth showed a young woman lifting the lid to eat noodles.

As she read to the end, she suddenly realized that the young woman Xie Qi had sketched with a few strokes bore a striking resemblance to herself, and she smiled knowingly.

This is her noodles, so Xie Jiuge drew a picture of her eating noodles.

After he finished drawing, Shen Miao asked him to write short notes next to each small drawing, such as "Place dried noodles" and "Pour boiling water." Although most people couldn't read the words, Shen Miao still wrote them down. Then he pasted this "instant noodle tutorial" onto the empty wall with glue.

Some people are illiterate, while others are literate. In this era where illiteracy is the majority, the illiterate will subconsciously look at the pictures on the wall, while the literate will definitely feel more at home in restaurants with signs.

It's as if she ran a private restaurant in her past life, and all the decorative paintings inside were deliberately by the same artist. As a result, diners who loved the artist's work would often come to patronize the restaurant and would often bring their friends.

Yan Shu was overjoyed. Before painting, he took the wicker basket from Shen Miao's arm and held it. Later, while Shen Miao and Xie Qi painted side by side, he squatted there by himself, smelling the aroma of fried soup dumplings in the basket, looking completely absorbed.

This must be delicious! It smells amazing even before it's cooked. Yan Shu even found some crumbs of cake in the basket. He picked up a small handful of crumbs with his fingers, put them in his mouth, and bit into them. They were crispy and crunchy, with a natural wheat aroma and saltiness. They were fried just right.

It seems like it tastes good even without soaking. Yan Shu, holding the basket, shook her head with delight.

Shen Miao and Xie Qi had also finished. The two stood side by side, looking up at the instructions for making soup noodles on the wall. Xie Qi subconsciously curled his lips as he looked at the last picture of a young woman eating noodles, while Shen Miao thought to herself, "Being tall is great, you can reach the wall with your arm out, you don't even need a stool."

His eyesight is good too; he didn't stick it crooked at all, it's right on the spot!

"I'm sorry to have bothered you again, Ninth Brother. Thank you so much! It seems like I have to thank you every time I meet you, but thank you so much." Shen Miao tilted her head and smiled at him, revealing two small tiger teeth. "My little shop is so lucky. It's only been two days, and I've already got your calligraphy again."

This was the first time someone had said they were lucky because of him, and Xie Qi couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on, let me help you, Yanshu! You take that side, let's go!"

"Wait a minute, the money hasn't been calculated yet?" Xie Qi stammered.

"It's two hundred and ten coins in total, just give me two hundred." Shen Miao winked slyly, "I'll waive ten coins to pay for Ninth Brother's writing fee."

Xie Qi was amused by her and nodded seriously, saying, "Alright, from now on, whenever Madam Shen needs a writing fee, I will only charge ten coins."

That's great! She won't have to spend money writing Spring Festival couplets anymore [Note]. Shen Miao, having gotten the better deal, naturally wanted to play the innocent and grabbed his arm: "It's a deal. Ninth Brother is a gentleman. Once a word is spoken, it cannot be taken back. You can't fool me."

May had already brought early summer, and Xie Qi had changed into lighter clothes. So when Shen Miao's hand rested on his arm, the warmth from her palm seemed to penetrate his clothes, skin, and bones in an instant, quickly bringing a tingling warmth that struck his heart.

Aside from Lady Xi and Eleventh Sister, he rarely had contact with other women. Firstly, he had been betrothed since childhood, and even though he had only met his cousin from the Cui family a few times, he felt that he should not flirt with other women. Secondly, he had to work harder than others in his studies and martial arts in order to avoid being affected by bad luck. There were only twelve hours in a day, and he had already exhausted all his strength to deal with the endless unexpected events. He could neither find time for romance nor was he afraid of implicating others.

But at this moment, all the reasons and moral principles he had held dear easily crumbled.

Yan Shu was short, and it was a bit difficult for him to support the tall Ninth Brother, but Shen Miao only helped him step over the threshold and let go as soon as they were outside. The Xie family's maroon carriage was always parked next to the shop, and the coachman she knew, Zhou Da, was already waiting at the door. As soon as he saw Xie Qi come out, he hurriedly came up to help him, saying, "Ninth Brother, take it easy."

Xie Qi limped as Zhou Da helped him into the car, but he couldn't help looking back as he got in.

Madam Shen was still standing at the door. When she saw him turn around, she smiled and waved.

With people coming and going in the market, it was inconvenient to talk to them across the street, so he could only nod to say goodbye.

The carriage curtain was lifted and then lowered, and Yan Shu got into the carriage as well.

Swaying and rocking, the sound of horses' hooves gradually faded as he sat down in the carriage, but he could still feel the touch of a woman's fingers on his arm.

It wasn't very soft, but warm, like a faint flame on a winter night.

He lowered his head and stroked his arm, then slowly curled his fingers. There was nothing in his palm, but only he knew that the flame that existed in his heart had been gently held in his hand.

***

Just after dusk, the Xie residence stands in Xizhonggu Lane.

The courtyard was shrouded in a heavy veil of night, the outlines of pavilions and towers faintly visible in the twilight. Surrounded by walls, winding paths led to secluded spots. In the main courtyard where the Xie family's eldest son's house was located, the evening breeze rustled through the slender bamboo, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone path, creating a scene of serene beauty.

But in this elegant and exquisite courtyard, the sounds of slurping noodles rose and fell, and a rich, spicy aroma filled the air.

Tonight, Xie Qi's family of five, along with their personal servants, all ate the novel "deep-fried instant soup noodles" bought from outside. The slurping sounds broke the quiet tranquility of the Xie family home.

Especially Eleventh Sister, she was completely captivated by the soup dumplings. After finishing them, she murmured, "I have never eaten such delicious soup dumplings in my life. I have lived in vain."

Xie's father returned from court a little late, and before he could even change out of his court robes, he was drawn in by the aroma that filled the courtyard. Now he was watching Zheng Neizhi explain to him how to make soup dumplings with a serious expression, and he even rolled up his sleeves and enthusiastically tried it himself.

Lady Xi, however, remained silent, lost in thought as she stared at the soup dumplings that were both convenient to eat and easy to carry.

Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun have been recovered from the Liao people through both fighting and purchasing. For generations, the Xi family, along with other military governors, has been stationed in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

Among them, the Xi family guarded Youzhou, Shunzhou, and Tanzhou, which bordered the Liao people's territory. Last year, her father, despite his advanced age, was dispatched to Qinzhou (Gansu) to quell the rebellion of the Western Qiang people.

The Song Dynasty is currently engaged in a protracted struggle with the Liao and Jin dynasties, ensuring peace and prosperity in its heartland. However, in the border prefectures, conflicts involving burning, killing, and looting occur from time to time among the three kingdoms. The Liao and Jin dynasties continue their incessant fighting, which keeps the Song soldiers stationed at the borders constantly vigilant. They endure not only the bitter cold and the sorrow of being away from home, but also the daily duty of guarding the continuous beacon towers. Qin Prefecture is even more problematic, as the Western Qiang people, in their attempt to monopolize the trade routes to the Western Regions, have intercepted and killed several Song envoys sent to explore trade routes in the Western Regions, a conflict that has yet to be quelled.

When Ninth Brother was born, she resolutely rejected the names her father had suggested, such as "Li," "Zhu," and "Xiang." She named him "Qi," after the Qilian Mountains in Qin Prefecture. Later, when Ninth Brother began his studies, it was Xi's father, his maternal grandfather, who sent a letter to give him the nickname "Guanshan."

Xie Qi, Xie Guanshan.

Although the Xie family was a century-old aristocratic clan, it had fallen into decline; the Xi family, though composed of military officials looked down upon by civil officials, held high positions and commanded significant military power on the frontier. The marriage alliance between these two families was naturally a mutually beneficial arrangement—one seeking to join the ranks of the aristocracy, the other hoping to use the marriage to revive its fortunes. However, after marrying into the family, Lady Xi discovered that her husband was neither reliable nor intelligent, and that his future prospects were likely bleak.

Gradually, in the Xie family, Xi's prestige had surpassed that of her husband. Even when it came to naming their son, Xie's father would follow his wife's opinion and nod happily.

Today was no different; Lady Xi didn't even wait for Xie's father to return before having her dinner.

The soup dumplings that Ninth Brother brought back were so unsettling that she couldn't calm down for a long time.

Everyone looked at the soup dumplings, some finding them amusing, others delicious, but only she thought of her father, brothers, uncles, and all the soldiers and officers who guarded the border for the sake of their country. Born in a military camp, Xi knew the hardships of the frontier. Sometimes it wasn't a lack of food, but rather a lack of time and effort to prepare a proper meal. Many of them ate naan bread year-round, and later fell ill due to a lack of meat and vegetables, developing ailments such as swollen tongues, night blindness, and cracked skin all over their bodies.

Xie Qi was delighted that his mother's cooking was enjoyed by the whole family, but then he noticed his mother's silence. After a moment's thought, he understood and gently asked, "Mother, do you think this quick-cooked soup can be used as military rations allocated by the court to the soldiers on the border? Although this soup can't be used for marching and fighting, it would be a great thing for the people and the country if the soldiers who guard the beacon towers and city walls day and night could eat a bowl of this soup."

Madam Xi nodded and said, “That’s exactly what I think. But this matter is of great importance and cannot be taken lightly. We need to plan and think it over carefully. Our family never bullies the weak. If we want to use these soup dumplings as military supplies, we need to ask Madam Shen if she is willing. Secondly, we need to consider how much it would cost to make these soup dumplings. How many days can they be stored on a sunny day? How many days can they be stored on a rainy day? We need to test all aspects carefully. Once we have a conclusion, your father can write a detailed report to the Emperor. Whether the Emperor is willing to spend more money on border military supplies is also unknown.”

Xie Qi understood and nodded thoughtfully. Indeed, if it were for military supplies, how could Madam Shen manage to fry the pancakes all by herself? And if the imperial court wanted to buy her recipes, would that be fair to her?

"Therefore... this matter should not be publicized beforehand, lest good intentions lead to bad results."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Xie's father suddenly said, "No, no!"

Lady Xi turned to look at her husband in surprise, and Xie Qi also thought that his father had some profound insights into the matter.

Little did anyone know that Xie's father was seriously and attentively preparing instant soup noodles according to the instructions. Meanwhile, Eleventh Sister had somehow slipped over and was now pleading with her father, wanting an extra bowl to eat.

Father Xie placed his hand on the landscape-patterned Jun porcelain plate used as a lid and sternly refused his daughter's request: "Eleventh Sister, I go to the government office every day and work so hard. It's rare for me to have such a novel and interesting meal when I get home. How can you be thinking about my soup noodles?"

"Father, you're the best, so how about we only take half?"

"No, no!" Xie's father shook his head again.

Xi Shi and Xie Qi: "..."

So that's why it didn't work.

Meanwhile, Shenmiao, unaware of all this happening quietly, also saw her shop reach its peak for the day.

The night market opened, and it happened to be dinner time, so diners flocked in, and all the tables and chairs on both sides of the street were full.

She was busy running around under the lamplight, attending to this person and that person. A square-faced, angry old man in a long gown came into the shop, then a group of students from the Imperial Academy came in, and then soldiers who had come from afar came in. Even Aunt Li's family and Aunt Gu came to eat noodles one after another. Even Manager Zhou, who lived far away, followed behind Ji Ge'er, smiling and sticking his head in.

Moreover, apart from Aunt Gu firmly choosing mutton noodles, why did everyone else specifically request instant noodles?

Since Xie Qi left, Shen Miao had been frying instant noodles. She fried the batch that had just dried all afternoon, but it couldn't keep up with the demand and was sold out in less than half an hour.

The small shop was bathed in warm yellow light, crowded and noisy, the aroma of instant noodles wafting through the street, drawing in even more people. Many couldn't fit and clamored to buy some to take home and make themselves.

Ji Ge'er and Xiang Jie'er stood on stools, one handing out noodles and the other wrapping them, like two little workers on an instant noodle assembly line.

Overnight, instant noodles unexpectedly swept through Bianjing City.