Chapter 40

Snow fluttered down the eaves, and a thin layer of snow accumulated on the steps.

Xie Zheng stood against the pillar with his arms folded, his eyes half closed, thinking about something. The lantern above his head cast a warm light on the ground, casting a shadow under his eyelids on his slender eyelashes.

He had seen many beauties, and had also seen a dancer from the Western Regions dancing barefoot when Wei Yan was entertaining guests.

He could no longer remember what the dancer's feet looked like. The only thing he remembered was the golden anklets with bells on her ankles, which jingled as she danced, like a silent invitation.

When he saw Fan Changyu's exposed feet, he suddenly remembered the string of golden bells on the dancer's feet.

Then I felt it was ridiculous.

At the same time, a feeling of self-loathing arose in her heart for having offended her.

Xie Zheng rubbed his brows irritably. He had been living under someone else's roof since he was young. In order to carry out his father's will, he had been studying military tactics and practicing martial arts diligently. In addition, Wei Yan was strict with him and Wei Xuan in order to prevent them from indulging in sexual matters. Even the people serving him were all servants, and there was not a single maid.

When he went to the battlefield, he was only focused on killing the enemy and didn't think about these things at all.

It was not known whether Wei Xuan did this because he saw that Wei Yan strictly abided by the rules set by Wei Yan, or he simply wanted to be rebellious, so he often went to brothels and kept concubines, for which he was often reprimanded and punished by Wei Yan.

At that time, Wei Xuan mocked him for being only an obedient dog and asked him if he knew what it was like to be in Wenrou Township. Xie Zheng actually had the same idea as Wei Yan, thinking that this boy would never achieve great things.

Although he was reluctant to admit it, he was indeed deeply influenced by Wei Yan in the past. Wei Yan believed that those in power must learn to control their desires. The desire between men and women is just the most vulgar thought.

After he returned from the army, he was occasionally unable to refuse some banquets due to personal relationships. When he went to the banquet and saw the weak and spineless dancer winning the applause of the whole audience, he felt only contempt.

Like Wei Yan, he looked down upon the ways of the rich and powerful in the capital, and even felt that such extravagant lifestyle would only make people weak-willed.

When he gets married in the future, he will marry a lady who can support the Xie family, not a fragile woman like his mother.

Swords and knives are merciless on the battlefield. Perhaps one day he will die on the battlefield like his father. He does not need anyone to die for him. He only needs a clan woman who can support the Xie family after he is gone.

All the sons of noble families in the capital city would choose wives from among the daughters of noble families according to this standard.

But these days...what happened to him?

Fan Changyu's image appeared in my mind again, killing pigs, chopping people, gritting teeth and enduring...

She is a good person, even tougher than many girls from aristocratic families. However, the environment she grew up in was too simple, and she couldn't handle all kinds of monsters... After all, she couldn't be the head wife of the Xie family.

Realizing what he was thinking, Xie Zheng was stunned.

When the housekeeper was patrolling the courtyard with a lantern in her hand, she saw him standing in the corridor and asked, "Young man, why don't you go back to your room and rest?"

Xie Zhengyu paused for a moment and said, "I was planning to come and see you. Can I spend a night with the staff at Yixianglou?"

The housekeeper asked in confusion, "You are Madam Fan's husband, why don't you sleep in the same room with her?"

Xie Zheng found an excuse: "It's not convenient for her to take care of her sister."

The housekeeper thought that Changning was just a little kid, but considering that Changning was still a girl, she nodded and said, "I am inconsiderate. The employees in the building all have two people in one room. There are not many extra rooms. However, one employee snores too loudly, and the other employees can't sleep in the same room with him. If you don't mind, you can stay in his room for one night."

Xie Zheng just said he didn't mind, and the housekeeper took him to the waiter's room.

He could hear the deafening snoring even outside the door, it was like thunder, and Xie Zheng was silent for a moment.

The housekeeper pushed open the door. The creaking sound of the door hinges did not wake the man up at all. She led Xie Zheng into the room, lit the oil lamp, and pointed to an empty single bed next to her: "You can sleep here tonight."

Xie Zheng thanked her, and the housekeeper left with the lamp.

He took off his outer robe, lay down on the bed with his arms as a pillow. He was not sleepy to begin with, and the snoring of the guy on the bed opposite him was so loud that he couldn't even close his eyes.

After enduring for a quarter of an hour, Xie Zheng stood up and walked to the side of the guy's bed. He chopped the guy on the back of his neck with a knife. The guy was knocked unconscious and his snoring stopped instantly.

He lay back on the bed, but still couldn't sleep.

I had never thought about my future with Fan Changyu before, but tonight I suddenly thought about getting married, and I felt inexplicably irritated.

He knew that Fan Changyu was not suitable to be the head wife of the Xie family, but he subconsciously repelled the idea of ​​marrying a well-educated, polite and well-mannered girl from an aristocratic family who could help him manage all the affairs of the Xie family after returning to Beijing.

It was as if he had found a wild grass with extremely strong vitality in the wilderness. He liked it a little, but if he dug it up and took it home, and compared it with other exotic flowers and plants, others would only laugh at it.

Wild grass is only unruly and stubborn in its own wild place. But if it is placed in an expensive porcelain pot and carefully cared for, it is no longer a weed.

He raised one hand and placed it horizontally in front of his eyes, with the back of his hand resting on his brow bone, and his lips were tightly pursed in the night.

-

The next day, before dawn, Fan Changyu got up while Changning was still asleep. After getting dressed, she tiptoed out of the room, asked the housekeeper to help her look after Changning, and then went to Yixianglou.

The layout of the Yixiang Tower in the county town is similar to that of the one in Lin'an Town, but it is more magnificent.

The errand boys in the lobby haven't arrived yet, but the people in the kitchen are already there.

The pig head that needed to be brine had already been prepared by someone else, so Fan Changyu didn't even have to light the fire himself, he just had to prepare the brine ingredients.

Yu Qianqian personally discussed with several chefs which dishes to serve first, which dishes to serve later, and what the signature dish would be.

Although Fan Changyu was an outsider, he could tell that this was very particular. After all, some dishes would lose their flavor if left for too long. And if the kitchen was not able to prepare the dishes in time and served a large number of dishes one after another, it would be embarrassing.

It was not a big deal if the dishes were served late at ordinary banquets, but if the dishes ordered by these dignitaries were served late, it was a loss of face for the host family. Not only would the host family argue with Yixianglou, but the news would also spread and damage Yixianglou's reputation.

After Yu Qianqian explained the details of the various processes to the chefs, she saw Fan Changyu sitting behind the stove. He came over to warm himself with her without any airs. "It's only the second day of the Chinese New Year, and I asked you to come upstairs to help me. You've really worked hard."

Fan Changyu said, "Manager Yu has so many things to do, it looks so tiring."

Yu Qianqian smiled and said, "It's not easy to make money. If we do a good job with this business, Yixianglou will be well known in the county."

Before Yixianglou opened in the county, it was stabbed in the back by Wang Ji, and business has been lukewarm ever since. When the dignitaries in the county mentioned Yixianglou, they would even laugh about the fact that there was no auspicious sign on the opening day.

In order to raise the status of Yixianglou in the county, Yu Qianqian gave many novel and expensive gifts to those noble ladies, and only then did she accept today's banquet.

She seemed to remember something and asked Fan Changyu, "By the way, does your halved pork have a design logo?"

Fan Changyu looked confused: "What is that?"

Yu Qianqian slapped herself in the face: "It's my fault that I was too busy these days and forgot to tell you in advance. It's just like Wang's Braised Pork, with its own custom-made signboard."

Fan Changyu shook his head.

Yu Qianqian said, "Your braised pork is in my building. It's comparable to Wang's braised pork in Zuixianlou. It doesn't have a logo, so you have to ask someone to write a few words on it to make it look presentable."

Fan Changyu was puzzled: "Isn't the brisket already cut and served on the table? It shouldn't matter whether there is a logo or not."

Yu Qianqian said, "You should have seen it when you came in. There are several shops downstairs that are open to the public. The Fang family's tea and the Li family's wine are all sold there. I've also reserved a place for your brine. You can make more and sell it there. Whatever you sell will be yours. In short, you have to make a name for yourself. Otherwise, the brine I use in this building has no origin, and people will think that it is inferior to Zuixianlou."

She was about to stand up and said, "I'll ask someone to find a scholar who is good at calligraphy to write a temporary scroll for you to hang up."

Fan Changyu thought of Xie Zheng and said hurriedly, "My husband can write. I will go find him later."

Yu Qianqian was a little hesitant: "How is your husband's handwriting?"

Fan Changyu said: "His handwriting is so beautiful!"

With her repeated assurances, Yu Qianqian did have a lot of things to do, so she said to her, "Then go find your husband now. If that doesn't work, I'll ask someone to invite a scholar over."

The brined pork was already in the pot, and now all they had to do was watch the fire. Fan Changyu didn't waste any time and immediately responded and went to the alley behind Yixianglou to look for Xie Zheng.

-

Xie Zheng couldn't sleep last night because he was thinking about something and fell into a light sleep at daybreak.

But he was soon awakened by the housekeeper who came to call the waiter.

The housekeeper was muttering to herself as she called the waiter: "This man didn't seem to be lazy before, how come he hasn't woken up yet at this hour today?"

The guy who was woken up by her opened his eyes with a confused look on his face. Seeing that it was already daybreak, he hurriedly got dressed and stood up. As soon as he moved, he screamed "ouch!" and rubbed the back of his neck and said, "I think I have a stiff neck. My neck hurts a lot."

The housekeeper said with a fierce face: "You have been sleeping too much!"

The guy got up late and felt a little guilty after being scolded. He put on his clothes with a frown, washed his face quickly, and went to the front building to work.

At this moment, the whole yard was filled with the sounds of Yixianglou's employees walking around, and Xie Zheng no longer had the heart to continue sleeping.

He had a sleepless night and his chin had blue stubble. He had just finished washing up when Fan Changyu came over. Seeing the dark circles under his eyes, he asked in confusion, "You didn't sleep all night last night, did you?"

The housekeeper happened to be passing by the courtyard. She heard what Fan Changyu said and looked at Xie Zheng, who looked sleepless. She said, "I told you last night that the kid in the bridal chamber was snoring and it was a bit noisy. You must have been unable to sleep because of the noise, right?"

Xie Zheng didn't know how to reply to Fan Changyu, so he nodded hesitantly after the housekeeper said this.

Fan Changyu looked at him and immediately showed sympathy.

After the housekeeper left, she said, "Go home tonight and get some sleep. I need your help with something."

Maybe it was because he didn't sleep well, Xie Zheng looked at her red lips moving one by one, and for a moment he couldn't hear clearly what she said. Instead, he remembered the dream he had when he fell asleep.

In the dream, they divorced as agreed, and she married someone else. She was still wearing the wedding dress she wore on their wedding day. She couldn't see the man she married, but the smile on her face was so bright and dazzling, as if she was marrying a man who suited her heart.

I can't describe how I feel, but it's not very pleasant.

Looking at Fan Changyu again at this moment, the corners of his lips unconsciously pursed down a little.

After Fan Changyu finished speaking, he saw that Xie Zheng didn't reply at all, but looked at him gloomily. He couldn't help but wave his hand in front of his eyes: "Did you hear what I said?"

Xie Zheng came back to his senses and quickly gathered his thoughts: "You say."

Fan Changyu looked at him suspiciously: "What were you thinking about just now?"

Xie Zheng said: "Nothing, I just woke up and I feel a little tired."

Fan Changyu himself also had trouble sleeping and felt groggy sometimes, so he didn't think he was lying and brought up the business: "Can you help me write a few words?"

Xie Zheng asked: "What to write?"

Fan Changyu said, "Shopkeeper Yu said that today's business is competing with Zuixianlou, and we can't fall behind. Our brined pork must have its own signboard like Wangji brined pork. Shopkeeper Yu has reserved a space outside the lobby downstairs for us to display the brined pork. It's too late to order a plaque, so we can just write a piece of cloth and hang it up first."

Xie Zheng nodded and asked, "Are the brushes, ink and cloth ready?"

Fan Changyu said, "Storekeeper Yu has prepared it for me."

Xie Zheng said, "Then go ahead."

The accommodation for the employees of Yixianglou is in the alley behind the building, which makes it very convenient for travel. They also go here to buy vegetables or transport sewage on weekdays. After all, the back door of Yixianglou is here.

When Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng went out, they happened to run into people who came to collect sewage.

On New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, those who collected sewage stayed at home to celebrate the New Year, and the sewage collected by Yixianglou was not processed, so people came to transport it away early in the morning.

Thanks to the severe winter, the sewage didn't smell strange even after being left for two days.

However, the alley is narrow, so you have to stand to the side as much as possible when the sewage truck passes by, otherwise it is easy for your body to be stained by the dirt on the sewage bucket.

Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng moved aside and saw the slop truck almost passing by when its wheels ran over a stone. The whole slop truck shook and the lid of the slop bucket on the side jumped up, causing the slop water inside to spill out.

Xie Zheng frowned and quickly pulled Fan Changyu towards him.

Fan Changyu was pulled and slammed headfirst into his hard chest, and the manure spilled from the manure bucket splashed onto where she had just stood.

The old man who was pulling the manure turned around and apologized repeatedly: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just ran over a stone, I hope it didn't splash on you guys?"

Xie Zheng glanced at the hem of Fan Changyu's skirt and said, "It's not splashed. You can go now, old man."

The old man then rode his horse again.

Seeing that Fan Changyu remained silent and he was still holding her wrist, Xie Zheng's heart skipped a beat. He immediately loosened his grip on her hand and put it behind his back, his palms feeling as if they were burning: "You..."

After saying just one word, he fell silent.

Fan Changyu lowered his head, two drops of blood from his nose fell on the bluestone floor covered with a thin layer of ice, and he looked hopeless.

I hit him so hard on the chest that his nose started bleeding.

Xie Zheng was silent for two breaths, then said, "I'm sorry."

Fan Changyu answered in a weak voice, "It's okay", but because his nose was hit so painfully, tears welled up in his eyes, and he looked pitiful no matter how you looked at him.

She took out her handkerchief and wiped it roughly, but just after she finished wiping, her nose started bleeding again. She tilted her head back to try to stop the bleeding, but as soon as she raised her head, a big hand pressed the back of her head back.

Xie Zheng said: "Don't look up if you have a nosebleed."

Fan Changyu could only cover his nostrils with a handkerchief and said sadly, "Blood is coming out so early in the morning. It looks like I'm going to be unlucky today."

Xie Zheng apologized again, and Fan Changyu said helplessly: "I was joking. How could I be unlucky? I am blessed with good fortune and am making a fortune every day!"

The nosebleed seemed to have stopped, but the tip of her nose was still very uncomfortable. She took off her handkerchief, sniffed her nose and said, "It can be said that it is a blessing and a curse. I escaped the disaster of being drenched in filth, but then I got a nosebleed from you. Having a nosebleed is better than being drenched in filth. I am the winner after all!"

Afraid that Xie Zheng would blame himself, she moved her nose vigorously, "Look, the bleeding has stopped..."

The last word got stuck in my throat.

Xie Zheng took the handkerchief from her hand and gently wiped her nose twice. "There's still blood here. The bleeding has just stopped. Don't breathe too hard."

Even through the handkerchief, I could clearly feel the strength of his fingertips.

The man in front of him was probably extremely favored when he was born. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, delicate features but not the slightest bit of femininity. A light breeze blew past him from behind, ruffling his sleeves and the strands of hair at his temples. The dead branches on the wall swayed and a brown dead leaf fell down.

Fan Changyu felt like a lobster holding a huge pair of pliers to show off its might, but suddenly he became dumbfounded and didn't know how to swing the pliers.

Xie Zhengfei pulled back his hand, and seeing that she was lost in thought, he asked, "Does it still hurt?"

Fan Changyu shook his head and half-jokingly said, "If you keep having such a good temper, you won't have to worry about girls liking you in the future."

Xie Zheng's eyes turned cold for a moment, and he glared at her with his dark pupils, twisting her handkerchief between his index finger and thumb. He replied with a fake smile, "Then I'll lend you my good wishes."

Fan Changyu looked puzzled. She was praising him, so why did his words suddenly become so sarcastic?

The two entered Yixianglou through the back door. When Xie Zheng was writing on the triangular cloth prepared by Yu Qianqian, Fan Changyu thought that he had not had breakfast yet, so he went to the kitchen to get him some steamed buns and porridge for the waiters.

When he came out, many employees had gathered around the table where Xie Zheng was writing on the cloth. Even the accountant upstairs was praising his excellent handwriting.

When the ink on the cloth dried, the staff upstairs helped to hang it up.

Fan Changyu took a glance and saw that it was clearly just the ordinary four characters "Fan's Braised Meat". However, after he wrote it, it was indeed very beautiful. The handwriting was vigorous and the brush strokes were free and unrestrained. When the four triangular pieces of cloth were hung up, they looked even more luxurious than the gold-painted plaque.

Fan Changyu was in a very good mood and handed the porridge and steamed bread to Xie Zheng: "Eat something to fill your stomach first."

Yu Qianqian passed by the lobby and saw the words she had asked the servants to write on a piece of red silk cloth that they had temporarily cut out. She couldn't help but sigh in admiration and praised Fan Changyu for finding a good husband.

She also gave Fan Changyu a suggestion: "Sister Changyu, ask someone to make a batch of paper bags later, and print these words written by your husband on the paper covers. When someone comes to you to buy brine, you can use these paper bags to pack it. You won't have to worry about being more famous than Wang's."

All cooked food sold in the market is wrapped in oil paper, and the braised pork in Fan Changyu's shop is also wrapped in oil paper.

The oil paper is oil-proof and water-resistant. The smooth side is used for wrapping food, and the rough side faces outwards.

Fan Changyu also noticed that the hot pot base sold in Yixianglou was packed in paper boxes with pictures of flowers and birds printed on them, and the linen rope tied with a beautiful knot that she had never seen before.

Yu Qianqian specifically asked her to prepare an extra pot of brine, saying that it should be kept for sale in the store.

An idea suddenly occurred to Fan Changyu, and while Xie Zheng was drinking porridge, he went out for a while, and when he came back he bought a stack of oil paper and a roll of linen rope.

She cut half a pound of pork head and tried to wrap it in oil paper, then tied a knot with a linen rope. It looked quite presentable, except that there was no "Fan's" word on the oil paper.

Xie Zheng had just finished eating steamed buns and porridge with salted vegetables when he noticed Fan Changyu looking at him with a sharp gaze: "Yan Zheng, how about you help write a few more words?"

Xie Zheng: “…”

Before the meal started at noon at Yixianglou, he wrote words on the rough surface of a hundred sheets of oil paper.

When Yu Qianqian passed by again, she saw Fan Changyu's temporary solution and said with a smile, "It is true that husband and wife are of one mind and their strength can cut through metal."

Seeing that Fan Changyu's knot was a little crooked, she took the initiative to teach her how to tie a nice knot, "It will look nice if you wrap the rope around here and tie it."

Fan Changyu thanked her, and she patted him on the shoulder: "What are you thanking me for? We are on the same page today. If your brisket is outdone by Wangji's, it would be a disgrace to me."

As noon approached, the entire Yixianglou became busy. Guests arrived one after another. There were more than ten waiters in the building in charge of reception. Male guests were received by waiters, and female guests were received by maids in uniform.

Whether it was the waiter or the maid, their words and actions were all graceful and elegant, with smiles on their faces but not fawning, which made it look different from other restaurants.

For female guests who are afraid of cold, the restaurant has specially prepared hot springs, which is really thoughtful.

Fan Changyu couldn't help but say to Xie Zheng: "Yixianglou is the most magnificent wine house I have ever seen."

Xie Zheng replied: "It's OK."

The best restaurants in Beijing are better than this one, but to be able to open such a restaurant in such a small place, the female manager is really capable.

Fan Changyu glanced at him and said, "Why is it so difficult for you to say something complimentary?"

Xie Zheng said: "When you have seen better things, you will not exaggerate everything you see."

Fan Changyu: “…”

She was scolded, right?

She simply stopped talking, but the two of them didn't stay idle for long, as someone soon came to ask, "How much do you sell your brisket for?"

It was only today when Fan Changyu was selling salted pork in Yixianglou that he found out that Yu Qianqian was selling it for one hundred coins per catty, which was almost twice the price of salted pork on ordinary days.

After she timidly named the price, the boy asked for three pounds without even bargaining.

Fan Changyu was stunned for a moment, then quickly cut the meat and wrapped it up for someone.

But I was still a little confused. Is it so easy to do business by relying on the reputation of Yixianglou?

After the boy left, she whispered to Xie Zheng, "This is the first time I've sold salted meat at such a high price. I feel a little guilty."

Xie Zheng said, "Look at the wine seller next to you."

The store selling wine is a famous old winery in the county, and its business is better than theirs.

Fan Changyu looked at it for a while but couldn't figure out what it was, so he asked Xie Zheng, "What happened to the wine seller?"

Xie Zheng raised his eyes to look at her: "Didn't you notice that that small pot of wine only sold for nearly one or two taels of silver?"

Fan Changyu nodded like a chicken pecking at rice: "I see, but alcohol is expensive to begin with."

Xie Zheng sneered: "Why is it so expensive? Wine is just made from grain and yeast. The cost may not be as high as your meat."

Fan Changyu thought about the price of pork and food, and found that what he said made sense.

Xie Zheng said: "Whether something is cheap or expensive depends on whether there are people who want to buy it. If a lot of people are willing to pay a high price for it, then the item will become expensive. On the contrary, if everyone is only willing to pay a low price, then the item will be worthless."

Fan Changyu nodded, not quite understanding.

After selling a few more orders, she slowly figured out something on her own.

Those who dine at Yixianglou are all well-off families. Most of these wealthy families believe that "expensive means better", and the concept of good quality and low price does not apply to them.

If some imported goods suddenly become cheaper than the prices they normally buy them at, their first reaction will not be to feel that they have bought something good, but to fear that there will be problems with the food if they eat it.

Thinking about it this way, she understood why the things in Yu Qianqian's Yixianglou were more expensive than those in ordinary restaurants.

The excellent food is partly the reason, and another part is due to the desire to compare. Yu Qianqian made Yixianglou a place where only dignitaries would come to dine. When they spend a lot of money to dine here, they not only get delicious food, but also a sense of being a superior person.

Before the meal, Fan Changyu's business was average, with the occasional orders coming from people passing by on the street who wanted to buy some to take home for New Year's Eve dinner.

After the first round of diners finished their meal, probably because they had tasted the salted pork, her business suddenly became popular. Many maids and servants lined up to buy it. Fan Changyu could not cope with the meat cutting and packaging by herself, so she gave the packaging job to Xie Zheng.

His appearance was really eye-catching, and there was a long line outside the shop, so most people passing by would take a look at him, attracting many young girls and wives to line up to buy brine.

When late guests saw the scene in the lobby, they couldn't help but ask, "Why are so many people buying brisket?"

The receptionist smiled and replied, "The guests at the last round of banquets tried Fan's brined pork and thought it was delicious. They wanted to buy some to take home for their family to try."

When the guest heard this, he immediately instructed the servant beside him: "With so many people buying, I think this Fan's Braised Pork is not just a name. Buy some back for the old lady at home."

There are also guests who like calligraphy and painting. As soon as they enter the door, they see the big characters "Fan's Braised Pork" and sigh: "Such a beautiful calligraphy is written on this sign. It's really a waste!"

When he took a closer look, he found that the oil paper packages taken away by the servants queuing up to buy the brine meat also had the words "Fan's Brine Meat" written on the outside, with the pen strokes very powerful. He sighed with regret, and instead of buying the brine meat, he asked the servant beside him to buy a piece of oil paper to wrap the brine meat.

Fan Changyu was a little dumbfounded when he heard this request, but as long as the money was given, it would be fine.

She finally understood that the pursuits of rich people are different from those of ordinary people. She took the silver and generously gave several pieces of oil paper to the servant.

The Song family has a hero, and is now considered a well-known figure in Qingping County. Song's mother is keen on mixing with the wives of officials and wealthy women, as if she wants to regain the glory that she had not enjoyed in the past ten years.

Naturally, she also came to today's banquet.

Seeing a bunch of servants queuing up to buy braised pork, and many of the wives at the table also sending their servants to buy some, she originally wanted to join in the fun, but when she saw the words "Fan's Braised Pork" written on the sign, her face changed.

After taking a closer look, he saw that it was Fan Changyu who was busy in the shop, and his face fell: "Why is she here..."

The woman next to her who was familiar with her asked, "Does Mrs. Song know that young lady?"

Song's mother sighed and said with a bit of pity, "That's a miserable child. She was born alone. Not long ago, her parents died, and later her uncle died. She must have been ostracized by the people in the town, so she came to this county to make a living."

Businessmen and officials are most afraid to talk about these things. As soon as Song's mother said this, the women at the table all changed their expressions.

"Did the owner of Yixianglou put everyone in the building during the New Year?" One of the women left the table out of caution.

Another official lady directly called the maid who served them meals upstairs and said with a stern face: "Call your shopkeeper to me."

The maid did not dare to delay and immediately went to call Yu Qianqian.

Yu Qianqian saw that although she was young, she was very experienced in handling these matters. She came over with a smile on her face and said, "Mrs. Qian, what's the matter? If there is any inadequacy in the hospitality here, I will apologize to you."

Yu Qianqian knew all the prominent figures in Qingping County, and she also knew exactly what their families did for a living.

The reason why this Mrs. Qian dares to be so tough at this table is because her family owns a bank.

Mrs. Qian raised her chin towards Fan's Braised Pork downstairs with a cold face and said, "We are here to attend a wedding today. Isn't it bringing bad luck to us if you let that evil star do business in your building?"

There was a line of people in front of Fan's shop to buy salted meat. Yu Qianqian probably guessed that Mrs. Qian was talking about Fan Changyu, but she played dumb and said, "What evil star? It's New Year's Day, and Mrs. Qian said these things are unlucky."

Seeing her like this, Madam Qian softened her expression, "Don't you know? I heard that the girl from the Fan family is a lonely and unlucky person. She killed her parents and her uncle. Don't let her work in your building. Be careful that she will bring bad luck to you!"

Yu Qianqian covered her mouth with her hands and uttered “Ah!”, as if she was frightened: “Who told you that?”

Mrs. Qian immediately pushed Song's mother out: "Mrs. Song was originally from Lin'an Town, and she knows everything about the evil star."

Yu Qianqian said, "So it was Madam Song who said that. I heard that Mr. Song and the Fan family had been engaged for several years. After Mr. Song got pregnant, he asked someone to compare their horoscopes and found out that the lady from the Fan family was destined to be alone. He immediately called off the engagement. Fortunately, the engagement was called off early, otherwise Mr. Song would have missed the chance to become the county magistrate's son-in-law."

Everyone present was a smart guy. After hearing what Yu Qianqian said, the look in their eyes when they looked at Song's mother suddenly became subtle.

Song's mother glared at him: "You!"

Yu Qianqian blinked innocently, "I don't know much about fortune-telling, but the half-immortal in the south of the city said that the wife of the Fan family is a lucky woman. Her husband has a good handwriting. I heard that at the lantern festival last night, Mr. Song was speechless because of her husband's words 'Northern geese fly south, and phoenixes all over the ground fly south'. I think she is very talented. She might be able to win an imperial decree when she takes the imperial examination next year!"

Someone heard the couple and couldn't help but let out a low laugh.

Song's mother didn't know about her son's embarrassing incident outside last night, but when she thought about how her son went into the study to study hard without saying a word after returning, she felt her face burning with anxiety when she saw the women of business and government looking at her at the table. She left the table in a hurry with her maid without even saying goodbye.

A woman of an official took the lead in sneering, and all the noble ladies at the table followed suit, all of them saying with contempt and ridicule, "After all, it's not presentable enough."

"How dare you make up such a story after you broke off the engagement with the girl?"

"Did you see the jade bracelet on her hand? It's obviously fake. I'd rather wear nothing than wear something I don't have. This bitch really has no shame!"

Seeing that the ladies were already talking about other things, Yu Qianqian said with a smile: "Ladies, please wait a minute. Today, the upstairs is busy. Please forgive me if there is any inadequacy in the hospitality."

The ladies all became more talkative again, and some even tasted the brined pork and thought it tasted good, so they sent their maids downstairs to buy some brined pork.

Fan Changyu had no idea that Yu Qianqian had helped her out of this predicament. After the brined meat was sold out, she asked Xie Zheng, who had not had a good rest the night before, to go back and rest first, while she went to help in the kitchen of Yixianglou.

It was not until the afternoon that Yixianglou's banquet for the day was finally completed.

Fan Changyu cleared out the small change and copper coins he earned from selling salted meat from the drawer of the counter and counted them, finding a total of more than fifteen taels.

For the first time, she understood what huge profits meant.

Although Yu Qianqian had told her when she asked her to come here to sell braised pork that whatever she sold would be hers, this shop belonged to Yixianglou and its customers were also Yixianglou's. Fan Changyu had no intention of treating all the money as her own and asking Yu Qianqian for dividends.

Yu Qianqian was amused when she told him the purpose of her visit. She asked her, "How much did you sell today?"

Fan Changyu said truthfully: "Fifteen taels, three hundred coins."

Yu Qianqian was quite surprised by the price. She smiled and said, "I heard that there are some distinguished guests who gave money to your husband as a reward. These are all earned by your hard work. You can keep them for yourself."

Fan Changyu said, "We can only sell so much brine thanks to Manager Yu's help. Moreover, the money for the brine and the seasonings used for the brine all came from Manager Yu. Even the way to package the brine was taught by Manager Yu. If you don't take a share, I'll feel uneasy."

Yu Qianqian tapped Fan Changyu's forehead and said, "You are so honest, how can you be suitable for business? Your brined meat sold well today, and it all comes down to the fact that your brined meat tastes really good. Otherwise, why didn't you have any business at the beginning, and those guests only ordered the servants to buy it after dinner? I have a good idea for you, but it is you two who really put it into practice. How many envelopes did your husband write today? If you really want to feel sorry for him, you should feel sorry for him."

She said earnestly, "Your family's brisket business is booming, which is also good for me. You don't have to be so distant with me. Let's put this favor in the long run. There may be a time in the future when I need your help."

Fan Changyu then gave up, but still insisted on paying Yu Qianqian the money for buying the meat and other ingredients.

Yu Qianqian also discovered that she was a simple-minded person, so she had no choice but to agree.

After deducting the original three taels of silver, Fan Changyu earned twelve taels of silver. He asked the cashier to exchange all the copper plates for silver, intending to split the profit with Xie Zheng in half.

The chefs in the restaurant were just starting to eat. Yu Qianqian said, "Sit down and eat first. I'll send someone to call your husband and Granny Fang over."

Fan Changyu guessed that the Granny Fang she was talking about was the housekeeper in the back alley. Thinking that Changning was still with the housekeeper, he said, "I'm going to pick up my sister and I'll call them while I'm at it."

As soon as she went out from the back door of Yixianglou, she saw that Xie Zheng had not returned to his room, but was standing at the entrance of the alley with his hands behind his back, looking at something.

Fan Changyu walked over and followed his line of sight, only to see a group of soldiers jogging away. Judging from their uniforms, they were from the military camp, not local yamen runners from Qingping County.

She frowned: "Are they soldiers going to collect food?"

Xie Zheng nodded, his expression extremely cold.

Most of the merchants living in the town buy food. The government cannot collect food from the merchants, so it can only find ways to make the merchants pay more.

To collect grain, one had to go to the countryside and look for farmers to collect it. Fan Changyu had already heard about farmers being beaten to death during grain collection in Taizhou, and he couldn't help but feel worried at this moment.

She said, "It is said that the high officials in our Jizhou Prefecture are honest and upright. Don't be like the people in Taizhou who force the people to death in order to collect grain."

Xie Zheng said: "Let's see what the Jizhou government does."

As long as Zhao Wen and the people behind him were not stupid, they should have informed He Jingyuan yesterday about Wei Xuan's visit to Jizhou to collect grain.

When he turned around, he saw that Fan Changyu's pockets were bulging. He frowned slightly and asked, "What is this?"

Fan Changyu took out the twelve ounces of silver and several hundred copper plates strung together, gave half to Xie Zheng, and said, "This is yours."

One tael of silver may not seem noticeable, but when twelve taels are put together they still take up quite a bit of space.

Xie Zheng saw her taking out the money like a local tycoon, his eyelids twitched slightly, and he said, "You keep it."

Fan Changyu said, "No, we can split it in half. You wrote hundreds of envelopes."

He paused and said, "It's easy to lose it if you put it on me, so you keep it for me first."

With the previous experience of losing money in the tavern, Fan Changyu really couldn't refute what he said. He had to put all the money into his pocket first and stuff his pockets full again.

The two went back to the room to look for Changning. Before they entered the room, they heard two children talking inside.

"My elder sister is so amazing, she can eat three bowls of rice in one meal!" It was Changning's voice.

"My mother is even more amazing. She can eat two pork elbows in sauce and a bowl of spicy soup by herself!" The boy seemed quite unwilling to admit defeat.

"My sister's rice bowl is as big as a soup pot!" From the tone of her voice, it seemed that she even gestured.

"Well...then your sister is more powerful." The boy seemed to give in.

Fan Changyu outside the house: "..."

The big rice bowl obviously belongs to their father!

The author has something to say:

The update is late, but it's a fat chapter~ I'll give 100 red envelopes to the long-awaited babies~ (The red envelopes are drawn and sent by the system in the comment area, not manually sent by the author)