Chapter 16, Inn 16: Gathering Mushrooms, Encounter with Fu Wang
Yunyin asked in surprise, "Why is Young Master Fu here?"
Fu Wang glanced outside, then pulled her inside, saying, "Miss Yun, didn't I warn you? Why did you still come here?"
Yunyin pointed to the basket on her back and said, "I came here to collect mushrooms."
Fu Wang glanced at Yun Yin's basket and disagreed, saying, "We can collect mushrooms from Linjiang Village and Pingjiang Village, or even Pingxi Village across the river. There's no need to walk two hours to such a far village."
Yunyin smiled sheepishly and said, "Alright, several days have passed and we still haven't seen any caravans come. I came to check on the situation and also to find someone to collect some mushrooms."
Upon hearing this, Fu Wang frowned even more. He sighed and said, "Miss Yun, you shouldn't take any more risks in the future. If you had come two days earlier, you would have been greeted by bandits instead of villagers."
Yunyin listened to his advice and pleaded, "I understand, I won't take any more risks in the future."
She asked Fu Wang, "Has Young Master Fu's goods been delivered? What brings you here? Are you perhaps someone from the government?"
Although Yunyin had heard Song Shi mention that Fu Wang had once been a soldier in the army and was now a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), she didn't know if he was working for the county government because he was acquainted with the county magistrate of Long'an County.
Fu Wang shook his head and said, "The goods were delivered by my brothers. I'm here mainly to guide Zhou Chang. I have no connection with the yamen."
“At the time, we were carrying goods and couldn’t fight those bandits, so we rescued the people and then notified Zhou Chang. I had some connection with him, so he just asked me for a favor.”
After Fu Wang finished speaking, he glanced at Yun Yin and said, "Since Lady Yun is here to collect mushrooms, I will call the village chief over so you can discuss this with him. It's dangerous here, so Lady Yun should leave as soon as you finish collecting the mushrooms."
Yunyin followed Fu Wang out: "You said before that the bandits were in this village a few days ago?"
Fu Wang: "Yes, the one that attacked us before was only a small team. The rest of them hid in this village, and the villagers didn't dare to resist. It wasn't until Zhou Chang brought his men that the bandits were defeated and fled into the mountains."
Fu Wang stopped in front of a house and knocked on the door. An old man with injuries on his face came out and seemed a little timid when he saw Yun Yin, but he relaxed when he saw Fu Wang next to her.
The old man asked, "What does Young Master Fu need?"
Fu Wang pointed at Yun Yin and said, "This young lady is here to collect wild mushrooms. If you have any dried wild mushrooms, you can exchange them with her for some money."
Yunyin immediately stepped forward and said, "Village chief, I need all the mushrooms you have."
The villager glanced at Fu Wang, and seeing him nod, smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, my wife, I'll go find someone to ask."
Yunyin watched him run quickly to the next room, and she sat down beside him and asked Fu Wang, "Isn't Young Master Fu going to catch the bandits?"
Fu Wang shook his head: "I'm just helping Zhou Chang with the way. These are matters for the government, and I shouldn't overstep my bounds."
Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Yunyin thought for a moment and asked, "Does Young Master Fu always travel the route from the Western Regions to Mianzhou?"
Fu Wang lifted his robe and sat down on the ground, saying, "As long as a client hires us, we can go anywhere. We even delivered a batch of goods to the coast before. However, we go to the Western Regions more often because the trade routes there are smooth, and many people hire us to deliver goods."
"Does Lady Yun want to buy some things from the Western Regions?"
Yunyin widened her eyes and said, "Am I being that obvious? I do want to buy some things, but I don't know if it's convenient for you to store them."
Fu Wang smiled and looked at her, saying, "If it's not a big item, I can still help Lady Yun carry some things."
Yunyin thought for a moment and said, "I don't need anything else. If you see any seeds that are not found in the Central Plains, I would be very grateful if you could bring some back for me."
She took out her money pouch from her bosom, intending to give him silver, but he waved his hand and said, "No need, I don't even know if I can buy it yet, there's no need to give me silver first."
“Miss Yun is too trusting of others.” Fu Wang told her to put away her money bag. “In the future, you shouldn’t easily show your money. Even if you ask someone to carry something for you, you should see the item before paying. Otherwise, your money may be wasted.”
Yunyin paused slightly as she handed over the money. She had indeed trusted Fu Wang too much. Perhaps it was because Fu Wang was good-looking and seemed steady that she had let her guard down. But he was right; it wasn't a good habit. She chuckled and said, "Young Master Fu has reminded me that I shouldn't trust people so easily. I will be more careful in the future."
Fu Wang nodded upon hearing this and said, "Miss Yun, you do need to be careful about these things when you're doing business alone. If you really want to do business by the official road, I still suggest you hire more people. The two of you are still too few."
"We were the ones who discovered the bandits first this time. I had a lot of brothers with me. If no one knew, it would have been only a matter of time before they found your place. Lady Yun is quite beautiful, so you still need to be careful."
These were heartfelt words, and Yunyin kept them in mind. She said gratefully, "Thank you, Young Master Fu. I will consider it."
Fu Wang pursed his lips and said, "I'm glad you don't mind me meddling."
Yunyin shook her head: "How could that be? These are all sincere words to me. Master Fu is doing this for my own good. How could I not know?"
Just then, the village chief arrived with his men carrying things. Yunyin stopped talking to Fu Wang and went to help.
Yunyin opened the dried mushrooms that the villagers had brought, checked a few, and found that they were all of good quality. She nodded and said, "I'll take all of these."
Seeing another small bag at the back, she opened it and found it contained dried termite mushrooms. She took out a handful and examined them; they looked very good. She asked the village chief, "Do you have any more of these mushrooms?"
The village chief looked at the group of villagers, and one of them said, "We only have this one bag. These kinds of mushrooms are hard to find, and we only have a small bag of them."
“In the past, they were sent to the neighboring county, but later the county stopped taking them, so we kept them for ourselves.”
Seeing that their mushrooms were quite good, Yunyin said, "I've been buying mushrooms here. If you find any fresh mushrooms in the future, you can send them to me."
She gave the villagers her address, saying that if they wanted to sell mushrooms again in the future, they could sell them to her, and she would accept them all.
Yunyin bought all the mushrooms here at the market price of thirty coins per catty for mixed mushrooms and forty coins per catty for termite mushrooms.
After harvesting the mushrooms, Yunyin also learned about the bandits and knew that the bandit suppression in Long'an County would end in two days, so she planned to go back.
Seeing that she had a lot of things to take, Fu Wang thought for a moment and said, "I have nothing else to do here, so I'll tell someone to give you a ride."
"Um, I can go back by myself." Yunyin didn't want Fu Wang to personally escort her, so she quickly declined.
Fu Wang led the horse over and said, "It's alright, I have horses that can help you carry your goods."
Although the dried mushrooms weren't heavy, several bags were indeed difficult to carry, so Yunyin didn't refuse.
Fu Wang told the people who stayed behind, helped Yun Yin tie several bags of dried mushrooms to her horse, and the two left the small village together.
The two were not bored while walking. Yunyin asked him about the situation in Da Zhao, and Fu Wang told her about his experiences on the escort mission. The two chatted very happily.
Even after arriving at their destination, Yunyin was still somewhat reluctant to leave. She smiled and said, "After hearing what you said, I also want to go to the Western Regions to see the endless desert, and I also want to go to the seaside to see and eat some fresh seafood." Although Yunyin had tried these things in her later life, the sea in the Great Zhao was still different.
Fu Wang pondered for a moment and said, "It's not impossible. You can come with us if you have the chance. With us looking after you, you don't need to worry about your safety."
Yunyin nodded and said, "If I have the opportunity in the future, I will go."
She called out to Fu Wang, "Young Master Fu, you must be tired from your journey. Come and have a drink of water, and stay for a meal. Last time you only tried my noodles, so this time I'll let you try my cooking."
Fu Wang tied up the horse and helped her carry the mushrooms, saying, "Miss Yun, have you forgotten? I've also tried your mushroom sauce, and it was truly delicious. My brothers praised you highly and said they'd like to try your cooking next time they pass by."
Yunyin took the mushroom and said with a smile, "Then let you try it first and see if it suits your taste."
She told Fu Wang to sit down and rest. She didn't see Zhang Lin, nor in the fields, and remembered she'd asked him to collect mushrooms yesterday; he probably hadn't returned yet. She went to the riverbank, caught two fish, and took out the bamboo cage she'd put out the night before. Sure enough, it was full of river shrimp.
Yunyin quickly killed and processed the fish and shrimp, then steamed the rice. She went back inside to get the iron pot and started cooking.
Fu Wang watched as Yun Yin skillfully and swiftly chopped vegetables, clearly having received formal training. He became completely absorbed in watching her.
He was only jolted awake by the aroma wafting through the air.
Yunyin cooked sauerkraut fish, stir-fried bamboo shoots, and also stir-fried a large plate of shrimp. She also cooked a large pot of elm seed and egg soup, leaving a portion for Zhang Lin. She then served the rest, saying, "Young Master Fu, you can eat now."
Fu Wang helped serve the rice, and after Yun Yin sat down, he picked up his chopsticks and said, "Miss Yun, please eat first."
Seeing his politeness, Yunyin didn't say anything more and started eating.
Using a wok really makes a difference; the fish fried in the wok tastes even better in soup. This sauerkraut fish is even more flavorful than the last one. While eating, she urged Fu Wang, "Young Master Fu, please don't be shy, have more."
After picking up a river shrimp and eating it, Fu Wang said, "My guess was right. Lady Yun's cooking skills are indeed excellent."
The fish, with its sour, spicy, and numbing flavor, is very appetizing. Yunyin's knife skills are also excellent; many fish bones are removed while slicing the fish, so as long as you pay attention while eating, you are unlikely to get a fish bone stuck in your throat.
Fu Wang ate several bites in a row and praised, "The fish that Lady Yun made is really delicious. Even the restaurants in the prefectural city can't compare to it."
Seeing his high praise, Yunyin quickly waved her hand and said, "It's not as exaggerated as you say, it's just some home-cooked dishes."
Fu Wang shook his head and said, "I like to eat fish. Most restaurants steam or braise it, and some also make sashimi, but I don't like eating raw food, so I've never tried it. Yun Niangzi's fish is really delicious. It's sour and spicy with a hint of spiciness. The fish melts in your mouth, and the side dishes are also very flavorful. The broth is also very delicious. Even just mixing rice with the broth is extremely tasty."
Fu Wang served another bowl of rice and said, "Although you say this is a home-style dish, in my opinion it is no less delicious than the signature dishes of other chefs."
Yunyin had not only eaten sashimi before, but she had also made it herself. Seeing that Fu Wang liked her fish so much, she smiled and said, "I can make a lot of other fish dishes. If you pass by again in the future, you can come and eat here often. It's okay if you don't eat sashimi, I can also make other kinds of fish dishes."
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