Chapter 37 Old Yanzhou Zha Jiang Mian (noodles with soybean paste)
The noodle shop is indeed about to open, and Shenmiao has been so busy with this that he hasn't had time to set up a stall at the bridge market.
The four sets of square tables and benches for four people that Shen Miao ordered from Old Man Yang arrived just in time. She arranged the tables and chairs in two rows in the middle of the shop, and had Old Man Yang nail two rows of long tables along the left and right walls with extended wooden strips. Each row could hold five or six small benches, so that many people could squeeze in and sit down when there were many people.
The Shen family's shop wasn't large, so instead of setting up a separate L-shaped counter, she followed the custom of later generations and knocked down half of the wall connecting the shop and the kitchen, creating a half-wall window. The lower half of the wall was covered with thick wooden planks, serving as both a food serving window and a counter, saving a lot of space.
Therefore, Shen Miao also made some changes to the layout of the kitchen. The dining table and cabinets that had been used before were moved to the newly built front porch in the yard. Previously, the kitchen had four old-fashioned stove holes built along the wall, with a long wooden table in the middle. The corners were piled with baskets and other miscellaneous items, making the flow of movement inconvenient and messy.
Now, Shen Miao asked He Daizhao to add two more soup stoves in the middle of the four stoves, and to make the four stoves into a row, so that water could be boiled while cooking, saving firewood and time. At the very edge, four stoves were added to form a clay pot stove, which can be used to cook special clay pot rice noodles and noodles.
The eight-tiered bamboo steamer for steaming buns and the low soup stove were moved to the corner of the wall, so that all steamed dishes such as rice, buns, and mantou, as well as broth and braised dishes, had a place to be steamed.
The original wooden table in the middle was burned beyond recognition, so Shen Miao asked Old Man Yang to order a new one. It was made by joining two tables together, with a spacious countertop, allowing for simultaneous preparation and chopping of vegetables. Underneath the table, a basket weaver measured its length, width, and height, and had four large baskets specially made to fit perfectly, for storing kitchen utensils, dishcloths, brushes, and other miscellaneous items. At the other end of the kitchen, two rows of wooden shelves along the wall, also equipped with baskets, were used to store fresh vegetables. Next to the shelves was the entrance to the Shen family's cellar.
Shen Miao tidied up the kitchen before discovering that there was a cellar in the house!
And it's quite large and deep; you need a ladder to get down.
But it had already been emptied out; there was nothing inside. The cellar was cool and could be used to store perishable meats and vegetables; it was a natural refrigerator.
Finally, she built two vegetable washing pools with bricks and stones. The pools were connected by bamboo tubes, and she also made a hole in the corner of the wall to extend the outlet of the bamboo tubes to the outside. In this way, the sewage would be discharged directly into the rain ditch through the hole in the wall, and then into the extensive network of "ditches" (sewers) in Bianjing City [Note].
However, the bamboo drainpipes have no bends; when two bamboo tubes are joined together using mortise and tenon joints, they form right angles, requiring regular dredging to prevent blockages. This innovative design is unique to the kitchens of other eateries. In other restaurants, drainage ditches are dug in the floor, leading to overflowing sewage. If someone is too lazy to clean daily, the kitchen will inevitably stink.
That day, He Daizhao was building a stove when he saw Madam Shen gesturing at him, wanting not only two brick-built water pools but also a drainpipe. He stared wide-eyed, stunned.
She placed the two large water tanks she had bought earlier next to the pool, planning to buy two more later.
It was indeed inconvenient not having a well at home, but digging a well was not an easy task. Not only did it cost money to dig, but it also required reporting to the government and obtaining a "permit for digging" before it could begin.
No one in Yangliu East Lane has a well. Aunt Gu said that to get this permit, it would cost at least fifty strings of cash to bribe the officials and clerks. That was the price many years ago; I wonder what the price is now.
Shen Miao had no money, and no money at all.
Fortunately, the water room isn't too far away.
In short, the kitchen that Shen Miao renovated was a standard that was quite common in the future. Usually, such a kitchen would also be equipped with wall cabinets, fans, and a high-powered range hood, but these were no longer available. Moreover, it was just a small restaurant. After Shen Miao set out the seasonings, pots and pans, she tried it out herself and found that it was enough for her to use by herself.
Outside the kitchen, there was an empty space next to the counter. Shen Miao stood there pondering for a moment, then asked Old Man Yang to make another wooden beverage cabinet. She decided to collaborate with the tofu shop in the alley to make and sell simple soy milk. She would also collaborate with Mei San Niang to make mung bean soup and plum juice, and with the Gu family to make some small bottles of wine. These drinks could be stored in individual double-eared earthenware jars and placed inside with various jars of wine, which would allow them to be sold together.
The biggest change in the shop was that Chenmiao had paved the floor with bricks.
Although it was a batch of unsold plain bricks that Xun He had bargained with, they were just plain gray bricks without any patterns, and many of them had fire marks on them. But they were cheap and practical. Laying the bricks would make cleaning and maintenance much easier in the future, especially on rainy days, so you wouldn't have to walk in muddy floors when you came in to eat noodles.
After all this, more than four thousand coins, nearly five strings of cash, were spent. The opening date of the shop was postponed again and again. By the time everything was finally prepared, it was already late May, and even the Dragon Boat Festival had passed.
But looking at the small but well-organized shop in front of her, Shen Miao felt that all the investment was worthwhile.
In business, you have to invest to get a return.
Fortunately, she had saved up quite a bit of money from her previous stall, and of course, she also owed a lot to the Xie family for buying two of her pastry recipes. Otherwise, she probably wouldn't have been able to save enough money to repair the house until next year!
Early that morning, after hanging up the peach wood charms and cleaning them, she turned around and swept and cleaned all the tables, chairs, benches, and counters in the shop. Looking at the bare white walls of the shop, she thought about asking Ji Ge'er to write two menus with simple line drawings of the dishes next to them. Although most people at that time were illiterate, it would be good as decoration, otherwise the bare walls would feel too plain.
Moreover, it also makes her shop look more scholarly. Chen Miao stood with her hands on her hips in the shop that was almost tidied up, thinking proudly, "At this time, which small noodle shop can have so many words on the wall?"
A hand-drawn illustrated menu—what a cultured hole-in-the-wall restaurant!
Not only that, Shen Miao also bought two potted pine trees and placed them at the entrance, and six oval copper lamps with ox horns and hung them on the top.
We also went to a fireworks shop and bought forty or fifty firecrackers. We strung the fuses together with hemp rope, cut a few pieces of red paper and made a lot of paper cutouts, which we strung together with red rope and hung on the potted plants as ribbons. We also bought a foot of red cloth and tied a flower on the tail of our dog and a big red bow on Leiting's neck.
A red cloth flower was folded and hung on the signboard. They also went to the blind fortune teller on Jinliang Bridge to find an auspicious time and day. Then they lit firecrackers in a lively atmosphere and opened for business amidst the crackling smoke.
At that time, there was no custom of sending flower baskets and setting off firecrackers when a restaurant opened, so Shen Miao's actions were very novel to people. In particular, the sound of firecrackers, which were only set off during the New Year, could be heard throughout the whole street. Even the little dog that was scared by the firecrackers was wearing a big red flower on its tail and wagging back and forth, which attracted a lot of people to watch.
Curious onlookers came to investigate and discovered that two pine trees stood on either side of the shop entrance, their branches adorned with a dazzling array of festive paper scraps. An elderly man in a long gourd-shaped, diamond-shaped, square, and flower-shaped scraps were examined closely and found words like "get rich," "happiness," "good fortune," and "good luck" written on them.
The handwriting appears to be child's; it's not particularly good, but it has the earnestness and style of a child.
That's interesting.
Many neighbors from Yangliu East Lane came in to browse. Aunt Gu praised everything she saw, while Aunt Li found fault with everything she saw. But no one could deny that Sister Shen had kept the shop exceptionally bright and clean, and it was quite pleasing to the eye.
Only...
Aunt Gu took Chen Miao's arm and asked softly, "Why don't you replace this plaque? It's burned black and has so many holes from insects. Wouldn't it be better to have Old Man Yang make you a new one?"
Shen Miao looked up and saw that the plaque was indeed weathered and looked quite out of place with the newly decorated shop.
Actually, the plaque was found in a gap behind the stove.
Ever since Shen's parents died a violent death, the plaque was taken down, and it almost got chopped up as firewood by the merchants who rented the shop.
When it was first found, it was covered in stove ash. After wiping it clean, the originally bright redwood had been blackened by the soot. Chen Miao washed and wiped it repeatedly but could not restore the original luster of the wood. In the end, he sent it to Old Man Yang to have the pitted surface scraped off and painted again.
Although it looked better after being returned, the numerous scratches on the wood could not be completely covered up.
Shen Miao and Ji Ge'er stood in silence for a long time in front of the plaque. In the end, Shen Miao said nothing, but asked Ji Ge'er to bring ink and a brush, and then traced the characters on it again. He built a tall ladder and hung it up again.
Almost everything left behind by Shen's parents had been burned to ashes. This plaque, however, still carries the carefree memories of Ji Ge'er and Xiang Jie'er when their parents were still alive, when they lived under their parents' protection.
On the opening day, Shen Miao, with Ji Ge'er and Xiang Jie'er in her arms, stood amidst the crackling of firecrackers and looked up.
The blind fortune teller at Jinliang Bridge was quite skilled. Today, the sky was exceptionally clear, and the sunlight shone brightly on the five large characters of "Chenji Tangbing Shop" without any obstruction. Although the redwood signboard with black characters was scarred, it was also shrouded in a layer of restrained and ancient luster.
"From now on, we truly have a home."
Shen Miao lowered her head and hugged her younger brother and sister tighter.
Upon hearing this, Xiangjie lowered her head and buried herself in her elder sister's arms. Shen Ji, however, still gazed up at the familiar yet unfamiliar plaque, his eyes inexplicably welling up with tears. No one could have imagined that one day, he and Xiangjie would have a place they could call home again; it was truly unbelievable.
Before his older sister returned, he wouldn't even dare to dream of such a thing.
Amidst the crackling of firecrackers and billowing smoke, he couldn't utter any other words, finally managing only a hoarse "hmm."
When Shenji Tangbing Shop opened, not a single bowl of soup dumplings was sold all morning. However, the alley was bustling with neighbors who came to offer their congratulations. Although these neighbors always liked to gossip behind people's backs, they were all very enthusiastic on such a big day and came early to offer their congratulations and join in the fun. Shenmiao also received a lot of gifts in the morning. Some gave bowls and utensils, some gave rice and noodles, some gave tofu or eggs, and some gave a few ounces of fresh meat... Before long, the small front porch in the backyard was piled up.
Aside from the neighbors, the first to come and congratulate her were Mei San Niang and Mi Xiao Niangzi, who sold fragrant drinks on Jinliang Bridge.
Shen Miao smiled as she accepted the two large jars of jujube sweet soup and perilla drink as gifts, as well as two wood carvings of magpies perched on branches and spring flowers announcing good news from Mi Xiao Niangzi. She happily pulled the two of them by the hand and led them inside.
"Why did you bring any gifts? Don't be so polite." Shen Miao was secretly pleased and patted her chest to the two of them, saying, "If you two come to eat soup dumplings often in the future, I'll give you a 50% discount."
"What a stingy person! I thought you would say you wouldn't take my money!" Mei San Niang exclaimed dramatically.
Shen Miao looked at the two of them, somewhat shyly, and said, "I've become broke again because of opening this shop. Once I've made some money, I'll treat you to three days and three nights of soup noodles, no money required, no questions asked!"
Mei San Niang rolled her eyes at the sky: "Do you think I and Xiaomi are cows? Did we give birth to three babies? How cruel! Are you planning to stuff me to death so you can save money on soup dumplings?"
"You've wronged me terribly! If you say that again, I'm going to the Kaifeng Prefecture to seek justice!"
The two were bickering, and Mi Xiaoniangzi covered her mouth and laughed.
After the commotion was over, Mei San Niang looked around seriously, and the more she looked, the more surprised she became: "Your shop is quite uniquely decorated." She strolled around and found everything new and interesting. She especially praised the wine cabinet with a lock next to Shen Miao's counter, saying that when she saved up enough money to rent a teahouse in the future, she would also have such a cabinet made to store expensive teas and teaware, which would be both beautiful and tempting to buy.
Then, he asked with concern, "After you open the shop, will you give up your skills in making steamed buns and baked bread? Wouldn't that be a pity?"
Shen Miao pointed to the small stall cart parked in the backyard and said with a smile, "In the future, I will put the stove under this cart and the steamer on top, and I will put it at the entrance of the shop. I also specially made a tall bamboo stool so that Sister Xiang can guard this stall."
She had already planned it out: she would make the steamed buns and mantou in the evening and steam them again when she opened the shop in the morning. This way, she could sell some steamed buns and mantou for breakfast, and various kinds of noodles for lunch and dinner, without interfering with either business, and the stall wouldn't go to waste.
Furthermore… Shen Miao poured tea for the two of them, then whispered to Mei San Niang, “The weather is getting warmer, and the shop can’t function without fragrant drinks. But I run this shop by myself, and I have to make steamed buns, pancakes, and soup dumplings. I’m really afraid I won’t be able to handle it all. I have an idea. How about I order some refreshing and cooling tea soups from you? You can deliver them to me early every morning, which will save me some trouble, and you’ll earn a lot more money. There’s only one condition: you can’t sell them to me at the outside price. You have to give me a price that I can make a profit on, and they have to be made with high-quality ingredients and cleanly prepared. Is that alright? If you’re not willing, I’ll go and ask the other tea soup shops.”
Mei San Niang's plump face lit up with joy: "Of course! I'll go back and discuss it with my husband right away. You can rest assured, my sister-in-law's fragrant drinks are famous in Jinliang Bridge, and I would never ruin my reputation!"
As expected, Madam Shen was very perceptive. Madam Mi, sipping her tea, nodded and said, "That's right. Eating soup dumplings always makes you sweat. In the sweltering summer, if you don't have a fragrant drink to accompany your meal, you will indeed feel a loss of appetite."
The two sat for a while, and seeing that people kept coming to congratulate them, they were afraid of disturbing them, so they decided to leave together.
Ever since Shen Miao mentioned selling incense drinks, Mei San Niang had been itching to go home, afraid that she would miss out on a big business deal with Shen Miao. Seeing this commotion, she quickly pulled Mi Xiao Niangzi back home.
Chef Fang from the Xie family had been learning how to make egg yolk pastries and cookies from Shen Miao for several days and had long regarded Shen Miao as half a master. Today, as soon as Mei San Niang and the others left, he carried half a freshly slaughtered sheep to congratulate her. He paraded through the city, covered in blood, and when he suddenly appeared, she was so frightened that she almost tripped on the steps.
Many of her regular customers from Jinliang Bridge also came. The big man who often patronized her pancake stall not only gave her a bolt of hemp cloth, but also sat down to eat soup pancakes. It was only then that Shen Miao learned that this dark-skinned man's surname was Bai.
It also has a particularly pristine name: White Snow Mountain.
Shen Miao went into the kitchen to roll out noodles. When she heard the big man's self-introduction, she couldn't help but glance at the dark-skinned man's face, which was even darker than Gu Tusu's and looked like he didn't need makeup to play Bao Zheng, through the counter window. She silently pondered his name in her heart.
What a lovely name, and what a dark-skinned man!
He sat down on the stool closest to the counter with an air of superiority, flashing a bright white smile as Shen Miao looked at him. He turned to Shen Miao and started chatting: "You can call me Bai Laosan, Madam Shen. Don't let my age fool you, I'm only twenty-five this year!"
Twenty-five?
Shen Miao's eyes widened; she really didn't dare say that she had previously thought he was at least forty...
Bai Laosan seemed to have figured it out and said aggrievedly, "I don't know what happened. I've looked like this since I was a child. I looked old when I was a child, and I still look old now. My wife said that with my appearance, I must have been reincarnated face down."
Shen Miao lowered her head, trying to suppress her laughter, her hands trembling as she kneaded the dough.
Don't laugh at the customer, hold it in!
On the first day of her trial operation, Shen Miao prepared only two kinds of noodles. One was Old Beijing Fried Sauce Noodles. The fried sauce was prepared in advance. She made a small vat, sealed it with oil paper, and stored it in the cool cellar of the kitchen. She scooped out a basin of it every day, which could be stored for several days.
She thought that since it was the first day of business, there would be a lot of people and things to do. This fried sauce noodles were easy, quick and delicious to make; the other option was pork bone broth noodles, and the broth was made the night before, with the stove burning all night until morning.
Pork bone soup with flatbread is a common dish, and other shops also sell it, but Bai Laosan had never tried "fried sauce with noodles" before, so he ordered that. He even asked curiously, "Madam Chen, what is fried sauce?"
Shen Miao thought for a moment about where "old Beijing" was at this time, and then laughed, "This is a method that came from Yanzhou, so it's not very common in Bianjing. It's also a sauce made with pork, served with shredded cucumber, shredded scallions, shredded radish, and bean sprouts. It's very fragrant, so don't worry, it will definitely taste delicious!"
Even though Madam Shen didn't elaborate, Bai Laosan still felt his mouth getting increasingly saliva-filled.
Shen Miao finished pulling the noodles, and the oil in the wok on the stove was hot—it's best to stir-fry the prepared fried sauce again before using it, to remove all the moisture and separate the oil and sauce, so that the sauce will be fragrant. Sure enough, while Shen Miao was stir-frying the sauce, before it was even ready, Bai Laosan had already stood up after smelling the aroma.
Stir-fry the soybean paste over high heat until it's cooked through, and rinse the noodles in cold water beforehand. Then, arrange the various shredded ingredients that have been cut in advance on top of the noodles, and use a large spoon to scoop a big spoonful of the hot soybean paste and pour it over the noodles.
When she brought it out, Bai Laosan couldn't contain himself any longer: "It smells so good! It really does smell so good!"
Shen Miao taught him how to mix it. Bai Laosan was strong and mixed it in no time. Every chewy and smooth noodle was coated with a rich and fragrant fried sauce. When he took a big bite, he could also taste large chunks of meat. The meat, with its perfect balance of lean and fat and stir-fried to perfection, was incredibly fragrant and had a rich texture.
He buried his head in his food and ate heartily. Before he could even swallow the last bite, he shouted, "Another bowl, please!"
Shen Miao smiled and went in to make another bowl.
Just as the food was ready and brought out, an old man and a young man entered the shop. The old man's kind voice had just rang out at the door: "Madam Shen, I wish you a prosperous opening..." Before the words had even finished, Leiting in the backyard reacted even faster than Shen Miao. It suddenly stood up, so excited that it shook off the three half-grown chickens that were dozing on its back, and rushed into the shop in a few steps.
"Woof woof woof—"
Shen Miao turned around in surprise and saw that it was Granny Wu with her gray hair leading Xiang Guo'er and carrying a basket of eggs. She was almost knocked to the ground by Lei Ting. Granny Wu shouted in a panic, "Eggs, watch out for eggs!"
Xiang Guo'er jumped up and hugged Lei Ting's neck: "Lei Ting! Sit down! You've gotten fat! Grandma's waist can't take it anymore!"
Thunder obediently sat down, its tail still wagging incessantly.
Fortunately, Bai Laosan wasn't afraid of dogs. He was holding a bowl of noodles, with a ring of fried sauce around his mouth, and watching this scene curiously.
"Aunt Wu, you've finally arrived. Didn't you say you'd come to visit Leiting often? It's been so long, and we haven't seen you since."
Shen Miao went over reproachfully, helped her sit down by the arm, pointed at Lei Ting, and said to Aunt Wu:
“You don’t know, ever since you left, leaving Leiting here, it has been waiting for you at the back gate, refusing to come inside or go anywhere else. A few days ago, Xiang’er was playing on the front porch while I was busy inside. Who knew that the child, jumping around, would slip and fall down the steps? But Leiting, without hesitation, suddenly broke its leash and rushed in, using its body to cushion the fall so that Xiang’er wouldn’t hurt her head. When I came out, I found blood on the ground and discovered that Leiting’s neck was bleeding from the leash when it broke free, but it didn’t utter a sound. Later, I left it in the yard to recover, and it got better and hasn’t tried to go out since.”
Shen Miao whispered to her about Lei Ting's life, and Aunt Wu's eyes reddened again: "Oh, it's not that I didn't want to come, it's just that the family matter hasn't passed yet, so I didn't dare to come. Fortunately, I compensated their family with some money these past few days, pleaded with them, and even got them to sign a written agreement and make sure I repeatedly assured them that Lei Ting would never come back, before they finally agreed to let it go and stop pursuing whether Lei Ting was alive or dead..." After saying that, she held Shen Miao's hand and thanked her repeatedly, "Thank you so much, Madam Shen, Lei Ting is so well-cared for now, it's all thanks to you! He really is a good dog, isn't he? I didn't lie to you."
"It's all over now, things will be fine from now on, don't cry anymore." Shen Miao gently stroked Wu Da Niang's back to comfort her, and said with a smile, "Of course you didn't lie to me, I'm so grateful that it saved Xiang Jie'er! It just so happens that my shop has just opened, please sit down, I'll go and cook some soup dumplings for you and Xiang Guo'er."
She then pinched Xiangguo'er's cheek: "Xiangguo'er, are you not eating properly again? Your little face is all chubby! Come over often and play with our Xiang'er. Not only can you keep Leiting company, but we also have another little dog! It's naturally short and chubby, with yellow fur, a white belly, and a big, plump face."
Xiang Guo'er was thin because she didn't like to eat, but she had big eyes and was a very pretty girl. She listened to Shen Miao's words with great longing and nodded repeatedly.
"Don't bother, you've helped our family a lot, how can I take advantage of you? You're busy today, we'll just sit for a bit and then leave, and come back to patronize your business properly later." Aunt Wu stood up to stop Shen Miao from cooking, and even took out a large sandalwood God of Wealth statue from her cloth bag, and despite Shen Miao's refusals, insisted on placing it on the counter for her.
“This is something I got for you from the Taiqing Temple in the suburbs. It’s been blessed and will ensure your business thrives and your wealth flows in. That old Taoist priest is quite powerful. Just put it here and it will definitely work.”
After saying that, she lowered her head and rubbed Lei Ting's fluffy head: "Lei Ting, be a good boy and watch over Madam Shen's house. You must protect her family well. Don't be stubborn in the future. Stay at Madam Shen's house and Grandma will come to see you again."
Lei Ting's wet, almond-shaped eyes reflected Wu Da Niang's aged face, and he let out a loud bark.
Afterwards, Aunt Wu and Xiang Guo'er left, looking back every few steps. But this time, Lei Ting didn't follow them. After Aunt Wu had gone far away, it opened the curtain leading to the back room on its own and lay down in the courtyard.
The chicks had grown into half-grown chickens. Thunder's black feathers were fine and thick. One after another, they flew onto Thunder's back and perched on it. Among them, the spotted hen ate the most and was the fattest. She had already started laying eggs—yesterday, she even stuck out her rear end and laid a warm egg on Thunder's forehead.
Several more groups of customers came later, and when all the fried sauce she had scooped out for the day was used up, she temporarily closed the shop.
She went out and, following the example of others, signed supply contracts with Butcher Zheng, Manager Xu of the rice shop, and Madam Wang who sold fruits and vegetables. Finally, she went to the Gu family's house. It just so happened that Gu Tusu had gone to the outer city to deliver wine, so Shen Miao told Aunt Gu her purpose: she wanted to put a few kinds of wine in her shop, preferably refreshing and not intoxicating, and not expensive.
This was something we were going to do anyway, but there was just so much to prepare these days. We'd already talked to these familiar shopkeepers and owners a few times, but it wasn't completely finalized yet, so it felt a bit rushed. Luckily, they were all acquaintances, so it was easy to talk to them.
"You really want to sell wine? Your father's shop used to only serve well water to quench thirst, and he didn't sell anything except soup noodles." Aunt Gu teased with a smile, but still picked up a wine jar and led Shen Miao to the wine shop in front to taste the wines. Shen Miao tasted seven or eight kinds, and chose three from them: one was the millet wine that ordinary people usually drank, and another was a refreshing cypress leaf sake.
The last item is the slightly more expensive Sangluo wine. This wine is crystal clear and has a smooth taste. Especially when chilled with well water, it becomes icy cold upon entry, making it perfect for the sweltering summer.
Now that May has passed, Shen Miao has changed into light clothing. Eating noodles is the easiest way to get all sweaty, especially since she wants to sell mixed noodles such as oil-splashed noodles, dan dan noodles, and fried sauce noodles, which need soup as the finishing touch.
By the time we finished all that, it was almost dark.
Today, during the trial opening, they sold over forty bowls of noodles, but since they closed early in the afternoon, it's too early to tell whether business is good or not.
Tomorrow will be the official start of a full day of business, and Shen Miao is actually a little nervous. She has invested most of her savings, and she doesn't know if the business will be good in the future. Thinking about the future, she silently carried the lantern back to the shop, preparing to check the candle lock one last time before bolting the door.
Just as I turned the corner, I saw a chubby, round boy in blue sitting on the doorstep.
She shone the lamp on the spot and realized it was Yanshu, who was beside Ninth Brother. She exclaimed in surprise, "Yanshu, what brings you here?"
Under the lamplight, the woman's slender shadow swayed. Yan Shu jumped up and bowed with a grin: "Ninth Brother heard from Chef Fang that Madam Shen's shop has opened, so he specially sent me to congratulate her."
As he spoke, he shook out two pieces of writing on silk cloth from his bosom.
"No need, no need, Ninth Brother is too kind." Before Shen Miao could even see what was written, Yan Shu hurriedly pulled out a gold-flecked name card that had been scented with incense: "By the way, on the fifteenth of next month, we're having a big banquet at home, and we've even invited a troupe of acrobats to perform! Ninth Brother said he'd also like to invite Madam Shen to bring Ji-ge and Xiang-jie over to play and relax!"
Suddenly, three things were stuffed into her arms, leaving Shen Miao a little bewildered. She subconsciously asked, "Huh, the academy has given us a holiday so early? Since you're out running errands for Ninth Brother, is your Ninth Brother on leave?"
Yan Shu shook his head and sighed deeply, "The academy didn't have a day off. It's just that our Ninth Brother's bad luck has struck again. A few days ago, he went to Yaoshan Temple with those students to watch the sunset over the mountain. He was bitten by a snake, but luckily it wasn't poisonous. On the way down the mountain, he fell and broke his leg while trying to save Meng San, but thankfully it wasn't broken. Unfortunately, on the way back to the city to seek medical treatment, Qiu Hao was in such a hurry that he overturned the carriage. Luckily, Ninth Brother had anticipated this and jumped off skillfully. But when he dragged Qiu Hao out from under the carriage with a limp, he strained his arm, so he had to come home to recuperate."
"ah?"
Shen Miao was stunned. That...that was really bad luck.
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