Chapter 60 Employee Management She might be involved in management herself, but she didn't manage her employees...
As soon as the sun set below the bridge, the sweltering heat dissipated, and the city of Bianjing became bustling with activity.
Along the Bian River, some lush green orchids have grown, and the river surface is almost full of lanterns. Most of the lanterns are shaped like lotus petals, covered with colored paper, and lit with candles. They shimmer and drift along the Bian River, looking like stars scattered on the ground from afar.
Today, it felt like the whole city had come out to have fun. Chenmiao's shop was packed with customers, and not a single table was empty for even half an hour. The dozen or so ducks that had just been roasted in the backyard were sold out in the blink of an eye. It was as if for every table of customers who saw the freshness, one or two ducks would be sold.
Tang Er's skills were so bad that he almost cramped up the duck while slicing it, stubbornly refusing to admit defeat.
The two shops were combined into one; the depth remained the same, but the width doubled, changing from a vertical rectangle to a horizontal one. Atao, wearing the thick cotton gloves sewn for her by Chen Miao, held dishes high in both hands, calling out crisply, "Excuse me! Excuse me!"
Then, with incredible agility, it weaved through the crowd like a snake.
The newly built jujube clay stove was placed in the backyard. Fuxing, wearing an open short jacket, was sweating profusely as he continued to hang ducks inside, but today he only managed to hang five or six before running out.
Early in the morning, Shen Miao, along with Fu Xing and Tang Er, worked from morning till night, but they only managed to make about twenty.
Making roast duck is a complicated and difficult process. First, you have to choose a good duck. It can't be too big; if the duck is too big, the meat will be tough or too fatty. A small white duck weighing about five or six pounds is the best.
They bought a live duck, and Tang Er helped Shen Miao slaughter it. They had to be careful when slaughtering it. They made an incision near the trachea on the duck's neck to bleed it, and they also carefully removed the internal organs through that incision. After removing the feathers and washing it clean, they had to "scald" the duck's body with boiling water to make the skin tighter, so that the roasted skin would be crispier.
After scalding the duck, wipe it dry and then blow air into its belly using a thick reed tube until it's very puffy. This separates the skin from the subcutaneous fat, which helps to create a crispy skin when roasting. Next, evenly coat the duck with a secret seasoning mixture of maltose, cooking wine, and other spices, and hang it in a well-ventilated place to dry for two hours.
The ducks must be dried before being placed in the hanging oven. The firewood for roasting ducks is also important; those who are particular about it only use jujube wood and pear wood. These two types of wood burn with a fragrant aroma that slowly permeates the duck meat, making the ducks roasted with these two fruitwoods especially fragrant. Shen Miao chose jujube wood, and after roasting, she couldn't help but smell it again and again with delight.
After all, most roast duck restaurants in later generations have switched to electric ovens, and it is now very difficult to smell the aroma of roast duck made with fruitwood.
Once the ducks are in the oven, they can't just be left unattended. While electric ovens in later times turn on their own, here in Chenmiao, it all has to be done manually. Someone has to watch over them during roasting, keeping an eye on the fire while slowly rotating the rack holding the ducks. Every so often, the rack has to be rotated at a certain angle to ensure the ducks are heated evenly. Roasting one batch requires standing there with complete concentration for more than half an hour.
Fortunately, before the roast duck was served, Shenmiao's three new employees had all arrived at their posts. Fuxing had worked as a chef for many years and was very experienced in controlling the heat. Apart from being a braggart, he was quite reliable in his work.
He was then assigned by Shen Miao to roast ducks, a task that required both physical strength and patience, and he was the only one capable of doing it.
He used to be a cook in the household of a low-ranking official, and he knew a few signature dishes, making his own unique broth. After Shen Miao finished decorating, he came to the Shen family carrying two tattered clothes. He couldn't wait to show off, so he went into Shen Miao's kitchen, touched and looked around in surprise, saw the earthenware pot for broth, smelled it, and quickly flattered Shen Miao, saying, "Madam Shen, you could try adding half a chicken carcass to the pork bone broth and simmering it together; it will be even more delicious."
Shen Miao tried it, and sure enough, Dr. Yao, who had come to eat Yangchun soup dumplings that day, could also taste the difference. Holding the soup bowl, he said, "Madam Shen, have you changed the soup base? It tastes even better now." He praised it highly.
In addition, he was also very good at making shepherd's purse wontons. Few people in Bianjing (Kaifeng) ate shepherd's purse wontons, as this was a southern style. It is said that he served his former master's family, whose old lady was from Huating County, Liangzhe Road (Shanghai). She was particular about eating shepherd's purse in early spring: "On the third day of the third lunar month, shepherd's purse is better than a peony."
Besides these two advantages, he could also cook several southern dishes such as "white-cut chicken" and "scallion oil chicken." In short, all his specialties were chicken dishes. Shen Miao realized that his former master's family was probably some fox spirit in disguise who loved to eat chicken.
However, Fuxing's knife skills are not as good as Tang Er's, and his kneading and making of dough are also average; he still needs to be taught.
Chen Miao had misjudged Tang Er. He wasn't very talkative at the dentist's, and she thought he was just shy. But after he came to her home, he was quiet for two days. Chen Miao was worried that he wouldn't adapt. She felt sorry for him, thinking that it was pitiful that he was sold by his stepmother at such a young age because he was too honest and got bullied. She comforted him, saying, "It's okay, just treat this place like your own home."
The next day, as if he had received a royal decree, he completely changed. He became talkative, had something to say to every living creature in the house, and spoke with a strong Northeastern accent.
"Hey, what are you doing, you dog? I was wondering why these chickens' butts were all losing feathers. Turns out you were licking them clean. Stop eating that stuff! Let's learn something nice!"
He pinched the mouthpiece of the dog, holding it up to wash its mouth, when he turned around and saw that Xiangjie had just finished eating and had eaten two pieces of sesame candy. Now she was sitting under the veranda, excitedly sharing peaches with Atao. He said smugly, "Sister, you should eat less too. Look at your face, it's almost as round as a pancake."
Xiangjie pouted in anger, and Atao grabbed a peach pit and threw it at his head, rolling her eyes: "Mind your own business!"
"Okay, okay, I won't say it. A round face is good, a round face is lucky." He chuckled again after being scolded, bent down to pick up the pit, put it in his pocket, and said, "Don't throw it away, there are still peach kernels inside. I'll crack it open later and make peach kernel porridge for you two."
He made it sound nice, but Shen Miao quickly figured it out after just two days. He wasn't actually very good at cooking; all his skills were in the knife work.
They were very efficient at killing chickens and ducks, slaughtering pigs and butchering sheep, cutting meat and chopping bones.
He hardly needs to look; he can precisely slice into the joints and bones with each cut, and his excellent meat-cutting skills are a great help to Shen Miao. In particular, he has been training since childhood and has a deep understanding of animal skeletal structures, allowing him to separate meat from bones cleanly. Even after a whole day, the knife remains undamaged and doesn't need sharpening.
Although she can't cook other dishes, she is already quite satisfied with this skill. Even in later generations, it is hard to find a master with such good knife skills.
Atao is a straightforward young girl, feisty and quick-witted.
The day she arrived, just as she put on her apron, two ruffians started causing trouble in the shop, insisting on sitting in the seats that other diners had reserved with Shen Miao in advance. No matter how much A Tao pleaded with them, they resorted to underhanded tactics, spreading their legs wide apart in front of A Tao, deliberately exposing their crotches, and refusing to get up from the stool, taking advantage of the fact that A Tao, a young woman, couldn't handle them.
Shen Miao discovered this in the kitchen and immediately called Tang Er and Fu Xing to chase the person out. However, A Tao wasn't afraid at all. She rolled up her sleeves, glared with her phoenix eyes, put her hands on her hips, and started to spew insults: "Oh, you two, are you two splayed out like that because your legs are pricking you with needles, or are you having hemorrhoids? Should we call a doctor to take a look? Maybe not only do you have a problem down there, but the head you're holding up your neck can also shake two liters of water out of it!"
Before she could finish speaking, everyone burst into laughter, and some diners, not wanting to miss the excitement, cheered and egged Ah Tao on.
These two rascals were bullies who preyed on the weak. Seeing that A-Tao was not someone to be trifled with, Tang Er and Fu Xing chased after her with rolling pins, and they quickly turned and ran away. They thought that using dirty tricks would intimidate a young girl like A-Tao, but they didn't expect that A-Tao wasn't afraid at all and directly defeated magic with magic.
Later, after the broker went to the yamen to complete the indenture and delivered it, Shen Miao learned that A Tao had grown up in a brothel and was quite the smooth talker! Her mother was a courtesan in Daming Prefecture who secretly gave birth to her and raised her until she was three years old, when the madam discovered it. The madam thought A Tao was quite pretty, so she turned a blind eye and let her mother raise her until she was fifteen. But A Tao's mother knew the madam's plan; she herself was in trouble, and she couldn't let her daughter suffer there forever. So, taking advantage of a day when the madam was away, she preemptively sold her daughter to the broker who knew the truth.
“I often come to Daming Prefecture to buy people, and I am familiar with the brothels and theaters, but I have never seen anything like this. People sell their daughters to get money, but she sells her daughter and even pays me to take her away. She also gave me two taels of silver and begged me to take Atao far away and find her a proper place.”
Ya Bao took the glass of peach iced tea that Shen Miao gave him, drank it heartily, and then sighed, "I was afraid she was a runaway prostitute, so I secretly had someone inquire about her. A Tao's mother didn't lie. After she went back, the madam beat her so badly she couldn't get out of bed and almost lost her life, but she didn't reveal a single thing about A Tao's whereabouts. Others might not care, but I value my word. Many poor families are willing to entrust their children to me because I keep my promises."
After that, I brought Atao all the way to Bianjing. Don't laugh, Madam Chen, but along the way, we passed through Luoyang and Zhengzhou. Several brothels had big buyers offering high prices for her, but I gritted my teeth and refused to sell her. I practically raised her for nothing for three months!
It wasn't until he met Shen Miao that he was able to get rid of A Tao.
Therefore, Atao refused to sign a lifelong contract. She calmly said to Shen Miao, "My mother can only sing for another ten years at most. When she gets old and her voice is no longer good, she will definitely be resold by the madam. I want to save money to redeem my mother."
Shen Miao patted her head and smiled, "Good, you have ambition. You must work hard. Don't worry, my family isn't the kind that works for three to five years without a raise. We have a base salary and commission. I'll talk to you about it properly after the Lotus Festival."
She now has several employees and is preparing to take charge of her small company.
Aunt Gu is on temporary assignment, while Youyu, Atao, Fuxing, and Tang Er are all full-time employees. She has a total of five people under her, enough to form a branch of the Communist Party. So, her personnel files, performance management, and salary system need to be properly managed, right?
Shen Miao's positions have already been decided: she will be the head chef, Fu Xing will be the sous chef, and he will be responsible for making soup, roasting duck, and also overseeing cold dishes. Tang Er will be in charge of chopping and preparing ingredients, and will help with tasks such as chopping vegetables and meat. You Yu will remain in her original position of tending the fire, washing dishes, chopping wood, and carrying water. In front, A Tao will be in charge of greeting guests, taking orders, and pouring tea, while Aunt Gu will help serve dishes, change bowls and chopsticks, and clear the table.
This is just the right number of people. The three of them have just arrived, and after working together for a while, things will run much more smoothly, which is about what she originally expected.
Shen Miao had been secretly observing them for several days, and A Tao and Tang Er adapted very quickly. Fu Xing, who had been bought by Shen Miao, was somewhat dejected and sad, looking like a talented but unappreciated programmer who had jumped ship from a big company but was inexplicably hired by a small e-commerce company.
But when he saw Shen Miao's uniquely decorated kitchen, he felt a sense of awe. After Shen Miao taught him how to handle and roast the duck, Fu Xing's attitude immediately changed, and he became extremely respectful to Shen Miao. His expression was as if he had suddenly encountered a reclusive monk in a small e-commerce company that ran a Taobao shop.
Moreover, he was deeply grateful to Shen Miao for teaching him the secret techniques of roasting duck, feeling highly valued and inexplicably developing a strong sense of honor. Ever since he learned how to roast duck, Fuxing turned the roasting pole until his hands trembled without complaint. He wished he could sleep with the oven in his arms, and he warily stared at everyone who approached the oven. It was as if he had a ribbon tied to his forehead that read: "I, Fuxing, swear to protect roast duck to the death."
Shen Miao was delighted and let him go.
This roast duck is complicated to make, so Shen Miao doesn't sell it cheaply. Wrapped in cucumber, scallions, sauce, and lotus leaf buns, half a duck costs eighty coins, and a whole duck costs one hundred and fifty-nine coins. Now it has surpassed roast fish to become the most expensive item in her shop.
However, not many roast ducks can be made in a day. This is a difficult thing to make. Shen Miao knew this from the beginning. She originally planned to make it in limited quantities, roasting a few and selling a few. At present, with the speed at which Fuxing processes ducks, it can only make a fixed twenty portions a day at most. Once they are sold out, that's it. There is no way to increase the quantity.
After expanding the store, Shen Miao originally planned to offer two dishes. The spicy crayfish, which should have been launched first, was delayed due to the lack of crayfish farming and could only be offered occasionally.
Shen Miao visited several fish shops, some of which raised green shrimp and river shrimp, but no one raised crayfish. They all said that they were very difficult to raise. Some fishmongers had tried it, and as soon as the shrimp fry were released, a large number of them would die after a rain and the water became muddy.
Now that she can only rely on fishing, Shen Miao made an agreement with the owner of the fish shop, Maomao Yanxuan, who usually delivers fish to her, to fish for her in the outer city every day, and she would take as much as they caught. Therefore, her summer crayfish and beer stall has unfortunately become a hidden dish, and you can only eat it if you are lucky.
The shop had just been renovated a few days ago, and it also happened to be the Lotus Viewing Festival, so the customer flow was extremely large. Chenmiao's main dishes were still grilled fish and the various noodles that the shop already had. The only new dish was roast duck. This dish could only be sold forty portions per person and a half, which could meet the demand more than the crayfish that might only be sold one or two portions a day.
"Bang--"
Fireworks suddenly rose on Jinliang Bridge, like shooting stars streaking across the sky, and then burst into bloom again. The light and shadow flowed, as if the Milky Way were pouring down. Many people in the shops took their bowls and chopsticks and went out to watch. The bright and dazzling light made the faces of all the people who stopped to watch red.
Fireworks at this time were quite expensive, and only the very wealthy could afford to set them off so extravagantly. It's unknown which wealthy family was behind it.
Ah Tao leaned against the counter and whispered to Aunt Gu, "Luckily, most of the fish customers deposited their money, and the roast duck customers had already paid in advance, otherwise they would have been caught up in the chaos."
Aunt Gu nodded in deep agreement: "It should be the same in the future."
But there were also people in the shop who were engrossed in the food and didn't care about the hustle and bustle at all. Mrs. Wang and her husband, dressed in simple cotton clothes, sat inconspicuously at a table in the corner. Because they had been wandering and fleeing famine in their early years, their clothes, made of ordinary people, fit them better than their finest clothes. They exuded a kind and simple charm and didn't attract any extra attention.
No one could have predicted that the Prefect of Kaifeng would be engrossed in eating duck carcasses in a small eatery on the street.
Madam Wang generously ordered a whole roast duck, and for an extra three coins, she asked Shen Miao to coat the duck carcass with salt and fry it in hot oil. She also ordered two extra peach iced teas to accompany it.
While imitating the picture of roasted duck on the wall, Wang Yong carefully lifted a warm, paper-thin lotus leaf pancake and placed it in his palm. Then, he used chopsticks to pick up a piece of roasted duck with the skin on, dipped it in the rich sauce, added cucumber strips and scallion shreds, rolled it up, and stuffed it into his mouth.
The duck was freshly roasted and still hot. It had the aroma of duck meat as well as the fragrance of fruitwood. The skin was so crispy that it made a sound when you bit into it, and the fat under the skin was squeezed out by your teeth and flowed into the tender duck meat.
The duck meat, dipped in the special sweet bean sauce, was tender, flavorful, and juicy. Most roasted duck meat is quite dry, but this Chenji duck was a completely different story. Wang Yong couldn't help but squint his eyes, just like his wife, and swallowed it, his mouth still savoring the salty, sweet, and savory flavors of the meat and skin.
"Good duck, good duck!" Wang Yong stroked his oily beard and began to carefully lift the pancake from the edge again—the pancake was too thin and soft, and if he was not careful, he would lift two pancakes at once.
Although Wang Yong was dressed in casual clothes, he still carried the airs of the Prefect of Kaifeng, eating politely and slowly. Wang's wife, however, was different; she ate heartily, quickly devouring almost half a duck. Only after catching her breath did she pick up a bamboo cup and take a large sip of tea through the reed tube. The cool, refreshing peach tea slid down her throat and into her stomach, instantly washing away the greasiness of the duck and the summer heat.
"How refreshing!" Madam Wang exclaimed with delight, taking another sip. She was extremely pleased with it.
She used to think that a cup of tea like this was a bit expensive, as it cost twelve coins. But now that she had tasted it, she wondered how such a delicious and fragrant drink could only cost twelve coins. She took another small sip, smacked her lips to savor the taste, and thought, "So this is how good it is to brew fruit and fragrant tea together?"
The bamboo tube for holding the tea is also quite ingenious. It is covered with a hemp rope net bag so that people can carry it away if they don't finish drinking it. Different shapes of red paper are pasted on the bamboo tube, with auspicious words written on them. Her cup is written with "Joy and Happiness". She saw that other people's cups were written with "Ten Thousand Blessings", "Festival", "Long Life", "Well-being" and even "Get Rich" and "Get Rich Quick".
A merchant happened to receive the "get rich" sign and was overjoyed, saying he was grateful for Lady Shen's auspicious words! After drinking it, he couldn't bear to throw away the auspicious bamboo tube and carried it home.
It's also interesting to drink from these reed tubes.
Lady Wang happened to have some left over, so she could take it with her to watch the fireworks on the bridge. She could even sip it when she got thirsty—how wonderful! These twelve coins were well spent; it was delicious, auspicious, and convenient.
Shen Miao was unaware that a big shot had arrived at the shop. The peak customer flow had passed, and many people had finished eating and drinking and gone to the river to release lanterns or take boat trips. There were still four or five tables of customers left in the shop who hadn't finished eating and occasionally asked for some drinks, but Shen Miao's kitchen had already become quiet.
Atao was helping Aunt Gu collect the dishes and take them inside for Youyu to wash.
Shen Miao went to the backyard for a while. With the new employee, Chen Chuan and Xiang Jie no longer needed to work as laborers. The two of them were currently in Chen Chuan's room learning to read, with flashcards covering the bed. Shen Miao had previously cut out the large characters that Ji Ge'er had practiced, so they could learn by looking at each one, which was more convenient than using a large sheet.
The two children lay on the bed, heads touching, asking each other questions, so adorable it melted your heart.
On the small table in the room were washed and sliced melons and pitted pickled peaches, carefully skewered with bamboo sticks. Xiangjie said that Tang Er had seen them when he had a spare moment and cut them up for them to eat when they got tired of studying.
Shen Miao kept all of this in mind, smiled and nodded, then told them to go to sleep first and not to stay up late again. The two of them were playful and refused to go to sleep. Once, Xiang Jie even brought Lei Ting into the house to play dress-up, dressing it in her shoes and her childhood dress. She also took Shen Miao's rouge and eyebrow pencil and painted Lei Ting's majestic dog face pink and white, with thick eyebrows, red cheeks, and bright red lips.
Chen Chuan was piled high with small clothes, and he helped hand them over—those were all clothes that Sister Xiang would be changing Lei Ting's clothes later.
Lei Ting, however, was gentle by nature and sat there obediently, letting Xiang Jie do whatever she wanted. The next day, when it turned around, it almost scared Shen Miao so much that she fell flat on her backside.
So today, Shen Miao specifically instructed: "Don't mess with Lei Ting and Zhui Feng anymore, get some sleep."
He casually adjusted the lamp wick to make it brighter, then returned to the shop.
Just as Aunt Gu and Atao finished tidying up the tables, Shen Miao took a broom and started sweeping the floor. A couple nearby had just finished eating duck, let out a satisfied burp, and looked like they were about to leave.
Atao, being perceptive, immediately offered a hot towel. The honest-looking middle-aged man wiped his face and even cleaned and combed his beard before taking out ten coins from his pocket and giving them to Atao. He said, "How many roasted ducks are left? I'll take them all with me later."
"How generous!" Atao grinned from ear to ear, stuffed the copper coin into her pocket, and hurried to the backyard to ask Fuxing. Fuxing was focused on turning the gong, but he glanced at the fire and replied, "It will take another quarter of an hour before it's ready."
So he came out regretfully and replied, "Sir, the duck still needs to roast for a while, about fifteen minutes. Would you like to go out for a stroll and come back to pick it up, or sit in the shop for a bit?"
The couple weren't in a hurry, and sat down again: "Then we'll wait a little longer."
As he spoke, the young man's gaze fell on the picture of the roasted duck again. He stood up with his hands behind his back and admired it for a moment. He turned to Shen Miao and praised, "This picture of the roasted duck is so lifelike and full of spirit. It has the style of Mr. Fan Li back then. It's a pity that the old gentleman passed away a few years ago. I never thought..." that I would see it in a shop like this.
After admiring the picture, he caught a glimpse of the signature in the corner.
The signature only read "Xie Jiu," but the corner seal bore the two characters "Guanshan" in small seal script, and he suddenly understood.
There are many people with the surname Xie, but only one family is the ninth in line, has the courtesy name Guanshan, and is a student of Master Fan.
So it's the Xie family. No wonder. I heard that the last disciple that Mr. Fan Li took in was the Xie family's son, but I heard that the boy wasn't interested in calligraphy and painting, and almost none of his paintings have been released over the years.
Shen Miao followed his gaze and saw that Ninth Brother's duck was indeed so beautifully painted that it smelled delicious. It was truly lifelike, as if the duck was about to jump off the paper and land in the plate. She laughed and said, "Yes, this painter is very good. Look, our shop is full of his paintings."
The young man stroked his beard and smiled, saying nothing more, but simply strolled over to look at the instant noodle illustration again.
When Shen Miao finished setting up the shop, she glanced at the empty walls and thought it was simple: since the shop was full of Ninth Brother's calligraphy, why not just unify the style? Just before the shop was officially opened after the renovation, she tried roasting a batch of ducks. She then asked Tang Er to pack ten coins and two ducks and send them to the academy to ask Ninth Brother for a painting.
Later that evening, Qiuhao arrived with the painting of roasted duck, along with a reply from Ninth Brother. The letter contained only two short lines that made Shenmiao laugh:
"I have accepted the ten coins as a writing fee. I hope Madam Chen will patronize me again next time."
There were also oily cat paw prints on the side, so it seems it ate quite a bit of that roast duck.
After the couple took the duck and left, Shen Miao waited a while longer. The customers gradually left, and since no customers came in yet, she closed the shop early and prepared to rest.
The Lotus Viewing Festival will last for three days. Shen Miao plans to stay open longer tomorrow. Ji Ge'er will be back from his holiday the day after tomorrow, so she plans to close the shop for one night, give A Tao and the others some holiday money, and let everyone have a holiday to go out and have some fun.
She rolled up the money herself, but she didn't roll it up her employees.
How can we, the good successors of socialism, be tainted by the evil nature of capitalists? In fact, even when it comes to profits, she practiced this in her small catering company in her past life. She didn't set attendance rules; as long as the work was completed to a high standard and quantity, it didn't matter what time they went home. As a result, the work efficiency was quite high! This just shows that allowing employees to be well-fed and clothed and to work happily can actually create more value than exploiting them.
She closed the door and sent everyone to sleep. Now the Shen family's six rooms are full. Tang Er and Fu Xing live in one room. Shen Miao asked Old Man Yang to make three sets of desks and beds with cabinets like those in university dormitories. They were made of sturdy, good wood. Although they were not cheap, they were solid and comfortable. She put a curtain between them, so each of them could have half of the room and not disturb each other.
Atao lives alone in the smallest and outermost of the three rooms. Shenmiao specially changed the lock for her and gave her the remaining table, cabinet and bed. He also hung curtains and bed curtains embroidered with little peaches for her.
Everyone was exhausted after a long day, and the lights in the Shen family courtyard were quickly extinguished. But it was still very lively outside, with the occasional popping of fireworks, and the roads and bridges were packed with people. Gu Tusu had gone all the way to the outer city to deliver a batch of wine to Donglou, and the journey back to the inner city was particularly difficult, with so many people that his carriage was almost knocked over.
Fortunately, there was no more alcohol in the car. He wiped his sweat and righted the car.
In the midst of the chaos, he suddenly spotted a face in the crowd that he would never forget for the rest of his life.
He had slicked-back hair and a powdered face, with flowers in his hair, wore a long-sleeved shirt, and was waving a fan.
Gu Tusu looked around in the crowd again and again, making sure he wasn't mistaken.
Rong Dalang? What's he doing here?
He hurriedly stepped off the bridge, as if he had lost something, and plunged into the dense thicket of reeds along the riverbank.
Gu Tusu narrowed his eyes, twisted his wrist, grabbed the tattered sack used to pad the wine jars on the earthen cart, and quietly followed.
The eldest sister was divorced and returned to the capital alone. Not only did she suffer three years of humiliation in their house, but she also had to sleep between this inhuman man and his old, worm-like mother! There has to be a limit to this humiliation! Although Gu Tusu never mentioned it, he had already crushed his manhood several times in his dreams!
How dare he come to Bianjing?
Since he's delivered himself right to our doorstep, we absolutely have to give him a good beating!
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