Chapter 23: Three Watches Combined - Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Tofu...
"Yes! Of course you can!"
This is a big order!
Shen Miao then inquired in detail about the servant and learned that he was the steward of the Xie family's inner quarters at the West Bell and Drum Tower of Daxiangguo Temple, and that the steamed buns were for the first anniversary of the death of the Xie family's late patriarch.
Because the religious ceremony is to be held for three consecutive days, 150 steamed buns must be provided each day for the monks who come to chant sutras.
Therefore, animal fat cannot be used; soybean oil or rapeseed oil must be used, and the ingredients must be completely vegetarian.
Then the eggs can't be added either... Shen Miao pondered for a while. Without eggs, the texture might not be as soft, and the color after baking would be a little worse. Adding eggs to bread is to increase the bread's moisture, expansion, and golden color after baking. However, there are also many ways to make bread without oil, sugar, or eggs—adding more water and more yeast can also ensure the bread's soft texture, but you have to stay by the oven the whole time. You have to adjust the heat and control it precisely throughout the baking process to ensure that the bread doesn't lose too much moisture, otherwise it will become so dry that it can be used as a weapon.
For Shen Miao, it wasn't a big problem.
"When does your family need it?" Shen Miao asked about the time first. Generally, religious ceremonies are held from morning to night, and some auspicious times are even in the middle of the night. If the time is not right, too early or too late, she is afraid that she will not be able to deliver it in time and delay the family's important event, which would be bad.
Upon learning that the monks' rest time had been calculated to be at 5 PM every day, Shen Miao pondered for a moment and then said, "How about this, I'll make a batch of baked buns without any lard or eggs this afternoon and bring them to your house for your master to try. If they're to your master's liking, you can ask if I can make the raw dough and bring it to your house to bake. I'll just need to borrow your kiln, saving you the time of traveling back and forth... If that's not convenient, I'll just have to make them and bring them over, but I'm afraid they'll get cold on the way."
The servant was surprised that the young woman making pancakes was so capable and efficient. He said happily, "What you say makes sense, Madam Shen. When we get back, just start making some. I'll settle accounts with you for this batch first, and I promise you won't be shortchanged. Later, when you return home, I'll let you taste it. Once I get confirmation, I'll send someone to speak with you, Madam Shen."
Shen Miao meant exactly that: all aspects of such large pre-orders must be confirmed to avoid rework. She was currently broke and couldn't afford the losses from rework.
She smiled and agreed, accepting thirty coins from the wealthy servant of the Xie family for a trial batch of red bean buns. She also arranged a time to deliver the batch. She then packed the bowls and dishes into her basket, bundled up the other odds and ends, tables, chairs, and stove, carried them on a shoulder pole, and went home.
Seeing that Shen Miao was covered in stuff, the plump woman couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "Madam Shen, you're really strong..."
Shen Miao didn't take it to heart and laughed: "This is a great benefit!"
In her past life, she was so busy with her career that she didn't get married until her early thirties. She met all sorts of people and even took the time to learn Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) for two years to protect herself. Once, when her best friend's ex-boyfriend cheated on her, she slapped that scumbag so hard he spun around.
Some ruffians in the market originally wanted to provoke Shen Miao because she was beautiful and had no man by her side, but when they saw how hard she worked, they all silently gave up the idea.
Today, the hand-pulled pancakes and red bean buns are sold out. These items are actually lighter than when we arrived, so they're nothing special.
Shen Miao put her things back home and quickly started a fire to cook with the remaining ingredients. She steamed a pot of mixed grain rice with black rice and millet, and made three dishes: stir-fried winter melon slices, cold shredded eggplant salad, and chicken leg meat stuffed with mushrooms and tofu. She also fried a few poached eggs. She first divided a large portion into a three-tiered food box and kept it warm on the stove. She and Xiang Jie'er then ate at home.
After finishing her meal, she picked up her lunchbox, took Xiangjie'er's hand, and went out.
First, I need to go to the bookstore to see how Ji-ge'er is doing with copying the book, and bring him his lunch. Second, I need to buy some soybean oil. Most of the oil we have at home now is lard and chicken fat, which I need to use to make a batch of vegetarian red bean buns this afternoon.
Halfway there, they unexpectedly encountered Gu Tusu, who was pushing a large cart of firewood back. His eyes lit up when he saw Shen Miao, and he wiped his sweat with the handkerchief draped around his neck, calling out, "Big Sister!"
Shen Miao stopped and quickly pushed the cart over, saying hurriedly, "Are you going out? I chopped a lot of firewood today, so I'll bring some over for you so you don't have to buy any."
"Second Brother Gu, no need. I can support myself now. I'm sorry to take your things for free. You can take them home and use them. Your family needs firewood for brewing wine." Shen Miao shook her head and politely declined. She didn't want to keep taking advantage of others. Besides, Gu Tusu had gone out to chop firewood and brought it all the way from the outer city. It was hard work, and she had only taken some before when she had just returned and her family was destitute. It was an emergency. It would be too much to keep taking things for free now.
Before Gu Tusu could say anything more, Shen Miao raised the wooden food box in her hand and said with a smile, "Ji-ge'er is still being held at Liu Feng Bookstore copying books. I'll be leaving now. Second Brother Gu, you've worked hard chopping wood, go back and rest."
After saying that, she had Xiang Jie wave goodbye to Gu Tusu, and the two of them left.
Gu Tusu could only stare blankly at Shen Miao's back. Shen Miao was tall but not thin. She seemed to be used to cooking. One day, he got up early to fetch water from the well. Before entering the house, he found the gate of the Shen family's backyard half-closed and saw her adding water to the water vat in the yard.
She had tied her sleeves, revealing a section of her forearm, and was lifting a large bucket of water to pour into a water vat. The thin layer of muscle and blue veins on her slender arm bulged out from the effort.
The people of the Song Dynasty admired delicate women with the graceful figure of a swallow in flight. The older women of the past were like that too, soft and weak, easily frightened to tears by a slightly harsh tone of voice. They were afraid of the dark and mosquitoes, and spoke in a soft voice. But now... they can chop up pig bones with a single knife. They don't have a cart when they set up their stall, and they don't want to ask him for help anymore. They can carry everything on their shoulders and in their hands, walking with a brisk and powerful stride.
She raised her two younger siblings without ever uttering a sound of suffering. Even on the first day, when she slept in the ruins that were burned down to nothing but skeletons, she could still smile and count stars with Xiang Jie instead of crying sadly... She really changed.
The girl who used to call him "Second Brother Gu" in a soft voice seems to have completely disappeared in the past three years.
For some reason, Gu Tusu felt a sudden loss of energy. He was dejected and slowly pushed the cart a few steps before turning back to look. The two sisters, Shen Miao and Chen Miao, had already disappeared into the crowd and were barely visible. However, she never looked back and continued walking forward at a leisurely pace.
He watched for a while, then silently turned his head and pushed the cart into the alley.
***
Shen Miao didn't care about meeting Gu Tusu at all, nor did she care what others thought.
She was still wondering how much money she could make from this deal! The price she negotiated with Xie Jiahao was today's selling price: 8 copper coins for a loaf of bread, but she could omit the eggs! This would save her almost one copper coin in cost per loaf!
If they can come to your home to bake bread, you can save money on charcoal.
Today she made fifty-five red bean buns. Two were given to Ji-ge'er to take away, one was given to Xiang-jie'er, she ate one herself, and the remaining one was given to Fat Lady. In return, she gave Xiang-jie'er a bowl of jujube soup.
The remaining fifty buns were all sold out, almost all bought in whole strips. When she got home for lunch, she and Xiang-jie counted their earnings; they had made four hundred coins just from the red bean buns alone. After deducting costs, the gross profit was around three hundred coins. Adding the profit from the hand-pulled pancakes, her profit for the day was nearly eight hundred coins!
If she can secure the order for 450 steamed buns from the Xie family, she can earn three strings of cash in one go!
Three strings of cash! That's three strings of cash!
Shen Miao felt wonderful just thinking about it, and her steps became much lighter.
Meanwhile, near the guard post of the South Gate garrison, in the Lanxin Bookstore, Ji Ge'er was engrossed in writing.
The owner of Lanxin Bookstore, surnamed Zhou, was a thin-faced, somewhat stern-looking old man who was almost sixty years old. His wife had passed away long ago, and he had never remarried, raising his two children alone.
His son had served in the army in Yanzhou years earlier and later settled there, while his daughter married and moved to Luoyang. His children's lives were not as comfortable as his. He lived with his son for two years, then with his daughter for two more years, before finally deciding to return alone and spend his remaining years tending this small bookstore.
He named the shop after his deceased wife's maiden name, as if she were still with him.
He had no children or grandchildren by his side, and though he didn't say it aloud, he felt great pity for children like Shen Ji who came to the shop to read. As long as they were careful with the pages and didn't fold them carelessly or spill ink on them, he allowed them to pay to stay in the shop and copy books.
However, most of the children who could start school came from wealthy families. They were young and had never experienced hardship, so they lacked perseverance and often stopped copying after a couple of days. Only Shen Ji had been coming to copy books every few days for the past two years. His handwriting was also quite good; he wrote with strength and neatness at such a young age. Therefore, in the past, when new storybooks were published and there were often printing shortages, Manager Zhou would specially ask him to come and copy a few to earn some copper coins.
After all, hiring this child to copy books is much cheaper than hiring those self-righteous scholars.
Manager Zhou sat behind the high counter, calculating with an abacus. He would occasionally glance at Chen Ji and then look around the shop to see if anyone was stealing books.
In the end, his gaze returned to Shen Ji, and he couldn't help but smack his dry lips.
When Shen Ji came today, he brought him some red bean pastry baked buns. Even though half a day has passed, the taste still seems to linger in his mouth, leaving him with a lingering sense of satisfaction.
Manager Zhou is a widower raising a child. He has worked hard for most of his life and is used to being stingy. He would never eat out all year round. Now that he cooks his own meals, he tries to save as much as possible. When cooking, he often doesn't pay attention to the taste of the food, just enough to fill his stomach.
Early this morning, Shopkeeper Zhou got up, still half asleep. He hadn't even had breakfast or washed his face before taking down the door panel to open the shop. The child, holding a wicker basket, sat on the doorstep waiting. Perhaps he was getting sleepy from waiting so long, because the door panel suddenly came off, and the child almost fell headfirst.
"Oh? Brother Ji! It's been a long time since I've seen you. You're here so early today." Manager Zhou rubbed his eyes and let him in. He thought to himself that the boy was dressed neatly today, wearing a blue shirt with flowing water patterns. Although the stitching was a bit rough, the fabric looked new. His hair was also tied up, unlike his usual messy hair.
So, yawning, he casually asked, "Where's your sister? Didn't you bring her today? Aren't you afraid your aunt will beat her?"
“Grandpa Zhou, I’m here to copy the book.” Shen Ji shoved the wicker basket he was holding into Shopkeeper Zhou’s arms, and took out his own writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone. Hearing what Shopkeeper Zhou said next, he coughed with his head down, but still couldn’t hide his joy. “My sister is back. She’s taken us all back. Xiang’er is no longer afraid of being beaten.”
This was quite a novel question. Manager Zhou took down all the door panels and piled them in the corner. He turned around and asked in surprise, "Your elder sister? Your elder sister who married and went to Jinling to enjoy a life of luxury and didn't care about you? She actually decided to come back?"
"Hmm." Shen Ji responded, and had already tiptoed to find a copy of "Zeng Guang Xian Wen" with practiced ease. He spread out the paper, found a desk to sit down, took a bowl of water to slowly moisten his brush, and added a sentence, "Grandpa Zhou, my elder sister has actually not abandoned us."
In the year after his sister left, he and Xiangjie would often talk about her. Later, for some reason, his longing for his sister seemed to slowly turn into resentment and anger during the long and hopeless wait.
But now that my sister has returned, all of that has vanished.
“Her husband’s family is utterly despicable, and my elder sister suffered a lot. But now that she’s back, everything is alright.” Shen Ji raised his fair and delicate face and smiled contentedly. He then pointed to the basket that Manager Zhou had placed to the side. “That’s what my elder sister asked me to bring you. It was made by my elder sister herself. She can make anything. It’s very delicious. Please try it while it’s hot.”
"Your Grandpa Zhou has lived for decades, what good food haven't you eaten? You're just a child who hasn't seen much of the world, what good things could you possibly have..." Manager Zhou was very stubborn, thinking to himself that this child had been sent to copy books again, could his sister really be good to him? What good things could a sister who could send a half-grown child to copy books to make a living have?
In recent years, whenever Shen Ji was beaten, he would always bring his younger sister to his bookstore. Over time, he learned about the dirty secrets of Shen Ji's family. The child was pitiful; she had lost her parents, and her uncle and aunt had no conscience. Her older sister had only returned once after getting married to attend the funeral, and then she mortgaged the shop to her uncle and left.
Although it's said that once a daughter is married, she's no longer considered a daughter, it's rare for a man to completely ignore her for three years.
Frowning, he lifted the fine cotton cloth covering the basket, and a strong aroma of roasted wheat wafted out, sweet and fragrant. Before he even noticed, Manager Zhou subconsciously swallowed, his mind still blank, and his hand had already reached out. As soon as he grasped it, it went soft and left a finger imprint.
"I brought it with me in my arms, it should still be warm," Shen Ji said without looking up as he was grinding ink.
It's still warm, and not only warm, it's also very soft.
Shopkeeper Zhou took a bite first, then devoured half of it in two bites... He was stunned after finishing, and asked incredulously, "Did your older sister make this herself? How old is your older sister?"
He wasn't exaggerating. In his youth, he and his wife were traveling merchants, not bookstore owners. They had traveled all over the country and tasted all sorts of things. Even after his wife passed away, he didn't want to leave anymore. He only wanted to fulfill his wife's last wish and use his life savings to raise their two children well.
A few days before his daughter's upcoming wedding, he was worried that they might not see each other often in the future, so he specially took his daughter and son to Fanlou and ordered a table full of delicious dishes... Fanlou also had red bean buns, shaped like peaches, which were very pleasing and delicious. He heard that they were made by an old pastry chef with decades of experience.
He thought he would savor that taste for the rest of his life, but he never expected to taste something even better today. Then he heard Shen Ji casually reply, "My older sister should be twenty-one this year, or twenty-two by the Chinese age reckoning."
He's only in his early twenties, so young, and his skills are amazing!
Manager Zhou was knowledgeable and experienced. Although he was old, his tongue was still sharp. He ate another half strip in a few bites. For the next half hour, he stayed in his chair, brewing a pot of tea leaves on the stove. He would take a sip every now and then, until his belly was round and he kept burping.
Shen Ji had finished copying several pages when he heard Manager Zhou burp. He then remembered he hadn't eaten yet. He straightened up and saw that the two large loaves of bread he'd brought were now just crumbs of pastry. His voice trembled as he questioned:
"Grandpa Zhou! I haven't eaten yet..."
Shopkeeper Zhou was patting his belly contentedly when he suddenly met Shen Ji's somewhat resentful gaze. He paused for a moment, then chuckled awkwardly, "Oh dear, I wasn't paying attention... This... I even cooked a bowl of brown rice porridge in the kitchen, I brought it to you! Oh dear, is it really necessary to look at me like that? Alright, from today onwards, if you come to copy books, I won't charge you any more copper coins, okay?"
Shen Ji could only reluctantly accept it, and when he saw the porridge that Manager Zhou brought over, he was even more stunned—there was even soot in the porridge! A big bowl full of soot, thin and watery, just like the swill used to feed pigs.
Shen Ji stared at it for a long time, but still didn't have the courage to take a bite.
He suddenly realized how well he had been eating these past few days.
After all, my sister can even cook millet porridge until it's golden and thick. After it's been cooked and cooled for a while, a thick layer of rice oil will form. Even if you don't add anything, one sip is full of rice aroma. The rice oil is so thick and sticky in your mouth, it's so comforting.
Thinking of his sister's porridge, Shen Ji silently pushed the bowl of porridge swill further away.
Fortunately, he had gotten into the habit of getting up early these past two days to help his sister light the fire, cut cucumbers, and wash spring vegetables. Every time his sister fried pork chops and pancakes, she would give them to him to eat, so he wasn't too hungry.
Looking at this bowl of swill... he decided not to eat it.
He began copying the book with focused concentration.
While at Master Liu's house, he had just finished learning the Thousand Character Classic and other classics. When the private school was about to start teaching "Elementary Learning Collection" and "Expanded Collection of Wise Sayings", he was kicked out for fighting.
Therefore, he planned to copy out the two books in the next few days and read them through. If there were any parts he didn't understand, he would try his luck at the bookstore. Some down-on-their-luck scholars would just read books here for nothing, and Ji-ge'er planned to ask them for their knowledge.
The older children in the private school all read these two books, and Shen Ji felt that he should follow their example and continue reading in this way.
So, apart from going to the toilet once that morning, he didn't leave his seat. His effort was so great that even Manager Zhou couldn't bear to watch anymore. He got up, stretched his old arms and legs, and said loudly, "It's already noon, aren't you going home? I'm not going to pay for your lunch!"
He was about to go back to the back room to cook, but this kid was still hanging around here.
Upon hearing this, Shen Ji raised his eyes again and said quietly, "Uncle Zhou, what are you saying? If you hadn't eaten all my roasted bun this morning, I would already be having my lunch."
The sensible Shen Ji thought that Shen Miao gave him a baked bun so that he would eat half of it for breakfast and half for lunch.
His older sister worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk. Although she never complained, he saw it all and knew how to be frugal. He never imagined that Shen Miao had prepared breakfast for him.
Shopkeeper Zhou was embarrassed by what the child said. He pursed his lips and said, "Then come in with me. Since you're picky about food and won't eat porridge, I'll cook you a bowl of hot soup noodles..." Before he finished speaking, the curtain hanging outside was lifted by a slender hand.
"Xiang-jie...is this the place?" A gentle face peeked in, looked around, and found the boy sitting in the corner copying books. She smiled and walked in, the midday sun streaming in from behind, bathing her in a warm yellow light. She waved to the boy, "Ji-ge!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Ji looked up in surprise and quickly stood up to greet her: "Sister? What brings you here!"
The sound was so overjoyed it almost overflowed.
Even though Manager Zhou was quite old, he was initially dazzled by the woman's appearance. However, he quickly realized that this was the eldest sister who had abandoned her two children, Shen Ji and Shen Xiang, at their uncle's house and never looked after them.
Huh? He doesn't seem like such a hard-hearted person.
"I've brought you lunch. How was your day? Did you have a hard time?" Shen Miao waved the two-tiered wooden food box in her hand, bent down slightly, and gently wiped away a few specks of ink from Ji Ge'er's cheek with a handkerchief before turning to Manager Zhou and saying, "This must be Manager Zhou, right? Ji Ge'er often mentions you. He's relied on you for taking good care of him these past few years. I thank you in advance."
He then gave a deep bow.
Which bookstore would be willing to hire a child to copy books? No matter how neat a child's handwriting is, it can't compare to an adult's. If you think about it carefully, you'll realize that it's only because this shopkeeper surnamed Zhou is kind-hearted and took special care of Ji-ge that he gave him a meal.
"You're too kind!" Manager Zhou quickly waved his hand, "This child is quiet and won't interfere with my business."
Shen Miao didn't stand on ceremony anymore. The shopkeeper was getting on in years, and Shen Miao had glanced instinctively into the back room as soon as she entered; the stove and pots were cold, so the shopkeeper probably hadn't eaten yet. Luckily, she had planned ahead and brought quite a lot. Smiling, she opened the food box she had brought: "I made extra today, thinking that the child has been bothering you for so long. If you don't mind, why don't you eat with the child?"
Thinking of the baked buns from that morning, and smelling the aroma wafting from the food box after it was opened, Manager Zhou immediately agreed.
Shen Miao then placed the food on the square table in the back room, taking out the food layer by layer. She didn't forget to bring bowls and chopsticks, so she first served a full bowl of mixed grain rice to Manager Zhou, and then served a bowl to Brother Ji as well: "Manager Zhou and Brother Ji, please eat slowly. Sister Xiang and I have already eaten at home."
"Oh, Madam Shen, you're too kind..."
The aroma of the food was so enticing that Manager Zhou was speechless. He hurriedly picked up a piece with his chopsticks. His first bite was of chicken thigh stuffed with shiitake mushrooms and tofu. The chicken thigh was tender and juicy, and the tofu and shiitake mushrooms were soaked in the broth. Once he took a bite, he couldn't stop eating.
Since his wife left, Manager Zhou hadn't eaten such delicious food in decades. After finishing his meal, he even sat quietly on the stool for a while. Looking at the little bit of brown rice porridge he had cooked himself left in the pot, he, like Brother Ji, had the same thought: "Was all the food I ate before just swill?"
***
Shen Ji also ate two whole bowls of rice for lunch. Moreover, because Manager Zhou was picking up food so quickly, he was afraid that Manager Zhou would eat it all before he could eat two bites, so he also ate ravenously. The old man and the young man devoured the food in a whirlwind, and the meal almost smelled like gunpowder.
While the two were eating, Shen Miao went to a nearby oil shop and bought a few pounds of soybean oil. When she returned with the bamboo bucket, Ji Ge'er had finished eating and was sweating profusely. He had just poured himself a cup of tea and was leaning back in his chair, panting. Xiang Jie'er, who was leaning over the table watching the two of them eat, was terrified by their ferocious appearance. She only came to her senses when Shen Miao returned and muttered, "How scary."
"What is Xiang Jie saying? Ji Ge'er, we're going back now. Remember to come back after one more hour." Shen Miao came in and took Xiang Jie'er away, telling Ji Ge'er to be back before dark, and then took the oil home.
On the way, she passed the fabric shop where she had bought fabric before and bought a few more bolts of fabric. She planned to make another set of clothes for herself, Xiangjie, and Jige. Right now, the two children only had the clothes they were wearing before and the two sets of clothes that Shen Miao made for them later. They could only alternate between the two sets of clothes. If they happened to encounter consecutive rainy days and the clothes couldn't be dried, the two children would have to go around naked.
When she got home, Xiangjie picked up broken tiles in the yard. Some weeds had grown in the yard, and there were more insects and butterflies. She squatted down and caught a grasshopper for the chicks to eat. She was having a great time playing by herself.
Shen Miao touched the earthen kiln not far from the kitchen door. It was about 50-60% dry. Fortunately, the past few days had been sunny, so it was drying quickly. If it had rained, it would have had to be wrapped in oilcloth, which would have delayed it for a while.
As he got up, he glanced at Xiang Jie'er again to see what she was doing.
The child has become very close to the three chicks. She has a grasshopper lying in her hand, half-dead from being squeezed, and she is biased in feeding it to the white rooster. The other two naturally want some too, but the white chick is very clever. It stretches its neck, snatches the grasshopper, and runs away, while the other two flap their wings and chase after it.
Three chicks were clucking and chasing each other in the yard, with Sister Xiang running after them, trying to calm them down: "Stop fighting! You'll peck all your feathers off! Oh dear... I'll catch some more later! There will definitely be more!"
Shen Miao laughed upon hearing this.
Seeing that she was enjoying herself, she felt relieved and went into the kitchen. She first checked the sky and estimated the time. It was just the right time to start making a batch of vegetarian red bean buns, which should be able to be delivered to Xizhonggu Lane next to Daxiangguo Temple in time.
The address left by Xie Jiahaonu is not far from here.
After tying her sleeves and soaking the beans, Chen Miao started kneading the dough again. Outside the window, Xiang Jie'er had caught all the chicks and lined them up in a row. With her hands behind her back, she imitated how Ji Ge'er usually disciplined her, and solemnly strode around, scolding the three chicks whose feathers were flying everywhere.
The chicks scattered in all directions, leaving Xiang Jie, who was about to sing, all alone.
The smoke from the Shen family's cooking fire rose again, the white vapor rising and slowly dissipating.
As luck would have it, Uncle Shen and his wife, along with their son Hai-ge, were driving their donkey cart into the inner city to collect rent. They also owned a small shop in the inner city, not far from Shen Miao's house, just across from Wei's pastry shop on the north side of Jinliang Bridge. They rented it to a cloth merchant from out of town, who specialized in selling trendy fabrics from the south.
Uncle Shen straddled the cart shaft, personally pulling it for his wife. Because he was so fat, the cart tilted slightly. The three of them, all plump and well-off, were particularly a sight to behold, as the old donkey huffed and puffed as it pulled them along, its eyes nearly glazed with exhaustion.
Ding was sternly instructing Uncle Shen: "We'll go back after we collect the rent. You're not allowed to go see those three bastards left behind by Old Man Shen. Don't think I don't know. A few days ago, when Sister Shen brought the two of them over, you even gave her two strings of cash, didn't you!"
Uncle Shen hadn't expected that the truth had already come out, so he could only force a smile and say, "After all, he's the second son's child. We're already in the wrong for not taking him in and raising him. You have no idea how awful the neighbors are saying! Giving them some money to get rid of them will shut them up."
Ding felt sorry for the two strings of copper coins and snorted, "Now that the eldest sister has returned, she should be the one to raise Ji-ge and Xiang-jie! An elder sister is like a mother, and even if I complain to the county magistrate, I will have a reason to stand up for her."
But since Uncle Shen had already given them the money, she didn't complain. She just forbade Uncle Shen from interfering with them anymore. That Miss Shen had certainly learned a lot in Jinling over the past three years; her sweet talk was irresistible, and she had Uncle Shen completely bewildered! Ding was worried that if Uncle Shen went to visit them, he would have to spend more money to help them, which would be a bottomless pit.
Although it's not good for an elder uncle to neglect his nephews and nieces, he can't take care of them forever, can he? We're not living off the government; money doesn't fall from the sky. Ding married off three daughters, each receiving a dowry of one hundred strings of cash—the dowry money has almost emptied the family's coffers! She still has to save money for Hai-ge'er's wedding. Marrying off daughters is expensive, and the cost of marrying off a daughter is no less… She's a shrewd and calculating person, and naturally doesn't want to spend so much on other people's children.
Haige'er sat on the other side of the carriage shaft, holding a greasy chicken leg in his hand, his face covered in oil. When he heard Ding mention Jige'er and the others, he felt his cheeks, which had just recovered from swelling, start to hurt again.
He was so fat that his eyes were squeezed into slits, and within those slits lay the resentment of remembering their past argument. Hai-ge'er always felt he had done nothing wrong. Ji-ge'er, working as a laborer for Uncle Shen, chopping wood and fetching water, was never mentioned to Ding-shi, nor to his unjustly murdered parents and elder sister. The fact that the Shen couple had been run over and killed in the street by a powerful man in full regalia had caused a sensation in Bianjing, but in the end, their lives were gone without a trace, leaving only a sense of loss and regret.
When his classmates gathered, they would whisper among themselves. Some discussed how the lawsuit regarding his parents' murder by a powerful figure had been dropped, while others wondered, "Doesn't he have an older sister? I heard she married a promising scholar. Why doesn't he come back and take them to live in the south? His own sister doesn't come to live with him, but instead keeps staying at your house..."
Haige'er, having heard Ding Shi complain several times, said bluntly, "What else could it be? Shen Ji always has a deadpan expression and isn't sweet-talking. Who would want to raise him? It must be that even his own sister dislikes him and abandoned him at my house! Jinling is prosperous and the land of fish and rice in Jiangnan is so fertile that he's forgotten all about home. Who would remember him?"
The classmates burst into laughter: "Dead fish face, crude words, but apt!"
“If I were his older sister, I wouldn’t want to bring two children to my husband’s house either. I don’t know what people would say about me!”
Haige'er chuckled and continued, "My mother said that her older sister has always been a spineless pushover since she was little. She cries at the slightest harsh word, utterly useless! Instead of fighting back when things happen, she cowers like a turtle, only knowing how to deceive herself and hide away to cry. She's like a lump of mud that can't be helped, and is utterly despicable! She also told my four older sisters that they must never follow her example..."
Before he could finish speaking, Ji Ge'er, who happened to be passing by and overheard the words, threw a punch at him.
The first punch made him see stars, and before he could even groan, another punch came.
The man was still straddling him, grabbing his collar tightly, his eyes gleaming like ice, as he hissed, "If you dare insult my parents and sister again, I'll beat you to death!"
Haige'er was in pain and scared, and cried out, "Don't you hate your sister too? I heard it all. Xiang'er was crying and wanted to find your sister, and you said fiercely that she was not allowed to mention her again! You hate her yourself, so why did you hit me? What did I say wrong?"
The only response he received was Ji Ge'er's heavy, angry breathing, and yet another punch.
His classmates tried to break up the fight, but they were also beaten up.
In the end, everything was in chaos. When Master Liu arrived and saw what was happening, he was so angry that his beard bristled. After learning the reason, he chased Shen Ji, who had started the fight, out of the room.
When his mother's family saw his bruised and swollen face, they naturally wouldn't let it go. They immediately grabbed a broom and beat Ji-ge'er, scolding and beating him. They also swept Xiang-jie'er, who was crying so hard she could barely breathe, out of the house.
Ji Ge'er's mouth bled from the beating, but he didn't turn around or beg. Instead, he held Xiang Jie'er's hand tightly and walked into the rain step by step until he disappeared from sight.
After that, Haige never saw them again.
That day, when Hai-ge'er heard that Shen Ji's older sister had returned and even brought him over, he was playing wildly outside. The two punches he received weren't serious; they were just superficial wounds that healed in a few days, and didn't stop him from going out to play at all. But when he returned, Shen Ji, Shen Xiang, and his older sister had already left, and he didn't see them.
Back when Uncle Shen and Aunt Shen were still alive, he had seen Sister Shen during the New Year and other holidays. Sister Shen was the most beautiful of all the girls in the Shen family, as beautiful as a flower bud. But she always kept her head down and would shyly twist her handkerchief when talking to people.
Her mother looked down on her and never had a good word to say about her, always calling her petty. But when she brought Shen Ji and Shen Xiang to find her that day, her mother was very angry and argued with her father for a long time. But in the end, she calmed down and actually snorted coldly, saying to her father, "Your second eldest daughter has finally grown up and is starting to act like an older sister."
Hai-ge didn't understand what his mother meant, but he didn't want to be with Ji-ge and the others anymore—that Shen Ji hit people too hard!
Moreover... he hit people for just saying a few idle words. Father said that although they are young, they are still scholars. How can they be so rude? Shouldn't they respond with words?
He shook his head, took another big bite of chicken leg, and before he could swallow, he remembered something else. He turned to Ding and said, "Mom, Xiaodou next door said that a new pancake beauty has come to Jinliang Bridge. Her pancakes are incredibly fragrant. They happened to buy some once, and they were so delicious! Shall we go and take a look and buy a few?"
Uncle Shen's eyes lit up: "Oh? The pancake beauty?" She must be very beautiful, right?
Ding's face darkened, and she raised her hand to slap each of the father and son hard: "We're here to do serious business. One of you only knows how to eat, and the other..." Ding glared at Uncle Shen and asked with a forced smile, "What's wrong with the pancake beauty? Do you want to go see her too?"
"No, no, there's nothing to see!" Uncle Shen's hair stood on end, and he immediately waved his hand, changing his tune. "In this time, we might as well collect the rent and buy you a couple more pieces of good cloth to make clothes. The cloth shop owner said last month that he was going to buy a batch of silk gauze!"
Haige covered his face and dared not utter a sound.
Ding's complexion improved somewhat.
The three of them drove all the way to Jinliang Bridge. As they crossed the bridge, Hai Ge'er and Uncle Shen kept peeking around, but they didn't see any pancake-making beauty. When they reached the middle of the bridge, they passed a shop selling fragrant drinks and overheard a man leading a donkey asking a plump woman, "Where is that pancake-selling woman?"
"Sold out! Everyone's gone home!"
"It's only past noon, why are you closing up shop already?"
"Of course, she's beautiful and makes excellent pancakes. Many gentlemen like you come here because of her reputation. Besides, it's noon, and she sold out before the morning market even closed! Remember, she'll be here before dawn tomorrow, so please come early!" The plump woman said jokingly while cracking melon seeds.
The man was so embarrassed by the joke that he quickly led his donkey away.
Hai Ge'er heard it clearly and turned around in disappointment to find that they had sold out long ago. Why didn't the pancake beauty sell more?
"Isn't that the owner of Wei's pastry shop?" Ding recognized the person who asked the question and pondered, "It seems that the woman selling pastries is quite skilled, even the owner, Manager Wei, comes to buy her pastries!"
The Ding family's cooking skills were like alchemy, capable of burning through the bottom of the pot. As a result, most of the family's weight gain came from eating out. So when they heard that there were some delicious dishes they had never tried before in Jinliangqiao, they took notice.
"It's a pity we're too late, otherwise our family would have bought a few to try." Uncle Shen cracked his whip, and the family slowly crossed the bridge.
Not long after they left, in Yangliu East Alley near Jinliang Bridge, Shen Miao once again carried a large basket filled with freshly baked vegetarian red bean buns, and took Xiang Jie'er's hand. The two headed towards the Daxiangguo Temple.
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