Chapter 24 Is managing the Xie family household tiring? As long as there's money to be made, it's not tiring!
Shen Miao was born under the red flag and grew up in the spring breeze. She was stubborn since childhood. Because of her high talent in cooking, she was protected by her grandfather. At home, she always lived a life where God came first and the emperor second. Naturally, she never had the chance to witness the gentry style that had disappeared for hundreds of years.
The original owner of this body, Sister Shen, came from a humble background and only lived for a little over twenty years. The most successful person she had ever met was her mother-obsessed, spineless husband, Rong Dalang. She never had the chance to interact with these high-ranking nobles.
The lives of nobles and royalty depicted in movies and books seem distorted, always differing from what one sees with one's own eyes, perhaps because there is a barrier between the performance and reality. When Shen Miao carried her basket to Xigulou Street, she found that there were no peddlers setting up stalls along the street, nor were there any idlers squatting in front of restaurants and teahouses.
The entire Xizhonggu Street is backed by the Daxiangguo Temple, where the sounds of Buddhist bells and chanting of sutras can be heard. The roadside is lined with tall ginkgo, cypress or white pine trees, and is quiet with very few pedestrians.
The street was paved with neat blue bricks, unlike the dusty dirt roads outside.
Shen Miao thought that the only street in Bianjing connected to the palace was Yujie, but she didn't expect that this place was the same.
She slowed her pace and led Xiangjie inside.
The dense, cool shade of the trees made it refreshing to enter. Sunlight, fragmented by the leaves, danced in the breeze, casting dappled shadows on the face and shoulders. The faint scent of incense wafted through the walls. The place seemed to possess an innate tranquility, as if the bustling city life outside was shut out by the high walls of this grand mansion, utterly silent in the afternoon.
The main gate is a large gate with four vermilion doors studded with copper nails. Two majestic lions sit in front of the gate. The side gates and side gates are guarded by servants. Upon closer inspection, one can see that the thresholds of the smaller doors are made of a single piece of polished blue stone. The lanterns with the character "谢" (meaning "thank you") painted in vermilion are inserted diagonally upwards into the lantern wall of the brick wall.
Under the unlit lanterns sat two or three well-dressed servants, chatting and laughing while cracking melon seeds. Seeing Shen Miao approach, one of them stared at her for a long time, then tucked the melon seeds into his sleeve and asked politely, "Is this lady surnamed Shen? My mistress's maid, Zheng, instructed us to wait for you here!"
Shen Miao smiled and put down her basket, bowed slightly in a respectful manner, and replied, "Indeed, I have baked these vegetarian steamed buns as instructed by Zheng Neizhi this morning."
“You’ve come at just the right time, madam. Please wait here for a moment while I take this steamed bun inside and report back to Zheng Neizhi.”
One of the sturdier servants took out several roasted buns wrapped in oil paper from Shen Miao's basket and patiently explained to her, "Please don't be offended, Madam. We didn't mean to be negligent. I'm just a messenger at the gate. I can't enter the inner courtyard. Once I enter this gate, I can only pass the message to the gatekeeper at the second gate, who will then go in and report to me. After that, we have to wait for Zheng Neizhi to report to the wet nurse serving Madam. Only if Madam has any further instructions can we relay the message to Madam Shen."
"Neizhi" was a respectful title for senior stewards and servants in wealthy and powerful families, while "Yangniang" was the Song Dynasty term for personal maids.
The mansion was deep and secluded; one could glean some information from the words of these few servants.
Shen Miao nodded in understanding.
This grand compound is like a large corporation with numerous functions and hierarchical levels. When someone arrives, the receptionist reports to the administrative specialist, who reports to the assistant, the assistant to the manager, and the manager to the vice president… Hmm, she'll probably have to wait quite a while. But what's a little wait for those three strings of cash? Just consider it a break!
So she dragged her empty basket, led Xiangjie to stand by the side gate. There was a shady spot there, which was cooler. After thinking for a moment, she took out a small piece of yellow rock sugar from her pocket—it was leftover from making red bean paste that morning, just a little bit left. She thought it would come in handy when coaxing the child, so she casually put it in her pocket.
Now it has indeed come in handy.
The servant went in a few steps to deliver the message, leaving two other gatekeepers at the side gate. One of the younger men secretly glanced at Shen Miao several times out of the corner of his eye. Seeing that she was still leading the child, he turned around and went back to the duty room, clearing out two stools and handing them to her: "This round trip will take at least half an hour. If Madam has something to do, you'll have to wait a while. You two can sit down."
"Thank you, sir." Shen Miao sat down without being polite.
The two men, having nothing else to do, struck up a conversation with Shen Miao. Those who were slaves or maids either came from families where three generations had fathered children for the household, or had been bought from a young age; they had no other background, and their conversations contained nothing but pride in their masters.
Only then did Shen Miao realize that this Xie family was actually the Chenjun Xie family, which was as famous as the Langya Wang family. However, the aristocratic families had long since declined, and the most glorious and honorable direct branch of the Xie family was no exception. They had been almost completely wiped out by Huang Chao, a failed scholar at the end of the Tang Dynasty, who slaughtered them according to the family genealogy.
The surviving branch was already a distant collateral branch, but the family's heritage spanned hundreds of years, and even as a collateral branch, the remaining estate was considerable. The doormen puffed out their chests, as if they were the ones who had built this vast fortune, and pointed to another house on the street with Shen Miao.
Only two families lived on Xigulou Street. One was the Xie family, and the other was the Zhao family, whose surname was Zhao (the imperial surname). They were descendants of the third son of Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin's cousin, making them true relatives of the emperor!
Although, after being passed down through generations, this member of the Zhao clan was reduced to only the lowest rank of "County Marquis".
“But he is still a marquis!” the gatekeeper said.
Shen Miao obediently opened her eyes wide and, following the servant's finger, craned her neck to look at the other half of the street behind the thickest ginkgo tree—the western half belonged to the Xie family, and the eastern half belonged to the Zhao family.
"I've really learned something new!" Shen Miao listened with a smile, treating it as a way to pass the time.
The doorkeeper found Shen Miao's reaction rather bland: why was there only surprise, but no awe? She was just a humble peddler selling pancakes, and since she knew that this was the Xie family, who were neighbors with the imperial family and were once famous throughout the land, how could she not feel ashamed, humble, and respectful?
That's strange.
If he knew that Shen Miao's surprise and curiosity were mostly feigned, and that he even thought to himself that the blue bricks under his feet were not as smooth as those in later parks, and that the ginkgo trees on this street were not as beautiful as those in Yongxing, Luoyang, he would probably be even more incredulous!
So what if it's the Xie family of Chenjun? So what if the imperial surname is Zhao? For Shen Miao, although she tries her best to live in this world, she can never escape the perspective of history when looking at this world.
Those are all dust of history, gone forever! She has seen far more beautiful and expansive landscapes, so why would she yearn for or long for an old world? Why would she feel sorrow for not being from a high-ranking family? Why would she feel inferior or ashamed because of her different social status?
She did not feel inferior, even though she sold pancakes on the street, lived in poverty, and was a woman trying to make a living in this world.
Therefore, listening to the doorman's boasting was like listening to a storyteller, and Xiangjie was so engrossed that she tilted her head and continued to lean quietly against her sister's leg, concentrating on licking the candy.
If you don't eat it soon, the rock candy will melt in your hands! Xiangjie found that her palms were already sticky, so she lowered her head and stuffed the whole piece of candy into her mouth. When she raised her head again, a bump had bulged on her cheek.
In the inner garden of the Xie family, Xie Qi finished his studies but was captured by Xie Fu and made to practice the Xi family staff with him. His martial arts talent was ultimately inferior to his elder brother's, and he was forced back by Xie Fu's moves and beaten down to the corridor. In the end, he had to use a trick, kicking his foot on a corridor pillar, leaping up and chopping down with his staff, thus turning the tide.
He ignored Xie Su's shouts that he wouldn't come again, waved his hand, and went back to his room to take a shower, sweating profusely.
As soon as she came out, all clean and refreshed, Yan Shu presented her with clean clothes and socks, and said with a happy face, "Just now, Zheng Neizhi presented the eldest lady with a lot of fragrant roasted buns, and even ordered me to come and invite Ninth Brother over to have a taste. I could smell it even through the door, it smelled so good!"
"Then let's go and try it." Xie Qi smiled, casually draped the handkerchief over the screen, put on his inner garment, and was tying the belt with his head down.
Xie Qi often went out, so he was used to dressing himself and didn't like having maids or servants serve him. Yan Shu was eager to eat something delicious, so he peeked out from behind the screen and remarked that when Ninth Brother was dressed, he looked very scholarly, but when he took off his clothes, the young man's seemingly thin body was covered with thin but smooth, strong muscles. He had broad shoulders and a strong waist, and had the demeanor of a military general like the young masters of the Xi family who had practiced martial arts and guarded the border for many years.
But as she layered on her inner garments, shirts, and outer garments, the long, flowing sleeves fluttered in the wind, giving her a refined and elegant air.
All the children of the Xie family, regardless of gender, studied literature and martial arts, all because the eldest daughter-in-law, Xi, married into the Xie family with a long, black-lacquered, gold-painted Xi family cane. As the matriarch, she was not only skilled in managing the household, but also had a unique approach to raising children.
Seeing that Xie Qi had finished tidying up, Yan Shu happily led the way. Upon entering the main courtyard of the Xie family's main house, Xie Qi saw several plates of sliced roasted buns on a square table carved with the five blessings in the shape of huanghuali wood in front of Xi Shi. Her sisters Xie Shiyi Niang and her brother Xie Su were also there.
Xie Shi had finished his plate and was stealthily reaching for his younger sister Xie Shiyi Niang's blue-and-white floral plate. Xie Shiyi Niang ruthlessly slapped his hand away.
"Mother, look at my brother! I don't even have enough to eat for myself!"
Xie Shi withdrew her hand, which had been slapped red, and pouted: "Don't you usually act like Zhao Feiyan, eating like she's eating bird food, putting down your chopsticks after a couple of bites, and never eating more?" Before Xie Shiyi Niang could retort, she turned to Xi Shi and said, "Mother, why don't you ask someone to buy more?"
Ignoring the siblings' dispute, Madam Xi said, "This was originally meant for people to try making it and taste it. Since you both think it's good, then let's stick with this one. Our cook, Fang, always makes the same few vegetarian dishes like jujube cake and poria cake. Even monks choke on them, and when he chants sutras, he spits out foam all over the floor. Baked buns like these are much better. They don't harden even when they're cold, and they still taste delicious. The woman who makes these buns has a clever idea... Oh, Ninth Brother is here. You should try some too."
Xie Qi looked down and saw it was the same baked bun he had eaten that morning, looking no different. But he hadn't forgotten the soft, sweet taste from that morning, and now, seeing it, he couldn't help but take a piece and put it in his mouth. This vegetarian baked bun was no worse than the ones with lard and eggs. Although it lacked a bit of egg flavor, it had a refreshing taste.
He nodded slightly, glancing at his younger sister who hadn't eaten lunch or dinner for several days because of her graceful figure, and said with a smile, "If this steamed bun can whet the appetite of Eleventh Sister, then Mother knows it's not bad."
Xie Shiyi Niang blushed. Of course she wanted to eat too, but a while ago she went boating on Jinming Pond with some noble ladies. They made sarcastic remarks about her having "the style of the former Tang Dynasty". Wasn't that just insulting her for being fat?
She was so angry that she came back and reduced her food intake, refusing to eat any more.
Actually, I get heartburn from hunger every night, especially today these baked buns smell so good, and my mother said they're all vegetarian...
Xie Shiyi Niang couldn't hold back any longer and started to excuse herself: "A completely vegetarian diet won't make you fat, eating a little won't hurt... it won't hurt..."
“You’re all such a worry,” Madam Xi said with a wry smile, shaking her head. The Xie family hadn’t divided their households, and all the children were of the same age, so she, as their mother, had only given birth to three children: the eldest, Xie Fu, was unreliable and never home, only knowing how to go out drinking and carousing; the middle son, Xie Qi, was originally the most reliable, but after the engagement was called off, he also lost his appetite; the youngest daughter was originally her mother’s little darling, but these past few days she had also been acting like she was possessed, throwing tantrums and refusing to eat meat or rice.
“Then let’s place an order with that pancake seller, Madam Chen, for these four hundred and fifty roasted buns.” Madam Xi said decisively, and then ordered her maid to fetch the money. “It’s not easy for a woman to support her family alone with her skills, so let’s not hold onto her money. Let’s draw up a written agreement and give her the payment. Go ahead, don’t keep her waiting outside and be impolite.”
"Yes, Madam." The servants immediately obeyed the order.
Afterwards, Madam Xi chased the three children out, steamed buns and all, saying, "Don't stand here with your mother. Your mother still needs to settle accounts with the managers of each courtyard. Go play by yourselves. I don't like any of you three. Go away, all of you."
Xie Qi innocently picked up the plate and followed his brother and sister out, thinking to himself, "Didn't he just arrive? He hasn't even sat down yet!"
Why did he also get disliked?
Xie Su didn't care about being scolded. He probably wouldn't be able to sleep at night if he didn't come to the main courtyard and get a couple of scoldings from his mother. So as soon as he came out, he lazily put his arm around his younger brother's shoulder and said eagerly, "Ninth Brother, do you want your older brother to take you to visit the newly opened brothels in Zhulian Alley..."
Before she could finish speaking, Xi Shi roared from inside the room: "Xie Zi, how dare you!"
Xie Su dared not say another word and ran away.
Xie Shiyi Niang and Xie Qi were left looking at each other for a long time before Xie Qi finally said, "How about... we play chess in your courtyard?"
"Alright, my second brother just lost an inkstone to me last time, what will we use as a wager today?"
"So you'll use the baked buns that Mother gave me?"
Xie Shiyi Niang was already hungry, and she wanted more of these steamed buns after eating them. Her eyes were shining with hunger. She swallowed and said, "It's a deal!"
The brother and sister walked hand in hand through the covered corridor, while Yan Shu followed behind dejectedly, thinking sadly: "Heavens have mercy, this roasted bun has become a wager, so he won't get to eat it."
The next moment, Xie Qi, who had turned around, casually stuffed a piece of food into his mouth: "Eat it, when have I ever needed you?"
Yan Shu covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling as she looked up, but Xie Qi had already turned away. She jogged after him lightly.
Outside, Shen Miao was also having a pleasant conversation with the two doormen, and they were even starting to know how many branches of the Xie family there were.
Finally, the messenger came out again, beaming with joy as he congratulated Shen Miao: "Great news, Madam Shen! Everything is going smoothly. My eldest mistress found your baked buns to be excellent and said that she would entrust you with all the vegetarian snacks needed for the three-day Dharma assembly. She also said that she would prepay the money for your hard work every day, and that the extra money was for you to buy tea."
As she spoke, she presented four strings of brand-new Tongbao coins, which were obviously newly minted and of much better quality than the old coins! Moreover, she had agreed with Zheng Neizhi that the price was three thousand six hundred coins, but this Madam Xie gave only four strings of coins!
This adds up to a full four hundred coins for "tea"!
Shen Miao struggled to suppress her excessive joy, and after regaining her composure, she still sincerely praised her: "Thank you so much, Madam! You are so efficient and capable, truly worthy of being the head of the household in such a prestigious family! Oh, by the way, may I borrow the kiln in the kitchen? I'll prepare some raw food at home and bring it over early to bake, so the timing will be perfect and it'll be piping hot!"
"Madam said that the kitchen under the outer courtyard corridor has been opened for Madam Shen to use. When Madam Shen comes, she should still come to this door, and the doorman on duty will lead her in. When you are done, you should also leave through this door."
That would be best. Shen Miao then pointed to Xiang Jie'er and asked, "My parents died early, leaving me and my two younger siblings to depend on each other. They are still young, could you bring them along?"
The doorman glanced down at Xiangjie, who had been obediently eating candy, and after a moment's thought, agreed. He then carefully instructed her, "It's alright. The kitchen under the eaves is for serving guests; just bring your food. But I must make it clear first: aside from the kitchen, I'd appreciate it if Madam Shen could supervise your younger siblings. They are not allowed to wander around anywhere else, lest they offend our master and the young masters. You don't know, several of our young masters live in the outer courtyard; they're all quite mischievous..."
"I know what's important, don't worry."
After Shen Miao understood, she happily took her leave with Xiang Jie'er.
Although the Xie family has the common arrogance of aristocratic families, it is clear that their family conduct is quite good. The doormen are not haughty in their dealings with people, nor do they take kickbacks. Judging from this, people would feel much more at ease going there to do things.
Shen Miao touched the heavy copper coins in her purse, clutching them tightly. She and Xiang Jie practically ran home, afraid of being robbed. Fortunately, the journey was smooth, and no one paid them any attention. Shen Miao saw a vendor selling sugar figurines on the streets and even had the vendor blow-dry a giant sugar horse bigger than Xiang Jie's head.
Just as they reached the alley entrance, they saw Ji Ge'er carrying a small basket walking in. Shen Miao told Ji Ge'er about taking him to the Xie family to make vegetarian steamed buns that day, and excitedly told him to reach out and touch the heavy purse in his crossbody bag.
“The Xie family’s charity time doesn’t conflict with the morning market time. Sister, you can sell a batch in the morning and then make more in the afternoon to make it in time!” When Zheng Neizhi first came to ask, Shen Miao suggested going to the Xie family to bake red bean buns. This was not only to save money on charcoal, but also to save time. She didn’t want to miss the morning market every day. Even after receiving a big order, she still planned to set up her stall as usual.
Tired? As long as I'm making money, I'm not tired!
Shen Ji was happy, but he felt that his sister would have to work even harder. She had to get up before dawn every day to work at the early morning market. Normally she could take a short nap in the afternoon to rest her energy, but she wouldn't have time for the next three days. So he said seriously, "I won't go to copy books these next few days. I'll stay and help my sister, and I'll go to the Xie family with her."
“It’s alright, just go ahead and copy it. This little task won’t be difficult for you, sister.” Shen Miao shook her head. “Didn’t Aunt Li say that the Imperial Academy’s Biyong Academy exam will be held next month? I’m hoping you can pass the Imperial Academy’s entrance exam! That way, we won’t have to bother looking for a teacher. What teacher could be better than a doctor from the Imperial Academy?”
This time, Shen Ji was very determined: "Sister, don't worry. Don't bite off more than you can chew. I've already copied most of it today. I'll study it thoroughly in the next three days and then continue copying. Sister, I will definitely go with you to the Xie family. As the Master said, a gentleman should not lose his mind because of difficulties and dangers. Even if I'm just helping you to light the fire, add water, and pound red beans, I can still study."
Shen Miao stared blankly at Shen Ji, whose face still had a touch of childishness but whose eyes were firm. She hadn't expected him to say such things at such a young age. She couldn't help but reach out and pat his head, praising him with a hint of pride in her voice: "Ji-ge'er, it's good that you have such a heart. You're right. I've heard people say before that a gentleman is not made by high status. When in a wealthy and noble place, he does not indulge in extravagance, and when in a poor and lowly place, he does not lose his ambition. This is what makes a gentleman a gentleman."
Shen Ji raised his head, and Shen Miao smiled as she met his gaze, saying softly:
"I believe and look forward to you becoming a true gentleman who upholds the right path in the future."
Shen Ji looked at his elder sister, and at himself reflected in her clear eyes, and nodded solemnly.
He will.
He will study hard and make sure his older sister and Xiang'er have a good life in the future.
Xiangjie sat on the doorstep, licking the candy horse that Shenmiao had bought for her, her face sticky with candy. She looked at her brother and then at her sister, and couldn't help but ask, "What about me? My brother and sister are going, so where will Xiangjie go?"
Shen Miao and Ji Ge'er turned their heads at the same time and burst out laughing.
"Where else could Sister Xiang go? The three of us siblings should stay together!"
The next day, as dawn broke, Shen Miao got up early and made sixty red bean buns and fifty or so hand-pulled pancakes to set up a stall at the morning market.
These past two days, I've only made fifty or sixty pieces, which isn't enough to sell. They're usually sold out before the morning market even closes.
But Shen Miao didn't plan to make any more. First, she could only make this much by herself, and she wouldn't have time to make more; second, the hand-pulled pancakes had been on the market for two days, and if they were left out for too long, the novelty would wear off, and some customers who came just to try them out of curiosity would not come back, only those who truly loved them would come back often; third, in just two or three days, some other pancake stalls had already started selling them, but they didn't know how Shen Miao made the sauce, and their skills weren't as good as hers, so it didn't have much of an impact yet.
So Shen Miao plans to sell these next, which won't be too tiring and will save her from not being able to sell them all.
For a small business like hers, the biggest fear is stockpiling inventory and selling it at a low price. Therefore, she must act within her means to ensure long-term sustainability.
Today, as agreed, Ji Ge didn't go to Lanxin Bookstore again, but came to set up his stall this morning.
With Ji-ge around, Shen Miao's life became much easier; she could focus solely on making scallion pancakes. Ji-ge was able to look after his sister while helping sell red bean buns; he was incredibly fast at collecting and calculating money, almost never making a mistake.
When there were no customers, he would sit on a bench and look at the few pages of the book he had copied the day before.
Sure enough, the red bean buns sold out faster than the scallion pancakes today, and the scallion pancakes were not sold out until the morning market closed.
Shen Miao was busy packing up her things, preparing to close up shop and go back to make the Xie family's 150 red bean buns for the day, when suddenly a well-dressed man with a bright hat and clothes appeared in front of her, leading a donkey.
He immediately asked, "Madam Chen, would you be willing to work as a pastry chef at my Wei family's pastry shop?"
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