Chapter 22 Three-in-One: Opening a Starch Sausage Shop is a Disgrace
The sky was still dark and gloomy, with a few sparse tree shadows lying haphazardly across the frost-covered paving stones. At the entrance of the alley, a lantern hung in the guardhouse of the old guard, its dim light swaying in the wind along with the old guard's broken snoring.
The day after tomorrow is the winter solstice, and the daylight is getting brighter and brighter late. At this time of year, even the parrots in the Yu family are too cold to get up early to squeak. The surrounding area seems to be shrouded in mist, creating a serene atmosphere.
Only at the alley entrance, opposite the tailor shop, did the door hinges of Lin Si Cao's house suddenly creak, breaking the seemingly frozen morning.
A chubby little boy, bundled up in seven or eight layers of padded jackets, his woolen hat pulled down over his ears, sat round and plump on the doorstep, sheltered from the wind. He yawned a few times, cleared his throat, and, as usual, raised his voice: "Eee-hoo-hoo—"
"...When will you return from your journey to the West? The perilous road...what cliffs..." The child's voice outside the wall seemed to deflate, gradually fading away.
巉岩 (chán yán).
Yao Ruyi murmured in bed, her eyes half-closed. She rolled around in the warm, fluffy blankets, yawning and thinking: If she listened to "The Road to Shu is Hard" a few more times, she would almost have memorized it.
After struggling for a while, Yao Ruyi casually put on an outer garment and sat up to comb her hair.
The room was so warm it made me feel lazy.
As the weather turned cold, the fire channel in the fire wall of the house was lit. The Yao family had a hollow wall structure that was very common in the folk during the Song Dynasty. The wall was made of interlocking cylindrical tiles to form a flue. The flue entrance was connected to the stove in the kitchen. In the summer, the wall was blocked with bricks, and in the winter, the bricks were removed. When the stove was burning, the heat could go through the flue into the wall and make the house warm.
Every night before bed, Yao Ruyi would add three honeycomb briquettes to the stove, remove the pot, and seal the opening with a round iron plate using fire tongs. This way, she and Grandpa Yao could sleep warmly all night, sometimes even feeling parched from the heat. A damp cloth had to be placed on the windowsill to prevent condensation from dripping down the window frame and panes.
She pulled her hair up on top of her head and styled it into a double-headed bun. She wore a double-pronged silver hairpin on the left and a camellia flower on the right. She also wore a festive scarlet cotton-padded dress with magpie patterns.
Having been in this world for a while, she's become quite skilled at combing and tying her hair into a bun!
Today is the opening day of her small shop, which happens to be the day before winter solstice. This day was chosen by Aunt Yu from the Taoist priest Yan of the Sanqing Palace, who calculated it to be an auspicious day for the opening. She can't delay it, so she has to get up early to prepare.
As she dressed, she caught a glimpse of the clean, mold-free window out of the corner of her eye, and a satisfied smile appeared on her lips.
A couple of days ago, several families in the alley pooled their money to hire a paperhanger, and each family replaced their windows with the kind of three-layered oil paper that is only used in winter. Yao Ruyi remembered her grandfather's instructions and thought that if the Lin family really arrived in Beijing around the winter solstice, she would contribute extra money to paper the Lin family's windows as well.
In the summer, people usually make do with what they have at home. But in the winter, with lots of snow and strong winds, it's important to stay warm. If you don't do it well at home, you'll freeze. That's why people hire skilled craftsmen.
That day, although Yao Ruyi was busy arranging goods and keeping accounts, she still managed to steal a moment to watch how the goatee-bearded craftsman was papering the windows. In the past, when she read descriptions of paper windows in books, she always wondered how they could withstand the wind and rain. Besides, in TV dramas, those people who eavesdrop outside windows could easily poke holes in the window paper with just a little saliva on their fingers—how unsafe!
Only now do I realize how shallow I was.
There are quite a few intricacies to making window paper: In winter, the window paper must first be made with two layers of oil-coated and wax-impregnated mulberry bark paper as a base, and then three layers of paper pulp with added resin are brushed on top. This makes the paper more sturdy, less likely to be torn by the wind, and also prevents insects. Next, two layers of scraps of wool cloth with added alum are pasted on for warmth. The top layer must be made of oil-coated and wax-impregnated mulberry bark paper so that snow can melt and it is waterproof.
Finally, use wooden strips to frame the gaps and press them firmly, then apply paste to the gaps repeatedly to prevent air from leaking in.
A window, seemingly thin, was actually covered with eight or nine layers of paperboard, inside and out. Once it was completely dry, it felt taut and smooth to the touch, like solid cardboard in later times; you couldn't puncture it with your finger.
With the window paper replaced and the loose window frames repaired, every morning when she woke up, even the light that came in seemed clear and clean, giving Yao Ruyi a sense of joy and prosperity.
After tidying up, Yao Ruyi didn't rush to wake Grandpa Yao. Instead, she quietly went to open the door to the storage room—the room, which used to be filled with clutter, was now completely transformed.
Upon entering, the room was filled with the smell of pine and cedar wood mixed with tung oil, and a row of cedar wood shelves along the wall gleamed with the oily sheen of fresh paint. After the partition wall was removed, the two rooms were connected to form an open shop, and there was enough room to turn around between the shelves.
Passing through the double-sided display case filled with goods, Yao Ruyi saw a waist-high counter propped up by the window. She went inside, opened the newly made sliding window sash, pulled out the wooden tenon, and with a push and a pull, the wooden board slid out along the oiled grooves. Then she inserted the wooden wedges back in, and the window counter was ready. Yao Ruyi then arranged the snacks and trinkets that the children liked on it.
This ingenious idea was devised by Zhou Jumu herself. With this plank, she wouldn't need to take up much space in the shop, and at night she could easily take the plank back and bolt the window shut.
There were many other thoughtful details that Yao Ruyi hadn't mentioned, but Zhou Jumu had considered for her: since the shop wasn't spacious, he rounded the corners of all the display cases and shelves so that even if someone was clumsy, they wouldn't get hurt; when Yao Ruyi wanted to put the earthenware urns in the display case, he even suggested embedding two bluestone slabs in the place where the urns were placed, so that they would be heat-proof and waterproof, and the wood underneath would not easily break.
Yao Ruyi was initially worried that adding stone slabs would exceed the budget, but he said, "If you want to do it, we'll only charge for the materials, not the labor."
It's really worth it.
Even the height of the window and the size of the chair behind the counter were specially measured by He Xiang to ensure that Yao Ruyi was at a suitable height whether she was standing to grill sausages or sitting to watch the shop, so that she wouldn't feel cramped.
Before wrapping up, Zhou Jumu glued each joint with fish glue and nailed anti-tipping nails to the back of the container against the wall, making it so sturdy that it wouldn't budge no matter how much it shook.
It took four days to install the cabinets. Then it rained for several days, so we had to wait a few more days before we could paint them. After painting, we had to let them dry in the shade and then paint them again, which took another four or five days. So it dragged on until autumn was over and the winter solstice was just around the corner before it was finally finished.
As expected, the more you renovate, the more you spend.
Although it cost more money, Yao Ruyi didn't feel bad about the money for the first time.
On the day of handover, she carefully strolled around the shop. Every display case was exactly as she had imagined, as if her grandmother's small shop had been moved here again, making her feel familiar and at ease.
She recalled that when the project first started, she was so nervous that she didn't set up her stall, constantly looking around. But by the second day, she felt relieved and went to the alley to sell tea eggs and instant soup dumplings as usual.
The Zhou couple were so honest that Yao Ruyi felt that this was probably the first time they had taken on such a big job in Bianjing City, so they didn't know how they could cut corners, but they wanted to make a good example, so they worked hard.
When it came time to pay, even though she wasn't well-off, Yao Ruyi still insisted on giving He Xiang a red envelope containing 500 coins. Although the amount wasn't much, it was a token of her appreciation for their craftsmanship and character.
Overjoyed, Zhou Jumu blushed and gave her a box full of small trinkets he had carved in his spare time. Inside were adorable wooden figurines of the twelve zodiac animals, coasters and bowl mats of various shapes, and the most fun were several sets of "cat and dog stacked wooden figurines," like matryoshka dolls from later times, with the larger ones containing the smaller ones—it was incredibly fun.
Because they were carved casually in her spare time, the carvings were somewhat random and had a clumsy charm. Yao Ruyi held them in her hands and played with them, finding them rather rustic and cute. She also placed these wooden carvings by the window, where, in the dim light of the day, they looked like a row of little gatekeepers.
When He Xiang came to take measurements, she learned of Ru Yi's intention to open a general store. Taking advantage of the handover, she volunteered: "If Madam Yao's shop needs bamboo or wooden utensils, my family still has quite a few homemade wooden chopsticks and spoons, rattan baskets, and bamboo mats. Whenever business is slow, Beech and I make these little things when we have free time, and we used to sell them at the market. If Madam Yao's shop needs them, just come and get them from us."
Yao Ruyi agreed without much hesitation.
He Xiang was so happy that she brought her over the next day. Although they were just small, trivial things like spoons and chopsticks, they were all carefully crafted. She was right to have chosen her.
The repairs to the shop took more than half a month, but her stall didn't suffer any setbacks in the past ten days or so. Ever since Aunt Yu went to the market with her, she had become much closer to Yao Ruyi. During this time, she took the initiative to suggest that Yao Ruyi move her stall to her doorstep to sell eggs when there was a lot of dust from the construction at her house, which made Yao Ruyi feel flattered.
Yao Ruyi has been setting up the stall for days, and she has become increasingly skilled at making braised eggs. She can complete the process from boiling to cracking the shell in about half an hour, and then all she has to do is soak them in the braising liquid.
Her tea-braised chicken has gained some fame, attracting not only students from the Imperial College but also regular customers from the neighborhood.
On average, she sells about two hundred eggs and sixty servings of instant soup noodles every day. Occasionally, if she gets up early, she will fry some extra dough sticks, which are called "niantou" and sold together.
So she managed to earn back the more than four strings of cash she had spent on renovations, bit by bit, and even made up for the money she had previously misappropriated from Grandpa Yao. She even used the extra money to buy more goods.
Thanks to the extended renovation period, in addition to the vendors she met at the market, she has now gotten to know more than a dozen other businesses, both large and small.
There were cosmetics from Gong Shengchun's family, melon seeds and dried fruit from Liu's family, oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar from He's siblings, grains from the old rice shop, craftswoman Alan who made kites and oiled paper umbrellas, coal ash from Jin's coal shop, Jing Yuxuan who specialized in selling stationery, etc... She visited each of these shops, bought the goods herself, and only signed long-term contracts with them because the quality was reliable.
During this time, Yao Ruyi also received a whispered tip from Madam Cheng, who told her to chat and greet the old guard on duty whenever she came and went, and to offer him some hot food and soup. She also told him to round down the price if the slovenly old man came to buy eggs or pancakes.
"This old man, I don't know if he offended someone, he has never been promoted, and he never mentions his wife and children. He has been guarding the gate alone for more than 20 years. Since you will be going to do business in the future, you will have to deal with people coming and going. Although he is a lowly person with little influence, he is right there in the middle. If you be on good terms with him, you will have more opportunities in the future."
Yao Ruyi seemed to understand something, and then did as instructed.
Sure enough, when vendors delivered goods to her in the future, the old Xiangjun would turn a blind eye, complaining that he would not do it again, but he always did. He would keep the deliveryman's official ID as collateral and have someone push the cart directly into the Yao family's door, saving Yao Ruyi a lot of trouble.
That's how I saved up this much money over half a month.
Every night she would squat under the woodshed counting her copper coins, and every day she would take some out to spend and save the rest. Yesterday she suddenly realized that after all her efforts, the Yao family still only had those twenty-odd strings of cash. She was both amused and exasperated: it seemed like all her hard work had been for nothing.
But when I turn around and see the shelves of the convenience store filled with all kinds of goods, I feel a sense of comfort. Every day when I sweep and clean the store, I can't help but hum a song.
As dawn broke through the clouds, Yao Ruyi hurriedly brought out the pot of tea eggs that had been braised the day before, and took out the starch sausage meat paste that had also been prepared the day before from the cellar—the weather was already warm enough to freeze the meat paste solid. Yao Ruyi first put the meat paste on the low stove to thaw.
Turning around, he displayed the wooden sign that Grandpa Yao had written for the new product launch promotion. He had also paid extra to have Zhou Jumu find a three-foot-long cedar plank, which he had carefully brushed twice with tung oil. Once it was completely dry, he could write on it with an ink pen, and the ink stains could be wiped off with a damp cloth, making it reusable.
Grandpa Yao's hands trembled, and the characters he wrote were somewhat soft and crooked. Yao Ruyi thought the crookedness was cute, but Grandpa Yao was extremely dissatisfied. He stayed in the house with the wooden plaque tucked under his elbow, erasing and writing, writing and erasing, struggling all day long before he finally managed to get a piece, and only then did he allow Yao Ruyi to display it outside.
After steaming the buns for breakfast, Yao Ruyi went back and swept the floor, wiped the display cases, and checked all the goods in the shop again. Seeing that everything was in order, she went to wake up Grandpa Yao.
After he finished washing up, they pushed him and the hot steamed buns outside the door and set them up to sit on a bench by the window and eat by the warm stove.
The other day, Yao Ruyi was busy sorting goods, and Grandpa Yao spontaneously helped her knead coal briquettes in the yard. When he tried to get up, he tripped over a pile of coal ash and almost fell. The old lady is very sensitive to falls, and when she heard the noise, she was so frightened that her heart jumped into her throat, and she was terrified afterwards.
After that, unless Grandpa Yao was resting at home, she would take him with her when she went out to sell things.
Once the meat paste on the stove had completely melted, Yao Ruyi started heating the baking tray. For her grand opening today, she decided to start with starch sausages that could smell far and wide.
At this hour, the sunlight had just risen over the wall and cast large, tranquil shadows, alternating between light and dark, through the large elm tree beside the gate of the Imperial College.
Before the morning bell rang, the alley was still relatively quiet, but the Cheng and Meng families, who ran shops, were gradually opening their doors. Yao Ruyi had just put the first plate of starch sausages on the grill, and the aroma had barely wafted out when Xiao Shitou, who was reciting his lessons on the threshold opposite the Cheng family's house, smelled it.
The Yao family has opened their doors!
He immediately rolled up the book, tucked it under his arm, and ran over. Before he even reached her, his excited voice rang out: "Good morning, Sister Ruyi! Congratulations on your opening! I'd like two braised chicken eggs. When my mother gets up, I'll have her come and settle the bill for you."
Yao Ruyi looked up and smiled: "Alright, you sit and wait, I'll scoop it out for you when the broth boils. I also have some roasted sausages today, only two for ten coins, would you like to try a couple?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Little Stone saw the strangely shaped short ceramic stove as soon as he got there. He was so impressed by the aroma that he almost fell over. Just as he was about to ask what it was, Sister Ruyi told him. He immediately agreed and obediently sat down on the empty stool next to Grandpa Yao to wait.
While waiting, he looked around curiously.
The gate to the Yao family compound was wide open, with a wooden sign leaning against the door frame. It seemed that two stones had been placed under the wooden board to weigh it down, as if to prevent it from being blown over by the wind.
Little Stone spotted the words immediately: at the top of the wooden board, written in vermilion ink, was "Winter Solstice Special Offer," below which was "Ginger and Jujube Soup, 1 coin per bowl," with a crooked teapot drawn beside it; on the right was a string of candied hawthorns, with the note "Buy two get one free on small candied hawthorns and candied fruit." On the left was a huge roasted sausage, also with the note "New Arrival Special Offer for Roasted Sausage, 6 coins for one, 10 coins for two."
In the middle, the signboard reads "Yaoji Grocery Store" in bold, thick ink characters, with a small flower drawn at the end.
Swallowing hard, I tiptoed and peered through the window selling the goods. What I saw was astonishing: candied hawthorns with amber-like shells stuck on round sticks woven from wheat straw. The candied hawthorns sold in the market outside only contained hawthorns, but Sister Ruyi's candied hawthorns also included cut apples, pears, quince, and hawthorns, all skewered together. Each skewer contained only two hawthorns sandwiching the other two kinds of fresh fruit, and the short bamboo sticks made them look especially delicate and cute.
Next to it was a skewer that read: "Small candied hawthorns, one coin per skewer".
It's cheap too! Little Stone's mouth watered just looking at it.
Next to the candied hawthorns, a row of candy jars were neatly arranged. Although the round, pot-bellied earthenware jars concealed the contents of the candies, each jar had a diamond-shaped red label with the name of the candy: "Plum Candy," "Fragrant Fruit Candy," "Bean Dumplings," "Pear Syrup Candy," "Dried Plum Candy," "Lion Candy," and so on.
Beside the sugar jar, various kinds of dried meat were cut into neat, thin slices, wrapped in reed leaves and stacked in a bamboo tray, which was also covered with a cotton cloth to keep out mosquitoes.
The tea-braised chicken was placed in a rough earthenware pot on the far side of the window frame, with a flat, low-footed charcoal stove at the bottom. The braising liquid was not yet fully boiling, but was just bubbling softly.
The glow of the charcoal fire made the little stone's eyes sparkle.
He wants to eat them all!
But his pockets were emptier than his face.
Hesitantly, he wanted to buy candy, but was afraid of being scolded when his mother came to pay. He tiptoed to peek at the door to see if his mother was up, but then he caught sight of a row of various trinkets hanging above the window frame. Little Stone's eyes were immediately drawn to them: oil-paper umbrellas, small kites, wooden mechanical roosters, bamboo dragonflies, silk dolls, shuttlecocks, slingshots...
Ah! He really wants to live at the Yao family's house! Then he can play without having to buy anything!
"Stone, the tea-braised chicken is ready. Come here, I'll scoop it out for you."
As the braising liquid boiled, Yao Ruyi called out to him while rolling up her sleeves to scoop out the chicken eggs.
Little Stone reluctantly turned to watch Yao Ruyi busy herself, and then, as if being coquettish, snuggled up to her and said, "Sister Ruyi, I want chicken eggs with holes in the shells and broth inside."
"Okay, I'll pick the most flavorful one for you."
She used a bamboo strainer to scoop small stones from the bottom of the pot.
The morning light fell on her profile, making her cheeks appear fair and delicate, like an early-blooming hibiscus.
Little Stone thought to himself, "Sister Ruyi is really beautiful."
Sister Ruyi is not actually tall, but she has long arms and legs, so she doesn't look short.
In the early winter, she wore a short, padded, royal blue jacket embroidered with ginkgo leaves, the hem of which was tucked into her belt. Below that, she wore a scarlet magpie-patterned skirt, and over it, a plain long jacket embroidered with orchids and thickly padded. It wasn't buttoned up properly, but left open, just enough to reveal the blue jacket and red skirt underneath. This also accentuated her high waist and slender figure, making her appear tall and thin from the side.
Little Stone only realized how beautiful Sister Ruyi was in the last few days. He seemed to have hardly ever seen her before. His mother said that when Dr. Yao was in good health, Sister Ruyi almost never went out. Not only had he not seen her much, but most people in the alley hadn't seen her much either.
Sister Ruyi isn't the kind of stunning beauty that immediately catches the eye, but she has a natural charm that makes people feel close to her.
Especially when she smiles, her round, bright almond-shaped eyes curve like crescent moons, and the dimples on both sides of her cheeks appear and disappear.
She smiled, and every single one of the students gathered in front of the stall buying eggs would gradually become a fool. Some tripped over their own feet and almost fell flat on their faces, some stammered and couldn't even speak properly, and some paid and ran away without taking their food.
Little Stone thought to himself, "How pathetic!"
He never forgets about food; eating is always the most important thing!
Just like his dad always liked to ask him whether studying or eating was more important, no matter how many times he asked, he would always answer decisively and without hesitation: "Eating is more important!"
His father lamented in despair, "This one's ruined too."
"Okay, here you go." As Yao Ruyi wrapped the tea egg and gave it to Xiao Shitou, she couldn't help but pinch the two little buns tied on his head.
At this age, children, regardless of gender, all have their hair tied in topknots. They are chubby little stones with round, bulging faces, looking like meat buns. With their hair tied in topknots, they are very adorable.
Little Stone took the tea egg and couldn't wait to start peeling it, but it was too hot to handle, so he had to put it on his lap and use his fingernails to peel off the shell bit by bit.
While quietly munching on his steamed bun, Yao Qizhao glanced at him, and he immediately straightened his back in fright, bowing softly and saying, "Good morning, Dr. Yao."
With crumbs of steamed bun still clinging to the corners of his mouth, Yao Qizhao nodded with the dignified air of a scholar: "You study very diligently, that's good."
Little Stone blew air onto the egg, glanced at the bib around his neck embroidered with "My Grandpa is the Most Handsome," then glanced at Grandpa Yao's wrinkled, square face and fierce-looking bull eyes, and sucked on the brine on his fingers in confusion—what exactly is Dr. Yao handsome about?
Yao Ruyi was quietly grilling sausages when she turned her head and saw an old man and a child sitting side by side with their legs bent, eating quietly and attentively. She smiled.
Yao Ruyi couldn't remember if Xiao Shitou was seven or eight years old. He was the sixth son of the Lin family, whom Aunt Yu had teased about at the market. He had scared Lin Sicao into fainting at birth. Lin Sicao was so sad that he hadn't given his youngest son a proper name until today, and just called him Xiao Shitou.
He was the little boy who would wake Yao Ruyi up every day by reciting his lessons like an alarm clock, and he was also Lin Weiming's younger brother.
It wasn't until she became acquainted with her neighbors that Yao Ruyi realized Lin Weiming was actually Lin Si Cao's eldest son. Before, she had no idea who was who, and when she listened to her aunts gossiping about the neighbors in the alley, she couldn't make heads or tails of them.
Remembering what Aunt Yu said about the Lin family's sons all jumping around like monkeys, she couldn't help but laugh whenever she saw Lin Weiming come to buy chickens—he had big eyes and a narrow face, and he really did look a bit like a monkey.
Before long, the first batch of roasted sausages was ready.
Yao Ruyi handed two sausages to Xiao Shitou, who had just finished eating two tea eggs in a flash. While Yao Ruyi was brushing sauce on the sausages, he half-lifted off the stool and craned his neck to wait.
When I got them, the bamboo skewers were hot from the grilling. The sausages had been scored, were golden brown on the outside, and were covered in a shiny, reddish-brown sauce, still bubbling with oil.
That sauce smells so good; the aroma fills my nose even before I take a bite.
Little Stone couldn't resist any longer. He blew on it, opened his mouth wide, and took a bite.
The first bite was taken hastily, the crispy crust cracked open, and the tongue first tasted the roughness of the salt and spice particles, followed by the soft and chewy sausage core. The chicken, mixed with starch batter, had a smooth and fragrant texture, while the sesame seeds and sauce richly coated the meaty aroma... But the meaty aroma wasn't actually that strong; upon closer inspection, it tasted more like the crispy fried batter, along with the salty and savory sauce. Little Stone couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was just so delicious!
It was surprisingly delicious.
"Hot! Hot!" Little Shizi exhaled and swallowed, stamping his feet and spinning around because of the heat, ignoring the oily sheen on his sleeves. Soon, the bamboo skewer was shiny from licking, and he reluctantly licked the tip, his tongue still tingling from the heat.
Yao Ruyi had already finished frying the second batch and smiled at Xiao Shitou, saying, "Take it easy."
Little Stone didn't even have time to respond, and wolfed down another skewer. He burped as he ate, and when he heard his mother calling him from the doorway, he quickly said goodbye to Yao Ruyi and ran home.
At three-quarters past Chen hour, the women and aunties in the alley came over with smiles to congratulate her.
Yesterday, as soon as the shop was tidied up, the neighbors came to see the excitement, and today they brought gifts: Aunt Yu carried a bamboo basket with four ceramic dishes containing candied fruit, fried rice, melon seeds, and osmanthus sugar, covered with a blue printed cloth: "Ruyi, these are the 'Four Treasures for Opening the Business,' you and Dr. Yao should both try some today for good luck."
Yao Ruyi thanked her hurriedly, took the stove and placed it on the counter. She then turned around and moved the stove over to warm Cheng Niangzi's hands, who was rubbing them with cold. Cheng Niangzi brought over two red silk cloths: "May your business be prosperous from the start. Quickly hang them on the door for good luck."
She was about to hang it on the doorframe when Sister You and Sister Yinzhu arrived with Xiaosong and Jasmine. Xiaosong was holding a pair of lanterns with "Yaoji Xinglong" written on them. Before they even entered, her little nose twitched: "It smells so good! What delicious food has Sister Ruyi made?"
Jasmine, standing next to her, had already turned her head and was staring longingly at the sausage grill.
"Have you forgotten all the auspicious words I taught you on the way?" Sister You smiled and handed over the food box, which contained freshly steamed jujube flower buns. The tips of the buns were dotted with vermilion red, like the rosy cheeks of little babies, which was very festive.
"Sister Ruyi! May your business prosper and your wealth increase!" The two little foodies had already run to the sausage grill and were swallowing their saliva. Hearing the reminder, they quickly turned their heads and added auspicious words, but their eyes were still glued to the sizzling sausages.
Yao Ruyi smiled and handed them two starch sausages, saying, "Here, one for each of you. But the delicious food I make isn't for nothing. We just opened today, so you'll have to stay and help me promote it after you finish eating!"
Jasmine and Xiaosong chuckled as they accepted the food, thanked them, and then dutifully sat down by the door, indeed calling out as they ate: "Yaoji Grocery Store is open! We have warm soup, cotton hats, lots of candy! And freshly grilled, hot sausages!"
Yao Ruyi finally hung up the red silk and cheerfully brought over fruit and tea: "Wait until someone comes before calling them. Eat slowly and be careful not to choke."
The two little ones cheered and ate intently.
Several aunts sat around the table and chairs by the door. Yao Ruyi poured tea for each of them. As soon as she sat down, Sister You looked at Jasmine's face, which had finally gained some weight, and sighed, "It's really strange. Jasmine just happens to get along well with Ruyi. She loves to eat whatever I make. But when I cook something at home, she picks and chooses. It's really a headache."
Sister-in-law Yinzhu turned her head to look. Jasmine and Xiaosong were shoulder to shoulder and head to head, eating like two little mice, their legs shaking as they ate. Their little faces were greasy from eating. They didn't look like picky eaters at all. After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke: "Sister-in-law, could it be that the food you made..." She swallowed the words back. It was not good to say directly that the food was "too bad".
Although she hadn't finished speaking, Sister-in-law You understood and was stunned. Was her cooking really that bad? Impossible!
Cheng Niangzi asked curiously, "What dishes do you usually cook? How do you cook them?"
Sister You got excited and gestured as she said, "Yesterday I caught a big carp that had overwintered in the river, weighing a good twenty pounds! The older generation says that this kind of fish will be able to leap over the Dragon Gate in two years. Children who eat it will grow strong and be immune to all diseases. But you can't kill it. If it's still alive and kicking, you have to put it in a pot to make soup, just add a little salt. Only the original flavor is nourishing. If it weren't for the fact that Jasmine and her father don't eat it without salt, I would rather not add any salt."
Madam Cheng was stunned. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Aunt Yu and Yinzhu, noticing their faces filled with expressions of "Oh my god!" and "My goodness!" Even Ruyi was pursing her lips, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back. She breathed a sigh of relief; otherwise, with Aunt Yu's confident demeanor, she would have thought she had misheard!
Carp that isn't killed? Will it taste good cooked like that?
Unaware of what was happening, Sister You continued, "This morning I caught another big soft-shelled turtle that an old hunter had fished out from under a stream in the mountains. It's so big! I cleaned it and put it in a pot without adding any salt. Mountain delicacies should be enjoyed in their natural flavor."
"You...you didn't kill him?"
"If it wasn't killed, it has to be eaten fresh!"
Madam Cheng shut up and stopped asking.
"You still have the nerve to complain that Jasmine is too thin? She eats all these 'delicacies' of yours every day, it's a miracle she's grown up this big." Aunt Yu looked at her with a complicated expression: "...Your husband really spoils you too much."
Sister-in-law You blushed, embarrassed and annoyed, and said, "What does it have to do with him?"
Madam Cheng and Sister-in-law Yinzhu burst out laughing: "If they didn't love you that much, they wouldn't have spoiled you like this!"
Yao Ruyi couldn't help but laugh. Just then, the morning bell rang, and the students quickly poured into the alley like a floodgate opening. She hurriedly stood up and said, "Aunties, please sit down. I'll go and attend to the business."
Aunt Yu waved her hand: "Go ahead and do your thing, we'll talk, don't worry about it."
The aroma of grilled starch sausages was indeed very appealing to many people.
Soon, students gathered around, and many regular customers joined in. Some even peered curiously through the window into the shop.
As dawn broke, the neatly arranged goods on the shelves became visible. A sharp-eyed student spotted brushes and ink sticks on the shelf and pointed to an ink stick, asking, "Madam Yao, whose ink is this?"
Yao Ruyi was flipping sausages by the window when she glanced back and said, "Jingyuxuan's goods, the new ink that just arrived the day before yesterday. This batch of ink is made in excellent condition. I asked my grandfather to take a look and we went to choose it together. If you're not in a hurry, I'll bring it to you to try when I'm done with my work."
As soon as the student finished asking the question, he noticed the price tags still posted on the shelf, with two lines of small calligraphy:
Jingyuxuan repackaged pine soot ink
One hundred coins per piece, weighing fifteen zhu, minimum order of two pieces.
The student's eyes lit up. Jing Yuxuan's ink was excellent; he had used it before. It ground quickly, produced ink that was black, glossy, and oily, and was very easy to use. However, whether it was sold in Jing Yuxuan's own shop or in Liu's bookstore, they were all large ink sticks, and Liu's were even 20% more expensive than Jing Yuxuan's own shop! Buying one would cost at least one or two taels of silver, and he would feel the pinch for half a month after buying it once.
He usually couldn't bear to use such fine ink, only using it for the monthly, quarterly, and yearly exams at the Imperial Academy. But the young lady of the Yao family had a unique idea: she cut the large inksticks into small strips and sold them separately, so each strip only cost one hundred coins! Suddenly, he didn't feel the pinch anymore!
The student had originally planned to go out to buy ink today, and since there was ink available right outside his door, he immediately asked for two sticks.
He thought to himself with satisfaction that two sticks of ink would be enough for the upcoming exams in a couple of days, and he would need them then. He bought ink sticks from Yao Ruyi and noticed a row of neat and exquisite bottles and jars in the side cabinet. The wooden sign on the top of the cabinet read "Gong Shengchun Ginger Hair Oil, use Gong Shengchun to prevent hair loss," and another read "Nanzhou Almond Face Cream, smooth and creamy like solidified fat."
He subconsciously touched his dark circles, dry and chapped face, and hair that was almost bald from reading too much... The weather is dry and the hair is thinning in winter, so maybe... maybe he should get some hair back?
Once you're tempted, you take action and buy it.
It was the busiest time of day for students, and when Cheng Niangzi saw Yao Ruyi busy grilling sausages and attending to customers, sometimes leaving her stall to fetch them and sometimes frantically scooping up chicken eggs, she took the initiative to stand up and help her with the shop: "You grill your sausages, I'll take care of the shop."
Yao Ruyi wiped her sweat and turned around to thank him repeatedly.
Fortunately, she had insisted on pricing each item beforehand, so when Sister-in-law Cheng went in, she went straight in and helped sell them according to the prices, which went very smoothly.
The aunties, having nothing else to do, gave the children some candy from Yao Ruyi's stall and sent them to sit next to the silent, dazed Grandpa Yao to eat it. They also helped with some business from time to time until mid-morning when they had to go home to cook dinner.
Yao Ruyi was truly grateful to them. On the first day, the students, feeling curious, would come in to browse, often buying a few things on the go, making her exceptionally busy. She spent the entire morning getting goods, doing accounting, wrapping eggs, and grilling sausages, barely having a moment to rest. Many students who arrived early were even thinking about eating instant soup noodles, and several aunties made room for them and helped her boil water. Later, even Grandpa Yao was surrounded by students slurping soup noodles.
The students ate and discussed national affairs, gossip, and interesting stories about the Imperial Academy. They talked about how the Minister of the Three Departments was so infatuated with love that he now disregarded the legitimate son left by his first wife and instead treasured the stepson brought by his second wife. He even personally sought out the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy and got the stepson into studying there.
It is also said that a major epidemic has broken out in Guizhou. Today is not a day for court assembly, but the emperor has urgently summoned officials of the fifth rank and above to the palace. I really don't know what the situation is like for the people of Guizhou now. It is terrible.
After hearing this, Grandpa Yao was stunned. After Yao Ruyi finished her work and everyone left, she saw Grandpa Yao staring at the ground in a daze, lost in thought for who knows how long.
"Grandpa? What's wrong?"
His face was dark and he seemed dazed, ignoring her.
"Are you tired? There were so many people today, did they bother you?" Yao Ruyi gently helped him up. Seeing that he was still absent-minded, she touched his forehead. It wasn't hot, and his hands and feet were warm, so he should be fine. She gently comforted him, "I'll take you back to your room to rest first. You can take a nap, and I'll go feed the dog. I'll call you for lunch after I've made it."
He still didn't respond, but obediently let her help him into the house. After lying down fully clothed, he stared straight at the wooden beam.
Yao Ruyi was a little worried and was already considering whether to ask a doctor to come and take a look.
Thinking about it, she went into the kitchen, but then peeked out again. Grandpa Yao's room was quiet, without a sound, as if he was asleep.
She shrank back again, first breaking the leftover steamed buns from the morning into pieces, pouring in two raw eggs and stirring, then frying them in a pan until dry, placing them on a plate, and hurriedly opening the side gate of the Lin family.
Beside the side gate, there was a large doghouse that she had made from one of Grandpa Yao's tattered old cotton long gowns. It was placed under the eaves of the small courtyard next to the door. As soon as she went in, a fierce-looking big yellow dog with a scar peeked out from the doghouse.
The mother dog bared her sharp white teeth at her, but this time Yao Ruyi wasn't afraid.
In the past two weeks, she has become very familiar with the puppy!
Soon, three dog heads and one cat head emerged one after another from under the mother dog's big head, all sticking out their tongues and wagging their tails at her happily.
Yao Ruyi simply squatted down and started nibbling, and four chubby little furballs rushed over, rubbing against her and circling around her, rolling on the ground and biting her ankles. The little orange cat was particularly unruly; smelling the aroma from her plate, it barked and climbed up her skirt.
In an instant, she was surrounded by the soft, cuddly sounds of barking and meowing.
She couldn't resist the temptation any longer, so she put down the plate and started touching this and that.
Throughout the ordeal, the mother dog remained lying down, watching her coldly, but unlike before, she didn't bark at her or shoo her away. A while ago, when she was renovating her shop, the dog family saw her several times when she brought food to feed them. At first, the mother dog would bark and howl at her, and the puppies would scatter in fright, but she was very patient, leaving the food and then walking away.
After three or five more times, the mother dog and her puppies recognized her scent. The mother dog remained wary, but the puppies only thought that there would be food as soon as she came. Seeing that she would no longer run away, they first watched her from a distance of about ten feet. Then, as soon as she put down the plate, the cunning puppies would run over first to snatch the food.
One arrived, and the others crept over as well.
Slowly, she successfully won over the puppies' hearts with food. She petted the three puppies and the orange cat to her heart's content every day, except for the mother dog, who wouldn't let her get close to her.
Today was no different. Yao Ruyi couldn't resist petting the cat for fifteen minutes before reluctantly getting up. Before leaving, she hugged one cat and rubbed against another, even holding the chubby orange cat in her arms and nuzzling its face against its fur. Humming a little tune, she closed the door and had just stepped into the yard when she realized something was wrong.
Why is the courtyard gate open?
Turning her head, she saw that Grandpa Yao's room was wide open. She ran over, but the bed was empty and no one was in the room!
Yao Ruyi broke out in a cold sweat and rushed out of the alley to take a look. It was midday, and the weather was cold, but there wasn't a soul in sight.
She ran past the guard post of the garrison, only to find that Old Xiangtou was dozing off at that moment. When she woke him up, he was still drowsy and didn't even know if anyone had crawled over the fence to get out!
Her mind raced. Grandpa's mind was sometimes confused and sometimes clear; if he got lost and couldn't come back, it would be all over! But he hadn't been gone long, so there was still a good chance of finding him. What was the fastest way to find Grandpa's whereabouts? She needed to save time, and be quick!
A sudden thought flashed through her mind, and she immediately turned back and ran home.
She casually picked up one of Grandpa Yao's old shoes and entered the Lin family's house through the side gate.
The mother dog was curled up and dozing, while the kittens were chasing lacewings and playing in the weeds of the small courtyard.
Yao Ruyi squatted down, knowing it was somewhat absurd, but she still held the shoe in front of the dog's nose and tried asking, "Good dog, smell his shoe and take me to find Grandpa, okay?" She and her grandmother used to have a local dog that was very obedient. It not only guarded the house but also helped her grandmother carry groceries and deliver goods. She always believed that dogs could understand human speech.
The mother dog raised her head and stared intently at her with her brown and yellow eyes.
Yao Ruyi was covered in sweat, her throat tightened with anxiety, and she felt increasingly like crying: there were no phones or surveillance cameras at this time, and there were so many people outside, where could she possibly search?
The mother dog hadn't moved. Just as Yao Ruyi was thinking she was being foolish and should ask the neighbors to go out and look for her, the mother dog suddenly stood up, stretched her front paws, and actually strolled over and sniffed the shoes in her hand... She even gagged twice from the stench.
Although Yao Ruyi was anxious to get onto the roof, she also showed some embarrassment: "...I'm so sorry, I should have brought clothes instead."
The mother dog barked briefly at her, as if to say "follow me," then nimbly leaped over the threshold and into the Yao family's yard. The playful kittens turned around, saw their mother dog leave, and chased after her in a flash. Yao Ruyi hurriedly threw off her shoes, grabbed her skirt, and ran after her.
*
Two quarters of an hour earlier, at the Imperial Academy, in dormitory A.
Geng Hao and Zhang Henggang came down from the Cuju field, covered in sweat.
They looked like they'd just been pulled out of boiling water, at least half-cooked, their bodies steaming, their clothes soaked through, and sweat dripping onto the ground as they walked.
Yu Tong, the eldest son of Chancellor Yu Zhun, was sitting quietly reading when he saw this. He immediately covered his nose and moved away, shouting to his attendants to throw two handkerchiefs at him. He said angrily, "Couldn't you two have sent your servants to wash up before coming over? It stinks!"
The more he said that, the more Zhang Heng insisted on moving closer, grinning, "Yu Da, what's wrong? Where does it smell? You taste it again?"
"Get lost, get lost, or I'll beat you up!"
Geng Hao stood to the side with a sour face, took the towel handed to him by either Geng Niu or Geng Ma, wiped himself all over, fanned himself and exhaled, and suddenly sneered: "Today we kicked that scoundrel like a ball and beat him to a pulp, it was really satisfying!"
Yu Tong looked up from behind the book: "Which scoundrel?"
Geng Hao's face darkened. Before he could speak, Zhang Heng couldn't hold back any longer and leaned over to whisper in Yu Tong's ear, but he didn't lower his voice. He deliberately laughed loudly at him: "His father's second wife brought this burden, named Deng Feng. He was just sent to Dingzizhai to study the other day. Our Geng Da has been staying in Zhengzhou for quite a while, pitifully ignored by everyone, and he's been holding back his anger. When he came back, he saw his new younger brother happily playing football on the field, so naturally he was furious. That's why he called me over to go down on the field and teach him a lesson."
Geng Hao's face turned completely black, and he clenched his teeth: "Zhang Zihou! Shut up!"
Zhang Heng wasn't afraid at all. He chuckled and teased him, "Were you hoping your dad would go to Zhengzhou to coax you home? Ha! Who knew he'd be doting on his new son instead!"
Geng Hao suddenly sprang to his feet and was about to rush over and grab him by the collar when two burly servants, each stronger than a door panel, who were accompanying Zhang Heng in his studies, immediately stepped in front of their master. Geng Niu and Geng Ma also shouted "Ancestors, ancestors!" and managed to stop him.
Zhang Heng was Consort Zhang's youngest brother, a legitimate brother-in-law of the emperor, and no one dared to touch him.
Yu Tong closed the book and advised, "Hao-ge'er, why are you arguing with those outsiders? You are your father's only son. In the future, won't they all have to be mindful of your feelings? Why make things difficult for your own father? You're only hurting your relationship with him, and they'll only get what they want. What's the point?"
Geng Hao had a sour face, his fists clenched tightly, and he didn't say a word.
Zhang Heng laughed and said, "What else could it be? When Hao was little, he was like a stubborn candy, crying and refusing to let Prime Minister Geng go to court. Prime Minister Geng even carried him to court for him, which was a well-known story back then. Now, he naturally can't stand that his father has a new wife, let alone a new son."
Geng Hao glared at him: "If you say another word, we'll sever all ties."
"Alright, alright." Seeing that things had gone too far, Zhang Heng changed the subject and urged the two to skip class: "I heard that Madam Shen and her husband came back from Luoyang a few days ago. These days, all the Wenchang chicken at Shen's restaurant is made by Madam Shen herself. We have to go and try it!"
Yu Tong didn't speak, and picked up the book again to read. Geng Hao finally became interested: "Oh? Madam Chen is back. Her cooking is worth trying."
"I'm not going." Yu Tong continued reading her book, ignoring him.
How could the two of them let him go? Geng Hao and Zhang Heng exchanged a glance, and immediately put an end to their enmity with a smile. They gave their servants a look, blocking the servants around Yu Tong, and with a sinister grin, they dragged him and the bookshelf out of the study: "You have to go. With you at the top of the class, the teachers won't complain to our father later."
The three of them climbed over the wall and slipped out of the Imperial College. They were happily enjoying the free breeze outside, discussing what they wanted to eat: Madam Chen's best-made Wenchang chicken, shrimp dumplings, stir-fried beef noodles... and the unforgettable "ice and fire flaky pastry with creamy butter." Their mouths were practically watering as they talked.
To everyone's surprise, as soon as the three of them reached Jinliang Bridge, they found a familiar old man sitting by the bridge, asking everyone he met if there was a boat to Fengshui County. No one paid him any attention, so he stared blankly at two extremely fierce tabby cats fighting and meowing in the street.
The three hesitated and stopped. Geng Hao squinted and said, "This old man looks very familiar."
Yu Tong recognized him, dusted off the wrinkles on his clothes from the two scoundrels, and said calmly, "This is Dr. Yao."
Zhang Heng was surprised: "Wasn't he on leave due to hysteria and recuperating at home? Why is he here all alone?"
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Ah, we haven't even gotten to the male lead yet...
Next chapter...next chapter...
Today is special, so I'm posting early. See you every day at noon from now on!
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