Chapter 46: New Food Around the Fire “There are no brothers on the chess field!”…
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the wind blowing from the Linton River became colder.
Wei Fuqiu took a pair of scissors and trimmed the chicken feathers covering Yi Er San's eyes.
One, Two, and Three also had a nice nest. Meng Ge'er collected a few feathers from the neighboring rooster, along with some soft feathers dropped by unknown chickens and ducks, and gathered them into a bag, stuffing it into One, Two, and Three's nest. It was soft and warm, but the three chickens slept with a bit of fear.
Yuanbao had always been the most favored, and his goose-down nest had been replaced with two embroidered mice. But when the weather got colder, he longed for his master's silk quilt, burrowing into it at night. His several goose-down nests had apparently been taken over by loofahs and edamame.
"Shopkeeper Wei, here I come!"
The autumn days grew later and later, and as soon as a faint light appeared on the surface of the river, Gu Xiang ran into the shop excitedly, looking energetic. To use Wei Jinyun's recent words to evaluate her, it was - Xiao Gu is full of blood and energy.
Gu Xiang performed very well during her probation period. After three days, Wei Jinyun signed a contract with her.
Two guan per month, including two meals a day. Work starts at the first quarter of the morning and ends at the first quarter of the evening. One day a month is reserved for family visits, which can be saved. Annual leave is fifteen days. Interest is charged separately for holidays. For each additional year worked, an additional 200 wen is paid, which accumulates year by year...
Gu Xiang stared at the contract that made her dizzy, and without thinking much, she signed a three-year contract with Wei Jinyun on the spot.
Being a porter, she only earned eighty wen from dawn to dusk, and she had to prepare her own food. Not only did her shoulders ache, but she was also soaked in sweat all day. For her, Miss Wei's place was truly wonderful!
Aunt Wang's cooking was delicious, and they didn't complain that she ate too much; instead, they worried she wasn't eating enough. There were cats and dogs, ugly ones, and snacks... The whole shop smelled fragrant and was very clean. She was also willing to mop the floor several times a day and polish the tables and chairs until they were gleaming brighter than mirrors.
"Xiao Gu, come and give Aunt Wang a hand."
Wang Qiulan was sitting in the yard, making glutinous rice balls with fresh sorghum. She kneaded the rice balls repeatedly until they were no longer sticky, then she pulled out the dough, filled it with red bean paste, and rolled it into a round glutinous rice ball, placing it on a bamboo plate.
The new sorghum of autumn tastes sweet and sticky. Gu Xiang polished the kitchen stove to a shine. Wang Qiulan placed the hottest glutinous rice balls into a bowl one by one and poured a bowl of sweet rice wine.
She closed her eyes and lit a stick of incense, muttering to herself, "Master Kitchen God, please try this glutinous rice ball made from new sorghum. I hope it will make your mouth sticky. May God bless you with good things and bring good luck back to the palace. May my shop prosper and my granddaughters be healthy."
"May grandma live a long life!"
Wei Fuling rushed into the kitchen, placed two large oranges on the stove, shouted piously, and then rushed back to the front shop in a hurry and sat down on her special cart.
She poured a bowl of water on the osmanthus tree on the right side of the shop, stood beside it and gestured for a few times, but she didn't see it grow. Instead, she saw its branches full of osmanthus flowers, and the ground was covered with golden color.
"It's okay, Lingjie, maybe it will grow bigger in the spring."
Meng Ge'er sat down in front of the cart with his rice porridge and pulled a stool for Wei Fuling. "I've grown a lot taller than last year. Everything grows in spring."
"Brother Meng is not coming back today?"
Chuntao took the broom and swept the already clean shop door again. After sweeping, she leaned against the wall and laughed, "Do you want Sister Chuntao to collect some chicken feathers for you?"
“Yes!”
"So, Meng Ge'er, will you learn three more words today?"
"good!"
Meng Ge'er jumped down from the high stool, picked up his bowl of rice porridge, and said to Wei Fuling anxiously, "Sister Ling, I will come back to help you sell snacks after I finish learning. I will finish it quickly."
Fallen leaves drifted through the streets in front of Tianqing Temple, whirling in circles in the wind. Children walked by in groups of three or four, their hair ornaments made of catalpa leaves. In autumn, climbing and sightseeing became more common, and the river in front of the temple was moored with many black-sailed boats selling water chestnuts and lotus roots.
"Look, Shopkeeper Wei, the clay ovens are all made to your specifications. The temperature of the earthenware pots is also just right. Don't worry, they won't crack even after years of use."
Wei Jinyun had just stood at the door for a while when a waiter delivered the clay stove and earthenware pot she had ordered to her door.
The name of Yunlaixiang is engraved on the clay pot, and there are small pastry paintings painted into the pot. There is a small handle next to it for you to use when making tea.
She paid the money with satisfaction and gave the waiter two big oranges. The waiter thanked her and congratulated her on her prosperous business.
"Giving two oranges makes me happy."
Zhang's father was sitting in a rattan chair at the door of the shop drinking tea. Seeing the vendor's cheerful smile, he spat out a mouthful of tea leaves and said, "I can tell he's never had any good food."
But he had lost his original spirit and was frowning while drinking tea.
Business at the Zhang family's stationery shop was not as good as it used to be. Ever since Zhang's father had caused such a commotion in front of the shop, not only in front of Tianqing Temple, but throughout Pingjiang Prefecture, word of Zhang Renbai's deeds had spread.
Wei Jinyun didn't inquire further. Zhang Renbai often came to the shop for tea, and the customers didn't say much when they saw him. But given her increasingly mysterious story of "pulling the weeping willow," her story seemed to be even more impressive. She had also tried to find out where the story of her willow-pulling feat originated, but it was so widely spread that the true originator remained unknown.
Now, those who buy the four treasures of the study go to the northwest corner of Shantang Street and the inner city. Even Old Sun's stall at the entrance of the prefectural school has become much busier. Everyone says that Wu Xiucai bought his writing brushes, inkstones, paper, and inkstone from him, so buying them always gives him a touch of literary elegance.
With less business, they naturally didn't want to order snacks from Wei Jinyun anymore. Wei Jinyun's loss of one order didn't affect her at all, as she could earn it back in three days.
Gu Xiang carried all the clay stoves in a few trips and stacked them under the stairs. Wei Jinyun took two pieces of charcoal, lit them, and placed an iron mesh on the clay stoves, placing them on the table of Wei Fuling's cart.
Wei Fuling loved doing business in front of the shop and couldn't do without her cart. As the weather got colder, Wei Jinyun asked Carpenter Wang to make some minor modifications.
Carpenter Wang had nailed it to the doorway of the shop, and then added wooden boards on both sides to protect it from the wind, making it look like a small house with only the door open. Wind chimes were also hung on the small house, and when the wind blew, the bells tinkled.
The charcoal fire in the small clay oven on the countertop was blazing. The oranges on the iron grill were roasting until their skins curled, and the chestnuts crackled open, releasing the sweet aroma of red dates and longans. As for Wei Fuling's earthenware pot, Wei Jinyun had slowly simmered some milk and soaked peach gum, creating a rich, milky aroma.
Wei Fuling, wearing a small bunny hat made of thin silk cotton and a light yellow jacket, was reading in her private room. When more people came to the street, she would look up and call out, "Sweet snacks, warm the stove with tea, sweet!"
Meng Ge'er was learning to write. When he heard the shouting, he ran out and shouted "Sweet snacks", then turned around and forgot how to write the word. He scratched his head and went back to the shop.
Before noon, more and more people came into the shop, and it was almost impossible to get a good seat.
The clay oven set meal cost 66 wen, including tea, and came with three mandarin oranges, a stack each of chestnuts, red dates, and longans, along with three pieces of rice cake. We sat and chatted, feeling hungry, so we ordered some more pastries. The carved wooden windows of the shop were open, and thanks to the charcoal fire, it wasn't cold at all. Instead, the sweet scent of osmanthus filled the air, bringing a pleasant aroma.
"I've finally been waiting for this! The water dragon's nest is finally gone!"
The guest peeled a hot longan and drank a sip of tea and was very excited.
The man next to him, peeling half his orange, immediately added, "I heard from the brothers on the canal yesterday that Lord Lu and Lord Lu from Kunshan County, one from the south and one from the north, surrounded the thief from the front and back. The thief, relying on his swimming ability, tried to escape by jumping into the river, but Lord Lu was quick-witted and chopped off his left leg with a knife, and then pinned him to the deck and captured him alive!"
The people at the neighboring table came over with a bowl of candied taro, their spoons resting at their lips. "So cruel?"
"What's so cruel about that?"
The guest rolled his eyes at him. "This summer, the Shui Jiao Gang robbed three grain ships. Of the twenty-odd people on board, not a single one survived, not even the children. Lord Lu didn't chop him up and feed him to the fish, which was a very kind act."
The man next to him nodded repeatedly, then suddenly stood up. "I heard that Lord Lu's ship will arrive at Changmen Wharf this evening. Many people are going to pick him up. I have to go there soon. Maybe I can see Lord Lu in person."
Yuanbao was dozing off in Wei Jinyun's arms. He opened his eyes and meowed at her twice.
"What are you doing?"
Wei Jinyun combed its head with the wooden comb he had made for it. "Do the loaches from Changmen Wharf taste better than the loaches from Yunlaixiang? Could it be that a few loaches bribed our Master Yuanbao?"
Yuanbao rubbed her palm, blinked his green eyes a few times, and then snuggled back into her arms and fell asleep.
I won’t eat the loach anymore, the owner is still the best.
"Hey, why are you in such a hurry?"
The guest pulled the person next to him to sit down again and pointed to the small clay stove in front of them. "Our clay stove has just been lit. Let's rest here with Manager Wei and have some snacks. I know a small alley. We can get a better view by going around to the side of Changmen Wharf. Let's wait until the crowds in front have cleared. Then we can go there closer to the boat and let them squeeze in first."
Zhang Renbai sat in his old seat and felt that the orange in his hand tasted a bit bitter. Everyone was waiting for him to come back.
He looked up at Wei Jinyun's position and saw that she was busy using an abacus with a cat in her arms.
An hour passed in a flash, and the doorbell rang loudly, and a group of people squeezed in.
"Jinyun, hurry up, take out the Xungu chess pieces quickly. We'll decide the outcome in one game today!"
Lu Lingxiang rushed to the counter first, and the ingots in her arms were frightened out of their wits.
"I win today!"
Tang Yin followed behind, "The headmaster is going back to his hometown for the Mid-Autumn Festival. He'll be back soon. I'm going to take advantage of these few days to kill you all!"
"The last one will remember to pay for today's snacks and tea!"
A few people were noisily making noise, and those behind them swarmed in. There was no trace of their usual elegance.
"Still the same seats. These two tables are reserved for you."
Gu Xiang deftly pushed the two long tables together and fetched a few low bamboo chairs from under the stairs. Wei Jinyun didn't even have time to stand up and yawn before slumping back down.
Referee Wei Fuqiu, wearing a goose yellow jacket, sat on a high stool and spread the cloth chessboard embroidered by Wang Qiulan according to Wei Jinyun's drawing paper on the long table. There were many houses in Pingjiang Prefecture embroidered on it.
The journey starts from the Changmen Gate of Pingjiang Prefecture, where all business travelers enter and ends with visiting Lu Guimeng's former residence. Whoever arrives first wins.
During this period, there were several squares in total, and "Fuxue", "Yunlaixiang", "Baigongdi", "Bao'en Temple" were embroidered with red thread...
There were also difficult obstacles such as "grain boats stranded in port", "inspection office checking certificates", "sudden rain and mud", and "congested markets" that hindered the progress of merchants and travelers.
As for the chess pieces, they were small boats of various shapes meticulously carved and painted by Carpenter Wang, a skilled Lu Ban expert. He no longer had any desire to make money, only a desire to have his craftsmanship recognized.
Six old chess players sat together in a circle, surrounded by a lot of people.
"Are you ready?"
Wei Fuqiu took a bite of the dessert and spoke seriously.
"Ready!"
"Sister Qu, let's start."
Wei Jinyun stood up and handed over the bamboo tube containing the flower paper prop cards.
Wei Fuqiu took it with her small hand, "Then the order of drawing lots is Lu Lingxiang, Tang Yin, Zhu Zhishan, Wu Sheng, Lu Lantang, and Zhou Zhuqing."
After all the lots were drawn, Wei Fuling looked through them and continued, "Referee Wei Fuqiu has called. Lu Lingxiang plays black first."
"Hey, I knew it was me."
Lu Lingxiang threw it hard, picked up her black-sailed boat and walked away, "Four, five, six, six steps, dock at Yunlaixiang."
"Then please enjoy some tea and snacks at Yunlaixiang. You will be asked to recite a snack or tea poem."
Wei Fuqiu tilted her head and smiled, "If you're right, you can take three steps forward. If you're wrong, you'll have to eat some snacks at Yunlaixiang and get dizzy, so you can take a nap."
“It’s not difficult at all.”
Lu Lingxiang chanted aloud, "Of course it's Mr. Bai's 'Sesame Cakes, Modeled after Kyoto, Crispy and Fragrant Freshly Ovened'."
"Very good, Lu Lingxiang gets a tea voucher, enter three boxes."
Tang Yin rolled the dice impatiently. After a while, he muttered, "Three plus two, five steps, and the clouds are falling again! That, that, 'Look up at the bright moon, look down and think of my hometown'... The heart of homesickness is also the heart!"
This is really no way, everyone has passed by Yunlaixiang, and many poems have been said. He fanned himself with a folding fan for half a day, but couldn't think of anything.
Wei Fuqiu tried hard to suppress her laughter. "How could he possibly win Li Bai's heart? Tang Yin should stop playing for one round and sleep in Yunlaixiang for a round."
Zhu Zhishan stuffed a piece of egg yolk and taro paste into his hand and said, "Come on, eat this. Brother Tang, please stop cannibalizing me."
The warm afternoon sun shone in through the carved wooden windows, attracting more people to gather around the two long tables.
Tang Yin threw another number and reached the twenty-sixth box.
Wei Fuqiu announced solemnly, "The continuous plum rains have made the roads slippery, so we'll be relegated two spaces. If you have a 'ship ticket', it can be offset. If you don't have one, we'll be relegated."
"Back two spaces!"
Tang Yin finished his egg yolk taro pastry and jumped up from the spot with the peeled orange in his hand. "It's broad daylight, where is the rain? Boat ticket..."
He was so anxious that he dug out the prop paper he had just drawn, but he only found a "Wu Embroidered Square Scarf". He slapped his head and said, "Oh, the market congestion penalty on the twelfth box has been used up."
Lu Lantang laughed and said, "Then retreat."
"Back off, back off, I'll throw a better one later."
The small warship retreated twenty-four squares with a thud.
Wu Sheng's small ship had just anchored at the 28th square when Wei Fuqiu's voice rang out again, "The patrol inspector is checking the certificate, the public security officer is verifying the certificate. We will stop for a moment. Wu Sheng will stop for one round."
Wu Sheng touched his head.
Why is it that I am stuck by Lord Lu?
When Zhu Zhishan's tribute boat stopped at the 36th square, the chief judge Wei Fuqiu began to read out again, "Sorry, the grain ship is stranded at the port. The grain transport is blocked and we have to wait for the ship to sail. We will retreat two squares. As usual, you can use the 'ship ticket' to offset it. If you don't have one, you can retreat."
"Back off, back off, come and be my brother."
Tang Yin patted his shoulder and chewed half an orange.
"That's such a pity, Brother Tang."
Zhu Zhishan calmly took out a piece of flowery paper, and the four words "pass" on it caught Tang Yin's eyes.
"Bring the ticket to offset the refund." He said gently and handed the flowery note to Wei Fuqiu.
Wei Fuqiu took the flowered note, examined it carefully, and continued reading, "Zhu Zhishan, your ticket is delayed at the port due to the grain ship, so you don't need to refund it."
The small tribute ship still stayed obediently at the 36th grid.
"Brother, let's not do this today." Tang Yin stuffed the remaining half of the orange into his mouth, watching Zhu Zhishan getting closer and closer to the finish line.
"Are there still brothers on the chess field?"
“Come, come, come!”
After a few more rounds, Lü Lantang's small boat landed at Peach Blossom Valley, the 38th grid. Wei Fuqiu handed over a piece of flower paper. "Lü Lantang receives a piece of peach blossom paper. You can advance two grids yourself or exchange it with another player for the same item. Recite a poem containing the word 'flower' to receive additional paper."
Lu Lantang looked at Zhou Zhuqing and noticed the floral note in her hand. He smiled and said, "That's Du Zimei's 'The beautiful scenery of Jiangnan is here, and I meet you again in the season of falling flowers'... Qingqing, do you want to exchange the floral note?"
"Change it, choose it yourself."
Zhou Zhuqing took a sip of tea and placed all her flower notes in front of Lu Lantang.
"So clear."
Zhou Zhuqing's small sand boat soon stopped at Bao'en Temple. Wei Fuqiu covered her mouth with her hands and laughed before reading out the rules, "The Bao'en Temple effect is triggered. Pray for blessings and good luck will follow you. You can throw the dice again and take the highest number!"
This was the first time in their two-day trip that anyone had docked at Bao'en Temple. Even Wu Sheng couldn't sit still. After taking a bite of the candied taro, he exclaimed, "There's something like this? It can even bring down the Buddha!"
"Oh, Brother Wusheng."
Wei Fuqiu, the fair and serious judge, could no longer sit still, her shoulders shaking with laughter. "Sister said it was the Buddha's blessing, a master!"
"Is there anyone who can help Tang Yin?"
"Brother Wu, you are so cruel..."
"There are no brothers on the chess field, please call me 'Wu Xiucai'."
Zhang Renbai, who was drinking tea not far away, twitched his eyelids a few times.
A single game of "Finding Lu Guimeng's Former Residence," a variation of flying chess, could last an hour. The winner not only needed good luck but also the ability to effectively utilize the flower paper they had obtained. Screams of frustration and sighs of excitement could be heard from the two tables...
Wei Jinyun initially positioned it as an elegant teahouse, and now it is really a teahouse. However, with their promotion, the business of the shop is getting better and better, and being elegant is not a problem.
In addition to their way of playing, she also prepared some Go boards. People who came to drink tea would spend the entire afternoon immersed in their own world of Go, and were not affected by the people around them at all.
"Manager Xu is here today with Madam Su. Please take a seat."
Wei Jinyun saw the figure at the door and hurriedly stood up to greet him.
Xu Ji has quite a few employees, and the couple doesn't need to stay in the shop all the time except for checking the accounts. It's no problem for them to go out for hiking occasionally or go on a long journey.
Mrs. Su's name is Su Yuezhu. The reason why Xuji Dim Sum Shop has been prosperous for a century is inseparable from her eloquence.
Xu Fugui's poor disguise skills were seen by passers-by on the way back to Shantang Street, and they greeted him head-on.
"Hey, Shopkeeper Xu, are you going to do something special like Yun Lai Xiang?"
"Manager Xu, have you been so busy that your beard has grown this long?"
"Hey, Shopkeeper Xu, are you and your wife experiencing something new? That look from before is more iconic."
“…”
Xu Fugui went back and touched his face in the mirror. Could it be that he could be recognized at a glance? Was he really that distinctive?
He brought Yunlaixiang's snacks back to the shop and wanted to find a place to hide them first. However, before he had hidden all the snacks, he was appreciated by his wife.
My wife said that the snack tasted good, exquisite and unique.
Pingjiang Prefecture had many dim sum shops, but none rivaled Xu Ji's century-old establishment. The majority of its customers were tourists from Pingjiang Prefecture, with the remainder coming from teahouses and freshly packaged jujube and sesame cakes. Wei Jinyun's shop, a self-produced teahouse, was a separate business, not likely to impact Xu Ji's fortune.
After tasting it, Madam Su ordered two baskets of moon cakes from Yunlaixiang to take home for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Wei Jinyun knew that they were not on the same path, so he had no intention of competing with Xu Ji from the beginning. Their jujube sesame cakes were indeed delicious and could not be tired of.
She was very excited that her dim sum was appreciated by the Xu family.
"And eat the golden taro all over the house."
Madam Su found a seat by the window and sat down. Seeing several people playing chess enthusiastically, she praised them, "Your shop is really lively... Then please order a small clay stove for us. The sun is shining here, perfect for tea. I want a pot of tangerine peel and red dates for tea."
Wei Jinyun put a plate of shrimp chips on the table and replied with a smile, "There's no big queue here."
Madam Su smiled softly and said nothing more.
After Gu Xiang lit the small clay stove, Manager Xu diligently made tea and baked rice cakes for Madam Xu.
The rice cakes, freshly made from glutinous rice mixed with new sorghum flour, had only been on the shelves for a short time when the edges began to scorch, then slowly began to swell. First, a small bulge formed in the center, followed by a slight puffing of the edges. With a "click," the surface cracked, revealing the white, glutinous core.
Shopkeeper Xu was quick to roll the whole bunch of rice cakes into the white plate next to him.
"My lady, you eat."
He handed the whole bunch of rice cakes to Madam Su and went to peel oranges for her.
The rice cake is coated with sugar syrup, and the outer layer is crispy and sweet. When you take a bite, you can first taste the slightly burnt aroma of the crispy shell, followed by the soft and glutinous inside. The sugar syrup melts on the tip of your tongue, which is sweet but not greasy, mixed with a strong rice aroma.
“Even rice cakes taste good when I come here.”
"The scenery here is beautiful, and everything you eat tastes delicious."
Shopkeeper Xu leaned over and began to peel the longans carefully.
People in Pingjiang Prefecture would prepare rice cakes at home on New Year's Day. The most popular dish was stewed with short-legged green rice cakes. They would eat it for half a month, and even their faces would turn green from eating it. On ordinary days, most people had no interest in rice cakes at all.
Madam Su took a bite and teased the edamame following her with some snacks. She always had the scent of jujube paste and sesame cakes on her body.
Gu Xiang held the menu Wei Fuqiu had written for her and memorized the prices, as well as the vegetables she needed to buy from the vendors each day and their prices. Since she didn't know many words, Wei Fuqiu had used small drawings to make them easier to read and remember.
"Xiao Gu, you are so smart."
Wei Jinyun curled up in the rattan chair, listening to Gu Xiang reciting something. He remembered it completely after just two times and couldn't help but praise him.
She didn't just have strength, she had a good heart and a quick mind. She remembered the names and tastes of all the customers who had come to the shop.
"Really?"
Gu Xiang clutched the menu excitedly.
The main thing is that Manager Wei also praised her donkey in the same way.
"real."
Wei Jinyun curled up in the rattan chair and nodded affirmatively, but listening to the murmurs about the purchase prices of the menus, Xun Guqi's occasional exclamations, and the warm air filling the shop made her feel a little sleepy.
"Manager Wei, please take a nap."
Gu Xiang went to get her a thin blanket and covered her legs. "I don't know how to make snacks yet. In the morning, apart from me kneading the dough, you made all the snacks and you also greeted the guests..."
Before Gu Xiang could finish his muttering, Wei Jinyun fell asleep.
She was sleeping soundly, and in a daze, she seemed to have been rushed over by Yuanbao, who jumped into her arms and crushed her.
What a heavy ingot.
When Wei Jinyun woke up and opened her eyes, she saw Yuanbao pressing against her belly. Yuanbao ate very well all day long. Someone fed him shrimps, someone bought him snacks. He ate so much that his face was small and his body was big, plump.
Yuanbao stood up from her belly and stared at her with his round green eyes.
She was curled up in the wicker chair and was about to pick it up when another pair of green eyes caught her eye from above.
"I just happened to be passing by here, and I came to return the basket."
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The author has something to say: Jinyun: Eh?
We agreed to return to Changmen at dusk, but who passed by in the afternoon? [Poor]
Yunlaixiang is hiring. Are there any wives who would like to apply? We'll arrange for you to work here once the shop expands. We have annual leave, bonuses, and holiday rewards. The benefits are very good. [Rainbow fart]
Come and play Pingjiang Prefecture’s original flying chess.
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