First step into the city
Da'an Town is a remote border town with a population of tens of thousands. Despite its remote location, it was a frequent stopover for merchants from other countries, which gradually evolved into a specialized trading place and became a distinctive feature of the town.
Due to the flourishing commerce, the town gradually became prosperous, and the people lived in peace and contentment with a very simple and honest folk custom.
When the neighbors saw the new neighbors move in, they greeted them warmly.
Yesterday, they cleaned and renovated the house. Wang Pan'er assigned the easiest task to the injured Mu Chuan: sweeping and dusting. Then, she led Wang Xiaoyao to take on all the dirty and tiring work.
Wang Xiaoyao, who should be the most hardworking person, was surprisingly slow and hesitant this time. After tidying up the house, Wang Pan'er was so exhausted that she couldn't straighten her back.
Mu Chuan paid close attention and noticed the unusual shape on Wang Xiaoyao's little finger.
Nine times out of ten, it was her drunkard father who gave her the discount. Wangjia Village was isolated to begin with, and people would just endure any injury or pain without ever spending money to find a doctor to treat the girl's wounds.
Having received a favor from Wang Pan'er, Wang Xiaoyao was unwilling to publicize his broken little finger and cause trouble for Wang Pan'er.
The three of them's main task today is to explore the market and see if they can find a place to set up the stall that Wang Pan'er mentioned.
Mu Chuan first led Wang Pan'er and Wang Xiaoyao into the town's clinic.
The doctor held Wang Xiaoyao's hand, frowned, and looked at Wang Pan'er and Mu Chuan with some reproach: "Your finger is broken like this, why did it take you so long to come to the clinic?"
Wang Pan'er's heart tightened. She should have examined Wang Xiaoyao properly when she pulled her out of the well. She looked remorseful and said, "Doctor, you are right. We were careless. Please use good medicine to treat my sister."
"No special medicine is needed. If the bone is broken, just put a bamboo splint in it. It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone. During that time, just don't move that finger or do any heavy work."
The doctor massaged the muscles at the fracture site to relax them, and then gently flicked the finger along the joint.
Wang Xiaoyao's cry of pain was stuck in her throat, turning into a sob. Mu Chuan subconsciously reached out to stop her, but saw the doctor twist his wrist, and the broken bone snapped back into place.
The doctor deftly clipped small bamboo strips onto both sides of the fingers, wrapped them in gauze to secure them, and then moved on to the next patient.
No medicine was prescribed, and the consultation fee was only twenty coins.
Wang Pan'er looked up at the clinic's signboard—Hui Ren Tang. Benevolent heart and skillful hands—it truly lived up to its prestigious name.
Making medicinal cuisine inevitably requires buying some medicinal herbs. Wang Pan'er wandered around Huirentang and made many new discoveries.
They sell Chinese medicine that needs to be decocted, as well as pre-made prescription pills, mainly for common ailments such as wind-cold, wind-heat, and sprains.
She bought two large bottles of wound medicine and tissue-regenerating powder for Mu Chuan to use. Then she carefully examined the Chinese medicine shelves on the wall, selecting the types that she could use, and made a small home medicine cabinet for emergencies.
Whether it was due to geographical location or cultural differences, Wang Pan'er had never heard of many of the medicine names engraved on the grid.
Wang Pan'er could only appease the young apprentice, repeatedly assuring him that she would not cause trouble, before the apprentice lifted the partition and allowed her to enter the inner room to identify the medicinal herbs herself.
Indeed, the naming differences were huge. Wang Pan'er pulled out the grids and tried to identify them, and the result was quite surprising.
No wonder that in this world, people don't use spices in their food, but common spices like star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, and Sichuan peppercorns have all been put into the pharmacy and given other names.
However, many spices have medicinal properties. For example, Sichuan pepper is fragrant and can strengthen the spleen, dispel dampness and cold; star anise promotes digestion and relieves spasms; cinnamon can reduce swelling and control blood sugar... It makes sense for them to be stored in a medicine storehouse.
Wang Pan'er directed the medicine boy to pack up everything that could be used.
The young apprentice had never seen anyone buy medicine so extravagantly before, and he spoke up to stop them: "Young lady, the medicinal herbs need to be properly stored and are not cheap. Buying them like this is really a waste."
The kind-hearted young apprentice explained to Wang Pan'er, "I'm planning to set up a stall making medicinal cuisine to make a living. None of this will go to waste, and I'll be buying medicinal herbs from you often in the future."
“This trip is not advisable.” Upon hearing Wang Pan’er’s plan, a doctor spoke up to stop her: “If the medicines have conflicting effects, wouldn’t we be playing with the health of the people?”
The doctors at Huirentang really take everyone's health seriously, no wonder the clinic is thriving.
Wang Pan'er explained, "Doctor, you are overthinking it. My family's ancestral recipe is sure to be correct." She couldn't remember the name of the medicinal herb in this world for a moment, so she pointed to Astragalus membranaceus and responded to the doctor's questioning, "Just like this herb, when used to make soup with beef, it has the effect of invigorating qi, calming the mind, and strengthening the body."
She then pointed to the angelica root: "When these two herbs are decocted and mixed with red dates, goji berries, and longan to make a sweet juice, it can replenish qi and blood, making it a holy product for women's health."
Wang Pan'er's words were correct, and the doctor's serious expression softened.
"Licorice can be combined with hawthorn, dried plum, dried tangerine peel, and rock sugar to make sour plum drink, which can relieve heat and thirst in summer. If it is put into a well to cool down, it is extremely refreshing."
This not only eased her symptoms, but the doctor was so engrossed in her description that he swallowed hard: "May I ask if any of your ancestors were doctors?"
Wang Pan'er feigned modesty: "Doctor, your insight is truly remarkable."
The doctor responded enthusiastically: "Now that the young lady has set up her stall, I'll definitely come and try the taste of this medicinal herb in the meal."
Wang Pan'er was in a good mood: "I'll have my younger sister send some over then. We'll still need to rely on the doctors at Huirentang in the future."
Mu Chuan took the large package handed to him by the young apprentice, slung it over his shoulder, and left Hui Ren Tang amidst Wang Xiaoyao's adoring gaze towards Wang Pan'er.
"Sister Pan'er is amazing, she even knows medicine!" Wang Xiaoyao clung to Wang Pan'er's arm, all lovey-dovey.
Away from her abusive father and gloomy mother, she became visibly more lively after just a few days.
Wang Pan'er poked the rosy cheeks of the girl who was smiling and said, "Then you should hurry up and heal your little finger so that we can run the stall together and live a life of luxury."
Besides visiting the medical clinic, today's tasks also include procuring household items and investigating the local markets.
Wang Xiaoyao was dazzled by all sorts of things and maintained a keen interest in everything.
Wang Pan'er took charge and prepared two decent outfits for each of the three of them.
Wang Xiaoyao had never worn new shoes or clothes before. She changed into cotton clothes in the shop and put on new shoes. She felt that her legs were not under her control and she almost forgot how to walk.
The young master was used to such situations and remained calm, but his outstanding looks and figure attracted many flirtatious glances from women on the street.
He obediently followed behind Wang Pan'er, sharing the burden of household chores.
The women noticed the trio and felt a pang of regret; what an exceptional young man, yet he was already married.
There are many vendors in the bustling city.
These are all common small businesses, not large in scale, unable to support their shops, relying on the constant flow of pedestrians to make ends meet.
Wang Pan'er bought a string of candied hawthorns, a favorite among children, for Wang Xiaoyao, and then pulled Mu Chuan aside to ask, "Young Master, have you ever been to a market like this before?"
Mu Chuan nodded: "However, it wasn't many times, only about three times, all of which were when my cousin invited me to go out."
"Then your cousin must be an interesting person too."
"It doesn't really count, he's currently unable to get away from his duties."
In such a large clan family, the relationships are intricate and complicated. Wang Pan'er didn't want to hear about it, and seeing that Mu Chuan didn't seem inclined to say more, she stopped talking: "Then I'll show you some fun today?"
Mu Chuan asked in confusion, "Haven't you ever left the village either?"
"Stop, stop, just follow along."
Wang Pan'er, holding a little cutie's hand in each hand, happily plunged into the market.
The Jinzhou area is known for its savory and salty flavors. The main dishes are served in restaurants, while street vendors selling tofu pudding, scallion pancakes, fried dough sticks, and sweet glutinous rice cakes can be found everywhere.
Perhaps it was because the spices of the time were stored in the medicine storehouse, and ordinary people wouldn't bother to use medicinal herbs to make food, or perhaps it was because braised food was only popular in Sichuan and Jingchu. She searched all the markets but couldn't find anyone selling braised food.
The third female protagonist in the time-travel novel is indeed a well-deserved character, and there's a reason why she's become so overused. Coincidentally, this also presents her with a business opportunity that she can't afford to miss.
Wang Pan'er was in a great mood after deciding on a way to make a living. She bought whatever she saw in the market, just a little of everything. Finally, she sat down in front of a wonton stall with her hands full and called out to the owner, "Three bowls of fresh pork wontons, please."
"Alright." The owner picked up a long-handled copper ladle and tapped it on the soup pot. "You three have come at the right time! This morning a hunter caught a speckled chicken, and the broth he made is extremely delicious."
The shopkeeper picked up a small wooden handle, scooped up a small lump of meat filling, placed it on the dough, gently rolled it up, and pressed it down—a wonton was done. He was quite skilled; his hands moved so fast they were almost blurry.
Mu Chuan exclaimed in amazement: "Could this be what they mean by 'hidden masters among ordinary people'!"
Wang Xiaoyao stared intently at the food. She had just finished a string of candied hawthorns, which was not enough to satisfy her hunger. Instead, it made her even hungrier.
The owner kindly gave them three extra small bowls so they could share the snacks.
This wonton stall uses fragrant scallion oil. Although it doesn't have the usual seaweed and dried shrimp, the steaming hot wontons are served with an aroma that fills your nostrils.
"It's so delicious!" Wang Pan'er praised generously and took the opportunity to ask the owner for information: "Boss, do you have any rules for setting up a stall here? I'm new here, and my family has passed down some recipes for making medicinal cuisine. I'd like to make a living like you."
The townspeople were naturally simple and warm-hearted. Seeing that they were no match for their competitors, they opened up: "This area is designated by the government. If you want to come, just go to the government office, pay the fee, register, and get a permit. But if you run into a gang leader with a scar on his eyebrow who's collecting bribes, you have to pay honestly. There are good and bad among the merchants. Some rogue merchants bully others or use tricks, and they'll deal with that. They don't ask for much, but they'll really fight back when things get tough. Now they've formed their own faction, and the government doesn't interfere much."
"Understood." Wang Pan'er clasped her hands in a fist salute to the boss. "Thank you."
Wang Xiaoyao was rarely full at home, so it's not hard to understand why he wolfed down his food.
But Mu Chuan ate with such relish, even scooping up all the soup, which really surprised Wang Pan'er: "Aren't you a young master? You've eaten all kinds of delicacies, haven't you? How can you enjoy this simple meal of ordinary people so much?"
"It's not bland at all; the skin is thin and the filling is tender. The broth, made from pork bones and Luhua chicken, is fresh, fragrant, and rich. And this black oil is something I've never seen before. It may look ordinary, but it actually has an excellent flavor."
"This is called scallion oil. It should be made by the shop owner himself. It's the soul of a bowl of wontons."
The boss listened to their conversation and laughed, "This young lady is quite the expert!"
After finishing their wontons, the three of them checked their household purchases and, after confirming that there was nothing else they needed to buy, it was time to prepare all the items needed for their stall.
Wang Pan'er had thought that the stall carts would need to be custom-made, but to her surprise, the shop had a row of ready-made ones piled up, which could be used directly with a little modification. It seemed that this was because trade was thriving in the area, and there was no shortage of buyers for transportation tools.
Once the shopkeeper learned that they wanted to use the cart as a support, he took out two large triangular wooden frames and demonstrated, "Put these in front of the cart; they can both secure the wheels and balance the cart."
Wang Pan'er gave a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"
The wisdom of the working people is immeasurable.
With the cart in hand, they tossed all the heavy items they were carrying onto it and excitedly headed to the next store.
Bowls, basins, cutting boards, knives, packing paper, bamboo skewers—everything was in hand. Finally, I went to the market to buy ingredients for the hot pot that evening and the first batch of medicinal braising liquid.
However, the offal from pigs and cows in this small town wasn't as cheap as Wang Pan'er had imagined. People would clean and stir-fry it, so it wasn't hard to sell. After thinking about it, she still picked up a little of everything. The first batch of braised dishes had to be varied, and she needed to properly prepare the braising liquid.
Mu Chuan watched as Wang Pan'er added items like water flowing into a stream, and the speed at which her purse emptied was visible to the naked eye. After everything was settled, only about thirty taels remained.
If he had rented a two-courtyard house yesterday according to his preferences, he would probably be struggling financially. Wang Pan'er is indeed fulfilling her promise and providing the best possible life within the existing conditions.
Mu Chuan no longer felt the conditions were harsh. He and Wang Pan'er each pushed one side of the cart, with Wang Xiaoyao following behind, heading home with their carts full of goods.
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