Author Archives: sandy

Uprooting the Radish Brings Up the Mud

Food that causes stomach problems, especially when involving a child, gives the street patrol valid grounds to take action.

Seeing the discontent on Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque’s faces, the leading officer, maintaining his official demeanor, said, “We will take the food sold at your stall back for inspection and await the diagnosis from the medical clinic for the child. If it is determined that you are not at fault, your items will be returned.”

Given the circumstances, what more could Qin Xia do?

He responded with clear confidence, “I will cooperate fully and trust that the street patrol will be fair and clear our names.”

The stall’s items were quickly gathered, and Yu Jiuque, worried, came to stand beside Qin Xia.

Qin Xia gently squeezed his hand to comfort him.

Before leaving, the officers, thorough in their duties, also questioned the neighboring stall owners—You ge’er and the man selling pickled vegetables.

“Do you remember an old man with a young child coming by today to buy a sausage?” they asked.

You ge’er did remember and, after a moment, truthfully replied, “I do. The old man didn’t say much, just asked for a sausage without even asking the price. The child was quite dirty, looked like they were from a poor family. I even thought to myself that the old man must really care for his grandson to splurge on a sausage to make him happy.”

A clerk holding a record book seemed to consider this, jotting something down with his brush.

Seeing this, You ge’er couldn’t help but speak up for Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque.

“Officer, if you’re saying Qin Xia’s sausages are problematic, I’ll be the first to object. Look at my son, Little Suo; he ate one at noon and is perfectly fine, lively as ever with no signs of illness.”

The officer nodded slightly but said nothing further.

When they turned to the pickled vegetable stall, however, that vendor had plenty to say, hinting that Qin Xia’s food was unclean and claiming he had seen this or that, causing Yu Jiuque to frown deeply.

“Our stall’s ingredients are always covered to protect them from dust. The flour, eggs, tofu, and crispy toppings we use all come from reliable sources, and my husband and I wash our hands with soap countless times a day. We never touch food with dirty hands after handling money. You’re slandering us with baseless accusations—what’s your motive?”

The vendor hadn’t expected the usually quiet Yu Jiuque to be so sharp-tongued when provoked. Suddenly, he remembered the time Yu Jiuque had brandished a kitchen knife at Liu San’er, and a shiver ran down his spine.

The officers also frowned as they listened.

“You claim that Qin Xia’s ingredients are unclean—do you have any proof?”

The man stammered, “No proof, but I… I saw it myself. Isn’t that enough?”

“Oh, you saw it? Fine! Since the officers are here, let me tell them what I’ve seen too!”

Having witnessed the entire exchange, You ge’er couldn’t stand the jealousy-fueled slander any longer. After receiving so much help from Qin Xia, he was eager to defend them.

He raised his voice, “Officers! Please, take a look at this man’s pickling jars! The last time he sold moldy mustard greens and had to pay the customer back to avoid being reported to the street patrol. Who knows if there’s more moldy pickles now?”

This really was a case of “uprooting the radish and bringing up the mud.”

Since they were already here, and You ge’er’s account seemed credible, the officers immediately disregarded the vendor’s protests and began inspecting each jar.

What they found was shocking.

At the bottom of one of the salted egg jars, they found two eggs covered in green mold.

The Pagoda Vegetables smelled odd, likely because they weren’t selling well in the cold weather. One of the officers bravely tasted a bit, immediately spitting it out.

“With this much salt, it’s probably trying to cover up the spoiled taste of bad pickles.”

Whether the Pagoda Vegetables were actually spoiled or not didn’t matter; the fact that the salted eggs were moldy was undeniable.

So, what was supposed to be just Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque being taken away ended up with an additional “unlucky fellow” trailing behind with a dejected expression.

The Street Patrol Office in Qin County wasn’t an especially grand building; it looked modest from the outside, but inside, it had the solemn atmosphere expected of a government office.

Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque were taken to a room where a civil official, who appeared to be of a higher rank than the regular officers, was seated. The official spent some time reviewing the documents in front of him to confirm the identities of Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque, then instructed them to wait aside.

After a while, the familiar old man, the sickly-looking child, and a physician from a local medical clinic were all brought in by the officers.

What followed was a round of accusations.

The old man, with tears in his eyes, kept wiping them away as he spoke.

“Please, sir, seek justice for us! My family is poor, and today was my grandson’s birthday. I gritted my teeth and bought a sausage from the famous Qin Xia’s stall on Liubao Street as a treat. But soon after eating it, my grandson started complaining of stomach pain and then vomited all over the place. This must be because of the sausage from Qin Xia’s stall!”

The official at the head of the room remained expressionless as he looked up and asked, “Why are you so sure it was the sausage? Did your grandson not eat anything else beforehand?”

The old man dropped to his knees, his tone desperate.

“He did eat something else, but it was just some coarse grain porridge. How could that upset his stomach? As for why I’m certain it’s the sausage, think about it, sir. The sausage smells so good, there must be meat in it. But how can meat be sold for only three coins? They must have used bad meat and lied, claiming the sausage has no meat just to fool simpletons!”

At this, Qin Xia nearly burst out laughing.

It was clear now that this old man, whether acting on his own or under someone’s direction, was trying to extort them. Unfortunately, he was too inexperienced to figure out how flour could be made to taste like meat, so he came up with this absurd story.

Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque exchanged glances, both feeling reassured.

The official didn’t comment on the old man’s accusations but instead asked the physician, “What was your diagnosis for the child? Can you determine if his stomach problems were caused by something he ate?”

The physician immediately replied, “Sir, the child’s symptoms are consistent with food poisoning, likely from something he ate. Judging by the vomit, it appears to be the sausage, as there was nothing else of note.”

On the surface, this seemed reasonable, but a closer look revealed inconsistencies.

When it was Qin Xia’s turn to defend himself, he bowed and said, “Sir, I believe the truth lies in the remaining sausage at our stall. This man insists that the child’s illness was caused by bad meat in the sausage, but I must tell you, there isn’t a single piece of meat in the sausage. If you don’t believe me, please feel free to investigate.”

This statement caused quite a stir.

“How could there be no meat? Then what do you use to make it?” The old man’s voice was hoarse, and two veins bulged on his forehead.

Qin Xia calmly responded, “Sir, your words are unreasonable. Every item on my stall is the foundation of my livelihood; how could I casually reveal the recipe?”

The old man was left speechless, unable to find a retort.

An officer on the side shouted, “No shouting!” The official above them then waved his hand, signaling for them to continue.

“Hu Lao Si, go to the kitchen at the yamen and bring Chef Cheng here.”

The man named Cheng Da was evidently the cook for the Street Patrol Office, as he arrived with a coarse cloth apron still tied around his waist. Cheng Da carefully examined the starch sausage, turning it over repeatedly before boldly taking a bite. He then confidently declared, “Sir, this sausage is clearly made of flour. You can see for yourself that there’s no trace of meat fibers. It’s just that the person who made it is a skilled cook, seasoning it so well that some people mistakenly think it contains meat.”

At the same time, a younger officer entered the room with an elderly man in tow. By a stroke of luck, it was none other than Xu, the old physician from Chengyi Hall.

After entering, Old Doctor Xu paid his respects, and with permission, stepped forward to take the child’s pulse. In just a few moments, he arrived at a conclusion entirely different from the previous physician.

“The tongue is yellow and greasy, and the pulse is soft and rapid. This is not the pulse of someone with food poisoning due to unclean food; it clearly indicates the consumption of a strong, spicy toxin, which has attacked the stomach, causing severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and uncontrollable diarrhea.”

Old Doctor Xu’s reputation and medical skill were evidently far superior to the previous physician, who, upon being exposed, knelt in the hall, too afraid to raise his head.

The official presiding over the case asked, “Can you determine what type of spicy toxin it was?”

Old Doctor Xu bowed and replied, “Sir, I suspect it was croton seeds.”

Everyone present immediately understood.

If it was croton seeds, everything would make sense.

The accuser had insisted that the sausage contained bad meat, only to find out it contained no meat at all. The physician had claimed that the child’s symptoms were due to unclean food, pointing the blame directly at the sausage sold by the Qin family. But the true culprit turned out to be croton seeds.

How could such a young child have accidentally ingested croton seeds? After all, croton seeds aren’t just some wild herb you might accidentally pick up.

Hu Lao Si stepped forward and grabbed the filthy old man by the collar. “Who put you up to this? Speak the truth!”

After some intimidation, both the old man and the physician confessed everything, and Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque soon heard a familiar name—Liu San’er.

Eight Treasures Buddha Porridge

When Qin Xia learned that Yu Jiuque was plagued by nightmares every night, he took advantage of a less busy day to first deliver a few sets of Jianbing Guozi to Ganyuan Zhai and then made a trip to Chengyi Hall. There, he consulted with Old Doctor Xu, seeking advice on medicinal dishes that could calm the mind and reduce nightmares.

Old Doctor Xu remembered Yu Jiuque’s condition well; after all, this young Ge’er’s pulse was peculiar—he seemed to have practiced martial arts but had his internal strength crippled. Such a person must have had an extraordinary background. Now, with no memory, married to a common man, it truly showed how unpredictable life could be.

“If you want to approach this through diet, have the patient consume more sour jujube seeds, lotus seeds, longan, and lily bulbs. You can also stew some black-bone chicken soup—these are all suitable and won’t conflict with his current medication.”

Qin Xia took note of all this and bought two liang (about 100 grams) of sour jujube seeds at the clinic. He then went to a dried goods store to buy some lotus seeds and longan.

As soon as he stepped into the store, the shop assistant greeted him with a wide smile.

“Welcome! Please come in, sir. Our store has all kinds of dried goods and nuts, and we also have pre-mixed Eight Treasures rice if you’d like to take a look?”

It was then that Qin Xia realized he had been so busy that he had forgotten that the Laba Festival was just two days away.

This was perfect timing; the lotus seeds and longan could be cooked into porridge.

Even so, he didn’t want the pre-mixed Eight Treasures rice that the shop offered, as mixing them together might result in some old stock being included.

Qin Xia carefully selected good-quality lotus seeds, longan, and lily bulbs. He noticed that the store also had dried black fungus and dried white fungus for sale. After examining their quality, he had the shop assistant weigh two liang of each.

These items weren’t cheap, and together they cost a bit over 200 wen.

The tradition of “Laba Porridge” had been a set practice since the previous dynasty, though the name varied. It originated from the porridge distributed in temples to commemorate the Buddha’s enlightenment, so it was often referred to as “Buddha Porridge” among the common folk.

Originally, it consisted of Seven Treasures with five flavors, but over time, more ingredients were added, and it eventually became known as Eight Treasures Porridge.

As for which ingredients made up the “Eight Treasures,” this varied from household to household.

Qin Xia’s version included white rice, glutinous rice, barley, red dates, red beans, longan, lotus seeds, and peanuts.

Other families might use more types of rice or beans, add rock sugar, or use brown sugar.

To make the porridge the next morning, all the grains and beans, except for the red dates, were soaked in water on the night of the seventh day.

This way, they would cook up soft and tender the next day.

As the saying goes, “After Laba, it’s the New Year.” With the anticipation of the New Year ahead, everything seemed more manageable.

After finding a clay pot in the cupboard and cleaning it, Qin Xia lit the fire and first boiled a pot of water.

Boiling the grains in hot water would save time and effort.

Sweet porridge was perfect for breakfast, but he needed to consider what else to pair it with.

A table full of sweet dishes might be too cloying, so after some thought, Qin Xia decided to make a few simple hand-grab pancakes.

He mixed flour with water and vegetable oil, kneaded it into dough, and set it aside to rest.

Next, he took out a bowl and prepared the oil pastry.

This involved mixing flour with a small amount of salt and five-spice powder, then stirring in hot oil, creating a paste.

Just as the water in the clay pot began to boil, Qin Xia was about to add the grains when he heard Yu Jiuque call from outside.

“Husband!”

The tone of his voice suggested something good had happened.

Qin Xia put the grains and beans back in place, shook the water from his hands, and stepped out of the kitchen. He saw Yu Jiuque, smiling as he came quickly toward him from the backyard, where he had just finished feeding the chickens.

“Husband, look!”

In his pale palm was a perfectly round egg.

Qin Xia was equally delighted.

“They’ve started laying eggs? Do you know which one?”

Yu Jiuque’s smile deepened.

“It’s the one with a few white spots on its body. I figured it was braver, so it might start laying eggs first, and sure enough, it did.”

Qin Xia took the egg, rolled it in his hand, and smiled broadly. “This is a good sign.”

The two of them exchanged a smile.

Back in the kitchen, Qin Xia set the grains to cook while Yu Jiuque watched over the fire, his hands busy peeling garlic.

Aside from eating porridge on Laba, they also needed to pickle garlic. By soaking the peeled garlic in vinegar, it would turn a bright jade green by New Year’s Eve, just in time to serve with dumplings.

They couldn’t eat too much, so Qin Xia suggested they pickle only a small jar to keep with tradition.

Da Fu had already been let out early and, after wandering around the yard, seemed to have gotten cold. It climbed up to the kitchen doorstep, curiously pecking at everything before finally settling by Yu Jiuque’s feet to peck at the garlic skins.

Qin Xia glanced at it and pointed to a small dish on the stove.

“I saved some of the Eight Treasures rice and beans for Da Fu as well. When we have our porridge, it can eat this too, so it can also enjoy the holiday.”

Yu Jiuque smiled and agreed, letting Da Fu hop into the pile of garlic skins and flutter its wings.

A little over two quarters of an hour later, the beans in the clay pot started to bloom.

Qin Xia spread out the large cutting board and took out a rolling pin to start making the hand-grab pancakes.

He divided the dough into ten small portions, oiled them thoroughly, rolled them out into large, thin pancakes, and brushed them with a layer of the oil paste.

With the oil paste facing up, he rolled the pancakes into thin strips, coiled them into circles, and then rolled them out again to form the pancake base.

By the time a stack of pancakes was cooked, the fragrant aroma of the Laba porridge had filled the entire room.

The single precious egg was fried in the leftover oil from the pancakes, along with a few other fried eggs, and placed in a bowl to be served in the main room.

“Both lotus seeds and longan are good for calming the mind, so you should eat more of them.”

Each of them had a bowl of porridge, and Qin Xia handed Yu Jiuque a spoon while showing him how to eat the hand-grab pancake.

He suggested brushing the pancake with a bit of sauce, adding a fried egg, one of their homemade sausages, and a couple of clean vegetable leaves, then rolling it all up. Taking a bite was immensely satisfying.

Yu Jiuque, however, started by drinking a few sips of porridge.

The porridge was thick and rich, with the spoon standing upright in it. Each spoonful seemed to melt in his mouth, the rice and beans dissolving into a fragrant, sweet flavor.

Seeing that he enjoyed it, Qin Xia said, “I made plenty, so we can have more tonight.”

Yu Jiuque nodded, thinking that such a delicious porridge could be eaten for several more days without getting tired of it.

After finishing the porridge, with the sweetness lingering in his mouth, Yu Jiuque felt like having something savory.

Following Qin Xia’s example, he rolled up a pancake, using the fresh egg laid by their backyard chicken.

Not wanting to keep it all to himself, Yu Jiuque insisted on giving half of it to Qin Xia.

Though an egg is just an egg, they both felt that the one laid by their own chicken tasted better.

Before leaving, Qin Xia didn’t forget to soak the peeled garlic in aged vinegar, adding a good amount of sugar.

Finally, he sealed the jar and placed it in the kitchen cabinet, leaving it to be opened later.

…

Liubao Street was bustling with activity.

On both sides of the road, stalls had started selling peach wood charms, pictures of door gods, and handwritten couplets for the Spring Festival. Qin Xia even spotted molds for making decorative steamed buns, shaped like peaches, fish, ingots, fortune bags, and silver locks, all intricately carved.

An old man, carrying a load on his shoulders like a peddler, was selling these items along the street, calling out that one cost eight wen, or two for fifteen wen.

Qin Xia asked Yu Jiuque to pick two that he liked, so they could make some decorative buns for the New Year to give as auspicious gifts.

After some hesitation, Yu Jiuque chose the ingot and the fortune bag, favoring the symbolism for good luck in business.

The old man took the money and cheerfully wished them “prosperity and wealth.”

You ge’er, the seller of sugar cakes, had brought his youngest son along today. It was clear that he cherished this child, paying close attention despite him being a ge’er.

To amuse the child, You ge’er also stopped the old man and bought a fish-shaped mold and a silver lock.

His two children were named Yu and Suo, so the fish mold and silver lock matched their names perfectly.

Now that he had benefited from Qin Xia’s food stall, not only could he sell more sugar cakes, but Qin Xia had also given him the job of frying the dough sticks for the jianbing guozi.

Qin Xia had reasoned that You ge’er had experience with frying food and already had an oil pot.

As a result, You ge’er now fried a batch of dough sticks every day and brought them to Qin Xia, earning an additional income of several dozen wen. This allowed him to afford a few extra things for his children during the New Year.

Little Suo was eager to compare his wooden mold with the ones Yu Jiuque had chosen.

While there were no customers at the stall, Yu Jiuque squatted down to play with him.

As the two families chatted happily, the atmosphere around Qin Xia’s food stall contrasted sharply with the quiet and deserted pickle stall nearby.

You ge’er, with his hands in his sleeves, stood on tiptoe to glance in that direction, then quietly said to Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque, “Their business is getting worse and worse. The other day, when you weren’t here, someone came back to complain that the pickles they bought had gone moldy! If they hadn’t quickly compensated the customer, it might have caused a scene with the street management.”

Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque exchanged looks.

They couldn’t help but think that it took a certain level of skill to make pickles go moldy in winter.

“I thought they had been selling there for quite a while.”

The implication was that such a mistake shouldn’t have been made.

You ge’er shook his head and said, “You probably don’t know, but it was this guy’s mother who used to sell here. Later, she hurt her back, and since then, her son took over.”

It seemed that the younger generation had ruined the good reputation that the older generation had established. Qin Xia sighed inwardly, feeling a bit sorry for the woman who used to run the stall.

You ge’er then advised them, “In any case, there’s no need to deal with him. I’ve always thought he was up to no good, and he might even be a bit envious of how well your business is doing.”

This was puzzling since the two stalls catered to completely different customers.

It just goes to show that some people blame everything else when they can’t succeed themselves.

“Boss, one order of grilled cold noodles with a sausage!”

Before they had time to rest, another customer came to place an order.

Qin Xia responded with a “coming right up,” while Yu Jiuque patted Little Suo’s head and returned to the stall to manage the accounts.

In a short while, they had sold several servings of grilled cold noodles and jianbing guozi.

Then, an elderly man, looking somewhat greasy and worn, led a small boy around three or four years old to the stall. They bought just one sausage.

Yu Jiuque noticed that the boy’s fingernails were filled with dirt, and he kept putting them in his mouth, which made Yu Jiuque feel uneasy.

“Be careful not to burn your mouth,” Yu Jiuque said as he handed over the non-spicy sausage. The old man took it and led the boy away.

With a constant stream of customers at the stall, they had seen all sorts of people, so they didn’t give much thought to who they sold the food to.

At that moment, no one could have anticipated that the very sausage they had just handed out would soon cause trouble.

By the end of the hour, most of the ingredients they had prepared were sold out.

Seeing that there wasn’t enough left for another full meal, Qin Xia called for Yu Jiuque to pack up early.

As they were gathering their things, they heard a few low gasps from the nearby vendors.

Qin Xia looked up in confusion and saw several officers, dressed in the distinctive uniforms of the street patrol, with black hats tied in knots, walking straight toward them.

Qin Xia’s expression grew serious; he knew this was not something to take lightly.

The magistrate of Qinan County was known for being diligent and honest, and under his strict governance, the city’s officers rarely abused their power or caused trouble without reason.

So, for the street patrol officers to appear in such a manner, something serious must have happened.

He put down what he was holding and stepped out from behind the stall to greet the officers who had stopped in front of him.

“Qin Xia, a commoner, greets the officers.”

The leading officer glanced at Qin Xia and his food stall before questioning him.

“Are you the owner of the Qin’s Food Stall?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Do you sell a food item called ‘sausage’ at your stall?”

Qin Xia’s heart skipped a beat, but he lowered his head and replied, “Yes, we do, sir.”

“Do you have any available right now? Let us take a look.”

On the other side, Yu Jiuque didn’t dare to delay. There was one sausage left on the griddle that hadn’t been sold yet, so he carefully wrapped it in oil paper and presented it to one of the officers who stepped forward.

“Officers, this is the sausage we sell at the stall.”

“Good, you’re being cooperative. It seems you’re unaware of what’s happened.”

The lead officer glanced at the stall before turning back to Qin Xia and saying, “Pack up your things. The two of you need to come with us to the street patrol office.”

Qin Xia was taken aback and couldn’t help but straighten up as he asked, “May I ask, sir, what law we might have broken?”

The officer gave him a sidelong glance and said, “Do you even need to ask? The street patrol office is questioning you because there’s an issue with the food you sold! To be clear, half an hour ago, an old man bought a sausage from your stall for his grandson. After eating it, the boy experienced severe stomach pain and vomiting, with sausage pieces clearly visible in the vomit. He’s already been taken to the nearest clinic for treatment. Until this matter is resolved, you are not allowed to operate your stall. Your license, cart, and cooking equipment are to be confiscated!”

With that, the officer waved his hand, and the other officers rushed forward, confiscating everything at the stall in a flash!

Jianbing Guozi

Qin Xia hadn’t expected the egg burger to become so overwhelmingly popular. Each one sold for twelve wen, yet they were still in short supply.

Many customers, after trying one, would buy at least two the next time they came, and some even ordered an entire pan’s worth for themselves.

Even though his breakfast items weren’t considered cheap in the county’s morning market, the novelty of the flavors drew people in. Those who couldn’t afford the meat and egg options could still satisfy their cravings with a starch sausage, and many were willing to pay for it.

Qin Xia also noticed a shift in buying habits. Previously, when parents took their children out, they’d often buy sugar-coated hawthorns or twisted sugar to appease them. Now, it had become fashionable to buy starch sausages instead. At three wen each, two sausages cost only five wen, making them more economical than sugar-coated hawthorns and less likely to cause tooth decay than twisted sugar.

At the same time, Qin Xia observed another change.

Since the incident where they had the neighborhood elder resolve the dispute and secured compensation from the Gao family, Qin Xia had begun seeing familiar faces at his stall more frequently.

These were mostly neighbors from Furong Alley and Ziteng Alley. In the past, they avoided Qin Xia, fearing trouble, and warned their children not to associate with him, lest they pick up bad habits.

But now, they were actively visiting his stall to buy food.

Even those who were initially skeptical, unsure whether this “late-blooming” cook’s food was worth trying, quickly realized after seeing the bustling crowd that if they didn’t buy, there were plenty of others who would.

And so, without hesitation, they’d pull out their money and jostle their way to the front of the line.

In this way, almost unintentionally, Qin Xia managed to reverse the negative reputation left by the original body, thanks to his cooking skills.

Now, when he and Yu Jiuque walked through the alley, many people would greet them with a smile.

A few days later, Qin Xia seized the momentum of this ongoing popularity and hung a small wooden sign with the words “Jianbing Guozi” on the edge of the oiled paper umbrella over his stall.

The umbrella was already adorned with several signs: one issued by the street office, one bearing his family name, and now, with the iron plate tofu removed, the remaining items were grilled cold noodles, starch sausages, egg burgers, and jianbing guozi.

Grilled cold noodles were sold only at lunchtime, while jianbing guozi was available both in the morning and at noon, with egg burgers being a limited breakfast item.

Speaking of jianbing guozi, it even led to a humorous incident.

Unlike grilled cold noodles, jianbing guozi’s taste relies heavily on having an egg in the batter. However, the eggs Qin Xia bought were quite expensive.

Even though he wasn’t making much profit from the eggs, many people still felt they were overpriced.

One day, a regular customer, without being prompted, brought an egg from home. As he reached Qin Xia’s stall, he pulled a warm egg out of his pocket and asked, “Boss, I’d like a jianbing guozi. Can you use my egg instead?”

Qin Xia, who had been worried about the increasing difficulty of sourcing eggs as the New Year approached, was more than happy to agree.

During this time, many of the eggs sold by farmers were bought in bulk by large restaurants or wealthy households, leaving little for small vendors like Qin Xia. So, he readily accepted.

Others quickly followed suit, and soon, people began bringing eggs from home.

Some customers, who either wanted to buy something else or worked nearby and didn’t want to wait in the cold, even marked their eggs and left them at the stall to hold their place in line.

From that day on, if someone asked for directions to Qin Xia’s food stall on Liubao Street, those in the know would often joke, “Just keep walking until you see the stall with a row of eggs lined up!”

Qin Xia’s stall, now famously associated with “a row of eggs,” became even more well-known thanks to this unexpected twist.

…

In the blink of an eye, the days had entered the twelfth lunar month, and the festive atmosphere on the streets was gradually growing.

Business at the food stall was booming, with the sound of coins clinking in the money jar, providing a satisfying weight when held.

The downside was that both Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque’s arms were nearly sore from the constant work.

From the moment they woke up, they were busy like spinning tops all day long, leaving them with aching backs and legs. Despite this, many customers were still urging them to open the stall for the night market.

Qin Xia repeatedly begged for mercy.

For him, the idea of running a night market was out of the question. Since arriving in this place, he hadn’t even had the chance to visit a night market himself.

Every day after closing the stall in the afternoon, they would head home, roll up their sleeves, and wash the pots and dishes, chop vegetables, prepare fillings, and get the ingredients ready for the next day. Then, they would start preparing dinner for themselves.

During all this, they couldn’t forget to feed Da Fu and the hens in the backyard, which had yet to lay a single egg.

At night, after Yu Jiuque drank his medicine and they both washed up, they were usually so tired that they were yawning and ready to sleep by the hour of Hai (around 9-11 p.m.).

If it weren’t for Qin Xia’s determination to endure the hardship for a while longer and save enough money to rent a shop, where they wouldn’t have to face the cold winds on the street, he would have likely given up selling breakfast altogether.

With just the lunch sales, he could still support Yu Jiuque.

When this thought crossed his mind, Qin Xia was startled.

It seemed that habits were indeed a powerful force. If Yu Jiuque ever left, it would take some time for him and Da Fu to adjust to life without him.

Thinking of this, Qin Xia couldn’t help but smile wryly to himself.

…

That night, the wind howled fiercely.

Qin Xia tightly closed the windows and stuffed cloth strips around the window frames to block the cold.

“It looks like the temperature will drop tonight. I’ll stoke the kang (a traditional heated bed) a bit more,” he said.

Yu Jiuque, who was bending over to make the bed, replied, “I have a hot water bottle, so I won’t feel cold. If you stoke it too much, you might not sleep well.”

Qin Xia, being naturally warmer, had stoked the kang once before. That night, Yu Jiuque woke up to find that Qin Xia had kicked half the quilt off, and he had to carefully cover him back up.

Qin Xia didn’t seem concerned.

“It’s no big deal. I can just use a thinner blanket.”

Yu Jiuque’s hands and feet were like ice, and the old doctor Xu had advised against letting him get cold at night, warning that poor circulation could render the herbal treatments ineffective.

As it turned out, things happened just as Yu Jiuque had said.

While Yu Jiuque comfortably stretched out, Qin Xia, feeling like a pancake on a griddle, tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable position due to the heat.

After a few rounds of this, his drowsiness faded.

With a light sleep, he became more aware of the sounds of the night.

One ear caught Da Fu in the main room rustling the hay in its cage, while the other listened to Yu Jiuque’s steady, rhythmic breathing.

Just as Qin Xia was about to drift off into sleep, Yu Jiuque’s breathing suddenly became rapid and labored, with a distressing undertone.

Qin Xia jolted awake and turned to check on him.

“Ah jiu? Ah jiu!”

…

Yu Jiuque was being tormented by a nightmare.

Since the incident with Gao Lu, where he fainted after their conflict, he had been plagued by dreams almost every night, none of which were pleasant.

The dreams lacked any concrete imagery, much like his damaged memories—fragmented and chaotic—but the feelings were intensely real.

Over and over, Yu Jiuque relived despair in his nightmares.

He was either being held down in a pool of water, strangled, or having his palms whipped and beaten, the pain so intense it made him want to die on the spot.

When Qin Xia finally managed to wake Yu Jiuque, there was still a lingering emptiness in his eyes, a remnant of the shock from being abruptly pulled out of his nightmare.

Qin Xia was startled and quickly shuffled over in his slippers to light a candle. He placed it by the bedside, and the flickering light illuminated the space, revealing that Yu Jiuque had broken out in a cold sweat, his damp hair sticking to the sides of his face.

Qin Xia frowned and asked, “Did you have a nightmare?”

Yu Jiuque had been breathing erratically and muttering in his sleep, so Qin Xia guessed that he must have been dreaming about something unpleasant.

In the book, it was mentioned that Yu Jiuque had a problem with nightmares. Even the imperial physicians in the palace couldn’t cure it, as it was a psychological issue stemming from his past experiences—something that only “heart medicine” could heal.

Qin Xia surmised that this ailment might have originated during his time in Qinan County. Before that, as a lonely and vulnerable ge’er, his life must have been difficult both before and after entering the palace.

These dark experiences were buried deep within him, only surfacing when he was at his most vulnerable, overwhelming him and causing him to lose his composure.

Yu Jiuque was breathing heavily, his eyes narrowing slightly in response to the sudden brightness of the candlelight, tears welling up as they were pricked by the light.

The sight of those tear-filled eyes stirred Qin Xia’s emotions, causing a wave of turmoil in his heart.

As Yu Jiuque tried to calm his feelings, the stabbing pain in his temples returned, but he managed to say to Qin Xia, “Yes, I had a chaotic dream, but it’s all right now that I’m awake.”

He let out a long breath, grateful that Qin Xia had pulled him out of the nightmare.

“Did I wake you?”

Yu Jiuque lowered his gaze, feeling that he was once again troubling Qin Xia.

Qin Xia shook his head and quickly came up with an excuse.

“No, I was woken up by Da Fu. I was about to go scold him when I noticed you were sleeping restlessly. I thought you might be having a nightmare, so I woke you up.”

Yu Jiuque blinked, a bit dazed.

“Da Fu?”

Qin Xia nodded, speaking as if he had truly been woken up by Da Fu.

“He was scratching at the hay in his cage, and I thought it might be a rat. Then I remembered that it’s winter, so there couldn’t be any rats.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle, and Yu Jiuque smiled along with him.

The muddy mire of the dream seemed to fade away in an instant.

Looking at the thin and fragile Yu Jiuque sitting on the bed, Qin Xia said softly, “You’re all sweaty. I’ll get some water so you can wipe yourself down and change into clean clothes before going back to sleep.”

He then picked up the outer robe that had been folded by the bedside, gesturing for Yu Jiuque to put it on.

Yu Jiuque took the robe, still warm from being near the stove, and watched as Qin Xia was about to leave. Suddenly feeling a wave of panic, he spoke without thinking for the first time, his words coming out before his thoughts could catch up.

“Husband.”

Qin Xia turned back to look at Yu Jiuque.

“Could you stay a little longer?”

The young ge’er hesitated as he finished his sentence, his expression showing that he wouldn’t insist if Qin Xia refused.

Qin Xia’s heart softened like the yolk of a soft-boiled egg, trembling at the slightest touch.

He retracted the foot he had just stepped out and took a dry cloth to wipe the sweat off Yu Jiuque.

It took more than a quarter of an hour for Yu Jiuque to finally calm down.

Mindful of the busy day ahead, the two of them lay down again to sleep.

When Qin Xia returned to bed, he noticed that Yu Jiuque was clearly still tense.

The blanket was tightly wrapped around him, as if he wanted to cover himself completely.

Yet after Qin Xia settled into the bed, a small hand quietly reached out to grasp the edge of his blanket.

“Still scared?”

Qin Xia’s voice was slightly hoarse in the night.

Yu Jiuque, caught in the act, was about to pull his hand back when Qin Xia reached out from under the blanket and held his hand.

For the first time in many days, Yu Jiuque slept soundly, without any disturbances.

Egg Burger

Yu Jiuque’s words immediately sparked a new line of thinking for Qin Xia.

As the saying goes, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Qin Xia had been stuck on the idea of “how to help the Liu family sell more tofu,” which was a dead end.

As Yu Jiuque suggested, if he taught Liu Douzi how to make iron plate tofu, the Liu family, already in the tofu business with lower costs and higher profit margins, could achieve the same outcome.

“You’re right,” Qin Xia said after realizing this. “If Douzi can get the food business going, I have many more tofu-based snacks he can learn. With the Liu family’s established reputation for tofu, they won’t have to worry about making a living in the future.”

The Liu family had been kind to the original owner, and while that might not directly concern Qin Xia, he had repeatedly felt the goodwill from Fang Rong and Liu Douzi. He was willing to maintain this sense of “family ties.”

Seeing Qin Xia agree with his suggestion, Yu Jiuque’s face lit up with a slight smile.

He often felt useless, unable to help Qin Xia much, so being able to relieve some of Qin Xia’s worries was something that brought him joy.

As Qin Xia continued to stir the batter, it grew thicker. He added some pepper and five-spice powder, then set it aside.

He took a piece of pork, with a good balance of fat and lean meat, from the basket, chopped it into small pieces, and mixed it into the meat filling with the scallions that Yu Jiuque had chopped, along with vegetable oil, and the right amount of salt and soy sauce for flavor.

Since this was for their own tasting, Qin Xia used pure meat filling. When it came time to sell it, he would definitely add some vegetables to the mix; otherwise, the price would be too high.

Once all the ingredients were ready, Qin Xia placed the cleaned pan on the small clay stove they used to boil water, dried it over the heat, and then brushed on a layer of oil.

Yu Jiuque stood by, helping Qin Xia by handing him things and carefully observing his steps, eager to learn. This way, if Qin Xia was ever too busy, he could lend a hand.

Once the oil in the pan was hot, Qin Xia cracked an egg into each of the four round molds, breaking the yolks. After frying them on both sides, he scooped a spoonful of batter and gently poured it into the remaining empty spaces.

The egg burger consisted of three layers: batter, egg, and meat filling. Qin Xia was now working on the second layer. He quickly placed the fried eggs on top of the batter, then spread a thin layer of meat filling over them.

He then poured another layer of batter into the previously emptied spots. This time, the meat filling merged with the batter as it cooked. Once the batter was set, he flipped it several times until it turned a golden brown, signaling that it was ready to eat.

“Let’s try it. Do you want yours with sauce or without?” Qin Xia asked.

Qin Xia preferred his with sauce, while Yu Jiuque opted to try one without any sauce first.

They took the burgers out of the pan to cool slightly and placed them into small bags that Yu Jiuque had folded from oiled paper.

Qin Xia brushed his burger with a layer of sweet bean sauce, followed by a layer of spicy sauce. The two of them then blew on their burgers to cool them down and took their first bite together.

“How is it? Tasty?” Qin Xia asked.

He felt that the meat filling was still too plain. In his previous life, he would have added wood ear mushrooms and carrots when making this dish at home. However, in this era, wood ear mushrooms were considered a wild delicacy, expensive and hard to come by. Carrots existed, but they were out of season and also pricey.

In contrast to Qin Xia’s high standards, Yu Jiuque was much easier to please. To him, the egg burger was somewhat similar to a meat-filled bun, but with a completely different texture.

With one bite, the three layers burst with flavor—the softness of the batter, the tenderness of the egg, and the savory taste of the meat filling.

“It’s delicious,” Yu Jiuque said, eating half of it before continuing to take bites.

Qin Xia made another burger with sauce for him, and after trying it, Yu Jiuque agreed that it tasted better with sauce.

“Without the sauce, the outer layer doesn’t have much flavor. The sauce adds more depth.”

He licked his lips, catching the scent of the spicy sauce, and found himself craving some chili as well.

Since marrying Qin Xia, Yu Jiuque had discovered Qin Xia’s love for spicy food. Even though Qin Xia was mindful of his presence and didn’t cook spicy dishes often, he would still include some spicy sauce or pickled chili to go with meals.

Gradually, Yu Jiuque had developed a curiosity to try it for himself.

Unfortunately, this was similar to his unfulfilled desire to consummate the marriage with Qin Xia—something he could only fantasize about for now.

Unaware that he had become, in Yu Jiuque’s mind, akin to chili—a “white moonlight” that could be longed for but not obtained—Qin Xia discussed with him the plan to make a few egg burgers to take to the Liu family, along with the idea of passing on the iron plate tofu business to Liu Douzi.

To this end, Qin Xia even packed a jar of the iron plate tofu sauce.

If Liu Douzi expressed any interest in learning, Qin Xia was ready to teach him on the spot today.

…

Ziteng Alley was named after the many households that had wisteria trees growing, their branches forming canopies over the years and creating a sea of purple during the blooming season.

But now it was winter, and the wisteria branches extending beyond the walls were withered, leaving only black, hard branches.

As they passed by, Qin Xia noticed that one household, perhaps finding the bare branches unsightly, had decorated them with colorful woven knots.

Yu Jiuque followed Qin Xia’s gaze and looked up at the decorations. Something crossed his mind, and his gaze lowered to his empty waist.

He had some skill in sewing and making knots. Perhaps he could buy some colorful thread and try making something for Qin Xia, a small token to carry with him.

The most important thing was that he had noticed other men wearing knots or pouches made by their wives or husbands.

He wasn’t confident in making a pouch, but a knot might be within his abilities.

With these thoughts in mind, they soon arrived at the Liu family’s door.

Qin Xia hadn’t even had a chance to knock on the door when he bumped right into Fang Rong, who was about to leave.

Without a word, Fang Rong immediately reached out to pinch Qin Xia’s ear.

“You rascal! Something this serious happens at home, and you don’t even tell your godmother? If I hadn’t overheard some women from Furong Alley gossiping, I wouldn’t have known that Jiu Ge’er suffered such a great injustice!”

Qin Xia, relying on his height, managed to dodge successfully. Seeing this, Yu Jiuque quickly stepped in to intervene, “Godmother, please don’t be angry. I’m already fully recovered.”

As it turned out, Fang Rong was on her way to the Qin family’s house.

She had heard that the notorious old Ge’er from Furong Alley, despite his age, still hadn’t learned to behave, and had even cursed Jiu Ge’er to the point of fainting. Fang Rong was furious.

Never mind that she thought Jiu Ge’er was great in every way—how dare that old man, an outsider, say anything?

“The next time I see him on the street, don’t blame me for giving him a piece of my mind! He’s come to our stall a few times to buy tofu, and every time he has a bunch of complaints, always finding fault. Well, that’s it— from now on, whether it’s him or anyone from the Gao family, we won’t sell them a thing!”

Furong Alley and Ziteng Alley were close to each other, both part of the same neighborhood, and there were many intermarriages between families. Someone as “famous” as Gao Lu was known by everyone.

Inside the Liu family’s house, a few people were sitting together when Liu Douzi came in with tea, just in time to hear his mother shout, “Douzi, did you hear? We’re not selling our tofu to the Gao family anymore!”

“Got it, got it, I heard you!”

Liu Douzi gave Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque a playful wink as he set down the tea tray and pulled up a stool to sit with them.

He sniffed the air, then quietly leaned toward Qin Xia.

“Xia Ge, did you bring something to eat?”

No sooner had he spoken than Fang Rong gave him a light thump.

“Eat, eat, eat! All you ever think about is eating!”

Liu Douzi rubbed his head and complained, “Mother, you hit me again! What’s wrong with eating? People need food to survive; if we don’t eat, we’ll starve!”

Yu Jiuque held his teacup to his lips, stifling a laugh, while Qin Xia took the opportunity to place an oiled paper package on the table, saying, “Douzi’s sense of smell is sharp. He might just have the makings of a chef. Godmother, this is a new breakfast item I’ve come up with for the food stall, and I thought I’d bring some for everyone to try.”

With that, Qin Xia handed one to Liu Douzi, and Yu Jiuque also passed one to Fang Rong.

“Godmother, try it. It’s made with eggs and meat filling, and it tastes great.”

Fang Rong took it, finding the package still warm.

She smiled, “I’m really living the good life now. Where else could you get a meal with both eggs and meat?”

Both mother and son tasted it and were full of praise.

“The filling is pure meat, with white flour and eggs. I’m afraid it won’t be cheap to sell.”

Fang Rong, having run a small business for so long, immediately saw the issue.

Qin Xia nodded. “I’ve considered that. It definitely can’t be sold as it is. I’m thinking of mixing some tofu into the meat filling. Tofu filling tastes good too.”

Hearing that tofu was involved, Fang Rong knew Qin Xia was intentionally looking out for them.

She brushed aside some graying hair and said with emotion, “Xia, I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but your business is your own, and you mustn’t let helping us become a burden.”

“You give me too much credit, Godmother,” Qin Xia replied with a light smile, exchanging a glance with Yu Jiuque, who understood and nodded.

“Godmother,” Yu Jiuque addressed Fang Rong, “We came here today because there’s something we want to discuss with you and Brother Liu.”

Fang Rong, thinking they might be in some kind of trouble, quickly said, “Whatever it is, just tell me. We’re family, no need to stand on ceremony!”

Qin Xia smoothly continued, “Godmother, don’t worry, it’s nothing bad. It’s just that we’re planning to add a few new dishes to the food stall, and the two of us are already overwhelmed. Even if we could manage, we don’t have enough cooking equipment. We were thinking of removing the iron plate tofu, but some regular customers would be disappointed, as they’ve grown attached to it. So, after discussing it with Ah Jiu, we thought maybe Douzi could learn the recipe and set up a stall next to your tofu stand to sell it. This way, we can lighten our load, and those regulars won’t have to miss out.”

The words were well-reasoned, but they left everyone momentarily stunned.

Liu Douzi, who still had half an egg burger in his hand, was so surprised that his mouth hung open for a long time.

“Xia Ge, you’re saying you want me to sell the iron plate tofu? But how could I? That’s your skill!”

Qin Xia smiled. “It’s just a simple recipe. Anyone who sees it could learn it. The real secret is in the sauce I make. I figured since your family already makes tofu, selling some tofu-based snacks is a natural extension—it won’t interfere with your main business.”

He then turned to Fang Rong, knowing she wouldn’t easily agree, and added, “Godmother, I was foolish in the past, and without elders to guide me, you had to worry about me a lot. Now that Douzi is of age, he’ll likely be looking to get married in the next couple of years. It’s not ideal for him to just keep selling tofu with you. Setting up a small stall to earn some silver for his marriage would be perfect, wouldn’t it?”

This reasoning struck a chord with Fang Rong, and her expression softened.

Yu Jiuque seized the moment and added, “Actually, it was Brother Liu who first suggested selling the iron plate tofu at the temple fair. Since the stall’s success owes something to him, it’s only fair he should benefit from the recipe.”

The implication was clear: even if they received the recipe, it wouldn’t be unfair.

Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque’s combined efforts finally swayed Fang Rong after much consideration, and she nodded.

“I’m truly comforted to see how much you’ve improved since marrying Jiu Ge’er, Xia. I also hope that Douzi can find someone suitable. You’re right, he’s of age and should learn some skills, but we must be fair in our dealings.”

Fang Rong insisted on paying for the iron plate tofu recipe, and no matter how much Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque tried to dissuade her, she wouldn’t budge. Liu Douzi was equally stubborn, so in the end, Qin Xia had to accept a symbolic payment of one tael of silver.

“The tofu is just being pan-fried, so consider this as payment for the sauce recipe.”

With the deal settled, Qin Xia, who had come prepared, immediately went to the kitchen to teach Liu Douzi how to make the sauce and showed him the key points of frying the tofu.

The Liu family already had a cart, so they just needed to order an iron plate from the blacksmith. For Fang Rong, spending a few taels of silver on this was not a big burden.

Moreover, having the recipe was like having a chicken that laid eggs. With the New Year approaching and the city bustling with temple fairs and markets, they could easily recoup their investment within a few days of selling, and everything after that would be pure profit.

Under Qin Xia’s guidance, Liu Douzi made a batch of iron plate tofu. The tofu got a little broken up during frying, and the taste was slightly off, but with practice, he could improve.

Since the Liu family had plenty of tofu, they didn’t mind if he failed a few times. As long as he mastered it before the iron plate was ready, it wouldn’t delay the stall.

With the issue resolved, the next day, the Qin family’s food stall officially added egg burgers to their breakfast menu.

They also announced that in a few days, iron plate tofu would no longer be sold at the stall, and anyone wanting it could purchase it from the Liu family’s tofu stall near Wenhui Temple.

The regular customers had mixed feelings—some were happy, while others were worried, with the latter group being larger.

Some of them lived closer to Wenhui Temple and could easily buy iron plate tofu there, but it wouldn’t be the same as having all their favorite foods in one place.

However, the small boss’s decision was final, and they had no say in it. So, with a mix of sighs and anticipation, they eagerly awaited the first batch of egg burgers.

Seeking Justice

Furong Alley was split in two: on one end, the sweet fragrance lingered in the air, enveloping people in a pleasant haze; on the other end, chaos reigned.

Word spread quickly that Qin Xia and Wei Chao had both gone to the Gao family to demand an explanation! Not only that, but they had also brought along the neighborhood elder!

In the Dayong dynasty, a neighborhood was made up of a hundred households, with a headman responsible for duties like overseeing public service, collecting taxes, and handling minor legal matters. In addition, there was one neighborhood elder, chosen for their high moral standing, whose responsibilities included guiding the community toward good behavior and resolving disputes.

When common people had disputes, they were required to seek the elder’s judgment first. Only if the elder couldn’t resolve the issue could it be taken to the county magistrate; otherwise, it would be considered “bypassing the system,” and the involved parties would be punished.

So, in the eyes of the people, asking the elder to step in was just shy of presenting a formal petition to the county court.

The fact that the elder was willing to get involved in this dispute between the three families meant that he believed the matter was serious enough to warrant his attention.

The onlookers couldn’t help but marvel, saying that they always knew Qin Xia was a tough character.

He had just spent a few taels of silver to bring home a husband, and in just a few days, before the excitement had even worn off, he was already protecting him like a precious treasure.

It seemed Gao Lu had really picked the wrong fight this time.

With the elder present, Gao Lu could no longer hide and avoid the issue.

Old man Gao, with a gloomy face, opened the door and shoved Gao Lu out.

“You made this mess; you clean it up!”

Gao Lu’s face was as bitter as a gourd, and he stood there nervously, all his former arrogance gone.

The elder instructed Qin Xia and Wei Chao to recount the experiences of Yu Jiuque and Cao A’shuang. Gao Lu’s two sisters-in-law, who were the quickest to cave, promptly admitted that everything the two men said was true.

Indeed, it was Gao Lu who first provoked them, which led to Cao A’shuang talking back, and then Yu Jiuque took action.

“He didn’t hurt anyone, just… just broke a basin.”

One of the sisters-in-law finished speaking and quickly retreated into the crowd, no longer wanting anything to do with Gao Lu.

The reason the elder agreed to get involved was due to the issue of “reputation.”

For a Ge’er, reputation was everything. Someone like Gao Lu, who spoke so recklessly and slandered others, could have driven someone with a fiercer temperament, from a stricter family, to actually hang themselves.

Moreover, Yu Jiuque fainting and Cao A’shuang crying in despair had been witnessed by many neighbors in the alley.

Even though Qin Xia and Wei Chao knew that the two of them were now fine, they still made the situation sound worse when speaking to the elder.

The facts were clear, and the elder nodded as he stroked his beard.

“This matter is indeed Gao Lu’s fault.”

He then asked Qin Xia and Wei Chao what compensation they wanted.

The elder had originally thought of having the Gao family pay for the Qin family’s medical expenses and perhaps give a chicken to Cao A’shuang to help her recover, and then the matter would be settled. But to his surprise, Qin Xia spoke clearly and asked for additional “lost wages.”

“Mother, what is ‘lost wages’?” asked a child who had been brought along to watch the commotion, his innocent curiosity getting the better of him.

His mother quickly covered his mouth.

The child might not have understood, but the elder certainly did.

Qin Xia’s point was that because Yu Jiuque had been “angered into illness” by Gao Lu, they couldn’t set up their stall, losing out on the money they would have earned that day. Now, they hadn’t made a single coin.

“This matter does have a precedent, though it’s not called by that name.”

Only now did the elder learn that Qin Xia, after getting married, had indeed established a business, setting up a stall on Liubao Street to sell food.

In his view, both Qin Xia and Gao Lu had been “troublesome characters” in Furong Alley, but now, one had turned over a new leaf and taken the right path, while the other seemed to grow more foolish with age.

It was clear to the elder which way the scales of justice leaned.

To gain the crowd’s trust, the elder recounted a past dispute he had judged.

Two men had quarreled after their carts collided in the alley, and one of them ended up physically assaulting the other, causing serious injury. The injured man was bedridden for five or six days, unable to work, even though he had a young child at home to care for. The elder had ordered the assailant to compensate the injured man with five days’ worth of lost wages.

“The dispute between your three families follows the same logic. So let’s calculate how much compensation is owed, settle it, and then everyone can go home. No need to gather here any longer.”

With the elder’s verdict, the Gao family elders were left feeling utterly defeated.

In the face of the elder’s decision, no one dared to argue. If anyone objected, the next step would be to go to the magistrate’s office, something ordinary people feared the most, including the Gao family.

In the end, the elder calculated that the Gao family had to pay the Qin family seven qian for medical expenses and medicine, plus three qian for “lost wages,” totaling one tael of silver, and they also had to give the Wei family an old hen.

Old man Gao glared at Gao Lu, unwillingly handed over the money, and then called his son to go to the backyard to catch the chicken.

An old hen could sell for about 150-160 wen, so altogether, the Gao family lost more than a tael of silver because of Gao Lu’s loose tongue.

The Gao family would undoubtedly have a big argument behind closed doors, but that was no longer Qin Xia’s concern.

He and Wei Chao respectfully bid farewell to the elder, one carrying money, the other holding a chicken, both walking home feeling lighthearted.

On the way, Wei Chao seemed to have warmed up to Qin Xia again.

“You’ve really got a sharp mind! When I get home, I’ll have my mother stew this chicken into soup, and I’ll make sure to send a bowl over to Jiu Ge’er.”

In Wei Chao’s view, the silver Qin Xia received as compensation was well-deserved. After all, he had indeed spent a lot at the clinic, and missing a day of setting up his stall was a real financial loss.

As for the old hen he received, that was purely a windfall.

He knew his wife well enough—after crying, she wiped away her tears and went back to her routine, not taking it to heart at all.

But at least she had suffered some unwarranted grief, and now they had seen Gao Lu get his comeuppance, which was satisfying!

In the past, he had looked down on Qin Xia as a lazy troublemaker, someone who never seemed to take anything seriously.

But now, he had to admit that Qin Xia was smart!

Qin Xia glanced at the hen, whose wings were tied, and smiled, saying, “Brother Wei, no need to be so formal. Ah Jiu and Madam Cao are close, and our two families will likely visit each other often in the future. Why bother with such formalities?”

Wei Chao laughed heartily.

“You’re too generous, but no matter what, I must send over some of this chicken soup!”

True to his word, during lunch, Wei Chao brought a pot of chicken soup along with Cao A’shuang.

Cao A’shuang visited Yu Jiuque for a bit, chatting briefly before leaving with her husband.

Qin Xia used the chicken soup to cook a pot of noodles specifically for Yu Jiuque, along with two quick and simple home-cooked dishes, while he himself ate mantou with the side dishes.

At Yu Jiuque’s insistence, Qin Xia also had a few spoonfuls of the chicken soup.

In their distraction, they ended up using the same spoon.

Although they were married in name, they had only held hands at most, so this act, by the standards of current etiquette, was considered bold and intimate.

Yu Jiuque blushed, silently lowering his head to drink the soup, while Qin Xia raised his large mantou to cover half his face.

The light clinking of dishes on the table eventually masked the emotions they both felt.

…

Lately, Xing Yiming had been feeling particularly frustrated.

After trying nearly every type of food, both expensive and cheap, in Qinan County and growing tired of them, he finally found a small food stall that suited his taste. But this stall had the habit of being open “three days of fishing, two days of drying the net.”

After missing out for a day, when Xing Yiming finally saw Qin Xia again, he refused to leave the stall.

His purpose was clear—he wanted to open a restaurant and wanted to hire Qin Xia as the chef.

“Name your price, and I’ll pay whatever you ask.”

Qin Xia, without sparing a thought for the turmoil in Shopkeeper Xing’s heart, flatly refused, “Sorry, Shopkeeper Xing, but I’m used to my freedom and not suited to working for others.”

In his previous life, Qin Xia had reached the position of head chef at a five-star hotel, a role that came with considerable status and income, yet he still felt constrained.

Later, he quit his job and opened a private restaurant, working only when he wanted to. If he didn’t feel like it, he would cancel reservations and stay home to experiment with new dishes or travel to explore local cuisines. It was only then that he felt truly alive.

So working for someone else was out of the question—wasn’t possible in his past life, and definitely not in this one.

When Xing Yiming asked again, Qin Xia simply smiled and remained silent.

After a few rounds of this, Xing Yiming finally caught on.

He leaned in closer, smiling, “I see now, Boss Qin must already be planning to open his own restaurant in the future, right?”

Qin Xia sliced a starch sausage into pieces with his spatula, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“Can’t hide anything from you, Shopkeeper Xing.”

Xing Yiming gave Qin Xia a meaningful look, his eyes filled with admiration.

With such skill, ambition, and intelligence…

It was easy to imagine that one day, among the restaurants and eateries in Qinan County, the Qin family would have a place of their own.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

“Alright then, I’ll be the first to support Boss Qin when your restaurant opens.”

Even though the plans were still in their infancy, Xing Yiming had already expressed his support, and Qin Xia was deeply grateful.

Moreover, he had figured out that the best way to repay this loyal customer was simply to keep making new and interesting dishes for him.

Xing Yiming was generous with his payments and often provided more professional feedback than the average customer.

Qin Xia quickly prepared Xing Yiming’s extra-large serving of grilled cold noodles and iron plate tofu, letting Yu Jiuque pack it up. As he handed it over, Qin Xia casually mentioned, “When the new pan I ordered from the blacksmith is ready in a couple of days, you’ll be able to try my ‘egg bun.’”

This “egg bun” was essentially the modern breakfast dish known as the “egg burger.”

Bringing such food to the Dayong era, Qin Xia couldn’t really explain what the word “burger” meant, so just like with the starch sausage, he shortened the name to “egg bun.”

This mysterious “egg bun” kept Xing Yiming intrigued for two more days.

Since it wasn’t easy to make, even with a rush order, the blacksmith took an extra day and a half to finish the pan.

When Qin Xia closed his stall that day, he hurried to the blacksmith shop to pick up the pan. The pan was a round iron plate with five recessed round holes, each slightly smaller than the round biscuits commonly sold.

At a glance, it looked just like the ones Qin Xia had seen before.

The blacksmith wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“There’s another round iron plate you ordered, but it will take a few more days.”

Besides the egg burger mold, Qin Xia had also ordered an iron plate for making jianbing (Chinese crepes).

He planned to sell only these two items for breakfast in the future, moving iron plate tofu and grilled cold noodles to lunchtime.

This decision was driven by feedback from many customers who said that while the iron plate tofu and grilled cold noodles were delicious, they weren’t filling enough for breakfast.

Selling everything together, even with two more people, would be too much to handle.

But this meant that the amount of tofu he ordered from the Liu family might need to be reduced.

And to be honest, once the new items were added, the iron plate tofu, with its thin profit margin, would become somewhat of a burden, especially since it required extra effort to prevent it from sticking to the pan.

If the tofu wasn’t sourced from the Liu family, Qin Xia would have likely cut this dish from the menu altogether.

These thoughts weighed on his mind, so much so that while preparing the batter to test the new pan at home, he almost added sugar instead of salt.

Fortunately, Yu Jiuque, with his sharp eyes, stopped him in time.

“Husband, is something bothering you?”

Yu Jiuque swapped the sugar jar for the salt jar and handed it to Qin Xia.

Qin Xia added the right amount of salt to the batter and stirred it with a wooden spatula, voicing his concerns as he did so.

Yu Jiuque, who was chopping scallions nearby, had significantly improved his knife skills, especially when it came to slicing scallions quickly and evenly.

Amid the rhythmic sound of chopping, Yu Jiuque thought for a moment before offering his suggestion.

“Husband, if you’re inclined to continue supporting the Liu family’s business, and if you don’t mind teaching someone else how to make iron plate tofu… why not let Brother Liu take over making that dish?”

Sandy: Ahhhh I have the best readers in the world. Thank you all so much. I’m so happy. Please enjoy these bonus chapters plus one more more 🎁 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰😘😘😘

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Red Date Honey Cake

It took less than an hour for the news from the riverside to spread throughout Furong Alley.

Everyone knew that the old hag, Gao Lu, who was always bad-mouthing others and gossiping about the neighbors, had brought along two sisters-in-law who were just as shameless to bully the Qin family’s husband and the young wife from the Wei family.

The Wei family’s young wife cried her heart out, sobbing so hard she could barely catch her breath, and the Qin family’s husband, Jiu Ge’er, was so angered by them that he fainted on the spot!

His face was so pale, and many people saw Qin Xia carrying him in his arms, rushing to the clinic.

Although the people in the alley had always had their criticisms of Qin Xia, just as Gao Lu said, they knew that Yu Jiuque’s background was unclear, and there was no guarantee that he came from a respectable family.

But such things were usually discussed behind closed doors—who would be so brazen as to say it out loud?

Jiu Ge’er was part of the Qin family, not Gao Lu’s husband.

What business was it of him how they lived their lives behind closed doors?

And since Yu Jiuque had ended up in the clinic, everyone quickly turned their ire toward Gao Lu, almost breaking his back with their comments.

By the time they returned from Chengyi Hall, the sky was as dark as ink.

At the hall, the old physician Xu had treated Yu Jiuque with acupuncture, so he had regained consciousness, though he was still weak.

Qin Xia carried Yu Jiuque on his back all the way home and settled him into bed.

Physician Xu had mentioned that Yu Jiuque’s fainting was due to a sudden rush of anger and advised him not to easily get angry in the future. Other than that, there were no serious concerns.

As the previous prescription was finished, they now received a new one based on his current symptoms.

Yu Jiuque felt very apologetic.

He had only intended to teach Gao Lu a lesson, not expecting his own body to be so unreliable.

Just one swing of the stick, and he ended up fainting. Not only did this scare Qin Xia, who had to rush around taking care of him, but it also probably gave Shuang’er from across the way a good fright.

On the way back, he apologized to Qin Xia, saying he shouldn’t have caused trouble.

But Qin Xia responded seriously, “This matter was clearly instigated by Gao Lu; it was trouble that came to you, not you causing trouble. Besides, you handled it very well.”

Qin Xia was still fuming inside, wishing he could throw that old hag Lu into the river to cool her down!

The house had been quiet for a long time, and now that they were finally back, Da Fu, the goose, was anxiously calling out from its cage, so Qin Xia freed up a hand to let it out.

“I’ve been stewing lamb soup in the pot, and it should be just about ready. Would you like to eat some?”

He asked Yu Jiuque, who was leaning against the bed.

Originally, they had planned to sit together in the warm living room tonight, eating lamb soup and meat, maybe even sipping some warm yellow wine—it would have been wonderful.

But now, it had turned into a sick meal.

Yu Jiuque was indeed hungry.

When he first regained consciousness at the clinic, he was cold and clammy, with trembling hands. The old physician Xu had a clerk make him a bowl of sugar water to drink, which made him feel a little better.

“I’ll eat anything.”

“Then I’ll go heat up the lamb soup and tear some noodle pieces into it, so we can have a few hot bowls.”

Before leaving the room, Qin Xia didn’t forget to scoop up Da Fu. The little thing had been hungry for a while, so he took it to the kitchen to get something to eat.

As it turned out, the delayed dinner was still delicious.

The lamb soup had absorbed all the essence of the lamb, with a rich, non-greasy broth, tender and flavorful meat, and no trace of gaminess.

The noodles were soft and smooth, soaking up the soup and warming the body, driving out the cold from within.

Qin Xia tasted a bowl of the clear soup first, and once he was sure it was just right, he added plenty of chili peppers to his own, turning it into a fiery red bowl that he ate with great satisfaction.

Yu Jiuque held his bowl and drank the soup, a bit of sweat forming on the tip of his nose, and color returning to his face.

At home, he had a large bowl that was his own special one, bought by Qin Xia just for him.

This kind of large bowl is something most households rarely have; it’s typically used in eateries specifically for serving soup, and one of these bowls holds as much as three regular bowls.

Qin Xia later realized that eating five bowls of noodles on the first night was quite an impressive feat for Yu Jiuque, likely because he was extremely hungry before. On a normal day, Yu Jiuque would only eat about four bowls of noodles.

Given his physique, that still sounds astonishing, but Qin Xia had grown accustomed to it.

“Are you full? I’ve still got some noodles left. If you want more, I can cook them.”

Yu Jiuque wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and shook his head. “I’m already very full.”

He no longer lies about his appetite because Qin Xia can always see through it.

Qin Xia knew that he was truly satisfied, so he got up to clear the dishes.

After the meal, he stayed in the kitchen, brewing medicine and boiling water.

Both he and Yu Jiuque had broken a sweat today, and it had been several days since their last proper bath. Although bathing here wasn’t as convenient as in modern times, Qin Xia could barely tolerate it anymore.

Once a large pot of water was boiling, he brought a big wooden tub into the main room, along with buckets of hot and cold water.

Yu Jiuque’s health was fragile, so soaking in a bath wasn’t advisable. Qin Xia prepared a separate basin for him to wash up.

Da Fu also had a small basin of water set beside Yu Jiuque’s basin.

When Yu Jiuque placed Da Fu in the water, it instinctively started splashing around.

Yu Jiuque watched with a smile for a while, then turned his gaze toward the closed wooden door.

Qin Xia was bathing in the main room to avoid any impropriety.

They had been married for almost half a month, yet they were still so distant—probably only the two of them were like this.

Thinking of how Physician Xu from Chengyi Hall had once again reminded him today, Yu Jiuque felt his ears burn.

He still couldn’t consummate the marriage with Qin Xia and had no idea when he would be able to, as Fang Rong mentioned, carry Qin Xia’s child to continue the Qin family’s bloodline.

He touched his belly, full of lamb soup, and with some frustration, undressed and began to wash.

…

The next morning, a rich sweet fragrance wafted from the Qin family courtyard.

A bit of glutinous rice flour was mixed into the regular flour, kneaded into dough, and left to rise. Honey, eggs, and a little oil were then added, and the dough was left to rise again.

Once ready, the dough was topped with chopped red dates, walnuts, and raisins, and steamed until done.

The sweet aroma escaped from the kitchen, making the neighboring children cry out in hunger.

“Mom! It smells so good! I want some sweet cake!”

“Sweet cake? Eat your corn cakes!”

At this point, any disobedient child would start crying.

Qin Xia carefully timed it, then lifted the lid and brought out the sweet cake, cutting it while it was still hot.

Inside, the cake was filled with tiny holes, resembling a honeycomb, which is why this honey-based sweet cake has a proper name—honeycomb cake.

Interestingly, Qin Xia’s original family was somewhat similar to the original owner of this body.

The original owner’s grandmother was a cook, while Qin Xia’s maternal grandmother and mother were both skilled in the kitchen.

His maternal grandmother used to joke that this culinary skill should be passed down to daughters, not sons.

Unlike his paternal grandparents who lived in the countryside, his maternal grandparents lived in the same city as Qin Xia’s family.

When Qin Xia was a child and fell ill, his maternal grandmother would make this honeycomb cake for him.

In his memory, this was the taste that marked the end of his illness, similar to how some people crave canned yellow peaches when they’re sick.

It had been a long time since he last tasted this sweet treat, and for some reason, starting from last night, he had a strong desire to make it for Yu Jiuque as well.

He made a large batch this time, keeping some for their own household and preparing another portion to take to the Wei family across the way, as a gesture to help calm Cao A’shuang’s nerves.

After all, yesterday’s unexpected trouble was mainly aimed at Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque, and Cao A’shuang got involved unintentionally.

Moreover, Yu Jiuque mentioned that Cao A’shuang had been very protective of him, and they needed to acknowledge that kindness.

After letting Yu Jiuque have a piece to satisfy his craving, Qin Xia placed two large pieces of the honeycomb cake in a big bowl, covered it with a clean steamer cloth, and carried it over to the Wei family’s door.

The door was opened by Wei Chao, Cao A’shuang’s husband.

“Brother Wei.”

The two families had been neighbors for many years and were well acquainted.

When they were children, Wei Chao and the original owner of Qin Xia’s body had been playmates, but as they grew older, the original owner took a wrong path.

After the deaths of Qin Xia’s grandparents and parents, the two families, despite living across from each other, gradually had less contact.

But now, because of their wives, they had started to reconnect.

Wei Chao suspected that Qin Xia was here because of what happened yesterday, but deep down, he didn’t want to have much to do with Qin Xia.

He had even advised his wife, telling her all about Qin Xia’s past behavior, hoping she would avoid getting too close to Jiu Ge’er.

Just look, it had only been a few days, and trouble had already arisen.

However, since Qin Xia wasn’t empty-handed, Wei Chao couldn’t just shut the door in his face.

“Thanks to Madam Cao’s help in calling for aid, I was able to get Ah Jiu to the clinic in time. These are some homemade honeycomb cakes, a small token of my appreciation. I hope Brother Wei will accept them.”

Wei Chao looked at the cake, then at Qin Xia, momentarily stunned.

Did he hear wrong? Those polite and respectful words had actually come out of Qin Xia’s mouth!

It was as if the sun had risen in the west.

He had been ready with a refusal to keep Qin Xia from lingering, but now all those words were useless.

Wei Chao stammered, “There’s no need to say that. In such a situation, anyone would have helped. But this… we really can’t accept…”

Qin Xia, however, firmly placed the cake in Wei Chao’s hands.

Wei Chao felt the weight of the cake, surprised at how heavy it was and how tempting it smelled.

In these times, anything made with fine rice flour and sugar was considered a luxury, something most families would only make for holidays or special occasions.

Qin Xia wasn’t the original owner and understood the principle that “distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors.”

If there was a chance to improve relations with the neighbors, he wasn’t going to miss it.

Not to mention, at the moment, he had something he wanted to ask Wei Chao for help with.

“I’m planning to visit the Gao family after breakfast. Would you like to join me, Brother Wei?”

He had already made up his mind—he couldn’t let the Gao family think that this matter would just be swept under the rug.

Lamb Soup

To Qin Xia, winter is the season for hot soup.

On his way home after closing the stall, he passed by a butcher shop and happened to find some excellent lamb.

A restaurant had commissioned the butcher to slaughter a sheep, taking most of it, leaving the rest on the cutting board for sale.

When Qin Xia arrived, the meat was still steaming.

He bought some leg of lamb, planning to make a pot of soup with white radish at home, and maybe pull some noodle pieces into it.

Back at home, after putting down their things, the two of them naturally walked into the main room.

“Da Fu!”

The first thing Yu Jiuque did after entering was to open the straw cage and let Da Fu out.

The hay inside was somewhat soiled, but bird droppings don’t have much of a smell, so it was easy to clean.

Qin Xia took over and brought the dirty hay to the kitchen, stuffing it directly into the stove.

When he returned, Da Fu, the goose, was already sitting proudly on Yu Jiuque’s lap.

“You’re spoiling it,” Qin Xia said helplessly.

Although they had intended to raise the goose as a pet, seeing how clingy it was, he feared it wouldn’t be easy to manage when it grew up.

Yu Jiuque stroked Da Fu’s feathers, his eyes curving into a crescent moon.

“After all, Da Fu is different from a healthy gosling. We hand-fed it, so maybe it’s more understanding, right, Da Fu?”

Strangely enough, as soon as Yu Jiuque finished speaking, Da Fu responded with a couple of soft “chirps,” as if it was acting cute.

When Qin Xia reached out to pet it, Da Fu, being considerate, nudged its head into his hand as well.

“Well, well, could it be that it’s actually becoming sentient?”

Before this, he never imagined that a goose could make such endearing noises.

“Do your best—if you learn to go potty in a designated spot, we might just allow you inside the house when you’re grown.”

Qin Xia, in a tone of gentle admonishment, tapped the goose’s head with his finger.

Whenever someone was home, the now lively Da Fu would follow either Qin Xia or Yu Jiuque around like a shadow, often almost getting stepped on.

With no other choice, Yu Jiuque reluctantly put it back in its cage.

Afterward, he gathered a few dirty clothes and placed them in a wooden basin. As he lifted it, he called out to Qin Xia, who was in the kitchen, “Husband, I’m going to the river to wash clothes.”

Qin Xia was slicing the lamb when he heard this, and he disapproved, “Why go to the river? The water’s so cold. Just wash them at home, and I’ll help.”

But Yu Jiuque didn’t listen to him.

Washing clothes required a lot of water, and their house was far from the alley’s well. Every time, Qin Xia had to make several trips to fill the water tank, whereas going to the river meant no such trouble.

Didn’t everyone in the neighborhood go to the river? It’s close, so why not go?

“I’ve already arranged to meet Madam Cao from the Wei family across the way.”

Since Yu Jiuque put it this way, Qin Xia didn’t object any further.

“Be careful by the river; it’s slippery.”

Yu Jiuque nodded at his reminder.

When he stepped outside, he found that Cao A’shuang was already waiting for him in the alley.

“Sister Shuang,” Yu Jiuque greeted her, and the two of them headed to the river together.

Cao A’shuang was a new wife in the Wei family, about the same age as Yu Jiuque, maybe a little younger.

Since both of them were newcomers to Furong Alley, they had become acquainted after washing clothes together at the river last time.

Cao A’shuang was petite and lively, getting along well with Yu Jiuque.

After walking a while, Yu Jiuque heard Cao A’shuang quietly ask him, “When I was waiting at your gate, I heard your husband talking to you. Was he not letting you go out?”

Yu Jiuque was slightly taken aback and explained, “He didn’t want me to go wash clothes at the river because it’s cold, but I thought it would use too much water at home, and I told him I had arranged to meet you, so he agreed.”

Cao A’shuang clicked her tongue in surprise.

“So that’s it. I thought he was scolding you.”

Yu Jiuque couldn’t help but laugh, thinking how Qin Xia never even raised his voice, let alone scolded him.

“Why did you think that?”

Cao A’shuang smiled awkwardly.

“Oh, it’s nothing… let’s hurry up, or those good stones by the river will be taken by others!”

Seeing this, Yu Jiuque could only pick up his pace to catch up.

In the kitchen, Qin Xia cut the lamb into small pieces.

Good lamb meat is visibly good—the white is white, the red is red, and only freshly slaughtered lamb has this kind of color. The cold storage meat commonly seen during modern times was dull and dark.

With good meat, making a good pot of lamb soup doesn’t require much complexity.

As long as the ingredients are fresh, you don’t need many fancy techniques to cover up any flaws in the food.

For instance, with this lamb, Qin Xia resolutely skipped the blanching step and put it directly into the pot with cold water.

This reminded him of a conversation he had with a friend in the past.

That friend had tasted Qin Xia’s lamb soup and found it extraordinary, puzzled as to why they couldn’t replicate the same taste at home.

Qin Xia asked about the steps, and the friend started by saying they soaked the meat to remove the blood, then blanched it.

Qin Xia had immediately interrupted him, saying that from the first step, it was already wrong.

If the meat is good, such treatment would turn even good meat into “dead meat.”

In contrast, Qin Xia’s method of cooking lamb soup could be summed up in four words: simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

After putting the lamb in cold water, he didn’t add too much water—just enough to cover the lamb by the height of a finger.

There’s a saying among cooks: “A slow simmer keeps the broth clear, a high boil makes it white.”

The best lamb soup is milky white, so you start with high heat, bringing the water to a bubbling boil.

The next essential step is skimming off the foam.

For the inexperienced, this step can be quite tricky—spending ages with a ladle only to scatter the foam, making the broth even cloudier.

But for someone as skilled as Qin Xia, a quick flick of the wrist with the ladle cleaned the foam off completely.

Next, he reduced the heat to a simmer, and now he could take a break.

This pot of soup would need to simmer for at least an hour. After adjusting the stove’s heat, Qin Xia turned his attention to preparing the filling for the starch sausages he’d need the next day.

Later, when Yu Jiuque returned from washing clothes, they would stuff the sausages together.

Meanwhile, at the riverside, a group of women and Ge’er had already started quarreling.

And the cause of the commotion was, surprisingly, related to their household.

“Bah! Do you really think you’re something special? Shuang’er, let me give you some advice—stay away from that Jiu Ge’er. You’re the wife of a respectable family, and if you associate with someone like him, who was bought from the slae market by that scoundrel Qin Xia, who knows what he did before, you’ll ruin your reputation!”

The spit from these words landed like a nail in front of Yu Jiuque. The quarrel had started simply because he and Shuang’er arrived early and found two smooth stones by the river to wash their clothes on.

But then a middle-aged Ge’er and two women arrived and were upset, claiming that those stones were always theirs to use.

Yu Jiuque and Cao A’shuang had never encountered such unreasonable people before, so they tried to argue using the principle of “first come, first served.”

But this only fueled the fire, and the three immediately began spitting insults.

Yu Jiuque calmly tried to reason with them, but there’s no reasoning with those who refuse to be reasonable.

Cao A’shuang was so angry that she put her hands on her hips to speak up for him. When the others wouldn’t relent, one of them said the above insult that directly hit Yu Jiuque’s sore spot.

“How… how can you speak like this!”

Cao A’shuang was shocked by their outrageous words. Everyone knows that for a Ge’er, reputation is everything, and these words were a direct attack on Yu Jiuque’s honor!

“Jiu Ge’er, let’s go!”

She was still young and inexperienced, so her first instinct was to avoid further conflict. If they stayed, who knows what else these people might say, and Yu Jiuque’s reputation could really be ruined!

But when she tried to pull him away, he didn’t move.

She tried again, but he still didn’t budge.

When Cao A’shuang looked back, she saw that Yu Jiuque’s face was cold, and he hadn’t moved an inch.

“Jiu Ge’er…”

Cao A’shuang gave him a meaningful look, and Yu Jiuque understood her concern, but he was unwilling to back down.

He had forgotten his past, not even remembering what kind of person he used to be.

But that didn’t stop him from believing that he had never been someone who would let others push him around.

Especially when these people had insulted Qin Xia.

He didn’t know these three, but it was clear they were from Furong Alley, likely people who had watched Qin Xia grow up.

Their words made it obvious—they looked down on Qin Xia, and even more so on him.

“Shuang’er, just stay where you are.”

After telling this to Cao A’shuang, Yu Jiuque bent down towards his washbasin.

The foul-mouthed middle-aged Ge’er thought Yu Jiuque was finally going to gather his things and leave, making way for them. He strutted forward with his washbasin, still talking, “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave quickly. If I were you, I’d have hanged myself with a rope after being sold at the slave market, instead of having the nerve to marry and become a main husband!”

He was feeling smug, thinking he had silenced the two young people, but then he heard a scream from one of the women behind him.

Before he could figure out what caused the scream, there was a blur in front of his eyes, followed by a loud crash!

The next thing the middle-aged Ge’er knew, his hands were empty, and when he looked down, his legs went weak.

Yu Jiuque had taken a laundry stick and smashed his washbasin to the ground, scattering the clothes everywhere and shattering the sturdy wooden basin into pieces.

This showed just how much force the young Ge’er in front of him had used!

If that blow had landed on him instead…

The middle-aged Ge’er didn’t dare think further, his face turning pale as a sheet.

“What are you doing! Are you trying to kill someone? Help! Murder!”

The middle-aged Ge’er tried to shout, but fear had taken hold of him, and the sound was stuck in his throat, barely making it out.

Looking at the Qin family’s husband in front of him, he saw that those eyes were filled with a cold, chilling light.

Yu Jiuque advanced step by step.

“Didn’t you say I should hang myself with a rope? Well, let me tell you, even if I were to hang myself, I’d drag a gossiping ghost down with me before I go!”

The middle-aged Ge’er, now in a panic, stumbled backward, causing the two women with him to retreat as well.

They continued to retreat until the middle-aged Ge’er tripped over a stone by the riverbank and fell hard onto the ground.

The two women wanted to help him up but were too frightened to dare.

Yu Jiuque’s eyes remained calm and indifferent.

“My life is worthless, but I advise you all to think twice before speaking in the future. Consider whether you can afford the consequences.”

Seeing that Yu Jiuque was clearly someone with nothing to lose and reckless courage, those who only dared to take advantage with their words didn’t dare to speak further.

The Ge’er, now terrified, left his clothes behind as the two women hurriedly helped him up. In their panic, they fled the riverbank and disappeared down the alleyway.

Yu Jiuque exhaled heavily.

He should have felt a sense of relief after venting his anger, but as soon as his shoulders relaxed, a familiar dizziness overtook him again.

With a clang, the wooden stick in his hand fell to the ground, and Yu Jiuque, unable to stay on his feet, collapsed forward.

“Jiu Ge’er!”

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Translator has something to say: Give this novel a 5-star rating on NU within 12 hours from the time of release, and I’ll drop 5 new chapters if it gets 5 new 5-star ratings 😎

Loyal Customer

On the first day of reopening their stall, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque had just finished unloading their goods from the cart when they saw a familiar face—one of the young assistants from the Ganyuan Zhai shop named Bai Zao.

“Brother Bai, why are you here so early?”

As soon as Bai Zao saw Qin Xia, he looked as if he had seen a long-lost relative.

“Boss Qin, it’s great that you’re finally back in business. Yesterday, our shopkeeper couldn’t get his hands on your grilled cold noodles, and he talked about it all day. Our ears are about to grow calluses from it. Before I left, he even reminded me to come early today and check if you were back.”

Qin Xia smiled, knowing that Xing Yiming, that foodie,” was still thinking about the special grilled cold noodles. “Yesterday, Ah Jiu wasn’t feeling well, so we took the day off. But he’s fine now. You can go back and tell Shopkeeper Xing that everything he wants is ready, and he can come pick it up anytime.”

Bai Zao grinned, “That’s great. I’ll head back right away.”

Qin Xia called him back.

“It’s still early, and your shop isn’t in a rush to open. Why don’t you wait a bit? I have something new today. Help me taste it.”

Bai Zao was more than happy to get a free bite, but he wasn’t idle either.

He stepped forward to help move the wooden boxes and baskets filled with tofu and noodles and even volunteered to carry the water bucket to the nearby well to fetch water.

Meanwhile, Qin Xia lit the fire. Once the iron plate was hot, he poured on some oil and placed a few starch sausages, which he had prepared and scored at home, onto the grill.

Last night, he and Yu Jiuque had made the remaining starch sausages at home, bringing the total to thirty. They planned to sell them today to test the market. If it went well, they would make fifty each day in the future.

Since the term “starch” didn’t exist in the Dayong Dynasty, Qin Xia decided to change the name and simply call them “flour sausages.”

“From a distance, I could smell that it was you two setting up your stall.”

You Ge’er, who sold fried sugar cakes, put down his load and greeted them with a smile.

“Why didn’t you come yesterday?”

Upon learning that Yu Jiuque had been sick, You Ge’er said, “The weather’s getting colder. Next time, make sure to dress warmly.”

Then he glanced at Qin Xia and joked, “Let your man buy you a ‘sleeping rabbit’ to wear. It’s warm and stylish.”

Yu Jiuque blushed, and Qin Xia was momentarily confused, not understanding.

“What’s a ‘sleeping rabbit’?”

You Ge’er laughed, “You don’t even know what a ‘sleeping rabbit’ is? I wonder how you usually coax your husband.”

He looked around the street, casually pointing to a woman in a nearby shop who was unloading shutters.

“Look, it’s the headscarf the shopkeeper’s wife is wearing.”

So that’s what a “sleeping rabbit” is, Qin Xia thought, smiling as he turned to Yu Jiuque. Almost on impulse, he asked, “Ah Jiu, do you like it? I’ll get you one.”

But Yu Jiuque would never let him buy such a thing.

Those were items only the wealthy used. For small-time vendors like them, a simple scarf was enough in the cold.

“Why spend money on that? I don’t want it.”

Qin Xia flipped the starch sausages on the grill, “Isn’t making money meant to be spent?”

But in the end, he didn’t say if he would actually buy it or not.

You Ge’er watched the couple from the side and silently sighed, thinking how wonderful it was to be young. Not like his own husband, who wouldn’t even speak up after being prodded three times.

When Bai Zao returned with the water, the first batch of sausages was ready.

Some were lightly fried and set aside by Qin Xia to be reheated when ordered.

The ones meant to be eaten hot were cooked to perfection—tender inside with a crispy, golden-brown shell.

Qin Xia picked up two sausages and handed them to Bai Zao and You Ge’er.

After the two of them finished trying it, they both exclaimed, “Delicious!”

“I can’t believe this thing is made of flour. I’d never figure out how it’s done even if you beat me to death,” You Ge’er said, his eyes wide as he examined the sausage in his hand from every angle.

Bai Zao thoroughly enjoyed his portion, and after wiping his mouth, he said, “I’ll go back and tell my shopkeeper about this new treat you have here. He’ll probably rush over again in no time.”

Qin Xia asked both of them for suggestions regarding the taste, but Bai Zao and You Ge’er both shook their heads.

“This thing is already so delicious; what suggestions could we possibly have?”

With that, Qin Xia knew he was on the right track.

As expected, the new sausages were a hit throughout the day.

Many who wouldn’t spend five coins to add an egg instead paid three coins to have a sausage added to their grilled cold noodles. Not only did it add more flavor, but it also made the meal more filling.

The sausages were also perfect for eating on the go as a snack. With a variety of flavors—spicy, non-spicy, with sauce or sprinkled with seasoning—all thirty sausages sold out in no time.

When Xing Yiming arrived, he thought he’d missed out on the sausages and was about to express his disappointment when Qin Xia quickly reassured him, “Shopkeeper Xing, don’t worry; I’ve already set aside your portion.”

Not only that, but thanks to the free time they had during yesterday’s break, Qin Xia had also prepared the ingredients for the small dishes Xing Yiming had previously mentioned.

With these ingredients, Qin Xia was able to make a “family-style grilled cold noodle” just for Xing Yiming.

First, he used chicken breast to make chicken strips, marinated and coated them in starch and flour, and pre-fried them at home. The pork tenderloin was bought as a whole piece, sliced thin, marinated, and pan-fried on the griddle. Meatballs were the simplest; he had made plenty the night before and even enjoyed a meal of mushroom-stuffed meatballs with Yu Jiuque. These, too, were reheated on the griddle alongside the chicken strips.

Qin Xia checked the timing and flipped the grilled cold noodles, tenderloin, and sausages on the griddle.

As per Xing Yiming’s habit, he cracked two eggs, spread them evenly, then flipped everything again, adding chopped scallions and onions, brushing on sauce, and sprinkling chili.

He chopped up the chicken strips, tenderloin, meatballs, and starch sausages with a spatula, tossed them all in, and garnished with coriander.

As he was making this special grilled cold noodle, other customers were lining up.

Everyone’s eyes were glued to the various ingredients on the griddle, each person silently swallowing their saliva.

They were tempted to try it too, but they felt their wallets couldn’t handle it.

Just listen to what the dish contains—chicken, only the breast; pork, only the tenderloin; even two eggs!

One man in line couldn’t resist any longer and mustered up the courage to ask Qin Xia, “Little boss, how much does this everything-included version cost?”

He expected Qin Xia to quote a price above thirty coins, so he was ready to give up. But to his surprise, Qin Xia smiled and said, “Brother, the only regular item here is the sausage. Everything else was pre-ordered by Shopkeeper Xing.”

In other words, it’s not for sale.

So, naturally, there was no public price.

They thought that saying this would make everyone except Xing Yiming give up, but instead, it made them even more interested.

One after another, they asked, “What does ‘pre-order’ mean? Can we pre-order too?”

“Just tell us how much it costs. When I get my wages next month, I’ll come and try it too!”

Qin Xia was truly overwhelmed.

He was just one person and couldn’t manage so many different items, let alone the fact that once the blacksmith delivered his work, he planned to introduce even more snacks.

“My apologies, everyone. The stall has limited staff, and I don’t have eight hands to work with. These items are expensive to prepare, and it’s troublesome to stock them. Maybe if I find the time, I could make some to sell, but there’s no telling when that might be.”

In the envious eyes of the others, Xing Yiming took away his grilled cold noodles, unique and unavailable to anyone else who wanted to try it!

As a self-proclaimed “gourmet,” Xing Yiming’s vanity was greatly satisfied, and he returned to his shop humming a tune.

Xing Yiming’s wife, Cui Rao, was busy checking inventory in the shop, occasionally marking the ledger with her brush.

Just as she was deeply absorbed in her work, the shop, which usually smelled sweet and fragrant, was suddenly filled with a strong, spicy aroma.

“Xing Yiming! You snuck out to buy food again! I think you might as well stop managing this shop and open a restaurant instead! And how many times have I told you, don’t eat that kind of food in the shop; it’s making everything smell like it!”

Xing Yiming’s hand, which was holding the oiled paper box, trembled, and in the next moment, he was chased to the back room by Cui Rao.

His wife also came from a merchant family and was as capable as any man when it came to business. Xing Yiming, as the shopkeeper, was really just riding on his family’s coattails.

He knew his own limitations, so he often deferred to Cui Rao’s decisions on both big and small matters.

Thus, all the staff at Ganyuan Zhai knew that sometimes the shopkeeper’s wife was even more of a shopkeeper than the shopkeeper himself!

Having been caught slacking off, Xing Yiming didn’t dare eat his grilled cold noodles right away. He paced around the room for quite a while until Cui Rao finished her work and came to the back.

He quickly pulled her to sit down and served her a cup of hot tea.

“Thank you for your hard work, dear.”

Cui Rao glanced at him, “If you paid a little more attention, I wouldn’t have to run between home and the shop.”

“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right,” Xing Yiming agreed, but his eyes kept darting toward the oiled paper box.

Only then did Cui Rao realize that Xing Yiming hadn’t eaten yet, probably out of fear of being scolded. Seeing this, she took a sip of tea and graciously said, “Alright, go ahead and eat it now, or it’ll get cold and be a waste.”

With that one sentence, Xing Yiming’s spirits lifted instantly.

He brought the oiled paper box closer and placed the grilled cold noodles in front of Cui Rao.

“You should try it too. The stall owner made this specially, and no one else can buy it even if they wanted to!”

Cui Rao glanced down with little interest.

Although she and Xing Yiming were husband and wife, their tastes were quite different.

She had tried the stall’s food once before; it was good, but not light enough for her liking.

Seeing Xing Yiming insist, she picked up a bamboo skewer and casually speared a piece of chicken strip, asking curiously, “What’s this? I didn’t see it last time.”

Xing Yiming replied, “This is called chicken strip, made from chicken breast.”

Chicken breast?

“I never expected such a simple street food stall to be so particular.”

No wonder it could make her husband, who had tasted all the delicacies of Qinan County, so enamored.

“Hmm… this is actually quite tasty.”

The chicken breast had a light salty and peppery flavor, with a crispy outer layer and lean, non-greasy meat.

“If they sell this on its own next time, you should buy some.”

Without any hesitation, Cui Rao ate most of the chicken strips from the grilled cold noodles, leaving Xing Yiming to look on with great dismay, only reluctantly leaving him a bite.

After finishing the substantial portion of grilled cold noodles, Xing Yiming drank some tea to rinse his mouth and tapped his fingers leisurely on the table.

Life like this could be summed up in two words: comfortable!

Meanwhile, due to Cui Rao’s offhand comment earlier, an idea slowly began to form in Xing Yiming’s mind.

Opening a restaurant—now that might actually be a good idea!

Starch Sausage

Xing Yiming was eagerly looking forward to the deluxe version of the grilled cold noodles, thinking he would soon get to taste it. However, on the first day, Qin Xia couldn’t find the right pork tenderloin and had to postpone his plans. The next day, he didn’t even open his stall.

Xing Yiming guessed that something must have come up at home and had to suppress his craving, continuing to wait.

At this moment in the Qin household, Qin Xia was facing several newly bought ingredients: a bag of sweet potato starch, a pack of sheep casings, and a small jar of red yeast rice powder. Additionally, he had items that were already in the house, including a bowl of flour and various seasonings.

He planned to use these to make a popular, low-cost street food from modern night markets—starch sausage.

Since there wasn’t the advanced food technology of the future, the starch sausage he could recreate here would be a simplified version, but a healthy one.

Qin Xia started by cleaning the sheep casings, which he had bought from the butcher shop. In Qinan County, it was customary to make sausages during the winter. When buying meat at the butcher shop, you could either have them make the sausages for you or buy the casings to make them at home. The butcher shop also sold casings.

These casings had been pre-cleaned, so they weren’t too slimy. Qin Xia placed them in a saltwater soak to prepare them.

Next, he began making the filling for the starch sausage. He poured the sweet potato starch into a mixing bowl and added a bit of flour to help it bind. He then added salt, sugar, soy sauce, pepper, and five-spice powder.

Speaking of five-spice powder, Qin Xia only realized after arriving here that ready-made five-spice powder wasn’t available in the market. In this aspect, he had slightly overestimated the creativity of Dayong Dynasty chefs. He had no choice but to buy the corresponding spices from the pharmacy and pay a few extra coins to have them ground into powder.

The five-spice powder consisted of star anise, Sichuan pepper, cinnamon, fennel, and cloves. The pharmacy clerk didn’t find Qin Xia’s request strange, and the order was fulfilled within a day.

Finally, he added water and continuously stirred in one direction with chopsticks. When his arm started to ache, and the starch mixture in the bowl became sticky, it was time to stop.

The next step was to add the “meaty” appearance to the starch sausage—natural coloring from red yeast rice powder. Red yeast rice is often used to dye red eggs, which are distributed to neighbors after a baby is born. It was inexpensive; Qin Xia bought a small handful for just a few coins.

Even a tiny bit of this powder could dye a significant area, so it would last a long time. Qin Xia tested the color in water and then carefully added it to the starch mixture, doing so gradually to avoid turning the sausage too red, which might make it unappetizing.

He repeated the process several times, adding a little and stirring, until he achieved the desired light pink color. Since there was no meat involved, there was no need for marinating. After thoroughly cleaning the thin casings, Qin Xia filled them and brought everything into the main room.

Yesterday, a light snow had fallen, and Yu Jiuque caught a bit of a chill, resulting in a severe headache that night. Qin Xia immediately decided not to open the stall today. Yu Jiuque had tried to insist that he’d be fine after a nap and wouldn’t cause any delays, but Qin Xia wouldn’t hear of it. In the morning, he made sure Yu Jiuque stayed in bed and went out to buy ingredients, saying that he would take advantage of this day off to experiment with new recipes.

By mid-morning, Yu Jiuque was feeling much better. He stayed inside to care for the gosling and offered to help Qin Xia with his cooking.

“Perfect timing, come help me with stuffing the sausages.”

Qin Xia knew that Yu Jiuque couldn’t sit idle. Stuffing sausages alone would be challenging, so having him help would keep him busy and prevent him from overthinking. He placed all the necessary items on the table and then wandered over to the basket to check on the gosling.

“How’s it doing? Has it eaten?”

“It just ate some greens and softened millet, and even walked around a bit.”

Qin Xia patted the soft, warm fluff on the gosling’s head.

“According to what Aunty Fang said, it seems like it’s going to survive. Maybe we should give it a name.”

Yu Jiuque nodded. “We should name it; it’s awkward to keep calling it nothing.”

He thought Qin Xia might already have a name in mind, but to his surprise, Qin Xia said, “I haven’t thought of anything yet; why don’t you come up with one?”

Yu Jiuque was stumped. He stared into the gosling’s beady eyes for a while before tentatively suggesting, “I was thinking this goose, like we said before, seems to be quite lucky. How about calling it ‘Da Fu’ (Big Blessing)? What do you think?”

“Da Fu.” Qin Xia repeated the name softly, smiling as he said, “It sounds good and auspicious.”

And so, the nameless gosling was officially christened as Da Fu.

Despite being thoroughly petted by its “Big Dad,” Da Fu remained unbothered, tucking its head into its feathers and continuing to sleep soundly.

Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque watched it fondly for a while before washing their hands and sitting down to stuff the starch sausages.

Without any specialized tools, Qin Xia used a small funnel that every household had. The bottom end of the funnel was connected to the casing, while the top was filled with the stuffing, which was then pushed through using a rolling pin.

Yu Jiuque held the casing on the other side, occasionally adjusting the stuffing to ensure that each section of the sausage was evenly filled, preventing the casing from bursting.

Once they had reached the right length, they tied the end with cotton string.

The starch mixture that Qin Xia had prepared ended up filling fifteen sausages, each about the length of a hand with all ten fingers extended.

“Let’s cook these up and see how they taste. The casings can stay in water for a day or two without spoiling.”

Qin Xia coiled the finished sausages in a bowl and planned to fry a few for a taste test.

He simmered them in boiling water on low heat for about half an hour, then let them cool to set. After cutting them apart, he took three sausages and skillfully made decorative cuts on the outside.

He heated some oil in a pan, then fried the sausages. As the temperature rose, the cuts on the outside slightly opened, creating an attractive pattern.

At this point, the sausages closely resembled those sold at modern street stalls.

Using chopsticks, Qin Xia lifted the fried sausages, brushed them with sauce, sprinkled some seasoning, and skewered them with long bamboo sticks, which were always plentiful at home. He held one up and brought it to Yu Jiuque.

“Give it a try. I used some of the sauce from the iron plate tofu on yours.”

Yu Jiuque took it, feeling it was a bit hot, and blew on it gently.

Qin Xia had already taken the first bite, hissing as he blew on his tongue, savoring the flavor.

In his opinion, the key to making delicious starch sausage lies in two words: fragrant and crispy. The heat needs to be just right during frying, so the outer shell can become crispy. The seasoning must be well-mixed to leave a lingering taste on the palate.

He unabashedly thought that what he made was a perfectly qualified and excellent starch sausage!

Yu Jiuque, after cooling it down a bit, eagerly took a bite. The texture was different from what he had imagined. This sausage, made with starch, should have felt like eating noodles, but after tasting it, he realized that it was only slightly starchy in texture. Thanks to the seasoning, it even had a hint of a meaty flavor.

“This will be priced at three wen for one piece and five wen for two pieces. We can sell them individually, where they’ll be scored, fried crispy, and served on bamboo skewers. If you want them added to the iron plate tofu or grilled cold noodles, the price remains the same.”

Starch is cheaper than flour, so this would be a low-margin, high-volume sale. The food business was turning out to be easier than he had imagined. By gradually introducing new items like this, he could ensure people would never get tired of eating at their stall.

Once he made enough money, he planned to rent a shop, so they would have a proper roof over their heads and wouldn’t have to worry about the cold, like the snowfall that caused Yu Jiuque to fall ill yesterday.

He had completely forgotten that his original plan was to save up enough money to rent a separate place for Yu Jiuque to move out as soon as possible.

Qin Xia shared the remaining starch sausage with the young Ge’er. Surrounded by the enticing aroma, he ate happily. Feeling a sudden burst of enthusiasm, he suggested, “Shall we count how much silver we have now?”

Yu Jiuque naturally agreed.

If there’s anything more satisfying than making money, it has to be counting it.

The family’s money jar was hidden under the bed, a habit passed down from the previous generation of Qin Xia’s grandparents. By lifting a bedboard and moving a brick, a small space was revealed.

Qin Xia brought out the jar and poured the copper coins onto the table. Over the past few days, they had been so busy that they just threw all the collected coins into the jar, leaving only a small amount aside for buying tofu and vegetables for the next day, without taking the time to count.

Yu Jiuque found a spool of cotton string from the sewing basket, preparing to string the loose coins together.

After pawning the jade dice for twelve taels, they were left with only one tael and four qian after the initial setup costs. The two days at the temple fair earned them a bit more than one tael. After moving to Liubao Street, business had been steady, with daily earnings around 400 wen.

After counting carefully, they realized they had a total of 4,189 wen.

As they counted and strung the coins together, Qin Xia couldn’t help but feel a bit astonished looking at the dozens of strings of copper coins on the table.

It turned out they had more than four taels of silver?

Staring at the money, Qin Xia rubbed his chin and said, “I’ll draw up a design for a new pot and inquire at the blacksmith’s shop.”

With the capital they had, it was time to expand production. He had already started thinking about what other dishes the Qin family snack stall could sell next.

Goose, Goose, Goose

“You young fellows, I can tell you don’t do much work at home. It’s your first time seeing chickens and geese and not knowing the difference.”

The old woman lifted a corner of the straw cage, and the goslings inside shrank their necks from the cold.

“It was because we were far away earlier; once we got closer, I could see it clearly,” Qin Xia explained, though he certainly knew the difference between chicks and goslings. He just couldn’t understand how Yu Jiuque had spotted it from such a distance.

The old woman, assuming Qin Xia was just being stubborn, said, “This is a batch I hatched from the stove. If you want some, go ahead and pick two.”

But there wasn’t really any need to buy geese. Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque were already busy with their food stall, leaving them limited time to care for poultry. At most, they might keep a few chickens for eggs.

Chickens were also easier to care for than geese.

Since they were already here, Qin Xia decided to inquire about buying chicks. If none were available, he would consider buying adult egg-laying hens, even if they were more expensive. In the winter, a hen could lay an egg every two or three days, which would eventually add up to a decent meal.

While Qin Xia chatted with the old woman selling geese, Yu Jiuque noticed one of the goslings in the cage looking particularly listless. He crouched down, picked it up gently, and stroked its head with his fingers.

“Auntie, is this gosling sick?” Yu Jiuque asked.

The old woman glanced over and replied, “It’s not sick. If it were sick, I wouldn’t have kept it with the others. My big dog stepped on it earlier, and it probably got scared out of its wits. It was already looking unwell when I brought it out this morning, and now it seems like it won’t make it.”

She shook her head with a regretful expression. A gosling could sell for fifteen coins, more valuable than chickens or ducks.

The little gosling shivered in Yu Jiuque’s hands. When he tried to put it back, the more aggressive goslings immediately stretched their necks to peck at it.

For a moment, Yu Jiuque was stuck, unsure whether to raise or lower his hand.

Seeing the sympathy in Yu Jiuque’s eyes, Qin Xia thought for a moment and asked the old woman, “Will you sell this one?”

Yu Jiuque looked up in surprise.

“Huh? You want this injured one?” The old woman hesitated, then added, “But let me warn you, if it doesn’t survive, don’t come back here looking for me.”

Qin Xia just wanted to try, “We understand that, we’re not the type to make trouble.”

Hearing this, the old woman didn’t hesitate much. It would likely die anyway, so she might as well make a few coins from it.

“Just give me three coins. If it survives, you’ll have made a big profit.”

Qin Xia handed her three copper coins, which the old woman pocketed.

“And about what you asked earlier—if you go further down this way, you’ll see a woman in a floral jacket. She’s a relative of mine, and she’s selling some egg-laying hens because her family needs money. You can take a look if you’re interested.”

As Yu Jiuque carefully placed the gosling into his coat and stood up, he was still a bit dazed. They hadn’t planned on raising geese, yet Qin Xia had spent three coins on a gosling that might not even survive the night.

“If it makes it through, we’ll give it a name and keep it as our guard goose,” Qin Xia said with a smile.

Yu Jiuque was stunned. So Qin Xia didn’t plan to raise the goose for food?

Qin Xia had just thought of it. His grandfather in the countryside used to have two big geese that were fiercer than dogs. They would flap their wings and chase after strangers, but they always remembered him, even though he only visited during the winter and summer holidays.

He suddenly felt that having a goose as a guard pet would be interesting.

Moreover, geese can live for decades, even longer than dogs.

If Yu Jiuque left in the future, Qin Xia didn’t plan on marrying or having children, so he might as well have a companion.

“Let’s hope it has the fortune to survive.”

If it could survive this ordeal, it would, like him, find a good home.

Yu Jiuque gently stroked the gosling’s little head again with his finger.

After that, they successfully bought two egg-laying hens, both just over a year old and in their prime. Originally priced at sixty coins each, Qin Xia bargained them down to fifty coins, spending a total of one tael of silver to bring them home.

With the addition of these three little creatures, the two of them were busy as soon as they got home. Yu Jiuque used an old rattan basket and some old clothes to make a temporary nest for the gosling, placing it on the kang to keep it warm.

Afterward, they went to the backyard to help Qin Xia clean up the long-unused chicken coop. Noticing a hole in the roof, Qin Xia covered it thickly with some dry straw.

“It’ll have to do for now. We’ll make a new one when we have more time.”

With just two hens, they didn’t need much space. Since the weather was cold, they would have to keep them in the kitchen at night to prevent them from freezing to death, or else the money spent would be in vain.

The two hens, once on the ground, rushed to hide in the chicken coop, clearly not yet accustomed to their new environment. Watching the hens huddled together, Yu Jiuque thought of the gosling inside and worriedly suggested, “I remember that Auntie Fang has chickens at home, and she always knows more about these things. Why don’t we go and ask her for advice?”

Qin Xia also realized that he might have underestimated how difficult it would be to raise poultry, finding it more challenging than cooking.

“That sounds like a good idea,” he agreed with Yu Jiuque’s suggestion.

Worried that the gosling might not survive, they hurried to Auntie Fang’s house with it in tow. At that moment, Fang Rong was soaking beans at home. When she saw the two of them rush in, she thought something had happened. But it turned out they had just impulsively bought a sickly gosling and a couple of shivering hens, which made Fang Rong laugh.

“I can’t imagine what it’ll be like when you two have children.”

She took the gosling, looked it over, and muttered, “This gosling does look unwell, it’s hard to say. Take it home, keep it warm, provide clean water and food, and mix some boiled rice bran with chopped greens. See if it’ll eat. If it doesn’t, pry open its mouth and force-feed it. As long as it can swallow, it might survive.”

As for the hens, she said, “The hens are even easier. Just give them food and water, make sure they don’t get scared again, and in a few days, they should be fine.”

Hearing this, it indeed didn’t seem too difficult.

Since they were already there, Fang Rong decided to keep them for dinner. Last time, Qin Xia had cooked a great meal, and she couldn’t keep taking advantage of them, so now she had the chance to return the favor.

“It’s already late, and you’ve both had a long day. Why don’t you stay for a simple meal? I’ll make bean curd rice.”

After Qin Xia agreed, Fang Rong noticed how much Yu Jiuque cherished the gosling and realized he had a kind heart. She called over Liu Douzi, who was working in the backyard, and said, “Help your sister-in-law’s gosling get something to eat.”

Later, when Fang Rong and Liu Douzi went to the kitchen to cook, they didn’t let Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque help. The two had no choice but to stay in the room, watching over the gosling in the basket.

When they offered it food, the gosling didn’t eat, only drinking a bit of water. Qin Xia followed Fang Rong’s instructions, prying open its mouth and force-feeding it.

“It’s swallowing! It’s swallowing!” Yu Jiuque, closely watching, exclaimed excitedly when he saw the gosling swallow.

Qin Xia wiped his hands and smiled. “Let’s see how it does tonight. Hopefully, it’ll start eating on its own tomorrow.”

Yu Jiuque nodded with a smile and reached out to gently touch the gosling’s cool beak.

In the following days, they had to bring the gosling with them to their stall because it still wasn’t eating much on its own. They feared that if they left it at home, they might return to find it had died.

Fortunately, the gosling was still small, only about the size of a palm. The basket they used as its nest was kept clean, with fresh straw regularly replaced, so even when placed under the food stall, no one noticed it.

The idea of naming it was put on hold.

They still weren’t sure if it would survive, and naming it might only make things more painful if it didn’t.

In the past few days, many people have learned that there is a new food stall on Liubao Street.

They sell during the breakfast and lunch hours, and once they run out of food, they close up shop. The iron plate tofu and grilled cold noodles they sell are unique in the entire county, and gradually, people started going out of their way to come and try them.

“I can’t go a day without eating something from your stall; otherwise, everything else just tastes bland and flavorless.”

This was said by Xing Yiming. Although he had a luncheon at Changyue Tower, one of the top restaurants in Qinan County, where a single table’s meal could buy several of Qin Xia’s stalls, Xing Yiming still found himself wandering over to buy a portion of grilled cold noodles after the meal.

Coincidentally, his wife had brought their daughter to the shop, and his daughter, who had inherited his taste, also liked these two snacks. So Xing Yiming decided to bring her along.

“Little duck!”

Xing Yiming’s daughter, Xing Yuan, was five years old, with her hair tied in two buns adorned with pearl flowers. Her face was a bit chubby and round, looking very blessed.

“My little darling, that’s a goose. Let Daddy teach you: pointy beak for a goose, flat beak for a duck. Look, doesn’t it have a pointy beak?”

Xing Yiming, who had this daughter after turning thirty, treated her like a precious gem. Qin Xia couldn’t help but notice how his tone changed when he spoke in front of his daughter.

Seeing that Xing Yuan was interested in the little goose, Yu Jiuque lifted a corner of the cloth covering the basket.

“If you like, you can gently pet it.”

“Really? Then I’ll just touch it lightly.”

The two squatted down together to play with the gosling. With Yu Jiuque helping to watch over her, Xing Yiming wasn’t worried about his daughter running off and focused on waiting for Qin Xia to prepare a portion of grilled cold noodles. After taking a bite, he smacked his lips and said, “I feel like you could add a bit more to these grilled cold noodles. The food at your stall is too plain; it could use some meat.”

“For example, adding some chicken strips, pork tenderloin, grilled sausages, or meatballs?”

Qin Xia recited a list of possible meat additions for the grilled cold noodles, successfully piquing Xing Yiming’s interest.

“What are chicken strips? How are grilled sausages made? Can pork tenderloin really be added?”

After a string of questions, Qin Xia smiled and said, “These are all things I’ve tried adding to my food at home, and they taste great. But selling them at the stall would raise the price, and I’d need to invest more in ingredients.”

Being in business himself, Xing Yiming understood Qin Xia’s reasoning. Currently, the most expensive item Qin Xia sells is the egg, and adding meat would increase the price of a portion by at least seven or eight coins. Few people are willing to spend that much on a snack. Since Qin Xia’s stall is still new and not well-established, it would be a waste if he prepared these and they didn’t sell.

Xing Yiming sighed with regret, “If only there was something affordable and tasty that had the texture of meat.”

He wasn’t necessarily looking for meat from Qin Xia’s stall but purely wanted to enhance the texture of the grilled cold noodles, which felt a bit monotonous at the moment.

Since Yu Jiuque was still accompanying Xing Yuan with the goose, Qin Xia packed up the food for Xing Yiming himself. Hearing this, he had an idea.

“I just thought of something that might work. If it turns out well, it could be just what you described—affordable, with a taste similar to meat.”

Xing Yiming clapped his hands in delight.

“I knew you’d come up with something! And while we’re at it… how about making me a portion of those chicken strips and pork tenderloin you mentioned earlier?”

He was really craving them!