Chapter 15

When the gate opened, the courtyard scene unfolded before them.

Xu Qinyu immediately liked the small courtyard. The walls of the three houses were clean and well-maintained, and the courtyard itself was spotless, without any fallen leaves or other debris. It seemed the owner regularly came to clean. The courtyard and the paths leading from the gate to the three house doors were paved with pebbles, each about three to four feet wide. On the left side of the courtyard was a crooked jujube tree, and under it was a well. A stone platform surrounded the well, and the ground was paved with smooth pebbles, making it clean and attractive. However, it was already winter, and the jujube tree was bare.

The courtyard was covered with snow, but the pebble paths had only a thin layer of snow, making them visible. The snow on the roof was also thin, indicating it had been cleared.

Madam Wu smiled and said, “This morning, I had Xiao Cui come over to clear the snow from the courtyard.”

The rest of the ground was dirt, but with these pebble paths, even on rainy days, the mud wouldn’t be tracked into the house. The pebbles were carefully selected to be flat and of similar size, showing that the owner took good care of the house and cherished it.

Xu Qinyu was visibly delighted, and even Madam Wen immediately liked the small courtyard. Having spent over twenty years in the palace, enjoying luxurious living, even when she was a concubine in the Anping Duke’s Mansion, the houses were better than this one. But among ordinary people, this small courtyard was indeed very clean and comfortable, with a touch of ingenuity everywhere, which she also liked.

Entering the courtyard, Madam Wu unlocked the doors of the houses, opening them wide so everyone could see the structure and condition inside.

Madam Wu said, “These furniture pieces are all ready to use. Although some are old, they are quite clean. If you rent or buy this house, you can continue to use them.”

The main house faced south and was the largest and longest. Xu Qinyu went inside to take a look. The main house was divided into three rooms. The middle was the hall, used for dining or entertaining guests. The hall was a bit small but sufficient, as it was flanked by two small rooms. Inside the two small rooms, there was a wooden bed, a small wooden table, and a simple standing cabinet in the corner. The other room was similar.

What delighted Xu Qinyu even more was that both small rooms had windows. Opening the windows revealed the backyard, providing excellent natural light. It wasn’t exactly a backyard; it was just a narrow passage between the house and the back wall, about three to four feet wide, roughly a meter. The area was enclosed by walls, making it suitable for storing some miscellaneous items. To the left of the main house was a wing room, which was about the size of the two small rooms combined. It was also simply furnished and had windows. On the right was the kitchen, with a small wooden shed next to it, storing some firewood.

The three houses, excluding the kitchen and the hall, had one large room and two small rooms, enough for their family of six.

Madam Wu smiled and said, “How do you like it, young lady and auntie? If you rent it, it’s three hundred wen per month. If you buy it, it’s ninety taels of silver.”

Renting a house on South Street usually cost around two hundred wen, with cheaper options at one hundred fifty wen. However, those houses were likely dilapidated and uncomfortable, without wells.

Xu Qinyu looked at Madam Wen. She could afford three hundred wen in rent, confident in her culinary skills to support the family. But buying the house for ninety taels of silver would leave them with only four taels after purchasing cooking utensils and other necessities, which might be difficult.

Madam Wen was also tempted. They decided to discuss it with Pei Weixuan and Pei Jianing before deciding.

Xu Qinyu told Madam Wu, “Sister Xia, my mother, and I really like this house, but we need to discuss with our family whether to rent or buy it.”

Madam Wu smiled and said, “Of course.”

After viewing the house, Madam Wu, worried about her son, wanted to return quickly. Since her daughter’s incident, she never felt comfortable leaving her son alone, even with Xiao Cui watching him. But with the heavy snow and her son’s weak health, she couldn’t take him out.

Madam Wu was about to ask Manager Liu from the broker to take them back when the young lady said, “Sister Xia, do you have any fish at home? I can make some food for Shao Ge’er.”

Fish was a good choice, especially in ancient times when fish grew up eating small fish, shrimp, and algae, with no pollution, making the meat tender and nutritious, perfect for children.

“What?” Madam Wu was stunned. She hadn’t expected the young lady to be serious about making food for Shao Ge’er. After hesitating, she said, “No, but we have other ingredients.”

Fish had a strong earthy taste that even adults didn’t like, so how could a child enjoy it?

There seemed to be a fish vendor ahead, so Xu Qinyu bought a grass carp weighing about five or six jin.

Manager Liu from the broker’s office had to take Xu Qinyu and Mrs. Wen back to West Street, so he had to wait at the Xia residence. Usually, he wouldn’t be willing to wait, but with the heavy snow and few customers at the broker’s office, he decided to follow along. He was curious to see why the young lady seemed so confident. He knew Shao Ge’er, having helped sell the house and known Madam Wu for half a year. He knew her child was weak and didn’t like to eat, which was worrisome.

The house was well-maintained, and someone was willing to pay eighty-five taels of silver for it, but Madam Wu insisted on ninety taels and wouldn’t budge. Houses in this area typically cost around seventy-five taels, but they lacked wells and were poorly maintained. Madam Wu’s house was indeed very good, and many people were willing to pay an extra five or ten taels for it.

After buying the fish, Xu Qinyu followed Madam Wu back.

Xiao Cui had already finished feeding Shao Ge’er, but the bowl was still mostly untouched.

Seeing her mistress, Xiao Cui looked distressed and said, “Madam, Ge’er won’t eat.”

Madam Wu sighed, “Never mind, take Shao Ge’er to play.”

Xu Qinyu added, “Sister Xia, please take me to the kitchen.”

The Xia family’s kitchen was large and clean, with plenty of ingredients. Xu Qinyu noticed they had yams, which are excellent for nourishing the spleen and stomach, making them ideal for children’s food.

Yams were quite expensive, especially in this season. Besides yams, there were radishes and cabbage. There was also a piece of pork belly, some ribs, and plum meat (*), the most tender part of the pig, likely intended for the child.

T/N: pork shoulder.

The Xia family even had some pepper powder, though only a little, showing they spared no expense for their child. They also had both white and brown sugar.

Seeing so many ingredients, Xu Qinyu had a plan. She started by cleaning the fish and discarding the head, bones, and belly. She minced the fish meat and mixed it with ginger water, pepper powder, a bit of water starch, and egg white. She made the starch by settling white flour, as this era didn’t have starch or crops like corn, potatoes, or sweet potatoes. However, mung beans and wheat could still produce starch.

Starch mainly acts as a binder, making food thicker and helping ingredients stick together for better shaping.

Initially, she planned to make fish slice porridge, but seeing the yams and plum meat, she decided to switch to yam and lean meat porridge, making fish balls from the fish meat. Fish balls are chewy and bouncy, which children tend to like.

Xu Qinyu worked methodically, preparing several dishes without any sign of haste.

As the kitchen gradually filled with the enticing aroma, Madam Wu and Manager Liu stood by, dumbfounded. They had never smelled such rich food aromas before.

Even Xiao Cui, who was playing with Shao Ge’er in the hall, was drawn to the kitchen by the smell, carrying Shao Ge’er and asking, “Madam, what are you cooking? It smells amazing.”

Madam Wu didn’t respond, her eyes fixed on the pots on the stove.

Even Shao Ge’er, in XiaoCcui’s arms, stared wide-eyed, swallowing his saliva.

On the two stoves, one pot contained plump white fish balls, and the other had yam and lean meat porridge. The plum meat and yam were minced, making the porridge thick and fragrant, bubbling with heat and aroma.

Xu Qinyu finished in about half an hour. She made fish balls, candied yams, stir-fried cabbage, and a pot of yam and lean meat porridge. She tasted a fish ball herself, finding it fresh, crisp, and delicious. The fish was incredibly fresh.

The fish balls were made with fish bones and large bones, which enhanced the flavor. Freshly cooked fish balls are best eaten immediately, but they can be stored for later use in soups or noodles and will still remain delicious.

Shao Ge’er suddenly spoke, “Mom, I want to eat too.”

Madam Wu was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, “Alright, alright, Mom will get it for you.”

Xu Qinyu, smiling, used chopsticks to pick up a fish ball and handed it to Madam Wu, instructing her to blow on it before giving it to Shao Ge’er.

Shao Ge’er took the chopsticks and took a small bite of the plump white fish ball, and his eyes widened. He then took a big bite, chewing with his cheeks puffed out as the aroma and juices of the fish ball filled his mouth. Though he didn’t speak much and didn’t understand many words, he knew what delicious meant, just like the plump white fish ball in his mouth—he wanted more after tasting it.

Shao Ge’er swallowed half of the fish ball, then stuffed the remaining half into his mouth and handed the chopsticks back to Madam Wu, saying unclearly, “Mom, I want more.”

Madam Wu covered her mouth, crying tears of joy. This was the first time Shao Ge’er had ever told her he wanted more food.

Madam Wu took the chopsticks and gave Shao Ge’er another fish ball.

Xiao Cui was stunned. She had been with the Xia family for two years and knew how difficult it was to get the young master to eat. He had never asked for food on his own.

Xu Qinyu smiled and said, “Sister Xia, let’s take the food to the hall and let Shao Ge’er eat by himself.”

As they moved the food to the hall, Shao Ge’er finished his second fish ball and started on the third.

In the hall, Madam Wu cooled the fish balls and placed them in Shao Ge’er’s bowl. He grabbed a chopstick and started eating the fish balls on his own. He ate five fish balls in a row before stopping. Finally, he used the chopstick to pick up a piece of candied yam.

The candied yam was crispy on the outside with a sugary coating and soft on the inside, and it tasted sweet.

Xu Qinyu hadn’t added too much sugar to the candied yam, just enough to make it slightly sweet, which was perfect. She had made all the dishes suitable for children, light yet flavorful.

Shao Ge’er particularly enjoyed them, eating quite a lot. He even ate half a bowl of yam and lean meat porridge and several bites of the stir-fried cabbage. He ate until he was full and finally put down the chopstick, looking at Madam Wu with wide eyes, “Mom, I’m full.”

Madam Wu hugged Shao Ge’er and felt his round, full belly.

It was the first time Madam Wu had seen her son’s belly so full. She cried joyfully, grabbing Xu Qinyu’s hand and saying excitedly, “Young lady, if you want to rent the house, it’s only two hundred wen. If you want to buy it, eighty taels of silver will do!” She had reduced the price by ten taels.

Manager Liu was a bit confused, but the young lady’s cooking smelled so good that he wanted to taste it himself.

Madam Wu was eager for the young lady to live nearby. She added, “If you still think the price is high, we can lower it further.”

She knew what it meant for the young lady to live nearby. It meant Shao Ge’er could eat well, grow strong, and live healthily.

Xu Qinyu smiled and said, “Alright, I really like the house too. I’ll discuss with my family whether to rent or buy it, and we should be able to give you an answer this afternoon. Can we come back then?”

“Of course,” Madam Wu nodded repeatedly. “I’ll be waiting at home for you and your mother this afternoon.”

“Alright,” Xu Qinyu and Madam Wen left with Manager Liu.

After they left, Madam Wu hugged Shao Ge’er and tasted the dishes herself.

The fish balls were extremely fresh, without any fishy smell. She had eaten meatballs before but never fish balls, and she didn’t know they could taste so good—fresh and bouncy.

The candied yam was also delicious. Even she couldn’t resist eating several pieces. Seeing Xiao Cui’s eager eyes, she gave the remaining pieces to her. Xiao Cui ate them while exclaiming, “Madam, this is so delicious! I’ve never had such tasty snacks before. They’re much better than the ones from Bai Xiang Tavern.”

Indeed, the dishes were more like snacks.

Manager Liu took Xu Qinyu and Madam Wen back to the inn.

Upon returning, the inn was eerily quiet. Although there were four people inside, all awake, they were in the same room, and not a single person was speaking.