Chapter 21

The residents of Osmanthus Alley knew that the newly arrived young lady was a skilled cook; otherwise, the food she made wouldn’t smell so delicious all day long.

Hearing her call out in the alley, they guessed it was the talented young lady. They had seen her pushing a cart to the dock in the morning, but the meat sandwiches were too expensive at eight wen each, only enough to satisfy a child’s craving. They couldn’t afford it. Now, hearing her call out, they couldn’t help but be tempted.

But braised grass carp? Fish? The earthy smell of fish was too strong. Sometimes, when there was nothing else to eat at home, they would buy fish because it was cheap, even cheaper than beans and grains. But it didn’t taste good, and the smell was off-putting. The children wouldn’t eat it, preferring boiled vegetables, so the adults didn’t like buying it either.

When the young lady mentioned fish, everyone couldn’t help but wonder if it could be good.

But the aroma was just as enticing as the meat sandwiches in the morning, and the children were clamoring, “Mom, Mom, I want to eat, I want to eat.”

Everyone had to come out and take a look.

They saw the thin young lady pushing the same strange cart from the morning, calling out her wares, with the handsome man beside her. On the cart’s cutting board were a clay pot and an iron pot, both steaming.

Xu Qinyu had even brought out the iron pot. The braised grass carp would easily mix flavors in a wooden basin, and the large clay pot was already used for braised intestines. Other containers weren’t suitable.

Seeing people come out, Xu Qinyu started calling out again.

Someone holding a child asked, “Young lady, can this fish really taste good?”

Xu Qinyu stopped the cart, smiling, “Don’t worry, sister, it’s absolutely delicious. If it’s not, you can get your money back. The fish is fresh and tender, with few bones, and nutritious. It’s great for children, but be sure to pick out the bones. The best parts for kids are the belly and head. A fish weighs two to three jin, with smaller ones at five wen and larger ones at eight wen. When you get home, put it in a clay pot on the stove, add water and some salt, and you can add cabbage, tofu, radishes, or bean sprouts. The grass carp is fatty, so you don’t need extra oil. Just boil it, and it’s ready to eat.”

This was the most economical way she could think of, and it was tasty and nutritious. A clay pot with added vegetables would be enough for a family.

The nearby children were already drooling, tugging at their mothers’ clothes.

“Mom, Mom, I want to eat, I want to eat.”

The sister was tempted. A small fish for five wen, with added vegetables, would be enough for the family’s dinner. Plus, the young lady promised a refund if it tasted fishy.

“Alright, give me a small one.”

Xu Qinyu smiled, “Sister, go get a pot, and I’ll help you pick one.”

The woman quickly returned with a clay pot, and Xu Qinyu placed a fish inside. The fish, with its golden-brown skin and sauce, looked delicious.

The woman paid and took the fish home with her child.

Seeing someone buy, others were tempted too. Osmanthus Alley had about a dozen households, and any commotion could be heard throughout. So, everyone knew someone had bought the braised grass carp.

Many people gathered around, chatting.

Someone asked, “Young lady, if it doesn’t taste good, will you really refund the money?”

Xu Qinyu nodded, “Yes, I will.”

Of course, she had first fried the fish to make the skin crispy, then added water to braise it until the sauce thickened. The inside was tender and delicious. If anyone claimed it wasn’t good and wanted a refund, they were just causing trouble. She wouldn’t sell to them again.

Hearing this, everyone went home to get pots and buy fish, some choosing larger ones, some smaller.

Xu Qinyu explained how to cook the fish, saying it was still hot and could be eaten directly. They could also add salt and hot water with vegetables. She reminded those with children to be careful with the bones.

An older woman, eyeing the fish in the pot, asked, “Young lady, if we can’t taste it, how do we know it’s good? What if it isn’t, and you don’t refund us?”

“Don’t worry, sister,” Xu Qinyu replied. “If it’s not good, I’ll refund you. It’s cheap, and I’m not making much profit.”

Seeing Xu Qinyu’s gentle demeanor, the older woman smiled, “Alright, give me a large one.”

Others, seeing this, hesitated but didn’t speak up, watching Xu Qinyu sell the fish to the older woman.

In the end, all the fish were bought by the residents of Osmanthus Alley.

This time, the sales were even quicker. Xu Qinyu kept two larger fish, one for her family and one for the Xia family.

Back home, Zhu Zi came over, and Xu Qinyu gave him some leftover fish balls and the braised grass carp while explaining how to eat it.

After Zhu Zi left, Madam Wen still hadn’t returned.

As it got dark, past dinner time, Madam Wen still wasn’t back. Xu Qinyu grew anxious, and even Pei Jianing couldn’t help but look towards the courtyard gate.

Xu Qinyu couldn’t sit still, “Fourth Brother, Jianing, I’ll go look for Mother.”

“I’ll go with you,” Pei Weixuan said, standing up.

They left Pei Jianing to watch the children and headed out.

Just as they reached the courtyard gate, Pei Weixuan stopped, “Mother’s back.”

Xu Qinyu, puzzled, saw no footprints in the snow. But when she opened the gate and looked down the alley, she saw a figure that looked like Madam Wen.

“Fourth Brother, you’re amazing,” Xu Qinyu exclaimed, impressed. Her husband must have some inner strength or martial arts skills, like a legendary martial artist!

Pei Weixuan glanced at her, seeing her wide-eyed admiration, and felt a bit helpless.

Madam Wen returned, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Entering the courtyard, Madam Wen seemed distracted but smiled when she saw her family waiting, “It’s already dark. Have you eaten dinner? Don’t wait for me. If I’m late, you should eat first.”

Xu Qinyu shook her head, “We always wait for you, Mother.”

The pot was steaming in the kitchen, filling the room with a delicious aroma. Xu Qinyu had added some crushed Zanthoxylum, Sichuan pepper, and lard to the fish, making it spicy and appetizing.

The family ate heartily, feeling warm and comfortable. After dinner, they didn’t rush to clean up. Madam Wen took out a bundle of copper coins, saying she had found work washing clothes for a family in the west of town, earning thirty wen.

Earning thirty wen a day for washing clothes was quite good. Most families didn’t spend that much daily, and a laborer might earn thirty to forty wen a day. Women washing clothes for others usually earned ten wen a day.

Xu Qinyu couldn’t help but advise Madam Wen, saying she could help at home instead of doing such hard work.

But Madam Wen shook her head, “Yuniang, let me do it.”

She didn’t want to burden Xu Qinyu with all the family’s responsibilities. Moreover, that household…

Madam Wen clenched her fists.

Seeing Madam Wen’s determination, Xu Qinyu decided not to persuade her further. Only Pei Weixuan glanced at his mother.

Madam Wen counted the money she earned today, while Xu Qinyu brought out the money box and started counting.

Today, they sold forty-four meat sandwiches and sixteen fish. Each meat sandwich was eight wen, totaling three hundred fifty-two wen. The cost of each meat sandwich was about four wen, with the cost of pig offal being negligible. The main costs were white flour, eggs, and spices. The net profit for each meat sandwich was about three wen, making the total profit for the forty-four sandwiches around one hundred fifty wen. The cost could be reduced further if they bought eggs and vegetables from the village.

The cost of fish was low, but so was the selling price. They earned about one wen per jin of fish, making a profit of thirty wen from selling sixteen fish. In total, today’s net profit was around one hundred eighty wen.

Today was just a trial run. If the meat sandwiches and braised fish sold well, they would increase the quantity in the future.

The profit from meat sandwiches was much higher than from fish. Xu Qinyu had her reasons for not selling meat sandwiches at the dock in the evening. When they opened a restaurant in the future, she planned to continue selling braised whole fish at a stable price as a promotional strategy.

Of course, she also had a personal reason—she felt sorry for the children. Having grown up in an orphanage, she knew all too well what it was like for children to lack food and drink.

Madam Wen didn’t expect her daughter-in-law to earn one hundred eighty wen in a day. Calculating this, it amounted to over five taels of silver a month, comparable to the salary of a sixth or seventh-rank official. Of course, running a business was hard work, unlike being an official. In the social hierarchy, merchants were considered the lowest.

Madam Wen didn’t take her daughter-in-law’s money. Xu Qinyu kept her own earnings, as she had the business acumen. Madam Wen saved her own earnings and didn’t constantly ask her daughter-in-law for money.

After dinner, Madam Wen helped clean the kitchen and utensils while Xu Qinyu started braising the intestines. She had cleaned the offal thoroughly in the afternoon, so now she could braise it directly.

Soon, the aroma of braised intestines filled the alley. But tonight, the children in Osmanthus Alley didn’t fuss because they had eaten delicious fish and vegetables for dinner.

The children, nestled beside their mothers, smelled the aroma and only tugged at their mothers’ clothes, saying, “Mom, the food that sister makes smells so good.”

Holding her child, the woman smiled and asked, “Are you still craving it?”

The child nodded and then shook his head, “I still crave it, but I’m full from dinner. It’s just a craving.”

The children had never eaten such a delicious dinner before. The fish the sister sold was so tasty; even the usual cabbage, radishes, tofu, and bean sprouts added to it tasted much better.

“Mom, can we have fish again tomorrow?” the child asked, still wanting more.

The woman laughed, “Of course we can.”

A fish for five wen, with added radishes, cabbage, and tofu, was affordable. It cost more than usual, but the whole family could eat well and be full, especially the children, who could get the nutrition they needed. They knew the young lady was kind-hearted, selling such delicious fish at a low price. Otherwise, with her skills, this tasty fish could be sold at any restaurant for many times the price.

The families in Osmanthus Alley were very grateful to Xu Qinyu and thought about helping her whenever she needed it.

---

The next morning, Xu Qinyu got up early to fry eggs, make flatbreads, and stir-fry cabbage. She prepared over fifty meat sandwiches again. When Zhu Zi came to get food for Shao Ge’er, Xu Qinyu gave him a meat sandwich and a bowl of porridge for Shao Ge’er’s meal.

Yesterday, she gave the Xia family fresh food to try, but today, only Shao Ge’er had a portion.

Seeing this, Zhu Zi scratched his head and said, “Miss Xu, my master said he wants to buy meat sandwiches, too.”

In the morning, the master had eaten one meat sandwich and wasn’t satisfied. He said he had never eaten anything so delicious in all his travels.

Xu Qinyu smiled, “Of course. How many does Master Xia want?”

Zhu Zi smiled, “Seven.”

Master could eat four in one go; the remaining three were for him, Xiao Cui, and the mistress.

Xu Qinyu took the money and made seven meat sandwiches for Zhu Zi to take back.

She and Pei Weixuan then went to the dock to sell.

With only forty meat sandwiches left, Xu Qinyu guessed they wouldn’t be enough.

Sure enough, as soon as they arrived at the dock, the crew members who had bought meat sandwiches yesterday came over.

Learning there were only about forty meat sandwiches, they immediately lined up. Almost everyone from that merchant ship came, each wanting three or four sandwiches, enough for only about ten people. Those who didn’t get any couldn’t help but cry out, “Young lady, can’t you make more? We didn’t get any.”

Xu Qinyu scratched her nose, “I’ll prepare more tomorrow.”

These men had only eaten them for a day, so they were still fresh to them. They could eat them for at least ten days to half a month before getting tired of them. It seemed she needed to prepare more for tomorrow.

Just then, soldiers from the two official ships came down, seeing the scene and sneering, “Country bumpkins, treating pig offal like a treasure.”

Hearing this, the merchant ship crew dared not speak up.

After mocking them, the soldiers walked away. But just a few steps later, the soldier who had mocked the pig offal suddenly fell face-first, hitting the ground hard and bleeding.

Xu Qinyu chuckled and glanced at Pei Weixuan, knowing it couldn’t be a coincidence. Her husband must have done it. He must have inner strength and martial arts skills.

Pei Weixuan lowered his eyes slightly, “Yuniang, let’s go back.”

“Alright.”

Xu Qinyu’s voice was cheerful.

They pushed the cart to the market to buy pig offal and fish.

This time, Xu Qinyu bought two sets of pig offal. The old man selling fish was there again, with about forty jin of grass carp.

After buying everything, they returned to Osmanthus Alley.

Entering the courtyard, they saw Pei Jianing sitting in the main hall with red eyes, her hair a bit messy, and her jacket disheveled.

Feng Ge’er and Yuan Jie’er were pale, nestled in Pei Jianing’s arms.