Chapter 23

The woman appeared to be in her thirties, with a timid and evasive demeanor. Half of her face was swollen and red, with bruises and nail marks around her eyes, indicating she had been beaten.

Xu Qinyu guessed who the woman was, seeing her come from the end of the alley. She was likely Old Lady Luo’s daughter-in-law.

Sure enough, another woman shouted, “Madam Lin, what’s this? Didn’t your mother-in-law say the young lady’s fish was terrible? She even came twice yesterday to cause trouble and get back the eight wen. The young lady didn’t say anything and refunded the money, letting your family eat for free. Now you’re addicted to free food? Today, you’re sent to buy fish. Tomorrow, you’ll come to get a refund, and the day after, you’ll send your two daughters? Does your family have no shame?”

The neighbors knew Madam Lin’s plight and the hardships she faced in the Luo family. But free food was free food. No matter how you put it, Madam Lin was still Old Lady Luo’s daughter-in-law. If her family kept causing trouble, the young lady might get fed up and stop selling fish in Osmanthus Alley.

If the young lady sold fish elsewhere, her business would still thrive. Then, the residents of Osmanthus Alley would struggle to afford meat, and their children would remain pale and thin. Who would they complain to then?

This was also a way to inform the young lady that the woman in front of her was Old Lady Luo’s daughter-in-law and that the Luo family was the only troublesome household in the alley.

Madam Lin’s face turned red with embarrassment. But what could she do?

Her mother-in-law had suffered a loss at the young lady’s place and was unwilling to give up. She wanted to continue learning the young lady’s recipes and eat fish, so she sent Madam Lin to buy it. Madam Lin didn’t want to come, but her mother-in-law had beaten her the previous night, along with her two daughters. If she didn’t come today, her mother-in-law would beat them even more severely.

After the woman finished speaking, she saw the bruises on Madam Lin’s face and knew her mother-in-law had beaten her again. She couldn’t help but sigh.

Madam Lin was pitiful, but as the saying goes, “pity and hate often go hand in hand.”

Xu Qinyu looked at the injuries on Madam Lin’s face and realized that if she was Old Lady Luo’s daughter-in-law, she wasn’t actually in her thirties but only around twenty-three or twenty-four, yet she had been worn down to this state.

Feeling a bit distressed, Xu Qinyu said, “Sister, I won’t sell you the fish. Please go back.”

Even if she pitied Madam Lin, she couldn’t continue selling fish to the Luo family.

Madam Lin’s face turned pale, and she looked at Xu Qinyu with pleading eyes.

“Young lady, please sell me the fish. If I go back empty-handed, my mother-in-law will beat me to death.”

“Don’t you have hands and feet?” Xu Qinyu asked her.

Madam Lin was stunned. “W-what?” She didn’t understand what the young lady meant.

Xu Qinyu calmly said, “Don’t you know how to resist? When she hits you, don’t you know how to run?”

Madam Lin’s lips trembled, and she couldn’t speak. No one had ever told her she could resist.

The surrounding women began to nod. In their view, even if their mothers-in-law scolded and beat them, they could resist, but they shouldn’t fight back.

Xu Qinyu’s words implied that if someone hit you, wouldn’t you hit back?

How could a strong young woman in her twenties not be able to handle an old woman?

If she sold the fish to Madam Lin, it would only encourage Old Lady Luo’s bad behavior, making her think Xu Qinyu was easy to manipulate and could befriend her. She would keep trying to get the fish recipe through deceit.

Xu Qinyu believed that even in a feudal society where filial piety was paramount, one shouldn’t be blindly obedient. This wasn’t about filial piety; it was about an old woman abusing her daughter-in-law and granddaughters and Madam Lin not knowing how to resist.

Old Lady Luo had sold her own daughter to get a wife for her son. Now that Madam Lin couldn’t bear a son, Old Lady Luo would sell Madam Lin’s two daughters, divorce Madam Lin, and use the money to get a new wife for her son who could bear a son. It was only a matter of time.

Madam Lin said nothing.

Xu Qinyu ignored her and continued selling fish.

In the end, all the braised grass carp were sold out.

Madam Lin didn’t get any fish and returned to the Luo family, looking despondent. Old Lady Luo’s face was also bruised, and one eye was swollen. Seeing her daughter-in-law return empty-handed, she grabbed a broom and started hitting her. “You useless thing, you can’t even buy a fish. What’s the use of you? You might as well be sold to a brothel.”

Old Lady Luo cursed Madam Lin and Xu Qinyu with vile words, hitting Madam Lin so hard that she bent over in pain, her face turning pale. The physical pain and inner despair made Madam Lin wonder if she could really resist. Could someone really resist their mother or mother-in-law?

At home, she had been beaten and scolded by her mother, but not as severely as by her mother-in-law. She had to work every day and was eventually sold to the Luo family for twenty taels of silver. Her mother didn’t give her any dowry, keeping all the money for her brothers. The reason they got twenty taels of silver was because she was good-looking, and Luo Dagen chose her. Luo Dagen was ugly and still unmarried in his twenties, wanting a beautiful wife, so he picked her. She thought that women in this era were supposed to live like this.

But today, someone told her she could resist.

But how?

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Xu Qinyu bought the fish and returned home, feeling a bit down. She realized she had no right to judge Madam Lin, as most women in this era lived difficult lives. Even those born into noble families had to obey their fathers and husbands, and true freedom was nearly impossible for women.

By the time she got home, her mood had improved. She thought that if she pitied Madam Lin, she should pity herself even more. She was once worth billions but was now a substitute consort in exile. Who could be more unfortunate than her?

If it weren’t for her exceptional cooking skills, her situation might have been worse than Madam Lin’s. Fortunately, the Pei family was easy to get along with, and her culinary skills were a great asset. Despite everything, she still hoped Madam Lin could stand up for herself and protect her two daughters.

Back home, Xu Qinyu started preparing dinner. They had been eating braised fish for several days and were getting tired of it, so she decided to cook spare ribs. She had some old rock sugar at home and decided to splurge a bit by making sweet and sour spare ribs.

The recipe was simple, with the most important step being the caramelization of the sugar. Once the ribs were blanched, she stir-fried them in the caramelized sugar until they were slightly browned, then added soy sauce, vinegar, and salt to bring out the flavor. Finally, she added water and simmered the ribs until the sauce thickened, adding a bit more vinegar at the end.

The whole courtyard was filled with the sweet and tangy aroma of the ribs, making everyone’s mouths water. The residents of Osmanthus Alley also smelled the delicious aroma and knew that the young lady was making something new.

With a large family, Xu Qinyu cooked all the ribs she had bought, over two jin. After finishing the sweet and sour spare ribs, she steamed some egg custard and stir-fried some bean sprouts.

In the southwest, common vegetables included radishes, cabbage, taro, tofu, and bean sprouts. More expensive vegetables like yam, lotus root, winter melon, and water chestnuts had to be transported from other regions. Water chestnuts were considered a type of fruit.

In the evening, Shao Ge’er’s mother, Madam Wu, came to pick up dinner, accompanied by Xiao Cui. Shao Ge’er didn’t come, as it was still very cold despite the snow having lessened.

Xu Qinyu had already packed the food in a lunchbox. She had cooked polished rice rice, which was soft, fragrant, and shiny with its natural oils.

With her daily profits from selling meat sandwiches and braised fish, Xu Qinyu could afford to eat polished rice every day.

Madam Wu brought Xu Qinyu two headscarves and two pairs of fur gloves. They were made from rabbit fur, one white and one gray, likely for her and Pei Weixuan. Seeing them braving the cold to set up their stall every day, Madam Wu had sewn the items for them.

The hats and gloves were made from scraps of rabbit fur with visible seams. Madam Wu’s needlework was excellent, and the hats were cute and fluffy, keeping their heads and hands warm. Xu Qinyu loved them and thanked Madam Wu.

Madam Wu smiled, “I’m glad you like them, young lady.”

Shao Ge’er had visibly gained some weight recently, and Madam Wu was very grateful to Xu Qinyu.

Seeing Xu Qinyu and her husband working hard in the cold, Madam Wu wanted to do something for them. Making clothes wasn’t practical, but hats and gloves were perfect. The Xia family ran a fabric shop, so they had plenty of fabric and fur scraps. Madam Wu used some rabbit fur scraps to make the hats and gloves.

Madam Wu delivered the hats and gloves, picked up Shao Ge’er’s dinner, and left.

Xu Qinyu continued to admire her new rabbit fur hat and gloves. Without a mirror, she couldn’t see how they looked on her. Since becoming her current self, she had only seen her reflection in the washbasin and hadn’t looked closely at her face. But she remembered that her current appearance was about 80-90% similar to her original one.

Xu Qinyu touched the rabbit fur hat on her head and saw the gray rabbit fur hat nearby. She picked it up and went to her husband, standing on tiptoe to put the hat on him. “Fourth Brother, try it on.”

She smiled mischievously, wanting to see how her husband looked in the soft rabbit fur hat.

Pei Weixuan, seeing her on tiptoe, instinctively bent down slightly to make it easier for her. He noticed her mischievous smile and couldn’t help but smile himself. Realizing he was smiling, he paused for a moment, then lowered his eyes and returned to his usual calm expression.

When Xu Qinyu put the rabbit fur hat on her husband, she realized that even though he wore a plain dark blue robe and a fluffy rabbit fur hat, he still looked elegant and refined. His natural grace and nobility couldn’t be hidden.

Xu Qinyu touched her nose, thinking that good looks could make even a burlap sack look stylish.

That evening, they had sweet and sour spare ribs for dinner. Feng Ge’er and Yuan Jie’er loved them. The ribs were slightly caramelized on the outside but tender and juicy inside, with a bright red color. The children ate with gusto, their mouths covered in sweet and sour sauce, licking their lips clean at the end.

…

In the following days, Xu Qinyu and her husband continued to set up their stall. With the warm rabbit fur hat and gloves, Xu Qinyu’s head and hands were well-protected from the cold. Pushing the cart was no longer uncomfortable. Previously, her hands would freeze, and the cold wind would make her head ache. She had even considered buying fur to make a hat and gloves.

With a warm hat and gloves, Xu Qinyu started going to the dock half an hour earlier each day. Business was steady, with around a hundred meat sandwiches sold daily. She only sold breakfast at the dock, not in the evening, so other stalls still had some business.

Xu Qinyu continued selling breakfast at the dock for a few more days before realizing that it was only early winter. Normally, the dock would remain busy for at least another month, with heavy snow only arriving in late winter around the New Year. At that point, the merchant and official ships would stop sailing. However, heavy snow had already fallen this year in early winter, causing them to be stranded. Other merchant ships hadn’t even reached the southwest yet, being delayed by snow and docked at other ports.

According to the people on the merchant ships, they didn’t know how long they would be stuck there.

Xu Qinyu knew that while meat sandwiches were delicious, eating them for ten days to half a month would become tiresome.

Since the people on the merchant ships would stay at the dock for a long time, she planned to sell meat sandwiches for another ten days to half a month before switching to a new breakfast item.

The business for meat sandwiches and braised grass carp had stabilized. She set up her stall early in the morning, sold out, bought ingredients, and returned home by noon. At noon, she could rest for an hour before braising the grass carp.

Old Lady Luo hadn’t dared to send her daughter-in-law or granddaughters to buy fish in the past few days, and the Luo family at the end of the alley had been quiet.

With the money she earned, Xu Qinyu started thinking about new dishes. She wanted to eat winter bamboo shoots and cured meat. The winter bamboo shoots and cured meat she had made on the road to exile weren’t authentic. The authentic dish was the Huizhou cuisine “Xian Du Xian,” which was truly savory and rich.

Xian Du Xian required high-quality ham, spring or winter bamboo shoots, fresh pork, cured meat, ham, lettuce, and other ingredients.

The most important components were the ham and cured meat. Making a good ham requires curing, fermenting, and air-drying for at least half a year. Even if she couldn’t eat it now, she could start making the ham and cured meat. It was also time to cure some meat for the New Year. She selected a good pork hind leg and bought several jin of salt to cure the ham.

Making ham uses a lot of salt. She first trimmed the pork hind leg, then rubbed it thoroughly with salt, making sure to massage the salt into the meat. She repeated the salting process a second time before air-drying and fermenting it. The ham would be ready to eat later, and she also planned to sell it. In addition to the ham, she cured some meat, which would be ready to eat around the New Year. She also made some cured fish, rubbing them with five-spice powder for better flavor.

Five-spice powder was made by blending and roasting several spices, then grinding them into a powder.

Looking at the cured meat, cured fish, and a large ham hanging in the kitchen, Xu Qinyu felt very satisfied.

Meanwhile, Xu Qinyu’s business was running smoothly. After escorting the Pei family to their place of exile, Deputy Officer Chen and Ma Liu left Raocheng and returned to the capital.

Initially, they planned to return to the capital by water, traveling on a merchant ship, and even bringing Deputy Officer Chen’s horse aboard. However, after two days, it started snowing heavily, making the water route dangerous. The merchant ship docked at a nearby port, and Deputy Officer Chen and Ma Liu continued their journey on the official road.

The official road had relay stations and horses, allowing them to travel quickly. In a few days, they reached the capital, Daxing.

Upon arrival, Ma Liu told Deputy Officer Chen, “Boss, I’ll go to the Marquis of Dechang’s residence to deliver a message to Miss Xu’s parents.”

During the journey to exile, they had benefited from Miss Xu’s generosity, enjoying her delicious food. She had even taught Ma Liu several simple recipes, making future journeys more bearable. Miss Xu had also mentioned a more exquisite way to cook winter bamboo shoots and cured meat, called “Xian Du Xian,” and shared the recipe with him.

Grateful for her kindness, Ma Liu kept his promise and went to the Marquis of Dechang’s residence as soon as they arrived in the capital to deliver a message of safety.

Deputy Officer Chen nodded, “Go ahead.”

Ma Liu immediately headed to the Marquis of Dechang’s residence.

The main gate was tightly closed. Ma Liu knocked, and the gatekeeper soon opened the door, looking Ma Liu up and down impatiently. “Who are you looking for?”

Having just returned to the capital and not having rested much, Ma Liu was disheveled and covered in dust.

With a stern face, Ma Liu said, “I am the Officer who escorted the second young lady of this residence to the southwest for exile. I have come to deliver a message.”

The gatekeeper’s attitude didn’t improve much upon learning Ma Liu’s identity. He said indifferently, “Please wait while I inform the household.”

Ma Liu’s face grew darker as the gatekeeper went inside to report. Despite his low status, he was there to deliver a message to the Marquis of Dechang’s residence, yet the servants still treated him poorly. This indicated how Miss Xu had been treated in the household. Even if she had enough to eat and drink, she likely wasn’t respected, which explained why she had been sent to exile as a substitute for the Marquis’s third daughter.

No wonder Miss Xu knew how to cook; the Marquis of Dechang’s household had forced her to learn. Otherwise, how would a noble young lady know such skills?

“Ridiculous!” Ma Liu angrily kicked the stone lion at the gate.

About a quarter of an hour later, the gatekeeper returned and said, “Please follow me. Old lady wishes to see you.”

With a stern face, Ma Liu followed the gatekeeper into the residence.

They walked through corridors and courtyards for a long time, passing through a flower gate to a quiet courtyard. Several maids and older women stood under the eaves. One of the older women, dressed in a fine cotton jacket, dismissed the gatekeeper and bowed to Ma Liu before leading him into the hall.

An elderly lady dressed in a soft silk robe and wearing a ruby headband sat at the head of the hall. Upon seeing Ma Liu, she immediately said, “Are you the Officer who escorted our Yuniang to the southwest? How is she? Did she suffer much on the journey? My poor Yuniang, she was sent away in such a hurry, without any time to prepare. She must have endured a lot of hardships.”

Ma Liu sneered inwardly. The old lady’s headband alone was worth dozens of taels of silver.

Even though King Shu offended the new emperor, leading to the confiscation of King Shu’s estate before exile, the new emperor didn’t pursue Miss Xu as harshly. If the old lady had given Miss Xu some silver notes, gold beans, or gold leaves, she wouldn’t have suffered so much on the road to exile. Miss Xu had endured a lot of hardships on the journey, indicating she had no money for bribes. And this old lady was wailing without shedding a tear. If she genuinely cared about her granddaughter, why wasn’t she crying?

Ma Liu misunderstood this point, but he wasn’t entirely wrong. The five gold leaves Xu Qinyu had were all the money the second household could gather. The old lady’s headband alone was worth dozens of silver taels, showing she was not concerned for this granddaughter.

Ma Liu said, “Miss Xu suffered a lot on the journey. She couldn’t even afford congee and was sick most of the way. But she made it through and has safely reached Raozhou City.”

The old lady dabbed her dry eyes with a handkerchief, “My poor Yuniang, it’s all our Marquis’s fault. It’s her fate. Who could have imagined the Eldest Prince would commit such treasonous acts, implicating King Shu’s lineage and leading to their exile? My Yuniang is so understanding, not crying or complaining, willing to follow King Shu into exile.”

Ma Liu gritted his teeth. This old lady was blatantly lying. Half of the capital knew that the one betrothed to King Shu was the Marquis of Dechang’s third daughter, Xu Qinhui.

Holding back his anger, Ma Liu said, “Miss Xu suffered a lot on the journey, but she survived. Old Madam, Miss Xu asked me to deliver a message to her parents. Please allow me to speak with them.”

The old lady said, “Yuniang’s mother has been ill since her exile and hasn’t recovered. You don’t need to go. I’ll have someone deliver the message to the second household.”

Ma Liu couldn’t hold back any longer and sneered, “Even a rat has skin, but you, Old Madam, have no shame? If you truly cared about your granddaughter, you would have given her silver notes and gold. Miss Xu had no money on the road to exile and barely survived. Everyone in the capital knows about your Marquis’s affairs. If Second Madam is worried about her daughter, you should let me deliver the message personally. Second Madam will recover once she hears from her daughter. Or do you not want your daughter-in-law to get better?”

The old lady’s face turned ashen. How dare this lowly person insult her?

The old lady had never been humiliated like this before. She wanted to have him beaten, but he was an officer, not a servant. She feared that if she drove him away, he would spread rumors and tarnish her and the Marquis’s reputation.

With a dark expression, the old lady said, “I meant well, but since you misunderstand, I have nothing more to say. Nanny Feng, take this Officer to the second household.”

Nanny Feng’s face was also grim. She responded coldly, “Please follow me to the second household.”

Ma Liu ignored the old lady and followed Nanny Feng to the second household.

Nanny Feng didn’t speak to Ma Liu along the way, maintaining a stern expression, but Ma Liu didn’t care.

They soon reached the second household, which was located in the southern part of the residence, far from the main courtyard where the old lady lived.

At the entrance of the second household, Nanny Feng said coldly, “Officer, we’ve arrived. You may proceed.”

She then turned and left.

Ma Liu muttered, “What kind of people are these?”

Just as he finished speaking, a small child emerged from the bushes and kicked Ma Liu’s leg. “Who are you? What are you doing at our second household? Did Grandmother send you to scold my mother?”

Ma Liu turned to see a boy about five or six years old with delicate and pretty features that resembled Miss Xu’s. However, the boy had a fierce expression and barked his teeth at Ma Liu.

Seeing the boy at the entrance of the second household, Ma Liu realized he must be Miss Xu’s younger brother.

He said, “I’m here to deliver a message to your parents from your sister.”

The boy paused, then dropped his fierce expression and grabbed Ma Liu’s clothes, pulling him inside. “Mother, Mother, someone has brought a message from Sister.”

The boy pulled Ma Liu into the courtyard. There were only two maids in the courtyard, and one of them hurriedly asked, “Lige’er, what are you doing? Who is this?”

Ma Liu briefly explained his identity, and the maid’s face lit up joyfully. She quickly informed the household, and soon, a pale-faced woman was shakily escorted out by the maid. Seeing Ma Liu, she didn’t even bother with formalities and asked tremblingly, “Officer, do you have news of my Yuniang?”

“Yes…” Ma Liu recounted Xu Qinyu’s journey to the woman.

He also mentioned that Miss Xu initially had no will to live and was despondent throughout the journey. However, after falling ill, she had a change of heart and even cooked for them. He relayed Miss Xu’s words to the woman.

The woman was Xu Qinyu’s mother, Madam Xue.

Madam Xue listened to Ma Liu’s account and burst into tears, but the knot in her heart slowly began to unravel. As long as her daughter was alive and had the will to survive, they would eventually reunite.

When her daughter was sent to King Xu, Madam Xue caused a commotion at the Marquis’s residence. The old lady tied her up and sent Yuniang to the Crown Prince’s residence. It was only thanks to a clever maid who secretly slipped five gold leaves into Yuniang’s sleeve as she was being tied up.

Seeing Madam Xue’s sorrow, Ma Liu felt terrible. When her sobs subsided, he scratched his head and said, “Madam, rest assured. I can tell that Miss Xu has truly understood her situation. Her cooking is genuinely delicious. I think it’s even better than the food in the capital’s finest restaurants. With her skills, she can definitely make a living in the southwest. She even said she’ll make a lot of money for you in the future.”

Madam Xue didn’t take this to heart. As long as Yuniang could live well, that was enough.

Yuniang did know how to cook, and her food was decent, but claiming it was better than the capital’s finest restaurants seemed exaggerated.

Madam Xue thanked Ma Liu again, and Ma Liu, having delivered the message, took his leave.

Lige’er escorted Ma Liu out, asking many questions about his sister, visibly worried about her.

After Ma Liu reassured the boy with more details, Lige’er silently vowed to become a high-ranking official in the future to protect his sister and bring her back to the capital.

…

Meanwhile, in the courtyard of the Marquis of Dechang’s third household, a beautiful young lady lay on a chaise longue covered with white fox fur. She was the third daughter of the Marquis, Xu Qinhui.

Xu Qinhui opened her eyes and, seeing the surroundings, was initially confused. Slowly, her eyes widened in disbelief.