Chapter 31

Looking at the pile of copper coins on the table, even Pei Jianing felt a bit excited. When she was a princess, surrounded by precious treasures in the palace, she never felt anything. In fact, she looked down on those who bent over for gold and silver. Now, she realized that earning money through her own efforts felt different. It made her want to earn money on her own, just like her fourth sister-in-law, doing something she loved and could make money from. She didn’t mind being a cook or helping her fourth sister-in-law with these tasks.

Of course, at first, she had some thoughts, feeling embarrassed because she had never done such work before. But after nearly a month, those tangled thoughts had long disappeared. However, there were few things she could help her fourth sister-in-law with. At most, she could scrape fish scales and meat from fish bones, but her knife skills were not good enough for filleting fish. As for pounding fish paste, she didn’t have enough strength. Her fourth sister-in-law said that the fish balls wouldn’t have the right texture if the fish paste wasn’t pounded with enough force.

So, this task was done by Fourth Brother. She wasn’t suited for the cooking profession and had no talent for it. In the past, when her father was unwell, she wanted to make soup for him herself. But the soup she made following the imperial chef’s instructions tasted vastly different.

It wasn’t as good as the soup her mother made. In fact, her mother’s soup was just average, but her father always said it was delicious.

Thinking of her father, Pei Jianing felt a pang in her heart. Her father truly loved her. They would have lived a very happy life if they had been born into an ordinary family.

The clinking sound of the copper coins on the table brought Pei Jianing back to reality. She looked at the table and saw her fourth sister-in-law counting the coins.

Pei Jianing smiled and started counting the coins, too.

A hundred copper coins were strung together with fine hemp rope, making them easier to count. Ten strings of coins made one guan.

Feng Ge’er and Yuan Jie’er sat on small stools in the kitchen, watching Mo Yu play in the courtyard. In the kitchen, Xu Qinyu and Pei Jianing counted the money.

Pei Weixuan just sat there, watching Yuniang and his sister count the money. Yuniang’s eyes curved into smiles, and she couldn’t hide the joy on her face. Ning Jie’er also had a faint smile on her face. It seemed like the whole family had changed under Yuniang’s influence. They were no longer self-destructive and had started to have the desire to live well.

Pei Weixuan didn’t know why, but he felt a bit soft-hearted. He paused slightly and pressed his hand against his chest. This seemed to be the first time he experienced this soft feeling in his heart. When his elder brother and father had their accidents, he was sad and had feelings for his family, but this sadness and emotion felt more like a bond of blood. He had never experienced this kind of soft-hearted feeling.

Xu Qinyu quickly finished counting the money and smiled, “Today, we earned a total of two guan and sixty-two wen.”

The Jiangmi sausages sold about a hundred portions, and there were two hundred tea eggs, all sold out in less than half an hour in the morning, bringing in twelve hundred wen. Actually, the breakfast sales accounted for the majority of the earnings. In the afternoon, the fish balls, braised green fish, and fish head tofu stew brought in just over eight hundred wen, with the fish balls alone selling for nearly six hundred wen.

After deducting costs, the total profit was about forty percent. So, today’s net profit was roughly one guan. Calculating it, they could earn over twenty taels of silver in a month.

The stall fee at the dock was thirty wen per day, totaling nine hundred wen per month. Xu Qinyu learned from Madam Wu that they had to pay it themselves due to the cold weather, or they would be fined. So, a few days ago, she went to the yamen to pay the monthly stall fee.

If they opened a food shop or restaurant in the future, the costs would be much higher. This was the ancient commercial tax, also known as market tax or market rent, collected based on the location and size of the stall or shop. She hadn’t specifically looked into the shop tax yet. Actually, because she earned a lot, she didn’t mind the nine hundred wen monthly stall fee. Otherwise, for a food stall at the dock, earning a hundred wen a day was considered good, and they still had to pay the stall fee.

Pei Jianing murmured, “Is it really that much?” She knew how much small vendors could earn in a day and how difficult it was for ordinary people to make money.

After counting the money, Xu Qinyu put the strung coins back into the wooden box and locked it. She calculated that if they worked hard every day, they could earn over twenty taels a month, saving up to a hundred and several dozen taels in half a year. That would be enough to open a small food shop, which would be a good start with a smaller investment. A food shop typically had one floor, a backyard, and a kitchen. Larger food establishments were called restaurants, usually starting with two floors. The largest one in town, Donglai Restaurant, had four floors. It was definitely better to open a food shop early. Once they had a food shop, they could take on a few apprentices and hire some helpers, making it less exhausting for themselves.

In modern times, Xu Qinyu’s private kitchen was run by her apprentices, and she often focused on developing new dishes. A table of dishes she personally prepared could be sold for ten thousand per table, showcasing her culinary skills. She already had the idea of taking on apprentices, but she hadn’t found suitable candidates yet.

Ning Jie’er wasn’t suitable, as she had no talent for cooking. Even if she took on apprentices, they needed to have some culinary talent.

After counting the money, Madam Wen returned, a bit later than usual. She was surprised when she learned that Yuniang had sold over two guan today, with nearly half of it being profit. However, she knew Yuniang’s skills. She could easily earn thirty to fifty taels a month with her talent, even working at a large restaurant!

After dinner, they prepared most of the breakfast for the next day and then washed up and went to bed.

Before falling asleep, Xu Qinyu couldn’t help but think about her original self. She had taken over the original body’s life. Although she didn’t want to come to this place, she was here now, and the possibility of returning seemed slim. She hoped that the real second young lady of the Dechang Marquis Mansion was doing well, perhaps even living in her body. That would be good, too.

The original self was too soft-hearted and not suited for survival in this era. She would surely live well if she had gone to Xu Qinyu’s time.

No matter what, Xu Qinyu hoped the original self could live strongly and well.

With these thoughts, Xu Qinyu fell asleep.

…

The Pei family slept soundly.

The Xu family, however, was a bit frustrated during dinner. After finishing the fish balls yesterday, they planned to buy more today. They heated the remaining three jin of fish balls for breakfast, and in the evening, Officer Xu thought he could buy more after finishing work early. He hadn’t instructed the cook to buy fish from Osmanthus Alley in the morning, thinking it wouldn’t be too late after work.

But it was indeed too late.

When he arrived, it wasn’t even the end of the afternoon, but Young Lady Xu’s food was all sold out.

Seeing him, Young Lady Xu smiled and said, “Officer Xu, if you want to eat, I’ll save some for you tomorrow. Come and get it after work. What would you like? I have fish balls, braised green fish, and fish head tofu stew.”

Officer Xu asked Young Lady Xu to reserve five jin of fish balls, a large braised green fish, and a large portion of fish head tofu stew for him. That evening, they still ate the food prepared by their cook. It wasn’t bad, but the taste was quite ordinary.

Compared to Young Lady Xu’s cooking, their cook’s food seemed bland.

The next evening, after finishing work, Officer Xu went to Osmanthus Alley again. Young Lady Xu’s fish was all sold out, but fortunately, he had reserved some the previous day. He paid and took the food box home.

At the Xu household, Officer Xu had the cook heat up the three dishes without adding other ingredients. The cook also prepared three other dishes: lean meat with bean sprouts, stewed radish, and scrambled eggs.

The scrambled eggs were specifically for Xi Ge’er, but after tasting the fish balls and fish head tofu stew, Xi Ge’er refused to eat the eggs. Since the braised green fish had bones, Officer Xu didn’t give it to his grandson. The little boy enjoyed the other two dishes.

The fish balls were cut into smaller pieces for the child, as suggested by Young Lady Xu, to prevent choking. Each of the three fish dishes had its own unique flavor and tasted excellent, so it was no wonder they sold so quickly.

The rest of the Xu family also praised the three dishes.

Xu Yunlan asked, “Father, how old is that young lady? Her cooking skills are amazing.” She thought that someone who could cook such delicious food must be quite experienced.

Officer Xu thought for a moment, “She seems to be about your age.”

Xu Yunlan’s eyes widened in surprise, “Only fifteen and already so skilled? She’s still just a young girl.”

Even the old chef at Donglai Restaurant, who had been cooking for thirty years, couldn’t match her flavors.

Officer Xu nodded, “Indeed, she’s young, but her skills are excellent.”

Madam Xiang added, “Her skills are not just excellent; I doubt there’s anyone in Yuanbao Town who can match her culinary talents. If we ever host your superior at home, could we invite this young lady to cook for us?”

Officer Xu nodded, “Young Lady Xu sells food to support her family, so she should be willing. When we plan to host, I’ll ask her in advance.”

Of course, they would ensure she was well compensated.

Officer Xu had already arranged for the cook to buy fish from Osmanthus Alley the next day. Such delicious food could be enjoyed for ten days or half a month without getting tired of it, so he paid for the next ten days’ worth of dishes in advance.

…

In the following days, Xu Qinyu’s business continued to thrive. Whether it was breakfast or dinner sold at home, everything sold out quickly.

Now, more people from Laixi Alley were coming to buy fish. They brought food boxes or clay pots, and on the way back, they often met others. Familiar faces would naturally stop to chat, discussing where they were going and what they were preparing.

Those who bought food from Xu Qinyu would proudly say they were buying fish from Osmanthus Alley, praising the deliciousness of the dishes.

In just a few days, Xu Qinyu’s reputation for making fish spread. At least in the South Street area, people knew there was a young lady in Osmanthus Alley who made delicious fish without any earthy taste. Some believed it, while others, with their ingrained notions about fish being smelly and unappetizing, doubted it. They wondered why Donglai Restaurant didn’t have a chef specializing in fish if it were possible to make it taste good. This deep-seated belief meant that local chefs rarely experimented with making fish delicious. Even those who wanted to try buying fish from Osmanthus Alley often couldn’t get any. Her fish was just enough for the residents of Osmanthus Alley and Laixi Alley.

As time passed, the snow came and went, sometimes heavy, sometimes light, occasionally stopping for a few days.

Every time Fourth Brother took a medicinal bath, it snowed heavily. He had completed his four medicinal baths. By the last one, his meridians were almost free of the black substances, though they weren’t the normal blue of healthy veins; they were still somewhat dark.

Xu Qinyu was worried and secretly asked Fourth Brother if the poison in his body was completely gone.

Pei Weixuan only said it was almost gone. He didn’t tell Yuniang that this poison couldn’t be entirely eradicated, but he could survive. As for his future health, he couldn’t be sure.

With Fourth Brother’s health improving, the family breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Qinyu continued her breakfast and dinner stalls.

By the time the New Year approached, Xu Qinyu had saved nearly forty taels of silver. In her spare time, she widened the wooden shed in the courtyard and covered the corners, creating space for jars and pots filled with her pickled vegetables. When the weather warmed up, she planned to make a vat of fermented bean paste, an essential ingredient for cooking, especially for her future food shop.

As the New Year drew near, the snow stopped, and everyone began preparing for the festivities.

In previous years, the southwest would typically see a couple of light snowfalls around the New Year, sometimes heavy, sometimes light, but the weather here was generally not very cold.

This year, however, the snowfall across various regions has been unusual.

The household had plenty of chicken, duck, fish, and pork and never lacked food or drink. Xu Qinyu bought some raw sunflower seeds and peanuts to roast herself. She often made egg cakes for the two children and planned to make more on the 28th or 29th of the lunar month, along with some mung bean cakes and jujube rice cakes, as they had also bought red dates.

She also bought some lamb to eat during the New Year. Occasionally, they would have lamb at home, but they hadn’t encountered any pregnant ewes, so no one sold sheep’s milk.

She planned to take a break and give herself a holiday on the 28th of the lunar month, resuming the sale of breakfast and dinner around the 8th of the new year.

After eating Xu Qinyu’s food for over two months, Feng Ge’er and Yuan Jie’er visibly gained weight, and their skin became fair and tender again. Both were beautiful children, looking even more adorable now that they were well-nourished.

However, Yuan Jie’er still refused to speak, while Feng Ge’er was born mute and had never spoken since birth.

If someone is born deaf, they generally don’t speak because they can’t hear sounds and don’t know how to produce them. Feng Ge’er could hear and was very well-behaved.

Yuan Jie’er had witnessed the death of her mother and younger brother, which traumatized her and made her unwilling to speak.

Pei Weixuan, who understood medicine, said that Yuan Jie’er had a psychological barrier and would only speak when she was ready.

So the family didn’t force her and just hoped the two children would eat well and grow healthy.

After selling the fish on the 28th of the lunar month, Xu Qinyu smiled and told the neighbors, “The New Year is just two days away. Starting tomorrow, I won’t be selling breakfast or dinner and will take a break. I should resume selling fish around the 8th of the new year.”

The neighbors understood as Xu Qinyu had been informing them over the past few days that she would be taking a break on the 28th.

The neighbors from both alleys had initially hoped Xu Xiaoniangzi would make extra fish balls for the New Year, as they could be stored and served to guests. But with every household wanting them, it would be impossible for Young Lady Xu to make that many fish balls without exhausting herself.

So, everyone decided to buy extra fish balls a few days in advance, saving them for the New Year to serve to guests.

Xu Qinyu was delighted to have a ten-day break.

As the New Year approached, the family needed to prepare new clothes besides food and drinks.

Madam Wen and Ning Jie’er were skilled in needlework, and the original Xu Qinyu was, too, but Xu Qinyu herself wasn’t. Even though she had the original owner’s memories, she didn’t have the same skills.

Buying fabric and making clothes now would be too late, and Madam Wen and Ning Jie’er had many other tasks to do, so making clothes wasn’t feasible.

Although Xia’s family ran a fabric shop, they also sold ready-made clothes, embroidered pouches, and other items, which were often consigned for sale at their shop.

On the 29th of the lunar month, after breakfast, Xu Qinyu and her family planned to go shopping.

It hadn’t snowed for the past two days, and the sun was shining. They hadn’t seen much sunlight in the past two months. Xia family’s shop was on West Street, so they decided to go there.

She asked Feng Ge’er and Yuan Jie’er if they wanted to go, and both children nodded. With both children going, someone had to stay home. Pei Weixuan chose to stay and watch the house, as he didn’t enjoy shopping.

Madam Wen held Feng Ge’er’s hand, and Xu Qinyu and Pei Jianing held Yuan Jie’er’s hand as they left.

The snow on the road was melting, crunching under their feet.

South Street was mostly residential, with few shops and some scattered small vendors. There was a market on North Street, but since Xia family’s fabric shop was on West Street, they headed straight there. They had already bought sunflower seeds, peanuts, and red dates for New Year’s treats, so they were shopping for clothes today.

When they arrived at the fabric shop, Madam Wu was there. With the New Year approaching, the shop was busier than usual, so she was helping out. Shao Ge’er was also there, watched by Xiao Cui in the backyard, and Zhu Zi was helping in the shop.

Seeing Xu Qinyu and her family, Madam Wu was delighted. “Young Lady Xu, what brings you here?”

Xu Qinyu smiled, “We’re here to pick out new clothes for the New Year. Sister, I wish your family a prosperous business.”

Who wouldn’t love to hear that? Madam Wu beamed with joy.

“Feel free to choose. I’ll give you a discount.”

“Thank you, Sister Xia. You go ahead and get busy.”

After the New Year, the weather would warm up, and they already had two thick long coats each, so they didn’t need more thick clothes. They chose thin short jackets and long skirts, all made of the most ordinary fabric, costing over a hundred wen each. Since they needed to work daily, they chose dark colors that wouldn’t show dirt easily. This time, Xu Qinyu picked a dark brown short jacket with a dark blue long skirt, both in darker shades for practicality.

Finally, Xu Qinyu picked a dark purple robe for Pei Weixuan.

Madam Wen and Ning Jie’er also chose thin jackets that they could wear after the New Year. Even the two children got new clothes. Since they were always clean and didn’t need to do chores, they got brighter colors.

After picking out the clothes, Xu Qinyu noticed some pouches for sale and some scattered fabric and fur scraps. An idea suddenly came to her. She glanced at Madam Wen and Ning Jie’er and decided to buy those fabric and fur scraps as well.

Madam Wu was curious about Xu Qinyu buying the fabric and fur scraps, not knowing what she intended to do with them.

These scraps were usually sold cheaply to others for making pouches, but the pouches made from them were quite ordinary and not very popular.

The fur scraps were even less useful, as not many people wore hats. Madam Wu had made two not-so-good-looking hats and gloves for Xu Qinyu and her husband from the scraps, seeing them often braving the wind and snow.

Madam Wu asked curiously, and Xu Qinyu mysteriously replied, “I have some ideas for these fur scraps. I’ll tell you later, Sister.”

Madam Wu didn’t ask further. In the end, six sets of clothes and the scraps were sold to Xu Qinyu for six hundred wen.

After buying the clothes, Xu Qinyu didn’t want to disturb Sister Xia further. She went next door to Jin Yin Zai to browse. The jewelry there was beautiful, but she didn’t buy any, as she needed to save money to open a restaurant.

Madam Wen and Ning Jie’er weren’t interested in the jewelry at Jin Yin Zai either, finding it ordinary. They had lived in the most prestigious palace and seen all kinds of treasures. Even the intricate filigree and gemstone jewelry had become mundane to them.

Madam Wen initially wanted Xu Qinyu to buy a piece of jewelry, but seeing her refusal, she didn’t insist. She knew Xu Qinyu was focused on saving money to open a food shop.

In fact, Madam Wen had thought about selling the ginseng Pei Weixuan had found on the mountain, which would be enough to open a food shop. But Xu Qinyu hesitated and disagreed, saying that such high-quality wild ginseng was rare and could save lives. Selling it would mean losing it forever.

Madam Wen thought that she could earn thirty wen a day washing clothes and had saved some money. She planned to give it to Xu Qinyu when needed. She couldn’t help much with cooking, only assisting with preparing ingredients and cleaning. That’s why she went out to wash clothes.

After browsing the jewelry shop, Xu Qinyu planned to head back home. They still needed to prepare various fried snacks and dishes for the New Year.

As they were about to leave, they encountered a young girl wearing a rabbit fur cloak. The girl was beautiful, with the latest makeup from the capital, making her even more radiant. The rabbit fur cloak attracted many admiring glances, and the girl seemed pleased with the attention. The girl was accompanied by another girl of similar age and two brothers. The brothers, who looked quite similar, seemed impatient and unwilling to follow the girl.

Seeing the girl, Xu Qinyu paused. Wasn’t this Wen Yuling, the daughter of Madam Wen’s family?

Previously, when they were exiled, if not for Deputy Chen’s intervention, she might have had a confrontation with this girl. But why were the Wen family members in Yuanbao Town? She thought they would disdain the town and choose to stay in Raozhou City. The three people behind Wen Yuling also seemed to be her siblings.

Regardless of whether the Wen family was in Yuanbao Town, Xu Qinyu had no intention of interacting with them. Although they were her in-laws, they didn’t treat her as family, and she had no deep feelings for them, except for Aunt Gui, Madam Wen’s biological mother. But Aunt Gui was Old Master Wen’s concubine, making it difficult for her to leave.

Xu Qinyu turned to leave, but Wen Yuling noticed her and blocked her path.

“Fourth Sister-in-law, Mother, Younger Sister Ning, what a coincidence.”