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At dawn, before the sun had even risen, Wanqing was already awake.
After having breakfast with her brother, they set out from home.
Outside the village, the main road stretched in two directions—right toward the nearby town and left toward the county. There were ox carts available for travel to the county, but to save money, they decided to walk.
Zhiwen carried the wild rabbits, while Wanqing carried the mushrooms. Her mood was bright as she enjoyed the fresh, unpolluted scenery of ancient times, humming a little tune in her head.
She had a plan—selling vegetables and secret recipes would be the fastest way to make money. This trip wasn’t just about selling rabbits; she wanted to scout the county for opportunities.
Unlike Wanqing’s excitement, Zhiwen felt an immense amount of pressure.
At fifteen, he had only ever been to the nearby town or up the mountains—he had never stepped foot in the county before.
He had no idea what to expect, but seeing his sister’s carefree attitude, he, as the older brother, couldn’t afford to look nervous.
Silently, he encouraged himself to stay calm.
After walking for two hours, they finally arrived at the county.
A towering city wall loomed before them, with the words Qingshan County inscribed above the gate. People bustled in and out, and carts rolled past in a steady stream.
Wanqing, seeing the lively scene, was filled with excitement—her eyes darted everywhere, as if two weren’t enough to take everything in.
Realizing there was no entrance fee, she simply followed the crowd inside.
The street inside was broad, lined with shops of all kinds. Vendors shouted their wares, and the place was brimming with life.
Huh, not much different from those ancient-themed tourist streets in modern times, she thought.
Once the initial novelty wore off, she found herself less impressed.
Zhiwen, on the other hand, was utterly stunned by the county’s prosperity, looking completely lost.
Wanqing sighed inwardly. Sigh, it’s still a matter of lack of experience.
She casually stopped a woman who had just bought groceries and asked for directions. After learning that the market was just a street away, she immediately grabbed her brother’s sleeve and hurried over.
They needed to get there fast—most buyers would have already finished their shopping by now.
After about fifteen minutes, the crowd grew denser. Wanqing figured they must be close.
Ahead, a bustling marketplace came into view. Many vendors were already packing up, their produce nearly sold out. The successful ones had already left.
Wanqing led her brother outside the marketplace and picked a spot to set down their baskets.
Zhiwen followed suit, placing their goods in front of them. Though it was his first time at the county market, he understood that timing was important. Seeing some sellers already packing up, he hesitated.
“Isn’t it too late? Will anyone still buy now?”
“Not sure, but let’s wait and see.”
This was Wanqing’s first time selling in Da Qian Dynasty. She wasn’t sure how the market worked, but if they couldn’t sell here, she had another plan—approaching restaurants.
Taking a deep breath, she called out loudly, “Wild rabbits! Fresh and plump wild rabbits! Come take a look, sir! Very fresh!”
“Don’t pass by and miss this chance!”
A chef named Ding, who had been strolling through the market, turned his head at the call. He rarely saw children selling goods and found it interesting.
He approached them. “Where are the rabbits?”
Zhiwen lifted the cover off their basket, revealing two plump, live wild rabbits.
Chef Ding’s eyes lit up. Earlier that day, his restaurant’s owner had told him that an important guest wanted fresh wild game. He had been worrying about where to find some, and here they were—just in time!
“How much?” he asked.
Zhiwen froze. He had no idea what wild rabbits should cost.
He hadn’t thought to ask their father yesterday. What should he do now?
Wanqing, however, quickly assessed the situation. The chef had a round belly and an air of ease—not someone from a poor family. He might even be a buyer for a wealthy household or restaurant.
Thinking fast, she smiled and said, “Uncle, this is our first time selling wild rabbits in the county, and we don’t know the market price. But you seem like an honest man—we trust you wouldn’t cheat country folks like us. Why don’t you name a fair price?”
Chef Ding glanced at the two children. Their clothes were washed clean but visibly patched and worn, yet their features were delicate and bright.
“How about this—bring the rabbits to my shop, and my boss will set the price for you.”
“Alright!”
Wanqing hadn’t expected such a good deal. Without hesitation, she agreed.
Zhiwen hesitated for a moment, but since his sister had already agreed, he decided not to argue.
After all, ever since Wanqing had “injured her head,” she had become much sharper—he might as well trust her judgment.
After walking for a while, the three of them arrived at a grand restaurant—Fumanlou.
As soon as Wanqing saw the sign, she immediately assumed this was the best restaurant in the county.
The name alone sounds impressive!
Zhiwen raised his head to take in the towering three-story building. Two majestic stone lions stood guard at the entrance, making him too intimidated to step forward.
Just as he turned to quietly ask his sister something, he realized—Wanqing was gone!
Panic surged through him as he frantically scanned the area. If she got lost, Father and Mother would kill me!
“Big Brother, hurry up and come inside!”
Wanqing, already inside with Chef Ding, turned back and called out impatiently.
Zhiwen: …
Letting out a long sigh, he hesitated briefly before stepping inside.
Manager He was at the counter, sighing as he went over the restaurant’s accounts.
Ever since Piaoxianglou opened, the county’s restaurant business had been split in half. Fumanlou was no longer the dominant force it once was.
Just then, he noticed Chef Ding entering with two children.
“Manager, you asked me to check the market for fresh game. I found these two rabbits—what do you think?”
So they’re here to sell wild game? Manager He had initially thought the children were beggars.
He picked up one of the rabbits and examined it. “Not bad—alive and kicking. We’ll take them.”
Wanqing saw her chance. “Manager, if I may suggest—one rabbit for braising, the other for gan guo—that would be perfect!”
Then, not missing a beat, she pitched another product. “I also have some delicious mushrooms! They make amazing soup—we have it at home all the time.”
To make sure she didn’t lose this opportunity, she quickly poured out the mushrooms onto the counter. “Take a look!”
Manager He observed the fresh mushrooms and nodded in satisfaction. He agreed to purchase them as well.
Chef Ding, however, was stuck on something. “Wait… what is gan guo?”
“It’s a cooking method—dry-fried, no broth. Gan guo tuzi is incredibly fragrant!”
Just thinking about the dry pot rabbit she had eaten in her past life made Wanqing’s mouth water.
Chef Ding, who prided himself on his culinary knowledge, was intrigued. A cooking method he didn’t know?
Forgetting she was just a child, he eagerly introduced himself. “Little girl, I’m the chef here—just call me Uncle Ding. You said gan guo tuzi…?”
“Gan guo tuzi!” Wanqing corrected him.
“Yes, yes! So, have you eaten it before? How do you make it?”
“Hello, Uncle Ding! I’m Lin Wanqing, and this is my brother Lin Zhiwen. Gan guo tuzi is actually quite simple—I can explain it to you.”
“Great, great, great!” Chef Ding exclaimed, eyes shining with excitement.
Manager He didn’t object. Chefs were always passionate about food, after all. He invited the siblings to sit down and talk.
There were plenty of empty seats anyway—business had been slow.
Wanqing carefully explained the recipe, then prepared to leave.
At this point, she had done all she could—Chef Ding would have to figure out the rest on his own.
Chef Ding, completely absorbed in his thoughts, hurried off to the kitchen to test the recipe.
Meanwhile, the rabbits and mushrooms were weighed and sent to the kitchen.
Manager He calculated the payment:
Wanqing rounded the mushrooms down to 10 jin, removing the extra liang.
Total earnings: 350 wen.
As for the gan guo tuzi recipe—she gave it to them for free.
Since this was their first time at Fumanlou, and hopefully not the last, Wanqing wanted to show her sincerity in establishing a good business relationship.
She accepted the 350 wen and carefully placed it in her money pouch. Anticipating a good haul today, she had brought a pouch just in case—and sure enough, it hadn’t let her down.