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Time passed quickly, and soon it was September.
In Qianguo, September was equivalent to October in the modern calendar, as they followed the lunar calendar.
Wanqing put on a padded jacket but still felt cold.
According to the original owner’s memories, winters here were extremely harsh. Wanqing wanted to prepare enough supplies before winter arrived—warm clothing, quilts, and enough food to last through the season.
Since more villagers had started gathering chestnuts from the grove, Wanqing’s family no longer went. Their only income came from selling the wild rabbit last time and Lin Heng’s occasional short-term labor. However, his work was inconsistent—sometimes he had jobs, sometimes he didn’t.
Wanqing made up her mind to sell the recipe for braised pork intestines to Fumanlou. Given their current financial situation, this was the most suitable option.
She told Lin Heng that she had never been to town before and wanted to go with him today.
Lin Heng suggested waiting for market day when it would be livelier.
Xiushui Town held a market every five days—on the 5th, 15th, and 25th of each month. Though there were regular shops in town, market days brought in people from all the surrounding villages, making the place bustling and full of vendors.
However, Wanqing didn’t want to wait. She only needed to buy some pork offal, so she decided to go today.
After informing their parents, Lin Heng had Zhiwen accompany her. Zhijin, eager to visit town as well, asked to join, and their parents agreed. Thus, the three siblings set off together.
It took about two quarter-hours on foot to reach town, and they soon arrived.
Xiushui Town had only one main street, lined with various shops selling everyday necessities. Wanqing wasn’t interested in browsing and headed straight for the butcher’s shop.
The butcher, Zhu Dalong, was a burly man with a fierce-looking face.
Wanqing wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. “Uncle, do you have any pork offal?”
Zhu Dalong, having just finished some work, looked up to see three children before him. The girl who spoke had striking eyes, but her clothes were plain, suggesting she wasn’t from a wealthy family. He responded casually, “Yeah.”
“How much?”
“Two wen.”
“I’ll take it.”
Wanqing pulled out two copper coins from her pocket. Zhu Dalong was momentarily surprised before taking the money and handing her a portion of intestines.
Noticing the pile of stripped-down bones nearby, Wanqing asked if he could spare some. Zhu Dalong hesitated briefly, then picked up a handful of bones and gave them to her.
With their purchases in hand, the siblings wandered through town, strolling from one end of the street to the other.
As they passed by a particular shop, Zhiwen suddenly pulled his siblings aside into an alley. Before Wanqing could ask why, he explained, “That shop belongs to our uncle.”
Wanqing and Zhiqin knew their maternal uncle’s family lived in town but had never visited their home.
Since there had been little interaction with their uncle’s family in the past, Wanqing didn’t ask further and simply followed her brother back home.
Upon returning, Wanqing prepared the pork offal. She secretly used flour and spiritual spring water to clean it, then blanched it before simmering it in a pot. When it was nearly done, she set aside half in a bowl and continued stewing the rest with seasonings.
Dinner was the usual—coarse grain pancakes and a large bowl of wild vegetable soup, with the addition of a dish of braised pork intestines. Even with this simple meal, the family was satisfied. At least they had enough to eat and weren’t going hungry.
During dinner, Wanqing mentioned that she wanted to go to the county town tomorrow.
Madam Li asked, “Why?”
“To bring some chestnuts to Doctor Su.”
“These chestnuts aren’t anything special. Is it appropriate to give them as a gift?”
“Mother, it’s the thought that counts. Roasted chestnuts are a small token of appreciation for Doctor Su’s help. Besides, chestnuts are all we have to give.”
“That’s true… but another trip to the county makes me a bit uneasy.”
“It’s not our first time. Didn’t Brother and I go before? The first time was unfamiliar, but now we know the way.”
In the end, Madam Li agreed to let Wanqing and Zhiwen go to the county town again.
Hearing that Wanqing was going to the county town to deliver a gift to Doctor Su, Madam Li busied herself roasting chestnuts. The sugar-coated chestnuts were fragrant and sweet. Wanqing had always wanted to make some for the family, but Madam Li had been reluctant to use sugar. However, since this was for Doctor Su, she finally agreed.
Wanqing also gathered some recently dried mushrooms and chrysanthemum tea.
The next day, Wanqing and Zhiwen set off again, each carrying a bamboo basket on their backs.
Perhaps because they were in a different mood, or because they were now familiar with the route, they arrived at the county town two quarter-hours faster than before.
Upon reaching Qingshan County, the siblings headed straight for Fumanlou.
At the entrance, the waiter immediately recognized Wanqing. “Little girl, are you here to sell wild rabbits again today?”
“No rabbits today. Brother Xiao’er, is Shopkeeper He in?”
Upon hearing that Wanqing had arrived, Shopkeeper He rushed out with a bright smile, warmly inviting the siblings inside. “What kind of wild delicacy do you have for us today, miss?”
“I don’t have any wild game today. I wanted to ask if your restaurant buys dried mushrooms.”
“Of course, of course! We’ll take anything you bring!”
Wanqing blinked in surprise, while Zhiwen was completely dumbfounded—this level of enthusiasm seemed excessive.
Seeing their confused expressions, Shopkeeper He chuckled. “To tell you the truth, ever since you shared the dry pot rabbit recipe with us, our customers have loved the dish, and business has improved significantly. I should be thanking you!”
So that was why! Wanqing smiled. “It’s really the chef’s skill that makes the dish so good…”
She hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Actually, I have another request today. Shopkeeper He, could you ask Uncle Ding to come over?”
“You’re looking for Chef Ding? He’s in the kitchen right now.” Shopkeeper He turned and sent a waiter to fetch him.
While waiting, Wanqing took out the dried mushrooms from her basket. They were of excellent quality—sun-dried and easy to store, requiring only a soak in water before cooking.
Shopkeeper He didn’t even hesitate. He weighed the mushrooms and, seeing that Wanqing was straightforward about pricing, offered 30 wen per jin. At five and a half jin, that came to 165 wen. He also told her that she could bring more anytime.
When Chef Ding arrived and saw the siblings, he was just as excited. Wanqing’s dry pot rabbit recipe had made him famous at Fumanlou.
“Ah, little miss, you’re here! I need to thank you properly!”
With both of them present, Wanqing said, “Shopkeeper He, Uncle Ding, I’d like to borrow your kitchen today to make a dish for Doctor Su.”
“Why are you making him food?”
“What dish are you planning to make?”
Two voices spoke in unison—the first from Shopkeeper He, the second from Chef Ding.
“Last time, thanks to Shopkeeper He’s recommendation, Doctor Su gave me some medicinal herbs. My family is poor and has nothing to offer in return, so I thought of making a dish for him as a token of gratitude.”
“You’re very thoughtful, miss.”
Shopkeeper He gestured for Chef Ding to lead Wanqing to the kitchen. She followed respectfully.
Chef Ding glanced at her. “Can you manage on your own?”
“No problem! My brother can help me.”
Wanqing had Zhiwen start the fire while she took out the pork intestines she had prepared the day before. She added seasonings, stir-frying until the fragrance filled the entire kitchen.
Curious, the other kitchen staff gathered around.
Chef Ding leaned in and asked, “Miss Wanqing, what dish are you making?”
“Stir-fried pork intestines.”
“Intestines? You mean large intestines? Aren’t those supposed to smell bad?”
Wanqing smiled. Chef Ding immediately understood—this girl had a special technique.
Once the dish was ready, she set aside two small plates for Shopkeeper He and Chef Ding to taste. Shopkeeper He eagerly grabbed a pair of chopsticks, unable to resist after smelling the enticing aroma.
One bite. Then another.
Chef Ding quickly followed suit.
The kitchen staff, who had unknowingly stopped their work, swallowed their saliva as they watched. Even the waiter, Xiao’er, came over, drawn by the smell. He couldn’t help but ask, “Master Ding, how does it taste?”
The soft, flavorful intestines, both tender and chewy, completely captivated Shopkeeper He and Chef Ding. They were so immersed in the taste that they forgot to give their verdict.
This made Tie Dan, one of the assistant chefs, anxious. “What does it taste like? Is it really that good?”
“It’s delicious!”
“Unbelievably good!”
The plates were soon emptied, but the lingering taste remained in their mouths.
“Amazing!”
“Indescribable!”
Wanqing smiled in satisfaction. “That’s a relief. Thank you both. I’ll take this to Doctor Su now.”
“Wait! No rush. I’ll have someone deliver it for you.” Shopkeeper He immediately called over a staff member, giving him a strict warning, “You better not steal a bite!”
Wanqing chuckled and took out the sugar-roasted chestnuts. She split them into two portions—one to be sent along with the pork intestines to Doctor Su, and the other as a gift for Shopkeeper He.
“Miss, let’s talk about these pork intestines.” Shopkeeper He cracked open a sweet chestnut as he spoke. They all sat down at a table in the main hall. It was still early, so there weren’t any customers yet.
Wanqing remained silent, letting him continue.
He spoke earnestly. In a restaurant, the key to success was its dishes. What Wanqing had just cooked was completely unexpected—who would have thought that something as unappetizing as intestines could be turned into such a delicacy? He wanted Wanqing to teach him the method, and of course, he was willing to pay.
Wanqing had come with the intention of selling the recipe, so she agreed without hesitation.
She explained that the cooking process was simple, but the key was in the cleaning method. She recited the entire recipe, detailing the proper way to clean and prepare the intestines. Shopkeeper He wrote everything down and read it back to ensure nothing was missing. He then had Wanqing teach Chef Ding personally.
Once the waiter returned with freshly bought pork intestines, Wanqing instructed while Chef Ding cooked.
When the dish was successfully prepared, Shopkeeper He handed Wanqing 20 taels of silver. She accepted it calmly, but Zhiwen was completely stunned.
He couldn’t understand why his sister made money so easily. He had only started a fire, yet they had just earned 20 taels.
As they left, his steps felt unsteady, as if he were walking in a dream.