Chapter 79

Ye Baizhi could still picture Ye Wulan as he sewed—an image of quiet beauty. Every movement he made carried a natural elegance.

Graceful, serene, and deeply comforting.

That moment had stirred something tender in her heart. She realized just how much Ye Wulan was capable of.

In daily life, it felt like there was nothing he couldn’t do. He was the one who looked after her and Da Bao most of the time.

When she was busy and couldn’t manage everything, Ye Wulan had already thought it all through—tending to every detail, caring for both of them with quiet dedication.

The aroma of offal soup rising around her now felt like swirling warmth—like the comfort of firelight.

Only after running this food stall for a few days did Ye Baizhi realize just how popular hot food could be. It was far more successful than selling dried gourds.

People naturally craved something hot and hearty—especially soup in weather like this. And since she used affordable wild beast offal, she could offer generous portions. The soup, simmered with bones, was thick and rich. She even added a touch of pepper for extra flavor—and the taste was a hit with everyone.

Customers kept commenting on how good it was. No one had ever eaten scallion pancakes like these before. Paired with the offal soup, the combo was perfect—everyone agreed.

Ye Baizhi smiled as she chatted with the customers.

“Don’t worry, there’s plenty. We’ve made a big batch.”

“Sister, here’s your scallion pancake.”

“Young man, here are your two bowls of offal soup.”

Ye Baizhi handled the money while Ye Wulan dished out the orders.

“Madam Ye, your scallion pancakes are amazing! I don’t know what you put in them, but the smell alone is mouthwatering. I just can’t stop eating them.”

One customer near the front of the line couldn’t help but gush a little.

Ye Baizhi chuckled, “It’s an old family recipe.”

Hearing that, no one pried further.

“It’s so good. I came late yesterday and missed out, so I made sure to come early today—but there’s already a line!”

“No surprise—once you taste it, you can’t forget it.”

“Exactly! That offal soup warms your whole body. I was sweating by the time I finished mine!”

“Yeah, I don’t know how they season it to taste that good.”

“And we still don’t know what kind of wild beast meat it is.”

Everyone was genuinely curious. They’d tried plenty of meat soups from other stalls before, but none had this flavor. It was addictive in the best way. Now that the weather was getting colder, a hot bowl of offal soup warmed you from head to toe.

One bowl cost three blue spirit stones. For just one blue stone, you could get a scallion pancake—pair it with a bowl of soup and be completely full.

Of course, if you really wanted to indulge, most people grabbed three pancakes.

To keep things simple, Ye Baizhi didn’t use a scale—she just cut the scallion pancakes into equal portions, one piece per blue spirit stone. When eaten with the soup, it made for a hearty, satisfying meal.

In front of the stall stood two long tables, flanked by small stools on both sides.

Jian Ping was helping clean and wash the dishes.

Ever since the day Ye Wulan taught them how to make shoulder poles, Jian Ping and his group of five had been deeply grateful. They now helped out whenever they could—hauling water, chopping firewood—quietly showing their appreciation through action. They expressed their gratitude through their actions.

Ye Baizhi wasn’t the type to take advantage of others’ kindness either—so she taught them how to weave carrying baskets, and when she made mushroom and wild vegetable soup, she’d ladle out a bowl for them as well.

Everyone felt deeply thankful toward her and her family.

And just like that, over time and through small exchanges, their households grew closer.

Ye Baizhi gradually came to understand everyone’s situation as well. She also learned that Jian Ping’s family lived in poverty. Neither he nor his wife had any particular skills, and his wife was mute. They had three children and often struggled to afford enough food.

Jian Ping frequently went out in search of work, but life was unpredictable—sometimes they had food, sometimes they didn’t. It was then that Ye Baizhi understood why both Jian Ping and his wife were so thin.

She had met Jian Ping’s wife before—a timid and delicate feline beastwoman, gentle in nature and with clear, honest eyes that left a warm impression. Their three children were still young but already quite sensible—helping with chores despite their age.

After some thought, Ye Baizhi decided to hire the whole family to help clean wild pig offal and assist at her stall with washing and organizing bowls. She paid each of them twenty blue spirit stones per day.

Both Jian Ping and his wife, Zhu Ling, were deeply grateful.

Jian Ping, especially, was so moved that he worked even harder—quick, diligent, and never idle. The whole family knew Madam Ye was kindhearted and saw this as her way of helping them. She even said Zhu Ling’s muteness wasn’t permanent—it had been caused by a past trauma and could be treated.

Over the past few days, Ye Baizhi had also been tending to Zhu Ling’s health and throat.

With a bit of care and nourishment, Zhu Ling’s once frail condition had already improved noticeably.

The family truly didn’t know how to repay the kindness shown by the Ye household, so they did the only thing they could—they worked diligently and with care. They cherished this job deeply.

As for the offal used in the soup, it was actually just wild beast innards. It happened that Cang Fei ran a stall selling wild game meat. When he heard that Ye Baizhi wanted to purchase offal, he was surprised—it was considered unclean, smelly stuff that nobody wanted. He offered to give it to her for free, saying, “If Madam Ye wants it, just take it.”

He slaughtered several wild beasts every day for meat, so there was always plenty of offal left over—normally just discarded. He insisted on giving it away at no cost. But Ye Baizhi firmly refused, explaining her reasons and insisting on paying.

Even though Cang Fei knew that once properly cleaned and cooked, offal could taste delicious, he still sold it to her at an extremely low price—barely above nothing.

Thanks to that, each bowl of Ye Baizhi’s offal soup was hearty and generously portioned.

Thanks to Jian Ping handling the dishwashing and cleanup, there was no need to buy gourds anymore.

In fact, ever since Ye Baizhi saved Suni, her name had begun to spread.

Everyone now knew she was skilled in medicine—a shaman—and many came by her stall hoping to build a positive connection. Some were even quietly hoping they might one day ask her for help with their health.

And so, in just a few days, Ye Baizhi’s stall became wildly popular. She took the opportunity to launch her offal soup and scallion pancakes. When she started selling them, the business exploded. From morning until midday, they barely had a break. Those who didn’t make it in time always left with regret, urging her to prepare more next time. That’s why today, she prepared a large batch of offal soup to ensure everyone got a taste.

“Madam Ye, your soup is packed with meat and tastes incredible. It’s nothing like other meat soups out there.”

“Yeah, I don’t know how you make it taste this good either.”

“And that hong you’ve displayed—it’s so sweet!”

Ye Baizhi had arranged a shelf beside the stall with jars of preserves and pieces of hong for sale. Anyone curious could pick one up directly. But her main focus was still on the offal soup and scallion pancake business.

At the rate business was booming, she was well on her way to saving up quite a bit. As she handed out pancakes, she chatted casually with customers, almost like old friends.

“This hong is great for female beastmen—warms the body. It’s an old family recipe, too. You won’t find it anywhere else.”

No one really knew why, but they all just loved talking with her.

There was something about her—a noble presence with a kind and approachable air. She made people feel at ease, and what she said always carried a certain weight.

So when people queued up for food, they couldn’t help striking up small talk. “You’re right. I’ve been to plenty of places—even the big cities—but I’ve never come across anything like this hong before.”