Chapter 28: He’s Done For—He’s Smitten

The young apprentice from Bright Moon Pavilion set off for Yongyang Village early that morning in an oxcart.

Resourceful as he was, he disembarked before reaching the village, slinging a small bundle over his shoulder and slipping in alone, pretending to be visiting relatives.

He had learned in town that the sausage-selling girl’s surname was Su and that her home sat at the foot of the mountain.

After finally locating her residence, he stood outside, unable to see into the courtyard.

He hid until midday, and when no one emerged, he stacked two stones beneath his feet and peered over the bamboo fence.

The fence’s sharpened tips sliced a bloody gash across his palm as he grabbed it without looking. He hissed in pain, sucking in a sharp breath.

“Damn it! Setting up such a dangerous thing—I’ll see what you’re trying to protect!”

He cushioned his hand with his bundle, shielded it from the sharp points, and continued peering inside.

To his surprise, he spotted several strings of sausages hanging beneath the eaves.

His mind went blank; he simply assumed the farmers hung the sausages to keep them away from rats.

Inside the house, Mother He gulped down a bamboo tube of water and changed into her usual work clothes.

“Mother, you’re going up the mountain so early today? Why not rest a bit longer?” Wan Xu asked, sitting on the edge of the kang and gently patting the sleeping He Xingchen.

Mother He didn’t think it was too early at all. This was the perfect time—no one else would be on the mountain, giving her the chance to clean the pig intestines alone.

“You two rest,” she said. “The sooner I go, the sooner I’ll be back.”

The door creaked open, and the hired hand outside quickly ducked down, terrified of being seen. Afraid his footprints might be noticed, he hastily smoothed the stones beneath his feet and hid to the side, peering furtively at the doorway.

Mother He emerged with a wooden bucket brimming with supplies. As she headed up the mountain, she kept glancing around, further convincing the hired hand that the bucket held what he wanted.

He stealthily followed her until they reached the stream.

Mother He found a suitable spot and pulled the pig intestines from the bamboo tube. After washing them with flour, she began scraping them clean with bamboo strips.

The apprentice watched, wide-eyed. They’d been struggling for days—how had they never thought of this method? No wonder the intestines could be made so thin!

He hid behind a large tree, observing intently until Mother He had completely removed the intestinal lining.

Once he confirmed there were no further steps, he turned to leave. But in his haste, he accidentally snapped a dry branch underfoot.

Mother He heard the noise and quickly stood to investigate. But the mountain was covered in dense forest—how could she possibly spot anyone?

Probably just a wild rabbit, she thought, patting her chest to calm herself.

The apprentice raced down the mountain without stopping. Today’s trip had been well worth it—he had food and money to show for it.

When he returned to the tavern, he would definitely demand extra rewards from his master.

In Huai’an Town, Su Yi’an finished selling her noodles and packed up her stall. With no storage space for the stove and iron pot, the three of them had to carry everything back on their backs.

Fortunately, they caught the oxcart heading back to the village, though they couldn’t avoid the curious stares of the villagers along the way.

The villagers had grown increasingly curious about Su Yi’an and Mother He’s frequent trips to town, especially since they always carried such large bamboo baskets on their backs.

“I wonder why they go to town every day with those baskets,” someone remarked as the women disembarked from the oxcart.

The driver chimed in, “They don’t go every day. They haven’t taken my oxcart in days.”

“That’s because you haven’t seen them. My husband’s run into them several times on the road.”

“What else could they be doing? Probably selling firewood in town.”

After all, the He family lived at the foot of the mountain, making it easier for them to gather firewood than for the other villagers.

Su Yi’an, oblivious to their speculation, hurried home to stuff sausages. With the Lunar New Year just two weeks away, she hoped to earn extra money. Today, that desire burned even stronger. A full day in the biting cold had been grueling. If only they had a small shop in town—even a rented one would do.

After descending the mountain, Mother He’s unease grew. When Su Yi’an returned home, she quickly recounted the day’s events.

“The more I think about it, the more it troubles me. If it had been a wild rabbit, we should have heard more sounds. But there was only that one rustle, and then silence,” Mother He said, her voice trembling. “Do you think someone saw us?”

If a villager had seen them, they would’ve likely greeted them.

“Even if someone did, they wouldn’t know what we’re doing or what this thing is for,” Su Yi’an reassured her.

Mother He considered this and finally calmed down.

After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms. Su Yi’an lay on the kang, tossing and turning. The day’s events left her with a vague sense of unease.

“Su-jie, I can’t sleep either,” He Ningwen said, turning to face her.

Su Yi’an chuckled. “You’re usually asleep before your head hits the pillow. What’s keeping you up tonight?”

He Ningwen couldn’t explain it either. Maybe she was afraid someone would steal their sausage-making secret?

“What if others learn how to make sausages?” she asked.

“Then we’ll just have to see who makes the tastiest ones,” Su Yi’an replied. “Like when we started selling noodle soup. We weren’t the first, and others probably thought we were copying them.”

“But this is different!” He Ningwen protested.

“Oh? How so?” Su Yi’an gently pressed her back onto the kang and tucked the quilt around her.

He Ningwen wiggled her fingers, muttering, “Anyone can make noodle soup. But sausages? They’ve definitely never eaten them before, and they wouldn’t know how to make them.”

Her words instantly enlightened Su Yi’an. That was why today’s events had felt off—the problem lay right there.

“Good girl, you’re clever! You stay here and sleep. Su-jie will go out for a bit.”

No longer sleepy, Su Yi’an quickly dressed and left the room with an oil lamp. The biting wind sharpened her senses. The moonlit courtyard was clearly visible, but venturing beyond the gate at night filled her with dread.

“What are you doing out here?”

He Yunhuai, who had been copying books inside, followed the sound and found Su Yi’an standing alone in the courtyard.

Just when she needed someone, he appeared. She pointed to the sausages hanging under the eaves. “Look.”

He Yunhuai closed the door and followed her gaze. Eleven links of sausage still hung there, no more, no less.

“No one at home will lose them.”

“Do you think someone might come looking for them?”

They spoke simultaneously.

He Yunhuai raised an eyebrow, understanding dawning.

“You mean Mother He hearing noises on the mountain wasn’t a coincidence?”

“Just a hunch. Since you’re here, why don’t we check it out together?”

Su Yi’an held up the oil lamp and gestured toward the gate. If someone had followed Mother He, they likely came to the house first. If they lingered outside the gate, they might have left traces.

They stepped out. He Yunhuai held the lamp high to inspect the bamboo fence; Su Yi’an examined the soil below.

“Wait,” Su Yi’an said, tugging at his sleeve. “Look at this stone. The soil underneath is disturbed.”

He Yunhuai raised the lamp higher. A red stain stood out on the fence.

Su Yi’an stacked two stones. They fit perfectly—sturdy enough to stand on.

“Careful of the sharp bamboo. There’s blood on it,” He Yunhuai warned, shielding her.

Su Yi’an examined the bamboo closely. Someone had clung to it, spying on them.

“You can’t guard against everything,” she murmured.

He Yunhuai stared at her. In the moonlight, her eyes sparkled, lashes fluttering like ripples across his heart.

“Don’t you think so?” she asked.

He paused, then nodded. “Mm.”

The wind was fierce. They returned indoors.

Everyone else was asleep. They would have to discuss it tomorrow.

Su Yi’an had just taken a few steps toward her room when something struck her.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Even if she’d woken him, how had he dressed so quickly and come outside?

“I was copying books,” he said truthfully.

Su Yi’an remembered the thick stack he’d brought home. Copying earned him only sixty wen—less than she made in a day. Yet after a long day, he still worked by lamplight.

“Get some rest. Don’t overwork yourself,” she said, thinking of his frail health.

He Yunhuai clenched his fist, an unfamiliar emotion welling in him. Only after Su Yi’an closed her door did his thoughts return to normal.

He’d only copied three pages, but now he couldn’t sit still.

He hated himself for the inappropriate thoughts that plagued him tonight.

The young apprentice returned to the restaurant that very day and demonstrated Mother He’s method to Chef Li.

“Master, look!” he cried, holding up the casing, his voice trembling with excitement.

“Were you discovered?” Chef Li asked.

“Of course not! I was careful—no one saw me.”

Chef Li examined the casing. No wonder they’d failed—it was both clever and deceptively simple.

He stuffed the cleaned casing with meat and tied it off.

But the sausage was soft. The ones he remembered were firm, even before cooking.

He boiled it in cold water. It burst.

He tried steaming. It burst again.

“Did you see anything else at their house?” Chef Li asked.

The apprentice scratched his head. “Nothing else, Master.”