Chapter 32

The Wen family now lives on East Street in Yuanbao Town. Initially, they were escorted to Raozhou City by Deputy Chen and his soldiers. They learned that settling in Raozhou City required a fee of one hundred taels of silver per person. With about thirty members in the Wen family, they could gather the three thousand taels needed. However, a five-entry courtyard in Raozhou City was also expensive, costing at least two thousand taels for a good location.

Although the Wen family wasn’t officially confiscated, they secretly used a lot of silver to bribe officials. Before their exile, the officials took most of their property like locusts.

Before their illegitimate daughter entered the palace, Lord Anping was only a baron with little property. After she entered the palace and gradually became a consort and then the empress, he gained respect and accumulated wealth. However, the new emperor and Noble Consort Fu wouldn’t let him take all his wealth, so the guards took almost everything with official approval. The Wen family had only ten thousand taels of silver left when they were exiled.

On the way, they used a few hundred taels for bribes. When they reached Raozhou City, they found the settlement fee and house prices too high and decided not to settle there.

Old Master Wen knew that without income, they would soon run out of money. The family had no business skills, and their servants and shopkeepers in the capital couldn’t follow them, as they were either sold or dismissed. If they settled in Raozhou City, the remaining few thousand taels wouldn’t last long, so they chose Yuanbao Town.

Settling in Yuanbao Town cost only ten taels per person, and a five-entry courtyard near the yamen was half the price of one in Raozhou City. They bought a house, some land, and shops, planning to start a business. If they made enough money, they could move their business to Raozhou City later. Even though merchants were considered the lowest class, Old Master Wen didn’t plan to give up business. He knew that without money, even scholars would struggle. It was better to earn more money to ensure a comfortable life with plenty of servants.

As for studying and taking the imperial exams, the Wen family and the King Shu lineage were banned from taking exams for three generations, so studying was pointless.

Old Master Wen even considered sending his granddaughter, Wen Yuling, to the palace to become the new emperor’s consort. He was confident in her beauty, but getting her to the capital, over a thousand miles away, was a challenge that required careful planning.

Today, Wen Yuling was out with her half-sister Wen Yunxiang, who was not as well-dressed as Wen Yuling. The two young boys seemed to be Concubine Bai’s grandsons.

Concubine Bai was another concubine of Old Master Wen. She had a daughter and a son. The daughter had already married, and the son, Old Master Wen’s third son, was also married with children.

Concubine Bai was a respectable woman. When Old Master Wen took a liking to her, her parents had already passed away, and her brother and sister-in-law arranged for her to become his concubine.

Concubine Bai was beautiful, and Old Madam Wen feared she would monopolize Old Master Wen’s favor. So, she promoted her maid, who became Madam Wen’s mother, Concubine Gui, to be another concubine.

The two concubines got along well over the years, but Old Madam Wen treated Concubine Gui poorly, thinking she should help suppress Concubine Bai. This situation changes when Madam Wen enters the palace and becomes a consort, making Old Madam Wen treat Concubine Gui with respect. However, after Madam Wen’s downfall and the family’s exile, Old Madam Wen’s resentment towards Concubine Gui grew, and she treated her even worse.

Xu Qinyu wasn’t entirely sure if the girl and two boys following Wen Yuling were the concubine-born daughter from the main branch and the two sons from the third branch.

The Wen family had many descendants, and thinking about them all made Xu Qinyu’s head spin.

Old Master Wen had two legitimate sons and one concubine-born son, which was easily distinguished. But these legitimate sons had wives and concubines, who bore more children and grandchildren.

Concubine Bai’s concubine-born son from the third branch only had one wife and refused to take concubines. He married late and had two sons and a daughter, none of whom were old enough to marry. The two boys seemed to be the sons from the third branch, Concubine Bai’s grandsons.

During their exile, when Wen Yuling wanted to start a fight over sheltering from the rain, these two boys stood at a distance, watching her with a look of disbelief, which left an impression on Xu Qinyu.

With so many Wen family members, Xu Qinyu could only rely on the original body’s memories to recognize them. The most memorable was Wen Yuling, who constantly caused trouble during their exile, making her particularly annoying.

Xu Qinyu couldn’t understand Wen Yuling’s mindset. Even though their family had fallen hard, she still liked to stir up trouble. It was truly baffling.

Seeing Wen Yuling approach smugly, Xu Qinyu didn’t hold back. She sneered, “Good dogs don’t block the way.”

Pei Jianing’s face darkened when she saw Wen Yuling. She disliked her and didn’t want to interact with her. Hearing Xu Qinyu’s remark, she couldn’t help but laugh.

Wen Yuling glared at Pei Jianing but then heard two more snickers from behind her. She turned to see her two half-brothers from the third branch.

Furious, Wen Yuling shouted, “Wen Shuncheng, Wen Shungong, are you two crazy? Can’t you see she’s bullying me? Why are you laughing? She said, ‘Good dogs don’t block the way,’ and you followed me here. Does that make you dogs too? Are you pigs?”

“It was pretty funny,” the brothers mumbled.

They didn’t understand why Wen Yuling insisted on wearing such garish makeup and parading around. They didn’t want to come out but were forced by their grandmother, who said, “Our Yuling is beautiful, and people in this small place have no sense. I’m afraid they’ll have bad intentions and bully her. You must protect her. If she gets hurt, I’ll hold you responsible.”

In the Wen family, the third branch was treated like dogs.

The brothers’ expressions darkened, but they stopped laughing.

After scolding her half-brothers, Wen Yuling turned back to Xu Qinyu and sneered, “I was just being kind and saying hello. Considering we’re both in this place and our families are close relatives, we should support each other. There were misunderstandings during the exile, but now we’re in Yuanbao Town, we should help each other. Fourth Sister-in-law, don’t you think you went too far? You should apologize, and I’ll forgive you.”

Xu Qinyu thought that even if Wen Yuling wanted to make peace, it was for her own benefit. So she replied, “Whether you’re kind or have ulterior motives, I can see clearly. You’re like a weasel paying respects to a chicken, up to no good.”

Calling Wen Yuling a weasel was an insult.

Wen Yuling, a noble lady, wasn’t used to such direct insults. In the capital, arguments were more subtle. She didn’t know how to respond and turned pale, her hands trembling. She screamed, “Xu Qinyu!” not even calling her Fourth Sister-in-law anymore.

Xu Qinyu looked at her and sighed, “Don’t shout so loudly. I can hear you. I’m leaving now.”

She really didn’t want to talk to Wen Yuling.

Seeing Xu Qinyu turn and leave without looking back, Wen Yuling grew even angrier. She had spent the whole day with her annoying half-sister and two reluctant half-brothers, hoping they would help her confront Xu Qinyu. But she realized they wouldn’t support her.

She didn’t plan to fight Xu Qinyu herself. Wearing a rabbit fur cloak and heavy makeup, she couldn’t imagine brawling in the street. She preferred to have others do her bidding.

But now, she couldn’t really fight Xu Qinyu. She had come out to shop and unexpectedly ran into Xu Qinyu’s family. She had heard her half-brothers talking about the delicious fish sold on South Street, made by Xu Qinyu. She wanted to see if it was true and thought of partnering with Xu Qinyu to open a restaurant, with her providing the money and Xu Qinyu the skills. But Xu Qinyu ignored her and even insulted her as a weasel.

Seeing Xu Qinyu walk away, Wen Yuling grew more frustrated. She turned to her half-brothers, “Wen Shuncheng, Wen Shungong, stop her!”

The brothers rolled their eyes and ignored her.

Wen Yuling started crying, tears streaming down her face. She was angry at Xu Qinyu and her unhelpful half-brothers.

Seeing her cry, the brothers ran away, planning to sneak back home later to avoid punishment.

Her half-sister Wen Yunxiang weakly said, “Sister, don’t cry.”

Wen Yuling’s makeup was smudged, and she saw people pointing at her. She covered her face and ran home.

Wen Yunxiang sighed and slowly followed her.

Xu Qinyu didn’t let her encounter with Wen Yuling ruin her mood. She never really cared about the Wen family.

She was just surprised that Old Master Wen decided to settle the family in Yuanbao Town. She had thought they would stay in Raozhou City. If the Wen family had stayed in Raozhou City, it would have been difficult for her mother-in-law to see her biological mother, Concubine Gui. The Wen family wouldn’t treat Concubine Gui well either. Now that she knew the Wen family was in Yuanbao Town, she had some other ideas.

Concubine Gui was her mother-in-law’s biological mother, and the bond of blood couldn’t be severed. Her mother-in-law must think about her every day. But things were different here compared to modern times. If people didn’t want to live together or had no feelings for each other, they could file for divorce if they were abused or mistreated.

Here, it was difficult to separate. Even if Concubine Gui was a concubine, it was just a title. She was still considered a concubine, and it was extremely difficult for a concubine to separate or go to the yamen for a formal separation unless Old Master Wen was willing to write a letter of release.

On the way back, Xu Qinyu couldn’t help but ponder this matter.

Madam Wen had been distracted since seeing Wen Yuling and was lost in thought on the way home.

When they arrived home, Xu Qinyu put the clothes and fabric and fur scraps aside and prepared to roast sunflower seeds and peanuts.

She didn’t have a clear plan for Concubine Gui yet and wasn’t sure if she wanted to leave. After all, many women’s thoughts in ancient times were completely different from modern women’s, influenced by the environment. It wasn’t Concubine Gui’s fault, just like Old Madam Luo’s daughter-in-law, Madam Lin.

Xu Qinyu decided to roast the sunflower seeds and peanuts first. She then made five-spice sunflower seeds by adding salt and a few spices to the iron pot, which made them savory and delicious.

While she roasted the sunflower seeds, she had the family shell the peanuts. She had bought dried peanuts in their shells, which cost eight wen per jin. Shelled peanuts were more expensive, so buying them in their shells and shelling them herself was more economical.

She planned to make five-spice peanuts, which were even tastier.

Here, the usual way of roasting sunflower seeds and peanuts is without adding salt or spices, resulting in a plain, original flavor. However, five-spice versions are definitely tastier. Making five-spice peanuts is a bit more complicated.

First, the shelled peanuts need to be soaked for about half an hour to soften the surface. Then, they are boiled. She reused the spices from roasting the sunflower seeds to boil the peanuts.

The peanuts are boiled with the spices until about seventy percent cooked, then drained. Next, they are stir-fried until almost done, and the salt used for the sunflower seeds is added to thoroughly dry out the peanuts, making them crispy and flavorful. The roasted five-spice peanuts are scooped out with a slotted spoon. She made a large batch, so there wasn’t much salt left. She saved the remaining salt for cooking other dishes.

The five-spice peanuts are aromatic and crispy, perfect as snacks or appetizers.

She gave one to each of the children, reminding them, “Feng Ge’er and Yuan Jie’er, be careful when eating peanuts. Chew slowly and thoroughly. Doesn’t it taste better that way?”

The children, being three or four years old, could eat small pieces but needed to be cautious. They nodded and asked for more peanuts.

Xu Qinyu also brought some for Madam Wen, Fourth Brother, and Ning Jie’er to taste, and they all agreed it was delicious. She made a large batch, enough to last a few days, and planned to share some with Xia’s and Officer Xu’s families.

Actually, selling these five-spice sunflower seeds and peanuts on East and West Streets at a higher price during the New Year could be quite profitable, and Xu Qinyu was tempted.

But then Fourth Brother said, “Yuniang, take a good rest these days. Your body won’t be able to handle it.”

Xu Qinyu looked at Fourth Brother, who seemed to know what she was thinking. He was right; she was worried about overworking herself. Health is the foundation of everything! With good health, she could think about other things. Since their exile, she had been working non-stop and hadn’t had a proper rest. She planned to take a good break during the New Year.

So, she decided to rest for these ten days.

Money can always be earned, and there’s no end to making money!

Oh, if only she could find a few talented apprentices, she could teach them to roast peanuts and sell them.

The Pei family wasn’t good at cooking. When she was too busy, Madam Wen and Pei Weixuan had tried cooking, but even with her guidance on heat, ingredients, and seasonings, the results were mediocre.

Roasting peanuts was a skill, and she feared that if they tried, the taste wouldn’t be good enough to sell, wasting the effort.

She also knew a method for making salted dried peanuts, which involved boiling freshly harvested peanuts with their shells and then drying them. This method was best done in August or September, the peanut harvest season, and the salted dried peanuts could be stored longer. So, there was no rush for now.

For lunch, Xu Qinyu made a simple braised rice dish.

In the afternoon, Xu Qinyu was busy making egg cakes, mung bean cakes, and jujube rice cakes.

For the jujube rice cakes, the red dates needed to be steamed first. Without a food processor, it was impossible to puree the dates with their skins on, as the skins would affect the texture. So, the Pei family members were given the task of peeling the dates and extracting the jujube paste.

She added some brown sugar to enhance the flavor when kneading the glutinous rice flour and white flour. Once the dough was ready, she rolled it out, spread a layer of jujube paste, rolled it up, cut it into pieces, and steamed it. The whole house was filled with a sweet aroma. The steamed jujube rice cakes were sweet and sticky.

Pei Weixuan ate several pieces, showing that he had a preference for sweet foods.

The freshly steamed jujube rice cakes were indeed delicious, sweet, and sticky. Xu Qinyu also ate several pieces.

In the evening, when Zhu Zi came to pick up Shao Ge’er’s dinner, Xu Qinyu packed two bags of five-spice peanuts and some jujube rice cakes for him to take back to Madam Wu.

After dinner, there wasn’t much to do. The next day, she planned to make fried radish balls, fried fish, fried lean meatballs, and stuffed lotus root for the New Year, which would complete the preparations.

Her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and husband naturally handled the big cleaning tasks. After dinner, everyone stayed in the kitchen, waiting for the water to heat up for washing, and chatted.

Madam Wen suddenly said, “Yuniang, Xuan Ge’er, Ning Jie’er, I have something to tell you.”

Xu Qinyu replied, “Mother, please go ahead.”

Madam Wen nervously gathered her courage and spoke.

“Actually, these days, I’ve been washing clothes for the Wen family.”

She knew her family didn’t want her to have dealings with the Wen family, but Concubine Gui was her biological mother, the one who gave birth to and raised her. She couldn’t ignore her closest relative. When she first went to East and West Streets to look for work, only the residents there could afford to hire someone for laundry. She saw a notice for a laundry worker outside a five-entry courtyard and knocked on the door. To her surprise, it was opened by the elderly Concubine Gui.

That’s when she learned that the Wen family had also come to Yuanbao Town and that Concubine Gui was living in a side room, working as a gatekeeper. She was furious and decided to stay with the Wen family to see if she could find a way to help Concubine Gui separate from her father.

Concubine Gui didn’t want to stay with the Wen family either. Although she was promoted from a maid to a concubine by Old Madam Wen, she never wanted to be a concubine. After her daughter entered the palace, she received her freedom papers and was no longer a servant. After experiencing exile and coming to Yuanbao Town, she continued to be tormented and wanted to leave the Wen family even more. But Old Madam Wen kept her to torment her and had no intention of letting her go. She knew that her chances of leaving the Wen family were slim, and she didn’t want her daughter to stay and be bullied by the old lady. She urged Madam Wen to leave and not stay to wash clothes for the Wen family.

But Madam Wen couldn’t just ignore it.

Seeing Yuniang busy and unable to think of another way to get Concubine Gui out, Madam Wen had been washing clothes for the Wen family for over two months, spending time with Concubine Gui every day.

Xu Qinyu didn’t know that her mother-in-law was washing clothes for the Wen family. She hadn’t known that the Wen family was in Yuanbao Town until today.

Given her mother-in-law’s character, she must have felt she had no other choice but to tell them. Xu Qinyu didn’t mind. Now, they just needed to find a way to get Concubine Gui out of the Wen family. But how could they make the old lady let her go?

The real issue was that the old lady didn’t want to let her go.

Madam Wen sighed and said, “Mother wasn’t born into the Wen family. She was kidnapped and sold to a broker, then bought by the old lady to be her maid. The old lady wasn’t easy to get along with, even as a young girl, often beating and scolding her servants.” So Concubine Gui had suffered since childhood.

Concubine Gui was only four or five when she was kidnapped and couldn’t remember much. She had been through so many places that she couldn’t even recall where her hometown was, only that she had been kidnapped. Everything else was a blur.

Xu Qinyu couldn’t help but sigh. Kidnappers were even more rampant in ancient times. But no matter the era, human traffickers deserve the worst!

Xu Qinyu racked her brain for a solution. As she was thinking, she heard Ning Jie’er, who was watching the little white snake by the stove, suddenly cough.

An idea sparked in Xu Qinyu’s mind. She looked at Pei Weixuan and had a not-so-mature plan.