Chapter 57

Xu Qinyu whispered a few words into Cheng Ge’er’s ear.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ge’er turned red with anger and finally said, “Master, don’t worry. I understand. I’ll take care of it.”

After dinner, Xu Qinyu returned to Osmanthus Alley as usual.

Xu’s Food Mansion had closed, and Madam Wen was busy accounting. She had heard that Ping An Eatery started selling custard buns and other items today. She was definitely angry, but Yuniang had said that it’s common for others to imitate in business. It’s best to stay calm.

Today, she had Gong Ge’er check it out. Ping An Eatery had even put up a sign at the entrance advertising custard buns, glutinous rice with pork intestines, and fish porridge. Isn’t this deliberately misleading people?

Some customers came to West Street for breakfast because of Xu’s Food Mansion’s reputation. Ping An Eatery, located in the middle of the market, put up a sign to attract customers who intended to go to Xu’s Food Mansion.

Madam Wen was still thinking about this.

After accounting, Madam Chen and the others left. Cheng Ge’er was ready to escort Madam Wen home. Madam Wen noticed Gong Ge’er was missing and couldn’t help but ask, “Where’s Gong Ge’er?”

Cheng Ge’er rubbed his nose, “Maybe he ran off somewhere.”

Gong Ge’er usually did errands, but after work, he always escorted Madam Wen back to Osmanthus Alley with Cheng Ge’er.

This time, Gong Ge’er wasn’t running errands but helping Cheng Ge’er with a task. Master had told him there might be an insider at the restaurant, someone bribed by Ping An Eatery, who saw her making custard buns and shared the recipe with Ping An Eatery. The tricky part was the recipe, the proportions, and the cooking time. Seeing it once might give an idea, but the taste would be completely off.

That’s why Ping An Eatery sold custard buns for only two wen each.

Master also said the insider might have spread the previous rumor to Ping An Eatery. This time, they had to find the insider.

Cheng Ge’er was touched that Master trusted him and Gong Ge’er to help with surveillance. He was determined to help Master catch the culprit. Besides Second Aunt, only a few people were in the restaurant, just the three waitresses. Master asked him to watch the three waitresses to see if they had any private contact with people from Ping An Eatery.

He had spent some time with the three waitresses and had to admit they all worked diligently and didn’t seem like the type to betray the restaurant. So, he couldn’t figure out who it was. Master also said she might be mistaken, but they should keep an eye out. It would be better if the three waitresses didn’t do it, as Master didn’t want an insider in the restaurant.

Madam Wen really thought Gong Ge’er had gone out to play and nodded, saying nothing more.

Cheng Ge’er said, “Second Aunt, let me escort you home.”

The kitchen and dining hall were already cleaned, and the three waitresses had left.

Madam Wen nodded, and the two of them carried a box back home.

The restaurant’s daily earnings had to be taken home, and in the past two months, Yuniang had saved a thousand taels of silver, almost needing to visit the bank every few days.

The bank was Luo’an Bank, the largest and most famous bank in the Great Sheng Dynasty. With branches in almost every corner of the dynasty, even in smaller towns, Luo’an Bank was a century-old establishment, nearly two hundred years old. Even during chaotic times, Luo’an Bank could exchange silver and money, so the people of the Great Sheng Dynasty trusted it immensely.

When they were first exiled, Madam Wen truly thought the whole family had no way to survive. Now, Yuniang had opened a restaurant, earning five to six hundred taels of silver each month, and their days were prosperous.

After escorting Madam Wen home, Cheng Ge’er immediately ran off. He planned to check if the three waitresses had returned home.

Xu Qinyu had just finished washing up. When she returned, her clothes were soaked with sweat. As the weather got hotter, her inner clothes would be soaked through after making breakfast in the kitchen. Unlike modern times, there was no air conditioning in the kitchen. Even in modern kitchens with air conditioning, chefs would still sweat after cooking, and here it was even worse, almost soaking from head to toe. She brought a change of clothes to the restaurant every day, washing up and changing into clean, fresh clothes after breakfast in the utility room. Even the clothes she changed into would be soaked with sweat after dinner service.

So, after dinner service, she would return to Osmanthus Alley to wash up.

After washing up, she would wash her undergarments, and the outer clothes would be cleaned by a washerwoman who came daily to do the laundry and clean the house.

With the money they earned, Xu Qinyu didn’t want Madam Wen to work too hard. Madam Wen spent all day managing the restaurant, accounting, and collecting money, and when busy, she also served dishes. It was exhausting, so Xu Qinyu hired a washerwoman for twenty wen a day to do the household chores.

The washerwoman was from a nearby alley, very clean and diligent.

Madam Gui had offered to do the washing, but Xu Qinyu wouldn’t let the elderly woman work too hard.

After counting the money, Xu Qinyu poured the silver from the wooden box into her money chest and locked it. Bai Yu wasn’t around, probably out hunting in the mountains.

Bai Yu seemed to remember Xu Qinyu’s nagging and would sneak out at night to hunt in the mountains, returning the next day before dawn.

As Bai Yu grew larger, Xu Qinyu was naturally afraid of it being seen and scaring people, or worse, having soldiers come to kill it.

By mid-June, the weather was getting hotter. Fortunately, the heat in the southwest wasn’t as intense as in the south. The hottest time was around noon, but once the sun set, the weather cooled down. Sitting in the courtyard with a gentle breeze, Xu Qinyu felt a rare sense of relaxation. She even ordered a few rattan rocking chairs from Carpenter Gao, and lying on them was incredibly comfortable.

However, the courtyard looked a bit bare except for the jujube tree. If she could plant some flowers and grass, and maybe two grapevines to create a grape arbor, she could make some wine and enjoy it under the arbor during her breaks. That would be delightful.

Thinking about grapes, Xu Qinyu licked her lips.

This dynasty didn’t exist in history, so she wasn’t sure about the specific crops. Some crops, fruits, and vegetables were available, while others weren’t. Grapes seemed to have been brought back to the Great Sheng Dynasty by a caravan a few years ago and started being cultivated. However, there didn’t seem to be any grape cultivation in the southwest, making grapes quite expensive in the summer. There were wild grapes in the mountains, though. Wild grapes were native to the Great Sheng Dynasty. However, they wouldn’t be ripe until August. When the time came, she could go to the mountains to pick them and make some wine, which could be sold or kept for the family to enjoy. It seemed no one here was making grape wine yet.

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After leaving the Pei family, Cheng Ge’er went to find his brother Gong Ge’er but couldn’t find him. He checked the homes of the three waitresses, and they had all returned home. Gong Ge’er wasn’t nearby, but he saw a few little beggars wandering around.

Cheng Ge’er didn’t think much of it and squatted in front of Madam Chen’s house until late at night when all the lights were out before returning to the Wen family.

When he got back, Gong Ge’er had already returned. Cheng Ge’er asked him, “Brother, did you check near the three waitresses’ homes?”

Gong Ge’er was drinking cold water from a large jar. After wiping his mouth, he said, “Don’t worry, brother. I know what I’m doing. I won’t mess up. I have a few friends helping me keep an eye on things. We can’t watch three people by ourselves. I also have friends watching Ping An Eatery, and we know where the owners live.”

Cheng Ge’er nodded, trusting his brother. Although Gong Ge’er liked to play, he always completed the tasks given to him.

The next day, Xu’s Food Mansion operated as usual.

Because Ping An Eatery was located in front of Xu’s Food Mansion and had a large sign, some new customers were indeed misled.

So, Xu’s Food Mansion’s breakfast business was somewhat affected.

However, Xu’s Food Mansion had many regular customers, and the breakfast items made in the morning were sold out, except for some milk buns. The unsold food was eaten by the restaurant staff or taken home.

Some meat dishes wouldn’t spoil overnight but would lose their texture, so Xu Qinyu wouldn’t use them again. Instead, she would divide them among the three waitresses and Cheng Ge’er, letting them take the food home.

The three waitresses knew that their monthly salary of eight hundred wen was high. The owner also provided meals, and occasionally they could take some meat home to improve their diet. Such treatment was rare, not just in Yuanbao Town but even in Raozhou City. They cherished it and, hearing that there would be a year-end bonus of no less than two taels of silver, they worked even harder, helping the owner as much as possible.

There were quite a few leftover milk buns. After everyone had eaten, there were still some left. Gong Ge’er ran over to Xu Qinyu, scratching his head, and said, “Fourth Sister-in-law, can I take eight milk buns out?”

“As long as you don’t waste them, it’s fine,” Xu Qinyu smiled. “What do you need the milk buns for, Gong Ge’er?”

Gong Ge’er, a bit embarrassed but very serious, told Xu Qinyu, “I’ve made some friends and asked them to help me with something, so I want to bring them some milk buns because I told them my fourth sister-in-law’s food is delicious.”

This kid, speaking so earnestly at just ten years old, even asking friends to help with tasks.

Xu Qinyu laughed, “Alright, go ahead.”

“Thank you, Fourth Sister-in-law!” Gong Ge’er grinned and ran back to the kitchen, grabbing eight milk buns and running out the door.

Gong Ge’er, carrying the milk buns, quickly disappeared.

He left the West Street market and walked into an alley. At the end of the alley was a small lane with a few broken wooden boards haphazardly placed. Under the boards were four raggedly dressed children, dirty and skinny, with messy hair and blackened faces, all looking emaciated.

Moreover, the four children were visibly disabled. The oldest child had only one eye, with the right eye socket empty and only the left eye intact.

Another child had a red birthmark from the eye to the eyebrow. The other two children didn’t show any visible issues, but when two of them stood up excitedly and shouted, “Brother Wen, you’re here,” one of them had a limp.

The other child looked fine and seemed to be the youngest, about six or seven years old. The child with only one eye looked the oldest, around ten years old.

Seeing them, Gong Ge’er smiled, “Look what I brought you.”

He divided the milk buns from Xu’s Food Mansion among the four children, giving each two. The youngest child, upon receiving the milk buns, revealed six fingers on his right hand.

The children, holding the snow-white, soft, and fragrant milk buns, were reluctant to eat them.

Gong Ge’er said, “Eat quickly while they’re still warm. Milk buns are the most delicious when warm, but they’re still good when cold. My fourth sister-in-law’s food is always tasty.”

The children, unable to resist the aroma of the milk buns, finally took a bite. The soft texture and milky fragrance captivated them. They were just a few little beggars who rarely had enough to eat, often fighting stray dogs for scraps.

“Oh my, this is so good, so fragrant.”

“Brother Wen, do you eat such delicious food every day?”

Gong Ge’er felt a bit heartbroken but nodded, “Yes, my fourth sister-in-law made these. She’s very kind.”

The children looked at Gong Ge’er with envy. They wished they had such a kind sister-in-law, but being disabled, even their own families didn’t want them. How could anyone else? They were destined to be beggars, possibly starving or freezing to death on the streets one day.

After finishing one milk bun, the children carefully wrapped the other and hid it on their person.

Gong Ge’er then asked, “Did you see anything last night?”

The oldest child shook his head, “No, we watched until morning. They went straight to Xu’s Food Mansion after waking up.”

“Keep an eye on this for me,” Gong Ge’er said. “It might take a long time to find anything. If there’s leftover food at the restaurant, I’ll ask my fourth sister-in-law to give you some.”

The four children looked at him eagerly.

After delivering the milk buns, Gong Ge’er returned to Xu’s Food Mansion.

Gong Ge’er had known these little beggars for over a month. One evening, after Xu’s Food Mansion had just closed, he had saved two meat sandwiches for dinner. He loved them so much that he ate them for both breakfast and dinner. Unexpectedly, as he walked out of the street, a shadow darted and snatched the sandwiches from his hand.

How could he tolerate that? Gong Ge’er let out a shout and chased after the child. He caught up and found it was a younger child. When he tried to snatch back the sandwiches, the child protected it fiercely. In the struggle, the sandwiches slipped from their hands and were snatched by a passing stray dog.

Gong Ge’er was dumbfounded and furious, raising his fist to fight the child. Then he noticed the child was missing an eye, wearing tattered clothes, and glaring at him with the remaining eye.

Seeing the child’s condition, Gong Ge’er realized he was a beggar and couldn’t bring himself to fight. He stood up, moved aside, and huffed, planning to leave.

After a few steps, he thought of the child’s emaciated appearance and felt uneasy. Looking back, he saw the child crying, tears streaming from the left eye, looking utterly hopeless.

Gong Ge’er couldn’t walk away. He turned back and said, “Don’t cry. What do you want to eat? I’ll buy it for you.”

The child said, “Anything.” The voice was so hoarse it was barely audible.

Gong Ge’er bought a few meat buns nearby and gave them to the child.

The child ran off with the meat buns, but Gong Ge’er, feeling uneasy, followed and found a small alley where three more children were hiding. The youngest was barely alive from hunger. The child had stolen the meat sandwhiches to feed this one.

That’s how Gong Ge’er met these children. He learned they were all little beggars, some abandoned by their families, others injured and disabled after being kidnapped and then discarded.

The youngest, with six fingers on one hand, was considered a bad omen by his family and abandoned at birth, picked up by an old beggar.

The old beggar passed away two years ago, and the child had been begging daily, eventually meeting the other three beggars and staying with them, begging together every day.

They often couldn’t find food, and Gong Ge’er spent a few hundred wen each month buying food for them.

These little beggars called him “Brother Wen” every day.

Gong Ge’er knew his fourth sister-in-law needed someone to watch, and he and his brother couldn’t do it alone. So he asked these little beggars for help.

The little beggars were very responsible. Every day, when Xu’s Food Mansion was about to close, they would loiter nearby, waiting for the three waitresses to leave. They would then follow them, each taking a different path, without being noticed. They had been doing this for about half a month, and it was now early July, with the weather becoming increasingly hot and dry.

Xu’s Food Mansion’s sour plum soup was selling even better. Due to the hot weather, Xu Qinyu bought some ice. Ice was very expensive, and adding crushed ice to the sour plum soup increased the price by two wen, which was entirely the cost, with no profit. However, after being chilled in the well for one or two hours, the sour plum soup was still refreshingly cool and helped beat the heat.

Customers could choose whether to add ice to their sour plum soup. Adding ice cost an extra two wen, but even without ice, the well-chilled sour plum soup was still cool.

The same method was used for milk tea. Milk tea was more popular among women, and they were willing to pay the extra two wen for ice, enjoying the cool, rich, and creamy drink.

The hot weather affected the business of small eateries and restaurants on West Street, as people were less inclined to eat heavy meals without the modern convenience of air conditioning. Most of the food in these eateries was greasy, making it even less appealing in the heat.

However, Xu’s Food Mansion’s business was unaffected, thanks to dishes like marinated snails, prawns, and sour plum drinks, which were appetizing and cooling and attracted more customers.

Additionally, Xu Qinyu recently introduced two new cold dishes: cold lettuce salad, garlic pork, and garlic roasted eggplant. These new dishes were popular among customers.

To ensure customers were comfortable, Xu Qinyu bought some ice to place in the four corners of the dining hall. This ice was specifically for cooling and was much cheaper than edible ice, but it still cost two taels of silver daily!

Xu Qinyu was willing to use ice, which made customers more comfortable and inclined to dine at Xu’s Food Mansion.

Xu Qinyu had Cheng Ge’er keep watch for half a month without discovering who was in contact with Ping An Eatery. She began to doubt herself, wondering if there was no insider and that Ping An Eatery had simply figured out the custard bun recipe on their own.

If only Fourth Brother were here, he was smart and would have figured it out immediately. She didn’t have Fourth Brother’s insight into people’s hearts. Besides her talent for cooking, she was just an ordinary person.

A couple of days passed.

One day, the little beggars were once again watching Xu’s Food Mansion close and following the three waitresses.

The oldest beggar, about ten years old, had no name and was called “One-Eye” by everyone.

One-Eye was following Madam Sun, the sturdiest of the three waitresses.

At first, Madam Sun acted normally. After leaving the market, she didn’t go back to her alley but instead looked around suspiciously. Seeing no one from Xu’s Food Mansion, she sighed in relief and headed to another alley. She knocked on a door, and a woman peeked out—it was the female manager of Ping An Eatery.

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One-Eye wasted no time and went to Osmanthus Alley to find Gong Ge’er.

Hearing this, Gong Ge’er frowned and went to find his brother. Cheng Ge’er couldn’t sit still and immediately went to find his fourth sister-in-law.

Seeing Cheng Ge’er, Xu Qinyu knew they had caught the insider.

Hearing it was Madam Sun, who had been seen meeting the female manager of Ping An Eatery, Xu Qinyu couldn’t help but sigh. She had picked the strongest person from the remaining list, only to choose someone unreliable. She didn’t delay any further and decided to go confront her. If she went now, she could catch her in the act.

Madam Wen overheard and, seeing Yuniang about to leave, quickly called Cheng Ge’er and Gong Ge’er to accompany her.

Cheng Ge’er said, “Aunt, don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on things and won’t let anyone harm Fourth Sister-in-law.”

When the three of them arrived, they saw Madam Sun just coming out of the door.

Madam Sun’s face was initially anxious, and she didn’t notice anyone. When she realized someone was in front of her, she looked up and turned pale with fright. “Owner, why haven’t you gone home to rest? I came to my relative’s house for something and didn’t expect to see you here.”

Before Xu Qinyu could say anything, Cheng Ge’er angrily said, “Madam Sun, stop pretending! This is where the owner of Ping An Eatery lives. Why are you here? Did you sell the recipes for custard buns, glutinous rice with pork intestines, and fish porridge to Ping An Eatery after seeing Fourth Sister-in-law make them? And was it Ping An Eatery that had you spread the rumor about our family having tuberculosis over a month ago?”

“No, no…” Madam Sun panicked. “Owner, I didn’t.”

She remembered the item the female manager of Ping An Eatery had just given her, still clutched in her hand, and tried to hide it behind her back.

Madam Sun’s attempt to hide her hand was too obvious, clearly indicating she was holding something. Xu Qinyu frowned and asked, “Madam Sun, what are you holding?”

“Nothing, nothing at all.”

Madam Sun was terrified, sweat dripping down her face, and she was trembling.

Seeing her guilty demeanor, Gong Ge’er took advantage of her distraction, grabbed her wrist, and pressed on her pressure point.

Gong Ge’er had learned some martial arts from his father and had a strong grip. The pain made Madam Sun cry out, and she released her tightly clenched fist.