Chapter 59

One-Eye knelt with a thud, startling Gong Ge’er and the other three children.

Gong Ge’er couldn’t help but ask, “One-Eye, what are you doing?” He wondered why One-Eye was kneeling after dinner despite Fourth Sister-in-law’s delicious food.

“I… I want to be a servant for the owner,” One-Eye stammered, his small face flushed with nervousness, even his ears turning red. After speaking, he kowtowed three times, his movements so quick that Xu Qinyu couldn’t stop him.

One-Eye continued, “I’ll do anything. Just let me be a servant.” He had heard from Gong Ge’er that his Fourth Sister-in-law was kind-hearted. Because they helped keep watch, she invited them for a meal to thank them, without looking down on their disabilities. She truly was a very good person.

Gong Ge’er had also mentioned that Xu’s Food Mansion’s business was good and busy. One-Eye was willing to do any work. If the owner accepted him as a servant, his life would belong to her. If the owner accepted him, he would have the chance to support his three younger brothers. Although the three children weren’t related by blood, they had grown up together, and he considered them his brothers. In such a harsh world, surviving was incredibly difficult. Even if his life was as cheap as a dog’s, he wanted to live and bring them along.

Xu Qinyu felt a pang of sadness when she first saw the children. She herself was an abandoned orphan. The welfare home had children like them with disabilities, living even harder lives. Some bad kids at the welfare home would bully them, and even people looking to adopt would naturally overlook disabled children.

She had been thinking about this. Xu’s Food Mansion’s business was good and always busy. She had posted a notice for kitchen helpers, but no one had come. Perhaps they had looked down on her as a young chef, thinking she was deceiving them. So even though Xu’s Food Mansion’s reputation had spread, those who had previously sought her out in Osmanthus Alley were too embarrassed to return.

She was in desperate need of help and apprentices. Seeing these pitiful children, she thought she could provide them with a place to stay in Xu’s Food Mansion’s small storeroom. She could help them by letting them assist her with chores. If they liked cooking and were willing to work hard or had some talent, she would be willing to take them as apprentices, depending on whether they wanted to become chefs.

Gong Ge’er couldn’t help but glance at his Fourth Sister-in-law. He also hoped she would take in One-Eye. One-Eye could do all sorts of tasks, help with chores, and run errands for the restaurant.

As for the other three children, Gong Ge’er didn’t have high hopes. If Fourth Sister-in-law took them all in, it would be like raising them for free.

As long as Fourth Sister-in-law accepted One-Eye, he could support the other three children.

Xu Qinyu looked at One-Eye and said, “Here’s the deal. My restaurant is usually busy, and I need extra hands. You four can stay, but I don’t want you as servants. You’ll help with chores, live in the small storeroom, and guard the restaurant at night. During the day, you can help me wash, cut, and prepare ingredients. I’ll gradually teach you some cooking skills. If you like cooking and decide later to be a chef, I’ll take you as apprentices. If not, I’ll pay you a monthly wage.”

The main thing was to provide food and shelter, essentially raising them. The children were too young to do much work and needed to be nourished first, so she wouldn’t pay them initially.

One-Eye was stunned, and so were Gong Ge’er and the other three children.

One-Eye understood Xu Qinyu’s words but couldn’t believe it. When he saw her smiling, he realized it wasn’t a dream. He immediately knelt and kowtowed, tears streaming down his face. He wiped his eyes with his dirty, torn sleeve, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

“Stop kowtowing,” Xu Qinyu said, a bit helpless.

The other three children were still in a daze. The oldest, the one with a limp, was about eight years old. The one with the red birthmark was seven, and the six-fingered child was only six. Due to malnutrition, they looked much smaller than their age and were slow to react.

Gong Ge’er couldn’t help but kick them lightly on their behinds, “What are you standing there for? Thank my Fourth Sister-in-law!”

The three children, though dazed, weren’t stupid. They had been beggars for years and knew the harsh realities. When they saw One-Eye kneel and beg the owner to take him in as a servant, they never thought it would work. They didn’t expect the owner to accept One-Eye as a servant because they were all disabled. If they were in the way, they could be beaten. No one would willingly take them in as servants.

Knowing the owner was willing to take them in, the three children couldn’t believe it. After being lightly kicked, they finally reacted, crying loudly and kneeling to kowtow to Xu Qinyu.

“Oh, stop it, get up,” Xu Qinyu said, pulling the children up. Their foreheads were already red. “From now on, no more kowtowing unless you’re becoming apprentices.”

The children, still crying, nodded. Gong Ge’er grinned, feeling excited. Fourth Sister-in-law was indeed the kindest person.

Xu Qinyu thought for a moment and asked Gong Ge’er to boil some hot water so the children could wash up.

It was summer, so washing was convenient, but the well water was too cold for the children. She didn’t want them to get sick, so she mixed hot and cold water for them to wash. She also had some soap, estimating they would need several washes to get clean.

Xu Qinyu asked Gong Ge’er to help boil some water while she went to find Madam Wu.

Madam Wu’s family ran a fabric shop and sold ready-made clothes. Xu Qinyu needed to get some clothes for the children.

Although it was getting dark, many people were still on the streets. Xu Qinyu went to Laixi Alley and knocked on the door.

Madam Wu opened the door and invited Xu Qinyu in. After explaining her purpose, Madam Wu was momentarily stunned. She recognized the little beggars. Everyone in Yuanbao Town knew them—disabled children, some born that way, others becoming blind or lame later. They were pitiful, and no one had ever thought of taking them in, not even as servants. Yet, Young Lady Xu was willing to take them in and teach them to cook, even accepting them as apprentices.

Madam Wu was still a bit shocked.

After recovering, Madam Wu said, “Young Lady Xu, wait here. I have some coarse cloth clothes stored. I’ll find a few sets for you.”

The shop had plenty of fabric, and some materials and clothes were stored at home.

Xu Qinyu estimated the children’s heights and asked for eight sets, enough for them to change and wash. She also bought two mattresses. With the hot weather, they didn’t need blankets at night.

However, the small storeroom didn’t have beds. She would have to clean it and let the children sleep on the floor for a few nights. Later, she would ask Carpenter Gao to make a wider bed for them.

When she returned to the restaurant, the children were already clean and waiting in the storeroom. Xu Qinyu asked Gong Ge’er to bring the clothes in.

When the children came out dressed, they stood shyly under the eaves. They weren’t ugly, with clear eyebrows and bright eyes, but they were too thin and malnourished.

Xu Qinyu checked the storeroom, which was now clean and ready for the children to sleep in. She instructed the children to sleep well and then returned to Osmanthus Alley with Gong Ge’er.

On the way, Gong Ge’er told Xu Qinyu that the children didn’t have names.
The child with the damaged right eye was called One-Eye, the one with the red birthmark was called Ugly Egg, the one with the limp was called Limp, and the one with six fingers was called Six-Fingers.

Xu Qinyu thought this wouldn’t do and decided they needed proper names. She planned to discuss naming them with her family that evening.
Back at Osmanthus Alley, Madam Wen was still waiting in the kitchen. She always worried when Yuniang was out late and felt relieved when she returned.

Xu Qinyu told Madam Wen about taking in the little beggars and wanting them to help in the kitchen and possibly become apprentices.

Madam Wen couldn’t help but glance at her daughter-in-law. She didn’t disapprove, but it was rare for someone to have such a kind heart. Having someone like Yuniang as a daughter-in-law was a blessing for the Pei family, even though the family had fallen on hard times and couldn’t offer her much.

She said, “This is good. They’re all pitiful children, and you need more help in the kitchen. Starting with these children is a good idea.”

However, they hadn’t found a kitchen helper yet, so the burden still fell on Yuniang. It would take at least a year for Cheng Ge’er to be able to handle the cooking, let alone these children who were even younger than him.

Xu Qinyu planned to continue looking for a kitchen helper and teaching the children. She knew how to cook many dishes, both red and white dishes, the eight major cuisines, and more than ten other types of cuisine, including Manchu-Han banquets, various private dishes, desserts, drinks, and snacks. Cheng Ge’er could only learn so much, and she wanted to take on more apprentices. The food culture of this era was still in its early stages, and she hoped to create a flourishing culinary scene in the future.

After chatting for a while, the two women went to their rooms to sleep.

When they arrived at the restaurant the next day, the children were already awake. One-Eye had led the other three to fill the kitchen water tanks. The other three children were very obedient, doing their tasks diligently and perceptively, helping Cheng Ge’er wash and pick vegetables.

Cheng Ge’er guided them, teaching them how to wash and pick vegetables. The children were quite clever and learned quickly.

Now that Cheng Ge’er was also responsible for buying vegetables, having the children with him made it much easier. They followed him in a line, helping carry the vegetables. People on the street were curious and stared at them. Some even recognized the children as the disabled kids from Yuanbao Town.

The children were young, so Xu Qinyu didn’t let them work in the front of the restaurant. Instead, they helped in the kitchen and backyard.

A couple of days passed, and Ping An Eatery remained closed. People grew curious and started asking around, eventually learning about the incident between Xu’s Food Mansion and Ping An Eatery that had been reported to the authorities.

When they found out that Ping An Eatery had tried to bribe a waitress from Xu’s Food Mansion to poison its customers, the regular patrons of Xu’s Food Mansion were furious.

Everyone condemned Ping An Eatery for its malicious actions. Even if they were jealous of a competitor’s business, using such underhanded tactics was unacceptable. As a restaurant, they should never have considered poisoning food, blatantly disregarding their customers and treating them merely as tools for profit.

Needless to say, once this news spread, even if Ping An Eatery reopened, it was unlikely to attract any customers.

Sure enough, within a few days, a notice was posted outside Ping An Eatery, indicating it was available for rent or sale.

The shop had originally been rented by Mrs. Li and Zhang Quan. After this incident, Zhang Quan knew they couldn’t continue running the eatery, so he didn’t renew the lease. They sold everything inside and planned to return to Zhang Quan’s hometown to open a small food stall to make a living.

Zhang Quan was originally from the southwest, but his hometown was a small village near an iron mine, a poor area. He had apprenticed with a chef from age ten and worked for ten years before being allowed to start his own business. He began with a small food stall, gradually saving enough money to move to Yuanbao Town and continue his food business. After saving enough, he rented the shop and opened Ping An Eatery two years ago.

In just two years, the eatery was gone. It was a hard blow. He blamed his wife but knew they had to think about the future. He planned to return to his hometown and continue the food business. The town was small, far from Yuanbao Town, near the iron mine, with a mixed population and difficult business conditions, but it was their only option.

At home, Mrs. Li cried day and night, saying she didn’t realize the laxative incident would be so serious and that she wanted to apologize to Xu’s Food Mansion’s owner.

Zhang Quan told her she should apologize, but even if she did, Ping An Eatery was finished. Its reputation was ruined, and customers wouldn’t return.

Mrs. Li was devastated and didn’t speak for days. When she could move, Zhang Quan took her to Xu Ji to apologize.

Mrs. Li, still limping, sincerely apologized to Xu Qinyu but couldn’t help but plead, “Owner Xu, I truly know I was wrong. Please give us a chance. Tell the customers I didn’t mean it.” She had left her children with her in-laws, hoping to save enough money in two years to buy a house and bring her family to Yuanbao Town. But because of her mistake, everything was lost. Though they still had some money, continuing the food business in Yuanbao Town was impossible.

Xu Qinyu sighed, “Even if I told the customers, they wouldn’t believe it.”

As a food business, tampering with food was unforgivable.

Zhang Quan finally took Mrs. Li away, and soon after, they left town. With their departure, something happened in Osmanthus Alley as well.

The son of Old Madam Luo divorced Madam Lin, but Madam Lin took the Luo family to court.

Xu Qinyu heard about this in the evening from Madam Bai, who told Madam Gui. Madam Bai had heard a commotion outside during the day, went to check, and saw yamen officers taking Old Madam Luo to the county office. Old Madam Luo was screaming like a pig being slaughtered, attracting a crowd, and Madam Bai followed to see what was happening.

At the county office, it was revealed that the Luo family had divorced Madam Lin, citing her inability to bear a son. Even though Madam Lin had given birth to two daughters, she could still be divorced under the “seven grounds for divorce” for not having a son.

At the county office, Madam Lin was like a madwoman, claiming that the Luo family wanted to sell her daughters, Da Niu and Er Niu, to Xiangman Brothel in Raozhou City. She begged the county magistrate to let her daughters stay with her.

It turned out that Old Madam Luo was indeed afraid of Madam Lin. Madam Lin didn’t hit her every day, only when she insulted her and her daughters. But Old Madam Luo grew to hate Madam Lin more and more, knowing that Madam Lin stayed in the Luo family for her daughters.

Thinking about how Madam Lin had treated her over the past few months, Old Madam Luo didn’t want Madam Lin to have her way. She finally couldn’t bear it and gave her son ten taels of silver from her private savings, telling him to divorce Madam Lin and remarry.

The Luo family managed their own money. Old Madam Luo would ask her son and husband for money to buy food and groceries, saving a little from what they gave her. In earlier years, she had also earned money by washing clothes for others. Madam Lin’s monthly earnings of one or two hundred wen also went to her. Over the years, she had secretly saved over ten taels of silver.

Old Madam Luo hated Madam Lin deeply. She knew her son and husband didn’t believe Madam Lin hit her, so she thought that if her son divorced Madam Lin, she wouldn’t be able to take her daughters, which would infuriate her. After the divorce, she planned to sell the daughters to Xiangman Brothel for over twenty taels of silver. However, this money wouldn’t go directly to her, so she hesitated to use her ten taels of private savings for the divorce and remarriage.

Initially, she was reluctant to part with her ten taels of silver, but seeing Madam Lin made her so angry that she finally gave the money to her son.

Luo Dagen took the ten taels of silver, added some of his own savings, and divorced Madam Lin. He planned to remarry and hoped for a son, as Madam Lin couldn’t give him one.

When divorcing Madam Lin, she asked for her two daughters.

Luo Dagen refused, saying Da Niu and Er Niu were Luo family blood.

Privately, Luo Dagen thought that after raising the girls, he wouldn’t give them to Madam Lin. Even if he didn’t sell them to the brothel, he could marry Da Niu off in a few years and receive a substantial bride price.

Madam Lin knew that once she left, Old Madam Luo would continue to persuade Luo Dagen to sell Da Niu to the brothel and, in a few years, sell Er Niu as well. Unable to bear this, she went to the county office to accuse the Luo family.

At first, the people of Yuanbao Town were puzzled by her actions. It was unusual for a divorced wife to accuse her husband’s family and demand her daughters.

In court, Madam Lin stated her demands and revealed that Old Madam Luo and Luo Dagen planned to sell her daughters to Xiangman Brothel. The townspeople were skeptical, questioning how a grandmother and father could sell their daughters to such a place. Even in times of famine, children were sold to wealthy families as servants, not to places like Xiangman Brothel, which was considered a pit of fire for women.

However, the neighbors in Osmanthus Alley knew the Luo family’s character and immediately informed others, “You don’t live on South Street, so you don’t know what the Luo family is like. Old Madam Luo once sold her own daughter to such a place to get money for her son’s marriage. If she dared to sell her daughter, why wouldn’t she sell her granddaughters? And you don’t know how cruel Old Madam Luo is, always beating her daughter-in-law and granddaughters.”

“My goodness, such a black heart! Isn’t she afraid of retribution? Who treats their daughter-in-law like that? Even if disciplining, you can’t resort to violence.”

“No wonder this woman is making a scene in court to get her daughters. Now it makes sense.”

“Poor mother and daughters. But making a scene in court won’t help. The county magistrate can’t intervene in family matters. If the Luo family refuses to let go, she can’t take her daughters.”

The townspeople were right. The county office couldn’t intervene in such cases, but the county magistrate had a kind heart and had already heard about the Luo family from his daughter, Yang Zhizhi.

Yang Zhizhi had heard about the Luo family while chatting with Xu Qinyu during a visit. Such matters naturally angered people, and Yang Zhizhi had shared it with her family, so the county magistrate remembered it.

However, Madam Lin’s demand to take her daughters away couldn’t be granted. The laws of the Great Sheng Dynasty dictated that children followed the father in cases of divorce or separation unless the father agreed to let them go with the mother.

The county magistrate could only hint and pressure the Luo family to let the daughters go with Madam Lin and inform her how to get her children from the Luo family.

Madam Lin was still crying, almost incoherent. She had been divorced for two days and had stayed at the Luo family’s gate, afraid to leave, fearing Old Madam Luo would sell her daughters to Xiangmanlou. She hadn’t expected that resisting Old Madam Luo would still leave her trapped in another form of bondage.

Seeing Madam Lin still crying, the county magistrate said to Old Madam Luo, “They are your granddaughters. Would you really do such a heartless thing for money?”

The county magistrate continued, “After all, they are your granddaughters. How can you bear to send them into such a pit for money? Is money really the most important thing to you?” He emphasized the word “money” and glanced at Madam Lin.

Old Madam Luo snorted, thinking that everyone worked hard for money. What could be more important than money?

Madam Lin finally understood. She hesitated, then shouted, “I… I’m willing to pay. Dagen, I’ll give you money. Please let me take my daughters. I beg you, Dagen.”

Old Madam Luo sneered, “Where will you get the money? You don’t have any. How much are you planning to pay to take Da Niu and Er Niu?”

Clenching her fists, her eyes red, Madam Lin said, “I don’t have money now, but I’ll earn it. I’ll work hard to earn money. I can write an IOU and pay you a portion every month. I’m willing to pay twenty taels of silver. Dagen, please let Da Niu and Er Niu come with me. Or tell me how much you want, and I’ll pay it.” She could wash clothes for people and catch fish, shrimp, and snails to sell to Xu’s Food Mansion. She knew Xu’s Food Mansion bought these. She was willing to work herself to death for her daughters.

Old Madam Luo spat, “You say it so easily. Twenty taels of silver? You earn two hundred wen a month washing clothes and doing odd jobs. How will you earn twenty taels? Dagen, don’t believe her.”

She didn’t want Madam Lin to succeed. To spite Madam Lin, she had her son divorce her and keep Da Niu and Er Niu. She wouldn’t let Madam Lin take her granddaughters so easily.

Finally, someone couldn’t stand it and angrily scolded, “You old woman, you’re truly heartless. She’s willing to pay you twenty taels of silver. Selling them to Xiangman Brothel would only get a few more taels. Let their mother take them instead.”