Chapter 12: You Are the Most Fit to Become a Top Scholar

Early in the morning, Wang got up to tidy up, packing bedding and some daily necessities onto the cart. She also harvested some ripe vegetables from the yard and packed all the seasonings from the kitchen to take along; every bit saved was a gain.

Xu Nuo didn’t slack off either, gathering all the lemons from the warehouse to put on the cart, getting ready to set off.

As they sat in the cart and leisurely swayed towards the county, Xu Nuo felt that this journey marked the beginning of a significant change in their family’s fate. If she remembered correctly, in October, Shangguan would be leaving this place to study in Shandong, preparing for the county examination in August of the following year, thereby embarking on his own official career. To be honest, Xu Nuo thought Shangguan Ziqian was the one who truly deserved the title of a “genuine examination ace.”

Arriving at the courtyard they had rented the day before, Zhang Yan was already standing at the entrance, waiting with eagerness. As soon as the cart arrived, before Shangguan had even stepped down, he rushed over to lift the curtain of the cart.

“Mom, you’re here! Take your time getting down. Early this morning, I had my friends clean up the house inside and out; I guarantee you’ll feel the warmth of home here.”

Wang had not expected that someone as seemingly careless as Zhang Yan would handle things so reliably.

“Really, thank you so much!” Wang’s fondness for him only grew.
Shangguan smiled and shook his head, acknowledging that they owed a lot to Zhang Yan—without him, they would have spent a considerable amount of time preparing everything. Yet the bond of friendship among men did not require many words; a glance was enough to convey their understanding.

Shangguan unloaded items one by one from the cart while Xu Nuo and a few of Zhang Yan’s friends carried things into the yard and the kitchen. What had been an empty room and yard was quickly filled, giving Xu Nuo a strong sense of accomplishment.

And the best part was yet to come; just when she was worrying about cooking without meat, Uncle Zhang arrived on his donkey, delivering today’s share of pig offal and bringing along a few bone pieces. These were fantastic ingredients—though the bones had no meat, they were excellent for making broth, especially with the marrow inside, which would produce an incredibly delicious and light soup.

“Haha, Uncle Zhang, your timing couldn’t be better! It’s a great day! We ought to celebrate, and I’ll cook up a feast!” Xu Nuo exclaimed, already thinking about what dishes to prepare.

Those bones could be boiled into a rich broth, enhanced with some white radishes for a fresh and nutritious soup, perfect to nourish everyone. As for the intestines, they could be cleaned up and stir-fried; compared to braised food, this would offer a different flavor. The pig liver could be boiled in salted water, mixed with some vinegar, and they could also stir-fry some sweet and sour lotus root and scrambled eggs with tomatoes. The more she thought about it, the happier she became.

With a plan in mind, Wang began to help Xu Nuo with the preparations. Meanwhile, Shangguan and Uncle Zhang were in the yard discussing how to create the stall Xu Nuo had described.

Xu Nuo, having a background in drawing, thought about how small food stalls outside modern-day schools usually looked. Why not let Shangguan replicate one for her? After all, she had already sketched out the design; she would leave the tricky parts to them and focus on providing ideas.

“This thing sounds simple but is a bit complicated. Isn’t it just a matter of modifying the cart?” Uncle Zhang glanced at the drawing, struggling to understand the purpose of the chain-like mechanism. He wondered why they wouldn’t just use the horse directly or even a mule. They could simply cut the cart’s box in half to use as the food storage instead of complicating things unnecessarily.

Shangguan found the design of the drawing particularly intriguing, especially the chain and the cart’s steering mechanism. It suggested a means of transport that didn’t rely on animal power. He could already imagine the nationwide sensation this design would cause if it were to be made into reality.

However, this drawing was not something he could pursue at this moment. He felt he still lacked the ability to protect Xu Nuo and their family. After a brief contemplation, he said to Uncle Zhang, “Uncle Zhang, the items depicted on this drawing are indeed clever, but we’re not in a position to create such things just yet.”

After saying that, he folded the drawing back up with a wry smile. “I guess she’s just messing with me! She really thinks I’m some sort of deity.”

Uncle Zhang nodded in agreement, seeing the sense in Shangguan’s words. So, they turned their attention to the wooden boards and got to work.

After much effort, the stall cart was finally completed. Xu Nuo looked at the new-style cart with great satisfaction. It was a rich brown color, with a layer of tung oil making its surface very smooth. The upper section consisted of a rectangular wooden box, separated by a movable board, allowing for flexibility depending on the amount of food prepared each day. The lower section was a semi-circular iron bucket, which was just the right size for holding tea.

Though this cart couldn’t move on its own like a modern-day tricycle, pushing and pulling it with its three wheels required little effort. The more Xu Nuo looked at the cart, the more she loved it. She quickly took out the sign with “Zhuangyuan Snack Stall” that Shangguan had written earlier and hung it on the left side of the cart; it fit perfectly!

“Ahhhh! Shangguan, you’re a genius! You’re truly worthy of being a top scholar!” Seeing Xu Nuo so thrilled made Shangguan equally delighted, but when he heard her words, he couldn’t help but cough lightly in surprise. “Cough, cough,” he thought to himself how his wife was so firm in her belief that he would become a top scholar. Even his calm demeanor couldn’t withstand such praise!

“Alright, enough of this sweet talk between you two! Aren’t the dishes ready? Let’s hurry and eat! I’ve been craving your cooking, Nuo!” Uncle Zhang said with a satisfied smile, enjoying seeing the couple grow closer. The better their relationship became, the more at ease he felt as an adult.

Wang promptly dished out rice and dishes from the pot, and even the boys coming over filled the dining table with food. Looking at the steaming spread, the boys cheered, “Mistress, if there’s ever more work to do, just let us know. We’ll do our utmost to help you!”

“Oh! My little boys have turned traitorous, huh? Tsk, tsk!” Zhang Yan laughed, both amused and exasperated. Spending so much time with these boys made them just as food-loving as he was. He then turned to Xu Nuo, smiling charmingly, “Sister-in-law, if you don’t mind, could you take me in too?”

“Alright, alright! My little broken temple can’t hold all you big Buddhas! Let’s hurry and eat!” As soon as Xu Nuo’s words were finished, Uncle Zhang and Zhang Yan had already eagerly dropped their chopsticks into the dishes.

“This intestine is delicious! Better than braised food!” Zhang Yan had become a die-hard fan of fatty intestines and was now excitedly thinking about adding stir-fried intestines to their stall menu, wishing Xu Nuo would start selling them the next day.

Uncle Zhang still had some psychological reservations about pig offal. Although it tasted great, he preferred the bone soup and scrambled eggs with tomatoes instead. The moment he sipped the soup, all his fatigue seemed to wash away.

At that moment, the only sounds at the table were those of chopsticks scooping up food, everyone absorbed in the delicious meal before them.