Chapter 57

Xiao Wanling looked out toward the courtyard gate and said, “In the end, we have to rely on ourselves.”

Sister-in-law Lu followed her gaze and stood up, walking toward the entrance. Lu Dahai and the Li mother and daughter jumped in fright when they saw the door open.

Sister-in-law Lu said, “You heard it—no need for me to repeat it!”

Lu Dahai stared at her in disbelief, shock, and confusion in his eyes. For the first time, he realized Sister-in-law Lu was serious about wanting a divorce. “Can’t I change? Let’s talk after the New Year!”

But Sister-in-law Lu walked right out, closing the gate behind her. “Let’s do it today.”

She didn’t want to wait even a moment longer. She figured the village head was probably free now. She glanced at Lu Dahai once more and headed down the mountain.

The Li mother and daughter looked at each other, thinking: These women have gone mad. She wants to divorce a man like that? There are plenty of men who drink and beat their wives and kids who still stay married for life.

There was a knock at the gate. Xiao Wanling turned to Shen Qing. “Come in.”

Shen Qing put down the bamboo strips and went to the gate, opening it with a cold expression as he looked at the Li women. “What do you want?”

Li Mo, seeing the tall and strong man before her, an actual general, couldn’t help feeling envious of Xiao Wanling’s luck. “Brother-in-law, we’re here to see Fourth Sister.”

Xiao Wanling called out, “She is not seeing anyone!”

Madam Li craned her neck to say something, thinking, This wretched girl’s temper is way too much—I’ve already humbled myself for so long.

Shen Qing swiftly shut the door and returned to the courtyard, sitting beside the brazier, heating bamboo strips, and bending them carefully.

Xiao Wanling held a cup of tea, enjoying the sun and warmth. “I want roasted sweet potatoes. And canned fruit.”

Shen Qing paused in his work. “There’s still sweet potato in the cellar. What’s canned fruit?”

Xiao Wanling explained, “You boil fresh fruit with sugar water and seal it in jars.”

She said it loudly, clearly for the people outside to hear.

Sure enough, soon there were hurried footsteps outside and then fading into the distance.

Shen Qing suddenly understood. He went inside to grab his sword and followed quietly. He saw the Li women meet up with the Li men and whisper something before all four of them headed toward the marketplace.

They crept around, looking suspicious, glancing this way and that, before stopping at the door of the fabric shop. They knocked and went in.

Shen Qing stood on the roof, crouched low, lifted a tile, and saw the people inside were from the Jin family. He replaced the tile and jumped down.

Inside, the group was startled by the sound. Li Mo hunched her shoulders. “That’s what she said!”

The Jin family members were generous—they gave them twenty taels of silver. The four Li family members left and began discussing buying a house. With money so easily earned, they planned to lurk outside Shen Qing’s courtyard day and night to eavesdrop.

Sister-in-law Lu came carrying her bedding and almost ran into the Li family. Jiang Ting came running to help her with the load. “Like a patch of clingy weeds. Since when was General Shen this patient?”

Sister-in-law Lu shook her head. “I don’t know. Sorry to bother you.”

Jiang Ting replied, “It’s no bother!”

Now that she had sorted out her own affairs and learned to read, she was different from before. There were always people loitering around her door. Having someone with her felt better.

Outside Shen Qing’s courtyard, the two Li men put their hands behind their backs. Suddenly, the Grey Wolf leapt out and chased them down the mountain.

Xiao Wanling poked the burning charcoal with a stick and covered the sweet potatoes. “How long do you think they’ll last?”

Shen Qing broke open a roasted sweet potato. Steam rose from the fluffy, sweet center. He took a bite and sipped some tea. “Can sweet potatoes be used for syrup?”

Xiao Wanling said, “Of course!”

Shen Qing threaded marinated meat onto bamboo skewers and roasted them over the brazier. The sizzling oil and aroma were mouthwatering.

Xiao Wanling’s mouth watered just watching. When a skewer was handed to her, she blew on it and took a bite; it was just as she remembered.

That evening, they brought the brazier into the kitchen and ate grilled fish and meat while drinking sweet potato syrup.

Shen Qing wrapped Xiao Wanling in his arms. “When the world is at peace, we can live like this every day.”

Xiao Wanling reminded him, “Don’t forget your military books; make sure to study and apply them.”

After the New Year, Shen Qing would be going to the battlefield again. Before, the Prince of Qi had attacked the Prince of Jin. Now, it was the Prince of Jin’s turn.

Shen Qing nodded and carried Xiao Wanling to a high slope to look out over the market. He hoisted her onto his shoulder, one hand holding her waist.

The cold wind blew in their faces. Xiao Wanling held her cloak tightly and gazed out over the marketplace. The fork in the road leading to the village had become a street. Red lanterns hung from shopfronts, and in the night, the view looked like a beautiful painting.

“It’s so beautiful,” she said.

Shen Qing replied, “Tomorrow morning, I’ll show you something even better.”

He wanted to share every beautiful sight he’d ever seen with her.

Xiao Wanling patted his shoulder. “You mean the sunrise?”

“Yes,” he smiled.

Before dawn the next morning, Shen Qing lifted her onto horseback and led the horse out.

Mist surrounded them like a dream. Xiao Wanling looked into the distance, feeling like she had entered a fairyland.

She was curious where Shen Qing was taking her. After crossing several mountains, she saw an orange glow on the horizon. Shen Qing tied the horse to a tree and helped her up the mountain.

The summit was blanketed with thick clouds. Then, golden sunlight broke through, slowly rising above the clouds.

Xiao Wanling nestled into his warm chest. “It’s so beautiful.”

Shen Qing lowered his head and kissed her. In his heart, no sight or person could compare to her.

“I’m hungry,” Xiao Wanling said.

In the twelfth and first lunar months, fires were banned in the mountains. Shen Qing felt a little regretful. “Next time, we’ll bring your marinated meat and watch the sunrise from here.”

Xiao Wanling nodded and held his hand. Looking down the slope made her breathless after just a while.

Shen Qing picked her up and carried her back to the horse, helping her into the saddle.

She leaned on his shoulder, gripping the saddle. Thinking of him going to war, she reminded him again, “When we get back, let’s read the military books together.”

“Alright,” Shen Qing said.

With her by his side, even the most difficult characters seemed easier to understand.

After breakfast, with the sun overhead, Shen Qing pulled out a military manual from the cabinet.

He recognized the handwriting—it was Xiao Wanling’s. The cover read: The Thirty-Six Stratagems.

She had copied it out herself. “Lure the tiger out of the mountain—draw the enemy out and strike their base. Or ‘capture the ringleader to capture the gang’—like taming a group of monkeys by taking down the lead one first.”

But as she explained, Shen Qing began to doze. Xiao Wanling had to simplify things.

He nodded. “Got it!” He was already plotting how to try it out.

But first, he needed to deal with the annoying Li family. He didn’t like having people eavesdropping when he was close with Wanling.

Suddenly, he got up and headed out.

Xiao Wanling closed the book. “Where are you going?”

“To try it out,” he said.

“Which stratagem?” she asked.

They spoke in unison: “Let’s set a trap for the Li family.”

Right then, Jiang Ting’s voice called from outside. “Director Xiao! Xianhe and Bailu villages want to order tea and hotpot base for wedding banquets!”

Speak of the devil.

Xiao Wanling turned to Shen Qing. “Here’s our chance.”

Shen Qing nodded and opened the door.

Jiang Ting glanced at him, then rushed over to Xiao Wanling and pulled a yellow sheet from her sleeve. “Here’s the order!”

Divine tofu, white jade tofu, and grass jelly—these were the things Xiao Wanling had sold when she first started out. Once she opened her teahouse, they were rarely made anymore.

Jiang Ting asked, “Is it because the ingredients are hard to find? I can go decline for you.”

Xiao Wanling replied, “No need. Go ask around the village—see who wants to earn some money for their household. Count them and give me the number. I’ll reply after that.”

Jiang Ting looked surprised, then smiled. “I’ll go ask right away!”

She ran off in high spirits. She, Sister-in-law Lu, Aunt Wu and her daughter-in-law, and Gu Yaofang would surely want to earn some money.

Shen Qing looked down the mountain. The Grey Wolf guarded the path. The Li family crept forward, then backed off. Onlookers whispered, “Is that a wolf or a dog?”

It only attacked the Li family. The two Li men had tried countless times to approach Shen’s house, even taking detours, but it never worked. They could only go back.

As the Li family retreated, the Grey Wolf turned and sprinted toward Shen Qing, stirring up a gust of wind as it passed Jiang Ting.

Shen Qing knelt and opened his arms, petting its head. He took out a packet of dried meat. The wolf grabbed it and ran to its den.

He turned back toward Xiao Wanling, remembering she said the baby’s immune system was weak, so he needed to wash his hands often.

He went to the bathhouse and carefully scrubbed his hands with soap. The faint scent of chrysanthemum lingered as he smiled and returned.

Xiao Wanling was writing recipes. In addition to the three items mentioned earlier, she added tofu pudding and puffed rice candy. Mulberry leaves were dried by Supervisor Sang. Grass jelly herbs could be found at Madam Zhang’s in town. Beans and rice were common ingredients.

As for seasonings, the greenhouse had chili, ginger, garlic, and wild garlic. Shen Qing had also dried many spices like dogwood, Sichuan pepper, and bay leaves. She’d check with the farm supervisor to see if they still had soybean oil and coarse salt.

Shen Qing sat beside her and stole a bite of her sweet potato. “What can I do?”

Xiao Wanling looked up and smiled. “I’ll assign tasks soon!”

Not long after, Jiang Ting returned with Aunt Wu and the others, waiting quietly nearby.

Xiao Wanling finished the last stroke of her writing and handed a slip to Aunt Wu. “Take this to the farm supervisor and ask if they have everything on the list.”

Aunt Wu nodded, folded the paper, and hurried off.

Xiao Wanling added prices to the items on the other slip and asked Jiang Ting, “Do you recognize the teas and snacks on here?”

Jiang Ting leaned over. “Yes. I can read the prices too.”

“Good,” said Xiao Wanling. “Go to Xianhe and Bailu villages. Tell them all these can be delivered. We’re closed during New Year. If they want extras, they can request them. Items without prices will use the same rate as the teahouse.”

“So even items not listed here can be delivered at teahouse rates?” Jiang Ting confirmed.

“Exactly,” Xiao Wanling nodded.

A big smile bloomed on Jiang Ting’s face. “I’ll go right away. Should I write down the orders?”

This would be a new challenge for her—before, customers came to the shop, and Xiao Wanling wrote the orders.

“Collect half as a deposit. If you’re worried about writing it all down, take a supervisor with you.”

Relieved, Jiang Ting cheerfully headed out.

Gu Yaofang, Sister-in-law Lu, and the others looked at Xiao Wanling, confused. “Where are we making the tea? The shop’s closed.”

All the shops needed renovations, and the market road was too dusty to prepare food.

Xiao Wanling glanced at her own kitchen. “We’ll use my place for now.”

Cheng Qiao’er exclaimed, “Alright!”

She moved like she owned the place—cleaning out the stove, sweeping the ashes, and scrubbing the floors and tables. Soon, the kitchen was spotless, jars gleaming like mirrors.

Xiao Wanling finished writing the ingredient list. Since all the shops were closed, she planned to ask the manager of Ruyi Pavilion—he had connections and likely knew store owners and workers.

After making the arrangements, Xiao Wanling looked over at Shen Qing. “In a few days, when the Li family comes to you, act reluctant but agree.”

Notes:

• • Thirty-Six Stratagems (三十六计): A classic Chinese military treatise outlining cunning strategies, used both in warfare and in daily life, often referenced in Chinese historical fiction.