Chapter 7

“Alright! We’ll dig bit by bit, then the road will be finished.” Xiao Wanling yawned as sleep crept in and went back to bed.

Shen Qing was already long gone.

He arrived at the Xue household and saw that their lights were still on. Standing in the courtyard, he called out, “Uncle Xue!”

Xue Defu came out with a broad smile. “Brother Shen! Have you eaten yet? Come in, come in!”

Mrs. Liu, uncharacteristically calm, set down her bowl and chopsticks and said, “Shen Qing, your Uncle Xue is lying down inside. Go on in.”

Shen Qing remained at the doorway, wary. “I’d like to borrow some farming tools. I’ll return them first thing in the morning.”

Tools were registered and managed, especially during the busy farming season. Each household was expected to return them promptly. A voice from inside—Xue Zhengyang—called out, “Take them, no rush returning. I’ve borrowed them for seven days anyway.”

Xue Defu exchanged a quick glance with his wife Cheng Qiao’er before heading to the shed. The sound of clanging echoed as they pulled out hoes, rakes, bamboo baskets, carrying poles, and more.

Mrs. Liu grew more agitated at their eagerness, but thinking of Xue Zhengyang’s recurring back pain, she gritted her teeth and muttered, “Take them! Don’t be polite about it!”

Shen Qing couldn’t make sense of it—why had the old lady’s attitude changed so drastically?

Back home, he told Xiao Wanling about the incident.

The next morning, as Xiao Wanling sat up in bed and combed her hair, she asked, “You said Uncle Xue and his three sons rode our ox cart back from town? What were they doing in the city?”

Shen Qing thought for a moment. “They didn’t say, but I did smell medicine coming from their baskets.”

Xiao Wanling frowned. “Someone in the Xue family must be sick.”

Most likely it was Xue Zhengyang. It would explain why Mrs. Liu changed her tune after Shen Qing brought back a wild boar.

She didn’t press further. “Since we borrowed their tools, we should bring them something in return.” That would square the debt.

Though Shen Qing had little experience dealing with people, he wasn’t dense. While Xiao Wanling steamed rice cakes, he headed down to the river, speared a row of fish, and brought them along as a gift to the Xue family.

After a small breakfast of rice cakes, they got ready to head down the mountain.

At first light, Xiao Wanling carried the lighter items herself.

Shen Qing had already returned the tools and left the ox cart parked at the base of the hill. The ground had been freshly turned; they’d already dug out nearly ten meters of road.

Xiao Wanling was amazed. “They got this much done overnight?”

Shen Qing took her basket and placed it on the cart. “Wait here, I’ll load the rest.”

With strength rivaling an ox’s, he hauled everything in a single trip. Together, they set off toward the tea stall.

On the way, they ran into Xue Defu and his wife Cheng Qiao’er, who joined them.

Cheng Qiao’er bought two rice cakes and a cup of sugar water to stave off hunger. Without a separate kitchen, she often had to skip breakfast and wait until noon to eat.

It was the norm for most families that more hands meant more land cleared and more grain saved for winter.

Finishing the first two rice cakes, she bought two more, planning to skip lunch and get in extra tea picking.

Xiao Wanling spotted a few unfamiliar young women approaching the stall and greeted them cheerfully. “We’ve got sweet rice cakes, Immortal Tofu, Jade Tofu, and Grass Jelly—sweet or savory, two cent a serving!”

Cheng Qiao’er, loud and fast-talking like a string of firecrackers, chimed in, “Sister Shi, the rice cakes are soft and fragrant, not dry at all. The Immortal and Jade Tofu with syrup are so sweet, you’ll dream of them later!”

The young girls were amused. “We’ll try one of everything!”

Cheng Qiao’er looked even more pleased than if she were making money herself. “Wonderful! Sister Shi, come back at noon and buy some to take home—our old grannies with no teeth can eat these!”

More than twenty portions of rice cakes sold in a flash. The people waiting in line grumbled.

“Why are folks from Dayan Village coming here to buy rice cakes?”

Cheng Qiao’er leaned over and whispered to Xiao Wanling, “These girls are from Dayan Village, on the other side of the tea mountain. We often barter goods and know each other well.”

Xiao Wanling nodded and began mixing spicy sauce into chopped Jade Tofu, then poured it into large bowls brought by the villagers. With Shen Qing helping, things moved much faster today.

Once the rush died down, the couple sat for a bite. Xiao Wanling noticed Shen Qing had been quiet all morning and gently asked, “Is something on your mind?”

Shen Qing took a bite of rice cake. “Sister Cheng’s good with words. I’m not.”

Xiao Wanling chuckled. “Got it! I’ll make extra rice cakes today. If they don’t all sell, we can take them to town!”

Shen Qing stayed silent but quietly brought over the milled rice flour, dried grass, and leaves they’d prepared at home.

As the work piled up, Xiao Wanling rolled up her sleeves to stir rice slurry for steaming. Shen Qing helped chop mulberry leaves and boil water. Their jars were filled with fresh batches of Immortal Tofu and more.

The sweet scent wafted up the mulberry slope. Hungry workers licked their lips, counting the minutes until lunch.

The mulberry steward appeared, carrying a clay jar. From a distance, he hollered, “Time to eat!”

Workers bolted downhill like rabbits, only to find a crowd from the neighboring village already surrounding the tea stall.

The steward bellowed, “What’s going on? Why are outsiders swarming our stall? Move!”

He was known to enjoy a drink, and his red face and booming voice scared off the timid.

He handed the jar over with a grin. “Fill it up. And four more sugar waters!”

“Four? For one person?” someone blurted. “Will there be any left for us?”

The steward scoffed. “Ask this young lady whether or not she prepared enough for you!”

People in line started to panic. “Madam Xiao, do you have enough?”

Xiao Wanling suddenly had an idea. “I already made extra today, but I didn’t expect customers from the next village. How about this—if you folks want to preorder, I’ll deliver it up the mountain. Save yourselves the trip!”

“Preorder? What’s that?”

Xiao Wanling explained, “It means you pay half up front. I’ll prepare it, and you pay the rest when you receive your order.”

Shen Qing’s ears perked up. His wife was brilliant!

The villagers from Dayan huddled together and decided to preorder for the next three days. Two meals only cost eight cents, with food and drink delivered to the mountain. And they could nap in the shade during lunch.

Those who were short on cash borrowed from friends and scraped together sixty cents, enough to try some today and set aside for tomorrow.

They ended up collecting over seventy cents in total. Xiao Wanling beamed. “Anyone from our village who wants to preorder is welcome too! The Grass Jelly is tasty, great for cooling off, and just two cent a bowl—first sample is free!”

With a free taste, who could resist?

Those who tried it praised, “This black jelly, once drizzled with syrup is sweet, smooth, and so refreshing!” Many bought two portions to take home.

Seeing others rave about it, more voices rang out, “I’ll take two!”

With some leftovers, Xiao Wanling gave three servings to the steward.

When it was finally over, she and Shen Qing were drenched in sweat like they’d been through battle.

Back home, she took a long bath and collapsed on the bed with a smile on her lips.

She slept until the sun was about to set.

At the door sat a pair of newly made tall stools and matching low ones. It was all Shen Qing’s handiwork.

He sat at the table, scooping rice with one hand and turning the stone mill with the other. The table was covered in freshly ground grain flour.

Xiao Wanling stepped outside and caught a whiff of something foul. She lifted her skirt and followed the scent to find clam meat piled by the vegetable patch.

The garden had been freshly turned, just waiting for seeds from the city.

She figured Shen Qing meant to use the clam meat as compost, so she covered it with dirt to stifle the smell.

They were out of ingredients for syrup and Grass Jelly. She planned to look for wild herbs, hoping to find wild grapes to start a yeast culture for buns.

Shen Qing stood up and grabbed a basket to follow her.

They retraced their path, gathering another full basket of wild celery. The extra would be dried for future dumpling filling.

Then Shen Qing remembered a grass that looked like bamboo. “I think there’s some ahead.”

Sure enough, they found a patch of wild ginger. With a chopping knife, they dug it up with the roots and packed it in their baskets. Wild garlic nearby was also dug up and brought back to be replanted.

Overwhelmed by success, Shen Qing led her deeper into the forest, where they found jelly grass and mulberry trees bursting with fruit.

Their baskets full, Shen Qing removed his outer shirt to bundle up the extra mulberry leaves and fruit.

Seeing his shirt stained with mulberry juice, Xiao Wanling remembered she still hadn’t sewn his new clothes. She reminded herself to finish them that night.

Shen Qing clearly knew these mountains like the back of his hand. She asked, “Have you seen any wild grapes?”

He thought for a moment. “There’s a green fruit that looks similar, but it’s two mountains over.”

It was getting late. They agreed to search next time.

As night fell, it was time to count the money. It was 580 cents today!

Xiao Wanling decided tomorrow’s menu would include tea and sweetened beans. She soaked the jelly grass and prepared the rice batter for another batch of cakes. The bamboo stove crackled with flame.

Suddenly, she felt a chill—like someone was watching her. She turned around.

By the distant mulberry tree, a figure stood.

Startled, she let out a shout.

Shen Qing came running, fire poker in hand, and chased after the intruder.

Xiao Wanling ran a few steps, then stopped, worried there might be more. In the moonlight, she caught a glimpse of the figure—it was a woman.

Shen Qing caught the culprit. With one punch, a familiar sob echoed—Xue Cui.

Fists clenched, he gritted his teeth. “What were you planning to put in the food?”

Xue Cui’s shoulder had taken a direct hit. She cried, tears and snot streaming down her face. “I was just looking, really! I didn’t mean anything!” She sobbed, “My arm’s numb. If I’ll be crippled! You’ll have to take responsibility!”

Shen Qing’s expression darkened. “Sneaking around at night while planning something vile. If I beat you to death, it’d be your own bad luck.”

Knowing he meant it, Xue Cui turned and fled, terrified she might not escape with her life.

Back at the Xue household, Mrs. Liu was livid. “Who dared hit you? How can you get bullied in our own village?”

Xue Cui stammered, “I tripped…”

Cheng Qiao’er looked at her muddy clothes. It was the first time she’d seen her sister-in-law cry so pitifully. Something was definitely off.

She remembered how Xue Cui kept pestering them about the tofu recipe. A sudden thought struck her. “Little sister-in-law… did you go snooping around Madam Xiao’s place and get caught?”

She must’ve done something disgraceful and didn’t dare say.

Mrs. Liu’s face twisted in fury. “Xiao Wanling! This isn’t over!”