Chapter 9

The manager gave a slight nod to the woman who came out. “The rice cakes are excellent!”

The restaurant owner was a young woman. She subtly sized up Xiao Wanling—fair-skinned, her simple clothes couldn’t hide her natural beauty, and she carried herself with calm grace and confidence.

She gently picked up a piece of rice cake, broke it apart, and placed it into her mouth, savoring it slowly. It was moister and fluffier than the usual pastries; one could enjoy it even without tea.

She tried a savory one next. The seasoning was just right, and the minced radish on top carried a fragrant hint of oil, not greasy but rather refreshing.

The woman turned to her maid and said, “We’ll take all of these!”

The maid pulled a money pouch from her waist and handed it directly to Shen Qing without even asking the price.

Shen Qing accepted the pouch and quickly handed it to Xiao Wanling.

Xiao Wanling opened it and said, “It’s two cents per piece. Buy ten and get one free. This is too much.”

There were more than two hundred pieces of pastries, and inside the pouch was a tael of broken silver along with some copper cents.

The woman said, “I’m hosting a three-day tea party. Make some of your best dishes and bring them over!” She glanced at her maid, and the two of them walked into the restaurant. Two workers came out, carried the pastries inside, returned the bamboo basket, and closed the door.

Xiao Wanling was utterly confused. Did Shen Qing know the restaurant owner or not? Either way, the deal had been made.

Shen Qing helped her onto the oxcart, grinning sheepishly. “We can go back now!”

On the road out of the city, they passed a vendor selling meat buns. Xiao Wanling bought three, handed two to Shen Qing, and tasted one herself while wondering what kind of pastries to make for the tea party.

Seeing that Xiao Wanling seemed preoccupied, Shen Qing thought she had misunderstood something. Just as he was about to explain, she suddenly looked up at him.

Shen Qing swallowed nervously. “Go ahead!”

Xiao Wanling said seriously, “We should buy another pot.” They had one large iron pot at home, and the ceramic jar might not be enough.

Without a word, Shen Qing went and bought another iron pot, placing it on the oxcart. “Anything else you want to buy?”

Xiao Wanling nodded. “Let’s get some rice. And some preserved fruits.”

Fresh fruit would be ideal, but if time was tight, preserved fruit would do.

They went to the grain shop and bought everything they needed. The oxcart was now loaded with goods.

Xiao Wanling sat beside Shen Qing at the front of the cart. They had gotten up before dawn, and she was both sleepy and tired. Before she knew it, she had dozed off, leaning on Shen Qing’s shoulder.

Shen Qing stiffened. When she slipped from his shoulder onto his lap, he froze, unsure of what to do. In the end, he took off his coat and wrapped it around her to keep her from falling.

By the time they reached the foot of the mountain, all the village lights were out. The mountain path was only half-finished. Shen Qing parked the oxcart. Seeing that Xiao Wanling was still asleep, he gently lifted her in his arms, supporting her back and legs. She felt feather-light.

Xiao Wanling woke up in the middle of the night. Opening her eyes to complete darkness, it took her several seconds to remember she had fallen asleep on the oxcart. As her eyes adjusted, she saw Shen Qing sleeping soundly on the bamboo bed.

Thinking it was early morning, she got up and went outside to start preparing rice milk for steaming rice cakes, boiling honey beans, and making grass jelly.

After working for a while, the sky still hadn’t lightened. She sat down and fanned herself. Feeling something stuck to her face, she reached up and touched a piece of dried herbal medicine.

Xiao Wanling paused for a moment. Had Shen Qing applied medicine to her while she was asleep? If he ever found out she wasn’t actually his betrothed, how would he feel?

She could only do her best to make it up to him. With that thought, she pushed the matter to the back of her mind. Smelling the sweat on her body, she used the new pot to heat water and went to the bamboo hut for a bath.

Inside the house, Shen Qing opened his eyes and, seeing the bed empty, panicked and rushed outside to look for her. Hearing the sound of water splashing, he instinctively looked toward the bamboo hut and quickly shut his eyes tight.

Xiao Wanling heard the noise and quickly sank into the tub, shouting, “Shen Qing, is that you? I’m taking a bath!”

Shen Qing’s face turned bright red. “Yes! I’ll wait out front.” He rushed to the mountain slope’s entrance and squatted there, dazed, until she was finished bathing.

Xiao Wanling, refreshed after her bath, slept soundly. Shen Qing, however, couldn’t sleep. A wave of heat burned his face, and his body felt uncomfortably warm. He slipped out quietly and gently closed the door.

The Grey Wolf crawled out from the firewood pile, wagging its tail flatteringly.

Shen Qing whispered, “You stay here!”

The Grey Wolf seemed to understand and lay down at the door, raising its head to watch Shen Qing’s back disappear into the distance before resting its head on its paws.

When Xiao Wanling got up, she noticed one of the baskets was missing and guessed Shen Qing had gone out again.

She ate a little, fed the Grey Wolf, and packed the things she needed for the stall into the basket.

Slowly, she moved everything onto the oxcart. Luckily, half the mountain path had been finished.

The Grey Wolf dragged a bundle of firewood downhill in its mouth. Xiao Wanling couldn’t help but pat its head and praise its cleverness. Human and wolf, they got along quite well.

By the time Shen Qing returned, Xiao Wanling had already gone to the teahouse. From the slope, he could see her busy figure.

She only made the planned amount of pastries and didn’t make more. After delivering tea and rice cakes to the mountain, she was about to bring the rest to Dayan Village when the teahouse steward called out, “Madam Xiao, leave the food here. I’m heading that way and can take it with me.”

That was perfect. Xiao Wanling thanked him and returned home to make more pastries.

Shen Qing had hunted a wild boar and done a lot of work—he had even smeared mud on the walls of the bathing hut. After washing up, he changed into a coarse linen outfit Xiao Wanling had made for him.

He looked clean and fresh, his broad shoulders exuding a strong sense of security.

When he caught Xiao Wanling staring, Shen Qing turned red with embarrassment and turned away to dry his hair. But when he saw she wasn’t looking anymore, he felt a bit regretful.

Xiao Wanling lit the fire to boil syrup and steam rice cakes. She put the jar of sugar-soaked mulberries into her basket.

Shen Qing cleared his throat and brought out a bunch of small, delicate, wild green grapes. He presented them to Xiao Wanling.

Each grape looked like a translucent emerald. Xiao Wanling’s eyes lit up. “Green grapes!”

She picked one, wiped it on her clothes, and popped it into her mouth. It was sweet with a slight tartness, full of rich grape flavor. If it ripened more, it would be even sweeter.

Now she had ingredients for fermentation. She could also make fruit tea today.

Seeing how happy she was, Shen Qing felt a sweet warmth in his heart. Holding the basket like a treasure chest, he said, “I also picked some wild fruits. See if they’re edible!”

He had tasted most of them; some didn’t taste great, but he figured she could turn them into something delicious.

The basket held several grape clusters still attached to vines, as well as peaches, plums, pears, and loquats. There were also green Sichuan peppercorns and cornus fruits. Like a treasure trove, there was no end to what it contained.

Xiao Wanling said, “Let’s hit the road! If anything’s missing, we’ll buy it in town!”

The pastries were nearly ready. All she had to do was borrow a kitchen to brew tea with fruit pieces—peach tea, pear tea, sweet bean tea, fruit tea, and more.

When Xiao Wanling and Shen Qing arrived at the back door of the restaurant, it was not yet noon. Several workers were carrying meat inside and called for the manager.

The manager hurried out, greeting them politely. “Boss Zhang isn’t in. You came quite early!”

He was curious to see what special pastries the young lady had made. When he saw the rice cakes, radish cakes, corn cakes, red bean cakes, and the refreshing, sweet-looking fairy tofu, white jade tofu, honey teas, and more, he was dazzled.

He was inwardly amazed. Bowing slightly, he gestured, “Please come inside and rest!” I’ll fetch the boss right away.”

The workers moved everything in, and the oxcart was driven into the back courtyard.

Inside the bustling restaurant, Xiao Wanling asked softly, “Manager, is there a place where I can brew some tea?”

The manager was intrigued. “Do you have more tea? What you brought is already quite fresh. You have more tricks up your sleeve?”

Xiao Wanling smiled. “Yeah, four or five more types. Sorry to trouble you.”

The manager thought that freshly brewed tea would smell even better and led Xiao Wanling and Shen Qing to an empty room. On the table were a stove, teapot, and water. After a few polite words, he left the room.

Xiao Wanling set down her basket, washed the fruit, chopped it into small cubes, and added it once the tea on the stove boiled. The room soon filled with a fragrant aroma of tea and fruit.

Shen Qing went out to ask the manager if they had any cow’s milk.

Milk was rare and hard to come by. The manager told him he might find it at the livestock market.

Shen Qing: “Thank you!” He rushed off.

Several workers stood outside the room door, inhaling deeply and fanning the scent toward their faces, wearing blissful expressions.

The manager coughed, and the workers quickly scattered. He leaned in to take a whiff, and it was incredibly fragrant, even through the door.

“Manager, bad news!” A worker rushed in.

The manager snapped, “What are you yelling about? What happened?”

The worker with a face full of worry spilled the news. “The chef Boss hired got poached by the competitor across the street. She told you to find another one immediately; if anything goes wrong, Boss will lose big face!”

“What to do now?” The manager paced the corridor anxiously. Suddenly, his steps halted, and he looked toward the room. After a brief pause, he pushed the door open.

The worker instinctively followed. The room smelled intoxicatingly of fruit and tea.

On the table sat a wooden basin containing a clay jar covered with a bamboo lid. Nothing fancy; it was just ordinary items.

But the aroma was simply irresistible.

The manager smiled. “Looks like the tea’s ready!”

Xiao Wanling stared at the kettle. “One last type remaining. Let’s see if we have the ingredients!”

Just then, Shen Qing returned. He glanced at the manager and the worker, as if asking, “What are you doing here?”

He handed over a bamboo tube; it contained fresh milk.

Xiao Wanling glanced at the two men, and they tactfully stepped outside.

She poured the milk into the slightly cooled tea, brought it to a light boil, and added candied plums, pears, and other diced fruit. Using a clay jar, she cooled it with a water bath.

Shen Qing opened the door. The manager couldn’t wait any longer and peeked inside.

Xiao Wanling politely said, “Manager, could I trouble you to find a set of beautiful tea bowls?”

The manager immediately brought out his prized ice-crackle glazed teacups and teapot.

The white bowls held vibrant fruit. The tea itself had a milky-red hue, surely due to the milk. What a brilliant idea! Just the appearance was stunning.

Xiao Wanling offered a cup. “Manager, have a taste!”

The manager was flattered. “Then I won’t stand on ceremony.” He took a sip, his eyes widened, and he exclaimed “Excellent!” three times in a row.

Xiao Wanling gave a cup to Shen Qing. He drank it all in one gulp, his expression dazed.

The manager said seriously, “What a coincidence. The chef for the tea party injured her hand. Would you be willing to manage it for three days? I’ll pay you five taels of silver!”

Most people didn’t make even one tael in a month—this was a sky-high offer.

Shen Qing clenched his teacup, the veins on his hand bulging. Everyone’s trying to steal his wife!

Xiao Wanling said nothing for a long time. Shen Qing’s heart clenched. He stared at her anxiously, afraid she would just leave him and go.

Translator’s Notes:

• Preserved fruits: usually sweetened or candied, often eaten as snacks or used in desserts and teas.
• Ice-crackle glazed teacup: A prized type of ceramic glaze with a pattern of fine cracks, valued in Chinese tea culture for its aesthetic beauty.

T’s – Food Notes:

Rice Cakes:   

Radish Cakes   

Corn Cakes       

Red Bean Cakes   

Fairy Tofu           

White Jade Tofu