MFBOWSBTMT Chapter 65

It was still dark outside, and a cold wind was howling. Qiao Suiman lit a candle in the room with a fire starter, dressed himself quietly, and slipped on his cotton-padded shoes. Just then, Lu Dongqing entered, carrying a basin of water.

 

“It’s gotten colder again. I heated some water, wash your face first. The steamed buns are ready; eat something before we leave.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Qiao Suiman rubbed his eyes and then his cheeks, forcing himself to wake up fully.

 

Lu Dongqing chuckled softly, wet a cloth, wrung it dry, and beckoned Qiao Suiman. “Come here.”

 

Qiao Suiman leaned in, closing his eyes and tilting his little face up, waiting for Lu Dongqing to wipe it for him.

 

He noticed that this man liked to touch him, sometimes even insisting on dressing him. He wasn’t sure what kind of habit it was, but as long as it made Lu Dongqing happy, he let him do as he pleased.

 

The expected warmth didn’t land on his face. Qiao Suiman opened her eyes in confusion, only to find Lu Dongqing’s face right in front of his. The next moment, the man lightly nipped his cheek.

 

Qiao Suiman jolted awake, covering the bitten spot with his hand. “I haven’t washed my face yet.”

 

Having stolen a kiss, Lu Dongqing was in a very good mood. “Close your eyes. I’ll wipe it for you.”

 

Under Qiao Suiman’s doubtful gaze, he added with a grin, “I won’t bite you again.”

 

Only then did Qiao Suiman lower his hand, allowing Lu Dongqing to gently scrub his face with the warm cloth. After wiping Qiao Suiman’s face, Lu Dongqing quickly washed his own face with the remaining hot water. The two then cleaned their teeth with willow twigs before quietly heading to the kitchen.

 

It was still early, and Miao Lianhua was still asleep. Lu Xuesong, however, had gotten up and was watching his chickens and ducks in the backyard. Over the past few days, the chickens and ducks have grown a lot.

 

Though one of each had died, the remaining nine chicks and nine ducklings were lively, eating and drinking well. Lu Xuesong had grown even more attentive. With a bit more care, they might start laying eggs by spring!

 

Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing quickly ate two steamed buns each, breaking off half of one for Heijin, who whined softly beside them. They filled their bamboo tubes with hot water and took the newly carved one that Lu Dongqing had finished the day before. They bid Lu Xuesong farewell and set off for town.

 

The bamboo tube Qiao Suiman is currently using was specially made for him by Lu Dongqing. It is extremely exquisite and is engraved with a golden full ear of grain, which matches his name, Suiman.[mfn]his name 穗滿 means ‘full ear of grain’ (穗 = ear of grain; 滿 = full)[/mfn]

 

Qiao Suiman adored it and carried it everywhere. Chen Xuesheng had teased him about it more than once.

 

Qiao Suiman pulled his coat tighter against the wind. Although it was cold, he was well bundled up. He had a scarf around his neck and ear covers made by Miao Lianhua, so he was not afraid of the cold.

 

Lu Dongqing followed closely. Taking advantage of the fact that there was no one on the road, he wrapped his big hand around Qiao Suiman’s hand, rubbing it a few times for warmth.

 

Qiao Suiman chuckled softly, eyes curving into crescents, and continued walking hand in hand with him. They only let go when they reached the village entrance and the crowd grew thicker.

 

The journey to the wine house was longer than the one to the East Market, but without a cart to pull, their pace was much quicker. By the time they arrived, the sky had only just brightened. Spotting Steward Fang waiting at the back kitchen entrance, Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing hurried over.

 

“Steward Fang, apologies for keeping you waiting,” Lu Dongqing said with a slight bow, clasping his hands in salute, his tone apologetic.

 

“No need, no need,” Steward Fang waved his hand. “I live nearby and I just got here. Let’s go in and talk.”

 

He unlocked the door and led them to a small kitchen.

 

This space was clearly set aside separately. The countertops were spotless, free of grease or even signs of prior use. On either side were fruits and vegetables Qiao Suiman had never seen before, along with a small, elegant canister of tea leaves that looked expensive. There were also several types of dried flowers and, most notably, a large jar of rock sugar.

 

Qiao Suiman was momentarily stunned. Steward Fang said proudly, “This is a kitchen the master specially arranged for me. But since I live nearby, I’ve hardly used it. Now, it’s perfect for making drinks.”

 

“Have you come up with any ideas?” Steward Fang asked.

 

Qiao Suiman came back to his senses and scanned the ingredients on the table one by one. He has a rough idea, and last night’s idea came in handy.

 

He nodded immediately and said, “I’ll start making them now.”

 

“Good.” Steward Fang nodded with satisfaction.

 

“Steward Fang, here’s the bamboo tube. Take a look. If you’re satisfied, I’ll carve the rest accordingly.”

 

As Lu Dongqing spoke, he handed the bamboo tube to Steward Fang.

 

Steward Fang examined it carefully, even holding it up to the light before nodding. “Excellent! I certainly didn’t choose the wrong person!”

 

“I’m glad you’re satisfied.”

 

“Haha! Well then, little ge’r, I’ll leave you to it. How much time do you need?”

 

“Come back in half a shichen,” Qiao Suiman thought for a moment, then assured him, “I’ll prepare three varieties first. Don’t worry, I won’t take anything of yours.”

 

Trust those you employ, and do not employ those you distrust.[mfn]用人不疑，疑人不用 (yòng rén bù yí, yí rén bù yòng) – “If you employ a person, don’t distrust them; if you distrust a person, don’t employ them.”[/mfn]

 

Steward Fang had been observing the two of them for a long time and was not worried about this, so he happily went out to the wine house.

 

Qiao Suiman first took out a pack of sour yellow fruit slices he brought from home, then glanced at Lu Dongqing. “Dongqing, could you help me remove the peel?”

 

When his fulang spoke, Lu Dongqing was more than willing to comply. He immediately picked up the scissors and began peeling the skin off, carefully removing every last bit.

 

Qiao Suiman’s lips curled into a sweet smile. “You’re so good to me.”

 

Lu Dongqing’s movements sped up instantly, the corners of his mouth curled up high, and he couldn’t stop smiling.

 

Qiao Suiman first lit a small fire under the stove, picked up a pinch of tea leaves, and inhaled their aroma. He sighed. This was not comparable to the wild mountain tea they made themselves.

 

He placed the tea leaves into a small pot, stir-fried them briefly, then added two spoonfuls of sugar and a cup of water. He stirred slowly with a spoon until the sugar was completely dissolved.

 

Next, he took three slices of the peeled sour yellow fruit and added them to the syrup, continuing to stir-fry until each slice was coated in a reddish-brown glaze. Finally, he poured in a ladle of water and waited for it to boil.

 

Once the water boiled, the aroma of tea, caramelized sugar, and the refreshing tang of the sour fruit filled the air. Worried the fruit might turn bitter if overcooked, he fished out the slices with chopsticks and let the rest simmer a while longer.

 

After a short while, Qiao Suiman saw that the tea had reached the perfect color, so he scooped out the tea leaves and set them aside. He then lifted the pot and poured the brewed tea into a beautiful porcelain bowl that had been placed nearby. The first variety was complete.

 

“Phew…” Qiao Suiman exhaled deeply, finally letting out a sigh of relief. He was terrified of ruining the first attempt and wasting the wine house’s ingredients, but the result smelled wonderful.

 

This was the idea he came up with last night after thinking about it for a long time. Usually, sugar is added to the drink after it has been boiled, which is equivalent to dissolving it directly in the water.

 

He recalled hearing that wealthy families like to caramelize sugar when braising meat, which involves melting sugar in a pot before adding the meat and continuing to stir-fry it, resulting in a richer and more distinctive flavor.

 

So he came up with this idea: if you can stir-fry sugar to make a dish, then you should be able to make a drink with it too. Fortunately, it turned out well, and he didn’t waste all that sugar.

 

Only after he finished did Lu Dongqing speak. “It smelled amazing even when you added the water. The flavor is unlike any drink I’ve seen before. It’ll sell well for sure.”

 

“Really?” Qiao Suiman’s eyes sparkled.

 

“Of course. Have I ever lied to you?” Lu Dongqing smiled.

 

That was true. Qiao Suiman was encouraged and set to work on the next drink.

 

 

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