After chatting for a while, Qin Yu woke up and joined them for a few more words. Seeing the sky darken, it was time for dinner.
Today’s earnings were high, and everything went smoothly. After discussing it with Lu Dongqing, Qiao Suiman decided to treat everyone to a meal at Beiyuan Cookhouse, two streets away, which was conveniently close to Fudong Inn.
It had been such a busy and tiring day that there was no way they could hurry home tonight. Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing already booked two rooms at the Fudong Inn the day before. They ate there once before, and although the food was not expensive, the taste was really nothing special.
Qiao Suiman felt that even his own simple cooking was better than what they served. Still, the inn mainly catered to travelers needing a place to rest, and the rooms were decent enough.
Miao Lianhua and Qin Yu initially suggested cooking at home to save money. After all, eating out all the time wasn’t practical. But Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing insisted, so they didn’t argue further.
With that settled, Qiao Suiman carried all the silver and copper coins earned that day into the room, locked them away, and double-checked the shop’s door before heading to Beiyuan Cookhouse.
Passing by Wu’s Noodle Shop, they greeted Qin Xiaoyao. Other shop owners in the alley also exchanged pleasantries with them, as today’s crowd had brought business to everyone.
Only the owner of Liu’s Food Shop wore a sour expression, his face twisted in displeasure. As they walked by, he even flung a basin of water outside, nearly splashing Qiao Suiman’s clothes.
Lu Dongqing frowned and glared at him. His stern expression carried an intimidating look, something he hadn’t shown in a long time, and it was enough to unsettle anyone. Qiao Ruifeng noticed something was wrong and also shot over a sharp look.
Qiao Suiman had already asked Qin Xiaoyao about the man. The shop owner is surnamed Liu. He’s in his early thirties and short in stature. Relying on his family’s wealth, he opened several shops, but without exception, none of them did well. He was narrow-minded and would frown when he saw other shops doing well, but he didn’t dare to provoke the fierce people and only dared to slander them secretly.
Lu Dongqing and Qiao Ruifeng were tall and muscular from years of hard work, and Shopkeeper Liu felt weak in the knees when he saw them, but he still shouted indignantly, “What are you looking at? I’m just splashing some water in front of my shop. It’s not allowed? The street has been blocked all day, and I don’t know whose fault it is!”
Qiao Suiman held Lu Dongqing back, rolling his eyes inwardly. The man was ridiculous. With so many people around today, he didn’t even managed much business, yet here he was, spouting nonsense.
Qiao Suiman ignored him and said loudly, “Let’s go. We’ve been busy all day without a moment’s rest. It’s exhausting! I really envy those who have nothing to do all day!”
Hearing this, nearby shopkeepers eavesdropping on the exchange couldn’t help but laugh. One chimed in, “Qiao-ge’r, well said! But sitting on a cold stool isn’t a pleasant feeling!”
Miao Lianhua and the others caught the underlying meaning and chuckled as well. After walking a few steps, Miao Lianhua said worriedly, “Xiao Man, what if this makes things sour between you two…”
“It’s fine, Mother. He doesn’t get along with anyone anyway, and besides, he was the one who tried to make trouble first,” Qiao Suiman replied.
After sitting down at Beiyuan Cookhouse, Qiao Suiman told everyone about how he was given the cold shoulder yesterday when he brought drinks to Shopkeeper Liu. Lu Dongqing, who accompanied him, knew about this and kept his head down without saying a word.
Qin Yu, however, cursed outright, “You gave him face, sent him drinks, and he started acting all high and mighty. No wonder his business is bad!”
“That’s right.” Lu Xuesong agreed.
Qiao Suiman felt warm inside seeing how outraged they were, but he also found it amusing. “Anyway, we’ll stay out of his way, and he can’t bully us. Let’s just ignore him. Quick, order some food. This is my first time eating at a big cookhouse.”
Fudong Inn doesn’t count.
The server came over quickly when he heard they were ready to order, bowing slightly with a smile. “Is this the honored guests’ first time here?”
After Lu Dongqing nodded, the server continued, “Our most famous dish is the braised pork knuckle. The smoked meat is also exceptional. Many people also order our stewed mutton, crispy duck, and marinated goose. What would you like to order, honored guest?”
Miao Lianhua, Lu Dongqing, and Lu Xuesong had been to cookhouses before, but Qiao Suiman has no experience, so he left it to them. Lu Dongqing thought for a moment. “One braised pork knuckle and one crispy duck. Do you have Pig Slaughter Feast[mfn]杀猪菜 shā zhū cài – Originating from northeastern China, it is a hearty stew of pork meat, offal, and pickled vegetables, traditionally made after slaughtering a pig for the winter.[/mfn] and Cold Rabbit[mfn]冷吃兔 lěng chī tù (lit. ‘cold eaten rabbit’) – a traditional Chinese dish made of spicy marinated rabbit meat that is consumed chilled (Wikipedia)[/mfn]?”
“Yes, yes!” The server looked surprised as these two dishes were the most affordable items on the menu. They weren’t as expensive as the others, but they tasted great and were popular with many regular customers.
“Then those four dishes, and plenty of rice,” Lu Dongqing said.
“Right away, honored guests,” the server said before turning to pass the order to the kitchen.
Qiao Suiman blinked. “How did you know they have those two dishes?”
The others shared his curiosity. When they entered the cookhouse, they noticed most people ordered the braised pork knuckle, and it wasn’t easy to tell what the other dishes were.
Lu Dongqing smiled and replied, “I heard from those scholars this morning that the Pig Slaughter Feast and Cold Rabbit here are delicious.”
So that was it. Qiao Suiman nodded. He was so busy earlier that didn’t pay attention to what they were talking about.
Lu Xuesong checked the price list on the wall and grinned. “No wonder the server didn’t mention them. They’re thirty wen cheaper than the others.”
Then he read out the prices of the dishes they ordered. The braised pork knuckle was the most expensive at one hundred forty-nine wen, the whole crispy duck was ninety-nine wen, while the Slaughtered Pig Feast and Cold Rabbit were sixty-nine wen each.
Just the dishes alone came to three hundred eighty-six wen. Rice was three wen per person for unlimited servings, making the total four hundred and four wen.
Good heavens! Four mace of silver for one meal! Qin Yu’s heart ached. “So expensive! We could’ve just eaten at Xiaoyao’s place.”
A meal there only costs a little over ten wen per person.
Thinking about it, Qin Yu found it amusing. He was now saying that a bowl of noodles for over ten wen was cheap, whereas before he wouldn’t even dare to eat a bowl of vegetarian noodles that cost five coins.
“Qin Yu-ge, today is a good day, so be happy! It’s not like we eat like this every day. Who knows when we’ll go out to eat again next time? Just relax and enjoy your meal. Don’t worry about the money.”
Qiao Suiman laughed, handing Qin Yu a pair of chopsticks. “Here, the food’s arrived.”
The server set down the braised pork knuckle, announcing, “Braised pork knuckle, prosperity and success[mfn]红红火火 hónghónghuǒhuǒ – The character “红 (hóng)” means red and “火 (huǒ)” means fire; an auspicious phrase meaning thriving, flourishing, and full of good fortune.[/mfn]! Please enjoy, honored guests!”
Qin Yu burst out laughing. The symbolism was perfect. The copper coins he handled today almost filled the money box. It’s truly “prosperity and success.” He relaxed and said, “I was just saying. Being able to eat something this good, I’m more than happy.”
“That’s right. Since the two of them are treating us, we should eat our fill. And you, you need to eat enough for two!” Miao Lianhua laughed.
Lu Xuesong picked up his chopsticks, urging, “Ge, hurry up. I can’t wait.”
Lu Dongqing smiled and used long chopsticks to remove the pork knuckle meat from the bone. It was indeed a signature dish. The skin and meat were stewed until tender and fell off the bone easily. With a pinch of chopsticks, the meat separated into several pieces, and the steam and aroma that emanated from it made one’s mouth water.
Cutting it into many pieces, Lu Dongqing set the long chopsticks down. “It’s easier to use a ladle and you can scoop up some sauce to pour over the rice.”
Qiao Suiman did as he was told. Each grain was coated in the rich flavor, and the moment it entered his mouth, he felt as if his soul had flown away. He didn’t even want to swallow.
“It’s so delicious,” everyone exclaimed.
The crispy duck lived up to its name, being fragrant and crispy, and even the bones were crispy. The Cold Rabbit dish is crispy and oily, while the Slaughter Pig Feast is something most people have never seen before. It consists of pork, pork bones, pork heart, pork lungs, and pork liver stewed together with pickled cabbage, making it both appetizing and satisfying.
The meal left them content and happy. Qiao Suiman kept eating, unsure which dish to choose next. The portions were generous, and in the end, Qiao Suiman, Miao Lianhua, and Qin Yu were too full to continue, leaving the rest to the men.
Lu Dongqing, Qiao Ruifeng, and Lu Xuesong fought to the end. They even ate the soup from the Slaughter Pig Feast with rice. They cleaned up all the plates of food, and each of them ate several bowls of rice before putting down their chopsticks.
Qiao Suiman happily paid the bill and accompanied Lu Dongqing to see them off at the Fudong Inn before strolling back to the shop.
They walked in comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other’s company. Back at the shop, after a quick wash, Qiao Suiman placed the money box on the wooden chest and sat at the foot of the bed, grinning. “Dongqing, hurry up and count the money!”
Lu Dongqing agreed with a smile. Their money was not kept together for the time being, so he put his money box aside and counted Qiao Suiman’s first.
Most customers paid in copper coins. The pile on the wooden chest looked like a little hill. Qiao Suiman cut a few lengths of red string. Every hundred coins were tied into one string, and once ten strings were made, they were bound into a single guan[mfn]贯 – a string of 1,000 copper coins, equivalent to 1 tael of silver[/mfn].
After counting the coins one by one for a long time, he finally finished counting all the coins. Although today’s prices were lower than usual, they have sold twice the usual amount, earning much more than before. Including small silver pieces, it came to two taels, three mace, and twenty-six wen!
Qiao Suiman was overjoyed. He threw his arms around Lu Dongqing, buried his face in his chest, and nuzzled him excitedly. Looking up, he exclaimed, “We made over two taels in just one day!”
This is just the income from his one shop. If you add Lu Dongqing’s income, it’s probably around four or five taels.
Lu Dongqing was equally excited. He rubbed his chin against Qiao Suiman’s head and laughed, “Count mine.”
“Mm!” Qiao Suiman wriggled out of his embrace. Lu Dongqing has more loose silver, most of which were given by those scholars. With limited time, he only carved four book boxes at three mace each. He thought they wouldn’t sell, but those scholars bought them all as soon as they arrived. Two of them were too late and didn’t get any, so they paid a deposit of one mace to have him make two more, which they would collect in a few days.
The rest of his earnings were loose copper coins from selling baskets, tea trays, bamboo sieves, dressing tables, and hairpins. Some items sold for only a few wen or just over ten wen each. The women and fulang recognized the quality of his bamboo work at a glance, and several bought multiple pieces at once.
In total, he earned two taels and one mace.
On the first day of business, the two of them earned a total of four taels, four mace, and twenty-six wen. Even after deducting the seventy-two wen spent on noodles for lunch and the expenses for dining out in the evening, they still have nearly four taels of silver left.
The two happily put away the strung coins, storing them in a large money box. They placed the loose silver coins in a cloth bag and put it in another money box. Both were locked away at the bottom of the large wooden chest. After locking it, they washed their hands and spread the bedding.
Qiao Suiman sat on the edge of the bed while Lu Dongqing massaged his shoulders and back. After soaking his arms in hot water at night, the soreness and swelling were less noticeable. During dinner, Lu Dongqing noticed that Qiao Suiman’s hands were shaking as he picked up his chopsticks.
Once his shoulders, back, and arms were relaxed, they lay down to rest. Qiao Suiman nestled into Lu Dongqing’s arms, finding a comfortable spot, and soon drifted off. Their intertwined breaths were peaceful and content.
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