After a while, Miao Lianhua went to the kitchen to heat up the porridge. They had eaten out all day yesterday and had eaten so much in the evening that their stomachs were full.
Early this morning, while preparing the drinks, Qiao Suiman cooked a large pot of vegetable and dried radish porridge in the clay stove he and Lu Dongqing had recently built. There was enough to last them until evening.
Not feeling particularly hungry, Qiao Suiman only scooped half a bowl for himself, eating it slowly in small bites while occasionally serving drinks to customers. His entire demeanor was cheerful.
The matter with the Liu family wasn’t fully settled yet. Qiao Suiman calculated that, based on today’s sales, they’d likely sell out by weishi[mfn]未时 : 1-3 PM[/mfn]. After that, they could just maintain that quantity going forward.
Tang Xiao delivered fruits every eight days. The first two times, they only ordered twenty jin of persimmons. For the crabapples, they initially ordered seventy jin, and the resulting syrup was plentiful, enough to last until the tenth of the month. Today, they only needed another ten jin of crabapples. By this estimate, ordering twenty jin of persimmons and thirty jin of crabapples every eight days would be enough.
As for the tea leaves, they bought ten jin of each variety from the vendor before opening the shop, which is enough to last until the third month. However, they still hadn’t found any sellers for roselle or camellia flowers. When they purchased the tea leaves, Qiao Suiman asked the vendor to inquire in his village if anyone else has dried flowers for sale, as he wanted to buy more.
Regarding the dried flowers, fruits, and tea leaves needed for the Liu family’s three-day banquet, there was still no news. Without specifics, it’s not yet possible to prepare so they could only wait.
Running through everything in his mind, Qiao Suiman sorted out the items they still needed to purchase before finishing the last spoonful of his porridge and washing his bowl.
The bamboo bowls and tubes used by the customers had already been washed by Miao Lianhua and were left to dry on the wooden rack. Since business was busy, they didn’t linger and went home.
Their fields and poultry needed tending. Though they left plenty of feed for the chickens and ducks before leaving and entrusted Heijin and the two puppies at the Qiao family home to Zhou Shuifen’s care, being away still left them uneasy.
This time, before heading to town, Qiao Suiman spent a long time explaining things to Heijin. Surprisingly, the dog seemed to understand and didn’t refuse to eat like it had when Qiao Suiman got married.
Lu Xuesong got two small yellow dogs from a village friend. Once the puppies grew a bit bigger, Heijin would be brought to town. With the shop handling a lot of money, they needed to guard against thieves. For now, Heijin was happily training the puppies, even running back to the Qiao home occasionally to discipline the other two.
Two days later, the steward of the Liu family and Xiaoxi arrived at the shop to place a deposit for the banquet drinks.
On the nineteenth, they need to deliver two barrels of Persimmons of Good Fortune to Laifu Wine House. Additionally, from the nineteenth to the twenty-first, they need to send two barrels of each drink variety to the Liu family. The banquet would be set up on the main street, and the number of attendees was expected to be overwhelming.
Magistrate Liu has only one legitimate son, and the Liu family’s wedding arrangements were extravagant. Qiao Suiman was stunned when he first heard the details.
But at least they now knew how many drinks to prepare. After calculating with Lu Dongqing, they determined they would need an additional five jin of persimmons and twenty-five jin of crabapples from Tang Xiao.
As for the tea leaves, it was better to be safe than sorry. They bought another five jin of each. The tea vendor was practically treating them like royalty. They asked around many households in the village before finally managing to find fifteen jin each of roselle and camellia flowers. Even the grain shop owner was shocked at how quickly they were going through the sugar.
Altogether, they spent nearly four taels of silver this time. But the Liu family’s deposit alone was five taels. After the banquet was done, they would settle another five taels, earning more than six taels in total.
In those days, the drinks they would make would be twice as many as usual. Although tiring, knowing they could earn so much gave Qiao Suiman renewed energy.
Both he and Lu Dongqing agreed it was best not to open the drink shop during those three days. The Liu family’s drinks are free, and they feared that few people would come to buy at their shop. Besides, they would be too busy. While the syrups could be prepared in advance, the other drinks were still quite troublesome.
On the ninth day of the month, Tang Xiao came by the shop once again. After confirming the fruit that needed to be delivered, his expression turned serious as he left.
Qiao Suiman whispered to Lu Dongqing, “Old Master Tang must be nervous.”
After all, the magistrate and his guests would be drinking beverages made from their village’s persimmons.
The two of them couldn’t help but laugh.
In any case, the nineteenth was still ten days away. With preparations in place, there was nothing to worry about for now.
Life rarely holds surprises and it was the ordinary, peaceful days that were normal. As the shop settled into its rhythm, Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing also established a routine.
They rose at yinshi[mfn]寅时 : 3–5 AM [/mfn]. Qiao Suiman made the drinks while Lu Dongqing assisted. He was already skilled at fetching water and tending the fire, and they could finish in an hour. The shop opened precisely at chenshi[mfn]辰时 : 7-9 AM[/mfn].
Except for the first two days after opening, there weren’t many people drinking in the early morning on other days. It wasn’t until around sishi[mfn]巳时 : 9-11 AM[/mfn] that customers gradually started to arrive, and this continued until around weishi[mfn]未时 : 1-3 PM[/mfn]. For lunch, whoever was free could go to heat up some steamed buns or cook a dish.
Once the drinks were sold out, Qiao Suiman closed the shop door and ate dinner at the bamboo table inside. They chatted and worked until shenshi[mfn]申时 : 3–5 PM[/mfn], when the bamboo ware shop closed as well.
The busiest streets in town were lit at night. After dinner, Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing strolled around. Having just arrived in town, many things still felt novel to them.
Tonight was no different. They chatted with the owner of the general shop at the street corner before returning home to count the day’s earnings and wash up. Qiao Suiman slipped into bed first.
In the candlelight, Qiao Suiman’s face was smooth and radiant, his eyes were moist. Lu Dongqing felt a surge of desire. They hadn’t been intimate in a long time and the last time was during the New Year celebrations. Thinking about it, it had been over a month already.
Lu Dongqing lifted the quilt and slipped inside, loosening Qiao Suiman’s sash.
Qiao Suiman did not refuse. He hadn’t done that kind of thing for a long time so he was a little tempted.
They had been too tired recently, and neither of them felt like doing anything in the evenings. But in the past few days, they had become more familiar with the business and the people around them. They are no longer as tense mentally and physically as before, so their hearts turned to other matters.
Heat spread down to his belly, and Qiao Suiman gave a soft hum. After a moment, his whole body trembled. Before he could gather himself, another wave overwhelmed him, leaving him speechless. He could only grip the shoulders of the one holding him tightly, leaving a few marks.
The moonlight outside was gentle. Inside the room, waves of indescribable pleasure rolled. After a long time, the movements finally ceased.
–
All the ingredients were neatly arranged in the kitchen, and the large water jar was filled to the brim. Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing went to the old well at the street corner to fetch water yesterday.
Their shop has no well, so they have to pay sixty wen each month to fetch water from the street corner. Fortunately, it was close by, so coming and going took little effort. By now, they had grown accustomed to this arrangement.
On the nineteenth, the two were busy from early morning. They had to carefully watch the heat when frying tea and sugar. This was going to be sent to the Liu family, so Qiao Suiman didn’t dare to be careless.
The crabapple and persimmon syrups had been prepared earlier. Lu Dongqing mashed fresh persimmon pulp, waiting for the water to cool slightly before mixing.
The fragrant drinks took the most time to prepare. Once those three were done, Qiao Suiman exhaled in relief as the rest were much simpler.
By the end of chenshi[mfn]辰时 : 7-9 AM[/mfn], Qiao Suiman had finished making all the drinks. He and Lu Dongqing loaded them onto the newly built cart, locked the shop, and hurried to Laifu Wine House to deliver the Persimmons of Good Fortune first.
The other shop owners on this street all knew that the Liu family had placed an order with him. Seeing that they were in a hurry, they didn’t chat with them idly. No one wanted to risk delaying such an important matter and face consequences.
When they arrived at the wine house, they didn’t go to the kitchen but went straight to the front door, where Wu Sheng was waiting.
After a brief exchange, Wu Sheng quickly transferred the two barrels of drinks into a large porcelain jar before returning to his work.
Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing didn’t delay and turned around with their cart to go to the Liu residence.
The Liu family lived near the magistrate’s office, not far from the wine house. Still, they didn’t dare slow down, fearing they’d miss the time.
The newly purchased cart was sturdy, and the wheels rolled smoothly. The two walked such a long distance, but not a single drop of liquid spilled out.
At the side street where the Liu residence stood, twenty tables had already been set up. Dishes were being brought out one after another, and crowds gathered around. Fortunately, the Liu family had people specifically assigned to receive deliveries, so Qiao Suiman handed over all the drinks and finally relaxed.
The servants surrounded the table and refused to let anyone in until the time came. They even found some tall and strong men to guard it to prevent people from causing trouble during the banquet.
The crowd was enormous, but a man who seemed to be the Liu family’s head steward arranged the people in order of arrival. Those who didn’t comply were pulled aside, ensuring order despite the numbers.
The attendant who greeted them asked them to sit down first. Anyone with eyes could see they had brought drinks for the Liu family, and no one objected.
Sitting down, Qiao Suiman glanced around idly and spotted the owner of the beverage shop from East Market, along with Shopkeeper Liu. The two were deep in conversation, occasionally glancing his way with malicious eyes.
After all dishes were served, the auspicious hour arrived. Since the groom still had to go and welcome his fulang, the banquet was set up on the main street by the side gate of the Liu residence, while the main gate had to be cleared.
After all, the fulang still has to ride in the flower-decorated sedan chair, and the groom still has to ride in on a horse. The dowry must be carried away box by box in front of everyone, so the path to the main gate must be kept clear at all costs.
Firecrackers went off along several streets, echoing through half of Shuiqing Town. The groom had come to escort the new fulang.
Qiao Suiman’s seat allowed a clear view. From afar, he saw the tall, upright groom and Liu Mei, the fulang, covered with a veil and dressed in a red embroidered wedding robe. The two stepped across the ceremonial brazier. Xiaoxi and other maids and servants stood at the door, beaming with joy.
Liu Mei got into the sedan chair, and the carriage slowly drove away. The valuable dowry items were all packed in sandalwood boxes and wete carried by strong men to his husband’s home, while the rest were placed on the flatbed cart at the rear. The items made by Lu Dongqing were among them.
Qiao Suiman gasped. “There’s so much! Twelve large boxes!”
Lu Dongqing smiled faintly. “The young master of the county magistrate’s family is highly regarded by his in-laws, so it would be extravagant.”
As the newlyweds departed, the banquet steward shouted, “Let the feast begin!”
The people waiting in line rushed in impatiently, but fortunately, there were many servants and hired guards, so the scene did not become too chaotic.
Qiao Suiman’s table was the closest and filled up first, including the two shop owners who also sold drinks.
Shopkeeper Liu sneered. “Shopkeeper Qiao is truly impressive for his age. He’s even doing business with the Liu family. It really makes us old-timers feel ashamed.”
Lu Dongqing frowned but said nothing. Shopkeeper Liu continued to talk non-stop, “Shopkeeper Lu, your fulang is quite capable. For a ge’r to run a business so successfully, I’m afraid you must be under a lot of pressure.”
Lu Dongqing’s brow furrowed deeper. He didn’t want to engage but feared that if he continued to talk like this, it might bring trouble for Qiao Suiman. “My fulang and I run this business together. We’re happy enough as it is. What pressure could there be?”
The others present noticed something was wrong but remained silent, making Shopkeeper Liu’s voice even harsher: “Ah, this young couple…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Qiao Suiman interrupted him, “Shopkeeper Liu, today’s banquet is for the Liu family’s young master’s wedding. Why are you talking nonsense? Are you unhappy that their steward chose my drinks?”
“Pfft.” Someone couldn’t help laughing.
This ge’r has a sharp tongue.
As soon as Qiao Suiman finished speaking, the steward from the Liu family next to them saw that no one at their table had picked up their chopsticks and came over to ask what was going on.
Qiao Suiman recounted what happened, and the steward frowned at Shopkeeper Liu. “Are you here to eat or cause trouble? If not, don’t take up the seat.”
Shopkeeper Liu’s face turned bright red, and he took a bite of food as if nothing had happened.
There weren’t many dishes at the banquet, but it was lively. Once the interruption passed, Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing ate their fill and left, freeing up seats for others.
Many people drank the beverage and after finding it delicious, immediately asked where it was made. They were pleased to learn that it was made by Qiao’s Fragrant Drink Shop on Beide Road. Fortunately, it was not made by the county magistrate’s cooks; otherwise, they might not have had the chance to drink it again.
They unintentionally attracted new customers. Qiao Suiman walked home cheerfully, only to run into Shopkeeper Liu and the other shopkeeper again.
—
Author [陳皮皮梅]: Actually, neither of them qualifies as villains, haha. Don’t worry, everyone~
If you enjoy my translations, consider buying me a coffee ☕
![Fateful Encounter [BL]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/164273041-416-k477912.jpg "Fateful Encounter [BL]")
