It was already afternoon when they set off. Miao Lianhua had prepared an early dinner, and they ate before leaving. By the time they reached town, the sky had already darkened. Fortunately, the donkey cart moved much faster, allowing them to arrive at the shop by the shen shi[mfn]申时 : 3–5 PM[/mfn].
Entering through the back door, Qiao Suiman put the chopped bamboo pieces in the storage room. He sprinkled some water on the wild vegetables to prevent them from wilting overnight, then returned to the kitchen to check on the ingredients for the drinks. Seeing that the fruit was still in good condition, he finally felt relieved.
Not only did they cut a lot of bamboo these two days, Qiao Suiman also went to the mountain to cut a lot of grass. It was fresh and tender, and Da Guai loved to eat it.
Heijin had been sticking close to him these past two days, but it seemed to understand that its task was not yet complete. The four yellow dogs from both households still needed training, so it had to stay home and did not follow them to town.
Although they had a donkey cart, the journey was bumpy and tiring. Moreover, they had not been idle at home, constantly cutting grass and digging for bamboo shoots. After a simple wash, the two fell asleep without exchanging more than a few words.
The days that followed were the same. Every day after waking up, they would make drinks and run the shop. In their spare time, Qiao Suiman learned to read and write, and Lu Dongqing weaved and carved bamboo products.
One day, Qiao Suiman showed Qin Yu and Qiao Ruifeng the best line of characters he had written. The two were both surprised and relieved. It was clear that their lives were becoming more and more stable for them, to the point that he now had the heart to learn characters. They felt much more at ease, having previously worried that he might be bullied in town.
Soon, it was time for Tang Guo’er and Tang Yuan to deliver fruits again. Qiao Suiman casually asked, “Guo’er, you’re sixteen now, right?”
“My birthday is in winter, so I’ve already turned sixteen,” Tang Guo’er replied cheerfully. He was happy every time he came here. Not only could he drink the drinks that Qiao Suiman specially made for him, but he could also see how Qiao Suiman did business.
Seeing the fruits he delivered turned into delicious drinks, served in bamboo bowls and tubes engraved with various patterns, Tang Guo’er always felt proud. Tang Yuan would tease him: “It’s not as if you made them yourself, why are you so happy?”
He was then lightly swatted by his younger brother.
The Tang family has four children. Tang Guo’er has three older brothers, all married. The eldest, Tang Yuan, lived with their parents, while the second and third brothers had built their own houses and started independent households with land allocated from the family. They keep in touch frequently, and their brotherly relationship is quite good.
Tang Guo’er was the only one yet to marry. Tang Xiao had begun searching for a match for him last year, but it was said they had a falling out with one family, and the matter was dropped. It was only recently that he began to consider it again.
While Tang Yuan carried the fruits to the kitchen, Tang Guo’er was about to help, but Qiao Suiman stopped him and asked Lu Dongqing to handle the work instead.
Qiao Suiman led Tang Guo’er to a bamboo table and fetched him a bowl of perilla drink. “Guo’er, try this. It’s a perilla drink. I haven’t sold it in a while.”
Qiao Suiman often prepared drinks for him, so Tang Guo’er saw nothing unusual about it. He took a few sips and said, “This tastes quite unique. I remember you used to sell this drink at the East Market.”
“Yes, I brought plenty of perilla leaves from home. I was missing one ingredient before, but it’s in season now, so I started making it again.”
Qiao Suiman was referring to the sour yellow fruit. Since the wine house needed sour yellow fruit slices to make the Crystal Jade Beauty Drink, Steward Fang always ordered them from the Qiao family. They had to reserve some fresh fruits from his home for the wine house, so Qiao Suiman didn’t take too much.
As Tang Guo’er drank, he chatted with Qiao Suiman and subtly inquired about how he and Lu Dongqing had met. After thinking carefully, Qiao Suiman recalled that their first meeting was in the deep forest.
Tang Guo’er was fascinated, his eyes wide with curiosity. Qiao Suiman’s brows curved, and lowering his voice, he asked, “Guo’er, is there someone you fancy?”
Tang Guo’er’s face turned red all of a sudden, and he denied it, saying, “N-no, I don’t! I don’t like anyone!”
Qiao Suiman raised a brow. So, that means there was indeed someone.
Pressing him down gently, he whispered again, “Is it someone from Hedong Village?”
“N-No! Aiya, there’s no one! Qiao-ge, why do you keep asking this?”
Not wanting to upset him, Qiao Suiman quickly reassured him. “Alright, alright, I won’t ask anymore. I was just curious, that’s all.”
Tang Guo’er asked suspiciously, “Really, no other reason?”
“Really…”
As soon as Qiao Suiman’s words came out, Tang Guo’er, as if deflated, said, “Hmph, I don’t have any other meaning either.”
Now Qiao Suiman was confused. Tang Guo’er realized the person he was thinking of wasn’t here today, so there was no point in talking about it. He changed the subject and started discussing sweet oranges with Qiao Suiman.
The sweet oranges from that household on the back mountain of Hedong Village had already fruited. Their skins were still somewhat green, but they were almost ready for picking. Tang Guo’er suggested that if Qiao Suiman wanted them, he could bring some along on his next delivery. The supply of crabapples at home was running low, but lately, they had been earning more from picking mulberries. He and his mother went up the mountain every day to find mulberry trees.
Mulberries were difficult to find, but Tang Guo’er scoured the mountains each time to deliver so many. He charged Qiao Suiman twenty wen per jin, so Qiao Suiman sold them at a higher price like the Persimmon of Good Fortune, for twelve wen each.
Even at twelve wen, business was excellent. Crabapple thirst-quencher drinks sold less quickly than mulberry drinks, likely because customers preferred something fresh.
Qiao Suiman agreed and asked, “How much per jin?”
“Seven wen. I’ve already discussed it with them. Since you want a large quantity, they’re happy to agree.” Tang Guo’er beamed when talking about business.
Lately, he had earned quite a bit from selling fruits. He was the main contributor in selling crabapples and persimmons, and Tang Xiao gave him thirty to fifty wen each time. For the mulberries, he split the earnings equally with his mother. Outsiders didn’t know, but he had already saved up several mace of silver.
Qiao Suiman thought the price was reasonable and nodded in agreement. Just then, Lu Dongqing and Tang Yuan finished storing the fruits and came out.
Qiao Suiman settled the account with them. This time, they brought more mulberries, which are thirty-five jin, and only twenty jin of crabapples, totaling eight hundred twenty wen. Mulberries were expensive, but one jin could yield a large quantity of drinks, resulting in higher profits. Qiao Suiman decided to prepare an extra barrel of mulberry drink starting the next day and only half a barrel of crabapple drink to avoid complaints from customers who arrived too late to buy the mulberry drink, as had happened a few days prior.
Tang Yuan accepted the silver. Even though he had been here several times, he was still amazed at how quickly Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing earned money. Remembering what Lu Dongqing had said earlier, then seeing his carefree younger brother urging him to quickly hide the silver, Tang Yuan sighed helplessly.
Forget it. Matters like this should be left to their parents’ decision. He would simply pass on the message.
After Tang Yuan and Tang Guo’er left, more customers came one after another, stopping by the shop to drink and chat.
Once Qiao Suiman was free from the rush, Lu Dongqing approached him and whispered, “I mentioned it to him. He probably understood what I meant, but said he would have to ask his parents first.”
“Mm. As long as he knows we have the intention, that’s enough. If they are willing, they’ll send us word.”
Qiao Suiman smiled again. As for the person Tang Guo’er mentioned, if not someone from Hedong Village… Qiao Suiman’s eyelids twitched. Could it be Songzi?
He was briefly startled, but after some thought, he decided not to tell Lu Dongqing. Matters concerning little ge’rs were better left unsaid.
“As for goat’s milk,[mfn]The character “羊” (yáng) could refer to both sheep and goats. Here, “羊乳” could mean either sheep’s milk or goat’s milk, but historically in ancient China, goat’s milk was more commonly consumed, so this translation follows that usage.[/mfn] I’ve asked him to make inquiries too,” Lu Dongqing added.
“Alright. We still have a few months, so there’s plenty of time.”
This matter was something Qiao Ruifeng had asked them to look into. Unlike women, ge’rs do not produce milk after childbirth. Most families feed their children rice gruel[mfn]米糊糊 mihuhu – a common food for infants in historical China; a thin rice gruel or porridge made by boiling rice until soft and mushy, fed to infants when breast milk was unavailable[/mfn], and Qiao Suiman was raised this way. However, children fed only rice gruel tend to be thinner and weaker. Families with better means alternate between rice gruel and goat milk, which helps children grow stronger and healthier.
There used to be a livestock farmer in Xiahe Village, but after earning enough money, the entire family moved outside the prefecture city. Now, no one in the village keeps dairy goats. When Qiao Ruifeng inquired in other villages, the prices were much higher for outsiders. Since Hedong Village has many hunters and also raised livestock, they thought to ask there if it might be more affordable.
The chickens and ducks at home did not lay many eggs, so Qiao Ruifeng did not sell them. Instead, he prioritized using them to nourish Qin Yu. They could sell the extras later when there were more.
Thinking about goat milk, Qiao Suiman recalled something. “Goat milk has a strong smell[mfn]腥膻 xingshan – describes a strong animal-derived rank/fishy odor (commonly mutton/goat products)[/mfn]. I heard you need to add sweet almonds to remove the odor. We should bring some sweet almonds back when the time comes.”
Lu Dongqing had no objections. As more customers arrived, both of them attended to them, ending their conversation.
Soon, Tang Yuan brought news about goat’s milk. Their family’s cousin is a goat-keeper, running a goat farm at the end of Hedong Village.
His daughter was good friends with Tang Guo’er and often joined him in picking mulberries to earn copper coins. Since it was family doing business, he was willing to give them the same price as villagers, so there was no problem.
In the village, goat milk was sold by the bowl. One large bowl costs twenty-five wen, enough for a child to drink for a day. If the child has a small appetite or was fed a mix of rice gruel and goat milk, there might even be some left over, allowing adults to have a few sips as well.
Regarding Tang Guo’er and Lu Xuesong, his parents are still considering it, and he doesn’t know the details.
With both matters settled, Qiao Suiman felt relieved. The fact that they were considering it meant there was a chance. If Miao Lianhua and Lu Dongqing brought gifts to express their sincerity at the right time, it was very likely to work out.
Time passed leisurely, and before they knew it, they entered the fourth month. On the twelfth, Miao Lianhua and Lu Dongqing brought two packages of pastries, one package of yellow rock sugar, and two strings of meat to Hedong Village. Qiao Suiman stayed home to keep Qin Yu company while drying flowers.
The peach trees had blossomed, and the green plum trees had borne some fruit, though not much yet. On their next trip home, they could bring plenty of fresh peaches and green plums back to the shop.
The weather had been gradually warming, and the drink business was thriving. They prepared an extra barrel each of sweet orange drink and perilla drink. Even so, sometimes they sold out before the wei shi[mfn]未时 : 1-3 PM[/mfn]. Qiao Suiman had even more time to practice reading.
He learned many phrases from the Three Character Classic. Lu Dongqing also bought a book compiled by the Imperial Food Service[mfn]尚食局 shàng shí jú – an institution in ancient China responsible for managing the emperor’s meals[/mfn], which introduced all kinds of fragrant drinks. Occasionally, when Qiao Suiman grew tired of studying the Three Character Classic, he switched to this book. Lu Dongqing would read the drink recipes to him, and he would learn a few new characters along the way.
When they came across drinks Qiao Suiman had made before, he would widen his eyes and say, “So that’s how they became popular. These officials are truly remarkable, knowing so many recipes.”
Lu Dongqing chuckled, patted his head, and said, “These recipes were collected from various places and sent to the higher-ups. For example, if the county magistrate tasted a few drinks and found them delicious, he would report the recipes to the prefectural officials. The prefectural officials would compile the recipes submitted by various counties and send them to the capital. How could one person possibly think of so many recipes on their own?”
Qiao Suiman also found it amusing and later told Qin Yu about it. Qin Yu smiled and said, “The fragrant drink you make now isn’t in the book. Maybe one day it’ll be written into a book.”
Qiao Suiman’s eyes lit up: “Then I’ll be so happy that I won’t be able to sleep for a year.”
“I probably wouldn’t sleep either.” Qin Yu laughed, his entire demeanor growing softer and more radiant.
Translator [LUNE]: Thank you sooooo much Lloyd for your ko-fi! Truly appreciate it! I unlocked Chapter 90 today too as a thanks!╰(✿´⌣`✿)╯♡
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