His stomach rumbled loudly. Qiao Suiman thought of the roast duck shop they had passed earlier and turned to Lu Dongqing, saying, “Let’s go eat at that roast duck place. It smells amazing.”
Lu Dongqing smiled softly. “Alright.”
The two left the inn and headed straight for the roast duck shop. They were tempted by it when they passed by just now. The shop not only had roast duck, but Qiao Suiman also saw a golden and crispy roasted suckling pig. Although the shop was small, there were many people lining up.
They waited for the time it takes an incense stick to burn before it was their turn. Up close, they saw that aside from roast duck and suckling pig, the shop also offered roasted chicken, roasted goose, and braised dishes. They already tried roasted chicken in town before, and roast duck was also available there, but the aroma from this shop was truly irresistible. Qiao Suiman still asked the shopkeeper to cut them a portion.
In the end, the two carried back to the inn half a roast duck, a slab of roasted suckling pig, and a fragrant roasted pig’s trotter.
After asking the attendant for two bowls of hot water, Qiao Suiman tore up the two steamed buns left over from lunch and soaked them in the hot water, creating a bowl of gruel that paired perfectly with the meat.
Qiao Suiman lowered his head and sniffed the meat wrapped in oil paper, then raised his head and smiled at Lu Dongqing with his eyes curved: “It smells so good.”
“Eat if you’re hungry,” Lu Dongqing said with a laugh.
The meat costs nearly two mace of silver, but both of them were exhausted today and didn’t hold back too much. Once in the prefectural city, it was hard to be frugal anyway. Since it was a rare trip, it was better to enjoy themselves. The silver could always be earned back in the future.
Qiao Suiman picked up the pig’s trotter and took a bite. The skin was crisp and chewy, the tendons tender and flavorful. After swallowing, he took a sip of the steamed bun gruel, and his entire body relaxed.
“It’s so delicious.”
Qiao Suiman held the pig’s trotter to Lu Dongqing’s mouth and said, “Take a bite.”
Lu Dongqing laughed and took a bite, nodding. “It’s really fragrant, and there’s plenty of meat.”
They bought a portion close to the hock, which has more meat than the very end of the trotter, so naturally, it was more expensive too.
Qiao Suiman tore the meat off and placed it back on the unfolded oil paper. He didn’t discard the bones either, as there was still some meat to nibble on.
The roast duck and suckling pig were even more delicious. Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing ate several mouthfuls in a row, only slowing down to chat once their hunger had been somewhat satisfied. By the end, even the bones had been gnawed clean, leaving not a shred of meat behind.
The attendant brought up two buckets of hot water and took away the oil paper wrappings and bowls. Only then did Qiao Suiman take off his clothes to wash up.
The room was not big and there were no screens. They’ve been married for so long that they’ve already seen everything they needed to see countless times. Qiao Suiman didn’t think much about it and just cleaned himself.
They were jostled around all day, and the weather was particularly good, with the sun beating down the entire journey. He sweated quite a bit.
Lu Dongqing initially thought he could restrain himself, but his fulang sat naked on the bed, his freshly washed upper body fair and glowing, shimmering under the lamplight. Instead of handing the damp cloth to Qiao Suiman after wringing it out, he pulled his fulang’s legs toward him, and under Qiao Suiman’s puzzled gaze, he began washing him himself.
Qiao Suiman’s face flushed slightly as the atmosphere grew intimate and alluring.
He turned his face away, slight goosebumps rising on his skin, as he trembled lightly from time to time under Lu Dongqing’s movements. Though Lu Dongqing often helped him wash up, it was usually after they’d been intimate and when he was too tired to move. This was the first time it happened while he was fully awake.
Lu Dongqing’s breathing grew heavier. With great effort, he finally managed to help Qiao Suiman into his inner robe before turning away to wash himself.
Heat rose to Qiao Suiman’s face. As Lu Dongqing washed with his back turned, Qiao Suiman thought for a moment, then got up from the bed, walked over, and took the cloth from Lu Dongqing’s hand. Glancing down, he happened to see that the place which often brought him immense pleasure was already proudly erect. His entire face turned crimson. Mumbling, he said, “I… I’ll wipe your back for you.”
Lu Dongqing’s voice was hoarse. “Alright.”
After helping him wash, Qiao Suiman returned to the bed, pulled up the thin quilt, and waited for Lu Dongqing to take the water away. His legs are unconsciously curling together.
When Lu Dongqing lay down beside him, Qiao Suiman rolled over and pressed against him, his warm breath spilling from his lips. “Dongqing…”
Lu Dongqing understood immediately. “Are you tired today?”
“No.”
Qiao Suiman whispered. The moment he spoke, Lu Dongqing flipped over and pinned him down. The quilt covered their bodies, and their first night in the prefectural city was just as passionate.
Qiao Suiman panted softly, not daring to make a sound, and said in a breathy voice, “The cloth, the cloth in the bundle, put it under, d-don’t make a mess on the bed.”
Lu Dongqing’s voice was low. “I know.”
The next day, Qiao Suiman slept until late in the morning.
Mindful that they were not at home, they only did it once the night before. Lu Dongqing held back, yet after a whole day’s journey yesterday, Qiao Suiman still went to sleep late.
By the time he woke, Lu Dongqing had already asked the waiter to bring up plain porridge and side dishes. The breakfast was included in their stay for three hundred and fifty wen. After washing up, Qiao Suiman felt very energetic and had no physical discomfort. Instead, he looked more radiant.
After breakfast, the two strolled around the area. Stalls had already been set up along both sides of Songjiang Street, each with a sign hanging in front. Qiao Suiman recognized his own name on the sixth stall on the right. Lu Dongqing read the other characters for him: “First Place from Shuiqing Town.”
Qiao Suiman was overjoyed, wishing he could sketch the scene, but without a brush and paper, and no skill in drawing anyway, he could only give it up.
Before heading out, they asked the innkeeper about nearby places worth visiting. The two of them followed the directions given by the innkeeper and drove their donkey cart all the way to Taiwei Lake.
Just as the innkeeper said, the place was filled with birdsong and cicada cries, boasting a beautiful scenery. The lake water was so clear you could see the bottom. Many people had spread cloths on the grassy lakeside, sitting and enjoying the view while eating fruit. Quite a few were also flying kites around the lake.
Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing spent the entire morning there. They ordered two side dishes at a nearby cookhouse and had a satisfying meal with steamed buns. In the afternoon, they visited the stone forest the innkeeper had mentioned, only returning to the inn around shenshi[mfn]申时 : 3–5 PM[/mfn].
Seeing their happy expressions, the innkeeper smiled. “So? Was I right? Isn’t it fun?”
Qiao Suiman smiled sweetly. “Yes, we also passed by Yuan’an Temple and prayed for blessings.”
Yuan’an Temple was the largest official temple in the entire prefectural city. They had heard about it back in the village, and now they had actually been inside. They even prayed for peace talismans for their families. Qiao Suiman felt that today was truly satisfying. The prefectural city was far too enjoyable.
The innkeeper was busy, so Qiao Suiman didn’t chat with him for long. They went back to the room and asked the attendant to bring some water. Lu Dongqing simply dampened a cloth and began wiping Qiao Suiman down with a natural expression, as though this was how things had always been.
Qiao Suiman went along with it, but they did not become intimate that night. Tomorrow, they would be setting up their stall on Songjiang Street. They don’t know how many people would come, so they needed to conserve energy to make milk tea.
Lu Dongqing understood as well. They’ve already been intimate yesterday and had tasted the sweetness, so he wouldn’t pester Qiao Suiman endlessly.
Outside the window, the stars were twinkling. Inside the room, both their breathing was even. Qiao Suiman, as if dreaming of something beautiful, had his lips curled all night with a smile.
Early the next morning, the attendant retrieved half of the goat milk from the cellar. Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing unhitched the cart, leaving Da Guai at the inn. Songjiang Street was close enough that they didn’t need to drive the cart; they could simply pull it over.
The cart was loaded with all the ingredients, and a bamboo basket was filled with exquisite bamboo tubes. When they arrived at Songjiang Street, only three people were ahead of them, one of whom Qiao Suiman recognized as Zhou Huo, the second-place winner.
“Shopkeeper Qiao, what a coincidence,” Zhou Huo said with a smile. Beside him was a woman around thirty, likely his wife.
Qiao Suiman also smiled. “Shopkeeper Zhou.”
After showing their tokens to the yayi one by one and confirming they were correct, they led them to their respective stalls. Qiao Suiman looked over his stall and saw that many tables and chairs had been set up nearby for customers to rest.
Qiao Suiman looked up and smiled at Lu Dongqing. “It feels just like when we used to set up a stall at the East Market.”
Lu Dongqing smiled softly. “Yes. But today we’ll have to make it fresh. It might be busier and more tiring.”
“It’s fine. As long as the customers enjoy the drinks.”
Everyone in the village who had tried the milk tea had praised it highly, so Qiao Suiman was even more confident. Today, he would focus on making the milk tea, while greeting and tidying up were left to Lu Dongqing. Together, they would manage.
After chatting for a while, the other stall owners arrived one after another. The street would open to the public at chenshi[mfn]辰时 : 7-9 AM[/mfn], leaving less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Some people from the prefectural city were already waiting.
Qiao Suiman first boiled four large bowls of milk. As expected, skeptical murmurs arose around him. He smiled faintly and paid them no mind.
After boiling the goat milk with sweet almonds, Qiao Suiman began heating the tea leaves and sugar in another pot. He added water, brought it to a boil, then added the goat milk and let it simmer. The aroma instantly spread far and wide.
“This smell… it’s different from before.”
“Right, and quite fragrant! Just now it was so pungent I almost wanted to vomit.”
“What did he add? How did the smell become so enticing all of a sudden?”
Those who had earlier wondered how he won first prize quickly changed their tune. Qiao Suiman smiled to himself. Just as the yayi struck the gong, the milk tea was ready.
Immediately, four people rushed to his stall. “Little Qiao-ge’r, what is this?”
Qiao Suiman pointed to the sign beside him and smiled. “Bamboo-tube milk tea.”
“Milk tea?”
“Bamboo-tube milk tea?”
“I never heard of it.”
“Give me a serving to try.”
“Alright.” Qiao Suiman smiled in agreement. “Customer, it’s forty-five wen a serving.”
“Sure, hurry up. It smells too good.” The customer immediately took out fifty wen strung together. “Keep the change. I really want to try this bamboo-tube milk tea.”
Even knowing that the wealthy in the prefectural city spend money like water, Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing were still astonished. It seemed forty-five wen was an ordinary price here.
Qiao Suiman poured the milk tea into a bamboo tube and handed it to Lu Dongqing, reminding the customer, “Be careful, it’s hot. It tastes best when warm.”
The customer, clearly impatient, blew on it vigorously a few times before taking a small sip from the side of the bamboo tube.
The moment it touched his lips, his eyes widened. He laughed heartily. “Milk tea! A fitting name! It really should be called that. Not bad!”
Then he added, “Give me two more and I’ll take them home!”
“Right away.” Qiao Suiman responded swiftly. With the bamboo tubes included, that was already two mace of silver earned. His smile nearly split his face.
“Hey, hey, I want some too!”
“Give me one as well, I was first!”
“No, I was first! Give me two!”
Once the first person had tasted it, the others refused to be outdone, all wanting to try this so-called “milk tea.” In no time, the first pot was sold out.
Without pause, Qiao Suiman began brewing the second pot. The aroma drifted again, drawing more customers. Business never stopped, and even the stalls nearby benefited.
Zhou Huo was also grinning widely. His stall was right next to Qiao Suiman’s. Some customers, while waiting for their milk tea, would glance at his stall. He embellished his competition story with even greater flair, attracting quite a few customers to buy his ginger honey water. His wife worked busily beside him, tired but happy.
After brewing six pots of milk tea in a row, all the queuing customers finally received their orders. Unable to wait for it to cool, they took a few sips and exclaimed in amazement.
“It’s really delicious!”
“I’ve never tasted anything like this. I can’t stop after just one sip.”
Hearing the customers’ praise, Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing were overjoyed. Qiao Suiman immediately started on the next pot to avoid making future customers wait.
If you enjoy my translations, consider buying me a milk tea 🥛🍵
I live milk tea. 🧋. Never tried it with goat though. Thank you