“No, no, it must still be my sister’s craft…”
After several days of busy, steady, and smooth business, He Mingyu was finally able to catch her breath and find the time to manage the important matters concerning their long-term prospects.
Carefully calculating, over the past few days, with two stalls a day, selling sixty bamboo steamers only earned eight hundred and forty wen. After deducting the costs, they could net about one diao of coins every two days.
Wu Chunlan and the two little ones were already satisfied with this income, especially Yingzi, whose eyes glowed every time she tallied the accounts: one diao every two days meant fifteen liang a month, and one hundred and eighty liang a year! This was something she hadn’t dared to dream of before.
He Mingyu wasn’t as optimistic as they were. First, if competitors became jealous and engaged in malicious competition, it would inevitably cause a shock. Second, even if they netted fifteen liang a month, after deducting the rent and the living expenses for a family of four, saving ten liang a month would be the absolute maximum. The housing prices in Bianjing were terrifying; at this rate, she didn’t know how long it would take to save up enough to acquire a proper storefront.
Therefore, adding new varieties was inevitable.
Having some free time today, He Mingyu went immediately to Old Chen’s shop to order three standard-sized steamers that would fit their large iron wok perfectly. She had expected to wait a few days, but to her surprise, he happened to have ready-made ones on hand. She paid on the spot and happily brought them back. Just as she turned into the lane, she saw Zhang Hu and his son standing outside her door, peering at something.
“Yu Niang, you’re back! Take a look, is this cart useful?” Zhang Hu’s voice was loud, carrying an unconcealable pride.
He Mingyu looked closely and saw a small wooden pushcart with a sophisticated design and smooth finish parked quietly there. She hurried forward, scrutinized it, and her eyes brightened the more she looked.
The small cart was crafted exactly according to the sketch she had drawn, and even considered things more thoroughly.
On the left side of the cart, a space had been reserved to hold the self-made mud stove securely. A large iron wok was placed above the stove, and on top of the wok was a special wooden lid with three round holes, allowing the small steamers to sit on them for even heating. A thin bamboo pole was cleverly fixed to the side to hang the long wooden tongs used for taking the buns, and on both sides of the bamboo pole were sturdy handles for pushing the cart.
On the right side of the cart was a spacious platform. On the far right, four grooves had been dug out, allowing the sauce jars to fit perfectly. There was no longer a need to worry about them spilling while the cart was moving, which also spared Yingzi from having to hug them tightly like treasures every day. Beneath the platform, two large drawers were designed—one for storing clean ruo leaves for packaging, and the other for items like bowls and chopsticks. Under the drawers, a wooden bucket for clean water was ingeniously embedded, taking up no extra space. On the outermost side, a slot had even been left to hold the wooden board for the poetry collection.
What surprised He Mingyu the most was that Zhang Hu was meticulous; the bottom part of the pushcart, where it made contact with the stove fire, had been coated with a thick layer of yellow mud on the inside, greatly improving fire safety. Above the cart, a triangular sign had been made, carved with four characters in a simple yet powerful stroke—”He’s Small Stall.”
“Uncle Zhang, this… this is truly ingenious! It’s even better than what I imagined!” He Mingyu stroked the smooth wood, praising sincerely. “When I push this out to set up the stall tomorrow, I don’t know how many people will be envious! Awesome! Just too awesome!” In her heart, she marveled that this was basically an ancient version of a custom food truck. Trading a month’s worth of food for this was incredibly cost-effective!
When she drew the plans, she had only hoped to save some effort, but the performance of the finished product far exceeded her expectations. It was light and steady to push, and she liked it more the more she looked at it. Rainbow-colored flattery like “Uncle Zhang, you are truly Lu Ban reborn” flowed easily from her lips, coaxing a wide, happy smile onto Zhang Hu’s dark face as he waved his hands repeatedly.
He Mingyu smilingly counted out one diao of coins from her purse and handed it over: “It was hard work for you and Brother Dashan. You must accept this payment for labor and materials.”
Zhang Hu, however, reacted as if he had been scalded, waving his hands and retreating repeatedly, looking quite anxious: “I can’t! I really can’t! Aren’t you slapping me in the face by doing this?”
Zhang Dashan also chimed in from the side: “Exactly, exactly. Yu Niang, ever since we started eating your food, our days have finally had some warmth. We really can’t take this money. Do you want us to eat and drink for free?”
“How is it for free?” He Mingyu said quickly. “That month of food only covered the cost of the wood at most. This exquisite craftsmanship surely took a lot of effort, so the labor fee should be paid separately.”
She didn’t give them a chance to push it back, stuffing the diao of coins into Zhang Hu’s arms: “Don’t try to trick me by saying these were all scrap materials. I looked closely—this is top-quality wood, very sturdy!”
“You girl, you can make something special out of any common vegetable. In my eyes, you’re no less than a chef in Fanlou! This cart was something we were going to give you as a thank-you, how could we take your labor fee…” Zhang Hu looked at the “hot potato,” not knowing whether to take it or keep it, looking very troubled.
Finally, Zhang Dashan reacted quickly, splitting the diao of coins into two parts, keeping one in his own hand and stuffing the other back into He Mingyu’s: “Yu Niang, this is enough. Anything more would be treating us like outsiders. Dad, don’t you agree?”
Zhang Hu nodded repeatedly: “Yes, yes, this is enough!”
Seeing them so determined, He Mingyu had to accept it helplessly, thinking to herself that she must come up with some delicious dishes these next few days to improve their meals.
“Fanlou?” Yingzi, who had been curiously touching the cart, raised her head and interrupted with wide, blinking eyes, “Uncle Zhang, what kind of place is Fanlou? Is the food there better than Sister’s buns?”
Zhang Hu laughed, a look of longing appearing on his face: “Fanlou? That’s the most opulent, most magnificent big restaurant in our Bianjing city! Three stories high, with five buildings facing each other, all with flying bridges and railings—everything is interconnected! Everything to eat, drink, and play inside is the best!”
Dashan, who was listening intently, couldn’t help but mutter: “Dad, you’ve actually been to such a great place, why didn’t you bring me to see it…”
Zhang Hu tapped his son’s head testily: “That’s old history from how many years ago! When I was young and traveling the country with my master, that was my only opportunity. All you have in your head is food!”
Yingzi listened with great interest, fetched a few small wooden stools, and looked at him with wide, expectant eyes: “Uncle Zhang, Uncle Zhang, keep going, is the food at Fanlou really that good?”
“Come to think of it, I was about the same age as your sister at the time.” Zhang Hu pointed at He Mingyu with a smile, “Back then, I was with my master, making dowry furniture for a noble young lady from Luoyang. That lady, tsk tsk, she was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, her family background was good, and her heart was exceptionally kind. After the furniture was finished, she specially invited us rough men to Fanlou to broaden our horizons. We truly had a grand meal!”
As he recalled this, his face glowed, but then he seemed to remember something and laughed: “Oh, by the way, my master got drunk at the time and muttered privately that it was a pity the noble lady had poor judgment in choosing a husband—he only had a handsome exterior… I didn’t understand these things then and just focused on eating and drinking. Now that I think about it, it must have been my master’s drunken nonsense…”
As he spoke, he felt he had said the wrong thing and shook his head with a smile: “Such a good family, such a kind lady, must surely be living very well now…”
This gossip made everyone yearn for Fanlou. Yingzi, swallowing her saliva while listening to him talk about the novel snacks in Fanlou, stubbornly said: “No, no, it must still be my sister’s craft that is the best!” Her childish words made everyone laugh again. Beneath the twilight, the little courtyard was filled with a warm and happy atmosphere.
With this tailor-made “magical device,” the next morning’s setup became incredibly easy. The mud stove, steamers, sauces, bowls, chopsticks, clean water, and poetry board were each in their place, making it both labor-saving and steady to push. He Mingyu brought her younger siblings and quickly set up the stall at the old location; her efficiency was more than doubled compared to before.
Just as she expected, the novel little pushcart immediately became a beautiful scenic spot in front of the Imperial Academy. Even the usually shrewd Sun Erniang came to ask which carpenter had done the work. He Mingyu naturally didn’t hide it, smiling as she praised Zhang Hu, which could be considered helping to build his reputation.
When she finished the stall in the afternoon and walked home, just as she entered the lane, she smelled an extremely enticing fragrance. Yingzi swallowed her saliva: “Sister, is Grandma Liu making something delicious? It smells so good—”
Donglizi Lane was divided into the outer lane and the inner lane. Maimaiti, who performed with snakes, lived at the very end of the inner lane. Moving outward, there was He Mingyu’s house, Zhang Hu and his son across the street diagonally, and two smaller courtyards that hadn’t been rented out, now empty, but quiet.
The wells in Bianjing were divided into “sweet water” and “bitter water.” A well with clear, sweet water was a sweet water well, and one that was astringent was a bitter water well. Fortunately, the well at the intersection of the inner and outer lanes was a sweet, palatable sweet water well.
Seven or eight households lived in the outer lane. Previously, because they were an orphaned mother and daughter who had just moved in and were focused on making a living, He Mingyu wasn’t very familiar with the neighbors in the outer lane. Now, the round-faced, well-fed Yingzi was the exact opposite. Usually, she followed behind Shitou to fetch water and would naturally strike up conversations with Grandma Liu, Sister-in-law Wang, and Auntie Ma-San. Being small and sweet-spoken, she won the hearts of all the adults. Every time she came back, her pockets were filled with pumpkin seeds stir-fried by the neighbors, and her face grew even rounder.
“I wonder what delicious thing Grandma Liu is making.”
He Mingyu also sniffed, and a familiar scent drifted into her nasal cavity. She pinched Yingzi’s nose quite proudly: “Little greedy cat. This fragrance probably drifted out from our own house.”
“Mother made it?” Yingzi’s eyes brightened, and she scrambled toward the courtyard.
By the time He Mingyu and Shitou pushed the cart home, the lid had already been lifted. Wu Chunlan was bringing bowls of oily, crispy, tender, and fragrant steamed pork with rice flour to the kitchen counter. She took a moment to pat away Yingzi’s little paws: “Wash your hands before eating!”
“Sister, it’s meat!” Yingzi touched some water and wanted to rush into the kitchen.
He Mingyu gave a look, and Shitou tacitly grabbed her back. The two of them pressed their four hands into a wooden basin and gave them a good wash.
“It’s delicious steamed pork with rice flour~ you can only eat it after washing your hands clean~” He Mingyu teased her on purpose, then packed the extra-large bowl into a food box and carefully wrapped the two remaining steamers of still-warm meat buns.
“Yu Niang, what are you doing?” Wu Chunlan looked at her actions, feeling somewhat suspicious, “Are you going out?”
“You guys eat first, don’t wait for me.” He Mingyu fastened the food box, then quickly went into the room to change into an exceptionally worn-out set of clothes.
Just as she was about to leave, seeing a hint of worry in Wu Chunlan’s eyes, she said meaningfully: “Mother, if we want to do business safely in Bianjing, there are some places we have to visit in advance to make the necessary arrangements and get familiar with them.”
This principle was the same as needing to pay a stall fee for street vending in modern society. Setting up a stall in the markets of the Great Song also required paying money, euphemistically called an “encroachment fee,” and only by getting tacit approval could one be secure.
This was what Sun Erniang had kindly pointed out to her. Over the past few days, He Mingyu’s buns had sold well, and her business for the shredded chicken qian was also becoming more prosperous. Sun Erniang had privately informed her that she needed to find time in the next two days to pay a visit to the Street Administrative Office. If they were sought out by the petty officials, the nature of the situation would be different, and she was afraid it would cost a fortune to settle.
He Mingyu carried the food box and turned into an inconspicuous grocery store, gritting her teeth to buy a bottle of decent cloudy wine, and picked out two packs of trendy pastries. Looking at the more than one hundred wen she had paid, her heart truly ached for a while.
“If you don’t lose the bait, you won’t catch the wolf.” Treating it as a necessary early investment… she whispered to herself as if in self-deception, took a deep breath, and carrying the slightly heavy “gesture of goodwill,” headed toward the Street Administrative Office near the Imperial Academy.