The next morning, business was prosperous as usual, but He Mingyu closed the stall a bit earlier than usual and returned with Yingzi, pushing the empty cart.
As they neared the alley entrance, Yingzi seemed to recall something. She tugged at He Mingyu’s sleeve and looked up with her small face: “Sister, do you know where Brother went this morning? I didn’t see him when I woke up.”
A smile bloomed on He Mingyu’s lips, her eyes filled with understanding and anticipation: “I tasked him with an important matter. At this moment… I don’t know how it is going.”
“Brother is the most reliable; he will surely do it perfectly!” Yingzi didn’t even think, waving her little fist, her tone filled with absolute trust.
The two chatted and pushed open the courtyard gate. The sight before them made Yingzi let out a soft cry of surprise: in the empty northwest corner of the courtyard, a neat stack of green bricks and gravel had been piled up.
The person Yingzi had just been talking about was now rolling up his sleeves, vigorously mixing a large heap of yellow clay. Sweat covered his forehead, and his pant legs and cuffs were splattered with mud.
Hearing the commotion, Shitou looked up and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm, revealing a slightly exhausted but still bright smile: “Sister, Yingzi, you’re back! I bought the bricks and stones as you instructed, and the clay is almost ready.”
Yingzi circled the pile of materials twice, tilting her head, and asked in confusion: “Sister, are we building a house? But these bricks…” She gestured with her hands, “They don’t look like enough to build even a kitchen, right?”
He Mingyu was amused by this little-adult act and reached out to ruffle her hair: “Silly girl, it’s not a house; Elder Sister is going to build a bread oven.”
“A bread oven?” Yingzi and Wu Chunlan, who had come out from the kitchen upon hearing the noise, looked at each other in bewilderment.
After the family hurried through their lunch, He Mingyu sent Yingzi to deliver food to Uncle Zhang and the Dashan brothers, while she scouted the courtyard for a location to build the oven.
Living in Bianjing is no small feat. The small courtyard was already cramped; the main room, the side wing, the kitchen, and that increasingly lush hawthorn tree took up most of the space. The remaining open ground was truly limited.
Since the bread oven would be of great use, building it too small would only be a hassle. It was better to do it right the first time, yet it couldn’t be built directly on the ground…
She looked around and finally settled on the stone slab table leaning against the wall, which was occasionally used for meals. Although it would take up a bit of activity space, it was the most suitable choice at the moment.
With the location set, there was no more hesitation. In the afternoon, the courtyard was a flurry of activity. He Mingyu and Shitou were the main force, with Wu Chunlan helping to pass the bricks on the side.
First, they used green bricks to outline a base on the stone table, filling the interior with a thick layer of gravel—which serves both for insulation and heat retention—and topped it with green bricks to form a solid foundation.
Next, they used the prepared yellow clay to mold the main shape of the oven chamber, encircling it with a layer of bricks to reinforce the mud base, and filling the interior with fine sand and gravel. Then it became simple: they stacked layers of green bricks upward, coating the exterior with an even thicker layer of yellow clay. He Mingyu carefully left an opening for adding firewood and a flue for smoke. A thick layer of rice straw was spread over the top of the oven chamber, followed by the repetitive work of stacking bricks and layering mud.
Through the family’s silent tacit understanding, a bread oven, half a person tall and round, quietly rose from the ground. The rest of the work was left to the sun; once it was thoroughly dried, they would dig out the internal contents, and the task would be complete.
After finishing this massive project, the sun had already slanted to the west. Yingzi looked at the still-damp mud oven and then up at the sky, reminding them: “Sister, the time is nearly here. Should we prepare for the evening stall?”
He Mingyu looked at the un-dried sweat on the three of them and their dust-covered pant legs, then waved her hand: “No stall today. We are closing shop!”
“Not going?” Shitou was stunned, instinctively looking at the daylight: “Sister, it’s still early. If we don’t go to the stall… what will we do at home?” Though he was not eloquent, he had always been diligent, and being suddenly idle made him feel at a loss.
He Mingyu’s eyes twinkled, a relaxed smile blooming on her face, and she patted the dust from her hands: “Busy with all this sweat and mud, it feels sticky. Come on, let’s go to the bathhouse!”
The bathing culture in the Northern Song Dynasty was quite prosperous. Every street and alley had public bathhouses marked by hanging bronze pots. The ones frequented by commoners were called tangwu (soup houses), while those visited by scholars were elegantly called tangsi (soup temples), which offered more services. Even the famous Su Dongpo had once chanted: “Light hands, light hands, the layman is already without filth.”
“Go to the bathhouse?” Wu Chunlan poked her head out from the kitchen, her face full of pity and disapproval: “You worked all afternoon; it’s only right to wash up. But… bathhouses aren’t cheap. Why spend that unnecessary money? It’s enough to burn some water at home and wash up.”
He Mingyu linked her arm with her mother’s and said softly: “Mother, our courtyard is narrow. The kitchen isn’t big, and that wooden rack Uncle Zhang gave us takes up so much room. Where is there space to take a proper bath?
“Besides, burning our own water is not only expensive in firewood but also a lot of trouble. We’ve been in Bianjing for a while now and haven’t even seen what a bathhouse looks like. Consider it an opportunity to broaden our horizons and relax our muscles and bones.”
With her putting it that way, Wu Chunlan looked at the faint anticipation in her eyes and finally nodded after a moment of hesitation: “Well… alright then…”
As soon as the words fell, everyone jumped for joy. They searched for clean clothes to change into, wrapped them in a cloth bundle, locked the courtyard gate, and headed out. On the road, Wu Chunlan was still murmuring under her breath: “Actually, burning water ourselves… wouldn’t cost that much…”
Yingzi, however, excitedly tugged at her mother’s sleeve, her small face glowing: “Mother, I’ve never been to a bathhouse! I only heard He Dengke bragging before, saying it was extremely warm inside and that there was plenty of hot water.”
Shitou nodded, the image of He Dengke looking smug instantly appearing in his mind. His steps became lighter, and his eyes flashed with curiosity.
Seeing them look torn between caring about the money and hiding their excitement, He Mingyu put her arm around Wu Chunlan’s shoulders and smiled: “Mother, money is earned to be spent. Once the body is clean and the muscles are relaxed, we will have more strength to earn money tomorrow, right?
“Don’t think too much. Let’s be proper Bianjing folk today and enjoy the convenience of the city!”
They found a bathhouse with a clean facade and a polished bronze pot hanging under the eaves. As soon as they pushed open the wooden door and the wind-blocking curtain, a warm current mixed with the fresh scent of soap locust and steaming heat surged toward them, banishing the faint chill of late spring.
A middle-aged man wearing a clean brown shirt and a futou (cap) on his head immediately greeted them with a beaming smile, his voice loud and enthusiastic: “Oh, this older sister is so lucky! Bringing your children to soak and relax? Please, come in! Look at you, all dusty—you must have worked hard all day. Our pool has fresh water and a roaring fire; soak for a while, and all the fatigue will wash away with the sweat!” As he spoke, his gaze swept over the four of them, sharp yet respectful, adding a touch of thoughtful consideration to his smile.
This man was the bathhouse’s “Dr. Bath” (yuboshi). In the Northern Song Dynasty, “Doctor” was not the same as the modern term; anyone with skilled business practices and rich experience could be called a “Doctor.”
Wu Chunlan was a bit embarrassed by his enthusiasm and asked in a low voice: “May I ask how much it costs per person?”
The Bath Doctor immediately reeled off the numbers, his fingers lightly pointing, his speed fast but orderly: “Kind-hearted sister, for you and this beautiful young lady, twenty-two cash each. This young master—” He sized Shitou up, “—is showing his heroic spirit and must go to the men’s hall; the adult price is twenty-five cash. This clever and lovely little girl only needs seventeen cash! For the four distinguished guests, that makes a total of eighty-six cash!”
He leaned in closer, “If you want to fully relax your muscles, we have the best back-scrubbers inside to attend to you. The comfort… you will know it once you experience it. You can settle the fee for the scrubbing when you come out.”
Eighty-six cash! Wu Chunlan’s heart skipped a beat, and hesitation immediately appeared on her face.
He Mingyu stepped forward at the right time with a clever smile, her voice clear: “Uncle, look at my younger brother. His frame isn’t fully grown, and he hasn’t even had his capping ceremony yet. Charging the same as a full-grown man? Isn’t that an insult to the word ‘adult’?”
She spoke with a playful tone, then changed the subject, shaking four fingers: “Furthermore, since we have come, we naturally want to find the back-scrubbers to relax our bodies. Four people means four sets of skilled service. We live in Donglizi Alley, not far from here. When the weather gets hot or we feel tired, we will surely be coming to bother you often. How about eighty cash for the total today? Let’s aim for a lucky ‘eight-eight’ fortune and start a long-term connection, how about that?”
Upon hearing this, the Bath Doctor’s eyes went round. He put on a look of utter shock and heart-wrenching pain, slapping his thighs a few times: “Oh, my young miss! Is your mouth smeared with honey or have you had it blessed? You calculate better than a veteran like me!”
He pointed at Shitou and joked, “Although the young master hasn’t had his capping ceremony, with this calm demeanor, he is sure to be a man of integrity in the future. Twenty-five cash is already too little for him!”
Then he pulled a bitter face, complaining to Wu Chunlan as if he were cutting his own flesh: “Older sister, look at your daughter—this business acumen is something else…”
Wu Chunlan had not spent these days collecting vegetables for nothing and immediately agreed: “What she says is true; we will be coming often.”
“Fine, fine! Who told me that at first sight, I felt destined to get along with your family!” The Bath Doctor said with a bitter face, “Eighty cash it is! But young miss, you must keep your word. You must come often and bring more business, otherwise, my bathhouse will really go bankrupt!”
His performance satisfied the social requirements, closed the deal quickly, and amused the initially nervous Wu Chunlan, making the atmosphere much more relaxed.
“Done, done, as you say, we will definitely come often,” He Mingyu laughed and agreed.
The Bath Doctor quickly collected the money and led them to the inner passage entrance, pointing out the directions to the left and right halls. Catching sight of the small cloth bags He Mingyu and Shitou were carrying, he took three long, thin bamboo tallies from the counter.
The tallies were polished smooth, decorated with concise auspicious cloud patterns in cinnabar. Each was split down the middle, with interlocking grooves at the break, and both halves were drilled and tied with hemp rope.
As he handed over the tallies, he didn’t forget to jokingly warn: “Keep your number tallies safe. One for the young master, one each for the older sister and the young miss—the little girl’s belongings can be kept with yours.
“Once you are inside, give one half to the attendants and keep the other half safe. This item is more important than your money box! If you happen to lose it…”
Shitou asked curiously: “What happens if we lose it?”
He winked mischievously: “If you lose the tally, you won’t be able to take your clothes or belongings when you come out. You might have to go home wearing our ill-fitting undergarments!”