After changing locations today, their items sold slower than before. It was past noon when the three Lin siblings finally sold out all the goods at their stall.
The sun hung high in the sky, its scorching rays baking the pier roads until they felt hot to the touch. Having worked all morning, Lin Yao, Lin Cheng, and their younger brother were drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted. Little Lin Song looked particularly wilted by the side. Lin Cheng brought out the perilla and hawthorn water he had saved for his siblings. "Here, A Yao, Song'er, quench your thirst."
Lin Song took the bamboo container and gulped down several large mouthfuls, while Lin Yao also drank deeply. Watching them, Lin Cheng quickly cautioned, "Slow down, drink slowly."
After drinking, the two gradually regained their energy. Lin Yao noticed her eldest brother continuously wiping sweat from his forehead. "Brother, why aren't you drinking?"
Lin Cheng smiled, wiping his face with the coarse cloth towel draped over his shoulder. "How could I be so wasteful? I can endure – this could sell for two coins.Knowing Lin Cheng's habitual frugality, Lin Yao felt both touched and heartbroken. "Brother, we need to earn money, but we must also take care of our health. Our small business relies on having healthy bodies to work hard. If we wear ourselves out, medical treatment and medicine would cost much more."
Lin Song nodded vigorously beside them. "Exactly, exactly!"
"Alright! I'll drink from now on too," Lin Cheng responded with a smile, his heart warmed by his sensible younger siblings.
"Brother, we can pick up the reserved iron plate today. Let's finish packing quickly and go to town to get it," Lin Yao said, her voice filled with anticipation.
The three siblings quickened their pace, swiftly tidying the remaining items at the stall and organizing the ingredients into their carrying baskets.
Lin Cheng shouldered the carrying pole, with one basket containing tools for making pancakes and the other holding the remaining braising sauce from the sold-out marinated foods. Lin Yao and Lin Song carried baskets filled with various small items.
Along the way, sunlight filtered through dappled leaves to fall upon them.
Being young, Lin Song recovered his energy quickly and bounced ahead, occasionally turning back to urge, "Brother, Second Sister, hurry up!"
Knowing the child was eager to reach town, Lin Cheng and Lin Yao resignedly quickened their pace.
Before long, the three arrived at the bustling town. Lin Cheng led his siblings to the blacksmith's shop to collect their custom-made iron plate.
Lin Yao's eyes lit up when she saw the iron plate. Professional matters truly should be left to professionals – with just her simple description, they had created her dream cooking plate.
Examining the iron plate, she found it smooth and flat with slightly raised edges that would prevent batter from spilling during pancake-making while allowing easy flipping. She was utterly satisfied.
Lin Cheng carefully inspected every part of the iron plate nearby. After confirming everything was satisfactory, he paid and worked with the blacksmith to secure the plate to the carrying pole with thick ropes.
After collecting the iron plate, the three Lin siblings purchased ingredients needed for tomorrow's stall. By the time they completed all their tasks, the sky was beginning to darken.
"Brother, let's eat in town today," Lin Yao suggested.
"Sure, what would you like to eat, A Yao?" Lin Cheng asked.
"Let's go to Zwei Restaurant today. I've heard their dishes are delicious," Lin Yao replied.
Flavor Inn was a moderately renowned eatery in Clearspring Town, primarily specializing in stir-fried dishes.
Stir-frying became widespread during the Song Dynasty. Although the dynasty Lin Yao found herself in was unfamiliar in historical records, its food, clothing, housing, and transportation closely resembled those of the Song era. With plans to open her own restaurant in town someday, Lin Yao wanted to gauge the stir-frying standards of this period first.
The three siblings entered Flavor Inn together.
Scanning the room, Lin Yao noticed most patrons were common townsfolk. The waiter, though observing their coarse attire, showed no disdain and greeted them warmly, "What would you like, honored guests? Our specialties include braised pork, steamed perch, and various seasonal stir-fries—all quite delicious."
Lin Yao ordered braised pork, a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and egg drop soup.
Lin Cheng fretted over the cost, whispering to Lin Yao, "A Yao, isn't this too extravagant?"
Lin Yao reassured him, "Elder brother, we rarely dine out like this. Let's enjoy a proper meal. Besides, I want to sample their cooking. If I'm to open a restaurant here eventually, I need to understand the competition."
Lin Cheng was taken aback by his younger sister's ambition. He felt content with their current life and never dared dream of running a shop in town. Yet, seeing the sparkle in Lin Yao's eyes, he began to believe it might just be possible.
Soon, the dishes arrived. The braised pork glistened with a rich, reddish-brown glaze, its savory aroma wafting enticingly. The stir-fried vegetables were vibrant green and refreshingly appealing. In the egg drop soup, delicate golden swirls floated gracefully, adorned with specks of green scallions, emitting a subtle freshness.
Lin Song could hardly wait. His small hands grabbed chopsticks, immediately picking up a piece of braised pork. He popped it into his mouth, squinting with delight as he looked up. "This braised pork is so yummy! Sweet and fragrant, and the meat is so tender."
Being young, Lin Song found any meat dish delicious.
Lin Yao also picked up a piece of braised pork, taking a small bite. She chewed slowly, carefully savoring the flavors. The dish was indeed decent—visually appealing with perfectly caramelized sugar. However, the braising time fell slightly short, leaving leaner cuts somewhat dry.
Next, she sampled the other two dishes. The stir-fried vegetables were crisp and well-cooked, retaining their bright color and tenderness. Still, the seasoning was somewhat plain; a hint of sautéed garlic could have elevated the taste.
As for the egg drop soup, the eggs were evenly distributed, and the broth was flavorful. In modern times, adding dried shrimp would have enhanced it further.
Lin Yao marveled at the ingenuity of ancient people. Even an ordinary town eatery frequented by commoners maintained such standards. If they were to open a shop here, they would need a unique selling point to stand out.
While eating, Lin Yao drifted into deep thought. Lin Cheng, misinterpreting her distraction as discouragement from the restaurant's quality, set down his chopsticks to comfort her. "A Yao, I actually prefer your cooking."
Snapping back to reality, Lin Yao replied, "Elder brother, I'm fine. Flavor Inn has been around for years—it must have its strengths. If we want to open a restaurant here, we'll need to strategize carefully."
When paying the bill, Lin Cheng felt another pang of heartache. This single meal had cost fifty-eight copper coins, wiping out most of the extra earnings they had made from selling drinks that day.
After returning home, the three siblings continued preparing ingredients for the next day's stall.
Lin Yao took out the perilla, hawthorn, and chrysanthemums she had gathered the day before. While preparing the drinks, she said, "Brother, after those men bought the pork offal today, I noticed they ate it stuffed in steamed buns. I was thinking—we could also sell our Lu Zhu Xia Shui stuffed in flatbreads. I'm sure we'd earn more money that way."
Lin Cheng's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "A Yao, that's a brilliant idea! Our Lu Zhu Xia Shui has such a robust flavor—it would taste wonderful in steamed buns. Plus, it would be convenient for travelers to eat on the go."
"However," Lin Yao added, "Wang Daye, who spoke up for us today, sells steamed buns and bread. We shouldn't steal his business and disappoint a kind person. I thought we could order some buns from him instead—that way he'd earn some extra income too."
Lin Cheng nodded repeatedly. "You're always so thoughtful. We must never burn bridges after crossing them."
The next day, the three siblings arrived at their stall half an hour earlier than usual.
Old Woman Li greeted Lin Yao, "Lady Lin, you're early today! That Sun Dafu hasn't arrived yet."
"That's good. Thank you again for your help yesterday," Lin Yao expressed her gratitude once more.
"Don't mention it, Lady Lin," Old Woman Li said with a smile. "Having your pancake stall next to mine actually brings me more business. Yesterday when you weren't here, I made dozens of copper coins less than usual."
After exchanging brief pleasantries with Old Woman Li, Lin Yao approached Wang Daye's steamed bun stall. Several large steamers were displayed, containing plain buns, bread rolls, and various meat and vegetable buns. "Grandpa, I'd like a bread roll."
"Coming right up!" Wang Shan took a steaming hot bread roll from the steamer and handed it to Lin Yao.
Lin Yao accepted the roll and took a small bite. The familiar wheat aroma spread in her mouth, and the texture was soft and fluffy. After swallowing, she said, "Grandpa, we'd like to discuss a business arrangement with you."
Wang Shan rubbed his hands together. "Business? I just sell some plain buns and bread rolls here."
When Lin Yao explained her idea, Wang Shan could hardly believe such good fortune had come his way. He grew somewhat emotional. "Lady Lin, are you serious?"
"Absolutely," Lin Yao confirmed. "But we'll need large quantities of bread rolls regularly. Could you offer us a discount?"
"Of course, of course! I sell these rolls for two copper coins each to others, but for you, they'll be just one copper coin each," Wang Shan said eagerly.
"Thank you, Grandpa. Tomorrow we'll start with fifty rolls. Here's the deposit—we'll pay the remaining half tomorrow." Lin Yao counted out the copper coins from her purse and gave them to Wang Daye.
Wang Shan accepted the coins with visible excitement. He had just set up his stall today and had already earned twenty-five copper coins.
He observed that although Lady Lin was young and had only recently started her stall business, her venture was thriving. If she continued ordering his bread rolls regularly, wouldn't he be able to earn more and more? Thinking this, Wang Shan's gaze toward Lin Yao grew even more affectionate.
By the time Lin Yao returned to her stall, Lin Cheng was already busy making pancakes.
Lin Cheng had also started cooking at home from a young age. After watching Lin Yao make pancakes these past few days, he had already learned the skill, so now the siblings took turns making them.
Lin Yao took over the remaining tasks, handing the prepared pork offal to a customer and then scooping purple perilla and hawthorn tea for the next person. Just then, a familiar voice sounded beside her.
"What is this?" Xu Zhiheng was wearing a brand-new long gown today, with a pomegranate flower pinned in his hair, convinced he looked exceptionally dashing.
Lin Yao looked up and thought, wow, this gentleman is dressed quite flamboyantly today.