After getting off the carriage, Wang Si strolled along East Street.
East Street was lively and prosperous, lined with shops on both sides. Colorful banners of all kinds hung high above the storefronts—some marked “Hu Granny’s Cake Shop,” others “XX Meat Shop”—fluttering in the wind.
Wang Si looked at the unfamiliar yet familiar street, listening to the calls of shop assistants and vendors, as well as the chatter of passing customers. She couldn’t help but feel momentarily dazed.
Although she had been reborn, in her previous life she had always been busy—earning money, assisting her father, helping her elder brother. After marrying Chai Rang, she was busy with farming reforms, military training, recruiting talent, and laying out political strategies.
Later, after returning to the capital and when Chai Rang was made Crown Prince, she continued working alongside him in court affairs and stabilizing the borders.
In short, she had never once truly stopped to rest.
The bustling streets and human warmth before her—she had never truly experienced them.
“If Wang Jiao took my ‘fated opportunity,’ then so be it. This life, I’ll live differently.”
Thinking this, she began observing every shop along the street.
Freshly baked hu cakes released a strong aroma of wheat and sesame, spreading through the air in an irresistible way.
Wang Si sniffed softly. It smelled amazing.
She had only eaten a rushed breakfast earlier when they left the city gate, so she was already hungry.
She walked to the cake shop and spent two copper coins on a hot, sesame-scented hu cake.
Without caring about noble etiquette, she walked while eating.
The round cake, about the size of a bowl, was baked golden in a clay oven and covered with sesame seeds.
When she bit into it, a rich aroma of oil and salt filled her mouth.
As an expert in culinary arts, she could immediately identify ingredients by taste.
“Hm… alkaline dough, mixed with animal fat, and a bit of salt.”
This hu cake was very similar to later-era sesame flatbread.
It was just slightly smaller. She ate it in small bites and finished it within minutes.
She continued walking, passing meat shops, wine houses, and restaurants—crowds moving like flowing water, voices like waves.
It unfolded before her like a living version of the “Along the River During the Qingming Festival.”
After strolling for a while and checking shops of interest, she gradually understood the market prices and supply conditions of the capital in this era.
Once she had a clear idea, she prepared to return to the Duke of Wei’s residence.
In a secluded corner, she made sure no one was around, then quickly took several ingredients and medicinal herbs from her “portable kitchen.”
She also grabbed a bamboo basket, placed everything inside, and walked out of the alley toward the Duke’s residence.
Just as she stepped out of East Street, the sound of hooves came from behind.
She quickly stepped aside.
A double-horse carriage sped past her.
“…Him again?”
She recognized the carriage emblem—it belonged to Prince An, Chai Rang.
She didn’t know whether to call this fate: twice in one day, they had passed each other by.
“What fate or not… that’s all from the past life,” she thought calmly.
“If I promised to live a different life, why cling to the past?”
“At most, if he is ever in danger or needs help, I’ll step in—only if I can ensure my own safety first.”
Having made up her mind, she stopped dwelling on it.
She hired a donkey cart and returned directly to the Duke’s residence.
Instead of entering through the main gate, she went around to the southwest side.
The Hai Tang Courtyard arranged by Madam Qian for Zhao Shi and Wang Si was located there.
It was a row of five rooms near the side gate, allowing easy access in and out.
This was exactly why Madam Qian had arranged it this way—convenience.
Zhao Shi was indeed a daughter of the Duke’s residence, but she had been married out for years and now returned with an outsider daughter. She was no longer like the unmarried daughters of the family.
In a sense, Zhao Shi and Wang Si were considered “guests.”
As guests, they needed convenience and independence.
Hai Tang Courtyard was ideal: inside the inner residence yet near the street, with a direct side gate.
There was even enough space to set up a small kitchen.
Madam Qian was not being distant—rather, she was thoughtful in a very practical way.
After returning, Zhao Shi had been busy arranging matters for her children and had not examined the courtyard carefully.
Wang Si believed that once her mother settled down, she would understand and appreciate these arrangements.
“As expected of the head mistress of a duke’s residence—thorough and meticulous,” she thought.
After greeting the gatekeeper, she entered through the side door, passed the covered corridor, crossed the hanging flower gate, and arrived at Hai Tang Courtyard.
The courtyard was clean, orderly, and well maintained.
Wang Si couldn’t help but silently give Madam Qian a thumbs-up.
“Mother, I’m back!”
She entered the main hall and respectfully greeted Zhao Shi.
Then she made her request:
“Mother, I saw there’s an empty room in the courtyard. Can I turn it into a small kitchen?”
“No need to make it complicated—just a stove or a simple cooking setup will do.”
“In the Marquis residence, I learned a few medicinal recipes from the cook. Grandfather suffered injuries in battle, so I want to prepare some nourishing food for him.”
“I even bought the ingredients and herbs. Please let me try, Mother.”
As she spoke, her young face showed a hint of embarrassment.
Zhao Shi was slightly surprised and looked at the basket in her hands.
Then she smiled.
“You child… you think just like your aunt.”
“Huh?” Wang Si blinked in confusion.
Zhao Shi chuckled.
Early that morning, right after they left, Madam Qian had already sent people to set up a small kitchen.
It was in the westernmost room—stove installed, countertops arranged, along with ingredients, seasonings, a fire-handling maid, and a cook.
Zhao Shi sighed inwardly.
Her elder sister-in-law was becoming more and more considerate.
Not only considerate—but also genuinely caring toward them.
Her three children might be unreliable “rotten sons,” but she still had a thoughtful daughter and a supportive family.
Perhaps… life ahead wouldn’t be too bad after all.