She was skewering dried fish with willow twigs in the main hall, with the family sitting nearby, each busy with their own tasks. Another oil lamp was placed beside Chen Kuocang, its flickering flame casting their shadows onto the pristine white wall, like a shadow play depicting ordinary folk, making one feel that life would flourish just by glancing at it.
For quiet solitude, Chen Kuocang was indeed suited to return to his room to read, but he cherished the feeling of the family harmoniously gathered together, as if time froze in this moment.
Granny Wang, who was calculating accounts nearby, first looked at her charming granddaughter with affectionate eyes, then turned her gaze to Xi Lang, who was reading. The book in his hand had already been replaced with the Thousand Character Classic. This child had great talent in studying and learning to write; in the future, the family would not worry about lacking prosperity and resurgence. She had already inquired about a school and was waiting to take him to visit the teacher in a few days.
Thinking of this, Granny Wang’s furrowed brows relaxed, and a satisfied smile appeared in her eyes.
This family now truly looked like a proper household.
As for the ancestral home, arrangements needed to be made separately. To live peacefully, one could not be too ostentatious.
At night, every household lit their lamps, dyeing the dark ink-like sky with an orange gradient, like a watercolor painting brushed by literati and artists. Even until the fifth watch of the night, some places remained brightly lit.
Until dense fog rose, the sky was instantly illuminated, and people who had rested overnight rushed out again, gathering in groups and flowing into streets and alleys. The dung collectors emptied the toilet buckets from each household, and the streets echoed with quiet, scattered footsteps.
Yuan Niang was still half-awake, drowsily nudged awake by Grandma.
She wanted to linger in bed but was sternly refused by Granny Wang. “Today is your cat hiring day; how can you go there dazed and sleepy-eyed? If you don’t treat the cat properly even on the hiring day, later when the Li Mao returns and isn’t close to you, catching mice lazily, you’ll regret it then!”
Granny Wang’s words indeed woke Yuan Niang up instantly. She abruptly sat upright, propping her eyelids open with her hands, widening her eyes. “Right, hiring the cat!”
“We can’t let our Xiao Hua suffer!”
As she spoke, she also glanced back at the “Dahua” placed beside her pillow.
That majestic cloth tiger.
Then Yuan Niang swiftly jumped off the bed, pushed open the window, letting the cold, thick white morning wind blow on her forehead, startling her into a shiver.
Without needing Granny Wang’s urging anymore, Yuan Niang draped her beizi, grabbed the basin and yashuazi from the basin rack, and ran downstairs to fetch water for washing. Her embroidered shoes weren’t properly worn, stepping on the back edges.
Everyone else had risen, and the house was quiet, but once Yuan Niang got up, everywhere echoed with thumping footsteps, filled with her excited voice, instantly stirring the courtyard into liveliness, bringing a sense of daily life. Outside, vendors also began setting up stalls and pushing carts one after another, carrying baskets and hawking everywhere.
Madam Cen had risen early, tidied up neatly, and was carrying food from the zao to the table in the main hall.
In the countryside, their family followed the villagers’ custom of eating two meals a day. Now in Bianjing, they also ate three meals a day like their neighbors.
Chen Kuocang took a low bamboo stool and sat under the mulberry tree reading.
Here the light was best; if he were in his small corner room, it might still be somewhat dark.
Ancient times didn’t have the advanced eye care technology of modern times, and he had never seen anything like glasses. To avoid becoming half-blind, he still cherished his eyes very much.
After washing up, Yuan Niang changed into a bright new outfit that Granny Wang had tailored for her. Of course, everyone in the family had two sets of new clothes, as they had to look like proper residents of Bianjing now that they were here. They needed to appear respectable, or else people might not think they belonged in such a fine house.
She combed her hair and tied it with the pearl-adorned hair ribbon before skipping happily to the table.
On the table lay a plate of damp, dark-colored square parcels wrapped in lotus leaves, alongside a pot of freshly cooked porridge.
Yuan Niang recognized the lotus leaf parcels as the ones Grandma had given to Xu Chenger the day before. She had wanted to eat them that night, but Grandma had said glutinous rice was hard to digest and shouldn’t be eaten in the evening, so she had held back.
She figured they must have been reheated for today’s meal.
Once Grandma had ladled porridge into everyone’s bowls, Yuan Niang eagerly took one of the lotus leaf parcels. She untied the string, unwrapped the leaves, and was greeted by a fragrant aroma—the fresh scent of glutinous rice mixed with soy sauce and a hint of meat.
She poked it open with her chopsticks, and the glutinous rice fell apart, releasing a puff of steam that revealed the chicken and mushroom pieces inside.
Yuan Niang picked up a bite with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. Not only was the texture soft and sticky, but the savory and meaty flavors lingered on her palate. Her stomach, which had felt unenthusiastic about eating earlier, suddenly rumbled, awakened by the delicious aroma.
Her eyes lit up—she had never tasted anything prepared like this before.
Especially the chicken, which had been marinated and wasn’t dry at all. Instead, steamed to perfection, it burst with tender, clear juices when bitten into, blending seamlessly with the glutinous rice. Every bite offered a different layer of flavor.
“This is so delicious!!” Yuan Niang squinted her eyes in delight, not holding back her praise. “Goodness, this is even better than what they sell outside. If our family opened a food shop, we’d be swarmed with customers.”
She nudged Chen Kuocang with her elbow. “You should give it a name. Something this delicious deserves to have one.”
Chen Kuocang’s childish face showed an uncharacteristic silence before he finally said, “Hmm… glutinous rice chicken.”
Compared to elegant names like “golden minced jade fish” or “hand-washing crab,” which were either refined or had historical origins, this name was straightforward and almost too plain.
But that was also its greatest strength. If sold to ordinary people, such a simple and familiar name wouldn’t intimidate them.
At least Yuan Niang, who couldn’t read a single character, thought it was perfect!
Still…
She felt there was room for improvement. “Wouldn’t ‘lotus leaf glutinous rice chicken’ be better? Without ‘lotus leaf,’ it’s hard to picture what it looks like.”
Chen Kuocang didn’t mind either way—whatever his elder sister said was fine by him. Granny Wang and Madam Cen also thought it sounded good, as the name alone painted a clear image of the dish.
After breakfast, once everything was cleaned up, the family set out from home, some holding the deed, others there for support, all counting the hours as they stepped outside.
Perhaps due to the solemn atmosphere, Yuan Niang felt unusually nervous. She straightened her collar, smoothed her skirt, and repeatedly asked Chen Kuocang if her clothes were tidy and her hair was in place.
Once outside, they only walked a few steps before reaching the corner of the alley.
The little calico cat had already been hired away by Xu Chenger, leaving only the big orange cat, the little orange cat, and the black-and-white cat in the grass.
The little orange cat was naturally the little yellow tabby that Yuan Niang had been longing for. Its fur was golden like warm sunlight, while its chest and belly were soft and white, with a tuft of white fur on its mouth, resembling a cicada held in its mouth.
Having been fed by Chen Yuanniang for many days, it no longer showed the timid demeanor it once had. Upon seeing Yuan Niang, its soft tail rose high, showing great delight, and it even blinked its moist, round eyes.
For a tabby cat, this was the utmost expression of affection.
As for the big orange cat, likely accustomed to the customs of cat adoption in Bianjing, it showed no fear at all, only occasionally watching strangers like Granny Wang with caution. When it saw Yuan Niang, the tip of its tail lazily swayed.
Granny Wang produced a red paper adoption contract for the cat and recited: “Here is a cat, with yellow and white fur, mouth holding a cicada, born in Three Success Lane. Today, we adopt you into our home. You shall diligently fulfill your duties, ensuring the household is free from rats… The family shall also never abandon you and will provide you with food.
“Now, we respectfully invite the Eastern King Father and Western Queen Mother as witnesses!”
Afterward, Chen Yuanniang straightened her expression and walked steadily toward the big orange cat, placing a dried fish skewered with a whole willow twig before it.
She rarely felt so nervous, even though it was just a cat—but it was the mother of the little yellow tabby. Facing its dark, slit pupils, Yuan Niang solemnly said, “I will take good care of it in the future!”
Having spoken, Chen Yuanniang crouched down and beckoned to the little orange cat. The little orange cat had a round head but clumsy paws; its pads stepped on the grass as if bouncing, tumbling before reaching Yuan Niang.
The big orange cat kept watching Yuan Niang, appearing somewhat fierce, yet when Yuan Niang picked up the little orange cat, it did not scratch her.
Only when Yuan Niang and the others prepared to turn and leave did the big orange cat meow, as if giving instructions, because the little orange cat also responded with a soft, milky meow. Yuan Niang hesitated, unsure whether to bring the little orange cat back to show the big orange cat, but the big orange cat had already lowered its head to nibble on the dried fish skewered on the willow twig.
Perhaps, it was already accustomed to such separations.
Accustomed to kind-hearted yet peculiar people.
Only the black-and-white tabby kitten didn’t understand what was happening, still whimpering and meowing, trying to call back its siblings.
But cats must inevitably part, even if not adopted by humans. When the kittens grow up, the mother cat will leave, and so will siblings and kin.
Yuan Niang ultimately brought the little orange cat home.
To adopt Xiao Hua, she had prepared thoroughly, and her family had too.
Upon entering, there was a cushion with an outer square shape and an inner circular depression, all sewn from Yuan Niang’s old clothes and worn bedding.
Originally, she intended to mimic the mats sold in general stores for cats and dogs, but when Chen Kuocang saw it, he insisted with reasoned arguments how a flat mat was impractical, as cats curl up into balls when sleeping, and their nests should naturally accommodate their preferred posture. Thus, it was modified into its current form.
Perhaps because it was the first time in a strange place and separated from its mother, the little yellow tabby seemed very frightened. Its claws extended from its pads, clinging tightly to Yuan Niang’s clothes, creating small holes, and persistently tried to climb onto Yuan Niang’s shoulder. Fortunately, she held it firmly.
Seeing this situation, Yuan Niang, who had thoroughly prepared, remained calm. She had specifically consulted Xu Chenger.
She held the cat with one hand, sprinkled some mint on the sewn patch-colored cushion, then placed the little yellow tabby on the cushion, allowing it to walk freely.
It lowered its head and sniffed the cushion with its damp pink nose, exploring every corner, then tilted its head and lay down, rubbing against the cushion, lost in the bliss of mint.
Granny Wang had somehow produced a small palm-sized clay bowl, filled with rice pressed into a cake shape. The pure white rice was mixed with many light green and pale yellow specks—dill and mint, which cats adore most.
“This is…” Yuan Niang clearly recognized it. “Drunk Cat Three Cakes?”
Granny Wang chuckled and nodded. “Yes. Since we’ve hired the cat, we should let it enjoy itself on the first day.”
Chen Yuanniang praised sincerely, “Grandma, you truly are the kindest granny in the world!”
Granny Wang wasn’t swayed by such flattery. “Enough of your sweet talk.”
Yuan Niang, thick-skinned, was unfazed by her grandmother’s words. She laughed and went back to playing with the cat. Xiao Hua was still unfamiliar with this home, and she wanted to help it settle in.
With the cat-hiring matter concluded, Granny Wang now had time to attend to the matter she had pondered the previous night.
She glanced at the other three standing in the courtyard and finally fixed her gaze on Chen Kuocang, pausing as if making a decision.
This matter indeed had to fall on his shoulders. Others might worry about his young age, but Xi Lang had been clever since childhood and could be entrusted with this task. Besides… as an old woman, she didn’t know when her time might come. If this matter remained unresolved, she would not rest in peace.
With this thought, Granny Wang suddenly spoke, “Xi Lang, come with Grandma to buy some things.”
Chen Kuocang had no objections.
As for Yuan Niang, normally she would have seized the chance to act cute and beg for attention, but now her entire focus was on Xiao Hua. How could she spare a thought for anything else?
Thus, everything proceeded smoothly.
After they left, Madam Cen stayed for a while before retiring indoors to rest.
Yuan Niang was left alone, waving a small colorful tasseled flag back and forth to entice Xiao Hua, making the kitten pounce and leap, chasing it all around the courtyard.
After half an hour of play, both girl and cat were tired. No matter how much Xiao Hua loved the tasseled flag, it could only lie on the ground, occasionally lifting a paw as if to humor its owner.
Yuan Niang, however, seeing Xiao Hua lying on the cushion, suddenly remembered that she had made an extra one with her mother, intended as a gift for the little tabby cat at Xu Chenger’s home. Since she had nothing else to do now, and Xiao Hua had already sniffed around the courtyard enough to feel somewhat familiar with it, it was the perfect time to go out and deliver the cushion.
After retrieving the cushion from her room, she slipped out through the small gate, making sure to block it with a stone to prevent Xiao Hua from escaping.
Then, she knocked on the small gate of the neighboring Xu Family Medical Shop. Strangely, no one answered.
Yuan Niang decided to walk a few more steps to the main entrance of the Xu Family Medical Shop. As soon as she stepped inside, she sensed something amiss. Why were there so many people standing on either side of the shop, all dressed similarly as maidservants, heads bowed and eyes lowered, their demeanor exceptionally disciplined? Compared to the entourage of the sixth-rank official’s family she had seen before, this was on an entirely different scale.
Even beside the curtain separating the inner room stood two youthful maidservants.
The entire medical shop was filled with a stifling atmosphere.
Even the usually cheerful Xu Chenger stood silently in a corner, not daring to act out in the slightest.
When Yuan Niang entered, a matron guarding the door stopped her and asked what she was doing there.
Realizing something was amiss, Yuan Niang grew cautious. Shedding her usual liveliness, she adopted a serious expression and explained, “I live next door and came to deliver something.”
When Xu Chenger saw Yuan Niang, her heart raced, fearing she might say the wrong thing. Fortunately, Yuan Niang reacted promptly.
Madam Hui, Xu Chenger’s father Xu Langzhong, and her grandfather Xu Lao Langzhong were all inside treating the distinguished guest. Who could have guessed such a coincidence? The noble guest had suddenly fallen ill on their way home in a sedan chair, and the Xu Family Medical Shop happened to be the closest. Having heard a relative of the sixth-rank official mention it in passing, they decided to stop and rest here.
At the moment, only Xu Chenger was in a position to speak. Without hesitation, she vouched for Yuan Niang, “She is the young lady from next door.”
The matron’s attitude softened slightly, but she still inquired, “What did she deliver?”
“A cat bed,” Yuan Niang replied with her head lowered.
Her bowed head appeared respectful and gentle, but in truth, she was stunned by the matron’s overwhelming opulence. Though merely a servant, the woman wore a gold bracelet over an inch wide on her wrist. Her hair was indeed styled in a wrapped bun, adorned with a gold cicada hairpin inlaid with jadeite and red pearls at the center—a piece that could be passed down as a family heirloom elsewhere, let alone the rest of her accessories.
What kind of household could afford such an extraordinary servant? It was truly astonishing.
The matron glanced down and found it peculiar, unable to help remarking, “To think a cat bed could be made like this.”
However, finding no fault or discrepancy, she waved her hand, signaling Yuan Niang to step aside and stand with Xu Chenger.
Chen Yuanniang’s tightly wound heart finally found a moment to ease. As she walked over to Xu Chenger, their eyes met simultaneously, each recognizing the tension in the other’s gaze and the sudden release of anxiety.
They smiled in unison, perfectly in sync.
Seeing that no one was paying attention, the two quietly mouthed words to each other.
“What’s going on?”
“Madam Wei Canzheng!”
Before they could process this, faint rustling sounds emerged from inside, suggesting the noble guest had recovered.
This was followed by a muffled “reward,” then the sound of earnest, grateful thanks. After what seemed like an eternity of commotion, another stir came from within. A maidservant with her hair styled in two buns, each adorned with a Xiang Yun Yin Hua Dian hairpin and a large pink blossom tucked behind her ears, walked out with her hands clasped. She scanned the room, her gaze settling on Yuan Niang. “Madam wishes to see the person who delivered the cat bed.”
Then, the maidservant took a step forward, approaching Yuan Niang. Though her demeanor appeared polite and distant, it brooked no refusal. “Young lady, please.”