Song Shi turned his head and noticed Yun Yin staring ahead. Curious, he followed her gaze and saw a familiar figure. “You know the County Lieutenant Zhou?”
Yun Yin turned back. “Who are you talking about?”
Song Shi pointed toward a man leading constables toward the city gate. “Him—Zhou Chang, the county lieutenant of Long’an County.”
Yun Yin glanced again, then said, “I don’t know him. But the man beside him looks familiar—someone I might know.”
Song Shi thought for a moment. “That should be Fu Wang.”
Yun Yin looked at him. “You know him?”
“Not really—just heard of him,” Song Shi replied as they walked. “They say Fu Wang and Zhou Chang served in the same military camp and are on good terms. Zhou Chang retired and came back here to be county lieutenant. As for Fu Wang, I’ve heard he works as an escort, but I don’t know the details.”
“I’m not close to them—just bits of gossip.”
Yun Yin smiled faintly. “Your gossip network seems pretty impressive.”
Song Shi grinned. “Didn’t I say? There’s nothing about this county I don’t know.”
Yun Yin chuckled. “Then do you know any big news recently—something most people don’t know?”
“Big news?” Song Shi frowned and thought for a while, then rubbed his nose. “Not really. Nothing major lately… except the magistrate planning irrigation works.”
From his reaction, Yun Yin could tell he didn’t know about the bandits. She asked casually, “You said your family hasn’t been letting you leave the city lately?”
At that, Song Shi looked annoyed. “Yeah. No idea why. Maybe it’s because of Madam Luo. They won’t let me leave, and she hasn’t come to the county either. I can’t even see her now.”
He sighed, looking dejected. “I thought she had finally come today… but it turns out it’s not her.”
Yun Yin remained unmoved. “Like I said, I don’t know anything about her. You’re asking the wrong person.”
Even if she did know, she wouldn’t tell him. After all, he was a stranger—she couldn’t just share Luo Man’s matters with anyone.
“Anyway, I see the blacksmith shop. Thank you.”
Song Shi clicked his tongue. “I don’t believe you’re not close to her. Fine—I’ve got nothing to do today. Let’s see who gives in first. I’ll get the answer eventually.”
Yun Yin entered the blacksmith shop. It was quiet inside, mostly filled with farming tools and only a few weapons. She picked up a saber and examined it—it wasn’t comparable to modern craftsmanship, but it was still well-made.
Putting it down, she asked, “Shopkeeper, do you have an iron wok?”
A man came out from the back courtyard. “You’re just in time, miss. There’s one left—take a look.”
He took down a large wok and handed it to her. “We don’t make many of these. This is the last one. The next batch won’t be ready until next month.”
Yun Yin weighed it in her hands. “Not bad. How much?”
“Two strings of cash. Fixed price.”
She glanced around the shop. “Could you give me a small discount? Two strings is quite expensive.”
The shopkeeper looked troubled. “Miss, that’s already a fair price. We always sell at this rate.”
“Then include a spatula,” Yun Yin said, pointing to one nearby.
After a moment’s hesitation, the shopkeeper agreed. “Alright, I’ll wrap them up for you.”
Just as Yun Yin was about to pay, Song Shi walked in. “What are you buying, Madam Yun? No need for you to pay—I’ll cover it.”
Ignoring him, Yun Yin handed over two taels of silver. “Please take this.”
Seeing the official silver, the shopkeeper beamed and ignored Song Shi entirely. “Thank you, thank you! Come again!”
Carrying the wok, Yun Yin stepped outside. Song Shi followed her, unfazed. “Where are you going next? I can guide you.”
She stopped and said plainly, “I’ve already told you—I don’t know anything about Madam Luo. If you want to know, asking Zhao Qian would be easier.”
Song Shi frowned. “That guy’s like a mute gourd. Ask him anything and you get nothing—I can’t be bothered.”
Yun Yin’s expression turned cold. “So you think I’m easy to bully?”
Realizing she was upset, Song Shi quickly apologized. “My fault. I just want to know how she’s doing. Is she alright? Has anyone from her clan been troubling her? Just tell me that—please.”
Not wanting to argue in the street, Yun Yin relented. “She’s doing fine. No trouble that I know of.”
Song Shi visibly relaxed. “That’s good… that’s good.”
With that settled, Yun Yin continued toward the market.
Long’an County was far livelier than Pingxi Town—more shops, more people, more bustle.
After dodging another wave of pedestrians, she turned to Song Shi. “Do you still need something?”
He smiled casually. “No, just wandering around.”
“What else do you want to buy? Oh—let me treat you to a meal. Have you tried Manxiangju’s Eight-Treasure Chicken? It’s incredible.”
Yun Yin had already spotted a pharmacy and went in to buy spices. Paying for them made her wince—they were expensive—but since only small amounts were needed, they would last a long time. She then bought other kitchen supplies.
Seeing Song Shi still following her, she said, “It seems Manxiangju really is good, since everyone recommends it. I should try it.”
Song Shi brightened. “You must! Madam Luo likes their Eight-Treasure Chicken too.”
After a pause, he added, “When you go back… could you bring one portion for her?”
Yun Yin shook her head. “I won’t carry it on your behalf. But I can buy one for her myself.”
The light in Song Shi’s eyes dimmed. “That’s fine… she probably wouldn’t accept it from me anyway.”
“Then at least let me treat you to a meal.”
Yun Yin declined. “I can’t accept favors for nothing. I’ll pay myself.”
Song Shi blocked her lightly. “Please—take it as an apology for earlier.”
Seeing his sincerity, Yun Yin thought for a moment and agreed. It wouldn’t hurt to know one more person.
Song Shi immediately sent his servant to reserve a table. Meanwhile, he accompanied Yun Yin around the county, enthusiastically introducing Manxiangju’s dishes.
“Besides the Eight-Treasure Chicken, their roast chicken and lotus-leaf steamed chicken are also amazing,” he said, licking his lips. “Other dishes are average, but their chicken is exceptional.”
“Though Madam Luo’s lamb stew is also excellent. I eat there often. You’ve tried her clear-braised lamb, right?”
Yun Yin nodded. “Tender meat, rich broth—especially with flatbread, it’s a different experience.”
“Exactly!” Song Shi agreed eagerly. “That’s how I got to know her.”
He sighed. “I want to marry her… but she refuses.”
Yun Yin glanced at him. “Would your family even agree?”
He sighed again. “They want me to marry an official’s daughter—say it’ll help my career.”
“But I’m not cut out for studying. I’m near the bottom of my class. Even if I were good, I wouldn’t marry someone I don’t like. I only want to marry her.”
Yun Yin didn’t discourage him. “Then keep working hard. Maybe you’ll rise to the top.”
He waved it off. “Forget it. Let’s just eat.”
Ahead stood a two-story building with a swaying sign: Manxiangju. Hanging by the entrance were boards displaying signature dishes like Eight-Treasure Chicken and roast chicken.
They went upstairs and sat by the window while Song Shi ordered.
After the dishes arrived, Yun Yin began tasting—starting with the famous Eight-Treasure Chicken.
Golden in color, crispy outside and tender inside, the chicken was deboned whole and stuffed with glutinous rice infused with its juices. Lotus seeds added a delicate fragrance, perfectly complementing the meat.
The hardest part of the dish was deboning without tearing the skin—and this one was flawlessly done.
The “eight treasures” varied by region, but glutinous rice was always the soul of the dish. Here, it included rice, lotus seeds, red beans, chestnuts, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, ham, and dried shrimp—savory, soft, and deeply flavorful.
They even provided pepper salt on the side, giving the dish a second flavor profile.
Yun Yin nodded. “Very delicious. The chef is highly skilled.”
Song Shi beamed. “See? No one can resist it. Try the lotus-leaf chicken too—it’s different.”
Yun Yin sampled all the signature dishes—they truly lived up to their reputation.
Noticing leftover pepper salt, she suddenly craved salt-and-pepper shrimp.
Unfortunately, the restaurant rarely served seafood—fish and shrimp were scarce, and even when used, it was mostly for flavoring. Clearly, the chef wasn’t skilled with fish.
But Yun Yin was.
She loved seafood and had learned to cook it well. Perhaps… she should develop her own signature dish.
Just like Madam Luo’s lamb, and Manxiangju’s chicken—
She could specialize in fish.
Smiling, she asked, “Do people in Long’an not like fish? I hardly see any.”
Song Shi sipped his tea. “They do—but cooking fish well takes skill. Otherwise it’s too fishy. Even though we’re near the Ping River, fish transported here aren’t always fresh. So most places don’t serve it. At best, they braise it.”
“I love raw fish, but that has to be fresh.”
Hearing this, Yun Yin immediately understood.
This… was her advantage.
She lived near a river, close to fresh sources.
With a bright smile, she said, “Thank you, Young Master Song. Since you treated me today, I’ll treat you next time—to fish. You must come.”