Yu Sanlang left the oxcart at an inn near the city gate for storage. Carrying two baskets, he led his wife and daughter into the city on foot, explaining as they walked:
“We don’t have a residence in the city. The streets are narrow and crowded, making it quite inconvenient to drive the cart. It’s easier to leave it at the inn—just a dozen coins for a day’s storage.”
What brilliant business sense! Yu Hongdou glanced back at the receding “Sihai Inn” and silently praised the innkeeper.
“Let’s get something to eat first, then head to the County Government Office to find Xiao Song, and finally visit the property agency,” Yu Sanlang outlined the itinerary to his wife and daughter, pointing toward the County Government Office.
Xu Shi had no objections, while Yu Hongdou was too preoccupied to ask questions. Her eyes darted everywhere, eagerly taking in the sights as if she wished she had three heads like Nezha.
Though Yu Sanlang planned to treat his family to a good meal, he headed straight for the snack-filled area.
Firstly, he wanted his less-experienced wife and daughter to enjoy the bustling street scenes. Secondly, the timing was neither early nor late, making heavy, greasy food unsuitable.
Yu Hongdou’s eyes grew warm from the steam rising over the lively snack stalls. Regardless of the era, such vibrant, food-filled scenes never failed to stir excitement and make mouths water.
Steamed buns, dumplings, fried dough sticks, soy milk, tofu pudding, porridge, soups, noodles, and rice rolls—along with thin pancakes freshly wrapped with chive and egg fillings…
Even ordinary homemade foods now seemed to Yu Hongdou to sparkle with the dazzling special effects of “Cooking Master Boy.”” And that was without mentioning the unheard-of, unseen snacks that looked irresistibly delicious at first glance.
“You Chui~ Sanzi~ Crispy, flaky Sanzi~ You Chui with red bean and brown sugar filling~”
“Ganzang Jiazi~ Tender, juicy Ganzang Jiazi~”
“Gu Duoer~ Hot Gu Duoer~ Freshly fried Gu Duoer~”
Yu Sanlang remembered a particularly tasty Mutton Soup Baked Cake shop in the area and intended to take his family there. However, his daughter planted herself in front of a frying station and refused to budge.
“Does Hongdou want Gu Duoer?” Xu Shi asked amusedly, watching her daughter stare longingly at the sizzling oil while swallowing saliva. She nodded to her husband.
“Alright then. Young man, what fillings do you have for Gu Duoer? And how much?” Yu Sanlang found his daughter’s eager expression endearing and turned to ask the vendor.
“We have fish and quail fillings. Ten coins for a set of three. You can have them fried or in soup. Or get them fried and add one coin for a bowl of soup,” the young vendor deftly managed his frying strainer while briskly explaining.
“One fried set of each filling, plus one fish set in soup,” Yu Sanlang decided promptly. He counted out twenty coins into the vendor’s basket and guided his wife and daughter to a small table by the Gu Duoer stall.
“Right away, sir! Three sets of Gu Duoer—two fried, one in soup~” The vendor repeated the order, also signaling the person behind him who was wrapping the Gu Duoer.
Yu Hongdou shifted her gaze to the kneading board behind the vendor.
There, a woman picked up a square dough wrapper, scooped a spoonful of filling onto the center, then folded opposite corners together to form a triangle.
Next, she dampened one corner and pressed the other over it. In moments, a golden ingot-shaped dumpling appeared on the board.
“So this is Gu Duoer~” Yu Hongdou felt somewhat speechless. Heaven knew how long she had yearned for this food called Gu Duoer, only to find it was just wontons shaped like gold ingots.
The street vendor worked efficiently, and soon three portions of Gu Duoer were ready.
Yu Sanlang didn’t wait for the vendor to deliver them. He went to fetch the bowls himself and placed them on the table, then asked the steamed bun vendor diagonally across to bring over four meat-filled buns and a bowl of porridge.
The family of three sat at the simple street stall and enjoyed a satisfying brunch.
Though initially disappointed, Yu Hongdou found fried food quite tempting in her current state.
Especially when a spoonful of vinegar was poured over the crispy Gu Duoer—the aroma of vinegar evaporating in the hot oil instantly whetted her appetite.
With one bite, the crispy wrapper paired with the tender, juicy quail filling was so delicious it felt like her eyebrows might fall off.
At this moment, Yu Hongdou completely forgot her earlier dismissiveness. As they say, reality hits back sooner or later.
Seeing their daughter eat with such relish, the couple exchanged a smile. Xu Shi hadn’t left home for a long time, let alone eaten at a market.
With her husband and daughter by her side and the prospect of seeing her son soon, she felt happy and ended up eating more than usual.
After the satisfying meal, the family left the stall and headed south toward the County Government Office. Along the way, they picked up more portable, long-lasting snacks—some for Yu Song to enjoy as treats, and some for the little foodie at home to savor later.
“Does the Magistrate live in the County Government Office?” Yu Hongdou stared curiously at the Denwen Drum and stone lions at the entrance. Wouldn’t it be creepy to live in such a place?
“No, the Magistrate has a large family. The back quarters of the office are too small, so he bought a house behind the government office. Your brother and the others are staying in the back quarters now,” Yu Sanlang explained, shaking his head. The County Government Office truly couldn’t accommodate everyone.
Just from what he had seen, the Magistrate had brought over a dozen personal guards, along with family members, maids, and servants. Combined, they might even outnumber the population of Taoyuan Village.
Yu Hongdou held a great appreciation for the Magistrate in the novel.
The Magistrate, Tan Bailu, was a delightful character—fond of pleasure, somewhat fearful of death, and a little superstitious. He was amiable to those around him, appearing frivolous on the surface but highly capable in handling affairs, with fiercely loyal subordinates.
It was a pity that the actor cast for the role in the TV adaptation was poorly chosen—unattractive and lacking in acting skills, wasting such a standout and fan-favorite character.
Although this world followed the novel’s setting, Yu Hongdou was acutely aware that the people around her were living, breathing individuals.
Even with her favorable impression, Yu Hongdou had no intention of actively approaching him.
These elites from influential families were far too shrewd. She feared she might inadvertently reveal something suspicious, which was why she had turned and run the last time she heard the word “Your Excellency” at the village chief’s house.
Yu Sanlang led his wife and daughter through a side gate, greeting the guard on duty and slipping him a package of snacks before cheerfully ushering them into the back quarters.
As soon as the family of three entered the garden in the back quarters, someone called out Yu Sanlang’s name.
“Yu Fu? Here to see Xiao Song? And these are…” A fair-faced scholar in his early twenties stopped Yu Sanlang, giving him a once-over before turning his gaze to Xu Shi and Hongdou behind him.
Behind the fair-faced scholar stood two older and one younger boy, all dressed in fine silk robes, looking puzzled at the Yu family.
“Greetings, Magistrate. Yes, this humble man has brought his wife and daughter to the city on business and took the opportunity to visit Xiao Song.” Yu Song glanced at the three youths but refrained from further inquiry.