“Constable Fang, is there still no news from the yamen?”
That day, when Su Tian was walking Zhang Guihua back to the small courtyard, she happened to run into the neighbor on the right. Constable Fang worked at the yamen. The last time Su Wanqing took An’an to register, it was also Fang who helped.
“There’s no news for now. Don’t worry. An’an’s appearance and the birthmark on his body have all been fully recorded. If someone comes looking, it won’t be delayed for long,” Constable Fang reassured her.
Su Tian forced a faint smile. “An’an is still so young to be separated from his family. The longer it drags on, the worse it is. Sorry to trouble you, Constable Fang.”
Constable Fang waved it off. “It’s nothing. We’re neighbors. No need to be so polite.”
Zhang Guihua added, “Later I’ll have Tian jie’er send some marrow biscuits to your old master and old madam. It’s a new snack we just came up with. We knead beef bone marrow oil into the dough. When it comes out of the oven, it smells irresistible. Take a bite while it’s hot and your tongue will practically melt from the freshness.”
“That sounds great. My old folks love that kind of thing. I’ll thank Tian jie’er in advance!”
“You’re too polite, Constable Fang.”
…
The batch of soy sauce transported from the village some time ago had successfully fermented. Su Tian made both light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, the difference being whether caramel was added.
With the new seasonings ready, Su Tian planned to launch several new dishes.
“Boss! That new dish you had before, the braised pork ribs with potatoes, give me another serving today! Stew the potatoes extra soft! Last time I mixed the potatoes with rice, it was so fragrant I kept thinking about it even in my sleep.”
“Alright,” Su Wanqing replied as he wrote it down. He added, “That row in the corner is pickled vegetables my daughter just made. Free to take, but no wasting and no taking it away.”
“Oh? Miss Su has come up with something new again? Then I must try it.” The customer got up with two small plates.
Su Wenzu, sharp-eyed, saw him hesitating and recommended, “The white radish kimchi is our signature. Sweet and sour. One bite whets the appetite and cuts through grease. If you prefer something spicy, try the napa cabbage kimchi. It’s bold and stimulating. One bite and you’ll get hooked.”
“Alright, I’ll try these two first.”
…
Days passed one after another.
That evening, after closing, Su Tian was stretching at the entrance of the restaurant. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar figure hurrying over.
Looking closely, she recognized Constable Fang. Her heart skipped. Had there been news about An’an’s family?
“Miss Su.” Constable Fang was slightly out of breath. “An’an. Someone has come to the yamen to claim him. They’re on their way here now. I came ahead to let you know.”
“Constable Fang, you’ve worked hard. Come in and have some tea to rest.”
Just then, Su Wenzu rushed in from outside. “Tian jie’er, there’s a carriage outside. The man says his surname is Shen. He says… he wants to see you… and An’an.” His voice grew smaller toward the end, sounding somewhat uneasy.
Su Tian’s emotions were complicated. She was glad An’an could finally reunite with his family, but the thought of him leaving her made her chest tighten.
She patted her face lightly and let out a breath. “Invite them in. I’ll go bring An’an.”
When Su Tian carried An’an out from the courtyard, she saw a man seated upright in the main hall. Sword-like brows, star-bright eyes, a high nose bridge, slightly thin lips that lent him an aloof and indifferent air. He wore black robes accented with dark red thread. Simply sitting there quietly gave off an imposing presence that felt untouchable.
Su Wanqing and the others stood nearby, visibly restrained. When they saw Su Tian, they cast pleading looks her way.
“Young Master Shen,” Su Tian spoke, breaking the silence.
The man turned slightly, his gaze sliding over her. “Miss Su.”
“I presume you have already investigated An’an’s circumstances. May I ask what proof you have that An’an is the child you’re looking for?”
“My nephew has a lotus-shaped birthmark on his chest. When the incident occurred, he was wearing a green silk padded jacket with ink-splashed patterning and a sapphire-blue lake silk brocade outer garment.”
That was correct. Not a single detail was wrong.
Su Tian’s arms stiffened slightly as she held An’an. She could barely control the tension in her expression, but she still gently patted him. “An’an, look who has come to see you.”
An’an had been studying the man from the beginning. Hearing Su Tian’s words, he let out an “Ah” toward the man.
Seeing that An’an clearly recognized him, Su Tian felt some relief. “An’an, that’s your uncle. Do you want to go give him a hug?”
An’an wrapped his small arms tightly around Su Tian’s neck. He turned his head toward the man and let out another “Ah,” then refused to turn back no matter what.
Su Tian struggled with him for a while without success and could only offer an apologetic smile.
“Young Master Shen…”