After discussing with her mother about sending her younger brother to school, Gu Yanxi brought up the matter of buying a residence in Dong Shi.
Originally, she had thought about purchasing a larger courtyard in Xi Shi, which wouldn’t be too expensive. But considering that the customers cultivated from her stall were in Dong Shi, and Gu Yu would soon be attending school there as well, it seemed best to go all out and acquire a property in Dong Shi directly.
However, for now, this remained just a thought. After paying Gu Yu’s Tuition Offering and buying his books, she would have only a few taels of silver left.
Property prices in Dong Shi were several times higher than in Xi Shi. Even if they sold their current home, they still couldn’t afford a house in Dong Shi.
Just then, sounds came from the courtyard.
Gu Yanxi looked up and saw that her father had returned.
She hurried to the kitchen to bring out the saved portion of Cold-Eaten Rabbit. “Father, this is a new dish. Please try it.”
“Making delicious food again? Our Ayan is truly capable.” Gu Guosheng praised with a smile as he sat down to eat.
But Gu Yanxi sensed something was wrong.
Although her father was smiling, the smile didn’t reach his eyes—it seemed forced.
“Father, did something happen today?”Gu Yanxi tentatively asked.
Normally, no matter how tired he was, her father always wore a cheerful smile every day, appearing very optimistic to anyone who saw him.”
But today, she felt he was enveloped in an air of melancholy.
Something must have happened!
Zhao Shi also noticed her husband’s unusual behavior and grew concerned.
Gu Guosheng thought he had hidden it well, but hadn’t expected his family to see through it. Not wanting to worry them, he smiled and said, “It’s nothing, I’m just a bit tired.”
“Gu Guosheng! We’ve been married for over ten years—don’t think I can’t tell! You’re hiding something from us!”
Zhao Shi was angry.
She had genuinely devoted herself to her husband and this family, and now her husband was keeping secrets from her.
Gu Guosheng, who feared his wife’s anger the most, quickly tried to comfort her. “It’s really nothing, it’s just… the employer let me go. I won’t be able to earn money anymore.”
Hearing this outcome, both Gu Yanxi and Zhao Shi breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he was safe and sound, that was what mattered.
Gu Yanxi smiled and said, “Actually, this works out perfectly. From now on, Father, you can help me at the stall.”
“At the stall?”
Gu Guosheng immediately waved his hands in refusal. “No, no. With you and Ayu already there, plus Niu Qi, you have enough hands. I wouldn’t be of much help if I joined. I’d better look for another job.”
Gu Yanxi then explained to her father her plan to send her younger brother to the Academy.
Upon hearing how much money they had earned these past few days, Gu Guosheng was first astonished, then patiently lectured his son, urging him to study hard at the Academy and stop fooling around with those good-for-nothings.
“Father, if you help me with the work, I’ll pay you one hundred wen a day.”
Gu Yanxi laid out the terms clearly. Although they were family, even brothers kept accounts separate—after all, this was a long-term business.
Gu Guosheng quickly waved his hands in refusal. “Why would we pay wages among family? I’m just going to lend a hand; it’s not like it’ll take much effort.”
“Father, this business is meant to continue, not just for a day or two. Although we don’t have many varieties now, we’ll add new dishes in the future. Once Ayu starts school, it’ll just be Niu Qi and me—we simply won’t be able to manage alone.”
After repeated persuasion from Gu Yanxi, Gu Guosheng finally agreed to work at the stall. However, he firmly refused the wage of one hundred wen. In the end, father and daughter each compromised, settling on seventy wen.
With two major issues resolved at once, Gu Yanxi felt much more at ease.
Before going to bed, Gu Yanxi went to the kitchen to find a jar. After carefully washing and drying it, she packed all the remaining Cold-Eaten Rabbit into the jar and sealed it.
Passing by her younger brother’s room, she noticed his lamp was still lit and knew he was staying up late memorizing texts. She nodded in satisfaction before going to sleep.
The next day, the whole family rose early.
Gu Yanxi prepared Liangmian and directed her younger brother and Niu Qi to load everything onto the cart.
After eating the breakfast prepared by Zhao Shi, the group set off in a grand procession to Dong Shi.
By the time they reached the back street of the Academy, the sky was just beginning to brighten, and there were few people on the road.
After parking the food cart at their stall, Gu Yanxi had her younger brother peel potatoes while Niu Qi chopped vegetables.
She had been training Niu Qi’s vegetable-cutting skills these past few days. Now his knife skills had taken shape—not only that, he could competently prepare Tieban Tudou and Liangmian, with no difference in taste from her own versions.
The most crucial elements in making Tieban Tudou and Liangmian were the seasoning powders. As long as the secret recipes for these seasonings weren’t leaked, no one could replicate the flavors of her potatoes and cold noodles, saving her much trouble.
Next, she explained to her father each food item sold at their stall: how the potatoes were priced, how Liangmian was prepared, and how to serve the chicken feet to customers.
Once everything was ready, they welcomed their first customer of the day.
“Gu Boss, you’re early today! I ordered chicken feet yesterday—could you get them for me?”
Gu Yanxi took the numbered tag—it was number one—then retrieved their reserved tag to match it, which had a string attached displaying the number ‘thirty’.
While packing the chicken feet, she explained to her father, “The number on this tag indicates the quantity of chicken feet ordered. You just need to pack the corresponding amount and hand it to the customer.”
The young man receiving his chicken feet looked curious. “Chicken feet served in bamboo bowls today?”
Gu Yanxi smiled in response. “Yes, using bamboo bowls allows us to include the marinade. Keeping the chicken feet soaked in the sauce makes them more flavorful.”
The young man immediately tried one and praised repeatedly, “Excellent, truly better! Gu Boss is so thoughtful. The leftover sauce could even be used for a sour noodle soup!”
Several more customers arrived shortly after. Gu Yanxi stood by observing as her father handled the transactions.
“Father, Gu Yu and I are going to Yunchang Academy.”
Seeing that her father was quickly getting the hang of things, she left the stall in his and Niu Qi’s care. Carrying the prepared jar, she departed with Gu Yu.
Before heading to the Academy, Gu Yanxi stopped at a dried goods store to buy ten strips of dried meat, then went to a tavern for two jars of fine wine, and finally to a cloth merchant for two bolts of blue cotton fabric. Altogether, she spent five taels and six hundred wen in silver money.
The siblings, laden with packages large and small, then made their way to Yunchang Academy.
Watching the silver money flow out so freely, Gu Yu felt his heart bleeding with pain.
Noticing her younger brother’s troubled expression, Gu Yanxi asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Are you nervous?”
“I’m not nervous, I just think studying costs too much money.”
Gu Yanxi smiled—it was indeed expensive.
In this era, for ordinary families, pursuing education was an extremely luxurious endeavor.
Yet, education remained the only opportunity for them to enter upper-class circles. Therefore, most families would choose to pool all their resources to support one scholar.
If a family had even one member who could read and write, they could walk with their backs straight and heads held high in public.
Back when Gu Yu first began his studies, their family had been the envy of Peach Blossom Village. But after the family fell into misfortune and Gu Yu stopped attending school, people began to gossip and even mock them to their faces.
Gu Yanxi understood well how fickle human hearts could be, which was why she had immediately arranged for her younger brother to resume his studies.
When the siblings arrived at the Academy gate, however, they were stopped by the gatekeeper.
“The Academy is a restricted area. No unauthorized persons are permitted entry.”