Seeing Xie Linlang staring in the direction where Gou Dan had run off, Xiao Ji proactively explained, “Gou Dan’s family is the only one in the alley that keeps a yellow ox. Usually, when they take it out for grazing or water, they pass through the alley.
Gou Dan’s father told him to shovel the yellow ox’s dung home every day, but the kid slacks off from time to time.”
Xie Linlang nodded in understanding. No wonder Gou Dan had looked so afraid of being overheard earlier—he was scared of getting caught slacking off and beaten at home.
It had been nearly eighty years since the founding of Daqing. Perhaps a century is a threshold.
From its initial state of devastation and reconstruction to its peak of national strength and peace during the mid-founding period, Daqing remained one of the most powerful nations on the continent. Yet, while Daqing developed, the enemy states it once suppressed were also advancing.
Not to mention distant threats, the Rongdi from the north invaded and harassed the borders year after year, causing endless annoyance.
Of course, this had little to do with the capital. As the emperor’s domain, regardless of how fierce the battles at the frontier were, the people here continued to live in peace and tranquility.
The streets were far livelier than Xie Linlang had imagined. Vendors lined both sides of the road, their goods neatly arranged by category.
When they saw passersby, the stall owners enthusiastically called out, almost eager to thrust their wares into the hands of pedestrians.
Xie Linlang felt her eyes were not enough to take it all in. In the past, when she followed her Legal Mother and eldest sister to a temple outside the city to worship Buddha, she would listen to the commotion outside through the carriage window and imagine how bustling it must be. But now, truly immersed in it, she realized what she had heard was merely a fraction of this liveliness.
Perhaps because she was dressed in red, a vendor selling rouge loudly called out, “Young lady, have your husband buy you a box of rouge! This is the latest product from Furongge. Apply it, and I guarantee your cheeks will bloom like peach blossoms, making your husband unable to look away.”
Xie Linlang wasn’t very interested. Her dressing case still contained several boxes of high-quality rouge, and besides, she rarely used it anyway.
However, upon hearing the vendor’s words about having her husband buy her a box, Xiao Ji instinctively stepped toward the stall, only to be stopped by Xie Linlang, who quickly grabbed his sleeve. “Husband, I’m hungry.”
Xiao Ji withdrew his foot and turned to lead Xie Linlang toward the food stalls. Unlike the stalls lining the main street, the food stalls were relatively hidden, all located in an alley extending from the left side of the main street.
The scene was not as greasy or messy as Xie Linlang had imagined. The ground was swept clean, and the tables and stools were spotless.
Xiao Ji, tall and striking, immediately caught the attention of several familiar stall owners as soon as he appeared. “Xiao Xiaoqi is here! What would you like to eat today? My wontons are freshly made—how about a bowl?”
Xiao Ji didn’t reply but instead turned slightly to reveal Xie Linlang beside him. Sensing he was asking if she wanted wontons, Xie Linlang shook her head. Eating a bowl of wontons on such a hot day would be unbearable. She wanted to walk further inside to explore.
Xiao Ji waved at the wonton vendor. “I’ll come for some tonight.”
Xiao Ji usually came alone, occasionally accompanied by people from the Guard Station, but bringing a young lady with him was unprecedented.
Seeing him protect her as if she were a treasure, lest she be bumped into by passing pedestrians, the wonton vendor winked suggestively.
Xiao Ji paid no mind. Although everyone politely addressed him as Xiaoqi, most of the vendors here were residents from the surrounding area. Having lived in this neighborhood for so many years, they were largely familiar with one another, and some were even acquaintances of his parents, so they felt comfortable joking around.
The two walked forward and eventually, Xie Linlang chose a stall selling cold noodles. Each ordered a bowl, and Xiao Ji went to the neighboring stall selling Hu cake to buy some.
The owner of the vegetarian noodle stall was an elderly woman. As she dropped noodles into the pot, she smiled at Xie Linlang before turning to Xiao Ji:
“Your wife just married into the family and isn’t familiar with the area yet. When you have time, bring her over to Auntie’s house. In the future, when she goes out, she can keep your sister-in-law company.”
So they were neighbors? Or perhaps relatives of Xiao Ji?
Xiao Ji nodded at the woman and then introduced her to Xie Linlang: “This is Aunt Qiao. She lives right next door to us. If you ever feel bored, you can visit Auntie’s house and chat with Sister Qiao.”
Xie Linlang greeted Aunt Qiao warmly and openly: “Hello, Auntie. I’ve just arrived and am indeed unfamiliar. I’ll likely trouble you all quite a bit in the future.”
Aunt Qiao had watched Xiao Ji grow up. In the past, when Xiao Ji stubbornly refused to marry for some reason, she had worried along with everyone else. And now that he had finally taken a wife, she heard she was a sickly one.
At home, Aunt Qiao had even lamented to her daughter-in-law about Xiao Ji’s misfortune.
She never expected to see Xiao Ji and his wife at the market today, but the bride didn’t look at all like someone on the verge of death. Her lips were a bit pale, but her small face was fair with a rosy, pinkish glow, and she even looked healthier than Aunt Qiao’s own robust eldest daughter.
Still, she couldn’t just ask outright: “I heard you’re in poor health?”
After much thought, Aunt Qiao came to a conclusion: after all, she came from a wealthy family. Even if she was ill, she was still better cared for than ordinary folks like them.
Xie Linlang had no idea that the news of her poor health and sickly constitution had already spread. Unnoticed by Aunt Qiao, she quickly wiped her chopsticks with her own handkerchief.
Although she was fully prepared to embrace her new life, some habits ingrained over more than a decade at the Xie family were etched into her bones—like the belief that food from outside was unclean and could make you sick.
This wasn’t an exaggeration. Once, Xie Yurou had insisted on eating a piece of mung bean cake bought from a street stall and ended up with a stomachache, vomiting and having diarrhea for several days, confined to bed. After that, Madam Xie strictly forbade the children in the household from eating food from outside.
Xie Linlang felt that her stomach, tempered over the years by the main kitchen of the Xie family, was fairly resilient, but she was still prepared for a possible upset stomach.
Aunt Qiao’s cold noodles were exceptionally well-made. A thick layer of sesame sauce was sprinkled with chopped scallions, minced garlic, and cucumber shreds. The vibrant green cucumber shreds looked refreshingly appetizing. Naturally, they weren’t as elaborate as those made in Xie Manor, but they were still quite good.
Xie Linlang picked up a strand of noodles with her chopsticks. Hmm, the noodles were chewy, smooth, and very satisfying, and the sauce was well-prepared too.
Xiao Ji ate his noodles quietly but kept an eye on Xie Linlang.
Just think—yesterday she was still the daughter of the Vice Minister of Revenue’s family, and today she could only sit here with him, eating a bowl of cold noodles worth three copper coins. Never mind what Xie Linlang thought; even Xiao Ji himself felt he had wronged her.
But none of this was really his fault to begin with.
Only after seeing Xie Linlang take a bite of the noodles, her beautiful eyes lighting up, did Xiao Ji begin eating his own noodles heartily.
He broke off a piece of the Hu cake he had bought and handed it to Xie Linlang: “This is a cake made by people from the Western Regions. It’s very fragrant—give it a try.”
Xie Linlang happily accepted it. She had only tasted the grape wine offered as tribute from the Western Regions once before, but this was her first time trying Hu cake.
Xie Linlang didn’t have a large appetite. Even though she tried her best, she only managed to finish half of the cold noodles in her bowl. However, she did finish the cake Xiao Ji had given her.
The cake was baked to a crispy, crunchy texture, becoming more fragrant the more she chewed. Xie Linlang liked it very much, though it was a bit tough on the teeth.