Although it was already past noon, the weather remained somewhat warm.
Having been out and about all morning, Xi Ning only wanted something refreshing to eat.
She rolled up her sleeves and kneaded a dough, then set it aside in a warm spot to rest for half an hour.
During this time, she brewed a pot of tea and brought it to Pei Zhao.
The small courtyard had been tidied up nicely. Xi Ning had asked Nanny Su to place a stone table in the yard, and she had planted grapevines around it. They had already sprouted, and by next year, a grape arbor could be set up.
“Third Master, please have some chrysanthemum tea first. The meal will be ready a bit later.”
The chrysanthemums were bought from the herbal medicine shop, ten wen for one liang. They cleared heat and reduced internal heat. With a bit of rock sugar added, they became sweet and delightful—Xi Ning quite liked them.
“Thank you for the trouble.”
Pei Zhao sat on the stone stool, feeling somewhat restless.
He must have been bewitched earlier to agree to Xi Ning’s suggestion. This woman already disturbed his thoughts, yet instead of keeping his distance, he had deliberately drawn closer. It was truly a case of harming the enemy a thousand while damaging himself eight hundred.
Xi Ning nodded and turned back to the kitchen.
The dough had finished resting. Xi Ning placed the rested dough into a basin of cold water and kneaded and washed it as if doing laundry. She changed the water three times during the process, kneading until the size of the dough hardly changed and the gluten that emerged turned yellow, indicating it was done.
After letting the gluten ferment for another half hour, she steamed it for a quarter of an hour. Once steamed, she cut the gluten into small pieces and set them aside to cool. Next came making the liangpi.
After the washed gluten settled, she poured off the clear water. Taking a large plate, she brushed it with oil, poured in an appropriate amount of the starchy liquid, and swirled it evenly. Then, she placed it over boiling water to steam briefly. After cooling it with cold water, it turned into translucent liangpi.
Xi Ning repeated these steps over a dozen times. By the time she finished, Nanny Su and Ren Dong had also returned.
“Third Master, Miss.”
The two hadn’t expected Pei Zhao to be there. In the past, the Third Master would not visit for months at a time, but lately, he had been coming quite frequently. Could it be that the Third Master had finally come to appreciate their Miss’s virtues?
They were so excited they could hardly contain themselves, as if they could already see their Miss entering the Duke’s mansion.
Xi Ning had also prepared the side dishes and sauce. Not knowing whether Pei Zhao ate spicy food, she added two spoonfuls of zanthoxylum oil when mixing the sauce. Even just two spoonfuls made it incredibly fragrant.
“Let’s eat.”
Nanny Su and Ren Dong helped her carry the food into the house. It was still bright outside, so there was no need to light lamps indoors.
The liangpi was crystal clear and translucent, thin as a cicada’s wing. Topped with shredded carrots, fried peanuts, and drizzled with the prepared sauce, it was so fragrant it made one’s mouth water.
The main dish was the leftover vegetable buns. Xi Ning didn’t specially cook for Pei Zhao because of his status; she simply reheated the vegetable buns and served them.
However, Pei Zhao had never eaten them before, and even as leftovers, they were better than what the chefs in the capital could make.
The vegetable buns were crisp and refreshing, cutting through the richness, while the liangpi was smooth and appetizing. Paired together, they greatly stimulated the appetite.
This was also Pei Zhao’s first time eating spicy food. The novel flavor caught his attention, but after eating, he felt the spiciness was missing something—perhaps it would taste even better if it were spicier.
Still, it was already quite delicious, and he should be satisfied.
Pei Zhao had a hearty appetite. He alone ate three bowls of liangpi, not to mention half a pot of vegetable buns. He and his servant ate what would have been two days’ worth of food for Xi Ning and the other two.
After finishing the meal, even Pei Zhao felt a bit embarrassed.
He really had eaten a bit too much.
“It was very delicious.”
“I’m glad Third Master enjoyed it.”
Xi Ning suppressed the twitching corner of her mouth. If Pei Zhao had said it was just “acceptable” this time, she would absolutely not invite him to eat again. Fortunately, he knew better.After drinking some tea to aid digestion, Pei Zhao left with Chang Lin. When Xi Ning was tidying up after they had gone, she discovered the fifty-tael banknote he had left on the table.
It turned out that Chang Lin had already learned from Nanny Su why Xi Ning was going out of the city and knew she wanted to buy a manor. Pei Zhao did not stop her.
Xi Ning had no one to rely on and was a woman—it was only right for her to have some assets for security. Yet, he felt somewhat troubled.
Did this woman not realize how dangerous it was for a weak woman like her to venture out of the city recklessly? If the manor was filled with wicked people, she would be like a lamb entering a tiger’s den.
Out of gratitude for the delicious liangpi, Pei Zhao refrained from scolding her. However, after leaving, he instructed Chang Lin to assign two men to secretly protect her.
His concern was not because he had feelings for her, but because Xi Ning was obedient, useful, and cooked well. As her nominal man, it was his duty to protect her.
Pei Zhao silently repeated this to himself, as if trying to convince himself.
When Xi Ning saw the fifty-tael banknote, she didn’t overthink it. Although Pei Zhao was a bit aloof, he was generous. A single meal of liangpi had earned her fifty taels of silver. If it were other dishes, she would have made a fortune.
Xi Ning was already looking forward to Pei Zhao’s next visit.
Once April passed, the capital grew thoroughly hot. The Xi family’s wonton noodles, being a hot dish, were somewhat affected.
Over the past two months, Nanny Su and Ren Dong had earned a little over five taels of silver in total. Without the five hundred and fifty taels Pei Zhao had given her, Xi Ning might have considered it a decent sum, but now it seemed insignificant in comparison.
No matter how well the snack stall did, the earnings were limited. To make real money, opening a shop was necessary.
She had already purchased the manor. Aunt Wang helped her negotiate the price, and it cost a total of four hundred and ninety-six taels. Xi Ning gave Aunt Wang an additional four taels as a token of appreciation, exactly spending the five hundred taels.
Xi Ning now had fifty-five taels left.
Property prices in the northern part of the city were not high, but a good location would still cost over a hundred taels. Xi Ning’s funds were far from enough.
However, she wasn’t fixated on buying; renting a suitable place would also work.
She entrusted this task to Aunt Wang. Besides renting a shop, Xi Ning also wanted to hire more people.
Nanny Su and Ren Dong could manage the snack stall, but they wouldn’t be able to handle a shop.
As the weather grew hotter, she had more food ideas she wanted to sell. Relying solely on herself to cook would be exhausting. Although Xi Ning didn’t mind her recipes being learned, she was currently powerless and without influence. Before establishing herself, she needed to keep the recipes for her fortune-making ventures in her own hands.
Helpers could be paid monthly wages, but those who learned cooking from her had to sign lifelong contracts.
To be safe, Xi Ning asked Aunt Wang to select people for her.
By the time May arrived, Aunt Wang had news.
There were three shops available. After inspecting them personally, Xi Ning chose the one on Middle Street in the northern part of the city.
It was a two-section shop with tables and benches already in place. The shop had originally been used for food business, but the owner’s skills were mediocre, and it had been operating at a loss for two years, which was why they wanted to let it go.
Xi Ning was satisfied with the location and layout. With a little renovation, it would be ready for use. The price was also reasonable—two taels of rent per month, which was quite affordable for her current situation. Once she made enough money, she could buy the shop outright.
After paying the rent and signing the contract, Xi Ning began selecting staff.
She needed two people for cooking and two for serving and cleaning. The front desk and cashier duties would be handled by Nanny Su, while Ren Dong would assist her with errands. Thus, she needed to hire four more people.The two people washing dishes were familiar faces from Wutong Street. One was Madam Chen from the street corner, in her thirties, quiet and reserved by nature. Her husband had a slight limp and couldn’t do heavy labor, so the family relied entirely on her efforts.
Aunt Wang recommended her partly out of personal consideration. Madam Chen was well-known on Wutong Street for her diligence and willingness to work hard. Moreover, her husband was also a decent man—though unable to do heavy work, he did some carpentry at home. The couple were kind and well-liked by their neighbors.