She hurriedly got dressed and pulled open the door. To her surprise, it was the young servant in blue who had bought egg cakes from her that evening.
“Madam Shen! I finally found you,” Chen Shitou said, wiping the sweat from his brow.
“Could you please make another serving of egg cakes? Right now!”
As he spoke, he pulled out a cloth bundle and handed it to her. “Here is one tael of silver. Please take it first.”
Shen Lingwei instinctively refused. “This is too much…”
“Madam Shen, please don’t refuse just yet. The second young master of our residence has been ill for quite some time. Even the imperial physicians are at a loss. He hasn’t eaten or drunk anything for days. Just now, I brought the egg cakes back to the residence. The second young master smelled them and nearly had me punished. But guess what? He actually asked to try them. After finishing one, he even wanted more!”
As Chen Shitou spoke, his eyes reddened.
“Our second young master has been different from others since childhood. He doesn’t speak or interact with people and is extremely picky about food. But just now, he took the initiative to eat the egg cakes. The Old Madam was overjoyed and ordered me to find you overnight. I asked many street vendors before finally locating you.”
Shen Lingwei was stunned.
Didn’t speak, ignored others, and was picky about food?
A vague thought flashed through her mind, but she didn’t ask further. She simply took ten copper coins from the bundle and returned the rest.
“I only sell one egg cake for ten coins. This one tael is too much. I cannot accept it.”
Chen Shitou hurriedly pushed it back. “That won’t do! It’s the middle of the night, and I woke you from your bed. This is what you deserve for your trouble. Please don’t refuse!”
“But…”
“Madam Shen!” Chen Shitou interrupted, his voice choking. “You don’t understand—our second young master hasn’t eaten properly for a long time. To the Old Madam, this one bite of egg cake is more precious than any delicacy. If you return the money, she will feel uneasy. Please… just consider it as letting me do my part for the Marquis’s residence, alright?”
“The Marquis’s residence?” Shen Lingwei asked in surprise. “May I ask, which Marquis’s residence?”
Chen Shitou replied, “My master is the hereditary Marquis Dingyuan and the current Grand Secretary, Pei Jinzhi.”
Shen Lingwei froze.
If she remembered correctly, when she and her daughter were on the brink of starvation, it was the Dingyuan Marquis Pei family that had distributed porridge at the city gate.
It turned out to be her benefactor’s household.
Shen Lingwei lowered her gaze, as if something lightly brushed across her heart.
“Then please wait a moment. I will prepare it right away.”
She turned and entered the kitchen, quickly getting to work—boiling water, washing her hands, kneading dough.
Before long, the egg cakes were ready—golden, soft, and fragrant.
Shen Lingwei didn’t stop. She lit another stove and steamed two pieces of poria cake.
Chinese yam and poria nourish the spleen and stomach, making them most suitable for someone weakened by long illness.
Half an hour later, she packed everything into a food box.
“This portion is the egg cakes. As for the other two items, please bring them back for the steward to take a look.”
She didn’t say they were directly for the second young master. Whether to use them or not would be up to the masters of the Marquis’s residence.
Chen Shitou received the box happily and expressed his thanks.
After a moment’s thought, Shen Lingwei added, “The second young master has been ill for a long time, so his digestion must be weak. Eating too many egg cakes at once may be hard for him to digest. These two items are not worth much money—they are just a small token of my care. If the young master can eat them, that would be best. If not, it’s fine. Consider it my wish for his speedy recovery.”
Holding the food box, Chen Shitou felt deeply moved.
He had been by the second young master’s side since birth and had seen plenty of people who flattered, took advantage, and raised prices. This was the first time he had met someone who returned money after accepting it, gave extra food, and truly cared for the patient.
“Rest assured, Madam Shen. I will remember your kindness and pass on your words.”
In the following days, Shen Lingwei continued to set up her stall at the city gate, but trouble suddenly arose.
In the twelfth lunar month, the authorities began clearing the streets. All street vendors had to move.
She saw with her own eyes several wonton stalls that refused to cooperate being overturned, with soup spilling all over the ground.
She didn’t dare linger and hurriedly pushed her cart home.
Along the way, small groups of vendors gathered, cursing angrily. Some stalls had been smashed, and their owners crouched on the ground picking up broken vegetable leaves. Others stared helplessly at their trampled goods, on the verge of tears.
Misfortune never comes alone. As soon as she reached her doorstep, she ran into the landlady.
“My son is getting married next month. This house needs to be prepared as part of the betrothal gifts. Pack up and find another place to live.”
The news struck like a bolt from the blue.
“This… this is too sudden!” Shen Lingwei was stunned.
“Madam, you see I have a child and my health is still weak. Could you give me a few more days? I will move as soon as I find a suitable place.”
The landlady’s expression turned displeased. “At most three days. Not one day more. You bring a sickly child with you, and the smell of medicine fills my house every day. I haven’t even complained about the bad luck you bring.”
After speaking, the landlady left in a hurry.
Shen Lingwei stood where she was, her brows tightly furrowed.
She had rented this place for its low cost and proximity to the city gate.
But now, how could she find a suitable house in such a short time?
Moreover, her money was running out. She simply didn’t have enough silver to rent another place.
Over the next three days, she searched all over the southern part of the city but found nothing suitable.
Some places were too remote, with all kinds of dubious people coming and going, and drunkards wandering at night. Others had outrageously high rent.
On the fourth morning, the landlady came right on time to urge her.
“Are you moving or not? If not, I’ll throw your things out for you.”
Holding An’an in her arms, Shen Lingwei pleaded for a few more days, explaining that she truly hadn’t found a suitable place.
But the landlady gave her no chance. She waved her hand and called over two burly men.
“Go inside and throw everything out!”
The two men entered the house, rummaging through everything and tossing pots and pans all over the floor. Even Shen Lingwei’s old books were scattered into the mud.
“Throw all this junk away!”
With her hands on her hips, the landlady directed them to discard Shen Lingwei’s belongings.
At that moment—
“Stop!”
A luxurious carriage came speeding toward them from afar.