The young man swung onto his horse, hanging the food box on one side of the saddle. With a smile playing on his lips, he waved to Shen Zhihe before riding across the street and eventually disappearing into the bustling crowd.
Only after the young man had gone far away did the elderly man selling oil cakes nearby glance at the busy street and lean over. “Young lady, that young gentleman appears extraordinary, unlike common folk. The young master he mentioned earlier – could he be that noble visitor from the capital?”
Rumors had been circulating since morning about a nobleman surnamed Lu from the capital arriving in this remote town. However, since no one had ever seen him make an appearance, people dismissed it as mere speculation. After all, this town was remote and bitterly cold – why would any nobleman abandon the comforts of the capital to suffer in such a place?
Yet today, the old man observed how the youth rode a tall horse with exceptional grace, quite unlike an ordinary servant. Noting his familiarity with Shen Zhihe, the old man approached with a smile, testing the waters. If they were indeed acquainted, no one would dare bully this young lady anymore, and he’d better establish good relations with her early.
Hearing this, Shen Zhihe looked up at the old man whose wrinkled face resembled dried orange peel and shook her head. “I don’t know that young master’s status. I only know he’s acquainted with the second young master of the Zhou Family. Yesterday, they came together to buy some food from my stall.”
The old man’s cloudy eyes filled with astonishment. Because his wife had been unwell yesterday and needed constant care, he hadn’t set up his stall, thus missing the chance to see the noble visitor – a regret that weighed heavily on him.
Now, Lord Zhou was a scholar who had resigned from his official position in the capital for unknown reasons years ago and settled here as a recluse. Known for his kindness and excellent reputation, his eldest son had early achieved scholarly honors and now served as Household Registrar in the prefecture, managing census and tax matters, rarely returning home.
The second young master, though not proficient in the Four Books and Five Classics, excelled in business. Years ago, he had gone to the capital to trade without Lord Zhou’s knowledge and accidentally offended powerful nobles, nearly losing his life. Fortunately, he was saved by a nobleman with deep connections to the Zhou Family, and now he had returned home in glory.
“What kind of food are you selling, young lady, that could make the second young master Zhou – someone accustomed to delicacies from land and sea – condescend to taste food from a roadside stall?” The old man examined Shen Zhihe’s clean countertop, peering into the pot only to find it empty.
When the young lady had been packing the food box earlier, the young man had blocked the view completely, so he hadn’t seen what the food looked like.
After all, since he started setting up his stall here, apart from that wastrel from the Li Family who often came to take advantage relying on his family’s influence, he had never seen the second young master Zhou eating at a roadside stall. How extraordinary!
As soon as he finished speaking, the watching customers unconsciously drew closer to Shen Zhihe’s stall, all curious. From what they had heard the young man say earlier, Shen Xiaoniangzi seemed to be selling wontons and Xiao Long Bao.
“Young lady, please give me the same food that the second young master Zhou had.” Just as everyone waited for Shen Zhihe to introduce her wontons and Xiao Long Bao, Wu Yong, who had earlier caught the scent of meat, could no longer contain himself. He quickly approached Shen Zhihe’s stall and spoke impatiently.
“Alright, please wait a moment. I only have one stove at hand, so I need to cook the wontons first, then steam the Xiao Long Bao. Everyone, the food I sell at this stall is just these wontons and Xiao Long Bao. Don’t be fooled by their small size—they have thin wrappers, generous fillings, and are tender and juicy. You’ll know once you try them.”
As she spoke, Shen Zhihe deftly counted out ten wontons from a drawer, then ladled a spoonful of warm bone broth into the pot. In no time, the broth began to boil. She dropped the wontons into the pot, where the small, delicate dumplings tumbled in the milky-white soup like nimble butterflies.
The rich aroma of the bone broth gradually wafted out. The elderly man standing closest couldn’t help but swallow, inwardly marveling, “Good heavens, what was this simmered with? The smell is so enticing.”
He could hardly imagine how comforting it would be to have a bowl of this on such a bitterly cold winter day.
As the fragrance spread, more and more passersby drew closer to Shen Zhihe’s stall. The sound of swallowing echoed around her. Over time, the scent grew even more intense and alluring. The older folks held up better, but the children around Zhi An’s age, held by their parents, couldn’t resist.
A young child in a green cloak, drooling slightly, tugged at their mother’s hand and pulled her toward Shen Zhihe’s stall. Craning their neck, they stared longingly at the brown clay pot on the stove, but being too short, they couldn’t see inside at all.
They could only tug at their mother’s sleeve, look up, and point anxiously at the pot on the stove, saying, “Mother, it smells so good.”
The woman being pulled forward wore a slightly embarrassed expression. Though the aroma of the bone broth wontons was incredibly tempting, she wasn’t sure what kind of meat filling was used. Her child had never eaten food from a street stall before.
Shen Zhihe’s eyes curved into a smile, sensing the woman’s hesitation. She addressed the woman warmly, “Madam, my wontons are filled with fresh meat, and the bone broth is simmered slowly for three hours with large bones. It’s nourishing and nutritious, and even young children can eat it safely.”
As Shen Zhihe finished speaking, the milky-white broth in the pot bubbled and gurgled. The elderly man selling fried cakes next door, who had only eaten one fried cake since morning, couldn’t hold back any longer. He rubbed his nose, steeled himself, and approached Shen Zhihe.
“Young lady, how much for a bowl of wontons?”
“Seven coppers. But if you’d lend me your stove, I won’t charge you. How about that?” Shen Zhihe, who had been worrying about not having enough stoves, had an idea. Her gaze fell on the stove behind the old man, and she tentatively made the offer.
The old man was delighted. He hadn’t made many fried cakes today, and they were already sold out. Keeping the stove burning would only waste charcoal, so lending it to the young lady was no trouble. And now he could even get a meal in return—it was an excellent deal.
“Of course, that’s fine.”
With the old man’s agreement, Shen Zhihe magically produced a three-tiered bamboo steamer and a copper pot from beneath her cart. Carrying them, she headed toward the old man’s stove. As she passed by Shen Zhian, she called softly, “Zhi An, fetch Elder Sister a basin of water.”
Before her words faded, she saw Shen Zhian stand up from the low stool, scurry on short legs under the cart, and emerge moments later holding a wooden basin filled with clear water. He wobbled as he made his way toward Shen Zhihe.
The siblings worked together to steam the Xiao Long Bao. Meanwhile, the wontons in the pot floated one by one in the water. She took an empty bowl, scooped out the wontons, and as she handed them to Wu Yong, she rarely showed a hint of embarrassment. “Please don’t mind, sir. The custom wooden table I ordered isn’t ready yet, so you’ll have to stand and eat for now.”
“No problem,” Wu Yong eagerly took the wontons from Shen Zhihe, brought the bowl to his nose, and took a deep whiff. The rich aroma filled his senses. He scooped one with a spoon, blew on it lightly, and quickly popped it into his mouth. The tender meat filling, infused with the savory flavor of bone broth, burst open in his mouth.
Wu Yong’s eyes lit up. Holding the spoon, he gave Shen Zhihe a thumbs-up before burying his head in the bowl again. Seeing this, the previously hesitant customers swarmed forward.
“Miss, give me a portion too.”
“I want one as well.”
…
Before long, the wontons Shen Zhihe had prepared were completely sold out. Some customers who hadn’t managed to get any sighed to themselves, regretting that they had come too late.
“Miss, could you prepare more wontons tomorrow? Also, I noticed that after you make the Xiao Long Bao, they just need to be steamed. Could I place an order and pick them up first thing tomorrow morning?” A woman swallowed the Xiao Long Bao in her hand, recalling Shen Zhihe’s earlier steaming process. Unlike the wontons, which required broth, she tentatively made the request.
“You’re very clever, ma’am. The Xiao Long Bao indeed only need to be steamed at home. How many would you like to order? If it’s for your own consumption, I can wrap them in oiled paper for you. Would that be alright?” Shen Zhihe smiled slightly. How could she have forgotten that in later times, Xiao Long Bao were also a popular gift item?
Her words sparked interest among the crowd. The Xiao Long Bao truly tasted exceptional—completely different from the meat buns they were used to. The semi-transparent skin enveloped a sweet and savory meat juice, bursting with broth in a single bite. No one could figure out how the young lady had prepared the pork, as there wasn’t the slightest hint of gaminess. Instead, it was extraordinarily tender. The only downside was that she had made too few today. Being able to pre-order seemed like an excellent option.
Meanwhile, Wu Yong, standing to the side, stroked his chin. “Shen Xiaoniangzi, if not oiled paper, what else could be used?”
Hearing this, Shen Zhihe felt a surge of delight. It was as if a pillow had been handed to her just as she was feeling sleepy. She had been pondering how to draw everyone’s attention to gift boxes, and now Wu Yong had provided the perfect opening. “We could also use custom-made elegant wooden boxes. They’re very impressive as gifts. However, if you choose the wooden box, it will cost an additional two coins.”
Shen Zhihe noticed the hesitant silence among the crowd and grew anxious. Was her gift box plan doomed to fail before it even began?
“Please prepare a gift box of twenty for me.” A familiar voice came from behind the crowd.
Shen Zhihe turned to look and saw that it was Chen Jing—her father’s former classmate from the day before.
The crowd murmured in surprise. This man was truly extravagant! The young lady’s Xiao Long Bao cost four coins each, so twenty would amount to eighty coins. Adding the cost of the gift box, the total came to eighty-two coins—equivalent to half a month’s expenses for an ordinary family.
Chen Jing emerged from the crowd. After leaving the stall yesterday, he had sent someone to inquire about Lord Zhou’s preferences and was surprised to learn that he greatly enjoyed the food made by Shen Xiaoniangzi. Today, he had come hoping to try his luck when he overheard the young lady introducing gift boxes of Xiao Long Bao. It was the perfect solution to his urgent need.
“When can I come to collect it?” Chen Jing stood before Shen Zhihe’s stall, his gaze now carrying a few traces of genuine concern.
“If you’re not in a hurry, you may collect it the day after tomorrow. If it’s urgent, you can pick it up tomorrow, but you’ll need to pay an additional expedited fee.” Shen Zhihe glanced up at Chen Jing and shivered slightly at the concern and affection in his eyes, thinking to himself that a man’s heart is as unfathomable as the ocean.
Just yesterday, this man had clearly approached him with ulterior motives, yet today he appeared before him with the demeanor of an elder. Although he was his father’s former classmate, there would be no discount.