Meanwhile, Shen Zhihe returned home with the account book, her mind preoccupied with the Cherry Meat still simmering on the stove. As the savory aroma wafted from the kitchen, she instinctively placed the account book on the table by the entrance.
Rolling up her sleeves, she headed to the kitchen. She dampened a cloth, wrung it dry, and placed it over the lid of the earthen pot. Gripping the cloth on both sides, she carefully lifted the lid. Instantly, a cloud of steam billowed forth, dissipating to reveal the tender, stewed Cherry Meat inside.
Soon, fifteen pieces of the agate-red Cherry Meat were neatly arranged on a plate. Shen Zhihe felt a pang of frustration. In her previous life, takeout containers were everywhere, but now she couldn’t find anything suitable for packing. In summer, she could have plucked a few lotus leaves from the pond—wrapping the vibrant red Cherry Meat in clean lotus leaves would have added a unique charm.
But in the depths of winter, even the river in town had frozen over. A few days earlier, she had seen someone drilling a hole in the ice, likely to fish. Come to think of it, she hadn’t noticed anyone selling fish at the Ji Shi market recently. She guessed she must have arrived too late.
After all, river delicacies in winter were considered rare treasures. Just looking at the thick layer of ice on the river made it clear: without electric drills, breaking the ice relied solely on manual labor. Without considerable strength, ordinary people couldn’t manage it.
Lost in thought, Shen Zhihe retrieved a food container from the cupboard—one she had specially commissioned from the carpenter’s shop a few days prior. Though plain and unadorned on the outside, it was ingeniously designed. The container had three layers: the bottom layer was lined with a thin sheet of iron, insulated from the wood by copper plates, while the middle and top layers also had thin iron sheets embedded in their bases.
It looked like an ancient version of a self-heating pot. Sitting at the table, Shen Zhihe rested her chin on one hand and tapped the table lightly with the fingers of the other, marveling at the ingenuity of ancient people. With just a blueprint, they had managed to create a functional food container unlike anything they had seen before. Later, she would test it with boiling water to see how well it could reheat chilled food.
With the New Year approaching, the bustling streets were a far cry from the modern corporate world, where work often continued until Lunar New Year’s Eve. Nowadays, shops had long stopped restocking, and laborers who relied on moving goods had already hunkered down at home for the winter. As a result, Shen Zhihe only saw people shopping for New Year’s supplies on the streets these days.
Her original plan to start a business selling affordable, hearty lunches had fallen through. If anyone wondered why she was making this self-heating food container, it traced back to the days when she was still selling tofu brain.
The day before setting up her stall at the market, Shen Zhihe had packed the leftover Di Guo Ji into the food container and kept it warm in a pot, intending to have it for lunch the next day. But the container was too small, and even wrapped in cotton cloth, the food had frozen. At the time, she had no fire pit of her own, so she had to swallow her pride and borrow Granny’s stove next door to reheat it.
That day, she had thought: if only she could create a self-heating food container. If she ever traveled far, she couldn’t count on finding fire-making facilities everywhere. In such situations, a self-heating pot would be the perfect solution. For now, she could only experiment with boiling water. If she could create a self-heating pack like those in her previous life, it would be even more convenient.
After pondering for a moment, Shen Zhihe finally closed the lid of the food container. She decided to test it after concluding the Zhou Family’s Tea Banquet. If successful, she would commission the carpentry shop to produce a batch. By next spring, she could use these containers to sell discounted bulk foods. Combined with their self-heating function, she could earn substantial profits just from selling the containers alone.
Envisioning future days of abundant wealth, Shen Zhihe felt immensely motivated. Soon, she finished packing tomorrow’s Cherry Meat and Chen Jing’s Xiao Long Bao. Standing up, she stretched and rotated her neck, then fetched a wooden basin. After pouring in a mix of cold and hot water, she prepared to carry it to the bedroom to soak her feet with Shen Zhian when she remembered the account books delivered by Wang Niangzi were still on the table by the entrance.
Draping a foot cloth over her arm, she changed direction and headed toward the door. Leaning sideways to balance the basin against her waist, she picked up the account books with her free hand and proceeded directly to the bedroom.
Pushing the door open, she saw Shen Zhian curled up in a small ball on the bed, playing with a grasshopper she had woven from dried grass for him days earlier.
Hearing the noise, Shen Zhian looked up and noticed Shen Zhihe’s hands were full. He quickly rolled off the bed and scurried toward her on his short legs. “Elder Sister, let me help you carry that.”
Standing on tiptoes to reach for the wooden basin, he rushed too hastily and tripped over his own right foot. As he nearly tumbled into Shen Zhihe, his small face paled instantly, eyes fixed on the steaming basin in her hands.
Fortunately, Shen Zhihe reacted swiftly. She set the basin down on the table, then crouched and caught Shen Zhian in a firm embrace. “Be careful. The ground is frozen solid—if you fall, you’ll likely end up with bruises.”
She lifted him slightly, noting he had gained weight since their arrival at the old house. Not only had his cheeks filled out, but his bottom had also grown plumper, feeling pleasantly chubby when pinched.
“Elder Sister!” Squirming in her arms, Shen Zhian tried to hide his bottom after the pinch.
“Alright, alright. It’s getting late—let’s soak our feet and rest early.” Releasing him, Shen Zhihe carried the basin to the bedside, thinking she would soon need to hire a carpenter to make a half-height wooden tub and partition a section of the kitchen into a dedicated bathing area.
As she mentally listed household items to add after the new year, Shen Zhihe casually flipped through the account books from Wang Niangzi. At first glance, everything seemed normal, but then her eyes paused on an entry where the ink appeared darker than elsewhere. Leaning closer, she noticed the monetary figure seemed altered.
Her heart sank. Quickly scanning several pages, she confirmed her suspicion: the account books bore multiple traces of tampering. Suppressing her anger, Shen Zhihe closed the ledger, dried her feet, and hurried to the window. She hooked a finger through the coarse cloth shielding against the wind.
Outside, the moonlight bathed the yard in brightness. No lights were visible from the nearby Wang family residence, and in the distance, a few night watchman’s clapper sounds echoed—unconsciously, it had already reached Hai hour (9-11 PM). The Wang mother and son were likely asleep. She would visit them first thing in the morning to inquire why the accounts had been altered.
Dropping the cloth back into place, Shen Zhihe turned and walked toward the bed, wondering inwardly: Could Wang Niangzi have raised prices behind her back? Never mind—she would find out tomorrow when she confronted her.
The horizon began to lighten with the first hints of dawn, and the slumbering town slowly stirred awake. Shen Zhihe didn’t need to rise early today to prepare food for her market stall, allowing her an extra quarter-hour of rest. Yet, her mind was preoccupied with the account book, and unable to sleep, she got up, dressed, and clutching the ledger, headed toward the Wang family’s home.
“Is the lady of the house in?” Shen Zhihe stood at the door, rapping lightly on the wooden panel with her knuckles. After a long while with no response, she peered curiously toward the window on the right, only to find it tightly shut. “Not home? Has she gone out?”
The sky had brightened fully, and Shen Zhihe still needed to hurry and deliver the Cherry Meat ordered yesterday to her customers. After that, she had to go to the Zhou Family to prepare for the Tea Banquet, leaving no time to linger here. Though frustrated, she refused to think the worst—perhaps Wang Niangzi had simply left early to set up her stall.
Clutching the account book, she sighed and turned for home. Unbeknownst to her, the moment she turned away, the window behind her cracked open slightly, and Wang Niangzi stood there, her gaze dark and brooding as she watched Shen Zhihe’s retreating figure.
She had originally planned to take things slowly, having her eldest son, Wang Dalan, frequently show his face around the young lady, be attentive, and coax her into willingly marrying him. But days had passed, and Wang Dalan hadn’t even managed to step into her home, let alone make an impression.
She wondered if Shen Zhihe had noticed the tampering in the account books.
Wang Niangzi’s heart was heavy. Her youngest son, who was studying at the school, had been led astray and developed a gambling addiction, accumulating fifty taels of silver in gambling debts. Even if she sold everything she owned, she couldn’t cover such a hole. Meanwhile, Shen Xiaoniangzi’s business was thriving, and today she was even going to Lord Zhou’s residence. If she couldn’t secure Shen Zhihe’s marriage to Wang Dalan during the five days she’d be at the Zhou Family, it would likely become much harder to scheme against her in the future.
“Wang Dalan, on your way to the Shen Family, stop by the Qin Family and bring Er Niang back,” Wang Niangzi said, closing the window and turning to her son.
As the New Year approached, the Ji Shi grew increasingly lively, bustling with people shopping for holiday goods. Red banners fluttered in the wind on either side of the street, adorning the shops.
Shen Zhihe had just pushed her cart to her usual spot and hadn’t yet set up when Chen Jing, who had been waiting nearby, eagerly approached. His plump, pale face wore an ingratiating smile. “On my way here, I heard you’re going to the Zhou Family today. When the Zhou Family’s people arrive, could you tell them I’m your uncle and take me along?”
Shen Zhihe looked up, startled, and met his gaze. “You must be joking. How could I possibly bring someone along to the Zhou Family as I please?”
Chen Jing gave an awkward laugh, accepted the small steamed buns Shen Zhihe handed him, and opened his mouth as if to plead further. But meeting her expressionless face, he closed it again, picked up the wooden box, and headed toward the east end of the city.
In less than a quarter-hour, the customers who had pre-ordered the Cherry Meat yesterday came one after another to collect their portions. A few, who hadn’t brought their own containers, reluctantly paid Shen Zhihe two extra coins and left carrying a bowl.
Just as she finished her tasks, Lu Li arrived leisurely, driving a horse-drawn carriage. Catching Shen Zhihe’s eye, he grinned, nimbly hopping down from the carriage shaft. “Shall we bring your cart along, young lady?”
After a moment’s thought, Shen Zhihe recalled she had brought the molds she’d commissioned from the carpenter a few days earlier, along with her homemade Suancai. She nodded in agreement.
“Take the young lady Shen’s pushcart with you both. Young lady, please board the carriage.”
The carriage moved steadily along the street, passing through bustling crowds. As it gradually traveled further, the noise outside faded away. Shen Zhian, sitting inside the carriage warmed by a heating stove, grew drowsy, his little head nodding like a sparrow pecking at food.
Shen Zhihe’s gaze fell upon the heating stove before her, thinking to herself that rebuilding the Kang bed-stove would be quite troublesome. It probably couldn’t be completed this winter. In a few days, she would need to find a blacksmith to forge a heating stove and buy some charcoal to get through this winter first.
“Young lady Shen, we’ve arrived.” Lu Li’s cheerful voice roused Shen Zhihe from her deep thoughts.
She patted awake the sleeping Shen Zhian in her arms, wiping his face a couple of times before lifting the carriage curtain to disembark. Meanwhile, Zhou Ying, having received word of their arrival, had been waiting at the entrance since early. Before Shen Zhihe could even steady herself, Zhou Ying hurried forward to pull her inside, saying, “The estate sent a large fish today, but our cook isn’t skilled at preparing fish. I’ve been looking forward to your arrival all morning to handle it.”