Сhарtеr 13: Оpening Dау
Тhе рerson serving thе dishеs was an оrphan frоm Wutоng Strееt nаmеd Gouzi, оnlу twеlvе or thirteеn years old. Наving lost his раrеnts аt а yоung аgе, he and his еight-уeаr-old sister survived bу running errаnds for neighbors in еxсhangе fоr food.
Нowever, а grоwing bоу eats аs muсh аs а grown man. Тhe nеighbors had оnly allоwed him to run еrrands out of рitу fоr the siblings. Тhе residents of Wutоng Streеt wеre not wеll-off, and еaсh fаmilу barеly had еnough to еаt.
Whеn the two children were youngеr, nеighbors could spаrе half a steаmеd bun for them. But now that they were older and ate more, the neighbors could no longer support them.
Aunt Wang was kind-hearted. Having watched these two children grow up, she immediately thought of Gouzi when there was work available.
Afraid that Xi Ning might think she hadn’t taken the task seriously, Aunt Wang brought Gouzi directly to her.
“Miss Xi, don’t let his age fool you. He’s diligent and quick, no less capable than a grown laborer. I know it’s a difficult situation for you—just providing them with two meals a day would be enough. We wouldn’t dare ask for wages.”
Gouzi had changed into clean clothes, likely belonging to Aunt Wang’s grandson. Though patched, they were freshly washed.
He was dark and thin, with a stubborn look in his eyes. Fearing Xi Ning might not take him in, he knelt directly on the ground and kowtowed to her.
“Miss Xi, you don’t have to feed me. Just give my sister something to eat, and I’ll work hard for you.”
His forehead struck the bluestone bricks with loud thuds. Xi Ning’s heart ached at the sound, and she quickly pulled him up.
In her previous life, this would have been considered child labor. But here, without this job, Gouzi and his sister would likely have to beg on the streets.
“Get up quickly. I’ll take you on.”
“Really?”
Gouzi’s eyes shone brightly, a red mark on his forehead that he didn’t seem to feel at all.
Xi Ning nodded. “Really. Our shop provides three meals a day for all employees, plus a monthly wage of one hundred wen. As long as you work hard, there will be bonuses in the future.”
Gouzi was stunned by Xi Ning’s words. Such good fortune—not only meals but also money? Money, something he had never seen before.
With money, could he buy clothes and good food for his sister?
His heart pounded so hard that he nearly tripped over the threshold on his way out, unable to believe such luck had fallen upon him.
Aunt Wang felt both heartache and amusement, giving him a light pinch.
“Miss Xi is a good person. From now on, you must work hard and never slack off. Otherwise, not only will Miss Xi not forgive you, but neither will I.”
“Don’t worry, Auntie. I’ll work hard.”
In addition to these two, Xi Ning also selected two individuals with lifelong indentures.
This dynasty was called Zhou, though it wasn’t the Zhou dynasty from history. It resembled the Southern Song dynasty from her previous life, emphasizing literature over military affairs. Women’s status was not high, but they could still work outside.
However, natural and man-made disasters had occurred frequently over the past decade, making life difficult for the common people. Many sold themselves into servitude just for a meal.
The two people Aunt Wang selected for her were refugees who had fled famine elsewhere—one man and one woman, both around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Though young, their faces were already lined with wrinkles, bearing the marks of hardship.
Upon hearing that Xi Ning was buying them to teach them culinary skills, they immediately called her “Master” without hesitation.
Song Yun and Liu Ye were not foolish, and the dishes Xi Ning intended to make were simple. After learning for about half a month, both were able to handle tasks independently.
In mid-May, Xi Ning’s shop opened for business.Thanks to the wonton noodles, Xi’s Shop had built up a reputation in the northern part of the city. Knowing that Xi Ning was about to open a shop, these regular customers had been eagerly waiting.
“What do you think Xi’s Shop will sell? Still wonton noodles?”
“Probably not. If it were still wonton noodles, there wouldn’t be a need to rent a shop. There’s likely to be new dishes.”
“New dishes? Miss Xi’s cooking is so good. These new dishes are probably just like the wonton noodles—something we’ve never tasted before. We have to go early to get a seat. These past few days without Xi’s Shop setting up a stall, I’ve felt like food just doesn’t taste right.”
And so, a group of people chatted and made plans to visit Xi’s Shop together.
Xi Ning stood not far from the shop with Rendong, watching as more and more customers gathered at the entrance. She couldn’t help but feel excited.
Xi’s Shop was her first step to establishing herself in the Zhou Dynasty, and it gave her a sense of belonging.
She was no longer a wandering soul—she had a home now.
Rendong didn’t know what her mistress was thinking. Her mind was entirely focused on going into the shop to take a look. After all, she had personally overseen the shop’s layout and had even tasted all the food they were selling. She wondered whether the customers would like it.
Rendong was both excited and nervous, peering around so eagerly that Xi Ning couldn’t ignore her.
“Let’s go take a look.”
By the time the two of them arrived, the shop was already full.
The shop wasn’t large, with about ten tables that could seat thirty to forty people. Most of the customers today were regulars of Xi’s Shop.
Xi Ning had created a menu using modern methods. The menu was made by Madam Chen’s husband using thin wooden boards, each of the same thickness and size. The shop’s dishes were written on them, making it easy for customers to order.
“What’s this liangpi? Cold noodles? It’s hot now, so something cool would be refreshing. I’ll have one.”
“I’ll have a bowl of zhajiangmian, plus a cup of sour plum juice.”
…
The menu featured dozens of dishes: liangpi, zhajiangmian, dalu mian, wonton noodles, braised chicken, cross-bridge rice noodles, and more. Xi Ning had recreated many of the common snacks from her previous life.
Since the customers had never tried spicy food before, Gouzi made sure to ask if they wanted it when they ordered. Of course, everyone wanted to try something new.
“Yes, I’ll take mild spice!”
The ingredients were all prepared in advance, and Song Yun and Liu Ye worked quickly. In just a quarter of an hour, the dishes were ready. As the various foods were served, the shop filled with a mildly spicy and fragrant aroma.
“Wow! So this is spiciness—it really packs a punch!”
The speaker clearly wasn’t used to spicy food. After one bite of liangpi, his tongue was tingling.
But spiciness is addictive—the more you eat, the more you crave it. By the end, no one in the shop was talking, only the sounds of eating could be heard.
Rendong had already tasted the food, but she still couldn’t help drooling.
“Miss’s cooking is truly unmatched. With this many customers on the first day, we won’t have to worry about business in the future.”
Xi Ning smiled and nodded. It wasn’t that her cooking was exceptional—she was simply standing on the shoulders of those who came before her. These snacks had stood the test of time and were the food of the people.
By introducing these snacks ahead of time, she could also improve the diet of the people in the Zhou Dynasty.
Seeing the customers enjoying their meals so much, Xi Ning couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
Outside the shop, Pei Zhao stood not far away with Chang Lin.
“Master, shall we go over?”
Ever since Pei Zhao had arranged for two people to secretly protect Xi Ning, news of her would occasionally appear on his desk.
Pei Zhao didn’t want to admit that he was paying attention to this woman, but he never missed any updates about her.Knowing she had bought a shop to open a business, Pei Zhao had been looking forward to it for ten days. As soon as Xi’s Shop opened, he brought Chang Lin along.