Chарtеr 4: Тhе Picky Тhird Мaster
“Sistеr-in-law, yоu рrераrеd far tоо littlе. Wе’ve beеn waiting in line for so lоng аnd havеn’t еvеn gоttеn a siр оf sоup.”
“Eхаctlу! I’ve been smеlling the аroma for sо long I’m stаrving. If I cаn’t gеt a tastе, I’ll be miserablе аll dау.”
Customеrs whо hаdn’t mаde it to thе front оf the line gаthered аround the stаll, complаining. Nаnnу Su was bоth surрrised and delightеd—this was hеr first timе running a business, аnd she nevеr eхреctеd it to be sо poрulаr. Тhe wooden box for cорper coins wаs fillеd to the brim, heаvу in her hands.
“It’s our first day, so we didn’t know how much to prepare. We’ll make more tomorrow—everyone, come early!”
Hearing Nanny Su’s words, the crowd in front of the stall gradually dispersed. Nanny Su and Rendong packed up their things and hurried home.
On Wutong Street, Xi Ning sat on a low stool by the courtyard gate, her ears perked up, listening for any commotion outside.
Though confident in her skills, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.
The wonton noodles were generously portioned and deliciously savory. Each bowl contained ten wontons, priced at ten copper coins. While this was more expensive than other snacks like steamed buns or pancakes, a single bowl offered meat, noodles, and soup. Anyone who tried it would know just how good a deal it was.
“Miss, we’re back! Everything’s sold out!”
Rendong’s loud voice rang out as soon as she entered the gate. Seeing Xi Ning waiting by the door, she quickly handed over the wooden box.
“Miss, you have no idea how popular our wonton noodles were! People from the whole street lined up to buy them.”
The young maid, experiencing her first taste of business success, was so excited she could barely contain herself. She tugged at Xi Ning, eager to share every detail.
“Alright, it’s windy outside. Let’s get Miss indoors first. We should also let her count today’s earnings.”
Though equally thrilled, Nanny Su managed to keep her composure. More than anything, she was eager to find out how much they had earned.
At ten copper coins per bowl, they sold a total of 530 bowls. After deducting costs, they made a profit of 350 copper coins.
“So much!”
Even the usually composed Nanny Su couldn’t hold back her astonishment.
After all, washing clothes for others earned them only twenty copper coins a day, leaving them exhausted and sore. The earnings from selling wonton noodles amounted to nearly half a month’s wages.
Yet while Nanny Su and Rendong thought it was a lot, Xi Ning felt it was far from enough.
Selling food wasn’t costly in terms of ingredients, but it was labor-intensive. The original owner of this body was delicate and frail, so Xi Ning had directed Nanny Su and Rendong to handle the dough mixing and filling preparation. Even just wrapping the wontons had left her utterly exhausted.
Still, wealth accumulates bit by bit—there was no need to rush. With such a promising start, the three of them were more than satisfied.
In the warm March sun, the Xi family’s wonton noodles gained a reputation in the northern part of the city. Long before Nanny Su even set up her stall, a crowd had already gathered, waiting in line.
On the road outside the capital, a carriage slowly made its way into the city.
Chang Lin had been driving the carriage for two days and a night, his eyelids heavy with exhaustion. They had endured rough conditions along the way, without even a single hot meal to sustain them.
As a servant, he was used to such hardships, but his master couldn’t withstand such strain.
“Third Master, we’ve entered the city. Should we rest in the northern part of town and have a hot meal? If you return like this, the old madam will surely worry.”
The carriage curtain hung low, obscuring the view inside. After a long pause, a soft “Mm” came from behind the curtain.
The man’s voice was like fine porcelain—elegant yet steady.
Pei Zhao leaned against the carriage wall, his eyes lightly closed. His skin was as smooth as jade, with faint shadows under his eyes. His refined and handsome features carried a trace of weariness. Hearing his servant’s words, he raised a hand to massage his temples.”Just buy something simple, and let’s get back on the road as soon as possible.”
“Yes.”
Chang Lin responded. His master, Third Master Pei, was notoriously picky with food—never satisfied with the meals in the mansion, let alone anything from outside. Chang Lin didn’t aim to buy anything particularly delicious; he just wanted something warm to soothe the stomach.
He hadn’t been to the northern part of the city many times, and it wasn’t until he got out of the carriage that he remembered what this area was.
If he recalled correctly, Third Master Pei’s alluring mistress was settled on Wutong Street around here.
“Tsk, what a pity.”
Chang Lin shook his head as he thought. When Third Master Pei had bought the woman, he had thought his master had finally taken an interest in women. Who would have guessed that after bringing such a bewitching woman home, Third Master Pei had never once favored her, and now he had even left her in the northern part of the city without a second thought.
Could the rumors outside be true? Was Third Master Pei truly incapable, and had he bought a mistress just to cover up his “hidden ailment”?
Chang Lin shivered, feeling he had uncovered the truth.
No wonder Third Master Pei had never had a woman by his side. But if not women, then perhaps men? He just didn’t know what kind of man his master would fancy.
Chang Lin’s mind was a mess, and his feet unconsciously led him to Wutong Street. As he looked up, he saw a stall with a long queue.
“Isn’t that Nanny Su and Rendong? Why are they running a stall?”
He had been the one to buy the two of them back, so Chang Lin couldn’t possibly mistake them.
He never expected them to be selling food, and business seemed quite good. But what about Miss Xi?
Chang Lin no longer had any intention of buying food. He just wanted to hurry back and report to Pei Zhao. Even if Miss Xi was out of favor, she was still Third Master Pei’s woman. If these two wicked servants were mistreating her, Third Master Pei would surely not stand by idly.
Just as he was about to leave, someone walked by carrying a bowl of wonton noodles. The aroma wafted straight into his nostrils, and Chang Lin, who had been hungry for most of the day, couldn’t resist.
He spent ten taels of silver to buy the bowl from a customer and hurried back to the carriage with it.
Pei Zhao was still resting with his eyes closed. He wasn’t interested in the food Chang Lin had bought. For him, food was merely sustenance, and none of it ever tasted good.
But this time, Third Master Pei was proven wrong.
The wontons were filled with pork and shepherd’s purse, with a shrimp ball added inside. Each bite was savory and springy. The shepherd’s purse had been freshly picked that morning, tender and still dewy. Chopped and mixed with the pork, its freshness perfectly balanced the greasiness of the meat.
The noodles were chewy, and by the time the wontons were finished, the noodles had soaked up all the broth. Xi Ning had improved the base soup, replacing the original chicken broth with a stock made from fish, shrimp, and pork bones—delicious and nutritious. By the time Pei Zhao finished, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.
It was the first time he had ever felt satisfaction from food. So, such deliciousness truly existed in this world.
“Which establishment made this? We should frequent it more often.”
If not for fear of public outrage, he would have wanted to hire the cook for his own household.
Chang Lin watched his master eat the entire time. If even his notoriously picky master enjoyed it so much, how delicious must these wonton noodles be? He wished he had bought another bowl.
But then again, he couldn’t afford food that cost ten taels a bowl.
Suppressing his mixed feelings, Chang Lin replied to his master.
“Master, you know this cook. It’s the two servants by Miss Xi’s side.”
“Miss Xi?”
For a moment, Pei Zhao couldn’t recall who Miss Xi was. Chang Lin, well aware of his master’s nature, quickly reminded him.
“The one you brought back from Jiangnan, the one in the outer courtyard.”
“Oh.”Pei Zhao lowered his gaze. He did not have a deep impression of Xi Ning. Back then, buying her had been a matter of necessity.
The Eighth Prince wanted to marry his beloved daughter to him, but the Eighth Prince and the Crown Prince were at odds. The Pei family supported the Crown Prince, yet they could not afford to offend the Eighth Prince. Pei Zhao knew the Eighth Prince intended to win him over, but he was unwilling to rush into marriage. So, he brought back a woman from Jiangnan.
Back then, he bought Xi Ning simply because she was beautiful, which conveniently reinforced his reputation for being infatuated with beauty.
Moreover, this woman had a timid nature. Though she aspired to climb the social ladder, she was unlikely to do anything too outrageous. Pei Zhao had originally planned to wait until the Eighth Prince’s intentions faded in a couple of years, then give Xi Ning some silver and find her a good place to go.
He just hadn’t expected that in less than half a year, things would spiral out of his control.
“Go to the outer courtyard.”