Сhарtеr 9: Вuying Land
Sinсе thаt dау, Pei Zhaо hаd never сome аgаin. Хi Ning wаs quitе сontеnt with thе реacе, spending her daуs with Nаnny Su mаking fillings аnd wоntоns.
Тhe Хi fаmilу’s wonton nооdles grаdually gainеd famе in the north of thе citу. Not оnlу did customеrs from Wutong Streеt соmе to eаt, but реоple frоm the wеst and South Сity alsо flockеd to try them.
Ноwеver, Хi Ning аnd her two servаnts had limitеd еnergy. Аlthough therе werе mоrе custоmers, the dаily supрlу сouldn’t keep up, leaving manу whо had queued for а lоng time unable tо gеt a taste.
Nanny Su heard many complaints from customers and worried that this would lead to losing them. Yet Xi Ning smiled meaningfully.
“Don’t worry, Nanny. The more they can’t eat it, the more they’ll crave it. After all, the taste of our wonton noodles is unique. Later, write a sign stating how many servings are available each day—first come, first served.”
The overused limited-purchase tactic from modern merchants was now brought by Xi Ning to the ancient stage.
Nanny Su was initially worried about whether this method would work, but seeing more and more customers, she marveled inwardly. Her young lady was truly clever and resourceful—even their Third Master probably lacked such ingenuity.
Looking at it this way, the two of them were indeed well-matched.
After April, the capital had completely warmed up, and many of the seeds Xi Ning had sown earlier had matured.
The two flower beds in the outer courtyard were planted with vegetables. The seeds were bought by Rendong from a grocery store, but Xi Ning secretly replaced them with those from her Hand Ring. After all, Nanny Su and Rendong didn’t know what these seeds would grow into.
Especially since the grocery store owner, upon hearing Rendong wanted vegetable seeds, haphazardly packed a mixed bag containing all sorts of seeds, which conveniently allowed Xi Ning to make the switch.
One flower bed was planted with lettuce and spinach, while the other had carrots, Potatoes, and chili peppers.
The seeds from her Hand Ring had been modified for better flavor and higher yield. Although only a small plot was planted, the harvest would be enough for the three of them to eat.
However, Xi Ning wasn’t satisfied. These seeds were life-saving food for the common people, and it would be a waste for only her and her two servants to enjoy them.
Thinking of the five hundred taels of silver Pei Zhao had left behind, Xi Ning had an idea.
Madam Xu’s mother-in-law happened to work at a matchmaker agency. Xi Ning brought a basket of homemade thin pancakes and paid a visit.
Madam Xu had a round face, her hair tied back with a wooden hairpin. Her fair skin and smiling demeanor made her look very kind.
Opening the door to see Xi Ning, she quickly wiped her hands on her apron and greeted her warmly.
“I wondered why I heard magpies chirping early this morning—it turns out Miss Xi has come to visit.”
Xi Ning’s identity was no secret among the nobility in the capital, but ordinary people didn’t know about it. However, Madam Xu was shrewd, and with her mother-in-law being a matchmaker, she had learned to read people perfectly.
Miss Xi was stunningly beautiful, spoke in a delicate tone, and had two servants by her side. Moreover, they lived across the street, and Madam Xu had seen Pei Zhao’s visits several times.
She had long guessed that Xi Ning was likely some nobleman’s mistress. Even as a mistress, she was someone they couldn’t afford to offend.
Madam Xu was eager and attentive. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xi Ning stated her purpose.
“Is Aunt Wang at home? I have something to ask for her help.”
Upon hearing that she was looking for her mother-in-law, Madam Xu assumed Xi Ning wanted to buy a few servants. She had seen how popular the Xi family’s food business was, and with Nanny Su and Rendong unable to keep up, it was only natural for Xi Ning to want more help.
With business at her doorstep, Madam Xu’s smile grew even more genuine.”Yes, yes, Miss Xi, please come inside for some tea first. I’ll go call my mother-in-law.”
Aunt Wang was a woman with a long face, thin and wiry, with shrewd eyes. Having worked as a matchmaker for so long, she was very smooth in her dealings with people.
Like Madam Xu, Aunt Wang also assumed that Xi Ning wanted to buy servants. When she heard that Xi Ning wanted to buy land, the smile on Aunt Wang’s face faltered for a moment. But despite her shock, her professionalism as a matchmaker remained intact, and she quickly composed herself.
“Miss Xi wants to buy land—do you have a particular location in mind? And what’s your budget?”
Naturally, Xi Ning wasn’t sure. The original owner of this body had only cared about romantic fantasies, so no useful information could be gleaned from her.
She simply said she had a budget of five hundred taels and asked Aunt Wang to keep an eye out for her.
Aunt Wang nodded and thought for a moment before speaking.
“To be honest, five hundred taels is not a small sum. It could buy twenty or thirty acres of prime farmland. But I see that you probably don’t have anyone to help manage it, so it would be best to buy an estate with a manor. As it happens, I have one ready at hand.”
Aunt Wang was meticulous. Seeing Xi Ning nod after she finished speaking, she continued.
“The owner of this manor is a kind-hearted man. He’s moving his entire family south and wants to find a good master for the servants in the manor, so the manor is being sold together with its people. Many buyers have looked at it before and were very satisfied with the manor itself, but they didn’t want to take on the servants, so the manor has remained unsold.”
Most people preferred to use their own trusted servants. Taking on one or two servants was manageable, but a whole manor full of them was a hot potato—no one wanted to risk the servants becoming too powerful and bullying their master. So, no matter how good the manor was, no one dared to buy it.
Xi Ning nodded. This was indeed a problem, but for her, it was also an advantage. If the servants in the manor were capable, it would save her the trouble of buying more people.
“How much is the seller asking?”
Hearing this, Aunt Wang knew Xi Ning was interested, and her smile widened.
“Master Liu originally asked for five hundred and thirty taels, but since the manor hasn’t sold for so long, knocking off twenty or thirty taels shouldn’t be a problem. Your silver will definitely be enough.”
Five hundred taels for a manor plus twenty acres of land, complete with a steward and laborers—this was a one-step solution that satisfied Xi Ning. However, she still needed to see the manor for herself to know exactly what it was like.
Xi Ning arranged with Aunt Wang to go outside the city to inspect it the next day, left some flatbread, and returned home.
Aunt Wang and her daughter-in-law saw her out, and as soon as they returned home, they couldn’t help but gossip.
“I wonder which nobleman’s mistress this Miss Xi is. With looks like hers, she could easily become a palace consort.”
In all her years, Madam Xu had never seen a woman more beautiful than Xi Ning.
“Whoever that nobleman is, he’s not someone we can afford to offend. Miss Xi has a gentle and kind nature. If we befriend her, we might even be able to gain the favor of a nobleman.”
Having worked in the matchmaking business for so long, Aunt Wang knew the importance of connections. If they could befriend Xi Ning, their family would have a powerful ally in the northern part of the city.
Madam Xu was struck by this realization. “Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll make sure to get along well with Miss Xi.”
“Good. Now go make dinner. Put these flatbreads away—we’ll eat them when Yuan’er and the others come back tonight.”
“Yes.”
When Xi Ning returned home, Nanny Su and Rendong hadn’t yet closed up their stall. She picked a handful of spinach from the garden, cleaned and washed it with well water, then shelled half a bowl of peanuts, planning to make a spinach with nuts dish for lunch.
Spinach with nuts was a cold dish, and the secret to its deliciousness lay in the sauce—the most important ingredient in the sauce being chili peppers.
However, chili peppers hadn’t yet appeared in this dynasty. The ones Xi Ning had planted would need another two or three months to mature.Without chili peppers, she used Sichuan peppercorns as a substitute.
Into a small white porcelain bowl, she added a spoonful of minced garlic, a spoonful of soy sauce, two spoonfuls of aromatic vinegar, three spoonfuls of Sichuan peppercorn oil, along with a pinch of salt and half a spoonful of sugar, stirring until well combined.
After blanching the spinach, she cooled it, cut it into sections, poured the sauce over it, sprinkled peanuts on top, drizzled some sesame oil for garnish, and mixed everything evenly.
Though this dish may seem simple to prepare, its flavor is no less impressive than rich meat dishes.
Xi Ning herself could easily eat two bowls of rice with it.