Breathing in the lingering aroma of food and medicinal herbs in the air, along with the faint scent coming from her body beside him, Xiao Hanyuan slowly relaxed without realizing it.
Though the wooden bed beneath him was hard, it was far warmer than the icy floor.
Drowsiness washed over him, and he gradually fell asleep as well.
It was the most peaceful sleep he had had in a very long time.
The next morning.
When Xiao Hanyuan woke up, the spot beside him was already empty. Reaching out to touch it, he found the bedding cold too—she had clearly been up for quite some time.
The room was filled with the strong bitter fragrance of medicinal herbs, overpowering the musty smell that usually lingered in the house. Supporting himself upright, Xiao Hanyuan’s gaze instinctively swept toward the old wooden table in the room, and his expression froze slightly.
On the table sat a steaming bowl of white rice porridge, neatly prepared, along with a small plate of pickled wild vegetables, fresh and green.
In times like these, white rice was precious, yet she was actually willing to cook plain rice porridge?
Just as he was staring blankly, the door creaked open.
Su Qinghe walked in carrying the heavy bamboo basket on her back, morning dew still clinging to her clothes. Seeing that Xiao Hanyuan was awake, she wasn’t surprised at all. She simply adjusted the basket straps skillfully.
“You’re awake?”
Xiao Hanyuan frowned slightly at her fully prepared appearance.
“You’re going out?”
“Mm. Going into town to sell the sugar-roasted chestnuts I made last night.” Su Qinghe sounded relaxed, as if she were very confident in the business.
She pointed at the breakfast on the table, then toward the kitchen outside.
“Hurry and eat while it’s hot. I already brewed your medicine. It’s warming on the stove.”
Then, as if remembering something important, she seriously reminded him:
“Remember, drink the medicine half an hour after eating. Don’t drink it too early, and don’t forget.”
Without waiting for him to respond, she hoisted the bamboo basket onto her back and strode out the door without looking back.
Xiao Hanyuan sat at the bedside, listening to the sound of the courtyard gate closing. His gaze landed on the thick, fragrant bowl of porridge, and for a long while he did not look away.
He tightened his grip on the bedding beneath him, his expression growing darker and more unreadable.
In the past, this woman would sleep until the sun was high in the sky. Yet today, she had gotten up before dawn and was actually being hardworking.
Compared to before, she was like a completely different person.
The town market was already bustling with activity.
Su Qinghe found a spot with heavy foot traffic, set down her clay basin, and lifted the cloth covering it.
“Selling chestnuts! Sweet and soft sugar-roasted chestnuts!”
She called out loudly.
Passersby turned to look, and a few curious people approached.
“What’s this?” an older woman asked.
“Sugar-roasted chestnuts. Sweet and delicious.” Su Qinghe smiled. “Five wen for a small bowl.”
“Five wen? That expensive?” The woman shook her head and walked away.
Several more people asked the price, only to leave complaining it was too costly.
Su Qinghe wasn’t worried at all.
At that moment, a seven- or eight-year-old boy stood nearby, staring longingly at the chestnuts.
“Want some?” Su Qinghe asked.
The boy nodded eagerly.
“Here, try one for free.” She peeled a chestnut and handed it to him.
The boy took a bite, and his eyes instantly lit up.
“It’s delicious! Mom, I want more!”
He tugged on the woman beside him and whined.
The woman hesitated.
“How much?”
“Five wen for a small bowl. About ten chestnuts.”
“Alright then, give me one bowl.”
With the first customer came the second.
Soon more and more children gathered around, so Su Qinghe simply gave each child one chestnut to sample.
After tasting them, the children all clamored to buy more. The adults couldn’t resist and reluctantly paid.
In less than an hour, the large basin of chestnuts sold out completely.
Su Qinghe counted the copper coins. She had earned three hundred wen.
Three hundred wen sounded like a lot, but compared to the massive debt of twenty-five taels, it barely made a ripple.
She weighed the money pouch in her hand, her eyes passing over the bustling crowd before locking onto a grand two-story building in the center of town—
Zuixian Tower.
Carrying her bamboo basket, she walked straight to the entrance.
“Shoo, shoo! Where’d this fat woman come from? Don’t block the way for our honored guests!”
The moment she stepped onto the stairs, a waiter with a white towel draped over his shoulder rushed over, waving his hands like he was chasing away flies. His face was full of disgust.
“If you’re begging, go to the back alley. This isn’t a place for someone like you!”
The surrounding customers entering and leaving pinched their noses. Their gazes swept over Su Qinghe’s patched coarse clothes and huge figure, their eyes full of contempt.
But Su Qinghe didn’t get angry. She didn’t even raise an eyebrow.
She casually stood beside the red-painted pillar at the entrance and slowly pulled out the still-warm package of sugar-roasted chestnuts from her clothes.
Crack.
The crisp sound of a shell splitting rang out.
She peeled open a chestnut, exposing the golden flesh inside.
Then she lightly fanned the air with her hand.
A rich aroma exploded instantly at the doorway—the sweet scent of caramel mixed with the nutty fragrance of chestnuts, drifting straight into the restaurant hall with the wind.
Food in this era was usually heavy with oil and salt. Nobody had ever smelled something with such layered sweetness before.
Several diners inside sniffed the air and stopped eating.
“What’s that smell? It’s amazing.”
“Seems like roasted snacks, but that sweetness… it’s strangely addictive.”
“That smells way too good!”
“How much is it? Miss, are you selling those?”
“I want to try some too!”
Many customers stretched their necks eagerly, swallowing hard.
A window from one of the private rooms upstairs opened, and a portly middle-aged man leaned out, following the scent downstairs. Upon seeing the mountain-like figure of the woman standing at the entrance, he frowned before quickly hurrying down.
“Manager, this crazy woman refuses to leave—” the waiter immediately complained.
Manager Liu raised a hand to stop him. His sharp little eyes were fixed on the chestnuts in Su Qinghe’s hand.
“Madam, what exactly is that you’re holding?”
Su Qinghe handed him a peeled chestnut with a smile.
“Want to try it?”
Manager Liu hesitated before taking it and placing it into his mouth.
After chewing twice, his eyes suddenly widened.
Soft, sweet, fragrant, unforgettable!
If used as an appetizer or an after-meal snack, it would definitely keep customers coming back!
Manager Liu instantly regained the shrewdness of a businessman, hiding the greed in his eyes as he said calmly:
“The taste is decent. I’ll give you five hundred wen for the whole basket.”
“I’m not selling chestnuts.” Su Qinghe interrupted him, brushing the crumbs from her hands.
Manager Liu froze.
“Then what are you selling?”
Su Qinghe grinned. Despite her plump face, there was a sharpness about her that couldn’t be ignored.
“I’m selling the recipe for these ‘sugar-roasted chestnuts.’”
The moment those words left her mouth, many customers in the hall turned to look.
A country peasant woman daring to negotiate selling a recipe to the manager of Zuixian Tower?
Manager Liu laughed.
“Woman, don’t be too greedy. These chestnuts are nothing more than stir-frying with sugar. My kitchen could figure it out after a couple of days.”
“Of course your chefs could figure it out.” Su Qinghe remained calm, her voice clear and steady. “But they’d have to experiment first, right? How high should the heat be? How much sugar? When should it be added? What kind of hot sand or stones should be used for roasting? All the wasted ingredients and wasted time—aren’t those also money?”
She paused, sweeping her eyes across the packed dining hall.
“Winter’s coming. Hot snacks like this are the hardest to come by. The earlier you start selling them, the earlier you start putting customers’ silver into your pockets. And I hear the restaurant next door, Yipinxiang, has been doing quite well lately. If they figure it out first…”
Manager Liu’s expression changed instantly.
This woman had viciously sharp insight—and an even sharper tongue!
“Five taels.” Manager Liu held up a hand. “Leave the recipe and take the money.”
A wave of gasps spread around the hall.
Five taels of silver was enough for an ordinary farming family to survive on for a whole year!
This fat woman had struck it rich!
But unexpectedly, Su Qinghe shook her head.
“Twenty taels. Not one coin less.”
“You’re robbing us!” the waiter shouted angrily.
Manager Liu’s face darkened.
“Madam, one should know when to be satisfied. Twenty taels? You dare ask for that much?”