“This… this is like moving the entire kitchen into the front hall?”
“My heavens, to make a few snacks, she’s made such a spectacle! Won’t we have to wash scallions in front of everyone from now on?”
“Her ideas are clever, sure… but will they really work?”
Liu Sanniang couldn’t understand it. What kind of spell had Old Zhang’s father been under, that he’d rather take less rent than not rent this prime spot to this little brat?
And now, this girl not only snatched her business but planned to open a food stall right under her nose!
At that moment, Granny Lin slowly pushed her drink cart over. She didn’t go to her usual stall but stopped right at the edge of the construction site.
“Qingyan, look what Granny brought for you!”
Granny Lin struggled to drag something long and covered with a dusty cloth from beneath the cart.
Su Qingyan quickly stepped forward to help. Together, they lifted the cloth, revealing a heavy black wooden plaque. Though worn at the edges, the four characters carved into it—“Zhang Ji Shi Pu”—still retained their noble presence, even if the paint had flaked off.
“This was Old Zhang’s father’s sign for his food shop. After the shop closed, it just sat in the woodshed. When he heard you were opening a store, he insisted I deliver it, saying the wood is solid and can stabilize your shop,” Granny Lin explained cheerfully.
This plaque was more than just wood. It represented a bygone old brand of the street and, more importantly, Old Zhang’s sincere recognition and blessing.
“Granny, please thank Old Zhang for me,” Su Qingyan said warmly, running her fingers over the deep knife marks on the plaque.
She immediately sent Su Mingxuan to buy the best red lacquer and gold powder.
That night, the Su family courtyard was bright with lantern light.
Su Qingyan personally sanded the old marks smooth, then painted the entire plaque with vibrant red lacquer, stroke by stroke.
Once dry, Su Xiucai donned his coat and took up the carving tools. He didn’t write with a brush but carved into the old “Zhang Ji Shi Pu,” carefully chiseling three new characters:
Su Ji Chu
Finally, Su Qingyan filled the strokes with gold powder. The three characters gleamed, combining the weight of the old plaque with a fresh, vigorous energy.
Construction of the shop progressed quickly.
The tables and chairs, made by carpenters following her plans, were simple and rustic, perfectly aligned, without any superfluous decoration yet exuding elegance.
The craftsmen were most amazed by one of her odd requests.
She had them build the wall behind the counter hollow, filling it with soil and rubble, and leave a channel extending from the stove into the wall.
“Little shopkeeper, what’s the meaning of a hollow wall? Won’t it let in more cold in winter?” the foreman scratched his head, baffled.
“Master, just do as I say,” Su Qingyan replied with a smile.
This was her secret weapon: an improved thermal wall.
Heat and smoke from the stove would circulate inside the wall, warming it, and gradually radiate warmth throughout the shop.
When the stove was first lit in the completed shop, a miracle occurred.
Outside, the wind howled and water froze. But entering Su Ji Chu, the semi-open shop, one was immediately enveloped in gentle warmth, from the feet up to the heart. The cool bricks of the wall were warm to the touch, like hugging a giant hot water bottle.
“Heavens! This… this wall heats up!”
“Incredible! Truly a divine technique!”
Several craftsmen crowded around, touching the wall, utterly amazed.
No one questioned Su Qingyan’s strange ideas after that.
The day before opening, Su Qingyan held an internal tasting.
Family members, along with Granny Lin and the landlord Old Zhang, were invited.
The new shop gleamed; the tables and chairs shone.
Su Qingyan even took out an unused set of celadon tea ware, placing it neatly on the counter beside a small clay stove brewing fragrant tea.
“Today, let’s try the new creations,” Su Qingyan announced, bringing a large tray from the back kitchen.
On the tray, one side held freshly cooked meat-stuffed buns, filling the warm shop with bold aromas. The other side held steaming bowls of creamy, white liquid.
“This is… soy milk?” Wang Shi asked curiously.
“Yes, freshly ground from our own soybeans,” Su Qingyan smiled. “Soaked, ground, filtered, and cooked without a bit of sugar. It’s pure bean fragrance.”
She paired a bowl of hot soy milk with a meat bun and handed it to her father: “Father, you try first.”
Su Xiucai looked at the scene, his eyes moist. He picked up the bowl, blew lightly, and sipped.
The rich, warm soy milk slid down, flooding him with comfort. The pure bean aroma balanced the slight greasiness of the meat bun, leaving only flavor and richness.
Biting into the meat bun, its crisp exterior and juicy interior melded perfectly with the smooth soy milk, creating a harmonious contrast of textures and flavors.
“Excellent! Wonderful!” Su Xiucai put down his bowl, nodding heavily. “With this, all other so-called breakfast foods in Bianjing may be abandoned!”
Old Zhang, a man of simple tastes, wolfed down a full set, wiped his mouth, and gave Su Qingyan a thumbs-up: “Little Su, just for this heated wall and warm soy milk, your shop is bound to succeed!”
By evening, the shop bustled with life. Shen Yan arrived with two classmates.
He observed the revitalized shop and the unique warmth, eyes filled with admiration.
“Miss Su, congratulations. I bring a small gift to wish Su Ji Chu a prosperous opening.”
He unrolled a sheet of fine Xuan paper. Four bold characters leapt off the page:
“Nuan Xiang Fu Gui” – “Warm Fragrance Floating Counter”
“‘Warm’ for the unique thermal wall; ‘Fragrance’ for the irresistible food; ‘Floating Counter’ for the ingenious open kitchen design,” he explained.
“Mr. Shen, this gift is too precious!” Su Qingyan exclaimed, surprised and delighted.
“It’s just calligraphy. Its fortune is to add color to your ingenious idea,” Shen Yan said with a gentle smile.
Everything was ready—only the east wind was missing.
Su Qingyan hung Shen Yan’s work in the most prominent place and raised the red-and-gold Su Ji Chu sign high. Gazing at the small shop she had built with her own hands, bearing all her family’s hopes, her heart swelled with pride.
She drew a deep breath and turned to her expectant family:
“Tomorrow, at the hour of Chen, Su Ji Chu officially opens!”