Following Manager Wang, Chen Zhiwei stepped into the back hall of Baiwei Restaurant once again.
This time, her state of mind was completely different from her first visit—less nervous, more composed and confident.
The shopkeeper was already waiting inside.
A somewhat awkward smile hung on his face, and as soon as he saw her, he hurriedly stood up to greet her. “Miss Chen, you’ve arrived—please, have a seat! Tea!” His attitude was completely different from before.
“You’re too kind, Shopkeeper,” Chen Zhiwei replied with a slight nod, sitting down gracefully.
She showed neither timidity nor resentment over the previous difficulties, and her calm demeanor made the shopkeeper regard her even more highly.
“Miss Chen, regarding the incident the other day, I was misled by slander and misunderstood you. I hope you can forgive me,” the shopkeeper said, cupping his hands in apology, his posture very humble.
“You overstate it,” Chen Zhiwei said calmly. “The innocent remain innocent. However, if there is no trust between us, I fear our cooperation won’t last.”
“You’re absolutely right!” the shopkeeper quickly agreed. “After this matter, I’ve come to see your integrity and your unmatched skill. Your braised meat has become the signature dish that draws customers to Baiwei Restaurant—we absolutely cannot lose it! How about this: we continue as before, with the price you set, and we’ll take all your daily supply!”
Chen Zhiwei understood clearly—he had seen her ability to sell independently and the customers’ approval, and was afraid of losing her as a supplier entirely. But she no longer wanted to depend solely on Baiwei Restaurant.
“I appreciate your goodwill,” she said after a brief pause. “But after this, I believe it’s unwise to put all eggs in one basket. If you truly wish to cooperate, I have a proposal.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Each day, I can supply Baiwei Restaurant with a fixed eighty jin of braised meat at the same price. The remaining twenty jin I will keep for retail. This way, your restaurant’s supply is guaranteed, and I retain flexibility to handle unexpected situations like today. What do you think? Also, I plan to braise some vegetarian dishes—after all, not everyone can afford meat.”
The shopkeeper quickly calculated in his mind. Eighty jin was less than he had hoped for, but it was still the bulk of the supply and enough to meet the restaurant’s needs.
If he pushed too hard and she walked away—or worse, partnered with Zuixian Pavilion—that would be a real loss.
As for her selling vegetarian dishes, he had no objection; ordinary folk didn’t have much money anyway.
“Alright! We’ll do as you say!” the shopkeeper agreed decisively. “Manager Wang, draft a new contract!”
The new agreement was quickly prepared, and both parties signed it.
Holding this contract—one that gave her more autonomy—Chen Zhiwei felt at ease.
This time, she held greater initiative.
..
With the distribution of her braised meat secured, Chen Zhiwei shifted more of her energy to soybean products.
Besides supplying eighty jin to Baiwei Restaurant and selling twenty jin herself each day, she began experimenting extensively with dried tofu, tofu sheets, and yuba.
Once she became familiar with the process, the first people she thought of were the Zhang Meng family and the village head’s family—those who had helped her before.
She first went to Zhang Meng’s house. Zhang Meng was a straightforward man. When he saw her bring fragrant braised dried tofu and soft tofu sheets, he initially refused to accept them.
“Uncle Zhang, please don’t refuse,” Chen Zhiwei said. “These soybean products are something new I’ve been working on. I’d like you and Auntie to try them and give me your feedback. Also, I’m too busy to manage everything alone, so I’d like your help. I need a large amount of tofu—you can help me procure it. I’ll pay you three wen per jin. Whatever price you buy at is your business, as long as you don’t pass off inferior goods. Tomorrow, please start by getting me one hundred jin. Is that alright?”
One hundred jin—given that soybeans usually cost two to three wen per jin, if he bought at two, he could earn a hundred wen a day. Realizing Chen Zhiwei was deliberately helping him, Zhang Meng quickly agreed.
Next, she visited the village head’s house, bringing soybean products as well and offering the village head’s wife a job helping at her home for thirty wen a day. Madam Mei beamed with joy—this Zhiwei girl was truly kind-hearted.
With Zhang Meng and Madam Mei helping, Chen Zhiwei felt much less burdened. On the first day, she took twenty jin of braised meat along with over a hundred jin of braised dried tofu, five-spice tofu, tofu sheets, and yuba to town.
Whenever someone came to buy braised meat, she would recommend her tofu products and even promote Baiwei Restaurant, suggesting those in a hurry could go there.
Although soybean products weren’t as eye-catching as braised meat, they worked like spring rain—quietly attracting a steady group of customers.
Frugal housewives would buy a piece of braised tofu as a cheap yet respectable dish for their husbands’ drinks. Laborers with little money could spend a coin or two on five-spice tofu and enjoy it with coarse bread. Some curious customers praised the delicate, paper-thin tofu sheets.
“Little girl, how do you make this tofu? It smells even better than meat!” an old woman asked.
“It’s a family recipe, with some special spices,” Chen Zhiwei replied with a smile, keeping the truth vague. The secret of the spirit spring water was her greatest advantage—she could never reveal it.
..
That evening, the small hut was dimly lit. Chen Zhiwei carefully counted and sorted the day’s earnings.
The braised meat brought in about two taels of silver steadily, while the soybean products earned over four hundred wen—modest, but promising.
She strung the copper coins together and carefully stored the silver, calculating silently. “The income is decent, but if I want to build a house and send Zhiyi to school soon, I need to accumulate faster.”
“Sis, what are you thinking about?” Chen Zhiyi asked curiously.
“I’m doing the math—seeing how long it will take for us to build a big tiled house and send you to school,” she said, patting his head.
“But school costs a lot… Cousin Zhiyuan always asks for money when he comes home. And I’m already this old—would it be too late for me?” His voice carried both longing and worry.
“Leave the money to me,” Chen Zhiwei said firmly. “You just focus on eating well and studying hard when you go to school. And don’t forget to keep practicing martial arts—you can’t let others bully you.”
..
As their lives improved, village gossip grew.
“She must be earning several taels a day!”
“The Zhang family and the village head’s family are benefiting too!”
There was envy, jealousy, and regret. The old Chen family, meanwhile, became increasingly isolated. Liao Jinfeng and Wang Shi often felt the sting of others’ whispers, deepening their resentment.
One day, as Chen Zhiwei returned from town, there were several bolts of fine cotton cloth on her ox cart—she planned to make new clothes.
At the village entrance, she ran into Aunt Zhao and several women. Among them was an unfamiliar young wife whose expression turned complicated when she saw the goods.
“That’s Sun Shi, the daughter-in-law of Carpenter Li from the west side of the village,” Aunt Zhao said quietly. “Her husband broke his leg. With no income and a small child, life is hard…”
Chen Zhiwei felt a stir in her heart, recalling her own hardships. She stopped, took out a packet of five-spice tofu, and pressed it into Sun Shi’s hands.
“Sister-in-law, this is homemade—let the child have a taste.”
Sun Shi tried to refuse, but Chen Zhiwei insisted. Then, as if casually, she said to Aunt Zhao, “Auntie, once my soybean production increases, Madam Mei alone won’t be able to handle it. If you come across any clean, hardworking women, please keep me in mind.”
Aunt Zhao immediately understood—she was trying to help struggling families—and readily agreed. Sun Shi held the warm tofu, her eyes reddening with gratitude.
..
Back home, before she even had time to cook, Madam Mei came rushing over.
“Zhiwei, I just got back from the fields and heard Liao Jinfeng and Wang Shi whispering in their yard.
They said… your second uncle Chen Dahe has returned from town, and he’s brought a distant nephew with him.
From what they said… it seems they might be plotting something regarding your marriage again.”
Chen Zhiwei froze for a moment.
In the Great Yong Dynasty, marriage was mandatory at fourteen. After the new year, she would already be thirteen.
No wonder someone was starting to scheme again over her marriage.