The autumn mornings had already turned chilly. Many laborers on their way to work were grabbing breakfast from the food stalls near the shops.
“Ergouzi, why are you out buying flatbread? Doesn’t the grain store provide meals?” someone asked.
“Ah, Brother Zhuzi, don’t even mention it.” The young man called Ergouzi curled his lip. “Our shopkeeper is so stingy! Every morning it’s just a bowl of bean porridge. Who can get full on that? I’ve got to do hard labor all morning. How am I supposed to work with only porridge in my stomach?”
“Tsk, tsk.” Zhuzi sighed. “A rich man with no conscience.”
“Exactly!”
As they spoke, a clear, lively voice called out from nearby:
“Lotus-leaf buns stuffed with vegetables, menzi, or braised pork! Try it for free! Taste first, buy later if you like it!”
“Free! Free! Free!”
Ergouzi and Zhuzi exchanged glances, both intrigued.
What was a lotus-leaf bun? And what was menzi? They had never heard of either. Could they really be good?
But… she said it was free!
Lu Yan knew exactly how attractive the words “free of charge” were to working people. In no time, three or four people had wandered over to her stall to ask about the food.
A sign bearing the words Lu’s Shop was planted beside a donkey cart. Some people could read it, some could not. The stall owner was a thin, half-grown girl. On the table before her sat an insulated container and a small cutting board, on which lay slices of menzi. Lu Yan cut a piece into thumb-sized cubes and stuck a bamboo skewer into each one.
“What we sell are lotus-leaf buns,” she explained, opening the insulated container to reveal steaming buns. “They’re about the size of a steamed bun and meant to be split open and stuffed. We have three fillings.” She pointed to the jars beside her. “Shredded potatoes cost three coins, menzi costs four, and braised pork costs six. A whole piece of meat, sliced fresh for you.”
When she lifted the lid off the meat jar, the rich aroma instantly spread through the air.
The eyes of the people gathered around turned red with longing.
Meat!
Actual meat!
The man at the front swallowed hard and asked, “What’s this menzi you mentioned?”
Lu Yan pushed the cutting board toward him. “This. Try it first and see if you like it. Tasting is free. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to buy anything.”
The moment she said “free,” the crowd surged forward. Everyone grabbed a skewer with a piece of menzi on it. The instant they put it in their mouths, their eyes lit up.
“This is delicious! It tastes like meat!”
“I got a bit of minced meat!”
“Wow, what is this made from?”
“It’s cooked in meat broth and has some meat mixed in,” Lu Yan said with a smile. “It’s not pure meat, but it’s enough to satisfy your cravings.”
The man in front quickly counted out four copper coins and dropped them into the little bamboo basket on the table.
“One with menzi for me.”
“Coming right up!”
Lu Yan swiftly took a steaming lotus-leaf bun and stuffed it with three thick slices of menzi. The slices were cut generously thick, and the bun was packed full.
The man took a bite.
His mouth was instantly filled with a rich, savory flavor. The aroma of meat spread across his palate.
“Delicious! Really delicious!”
Lu Yan’s business quickly got off to a good start. A hot bun stuffed with shredded potatoes cost only three coins, and one with the fragrant menzi filling cost only four. In less than an hour, she had sold out.
People kept asking whether there was any menzi left. When they heard it was gone, they all told her to bring more tomorrow.
The braised pork, however, didn’t sell nearly as well. She had sold only four or five of them before sales stopped. Very few people could bear to spend that much.
By now it was already the Hour of the Dragon. The shops had all opened, and the laborers had gone to work. There were no more breakfast customers.
Sitting on the donkey cart, Lu Yan pondered whether she should adjust her strategy starting tomorrow—make more menzi and stop selling the meat buns altogether.
Just then, several scholars walked past her stall while chatting among themselves. One of them, dressed in a blue robe, slowed his pace, then unexpectedly turned back.
“Brother Bowen, what’s the matter?” his companions asked in confusion.
Lu Yan looked at him in surprise as well.
The scholar named Bowen pointed at the sign that read Lu’s Shop.
“Beautiful calligraphy! Truly beautiful! Who wrote this?”
“My younger brother did,” Lu Yan replied, jumping down from the cart. “Not only is his handwriting good, our food is excellent too. Have you gentlemen eaten yet? Since you praised my brother’s calligraphy, I’m in such a good mood that I’ll treat you to something.”
At once, all the scholars gathered around.
To be honest, none of them had eaten. Scholars who earned money by copying books usually ate only twice a day and didn’t have their first meal until mid-morning. At the moment, they were all quite hungry.
“How could we possibly accept that?” they asked, torn between hunger and embarrassment.
“It’s fine,” Lu Yan said with a smile. “If you enjoy it, just help spread the word and come eat here often.”
She took out the insulated container and lifted the lid off the jar of braised meat.
The moment the fragrance escaped, the scholars were entranced.
Lu Yan picked out a piece of meat, sliced it with a knife, stuffed it all into a steaming lotus-leaf bun, wrapped it in oiled paper, and handed it to Song Bowen.
Song Bowen hurriedly thanked her, took the bun, and bit into it.
Then he froze.
He had never tasted meat this delicious.
Among this group of scholars, his family was considered relatively well-off. His family was in business, so he didn’t need to copy books to earn tuition money. Today he had simply come to the bookstore with his classmates.
He had already eaten breakfast and only accepted the bun because he couldn’t politely refuse.
Yet the very first bite stunned him.
The meat was braised until tender and soft. He hardly needed to chew before rich, savory flavors filled his mouth. Whatever spices had been used had completely removed the gamey smell of pork, leaving behind only pure, mouthwatering fragrance. The fatty parts were rich and fragrant, while the lean parts were springy and tender. Paired with the soft, fluffy hot bun, it was even more delicious.
When Song Bowen finally came back to his senses, he discovered that all his classmates around him were eating with complete disregard for scholarly dignity.
Lu Yan thought to herself:
Come and experience the overwhelming power of fat and carbohydrates!
“Miss, did you cook this meat yourself?” one of the scholars asked. “I must sound ignorant, but it’s far tastier than my mother’s cooking!”
Lu Yan laughed.
“I did make it myself. I used more than ten different spices.”
“No wonder it’s so delicious.” The scholar grinned. “I’ll come back tomorrow and buy one to take home for my parents.”
“Wonderful. I’ll be in the same spot tomorrow,” Lu Yan said. “Come early—I’ll have vegetarian ones too.”
After giving away five buns, she had only one left. She simply made one for herself and ate it.
Then she packed up, bought more meat, and drove the donkey cart home.
It wasn’t even noon when she arrived.
Lu Yan emptied the little bamboo basket and counted the money inside.
There were sixty-three copper coins left in the basket. Adding the thirty-four coins she had spent on meat, today’s earnings should be ninety-four coins in total. After subtracting the costs, her net profit was probably around fifty or sixty coins.
She figured that if she bought more meat at once in the future, she could save a few more coins.
Today’s earnings were already quite good. Tomorrow would surely be even better. At this rate, making two taels of silver a month wouldn’t be difficult.
That’s about what a successful provincial scholar earns, Lu Yan thought happily to herself.