When they arrived at the courtyard, Shen Hao spotted the big blue donkey and, curious, reached out to touch it. “Girl, is this the donkey you bought? It looks really sturdy.”
Shen Yu quickly held her father back. “Father, we’re pressed for time. Let’s hurry to the village chief’s house.”
“Yes, and we should tell Uncle Zhang and the others, so they can come with us,” Shen Yong’an added, hurrying to follow Shen Yu out of the yard.
The old village chief’s family was having a meal—five people around the table: the chief and his wife, Shen Yong and his wife Liu Fang, and their six-year-old son Shen Tiedan, roughly the same age as little Shen Hao. The two kids often played together.
On the uneven table was just porridge made from sorghum, a plate of pickles, and a few black wheat cakes. Even so, this simple meal was considered top-notch in the village.
Hearing a knock at the gate, Shen Yong got up to open the door. The old village chief was surprised to see Shen Yong’an and Shen Yu. There was an unspoken village rule—not to visit during mealtime, especially when food was precious. Letting visitors eat during a meal could leave the household with less for themselves.
“You two have something to tell me? Have you eaten? Come in and have a bite.” The old chief rose to let them in, though he knew they likely wouldn’t eat—the family always cooked fixed portions.
“We’ve eaten, Second Uncle. We want to speak with you inside,” Shen Yu said.
The chief noticed Shen Yong’an’s serious expression and immediately understood it was important. He led them into the inner room.
“Today, Yu girl went to town and heard some news… barbarians are coming,” Shen Yong’an whispered to the village chief.
“What? Impossible!” The old chief jumped from the kang bed in shock. “Yongzi just came back from town. How come he heard nothing?”
Shen Yong, who had somehow followed them in, said quickly, “Yes, I was in town today, but I heard nothing.”
“Uncle Yong, did you go to town to buy supplies today?” Shen Yu asked.
“No, I was waiting at the town entrance for everyone,” he replied.
“Second Grandfather, I personally heard the servants of wealthy households say their masters and ladies were leaving today. I also checked the grain stores; the assistant confirmed it. Grain prices have already risen today, and tomorrow they’ll rise even more. You should buy some grain this afternoon and confirm the news yourself,” Shen Yu suggested.
The old chief sank back onto the kang, dropping his pipe in shock, mumbling, “What to do… what to do…”
Seeing him so worried, Shen Yu gently patted his back to calm him. “Second Grandfather, knowing in advance lets us prepare. Let Uncle Yong quickly go buy the grain. As for whether to tell the villagers, you can decide after he returns.”
With that, Shen Yu and Shen Yong’an left the village chief’s house.
Shen Yong’an quietly ran to tell Zhang Yuanshan and several close friends to go buy grain early. He dared not alert the general villagers—spreading unverified news could be considered rumor-mongering and land him in jail.
The old chief, finally recovering, skipped his meal and instructed his wife to give silver to Shen Yong, sending him to town to buy grain and confirm the news. If true, he was to fetch the eldest son Shen Zhi and his family from town as well.
Back at home, Shen Yu saw her mother cleaning the new iron pot with lard. New iron cookware had to be treated with oil or pig fat, rubbed multiple times to absorb the grease, then cleaned. This made the pot durable and non-stick.
While her mother worked, Shen Yu quietly took two small iron pots from her storage and handed them to Lin Shuyuan. “Mother, these two small pots were gifts from my master. You can season them as well.”
Lin Shuyuan paused, then smiled brightly, accepting the pots. “These will be perfect for the journey. Your master is thoughtful.” She returned to her work.
Shen Yu, unable to hide her satisfaction, brought out several plates and bowls from her storage, along with ten jin of white flour and five jin of black flour. She cleaned the large wooden basin bought that morning and began mixing dough.
She combined the two flours, added fine salt and sugar, and partially scalded the flour with boiling water while mixing the rest with cold water. This technique made the flatbreads soft even when cooled.
The dough was set aside to rest—it needed three rounds of resting and kneading for the best texture. By then, Lin Shuyuan had prepared all three iron pots for use.
Shen Yu instructed her mother to chop some fried pork bits, while she took small green onions from her storage, cleaned and chopped them, then mixed them into a filling with the pork.
Once the dough had rested, Shen Yu took a large dough board and began making flatbreads. She divided the dough into portions, rolled one into a large circle, spread the filling evenly, rolled it into a log, and cut it into individual pieces, each rolled into a plate-sized flatbread.
Lin Shuyuan baked the breads. Soon, the delicious aroma filled the courtyard. Little Shen Hao, unable to wait, started eating immediately, exclaiming, “It smells amazing! Better than big buns!”
Shen Yong’an, working on weaving a bamboo shelter for the cart, was also drawn by the smell. He grabbed a flatbread without washing his hands—earning a playful smack from Lin Shuyuan.
After baking dozens, everyone gathered around the bamboo table to eat.
“I’ve never eaten anything this delicious! My girl is incredible!” Shen Yong’an praised.
“Sister’s master is an immortal, of course her food is the best!” little Shen Hao said, sitting beside the table, already full but watching everyone eat.
“It’s still hot today. If we leave these for two days, they’ll go bad. Maybe we shouldn’t have made so many,” Lin Shuyuan remarked while eating.
“Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll make sure none of these flatbreads are wasted. My master also prepared plenty of things for our journey, so don’t be concerned,” Shen Yu reassured everyone as she chewed on a piece.
Hearing her, the family’s hearts felt calmer.
After finishing, everyone returned to their tasks.
At the old chief’s house, Shen Yong had returned from buying grain. The eldest son Shen Zhi, along with his family and belongings, was also back.
Shen Yong, full of worry, reported to the chief: “Father, in town I saw several wealthy households leaving, each with multiple carriages, some over ten. And the grain stores raised prices again this afternoon. The assistant said that if sold for another day, they’ll stop the day after. It seems what Yu girl said is true.”