Xue Li innocently waved the flatbread in her hand. “Naturally, I’ve come to praise Shopkeeper Lu for her peerless skill.”
Madam Lu’s eyes flickered, followed by a cold sneer. “Now that truly is a wonder. There’s more than one shop selling flatbreads in the West Market; who knows whose handiwork that is in your hand?”
Xue Li stepped forward unhurriedly. She tore the flatbread open and wafted it gently beneath Madam Lu’s nose. The sweet, wheaty aroma of the bread instantly dispersed in the air, mingling with the rich scent of scallion oil and drifting straight into her nasal cavity.
She smiled and said, “Everyone knows your shop’s scallion oil fragrance is matchless, but few realize that what truly gives it its unique flavor isn’t the fried scallion oil, but the base dough of the bread itself.”
“If I’m not mistaken, the wheat flour you use for your flatbreads is aged from the previous year. While freshly ground flour is delicate, it lacks sufficient gluten strength. Only wheat flour that has been stored for a year produces flatbreads with a rich wheaty aroma, and superior elasticity, toughness, and chewiness. Such excellent crust, supplemented by the scallion oil you fry with added spices—the two complement each other to create the fine reputation of the Lu Family Flatbread Shop today.”
Madam Lu was utterly flabbergasted. Her mind was racing, unable to comprehend how this yellow-haired little girl, who had only recently opened her shop, could see through her five-generation ancestral flatbread recipe with a single comment.
Seeing her expression shift slightly, Xue Li felt certain that her speculation was correct.
In truth, it wasn’t difficult to deduce. In her previous life, she had read a book from the Southern Song period called Madam Wu’s Manual of Household Delicacies, which explicitly stated: “Wheat flour from the previous year is especially suited for making cakes.”
The “aged wheat flour” mentioned there was exactly what later generations called aged or matured flour. The aging of flour allows for the natural oxidation and breakdown of proteins, thereby improving the extensibility of the dough—it is particularly suitable for making staple foods that require a soft texture.
However, in the Song Dynasty, the daily consumption of flour by street stalls was enormous, making it difficult to stockpile ingredients for the long term. Stone-milling capacity was also limited. Those truly capable of long-term storage of aged flour were mostly grain shops that also dealt in warehousing. Not only that, but aged flour was prone to dampness and mold; it could only be preserved for a long time if sealed in pottery jars or stored in dry cellars.
Such a troublesome process was a significant cost burden for an ordinary flatbread vendor. It was unclear how Madam Lu managed to achieve all of this.
Madam Lu craned her neck, her gaze wavering, yet she still refused to admit it. “The Lu Family isn’t the only flatbread shop in the world that uses aged flour. How can you be so certain I made it?”
Xue Li’s eyes were clear as she said frankly, “Madam Lu, I didn’t come looking for you to argue about this.”
She stuffed the flatbread into the woman’s palm. “This flatbread is what you gave to those beggars.”
Hearing this, Madam Lu’s heart skipped a beat. She unconsciously tensed her shoulders and pushed the bread away with a forced, dismissive laugh. “Beggars? What a joke. I’m the type who wants to break a single copper coin in half before spending it; why would I have the leisure to give away flatbreads for free?”
Xue Li ignored her excuses. “I know that since Xue’s Treasure Delicacies Shop opened, it has taken away many of your diners. You harbor resentment toward me; I can understand that.”
Seeing her lay the cards on the table, Madam Lu coughed awkwardly and simply stopped hiding. She crossed her arms, her voice turning somewhat cold. “So what? In the world of merchants, we compete for profit. Even the Street Administration is too lazy to care. Do you really intend to report me to the authorities over a small patch of vegetables?”
Xue Li spread her hands. “Shopkeeper Lu, that is truly a case of a petty person judging a gentleman’s heart.”
“What do you mean?” Madam Lu eyed her suspiciously.
Xue Li let out a light sigh. “It’s true that business at my Treasure Delicacies Shop is getting better and better, but there are some things that are difficult to manage with manpower alone. Take my Cloud Flaky Buns, for instance. Right now, I’m busy developing new dishes and have been somewhat neglectful in updating the flavors of the buns. If this continues, the diners will grow bored of the taste, and my business won’t last long.”
She paused at the right moment. “Everyone knows your flatbreads are exceptionally well-made. If you’re willing to supply me with flatbreads daily, I can partner with you for a profit-share.”
Madam Lu didn’t react at first. She stood dazed for a long while before finally untangling her meaning—it turned out this girl hadn’t come to demand justice, but to do business with her?
She narrowed her eyes and sized Xue Li up carefully. “You’re young, little girl, but you’ve got a shrewd head for calculations. But if I supply you with flatbreads, how is my own shop supposed to survive?”
Xue Li gave a short “Eh” and snapped her fingers. “Shopkeeper Lu is truly a woman of business; you’ve hit the nail on the head immediately.”
She began to explain eloquently: “It’s precisely because our two houses should benefit each other that I’ve come up with this method. Listen closely; if you still find it unsuitable, it won’t be too late to object then. In the mornings, you continue to sell flatbreads normally, and I will continue to sell Cloud Flaky Buns—we won’t interfere with each other. But after noon, you will take the unsold flatbreads, re-process them, and send them to me to be sold at Treasure Delicacies. However, the flatbreads you supply to my house must be an upgraded version, distinct from the ordinary ones in your shop…”
Madam Lu was confused and hurriedly waved her hand to interrupt. “Wait, wait, wait. Flatbread is flatbread. My own version with scallion oil and pork is already considered luxurious. You want an upgraded version? What are you going to put in it? Dragon meat?”
“Eh, don’t be in a hurry, listen to me.” Xue Li counted on her fingers as she gave examples. “What to do with unsold flatbreads? First, they can be sliced thin, coated with honey, and toasted to make fragrant, stomach-warming ‘Scorched Jade Leaves.’ Second, they can be sliced in half and filled with fried eggs, vegetables, and a secret-recipe meat patty to make a ‘Great Song Burger.’ Third, they can be stuffed with fillings like bean paste, meat floss, or salted egg yolk to make afternoon tea snacks that are both sweet and savory. This way, no flatbread is wasted, and we can both sell them at a good price and split the profit. Isn’t that a win-win?”
Madam Lu was still pondering what a “burger” was, but after hearing Xue Li’s idea, her eyes darted about as her mind grew active.
Xue Li noticed her budding interest and smiled slightly. “However, business is business; the rules must be established. We’ll have a written agreement. We’ll sign an exclusive supply contract, and you’ll receive a commission based on the volume of supply and the number of new items sold. I will deliver the key seasonings—such as the honey for the Scorched Jade Leaves, the secret sauce for the Song-style Burgers, and the finished bean paste, meat floss, and salted egg yolk—to your shop every morning. You only need to handle the processing. The last point, which is especially important for you…”
“I can also design an exclusive sweet flatbread for your shop for you to pair with your scallion oil flatbreads, making a name for the ‘savory-sweet combo.’ Of course, I will personally prepare the honey-sugar for these sweet flatbreads before sending it over, lest…”
Reaching the end, Xue Li’s voice paused. She narrowed her eyes ominously and swept a glance over Madam Lu, whose face already betrayed her devious thoughts. “…lest someone thinks to kick the bridge away after crossing it.”
Madam Lu was spooked by that grim, cold laugh, and an inexplicable chill ran down her spine.
This girl looked bright and sunny with a soft temperament—why was her smile so terrifying?
She gave a couple of dry laughs, barely masking her guilt. “I didn’t expect a young girl like you to be more shrewd at business than those old foxes. Your plan is so meticulous that I can’t find a single fault in it.”
She paused and finally nodded. “Fine. I, Madam Lu, don’t believe in empty words; I believe most in the word ‘profit.’ Since there’s money to be made, I’ll sign the agreement and give it a try with you little slip of a girl.”
The Marquis of Ningwu’s Estate.
In the courtyard, morning dew slithered down the carved railings, dropping into the koi pond and sending out tiny ripples.
Qi Yue leaned lazily against the balustrade, resting her chin on one hand. Her gaze was vacant as she stared at the ornamental rocks in the pond. A cup of tea sat by her hand, long since gone cold.
She pinched the soft flesh at her waist and instantly ground her teeth—ever since she had paid for a monthly plan at Treasure Delicacies and eaten there for half a month, her waistline had not shrunk; instead, it felt a good half-circle tighter!
What was she to do? She was the one who had made a scene about a hunger strike in the estate!
Feeling resentful, Qi Yue reached out and tugged at the fragrant silk sash at her waist, trying to pull it tighter—ideally tight enough to squeeze out a slender willow waist. Unfortunately, even after using all her strength to the point of almost strangling herself, the silk sash didn’t show a hint of slack.
Amidst her frustration, she suddenly heard someone chuckle behind her.
“Didn’t you want to slim down? Why is it that over the past two days, you seem to have grown a bit more rounded?”
Qi Xun stepped out of the study. From a distance, he had seen his younger sister in the pavilion with a look of indignation, yanking on her waist belt without mercy. It was quite a comical sight, so he stepped forward to investigate.
Qi Yue’s hand paused, and she immediately turned around to glare at him, annoyed. “What nonsense are you talking! I haven’t touched a grain of rice these past few days; I’m thin and lean, where is there any—”
Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly felt the silk sash at her waist grow much looser. Before she could feel joy, a crisp rrip echoed—the silk sash had actually snapped in half right in the middle.
Qi Yue was instantly choked into silence.
The air went still in an instant.
Qi Xun leaned casually against a vermilion pillar, his eyes cast down at the lotus-patterned silk sash in her hand that had turned into two pieces. Then he raised his eyes, looking at her with a half-smile.
“I know what you want to say!” Qi Yue’s face instantly flushed bright red. In her exasperation, she simply threw the two pieces of the silk sash at him and haphazardly gathered her clothes together. “I’m not rounded, this is edema! Do you understand edema!”
Unfortunately, the silk fabric was as light as willow catkins; it didn’t even touch the hem of Qi Xun’s robes before it stalled, spun in mid-air, and drifted to the ground.
Qi Xun’s expression remained neutral as he nodded solemnly. “I only recall someone first claiming a hunger strike, then being unable to endure and retreating to eating only clear porridge daily. Now, even with ‘edema,’ you manage to maintain a rosy complexion; it seems this clear porridge is quite nourishing.”
“In my view, the Emperor needn’t worry about my stomach ailment anymore. I’ll just order the kitchen to nourish me with clear porridge every day.”
Qi Yue was unable to defend herself. She only wished she could crumple that sash into a ball and stuff it into his poison-dripping mouth. “I hope that clear porridge chokes you to death!”
With that, she gathered her skirts and fled straight back to her bedroom.
Qi Xun watched her retreating figure as she fled in panic, sighing as he leaned down to pick up the entangled silk sash from the ground.
This girl was truly careless; how could a woman’s intimate item be thrown about so casually? If it were picked up by someone with ill intentions, wouldn’t she suffer for it?
Qi Xun meticulously tied the sash together, intending to have Qi Yue’s personal maid take it back and pass on a firm warning to her. But suddenly, a light breeze brushed past, picking up a scent of herbal and soil-like agarwood—familiar and fresh, it abruptly disturbed his composure.
He turned his head, his gaze dropping to see a slightly pulled-open hidden compartment beneath the stone table. Reaching in, a box of snow-white pastries saw the light of day once more.
He didn’t need to guess to know it was that girl Qi Yue again, sneaking out here to steal snacks and then forgetting to take them when she fled.
He picked up a piece, and the fragrance in his hand gradually grew richer, becoming increasingly enticing.