Even when the shredded pork went into the wok, the two still refused to leave. Four eyes gazed reverently at the sizzling meat.
The pork hit the hot oil, its color quickly shifting from red to white as the edges curled. Xie Yushu used her spatula to break up the strips. When they were nearly done, she scooped them out.
The remaining oil in the wok from frying the pork was just right for the green peppers. She added the pepper strips and stir-fried them until their fresh fragrance emerged, mingling with the lingering meaty aroma. Once the peppers turned slightly soft and wrinkled, she returned the pork to the wok and stir-fried everything together.
Xie Yushu poured the prepared sauce along the edge of the wok. The moment the sauce hit the hot surface, a burst of steam rose, carrying a rich aroma of meat and green pepper. She kept tossing until the sauce was fully absorbed, then immediately plated the dish.
The mistress and servant were mesmerized—Xie Yushu’s cooking technique was incredibly clean and efficient.
Snapping out of it, Guizhi took the initiative to grab chopsticks for the three of them and dragged Sun Wuyou—who was too hungry to move—toward the main hall.
The two dishes and the steaming rice were laid out on the table. The mistress and servant didn’t stand on ceremony. After thanking Xie Yushu, they picked up their chopsticks and dug in.
Sun Wuyou spooned some eggplant and long bean stew over her rice and took her first bite. The taste nearly brought her to tears.
This food was simply divine.
The eggplant, having been fried, was tender and melting, with a slight charred aroma. The long beans were the same—their wrinkled skins held the perfectly seasoned sauce, so savory and rich. They practically melted in Sun Wuyou’s mouth without needing to chew. The thick, glossy sauce was salty and fragrant with a hint of sweetness—several flavors intertwined to make the perfect rice companion.
Without pausing, Sun Wuyou eagerly grabbed a chopstickful of green pepper stir-fried with pork. The emerald green peppers glistened with oil, and the pork strips were coated in a savory sauce that looked incredibly appetizing. She popped it into her mouth—the wonderful flavor didn’t disappoint.
The dish was oily but not greasy. The marinated pork, after being stir-fried, was exceptionally tender and smooth. The rich meaty flavor, combined with the distinctive taste of green peppers, immediately took over Sun Wuyou’s taste buds.
The peppers’ blistered skins, coated in sauce, looked irresistible. The stir-fried peppers were soft and not spicy—only their natural flavor remained, though a faint hint of heat lingered if you savored it.
Neither ingredient overpowered the other; together, they created a humble yet stunningly delicious dish.
Guizhi was so busy eating that she had no time to mind Sun Wuyou. After her first bite, she quickly spooned generous portions of both dishes over her hot rice, afraid Sun Wuyou’s big chopsticks would snatch it all away.
The plump, steaming white rice was instantly coated in the savory sauces from the two dishes. She bent her head and wolfed it down, utterly content.
Xie Yushu was also very pleased with today’s cooking. Judging by the way the two beside her were shoveling food into their mouths, they seemed to enjoy it too.
The three bowls, heaped high with rice, emptied quickly.
After the meal, Sun Wuyou felt bad for eating for free and had Guizhi give Xie Yushu two hundred copper coins. Xie Yushu refused, saying the buns they’d brought that morning covered the meal.
Besides, they’d given far too much. Though she needed money, she wasn’t unscrupulous—it was just two extra sets of chopsticks.
Not that they’d left much—the two of them had swept through the dishes like a whirlwind before she’d even had her fill.
From that point on, in Sun Wuyou’s eyes, Xie Yushu was not only intelligent and knowledgeable but also an excellent cook and a generous, helpful person. She’d served such delicious food and refused payment, and Sun Wuyou’s admiration for her only grew.
Guizhi felt the same. She didn’t care about all that “well-read” stuff—good food was what mattered. Her eyes sparkled whenever she looked at Xie Yushu.
The next day, they met again at the ferry to browse the early-morning aquatic market.
Many dried seafood products could be used in medicine, so Sun Wuyou’s needs were extensive.
Xie Yushu had agreed because the original owner had worked at the ferry for years and had a sharp eye for selecting seafood—and she also had her own hidden agenda.
They arrived early, and the morning offerings were indeed far better than in the afternoon. They wandered around, overwhelmed by the choices.
With Xie Yushu’s discerning eye for seafood and her skill at haggling with unscrupulous vendors, Sun Wuyou and Guizhi simply followed behind her like little chicks, paying and collecting the goods. The shopping went smoothly.
They bought thick kelp and sargassum (seaweed), which could dissolve phlegm, soften hardness, and clear heat to promote diuresis.
They also purchased oyster shells, abalone shells, and ark shells—shell-based medicines that could calm the mind, clear the liver, brighten the eyes, and relieve acid pain—valuable herbs indeed.
And cuttlebone (cuttlefish bone), which astringes bleeding, stops seminal emissions, and checks leukorrhea—commonly used in ordinary pharmacies with high demand.
All three of them had their hands full, carrying heavy loads. Finally, Guizhi paid and hired a cart to transport their herbs to the inn in town, having already made arrangements with the innkeeper.
Mapu Ferry handled massive volumes of goods daily, and carts, donkey carts, and even manual transport were ubiquitous.
Customers weren’t afraid of the cart owners running off with their goods—all transport operators here had signed labor contracts that included their home addresses and thumbprints. If anything happened to a client’s goods, the town authorities could step in directly.
This was the idea of the Du family head. The contract system ensured the safety of clients’ goods and greatly enhanced the ferry’s reputation.
The three unloaded their burdens and strolled around a while longer, then Sun Wuyou led them to a nearby restaurant for lunch.
There were many restaurants by the ferry, and Sun Wuyou picked the one that looked the most expensive. After they sat down, she told Xie Yushu to order whatever she wanted—anything at all.
Xie Yushu had accompanied her around the village yesterday, cooked her a delicious meal, and then spent the whole morning helping her select goods. She’d refused payment, and Sun Wuyou truly felt she owed her—so the least she could do was treat her to a nice meal.
While waiting for the food, Sun Wuyou and Guizhi tallied up their expenditures for yesterday and today. They were scratching their heads over the numbers with their little notebook when a gentle voice sounded beside them.
“Yesterday was eight guan, two qian, and sixty-seven wen. Today was twenty-three guan and five qian. That makes a total of thirty-one guan, seven qian, and sixty-seven wen.” Xie Yushu gave the exact figure—numbers she’d already memorized from helping them bargain.
The first amount was what they’d spent in the village yesterday, with its odd bits and pieces.
Village folks weren’t like the vendors at the ferry, who could be haggled with. Their dried goods were honest—no shortchanging on weight, every measure generous. Every copper counted for them, so the amounts came out with odd numbers.
The seafood at the ferry was expensive, but buying in bulk allowed for negotiating the odd bits off. They’d only carried a few bags, and the price had already gone over twenty guan.
Truly a wealthy household—a single batch of medicinal herbs cost as much as a townhouse.
Ah, it must be nice to have money. Xie Yushu sighed sincerely to herself, countless times.
Sun Wuyou didn’t question the number Xie Yushu gave and immediately wrote it down.
It wasn’t that she was bad at arithmetic—she just focused on medicine and herbs at home. She’d begged her mother for ages to get this chance to travel. She’d said she was going to the neighboring county to check out herbs, but had gotten sidetracked halfway and ended up here. She never expected to meet such a remarkable friend.
Once the dishes arrived, Xie Yushu ate while mulling something over.
Having surveyed the dried seafood goods at the ferry, an idea was beginning to form in her mind.
In this world, dried seafood products were all in their most primitive, unprocessed form—crudely sun-dried, some barely even cleaned, just rinsed roughly in the sea and brought straight to market. The color and texture were worlds apart from the modern dried seafood she knew.
No, it was more than that—the difference was like heaven and earth.
And so, the seeds of a money-making plan began to sprout in her mind.
Even if she got the gambling money back and bought a townhouse with it, what then? She couldn’t just sit and eat through her savings forever. She needed to find a sustainable way to make a living.
In her previous life, she’d lived comfortably on her parents’ inheritance, lounging at home. But that didn’t mean she lacked business sense. She thought this venture was worth a try—she’d do some on-the-ground research next time.
After the meal, the three returned to town together. Sun Wuyou and Guizhi wanted to rest in the afternoon, so they parted ways at the inn.
Xie Yushu wandered through the town’s shops, picking up a few more household items she was missing.
She’d been walking all day and was too tired to cook dinner, so she decided to buy something to eat back home.
As luck would have it, Su Chi’s bun stall was just ten paces away. The familiar fragrance wafted over—she still wanted his buns.
A husband and his little daughter stood in front of the stall. The little girl’s eyes were fixed on the big buns in the steamer, urging her father to pay quickly.
Her father laughed and pinched her chubby cheek, calling her a little glutton. After he paid, Su Chi handed them the wrapped buns and watched the little girl lead her father away, a faint smile on his lips.
So… Su Chi could smile? Then why was he always so cold to her? Whenever they crossed paths in the village, he’d act like she was some kind of pest, stone-faced and ignoring her.
Xie Yushu felt a twinge of displeasure.
After the father and daughter left, Xie Yushu walked up to the stall and ordered with practiced ease.
“Two spicy tofu buns and two large meat buns.”
Su Chi, seeing her approach, immediately wiped the faint smile off his face and wrapped up her order. Without looking at her, he said flatly, “Just leave the money on the counter.”
Xie Yushu’s hand, reaching out to pay, paused. But she did as he said, placing ten copper coins on the table.
This person really did dislike her.
Was she that fierce-looking? Or ugly? Did she have some kind of off-putting manner?
Su Chi’s behavior was making Xie Yushu question herself.
She was quite confident in her own—and the original owner’s—appearance. After all, they looked about ninety percent alike, both quite good-looking.
As she was heading back to the village, she passed a ready-made clothing shop. She considered that there were still several decent sets of clothes in the storage cabinet at home, so she decided not to buy any. Clothing was expensive these days, not a necessity.
She’d save wherever she could.
Leave a Reply