Over the past few days, the bluestone compound had produced batch after batch of dried kelp. Several batches combined totaled over six hundred catties—even a bit more than Xie Yushu had calculated.
Without any delay, Xie Yushu borrowed an ox-cart from a villager, hitched it up, and took the goods to the ferry with Aunt Hong San.
These batches had been dried beautifully. The dried kelp was firm without being brittle, thoroughly dried yet still retaining a slight resilience—it wouldn’t snap at the slightest bend. Once rehydrated, a small piece would expand into a large sheet, with thick, substantial flesh—a rare top-grade product.
Merchant Zhong handled and re-handled the kelp, thoroughly satisfied, feeling she’d gotten an excellent deal. This batch was even better than the last.
After inspecting the fully loaded cart of dried kelp, she had her subordinates weigh it. Confirming the amount was correct, she paid Xie Yushu the remaining twenty-three guan and six qian.
Xie Yushu felt much more at ease after receiving the payment. This was the first order since officially opening for business—a good start.
Merchant Zhong had the goods moved onto her merchant ship and whispered to Xie Yushu that if this batch sold well, she should set aside another batch for her—she’d be back.
Xie Yushu agreed, but didn’t specify how much she’d reserve. She wasn’t only doing business with her—she’d sell to large merchants as well as small vendors. Over time, as word spread, she’d never have to worry about sales.
Aunt Hong San watched her boss make more money in one transaction than she’d ever seen in her lifetime, and felt nothing but gratitude. She was right to follow this boss—it was the right path.
Xie Yushu paid her forty wen per day. When she’d been working on her own before, it took her several days to earn forty wen—sometimes unscrupulous vendors would lowball her, and she’d be lucky to make thirty wen in several days.
Now, as long as she diligently tended to the kelp in the compound every day, she could reliably earn forty wen daily. She’d never dreamed of such a wonderful arrangement.
Xie Yushu considered herself a good boss—she treated her employees fairly, providing lunch and dinner. Regular employees earned thirty wen, but Aunt Hong San, with her seniority, earned a bit more.
As for He Chao, who’d been running around with her from the very beginning, Xie Yushu naturally treated him even better, paying him the same as Aunt Hong San.
If business prospered in the future, there would certainly be other rewards. But for now, with the business just starting out, Xie Yushu was still gradually adjusting wages and benefits.
Just as they were about to head back, someone stopped them.
The woman had seen them deliver such a large quantity of dried kelp. She wasn’t blind—she could tell just how good this batch was.
“Young lady, wait!”
Xie Yushu looked up at the woman—also a merchant: “Yes?”
The woman’s eyes lit up: “Do you have any more stock? I just saw that batch of dried kelp you delivered—the quality is excellent. If you have more, I’d like to place an order too.”
“Yes, but you’ll have to wait five days.”
“No problem.”
After the two negotiated the quantity and delivery date, Xie Yushu took Third Aunt and headed back.
·
Over these past few days, the base’s operations had gradually fallen into a routine. She didn’t need to oversee things every day—her employees never gave her cause for worry.
She had more time now, and thought she’d use the extra time to spend with Su Chi. She’d been spending much less time with him lately, but Su Chi never got upset—he was always considerate of her.
In the morning, when Xie Yushu woke up, the person beside her had already left—half the blanket had gone cold. She got dressed, washed up, ate the hot soup and meat patty Su Chi had left for her, then went to help at the shop.
After noon, smoke rose from the Xie family kitchen, carrying the rich aroma of meat that drifted over the quiet courtyard walls. After a while, the smoke dissipated, and the sound of spatulas clanging against woks in the kitchen also stopped.
In the main room, steaming dishes were laid out on the table—the two of them were having a meal at home today.
Su Chi also wanted to spend more time with Xie Yushu. After the morning rush at the shop, he’d locked up and come home to cook for her.
During the meal, Su Chi picked up a piece of garlic-braised crucian carp with his chopsticks and placed it in Xie Yushu’s bowl. The fish was coated in a light brown sauce, with bits of minced garlic clinging to it.
He suddenly brought up: “How about we plant some vegetables on that empty plot on the west side of our yard? It feels too empty just sitting there—it makes me uncomfortable.”
This fish was stir-fried with a generous amount of garlic, then simmered in a thickened sauce. The crucian carp, already tender, had been braised for a while, every inch coated in rich garlic sauce—juicy and full of flavor. The sweetness of the fish combined with the garlic fragrance was simply irresistible.
Xie Yushu loved this fish dish. A few bites in, she’d already finished half a bowl of rice. Su Chi got up and refilled her bowl.
She was starving too. She lowered her head and took a few big mouthfuls of rice before nodding: “Alright. I have some free time over the next few days. I’ll prepare the soil after we finish eating.”
Su Chi’s eyes curved into happy crescents. He ladled her another half bowl of soup: “Good. I’ll go buy some seeds.”
Father Wang Wen was coming in two days. Su Chi was certain he’d bring plenty of vegetables. He’d had Ye Youchun deliver a message to him two days ago, asking him to bring whatever seeds he had at home. That meant he only needed to buy seeds for vegetables they didn’t already have—saving a bit of money.
Just thinking about planting vegetables in the empty front yard made Su Chi happy. He hadn’t tended to the land in a long time and missed it. He always felt that vegetables grown in their own garden tasted better than those bought from outside.
“Scallions and garlic are a must,” Su Chi counted on his fingers. “You love spicy food, so let’s plant two rows of green and red chili peppers. We should also plant a crop of spring greens—other vegetables won’t grow well this time of year, but spring greens do perfectly. They grow fast, the leaves are tender, and after the winter frost, they’ll be even sweeter. Once all that’s planted, we can set up a few trellises in the remaining space for cucumbers, beans, loofah—whatever you like.”
“Whatever you say.” Xie Yushu pushed his rice bowl closer to him, signaling him to eat properly.
After they finished eating and washing the dishes, Xie Yushu took a hoe and headed to the empty plot on the west side. She was strong, and she couldn’t bear to let Su Chi exert himself, so this task fell to her.
Most of the courtyard floor was paved with rough bluestone, with only this west-side plot being bare soil—likely left by the previous owners for growing vegetables.
Xie Yushu had never farmed before, nor did she know how to break new ground. But with Su Chi guiding her from the side, she quickly got the hang of it after a while—it wasn’t too difficult, just requiring some strength.
She swung the hoe into the earth, each strike turning up chunks of dark soil with the earthy smell of the land.
Su Chi crouched down, grabbed a handful of soil and examined it, then looked up at Xie Yushu: “The soil is decent, just a bit hard. But it’s fertile underneath—a good loosening will do.”
Under Xie Yushu’s grunting labor, the plot was finally turned over. The moist soil from below was brought to the surface, seeing daylight once more.
Winter was approaching—the sun hung low and the wind blew cold. Despite this, Xie Yushu’s forehead was beaded with sweat.
Su Chi pulled out the handkerchief embroidered with bamboo from his bosom, stood on tiptoe, and wiped her brow: “You’ve worked hard.”
With the soil turned, it was time to enrich it.
Su Chi brought out a basket of wood ash from the kitchen stove, a bucket of melon rinds, rotten vegetable leaves, and fish offal he’d deliberately saved over the past few days, and mixed them all together.
There was also a dustpan full of fallen leaves from the storage shed—all good materials for composting that he’d kept rather than throwing away.
“You go inside and rest. I’ll handle the enriching.” Su Chi nudged Xie Yushu inside to take a break. He could finish the rest of the work on his own—it wouldn’t take much effort.
Xie Yushu knew he had a good handle on how to enrich the soil, and the work wasn’t strenuous, so she let him be. She went inside and gulped down a bowl of boiled, cooled water.
Since marrying Su Chi, he’d always adjusted his ways to suit her preferences. Seeing that she only drank boiled water, he’d boil it every day, setting aside a portion to cool down before mixing in some hot water—so that no matter when she came home or when she wanted a drink, it would always be the perfect temperature.
She’d grown accustomed to her husband’s attentive care.
Glancing out the window at her virtuous husband earnestly tending to the fertilizer, Xie Yushu smiled softly, her eyes full of tenderness.
Su Chi’s composting method was also taught by his mother—a quick-acting technique suitable for small plots. Their yard’s plot was just right for it.
First, he laid a layer of fallen leaves as a base. On top of the leaves, he spread the melon rinds, rotten leaves, and fish offal, using a stick to evenly distribute them. Then came a thick layer of wood ash, followed by another layer of soil on top, patted firmly down.
That was all there was to it.
This method would fertilize the soil in just a few days, ready for planting. Once the vegetables were in, they could use bamboo strips or sharpened green bamboo to build a fence around the edge—both attractive and practical, letting them enjoy fresh greens anytime.
After fertilizing the soil, Su Chi drew a few buckets of water from the well to wash the composting buckets.
He sat on a small stool, scrubbing intently. When he finished and looked up, he surveyed the remaining open space in the yard and let out a sigh.
Su Chi had originally thought that once the yard was tidied up, he’d buy some chicks, ducklings, or rabbits—convenient for fresh meat later on. But over the past few days, he’d had to abandon that idea.
For one thing, both of them were busy with their own affairs every day—Xie Yushu running around outside, and him tending to the shop. Neither had time to tend to livestock. Raising animals always required effort—daily cleaning of droppings, mixing bran, adding water and feed—all time-consuming work.
Besides, the yard wasn’t spacious enough. The east side had the kitchen and a shed full of firewood, taking up a lot of space. The west side had just become a vegetable garden. The remaining space in the middle was needed for drying clothes and vegetables—no room left over.
Su Chi also had a selfish reason. The yard was quiet and secluded. While it wasn’t unusual for town residents to keep chickens and ducks in their yards, he longed for a peaceful, tidy home to share with Xie Yushu.
Especially his wife—she couldn’t sleep with any disturbance, otherwise she’d get clingy and bother him.
Su Chi felt for her. Just thinking about it brought up all these inconveniences, so he had to let the idea go.
As for chickens and ducks—when his father came, he’d give him some money to buy more chicks and ducklings. His father would surely take good care of them back in the village.
Once they were grown, his father could slaughter them and send them over easily. That way, the two of them could see each other often—two birds with one stone.
A vegetable garden wouldn’t be so troublesome. It just needed a bit of time each day for tending.
After weighing everything, this was still the most reliable plan.
Before bed, the couple washed up and got into bed.
Xie Yushu had a higher body temperature and had gotten into bed a little earlier, warming the sheets. When Su Chi arrived, she pulled him into her arms.
They fooled around for a while. Su Chi’s face was marked with red traces from Xie Yushu’s teasing, his lips slightly swollen, looking at her with a hint of indignation.
Xie Yushu kissed his eyelids and discussed something serious with him: “The day after tomorrow is our housewarming banquet. Father will be coming, and Sun Wuyou and Guizhi will also come.”
“Do you still remember Doctor Sun and her attendant?”
How could Su Chi forget? Doctor Sun was the one who’d saved their family. He nodded emphatically.
The two of them discussed the dishes needed for the housewarming banquet the day after tomorrow as they lay in bed, growing more animated as they talked. It wasn’t until the moon was completely hidden that they finally drifted off to sleep.
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