The next day, while Su Chi was pleating the buns in the shop, he received some good news. Hu Yuan came running over with a face full of joy, specifically to tell him that his a-niang had agreed to sell her vinegar to him.
He said Su Chi was a kind-hearted person, treated the Hu family well, and made delicious food. His a-niang was willing to sell their household’s vinegar to such a shopkeeper.
Upon hearing this, Su Chi immediately stood up, untied his apron, wiped his hands, and happily followed Hu Yuan to the Hu family’s house, returning with two large jars of vinegar.
At eighty wen per jar — and the jars were quite large — he carried one under each arm, holding them snugly against his chest.
Aunt Hu had set the price, and he didn’t haggle at all. Such good vinegar was worth a slightly higher price.
For something that would add luster to the shop, spending a little more money didn’t matter. Fortunately, they wouldn’t use too much each month anyway.
If they did use a lot, that would mean more customers were dining in — and if that happened, the shop’s income would increase as well.
That way, the cost of the vinegar would offset itself, plus they’d gain more foot traffic. When you calculated it, there was no loss at all.
Su Chi thought it through thoroughly and wished they’d use even more vinegar each month.
When the mulberry paper sealing the vinegar jar was lifted, the rich, mellow fragrance of the vinegar eagerly spilled out — just the smell made one’s mouth water.
Even Chen Yun, who was wrapping buns for customers out front, came over to take a sniff, inhaling deeply: “So fragrant! Aunt Hu’s vinegar is truly excellent.”
Ever since Aunt Hu stopped doing business with shop-owning households, even the neighbors could only buy vinegar one jug at a time. A jug didn’t hold much — just over a dozen wen total — and with careful use, it could last a regular household a while. Su Chi, who bought two large jars in one go, was the first of his kind in Qingshui Lane.
He opened one jar first and picked up the bamboo vinegar ladle hanging on the wall. The ladle had a long handle, just the right length to reach the bottom of the jar; the scoop was deep and rounded, holding just the right amount with each dip.
With one scoop, the dark brown vinegar swirled in the ladle — clear and translucent, with a beautiful color. With the slightest movement, the vinegar’s fragrance grew even richer.
With his other hand, Su Chi held a bamboo funnel — wide at the top and narrow at the bottom — securely placed over the narrow mouth of the vinegar jug. With a twist of his wrist, he tilted the ladle slightly, and the vinegar flowed through the funnel into the jug’s inner wall. In no time, one jug was filled.
After filling several vinegar jugs, Su Chi placed them on each table.
The small jars of chili oil had already been set out earlier, and customers who liked spicy food enjoyed them. Now he had added vinegar jugs — one set per table, with a few extra placed on the long wall table as well. Neatly arranged, they were pleasing to the eye.
Customers could add as much as they liked, or none at all.
This vinegar wasn’t cheap. Chen Yun worried that customers might take advantage of the shop and keep adding more and more.
Su Chi, however, was unruffled. He wasn’t concerned about customers overusing it and told Chen Yun to relax.
“The vinegar is good, but adding too much ruins the flavor. Customers aren’t fools — they won’t ruin the food they paid for by adding an unnecessary sourness just to get a little extra vinegar. No one deliberately spoils good things.”
The vinegar and chili oil were, after all, just extras to attract customers — complementary condiments to go with the main dishes. The shop’s food being delicious was what truly mattered.
Chen Yun thought it over and realized Su Chi was right. He stopped fretting and went back to his work with peace of mind.
Now that the vinegar had arrived, Su Chi couldn’t rest. He quickly made a batch of soup dumplings.
It was already afternoon, so he didn’t make too many — just enough to steam a few and test the market, to see how customers would respond.
Chen Yun had gone home to cook, so Su Chi was alone in the shop. He diligently wiped down the table the previous customer had used. Before long, the cotton curtain was lifted, and footsteps sounded in the shop — a customer had arrived.
In came a traveling merchant who had been all over the country. She carried a bundle on her shoulder and a large, heavy-looking box in her hand. She set the box down with a sigh, blew warm breath onto her frozen hands, and called out toward the back kitchen: “Shopkeeper.”
“What would you like to eat, customer?” Su Chi heard the voice and came out from the back kitchen to ask.
She asked Su Chi what good food he had, and told him to bring her one of everything.
Su Chi replied with a light smile: “We just steamed some fresh soup dumplings — with our newly arrived vinegar, they’re not bad at all. Would you like to try some, customer?”
“We also have pork wontons, five-spice tea eggs, and fried flatbreads — all shop specialties. Every customer who’s tried them has said they’re excellent.”
The woman was nearly faint with hunger and didn’t hesitate: “Alright, I’ll take one of each, just as you said.”
Su Chi acknowledged her order and turned to prepare everything in the back kitchen. Before long, all the steaming dishes were brought out to her.
One small steamer held eight round, plump soup dumplings, their skins thin and translucent.
At ten wen per serving, the dumplings were small — even in the little steamer, they didn’t fill it completely. It seemed a bit pricey, but the craftsmanship was exquisite and the ingredients substantial. Su Chi knew in his heart that customers who valued flavor and presentation wouldn’t mind the price — this new item was aimed precisely at that clientele.
The shop was not short on affordable options — there were the generously filled, reasonably priced saucy meat buns and other buns that everyone in town loved. But it was also good to have some slightly more expensive items, for those customers willing to spend a few extra copper coins for something new and different.
Xie Yushu had told him this was called “segmenting customers” — some people loved a good deal, others sought out something rare. If the shop had both, customers could take what they needed, and business could thrive in the long run.
He had mulled it over for several days before truly understanding the reasoning, which was why he had set the soup dumplings at ten wen.
Ten wen didn’t sound expensive, but for eight soup dumplings that could be eaten in one bite each, it seemed a bit uneconomical. In town, that counted as a premium price.
The customer ate with gusto, slurping the wonton broth loudly, and asked Su Chi for an extra serving of soup. In the end, she wolfed down every last bite.
After finishing and paying, she couldn’t help asking Su Chi how the jar of vinegar on the table was sold — she wanted to buy some for her family.
Su Chi collected a handful of heavy copper coins and explained: “It’s from Aunt Hu’s household in Qingshui Lane. If you like it, customer, you can go there directly to buy some.”
He seemed to think of something, paused, and added: “You don’t look like a local, customer. If you’re not, that might be a problem — that aunt only sells one jug at a time to neighbors.”
The woman frowned, seemingly surprised that there could be such an odd household that didn’t properly do business with people. What kind of reasoning was that?
Su Chi could only comfort her: “It’s no trouble if you can’t buy it. Just come eat at the shop — the food here is delicious even with just this small dish of vinegar.”
The woman seemed to be in a hurry to leave and didn’t linger. Before she went, she had Su Chi wrap up several large saucy meat buns and several big fried flatbreads to take with her on the road.
·
After dinner, Su Chi made a trip to the Fang family. A few days earlier, he had commissioned Tao Qiu to make Xie Yushu’s winter clothes, and that afternoon Fang Kui had come to deliver a message that they would be ready by evening.
Su Chi was eager to get them, so he didn’t trouble the child to make the trip in the dark and went to the Fang household himself to pick them up.
When he returned, cradling the folded winter clothes in his arms, Xie Yushu had just finished tidying up the kitchen and was in the warm room, slowly rubbing her hands with hand cream.
“Try it on — does it fit?” Su Chi shook out the winter coat, held it up against Xie Yushu’s body to measure it, and looked at her with expectant eyes.
“Alright, I’ll put it on.” Xie Yushu sighed in resignation, took the clothes from Su Chi’s hands, and slipped them on.
Before winter set in, she had asked Tao Fulang to make several sets of winter clothes for both herself and Su Chi. A while back, she had taken a rare half-day off to go shopping with Su Chi for some necessities the household was running low on.
As they passed by the fabric shop, Su Chi had spotted a bolt of cloth at first glance and insisted on buying it for her, saying Tao Fulang should use it to make her winter clothes.
Tao Fulang had nimble fingers and made clothes quickly and well — in just a few days, the winter outfit was finished.
Xie Yushu put on the new clothes right in front of Su Chi, spread her arms wide, and let him look: “How is it?”
Su Chi smoothed out the wrinkles on her winter coat, examining it from front to back, left to right.
Finally, looking thoroughly satisfied, he obediently wrapped his arms around Xie Yushu’s waist, tilted his head up from within her embrace, and smiled with his eyes crinkling: “Beautiful!”
The winter coat was a yellow-jade-colored cotton robe, made from the bolt of cloth Su Chi had fallen in love with at first sight. Any discerning eye could tell it was good material — soft and gentle to the touch, with a lovely color that wasn’t too flashy.
The lining was stuffed with freshly carded good cotton, which Su Chi had paid extra to source from outside. It wasn’t thick, but it was exceptionally warm — fluffy and lightweight, so light on the body that one could barely feel its weight.
The collar and cuffs had been handled neatly by Tao Fulang, trimmed with a narrow band of light-colored piping. The stitching was fine and clean, without any loose threads.
This winter coat didn’t make Xie Yushu look the least bit bulky. She was already tall and well-proportioned, with broad shoulders and a straight back — the coat only accentuated her upright, graceful figure.
Her striking features and unique bearing instead made men afraid to look directly at her, yet unable to resist stealing glances.
Su Chi felt a flush of warmth creep onto his face as he looked at her.
The clothes truly fit perfectly — his wife looked good in every way, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away.
He silently scolded himself for being so weak-willed. Even though they had been married for some time now, he was still caught off guard by his wife’s beautiful face, only able to stare blankly.
Xie Yushu also noticed Su Chi’s dazed expression, and a faint smile curved at the corner of her lips — she found him both amusing and adorable.
She couldn’t resist reaching out and giving his chin a gentle pinch: “Satisfied? Then I’ll take it off — it’s a bit warm inside.”
Su Chi took the initiative to help her remove it, folded it neatly, and placed it carefully in the clothing chest, treasuring it dearly.
After Su Chi finished tidying up and came over, Xie Yushu took his hand, pulled him into her arms, and sat him on her lap. She lowered her head and exchanged a lingering kiss with him.
When the kiss ended, she spoke to him: “The day after tomorrow, I need to go to the county.”
Su Chi, who had just been kissed into a daze, snapped back to alertness at these words. He opened his moist eyes, grabbed her arm, and wrinkled his face in displeasure.
“Wh—what?”
Xie Yushu patiently explained to him.
The quality of the dried kelp produced at the Bluestone Base was surprisingly excellent, and its reputation had quickly spread throughout the ferry port.
Whether they were small peddlers or larger merchants, everyone had heard that there was a Xie’s Seafood Goods that had appeared at Mapu Ferry, specializing in high-quality dried kelp rarely seen on the market.
The base’s business was thriving, with orders growing day by day. More and more vendors were approaching her to discuss deals, and Xie Yushu was busy running around outside every day.
Every deal was negotiated one by one — big or small, she didn’t turn any away. But today, a major order had landed in her lap, catching Xie Yushu somewhat off guard.
The merchant hadn’t come in person, but had sent a steward to speak with her, saying they wanted to place a trial order for dried kelp. If the quality was consistent and supply stable, they could establish a long-term partnership.
Xie Yushu was immediately interested.
Currently, the quality of deals the base handled was inconsistent — some good, some bad. If she could secure a long-term contract to stabilize revenue, she could develop other products and expand their variety.
This was a major deal. Simply passing messages verbally wasn’t sufficient — pricing, delivery timelines, and various other details couldn’t be easily communicated. The steward asked her to make a trip to Tang’an County in person to discuss it face-to-face with their employer.
To ease her concerns, the steward proactively handed over their employer’s name card. Xie Yushu took it and looked it over — it was indeed a major merchant, one she had heard of even as a newcomer in the ferry port during her days there.
After studying the name card for a moment, Xie Yushu nodded in agreement.
The steward said: “Then it’s settled. When will Boss Xie be available to set out?”
Xie Yushu thought for a moment: “The day after tomorrow.”
The steward: “Very well. I’ll wait for you in town the day after tomorrow.”
After listening, Su Chi’s expression still hadn’t relaxed. He held Xie Yushu’s fingertips: “Th—then how many days will you be gone?”
Xie Yushu brought his hand to her lips and kissed it, giving him a rough estimate: “If all goes quickly, two or three days. I’ll try to come back early.”
Su Chi’s mood visibly sank.
If it went quickly, it would still be two or three days? What if it went slowly? Wouldn’t that be four or five days?
That long?
This would be the first time since they got married that Xie Yushu would be away from him for so long.
That night, Su Chi had no heart for practicing his large characters. He pulled a long face and dragged Xie Yushu to bed early.
Xie Yushu coaxed him, saying she would definitely come back early, and even deliberately tickled his palm to make him smile. Su Chi finally laughed.
The two fell asleep in each other’s arms.
The next day.
Su Chi went to the shop early to prepare the fillings, making several large trays’ worth — nearly a full day’s supply for the shop. He wrapped them all and arranged them neatly on the long counter.
He told Chen Yun he’d have to work extra hard today — the shop would be relying entirely on him — because Su Chi needed to go home and prepare the things Xie Yushu would need for her trip to the county tomorrow.
When Chen Yun heard that the Xie family’s wife was going to the county, he told Su Chi to leave without worry. With him at the shop, they could manage.
Su Chi immediately went home, rummaged through boxes and cabinets, took stock of all the ingredients they had on hand, calculated how long it would take Xie Yushu to travel from town to the county, and planned out her meals accordingly.
Xie Yushu had said the steward had prepared a carriage, and the trip to the county would take six hours. She was also bringing Ye Youchun along.
Knowing someone would be with her put Su Chi’s mind at ease somewhat.
Though it was a peaceful era, there was no guarantee there wouldn be bandits on the road.
His wife was tall and imposing, and most people wouldn’t dare approach her — but she had no martial skills to defend herself. What if they ran into bad people who knew how to fight? He was truly worried sick about her this time.
Ye Youchun looked strong and capable. Traveling together, the two of them shouldn’t be at a disadvantage.
After thinking it through, Su Chi set to work preparing the food they’d need on the road.
Six hours — he planned to prepare enough for three meals.
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