Chen Yun had some matters at home and had told Su Chi he wouldn’t be coming in until the next day. Su Chi gave him the day off.
That left only Su Chi to manage the shop and prepare food for the customers by himself. It had been a while since he’d worked this hard, and now he was so busy he barely had a moment to spare.
After seeing off the first few waves of customers, Xie Yushu stepped into the shop and went to the back kitchen to ask Su Chi what meat and vegetables he needed to buy that day.
Su Chi had already figured it out in the morning and quickly listed a few items. Xie Yushu made a mental note and was about to leave when Su Chi pulled her back to give her more instructions: he asked her to find Aunt Liu to hire someone to clean the house, do laundry, and take care of chores—with the monthly wages paid by their household.
He also told her to buy extra meat and deliver it to Sun Wuyou, so the newly hired help could cook their evening meals from now on.
It wasn’t that Su Chi was being stingy and unwilling to have Sun Wuyou and Guizhi over for dinner.
It was just that Xie Yushu usually left early and returned late—by the time she got home, it was already pitch dark. Days like today, when she had free time, were rare. He was being a little selfish—he just wanted to have a quiet dinner with her alone, without others around to intrude.
Having them over occasionally was a gesture of hospitality, proper etiquette, and a normal thing between friends—that was fine. But if it became a regular occurrence, he wouldn’t be able to bear it.
Xie Yushu understood completely. She knew those two were big light bulbs—no, big candles—always ruining the mood between the two of them.
When they ate together, they’d either giggle foolishly, laugh boisterously, or transform into voracious gluttons, shoveling everything into their mouths. As a result, she and Su Chi barely got a few bites while most of the delicious food ended up in their stomachs.
If they hired someone specifically to cook for them and kept them well-fed, they wouldn’t come around bothering them so often—which would be a blessing for both of them.
She agreed to everything, and while the kitchen was empty, she hooked her finger around his before leaving with satisfaction.
Turning down two streets and walking a few more steps brought her to the Sun family pharmacy. Xie Yushu changed direction and walked straight in.
Sun Wuyou had just finished seeing two patients and was lounging in an armchair, stretching luxuriously. She took the wild honey water Guizhi handed her, gulped it down in a few noisy swigs, and had just set down the porcelain cup when she noticed Xie Yushu standing before her, asking directly whether she had any requirements for the hired help.
At this, Sun Wuyou frowned, put on an air of maturity, wiped the sweet residue from her lips, and said sternly:
“Stop fussing over us every single day. We’ve come out to stand on our own—how can we still have you worrying about everything? Guizhi and I will figure out how to find someone ourselves. Just relax and trust me.”
Seeing her so confident, Xie Yushu couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth—why did she find that so hard to believe?
On second thought, it made sense. Su Chi only fussed and worried about them because he saw them as children. Only that kind-hearted fool would try to handle everything for them. Xie Yushu decided to just wash her hands of it.
They found someone faster than Xie Yushu had expected.
That very evening, Guizhi came running over to the Xie household, beaming, to tell them that her young lady had already found an honest, efficient fulang who could clean and cook—so they could rest easy.
Su Chi praised Sun Wuyou for being so on top of things. Xie Yushu stayed silent, lost in thought.
Something about this felt off—there had to be a catch. Sure enough, just a few days later, trouble struck.
A few days after that, Guizhi came huffing and puffing to the Xie household. Su Chi, seeing her distressed expression, anxiously asked what had happened.
Su Chi had a soft face and a kind nature, and he’d treated both her and her mistress very well. Guizhi adored him. Now, on the verge of tears, she tugged at his sleeve and cried, “Su Fulang, the house was robbed! That fulang we hired—he’s no good! He stole things from the house!”
Guizhi had grown up in the strict, well-regulated Sun household. Though young, she usually seemed more composed than Sun Wuyou. But at the end of the day, she’d lived a sheltered life—she’d never encountered thieves or robbers before.
This was the first time in her life something like this had happened, and she was terrified. Leaving Sun Wuyou behind to take stock of their valuables, she’d bolted straight to the Xie household, as if just being there could calm her heart.
Xie Yushu happened to arrive home just then. The moment she pushed open the door, she saw Guizhi pulling at Su Chi, both of them looking troubled. She was about to ask what was going on when Sun Wuyou came running in behind her, out of breath.
Seeing Xie Yushu, she looked as if she’d found her anchor. Her eyes glistened with tears as she wailed: “Xie Da! The house has been robbed!”
“I misjudged someone—I let a thief in!”
Su Chi fidgeted anxiously beside them: “What did they take?”
It was the first time either of the mistress and servant had encountered such a thing, and they’d lost their composure, blurting things out in bits and pieces, adding dramatic flourishes. But as they finally got around to describing what was stolen, they gradually realized—it seemed, it seemed… nothing of great value.
Sun Wuyou patted her chest, her tone visibly relieved: “Thank goodness—nothing valuable was taken.”
“What exactly was taken?” Xie Yushu placed her hand on Sun Wuyou’s shoulder and pressed down slightly, an invisible pressure emanating from her.
Sun Wuyou’s expression turned sheepish as she confessed: “The meat.”
“That’s it?” Xie Yushu couldn’t believe it.
“That’s it. Just the two racks of pork ribs that had just been hung in the kitchen—gone.”
Xie Yushu was speechless. She’d thought it was something precious. This woman really knew how to get under her skin.
Seeing Xie Yushu’s face slowly turn green, Sun Wuyou guiltily looked toward the door.
Oh no, oh no—Xie Da was definitely thinking she and Guizhi had made a mountain out of a molehill. But when they’d discovered it, she and Guizhi had truly panicked—how could they have stopped to think about whether it was valuable?
Sun Wuyou tried to defend herself stubbornly: “But those ribs were the ones you bought for us! That thief took every single one!”
Su Chi gently interjected: “Maybe it’s a misunderstanding. Perhaps that fulang took the meat somewhere to cook it? Or maybe the meat thief wasn’t him at all?”
Guizhi looked utterly certain: “No way! The kitchen was a mess—clearly someone had come in and rummaged through everything. The only people with keys to the house, besides that fulang, are me and my young lady. So it had to be him!”
There wasn’t much more to say. Nothing like this—someone stealing meat and vegetables from another’s home—had ever happened in the lane before.
After hearing them out, Xie Yushu massaged her weary temples, her temples throbbing fiercely.
Two grown women—and they’d been robbed by some unknown fulang of all people, and of nothing more than two worthless racks of ribs.
She took a deep breath, unsure of what to say.
Su Chi quickly reached out to steady the visibly exhausted Xie Yushu—he could tell she was about to lose her mind.
These two were brilliant when it came to medicine, but when it came to everyday life, they were like fools. Xie Yushu had been so worried that she’d given them two locks that very night and told Guizhi to lock up all their valuables in a cabinet in their room.
Guizhi had done as she was told, which was the only reason their important belongings had been spared.
The two fools—no, the two mistress and servant—followed them inside with pitiful expressions. Sun Wuyou volunteered her confession:
Right after Xie Yushu had left that day, a fulang had come to the pharmacy, dressed in thin clothes and holding an infant just over a year old in his arms.
As soon as he arrived, he knelt before Sun Wuyou, saying his child could barely afford rice porridge, there was no food left at home, the child had a fever—and begged the kind doctor to have mercy and save them.
Sun Wuyou and Guizhi had been startled and immediately helped him up, prescribing medicine suitable for the child and waiving both consultation and medication fees.
Overcome with compassion, Sun Wuyou had even asked if he had work—if not, would he be willing to do some simple cleaning at her house? The pay would be good.
The man had thanked her profusely, nearly kowtowing.
After he left, the two of them had patted themselves on the back for doing a great deed. Before bed, they’d even planned to write home and brag to their father about it, so he’d know his youngest daughter had grown into a reliable adult.
Who knew the slap in the face would come so quickly, catching them completely off guard? Now they were too ashamed to write that letter.
Only now did they realize with regret and shock that they’d let a wolf into the house—they’d been fooled so easily.
“I only pitied his pitiful situation—I never thought it was all an act to get me to let him into the house,” Sun Wuyou said, glancing furtively at Xie Yushu’s expression. When she saw the look in her eyes—the same one you’d give a pair of idiots—she fell silent.
Xie Yushu’s demeanor was different from usual—her gaze deep and imposing, carrying the authority of an elder scolding a younger generation.
In the eyes of these two, Xie Yushu was smart, capable, and generous. She usually got along with them easily, but when it mattered, she could be terrifyingly serious. Just one glance from her, and they’d shut right up.
Sun Wuyou had long considered her a close friend. Her two older sisters were over a decade older than her, and her elder brothers all doted on her like a child. Only Xie Yushu would actually listen to her and treat her as a friend.
Even though Xie Yushu was married and had a fulang, she still let them tag along, and her husband was a perfect match for her. Sun Wuyou was perfectly happy to let the couple look after them.
These two had no clue about the dangers of the world. Their innocence and naivety ignited a simmering frustration in Xie Yushu’s chest.
Sun Wuyou gave up, slumping into her chair: “Fine, fine—you find someone for us. Clearly, Guizhi and I are too stupid to tell good from bad.”
Su Chi soothed Xie Yushu, then made them a steaming bowl of noodles. The noodles were chewy and soft, swimming in broth with a fried egg golden on both sides, topped with a thick layer of braised sliced meat.
The two of them ate in silence, finishing off the entire large bowl in no time. They even offered to wash the dishes to atone for their “crimes.”
Fearing their clumsy hands would break her bowls, Xie Yushu grabbed them one by one, hauled them out like chicks, gave each a kick, and then slammed the courtyard gate shut—telling them to go back and clean up their own house.
The next day, Chen Fulang came to work, leaving Su Chi with some free time. He wiped his hands and went back to the lane to look for someone.
He went near Sun Wuyou’s house and asked two neighboring households if they’d be interested in cleaning work—the pay was good.
Unfortunately, both shook their heads, saying they were too busy at home and couldn’t spare the time, no matter the pay.
Su Chi understood immediately: it wasn’t that they wouldn’t do it for any amount of money—they simply didn’t want to.
Word traveled fast in the lane. They must have already heard that a young doctor had moved in.
Ordinary folks knew that doctors could be eccentric. They feared strict rules—not just doing a bad job, but if they accidentally broke something valuable, they’d be in serious trouble.
Fang Kui, returning from outside, had overheard for a while. Seeing Su Chi wasn’t getting anywhere, he approached cautiously and asked, “Su Fulang, are you looking for someone to clean for Doctor Sun’s household?”
Su Chi was surprised: “How did you know?”
Fang Kui dropped his gaze and scratched his head: “Hehe, I happened to overhear just now.”
“Everyone in the lane knows that Doctor Sun is the physician at the Sun family pharmacy in town—the one her family runs. Everyone treats her with great respect.”
So that was it. Wuyou’s skill as a doctor meant she’d be respected wherever she went. Su Chi nodded.
But respect was one thing; being willing to work for her was another. Su Chi sighed.
Fang Kui looked up at him, eyes bright with anticipation: “Su Fulang, what about my father? Could he do it?”
Sun Wuyou and Guizhi were busy at the pharmacy all day seeing patients and only had time to come home at night. So there really wasn’t much housework to do each day. That was exactly why Su Chi had wanted to find a reliable, efficient man—preferably a fulang with a family of his own.
There weren’t many chores, but each one had to be done properly—no cutting corners allowed.
Still, Su Chi was a bit surprised that Fang Kui was recommending his own father. He asked, “Doesn’t your father make clothes for people?”
“Yes, but he can do that at night. During the day, he can go clean and do laundry at Sister Sun’s place,” Fang Kui said, his eyes bright and lively, clearly proud of his father as he spoke.
Hearing that the person in question was Tailor Tao, Su Chi immediately felt this was a good fit.
Tailor Tao was an upright man who did everything meticulously. The clothes he made were so well-stitched that even a loose thread couldn’t be found—surely he’d handle household chores with the same care and not make mistakes.
Besides, he was raising little Fang Kui on his own—times must be tough for him. Su Chi was happy to help if he could.
And since they were neighbors, Tailor Tao could manage his sewing, childcare, and the cleaning all in one place—it worked well for everyone.
Su Chi smiled and agreed, telling Fang Kui to go home and let his father know to start working next door at the Sun household tomorrow morning.
Little Fang Kui gave Su Chi a bow, let out a cheer, and skipped off to deliver the good news.
·
In the afternoon, the winter sun hung limp and weak, casting a thin, grayish-cold light over the streets. There weren’t many people about, and everyone hurried along with their necks tucked in.
The Sun family pharmacy was much quieter than in the morning. Two or three patients sat waiting in front of the consultation room. At the front counter, the apprentices were carefully weighing out herbs, the constant soft sound of drawers opening and closing filling the air. Their movements were practiced and familiar, and Su Chi found himself watching for a while.
One of the apprentices looked up and recognized him as the owner of the Su family bun shop, knowing he was close with their young mistress. She smiled and asked, “Su Fulang is here? What do you need today?”
Su Chi spoke gently: “Some Ophiopogon and goji berries.”
It hadn’t rained in Jiangzhou for days—the weather was terribly dry. He’d come to buy some nourishing, moistening herbs to brew for Xie Yushu.
He’d noticed her lips were getting chapped from running around outside every day, and it broke his heart. He’d even asked Youchun to make sure she drank enough water.
Guizhi had stepped out for a breather and spotted Su Chi buying herbs at the shop. She immediately ushered him into the inner room to warm up and have some tea.
Since he had some free time, Su Chi didn’t decline.
As soon as he entered the inner room, Sun Wuyou waved him over, inviting him to sit in the cushioned armchair and have some pastries.
“Are you satisfied with Tailor Tao’s work?” Su Chi asked first, since he’d been the one to find him.
Yushu called this “after-sales service.”
Sun Wuyou broke into a smile at the mention: “Very satisfied! Su Fulang, the people you pick are just better. When Guizhi and I get home, the floors are spotless, there’s a faint pleasant scent in the air, and the bedding is warm and cozy. There’s hot food ready when we return, and even hot water in the pot!”
Guizhi chimed in with plenty of praise for Tailor Tao as well—both of them were clearly delighted with him.
Hearing this outcome, Su Chi felt relieved.
Sun Wuyou might be naive, but seeing that the fulang Su Chi had found was so thoughtful and had considered everything for her and Guizhi, she was generous in return, paying high wages and settling every five days.
After finishing his tea and some poria cakes, Su Chi got up, said his goodbyes, and returned to the bun shop.
·
At the Qingshi Base, Ye Youchun had just unloaded the purchased laver from the cart. Back and forth, it was all heavy physical labor. Even in the middle of winter, she’d worked up a sweat on her forehead. She wiped it off carelessly and was about to go collect another load.
The woman worked tirelessly without knowing when to rest. Xie Yushu couldn’t stand it and told her to come into her office for a break.
Xie Yushu poured her a bowl of warm water, and the two began to chat.
Ye Youchun downed the bowl in two gulps and set it back on the table. Recalling what Xie Yushu had told her about the thief, she asked, “Boss, did you ever catch that thief?”
“No. Luckily, it was just some meat—not worth the effort.” Xie Yushu flipped through the day’s laver purchase records, speaking as if it were unimportant.
Having finished the heavy work, Ye Youchun’s mind seemed to sharpen. Lost in thought, she muttered to herself: “Carrying a child… child about a year old… stole meat…”
“What is it?” Her unusual demeanor piqued Xie Yushu’s interest.
“I feel like I’ve heard of this person before,” Ye Youchun said, frowning as she answered honestly.
“You know who it is?” Now Xie Yushu was genuinely curious. She actually said she’d heard of him?
“Not sure yet, but the description you gave—it does ring a bell somewhere,” Ye Youchun said cautiously. A vague figure seemed to match in her mind.
Xie Yushu was intrigued and pressed for details.
Ye Youchun didn’t say much, only that she’d ask her grandmother and the neighbors when she got home tonight and see what she could find out.
Xie Yushu agreed.
This person posed no threat to them—she was just baffled.
Why would someone go through all that trouble to sneak into someone’s house just to steal meat?
She remembered there were expensive teas in Sun Wuyou’s kitchen. But the thief hadn’t taken those—just two racks of ribs?
Besides, the wages Sun Wuyou paid were more than enough to buy plenty of meat. Why would the man do this?
The more Xie Yushu thought about it, the more unsettling it felt. This whole thing was just strange from every angle.
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