It had rained for two days straight, but at last the rain had stopped today.
The sky was still heavy and gray. Though the rain had ceased, the dampness in the air refused to disperse, clinging to the body like a wet cloth and leaving one stifled and thoroughly uncomfortable.
It was not until noon that the clouds slowly parted, allowing daylight to filter through and brighten the world.
Liang Peilan returned from outside carrying a bamboo basket.
Mrs. Sun was kneading dough. She looked up at him. “Didn’t sell everything?”
“Sold it all.” Liang Peilan went inside and set the basket beside the stove. “They sold quite well.”
Today was the temple fair, and there were fewer customers on the main street than usual. Early that morning, Liang Peilan had volunteered to take some thin crisps and dried meat to the temple fair to sell. Seeing how enthusiastic he was, Lin Wu had agreed.
He was quick-witted, outgoing, and able to strike up a conversation with anyone. He was the perfect person to hawk their goods.
Mrs. Sun took the basket from him, glanced inside, then looked up again. “If you sold everything, why do you still look so glum?”
Liang Peilan muttered, “Several stalls at the temple fair were selling the same foods as us.”
“What foods?”
“Yukui steamed buns, pancakes, and rice pockets. They’re clearly copying what our shop makes.”
Lin Wu was placing buns into a steamer. When she heard this, she smiled. “What’s so strange about that?”
Liang Peilan looked at her.
Without pausing in her work, Lin Wu arranged the buns neatly one by one. “None of those things are particularly difficult to make. It’s perfectly normal for others to imitate them.”
She knew very well that no matter what one did, there would always be people following the trend. It was impossible to prevent. In her previous life, even the biggest brands could not stop imitation products from filling the streets. Things were still relatively decent here; at least no one had yet opened shops called “Three-Wood Pastry Shop” or “Double-Wood Pastry Shop.”
“In the end, it all comes down to taste.” Lin Wu covered the steamer and turned back to the griddle. “It’s like A Jing and the others learning to read and write. Everyone in the classroom has the same teacher and the same books, and they study the same lessons. Yet some learn well, while others do poorly.”
A customer waiting for his pancake laughed. “Shopkeeper Lin, that’s a very perceptive way of putting it.”
Another customer nearby chimed in, “That’s exactly right. With food, you have to taste it to know whether it’s good or bad. Being novel for a little while doesn’t mean anything. What matters is whether it tastes good.”
Liang Peilan lowered his eyes and thought for a moment. Gradually, the gloom faded from his face.
At the private room of Riverbank Tower.
Shen Guanting leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance. Beneath the eaves, the branches that reached outward had put forth tender green shoots, little dots of color scattered along their twigs. Beyond them lay a stretch of low tiled houses. Between the overlapping eaves, one could see a section of the main street. The sun was shining brightly now, and pedestrians came and went, making the street fairly lively.
Qi Xuan sat at the table inside. He picked up a thin crisp and popped it into his mouth. “Don’t bother looking. You can’t see Double-Wood Pastry Shop from here.”
Shen Guanting withdrew his gaze and sat down in the chair by the railing, leaning back. “Shopkeeper Qi thinks about Double-Wood Pastry Shop all day long. If the head chef at Riverbank Tower knew that, he’d surely be heartbroken.”
Qi Xuan let out a derisive laugh. “Young Master Shen’s talent for turning things around has certainly improved. Who knows what evil spirit possessed you today? Instead of thinking about the Double-Wood Pastry Shop you’re obsessed with every day, you’ve come to torment my Riverbank Tower.”
“After eating too many delicacies, one naturally has to come to Riverbank Tower for a change of taste.” Shen Guanting propped his chin on one hand. “Otherwise, if I spoil my palate for no reason, I’ll find it difficult to swallow anything else in the future.”
As he spoke, he suddenly lifted his chin toward the outside. “This is the evil spirit that possessed me today.”
Qi Xuan rose and walked to the railing, following his line of sight.
A carriage had come to a steady stop before the entrance of Riverbank Tower. The curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged man in an indigo-blue robe stepped down. After steadying himself, he looked up at the signboard of Riverbank Tower before walking inside.
It was Shopkeeper Qian’s carriage.
So he had indeed come to Riverbank Tower.
Riverbank Tower was a restaurant where people came to dine, hold banquets, and listen to music. As part of the Qi family’s business, the building was also connected at the rear to a two-story courtyard reserved for visiting merchants to stay and rest. In all of Huzhou Prefecture, there was no other establishment that could rival it in grandeur.
The manager of the Cloud Feast Tower in the capital would naturally be staying here as well.
Shen Guanting turned his head toward Qi Xuan. “Aren’t you going downstairs to seek his advice, Shopkeeper Qi? He’s the manager of the famous Cloud Feast Tower.”
Qi Xuan shot him a sidelong glance. “In Huzhou Prefecture, when it comes to eating, drinking, and amusements, who could possibly know more than Young Master Shen? What am I supposed to do going down there?”
Shen Guanting stood up and brushed off his robe. “You flatter me. They’re nothing more than empty reputations.”
The two of them left the room one after the other and descended the stairs at an unhurried pace.
Manager Li of Riverbank Tower was leading Shopkeeper Qian inside. They passed through a covered walkway, and just as they entered the main hall, two tall young masters appeared, coming down the stairs.
Shen Guanting walked behind Qi Xuan. He wore a crane cloak that fell to his ankles, its wide sleeves trailing almost to the floor. As he moved, the hem and sleeves drifted lightly around him, broad and graceful, like a traveler passing through the mountains. Lamplight shone upon him from both sides, lending the plain silk of his robe a warm luster.
Manager Li hurried forward several steps and smiled as he introduced them. “Shopkeeper Qian, this is the Shen family’s young master, Shen Guanting. This is our owner, Young Master Qi. The two young masters happened to be discussing business here today. When they heard you had arrived, they came down personally.”
Shopkeeper Qian cupped his hands and cast his gaze over the two men. With a smile, he said, “I’ve long heard that Huzhou is blessed with outstanding people. Only after meeting the two of you today do I understand why. It seems this trip was worthwhile.”
He appeared to be a little over forty, with a thin build and a genial face. His clothes were unremarkable: an indigo-blue robe made of ordinary material. Two people followed behind him. One was a man somewhat younger than himself, with a scholarly air between his brows—the Cloud Feast Tower’s accountant. The other was a half-grown boy who looked clever, his eyes darting everywhere. The group was remarkably plain and unassuming.
Qi Xuan smiled. “Our little corner of the world can’t compare with the capital’s splendor. If there’s anything lacking in our hospitality, I hope Shopkeeper Qian won’t take offense.”
After he finished, Shen Guanting, standing to one side, continued, “How many days do you plan to stay in Huzhou this time, Shopkeeper Qian? Though this place isn’t as prosperous as the capital, there are still several sights worth seeing and things worth doing. Since you’ve come all this way, why not stay a few extra days and take in the scenery here?”
His voice was unhurried, as though he were making casual conversation.
Shopkeeper Qian continued walking inside with them. “Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Shen, but we have important business to attend to this time. Once we find suitable foods, we’ll be heading back.”
He glanced around the hall, his gaze sweeping over the carved beams and painted rafters. “Still, Riverbank Tower alone has already opened my eyes.”
The main hall was brightly lit. Famous works of calligraphy and painting hung on both walls, while large celadon vases below them held seasonal flowering branches. Several glazed lanterns hung from the beams, and candlelight filtered through them, bathing the entire hall in radiance.
Qi Xuan followed his gaze around the hall and smiled. “These calligraphies and paintings are authentic works by several masters of the previous dynasty. My father went to some trouble to acquire them.”
As they reached a corner, they passed an incense burner from which wisps of blue smoke curled upward, carrying a clean and elegant fragrance.
Qi Xuan paused beside it and said, “This is agarwood purchased from the Treasure Pavilion. When burned, it’s pure without being faint, refined without being vulgar. If you have the time, Shopkeeper Qian, you might pay the Treasure Pavilion a visit. They carry fine goods brought back from Nan’ya.”
Shen Guanting glanced at him and said with a smile, “Many thanks to Shopkeeper Qi for helping the Jizhen Pavilion drum up business. If Shopkeeper Qian is interested, I’ll be sure to give you a good price.”
“Then I’ll have to thank Young Master Shen for looking after me,” Shopkeeper Qian replied with a smile and a nod.
Shopkeeper Li led Shopkeeper Qian and the others toward the guest rooms in the rear courtyard.
Shen Guanting and Qi Xuan turned and headed outside.
Once they had left the main hall and rounded the covered walkway, Qi Xuan glanced sideways at him. “Why are you so impatient today, Young Master Shen? They only just arrived, and you rushed over to meet them.”
Shen Guanting shrugged without slowing his pace. “Rather than let them poke around asking questions everywhere, I might as well show my face myself. If they want to look, they can look openly. It’s not as though we have anything to hide. The sooner they finish, the sooner we can leave.”
Qi Xuan caught up with him. “You’re certainly taking it well.”
Shen Guanting did not reply. He merely lifted the carriage curtain and climbed inside, leaving Pillow River Tower farther and farther behind.
Shopkeeper Qian stayed in the guest rooms for less than a quarter of an hour before coming out.
When he reached the main hall, Qi Xuan was still there, standing before a painting and studying it closely.
Shopkeeper Li stood nearby. When he saw Shopkeeper Qian approaching, he went to greet him. “Shopkeeper Qian, is there something you need?”
“Brother Li, you’re too polite.” Shopkeeper Qian waved a hand. “Shopkeeper Qi is still here, which is perfect. On our way in, we noticed how lively the main hall was and couldn’t resist coming down for a look. If you have the time, Shopkeeper Qi, why don’t you join us for a while? You can tell us a little about the local specialties of Huzhou.”
Qi Xuan turned around with a smile. “Now that Shopkeeper Qian has come to Pillow River Tower, we can’t very well let you sit here empty-handed.”
He gestured to Shopkeeper Li. “Arrange a private room for Shopkeeper Qian.”
“There’s no need for a private room.” Shopkeeper Qian swept his gaze across the main hall. It was packed with people, and the clinking of cups and bowls mingled with the chatter. “Since we’ve come to sample the local food, sitting upstairs in a closed room would defeat the purpose. It’s better to stay down here and see what the people of Huzhou eat and drink. We might as well join in the fun.”
The main hall of Pillow River Tower was spacious, with more than a dozen tables arranged throughout the room, every one of them occupied. Waiters carrying trays wove between the tables.
In a corner by the window, Shopkeeper Li had already ordered someone to clear a table and set out several small dishes, some cold plates, and a pot of hot wine.
Shopkeeper Qian took his seat, but his eyes remained busy, sweeping over the surroundings.
At the neighboring table sat several richly dressed young gentlemen. Their table was piled high with dishes, and they were drinking and making merry. Behind them stood several men in plain cloth tunics. They bent forward with ingratiating smiles, occasionally stepping up to say a few words before retreating to wait. When one of the young gentlemen waved a hand, one of the men immediately nodded and hurried outside.
These idlers made a living by loitering in restaurants and running errands for wealthy young men—buying things, delivering messages, finding singers, and the like—for a few coins in tips.
There were also men who neither sat nor stood still, but simply moved from table to table. Whenever they reached a group of diners, they would set down whatever they were carrying—usually fruit, candied snacks, and the like. If the customers liked what they saw, they would take a few pieces and hand over a few copper coins. Only then would the man collect his goods and move on to the next table.
These men were known as “sazhan.” They brought things to the tables without asking whether anyone wanted them and simply set them down. If the diners found something appealing, they paid a few coins; if not, the men took everything away.
It was much the same as the restaurants and taverns in the capital. The only difference was that Cloud Feast Tower would never allow such idlers or sazhan to come inside looking for work.
Shopkeeper Qian happened to overhear the idlers at several nearby tables repeatedly calling out names like “Lotus-Jade Buns,” “Taro Buns,” “Taro Paste Buns,” and “Thin Crisps.” Finding the names novel, he casually asked about them.
Shopkeeper Li smiled. “They’re all varieties of steamed buns. Taro as a filling isn’t anything unusual, but these have become popular in town recently.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a sazhan appeared beside them as if from nowhere. He carried a small bamboo basket, which he set down at the corner of the table, and began rattling off his wares.
“Gentlemen, have a taste of these thin crisps, and these Lotus-Jade Buns too. They’re all from Doublewood Pastry Shop. You can find taro-filled buns everywhere, but when it comes to flavor, none can compare with Doublewood’s. I bought these first thing this morning—they’re still fresh.”
Qi Xuan glanced at him and waved a hand. Understanding, Shopkeeper Li took a small string of copper coins from his sleeve and handed it over. The sazhan accepted them and withdrew with a smile.
Qi Xuan opened the packet of thin crisps and pushed it toward Shopkeeper Qian. “This pastry shop is only a small establishment, but their food is quite good. Have a taste, Shopkeeper Qian.”
Shopkeeper Qian picked up a thin crisp and took a bite. After chewing, he nodded. “It really is good.”
He then picked up a Lotus-Jade Bun and split it open. Inside was a pale pink filling, soft and delicate. He took a bite and nodded again.
Qi Xuan also reached for a thin crisp. “I happen to know that pastry shop quite well. My younger brother goes there every few days. There’s a child at the shop who attends the same academy as him. The children get along well, so he’s always talking about going there to support his friend.”
“It’s the same with Young Master Shen’s younger brother. He loves going there too. He says he’s going to buy snacks, but really, the children just gather there to fool around. Once our younger brothers start attending school, we older brothers have no choice but to run errands for them.”
He smiled, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness. “Business aimed at children is easy to make. It all depends on whether they enjoy playing together; flavor hardly matters.”
Shopkeeper Qian picked up another thin crisp and smiled. “Even without the children’s influence, the flavor is good enough on its own.”
Qi Xuan gave a slight nod. “It is. I once considered buying the recipes from the pastry shop and selling the items here at Pillow River Tower. But they refused, saying those recipes were what kept their shop in business and they weren’t willing to sell them.”
“That’s understandable,” Shopkeeper Qian said.
Shopkeeper Li joined in from the side. “If you ask me, they’re thinking too narrowly. It’s only a small business, after all. The customers at Pillow River Tower aren’t the same as theirs, and we wouldn’t be taking away their business. If anything, we could help raise the profile of those few specialties.”
Qi Xuan waved a hand. “Small businesses tend to be good at holding on to what they have, but not so good at pushing forward. Not everyone dreams of opening a grand restaurant. There’s nothing wrong with guarding one’s skills and living a quiet, stable life.”
Shopkeeper Qian smiled. “I can understand that. Before I became the manager of Cloud Feast Tower, I also ran a small shop. I had no grand ambitions.”
“Exactly,” Qi Xuan said with a smile. “Everyone has their own way of doing things. You can’t force it.”
And with that, the subject was dropped.
Meanwhile, Qi Lang—the very person his elder brother had just been criticizing—was being dragged toward Cloud Mountain Studio by Tigerhead, who was trotting along at full speed.
The weather had finally cleared, and the teacher at the village school had shown mercy, sending the little rascals outside to stretch their legs. If he hadn’t driven them out, the classroom would have been turned upside down by their racket, enough to make anyone’s head ache.
Tigerhead pulled Qi Lang along, his feet flying as he hurried faster than anyone else.
“Where are we going?” Qi Lang asked, stumbling as he was dragged along.
“To see Jing!” Tigerhead answered without turning his head.
“But shouldn’t we be exercising in the courtyard?”
Tigerhead replied with complete confidence, “Exercising means walking around. Walking around means going to see Jing!”
Qi Lang was getting a little dizzy from his explanations. “We’re going to see Master Shan in his courtyard. Won’t we disturb Jing’s lesson?”
“We’re only going to take a look. We won’t go in there and make a racket.”
The two of them jogged all the way to the entrance of the courtyard at Yunshan Studio. When they heard the faint sound of reading coming from inside, they instinctively quieted their footsteps and tiptoed in.
When they reached the window, they stopped timidly once more. Clinging to the windowsill, they peeked inside with only half of their small, fuzzy heads showing.
Inside, Yun Jianshan was holding a book and pacing back and forth as he led the reading lesson. Catching sight of the two little heads on the windowsill from the corner of his eye, he shook his head with a quiet laugh.
He put down the book and said to Lin Jing, “You’ve been reading for quite some time. Your eyes must be tired. Stand up and take a walk. Go to the window for some fresh air and look at the scenery outside.”
Lin Jing didn’t understand why, but he obediently stood up and walked over to the window.
The moment he pushed it open, two little faces appeared right in front of him.
“Whoa!” Lin Jing cried out in fright and hopped backward.
Tigerhead and Qi Lang clung to the windowsill, grinning at him with their teeth bared.
“What are you two doing here?” Lin Jing’s eyes lit up at once. He leaned forward again, poking his head over the windowsill until his whole body nearly tumbled out.
Tigerhead declared with perfect righteousness, “We came out to stretch our legs, and you came out to stretch your legs too. What a coincidence!”
Lin Jing asked the teacher for leave. Then the three little heads gathered together and made their way to the pavilion in the corner of the courtyard.
There was a stone table and several stone stools in the pavilion. The three little figures sat side by side, their short legs swinging beneath the stools.
Lin Jing pulled out a small cloth pouch and untied it. Inside was a small bag of crispy wafers.
Three pairs of little hands grabbed the wafers and stuffed them into their mouths, crunching loudly as they chewed.
Qi Lang lowered his voice and leaned closer. “Jing, did you get into trouble? Is that why you were sent to stay with the teacher?”
Lin Jing hadn’t even had a chance to answer.
The moment Tigerhead heard this, he swallowed the wafer in his mouth and immediately cut in with absolute certainty. “It must be because my big brother got into trouble and dragged you into it! He does this all the time. He causes trouble, and I’m the one who gets scolded in the end!”
“Huh?” Lin Jing froze. So that was the sort of trouble Brother Ting had gotten into?
Qi Lang asked, “How do you know?”
Tigerhead lowered his voice mysteriously and leaned so close that his little head was almost in Lin Jing’s face. “Lately, he’s always discussing things with Grandfather and Father and Mother, and he hasn’t even been teaching us martial arts! That’s definitely not normal. He must have done something wrong!”
Lin Jing grew nervous, his eyes widening. “Then what did he do?”
Tigerhead straightened up and planted his hands on his hips with great seriousness. “I secretly heard them mention Nan Cliff. Maybe my big brother lost money doing business there!”
Lin Jing’s little face immediately tightened.
Could it be… could it be that Brother Ting had lost money because he was helping Sister Qing and Brother Jue? Then… then he had dragged Brother Ting into it!
His face fell at once, and his brows knitted into a knot. “What should we do? Can I help Brother Ting make money?”
Tigerhead shot to his feet, stepped onto a stone stool, and waved one hand with tremendous authority. “We’ll start our own business, make a fortune, and fill the hole for my big brother!”
He continued muttering, “I knew my big brother couldn’t do it! He took over our bookmark business, but he still didn’t make any money!”
He thumped his chest so hard it went bang, bang. “This time, we’ll do it ourselves. We won’t bring him along!”
Qi Lang swallowed the wafer in his mouth, took out his little gold-ingot-shaped purse, and placed it on the stone table. It landed with a bright, crisp clink.
“All right. I have money.”
Lin Jing looked at the two of them, then at the bulging little purse on the table, and nodded his small head firmly.
