Early that morning, the Gao siblings delivered the bean-starch sheets to the bakery as usual. Lin Wu paid them the full amount, but instead of politely seeing them off as she normally did, she called out to them before they could leave.
“Please wait a moment.”
Gao Man and Gao Cang stopped and turned around, both looking puzzled.
Lin Wu spoke apologetically. “I’m terribly sorry, but there’s something I need to discuss with you. For the next few days, the shop may not have any use for the starch sheets, so you don’t need to deliver them for now.”
The siblings immediately grew tense.
Gao Cang hurriedly asked, “Shopkeeper Lin, is there something wrong with the starch sheets we’ve been making? Just tell us, and we’ll fix it!”
“It’s not a problem with the starch sheets,” Lin Wu quickly assured him. “The ones you make are excellent. The customers have praised them every day. It’s just that something else has come up at the shop, and we won’t be able to use as many for the time being. Don’t worry—it’s only a temporary pause for a few days. Once everything is settled, we’ll resume our business as usual, and I’ll still need you to deliver them on schedule.”
Only then did the Gao siblings relax.
Lin Wu noticed the look on their faces and felt somewhat guilty. When they had signed the contract, it had been to ensure security for both sides. Now it was her side that had to suspend the arrangement because of unforeseen circumstances. Though there was a reason for it, she was still the one breaking her word.
She continued, “Since we signed a contract, I should be the one honoring it. This sudden change is ultimately my fault. How about this? Since you won’t need to make and deliver starch sheets for the next few days, Young Master Gao, if you have the time, you could come help out at our shop. We’ve always been short of a waiter to serve customers and carry dishes. If you’re willing, you can come and try the job. We’ll pay you for your work.”
This was something she had thought of the day before. After these past few days of dealing with them, she could see that the siblings were diligent and honest, and the starch sheets they delivered were clean and evenly made. However, Gao Man was a young woman, and it would not be appropriate for her to wait tables and greet customers in the front of the shop.
Before the siblings could respond, Lin Wu turned to Gao Man. “Miss Gao, if you’re willing, you could also help in the kitchen with tasks like washing dishes and sorting vegetables. What do you think?”
At that, Gao Cang’s eyes widened. He turned excitedly toward his elder sister, Gao Man. Being able to work as a shop assistant in the city—even temporarily—was an excellent opportunity. He could earn money while learning new skills.
Gao Man bowed gratefully to Lin Wu. “Thank you, Shopkeeper Lin, for thinking of us. My younger brother is quick with his hands and feet, and he isn’t shy about speaking to people. He’ll certainly do a good job. You can put him to work without worry.”
Then she looked at Lin Wu with a clear, determined gaze. “As for me…I can do the kitchen work, but I think I’ll decline. The fact that Shopkeeper Lin is willing to hire my brother is already an enormous favor. I still want to focus on making the starch sheets…”
She pressed her lips together, a little shyly. “I know how to grind beans and steam starch sheets. Just like you, Shopkeeper Lin, I want to rely on my own skills to save some money. I’m also hoping to rent a small shop in the city and open either a tofu shop or a starch-sheet shop.”
Lin Wu broke into a smile. “You’re right. You have a skill of your own, and washing dishes would indeed be beneath your talents. Once things settle down and our starch-sheet business resumes, my shop will continue buying what you make. So put your mind at ease and work on perfecting your craft. When you open your own shop, we can look after each other’s businesses.”
Gao Man’s smile grew even brighter. Shopkeeper Lin had not dismissed her as someone whose ambitions were bigger than her station, the way the villagers did. How wonderful she was.
“Shopkeeper Lin, you’re truly a good person,” she said, her heart warm.
Gao Cang also straightened excitedly. “Don’t worry, Shopkeeper Lin! I’ll work hard, stay quick on my feet, and never cause trouble for the shop!”
Seeing his enthusiasm, Lin Wu smiled as well. “Then it’s settled. Since you’re here today, why not try the job? Let me make one thing clear first: if you don’t do well, if you’re too clumsy, or if you upset the customers, I may decide not to hire you after all.”
Gao Cang immediately wiped the smile from his face. His young features turned solemn, and he nodded firmly. “I understand! Just tell me what to do, Shopkeeper Lin. I’ll take it seriously and learn everything properly!”
“Good.”
Lin Wu said no more. She went to the back and returned with a slightly worn indigo-blue canvas apron and a matching headscarf. She handed them to Gao Cang. “Put these on, and wrap your hair securely with the scarf. You can’t let loose strands fall into the food. Anyone working in our shop needs to look clean and presentable.”
Gao Cang quickly took them and happily put them on. Once the apron was tied and his head covered, his whole appearance changed. He looked quite a bit like Liang Peilan in her work clothes. At a glance, anyone could tell that he was the bakery’s new young assistant.
With another waiter on hand, the shop was indeed much less hectic.
Perhaps because his family ran a tofu workshop and he had helped with the business since he was young, Gao Cang was not at all afraid of strangers, and he had a naturally sweet way of speaking. Whenever a customer entered, he would flash a smile and call out, “Welcome! Please, come on in!”
He was quick with his hands and feet as well. He collected bowls and chopsticks, wiped down tables, and carried food back and forth, darting around the shop as if he had endless energy.
When there were fewer customers, he refused to sit idle. He would voluntarily slip into the kitchen and squat beside the wooden basin, helping Mrs. Sun wash dishes and scrub pots.
Seeing sweat bead on his forehead, Mrs. Sun said, “Oh, go outside and take a break. Have some water. There’s no need to rush.”
Gao Cang grinned. “Auntie, I’m not tired. This is much easier than pushing the stone mill and grinding beans at home! And it’s lively and interesting!”
He truly felt that this work was more enjoyable than making tofu in silence. He could meet all kinds of people and listen to everyone’s idle chatter.
After finishing the dishes, he wandered over to the counter out of curiosity and watched Liang Peilan work the abacus and scribble in the account book. His eyes grew round.
“Peilan, you’re amazing! You’re so young, yet you already know how to read, write, and do arithmetic!”
“I’m not that young,” Liang Peilan replied. “Keeping accounts is simple. It’s always the same few numbers. Once you get used to it, it isn’t difficult. I just don’t know how to grind beans or steam starch sheets.”
The two of them chatted in low voices for a while. When they compared their ages, they discovered that they were the same age. Gao Cang was only two months older than Liang Peilan.
By the time Liang Peilan closed the account book, the sun outside had already sunk toward the rooftops.
Business at the bakery had been lively, smooth, and uneventful that day, just as usual. The small disturbance caused by the shortage of starch sheets seemed to have left no trace at all.
The next morning, Lin Wu and Mrs. Sun once again made their way to the Li family’s starch-sheet shop.
The moment Shopkeeper Li looked up and saw them, his heart sank.
Lin Wu walked over, her expression and tone perfectly normal. “Good morning, Shopkeeper Li. It’s been several days now. Have you managed to find any suitable good-quality beans for your shop? We’ve been waiting to reopen our starch-sheet dishes. We’ve done business with you for so long, and we’re used to buying your starch sheets. I’d still rather buy from you, since it gives me peace of mind.”
Shopkeeper Li’s smile looked more like a grimace. “Shopkeeper Lin, I’m truly sorry. To be honest, that batch of beans—cough—the problem turned out to be more serious than we expected. We probably won’t be able to supply you for some time. Your business is important, so you mustn’t let us hold you up. You’d better hurry and see whether you can find another supplier.”
Though his words were deliberately vague, he privately felt a little resentful toward Lin Wu for being so lacking in tact. He had already hinted so plainly that there was something wrong with the beans, so why did she keep coming to him again and again? Wasn’t she making things difficult for him?
Lin Wu sighed when she heard this. “All right, then. I’ll wait a little longer.”
She and Mrs. Sun turned to leave, then, as usual, went to another rice-sheet shop that had refused her before. Sure enough, the shopkeeper there offered much the same excuse as Shopkeeper Li.
After listening, Lin Wu did not argue. She simply turned and walked away.
As they were walking, she spotted an employee ahead carrying a bamboo basket piled high with rice sheets.
Lin Wu hurried after him and asked, “Excuse me, brother, may I ask where you bought those rice sheets? They look very good.”
The employee stopped and answered readily, “The Li family’s rice-sheet shop. I just bought them. Their rice sheets have always been excellent.”
Lin Wu’s expression froze. She quickly said, “That’s strange. I just came from the Li family’s shop, and Shopkeeper Li himself told me there was something wrong with the beans and that they had no rice sheets to sell. How is it that you were able to buy some?”
“Huh?” The employee was taken aback as well. “That can’t be right. When I left, I saw several baskets drying in the courtyard beside his shop. How could they be out of stock?”
Lin Wu frowned. “It isn’t just Shopkeeper Li’s shop. I also asked at the Chen family’s shop up ahead, and they said the same thing. I thought there really had been some major problem with the beans lately, and that none of the shops could make rice sheets. But looking at what you’re carrying… that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
The employee immediately sensed that something was going on and became even more interested. After glancing around, he lowered his voice. “Shopkeeper, if you don’t mind my asking—have you perhaps offended someone?”
“Offended someone?” Lin Wu waved her hands repeatedly. “I don’t think so. I’m just an honest shopkeeper running a small pancake shop. Business has improved these past few days, but I’ve always operated fairly. How could I have crossed anyone important?”
The employee sized up her plain but neat clothing and asked curiously, “May I ask what your shop is called?”
“The Shuangmu Pancake Shop. It’s at the far eastern end of the main street—a tiny, inconspicuous place. A little shop like ours… who could we possibly offend?”
“Oh—the Shuangmu Pancake Shop!” The employee suddenly understood. “I know your shop! Just a few days ago, my own shopkeeper was praising it, saying your food was delicious and honestly priced. The shop may not be large, but…”
He paused, then lowered his voice even further. “Haven’t you expanded recently? Business must be booming now, right? That’s just how things are sometimes. When you keep a low profile, nobody pays attention. But once you stand out, you’re bound to attract trouble.”
Seeing that Lin Wu was listening attentively, he added, “I’m only a deliveryman, so it wouldn’t be proper for me to say too much. But if you’re in urgent need of rice sheets, running into obstacles everywhere won’t solve anything. Why not take a look at the stalls in the morning market? Some of the small farmers make their own.”
Lin Wu thanked him sincerely. “Thank you for the advice. I did visit the morning market a few days ago and found one family whose rice sheets were quite good. But our shop uses a large quantity, so we’d still prefer a supplier who can provide a steady amount with consistent quality. I thought Shopkeeper Li and the others would be able to resume production in a few days. Who could have guessed…”
She did not finish. She merely shook her head helplessly.
The employee pondered this, then said vaguely, “You’re an understanding person, Shopkeeper. A business may be small, but there can be more complications behind it than one might expect…”
Lin Wu thanked him once again.
After parting from the kind employee, Lin Wu did not return directly to the shop. Instead, she went to a mill on another street and bought some mung bean flour.
Mrs. Sun followed beside her, looking curious. “Shopkeeper, are we going to try making rice sheets ourselves?”
“Not rice sheets.” Lin Wu placed the bag of mung bean flour into her basket. “I want to see whether we can use this mung bean flour to make something new. Without rice sheets today, we can’t make our rice noodles. We can’t keep the dine-in business going on wontons alone.”
Rice sheets took far too much time and effort to make. The batter had to be mixed, steamed one sheet at a time, then peeled off and left to cool. Someone had to stand watch the entire time, yet even after investing all that work, they still could not produce very much. It simply was not worthwhile for the shop. With that much time, they might as well experiment with something else.
When they returned to the shop, Lin Wu took out the taro she had bought earlier and soaked some red beans.
To Mrs. Sun, who had already begun kneading dough, she said, “Let’s add a sweet soup to the menu today and see how it goes.”
The shop often made steamed buns, so taro and red beans were already on hand. The red beans had also been soaked the day before. With the addition of some homemade dumplings, they could put together a bowl of taro and red-bean sweet soup, somewhat like the sweet dessert soups she was familiar with.
If they had tapioca flour, chewy taro balls would naturally be even better. Unfortunately, they had none at the moment, so Lin Wu could not recreate that texture and had to think of another way.
With quick, practiced movements, she peeled the taro and Chinese yam and put them into the steamer.
While they were still hot, she mashed the soft Chinese yam into a fine paste, then added mung bean flour and glutinous rice flour. The mung bean flour would lend the dumplings a smoother texture, while the glutinous rice flour would give them a pleasant, sticky chew. They would not be the same as taro balls, but they ought to have a flavor of their own.
She then took three small bowls and prepared some red yeast water, spinach juice, and gardenia water. She kneaded each liquid into a separate portion of dough. Before long, three brightly colored lumps—red, green, and yellow—sat on the worktable.
She pulled off another piece of dough, rolled it into a long rope, and cut it into small pieces. Then she rolled each piece between her palms into balls about the size of a fingertip.
Mrs. Sun and Fourth Sister He came over to help as well. With all their hands moving nonstop, they soon had a small pile of exquisite little dumplings in three colors.
Lin Jing, who had been peering over the edge of the table the entire time, had long since begun to itch to join in. He moved over to the basin, washed his little hands, and dried them carefully. Then he came up beside Lin Wu and tilted his face up at her.
“I want to roll them too!”
“All right.” Lin Wu smiled, shifted over to make room, and handed him a small piece of red dough.
Lin Jing took it. With his chubby little hands, he imitated Lin Wu, pinching off a small piece and slowly rolling it between his palms.
He was so serious that his round cheeks puffed out slightly. The dumplings he made were not as even or perfectly round as the ones made by the women, but they were certainly recognizable.
He held up the first red dumpling he had made. “Look! Is it round?”
“It’s perfectly round, and just the right size.” Lin Wu praised him with a smile.
Encouraged, the little boy worked even harder. Before long, he had made a small handful.
The water in the pot came to a boil. Lin Wu deliberately put his dumplings in first. Once they floated to the surface, she scooped them out and rinsed them in cool water, setting them aside.
Meanwhile, the red beans had already been cooked until soft and creamy, and the sweet fragrance of the taro gradually spread through the shop.
Lin Wu took a pottery bowl. First, she ladled in a spoonful of red beans and their broth. Then she added several pieces of taro, followed by a spoonful of the three-colored dumplings. Finally, she poured over some sugar syrup and, with unusual generosity, sprinkled a small handful of chopped walnuts on top.
Lin Jing had been standing beside her on tiptoe, watching the entire time. His eyes grew wider and wider.
The contents of the bowl had gradually taken on a riot of colors: deep-red bean broth, milky-white, soft taro, and red, green, and yellow dumplings scattered throughout. A sprinkling of golden-brown walnut crumbs completed the dish, making it look utterly irresistible.
When Lin Wu carried the bowl out, he followed close behind her like a little tail, step for step, from the kitchen to the dining area.
As soon as she set the bowl down, he plopped himself into a chair as well, placing both hands properly on his knees. His large, round eyes, however, were wide open and sparkling as they darted from the bowl to Lin Wu, then back again.
Lin Wu handed him a spoon. “Give it a taste.”
He took it eagerly, scooped up a spoonful, and popped it into his mouth. The taro dumpling melted at once, while the red-bean paste was soft and grainy, sweet and fragrant. Every so often, a piece of walnut added another layer of crispness.
What he liked best were the three-colored glutinous rice balls. Unlike ordinary floating rice balls, these had a bit more bite and were wonderfully springy. Set against the soft, sticky taro and red-bean paste, they were especially delightful. He loved the texture and chewed them over and over.
“This is so good!” He had always preferred sweet foods, and this sweet soup suited his tastes perfectly. With both rice balls and taro dumplings in it—substantial ingredients that filled the stomach—a bowl was enough to make a proper breakfast. He leaned back, thoroughly satisfied.
“What’s this called?” he asked, still holding the spoon in his mouth. He had already begun planning how he would show it off to his classmates at the academy.
Lin Wu had just made herself another bowl and emerged after lifting the curtain. “Hmm… Then let’s call it Three-Colored Rice Ball Sweet Soup.”
With this addition, the shop’s dine-in offerings now included savory wontons as well as this sweet soup. There was something for every budget, and both sweet and savory tastes were catered for.
After Lin Jing finished eating to his heart’s content, he left for the academy in the Shen family’s carriage. The shop officially opened for business that day.
On the little wooden board outside, where the day’s dishes were written, the words “Three-Colored Rice Ball Sweet Soup” stood out in bright, clear characters.
“Little Liang, good morning! Give me a bowl of cold tossed starch noodles, with extra cucumber shreds!” A familiar dockworker called out as soon as dawn broke, already well acquainted with the place.
The weather had grown warmer lately, and there had indeed been a rise in customers asking for refreshing cold tossed starch noodles.
Liang Peilan answered, “I’m terribly sorry, but we don’t have cold tossed starch noodles today. The rice noodles in soup are sold out too.”
“What?” The dockworker stared at her in surprise. “That’s strange. You made rice noodles for just one day a while back, and the cold starch noodles have only been on the menu for two or three days. How have they run out again? What kind of business turns away customers who come knocking?”
Lin Wu was wrapping wontons behind the cutting board. At this, she turned around and explained in her usual tone, “I’m sorry, sir. It’s not that we don’t want to make them. Our little shop is short-handed, and we buy the starch sheets from outside suppliers. For some reason, we haven’t been able to purchase any these past few days. Even the cleverest housewife can’t cook without rice, so there’s nothing we can do.”
“Can’t buy starch sheets?” The customer was even more bewildered. He worked at the docks and knew the city’s food trade fairly well. “Huzhou Prefecture isn’t that big, but it isn’t small either. There must be at least eight or ten shops and stalls making starch sheets. How could they all be out?”
Lin Wu gave a bitter smile and shook her head. “To be honest, I went to ask two suppliers I know personally this morning, and both told me they had no stock. If you know of a reliable starch-sheet maker willing to sell to us, today’s meal is on me.”
Another regular customer happened to arrive and caught the latter part of her words. He joined in, “That doesn’t sound right. I came all the way from the main street, and the stalls selling those food pouches were all doing business as usual. I didn’t hear that anyone had run out. If none of the starch-sheet shops had any to sell, wouldn’t those stalls have closed already?”
As he spoke, he suddenly realized what it might mean. Lowering his voice, he asked, “Shopkeeper Lin, could you have accidentally offended someone?”
Lin Wu shook her head helplessly. “I spend every day minding this little shop and have never knowingly quarreled with anyone, let alone offended them. Neighbors, if I’ve done anything inappropriate or unknowingly crossed some great person, please give me a hint. I’ll go to their door and apologize. Otherwise…” She sighed. “Today it’s starch sheets. Who knows what it will be tomorrow? I’m afraid doing business is going to become impossible.”
She sighed once more, then quickly put on a brighter expression. “Listen to me, saying such discouraging things first thing in the morning. Let’s not talk about that. We’ve added a new dish today: Three-Colored Rice Ball Sweet Soup. It’s sweet, filling, and soothing. Would any of you like to try it?”
“Early in the morning, I’d still rather have something savory to warm my stomach. I’ll save something sweet for noon. Just give me a scallion pancake.”
“Coming right up. Please wait a moment.” Fourth Sister He ladled a spoonful of batter onto the griddle and answered cheerfully.
As the sun climbed higher, more customers arrived at the shop. The Three-Colored Rice Ball Sweet Soup, made with generous ingredients, attracted plenty of curious diners. Little by little, business for the sweet soup picked up.
“Shopkeeper Lin, this sweet soup of yours is truly excellent! It looks like a dessert, but with taro, red beans, and rice balls, one bowl is so filling that you won’t feel hungry for hours.”
“The rice balls are especially wonderful. They’re so pretty and springy. I bet they’d be delicious even if you simply boiled them in sugar water.”
“Well, being unable to get starch sheets has forced Shopkeeper Lin to come up with something new. We old food connoisseurs are the ones benefiting from it.”
Lin Wu kept busy as she replied, “Please stop teasing me, gentlemen. I had no choice. Today it’s rice balls; tomorrow, who knows whether I’ll even be able to buy mung-bean starch? These days, I wake up worrying every morning, afraid that tomorrow I won’t even be able to light the stove.”
Her words were half joking and half serious, but the worry behind them was genuine.
After hearing this, one regular customer lowered his voice and said, “Not to put too fine a point on it, but your shop’s business has been booming. Someone must have taken offense and started pressuring you behind the scenes. I ate breakfast on the main street this morning, and all those food stalls could still buy starch sheets as usual. You’re the only one who can’t.”
“Exactly,” another customer said, raising his voice a little. “The news that Double-Wood Pancake Shop can’t buy starch sheets has already spread through several streets over on the main road this morning.”
The food stalls and shops were, after all, competitors of Double-Wood Pancake Shop, and there was no denying that they were competing for business. Yet when they heard what had happened, most of them were not gleeful. Instead, they felt uneasy.
Today it was Double-Wood Pancake Shop. Who knew whether tomorrow it would inexplicably be their own turn? In private, everyone was speculating about which powerful figure had such a long reach, and why they acted with such blatant disregard for the rules.
The several starch-sheet shops were having a difficult day as well. One after another, familiar customers and curious neighbors came to question them, probing for answers.
As the principal supplier to Double-Wood Pancake Shop in the past, Shopkeeper Li was especially hard-pressed, with no way to explain himself and nowhere to vent his bitterness.
“Shopkeeper Li, is what Shopkeeper Lin said this morning true? You have stock in your shop, but you’re unwilling to sell it to her?” An old customer who knew him well came by to buy starch sheets and asked half jokingly, half probing.
The smile on Shopkeeper Li’s face immediately stiffened. He waved his hands repeatedly. “That’s not true, not true at all! You must have misunderstood. It just so happened that when Shopkeeper Lin came by, the shop’s stock had…” He coughed. “It just happened to have sold out.”
That excuse could not fool the sharp-eyed people who spent their days around this street.
Another customer waiting to buy starch sheets immediately laughed. “Shopkeeper Li, now you’re just lying through your teeth. Forget this morning—look for yourself. Aren’t there still plenty stacked in that basket? How could you possibly have sold out?”
Shopkeeper Li stammered, “The stock only came in later. It was delivered after Shopkeeper Lin had already left…”
“Couldn’t you have waited for Shopkeeper Lin? Or at least left word for her and told her you’d let her know when the goods arrived? We’ve done business together for so long—don’t we have even that much goodwill between us?” someone pressed.
The whole matter was bizarre, and everyone wanted to get to the bottom of it so they would have something to talk about afterward.
One particularly forthright customer asked outright, “Shopkeeper Li, we’ve been neighbors for years. Give us the truth—has someone from above put pressure on you and forbidden you to sell to her? Otherwise, why would you turn away a regular customer? If word gets out, it won’t do your shop’s reputation any good!”
Shopkeeper Li’s face flushed bright red. He could only wave his hands repeatedly, muttering the same few phrases over and over: “It was just a coincidence, truly a coincidence.” “There’s nothing to it. You’re reading too much into it…”
Aside from that, not a single useful word could be pried out of him. His explanation was full of holes, yet he stubbornly refused to change his story. In the end, it only confirmed the rumor that Shuangmu Pastry Shop had been deliberately denied goods.
The more he kept silent and acted as though there were some deep secret involved, the more curious everyone became. All sorts of wild guesses began circulating, each more outrageous than the last.
Quite a few customers seated inside Shuangmu Pastry Shop joined in the discussion.
“Who could make several fenpi shops throughout the city fall into line? It must have been the Food and Drink Guild giving orders, right?”
“But Shuangmu Pastry Shop is listed with the Food and Drink Guild too, isn’t it? It makes no sense for the guild to suppress one of its own businesses.”
“Then could it have been a rival eatery?”
“What eatery could possibly have enough clout to command so many fenpi shops?”
“Strange. Very strange…”
Someone lowered his voice and said mysteriously, “A fenpi shop opens its doors to do business. Apart from listening to the Food and Drink Guild, who else would it have to obey? Rice, flour, grain, and oil are all controlled by the Grain Guild. Could it have been someone from the Grain Guild who passed down the order?”
“The Grain Guild? That makes even less sense! The Grain Guild and a pastry shop have nothing to do with each other. One sells rice, the other sells pastries. They don’t interfere with one another.”
“Whatever the reason, judging by Shopkeeper Li’s expression—his evasive answers and the sweat pouring off him—someone must be forcing him, and it must be someone he absolutely cannot afford to offend. The question is, who?”
“Anyone who can make every fenpi shop in the city suddenly run out of stock must be incredibly powerful. Someone with influence everywhere, surely. Could it be the Qi family of Zhenhe Tower? Their family head is the leader of the Food and Drink Guild, after all.”
“Impossible. What sort of people dine at Zhenhe Tower? Are they even the same kind of customers who come to a pastry shop like this?”
“Besides, the Qi family is the guild leader. They ought to care even more about the rules and maintaining peace within the trade. If even the guild leader used such underhanded methods to suppress a small shop, wouldn’t everyone in the guild live in fear? Who would dare do business with peace of mind?”
The crowd continued arguing, but no one could reach a conclusion.
Lin Wu, who had been busy at the worktable all along, paused slightly in the middle of wrapping a wonton when she heard the words “Zhenhe Tower.”
The curtain covering the doorway had been rolled up, giving everyone a clear view of the preparation area behind the worktable.
Lin Wu let out a soft sigh, as though speaking to herself. “Now that you mention it, I suppose I have had some dealings with Zhenhe Tower.”
Her words were like a drop of water falling into a pan of hot oil. The shop fell silent in an instant. Even the customers who had just bought their food and were preparing to leave stopped in their tracks. One by one, they craned their necks and leaned over curiously.
Lin Wu seemed to realize that she had let something slip. She hurriedly waved her hands and lowered her voice. “Never mind, never mind. I must have been overthinking it. Zhenhe Tower is such a grand establishment, raking in money every day and catering only to the high and mighty. What could it possibly have to do with a little pastry shop like ours?”
“Oh, Shopkeeper Lin! You can’t stop halfway through the story like that—you’re killing us!” an eager customer immediately urged. “Tell us what happened. It might not have been Zhenhe Tower, after all. The whole neighborhood is listening—we can help you figure it out!”
“That’s right, Shopkeeper Lin. Don’t be afraid. We’re all neighbors here!”
Lin Wu looked troubled. After hesitating for a moment, she slowly began, “It really wasn’t anything major. Before my shop opened, Zhenhe Tower once wanted to buy a recipe from me. At the time, I was relying on that little bit of skill to establish myself, so after much consideration, I couldn’t bear to sell it and politely turned them down. Other than that, I’ve had no dealings with Zhenhe Tower. It happened so long ago that I’d forgotten all about it…”
Her voice trailed off. The eyes of everyone present lit up, and they lowered their voices as they leaned together and whispered.
“Could it… really be because of that?”
“Surely not. Zhenhe Tower is such a huge business. Would they really care about one recipe? Besides, the two establishments aren’t even in direct competition. They serve completely different kinds of customers.”
“Exactly. And Shuangmu Pastry Shop has been open for quite some time now. If they wanted to make trouble, they should have done it earlier. Why wait until now, just after the shop expanded?”
“Maybe they’re afraid Shuangmu Pastry Shop will grow bigger and truly establish itself. Better to strike first, I suppose.”
“What does that prove? It proves that Shopkeeper Lin’s food is good enough to win Zhenhe Tower’s approval! Even they thought it was worth buying the recipe!”
Most people still found it hard to believe. Zhenhe Tower was such a large and prosperous establishment; surely they wouldn’t go out of their way to suppress a tiny pastry shop over a single recipe after so much time had passed. The explanation was far-fetched, with an unmistakable air of a story forced into existence.
But that was how street rumors worked. The more absurd a story seemed, the more easily people embellished it, and the faster it spread.
In less than two days, the rumor that “Zhenhe Tower, unable to purchase Shopkeeper Lin’s recipe, has secretly used its influence to bully Shuangmu Pastry Shop” had spread throughout every street and alley in Huzhou City.
As for how Zhenhe Tower and the Qi family reacted, that remained to be seen. The shopkeepers of the fenpi shops, however, were already in a panic.
That night, in the small back room of the Li family’s fenpi shop, the lamplight burned dimly.
Shopkeeper Li was as anxious as a donkey walking in circles around a millstone. With his hands clasped behind his back, he paced repeatedly through the cramped room. The two or three other fenpi shopkeepers he had privately summoned all wore grave expressions.
“It’s over. It’s over, it’s over…” Shopkeeper Li’s forehead was beaded with cold sweat, and his lips moved as he repeated, “What are we going to do?”
The other shopkeepers were equally troubled.
“Who could have imagined it? Who could have imagined that Shopkeeper Lin, who looks like such a mild-mannered young woman, would be capable of stirring up this much trouble! She could have quietly gone to the morning market to find another supplier, or put in a little effort and made the goods herself. Wouldn’t that have solved everything? How did things end up spreading throughout the entire city—and dragging Zhenhe Tower into it as well?”
“What good is it to say that now? At present, apart from the people who received the Grain Guild’s instructions, we’re the only ones in all of Huzhou City who know what really happened. But now that this rumor has spread, and sounds so convincing, it points straight at the family that leads our guild! Do you really think the guild leader will simply let it go? Wouldn’t that mean we helped some unknown power frame our own guild leader and leave their family to suffer an undeserved accusation?”
That was what frightened them most. Offending the Grain Guild would certainly be troublesome, but offending the head of their own trade guild would be tantamount to cutting themselves off from the entire Huzhou food trade. They might as well smash their own rice bowls.
Shopkeeper Li stopped in his tracks and wiped the sweat from his brow. “We can’t just sit around and wait for the guild head to come investigate. By then, we’ll be completely on the defensive. We have to get ahead of it and speak up before the guild head says anything! We can say that we were also bullied by the grain guild and had no choice but to do what we did…”
“Say what, exactly? That the grain guild warned us not to sell starch sheets to the Shuangmu Cake Shop? Do we have any evidence? Any written agreement? What if the grain guild simply denies everything and turns around and accuses us of slander? Who would we even appeal to then? Is the Liang family someone we can afford to provoke?”
“Then what are we supposed to do?!” Shopkeeper Li raised his voice, only to lower it again at once. “Who could have guessed that such a small cake shop—with nothing but a widow and her children—would be this stubborn? They have no sense of proportion at all!”
“Exactly. So what if they went without starch sheets for a few days? It’s not as though we cut off all their rice, flour, oil, and salt. What difference could a shortage of starch sheets make? The shop could still open, couldn’t it? How did she dare go around telling everyone about it—and drag the guild head into the matter on top of that?”
He truly could not understand it. By all reason, when a small shop encountered a minor obstacle like this, it would simply endure it for a while, find a substitute, or quietly smooth things over with a little money. The matter would then pass. Who would have expected them to disregard everything and make such a scene that everyone in the city knew about it?
Shopkeeper Li slapped the table in regret. “We miscalculated. If we’d known Lady Lin had this kind of temperament, we should have quietly resumed supplying her with starch sheets as soon as the rumors first began. We could have said that we’d genuinely been short on stock for the past few days and that supplies had just come in, so we were immediately restoring deliveries. At least we could have saved face, and she would have had a way to back down. Perhaps the matter would have ended quietly. But now…”
Now the water had already been spilled and could not be gathered back up. Worse still, a massive stone called “Riverside Pavilion” had fallen into it, stirring up waves a thousand layers high.
The nature of the matter had changed. It was no longer a simple case of several shops running short of supplies. It had become a matter of the head of the wine-and-food guild allegedly suppressing businesses under his authority. This was far beyond anything they could explain away.
“Now that the guild head has been dragged into it, there’s no way this can be brushed aside.”
The tea room fell into complete silence.
That night, the shopkeepers of several starch-sheet shops in Huzhou City were destined to toss and turn, unable to sleep.
By the next day, the morning rush had passed. The sky was clear and bright, making it one of those rare, beautiful days.
Yet Shopkeeper Li’s heart remained suspended, and he could not relax in the slightest. Nine out of ten of the regular customers who came to buy starch sheets asked him about the same thing:
“Shopkeeper Li, I heard something happened over at Riverside Pavilion… Your shop wasn’t affected, was it?”
Every time he heard the words “Riverside Pavilion,” his head began to ache, and cold sweat broke out across his back.
He distractedly dealt with his customers, his mind in turmoil. The calmer things remained on the guild head’s side, with not the slightest word coming through, the more uneasy he became.
Just as he was growing increasingly restless and wondering whether he should go speak to the guild’s manager, someone from the grain guild arrived.
It was Steward Xu. Although he was still young, he was Liang Fourth Son’s most capable confidant. Clever and adept at handling affairs, he was greatly favored by Fourth Young Master Liang. Despite his age, he had already become a manager of some standing within the guild.
Steward Xu wore his usual smile as he drew Shopkeeper Li to an unoccupied spot behind the shop and lowered his voice. “Shopkeeper Li, put your mind at ease. You know what connections our master has in the capital.”
Shopkeeper Li was no longer in the mood to be polite with him. He wore a deeply troubled expression. “Steward, of course I know. But you’re aware of how serious this has become. My livelihood may well be ruined today…”
Steward Xu’s smile did not change. “Why panic over such a minor matter? As long as you keep your mouth shut and don’t cause trouble for yourself—or for our master—the grain guild will naturally continue to look after your business.”
Seeing that Shopkeeper Li was still frowning, he added in a mild tone, “As for the Qi family on the wine-and-food guild’s side, our master will speak with them and smooth things over. It’s nothing more than an insignificant little shop. Surely it can’t come between the grain guild and the wine-and-food guild, which have maintained friendly relations for so many years? You can rest easy. Put your heart back where it belongs.”
Shopkeeper Li’s eyes lit up at once, as though he had seized a lifeline. He nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, of course. I had no choice in the matter. With your word, I can finally relax! I knew Steward Xu would take care of everything perfectly!”
When he heard that the grain guild would step in and negotiate with the wine-and-food guild, the heart that had been hanging in his chest for so long finally settled.
After Steward Xu left, he sat in a chair and let out a long breath.
That was right. The grain guild and the wine-and-food guild—what tremendous establishments they were. If the two sides communicated and joined forces to suppress this matter, what problem could they possibly fail to resolve? He was merely the owner of a small starch-sheet shop, caught in the middle and following orders. What serious trouble could come of it?
He had just wiped the cold sweat from his brow and prepared to take a sip of water to calm himself when, in the very next instant, the other half of his heart shot straight into his throat.
Someone from the wine-and-food guild had arrived.
It was a worker from Riverside Pavilion. Shopkeeper Li had never seen his face before, but the Riverside Pavilion uniform he wore was unmistakable.
The worker’s expression was impassive. When he saw Shopkeeper Li, he did not bother with pleasantries and simply said, “Are you Shopkeeper Li? Our Young Master has some questions for you. Please come with me to Riverside Pavilion.”
Without waiting for a reply, he pointed toward the entrance, where a mule cart was waiting.
Shopkeeper Li forced a smile. “Young man, as you can see, I’m still doing business here. I really can’t get away right now…”
The worker did not even lift his eyelids. “Our Young Master said that Riverside Pavilion will reimburse you for whatever revenue your shop loses today because of this matter. Please.”
Seeing that there was no room for refusal, Shopkeeper Li did not dare say another word. His face went deathly pale. He hurriedly gave a few instructions to the workers helping in the shop, then followed the man onto the mule cart with unsteady steps.
The wheels rattled along. Each creak seemed to grind against his heart.
When they reached Riverside Pavilion, the worker led him out of the cart. As Shopkeeper Li looked up, he caught sight of several familiar faces. They were the very shopkeepers of the starch-sheet shops who had shared his misery in the tea room the night before.
The men exchanged glances, their faces ashen.
What frightened him even more was that the main hall of Riverside Pavilion—normally a place only the wealthy and powerful could enter—was now packed with people.
It was not quite crowded to the point of being impassable, but it was certainly nothing like its usual appearance. Well-dressed diners, shopkeepers and assistants from nearby businesses peering in from the doors and windows, and even a few men who looked like idle wanderers making their way through the streets were all gathered around, craning their necks to see inside.
Shopkeeper Li’s legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed. He was led through a narrow path opened by the crowd. When he looked toward the far end of the hall, he saw Qi Xuan, the young Young Master of the Qi family, seated behind a broad tea table.
His expression was calm as he held a cup of tea in his hand, giving away nothing of what he was thinking.
Seated beside him was none other than Lin Wu of the Shuangmu Cake Shop.
She wore a dress that was somewhat worn but still neat. Sitting upright and composed, she showed remarkably little panic despite all the eyes fixed upon her.
Shopkeeper Li’s mind gave a loud, buzzing jolt and went completely blank.
The grain guild… Hadn’t the grain guild said they would speak to the wine-and-food guild and smooth things over?
Judging by the scene before him, this looked nothing like a matter that had been settled through discussion. This was clearly a public confrontation, with everything to be handled openly and according to the rules.
