After all the odds and ends they needed were bought, Lin Wu made a point of buying a small sack of white flour as well.
Back in the kitchen of the lodging house, she worked quickly—kneading the dough, letting it rise, and before the night grew too deep, she baked a dozen or so scallion flatbreads that smelled wonderfully savory.
The breads were generous, each one as big as two outstretched palms. She wrapped them carefully in clean oiled paper and tucked them into a simple bucket-shaped cloth bag she had sewn herself from rough cotton and bamboo sticks. They didn’t have a proper food hamper, but though this bag was crude, it kept the provisions neatly packed and unlikely to be crushed.
She figured the caravan would likely provide meals, so she only prepared enough for the next day—just in case, when they first arrived and were caught up in the bustle, they’d have something to stave off hunger without having to scramble.
Early the next morning, when the sky was barely light,
Lin Wu had already packed up everything they owned. The two of them ate some of the flatbreads with hot water for breakfast. After checking out of their room, they lugged their bundles and bags, asking for directions along the way, and headed for the Jincheng Freight Depot on the west side of the city.
At the depot, they could see the open yard was a world apart from the main streets of town.
A long line of covered wagons stood in a dense cluster, while porters carrying heavy sacks crisscrossed the yard, loading cargo onto the vehicles—the axles groaning under the weight.
They soon spotted Xiao Zhao.
He was standing next to a wagon, chewing on a fried flatcake while keeping an eye on the workers: “Hey! Careful there! Don’t bump anything!”
“Brother,” Lin Wu said softly, leading Lin Jing by the hand as she stepped forward to greet him.
“Oh! Sister, you’re here bright and early! Had breakfast yet?” Seeing her, he greeted her warmly and promptly pulled out a flatcake to hand over.
Lin Wu quickly waved it away. “We ate before coming—please, enjoy it yourself.”
That stall’s fried flatcakes were greasy and substantial; one was enough to hold you over half the day.
“Eat a bit more—there’s plenty of work today!” Xiao Zhao said, breaking off a small piece and offering it to Lin Jing, who had been quietly sizing him up. “Little one, stop staring. Here, take it—we’re all family here, no need to stand on ceremony.”
Lin Wu gave a slight nod, and only then did Lin Jing reach out with his small hand, take the piece, and murmur a thank-you.
“Many thanks for your kindness, brother. We made some scallion flatbreads ourselves—I heated them up on the big stove at the lodging this morning. Give one a try and see if it suits your taste.” The moment Lin Wu finished speaking, Lin Jing, as if on cue, pulled a still-warm, soft flatbread from the little cloth bag and offered it over.
“Just call me Xiao Zhao!” He didn’t stand on formality, taking a big bite, his eyes lighting up. “Wow—so fluffy and soft! Sister, with your skills, I’m getting lucky today again!”
Chewing as he walked, he led Lin Wu further inside, explaining: “The two cooks who fell ill—they’re staying here until they’ve recovered and then heading back with another caravan later. So the wagon they used is now for you and another cook to share. You can leave your things here—don’t worry, this place is busy with people coming and going, but no one dares to steal anything.”
He brought them over to a covered wagon. Inside, sacks of grain, cookware, water buckets, and a tent were already neatly stacked, but there was still plenty of space, and it had been kept clean.
“There’s another cook who’ll be partnering with you—should be arriving soon. Once Manager Zhang gets here, he’ll assign you both your tasks.”
"It's very kind of Brother Zhao to go to all this trouble," Lin Wu said gratefully, and along with Lin Jing, she stowed their cloth bundles in an inconspicuous corner of the cart.
As Lin Wu turned to step down from the cart, she spotted a green-canopied carriage pulling to a steady halt not far off. The curtain lifted, and Manager Zhang bent low to step out, making his way toward them.
"You've come rather early, missus," Manager Zhang said, his gaze sweeping the area before landing on Lin Wu, and he greeted her warmly.
Lin Wu replied with a touch of restraint, "It's my first time joining the caravan, and I was afraid that not knowing the rules might cause delays, so I thought I'd come early and wait."
As she spoke, she gently tugged Lin Jing, who had been hiding behind her, forward a step. "This is my younger sister. I hope you'll look after her along the way, Manager."
"You're too kind, missus. The arrangements were made in a hurry—it's we who should be troubling you," Manager Zhang responded. His gaze lingered briefly on Lin Jing, found nothing unusual, and then moved on.
Lin Wu took the initiative to ask, "I noticed the cart already has some grain and vegetables stocked. Should I start preparing some breakfast now?"
"No rush." Manager Zhang waved a hand and explained, "We're still within the county town, so the men will grab their own meals at the stalls. Once another cook arrives and you both sign the contract, you can head to the market with Xiao Hu, the purchasing hand, to see what fresh goods need to be added for the road."
No sooner had he spoken than a woman in a blue cotton jacket, carrying a bundle on her back, hurried over.
"Oh, am I late?" Li Sanniang called out as she approached, a bright, easy smile on her face.
"Right on time." Manager Zhang waved to Xiao Zhao nearby. "Go fetch Accountant Wang."
Once Xiao Zhao ran off, he turned to Lin Wu and Li Sanniang. "You two will be the caravan cooks for this journey from Wucang County to Lingzhou. With nearly a hundred people on the team—masters, laborers, and guards alike—daily meals are no small matter. We'll be counting on your care."
He paused, his tone growing more serious. "For an ordinary trading trip, we might make do with whatever we find along the way. But this time, the master himself has come down from the capital and will be traveling with us to Lingzhou to meet with guests, so we must be especially careful with the food. Above all, it must be clean and safe, with top priority given to the master's and his close attendants' meals.
The team has also stocked plenty of dried provisions that will keep, so if things ever get too busy, others can make do with those for a while. In addition, we've arranged for two assistant cooks and two helpers for you to direct. Xiao Zhao will introduce you to them later and show you around the kitchen setups. For any matter concerning the kitchen, feel free to seek out Xiao Zhao."
As he finished speaking, Xiao Zhao returned with an accountant carrying a contract and writing brush in hand.
"Though you're temporary hires, we can't do away with the formalities—you'll need to sign this contract," Manager Zhang said, taking the document from the accountant. "While you're with the caravan, your board, lodging, and safety are all the team's responsibility, and you'll be paid eighty wen a day."
Then he briefly explained each of their situations in turn before looking at Lin Wu. "You're bringing a child along, which takes up an extra spot, so twenty wen will be deducted from your daily pay, leaving you sixty wen in hand. That's written into the contract. If you have no objections, missus, you may affix your mark."
"Thank you, Manager. We understand." Lin Wu and Li Sanniang replied in unison.
This wage was indeed quite generous. After all, even in the county town, a strong man doing heavy labor could earn only sixty or seventy coppers a day, and at best, perhaps a bit more grain on top. Now this merchant caravan was covering room and board along with travel expenses, and still paying a daily rate of eighty coppers—truly a generous arrangement.
The two of them listened carefully as the accountant read through the terms of the contract, and once they confirmed everything was correct, they pressed their thumbprints at the end of the document.
With that settled, Manager Zhang, clearly a busy man, gave a few more instructions to Xiao Zhao before hurrying off, disappearing into the bustling crowd of the warehouse.
Uncle Hu, the purchasing agent, was a lean and capable middle-aged man. He led Lin Wu and Li Sanniang through the increasingly lively marketplace.
“The staples—rice, flour, and the like—were already stocked up in advance on the supply cart, as you two ladies surely saw,” Uncle Hu said as he guided them along. “For now, it’s mainly about seeing what extra vegetables or seasonings you might need for your cooking. We’ll buy only what’s necessary—no need to be extravagant.”
Li Sanniang was a woman of her own mind, and she spoke right up: “Brother Hu, do you know what the master usually prefers to eat?”
“That I really couldn’t say,” Uncle Hu replied with a shake of his head and a sheepish smile. “To be honest, this is our first time having the master travel with the caravan. I only heard Manager Zhang mention once that the master doesn’t care for overly greasy dishes.”
Lin Wu walked alongside them and said softly, “I’m not much of a cook—I can only manage simple noodle dishes, so I can’t think of anything I’m missing at the moment.”
Even so, she still strolled through the market with the other two, carefully inspecting the stalls, and in the end bought some red beans, taro roots, and dried shrimp—easily storable dry goods.
