Traveling was no easy thing, and tonight the autumn chill had descended with sudden force.
Fortunately, the caravan found a sheltered spot to make camp. Once the cooks got a fire going in the rear kitchen, everyone warmed up considerably.
The evening meal was rice braised with salted meat and Chinese cabbage. The salted meat was diced and stir-fried with pre-soaked mushrooms and dried bamboo shoots until fragrant. Once the fat had rendered, chopped cabbage was added and everything was tipped into a large pot of polished-grain rice. A spoonful of soybean paste was added for extra flavor, along with water, and the pot was covered to simmer.
When the lid was lifted, the grains of rice gleamed with the rich oil from the salted meat, soaked through with the juices of the mushrooms, vegetables, and soybean paste. A wave of fragrance rushed out.
The guards and workers gathered around, each with a large bowl in hand. Li Sanniang and the kitchen helpers took advantage of the rising steam, filling every bowl to the brim with a large ladleful.
As for Lin Wu, she was still tending a small pot of porridge.
“Thank you for taking the trouble, Mrs. Lin,” Steward Zhou said courteously beside her. He appeared to be around forty, dressed neatly, with a somewhat stern air.
Lin Wu guessed that he was Master Qin’s trusted steward rather than an ordinary servant.
“You’re too kind, Steward. It’s only part of my duties,” Lin Wu replied gently as she slowly stirred the porridge in the earthenware crock.
It was millet porridge with dried scallops. Steward Zhou had brought the finest dried scallops, which she had soaked in warm water and carefully torn into shreds before adding them to the millet and simmering everything over a low flame.
When Lin Wu saw that the grains had burst open and the porridge had thickened with a rich layer of cream, she sprinkled in minced cabbage and added a few drops of light soy sauce for color. She covered the crock and let it cook for a little longer. When she lifted the lid again, the porridge was a clear, golden yellow, and the distinctive fresh sweetness of dried scallops drifted into the air.
“I hope you won’t take offense, Steward,” she said somewhat hesitantly as she carefully ladled porridge into a porcelain bowl. “I’ve never used scallops this fine before. I simply prepared them the way I usually make minced-meat and wild-vegetable porridge. If it isn’t to your taste, I hope you and Master Qin will be forgiving.”
Before Steward Zhou could reply, a deep, amused voice came from behind them.
“Mrs. Lin, you’re being too modest. I caught the fragrance of this porridge from some distance away, and my feet simply carried me here.” Master Qin Xiaoshan approached and stopped beside the stove.
Lin Wu rose and saluted him. “Good evening, Master Qin.”
Unlike Fang Qian, Qin Xiaoshan was not one to sit still. Whenever the caravan stopped to rest, he liked to walk around and stretch his limbs. He had spotted Steward Zhou standing guard over here and had wandered over for a look. The young woman before him must be the careful and capable Cook Lin he had heard about.
“No need for such formality, Mrs. Lin. From your accent, you sound as though you’re from around the capital. Are you from Wucang County?” Qin Xiaoshan asked casually.
Wucang County lay near the capital, and its accent did bear some resemblance to the speech spoken there. But Qin Xiaoshan had served in the Palace Commandery for many years in his youth, and in recent years had traveled far and wide. His ear was exceptionally sharp. Rather than sounding like someone from Wucang County, this woman’s pronunciation and intonation were more like those of the capital itself. There was even, faintly, a trace of palace speech in them—proper, precise, and impeccably measured.
As he looked at Lin Wu again, his gaze inevitably took on a note of scrutiny.
Lin Wu gave a small nod. Xiao Zhao had mentioned that Master Qin was the owner of a trading post in Wucang County, so the question immediately put her on edge. Her fabricated identity would not withstand close examination. Fortunately, she had only given a single answer so far and should not have revealed too much.
Her expression remained unchanged, but her accent naturally shifted slightly as she replied timidly, “I’m from a village under Wucang County and rarely went into the city. These past few days, I’ve been traveling with the caravan and listening to everyone speak in accents from all over the country. My own way of speaking has become a muddle as well. I’m afraid I’ve ended up sounding like a poor imitation of everyone at once. I hope you won’t laugh at me, Master.”
The Fang family’s roots were in the capital, and most of the caravan’s guards and workers were from there as well. The explanation ought to hold up.
Even so, a fine sheen of sweat appeared on her brow. Speech was like breathing—words often slipped out before one could think, making it impossible to maintain a disguise at every moment. She had also spent her entire childhood in the palace and had rarely come into contact with the outside world, leaving her with no one to imitate. For the next few days, she would have to pay closer attention to the way everyone in the caravan spoke and learn from them.
Seeing her nervous expression and timid voice, Qin Xiaoshan secretly laughed at himself for prying too much.
The court was already mired in chaos. As a merchant who had long since withdrawn from that world of trouble, why should he go looking for complications? Even if the woman before him truly was a fugitive slave or a wanted criminal from the capital, what did it matter to him so long as she did not poison his food? By pressing her so insistently, he only made himself look as though he were deliberately bullying a widow with nowhere else to turn.
With that thought, his tone softened. Following her explanation, he said, “A caravan travels far and wide, and its people come from every corner of the country. Accents and tastes naturally differ, so it takes some getting used to. Still, you don’t seem like someone accustomed to life on the road. Why did you choose such a grueling line of work?”
There was a trace of bitterness in Lin Wu’s voice. “Only because of some trouble at home. I could no longer make a living there, so I had no choice but to take my children to Lingzhou and seek a way out through my elder brother.”
Qin Xiaoshan looked at the woman’s clothes, neither new nor truly worn, and at her skin, darkened by the sun. It was obvious that she had lived a hard life. Her appearance fit that of a peasant woman from the countryside perfectly.
“I see. But with cooking skills like yours, why travel so far from home? My trading post in Wucang County is in need of a cook. If you’re willing, once this journey is over, you can come work for me directly.” He spoke frankly, though he had a vague feeling that she would refuse.
Lin Wu’s face brightened at his offer, but then she lowered her lashes and sighed. “Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Master. I’m deeply grateful. It’s just that… there are still several relatives on my husband’s side of the family, and some old disputes between us remain unresolved. I’m afraid that if I were fortunate enough to find work with you, they would come knocking every few days to cause trouble. That would damage the trading post’s reputation and disturb your peace. I left home this time because I wanted to sever all ties with them completely. Lingzhou may be far away, but my own elder brother is there, and I hope to rely on him to secure a peaceful life for my children.”
Qin Xiaoshan thought, Just as I expected. But seeing her bitter expression and hearing the sincerity in her words, he merely nodded. “If fate offers you an opportunity in Lingzhou, then that is a good thing too.”
Only after watching Qin Xiaoshan and Steward Zhou walk away with the food box did Lin Wu finally let out a breath of relief. But the cold air that dried the sweat on her brow left her heart chilled.
She had vaguely sensed the changes in Master Qin’s gaze. At first, he had been assessing her. Then, for some reason, the scrutiny had gradually faded. He had not made any effort to hide the change, but fortunately, there had been no malice in it.
She had the distinct feeling that she had not successfully deceived him at all. Rather, he had simply chosen not to press the matter.
She replayed their conversation in her mind. Apart from that initial greeting, with its telltale accent… there should not have been any other mistakes, should there? Still, it was strange enough for a poor woman to turn down such a good position at a trading post.
Lin Wu sighed inwardly. In any case, they would only be traveling together for a few more days. Once they reached Lingzhou, they would go their separate ways, and they might never cross paths again.
All she could do was remain cautious from now on and avoid people of status whenever possible. If someone noticed a flaw and saw through her, she had no idea how many lies she would have to invent to patch things up.
After finishing her work over the stove, she was finally able to take a short rest. On this cooling autumn night, a bowl of steaming, fragrant braised rice filled her stomach and warmed her from within.
The men continued chatting and laughing among themselves as usual.
“ if you ask me, Mrs. Lin’s cooking is truly something special. Even Master Qin has taken an interest in hiring her.”
As soon as Lin Wu heard that, she hurriedly joined in. “You flatter me, brother. Master Qin merely needed some nourishing dishes that would be gentle on the spleen and stomach, and as it happened, I once tinkered with a few kinds of congee, soup, and noodles because my own child had a weak stomach. It was nothing more than a fortunate coincidence. When it comes to proper meat dishes, I hardly know the first thing.”
She smiled as she explained, taking care not to attract too much attention to herself.
“Mrs. Lin, there’s no need to be so modest. With you and Li Sanniang’s skills, if you set up a food stall in Lingzhou or Wucang County, I guarantee customers would come streaming in.”
“That’s right! Why not set up in Lingzhou? I’d go and support you every single day.”
Xiao Zhao also chimed in with a grin. “Count me in. I’ll sit on every last stool in front of your stall.”
Lin Wu shook her head with a light laugh. “The food tastes so good mainly because our caravan is willing to use such fine ingredients. The cured meat was properly seasoned, and the dried goods are high quality. Anyone could make something delicious with ingredients like these.”
“That’s true. Only the Jincheng Trading House can afford to let us indulge like this. On ordinary days, having plain rice to eat is already considered a blessing, let alone such generous servings of rice with cured meat. Who would have thought this journey would turn out to be such a treat?” Li Sanniang had initially felt a little displeased that Master Qin had singled out Lin Wu for recruitment. But after hearing Lin Wu say it was merely a fortunate coincidence, she realized that was indeed the case and joined in with a sigh of agreement.
“Aren’t we lucky to be enjoying the benefits of our employer’s generosity?” everyone said with a laugh.
Lin Jing sat to one side on a low stool, holding his little wooden bowl and eating in small bites. He ate with great concentration. Each spoonful was just the right size; he would place it in his mouth, chew slowly, and swallow it before taking the next bite. Not a single grain of rice spilled from the bowl or spoon.
His refined, delicate little figure looked especially peaceful amid all the noise and bustle.
“Oh, just look at how Xiaojing’s mother’s son eats!” Li Sanniang’s sharp eyes caught sight of him, and she pointed over with a laugh. “He’s so well-mannered—nothing like the little monkeys at my house who fight over every bite.”
Xiao Zhao turned to look as well and blurted out, “I’d say he’s even more refined than the young miss at the employer’s residence.”
At that, Lin Jing’s small hand paused with the spoon raised. His eyelashes trembled faintly.
