Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The ladies from Elder Lady's side had already arrived some time ago, engaged in cheerful conversation.

Li Yan remarked, "Second Sister-in-law truly has an extensive collection of books, even including rare and unique copies."

Li Yue commented, "Second Sister-in-law's handwriting is exquisite. I'll ask her later how she practices and whose calligraphy she learns from."

"Here she is now," someone said.

"Eldest Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law." The young ladies greeted the two sisters-in-law cheerfully.

Li Jin looked at Wen Shi and said, "Eldest Sister-in-law, is my nephew well-behaved? I heard you didn't have much of an appetite this morning?"

Wen Shi glanced at her protruding belly. "It's not that I don't have an appetite. I usually don't mind carrots, but for some reason, I found them quite unappealing this morning. Mother says it's normal – if the child doesn't like something, the mother's tastes will change accordingly."

Li Jin nodded. "So it seems my nephew isn't fond of carrots."

After showing concern for Eldest Sister-in-law, the legitimate eldest daughter from the Fourth Household, Li Zan, inquired, "Second Sister-in-law, your handwriting is so beautiful. How can I improve mine?" At seven years old, she was about to start learning calligraphy.

Meng Die: "Do you have any preferences for the calligraphy of famous masters?"

Li Zan's eyes lit up. "I like Liu Gong's style."

"Liu Gong is renowned in the world of calligraphy and has been imitated by many. It's excellent that you want to learn from him," Meng Die affirmed, then shifted the conversation. "Have you heard of 'Yan Jin Liu Gu'?"

Li Zan nodded. The other ladies in the room fell silent, all turning their attention to them.

Meng Die explained in detail, "Since Liu Gong's calligraphy is known as 'Liu Gu,' it naturally possesses a strong backbone. His strokes are robust and powerful. You're still young, and your hands are still growing; your bones can be tender. If you practice his style for too long, not only will your hand ache, but it might also hinder the healthy development of your bones."

"AH!" Li Zan was greatly astonished. "It's actually like this."

Meng Die replied, "Yes, if you like his calligraphy, you can imitate it after you turn ten."

Li Zan asked, "Then what should I practice now?"

Meng Die answered, "Regular script. Once you grasp the essence, you'll understand the fundamentals of all scripts. If you master the regular script and comprehend the structure of characters, your progress in imitating Liu Gong's style will be much faster."

Li Zan nodded seriously. "I'll focus on practicing regular script then."

Mrs. Zhou interjected, "Our Yuer is turning five this year and will soon begin her formal education. Should she also learn to write in regular script then? She was slightly premature and hasn't the strongest constitution. Her father doesn't wish for her to pursue martial arts but instead hopes she'll excel in the scholarly examinations."

"In that case, it's even more important for her to master regular script," Meng Die replied with a smile. "Nowadays, during examinations, to prevent cheating through handwriting, all answers must be written in official script, also known as imperial script. This style actually evolved from regular script."

"I see, now it makes sense."

The matriarch looked at Mrs. Zhou with delight. "Today, you've truly asked the right person."

"Indeed," Mrs. Zhou responded, her face radiant with joy.

Lady Elder chuckled warmly. "I noticed it's turned a bit colder today, so I instructed the kitchen to prepare a mushroom hot pot with just the broth. If you ladies have any particular preferences, feel free to pass on the message to the kitchen."

"Thank you, Mother/Grandmother." The group of ladies expressed their gratitude and exchanged a few lighthearted remarks before returning to their respective courtyards.

Upon arriving at Qixia Court, Lu Wei promptly asked, "Second Lady, wouldn't the tutor who introduces calligraphy usually address both parties?"

Meng Die smiled and countered with a question of her own. "Guess, did the tutor speak to Third Uncle or Aunt Three?"

Lu Wei replied, "It must be with Third Uncle, surely."

Meng Die: "Isn't that exactly it? If Third Aunt didn't know when Third Uncle mentioned something, wouldn't she be unable to join in the conversation? And Brother Yi is a concubine's son; it's only natural for Third Aunt to take an interest in his scholarly pursuits, as befits her role as the head of the family."

Nanny Fan, who had come out to greet them, tittered softly. "It's more than that."

Lu Wei: "What do you mean?"

Nanny Fan: "I've heard that Second Master Zhen from the third branch doesn't have much talent for martial arts and will likely struggle to pass the military examination. He's currently preparing to switch to studying the classics instead."

Meng Die found this amusing. "I've just returned, yet you already know what's happening in Lady Elder's quarters?"

Nanny Fan's smile broadened. "Of course I do. The maidservants all say that Second Lady is indeed well-educated and knowledgeable. Perhaps it's because Third Lady has taken your advice and deliberately let the servants spread the word."

Meng Die nodded. It was quite possible; in the inner courtyard, no one would usually object to being praised.

Soon, the kitchen sent over a hotpot, and as Meng Die savored its flavors, an idea sparked in her mind. Lard might be scarce, but pig bones were easily obtainable. She could instruct someone to make a soup base with pig bones, then add the lard and vegetables to create a dish with a hint of meatiness – surely, that would be more appealing to customers.

After dinner, Meng Die eagerly sat back down at her desk and picked up her pen to write another recipe. While beef tallow was hard to come by, pig bones were readily available. She could order someone to boil the bones to make a broth, then add the lard and greens to create a dish with a touch of meat flavor. This, she believed, would be more marketable.

Finished with two recipes, Meng Die called for Nanny Fan. "I have two formulas here. Take this one to Youxin and ask him to assemble a few reliable people to experiment and find the best ratio. Report back to me when they're done. As for this other one, give it to Headman Wang. Ask him to find skilled hands on the estate to try making it – we must achieve the finest taste."

"Yes."

Meng Die instructed, "These two recipes must be kept securely. Even when purchasing the ingredients, be cautious and find someone with a tight lip to handle it."

Aunt Fan's expression turned serious. "I understand."

With both tasks assigned, Meng Die felt relieved. Now, all she had to do was wait for the results.

Perhaps because the recipes were for cooking, or maybe because women were accustomed to working in the kitchen, Aunt Fan returned with a joyful expression on her face within three days. "Second Lady, Mrs. Wang reports that the dishes are ready. Everyone on the estate has tasted them and praised their flavor. I tried them last night as well, and indeed, they were quite delicious."

Meng Die was practicing calligraphy when she heard this and put down her brush. "You mean with just that big bowl, how much would it cost to buy?"

Mama Fan did the calculations on the spot. "This is a genuine meat dish, with mushrooms added to the broth. For such a large bowl, it would cost at least twenty-two or twenty-three coins."

Meng Die: "How much does it cost to make just one bowl? We won't count the pork rinds for now."

Mama Fan calculated again. "Meat is usually the most expensive, but pig bones have always been cheap. We buy fatty meat daily from the butcher, so the bones are almost given away at half price. With all those bones, we wouldn't spend more than a hundred coins in a day. The mushrooms are gathered by people from the manor, and firewood is readily available there as well. Vegetables come from each family's field. Even if we were to purchase these ingredients at current market prices, not counting the pork rinds, the cost of one bowl would be no more than five coins at most."

Meng Die was somewhat surprised. "That's quite inexpensive."

Nanny Fan chuckled. "Madam Second, think about it. This bowl is mostly filled with greens, all seasonal vegetables. How expensive could they be? It's still chilly as we're not quite out of the first month yet. When the weather warms up, the cost for a bowl might even drop by two copper coins."

"That makes sense." Meng Die was delighted. "Did they develop this recipe together, or was it just one person?"

Nanny Fan replied, "Headman Wang initially asked them to work separately. This time, a highly skilled elder nanny came up with the recipe."

Meng Die said, "Tell Madam Wang that I'll reward her with ten taels of silver."

Nanny Fan responded, "I'll convey Nanny Liu's gratitude to you, Madam Second."

Meng Die pondered for a moment. "Nanny Fan, what is Lang doing now?"

Nanny Fan's brows relaxed. "Second Lady is concerned. My eldest is still experimenting with soap, while my second son is assisting him. Yesterday, I heard the eldest say that the younger one seems to be even more skilled at it."

"I see," Meng Die said, an idea forming in her mind. "I have another matter here. Now that the dish is ready, we need to sell it outside. This task requires someone responsible and trustworthy, as it involves money. I'm thinking of entrusting this to either of the two brothers if they have the time."

Nanny Fan's face lit up. "Very well, I'll ask them when I return and let them discuss it among themselves. But how do we sell the dish?"

Meng Die considered her words. "Isn't there plenty of places in the capital where one can set up a stall? Let's first secure six favorable locations and pay the necessary fees. Then, we'll have Nanny Liu prepare the soup base daily at the manor."

"Let's start with a trial run, preparing soup in six locations, each with fifty bowls. If it sells well, we'll increase the quantity; if not, we'll reduce it," Meng Die calculated swiftly in her mind. "We should also decide on the price per bowl, and the daily revenue collected by those managing the stalls will be fixed, making accounting easier."

Nanny Fan beamed with delight. "Second Lady's idea is excellent; it will save us much trouble."

Lu Wei interjected, "What if some stalls have more customers and sell faster, while others have fewer and sell slower?"

Meng Die replied, "For the prime locations, we'd rather rent an extra stall to be safe. Then, two teams can sell there. As for adding more stalls, Brother Nai can assess the situation on site and make the decision."

Meng Die inquired further, "How old are the widows in the estate? Are their skills proficient? If not, it won't work."

Aunt Fan chuckled and replied, "They're not too old, and their skills are quite good. Madam, you have nothing to worry about."

Meng Die continued, "Assign these widows for the task. If their numbers are insufficient, find women from the estate who are in difficult circumstances but still have decent culinary skills. They will be responsible for adding the vegetables to the pre-cooked broth at the stall. Then, we'll look for older matrons to serve the food and collect payment. After renting the stall, we should set up curtains around the stove to ensure that unrelated men don't see the slightly younger women."

Aunt Fan nodded vigorously. "Madam's plan is thorough. I'll instruct them to carry it out immediately."