### Chapter 139: Thoughtful Service

### Chapter 139: Thoughtful Service

After the kitchen was tidied up, it was already dusk, and the wilderness was particularly quiet, with only the sounds of water, wind, and the grunting of piglets in the pen.

Sui Yu walked out from the third guesthouse, stood at the west gate, and looked to the west. A small group of camels strolled leisurely along the riverbank, while a large ram lay on a mound, gazing idly. As people had moved out of the city, their livestock had followed, and this area was vast enough that the camels and sheep no longer needed to be confined; they could roam freely.

"Third Sister-in-Law, come take a look," Zhao Xiaomi shouted loudly.

A pot of old hen soup was simmering, and Zhao Xiaomi was in high spirits tonight as she was in charge of cooking. However, she hesitated when adding dried vegetables, worried that the chicken might not be cooked thoroughly.

Sui Yu went inside and waved away the white smoke, tasting a piece of chicken. "It needs to cook a bit longer. The old hen has been raised for many years, so the meat is tough. Also, your Third Brother will be back late, and if you add the dried vegetables too early, they'll turn mushy."

"I'll reduce the fire a bit to prevent the soup from drying out," Zhao Xiaomi sniffed, saying, "Old hen soup really is fragrant."

Cat Officer leaped in, noticing Sui Yu's moving mouth, and immediately meowed for food.

"It's Yin Po coming over; I'll help her set up the bedding." Sui Yu dropped a piece of chicken into Cat Officer's mouth and put down her chopsticks before leaving.

The mattresses and boxes from the house within the city were brought over. Sui Yu went to tidy up her own room. The mud bed was already dry, with straw mats laid on top, then cushions, and finally sheets. She sat down to test it—still comfortable, not too hard or rough.

However, the mud bed was too long, and the sheets didn't cover it completely, leaving half exposed for stacking clothes and money boxes.

As the last rays of sunset faded, the guesthouse grew dark. Sui Yu opened the door and called Sui Liang to go see the piglets together.

Gan Da and Gan Er were herding the camels and sheep into the pens. Xiaohei heard their voices and stood up, wanting food. Nine black piglets slept in a straw nest, their shapes barely discernible.

"Let them out tomorrow, release them at dawn and bring them back at dusk," Sui Yu instructed.

Gan Da agreed, saying, "There's water and grass here, so we don't need to worry much about feeding the pigs, sheep, and camels. In the future, we can do other tasks."

"We'll discuss other tasks later. We need to focus on the autumn harvest now. Use the camels without calves to transport grain and hay, and bring the nursing mothers along but don't let them work yet; let them learn first," Sui Yu said.

Gan Da and Gan Er agreed.

"Third Sister-in-Law, I'm going to start steaming rice," Zhao Xiaomi shouted from the kitchen.

Zhao Xiping would also be returning soon, so Sui Yu led Sui Liang toward the kitchen.

The kitchen was quite far from the animal pens, about ten paces away, taking nearly half a cup of tea to walk there. Not long after Sui Yu and Sui Liang entered the kitchen, the sound of camels running was heard—Zhao Xiping had returned.

"Everyone's here; come eat, we've been waiting for you," Sui Yu called out.

The kitchen was warm, and the family carried dishes and bowls into the dining hall. Each dining hall had five sets of tables and chairs. Yin Po and her three children sat at one table, while Sui Yu's family of four sat at another.

"This year, let's have Father, Mother, and my brother and his wife come here for the New Year. There's plenty of food and shelter here, and the stove never goes out, so the storage room next to the kitchen should stay warm," Sui Yu took a sip of chicken soup and continued, "Do you want to go back in a few days, or should we send a message? These few days are relatively free; once things get busy here, we won't be able to spare you."

Zhao Xiping spat out a chicken bone, thinking, "Going back and forth will take ten days, which isn't worth it. It's better to send a message. I'll ask them to finish their farm work and then come over, which will help us."

Sui Yu looked at Zhao Xiaomi and asked, "Are you going back?"

Zhao Xiaomi shook her head, "I'll wait for Father and Mother to come; I won't go back."

"I'll pay them for their work," Sui Yu clarified, "We haven't helped my brother and his wife, and taking care of Father and Mother hasn't been our responsibility, so there's no reason for them to work for free."

"My Third Sister-in-Law always understands things clearly," Zhao Xiaomi laughed.

Sui Yu chuckled and praised, "My sister-in-law has keen eyes and a sharp mind."

Zhao Xiping glanced at her disapprovingly, then looked at Sui Liang and silently withdrew his gaze.

Sui Liang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he would have to praise her too.

After dinner, Yin Po cleaned the kitchen, while Gan Da and Gan Er prepared food for the pigs. Sui Yu and the others continued stuffing reed flowers into the bedding.

"Will we have business tomorrow?" Zhao Xiaomi worried.

"I plan to stay at Yumen Pass for a few days," Sui Yu told Zhao Xiping, "Not for long, just to hire someone reliable to promote our guesthouse to passing caravans, so they know about the new large inn in Dunhuang."

"I'll talk to Huang Ancheng tomorrow and ask him to spread the word among the caravans entering the city," Zhao Xiping, concerned about her leaving for several days, suggested, "Except for the period from late October to mid-November, caravans won't stay long at Yumen Pass. They prefer to move eastward, so they can return to Guanzhong earlier next spring."

"In that case, I'll go to Yumen Pass at the end of October," Sui Yu said.

Zhao Xiping did not object this time, guessing that training at the military grounds would likely stop once it snowed.

...

The next day, after morning training ended, Zhao Xiping found Huang Ancheng. Before he could speak, Huang Ancheng readily agreed.

"My eldest brother's family is coming over this year, and my house won't be big enough. When they arrive, let them stay at your place with their children," Huang Ancheng said.

"Sure, when are they coming? I'll have Sui Yu prepare a quiet room."

"They're probably coming by the end of the year; I'm not sure. Last month, I received a letter saying that the grain harvest was poor this year, and after paying taxes, there wasn't enough left to feed everyone. They hinted at coming to visit and possibly moving to Dunhuang," Huang Ancheng sighed, "It's good that they're coming. My parents died early, and I lived with my eldest brother and his wife for five or six years. Now that I've settled here, they can move over, and we can support each other."

"That's true. Though farming here doesn't make one rich, it's hard to starve," Zhao Xiping said.

"The government policies are good, always taking care of the Northwest," Huang Ancheng smiled, noticing the time, "Let's stop chatting; I need to go on duty."

"Don't forget what I asked you to do."

"I won't forget; leave it to me."

Zhao Xiping rode his camel back, encountering Dongzi's father leading a camel to deliver flour. He asked, "Did you buy it this year?"

Dongzi's father scratched his head, smiling, "Thanks to you, I've made some money these past two years and bought a camel. How does it look? Isn't it nice?"

"It's good; take good care of it; it can grow even more."

"I've always taken good care of it. You seem to have something else to do; go ahead."

Zhao Xiping didn't have any urgent matters, but there were still a pile of trivial tasks at the guesthouse. He couldn't stroll leisurely, so he patted the camel's back, and it galloped away.

Sui Yu was about to enter the city. Having finished stuffing sixty reed flower mattresses, she planned to buy six more pieces of coarse cloth. Besides making bed sheets to size, she also intended to hire someone to sew pillowcases.

At the West City Gate, a group of merchants entered the city. Huang Ancheng led someone up to the city wall and pointed to the newly built guesthouse in the wilderness, saying, "That guesthouse is newly constructed. It has storage warehouses, animal pens, and three meals a day. Go take a look; the conditions are much better than those in the civilian alleys."

The merchant was concerned about its remote location, but with the city guard speaking up, he couldn't refuse and agreed, heading north along the city wall upon entering the city.

"Big Brother, I've inquired. That guesthouse belongs to Zhao Qianhu from the military," a man ran over to say.

"Anyone who can get the city guard to speak up must have some backing. Well, let's go take a look first. If it doesn't work out, we'll stay overnight and leave tomorrow."

Halfway through her journey, Sui Yu saw a caravan coming from the north. She abandoned her plan to buy cloth and rode the camel back the way she came.

By the time the caravan arrived, the twelve rooms in the first section of the guesthouse had already been fitted with mattresses. The doors were wide open, allowing bright sunlight to shine in, illuminating the soft mattresses. The rooms were clean and comfortable.

Sui Yu led the group of merchants inside, saying, "Each room can accommodate five people. Of course, if you prefer to sleep alone on a long couch, that's fine too. Booking a room includes a warehouse. Come take a look; the warehouses are even larger than the guestrooms, enough to hold the goods of five people."

The guestrooms and warehouses being in the same courtyard pleased the merchants. They could keep an eye on their own goods and sleep more soundly.

"Besides the guestrooms and warehouses, outside the east gate is the animal pen. During the day, the camels can roam the wilderness, and at night they're locked in the pens. Someone watches them at night, so you don't need to worry about theft," Sui Yu continued.

"The city guard wasn't exaggerating; the conditions here are indeed better than inside the city," a merchant leading the group nodded.

"It's just a bit remote, but that's not a big issue. There are errand runners in the city. If you want to buy something but don't feel like moving, you can hire them to bring it over," Sui Yu added.

"You've... done quite well. This is better than other counties," the merchant said, unsure how to describe it.

Sui Yu smiled and said, "Everything will develop over time."

"We have thirty-seven people in total. We'll take this entire guest courtyard. How much for the rooms?" a merchant with an abacus around his waist asked.

"One hundred coins per room per night..."

"One hundred coins! That's a bit steep, isn't it?"

"I meant one hundred coins per room includes the guestroom, warehouse, and animal pen," Sui Yu explained. "If you don't need the warehouse and animal pen, you can pay per person. Eight coins per person for a dormitory, or fifty coins for a single room."

"I misunderstood. If it includes the warehouse and animal pen, one hundred coins per night is reasonable. We'll stay for three nights," the man with the abacus said.

Sui Yu handed him a string of fourteen keys and said, "Two large keys open the east and west gates, and twelve small keys open the warehouse doors. The locks and keys are marked; check them when you unlock. The kitchen provides three meals a day, and meal costs are separate. We haven't prepared fodder for the camels yet, but you should have familiar suppliers who can deliver it here."

After explaining everything, Sui Yu led the man with the abacus to the third section of the guesthouse. For three nights, it cost thirty-six coins. After receiving the payment, she gave him two wooden plaques, each inscribed with two characters. One was hung on the wall, and the other was given to the merchant.

"You can write?" the merchant glanced at her.

"I know a few characters, not many," Sui Yu smiled. "Return the keys on your departure day. During your stay, we won't enter unless you ask us to. Take care of your belongings and remember to lock the doors when you come and go."

The merchant nodded, clutching the wooden plaque as he left. Sui Yu followed him out.

The merchants and guards were busy unloading goods. The unloaded camels walked to the river to drink, lining up one by one.

As the sun moved overhead, smoke rose from the western kitchen. No buns were prepared today, only noodle soup and flat dumplings. Sui Yu went inside to take over the filling preparation.

"Where's my Third Brother? He should be kneading the dough; he's strong," Zhao Xiaomi said.

"I sent him to the city to buy cloth. Today, Dongzi's Mother will find someone to rush the sewing of twelve pillowcases to be delivered before dark," Sui Yu heard footsteps outside and put down the spatula to go out. Two merchants stood in the courtyard, looking around.

"What's for lunch?" the tall man asked.

"There are flat dumplings and noodle soup. You can also have cold noodles for lunch."

"No meat?" the merchant asked.

"Yes, if you want meat, I'll send someone to buy it right away. What kind of meat do you want? Pork or chicken?" Sui Yu asked.

"Stew two chickens tonight, with tofu in the chicken broth, and a pot of white rice."

Sui Yu readily agreed, knowing she would make a profit once they ordered meat.

Thirty-seven people came for lunch. They had large appetites, each consuming a plate of cold noodles, a bowl of noodle soup, and a plate of steamed dumplings. Sui Yu's hastily prepared food sold out quickly, earning another fifteen coins.

On the first day of business, Sui Yu was satisfied with this income.