Chapter Ninety-Six

Chapter Ninety-Six

The copper pot hotpot suddenly became popular in Prefecture City of Ping Prefecture, and many restaurants followed suit.

For a time, copper became precious in Ping Prefecture.

The blacksmith received dozens of orders for copper pots in a single day, his arms almost too tired to lift.

However, although all the restaurants had added copper pots, their business still couldn't match that of the Lu family's restaurant, as they had the advantage of being first and using high-quality ingredients.

The lamb was freshly slaughtered each day, sliced thinly, and the skill required to cut the meat was not something ordinary restaurants could achieve.

Lu Yao had to thank Lady Jiang; without her gift of five servants, he and Zhao Beichuan would have been too busy to manage.

Of course, besides the fresh meat, Lu wine also attracted customers, and someone even came up with a catchy phrase: "Hotpot with Lu wine, live to ninety-nine." This drew even more people who hadn't tried it yet to give it a go.

Business remained brisk until December, when the Gold and Jade Building also started serving hotpot, which gradually cooled down the craze.

Indeed, Jiang Ying couldn't sit still. Although the Gold and Jade Building sold Lu wine, it didn't serve copper pot hotpot. Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, she decided to follow the Lu family's example and add copper pots to their menu.

Their spacious venue was better suited for hosting guests, so many important figures began to dine at the Gold and Jade Building instead of the Lu family's restaurant.

There wasn't much Lu Yao could do about it; after all, their restaurant was small and couldn't accommodate large groups, especially those with women and children.

But a slightly quieter business was fine, as they were about to return home for the New Year.

In recent days, Zhao Beichuan spent his free time wandering around West Market, looking for a suitable carriage to buy.

He first visited a carpentry shop to inquire about prices and found that a custom-made ordinary carriage cost over two hundred taels of silver, which was too expensive for occasional use. He thought it would be more practical to buy a used one.

However, used carriages were hard to come by, as ordinary families didn't own them, and those who did weren't short of money, making it rare to find a suitable one.

One morning while buying vegetables in West Market, he actually encountered someone selling a carriage.

This carriage looked wider than most but was quite old, with damaged doors and windows. However, with some repairs, it should be usable.

Zhao Beichuan approached to ask the price, and the old man selling the carriage said, "The carriage and horse are sold together. I can offer you a discount, three hundred taels of silver."

Zhao Beichuan glanced at the horse, which was so thin that its spine protruded, and the carriage was old. It wasn't worth that much, so he shook his head and turned to leave.

Seeing this, the old man quickly grabbed his sleeve, "We can negotiate the price, please take another look."

Zhao Beichuan pulled his sleeve free, "Your horse is too thin, its coat looks poor, and the carriage is old. The shafts must have been replaced, right?"

The old man realized Zhao Beichuan was an expert and knew he couldn't deceive him, "Two hundred taels for both the carriage and the horse, no less. This carriage is made of old oak, and a new one would cost at least three hundred taels!"

Two hundred taels for a carriage and a horse was indeed a good deal, but Zhao Beichuan only wanted the carriage, as they already had a mule and didn't need a horse.

Seeing his hesitation, the old man bit his lip, "One hundred and eighty taels, no lower!" He wouldn't sell the carriage if it weren't for his family's urgent need for money. But now, they couldn't even afford food, so keeping the carriage was pointless.

"Alright, I'll take the carriage and the horse, but I need to confirm that they belong to you to avoid any legal trouble."

The old man reassured him, "Sir, don't worry. I can go to the government office and write a contract. This carriage does belong to my family. If our fortunes hadn't declined, we wouldn't be selling it."

As they walked and talked, Zhao Beichuan learned that the old man's family, surnamed Guo, had once been a prominent household in Ping Prefecture, but had fallen on hard times by his generation.

Last year, his son fell seriously ill, and the family spent all their savings on medicine. Although his son was recovering, their finances were depleted. With the New Year approaching, they couldn't even afford new clothes, so they decided to sell the carriage.

They went to the government office and wrote a contract for one hundred and eighty taels of silver for the carriage and horse.

Since Zhao Beichuan didn't carry that much silver while shopping, they drove the carriage back to his place to get the money.

After buying the carriage, it took two days to repair it. Despite being old, the materials were excellent, and it would last for decades.

They replaced the doors and windows, repaired the roof, and applied tung oil, making it look almost new and much more impressive than a simple cart!

During these days, Lu Yao bought some items in Prefecture City.

He bought a set of jewelry for Lu's mother, using high-quality materials, which cost over thirty taels of silver.

He bought two bolts of fine cloth for his sister-in-law and two younger brothers, a pair of leather boots for Lu Lin, who had a leg disability and often experienced foot pain from wearing regular shoes. These boots had a soft cowhide sole that became more comfortable with wear.

He didn't forget about Little Stone and Little Gold, buying them toys from Prefecture City and each a silver-and-jade pendant. Although the jade was only the size of a fingertip, it was quite expensive.

He also bought a lot of food from Prefecture City, including peanut candy, milk candy, beef jerky, osmanthus cake, jujube cake, and various pastries, filling a large box.

When they returned home, they would inevitably visit relatives and friends, and these gifts were neither too expensive nor too cheap, maintaining their dignity.

In total, the purchases cost over a hundred taels of silver.

On the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Doudou was given a winter break. The school held exams at the end of the year, and out of sixty students, he ranked fourteenth.

His teacher praised him, but Doudou was unsatisfied because only the top ten could advance to Class B. He realized he needed to work harder next year.

The children also wanted to buy gifts to bring home, so Lu Yao gave each of them two taels of silver and asked Lu Shiliu to accompany them to the market, while he prepared food for the journey.

This time, they brought more than just oil tea noodles. They packed a large piece of frozen mutton, a copper pot for hotpot, which they could use on the road and share with their family upon arrival.

They pre-cooked the meat broth and froze it into blocks, which could be easily sliced and placed in the pot when needed.

They also brought three dou of millet, a small jar of pickled radish, a jar of wine, and some cured meat and sausages. These items, which hadn't sold well due to the popularity of the hotpot, would be perfect for their family to enjoy.

They packed several bedsheets and extra clothes, with each person bringing two sets of clothing in addition to what they were wearing.

Lu Yao had already arranged for a tailor to make new clothes for the New Year, using high-quality materials. Just the five sets of cotton clothes cost ten taels of silver.

With increased earnings, their living standards had improved, and their expenses had risen sharply. What used to last a year in the village now barely lasted a month, even with twenty taels of silver.

Lu Yao sighed inwardly, truly, it was easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to return to frugality from luxury.

The day before their departure, Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan took the black dog to the West Market brewery to give the household servants a long holiday, along with a year-end bonus of one guan for each person.

They could use the money to buy food or make clothes, but they were forbidden from gambling or visiting brothels; if caught, they would be immediately sold without mercy.

Everyone, holding their money, hurriedly bowed in gratitude.

*

On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, the weather was clear.

Finally, everything was ready. Before dawn, Zhao Beichuan hitched up the carriage, and the family prepared to set off!

It had to be said that the carriage was truly spacious; Lu Yao led the three children inside, and there was plenty of room, not feeling crowded at all.

There was also a foldable small table on the carriage, making it convenient to eat, read, or write. The luggage was placed on the roof and securely tied down, so there was no worry about it falling off.

The thin horse they bought was also brought along to rest Dahuahua halfway through the journey.

The road home always made people particularly excited. The three children pressed their noses against the window, looking outside, but unfortunately, everything was white, making it hard to distinguish anything.

"Stop looking, the warmth in here will be gone in a moment."

The children obediently closed the windows. Xiaonian asked, "Sister-in-law, when will we arrive home?"

"It depends on the road conditions. If the road is good, we should arrive in five or six days." This road was an official route, well-trodden by merchants and armies, so it wasn't difficult to travel unless there was a heavy snowfall blocking the mountains.

On the first day, they traveled over seventy miles, arriving at a post station by evening. Zhao Beichuan went inside and spent three hundred wen to book a large room.

The room had two kang beds, both heated warmly. Everyone moved their luggage inside, and Lu Yao set up the pot for hotpot dinner.

The donkeys and horses were taken to the stable, where the station attendants helped feed them hay.

After everything was settled, Zhao Beichuan walked in, his body chilled by the cold.

"Are you cold? Quickly take off your shoes and warm up on the kang."

"I'm fine." He wore two layers of cotton clothing and had leather pants, so the wind couldn't penetrate, though his face felt a bit sore from the wind.

The three children had already lit the charcoal fire, and Xiaochun had sliced two plates of mutton. Lu Yao broke the solidified pot base into pieces and put it in the pot, and soon the aroma wafted out.

Eating a bowl of hotpot in the dead of winter was simply delightful!

Lu Yao took out the wine and poured a bowl for Zhao Beichuan. "Warm yourself up, have a little to sleep better."

Zhao Beichuan lifted the bowl, and as the wine went down, he felt warmth from his throat to his stomach.

"A year has passed so quickly. I wonder how things are back home."

Zhao Beichuan knew he missed home and held his hand. "Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law are reliable people, and Mother is in good health. There shouldn't be any problems at home."

"I hope so. I'm thinking of bringing Mother to live in the prefecture this time."

"Alright, will Second Brother agree?"

Lu Yao thought for a moment. "We'll see. If not, we can ask Second Brother's family to move to Prefecture City. In spring, Lu Shiliu and the others will start brewing wine, and we won't be able to manage the restaurant alone."

"Fine, you decide."

After dinner, Lu Yao cleaned the pot and put it back in the bag, resealed the wine jar, checked the luggage, and urged the children to go to bed early since they had to wake up early the next day to continue the journey.

Zhao Beichuan, who had driven the carriage all day, fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, exhausted. Lu Yao pondered the business plans for the next year.

If Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law could join them in Ping Prefecture, it would be best, as they would earn more money than staying in Qiushui Town. However, he had more brothers than just Lu Lin, and he needed to consider Lu Yun and Lu Miao as well. He decided to discuss this matter after returning home.

They slept until dawn, and everyone woke up refreshed.

Breakfast was millet porridge and pickled radish. Each person drank a large bowl, and Zhao Beichuan led the donkeys and horses out, hitching up the carriage to continue the journey.

*

Before dawn, the lights in the Lu family house were already on, and the kitchen was filled with steam from boiling soy milk.

Hu Chunrong stirred the hot soy milk, adding more firewood. Lu Lin carried in the second bucket of ground soy milk and helped her cook.

"Are the beans all ground?"

"Yes."

"Mother said we'll return to Lujia Village for the New Year in a few days. The old house hasn't been cleaned, and I think it would be better to stay in town."

Lu Lin replied, "Mother misses the old neighbors. Although the town is nice, she feels lonely because she doesn't know anyone."

"Alright, you go back and clean the house the day after tomorrow, and come back to pick us up once it's done."

"Okay."

The first pot of soy milk was cooked, and Hu Chunrong ladled it into a wooden bucket to make tofu. Lu Lin took the ladle from her and started cooking the second pot.

Hu Chunrong straightened her back. "I wonder if Lu Yao and the others will return this year. It's such a long journey, and it's so cold. They might not return until next spring."

"Lu Miao is getting engaged in February, so they should be back."

Mentioning Lu Miao, Hu Chunrong couldn't help but comment, "The Ding family is huge. I heard there are dozens of people in one household, living in the same courtyard. The wives, husbands, and children must be driving each other crazy every day."

Lu Lin laughed. "More children mean more blessings. Other families envy them."

"Don't be silly. Look at Lu Yun's family; the three brothers don't even talk to each other now. The carpenter Ding's family has five brothers, and I'm afraid they'll have even more drama someday."

Inside, Lu Miao had already woken up, putting on his clothes and hearing what his brother and sister-in-law were saying.

He was actually quite anxious. Being introverted, he hated socializing. The thought of marrying into the Ding family made his head ache, but it was a marriage arranged by his father before he passed away, and he couldn't refuse.

Soon, Hu Chunrong came in carrying the baby, who was still half-asleep. She placed him in Lu's mother's bed to continue sleeping.

"Mom, we're heading to the shop now. We've left some porridge and tofu in the pot for you."

"Alright, go on."

Lu Miao followed them out, carrying the kneaded dough and soup base to the cart. These past few days, Second Sister-in-law from the Liu family had caught a cold and couldn't come.

The three arrived at the shop, and Hu Chunrong reached out to open the door. A tiny spider, no bigger than a bean, fell from the crack and paused in the middle before slowly crawling away.

Hu Chunrong said, "Hey, a lucky spider has come. If it falls early, it brings good news; if it falls late, it brings wealth. If it falls neither early nor late, someone will visit. We'll have guests today."

"Who could it be?" Lu Lin asked as he poured oil from a jar into the pot.

Lu Miao replied, "It might be Fourth Brother and the others. It's almost New Year's, so they might come to town to buy some food."

The 20th of the twelfth month was the last big market day in Qiushui Town. The market was especially busy, with people from Xiasanli starting to arrive as the sky began to lighten. There were those selling pigs, sheep, chickens, and geese, as well as dried mushrooms and black fungus. The place was bustling with activity.

The breakfast shop was also crowded, with Lu Miao and Hu Chunrong working non-stop. Lu Lin, sweating all over from frying dough sticks, couldn't keep up with the long line of customers.

As the hour of Chen approached, a mule cart stopped beside the shop. Lu Yun got off, holding Little Jinzi. "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law."

Seeing this, Hu Chunrong hurried forward to take the child. "I said this morning that someone would come, and here you are! Let Auntie give you a kiss, darling."

Little Jinzi, not shy at all, gave Hu Chunrong a peck on the cheek, making her delighted.

"It's cold outside. Go find your brother at home; Little Stone is about to go crazy from boredom."

Lu Yun took the child and said, "Alright, I'll take Jinzi over to let Mom watch him, and then I'll come back to help."

"No need. Things are slowing down now, and we can manage. Spend more time with Mom."

Wang Youtian drove the cart to drop off his wife and child. It had been a while since winter started, and Lu Yun hadn't come to town.

He called out as he entered the yard, "Mom!"

Old Lady Lu rushed out, "Oh, Jinzi is here! Come inside, let Grandma hold you!"

Lu Yun handed the child over and they went into the house together. He removed the layers of cotton clothing from the child, and Little Jinzi stood up on the kang bed, curiously looking around the room.

"Don't you recognize Grandma's house anymore?"

"Ah—" Little Jinzi pointed at Old Lady Lu.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Ah ah." The little one, though small, could understand what was being said.

"My dear," the old lady cooed, pressing her face against Jinzi's. Perhaps she tickled him, as the child giggled, his innocent smile endearing to everyone.

"Our Jinzi is growing more beautiful every day. He doesn't look much like you two but has a bit of Third Brother's features."

Lu Yun smiled, "Nephews resemble their uncles, it's only natural." Among the three brothers, Lu Yao was the most handsome, and it seemed he had the best fortune too. It would be great if his son could resemble him.

Mentioning Lu Yao, Old Lady Lu couldn't help but sigh, "We haven't heard from him since that letter in spring. I wonder if he'll be back before the New Year."

Lu Yun knew his mother missed Third Brother. "They just settled in Prefecture City, so they might not be able to return for a while." After all, the distance between the state capital and here was considerable, making a trip back difficult.

"Ah, let's not talk about him. Come, Jinjin, come to Grandma."

Jinzi shook his head. He preferred playing with Big Brother Stone. Little Stone, still a lively boy, brought out all his toys for his younger brother, showing a good older brotherly demeanor.

Seeing them play well, Lu Yun got up to go help at the shop.

"Stay for lunch. Have a meal with us later."

"Sure, Youtian and I still need to buy things for the New Year, so we'll leave in the afternoon."

After the family split, the Wangs bought and used their own things. Now, when they met, they barely spoke, truly fitting the old saying, "Brothers turned enemies are worse than foes."

Lu's mother knew the situation at his home. She patted Lu Yun's hand, content as long as her son and daughter-in-law were happy, at least the young couple lived a joyful life.

Lu Yun walked to the food shop, washed his hands, and started helping his second brother knead the dough and cut the dough pieces.

Suddenly, a tall carriage pulled up nearby, and the driver called out, "Shopkeeper, how much are your dough sticks?"

"Two coins each."

Zhao Beichuan removed his cotton scarf, revealing a broad smile. "Give us ten first."

Lu Lin froze, the chopsticks in his hand clattering into the oil pot. He hobbled over quickly, grabbing Zhao Beichuan's hand and shaking it excitedly. "How did you get back? How did you get back!"