Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Daxiangguo Temple was a famous temple in Bianjing city and also a well-known trading hub.

Ye Zhan had assumed that the so-called Wanxing Trade at Daxiangguo Temple involved common folks setting up stalls around the temple. But when she actually reached the entrance, she was astonished by what she saw.

The outermost area was filled with birds and animals, some rare and precious like peacocks, pheasants, white falcons, and sea eagles, and others more common and approachable, like meowing kittens, snow-white rabbits with red eyes, and puppies sticking out their pink tongues.

Upon entering the second gate, there were daily necessities and various goods—gilded screens, sleeping mats, bows and arrows, colorful preserved fruits—if you could think of it, you could find it here.

As she reached the front of the main hall, she was even more surprised to see stalls set up along the corridors!

Colorful signs advertised: "Meng's Taoist Hat," "Zhao Wenxiu's Brush," "Wang Daoist's Honey Preserves." Nuns sat in a circle, calmly selling jewelry, headpieces, and accessories.

It was less like trading around the temple and more like the entire place, except for the main hall, was a marketplace.

Her more experienced mother pointed out to her inexperienced daughter, "There are more stalls behind the doors. Those are for selling books, and you can buy local goods and medicinal herbs confiscated from demoted officials' homes there. If you want to find products from various regions, you'll definitely find them there."

Ye Zhan was dumbfounded and randomly grabbed a passing young monk to ask, "Little master, why are there so many vendors in this temple? Aren't they disturbing the Bodhisattvas' peace?"

The young monk smiled, glanced at the Bodhisattva statues with downcast eyes and kind expressions inside the hexagonal windows, and said, "The Bodhisattvas are happy seeing the people living in peace and contentment."

In the blink of an eye, he vanished, leaving Ye Zhan deep in thought.

"Since we're here, let's go offer incense first," Mi Fengniang patted the bulging wish list in her sleeve, which she had been preparing since yesterday. Afraid she might forget, she had even asked Zhao Xiaoqi to write it down for her.

They temporarily placed their carrying poles at the temple entrance and took turns going to offer incense.

Mi Fengniang had many requests: "Thank you, Buddha, for protecting my daughter and ensuring her safe return. Please continue to bless her father's legs and waist to be agile, protect Jin Ge from drinking too much, ensure Yin Ge'er's safety while fighting fires, bless Jade Sister to meet kind-hearted customers, bless Ye Zhan's business to flourish, and protect my youngest daughter from being possessed by evil spirits during exorcisms..."

She continued listing her wishes without end.

Ye Li, however, refused to enter the main hall. "I follow the Shamanic deity; how can I disrupt my faith?"

Mi Fengniang pulled her by the ear into the hall and forced her to kneel and apologize. "Bodhisattva, please don't blame my daughter for her rude words. We ask for your continued protection and that she not be possessed by evil spirits."

Ye Li (looking aggrieved): ...

The sandalwood incense wafted through the air, the Buddhist chants were solemn, and the light smoke enveloped the towering statues of the Buddha. Below, the people of Bianjing knelt in reverent prayer, and the temple bells tolled deeply, filling the hall with peace.

The eldest princess's procession had not yet arrived, and after paying their respects, the Ye family didn’t just wait idly.

Since selling meat near the Buddha was considered disrespectful, Ye Zhan set up her stall just outside Daxiangguo Temple.

Jade Sister had been eyeing the braised pig elbow since last night and eagerly offered to help Ye Zhan set up the stall. Yin Ge'er, being a kind-hearted person, naturally wanted to look after his sisters.

Ye Dafu carried his "antique" stall, which could be rolled up in a single bedsheet, to the second gate inside Daxiangguo Temple for sale. Seeing his daughter's slightly furrowed brow, he immediately assured her, "I will definitely not sell them as antiques, just as ordinary items."

Jin Ge'er had already gone to the corridor to look at headpieces and jewelry.

Afraid that Ye Li might buy dried spiders and bat claws from a vendor, Mi Fengniang grabbed her to go and see the 500 Arhats and the relics.

That day, the eldest princess arranged a vegetarian offering and opened the Zisheng Gate, displaying the 500 Arhats cast in gold and copper, as well as other sacred items such as the Buddha's tooth relic.

The glazed towers on both sides glistened under the sunlight, and the 500 Arhats, fully gilded, shone brilliantly, inspiring even more devout prayers from the believers.

After tidying up the food stall, Ye Zhan added firewood and heated the pre-soaked braising broth.

Sister Jade looked around at the surrounding competitors and felt a bit worried. "I noticed that other food stalls around here offer lots of toppings. I wish we had prepared more."

"No need. For one, we run a small operation and can’t afford all those ingredients. Plus, with the hot weather, too many toppings can spoil easily and ruin our reputation. Just a few exquisite dishes can leave an impression on customers," Ye Zhan said confidently.

Sister Jade was skeptical but reassured by Ye Zhan's competence.

The braised broth gradually heated up, and the brown soup surface began to bubble. The rich meaty aroma wafted through the air.

Passersby sniffed the air. "It smells so good!" They naturally stopped by the food stall without being called. "Boss, what are you selling?"

"Take a look. We’ve got soup noodles and stir-fry options, with toppings like fish fillets, veggies, braised pork, or pork knuckles. Side dishes include pickled vegetables and spicy mustard cucumbers, free of charge. You can also buy our braised pork knuckles, chicken gizzards, and duck goods separately—all at affordable prices and honest deals!"

Sister Jade, a seasoned street hawker, clearly explained the menu in just a few words. Despite her usual fiery temper, no one in the Ye family could match her efficiency.

The customers were indeed tempted. A burly guy with tattoos said, "I’ll take whatever’s steaming in there. Soup noodles."

"That’s braised meat. I’ll give you a pork knuckle topping." Ye Zhan responded swiftly, confirmed the customer's dietary restrictions, and cooked the noodles in the big pot.

Sister Jade invited the customer to sit on a small stool and poured him some tea while he waited. At the same time, she called out enthusiastically to passersby, "Vegetarian noodles for five wen! Meat noodles for seven wen! Fish noodles for eight wen! Pork knuckle noodles for nine wen! Come and try!"

"Stir-fried noodles! The best in all of Bianjing!"

She knew the selling points well, attracting customers with low prices and unique dishes.

Luckily, the big pot could handle multiple orders, and the noodle toppings were simple. Ye Zhan cooked the noodles, scooped a spoonful of braised broth for extra flavor, and used an iron hook to pull out a large pork knuckle from the braising pot.

When the pork knuckle came out of the broth, its bright red hue splashed, releasing an even richer aroma that drew people closer.

Ye Zhan swiftly threw the pork knuckle onto the chopping board. With a slap, the outer layer of pork skin quivered and settled steadily, looking soft and elastic, making the onlookers swallow several times in anticipation.

Ye Zhan cut a notch with her knife and gently pulled, easily separating the meat from the bone, a sign it had been stewed for a long time until tender.

She flattened the pork knuckle and quickly sliced it into neat, even pieces.

The slices showed wine-red, glossy pork skin, slightly curled meat folds, soy-stained lean meat, and snow-white fat that looked almost like jade.

The customers' eyes lit up.

Ye Zhan placed the pork knuckle meat in a bowl, sprinkled coriander, basil, and chives, and served it to the customer. "Here you go."

Amidst the envious looks of others, the tattooed man proudly picked up a slice with his chopsticks.

The fatty skin of the pork knuckle was coated with thick braised sauce. He couldn’t resist and slurped the sauce first, "Slurp."

It was truly delicious, with the rich aroma of braised spices complementing the succulent pork knuckle. The fatty skin was almost liquid, slippery and easy to chew. The lean meat inside was juicy and flavorful, offering a different taste. Soft and tender, it almost melted in the mouth, truly excellent.

Eating the noodles soaked in the broth, the rich and thick braised flavor combined with the chewy texture of the noodles was a delightful experience.

Even more surprising were the side dishes of salted melon beans at this stall: slightly yellow melon strips and pinkish eggplant.

The customer couldn’t help but ask, "This pinkish eggplant... I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s really unique."

"I added purple perilla. The color of the purple perilla stained the eggplant during the marinating process, which is my exclusive secret recipe," Ye Zhan replied with a smile. "It adds an extra layer of flavor."

The customer tried it and indeed, the sour and salty side dish had crispy and chewy melon strips, while the eggplant was soft with a garlicky flavor. The unique refreshing taste of the perilla juice made the dish more appetizing, encouraging one to eat more.

The tattooed man finished the entire bowl of noodles with a slurp and boldly extended his bowl, "Boss, another bowl!"

There were many customers like him who were attracted by the broth and kept eating bowl after bowl.

Today was a temple fair, and most of the people attending didn't plan to cook at home. They casually stopped by Ye family's food stall to eat something. The stall, known for its good value and affordability, naturally became a top choice for many.

Even the vendors running other nearby stalls couldn't resist coming over to Ye Zhan's stall to get a bowl of noodles.

As for those who didn't have time to eat noodles, they would buy a braised pork knuckle or braised duck products to go.

After buying a black jade pendant, Jin Ge came to help his sister. Even so, the four members of the family were kept busy.

In the Zhìhǎi Pagoda courtyard, separated by a wall, Big Axe sniffed the air, "The food outside smells so good!"

Ming Di swallowed hard but scorned him, saying, "Young master is here on business. We can't mess up."

The victim from yesterday was a woman from a brothel. Her death resembled the previous victims, but this time she held a piece of evidence in her hand. A pouch at her waist carried the aroma of myrrh.

Pei Zhao's investigation revealed that only a merchant from Da Shi, named Zimmerman, had visited the brothel, making him the prime suspect.

However, during a discreet inquiry, it was discovered that he was missing from his room and had not returned home since yesterday. Upon hearing that he was a devout Buddhist and certainly wouldn't miss such a grand event, the young master decided to attempt an arrest at the Dharma assembly.

Pei Zhao played with a small ornament, and when Big Axe took a closer look, he realized it was a rhinoceros horn.

The thought that this item had been a personal belonging of the wrongfully dead person made him feel a shiver, "Young master, why are you holding onto that thing?"

Pei Zhao seemed not to hear his question, only muttering to himself, "Ancient texts mention that the rhinos and elephants of Ba Pu were once plentiful, but now rhinoceroses have disappeared, only occasionally appearing on the remote southwestern border. Apart from that, it is only produced by Da Shi."

"The court has classified items like rhino horns as restricted goods. Outsiders cannot obtain them, except for those from Da Shi or high-ranking officials."

"What do you mean by that, sir?" Pei Zhao's subordinate asked, puzzled. "Are you suggesting the Da Shi people might not be the killers?"

He thought of the pouch found at the scene, which emitted a strong myrrh aroma. "But I think the pouch is definitely suspicious. The myrrh aroma inside, the rhinoceros—these are specialties of Da Shi..."

And that merchant, not returning home, must be hiding out of guilt for the murder.

All the evidence pointed toward the Da Shi merchant.

"Whether he is or isn't, we must catch him," Pei Zhao put down the rhinoceros horn pendant. "Post guards around the pagoda courtyard and ensure the suspect is apprehended immediately upon sight."

"Yes, sir!" Several officers responded.

The pagoda courtyard, located at a high vantage point, provided a clear view of everyone entering and leaving. Therefore, the young master chose this spot to capture the suspect. Kaifeng’s officers were stationed in the corridors surrounding the pagoda courtyard, ready to act.