Chapter 206: Jixian County

Chapter 206: Ji County

Ji County is located in the northern part of Tianjin Prefecture, similar to the Jizhou District from Qiu Huanian's previous life, though slightly smaller.

The county has a population of around 100,000, comprising eight towns and over forty villages.

Although Ji County is not coastal, several rivers flow through it, and there is a large lake, making water resources very abundant. The local people mainly rely on fishing and farming for their livelihood. Being close to the capital in the Jingji region, their lives are relatively comfortable.

This comfort, however, is relative to the average living standards of ordinary people in ancient times—having clothes to wear, a roof over their heads, and the ability to marry and raise children already placed their lives above the average.

Qiu Huanian, accompanied by Xing Mi, arrived in Ji County with minimal baggage and was warmly received by the county magistrate.

The magistrate of Ji County, Jia Yinyuan, is an interesting man in his thirties, in the prime of his life. He passed the imperial examination in the 19th year of the Yuanhua era, though his ranking in the Palace Examination was not high. However, being able to serve as a county magistrate near the capital indicates that he has some capabilities.

Jia Yinyuan is slightly overweight, his belt tightly cinching his protruding belly. He sports three strands of beard, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, giving him the typical look of an official.

At this moment, he stood smiling three steps away from Qiu Huanian, his demeanor warm but not obsequious, eagerly introducing the situation of Ji County to Qiu Huanian.

Since Qiu Huanian had sent word in advance that he wanted to see Ji County firsthand, Jia Yinyuan arranged for him to visit the bustling Yuyang Alley in the county seat.

Yuyang Alley is located just inside the city gate, serving as a large market where everything is sold. The people from the surrounding villages come here to buy and sell goods, find work, hire carriages, and send letters. Due to the large flow of people, a series of snack stalls have also sprung up.

The team of guards that Sixteen had selected now belonged entirely to Qiu Huanian. They surrounded him, attempting to shield him from the bustling crowd, but Qiu Huanian waved them off, indicating it was unnecessary.

Xing Mi, who initially tried to maintain the demeanor of a county master's personal attendant to avoid embarrassing Qiu Huanian, quickly reverted to his true self when he saw that Qiu Huanian wasn't concerned with formalities. He darted around, eager to explore and learn.

Xing Mi was born into servitude, having served in his previous master's household since childhood. As a young man who was rarely allowed to go out, if it weren't for Qiu Huanian, he would likely never have had the chance to visit such a county market.

"County Master, look! They sell such large twists here!"

"And pancakes! I've heard the pancakes here are delicious!"

"Brother, I want to eat this big bun. No, do you want to eat this bun? It's bigger than my fist, completely different from the ones in the mansion. It must be delicious!"

...

Qiu Huanian smiled and followed the excited Xing Mi, watching as the common people, unaware of his status, inferred from his demeanor and attire that he was wealthy and noble. They treated him warmly and respectfully, trying to persuade him to buy their goods.

Unlike Xing Mi, Qiu Huanian's attention wasn't entirely on the snacks. He was also quietly observing other things.

After walking for a while, Qiu Huanian could confirm that the scene before him wasn't a specially arranged 'leadership inspection version' but the real daily life of Ji County.

Jia Yinyuan hadn't played any 'clever tricks,' understanding the intent of Qiu Huanian's letter and avoiding any underhanded tactics.

Moreover, allowing Qiu Huanian to see the real Yuyang Alley also demonstrated Jia Yinyuan's confidence. He was confident in his governance of Ji County and unafraid of the county master finding fault.

Qiu Huanian had set out early in the morning and arrived before noon, having only eaten some pastries for breakfast. The aroma of various snacks, rich in carbohydrates and sugar, wafted into his nostrils, making it hard to resist.

He bought several large meat-filled buns, each wrapped in oiled paper. The buns had thin skins and generous fillings, their outer layers as white and soft as clouds. The filling, stir-fried before being wrapped, included a bit of dried shrimp and mushrooms, bursting with juice at the first bite.

Qiu Huanian lifted the bun to his mouth and took a big bite. His face was already small, and the visual contrast made the bun appear almost as large as his face, creating a somewhat comical and adorable scene. However, no one dared to make any comments in front of the county master, so they merely glanced away.

Qiu Huanian had more buns packed, with various fillings, as he was delighted by the discovery and wanted to bring some back for Du Yunse to try.

Next to the bun stall was a twist stall. The twists in Ji County were also different from those elsewhere. The dough used to make the twists was very thin, and the stall owner quickly twisted it into small, beautifully textured twists about the thickness of a thumb.

The owner tossed the twists into a bubbling oil pot, and after a dozen breaths, the white twists turned golden, clearly indicating their crispiness. But that wasn't all. The owner used a large strainer to scoop out the twists, shaking off the excess oil, and then immediately dipped them into a pot of syrup next door, coating them with a clear sugar glaze.

Qiu Huanian smiled and casually asked, "Boss, you have great skills. How much are the twists? With so much syrup, can you make a profit?"

The stall owner was a middle-aged woman in her forties. In the countryside and county, older women had no restrictions on going out—it was all about making a living.

When the woman saw Qiu Huanian's appearance, she exclaimed, "Oh wow!" and without any hesitation, she picked up a freshly fried dough twist for him. The twist was still hot, so Qiu Huanian used the oiled paper from the steamed buns to hold it and took small bites.

"What a handsome young lad! Help yourself, and there's more if you want!"

The woman wiped her hands on her apron and enthusiastically introduced her product.

"Small fried dough twists are four coins each, or three for ten coins. The sugar-coating technique is my own invention. Others copy me, but none can fry them as fragrantly as I do!"

"As for whether it's profitable, it wasn't possible before, but since last year, a sugar beet variety that can be pressed for sugar has appeared in the capital. It's said that the Qishu County Princess, who descended from the heavens, pleaded with the gods for it. The price of white sugar has decreased by three cents, so now the costs are sustainable."

"Look around here, many stalls are using sugar in their food now! People work hard every day, rain or shine, to make a living, and they love the warm, sweet taste."

Xing Mi was delighted to hear someone praise his master and leaned closer to Qiu Huanian to make a witty remark. Qiu Huanian shot him a look, signaling him not to reveal their identities.

In the end, Qiu Huanian bought a large bag of twists as the woman wished. These twists, coated with sugar, remained crispy and delicious even when cooled, perfect for taking back to enjoy slowly.

The woman, thrilled with the large order of one tael of silver, couldn't stop showering them with blessings.

Qiu Huanian paid first and told her not to rush, to take her time frying, and that he would come back later to pick them up. Then he continued to explore the alley.

Next, Qiu Huanian encountered many specialty snacks and saw imitations of Qiu's Six Staples Store's Sorghum Candy, popcorn, and smoked fish snacks. These stalls were very savvy, directly claiming to sell the same products as Qiu's Six Staples from the Qishu County Princess, and their business was booming.

Qiu Huanian also experienced another version of "authentic Tianjin-style jianbing guozi," unlike the modern versions from other regions that often include ham, spicy strips, bacon, and other ingredients. This jianbing guozi only contained eggs, fried dough sticks, and savory sauce, simple yet delicious.

After receiving the jianbing, Qiu Huanian jokingly asked the stall owner if they would consider adding other ingredients, like vegetables or shredded meat. The expressions of those around, including the stall owner, immediately changed, reminiscent of the time Qiu Huanian saw strawberry mapo tofu in the modern era.

Qiu Huanian chuckled and quickly changed the subject, spending the rest of the day thoroughly understanding the basic situation of Ji County.

This on-site inspection allowed him to see what kind of person the county magistrate was and gave him a direct understanding of the living conditions and customs of the people in Ji County. This made Qiu Huanian more confident in implementing his plan.

Qiu Huanian politely declined Magistrate Jia's invitation to stay and returned to his home in Tianjin Prefecture under the setting sun, just in time to meet Du Yunse returning from work.

After a day apart, the two embraced as if they were newlyweds.

"How did things go today, Brother Hua? Are you tired?"

Qiu Huanian nuzzled into Du Yunse's embrace, "It went well. Fortunately, the prefectures near the capital aren't too large, and Ji County is close to the prefecture city. If it were in the northeast, it would be almost impossible to make a round trip in a day."

While sharing the day's experiences and the food he brought back, Qiu Huanian also discussed his plans.

"Once we settle here, we should write to Xin Bai and Jing Cheng. The opportunity is rare, and the Zhu family should also prepare early."