Chapter 36 Braised Noodles

Chapter 36 Braised Noodles

It wasn’t just Hai Geer who was tempted by the bowl of "Braised Noodles" meticulously replicated by Shen Miao.

The Dr. Yao in charge of invigilating the Child Exam today was already over sixty years old, with a square face full of wrinkles and naturally upturned angry eyes that made him appear even more difficult to get along with. He was originally the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy but was impeached by the censors for publicly beating an imperial official. However, the emperor of the Song Dynasty, considering the circumstances—the official who was beaten had just become engaged to Dr. Yao's granddaughter at the beginning of the year, only to be found in Lianzi Alley (a place known for male entertainers).

Frequenting brothels was common in the Song Dynasty, and no one was particularly blamed for it. But unlike Pearl Curtain Alley (known for its beautiful women and lively music), Lianzi Alley was somewhat special—it was not women who entertained there, but only young boys.

Upon learning of this, Dr. Yao publicly annulled the engagement and even grabbed the man and beat him severely, knocking out two of the man's front teeth in the scuffle.

The emperor of the Song Dynasty advocated for a reconciliation between the two families, but Dr. Yao, being of a fiery temperament, absolutely refused to associate with them, and the beaten family was even more unwilling to settle privately. Thus, the matter between the two families became widely known. Miss Yao (Dr. Yao's granddaughter) wept all day and dared not go out. The beaten family spread slander and shifted the blame... and the fact of publicly beating an imperial official had to be punished; in the end, Dr. Yao, with few family members and no influential connections, was confusedly dismissed from his position and tarnished his reputation, now demoted from the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy to a ninth-grade teaching Doctor.

Dr. Yao's children had all passed away early, leaving him with only this granddaughter, so he accepted the demotion and stayed at the Imperial Academy to teach, living on a meager salary—the Yao family was not originally from Bianjing, and the three houses he had bought adjacent to the Imperial Academy when he was Chancellor were still in debt to the Xingguo Temple, which had caused the Yao family, which had suddenly fallen, to go many days without tasting meat.

To prevent cheating, all the Doctors at Biyong Academy (a prestigious institution) were given a holiday, and today he was summoned from the Imperial Academy to invigilate at Biyong Academy. However, invigilating the Child Exam didn't require much work; the Garrison Troops took care of the patrols, and Dr. Yao only had to handle some urgent matters in the "C" examination hall: for example, if someone mistakenly went to the wrong examination hall, they had to be sent to the correct place before the exam started; or if someone fainted during the exam, their name had to be marked and they had to be carried out and handed over to their family; or if someone cheated, their name had to be crossed out and they had to be expelled, never to be allowed to take the exam again.

But nothing happened all morning, and Dr. Yao sat slouched in a chair, read some books, graded some students' homework, and then became so sleepy that his head nodded, just about to dream of meeting the Duke of Zhou, when a strong aroma suddenly entered his nostrils, startling him awake from his nap.

He straightened up in his chair, straightened his clothes, smoothed his white beard, and then stood up as if casually, asking the Garrison Troops soldier on duty beside him, "What smells so good?"

The soldier was the one who had just brought hot water to Shen Ji, and he had seen him use the hot water to make a bowl of rich and delicious soup noodles, with eggs, meat, and vegetables, a full bowl... He recalled, swallowing his saliva with a "gulp," and saluted in reply, "Let me inform Dr. Yao, this aroma comes from... the child in the C row, 81st seat, named Shen Ji, this is the food his family prepared for him."

"Brought food?" Dr. Yao sniffed, "Isn’t this the smell of soup noodles?"

"Yes, it’s soup noodles." The Garrison Troops soldier, seeing it for the first time, described it with gestures, "Like this, a pot of hot water poured in, and the dry noodles became soup noodles, after soaking they were still distinct, each noodle was springy and chewy, that Shen Ji was slurping it up deliciously, it looked chewy and firm, not at all mushy!"

Dr. Yao became interested, pretending to inspect the examination hall, walked over to the C row, 81st seat to take a look, and saw that the child named Shen Ji had almost finished eating, he picked up the last bite of curly noodles, slurped it into his mouth like a whirlwind, the brown and oily soup splashed to the corner of his mouth, he wiped it with a cloth, saw there were still some broken noodles and soup left in the bowl, he picked up the bowl, and ate it all clean, soup and all.

Finally, he let out a soft burp.

So full and satisfied... Shen Ji wiped his mouth and sweaty forehead with a cloth, put away the ceramic bowl, and felt very content. After enjoying so many meals prepared by his sister, each one was delicious, but he loved this instant soup noodles the most!

He was still savoring the taste, when suddenly a shadow floated in front of him.

Looking up, he saw an old gentleman with a white beard, wearing a green large-sleeved round-collar official robe, a straight-cornered official hat, and black leather official boots, with his hands behind his back, looking at him with bright eyes.

Shen Ji quickly stood up and bowed deeply, "The student pays his respects to the teacher."

He thought he had violated some rule, which had caused the invigilating old gentleman to come over, so he recalled everything from the morning until now, thinking until his forehead was sweating profusely, but still couldn't figure out what taboo he had broken.

But then he heard the old and serious voice from above ask:

"Little student, where did you buy this soup noodles that can be eaten by just pouring boiling water?"

Shen Ji was stunned, looked up, and after a while replied, "You can’t buy it; my sister made it."

The old gentleman frowned upon hearing this, his expression somewhat regretful.

Three years of living under someone else's roof had made Shen Ji a good observer of expressions, and he hurriedly added, "Let me inform the teacher, my family owns a soup noodle shop, located in the Yangliu East Alley next to the Jinliang Bridge, named Shen Ji Soup Noodle Shop. My sister's skill in making soup noodles is a family tradition, not only can she make soup noodles, but also pancakes, steamed buns, and various pastries, unique in all of Bianjing (the capital of the Song Dynasty)!"

Dr. Yao carefully remembered this, but on the surface he coughed lightly and scolded, "Studying requires full concentration, how can you still be thinking about the family business? A gentleman does not concern himself with trivial matters, a scholar does not speak of profit, sit down quickly! Concentrate on answering the exam questions!"

"Yes." Shen Ji quickly sat down.

Dr. Yao put his hands behind his back, ready to continue his inspection, but then heard a "drip" sound, and saw a rather obese child sitting in the examination seat diagonally opposite, staring straight at the empty ceramic bowl that Shen Ji had put aside, already intoxicated by the aroma, saliva slowly flowing from the corner of his mouth, dripping directly onto the desk.

The sight was truly unpleasant, and Dr. Yao, looking at it, didn't know what to say, walked away a few steps in silence and disgust, couldn't help but say to the Garrison Troops soldier beside him with heartfelt pain, "The children of Bianjing in our great Song Dynasty (the capital), a bowl of soup noodles can shake their spirits, without any determination! If this continues, what hope is there for the world, for the rivers and mountains?"

The aroma of the pancakes lingered in the air, wafting into people's noses. The Garrison Troops soldier absentmindedly agreed, "Yes, yes. Dr. Yao is right."

But in his heart, he was thinking, Shen's Pancake Shop... Willow East Lane by the Golden Beam Bridge... Hmm... After his shift in a few days, he would go there to try it out.

*

As time passed, the afternoon sun gradually slanted westward, and the number of people coming to buy things decreased even more. Even the vendors outside the examination hall had dwindled by more than half. But Ji Geer hadn't come out yet, so Shen Miao and Xiang Jieer had to wait a bit longer. She got up and counted, there were still a dozen or so bread rolls left unsold, and she wondered if they could be sold in the afternoon.

If they couldn't be sold, it was fine. These bread rolls could last for several days, and they could eat them for breakfast at home. They could eat them whole or slice them up and toast them, adding a fried egg, chicken, and some greens to make a sandwich. That would be nice.

They could also send some to Aunt Gu and her family. Many people in the alley talked about her, but Aunt Gu always defended her. However, Aunt Gu never mentioned it in front of her. Shen Miao had overheard it a few times and always kept it in mind.

Turning her head, she saw that Xiang Jieer was already drowsy from the sun. At this time at home, she would already be softly snoring under the covers. Children need more sleep than adults, and it helps them grow faster. So Shen Miao flipped the large basket over, wiped it clean, and put Xiang Jieer inside. Sitting in the basket, Xiang Jieer had something to lean her back against, and she soon fell asleep.

Shen Miao also moved to a cooler spot under the tree, placing the basket of bread rolls on her lap and hiding the money jar behind her waist. The sun had made her feel lethargic, so she decided to close her eyes and take a nap. However, before long, a few scholars wearing scholar's hats and long white robes with phoenix embroidery on the front walked out of the gate of Biyong Academy.

Their wide sleeves fluttered in the wind as they walked in small groups, talking and laughing.

Many people looked at them with envy—those with phoenix embroidery on their chests were clearly the top students from the 'A Class' at Biyong Academy. Last year, thirty percent of the successful candidates in the imperial examination came from the upper class of the Imperial Academy in the inner city, and another twenty percent came from Biyong Academy. Although these scholars were still commoners now, in a few years, once they passed the examination, they would become seventh-rank officials.

Especially since these young men were all quite handsome, walking so casually, naturally everyone turned to look.

Many vendors, quick-eyed, one after another approached with their loads, only to be scolded by the scholars' attendants and scattered away. The scholars were discussing a trip to Yaoshan Temple in the outskirts for a hike and to enjoy the view. Among them, the tallest and most handsome one seemed to notice something, his gaze falling on the crabapple tree by the roadside.

"Xie Jiu, what are you looking at?"

Shang An curiously followed his gaze. The crabapple tree swayed in the wind, scattering petals everywhere. Under the tree sat a young woman, holding a wicker basket on her lap, leaning against the tree, fast asleep. The pink and white petals covered her head and shoulders, as if she had been caught in a sudden snow shower.

"What a lovely young lady," Meng San also remarked.

Xie Qi had already started walking over. As he got closer, he noticed a large basket under the tree. Xiang Jieer was inside, sleeping soundly, her cheeks flushed from the sun, holding half a large pancake with small bite marks in her arms.

He couldn't help but smile.

His companions followed and looked around, puzzled. "This pancake-selling lady, do you know her?"

"Yes, Lady Shen is my friend."

If Ning Yi were here, he would surely excitedly chime in, "Me too, me too." In the hearts of foodies like Ning Yi, chefs who could make delicious food were their kindred spirits.

Although Shen Miao was asleep, she wasn't sleeping too deeply. A few people stood in front of her, blocking the harsh sunlight and bringing some shade. She woke up groggily and just as she opened her eyes, she heard Xie Qi's words.

"The Xie family is noble and prestigious, those with shallow roots can't even reach your family. When did you have such a friend who sells pancakes on the street? Did you forget to pay after eating her pancakes?" The companions joked and laughed, leaning on each other.

"Though the room is humble, my virtue is fragrant. Humble as it is, so are my friends." Xie Qi calmly refuted, with just one sentence silencing his companions. "But Lady Shen's pancakes are indeed delicious, I have eaten them."

Shen Miao rubbed her eyes and sat up, petals falling from her body.

She opened her eyes and saw Xie Qi standing in front of her, dressed in the academy's clothes, looking fresh and clean.

Seeing her awake, he instinctively smiled.

"Lady Shen, good day. Today is the Child Exam, so I guessed that Lady Shen would come." His dark eyes always seemed particularly focused when looking at someone, like a deep, quiet spring. "Sure enough, we met."

As soon as he came out, Xie Qi had instinctively looked around for her.

Shen Miao also smiled. "I came to send Ji Geer to the exam, so I decided to wait here..." She looked at the other scholars behind him, who seemed surprised that Xie Qi was so familiar with her. "Ninth Geer, are you going out to play? Isn't Yan Shu with you? Oh, I remember, Yan Shu is at home."

"Yes, we're going to Yaoshan Temple for a hike to see the sunset over the golden mountain." Xie Qi was very patient. "Yan Shu can't read, so he never comes to the academy with me. He's just fooling around at home." He then pointed to the thirteen or fourteen-year-old servant behind him. "This is Qiu Hao, Lady Shen must have seen him before."

She recalled meeting him once at the Xie family.

The tidy and composed book boy carrying Xie Qi's book box bowed politely.

She returned the courtesy.

"What a pleasant day. The mountain path is difficult, Ninth Geer, would you like to grab some snacks? I just made some today." Shen Miao, while making small talk, didn't forget to make a sale, lifting the wicker basket in her hand and smiling playfully, "This pancake is called Purple Robe and Golden Belt; eating it is said to ensure you'll become a high-ranking official."

"What a shrewd lady." A companion behind Xie Qi chuckled.

Shang An nudged the person with his elbow, whispering, "Enough, why do you always have to run your mouth?"

Xie Qi ignored him and instead looked down at what Shen Miao was saying, seeing the pancake baked golden with a hint of purple, plump, with a circle of crushed peanuts in the middle, he smiled knowingly, "The name Madam Shen chose is spot on. Is the color of this pancake from mulberries? It's done really well."

Then he looked up at the sky and added, "Soon, the Child Exam should be wrapping up."

He then pointed to the pancake, "Madam Shen, sell them all to me. You have a long way back to the inner city; it's best to head back early."

Shen Miao was taken aback, feeling a bit embarrassed, "That wasn't my intention."

Xie Qi said, "I know."

After a pause, he explained, "There are many of us; we were going to buy this much anyway."

Shen Miao then handed the basket to Xie Qi, selling it at a discount of ten coins each instead of twelve.

"Don't worry, the Child Exam isn't hard. If Ji Geer has been studying well lately, he'll surely pass." Xie Qi took the wicker basket, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then was about to leave.

Shen Miao felt warm inside and said, "Thanks to Ninth Geer's kind words."

The two bowed to each other in farewell, but when Xie Qi stood up, he suddenly looked at her.

Shen Miao didn't understand what he meant, thinking he had something more to say. But then she noticed a slight hesitation in his clear eyes, and the next moment, he reached out and gently brushed off the tiny fallen flowers from Shen Miao's shoulder.

As the flowers fell, he said, "Madam Shen, take care."

Shen Miao was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly said, "Take care."

Afterwards, she watched as Xie Qi and his companions walked away, their figures gradually reaching the end of the postal road, almost out of sight, before Shen Miao gently touched her inexplicably heated chest.

She didn't have time to dwell on the sudden flutter in her heart, when the bell inside the academy rang again.

This time, as the bell rang melodiously, a crowd surged out from the grand gate, and her attention was immediately drawn to it. She picked up Xiang Jieer from the large basket and hoisted her onto her shoulder, "Xiang Jieer, see if Ji Geer has come out yet."

Xiang Jieer was groggy, she had just been in a dream where she was majestically calling Thunder, the puppy, and three chicks to a meeting to lecture them, and was suddenly awakened, so she sleepily hugged her sister's head and tried to widen her eyes. She strained her eyes until they ached before spotting Ji Geer, being jostled like a small boat in the crowded stream of people.

She immediately waved her hand vigorously, trying to make herself stand out.

"Brother! Brother! Over here!"

Shen Ji heard the call in the crowd, turned his head, and saw his sister sitting on his sister's shoulder, her face still bearing the marks of sleep, the imprint neatly patterned like wicker.

His heart instantly calmed, and he immediately ran towards them.

Meanwhile, Xie Qi, who had walked away, was surrounded by his companions, Meng San cheekily put his arm around his shoulder and pressed, "Something's fishy, really fishy, Ninth Geer. How come you're so chummy with that pancake lady? What's really going on? You better spill it!"

Another person nodded heavily, shouting, "Xie Jiu, Xie Jiu, the daughter of Dr. Feng from the academy, Feng Qiniang, is exceptionally talented, her poems circulate endlessly in the boudoir, she comes to the schoolhouse every day waiting for you, and even asks you to look at her new poems, but you never talk much with her, always saying you're already engaged, how come you're so different with this pancake lady?"

"Yes... Bozhi has a point. Wait! Wait! I see that the pancake lady clearly has a married woman's hairstyle, but she's out alone with a child making a living—isn't she a widow? Wow, Xie Jiu! Could it be that you have a thing for widows? So... you like widows too!" Meng San stroked his chin and reasoned, then shouted in even greater shock.

Shang An, who hadn’t joined his classmates in teasing Xie Qi, was unscrewing his leather water flask to take a drink when he was caught off guard by the comment, causing him to spit out a mouthful of hot tea. He wanted to laugh but choked instead, bending over in a fit of coughing.

"What do you mean by 'also' liking? That doesn’t sound like you’re talking about me, but yourself," Xie Qi remained calm, casually pulling out a purple-robed, gold-belted pancake from the basket and stuffing it into the mouth of the incessantly annoying talker. "Xiang Jieer isn’t Shen Miao’s child, she’s her sister… Never mind, why am I telling you this? Just eat this pancake, and you’ll understand why I’m familiar with her."

Meng San was caught off guard, his mouth stuffed so full he couldn’t swallow or spit it out, only able to mumble incoherently. Seeing him in such a state, everyone burst into laughter.

"Hey? It actually tastes quite good, her skills are indeed impressive," Meng San, after finally chewing and swallowing, looked at Xie Qi in surprise. "Did you really become friends with her just because her pancakes are delicious?"

"What do you mean by 'demeaning oneself'? That’s not right," Xie Qi frowned disapprovingly. "We’re all the same, no matter who we are. How can we look down on someone just because of their status? I believe that the noble should not be arrogant, and the humble should not be subservient. The so-called nobility and humility are merely differences in the wealth accumulated by ancestors, what does that have to do with the individual? Whether it’s scholars or pancake sellers, the distinction between scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants is merely a difference in profession. Can’t peddlers or those who sell soup have ambitions and talents? You all admire Feng Qiniang’s poetry, but I find it overly sentimental, just the idle complaints of someone sheltered. Feng Qiniang, born into a noble family, loved by her parents and free from worries about food and clothing, thus speaks of sorrow without knowing it, which is actually a great fortune. But what does such fortune matter? In my eyes, Shen Miao, though not versed in poetry, is more transparent and endearing."

Shang An and Meng San were lost in thought.

Xie Qi looked up, the setting sun half-hidden, its rays struggling to break through the clouds. He slowed down, pausing to gaze quietly for a moment.

His companions, however, began to press Meng San about which widow he liked, talking about other things, not noticing Xie Qi, laughing and joking as they walked forward, their laughter echoing.

Only Xie Qi kept looking at the setting sun in the west, a soft smile slowly appearing in his eyes.

—I’m in charge of my own destiny, not some higher power.

—I believe that one day, I will be able to live a good life by my own hands.

Xie Qi had never thought about why he always wanted to be close to Shen Miao, but today, after his classmates’ questioning, he suddenly realized the reason—ancient tales speak of Bo Ya playing the qin and Zi Qi appreciating it, one a musician, the other a lumberjack, their statuses vastly different, yet they connected through music, their aspirations aligned, becoming a timeless tale of friendship.

Isn’t he the same?

Dividing people into hierarchies and treating them differently might be inherently wrong.

He felt all the confusion in his mind washed away, his steps lightened, and he quickly caught up with his classmates, who were still trying to find out which widow Meng San fancied, teasing him all the while.

In the distance, the throng of children dispersed after the exam in the twilight, nearby the cool breeze brushing against their sleeves, and the young men’s laughter drifted on the wind.

＊＊＊

That night, Shen Miao, to celebrate, closed the door with Ji Geer and Xiang Jieer and heartily ate a pot of wild chestnut chicken soup. Ji Geer, hearing this, felt a bit embarrassed and whispered, "We don’t even know if I passed yet…"

Isn’t it too presumptuous to celebrate right after the exam?

Shen Miao tied up her sleeves and entered the kitchen, turning back with a smile, "Never mind that, you’ve been hitting the books for over a month, pass or fail, we’re celebrating your hard work."

She then went into the kitchen to check on the chicken soup, not seeing Ji Geer’s face turn red and his eyes sparkle, as if the stars from the night sky had fallen into his eyes.

Xiang Jieer looked up, circling her brother twice, giggling, "Brother, why is your face so red? Are you secretly happy that sister praised you? Then why not show it!"

"I’m not!" Shen Ji, embarrassed and angry, pulled at his sister’s cheeks.

"Ouch! Stupid brother!"

Outside, the siblings were roughhousing again, Shen Miao didn’t intervene, they always knew their limits, no need to interfere.

She grabbed a clean cloth to handle the heat, lifted the lid, the steam misting her face, the chicken soup simmering gently on the stove, the broth now a rich, golden yellow, the chicken fat floating on the surface, the peeled chestnuts so tender they fell apart at the touch of a chopstick.

The chicken at home wasn’t fat enough, and Xiang Jieer wouldn’t let them kill it, of course, Shen Miao didn’t plan to either, wanting to keep it for eggs and breeding. So the chicken was bought yesterday from a chicken vendor at the market, a proper Zhengyang three-yellow chicken, small but with firm meat. To save a penny on slaughtering, Shen Miao herself carried the chicken home, boldly slit its throat, bled it, plucked its feathers, and gutted it.

The house was also preparing to lay tiles, filled with freshly fired tiles, not even a place to step. She could only boil water, bring out the cutting board and knife, and kill the chicken in the alley, seen by Gu Tusu as he returned from delivering wine.

With a quick slash, she cut the chicken’s throat, but it thrashed wildly, blood spraying everywhere. Shen Miao caught the blood, plucked the feathers in hot water.

With a single knife stroke, she split the chicken’s breastbone, calmly pulled out the guts, even washed the intestines, unfazed by the stink, in her eyes these had already transformed into delicacies: Later, she could whip up a stir-fry with the chicken offal, adding some preserved ginger—sour, spicy, crispy, and tender—delicious.

The ginger sauce from the Song Dynasty tasted like pickled peppers and was quite delicious.

Just thinking about it made Shen Miao feel a bit hungry. She didn’t mind the mess on the ground, even swallowing a mouthful of saliva.

After washing up, she also removed the chicken kidneys. Then, with her hands covered in chicken blood, she looked up to see Gu Tusu staring at her, his back pressed against the wall as he silently slipped into the opposite door.

She shrugged and kept chopping the chicken, cleaning up in under fifteen minutes.

After sweeping up the blood, she went inside to check the mirror and realized she’d messed up—her face and clothes were speckled with blood.

She washed up, feeling a bit embarrassed. She looked kind of scary, didn’t she?

But so what? Every chef’s been through this. It’s just part of the job! Anyone who’s spent years in a restaurant kitchen slaughtering chickens, ducks, fish, cows, sheep, pigs, rabbits, frogs, oysters, and geese...

Their hearts grew as cold as the knives in their hands.

The chicken was slaughtered the night before, and the soup had been simmering since dawn. Shen Miao was used to the early market and got up before dawn, as usual. She stir-fried the chicken with ginger slices to release the aroma, then added boiling water to stew it. She’d also bought wild chestnuts when she got the chicken—they were easy to store. These were last winter’s chestnuts, harvested by farmers, covered in wheat straw, buried in the snow, and dug up to sell in spring.

Shen Miao bought them just in time. The farmer, carrying a shoulder pole into the city to sell chestnuts, said this was his last load—there’d be no more until next year.

The snow-stored chestnuts turned hard as little stones from semi-dehydration, but in the soup, they came back to life, even sweeter and softer than fresh ones. These wild chestnuts were perfect for stewing, especially with chicken soup—a perfect match.

When Shen Miao lifted the lid, the aroma filled the room.

As soon as the smell wafted out, Xiang Jieer, chasing Ji Geer in the yard and insisting on pinching him, along with the little dog, almost ran in together.

Xiang Jieer clung to the stove, tiptoeing to peek into the pot.

The chicken soup, simmered all day over a low flame, was like amber—clear and golden, with shimmering oil stars glowing under the stove fire.

The chestnuts had sunk to the bottom, cracked open, their golden flesh scooped out by her sister.

Xiang Jieer stood by the stove, eagerly sipping the soup.

She blew on the bowl again and again, too impatient to wait. Her sister ladled the soup into a large pot, and the leftover bones, scraps, and soup were mixed with rice for the little dog and Thunder, to be warmed up later.

When the soup was finally cool enough, Xiang Jieer drank until she felt warm all over, almost floating. The chicken was tender, its fibers soaked with the soup. The chestnuts were golden, soft, and sweet, melting in her mouth. She couldn’t stop.

Shen Miao quickly washed the pot, then stir-fried chicken giblets and braised chicken blood tofu.

The three Shen siblings sat under the lamplight, drinking the sweet and fragrant chicken soup, accompanied by the sour and spicy stir-fried chicken giblets and the tender and smooth chicken blood tofu, along with two bowls of mixed grain rice. They all ate until they had to rub their stomachs, and as they rubbed, they couldn’t help but smile at each other.

The little dog nestled at their feet, focused on gnawing a chicken bone. Hearing them laugh, it wagged its tail.

The warm yellow candlelight from the yard spilled through the paper window onto the ground. The chicks had already returned to their coop, huddling together to sleep. At the yard entrance, Thunder's big head rested on his front paws, lying quietly on the ground as usual. His bowl of chicken soup mixed with rice was already empty. The warm light from the door crack illuminated his slightly twitching, relaxed ears.

That night, the three Shen siblings and their two dogs all dreamed of burping.

A few days later, the last tile was placed on the three newly built tiled houses of the Shen family. The last piece of gravel in the yard was tamped into the soil, and the first batch of wood ear vegetables sprouted in the two small vegetable plots they had cultivated. The three Shen siblings finally each had their own rooms and spent a day excitedly moving out of the shop.

The shop was re-plastered and fitted with new door panels. The two windows that had been sealed for a long time were finally opened again, covered with new green gauze.

The Shen Ji Soup Noodle Shop, which had been burned to ruins, finally took on a new appearance.

One early morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten. Aunt Li yawned as she removed the door panels of the Li Family Porcelain Repair Shop. She looked up and suddenly noticed that not far from her shop, on the repainted doorposts of the Shen Ji Soup Noodle Shop, two peach wood boards painted with the ghost-subduing gods "Shen Tu" and "Yu Lei" had been hung at some point.

She rubbed her eyes and leaned out to look. The old redwood plaque with black characters that had been removed from the Shen Ji Soup Noodle Shop was now hanging on the lintel again, glowing with a simple light in the cool morning breeze.

She leaned on the door frame, gazing at it, and a bittersweet feeling welled up in her heart.

Three years had passed. The Shen family's soup noodle shop, which had fallen into ruin and been burned to the ground, was finally about to reopen.