Chapter 62: Eating Bowls of Chicken

Chapter 62 Eating Boboji

As dusk settled, the last trace of twilight lingered as a faint indigo on the horizon. In the Shen family's small courtyard, two large pottery basins of Boboji had been blanched and were now soaking in a cold sauce filled with sesame seeds and a shiny reddish-brown oil.

Bamboo skewers stuck out from the edges of the large pottery basins, each laden with a colorful array of meat and vegetables. The chicken and pork belly slices were tender and clearly textured, their surfaces glistening with the spicy red oil they had absorbed. Other meats, such as duck feet, pig ears, and gizzards, had been either blanched or stewed, each offering its unique flavor. Among the vegetables, the black fungus was curled, the fresh lotus root was pink and translucent, and the pea shoots were a vibrant green. The bamboo shoots were crisp, the yam was soft and sticky, and the Chinese cabbage was sweet and refreshing. There were also firm tofu, dried tofu, tofu skin, rice cakes, and fried dough sticks...

Upon closer inspection, the variety of ingredients in the basin seemed endless.

With the courtyard now larger, the small square table had been moved to the front shop, where it served as a duck carving table. For meals in the backyard, Shen Miao had replaced it with a larger table that could seat ten people. Now, with the children included, everyone could sit together without elbowing each other or clashing chopsticks.

Both basins of Boboji were made with fresh chicken, simmered until the meat was cooked but not mushy. The chicken was then sliced and diced before being skewered.

Next came the preparation of the red oil. Since chili powder was not available, Shen Miao had to grind the commonly eaten Song Dynasty prickly ash sauce and ginger into powder, then mix it with sesame seeds, Sichuan pepper, star anise, and cinnamon, and pour hot oil over it to release the aroma. The resulting red oil was not as bright or spicy as modern versions, but it was still fragrant.

This red oil was then used to season the chicken broth, with a bit of soy sauce and vinegar added for flavor, and a touch of sugar to enhance the freshness. Minced garlic and sesame oil were also mixed in, and once everything was well combined, the skewered ingredients were soaked in the mixture. After about fifteen minutes, the meat and vegetables had absorbed the sauce and were coated with the fragrant, spicy red oil, ready to be eaten heartily.

This was Xie Qi's first time eating something like this.

The Shen family didn't have the large oil lamps that could hold over ten pounds of oil, so they used ordinary bamboo-woven lanterns instead. The soft, yellow light created a warm ambiance. One of the two dogs lay on the porch gnawing on a bone, occasionally wagging its tail, while the other had gone into the chicken coop to sleep, snoring loudly. The chickens, meanwhile, were crowded outside the coop, with the hen huddled in the vegetable patch and the rooster perched on top of the coop, one leg tucked in, sleeping majestically.

Looking up, the stars hung low in the sky.

The three servants the Shen family had bought initially wanted to take their bowls and eat elsewhere, but Shen Miao stopped them, saying, "If you leave, what's the point of having this big table?"

After seating them, she looked up at Xie Qi, who smiled and shook his head before she could speak. "I don't mind."

Shen Miao smiled too. She had known this from the first time she met Yan Shu, from the time Ninth Geer sent a carriage to pick her up during a rainy spell, and from the time he was willing to lend books to Ji Geer. She knew that Xie Qi genuinely didn't care about class distinctions; he was a rare person in this world.

So everyone sat together, chatting and laughing as they ate. When the spiciness became too much, they filtered the coarse, murky wheat beer twice through a cloth and poured it into a large single-handled pottery cup, drinking it along with the foam for a refreshing sensation.

This was also Xie Qi's first time seeing such a large cup, and he examined it with interest. The cup was straight and wide, and lifting it when full was a challenge, but it allowed for hearty drinking, which was perfect for a warm summer night.

The Shen family had more interesting things than just the cup. In the courtyard, there was a small pond with sweet flag and a single lotus leaf, and even a few small fish that Xiang Jieer had caught from the river. It was a small but charming scene. Beside the pond stood a small wooden sign with a tiny bamboo umbrella on top. The sign could be rotated, with one side reading "Froggy is off on a journey" and the other "Froggy is back."

This had Xie Qi squatting by the pond before the meal, searching for the frog for quite some time.

The Boboji was also delicious and surprisingly to Xie Qi's taste. It looked oily, but the sauce underneath was cool and refreshing, with the savory flavor of chicken broth and not a hint of greasiness. The crunchy lotus root, coated in sauce and sesame seeds, made a satisfying crunch when bitten into, crisp but not breaking apart, like the sound of new snow cracking on ice.

The gizzard was also a pleasant surprise. Xie Qi hadn't known what it was, but Shen Miao explained that it was made from chicken gizzards, stewed and sliced thin. It was firm and chewy, with the seasoning fully penetrating its texture, making it particularly flavorful. This was a new experience for Xie Qi, who rarely ate organ meats at home.

The firm tofu was another highlight. Slightly firm on the outside, the inside had a honeycombed texture soaked in the fragrant sauce. Each bite was juicy, flavorful, and spicy, yet it retained the original bean flavor of the tofu.

Xie Qi was thoroughly satisfied, more so than he ever was at home.

Chef Fang also had his specialties, and there were many well-prepared dishes. But in the Xie household, meals were served with tables set, curtains hung, and rituals observed, each branch of the family having its own complexities. The main branch of Xie Qi's family was relatively simple, as his mother couldn't stand too much fuss during meals. Whenever his father eagerly suggested toasting games, she would shut him down with a curt "No talking during meals."

But when it came to his third uncle, who insisted on using dew collected at dawn for tea, lighting old sandalwood incense for calligraphy, and dining in scenic spots to absorb the essence of the sun and moon, preparing a meal could take an hour, which was an even greater hassle.

Xie Qi had also had his share of camping in the wilderness, but even then, he had Yan Shu by his side to attend to him. He didn't need to lift a finger, making do with a flask of water and a biscuit. When they reached a village or town, they would dine at an inn for better food.

But this experience, starting from the ingredients, skewering and soaking them himself, sitting at a short table with so many people, without servants attending to him, with everything served together and serving himself whatever he wanted, was entirely new to him.

The Shen family’s table was short, and Xie Qi sat on a stool with his long legs bent, holding a skewer of cucumber slices. He glanced over at Tang Er, who had an arm around Fu Xing's shoulder, drinking. Tang Er raised his cup and said, "Brother Fu Xing, everything's in the wine. I'll finish mine; you take your time!"

Fu Xing hurriedly picked up his large mug and clinked it with Tang Er's. The wine sloshed, and he quickly drank to avoid spilling. Turning back, Tang Er had already downed his cup in one go, which shocked Fu Xing so much that he blurted out in his former master's Huating dialect, "Wow, you can really drink. That’s amazing."

A Tao sat beside them, having also had a few drinks. She burped, her eyes red as if lost in thought about someone.

She turned her head again to see Xiang Jieer and Chen Chuan competing to see who had eaten more skewers, counting endlessly without reaching a conclusion. They called Ji Geer over to settle the dispute, and after listening to their arguments, Ji Geer finally understood and helplessly corrected Xiang Jieer: "Three times five is fifteen, not eighteen... How come you still haven’t learned the 'Nine-Nine Song' by heart? Even A Bao from the Gu family has it memorized!"

Xie Qi smiled, his gaze slowly drifting to the side, though he didn’t dare look directly, so he stole a glance from the corner of his eye.

The lantern light bathed Shen Miao’s face in a warm, golden glow, accentuating her delicate, glowing skin. She cradled a wine cup in both hands, smiling as she watched everyone laugh, play, or eat quietly. Her expression was serene, radiating endless tenderness—so beautiful.

Xie Qi thought he was being subtle, but Shen Miao keenly noticed and turned her eyes to him, curling them into a smile, as if thinking he was feeling left out for not speaking. She tipped her large wine cup toward his, clinking them together: "Ninth Geer, cheers."

Just then, fireworks burst into the night sky, bursts of falling stars blooming in reverse, and in the flickering light, Xie Qi finally turned his head to meet her gaze. Her face was lit up by the sudden brilliance, her eyes sparkled like stars, as if they were falling into her gaze.

He gazed steadily and softly replied, "Cheers."

The fireworks disappeared in a flash, and the courtyard returned to its dim state, but Xie Qi’s heart continued to race like a drum.

His throat dry, he struggled to find words, but a round little head poked through the slightly open door at the back of Shen's house. The owner of the head, seeing the feast in the courtyard, burst into tears, pointing at Xie Qi and accusing him indignantly: "Ninth Geer! I heard from Qiuhao that you were having dinner at Shen Miao's place, I knew it! You’re eating without me! You didn’t bring your servant!"

The beautiful moment was instantly ruined by his wailing.

Xie Qi turned away, ignoring him.

Xiang Jieer, however, jumped up happily, waving and cheering: "Yan Shu!"

Shen Miao laughed until her shoulders shook, getting up and pulling him in: "There’s more, come in and join us."

She even gave her own stool to Yan Shu, taking a new stool handed by Tang Er and sitting down again on the other side of Yan Shu. She moved her own bowl and chopsticks away, placing the clean new dishes that A Tao had fetched from the kitchen in front of Yan Shu: "Don’t be shy, there are no rules in my house, eat to your heart's content."

Xie Qi glanced coolly at Yan Shu, who had not a single tear on his cheek, already grabbing the skewers Shen Miao handed him, looking up with a silly smile: "Shen Miao’s cooking is still as good as ever, fragrant and spicy, it’s really delicious, I’ll come again next time."

Shen Miao looked at Yan Shu and felt he was just like Xiang Jieer, so she couldn’t help but pinch the bun on his head: "If it’s delicious, eat more, you’re welcome to come anytime. Do you want rice? There’s also cold noodles, I’ll have Fu Xing make you a bowl, want some?"

"Yes, yes, I’ll eat anything!"

He happily devoured two or three skewers, slurped up a bowl of cold noodles, and then suddenly noticed a resentful gaze beside him.

Turning his head, he saw Ninth Geer staring at him, and he pointed at the remaining skewers in Xie Qi's bowl, asking: "Ninth Geer, aren’t you going to eat these? Then..." If he wasn’t going to eat them, he wouldn’t mind having them.

His greasy paw was about to reach over when Xie Qi took the bowl away.

"How did you get here?" Xie Qi asked.

"Madam sent me, saying that the fireworks Eleventh Niang bought last year for the Lotus Viewing Festival haven’t been used up yet. Recently, she and her sisters have only been playing with silk dolls, making a whole wardrobe of clothes, shoes, and hats for them, and haven’t gone out to set off fireworks. Madam said if we keep storing them like this, they’ll get damp, so she told me to bring them over for Ninth Geer, Shen Miao, and her siblings to play with," Yan Shu said, his mouth full.

Xie Qi looked at him: "Where are the fireworks?"

"At the door, Zhou Da is watching them. There are so many, Eleventh Niang must have bought out the entire fireworks shop last year."

Xie Qi sighed, propping his chin with his hand, eating the skewers absentmindedly, regretfully thinking: No wonder people say that beautiful moments are fleeting, he truly understood now.

Now, beside him was no longer Shen Miao, exuding the warm aroma of food, but a big mouse continuously munching and crunching.

How bitter.

After three rounds of drinks, Fu Xing and Tang Er were both slurring their words, one saying 'I' and the other 'you', unable to understand each other after talking for a long time. Wine jars rolled at their feet, the table was a mess of plates and cups, all the skewers were eaten.

A Tao wiped the table, collected the dishes, and took them in to wash. Today, Shen Miao had given the shop staff a day off, and Yu also went to spend the festival with her family, so A Tao took over her shift, voluntarily cleaning up.

Shen Miao wanted to go in and help her wash, but A Tao shooed her back.

Ji Geer was sweeping the yard, Xie Qi collected all the wine jars and placed them at the base of the wall, then suggested they all go to the riverside to set off fireworks: "The alley is too narrow, it would be bad if a fire started."

Shen Miao took a quick look and saw that Xiang Jieer's eyes were already sparkling with excitement at the mention of setting off fireworks. Her hands were already on Chen Chuan's wheelchair, ready to push him out the door in an instant.

Luckily, except for the high threshold at the front of Shen's shop, the thresholds at home were all removable wooden boards. They were removed during the day and put back in place at night when the doors were closed. Otherwise, with Xiang Jieer's speed in pushing the wheelchair, Chen Chuan might have ended up hanging from the big willow tree at the entrance of the alley.

She quickly reached out to stop the wheelchair before agreeing.

Xiang Jieer cheered and, unable to push the wheelchair, turned to drag Yan Shu out first to choose the fireworks.

The fireworks sent by the Xie family truly filled the carriage. There were large fireworks packed with sulfur and gunpowder in bamboo and paper tubes that would shoot out sparks when ignited; there were also those with gunpowder tied to bamboo sticks that would shoot into the sky with a long trail of fire when lit;

There were also low-flying fireworks called "cannon lanterns" that would drop halfway through the air; Xiang Jieer's beloved "ground mice" were also there. These fireworks were the favorite of street kids. They were made by rolling mud into a tube with a bit of gunpowder inside. When lit, they would shoot fire from the holes and spin around on the ground, making kids clap and jump with joy.

Among them was the priciest "box flower," which had gunpowder glued to iron wires inside and a frame outside. When lit, it would shed layers one by one, testing the skill of the fireworks artisan. The "box flower" bought by the Xie family was truly flower-shaped, with different flowers on each layer. The flames from each layer were different, and the last layer looked like a blooming chrysanthemum and even rotated.

Shen Miao locked the door, and Xiang Jieer, holding A Tao and Yan Shu's hands, Ji Geer pushing Chen Chuan, all excitedly headed towards Zhou Da's carriage, nearly at the alley entrance. Only Xie Qi stayed behind, quietly waiting for her. She quickly tucked away the keys and ran towards Xie Qi with a smile.

Just as they had left for less than fifteen minutes, Ning Yi and his book boy arrived, panting, only to find the shop closed and locked. It was a complete shock. He plopped down on the threshold, sobbing in anger, wiping his tears with his hand, feeling utterly wronged: "It's all my dad's fault. Why did he have to pick me up from school today? After eating at home and coming back to buy roast duck, the shop's already closed! I didn't get to eat again—"

Ning Yi's book boy was calmer than Ning Yi himself. He blankly pulled out a hankie, sighed, and handed it to Ning Yi to wipe his tear-streaked face.

Then he quietly sat beside him, waiting for Ning Yi to finish crying before heading home.

***

Today was the last day of the Lotus Viewing Festival, and the night was deep. There were fewer people outside than before.

The wind was cool. Shen Miao and Xie Qi stood side by side on the Jinliang Bridge, leaning on the railing, looking down from afar. Above them were fireworks as bright as stars. Several children were setting off small fireworks on the embankment below. Xiang Jieer was chasing Yan Shu with a "hissing" firework stick that kept spitting out small sparks, making Yan Shu scream in fright.

Ji Geer accompanied Chen Chuan in setting off "colorful pearl tubes" twice—large bamboo tubes filled with nine small fireworks that would shoot out pearl-like fireworks one after another. Just when you thought it was over, it would crackle again, lasting quite a long time.

Zhou Da was in charge of setting off the dangerous large fireworks below. He stood far away, bent over to light them with incense, covered his ears, and ran. A few times he ran far before they were lit, and twice he ran halfway only to find no sound behind him, so he went back. Just as he approached, the firework tube suddenly burst into flames, making him jump up and flee in panic, causing Shen Miao and the onlookers to laugh.

Xie Qi wasn't watching the fireworks. He took advantage of the crowd and the night to secretly watch Shen Miao.

Seeing her smile with her eyes curved and her little canine teeth showing, he also lowered his head and smiled.

No matter how beautiful the fireworks were, they couldn't compare to her.

At that moment, Yan Shu ran up again, urging Shen Miao and Xie Qi to go down and release river lanterns. If you didn't release lanterns to pray for blessings during the Lotus Viewing Festival, it didn't feel like you had truly celebrated. Shen Miao had previously bought many colorful paper river lanterns, which contained a bit of lamp oil and a wick. Once lit and pushed into the river, they were done. These things were cheap.

If it weren't for Yan Shu's reminder, she would have forgotten all about it while watching the fireworks.

The fireworks of the Song Dynasty were not as dazzling as those of later generations, but the joy and hope they carried were the same. She had come here and was able to watch fireworks quietly for the first time. Although it was noisy around her, her heart was at peace. She thought, this is nice, living diligently, with poetic fireworks.

"Let's go release river lanterns!" she said eagerly, lifting her skirt and descending the bridge.

Xie Qi walked behind Shen Miao. He had no hope for river lanterns or flower lanterns. Even when Shen Miao lit a lotus lantern and handed it to him, he dared not take it, shaking his head with a smile: "Forget it, if I take it, it will burn up in no time."

Shen Miao thought, how could that be? She made him open his hands and carefully placed the lantern in his palm, deliberately waiting for a while. Seeing the lotus lantern still intact, she pointed at the lantern in his palm and raised her eyebrows triumphantly: "See, it's fine, isn't it?"

Xie Qi was also surprised, as if he had never seen a lantern before, holding it and looking at it from all angles.

It really didn't burn.

This was the first lantern that passed through his hands and didn't turn to ashes.

Xie Qi held it carefully in his hands, not daring to release it.

Shen Miao saw him staring at the river lantern, holding it motionlessly, so she stepped forward and held his wrist: "Squat down, keep your hand still, and just release it like this."

In the sweltering midsummer, Xie Qi was dressed lightly. Inside, he wore a gauze inner garment, and outside, a cicada-wing gauze shirt. If worn alone, both pieces were so thin that they could reveal the skin. At this moment, even through the sleeve, he could feel Shen Miao's fingers, the slight pressure of her touch.

The flame that had been buried deep in his heart since his leg injury now reignited, stiffening his entire body.

Shen Miao watched in confusion as Xie Qi, like someone with a stiffened body, awkwardly crouched down and then rigidly lowered the river lantern.

She abruptly patted Xie Qi's arm: "Hurry, before it floats away, make a wish!"

Xie Qi nearly toppled from her pat, but thanks to his martial arts training, he quickly steadied himself.

Once steady, he looked up in surprise, blinking: How had he never noticed... Shen Miao's hand strength... was even greater than his mother's? Impressive.

Unexpectedly, Shen Miao seemed like a natural at martial arts.

Shen Miao didn’t look at him. She released a lantern, clasped her hands, and earnestly made a long wish: for the health and longevity of her family, including the dogs, chickens, and the Kylin; for the shop’s prosperity; for Aunt Gu’s family’s happiness; for the country’s peace... Then she added: "May Ninth Geer have smooth sailing and no more bad luck."

By the time she finished, the lantern had floated far off. Shen Miao scratched her head, unsure if the heavens had heard.

Xie Qi smiled faintly and turned to his lotus lantern. It drifted, nearly tipping several times, but collided with Shen Miao’s lantern, steadied, and joined the river’s stream of lights.

Peering into the cloth bag, Xie Qi saw more lanterns. He couldn’t resist—he lit another and placed it in the river. It floated just fine.

He could release lanterns! Xie Qi stared at his hands in disbelief, then lit a third, watching it drift away. It worked!

Ahead, Xiang Jieer, eager to release her lantern, had soaked her skirt and shoes. Ji Geer was pulling her back. Shen Miao checked, saw it wasn’t serious, and left it. Returning, she found Xie Qi, like a child on New Year’s, had released seven or eight lanterns.

She’d heard from Yan Shu about Ninth Geer’s bad luck but hadn’t seen it firsthand. Now... Shen Miao crouched down, tilting her head, and asked, "What did Ninth Geer wish for?"

Xie Qi turned to her, his eyes smiling. They weren’t extraordinary, but their pure, clear gaze, free of any impurity, was refreshing and comforting.

"If I say it, it might not come true," Xie Qi said shyly. He’d wished for his family—grandmother, parents, siblings—and, naturally, for Shen Miao.

He didn’t pray for his hidden feelings. As he released the lantern, watching its faint light on the water, his first thought was: "May Shen Miao..."

"Be joyful, peaceful, and carefree for a hundred years." That was all he wished.

Through the water’s blurry reflection, Xie Qi watched Shen Miao gather the spent firework sticks the children had left, placing them in the empty cloth bag.

He stood to help. At first, he thought she was saving the sticks for kindling, but Shen Miao whispered, "The Bian River is beautiful—let’s not spoil it. These sharp sticks, left in the grass, could pierce the feet of those washing or fishing tomorrow."

She smiled. "We’ll clean up before leaving."

Xie Qi stared at her, speechless. His heart felt restless, like a cicada on a tree.

Day by day, it grew. After the Lotus Viewing Festival, Xie Qi struggled to recall the academy’s monotony. Closing his eyes, he still saw that midsummer night, the fireflies, Shen Miao’s hand guiding his, her warm smile...

With the Lotus Viewing Festival’s end, the summer of Baoyuan’s third year slipped away.

When he realized how swiftly time had passed, autumn was already here.

This autumn was bleak—two rains, and the phoenix trees shed their leaves, the air turning cold.

On the third day of the tenth month, early morning, Xie Qi braved the cool breeze in black narrow-sleeved clothes, his hair tied high, a cloth belt at his waist, and wrist guards, looking as sharp as a cliffside pine. Beside him stood Yan Shu, yawning tearfully, waiting at Shen’s Soup and Pancake Shop for Shen Ji.

Shen Ji, following his advice, had taken the county exam in August and failed. But he returned understanding the exams’ rigor—the hardest part wasn’t the questions but the three days of exams, sleeping curled in the exam room, restroom doors open, with Garrison Troops watching, noses pinched.

Even with quick-cooked noodles to eat, it was still unbearable in the exam room.

After leaving the exam room, he immediately fell ill and took more than half a month to stop coughing. Shen Miao quickly set about arranging martial arts training to toughen him up, otherwise, how would he fare in future examinations?

Xie Qi happened to be at Shen's for "Old Yanzhou Lamb Hotpot" and, upon hearing Shen Miao's suggestion, volunteered to be Ji Geer's martial arts instructor. Every day, he would take Shen Ji for a run around the inner city wall, practice standing stances, and then perform a set of "Master Lü's Calisthenics" — a health-preserving boxing routine created by an early Taoist master, known for its effectiveness in strengthening the body.

Shen Miao naturally agreed without hesitation.

With a "click," the sound of the door latch being removed came from inside, followed by the removal of two door panels. Shen Miao peeked out, smiling and greeting Xie Qi, while pushing Ji Geer out:

"Ninth Geer, come back for soup later. Today, we’ve made duck blood and rice noodle soup, and we’ve added some chopped duck intestines and diced duck liver to it. It’s very fresh."

I, who was swaying drowsily, immediately straightened up and said, "I and Ninth Geer will definitely come!"

Watching the three of them run off, Shen Miao decided to open the shop. As the weather turned colder, the number of people coming for noodles increased day by day. Grilled fish remained very popular, while roasted duck had almost become a takeout item, with people preferring to buy it and take it home to enjoy with their families by the fire.

This period coincided with the autumn harvest, the biggest event of the year. The emperor led by example by personally harvesting wheat in the imperial fields, while officials and clerks were busy persuading farmers and collecting taxes. Families with land returned to supervise farming, grain merchants went to the countryside to stockpile grain, and cotton merchants traveled from prefecture to prefecture collecting cotton. Even those without land were not idle, harvesting beans, digging up peanuts, and going up the mountain every day to gather firewood, preparing for the winter. Not only were the adults busy, but even the children had to carry pots and baskets to the fields to help with drying and collecting grain.

The Imperial College, Biyong Academy, and other private academies all took an "autumn break."

In the Song Dynasty, whether in official or private schools, there were no "summer or winter vacations," but rather "spring and autumn breaks." In spring, they only took fifteen days off for sowing, while the autumn harvest, which determined whether a family or the nation could eat well the following year, was so labor-intensive that they took fifty days off at once.

People like Meng San, whose families owned good land and were considered fairly well-off, also returned to the countryside during this time. The usually proper academy students could no longer afford to care about appearances and changed into old clothes to help their grandparents harvest wheat alongside the long-term laborers.

However, for noble families like Xie Qi, Ning Yi, and Shang An, the break was a time of leisure,

which allowed him to visit the Shen family every day.

The Xie family had many fields, but they also had many tenant farmers and field slaves, as well as distant relatives, so Xie Qi naturally didn’t need to work in the fields. Instead, with the crisp autumn air, the red maples on the estate were exceptionally beautiful, and the remaining lotus flowers on the lake had a unique charm. Xi had already taken Eleventh Niang and the matriarch to stay in the suburbs.

Only Xie Qi, firmly using the excuse of teaching Shen Ji martial arts, saying that a man must keep his word, so he couldn’t go.

Xi had been strict with her children when they were young, but as they grew older, she became less inclined to oversee every detail. What was the point of constantly restricting them? They were grown now, with legs of their own. If you forbade them, wouldn’t they just climb over the wall?

Just look at how agile Third Geer used to be at climbing walls. He had even developed a knack for it, jumping three feet high, and ordinary walls couldn’t contain him.

Therefore, she also let Ninth Geer be, whether he went to Shen's as an accountant or a clerk.

As long as he was willing.

Speaking of Third Geer, Xi was reminded of the family letter Xie Tiao had sent from Qinzhou, which filled her with both joy and amusement.

Upon opening the letter, the first thing the unreliable fellow wrote was: "Dear Mother: It has been a long time since I last wrote, and I have been thinking of you. I respectfully inquire about your well-being. You won’t believe it, Mother, but without Ninth Geer by my side, I actually had smooth sailing on the boat and a flat journey by carriage. Over hundreds of miles, I didn’t encounter a single thief, and now I have safely arrived in Qinzhou. It’s truly strange and fortunate..."

Good things come in pairs. Xie Tiao had safely arrived in Qinzhou, and the noodle workshop in Youzhou had also sent word that the workshop had been completed. The Xi family’s noodle makers had already produced the first batch of noodles according to Shen Miao’s recipe, which had been sent to the border troops guarding the Great Wall at Juyong Pass day and night.

After reading the letter, Xi turned her head to look out the window and sighed with a smile, "It’s just in time."

While the yellow and ginkgo leaves in Bianjing had just begun to fall, Juyong Pass had already seen its first snow of the year. The border was bitterly cold. I wonder if, this autumn and winter, those guarding the border could also live a little better because of this?