Chapter 69: Sugar-Fried Chestnuts

Chapter 69: Candied Chestnuts

Shen Miao turned the pouch over and over in disbelief, even shaking it upside down, but there was only one silver ingot inside.

Wait, in the dramas, when the emperor rewards someone, it's always with trays of gold and silver ingots, counted in units of hundreds, thousands, or even millions.

Why didn't that work for her?

By the time the carriage rattled her back to Shen's Noodle Shop, Shen Miao had come to terms with it: the richest dynasty had the tightest emperor, and what goes around comes around. Besides, she had agreed to this amount in advance, and any extra reward would have been a nice gesture. Thinking about it this way, it didn't seem so bad.

When she returned, it was already late. A Tao was closing the shop's doors, yawning as she told Shen Miao what had been sold after they left and what ingredients needed to be restocked tomorrow. Everyone then washed up and went straight to bed.

Even Shen Miao, who was usually full of energy, felt exhausted. She fell into a dreamless sleep, enjoying a deep, undisturbed rest.

The next day, Shen Miao and A Tao hurriedly prepared Ji Geer's cotton-padded jacket, cotton undergarments, thick cotton quilt, along with spicy pickled cabbage, instant noodle soup, and roast duck, all bundled onto a cart pushed by Tang Er to send Ji Geer off to school.

A Tao continued plucking duck feathers. A new date paste oven had arrived, and Fu Xing carefully wiped the kiln dust off the oven inside and out with a newly bought towel, then preheated it by lighting a fire. Rolling up his sleeves, he prepared to bake two batches in one go.

Xiang Jieer wore a new rabbit-eared cotton hat sewn by A Tao, a red floral cotton short jacket, and a pleated cotton skirt with delicate petal pleats at the hem. Her new shoes had thick soles, cotton lining, and two round pom-poms on the uppers that swayed as she walked, making her so delighted that she couldn't wait to show off to Liu Douhua.

Sure enough, cries of envy soon came from behind the wall. Xiang Jieer giggled and hurried back, changing out of her new outfit and into her old cotton clothes. A Tao, who was plucking duck feathers, noticed and asked in surprise, "Why aren't you wearing it anymore?"

Xiang Jieer shyly replied, "I want to save it for the New Year." She was afraid of getting it dirty or torn.

A Tao laughed, "Don't save it. You're growing fast, and by next year, we'll have to take it apart to make new clothes. I'll make you an even more festive lion hat then."

Shen Miao hadn't realized how skilled A Tao was. She gathered the plucked duck feathers and smiled as she reminisced about the days in the red-light district of Daming Prefecture, where she had helped performers alter their clothes day and night.

"I began sewing by lamplight when I was very young. The brothel madam was always calculating and wouldn't raise me for free."

Shen Miao truly felt for her.

Fortunately, A Tao had moved on from the past and focused on saving enough money to buy her mother out of servitude and live a comfortable life.

Xiang Jieer was convinced by A Tao and happily went back to put on her new clothes. After changing, she didn't dare climb trees anymore and sat obediently on the platform, helping A Tao stuff the clothes with cotton. As she worked, she kept tugging at her clothes, afraid they would get wrinkled or dirty.

Since the family's finances had improved, Shen Miao had mostly bought clothes for Ji Geer and Xiang Jieer from ready-made clothing shops, rarely doing needlework herself, let alone the detailed embroidery and tailoring required for such outfits.

She had overlooked the fact that Xiang Jieer would also care about her appearance and cherish this set of clothes and shoes.

Xiang Jieer was still enjoying her new outfit when the dog, Wind, suddenly came over and licked the pom-poms on her shoes, making her furious. She grabbed Wind, tied him to a post, and vigorously brushed off his loose fur, making him shake his head and howl.

A Tao had made Chen Chuan's new cotton clothes with a plain blue cotton base, with a few carp sewn at the cuffs and collar, and a circle of water ripples embroidered at the hem with colored thread. The hat and shoes had colored fin decorations on both sides. Whether it was his fair complexion or the blue color that made him look fairer, his big eyes stood out, and his lips were red, making his usually expressionless face look three times cuter than usual.

Seeing him in his new clothes, Shen Miao couldn't resist pinching his soft, chubby cheeks. Seeing him every day, she hadn't noticed, but now she suddenly realized that the once skinny, malnourished child was no longer top-heavy and unsteady on his feet. His face had filled out with pinchable cheeks.

He had also grown taller, and there was no trace of the frail, almost dying child he had once been.

Aunt Gu happened to come over to borrow Kylin to catch mice. Seeing Chen Chuan and Xiang Jieer in their new clothes, she marveled and pulled them over to take a closer look.

She looked at the front and then turned them around to see the back, spinning them around a few times before finally exclaiming how adorable they looked, like children from a New Year poster.

She then praised Shen Miao for raising the children so well, each one chubby and healthy. Even the young servant boy from the Xie family, who often visited, had gained weight under her care.

After praising, Aunt Gu thought for a moment and realized it wasn't just the children—even the dogs and chickens in the Shen household were plump.

Shen Miao smiled. Indeed, she felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Kylin had hidden under the platform all night but was lured out in the morning by a bowl of homemade cat food. Purring happily in Shen Miao's arms, he forgot his shyness.

Shen Miao combed its fur again, wiped away the eye boogers and nose dirt, and spent fifteen minutes petting it. It became Shen Miao's best friend.

It curled its front paws and clung to Shen Miao, refusing to leave.

Later, when Shen Miao went out to water the wildflowers at the courtyard gate, Kylin still didn't want to get down. Instead, it climbed onto Shen Miao's shoulder, its heavy weight nearly giving her a lopsided shoulder.

Aunt Gu noticed the large cat perched on her as she passed by.

So Aunt Gu eagerly borrowed the cat from Shen Miao, saying that the grain sacks had been gnawed through by those damned rats, and today must be the rats' last day.

Kylin first pretended to hiss at Aunt Gu a couple of times, but after Shen Miao had Aunt Gu feed it a piece of chicken, it shamelessly allowed Aunt Gu to carry it away, purring as its chin was scratched.

This little traitor, who'd do anything for a treat! But Shen Miao still warned Aunt Gu in advance: "Auntie, look at the size of this cat. I doubt it can even catch a rat. You can try, but if it doesn't work, you'd better buy rat poison."

Aunt Gu didn't believe there was a cat in the world that couldn't catch rats, and she praised Kylin: "It's not fat, it's just fluffy. Look at its big face, big eyes, long and perky whiskers—it looks so majestic. It must be a fast and skilled rat catcher, right?"

Whether Kylin understood or not, it swelled with pride, even lifting its rather chubby tail.

With coaxing and trickery, Aunt Gu carried Kylin to the kitchen to patrol.

Shen Miao thought, whose cat has a tail as thick as a sea cucumber, and it's just fluffy? Kylin felt solid to the touch. When she lured it out with chicken in the morning, it got so excited it tried to leap out, but its belly was too fat and got stuck!

In the end, Shen Miao had to yank it out like a stubborn root.

Thinking of these little joys in life made Shen Miao even happier, and she forgot about that stingy official.

When there were no guests today, she would sneak back to the yard to relax—while relaxing, she took the opportunity to wash all the summer clothes for the season change, making Youyu anxiously watch by the water vat, and in the end, he couldn't resist and grabbed a shoulder pole to fetch water.

Shen Miao didn't even have time to stop him.

Over there, Xiang Jieer, still restless after half an hour in her new clothes, started thinking about playing "jump rope"—what would later be called "jump rope," but at this time, the game used bamboo poles tied with ropes, with multiple people jumping around. However, Shen Miao was washing and hanging clothes, and she had taken all the bamboo poles for clotheslines, leaving no spare poles.

So Xiang Jieer tied hemp ropes to two dogs and called Chen Chuan to join, but he shook his head and refused.

Chen Chuan studied diligently every day, no matter what. Now, taking advantage of the shop's quiet time, he leaned against a pillar and took out his somewhat tattered "Song Penal Code" to memorize.

Xiang Jieer wrinkled her nose at Chen Chuan and played by herself.

The two dogs at home knew Xiang Jieer was not to be trifled with. If they didn't want to be caught by her to have their hair braided or cheeks painted with rouge, they had to obey her and sit quietly.

Xiang Jieer first hopped in on one foot, then switched to both feet, the long ears on her rabbit hat bouncing with her movements. Later, Liu Douhua saw her and joined in. The two girls jumped and laughed, shouting, "The peace drum goes 'dong dong,' trip and pass it on..."

Shen Miao sat on the platform of the front corridor, peeling chestnuts and watching them play with a smile.

Earlier, the kids had gone to the mountains to collect chestnuts and brought back a pile of them. Today was perfect for making sugar-roasted chestnuts.

How could autumn and winter pass without soft and fragrant sugar-roasted chestnuts! With gloves on, first locate the shell's seam, pry it open with scissors, wash the spiky shell after it cracks, then use a knife to make shallow cross-shaped cuts on the brown skin, and they were ready to be roasted with hot sand.

But preparing the chestnuts wasn't quick, especially when customers came in, and Shen Miao had to go out occasionally to roll noodles.

She was busy peeling chestnuts until the afternoon.

Tang Er also returned from the outer city. Knowing that Shen Miao was preparing chestnuts today, he even stopped by Artisan He's house to get a bag of sand. But as he pushed the cart through the backyard gate, he saw the entire courtyard filled with washed clothes, fluttering in the autumn breeze, with the three children darting in and out of the clothes, playing "eagle catching chicks." Chen Chuan led as the mother hen, Xiang Jieer held onto him, Liu Douhua held onto Xiang Jieer, and the three of them linked together.

As for the "eagle," it was Thunder, excitedly wagging its tail. Wind was freed, as Xiang Jieer wasn't playing jump rope anymore, so it dashed out of the house.

The courtyard was filled with the fresh, slightly bitter smell of soapberries and the sound of laughter at varying pitches, making Tang Er smile too. He quickly carried the sand into the kitchen and eagerly joined the end of the chain, grabbing onto Liu Douhua's hem, bending over to play the big giant hen, laughing with the kids.

The customers eating noodles in the front heard it and said to Shen Miao with a smile, "The kids at Madam Shen's house are having such a good time."

Even a twenty-year-old is up for some mischief—it’s like turning back the clock. Shen Miao smiled and wiped her hands on her apron: "They’re a handful, but it’s good for kids to be energetic."

"Exactly, it helps the kids grow up sturdy."

As they spoke, a few more students walked in, chatting about yesterday’s exam questions. They glanced at the menu Shen Miao had posted on the wall, and one of them suddenly exclaimed, "Huh?"

He spotted two new dishes added at the bottom, the ink still fresh: "Spicy Chinese cabbage stir-fried noodles" and "Spicy Chinese cabbage tofu soup." They’d come for roasted duck, but they quickly sat down and ordered the new dishes instead.

Both students were from the Imperial Academy, one surnamed Sheng and the other Gao. They often snuck into Shen’s for a bite and knew Shen Miao’s cooking well.

Gao He rubbed his hands together, practically bouncing with excitement. He had tried the roasted duck a few times before, but he had never tasted the spicy Chinese cabbage stir-fried noodles!

Most pickled Chinese cabbage in Bianjing is sour—he’d never had the spicy kind.

The two chatted while they waited.

Shen Miao turned to enter the kitchen, and behind her, the two students continued discussing the imperial exams. They mentioned that on the first day, several students had fainted in the exam hall and were carried out. They all agreed this year’s exam was brutal, leaving them clueless, with cold limbs and dizzy heads.

Some even turned in blank papers on the first day and, seeing no hope for the next two, slunk away in shame.

"I heard Dr. Yao set this year’s exam. Didn’t you notice he vanished last month? He was probably hauled off to write the questions."

"So it was Dr. Yao—no surprise there. Last year, he wrote the annual exam, and nearly half our class got slammed with 'nonsense' and 'off-topic,' most of us barely scraping a 'D.'" Gao He sighed.

"This year’s candidates are really unlucky to run into the dreaded Dr. Yao. Even though I’ve already passed the imperial exam, just hearing his name gives me the chills."

So that stern-faced doctor who always came for soup noodles was every Imperial Academy student’s worst nightmare?

These words made Shen Miao pause, and she couldn’t help but think of Ninth Geer, feeling a bit worried. She wondered how Ninth Geer was holding up on the exam.

With a bit of concern for Ninth Geer, Shen Miao chopped spicy cabbage, crushed garlic, and sliced scallions in the kitchen. She also thinly sliced pork belly. Meanwhile, she boiled water in another pot, added two handfuls of pulled noodles, cooked them until 70-80% done, then drained and rinsed them with cold water before placing them in a bowl.

She heated another pan, scooped a spoonful of lard, and when the oil was hot, she stir-fried the pork belly slices until they shrunk and turned slightly golden. Then she added the chopped spicy cabbage. She stir-fried the cabbage over high heat until it released its aroma and red oil, then added the noodles and stir-fried everything together. She cooked the noodles until each strand was coated in the spicy cabbage sauce, then tossed in the scallions, stir-fried until they softened, sprinkled a pinch of salt, and the dish was done.

Shen Miao found the spicy cabbage stir-fried noodles particularly delicious. The noodles had to be rinsed with cold water, making them tender and chewy, wrapped in the unique sour, spicy, and crispy flavor of the spicy cabbage, with a hint of the smoky aroma from the high heat.

This stir-fried noodle dish was perfect for cold days, each bite warming your belly and lighting up your mouth.

And with the spicy cabbage tofu soup, it was even better!

The spicy cabbage tofu soup was simpler and quicker to make. Shen Miao prepared the ingredients almost the same as for the stir-fried noodles and cooked them simultaneously.

She cut the pork belly into chunks, boiled them in cold water, skimmed off the foam, and removed them. She minced ginger and garlic, cut scallions into sections, and chopped the spicy cabbage into sections, squeezing out the juice and setting it aside in a bowl. She took half a brick of firm tofu and a piece of soft tofu. The firm tofu was cut into small cubes, while the soft tofu was directly crushed.

The soft tofu was crushed and added to the soup, melting into the rich broth, creating uneven chunks that were particularly tasty.

She heated oil in a pot, sautéed scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, then stir-fried the pork belly chunks. She added the spicy cabbage sections and the squeezed juice, stir-frying everything together until aromatic.

She added a ladle of the noodle water, brought it to a boil, then turned down the heat to let it simmer for about 15 minutes before adding the firm tofu cubes. She seasoned it with salt, sugar, and soybean paste, giving the tofu plenty of flavor.

After simmering a bit longer, she added the crushed soft tofu, and once the soup thickened, she sprinkled scallion strips and served it up.

Shen Miao brought out the noodles and soup, smiling as she told the two students to enjoy their meal.

Gao He had his chopsticks ready the moment he caught the scent. As Shen Miao set the soup and noodles on the table, his eyes tracked her every move, glued to the dishes.

They grabbed their chopsticks, scooped up soup and noodles, blew on them, and dug in, murmuring "Mmm!" and "Ah!" in delight.

Shen Miao carried the tray back, pausing to glance out the window. The old osmanthus tree in the yard, once wild and unruly, had been trimmed by Ninth Geer into a round canopy, like a giant green apple lollipop.

Today, Yan Shu didn't come either. I hope Ninth Brother can really get through smoothly.

Xie Qi, who was being thought of by Shen Miao, looked up at the roof of his exam booth for the fifth time. The roof was made of several bamboo poles tied with green cloth—last year, the bamboo poles of this booth had broken.

Fortunately, at that time, as soon as he heard the creaking sound above, he knew something was wrong. His body reacted faster than his mind, and relying on his rich experience, he pushed the table aside and leapt out. The booth behind him collapsed into ruins.

He barely avoided being buried.

Now it was already the second day of the examination, and the booth was still sturdy.

After looking, he picked up his brush and continued writing. After finishing half a page, he began to examine the purple bamboo brush in his hand.

Luckily, the brush was still intact.

At this moment, several soldiers carrying braziers and hot charcoal came through the narrow passage outside the exam booth. Xie Qi silently pulled his paper off the table and watched them hand out charcoal braziers to each booth. When they finally reached him, looking wary, they successfully used fire tongs to deliver one inside and placed it steadily at his feet.

Xie Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Grateful, he kept writing. After about half an hour, he finally finished solving the problem. He then set aside the draft, preparing to eat lunch before copying it out.

Ever since Madam Shen made instant noodle soup, the students taking the examination no longer brought dry cakes. The exam hall was filled with the aroma of different instant noodle soups. The wind carried the rich aroma everywhere, and the sound of slurping filled the air.

Xie Qi also made a bowl. Unlike others, his instant noodle soup was prepared by Madam Shen with yam powder blended into wheat flour, hand-pulled into yam noodles, and then fried in the pot.

This noodle was unique to him. When soaked, it had the fragrance of yam, was thicker, chewier and more refreshing, and stayed firm even after soaking, making it more satisfying.

Madam Shen also added some recently pickled Chinese cabbage and slices of pork to his earthen bowl, enhancing the broth's flavor.

Having a bowl of this hot soup immediately warmed his hands and feet. The cold wind blowing into the tight exam booth through the green cloth seemed to be blocked by the warmth in his stomach.

Holding the earthen bowl, he looked up at the foggy sun outside, feeling the warmth of the soup continuously transmitted to his palms.

He wondered how things were at home. Had his father resigned? Were the family's fields and estates cleared? He was a bit worried. The family must be in chaos right now. He also thought of Yan Shu. He wasn't sure if Yan Shu was still at Madam Shen's or had gone home to help.

By the time he left the exam hall, the family might have changed a lot.

Xie Qi silently drifted into thought.

The autumn wind was cold, and a few withered leaves rustled onto the roof, casting faint shadows.

The floating shadows fell on his eyelids. Xie Qi looked up and felt that the fragmented shadows of the leaves leaking through the gaps had a bit of insignificant beauty.

For the first time, he could spend these three days in the exam hall so ordinarily.

These incomplete shadows of autumn leaves inexplicably reminded him of the old osmanthus tree at Madam Shen's house and the osmanthus cakes made from the flowers of that tree. As he looked at the withered leaves, he seemed to smell the rich fragrance of osmanthus, and a sense of peace rustled in his heart.

He silently lit the oil lamp, spread out new paper, and prepared to copy the essay. However, the first character he wrote turned out to be "Shen." He laughed and used a paper knife to cut it off.

The cut paper was thrown into the brazier and quickly burned to ashes. Xie Qi picked up the brush again. This time, he copied it correctly, but he was still thinking:

Madam Shen is busy stocking up for winter and managing the shop. I only hope she doesn't overwork herself.

Madam Shen said she was going to handle a banquet at the Liang family on Imperial Street. I wonder if it went smoothly, but when did a prominent Liang family appear on Imperial Street? Perhaps they are newly moved merchants.

Madam Shen also said that after he comes out of the exam hall, she would make a clay pot rice noodle for him and Yan Shu to try.

Madam Shen... what is she doing at this moment?

Shen Miao was roasting chestnuts.

As she was roasting, her nose suddenly itched for some reason, so she quickly turned her body and lowered her head to sneeze.

"Who's cursing me?"

Shen Miao took out a handkerchief to wipe her nose, muttered to herself, and continued to vigorously roast the sand-coated chestnuts in the pot.

Roasting chestnuts requires patience. First, use low heat to heat the sand before adding the chestnuts. After that, there’s no special technique—just keep stirring them over and over.

The only challenge lies in controlling the heat. If the heat is too high, the chestnuts will burn; if it’s too low, your arms will tire before the chestnuts are cooked. Keep the heat at a steady medium-low to ensure the chestnuts are evenly heated.

When the cracked openings of the chestnuts widen like big mouths, revealing the amber-colored chestnut meat inside, and a sweet, nutty aroma wafts from the sand, the chestnuts are ready. While they’re still hot, use a sieve to remove the sand and transfer the chestnuts into a small bamboo basket. Blow off the remaining sand, and they’re ready to be peeled and eaten.

The chestnuts Xiang Jieer and the others collected had fallen from the trees when fully ripe, so there was no need to add extra sugar water. Just a simple roasting filled the entire yard with a sweet, nutty fragrance.

If you boil sugar water and roast the chestnuts with it, they’ll be sweeter, but peeling them becomes messy and sticky.

If roasted well, the chestnuts are naturally sweet without adding sugar, and they’re clean and easy to peel. Press them gently with both hands, and the crispy shells will break open along the cracks. Use your nails to peel them, and you’ll get a whole chestnut kernel.

Bite into one, and it’s soft, glutinous, and dense, filling your mouth with a rich chestnut flavor.

They taste sweet, but it’s not the sweetness of malt sugar—it’s the natural sweetness of the chestnut meat itself. Chestnuts are naturally high in calories and sugar, and their sweetness is enough to satisfy the taste buds of chestnut lovers.

Shen Miao handed out pouches to everyone in the yard, letting them snack on the chestnuts.

However, you shouldn’t eat too many chestnuts at once, as they’re heavy on the stomach. Having a few occasionally is just right to satisfy cravings.

By the time she finished, the chestnut smell had wafted through the serving window into the front shop. The two scholars who had been eating their noodles with their heads down were so enticed by the smell that they lifted their heads and looked around. Shen Miao handed them a handful of chestnuts to enjoy.

The wild chestnuts didn’t cost anything, and the sand didn’t cost anything either. Shen Miao also gave some of the roasted chestnuts to Aunt Gu, Aunt Li, and others, sharing them around the neighborhood.

When she returned, she carried back gifts: two bunches of scallions grown by Aunt Gu, salted duck eggs from Aunt Li, pickled greens made by Grandma Zeng, and a rare bouquet of wild flowers given by Gu A Bao for this season… Shen Miao couldn’t help but smile as she walked.

She placed the flowers in water and set them on the windowsill; she steamed the salted duck eggs to enjoy later with the pickled greens, served with chicken and millet porridge.

"Miss Shen, the check!" a voice called from the shop.

Shen Miao responded and hurried out.

The two scholars had already finished eating and were peeling chestnuts. When Shen Miao came in to clear the dishes, they kept complimenting her food.

"Miss Shen, do you sell your spicy pickled cabbage? It’s so delicious—crispy, spicy, and slightly sweet. I don’t even know how to describe it. It goes great with noodles, a match made in heaven! I couldn’t stop my chopsticks," Gao He said, savoring the taste.

When the noodle soup was first served, it was stir-fried to a golden sheen, with chopped spicy pickled cabbage and scallion segments adding to its appetizing appearance.

"In my opinion, the spicy pickled cabbage pairs even better with tofu soup. It’s savory, spicy, and tangy, and the silken tofu, soft and smooth, soaks up the rich, spicy broth, melting in your mouth as soon as you take a sip."

"And these roasted chestnuts are so fragrant too. The roasted chestnuts outside aren’t as aromatic as these. They’re naturally sweet!"

"The spicy pickled cabbage isn’t for sale. I’ve only made one jar, and it’s running low in the shop. You can come back next time to enjoy it," Shen Miao said with a smile. "As for the chestnuts, they’re wild chestnuts my younger siblings collected from the mountains. They’ve been stored in the ground for a while, and after the recent frost, the chestnut sugar has naturally developed, making them especially tasty."

The two scholars left satisfied, each with a pouch of still-warm chestnuts, and walked out together.

While Shen Miao and A Tao were clearing the dishes, the scholars ran back in and asked if Shen Miao could set aside two tables for them ten days later at dusk, pushing them together to form a large table that could seat six or seven people.

They were still young lads, and their eyes sparkled as they spoke: "A classmate is leaving to study abroad, and we want to throw him a farewell dinner. But this time, we’ve all agreed not to waste money at fancy restaurants. Instead, we’d rather come here to enjoy some affordable and delicious food! We’ll order a few pots of grilled fish, some roasted ducks, and drink barley wine around the stove. It’ll be much more fun."

"Of course, I’ll make a note of it. When you come, I’ll have the tables ready for you," Shen Miao agreed and even asked about the number of people, reserving two large tables by the window for them.

They paid ten coins as a deposit and then left, patting their full bellies and sighing, "So full, so full."

After that, several more servings of spicy kimchi fried noodles were sold, and the Garrison Troops soldiers whom she hadn't seen in a long time rushed in to eat instant soup noodles. The familiar Garrison Troops soldier finished his hurried instant noodles and came up to settle the bill, whispering to her, "Shen Miao, shut the shop early for the next few days. It might be chaotic outside for a while."

Shen Miao was startled by the news, but the Garrison Troops soldier had already turned away with a serious expression, giving a slight shake of his head, and left in big strides.

However, she kept his words in mind and started locking up early from that night. Indeed, deep into the night, she could still hear the clatter of horse hooves and the rumble of wheels through the walls, occasionally mixed with cries and shouts, which lasted for about seven or eight days before subsiding.

These turbulent nights made Shen Miao somewhat tense. During the day, she also overheard many customers whispering about it, saying that several well-known aristocratic families in Bianjing had been raided.

But they didn't dare to say much, and after a few more words over their drinks, they quickly shut their mouths as if they were doing something illicit.

Even Ninth Geer seemed to have disappeared after leaving the examination hall. Shen Miao hadn't heard from him for several days, and she felt inexplicably uneasy.

Would the Xie family be alright? But once when she went to look for the grain shop owner, she detoured to Zhonggu West Street and took a distant glance. Although there were a few Garrison Troops soldiers on the street, the premises were still quiet. Even the tightly closed side doors occasionally opened to transport night soil carts and water carts, and she could still see gatekeepers inside. It didn't look much like a raid.

Could Ninth Geer have run into bad luck again! Shen Miao was on pins and needles, but now most of the Xie family's side doors were closed most of the time, and Garrison Troops soldiers were patrolling everywhere, shooing people off. Shen Miao could hardly get close.

It wasn't until Liang Qian made an incognito visit, smiling as he came to buy roast duck, that Shen Miao found out what had really happened.

"What? The ten acres of land in the suburbs, including the big pond, are given to me?"

Liang Qian quickly corrected her, "Not given. The official said these are confiscated lands, all prime properties. Because he admires your skill in roasting ducks, he is willing to sell them to you at a discounted price for raising white ducks."

After a pause, he emphasized again, "At a discounted price."

"..."