Chapter 35: The Opening of the Food Stall

Chapter 35: The Opening of the Food Stall

Some villages still suffered from the exploitation by the Yamen Runners, though it was much better than last year. They kept this matter to themselves, not daring to speak out recklessly. After the autumn harvest, the county town streets were bustling with grain sellers. The villagers usually sold the bulk of their grain to the grain shops in the county town first. If the grain shops were no longer accepting, they would find a spot to set up a small stall and sell rice by the pound, thus earning a few coins.

The grain from other counties was tastier than that from Xin Feng County, but not everyone had a preference for the taste of rice, so the local grain of Xin Feng County still had its competitiveness in the county town.

Many households were waiting to eat the new rice just harvested this year. They bought generously, often stocking up for a year or half a year, feeling secure with their stockpile.

Some were managers of wealthy estates. They bought grain for their masters from other counties, while for the servants in the mansion, they bought stale rice mixed with a bit of new rice. Once the new rice came out, the price of old rice would drop.

The price of new rice was eight wen per pound, while the price of old rice was six wen. Grain was valuable in Xin Feng County, so old rice prices didn’t drop much.

After the harvest, the villagers had time to head to town to look for work, or to bring vegetables from home to sell in the town, and some even started selling food directly in the town.

A scallion pancake sold for four wen each, and a bowl of tofu pudding for three to five wen, which was not a loss. As the town and county town became more crowded, Archivist Zhu was swamped, barely able to catch his breath.

With more people, conflicts inevitably arose, and when everyone was in a confrontational mood, it required the intervention of the county officials to calm things down.

Zheng Shanci was set to review some questionable cases today. Scribe Jiang greeted Zheng Shanci with a smile.

"Lord Zheng, I’ve already struck a deal with the caravan leader. This caravan often travels in Qingzhou and has a good reputation, with their home base in Qingzhou. They originally asked for a deposit of fifty taels of silver, but I negotiated it down to forty taels, with the balance to be paid next year when the goods arrive."

Zheng Shanci: "You handled this well."

Merchants traveling in Qingzhou, if the chili sauce made next year tastes good, can sell it to the caravan to build their reputation. Selling medicinal herbs to such caravans also has a reputation guarantee.

This thought put Zheng Shanci’s mind at ease. Next year, when the goods are received, he will personally negotiate business with the leader of this caravan.

Zheng Shanci pointed to the case file and asked, "Does this case ring a bell?"

Scribe Jiang took the case file from Zheng Shanci: "I know this matter, it's a property dispute."

"This is the case of Mr. Shen, a city merchant. Mr. Shen opened a clothing shop in this county, and he’s wealthier than most, so he has one wife and two concubines at home. Mr. Shen doted on his illegitimate son and, before his death, divided the family property, giving sixty percent to the third son, twenty percent to the second son, and twenty percent to the eldest son. The eldest son is the rightful heir, while the remaining two sons are the sons of concubines. Since there was a will, when the eldest son filed a lawsuit, it was still carried out according to Mr. Shen's will."

This scandal rocked Xin Feng County, as it involved the dispute over property between the illegitimate son and the rightful heir. The townsfolk loved the gossip, and the wealthy relished the drama, learning what to do if such a situation arose.

The former magistrate brushed it off as a hassle and maintained the division of property among the three sons according to the will. After all, the laws of the Great Yan Dynasty allowed for inheritance by will.

Zheng Shanci said, "The eldest son is the rightful heir. According to convention, the Great Yan Dynasty follows the primogeniture system, and the illegitimate sons also receive property, but the property of the illegitimate sons cannot exceed that of the rightful heir."

A hint of surprise flashed in Scribe Jiang’s eyes. He nodded and said, "The laws of the Great Yan Dynasty also have this clause. It depends on what Lord Zheng thinks. When two clauses conflict, choose one over the other."

"Primogeniture has been the law since the Zhou Dynasty. Reading the teachings of Confucius and Mencius naturally upholds the primogeniture system."

Zheng Shanci: "Call in the Shen brothers. I will retry this case."

...

Since the majority of the family property was inherited by the third son, the eldest son and his mother were driven out. They could only temporarily live in a remote part of the county town. It was said that twenty percent of the family property was to be given to him, but not even that amount was given. He was handed fifty taels and shown the door. The servants in the mansion judged people by their status, and now he couldn’t even enter the gate of the Shen mansion. To make matters worse, his mother, Lady Shen, fell ill. The silver was a drop in the bucket, far from enough for medical treatment, so he had to go out to find some work.

When the Yamen Runners came to fetch him, the eldest son of the Shen family was in the kitchen brewing medicine.

"Eldest son of the Shen family, come with us."

The eldest son of the Shen family said coldly, "I have done nothing wrong. Why are you arresting me?"

Lady Shen, struggling with her illness, got out of bed, covering her mouth as she coughed, her face pale as snow: "Why are you arresting my son? We have not offended anyone, and there is no money in our house!"

"Lord Zheng has seen the case file of the Shen family property dispute. He wants to retry this case."

Mrs. Shen and Eldest Son Shen were both stunned. Reopening the case? This meant they could potentially gain more assets. Otherwise, as the legitimate eldest son, getting only twenty percent of the family estate would be humiliating. Could it be that after reopening the case, he would receive even less than twenty percent?

"I will go now. Mother, stay at home, I’ll return quickly." Eldest Son Shen did not need the yamen runners to escort him; he hurried after them, eager to go to the court and voice his grievances, and also to see his third brother again.

Third Son Shen still looked carefree, while Eldest Son Shen was visibly indignant. Zheng Shanci banged the gavel to calm the court.

The clerk read out the verdict from the previous case.

The court, which had not been in session for a long time, now echoed with the solemn voices, and the townsfolk, hearing the news, flocked to see the drama.

"It’s Eldest Son Shen and Third Son Shen, what’s happening again?"

"I heard the new County Magistrate is retrying their inheritance case. Lord Zheng looks really young."

Many noblewomen sent their maids and servants to the county office to gather information, and some wives or their husbands even boldly disguised themselves and went to the county office gate to listen, as this concerned how their future lives would be.

Zheng Shanci first listened to Third Son Shen’s words: "Our late father’s will was written this way, and I don’t see any problem with it."

Eldest Son Shen could hardly contain himself. When Zheng Shanci called his name, he clasped his hands and said, "Our late father favored you and divided the property, giving you sixty percent and me twenty percent. When you drove me away, you only gave me fifty taels of silver. If I go back to the Shen mansion, you will have people beat me. Shen the Third, you’re pushing me to the brink. I am the legitimate eldest son of the family, without any moral flaws, yet I only received twenty percent of the family estate. Now, the illegitimate son is held in higher regard than the legitimate eldest son. There’s no need to seek any status; just coax our late father to write a slightly biased will, and then what does status matter?"

Eldest Son Shen’s words made the townsfolk and some wives and husbands outside the county office think, and some even felt resentment in their hearts.

Zheng Shanci banged the gavel: "Under the laws of the Great Yan Dynasty, inheritance follows the system of primogeniture and testamentary succession. Due to Shen... favoring the concubine, the legitimate eldest son received less inheritance than the illegitimate son, which violates the primogeniture system. If everyone does this, then Xinfeng County would descend into chaos. Therefore, I rule that the legitimate eldest son shall receive sixty percent of the property, Third Son Shen shall receive twenty percent, and Second Son Shen shall receive twenty percent."

Third Son Shen was panicking; losing forty percent of the family estate out of the blue was unbearable. Eldest Son Shen, however, was overjoyed. Although Third Son Shen still received twenty percent, he was satisfied with sixty percent.

"Thank you, Lord Zheng." Eldest Son Shen bowed solemnly.

Zheng Shanci did not respond but instead banged the gavel to conclude the case and left the court.

Everything he did was dictated by the law, and he did not favor anyone. As long as there was reason, he would ensure that the cases he handled were relatively fair to the greatest extent.

Zheng Shanci returned to his office to continue handling the remaining documents. The Shen family inheritance case was still making waves across the county, from one to ten, from ten to a hundred. The men with favored concubines, hearing Zheng Shanci’s verdict, felt uneasy.

The Great Yan Dynasty revered Confucianism, and since ancient times, the stability of the household depended on the wife. If the legitimate eldest son and the illegitimate son were treated without any distinction, or even if the illegitimate son was placed above the legitimate eldest son, it would indeed cause chaos.

This move made the people of Xinfeng County recognize that Zheng Shanci was a man who adhered to the law and was meticulous. After all, who would bother reopening a case from years ago unless they had nothing better to do?

Zheng Shanci did not stop; in the past few days, he had tried several cases in a row, and the people had begun to trust him somewhat.

In the evening, Zheng Shanci returned home, and Yu Lanyi was reading the invitation Mrs. Cheng had sent him.

"Mrs. Cheng has invited me to admire chrysanthemums tomorrow morning." Yu Lanyi yawned, finding it uninteresting, but considering he was now the County Magistrate’s husband, he had to go out and socialize, gathering some information: "I’ll need to get up early tomorrow, make sure to wake me when you leave for work."

Zheng Shanci thought about his work schedule and asked doubtfully, "Are you sure?"

Yu Lanyi nodded firmly.

Could it be that he wouldn’t be able to get up?

Zheng Shanci said nothing more.

"Zheng Shanci, I heard you also took on work from the Ministry of Justice. I heard you tried a case, and people outside are praising you." Yu Lanyi’s eyes curved as he held Zheng Shanci’s face: "How do you know these things? Did they teach you when you were studying?"

Zheng Shanci smiled: "I studied the laws on my own when we came here together."

"With your skills, you’re bound to go far." Yu Lanyi, thinking about how Zheng Shanci could endure such tedious things, had even more confidence in him. He had also found some enjoyment in Xinfeng County; today, he went horseback riding with Xu Geer. The area had plenty of pastures, and raising horses, sheep, or camels was the norm. Recently, there would also be merchant caravans and acrobatic troupes coming, and Yu Lanyi was excited, planning to hunt for some trinkets he fancied.

With no relatives or friends around, Yu Lanyi missed the fun of socializing, but he was content with his daily life. Yu Lanyi suddenly remembered that Zheng Shanci had mentioned the Zheng family would come, but they hadn’t arrived yet.

Zheng Shanci: "They’re likely waiting until after the harvest to come over."

"I’ll have Jin Yun clean up a few rooms first. Third brother’s still a fourteen-year-old kid, right? We should make them look nice—kids love that kind of stuff." Yu Lanyi thought with some excitement: "I’ve never looked after a younger kid before."

There were kids in the family too, but their parents were so strict, they never got to let loose. Here, on his own turf, and with Zheng Shanci’s older brother and younger brother, Yu Lanyi was pretty excited.

"Older brother’s been really good to me, and Qingyin’s a good kid," Zheng Shanci smiled: "With you around, I’m not worried at all."

Hearing this, Yu Lanyi almost pounded his chest, promising it’d be taken care of perfectly.

"Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they’re taken care of."

He had cash and connections.

After sharing the bed for days, Yu Lanyi inched closer. Zheng Shanci wrapped an arm around Yu Lanyi’s waist, resting his head on his neck, and said: "You eat so little—your waist’s so tiny."

Yu Lanyi blushed, then rolled his eyes: "I’ve always had a small appetite."

Small appetite for meals, big appetite for snacks—it’s all over the place.

Zheng Shanci never went all the way, as if it’d be some huge sin. He only kissed his face, held his hand, and hugged his waist. Zheng Shanci touched Yu Lanyi's face: "Go to sleep."

Yu Lanyi felt like kicking Zheng Shanci.

He slept.

The next morning, Yu Lanyi half-heard Zheng Shanci’s voice.

"Lan Yi, get up..."

Yu Lanyi pulled the pillow over his head, hiding his face.

Zheng Shanci: "..."

Zheng Shanci didn’t push it. Yu Lanyi was never a morning person. Yu Lanyi threw the pillow at Zheng Shanci, put on his shoes, and pushed open the window. It was just dawn, and there was still a nip in the air.

He shivered and said: "Up with the roosters, to bed with the dogs."

Zheng Shanci thought, what could he do? Just a lowly seventh-rank official, after all.

Yu Lanyi decisively went back to sleep.

Zheng Shanci was extremely envious.

Yu Lanyi covered himself with the blanket and fell asleep.

Sometimes, when Zheng Shanci woke up in this bed, he would still feel a bit dazed, because the bed beneath him was something he couldn’t afford even with thirty years of his salary. He had no money in his pocket.

He was living way beyond his means. It was tough for him.

The household department handed over the account books. After Deputy Magistrate Qi's repeated calculations, they reached Zheng Shanci. Zheng Shanci, with his obsessive-compulsive tendencies, recalculated everything before ordering the grain to be transported to Qingzhou.

With such meticulous checks, there were basically no errors.

After the autumn harvest, Jin Zhang, following Zheng Shanci's instructions, hired some staff to open a food shop, recruiting a kitchen helper, a dishwasher, and three attendants.

Jin Zhang asked Zheng Shanci for his opinion on the name. Zheng Shanci thought for a moment: "Let’s call it the Zheng Family Eatery."

Jin Zhang: "..."

Jin Zhang agreed to the arrangement.

When the restaurant opened, Zheng Shanci went to have a meal with Yu Lanyi. Yu Lanyi ordered four dishes and a soup. Since the chef was their own employee, he was familiar with the chef's skills and chose some fresher dishes.

Braised pork meatballs, lamb stew with tomatoes and potatoes, stir-fried fish fillets, and a spicy and sour soup.

The pork meatballs were made with pork belly, minced into a meat mixture, combined with eggs, diced lotus root, starch, soy sauce, and other ingredients. When the oil in the pan reached the right temperature, the meatballs were added, fried until golden brown, and then drained. Some oil was left in the pan, water was added, and then the meatballs were returned to the pan, simmered first over high heat and then reduced to low heat.

These pork meatballs were delicious, juicy and flavorful with every bite.

Yu Lanyi tasted a meatball and was amazed. He wondered if the Jin Zhang in the kitchen was an imposter because the taste was different from Jin Zhang's usual cooking.

"Zheng Shanci, this is incredibly delicious," Yu Lanyi said, continuing to eat.

Yu Lanyi devoured two bowls of rice, and Zheng Shanci placed a small bowl of soup next to Yu Lanyi: "Take your time and enjoy the soup."

"It's truly delicious, and the soup is excellent as well," Yu Lanyi expressed his satisfaction.

He wished he could take Jin Zhang home to cook exclusively for him.

Noticing his enjoyment, Zheng Shanci smiled: "I know how to cook these dishes as well."

Though a gentleman avoids the kitchen, Zheng Shanci knew how to cook. Yu Lanyi remembered that he had once gone to the alleys of the capital to find Zheng Shanci, who was alone and poor, so he had to cook for himself.

If Zheng Shanci hadn't taken the imperial examination, he would have been an excellent chef, Yu Lanyi thought and said.

Zheng Shanci laughed: "I can't be a chef, I just want to cook for myself." He added: "And for you."

Hearing this, Yu Lanyi felt light, as if stepping on cotton.

He was about to say something.

Archivist Zhu walked into the newly opened restaurant and saw Zheng Shanci, immediately regretting it, but had to bow to Zheng Shanci: "Lord Zheng."

"You're off duty, no need to be so polite."

Archivist Zhu agreed, asked the waiter for the menu, ordered six dishes and five pots of wine. Since Zheng Shanci told him not to be polite, he didn't hold back, planning to invite his brothers for a drink and have some fun, as they had been busy lately.

Soon, several jailers familiar with Archivist Zhu arrived. There were four of them, each sitting on one side. Seeing Zheng Shanci eating, they were startled and quickly went to greet him.

One of the men brought a skewer of sausages, four coins for a skewer, smelling the aroma, he placed it at the left entrance of the restaurant.

Archivist Zhu and his companions were initially reserved, but as they drank more, they became more relaxed, though they still kept a tight lip about official matters.

They usually didn't eat dishes, only drank and ate peanuts, but now, smelling the dishes from the restaurant, they couldn't help but pick up their chopsticks and eat a few bites, then couldn't stop.

The price was affordable, and the taste was so good. Archivist Zhu thought he would come to this shop to eat and drink in the future.

While they were drinking heartily, Zheng Shanci and Yu Lanyi had finished eating. Zheng Shanci said: "Put that table on my account."

Seeing them enjoying themselves, Zheng Shanci didn't go forward to say more. He and Yu Lanyi walked out of the restaurant. The sausages at the entrance attracted many people standing by, queuing to buy them. Those who ate the sausages became interested in the restaurant and went forward to try something new. After all, it was a newly opened restaurant, and everyone thought to try it once. If it wasn't good, they wouldn't come back, just being cheated once.

There were especially many scholars, bringing their companions to eat.

Yu Lanyi was still not satisfied: "Zheng Shanci, if you open this restaurant in the capital, you can make more money."

"When we go back, I'll fund you to open a restaurant. No need to rent a shop, I have a shop to use directly."

Zheng Shanci: "..." Heartless.

Zheng Shanci asked, "Are you getting used to it here?"

"I’ve somewhat adapted. You’ve been really patient with me. I never thought my husband would be this understanding." Yu Lanyi lowered his head and kicked a small stone on the roadside. "I know people in the capital say I have a bad temper and am delusional. I think so too, but I’d rather be alone my whole life than spend it with a husband who has someone else. I’ve got family who loves me and enough money to get by."

Yu Lanyi looked up, the autumn wind had a bite to it.

From the street came the call—

"Time to light the lanterns!"

Someone held a long bamboo pole, lighting the lanterns hanging under the eaves, and the lanterns flickered to life one by one.

The wind nipped at Yu Lanyi’s nose, turning it red, and he said, "Zheng Shanci, would you ever lie to me? Would you have someone else in the future?"

Zheng Shanci shook his head, "No, I wouldn’t."

Two questions, Zheng Shanci answered twice.

He couldn’t do such a thing, nor did he want to.

Zheng Shanci took Yu Lanyi’s hand and said, "It’s getting cold at night, let’s hurry back."

"I’ll keep my word. I promised your father not to take a concubine before I turned thirty. Now I promise you, I’ll never take another wife, whether before or after thirty, it will only be us." Zheng Shanci knew that words aren’t enough to prove myself; he would show what kind of person he was through his actions.

Yu Lanyi’s eyes welled up, and he stayed silent, lowering his head and reaching out to hold Zheng Shanci’s arm, leaning into him.

He couldn’t help but doubt, always seeking reassurance from Zheng Shanci, who probably found it exhausting, but he couldn’t help it.

When they reached the doorstep, as soon as they entered the mansion, Yu Lanyi hugged Zheng Shanci’s waist and buried his head in Zheng Shanci’s chest.

His chest grew damp with tears as Yu Lanyi broke into quiet sobs.

"Zheng Shanci, how are you so good to me? No one has ever said such things to me before."

How many times did he need to hear it? Zheng Shanci gently patted Yu Lanyi’s shoulder, his eyes curving slightly, and he said, "You deserve it."

Seeing Yu Lanyi refusing to get up, Zheng Shanci thought of a meme, the one with a yellow face crying in distress.

He let out a soft chuckle.

Then Yu Lanyi jumped out of his embrace and punched him, "You’re such a smooth talker, you’re really something."

Zheng Shanci’s heart ached.

...

Qingxiang Village

Since Zheng Shanci passed the imperial examination, the Zheng family no longer had to pay taxes to the village. During the autumn harvest, all the produce from the fields belonged to them, and they worked the fields with renewed energy. While the villagers carried bags of rice to the village head to pay taxes, Zheng Shancheng, Lin Geer, and Father Zheng carried baskets to the town to sell the new rice.

They had hope in their hearts, and everything they did was filled with energy. After selling the new rice and earning silver, Father Zheng pocketed the money, bought two pounds of pork for twenty-four coins, and also bought some offal to stir-fry back home.

He bought a pot of turbid wine from the tavern, and life felt a little sweeter.

On their way back to the village, they encountered villagers carrying bags of rice to pay taxes. Father Zheng and the others showed no unusual expressions, behaving as usual, and returned home like ordinary people. If they had shown any signs of joy during these days, it would’ve been in poor taste.

Father Zheng called out, "We bought pork and offal. Tonight, we’ll have a little wine to celebrate."

Back at their own home, Mr. Zheng was over the moon. For generations, their family had been paying taxes, but now they were exempt from land taxes. This would save them a significant amount of money year after year.

"You went to buy wine again! You're blowing through the family's money!" Mr. Zheng glared at his husband, took the basket from his hands, and was pleased to see two good cuts of meat. He hollered for Lin Geer and Zheng Qingyin to come help in the kitchen.

Mr. Zheng said, "In a few days, you'll escort Lin Geer and Qingyin to Xinfeng County. You should arrive by mid-November. Both of them are young, and you're the man, so take good care of them outside."

Zheng Shancheng nodded, "Understood, Father. Don't worry, I'll take good care of both of them."

"The journey is long. Ask your father to pack some dry rations for you to take on the road."

Zheng Shancheng kept nodding, "Alright."

The three youngsters at home whipped up the meal. The moment the aroma of meat hit Mr. Zheng, his eyes sparkled.

"We've been swamped with the harvest; it's been ages since we had meat."

Mr. Zheng set the table with bowls and chopsticks, and Zheng Shancheng went to serve the dishes.

...

The tantalizing scent drifted over to the neighbor's place.

Old Miao next door caught a whiff and looked at the green vegetables on his table, his appetite vanishing in an instant. If the stir-fried vegetables were tasty, it would be fine, but the farmers' stir-fry was truly plain, sparing on salt and oil, literally just water-fried vegetables.

"Could you add a bit more oil and salt, dear?" Old Miao grumbled.

Mrs. Miao sneered, "Do you have the funds?"

"We'll get cash after selling the grain in town tomorrow," Old Miao retorted, his neck stiff.

Their son and daughter-in-law stayed out of it, as it wasn't their place to meddle in the elders' affairs.

Old Miao, seeing his son's timid demeanor, grew even more frustrated, "Look at you, can't farm, can't study. Next to Zheng Shanci, you're worlds apart. How did you turn out like this?"

Old Miao shoveled some greens into his mouth, envious of the aroma wafting from the Zheng household.

"What's eating you?" Mrs. Miao put down her bowl, ignoring Old Miao.

Ever since Zheng Shanci aced the imperial exams, some in the village hoped for his success, mostly his relatives, as his rise would bring them benefits. Recently, several young men from the Zheng family had an advantage in matchmaking over other young men in the village. Just this month, two young couples and one young pair had been formed. Some hoped Zheng Shanci's rise would be short-lived, but unexpectedly, their small village produced a county magistrate.

Amid the harvest chaos, the village head was swamped. At night, while smoking his pipe, He Tian approached him. With the harvest in full swing and his son being a scholar, He Tian had been involved in many household matters. Seeing He Tian, the village head asked, "What's up? Spit it out."

"Dad, I'm not young anymore, it's time to talk about marriage," He Tian said.

Old He's expression softened, "Oh, that. Your mom's already scouting for potential matches. How do you feel about the Du family's offspring in the village? They're well-off, and both Du Geer and Du Jieer are good-looking and hardworking, a good match for you."

He Tian remained silent.

"What, you're not satisfied? There are town families, but that'd mean being a live-in son-in-law, which your mother and I won't allow," Old He said.

Back in the day, live-in son-in-laws were at the bottom of the barrel, usually from very poor families. They had to change their surname, take care of their wife's family, and their children would take the mother's surname. They had no status in the wife's family and were very humble.

Old He, being the village head, couldn't let his son become a live-in son-in-law. If he did, he would lose face both inside and outside the family.

He Tian said, "I want to marry Zheng Qingyin."

Old He: "?"

He froze, pipe in hand, eyes bulging in disbelief.

"What did you say?!"

Old He didn’t even recline in his chair anymore. He stood up from his seat, feeling as if his ears were playing tricks on him. How could his son possibly think this way?

"Father, I just like Qingyin, and Qingyin likes me too. Our family can go to the Zheng family to propose marriage. After Qingyin and I get married, I’ll take her to Xin Feng County to find a job. It’s not about becoming a live-in son-in-law in their town, but a respectable marriage. My standing won’t be diminished either." He Tian smiled slightly as he envisioned his future: "At that time, I’ll bring you over to live a good life."

He Tian thought this way, confident that Zheng Qingyin wouldn’t dare to resist him. In truth, he had a fondness for her. She was good-looking, had a nice figure, and was also someone he could easily control. Since he wasn’t as skilled in studying as Zheng Shanci, he might as well use the Zheng family’s connections to secure some advantages for himself. That way, it wouldn’t be a loss.

Old He trembled with anger: "Have you gone mad?!"