Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Worried about making *youtiao*, Lu Yuan woke up before daybreak.

Without an oil lamp, she couldn’t fry the *youtiao* and had to wait for daylight.

But staying still while awake was uncomfortable.

Especially now, with almost half of her body draped over Qi Cheng.

Since when had her sleeping posture become so poor?

Probably because the bed was too small—rolling over meant she ended up on top of him. It wasn't her fault.

Lu Yuan carefully moved her legs and arms, but the slightest movement woke the person beneath her.

"Awake?" Qi Cheng’s voice was husky from just waking up.

Seeing he was awake, Lu Yuan moved more boldly, pulling back her arms and legs and lying flat.

Lu Yuan said, "Let’s sleep a bit longer. Otherwise, tonight will be bustling until midnight, and we won’t be able to sleep even if we want to."

Qi Cheng murmured a drowsy "Mhm."

It felt like he had just fallen asleep when the person half-draped over him stirred, waking him again.

Lu Yuan was also afraid of disturbing him further, so she closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep a little longer.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, it was already full daylight.

The position she woke up in was exactly the same as when she had woken up earlier.

Lu Yuan: …

She'd really put Qi Cheng through the wringer.

Thankfully, he had good sleeping posture. If he had tossed and turned like her in his sleep, she reckoned he might have squashed the previous night's meal right out of her.

With just a slight movement from Lu Yuan, Qi Cheng woke up.

After they both got up, Lu Yuan first inspected the proofed dough.

She poked it with her finger—the soft parts were set aside for making *youtiao*, while the firmer parts would be steamed and eaten.

Out of five small dough balls, three had proofed to the size of a woman’s fist.

Lu Yuan had prepared for the worst—that none would succeed—so having three successful batches was a welcome surprise.

Now, all that was left was the actual frying.

After checking the dough, she fetched water, snapped off a few willow twigs from the tree by the well, and used them to brush her teeth.

After washing up, Lu Yuan lit a fire in the brazier and placed a half-potful of oil on it.

The amount of oil was still a bit insufficient.

Frying *youtiao* would also consume oil.

So, after earning some money, she would definitely need to buy leaf lard to render.

The dough was already very soft and could be easily stretched.

Lu Yuan used a bamboo roller to roll it out, about a thumb's width.

Then, she used chopsticks to cut it into small pieces.

She stacked two pieces together and scored a line in the middle with wet chopsticks.

After doing this, she picked up the pressed dough, stretched it, and placed it into the bubbling oil.

This pot could only fry two *youtiao* at a time—no more.

Lu Yuan spent nearly half an hour working in the kitchen before finally serving six two-finger-long *youtiao* in a bowl.

She placed them on the table, called Qi Cheng in, and said, "I gave them a press—two of the dough batches produced the crispiest *youtiao*. Try them and tell me which one tastes better."

As she spoke, she broke off a small piece of one *youtiao* and gave it to him.

After he ate it, she broke off a piece from the second *youtiao* and gave it to him.

Listening to the crisp crunching sound, Lu Yuan watched him closely.

Noticing her gaze, Qi Cheng said, "I think both are good. These *youtiao* are crispy and fragrant. Compared to fried flatbreads, the texture seems even better."

Hearing this, Lu Yuan immediately tasted the two she thought were best. Indeed, there wasn’t much difference—probably because the ingredients were largely the same.

She wasn’t sure if it was because she used lard, but the *youtiao* were indeed very fragrant.

Even so, the taste didn't particularly wow her—after all, she had eaten better ones before. These were just your average street fare.

However, in this era where *youtiao* didn't yet exist, there was no basis for comparison.

Without comparison, her *youtiao* were the best.

She handed Qi Cheng an unbroken *youtiao* and asked, "What do you think? How much can we sell one for?"

Qi Cheng gauged the size of the *youtiao* in his hand and asked, "How many of these can you make with one *catty* of flour? And how many can you fry with this amount of oil?"

Lu Yuan did a rough calculation and replied, "I couldn't say about the oil, but with flour, maybe thirty or so sticks."

She'd made them small, and since one *catty* in this era was about six hundred grams, she could likely make that many.

Qi Cheng said, "Then, even if we account for the cost of oil and flour at one copper, and add stall rental to bring it to five coppers per *catty*, the cost is less than two coppers, but we definitely need to make a profit. Going by the fried cakes we had at the night market a couple days back, three coppers per stick."

Lu Yuan asked, "Isn’t that a bit expensive?"

After all, she used to eat them for two coppers each, and these were only half the length.

Qi Cheng said, "Steamed buns cost two coppers each. Your *youtiao* use oil for frying—why would you think it’s expensive?"

Lu Yuan was struck silent for a moment, then realized, "You’re right, why would I think it’s expensive? Even a bowl of *douhua* costs three coppers!"

She had truly been influenced by the prices in her own world.

Snapping out of it, she made the decision: "Then three coppers per stick it is."

"After selling a few times, I’ll put out a couple sets of tables and stools and start pairing them with soy milk (*doujiang*) to bring in a bit more silver."

Qi Cheng broke off a piece of the *youtiao* and ate it. After a moment, he said, "After eating some of the *youtiao*, I feel a bit dry. If there were drinks or soy milk (*doujiang*) to go with it, and if I had a bit more money, I would definitely buy a bowl."

Lu Yuan thought to herself that the pairing of *youtiao* and soy milk was a practice our ancestors maintained for nearly a thousand years without change. This clearly indicated that selling the two together would surely find a market.

With a plan in mind and the *youtiao* successfully made, Lu Yuan’s nerves finally relaxed somewhat.

She also picked up a *youtiao* to eat and said to Qi Cheng, "We’ll have *youtiao* for breakfast this morning. As for the leftover dough, we’ll steam it for lunch and dinner so it doesn’t go to waste."

Qi Cheng recalled that lump of dense dough fried piece by piece from the previous night and, even without seeing it, knew she hadn’t eaten much of it.

He said to her, "You should make some congee for yourself tonight. As for the steamed buns, I’ll eat them."

Lu Yuan suddenly laughed. "I know you care about me, but this fermented dough, even though it hasn’t risen much, isn’t as dense as last night’s dense dough. I can eat it."

Times being what they are, she couldn’t afford to be picky. Being able to get enough to eat was already a blessing.

"Besides, some of the dough has properly risen. I just didn’t want to waste oil frying it, so I’ll steam it to save on oil."

After a moment’s thought, Lu Yuan added, "I’ve thought it over carefully. Since we’re making a small batch this time, paying twenty coppers for a stall isn’t cost-effective. Let’s go for the ten-copper stall and take our time selling."

The night market could run until midnight, so packing up early wouldn't make sense.

With only a few dozen *youtiao*, after deducting costs and the stall fee, it was uncertain whether they could even clear one copper per stick.

Qi Cheng said, "Your *youtiao* are no worse than fried pancakes. If business is good, they could sell out in an hour or two. Staying open longer wouldn’t be worth it."

The two of them were on the same page.

After breakfast, once the dough had rested, Lu Yuan set off with Qi Cheng to the doctor's.

The medical fees could be deferred for three days, just enough time to set up stalls at the night market twice.

This would also give them some breathing room financially.

If it weren’t for the inconvenience of moving tables to the East Market and the large number of items to carry, she would have considered setting up a stall there for the morning rush.

As evening approached, under Lu Yuan’s guidance, Qi Cheng helped her carry the table to the night market.

Stalls were already sparsely set up here and there along the night market street, and a few people were strolling about in small groups.

Lu Yuan found the neighborhood official and, after inquiring, learned where the ten-copper stall area was located.

The person they rented from hadn’t made it clear—both the ten-copper and twenty-copper stalls were in the same area.

The only difference was the size of the space.

The ten-copper stall fee covered only half the space of the twenty-copper stall. Aside from the stall itself, there was only room for one table, whereas the latter could accommodate two or three tables.

After paying ten coppers, Lu Yuan led Qi Cheng to a relatively good spot. Once they set down the table, she asked Qi Cheng to wait there while she ran back to fetch the oil pot.

After bringing out the oil pot, she started a fire to heat the oil.

Once the oil was hot enough that no bubbles remained, she stretched the dough and dropped it into the pot to fry.

After frying two *youtiao*, Lu Yuan began to hawk, "Freshly fried *youtiao* for sale! Crispy and fragrant *youtiao*!"

Hearing her clear, carrying voice, Qi Cheng asked, "Should I call out a few times too?"

Lu Yuan stopped him. "No need. Just stand beside me."

He could be a good-luck mascot instead.

Such a handsome young man should remain quiet and composed. What would be the point if he lost his charm by shouting loudly?

She was even considering using him as a walking advertisement!

As for whether some wealthy and powerful families might take a liking to him and try some scheme to take him away, Lu Yuan pushed the thought aside in the face of their thin purse.

Being broke was scarier than seeing a ghost—why worry about something as unlikely as that?

In the still relatively quiet night market, Lu Yuan’s hawking was particularly clear and resonant.

Those who had never heard of *youtiao* turned to look.

At first glance, they noticed the handsome young man standing in front of the stall and couldn’t help but take a second look before walking over to see what *youtiao* were.

As they approached, someone asked, "What kind of food is this *youtiao*? How come I’ve never heard of it?"

Lu Yuan smiled and replied, "It’s a snack from Lin’an—fragrant and crispy. Would you like to try one?"

Hearing her say it was a snack from Lin’an, Qi Cheng frowned slightly but quickly returned to normal.

She was from Qian territory, which was thousands of miles away from Lin’an. When could she have visited Lin’an?

She had too many unusual qualities, and this doubt, like others, seemed normal to him.

"How much for one?"

Lu Yuan replied brightly, "Three coppers each."

The person frowned slightly, finding it a bit expensive.

Lu Yuan said, "Buns go for two coppers apiece, not to mention something that takes oil to fry. Other fried pancakes also cost three coppers each, so my *youtiao* aren’t expensive at all."

While the person was still hesitating, someone else said, "I’ll take one."

It was their first customer!

Lu Yuan’s face lit up. She used chopsticks to pick up a *youtiao*, wrapped it in a lotus leaf, handed it to the customer with one hand, and collected three coppers with the other, handing the coins off to Qi Cheng.

Qi Cheng placed them in the purse she had given him and heard her bright, cheerful voice.

"Come back if you like it!"

The customer nodded and took a bite.

The freshly fried *youtiao* was very crispy, emitting a slight crackling sound with the first bite.

Just from the sound, it was clear how crispy it was.

After eating it, the customer nodded to the others who were watching and waiting for his reaction.

After swallowing, he praised, "This *youtiao* is really crispy and fragrant!"

He turned to the stall owner and said, "Give me another one. Break it in half and wrap it."

Lu Yuan reminded him, "If it sits around too long, it might not stay crispy. You should eat it as soon as possible."

The customer nodded. "No problem. My home is close by. I’ll eat it soon."

The remaining *youtiao* in the basket was picked up by Lu Yuan with two lotus leaves, broken in half, and wrapped.

Another three coppers!

Lu Yuan finally felt at ease.

Afterward, customers started trickling in to try the *youtiao*.

More and more gathered, some drawn by sneaking extra looks at Qi Cheng, all of whom Lu Yuan beckoned over to take a look at the *youtiao*.

One and a half *catties* of flour yielded over forty small *youtiao*.

They sold out and closed shop in just two hours.

The two headed home in the dark, washed their hands, and Lu Yuan asked Qi Cheng, "Do you know how much we earned tonight?"

There was no oil lamp at home, so it was too dark to count the coppers.

Qi Cheng replied, "I tallied it up for you—it’s a hundred and forty-one coppers."

Hearing this, Lu Yuan sighed with relief and then said, "The oil in the pot is only half left. If we make more *youtiao* for the next stall, we’ll definitely need to buy two *catties* of lard to render, and three *catties* of flour too, plus the stall rental. After deducting all that, we’ll probably have about thirty coppers left."

Qi Cheng laughed, "Still, it's profit. Otherwise, where would we get the capital to restock?"

Lu Yuan said, "It’s just that it feels like the money hasn’t even warmed up before it has to be spent again."

"After one more day at the stall, we’ll be able to pay off your medical bills."

Qi Cheng nodded lightly and then said, "You must be tired. I’ll give you a shoulder rub in a bit."

Lu Yuan responded with an "Okay."

Back in the dark room, Lu Yuan sat on the bed, as he massaged her shoulders.

Qi Cheng’s broad hands rested on her shoulders. His touch, practiced by now, was just right.

Lu Yuan closed her eyes, enjoying the moment while also listening to the noise from the night market.

One moment, there were vendors hawking wontons, the next, sugar figurines, each cry louder than the last, competing to be heard.

There was also the boisterous chatter of passersby.

Every sound reached her ears, as if they were right beside her.

She asked, "With all this noise, can you fall asleep early?"

Qi Cheng said, "It’ll quiet down in another two hours. Besides, as long as I get two and a half hours of sleep a day, it’s completely enough."

Lu Yuan said, "On nights without curfew, even if the stalls close, the entertainment districts probably stay open all night. Although we’re far away, once it quiets down, the laughter, music, and singing from those places become clear."

Qi Cheng replied, "That’s not a problem. I'll catch up on sleep during the day. Besides, over time, I’ll probably get used to it."

Lu Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Then tomorrow, after returning from the clinic, you should rest. I’ll sew the clothes and won’t disturb you."

A garment that others could finish in two days had taken Lu Yuan several days, and now only the final touches remained.

As she spoke, Lu Yuan started to doze off and said to him, "No need to massage anymore. I’m going to sleep."

With that, she got into bed and crawled to the innermost side.

She yawned and said, "If you can’t sleep, go out for a walk. I’ll probably fall asleep soon…"

Her voice gradually faded, and soon there was no sound at all, entirely unaffected by the noisy environment.

Qi Cheng sat by the bed, facing the sleeping figure, a faint worry crossing his face.

He clearly didn’t know the former Su Liniang, but based on his grandmother’s accounts and his understanding of her background and experiences, he felt that her temperament and behavior didn’t match that of a Su Liniang who had fled famine.

A Su Liniang who had experienced being driven out by her in-laws and endured the hardships of fleeing famine should have been silent, disillusioned with the ways of the world. From caring for him for several days and learning from his grandmother, he knew she had indeed been like that before.

But the Su Liniang before him now was vibrant, full of endless words every day. She seemed impulsive, yet surprisingly steady in her actions. She appeared frivolous, yet radiated innocence.

The contrast was too contradictory.

Could there really be such a contradictory person in the world?