Chapter Thirty-Four: Dilemma

Chapter 34: A Difficult Situation

Seeing Brother Dong bruised and battered, Lin Qiuran couldn't help but worry. Moreover, Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi knew nothing about cooking these dishes—she refused to believe they hadn't said so. If they had admitted their limitations and were still taken away, what kind of "invitation" could it have been?

Lin Qiuran said, "You should go to a clinic first. I’ll head to the Jiang family to ask around."

Even if they were taken to cook, it shouldn't have been Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi.

Brother Dong waved his hand, "Don’t go, Mrs. Lin. Aunt Sun said not to let you go. Besides, those people seemed like trouble."

But Lin Qiuran couldn’t just stand by and do nothing while Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi were taken away.

She asked, "Who exactly are they cooking for? If it’s about cooking, they should’ve invited chefs from restaurants or inns. Why bother with street vendors?"

Everyone knew that restaurants had better cooks.

Brother Dong explained, "It seems they wanted someone to make pastries for the old lady of the household. They originally wanted me to go too, but when they saw I was just a pancake seller, the well-dressed steward muttered, 'The old lady can’t chew hard things—having him go would be useless,' and then pointed to Aunt Sun and Shen Yu instead."

He added, "At first, those people were polite, but when Aunt Sun said she couldn’t do it, they forced her to go. Shen Yu was terrified. I tried to stop them, but a few attendants beat me up. After that, the steward asked again, 'Will you go now?' No one dared to refuse."

Seeing Brother Dong get beaten, Shen Yu went with the Jiang family, crying.

Sun Shi took the chance to whisper to Brother Dong, "If Qiu Ran comes looking for us, stop her from coming."

They were that unreasonable, as if they were being led into a wolf’s den.

Lin Qiuran had cooked for wealthy families before—she had even cooked for Xu Yuanhang personally. Steward Xu had always been courteous, and when Xu Yuanhang asked her to come and she declined, they didn’t say anything more about it. Nothing like this had ever happened—dragging people off like bandits.

Brother Dong moved slightly, pulling at his wound. He winced and said, "They’ll probably let them go if they can’t cook. You better just wait at home for news, Lin Qiuran."

Lin Qiuran asked, "How is your injury? Is it serious?"

Brother Dong nodded, "It’s fine. It just looks bad, but it’s nothing major."

Lin Qiuran said, "Could you watch over things here for a while? You can have this meal first."

Seeing the food, Brother Dong forgot his pain and swallowed hard. "I’ll bring the remaining items back for you later."

They had already sold a fair amount, so it wasn’t too heavy.

Lin Qiuran told him the location of the Xiao family’s home but suddenly remembered no one was home. "Just leave the things next door for now. Thank you for your trouble."

Brother Dong nodded and asked, "Are you still going to the Jiang family? Aunt Sun said you shouldn’t go."

Lin Qiuran shook her head, "I’ll first try to find out what exactly happened. I must find a way to get them out."

Since the Jiang family dared to act so boldly in public, it meant going to the authorities would be useless—that was the last resort.

Lin Qiuran decided to go to the Xu family to ask for help. She didn’t know much about the Jiang family, only that they were a prominent household in the county—wealthy and wanting for nothing. She never expected them to act this way.

Asking the Xu family for help was the best move. It wouldn’t cost much, and they could likely secure the release. Sometimes, all her running around might achieve less than a word from the right person.

If the Xu family couldn’t help, she would have to exchange herself for Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi. Sun Shi and the others wouldn’t be of any help there, but if she asked what pastries were needed, she might be able to help.

Brother Dong also hoped Shen Yu would be released soon. He nodded, "Don’t worry, I’ll take care of things here."

Lin Qiuran added, "There’s also the savory pancake stall—please take it to my home. It belongs to my relatives. Remember to go to the clinic for your injury. I can’t take you there."

With that, Lin Qiuran headed straight to the Xu residence. The Xu family lived far away, and it took her quite some time to walk there.

Lin Qiuran told the gatekeeper she wished to see Steward Xu, and before long, Steward Xu came out. "Oh, Mrs. Lin, what brings you here? I did say I'd let you know if there was any news. You really didn’t have to make the trip."

Lin Qiuran said, "I’m not here about the spices, Steward Xu. I’m at my wit’s end, so I came to you..."

Steward Xu was taken aback and quickly replied, "Please, there’s no need for that. Let’s go inside and talk."

Steward Xu led her to the front hall.

Lin Qiuran bowed and pleaded, "Steward Xu, I beg you, save my in-laws."

Seeing Brother Dong bruised and beaten, and thinking of Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi’s elderly age, Lin Qiuran knew they must be terrified after being "invited" in such a manner.

Steward Xu helped Lin Qiuran up and noticed her lowered head, eyes filled with tears. She had always been lovely, and now that she was further along in her pregnancy, she seemed even gentler.

Considering that Lin Qiuran had no husband and her in-laws were in trouble, he felt sorry for her.

He glanced at the screen in the room and asked, "Mrs. Lin, what exactly happened? Please tell me first. What’s happened to your in-laws? Once you explain, I can try to think of a way to help."

Lin Qiuran wiped the corner of her eye and said, "This morning, they went to South Street to do business, and then they were taken away by the Jiang family. They said they were invited to cook for the family’s elderly matriarch, but another vendor was beaten by the Jiang family’s men. Steward Xu, you know as well as I do that those two don’t know how to cook at all. If they go, they’ll only risk upsetting the important family."

Steward Xu pondered for a moment and said, "Don’t worry, Mrs. Lin. I’ve heard about this matter. The Jiang family’s matriarch is advanced in years, and her time is limited. She’s been longing for a particular pastry she once had. These days, the Jiang family has invited almost every pastry cook in Yu’an, but no one has been able to recreate it. At this point, they’re desperate and trying anything.

However, in broad daylight, even if they’ve been invited, they won’t do anything to your parents-in-law. Once they see they truly can’t make the pastry, they’ll surely let them go."

After speaking, Steward Xu glanced again at the floral-and-bird screen standing in the main hall. There was no movement from behind it, so he felt reassured.

Lin Qiuran looked at Steward Xu, momentarily at a loss for words.

What did he mean by "they’ll let them go if they can’t do it"? What did he take them for? They were just trying to make a living, and now they were taken away without warning, people were beaten, and if they couldn’t do it, they’d be released? How long would that take—half a day, a full day, or three to five days? Until the old lady passed away?

The wealthy and powerful seemed to think this was perfectly normal. They could talk about capturing and releasing people so lightly.

Lin Qiuran glanced at the table. In Steward Xu’s eyes, she wasn’t treated as a guest, so no tea had been served to her. But there was a teapot and cups on the table, the cups face down on the tray, arranged in a circle, though one was missing.

Someone had been here earlier—had Xu Yuanhang returned?

Lin Qiuran remembered that on the day they signed the contract, Steward Xu had frequently glanced next door. Today, he kept looking at the screen. She wondered what was behind it.

It seemed there was no help to be had here at the Xu residence. Lin Qiuran nodded and said, "Very well, then I’ll go home and wait for news."

Steward Xu said, "Ah, don’t worry. Nothing will happen. The old lady is just advanced in years, and her children want to show their filial piety."

Lin Qiuran thought to herself, Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi are also old—why was no one considering her filial duties? Or did only rich people’s devotion count as filial piety, while that of the poor meant nothing?

As she was leaving, Lin Qiuran asked, "Has the Second Young Master said when he will return?"

Steward Xu replied evasively, "He should be back soon, but I can’t say for sure."

Lin Qiuran nodded and bid him farewell.

After Lin Qiuran left, Xu Yuanhang emerged from behind the screen.

Steward Xu said, "Second Young Master, the Jiang family is overstepping. They’re just a branch of the Jiang family from Xuzhou, yet they act so arrogantly."

The Jiang clan of Xuzhou had produced many officials, and the local relatives, feeling backed by a powerful family, had become arrogant. Though the connection was distant, they acted as if they were extraordinary and looked down on others.

In truth, Xu Yuanhang could have helped. Just a word from him—saying that Lin Qiuran cooked for him and needed her elderly in-laws’ help, as they couldn’t make pastries—would have been enough to get them released quickly.

But why should Xu Yuanhang help her? Besides, Lin Qiuran was making too much of the situation.

Xu Yuanhang said coolly, "Have someone put a tail on her. When she returns, tell her I've gone back to Yu'an."

Steward Xu nodded.

Xu Yuanhang added, "Give her the cut and tell her to prepare sixty taels' worth of spices within two days. If she can't finish, say we can lend a hand here."

Xu Yuanhang rotated the beads in his hand and continued, "Give her three days. Let her finish in three days."

Steward Xu acknowledged, "Yes."

*

After leaving the Xu residence, Lin Qiuran went straight to the Jiang family. Fortunately, the two houses were relatively close, and she arrived after a short walk. The plaque above the Jiang family's gate was just as wide as the Xu family's, with two grand characters.

Earlier in the Xu family's main hall, Lin Qiuran had the feeling someone was watching—perhaps Xu Yuanhang. If it was him, and he didn't care about her parents, he might at least care a bit more since she was in business with him.

Lin Qiuran knocked on the Jiang family's door. It opened a crack, and the gate servant asked through the gap who she was. She said, "I'm the daughter-in-law of the couple your family invited to cook this morning. They don't know how to cook; the food they sell on the street is usually made by me. If you want to properly honor the elderly lady, you should invite someone useful."

The young servant led Lin Qiuran inside to meet the steward. After meeting her, the steward agreed to the substitution.

Lin Qiuran was then taken to the kitchen.

The Jiang family's kitchen was large. Shen Yu was making bean cakes, while others stood around. The kitchen was busy with many people, who had also been brought in.

Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi were stunned to see Lin Qiuran. "Why are you here? We told you not to come!"

Lin Qiuran said, "Since I'm the one who knows how to cook, I might be able to help here. You two aren't of much use; go home first."

She said to the servant, "The aunt who sells savory pancakes was also taught by me. They don't know how to do much and won't be of help here."

Aunt Zhao quickly edged closer. "Yes, I can't help either. I just make buns. Let me go too."

The servant who brought Lin Qiuran didn't say anything but led Sun Shi and the others away.

Shen Yu knew she wasn't allowed to leave and didn't speak up. Seeing Lin Qiuran arrive gave her a bit more confidence. "Sister Qiuran."

Lin Qiuran had asked the steward and learned that the elderly lady wanted bean cakes, but no matter which pastry chef tried, none could make them taste the way she remembered.

Today, the Jiang family had it in for Shen Yu, and others were more or less affected as well.

Shen Yu looked at Lin Qiuran—she'd been crying, and her eyes were still slightly swollen. "Sister Qiuran, I'm to blame for today's mess. If it weren't for me..."

Lin Qiuran said, "There's no use saying that now. Let's focus on making the pastries. Even if we can't make an exact match, we can tell them we did our best and hope to leave sooner. Besides, it's not your fault."

The blame lies with the Jiang family for their rudeness and for treating people like dirt. All this talk about being too eager to fulfill filial piety is just an excuse.

Shen Yu nodded, frowning as she spoke to Lin Qiuran. "But Sister Qiuran, I sent over all the bean cakes I sold, and they still said the taste wasn't right."

Lin Qiuran thought that with so many pastry chefs, even if each made a different version, they should have stumbled upon the right one by chance. Why hadn't it worked?

She asked, "Did they specify what kind of taste it was?"

Shen Yu said, "They just said it had a slightly sour taste, with little spots on top, and that it was something they had eaten many years ago. But you can't put vinegar in pastries..."

Shen Yu whispered in Lin Qiuran's ear, "I suspect it might have been something they ate when the family wasn't as wealthy as now—maybe they were starving and ate spoiled bean cakes. The sourness was from spoilage, and the black dots were mold. When you're starving, anything tastes good, but I don't dare actually serve spoiled food."

This was the only explanation Shen Yu could think of. Since she sold bean cakes, she knew them well. Over time, they would turn sour and grow mold. But with so many people watching, and the Jiang family being wealthy, who would dare serve spoiled pastries to the elderly lady?

Besides, if the lady were to die from eating spoiled bean cakes, it could land them in court.

Others probably knew this too but didn't dare try it.

Shen Yu worried, "Sister Qiuran, if we don't make it, who knows when we can go back? They keep saying she's hanging by a thread, but she just won't pass. Are we supposed to wait here forever?"

What about their business?

"Maybe we should just tell the Jiang family..."

Lin Qiuran thought that if it was really as Shen Yu said—sour taste with spots—it did sound spoiled. But they couldn't serve spoiled food. The Jiang family children were being filial; who would tolerate serving spoiled food?

Lin Qiuran shook her head. "If that's really the case, even if you tell them, they probably won't serve it to the elderly lady. They might be ashamed of their impoverished past and take it out on you."

Lin Qiuran suddenly realized they just needed to recreate a similar flavor. She said, "That day when you ate the steamed buns I made, did you notice a slight sour taste if you tasted carefully?"

That was the taste of fermentation, but it didn't mean the buns were spoiled.

Shen Yu nodded. "Yes, there was."

Lin Qiuran said, "We can use osmanthus flowers to replace the mold dots. For an elderly person, if they don't look closely, osmanthus might look similar to mold. I made the buns with fermented rice. Let's try two methods: one with the fermented rice directly mixed into the filling, and another with it blended into the bean cake batter. Let's try it out first. If it doesn't work, we'll figure something else out."

Shen Yu nodded, took a deep breath, and said, "I'll go boil the beans."

The Jiang family had soaked plenty of mung beans—enough to make bean cakes for another day.

Lin Qiuran said, "I'll ask if they have fermented rice here. If not, I'll have someone fetch some from home."

Shen Yu said, "Alright. I hope this works."

Aunt Zhao didn't catch what they were saying, but seeing them busy, she stayed out of the way. Even if she had heard, she wouldn't have interfered.

Lin Qiuran wasn't sure if it would work, but they had to try. The Jiang family did have rice wine. Lin Qiuran had Shen Yu taste it first. Shen Yu wondered why Lin Qiuran didn't taste it herself, but Lin Qiuran touched her stomach.

Shen Yu suddenly understood and nodded. In her eyes, Lin Qiuran was more like an older sister—smart and reliable. Sometimes she forgot Lin Qiuran was pregnant.

After Shen Yu confirmed it wasn't sour, Lin Qiuran started preparing the filling.

It was their first time trying this, so they made several different ratios. The beans were boiled and skinned. Half were mixed with fermented rice, pressed into molds, and steamed. The other half had the fermented rice mashed into a paste, mixed with a little bean paste, shaped, pressed into molds, and steamed.

Osmanthus flowers were mixed into each type of bean filling. The tiny flowers, if not looked at closely, did resemble mold.

Shen Yu had lost count of how many bean cakes she had made today. If this didn't work, they would have to think of something else. She was already tired of making bean cakes every day, and now she had been brought here to make more!

Gritting her teeth, she made two batches.

When the steaming was done, the steward came to take them. He asked, "Are these spoiled?"

Lin Qiuran explained, "The dots are osmanthus flowers, added for fragrance. Since it was osmanthus season not long ago, we thought to add them to the bean cakes for extra flavor. They're not spoiled. You can taste one first if you'd like."

The Jiang family steward nodded. He would have someone taste the pastries before serving them to the elderly lady to ensure they were safe.

After the pastries were sent off, Shen Yu and Lin Qiuran could only wait.

The Jiang family's Shoukang Courtyard had been filled with the smell of medicine these days. Lady Yang had been ill for some time, her health failing, her complexion withered like an autumn tree. She was rarely lucid, often dreaming of bean cakes, sometimes murmuring about them in her sleep.

The entire household gathered in Shoukang Courtyard, with several daughters-in-law attending to her. Besides medicine, they fed her ginseng slices to keep her alive.

They didn't want Lady Yang to pass away with regrets.

When the bean cakes arrived today, Lady Yang slowly opened her eyes at the smell. Unlike before, when she would shake her head and say it wasn't right, this time she nodded. "Let me taste it."

The eldest daughter-in-law helped Lady Yang sit up, supporting her in her arms. Lady Yang's voice was soft as she rambled, "Back during the famine, we went two days without food. It was the madam from the main family who took a packet of bean cakes from her bosom and gave them to me. I've never tasted anything better since." The eldest daughter-in-law picked up a piece and fed it to Lady Yang. After taking a bite, a tear rolled down Lady Yang's cheek. "It's the taste from back then."

It was as if she saw the distant past, and her mother waving to her. She reached out her hand, but it finally fell limply onto the bed.

The Jiang family’s descendants knelt all over the floor, weeping bitterly. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, including the steward. Just then, a gatekeeper servant arrived and, seeing everyone kneeling, he quickly followed suit.

The steward glared at him. "You’re being reckless."

The servant said, "Steward, Second Young Master Xu is here. He said... someone under his protection is in our residence."

The steward immediately thought of the people they had hired—could it be the young woman making bean cakes? But this was a critical moment, and he didn’t want to cause a disruption. He intended to discuss it outside, but the eldest master of the Jiang family asked, "What’s the matter?"

The steward explained, "We hired some people to make pastries for the old madam, and they’re still in the kitchen. It seems one of them might be Second Young Master Xu’s person, and he’s here to claim them."

He added, "The request was urgent, and the servants were rather rude. I’ll make sure to escort them back respectfully later."

The eldest master of the Jiang family nodded and decided to meet Xu Yuanhang. Unlike the eldest son of the Xu family, Xu Yuanhang held control over most of the Xu family’s ventures. Offending him would spell trouble for the Jiang family.

The eldest master instructed the steward to send the people away properly. "Don’t forget to compensate them."

The steward acknowledged, "Don’t worry, eldest master. I’ll make sure everything is handled appropriately."

Everyone who came today would be compensated, especially those who made the pastries—they would certainly not be underpaid.

The eldest master of the Jiang family asked his brothers to handle things here while he went to the front courtyard to meet Xu Yuanhang.

In the kitchen, Lin Qiuran and Shen Yu sat waiting. Shen Yu only prayed for it to end soon. In the past, she had dreamed of her pastries being favored by wealthy families, but now she just hoped to leave safely.

Shen Yu glanced at Lin Qiuran from time to time. Pregnant as she was, Lin Qiuran had to put up with this ordeal with her. If it weren’t for her, Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi wouldn’t have come, and Lin Qiuran wouldn’t be here either.

Lin Qiuran’s mind went blank, unsure of what to think. She was also afraid—afraid that something might really go wrong, afraid of suffering Brother Dong’s fate.

Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi were probably waiting outside the Jiang residence. Waiting inside was torturous, but waiting outside without knowing anything was even worse.

The two of them had no idea how much time had passed. During this time, Aunt Zhao paced back and forth, her complaints never ceasing—one moment cursing the Jiang family for their heartlessness, the next lamenting how she had been swept up in this mess.

Finally, she saw the Jiang family steward approaching and hurried to greet him. "When can I leave?"

The steward said, "Thank you for your efforts. You’ll be able to leave soon. Everyone who came today will receive half a tael of silver."

After saying this, he turned to Shen Yu and Lin Qiuran. "Thank you both for fulfilling our old madam’s wish today. This is a token of our appreciation. By the way, does anyone know Second Young Master Xu..."

The steward intended to ask so he could take them straight to him later.

Shen Yu shook her head, and Lin Qiuran did the same. They looked at the pouches in their hands—they were heavy. The Jiang family had given each of them five taels of silver, with an extra two taels for Lin Qiuran.

The steward was now friendlier than ever. "Thank you again for today. We were too hasty this morning and may have offended you. Please help pass the remaining money to the other four, Madam Lin."

Lin Qiuran took the silver without saying a word.

The two left through a side gate. Once outside the Jiang residence, Shen Yu patted her chest, still rattled. "We finally made it out. Today really scared me half to death."

She had also been terrified earlier when Brother Dong was beaten. They had arrived in the morning, and now the sun had set, and the sky had darkened.

The sunset painted the western sky, and the autumn wind blew, sending a chill down Shen Yu’s spine. They had spent the entire afternoon in the kitchen, and it felt like ages.

Lin Qiuran also breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled and patted Shen Yu’s shoulder. "It’s alright now. We’re out, and that’s what matters."

Shen Yu sniffled, glanced back at the towering walls of the Jiang residence, and cursed under her breath. As they walked away, she tugged at Lin Qiuran’s sleeve. "Hey, Sister Qiu Ran, look—it’s Aunt Sun and the others."

Sun Shi and the others had been waiting outside the Jiang residence the whole time. Aunt Yu and Da Hu were also there keeping watch. Since Lin Qiuran had just left, they couldn’t simply return home as if nothing had happened.

Aunt Yu had been on edge. They had witnessed the Jiang family’s servants beating someone—those people spoke politely but didn’t even blink when resorting to violence.

Sun Shi was so frightened that tears streamed down her face. She rushed over and circled Lin Qiuran. "It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back! They didn’t trouble you, did they?"

Lin Qiuran shook her head. "No, we managed to make the pastries, and they even gave us a token of thanks. Aunt Yu, this is for all of you. Everyone gets a share."

Each person received half a tael of silver, and Aunt Yu accepted it.

Lin Qiuran said, "I asked Brother Dong to bring the items to my home. Let’s go get them."

The group hurried home. As they passed the main gate of the Jiang residence, they walked by a carriage.

Lin Qiuran didn’t pay much attention—there were too many carriages around. But Steward Xu, who was in the carriage, his eyes widened in shock. How did he see Madam Lin? Why was she walking with Aunt Sun and the others? But... the second young master hadn’t come out yet.