Chapter Forty: Male Lead

Chapter 40 The Male Lead

Jiang Sijie never imagined she would one day transmigrate, let alone into a book. It was a revenge-themed novel from Qidian, featuring a male lead, Xiao Xun, whose life was marked by tragedy—a lonely, ill-fated destiny estranged from family. His biological parents were framed and died, his entire family wiped out. He narrowly escaped thanks to one of his father’s subordinates, drifting from place to place until he was adopted by foster parents who raised him to adulthood.

Xiao Xun married and settled in Xiaojia Village, Yu'an County, living a simple life, working from dawn till dusk. Such a peaceful existence would have been ideal, but fate had other plans.

When he reached conscription age, Xiao Xun bid farewell to his parents and new wife, setting off with the army.

At the time, Xiao Xun still dreamed of making a name for himself on the battlefield. However, he inadvertently became entangled in a factional conflict, caught in the crossfire and severely injured. Everyone presumed him dead, and his body was unceremoniously dumped in a mass grave.

The incident was hushed up. Officials reported Xiao Xun’s death to Xiaojia Village, granting the Xiao family a five-year tax exemption.

As the male lead, Xiao Xun naturally didn’t die. He survived against all odds, but returning home would brand him a deserter, bringing disaster upon his family. With no other choice, he dragged his injured body and rejoined the army. Back in the ranks, he was far more cautious, but the battlefield remained a life-or-death struggle. By the time he finally returned home, all that awaited him was an empty house and the graves of his parents.

He had survived, but it was no blessing.

News of his death had long reached Xiaojia Village. His parents, believing him gone, couldn’t bear the grief of a parent outliving their child and grew increasingly frail. Meanwhile, his newlywed wife discovered she was pregnant but, upon hearing of his death, terminated the pregnancy and remarried.

Under these two successive blows, the elderly couple passed away. Xiao Xun did eventually send letters home, but his parents had already died and never received them. Through this cruel twist of fate, they were forever separated.

Months later, when Xiao Xun returned to his hometown, he stood utterly alone. His child was gone, his parents were gone, his wife had left—Xiao Xun questioned why heaven had spared him. He had hoped for a family reunion, but in the end, he was left with nothing.

Xiao Xun understood that, given the circumstances, he couldn’t blame his wife for remarrying, nor were his parents’ deaths her fault. He alone was to blame. What else could she have done? A widow with his elderly parents and a child—how difficult would her life have been?

Ultimately, it wasn’t his wife who caused his parents’ early deaths, but himself. All because two generals had clashing agendas, his family was destroyed. How could Xiao Xun not harbor hatred?

Xiao Xun blamed himself for everything. Later, although he rose in rank and achieved revenge, the deaths of his parents and child remained a persistent thorn in his heart. He could never forgive himself.

He grew increasingly withdrawn and quiet. During this time, it was the female lead who stayed by his side, offering comfort and guidance, ultimately saving him.

Jiang Sijie had transmigrated into the role of this female lead. When she arrived, the story was just beginning—Xiao Xun had joined the army, and news of his "death" had reached Xiaojia Village. By the time the female lead in the book met the male lead, grass had already grown over his parents’ graves.

It would be several more months before Xiao Xun returned home. The book mentioned that Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi had been married for a long time without children and were even cast out by their family. It wasn’t until they found Xiao Xun that they began living a decent life, raising him as their own.

Though they named him "Xun" (meaning "to seek"), hoping he would one day find his biological parents, they kept this history to themselves, never speaking of it. Because of this, Xiao Xun always believed he was their biological son. It wasn’t until later, when he went to the capital and endured many twists and turns, that he learned the truth about his origins.

Along the way, Xiao Xun endured many hardships.

Jiang Sijie didn’t know if Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi were still alive. If they were, they were likely devastated. She could bring someone to treat them and tell them Xiao Xun was still alive. Even if his wife had an abortion and remarried, Xiao Xun was still alive—that was a glimmer of hope.

When Jiang Sijie read this book, she felt Xiao Xun was too pitiful—orphaned young and left with nothing, found and adopted during his confused years, only to briefly know family happiness before losing his parents and his wife leaving. She didn’t understand why the author had to give the male lead such a fate. Could flowers only bloom through suffering?

When his parents found him, they named him "Xun," hoping he would one day find his biological parents. But with so many lives weighing on his shoulders, after years of searching, his relatives had long turned to dust.

By the end of the novel, Xiao Xun had achieved fame and success, and his revenge was complete, but he had nothing left.

Jiang Sijie thought that if she could save Xiao Xun’s parents, it would bring him some solace. If she couldn’t make it in time, there was nothing she could do—she would have tried her best, and the rest was in fate's hands.

As for his wife having an abortion and remarrying, Jiang Sijie felt it truly wasn’t Xiao Xun’s wife’s fault. She couldn’t blame her.

Jiang Sijie came from modern times and knew that whether to have a child was a personal choice—how could she be bound by the fact that it was Xiao Xun’s bloodline? She also understood how difficult it was in this era for a widow to raise a child and care for two elderly parents.

Moreover, Xiao Xun and his wife had an arranged marriage without any emotional foundation. They had only been married for three days before Xiao Xun left. Should she really have given birth to the child and spent her life mourning before Xiao Xun’s spirit tablet? Xiao Xun suffered, but his wife also suffered, losing her husband right after marriage.

In the novel, Xiao Xun didn’t die, but what if he had really died? Wouldn’t she have spent her life struggling to raise the child? Xiao Xun was pitiable, and his wife was pitiable too.

Jiang Sijie propped her chin in her hand and sighed. When she read the book, her heart ached for Xiao Xun, so she only wanted to follow the novel’s plot. Besides, Xiao Xun was a man of principle who repeatedly risked his life for the people.

In this era, rather than entering an arranged marriage with someone else, marrying Xiao Xun was preferable. Moreover, in the book, the female lead was Xiao Xun’s salvation. If the female lead weren’t there, how would Xiao Xun survive? He probably wouldn’t have any joy in life at all.

But the best way to save him wasn’t through advice and comfort—it was to keep his family alive. No matter how much she did or how deeply she counseled, nothing compared to letting Xiao Xun see his parents alive.

By now, the elderly Xiao couple were likely gravely ill. She had arrived too late to stop his wife from having the abortion. Still, Jiang Sijie was grateful to have transmigrated at this time. If it had been a few months earlier, she wouldn’t have known whether to tell them.

If she told his wife that Xiao Xun was still alive, the child might have been kept, and the wife would have waited for Xiao Xun’s return. Then, she, as the female lead, would have had no connection to Xiao Xun.

But if she didn’t tell, Jiang Sijie wouldn’t be able to live with herself. Now was the best scenario—she could save Xiao Xun’s parents, and the plot would follow the book.

Jiang Sijie felt one of the best aspects of this novel was that it didn’t portray Xiao Xun’s wife as a villainous side character. She never clung to Xiao Xun after he gained rank and title.

Jiang Sijie didn’t want that either. Since she decided to remarry, she should live her life well. If they couldn’t share hardships, how could they share joys?

She glanced out the window. If only the rain would stop soon. Every day delayed meant another day of danger for his parents. She had considered sending a servant ahead to deliver the message but worried they wouldn’t find the place or that Xiao Xun’s parents wouldn’t believe them.

This was hope, their last hope. During this time, how many people must have told them Xiao Xun might still be alive, only for their hopes to be dashed? If an ordinary person delivered the message, they definitely wouldn’t believe it—it would only add to their pain.

Jiang Sijie felt this was fate. In the book, the male and female leads met in the capital. After transmigrating, she carefully inquired and found that the original body had relatives in Xuzhou, so she came here.

The weather was bitterly cold. She hoped it wouldn’t rain in Yu'an, so life wouldn’t be harder for the two of them.

It also rained in Yu'an County today. Each autumn rain brought more chill. Unable to set up their stall, Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi went to the shop. They had to tidy up and couldn’t wait until business day to do it.

The kitchen grease needed a good wipe, or it would be too dirty for cooking and unpleasant to look at. Xiao Dashi bought firewood to fill the storage room and also bought some charcoal. Taking advantage of the rain, he checked the roof tiles for leaks.

It looked good—no leaks.

It rained today, but business on both sides was decent. Even on rainy days, customers came—that was the advantage of having a shop. If they were stall vendors, they couldn’t set up on rainy days. Having a sheltered place made a difference. Even if there were fewer people on rainy days, they could still make money.

Lin Qiuran’s belly was big, making it inconvenient to go out, so she stayed home to cook. After two days, they had earned over a thousand wen again, enough to afford some meat. Early in the morning, Xiao Dashi bought meat and vegetables, and Lin Qiuran busied herself at home.

It was cold today, so Lin Qiuran brought out the clay pot, planning to have hot pot. This era forbade slaughtering plow oxen, so a beef tallow hot pot was out of the question.

Xiao Dashi bought three tomatoes for eight wen per jin, a chicken, and a jin of mutton from the street—all as Lin Qiuran had instructed. She planned to make sour soup hot pot.

She separated the meat from the chicken and used the bones to make broth. It was a free-range chicken, tender and chewy, perfect for hot pot later. For the sour soup, Lin Qiuran found pickled chili peppers and mustard greens at home, then stir-fried fermented glutinous rice and tomatoes to make a simple sour soup. Finally, she added the chicken broth to enhance the flavor.

For meat, they had mutton and chicken, with more chicken. Lin Qiuran picked the tougher breast meat, marinated it, coated it in batter, and fried it into chicken strips. Dipped in chili powder, they were crispy and delicious.

For vegetables, they had radishes and potatoes. Early in the morning, Sun Shi had picked plenty of mustard greens, so they had something to eat. Side dishes included tofu and dried tofu skin—not much of each, but enough to taste something fresh.

After washing and arranging everything, Lin Qiuran looked at the table and felt it wasn’t quite enough, so she steamed rice. The family wasn’t short on rice now, but coarse grains were good for health, so she added some sweet potato rice. She thought having more variety would enrich the flavors.

By noon, Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi returned.

It took a while to walk back from the shop, and their shoes were wet. Sun Shi said with a smile, "Everything’s cleaned up. Business on both sides seems pretty good—even in the rain, people came."

Lin Qiuran smiled. "Some people have umbrellas, and some have donkey or horse carts—there are still those who go out. Mom, Dad, change your clothes, and let’s eat first."

Sun Shi nodded. As soon as she entered the room, she smelled a sour and spicy aroma. On the table was a charcoal stove with a clay pot on top, uncovered and red inside.

The smell was sour and spicy. Sun Shi hadn’t been very hungry—she’d eaten a pancake before leaving in the morning—but the scent made her mouth water. "Alright, let’s eat first!"

Xiao Dashi also glanced at the table. The charcoal stove was still burning. "Do we cook and eat at the same time?"

Lin Qiuran nodded. "Yes, I thought since it’s raining today, we should eat something hot."

Xiao Dashi thought hot food was good. The two changed clothes, and Sun Shi washed her hands to serve rice. Lin Qiuran moved the chairs out a bit more before sitting down. That morning, while Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi were out, she had taken her time preparing all this. Putting together such a table gave her a sense of accomplishment.

Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi had never eaten anything like this. Lin Qiuran took another pair of chopsticks and put the mutton and chicken into the pot to cook.

Once cooked, they dipped the food in a sauce made from chili powder, mashed garlic, and the sour broth, enjoying the tangy and spicy flavors in every bite.

Seeing Lin Qiuran eat this way, Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi followed suit. Sun Shi used her chopsticks to add meat and vegetables to the pot, cooking them before dipping them into the sauce.

This was indeed a novel experience. Though they had returned cold from the rain, a few bites warmed them up.

Lin Qiuran had tried sour hot pot before, but this was a simpler version. Compared to what she’d had previously, it was tasty but lacked some depth. For instance, there was no mountain pepper, so the numbing spiciness was insufficient, and the tomatoes hadn’t been fermented, missing that fermented flavor.

Most importantly, there were no thinly sliced beef rolls; fresh-cut meat didn’t absorb the broth as well. However, this time they had added chicken broth, which made it more flavorful and delicious.

Sun Shi found the hot pot appetizingly sour and spicy, not greasy at all. Especially when vegetables were added—soaking up the sour broth—it was even more satisfying and went well with rice.

Without realizing it, Lin Qiuran had eaten two bowls of rice. When Sun Shi noticed and was about to serve her more, Lin Qiuran quickly said, "Mother, I’m full."

Seeing that she really was full, Sun Shi didn’t serve more.

After eating, Lin Qiuran felt too lazy to move and rested in her chair for a while, taking the opportunity to ask about the plans for the shop. For now, they still needed to rely on the stall to earn money. Since the shop was purchased, there was no rush to start business. If it were rented, every extra day would mean more rent.

The shop had a good location, surrounded by two restaurants, a teahouse, and a jewelry store nearby, so customer traffic wouldn’t be a problem.

The challenge wasn’t attracting customers but making them regular customers of the Xiao family. Their stall had repeat customers, but if they opened a shop, they couldn’t sell food by weight as they did at the stall. Prices would increase, and those who only bought half a catty of meat or just vegetables might not come to the shop.

Lin Qiuran wanted to set reasonable prices based on seasonal meat prices to avoid sudden price increases like last time with vegetables.

Today was the eighth day of the tenth lunar month. By the eleventh month, it might snow, and selling vegetables at a stall would be too difficult.

Though there was no rush, it was better to finalize the shop plans early. They couldn’t wait until the weather turned cold and they didn’t feel like going out to start business. Everything needed preparation in advance—vegetables, meat—running a restaurant involved much more.

If they had a shop, they would serve both lunch and dinner. Lin Qiuran planned to prepare main dishes ahead of time, cooking once in the morning and once in the afternoon. After raising prices, there might be fewer customers, so they could prepare less.

They could keep the food heated and serve it directly when customers arrived. This was like pre-preparation but wouldn’t be done a day earlier, so the taste wouldn’t be affected.

They could adjust the quantity based on how business was going. Lin Qiuran’s only worry was that, with just her at the shop, the variety of dishes might be too limited to satisfy customers.

If Lin Qiuran went to a restaurant with several friends and the owner said there were only three dishes, she wouldn’t think the restaurant was unique or tasty—she’d assume there wasn’t enough food and wouldn’t return.

At the very least, the menu should have at least twenty dishes for customers to choose from. Ingredients also needed to be prepared in advance. Lin Qiuran was glad the weather was cold now, so vegetables wouldn’t spoil easily. Besides the red-braised pork the Xiao family sold, she planned to add braised lamb, red-braised fish, fish with pickled cabbage, ginger duck, poached sliced pork...

With fewer green vegetables available, side dishes would still mainly feature potatoes and radishes. Dishes like sour and spicy shredded potatoes and pan-fried potato cubes could be added to the menu.

Lin Qiuran could handle the cooking for now, with Sun Shi helping with larger dishes. Once they had more money, they could hire an apprentice, but for now, it was best to employ someone.

They could also add more tofu-based dishes. Lin Qiuran suddenly thought of sprouting bean sprouts to put in the poached sliced pork. But with the cold weather, she wasn’t sure if they could grow.

She had someone in mind for hiring—Wan Niang, who had just given birth two months ago. She wasn’t sure if she’d be willing to work.

Besides hiring help, Lin Qiuran also wanted to hire an older, clean person to handle washing dishes and cleaning. Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi would manage serving, handling payments, and handling miscellaneous tasks.

Thinking about serving dishes reminded Lin Qiuran that while the Xu family’s shop came with tables and stools, there were no bowls or chopsticks. Their stall didn’t require them, so they’d need to prepare their own.

They also needed a store sign and had to hire someone to make it. The name would be "Xiao Family Eatery."

After resting enough, Lin Qiuran told Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi to take their time eating and went to her room to write down all these tasks. She wanted to handle them one by one to avoid forgetting.

For dishwashing, Lin Qiuran approached Zhao Guangcai. Although he mainly handled selling properties, he also managed hiring. She found a temporary worker to wash dishes and clean, coming during the Wei and Xu hours daily, paid eight copper coins a day.

The pay was low, but many people were eager for the job. Zhao Guangcai selected the most efficient and reliable person. If anything went wrong later, it would reflect poorly on him. The worker, surnamed Liu, was around Sun Shi’s age and could start once the shop opened.

Lin Qiuran had Xiao Dashi buy simple, plain bowls and plates, prioritizing cleanliness and ease of washing.

She also drafted the menu, adding dishes like tofu stuffed with pork, fried tofu puffs, and tofu with minced pork. Without many green vegetables, their family ate a lot of tofu anyway.

After comparing prices at various restaurants, Lin Qiuran set prices for meat dishes between forty to seventy copper coins per serving, with portions around one to two catties. For dishes like chicken, fish, or duck, a serving was about half.

With these matters settled, Lin Qiuran went to Zhao Shi’s house. The person she had in mind was Wan Niang. Wan Niang had a good disposition, but Lin Qiuran wasn’t sure if she’d be willing.

After all, Zhao Shi earned well, and Wan Niang stayed home to care for their daughter, which worked out.

Lin Qiuran wanted to ask early; if Wan Niang declined, she could ask Zhao Guangcai to find someone else. To her surprise, after thinking for a while, Wan Niang agreed.

The pay was tentatively set at fifteen copper coins daily, with meals provided.

Wan Niang didn’t think it was much compared to what Zhao Shi earned, but she couldn’t quite explain why she agreed. Sometimes she felt sorry for Lin Qiuran, who had to rely on herself after losing her husband. Lin Qiuran was five months pregnant, yet she was busy with all sorts of tasks.

But she also admired Lin Qiuran’s independence and ability to earn money. Seeing Lin Qiuran’s situation made Wan Niang not want to stay home all day. Working outside would bring in fifteen copper coins a day, allowing the family to buy more meat. Plus, the shop provided meals, and Lin Qiuran’s cooking was excellent. If she could bring leftovers home, Zhao Shi would eat better too.

Her mother helped with childcare, so having two adults at home wasn’t necessary unless they had another child.

Lin Qiuran said she’d stop by again before the shop opened. Wan Niang smiled and agreed, then walked Lin Qiuran out.

That evening, when Zhao Shi returned, Wan Niang told him about it.

Zhao Shi nodded, "That’s fine. It might be tiring, but earning extra money helps the family save more. The job isn’t bad either. The pay isn’t high, but you’ll eat at the restaurant. Mrs. Lin is a great cook—even ordinary dishes taste delicious when she makes them."

Wan Niang smiled and nodded, "I think so too."

By the eleventh day of the month, things were mostly settled.

Lin Qiuran went to the shop to prepare for the opening, so they didn’t operate the stall. Sun Shi told Aunt Yu that the Xiao family planned to open a shop.

Aunt Yu was very happy for them, and since their stall moved forward one spot, their scallion pancake stall business could do even better.

The Li family had been busy from morning till night lately. Aunt Yu and Big Tiger sold in the morning, while she and Tao Hua prepared in the afternoon for Old Li, Big Tiger, and Second Tiger to sell.

Old Li also worked outside in the morning, earning four to five hundred copper coins a day.

A life like this was something Aunt Yu never dared to imagine before. They could save several taels of silver monthly, and in a few months, they’d have enough for Big Tiger’s wedding.

Happy for the Xiao family, she specially cooked meat that evening for Old Li and Big Tiger when they returned. However, Big Tiger seemed downcast and unhappy.

Aunt Yu didn’t notice at first, but during the meal, he barely touched his rice. She asked, "Why aren’t you eating? Is my cooking not good?"

Big Tiger muttered, "Mom... The Sun family opened a shop. They must not lack money anymore."