Chapter Forty-Three: Seeking Help

Chapter 43: A Visitor Arrives

Seeing it with her own eyes, Jiang Sijie confirmed that Xiao Xun's parents were indeed still alive.

This was, of course, good news. After all, these were two lives saved, sparing Jiang Sijie the trouble of rescuing them herself.

In the book, Xiao Xun's wife hadn't aborted the child either. Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi clearly looked well; they weren't emaciated, and their faces held smiles, suggesting genuine happiness, not hardship. Jiang Sijie had seen the poor in this world, and they certainly didn't possess such cheerful countenances.

Jiang Sijie had seen all she needed to see. Xiao Xun wasn't dead, and once he returned, he would undoubtedly settle down with his family. Having escaped death, he would finally have a happy ending.

In the book, though it was stated that Xiao Xun neither hated nor loved Lin Qiuran, he was a man of integrity. Even in an arranged marriage, he would never abandon his wife.

Jiang Sijie's feelings for Xiao Xun were merely sympathy for a fictional character. But this was, after all, the world of the book, with its main storyline and destined protagonists. Would her presence have an impact on the future?

She didn't know if her own transmigration had set off a butterfly effect, altering others' fates, or if someone else had transmigrated into the book, changing the plot and affecting others' destinies.

If it was the former, she had nothing to say. But if it was the latter... she was one of those "others." If someone had truly transmigrated into Lin Qiuran, knowing the entire plot and choosing to keep the child, what did that signify? Was it merely leveraging Xiao Xun's offspring to secure a prosperous future for herself?

Jiang Sijie couldn't quite grasp it, as she herself harbored a similar objective—only she had transmigrated as the female lead, while someone else had become a supporting character. Timing was everything. She was also grateful that she had come out of concern for Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi's lives; otherwise, if she had waited for Xiao Xun, who knew how long it would have taken.

Jiang Sijie decided to return to the inn first and get to the bottom of things tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Lin Qiuran, Sun Shi, and Xiao Dashi had already arrived home.

They had never returned this late before; even when they were taken to the Jiang residence, they had come back earlier than today.

The first thing Sun Shi did upon returning home was to put the money bag away in the room. The second was to feed the chickens and collect the eggs. She had fed them once before leaving and hadn't returned until now. Since it was cold, the chickens laid eggs every two or three days, so they could collect three or four eggs daily.

Lin Qiuran watched from the side and urged, "Mom, hurry!"

Sun Shi turned around and saw Lin Qiuran pointing at the room. They didn't need to get up early tomorrow, so going to bed now wasn't too late for her. She wanted to see how much money they had earned today.

Sun Shi smiled, immediately understanding Lin Qiuran's meaning.

The shop wasn't staffed overnight, so they had to bring all the money back—thousands of copper coins and a few small pieces of silver. For a moment on the way back, Sun Shi had even thought it was heavy, but she quickly chided herself—this was money! How could she complain about money being heavy?

To complain about money being heavy—she must be doing well for herself.

Sun Shi said, "Alright, alright, I'm coming."

Xiao Dashi also smiled. He locked the door, and the family went into the back room to count the money.

Lin Qiuran weighed the silver. None of the dishes on the menu cost more than one *qian*, but when customers ordered multiple dishes, the total could get expensive. At noon, a table of five had ordered eight dishes, though six would have been enough. Including the cost of rice and wine, it came to 275 *wen*. Sun Shi rounded down the change, so the customer paid with two *qian* of silver and 50 *wen* in copper coins.

Rounding down was Lin Qiuran's idea. The change wasn't much, but it made customers feel they got a good deal and were more likely to return, helping to attract repeat customers.

That's just good business—you had to keep the customers happy.

For smaller orders of around a hundred *wen*, they would round down a few *wen*. When rounding wasn't possible, they would offer free rice wine next time. At noon, there were about twenty tables; in the evening, about a dozen. Two dishes were mistakenly served and not charged for. The total silver earned today was one *liang* and six *qian*, with the rest in copper coins, totaling 3,120 *wen*.

The preparation today hadn't been precise. They made too much in the afternoon, and the family ate the leftovers. These were also part of the cost. Calculating the profit, Lin Qiuran guessed it was about half. If the preparation had been more accurate, the profit could have been higher, around 60%.

Since many ingredients were prepared separately, and there were leftover fish and ducks, she couldn't calculate the exact profit by subtracting the cost. Lin Qiuran made a rough estimate—half profit, meaning they earned about two *liang* and three *qian* today.

Working in the kitchen, she had a good idea of what sold. Lin Qiuran decided to make some simple adjustments. She said, "Dad, tomorrow we can buy less mutton. Simmering fifteen *jin* (about 16.5 pounds) a day should be enough."

Mutton was the most expensive, and though it didn’t sell as well as braised pork, it was good for winter, and some customers still ordered it.

"We can buy more pork belly. I'm afraid we might run out tomorrow. Buy a few more ducks to raise—it can't hurt. The Ginger Duck is quite popular. Also, buy another stove and clay pot for making Ginger Duck."

The Ginger Duck sold well because of Lin Qiuran's skill. Duck was hard to cook well, easily turning gamey, but Lin Qiuran's version wasn't. The golden, steaming pot made other customers want to try it, and once they did, they often ordered it again.

Besides braised pork, this was the other signature dish of the eatery.

Xiao Dashi nodded. He preferred doing the shopping anyway.

Lin Qiuran added, "The sour fish also sells well. We should get more fish."

They could keep them in buckets, and Xiao Dashi would slaughter them when needed.

Before, they had to budget carefully, but now that they were making money, they could reinvest it into the shop to make customers more comfortable, ensuring they could get the dishes they wanted almost immediately upon arrival.

Lin Qiuran thought of one more thing. "Also, I think the main hall is a bit dark with just candles. We need to buy a few lamps, and we should have charcoal braziers too."

It wasn’t too cold yet, and the hot dishes kept everyone warm. But once winter set in, charcoal braziers would be essential.

Lin Qiuran said, "Let’s buy four charcoal braziers, and get me a bed warmer too."

Xiao Dashi nodded. Lin Qiuran gave him all the copper coins. She kept the silver pieces—the family needed to save money. By saving up slowly, they might be able to buy something else before the New Year.

Tomorrow, she would ask about hiring help. Waitstaff wouldn't cost much, but a shop manager probably wouldn’t work for just a few *wen* a day.

Hiring would cost quite a bit, and that had to be factored into the costs. Since menu prices were already set and couldn’t be raised, Lin Qiuran wanted to keep costs as low as possible. If the people were reliable, it was best to hire them at a lower price.

For now, that was all Lin Qiuran could think of. Seeing there was nothing else, Sun Shi urged her to go to sleep. "It's getting late. We have to work tomorrow, and if we don’t rest well, we won’t have energy."

Lin Qiuran nodded, quickly washed up, and went to bed. If they returned at this time tomorrow and had hired a manager and waitstaff, she would ask Sun Shi to come back early to heat water—she wanted to take a bath.

The next day, the family went to the shop at the same time as yesterday.

For the stewed meat, Lin Qiuran only needed to season it; Wan Niang and Sun Shi could handle the rest. But she still had to fry the fish herself, as others couldn’t make it look as good. The other dishes were prepared slowly, and by noon, they started cooking and stir-frying.

Lin Qiuran handled all the freshly cooked dishes. For an eatery, taste was crucial. If customers came and found the flavors inconsistent—some dishes good, some bad—they wouldn’t want to return.

That's what making a living was like—repeating the same tasks. In between, Wan Niang went out for a while to feed her child, then returned to work. Last night, they brought back quite a bit of mutton, and Zhao Shi was thrilled. He said that including the food, the daily wage wasn’t just fifteen *wen*—it was more like thirty or forty *wen*.

Zhao Shi said, "In a month, it’s almost as much as I make. I need to step up my game."

This made Wan Niang laugh.

Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi were busy in the front. Before coming over, Lin Qiuran went to see Zhao Guangcai. Zhao Guangcai said he would keep an eye out for help, but he didn’t specify when he might find someone. Based on how long it took to find Auntie Liu, it would probably take two or three days.

In the meantime, Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi would have to work harder.

Most customers came in groups of three or five. Yesterday, no one came alone, but today one person did. Well, not entirely alone—this customer brought a maid and attendants.

It was a young lady, with a maid standing behind her and guards waiting at the door. When she sat down, the maid wiped the table and chair for her. Clearly, she was a young lady from a wealthy family.

She seemed out of place in this small eatery.

Such a grand entourage was a first for Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi. Even when they were at the Jiang residence, they hadn’t seen the Jiang family members.

Sun Shi stammered a bit, "C-customer, please take a look at the menu and see what you’d like to order."

Jiang Sijie glanced at Sun Shi. Sun Shi was neatly dressed, but it was clear she had had a hard life. She didn’t look like she was in her forties; she seemed more like she was in her fifties. Compared to Jiang Sijie’s mother, she looked much older.

Jiang Sijie nodded slightly and carefully examined the menu. She had been traveling these past days and hadn’t had time to learn to read or write. But some characters were the same in traditional and simplified scripts, so she could still make out the dishes.

The menu had a variety of dishes, all fairly common in restaurants and taverns, like braised pork, braised fish… Jiang Sijie had eaten these a few times while traveling. There were also dishes she hadn’t seen or tried before, but they had nothing to do with modern cuisine.

If it were grilled meat or boba tea, she could immediately recognize them as modern items, but these dishes made Jiang Sijie uncertain.

Perhaps they were just that good at cooking; after all, many restaurants on the street sold similar dishes.

Jiang Sijie took too long looking at the menu, and with other customers waiting—and only Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi serving—Sun Shi couldn’t help but speak up, she said, “Miss, have you decided what you’d like to eat?”

Jiang Sijie looked up and smiled at Sun Shi, saying, “I’ll have the braised pork, sour cabbage fish, assorted braised meats platter, and also a hand-shredded cabbage.”

Jiang Sijie continued browsing the menu, considering what else to add. Some dishes were indeed novel, but that didn’t necessarily mean they didn’t exist in this era. Besides, the original story was fictional, set in the Yue Dynasty, which didn’t exist in history books.

She ordered the assorted braised meats platter to see if it resembled the modern duck delicacies found everywhere or the sweet and spicy flavors like a certain famous brand. This era shouldn’t have such things—if it did, it would almost confirm that Lin Qiuran was a time traveler.

Seeing Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi busy in the front, Jiang Sijie deduced that Lin Qiuran must be the one cooking. If Lin Qiuran wasn’t a time traveler, Jiang Sijie needed to think about what to do next.

Xiao Xun was a good man, but he had a wife and family. Not to mention his character wouldn’t allow him to abandon his benefactor; even if there were no feelings between them, he wouldn’t do anything to betray Lin Qiuran. As for Jiang Sijie herself, she wouldn’t consider meddling in their relationship—that would make her a homewrecker.

Her mind was racing with thoughts, but as she was about to order more, Sun Shi spoke again, “Miss, our portions are pretty big. If you’re eating alone, two dishes should be enough. If you want to try more flavors, that’s fine, but ordering too much will definitely leave you with leftovers.”

Jiang Sijie paused, then nodded, “Then I’ll just have these, and a bowl of rice.”

Sun Shi first brought a pot of rice wine, and soon the assorted braised meats platter arrived.

Jiang Sijie’s heart tightened, but she quickly relaxed. It wasn’t braised duck—instead, it was a platter of pig head meat, pig liver, and pig ears. The flavor wasn’t sweet and spicy either, just a pure savory taste. Some customers had pig skin jelly on their tables, with dipping sauces beside them, and everyone seemed to be enjoying their meal.

Lin Qiuran’s skills were excellent; the dishes were delicious.

Jiang Sijie tasted the rice wine—it was sweet, with a mild alcoholic taste.

Soon, the braised pork arrived, along with a bowl of rice. Such rich dishes were best eaten with rice; otherwise, they’d become too greasy. Even though Lin Qiuran’s version was rich but not greasy, eating it alone would still be too much.

Jiang Sijie hadn’t eaten much the day before and was now starving. Even though she had ulterior motives for coming, she was genuinely hungry.

She took a bite of the braised pork—it was out of this world. Not only was it better than the versions sold in several inns and restaurants, it was even more delicious than the dishes prepared by the Jiang family’s chef. It was incredibly flavorful, no wonder the restaurant was doing such good business.

When Jiang Sijie first arrived, there were still seats available, but in just a short while, the place was full.

Those wanting to eat had to wait, but watching others eat while waiting was torture. People inside were feasting, while those outside could only watch. She felt the space was too small, but with only three people working, any more would be unmanageable.

After a few pieces of braised pork, Jiang Sijie had eaten half a bowl of rice. When the sour cabbage fish and hand-shredded cabbage arrived, her eyes lit up again after tasting them. The sour cabbage fish was tangy and appetizing, but it wasn’t necessarily a modern dish.

Since Yu’an was located in the south, if Lin Qiuran made a Northern-style stew here, Jiang Sijie would suspect she was a time traveler. But this region already had sour cabbage, and with its proximity to mountains and rivers, it was hard to pinpoint when this dish originated.

The stir-fried cabbage was a simple stir-fry, with crispy pork cracklings, tangy and savory. Jiang Sijie even ate a few pieces of the lard on their own.

It seemed the Xiao family hadn’t set up greenhouses to grow vegetables for sale, so Lin Qiuran likely wasn’t a time traveler. Jiang Sijie ate while observing the shop—there were no decorations, just simple long benches. From what she could see, there were no signs of Lin Qiuran being a time traveler.

The drink was rice wine, not boba tea. Jiang Sijie breathed a sigh of relief and decided to focus on eating for now; she could think about other things later.

Sun Shi was right—the portions at Xiao Family Eatery were generous. Four dishes were too much for one person. Jiang Sijie had already eaten a lot, but there was still more than half of the braised pork left, plenty of fish and sour cabbage in the big bowl of sour cabbage fish, and the braised platter and stir-fried cabbage also had leftovers.

But she had already eaten two bowls of rice and was truly full. The Jiang family was comfortable, and since Jiang Sijie arrived, she had never lacked food or clothing, nor had she ever eaten so much in one sitting.

She thought about taking the leftovers home, but reheating would ruin the taste. The maids would eat later during their shifts anyway.

With other customers still waiting, Jiang Sijie placed a piece of silver, about half a *tael*, on the table and said, “The check, please.”

Sun Shi went to make change, but Jiang Sijie said, “Keep the change. But I have a favor to ask. Ma'am, I’d like to speak with the cook—whenever she’s free after the busy hours. I’ll wait at the teahouse next door. If she’s unwilling, that’s fine too.”

Since she was already here, she wanted to see what kind of person Lin Qiuran was and how she treated Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi.

Although she had no right to interfere, she didn’t want Xiao Dashi and Sun Shi to be hurt or face difficulties. Besides, given her family’s wealth, she wouldn’t mind helping the Xiao family if needed.

Sun Shi was surprised but accepted the silver—after all, some generous customers did leave tips.

For their business, every bit helped. Jiang Sijie’s meal cost less than two *qian*, but she gave half a *tael*, which was a good thing for the Xiao family.

After clearing the table, Sun Shi went to the kitchen to find Lin Qiuran and filled her in quickly.

Lin Qiuran asked, “Did she say what it was about?”

Sun Shi shook her head, “No, but she said it’s fine if you don’t want to meet.”

Lin Qiuran thought it might be a manager from another restaurant. “Mother, please let her know I’ll come see her after we’re done.”

Sun Shi nodded. While serving other dishes, she glanced at the waste bucket and sighed inwardly—what a waste.

Jiang Sijie’s leftovers had gone into the waste bucket. If they had a dog, they could feed it to it, but the Xiao family didn’t have one. They wouldn’t eat the leftovers themselves, even if they looked untouched. If they hired help in the future, they couldn’t let them take leftovers home either.

If they did, customers might worry the food was being reused. Such suspicions were best avoided.

Running an eatery meant ensuring customers felt safe eating there. The kitchen might be out of sight, but the front had to be clean.

Lin Qiuran thought having a dog might be a good idea—whether at the shop or at home. With no man around, a big watchdog could deter trouble. And with a child, a loyal dog could offer protection.

But for now, business was too busy. The idea of getting a dog could wait. They were already overwhelmed with the eatery—no time to think about a dog.

The noon rush ended quickly. After eating and washing her face, Lin Qiuran went to the teahouse next door. Cooking inevitably involved cooking fumes and grease, and this era had no ventilation systems.

Since she was meeting someone, she had to clean up. At the teahouse, a maid escorted her upstairs.

The day before, Jiang Sijie had only gotten a quick look at Lin Qiuran from the carriage, noticing her large pregnant belly but little else in the dark.

But today, as Lin Qiuran entered from outside, Jiang Sijie saw her clearly. Lin Qiuran wore simple cotton clothes, her hair wrapped in a head scarf.

Her forehead and temples were a little damp, but she looked calm and composed. Lin Qiuran was very pretty, with willow-leaf eyebrows and almond eyes, wearing no makeup, giving her a natural, unadorned beauty. Her large belly added a gentle, graceful aura, making her overall demeanor soft and approachable.

She seemed maternal, making one want to get closer.

Jiang Sijie’s voice naturally softened, “You must be Ms. Lin. My surname is Jiang, given name Sijie.”

Lin Qiuran heard the surname Jiang but didn't make the connection to the pastry shop, since Wufangzhai was managed by the Xu family and shouldn’t involve her. “I’ll get straight to the point. Miss Jiang, you likely know I’m the cook at Xiao Family Eatery.”

Jiang Sijie nodded, “Please, have a seat.”

She noticed no surprise in Lin Qiuran’s eyes—she probably hadn’t heard of her name. If Lin Qiuran had read the original book, she would have shown some reaction. It seemed Lin Qiuran assumed she was here for business.

Jiang Sijie said, “Ms. Lin, you may have misunderstood. I’m not here for business. I’ve heard about your family’s situation and respect how you’ve handled things. I just wanted to speak with you.”