Chapter Sixty-Four: Return to the Eatery

Chapter 64: Back at the Eatery

As Steward Xu and the coachman moved the items, Lin Qiuran watched them; the silver wasn't dropped by either of them. She could inquire with anyone who had visited the Xiao family if they had lost it.

She picked up the silver—a small piece, weighing over one tael. Though the family wasn't short on money, finding it still signaled good fortune for the day.

Lin Qiuran tucked the silver into her pocket. Upon arriving home, she first checked on Tangyuan. He hadn't stirred throughout the journey and was now sleeping soundly.

During the day, the wet nurse was sufficient to care for him. Lin Qiuran returned to her room and carefully examined the gifts she had received that day.

Gifts from Xiao Village were less elaborate than those from the county town. The village chief and others brought various items—some chickens or ducks, others eggs, and some even fish. Regardless of their monetary value, it was the thought that counted. Inviting the villagers also had its advantages: when they returned to farm in the future, the village chief could offer assistance. As an elder of the clan, this would also prevent potential issues with the old residence.

These items were left at the eatery, to be used in cooking.

Zhao Guangcai contributed one tael of silver. Although he didn't know if the Xiao family had earned or borrowed the money for their new house, their prosperity was evident. That day, Lin Qiuran even wore a gold hairpin and a gold bracelet.

Moreover, passing by, he noticed the eatery had many customers. He surmised it wouldn't be long before Lin Qiuran planned another acquisition.

That day, Zhao Guangcai also asked Lin Qiuran if she intended to rent out the house on Yulin Street, as they no longer lived there.

Lin Qiuran was hesitant to rent it out for now. If she opened a branch, she would need to hire more staff, and with more people, their current home wouldn't suffice. She decided to keep the Yulin Street property for later. However, she did hear good news from Zhao Guangcai: the price of that house had risen for various reasons. Originally bought for 37 taels, it could now fetch 40 taels.

This appreciation in property value was certainly a good thing.

Zhao Guangcai also noted that housing prices in the county town hadn't seen significant increases. For property investment, one would need to look towards the capital or major cities. Lin Qiuran didn't have that kind of money, so she decided to consult Zhao Guangcai again if the need arose in the future.

Since she had no plans to sell their current residence, Lin Qiuran didn't inquire further. Whether prices rose or fell, it didn't concern her much.

After recording the gift list, she took out the longevity lock jointly presented by Shopkeeper Shi and others and weighed it. It was 1.2 taels, exquisitely crafted and delicate. However, Tangyuan was still too young, and wearing such items outside would be too conspicuous, potentially attracting ill-intentioned individuals. Lin Qiuran decided to keep it safe for him.

The longevity lock from Aunt Yu weighed two taels. Lin Qiuran felt a bit uneasy about its generosity and planned to think of other snacks to offer in return.

But she couldn't just give it away for free—even close kin keep clear accounts. Perhaps she could invest, taking a smaller share, allowing both sides to profit. The monthly earnings would then cover the wet nurse's wages and living expenses.

Then there was the gold lock from Xu Yuanhang. Lin Qiuran weighed it—also two taels, but even more exquisitely crafted, with a gold chain engraved with wishes for longevity and happiness. It was heavier than the one she had purchased.

The one Lin Qiuran had bought from Golden Ruyi was just over one tael, tied with a red string, and had cost twenty taels. For just a full-month celebration, Tangyuan now had four gold locks, all representing the elders' blessings and affection for him.

She carefully stored these items and recorded them on the gift list.

Xu Yuanhang had also gifted other things: a beautiful set of cups, some dried goods, and toys for Tangyuan, such as a rattle drum and cloth tigers. Lin Qiuran took out these two toys, as others, like the nine-linked puzzle, weren't yet suitable.

She stored the dried goods in the storeroom, washed the cups clean, and put away the old ones, intending to use the new set from now on.

Sun Shi and the others hadn't returned yet, so Lin Qiuran took the opportunity to review the account books. During her absence from the eatery, the second floor had been closed to customers, resulting in a daily profit of about 1.5 taels. Business was moderate, but generally profitable.

From after the New Year until she completed her postpartum confinement, approximately forty days had passed. During this period, she had paid for a doctor, a midwife, and a wet nurse. For Tangyuan's full-month celebration, Lin Qiuran gave the wet nurse an additional one-tael red envelope. There were also expenses for the full-month banquet, buying eggs, and other miscellaneous costs, which added up significantly.

The gold lock she bought for Tangyuan came from her private savings. She wanted to use her own money to acquire a house someday, so if things didn't work out with Xiao Xun, she would have a place to go. The current house could then be left for Sun Shi and the others.

She calculated that the family still had over 140 taels of silver, while she personally held over 200 taels, mostly from spice sales and a smaller share from Wufangzhai.

Compared to the eatery's income, the shares from the spice business and Wufangzhai still constituted the larger portion of their earnings. Lin Qiuran also allocated some funds from the family's money. Since they had received gifts for Tangyuan, the family would need to reciprocate. Such was the principle of give and take.

With substantial savings, Lin Qiuran had no immediate plans to invest in farmland or property. The Xiao family already owned over twenty mu of land in Xiao Village, which was sufficient. Lin Qiuran didn't understand farming, but hearing that spring planting was approaching, she took out ten taels for Xiao Dashi to buy seeds and hire laborers. The house was spacious enough, with the front courtyard still empty, and she had no intention of moving.

The remaining money would be saved for opening a branch. If the second floor were to be converted into another eatery, renovations would also be costly. They would definitely need to hire more people, but with so many dishes to master, it was unclear when they would be ready.

After reviewing the account books, Lin Qiuran rubbed her temples, walked around the room a few times, and then went to check on Tangyuan.

Tangyuan had just woken up, having been fed, and looked particularly happy.

Wet Nurse Xu said, "Perhaps he enjoys the activity. Children his age find everything new and interesting."

Lin Qiuran replied, "Now that the weather is warmer, you can take him out for a walk at noon. Don't keep him cooped up at home all the time."

Tangyuan opened his mouth, occasionally revealing his dimples. Lin Qiuran carried him back to the room, played with him for a while, and even showed him the gold locks. Surprisingly, he reached out for them.

However, children his age spent most of their day sleeping. Lin Qiuran closed the door and decided to take a nap herself.

At noon, it was warm, but after midday, as the sun shifted and the sky grew overcast, it turned chilly again.

Though the spring chill was sharp, the room was warm, especially with Tangyuan, who felt like a little heater.

Lin Qiuran napped for over half an hour, waking to the sounds outside. Sun Shi and the others had returned. Tangyuan was also awake but couldn't help yawning.

When it was just her and the wet nurse at home, Lin Qiuran always slept with Tangyuan. When working, she would still keep an ear out for any noises from his room.

Even though she knew Wet Nurse Xu’s background and that, as a native of Yu’an, she was unlikely to cause trouble, it never hurt to be cautious.

Xiao Dashi had just sobered up and reeked of alcohol. Sun Shi was disgusted, and when she saw Lin Qiuran carrying Tangyuan, her disapproval was even clearer. “Stay away from him. Don’t let the smell bother Tangyuan.”

Sun Shi’s expression quickly softened as she approached and took Tangyuan’s hand. “Oh, you’re awake now.”

Xiao Dashi glanced at his grandson but didn’t come closer.

He went to feed the chickens. They had brought back some leftovers, but since there wasn’t much, they didn’t bother selling them to pig farmers.

Nowadays, the family rarely ate leftovers unless they were from their own meals, but they could be fed to the chickens. With the weather warming up, they hoped the chickens would lay more eggs.

Lin Xia came to take care of the child. Since Lin Qiuran had just finished her postpartum confinement, it was better for her to rest as much as possible.

Sun Shi chattered on, “See what you’d like to eat tonight. You’ve been holding Tangyuan and still have to cook for guests. You didn’t eat much at noon. Your mother has returned. I had her take an ox cart back and gave her two chickens, some vegetables from the kitchen, and a few pounds of red-shelled eggs to distribute to the villagers. We really owe her a lot this time.”

Sun Shi smiled and said, “Everyone says your cooking is delicious. Shopkeeper Shi mentioned that tomorrow will likely be busy, so we should go early.”

Sun Shi didn’t bring up Xu Yuanhang. She had previously considered reminding Lin Qiuran that, since she was married, it wasn’t appropriate to interact so frequently with another man. She had also thought of speaking to Xiao Xun, as Xu Yuanhang’s treatment of Lin Qiuran was anything but ordinary.

Who would be so selflessly kind to someone—giving gifts, offering discounts on shop prices, and even attending Tangyuan’s full-month celebration? The gold lock was just one of the gifts. Sun Shi had seen Xu Yuanhang’s steward unloading other items from the carriage.

Xu Yuanhang had given Lin Qiuran gifts more than once.

After the meal, fearing Tangyuan would catch a chill, he even escorted mother and child home. Xu Yuanhang was so kind that Sun Shi couldn’t bring herself to speak ill of him, nor could she easily broach the subject with Lin Qiuran.

Xu Yuanhang behaved just like any other guest—coming, giving gifts, eating, and leaving. Sun Shi didn’t know what to do. In the end, she didn’t mention her concerns to anyone, not even Xiao Dashi.

Firstly, bringing it up might seem like she was causing drama or being overly suspicious. Hadn’t Lin Qiuran done enough for the family? Her closeness to Xu Yuanhang was for business purposes. After all, Zhao Guangcai had also visited that day. Secondly, what good would it do to mention it? Lin Qiuran was now in partnership with Xu Yuanhang. Should she avoid him for the sake of appearances, give up the business, and stop earning money, content with just running the restaurant?

Just as their lives were improving, instead of helping, should she hold them back?

If Xiao Xun had any complaints about this, Sun Shi would have to advise him not to do anything foolish. To be honest, from Lin Qiuran hiring a wet nurse, it was clear she valued these matters. She was even willing to leave Tangyuan at home to focus on the restaurant. What more could Sun Shi say?

Unaware of Sun Shi’s thoughts, Lin Qiuran said, “Let’s keep dinner simple tonight. We’ll prepare something separate for Wet Nurse Xu.”

Since Wet Nurse Xu was breastfeeding, her meals couldn’t be too simple but needed to be light, with meat and vegetables but no spicy ingredients and less salt.

Lin Qiuran had written a menu for her, changing it every few days. Though there were many dishes at noon, many were unsuitable for Wet Nurse Xu. “Lin Xia, ask Wet Nurse Xu if she’s hungry.”

Lin Xia went to ask, and Wet Nurse Xu said she could eat a little. Lin Dong went to cook the rice.

Lin Qiuran was glad she wasn't breastfeeding herself, otherwise she'd have to be on a restricted diet.

For dinner, Lin Qiuran made dough ball soup, adding chicken floss to it. Not only that, she used a broth base, and the bits of egg in it were like snowflakes. The eggs were from their own chickens, with beautifully colored yolks, making the soup a golden yellow.

She had made this at the post house before, but it was the first time at home. Auntie Xu had already eaten her afternoon meal and even had two bowls.

She also heated up buns and baked sweet potatoes. For Auntie Xu, she made steamed egg custard with chicken and dried scallops.

Lin Qiuran just had the dough ball soup and one baked sweet potato. She added chili oil to the soup and worked up a sweat from the spiciness.

They finished the whole pot of soup. Auntie Xu had worked as a wet nurse for other families before and remarked that the Xiao family really knew how to cook.

The next morning.

Lin Qiuran left Lin Xia and Sun Shi at home with the wet nurse to look after Tangyuan, while she went to the eatery with Lin Dong and Xiao Dashi.

She had considered bringing Tangyuan to the eatery like Wan Niang, keeping him in the small room next door. But the road was cold, and Lin Qiuran didn't want him to suffer. Besides, the conditions at the eatery were crude and not as spacious or comfortable as home.

Wan Niang really had no other option—she had to work and breastfeed, so she had to bring Ying Jieer to the eatery. Tangyuan was better off at home.

Lin Qiuran had hired a wet nurse, and at the eatery, there were her, Lin Dong, and Xiao Dashi, so they could manage for now.

If she brought Tangyuan to the eatery, Lin Qiuran would be distracted.

Moreover, Lin Xia and Sun Shi took turns staying up at night, each working half the night and needing to catch up on sleep during the day.

Sun Shi thought this arrangement was fine—someone had to stay home, or else what would Auntie Xu have to eat?

Before they left, Sun Shi said, "Don't worry about home. If anything comes up, I'll go to the eatery to find you."

Lin Qiuran nodded, hugged Tangyuan before leaving, and then took the donkey cart to the eatery.

This was her first day back at the shop after her month of confinement. During her confinement, she had mentally rehearsed numerous times. Not long after they arrived at the eatery, Wan Niang came. Wan Niang and Lin Dong washed and chopped vegetables, while Lin Qiuran started preparing the stews for the first floor at noon.

Braised pork, Ginger Duck, braised lamb—she planned to take the braised lamb off the menu once the weather warmed up a bit more.

After stewing these dishes, she prepared the ingredients for the second floor, placing them on shelves for easy access when needed.

The dishes on the first floor of the eatery were generous portions: cabbage, potatoes, tofu, bean sprouts, sliced meat, shredded meat, minced meat... Everything was being prepared methodically.

Lin Dong wore a smile. For the past month, she had been working with Wan Niang, with Sun Shi occasionally helping out. She could manage, but with Lin Qiuran there, she felt more assured.

Lin Dong: "Madam, the garlic is all prepared."

Lin Qiuran saw that both sliced and minced garlic were ready and nodded. "Rest if you're tired."

Lin Dong shook her head. "I'm not tired."

Today, Lin Qiuran made the stews. At noon, there were also two stir-fried dishes: shredded potatoes and minced meat with tofu. The shredded potato dish was the first Lin Dong learned and the one she was most skilled at, but Lin Qiuran intended for her to practice other dishes.

Still, when Lin Dong tasted Lin Qiuran's cooking, she thought Lin Qiuran's was better. Just that plate of shredded potatoes could go with two bowls of rice.

Lin Dong had a complicated expression. Lin Qiuran said, "You've only been learning for a short time. If it tastes ninety percent as good, that's already excellent. Take your time. I'll be counting on you to teach others in the future."

Once the dishes were ready, Shopkeeper Shi and Lu Fan served them. In the courtyard, there was also a large basin of red eggs, which were given to customers when serving the dishes.

For these three days at the eatery, every table got a ten percent discount, and those booking banquets on the second floor received complimentary tea.

The early spring weather was fine, with clear skies. Even before noon, customers came in groups of three or five. The aroma of wine, rice, and dishes blended together, creating a lively atmosphere.

Some offered congratulations, while others, after tasting the dishes, accurately pointed out which were made by Lin Qiuran and which by Lin Dong, though most couldn't tell the difference.

There were three tables of customers on the second floor, now toasting and enjoying good food and wine. Two tables brought their own wine, while one ordered from the eatery. Today's turnover had to be at least ten taels of silver. But with alcohol included, the profit definitely wouldn't reach half, maybe three or four taels, since prices were ten percent cheaper today.

Shopkeeper Shi was happy. Heaven knew how anxious he was during Lin Qiuran's month of confinement, afraid that customers would stop coming. Fortunately, they didn't.

Lin Dong's cooking was good, and those with discerning tastes returned upon hearing Lin Qiuran was back.

Two tables even gave tips because they enjoyed the meal so much. The servers were Shopkeeper Shi and Lu Fan, so the tips were certainly related to them—they kept the customers happy, but it was also because the food was delicious.

Lin Qiuran had previously said that tips could be kept by themselves, but Shopkeeper Shi and Lu Fan discussed taking half and giving the rest to the eatery, just for good luck.

After a busy day, there were still customers coming after 7:30 PM, but the prepared ingredients were already used up. Shopkeeper Shi politely persuaded them to come another day.

There was a little braised pork and half a duck left. Lin Qiuran sliced a few potatoes and stir-fried them. Everyone sat down to eat.

After working hard, everyone was starving. Shopkeeper Shi mixed a bite of braised pork with rice. The potato slices stir-fried by Lin Qiuran were also delicious, cooked to perfection—the edges were softened, with a sandy, tender texture. Lin Qiuran also drizzled a bit of meat broth over them, making them especially fragrant.

They would do the accounts tomorrow. After eating, they waited for Auntie Liu to clean up, and Xiao Dashi checked the doors and windows before closing up and heading home.

Lin Qiuran missed Tangyuan and looked forward to getting home quickly.

The night was cold. In truth, while cooking, she also thought of Tangyuan, but she had to focus on work—there was no other way.

Earlier, when she played with Ying Jieer, Wan Niang teased, "Missing your child, aren't you? Why not go back at noon to see him."

Lin Qiuran shook her head. Cooking was exhausting enough; going back wasn't worth it. She could see him when she got home at night.

He was probably asleep by now. Sun Shi hadn't come by all day, so Tangyuan must have been well-behaved at home.

Finally entering the alley, Lin Qiuran saw Sun Shi waiting at the door from afar.

Sun Shi came over and asked, "How was it? Tiring? Tangyuan isn't asleep yet. He probably noticed you weren't here—he kept looking for you today."

Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Really? I'll go see him."

Lin Qiuran lifted her skirt and ran home. She passed the screen wall, crossed the front yard to the rear corridor, and paused for a moment at the door of the wing room.

In the past, when they returned from business, the house was empty and dark. Today, warm yellow candlelight shone through the window. She took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and Auntie Xu smiled, saying to Tangyuan in the crib, "Look who's back."

Tangyuan, one month old, was awake. He couldn't roll over yet, but his head turned toward Lin Qiuran, his mouth open, babbling.

Lin Qiuran picked up Tangyuan, his warm body pressed against her chest. It had only been a day, but he looked just as he did when she left in the morning. Lin Qiuran asked, "Was Tangyuan well-behaved today?"

Auntie Xu said, "He didn't cry much. Most of the day, he just ate and slept. We took him out at noon to sunbathe for a bit—he seemed to like it."

Lin Qiuran said, "Thank you for your hard work today."

Auntie Xu modestly replied, "Aunt Sun and Miss Lin Xia helped a lot too. I didn't have to do much."

Tangyuan was easy to soothe, easier to care for than other children. Auntie Xu mainly just fed him. Plus, he was fair and clean, and his good looks made him adorable.

After holding him for a while, Tangyuan grew sleepy and fell asleep. Lin Qiuran pressed her cheek against his before gently placing him back in the crib.

Late at night, Lin Qiuran also washed up and prepared for bed. She soaked her feet to relieve fatigue, feeling that today wasn't too exhausting—it was manageable.

The next day was the same: she hugged Tangyuan and then went to the eatery. This continued for several days, and soon it was late February.

Xiao Dashi made several trips to Xiao Village to handle spring planting. Banquets on the second floor were booked until the end of the month, though not every day was full.

On the afternoon of the 21st, before the evening business hours, Shopkeeper Shi was lounging in a recliner, rocking back and forth, with a ray of sunlight shining on him—very comfortable.

After rocking for a while, Shopkeeper Shi fell asleep and only woke when Lu Fan arrived.

Lu Fan went home almost every day, unless the weather was bad. Before coming in, he glanced outside and said, "Boss, is the tea house next door closing down?"

Shopkeeper Shi: "What?"