Chapter 63: Noodle Soup

Chapter 63: Noodle Soup

Zhou Ye didn't reply to the assistant's words, simply stating, "I brought a basket of dried shiitake mushrooms today. Could you please ask Manager Luo if he has a need for them?"

As he spoke, he pulled out a handful of copper coins. "I'd appreciate your trouble, young man."

The assistant politely declined, "Oh no, no need. It's just a small matter to pass on a message for you."

Zhou Ye directly pressed the coins into his hand. "I'd also appreciate it if you could put in a good word for me. These shiitakes are of excellent quality, no worse than any sold in the Grass Market."

Though shiitake mushrooms were not easy to find, Jingxi Town had over a dozen villages, many of which relied on the mountains. Other villagers also gathered and sold these mushrooms, but their quantities were far smaller than Zhou Ye's.

The assistant, now holding a handful of coins, immediately broke into a wide grin. "No need for me to specially praise them. Manager Luo is always very satisfied with what you bring. Please wait a moment, I'll go find him right away."

Lin Shu watched the entire exchange, clicking her tongue in admiration. Zhou Ye seemed quiet and reserved, but who would have thought he was so adept at handling social interactions? That handful of copper coins must have been at least twenty or thirty *wen*. What other farmer would be willing to part with that much?

Noticing her staring intently at him with a puzzled expression, Zhou Ye pursed his lips and explained, "Don't be fooled by that assistant's smiling face. If he were truly warm-hearted, he would have gone to deliver the message as soon as he recognized me. Instead, he first made small talk, saying Manager Luo was difficult to see and that I had arrived late. With people like this, there's no need to waste words. If you pay enough, they'll deliver your message. If not, no matter how much you say or how humble you act, it's useless."

Lin Shu chuckled. "You're preaching to the choir. It’s easier to deal with the King of Hell than his little imps, as they say. I'm just surprised you're usually so tongue-tied, yet you're quite skilled in this area. And such a large handful of coins—you were willing to part with them too."

Zhou Ye said, "If such people aren't satisfied, they'll only half-heartedly do the job. He could make a show of going and coming back, and we'd have no way of knowing whether he actually informed Manager Luo. The money's only well-spent if it keeps him happy."

"That makes sense, but did you ask me before bribing the assistant?" Lin Shu placed her hands on her hips, a smirk playing on her lips. "That was money Mom gave me. She was just worried it wasn't safe with me, so she had you hold it. I don’t care, you owe me for this. You have to make it up to me!"

Zhou Ye was taken aback. "How should I make it up? Do you want to keep some pocket money?"

Lin Shu shot him a reproachful look. "If I come to the market, Mom will give me money. Why would I need pocket money? Do you think I'm that kind of person? I mean, let's find a small food stall later and have a meal. Hmm, I want noodle soup!"

Eating noodles would be the perfect chance to use the Termitomyces sauce she brought. Once the aroma of the sauce filled the room, it would surely attract other food lovers!

After waiting for a while, the assistant who had taken the bribe returned, this time bringing along a middle-aged man of average height with a thick waist and round face.

The assistant followed closely behind the man, fawning obsequiously as he spoke.

Seeing the assistant’s sycophantic demeanor, Lin Shu guessed the man in front must be Manager Luo. As expected of a manager from a large restaurant, he certainly ate well—his chin was a roll of fat.

"Da Lang, what good stuff did you bring me today?" Manager Luo asked as he approached, smiling amiably and seeming easygoing.

But the address "Da Lang" nearly made Lin Shu burst out laughing.

Zhou Ye Da Lang set down his basket and replied unhurriedly, "Manager Luo, sorry to disturb you. I gathered some shiitake mushrooms in the mountains a few days ago and dried them. This basket holds about five *jin* [catty] of dried shiitakes. Considering your Wine Full Tower's thriving business, you might need these, so I came straight here instead of going to the Grass Market."

Who didn't like hearing their business was doing well? Especially when it came from an honest and simple country man—it was particularly pleasing to the ear.

Manager Luo’s smile deepened. He picked up two dried shiitakes, pinched them, then gave them a sniff. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Freshly dried, and the quality looks good."

Then he lifted the basket by its edges. As he did, his eyebrows rose slightly. "Are you sure this basket only has five *jin*? It feels heavier than five *jin* to me."

A look of surprise crossed Zhou Ye’s face. Honestly, he replied, "I wouldn't dream of deceiving you, Manager Luo. This basket actually has seven *jin*, but since they weren't dried thoroughly, I deducted two *jin*."

Manager Luo let out a hearty laugh. "Da Lang, Da Lang, you're such a rare honest man. Same as last time, I'll give you fifty *wen* per *liang* [ounce]. I'll take the whole basket!"

Lin Shu gasped softly. This manager was indeed straightforward! Who wouldn't like such a straight shooter? No wonder Zhou Ye had sold the pork so smoothly last time.

Fifty *wen* per *liang*, eight hundred *wen* per *jin*. Even calculated at five *jin*, that would be four strings of cash!

Manager Luo suddenly let out a sound of surprise, finally noticing someone standing behind Zhou Ye.

He tilted his head to look and saw a young lady.

His gaze swept over her lovely face, and he froze for a moment.

"Da Lang, who is this young lady?"

Zhou Ye frowned slightly and replied, "She's my young—"

Before he could finish "younger sister," Lin Shu stepped forward first, answering shyly, "Manager, I'm Da Lang's wife. I've heard from my husband how you've always looked out for him. Thanks to you, our lives have been much better than before."

The moment the word "wife" left her mouth, Zhou Ye stood frozen like a statue, not moving a muscle. A rush of heat spread through his body, and his neck flushed bright red.

Hearing Lin Shu’s words, Manager Luo immediately withdrew his gaze, though a trace of regret flickered in his eyes.

As the manager of Wine Full Tower, he often dealt with the town's wealthy families and merchants, so he had seen many delicate and noble ladies. It was no exaggeration to say that Da Lang’s wife had a clear and elegant lotus-like face, no less beautiful than those young misses from wealthy families. Even her skin—how it was so fine and fair, rivaling if not surpassing those ladies—was a mystery.

What a pity, what a pity. She was already married. Such a fresh, delicate flower stuck on a pile of cow dung.

He quite liked Da Lang—the man was capable and honest—but no matter how capable or honest, he was still just a country farmer. Could he really support such a delicate flower?

Manager Luo felt endless regret. He had the assistant who followed him fetch four strings of cash from the accounts. After settling the payment with Zhou Ye, he left.

Usually, he would give a few more words of instruction, telling Zhou Ye to bring any mountain goods he found in the future. But today, because of that regret, he didn't say much else.

Zhou Ye took the four strings of cash, his mind wandering for a long time.

Lin Shu took the four strings from his hands, hefted them, and smiled until her eyes disappeared. "So heavy! Four strings of cash, four thousand copper coins! A Ye, you're so capable. We earned four strings of cash in just one trip!"

Zhou Ye snapped out of his daze, his palms sweaty. He discreetly wiped them behind his back and grunted in response. "Shiitake mushrooms aren't easy to find in the mountains. I only get to sell them once in a long while. Four strings of cash actually don't go very far."

Lin Shu widened her eyes. "Not far? How would those families who would split a single coin in two survive then?"

Zhou Ye explained, "Xiao Pu’s medicine is expensive, and I eat more than others. Aunt He has to cook enough for two extra people at every meal."

Lin Shu paused. "About how much is Xiao Pu’s medicine each time?"

Zhou Ye: "I heard Aunt He mention it once. Even buying medicine for just ten days costs two hundred *wen*."

Lin Shu was speechless. She knew medical treatment was expensive, but she hadn't expected it to be this costly.

Two hundred *wen* every ten days meant six hundred *wen* a month. If it were just for a month or two, it would be one thing, but Xiao Pu needed long-term medication. She truly didn't know how her mother had managed these past two years.

She couldn't help but look at Zhou Ye. Thank goodness for him. Otherwise, her father and mother would have worked themselves to the bone and still not have enough money.

Thinking of Xiao Pu’s medical expenses, she somehow thought of the original owner and felt a wave of emotion. "A Ye, I was also frail as a child. I heard from my mother—I mean, the Marquess’s wife. She said I was raised with very expensive medicines for a long time before I recovered. If the Marquess’s household hadn't mistaken the children back then, I might not have survived in Tianshui Village. So, compared to me, Xiao Pu is already doing very well."

Hearing this, Zhou Ye suddenly frowned. The thought of that possibility made his heart clench.

Lin Shu sighed. "Sometimes I think maybe heaven took pity on me, letting me be born in the countryside but raised in the Marquess’s household."

To be precise, heaven took pity on the original Lin Shu, letting her grow up in the Marquess’s household and live a life of luxury for over a decade.

Unfortunately, not everyone could handle such a huge psychological disparity. When heaven tried to set everything right, the original owner, unable to bear the disparity, became the vicious supporting female character and ultimately caused her own death.

"Whenever I think about how the Marquess’s wife said I was frail as a child, I feel grateful for the mistaken identity back then. Because I grew up in the Marquess’s household, I have this healthy, illness-free body now. A Ye, does this small sense of relief of mine make me seem detestable? I should be ashamed of taking everything that belonged to Lin Yao."

"A Shu, it’s not your fault." Zhou Ye awkwardly comforted her. "You’re strong. If it were someone else in this situation, they might resent it and be unhappy for life. You’re already doing very well."

"Yes, I also think I’m doing great now." Lin Shu smiled and handed the four strings of cash back to him. "This money is really heavy. You’d better keep it. When we get back, give it to Mom. I’m sure she’ll be grinning from ear to ear."

"A Shu," Zhou Ye called her name, hesitantly asking, "Just now... why did you say that?"

"Say what?" Lin Shu asked innocently.

Zhou Ye fell silent, only the sun-tanned rims of his ears flushing slightly red.

Lin Shu shot him a look. Couldn’t he ask one more question?

"I’m quite good-looking. What if Manager Luo took a fancy to me and wanted me as his concubine? The moment I saw the look in his eyes, I knew he was a lecher. Saying I was your wife was just to save you trouble."

Zhou Ye recalled the way Manager Luo had ogled Lin Shu—it was indeed an undisguised stare. But thinking that the man was old enough to be her father yet still dared to entertain such thoughts made him feel uneasy all over.

"I won’t sell to him anymore," Zhou Ye said, lowering his gaze, his voice heavy.

"Don’t be silly, why turn your back on money? He pays promptly—we’ll keep selling to him! Manager Luo isn’t exactly a lecher, just a bit too fond of beauty. Now that he knows I’m your wife, he won’t get any ideas. You should learn a thing or two—don’t always be so straightforward with outsiders. A harmless fib doesn’t matter. After all, these 'nobles' won’t bother investigating common folk like us."

Zhou Ye murmured in agreement.

"Let’s go, I’m hungry. Let’s head to that Li’s Noodle Soup we passed earlier!"

Hearing the word "hungry," Zhou Ye instinctively reached into his coat, intending to take out the flatbread He Guixiang had made. But upon hearing Lin Shu’s next words, he quietly withdrew his hand.

Catching his gesture, Lin Shu laughed. "We’ll eat the flatbread too—we can soak it in the noodle soup later!"

The flatbread was only tasty when freshly baked; after sitting for a while, it turned dry and hard. It was fine as a simple meal to stave off hunger, but with so many delicious food stalls around, the flatbread was hard to swallow on its own.

Zhou Ye acquiesced quietly to Lin Shu’s suggestion. Even when he came to the market alone, he would splurge on a proper meal after selling his goods—a few flatbreads alone were never enough to fill him up. But he usually chose more filling options and wasn’t one to fuss over taste.

-

Compared to Full Wine Tower, the noodle shop Lin Shu mentioned was much smaller—just a simple eatery specializing in noodle soup. But as an old establishment on the street, its business remained steady despite the many food stalls around. In fact, with the market bustling, the shop was even busier than usual.

When Lin Shu and Zhou Ye arrived, the breakfast crowd was at its peak. A server greeted them with a smile, "Folks, it’s quite busy today—there are no empty tables left."

Lin Shu replied, "No problem, we can share a table with other diners."

"Great! As long as you don’t mind!" The attendant immediately led them inside.

The shop was small but had six square tables, each with benches that could seat two people per side, accommodating eight per table. Since noodle soup was eaten quickly, as soon as one group left, new customers would take their place.

Only two larger tables still had empty seats. The attendant deliberately led them to one with female diners.

"Take a look at what you’d like, folks. Plain broth noodles with no toppings are eight coins a bowl. With greens and bean sprouts, it’s ten coins. Add a poached egg for fifteen coins. A spoonful of stir-fried pork liver is eighteen coins. Shredded fatty pork is also eighteen coins. Pork bone broth with a pork chop is twenty coins. Chicken broth with a drumstick is twenty-two coins..."

As the attendant listed the rising prices, Lin Shu clicked her tongue in amazement. No wonder this noodle shop did such good business—they had such a variety of toppings to choose from!