Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Rumors Spread Everywhere

Lin Qi knew perfectly well that the shop displayed poems written by successful imperial exam candidates on its walls to attract more business, yet he found himself shamefully tempted. The capital was bustling with countless people coming and going. If he couldn't secure a position in the capital in the future, leaving behind some of his own literary works would still be a good thing.

Lin Qi suppressed the smile tugging at his lips and nodded coolly.

The shop assistant said, “Young master, our shop offers a complimentary pound of radish cake for every five pounds of pastries purchased, so you needn’t pay for the radish cake. Just 93 copper coins will suffice.”

Crispy Fragrance Pavilion continued its strategy of small profits and quick turnover, but business was far better than before. Most residents of Anning Ward were drawn by the shop’s reputation for southern-style pastries. Later, seeing the affordable prices—not much higher than local pastries—they would often buy a pound to sample.

A’Tong paid the money, and Uncle Fu took the pastries handed over by the shop assistant. The most prominent item was the box of "Rising Higher with Every Step," so exquisitely crafted it could easily serve as a holiday gift.

Lin Qi felt delighted at the sight and said, “Pack two more pounds of this 'Rising Higher with Every Step' for me.”

The shop assistant grinned and replied, “Certainly!”

Lin Qi had come to the capital to take the imperial exams, though Uncle Fu wasn't sure how much silver he had brought. Unable to hold back, Uncle Fu reminded him, “Young master, isn’t this a bit much?”

Lin Qi slowly sipped the flower tea. Even though it was complimentary, the shop did not cut corners, unlike some places that served weak, watery tea when offering it for free.

“It’s not too much. Brother Zimo and I set off one after the other, and he should arrive in the capital in the next couple of days. I intend to give these to him,” Lin Qi explained.

“So that’s how it is. Young master, you’ve thought everything through,” Uncle Fu flattered.

The three of them left the shop, and the shop assistant went to clear the table.

From the backyard came a fragrance different from that of the pastries—the shop’s pastry chefs had started preparing lunch.

The shop assistant handed over his shift to another person and hurried to the backyard to eat.

Aside from the two pastry chefs, the other employees only had their lunch and dinner meals provided.

“What’s for lunch today?” the shop assistant asked cheerfully. The strong, familiar aroma had already allowed him to identify it. “Is it braised pork?”

Wang Fang set out bowls and chopsticks for him. She and Fang Lan took turns preparing lunch and dinner. After making pastries, they usually stayed in the backyard. They didn’t have to pay for the ingredients used in cooking, making their lives much better.

“Yes, Fang Lan made braised pork.”

The shop assistant, only fifteen or sixteen years old, cheered, “Wonderful!”

“What, is my cooking not good? I’ve never seen you this excited,” Wang Fang teased.

The shop assistant blushed and said softly, “Your cooking has a different flavor. Both are delicious.”

The braised pork made by Fang Lan was cut into pieces as large as pastries, too big to eat in one bite. It was simmered slowly over low heat with sweet sauce, premium soy sauce, and sugar until the skin could be easily pierced with chopsticks and the color turned deep red, like amber. Only then was it considered perfectly done, with excellent color, aroma, and taste.

The shop assistant loved pairing it with rice. He would gently pick up a small piece, along with the sauce, and mix it into his rice. The braised pork melted in his mouth, and the rice, soaked in the savory sauce, made him feel he could eat three more bowls.

After the shop assistant finished eating, Wang Fang cleared the bowls and chopsticks. When Fang Lan cooked lunch, Wang Fang would wash the dishes, and they switched roles in the evening.

“Sister Fang, I’ll head back first,” Fang Lan said to Wang Fang, picking up two stacked bowls from the counter. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Hey, are you going to Stone Street? If so, take this bowl to my daughter,” Wang Fang called out to stop her.

The two bowls contained the braised pork from lunch. They didn’t take food home every day, only when they made special dishes, and even then, they didn’t take much—just two pieces in each bowl, served in black ceramic bowls.

“Alright,” Fang Lan agreed, as she still lived with Wang Fang. She took a food container from the cupboard, placed the covered bowls inside, and left with it.

She first went to Stone Street to deliver the braised pork from Wang Fang to her daughter, then took Wang Mingyue to Bianyan Street.

The shop ate late, and the Wang family also dined late. When she and Wang Mingyue arrived, the Wang family was eating in the courtyard.

Zhao Xihua first pursed her lips at the sight of the mother and daughter but then broke into a smile when she noticed the food container Fang Lan was carrying.

“Sit, sit! We’ve been waiting for you,” Zhao Xihua said, taking the food container from Fang Lan. She removed the bowls inside and lifted the lid, releasing a wave of aroma.

The braised pork had been sitting for a while and had cooled down, so its fragrance wasn’t as overpowering as when it was freshly cooked. Even the sweet scent of the pastry shop would be overwhelmed by the bold aroma of freshly made braised pork.

“Braised pork!” Wang Jin exclaimed excitedly.

The pieces of braised pork were substantial, but with only two pieces to share among the whole family, Wang Jin couldn’t have one all to himself. Zhao Xihua, trying not to be too partial, quickly picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it in her son’s bowl. With a gentle pinch, the meat broke apart. She then scooped some sauce into Wang Jin’s bowl. The white rice, now drenched in reddish-brown sauce, needed no other side dishes to make a satisfying meal.

Fang Lan, well aware of her children’s tendencies, quickly served them some meat as well.

Wang Li, noticing his wife hadn’t touched the food, asked, “Aren’t you eating?”

Fang Lan explained, “I already ate at the shop.”

“Cousin-in-law, your life is much better than ours now. Yesterday, I went to the West Market, and Crispy Fragrance Pavilion was packed—so crowded I couldn’t even squeeze in,” Zhao Xihua said in a sarcastic tone.

Wang Xu laughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject.

“Have you heard the recent rumors in the capital?” Wang Xu asked mysteriously.

Zhao Xihua immediately perked up. “Which one? The capital has been quite unsettled lately. I’ve heard at least seven or eight stories.”

Although Wang Xu was only a low-ranking officer, Zhao Xihua enjoyed considerable prestige in her social circle, thanks to her husband's position. Whenever there was a gathering or a small banquet, she was often invited. Thus, she had heard many things.

She asked curiously, “I just heard today that a Buddha statue was discovered in the western part of the city. Is it true?”

Wang Xu said, “That’s exactly what I wanted to talk about. Today, while patrolling with my colleagues in the western part of the city, someone nearly tripped. When we looked down, we saw a Buddha statue buried in the ground, with half of it exposed. The statue lost an arm when he bumped into it, and he was terrified.”

Wang Xu paused, and Zhao Xihua urged, “And then? And then?”

Wang Mingfeng and Wang Mingyue also looked up at Wang Xu.

“He was so scared he broke into a cold sweat, thinking he was in for some bad luck. Trembling, he dug out the statue, intending to worship it at home. But guess what? The inside of the statue was hollow. What do you think was inside?” Wang Xu glanced around the table.

Wang Li guessed, “A human head?”

Fang Lan swatted his arm. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Wang Mingyue suggested, “Talisman paper?”

Wang Xu shook his head and said with a hint of envy, “It was a silver ingot, so large you couldn’t hold it in one hand. We weighed it on a small scale, and it was a full fifty taels. He thought the Buddha statue had brought him wealth and happily took it home.”

Zhao Xihua abruptly stood up, ready to leave.

Wang Xu calmly stopped her. “Don’t bother. Today, many people went to that spot. We searched everywhere along our patrol route but didn’t find a second one.”

Zhao Xihua sat back down, pursing her lips discontentedly. “Why couldn’t it have been you who found it?”

Wang Xu shrugged. “Everyone has their own fate. What can I do?” He picked up a piece of braised pork and placed it in Zhao Xihua’s bowl.

Fang Lan and Wang Li had also been tempted. After the flood, their family had lost everything, and they were currently short on money. If they could have stumbled upon such a windfall, it would have been a blessing.

***

Li Residence.

Dong Yuting took small sips of tea steeped with jasmine, rose, and dried tangerine peel. The flavor was rich and not bitter, so even though she wasn't much of a tea drinker, she would drink a few more sips. It also had the effect of soothing the liver and regulating qi, so Dong Yuting usually drank it as a health tea.

Only Qiu He was attending to her in the room, while Qiu Xiaoshi reported to her meticulously: "The Buddha statue buried in the west of the city has been discovered. All morning, people have been scouring that area with their heads down."

"Also, the word about the carp leaping over the dragon gate in the release pond of Baoguang Temple has been put out there too. These days, more people are going to Baoguang Temple than before."

"The Liu family’s night pearl went missing and still hasn't been found..."

"Concubine Li of the Yang family allegedly used witchcraft to harm the main wife and curse the legitimate son, making him sickly and weak..."

***

"A drunkard heard a woman singing while holding a red lantern at Wangchun Tower—the voice sounded just like Yu Shuanger's, who died a few months ago."

Hearing this, Dong Yuting interrupted Qiu Xiaoshi: "Was this also something you put out?"

Qiu Xiaoshi shook his head: "This matter was not. Perhaps because I’ve spread too many rumors, many tall tales have started circulating as well."

The protagonists of the rumors she had instructed Qiu Xiaoshi to spread all had originally conflicted with the original host. Since Yu Shuanger was not among them, she asked a follow-up question.

Dong Yuting’s slightly furrowed brows relaxed, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips: "Rumors running wild? Perfect."

Qiu He said happily, "With so many strange rumors popping up in the capital all at once, no one will care whether the story about you, madam, is true or not."

"Have you found the person who spread that story about me?" Dong Yuting had not forgotten the root of the matter.

Qiu Xiaoshi said sheepishly, "Not yet. The storyteller seems to have vanished—no one has seen him in the capital since."

Dong Yuting’s method of dealing with rumors was to muddy the waters even further. Back in her public relations company, she had handled too many such cases: if you don’t want people to focus on one scandal, you break an even bigger scandal about someone else.

She drained the tea in her cup. "Never mind, keep looking. Qiu He, come with me to the Jingzhao Prefecture."

"Madam, what are we going there for?" Qiu He asked, puzzled.

"Naturally, to report to the authorities. Have the Correspondence Office write a letter to those households and invite them to come along." Dong Yuting smiled gracefully. Since this matter involved so many people, surely they would stand on the same side as her, wouldn't they?