Fan Changyu followed Cook Li to Yixiang Building. As soon as she entered, she saw an imposing landscape screen; the floor was paved with fine carved blue bricks, and the doors and windows were likewise engraved with all kinds of hollowed flowers, plants, beasts, and birds.

It was not mealtime now, and there were few guests in the building. At a glance, just in the main hall below there were already more than a dozen large round tables covered with silks and satins; even the chairs were particular—not bare, but fitted with matching embroidered cushions and backrests, looking exceedingly grand.

No wonder the townsfolk all called Yixiang Building the First House of the town.

Cook Li led Fan Changyu to an elegant private room upstairs and said, “The master is inside. Girl, you may go in.”

Fan Changyu hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open and entered—only to meet eyes with a young matron who had her sleeves rolled up, gnawing happily on a braised pork knuckle.

Before that woman was spread a tableful of mountain and sea delicacies.

Fan Changyu glanced once more toward the door, uncertain. “Are you the proprietress of Yixiang Building?”

The woman quickly set down the pork knuckle in her hand, drew out a handkerchief to wipe the grease that had smeared her face, and cleared her throat lightly. “You must be Changyu, right? Sit as you please.”

At those words, Fan Changyu knew this was indeed the mistress of Yixiang Building. She thought to herself that it was rather different from what she had imagined, but the woman did seem quite amiable.

After she sat down, she asked, “You know me?”

The woman smiled. “I heard Master Li mention you—he said the marinade you make is truly exceptional.”

Perhaps she had also heard about Fan Changyu’s confrontation with Wang Ji, for she looked Fan Changyu over and smiled. “Before meeting you, I didn’t know you turned out to be such a delicate, pretty young lady.”

Fan Changyu didn’t know how to respond, and only returned a faint smile.

The woman’s eyes curved as she smiled. “My surname is Yu, given name Qianqian. I’m a few years older than you, so I’ll take the liberty of calling you Sister Changyu. As you may know, Yixiang Building and Wang Ji have both stopped selling marinated meats. I also had someone buy yours to try—it’s indeed better than Wang Ji’s. If you’re willing, I’d like to do this marinated-meat business with you.”

Such fortune descending from the heavens was something Fan Changyu would have longed for in the past. Yet thinking of her family’s situation now, she pondered for a moment and still declined tactfully: “Thank you, Shopkeeper Yu, for your regard, but I truly cannot take on this business.”

Yu Qianqian let out a soft “Eh?” and asked, “Why so?”

Fan Changyu replied honestly, “After the new year, I plan to leave Linshui Town.”

Yu Qianqian sighed that it was a pity and asked again, “Have you decided where to go?”

That, Fan Changyu indeed had not yet thought through. She only said, “I’m still discussing it with my husband.”

Yu Qianqian tapped her slender fingertips lightly on the table, saying somewhat wistfully, “Once your marinated dishes are gone, the town will have lost yet another delicacy.”

Her words carried a hint of jest.

Though it was her first time meeting this lady proprietor, Fan Changyu felt her to be quite warm-hearted. Thinking that once she and her younger sister left their home, who knew how many years it would be before they could return, she said, “If Shopkeeper Yu likes that marinated meat, I can teach you the marinade recipe—you can have your people make it.”

Yu Qianqian, though now the manager of a restaurant, had once worked in the kitchen herself and knew how precious a recipe could be. She hurriedly said that would not do, then looked at Fan Changyu with a touch of helplessness. “You girl, you truly are too straightforward. Once you go to another place, you must keep your guard up—don’t let a few words talk you into selling yourself away.”

Fan Changyu could sense the goodwill of the lady shopkeeper, and said with a smile, “No, I’m willing to give the recipe to you because you look kind and pleasant.”

Yu Qianqian was amused by her, then thought for a moment and said, “How about this? These days before the New Year are the busiest for my restaurant—the banquet reservations are all full, and the demand for marinated meat is truly great. Those old gourmets are very particular; lately they keep complaining that the flavor of our marinated meat isn’t what it used to be. The Wang Ji shop has been unfair in business—stabbed me in the back once before, and now they’re even using Yixiang Building’s name to collaborate with other restaurants. I simply can’t swallow that insult and go back to them. Why don’t you supply me with the marinated meat for these few days before the New Year? After the festival, I’ll find another way to fill the gap.”

Fan Changyu pondered for a moment. Moving to a new place meant buying a house and courtyard and all sorts of expenses—there would be no shortage of places that required silver. Selling off the pigpens and fields in the countryside and the shop in town might not bring enough. It would be best if she could save a little more now. So she nodded and agreed.

Yu Qianqian was plainly delighted. “You’ve helped me solve an urgent problem. Yixiang Building used to work with Wang Ji under a year-long contract—the price was fixed at fifty wen per jin, regardless of the season. With meat prices high for the New Year, I’ll count it as sixty wen per jin for you. Yixiang Building sells at least ten marinated pig heads a day. If it’s inconvenient to cook at your own home, you can use the restaurant’s kitchen, and wages will be settled daily.”

Fan Changyu’s own house had been sealed by the authorities, so it was indeed inconvenient. She nodded. “I’ll marinate them in the restaurant kitchen then.”

It was already close to afternoon. Fan Changyu went to the meat market and, accompanied by one of Yixiang Building’s servants, bought ten fresh pig heads.

Her family had once run a pork shop on that very street, and most of the butchers there knew her. Seeing her buying so many pig heads, they couldn’t help asking, “Changyu, is your shop selling marinated meat again tomorrow?”

The servant from Yixiang Building who had gone with her was a quick-witted one. He immediately said, “Miss Fan’s marinated meat will now be sold only at our Yixiang Building.”

Yixiang Building was a famous name in the town. Ever since it was rumored that Wang Ji’s deal with them had fallen through, Wang Ji’s reputation in town had gone sharply downhill.

Several acquaintances congratulated Fan Changyu.

Since her own pork shop had closed, the other butchers’ businesses had prospered; now that she was buying pig heads from them, they all deliberately offered her cheaper prices.

In the market, a fresh pig head cost twenty wen per jin, weighing about six or seven jin each, but Fan Changyu only paid eighteen wen per jin.

Using Yixiang Building’s kitchen utensils and spices, the custom-made large pot could stew four or five pig heads at once; with two pots, all the meat could be done. The total cost of the seasonings for one full pot came to only thirty wen.

Fan Changyu made a rough calculation: after finishing the two pots of marinated pig head meat, she could net at least about two taels and five mace of silver.

For a moment, she was dazed.

When she had run her own shop, she rose early and worked until late every day, haggling endlessly with vegetable-buying housewives, and even after deducting expenses, she only earned around two taels of silver a day.

Now she needed only to spare an hour or two to select good pig heads in the market and marinate them in Yixiang Building’s kitchen to earn that much. It was many times easier than before.

Thinking of how the lady shopkeeper had offered her sixty wen per jin, she suddenly felt uneasy. She found Cook Li, who was simmering soup in the back kitchen. “Master Li, could you please tell the shopkeeper for me later that she can pay me fifty wen per jin, the same as before.”

Cook Li frowned and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Fan Changyu scratched her head, embarrassed. “The proprietor is a good person, but I feel the price she’s paying is too high—it doesn’t sit right with me.”

Cook Li shot her a sidelong look. “If the proprietor offered you that price, it’s because she believes your marinated meat is worth it. What’s there to feel uneasy about? Don’t be fooled by her youth—her judgment is sharp. Though Wang Ji schemed against her this time, back when they cooperated, she never lost a single coin. Put your heart back in your stomach.”

Fan Changyu asked curiously, “What happened between Wang Ji and the restaurant?”

At the mention of Wang Ji, Cook Li’s mouth had not a single kind word. “That greedy old scoundrel with eyes only for money! The proprietor had planned to open another restaurant in the county city to expand Yixiang Building. To mark the occasion with auspicious numbers, she ordered twelve pig heads from Wang Ji. Wang Ji agreed readily enough—but who could’ve guessed that on the very day of the grand opening, he still hadn’t delivered the pig heads?”

“The proprietor sent someone to urge him, only to find Wang Ji hadn’t even bought the pig heads yet! The very ones meant for us had been sold at a high price to another restaurant in the county, which also signed several years’ worth of contracts for marinated meats with Wang Ji. Missing the auspicious hour for delivery on an opening day—what a terrible omen that was! The proprietor was furious and immediately cut off all business with Wang Ji.”

Fan Changyu hadn’t expected there to be such a reason behind Yixiang Building’s break with Wang Ji. Thinking of Wang Ji’s young master and that hateful face of his, she couldn’t help saying, “Wang Ji truly is too shameless.”

Cook Li snorted coldly. “A petty man who trades loyalty for profit.”

Then he changed the topic. “I heard Wang Ji even hired people to smash up your shop?”

Fan Changyu said, “It was his son who sent people, but I went myself to settle the score.”

Cook Li looked at her and suddenly burst into laughter. “No wonder the proprietor says she likes you, girl. In some ways, your temperament is really quite like hers.”

Fan Changyu felt a little embarrassed. “The proprietor is someone truly capable—how could I be compared to her?”

But Cook Li only sighed. “The proprietor also had her share of hardships. Back then, she came to Lin’an Town while heavily pregnant, without a single relative to turn to. Her circumstances were even worse than yours.”

Fan Changyu had always only heard people praise how formidable the proprietress of Yixiang Building was; this was the first time she had heard anyone speak of her past. She asked in puzzlement, “What about the proprietor’s husband?”

Cook Li only shook his head. “It’s said he’s dead.”

Fan Changyu couldn’t help sighing. Cook Li glanced at her again and said, “The restaurant’s business is busy these days, and the proprietor’s got more work than she can handle. That ten-wen difference in the meat price—she doesn’t even care about it. Don’t go making a fuss over it. The proprietor’s a straightforward sort—if you act all bashful, she’ll just find it troublesome.”

He’d said as much as needed to be said, so Fan Changyu naturally dropped the idea of seeking out Yu Qianqian.

By the time she finished marinating the meat and left Yixiang Building, it was already late.

Thinking that the bag of malt candy she had bought for her younger sister was nearly gone, she took the two taels and seven mace of silver she’d earned that day and, feeling quite wealthy, strode into the confectionery shop. She bought two packs each of malt candy, pine nut candy, and orange peel candy.

Just remembering that Yan Zheng was afraid of bitterness made the corners of her lips lift involuntarily.

He feared no pain, yet was afraid to drink bitter medicine.

When she arrived home, Aunt Zhao had already started cooking dinner.

Changning was standing by the doorway like a little stone statue, gripping the doorframe and craning her neck to look down the alley.

Seeing Fan Changyu coming back with several large bundles, she immediately ran over like a bouncing little ball. “Sister’s back!”

She took the paper parcels and, discovering several big packs of candy inside, lifted her round, sparkling eyes and asked, “All for Ning-niang?”

Meeting her younger sister’s hopeful gaze, Fan Changyu suddenly felt a little guilty. “Your brother-in-law’s afraid of bitterness when he takes his medicine—how about we give him half?”

Before, just saying the words “brother-in-law” had made her tongue twist uncomfortably, but now, coaxing Changning, the words didn’t feel so hard to say.

Changning generously agreed with an “Mm.” She often drank medicine herself and scrunched up her little round face. “It’s all dark and thick—it’s so bitter!”

“Black and murky” was her special name for medicine.

Aunt Zhao came out carrying water; hearing the sisters’ conversation, she chuckled and said to Fan Changyu, “So you know how to care for your husband now, do you?”

Even Fan Changyu’s usually thick skin flushed slightly from the teasing.

Just then, the medicine had finished boiling. As Fan Changyu carried the bags of candy upstairs to the loft, she took the medicine bowl along with her.

The person inside hadn’t fallen asleep yet. When she entered, he looked up at once and asked, “Why are you back so late?”

A perfectly ordinary question—yet somehow, it sounded oddly different.

“Any new clues from the county office?” he quickly added, as if to smooth over the awkwardness.

The strange tension between them eased a little.

Fan Changyu handed over the medicine bowl and said, “The case has been closed.”

Xie Zheng raised his eyes in surprise. Seeing the look on her face, he instantly understood most of it.

Fan Changyu voiced her speculation: “Probably because such major murders happened right before the New Year—the county magistrate feared for his official cap, so he hastily pinned the crime on the mountain bandits.”

Xie Zheng said nothing.

That token belonged to the Wei family; if the Wei family wished to suppress the matter quickly, it was entirely possible they had pressured the prefectural office to force the county magistrate into closing the case.

But regardless, the Wei family had already set its sights on Lin’an Town—staying any longer would be unwise.

He looked at Fan Changyu. “If those behind it come seeking revenge, I fear they won’t stop here. What do you plan to do?”

Fan Changyu had intended to wait until his wounds healed before telling him about leaving. But since he asked first, she said, “I plan to sell our property after the New Year and take Ning-niang somewhere else to lie low for a while.”