It was Dragon Boat Festival, and he needed to pay visits to the various merchants.
Lu Yang asked him, “Do you want any zongzi?”
Wu Pingzhi thought for a moment and decided on eighty zongzi.
Before Lu Yang left, he had entrusted him with 150 taels of silver notes. Once Wu Pingzhi reached the city, he returned them. Lu Yang took ten taels to pay for the ginseng, leaving the rest behind—it was a small gain for the couple during this period.
Wu Pingzhi didn’t refuse, and after a brief farewell, he turned back toward his residence.
With their return, the shop finally had someone reliable at the helm.
Lu Lin was overjoyed, even calling out to the backyard a few times. Soon, Zhao Peilan appeared, hands still wiping her apron, eyes glistening with tears. She looked at Xie Yan and then Lu Yang; the two children were healthy, well-fed, and in good spirits. Relieved, she guided them to the backyard to rest.
Lu Lin followed and gave a brief report on the shop’s business:
“Everything’s going well. I’ve been frying the sauces the way you taught me. The buns are still the same numbers every day—two to three hundred small ones, thirty to forty large ones. The steamed buns and flower rolls come out to over two hundred.
“The mushroom and diced meat sauce is stable. Sales increased a bit since summer started; April sold more than March.
“With spring, there’s plenty of produce. If one batch doesn’t sell, the next comes along. Brother Luo and Second Brother Luo saw some goods weren’t moving, so they took a few carts to the East City to sell. I’ve kept the accounts but haven’t settled with them yet.
“Li Village still owes payment for some goods. They also sent many bamboo leaves, which I gave to visiting customers. The wild game day went well. Last time we had three sheep, two bags of snakes, half a beehive, and ten rabbits—sold over two days. The restaurant bought the rabbits and snakes; only twenty pounds of mutton were taken, the rest were pre-ordered by regulars.”
Lu Yang planned to be in the prefectural city for half a month; counting the days, they had been gone nearly a month.
Lu Lin had been overseeing the shop but was always anxious. Seeing Lu Yang back put his mind at ease.
Recently, many had come to inquire about mushrooms, negotiating prices. He had a base price—not much lower than the market. For every ten pounds, five wen less. Higher-priced mushrooms had slightly higher discounts, ranging from one to seven wen per pound, with fifty pounds as the minimum.
Many inquiries, few buyers. Seeing the courtyard piled with stock made him anxious more than once, almost unsteady—but he remembered not to sell at a loss, or he’d be talked down.
Lu Yang praised him repeatedly, telling him he had done well and worked hard.
“I knew you were reliable. Leaving the shop in your hands is the right choice!”
Without another word, Lu Lin was even more delighted. Not wanting to keep the family from reuniting, he quickly left to check the shop again.
This time, the family returned to pack up and move.
Before heading to the prefectural city, Lu Yang had already looked at houses through a real estate shop. During their absence, Wu Pingzhi’s household staff helped tidy up. Today, they packed bedding and other items, ready to stay in the new home that evening.
The shop couldn’t accommodate them, so for convenience in managing it, Lu Lin and his wife had already moved in.
The three of them talked in Zhao Peilan’s room. Lu Yang sat briefly, drank some tea, and then got up to organize things.
Zhao Peilan asked, “Yang Ge’er, how’s your health? Have you seen the doctor? What did they say?”
Lu Yang answered honestly, “All good. A Yan took me to several doctors—they all said roughly the same. I’ll switch to a nourishing, warming formula after autumn, and my health will be fine.”
She was pleased, “Good. Did you get the medicine in the prefectural city? Liquid or pills? I’ll prepare it for you.”
Lu Yang paused and showed her the ginseng they bought in the city.
Ginseng in apothecaries was priced by weight. One qian of ginseng cost five to eight taels. A whole root, depending on its age, could fetch over eighty taels. During shortages, prices could even double.
He praised Xie Yan, “A Yan bought this for me. This root cost only eight taels and five qian. I had ginseng chicken soup once in the city, and also brewed a root tip for tea. I’ve felt strong lately, though a bit overheated—had two nosebleeds—but haven’t eaten any for the past few days.”
The ginseng was for nourishment; too much could be harmful.
Damaged ginseng lost its medicinal properties but didn’t lose them all at once.
Xie Yan suggested dividing the ginseng: keep some root tips at home for tea or soup; the rest he’d take to the clinic and ask the old doctor to make a tonic formula, preserving its medicinal effects. Pills would store it safely, and Lu Yang would consume it eventually either way.
Zhao Peilan had never seen ginseng so cheap; hearing the details, she listened intently.
This trip to the prefectural city took longer than expected but was rich in experience and worth it.
As for Xie Yan’s grades, that was a great family joy.
He had ranked first and was selected as a linsheng student. The local education official allowed him leave, so he could return quarterly for classes while still receiving provisions.
What seemed like misfortune turned into fortune. Yuan Ji and the others tried to undermine him but instead made him famous in the prefectural city. After the exams, he could briefly relax and work on the “Imperial Exam Answer Guide” to earn some silver while it was fresh.
Zhao Peilan was delighted but still a bit worried, “Every quarter to the city? Will Wu’s child go?”
Lu Yang believed Wu Pingzhi wouldn’t go; if he were, he would have mentioned it. Wu Pingzhi considered himself untalented; now that he passed the local exam, he needed to focus on preparing for the provincial exam, leaving no room to waste time. Traveling to the city every quarter would cost over half a month, with overnight stays—two to three months a year lost from study, which he couldn’t afford.
Lu Yang said, “He probably won’t go. But he helped us negotiate the mountain mushroom business in the city and promised a stall for me. With Dragon Boat Festival coming, Li Feng should bring festival gifts to the county. I’ll tell him to bring a group of brothers along to deliver goods, selling mushrooms, and taking A Yan with them.”
With a group of strong men accompanying them, Zhao Peilan was much more at ease.
They hadn’t bought much in the prefectural city; the family luggage was light.
Zhao Peilan, knowing a move was coming, had already packed scattered items. Upon their return, they only needed to gather daily necessities and bring Xie Yan’s father’s memorial tablet and incense burner for transport.
Seeing Lu Yang at the shop, Xie Yan hurriedly said, “Stay here, talk to them slowly, rest a bit. My mother and I will deliver the luggage, then return for the smaller items, tidy up the yard, and later you can go to the small courtyard.”
Lu Yang shook his head, “No rush. I’ll go with you.”
After all, it was the new home—their nest for the next two years—and he wanted to move in with the family.
Back home, there wasn’t much else to do. He only needed to check in with Lu Lin and leave some instructions.
“Lin Gege, have Brother-in-law help with the dough when he has time. Over the next few days, steamed buns will sell well—two hundred are already pre-ordered for tomorrow. For now, ten baskets will be the minimum daily. Focus on the Fortune Buns, a hundred each. If there’s time, make some zongzi. I’ll be moving, so take your time; I’ll come help later.”
The zongzi weren’t urgent; he could make them at home that evening, even cook them.
Tomorrow at the shop, they could be delivered with the buns. The only worry was that if business from Wu Pingzhi came too fast, there might not be enough stock, so Lu Lin and his wife could make some as well.
He asked, “Are there enough bamboo leaves?”
Lu Lin nodded after thinking, “Yes. Big Brother Li came yesterday—he gathered reed leaves in the village. Many people helped. We’ll send some out; there are plenty left in the shop.”
Lu Yang noted it and said, “Check the glutinous rice, too. If it’s not enough, we can buy some when we return.”
With that settled, Lu Yang grabbed four zongzi from the steaming basket and a large handful of bamboo leaves, heading to the neighboring wine shop to give Ding the owner some zongzi. The extra leaves could be used at home for making more.
