Li Feng eagerly agreed to everything, nodding as he said he wanted to try it all.
Lu Liu added that tomorrow he would make a stew of pig’s trotters and tripe. After moving and the bustle of settling in, their bodies weren’t yet used to the city, and summer heat had dampened appetites—people had lost a little weight. A nourishing soup would help.
Back home, they usually cooked pig’s trotters or tripe separately, but this time he combined them. With more mouths to feed, larger portions were needed.
As he spoke, Lu Liu naturally began calculating household expenses.
Back in the mountain village, he had estimated annual expenses at forty to fifty taels of silver. Now that they had rented a house, expenses would rise by roughly ten taels.
Given Li Feng’s share of the profits, after covering household food and drink, they could still save some. There was no danger of running out of money or provisions.
Lu Liu, accustomed to saving, accepted this calmly. He thought through ways to economize.
Their family wasn’t wealthy. In the city, Li Feng alone supported the household. When making good food at home, it had to be shared generously. Ordinary meals could be economical. His method of stretching a little meat went a long way. Mother and Li Feng didn’t mind.
For example, his newly learned Mapo tofu used a small amount of minced meat but could still make steamed egg with meat. It was even more frugal than dicing meat.
Lu Liu had also asked about street vending. Stalls on the streets were like those at the docks; setting up in front of a shop required paying rent to the shop owner. Rent was cheap—twenty wen per day, ten wen for half a day.
He hadn’t made friends yet. His brother had to handle the shop and meet obligations, so he couldn’t accompany him constantly. He thought that when he had free time, he could sell green bean soup, fish soup, or mixed mushroom soup.
These were simple to prepare and easy to serve. A single pot made a few bowls. Once sold, he could earn a little copper coin to cover a day’s food expenses.
Lu Liu looked up at Li Feng. “Big Feng, does that sound alright?”
Li Feng nodded. “Yes. Let people taste what good food is—soon they’ll be chasing you to pay for it.”
Lu Liu snuggled back against Li Feng’s chest, murmuring, “There are so many restaurants in the city… I wonder if my soups will sell.”
Li Feng thought it would work. “It just depends if you have the courage to sell them. Streets are crowded—call out a few times, one person tries it, and others will follow.”
He added, “You can even have someone act as a decoy. The city is so big, no one can remember every vendor. Then say, ‘I’ve been looking for you! Didn’t expect to find you here—quick, serve him a big bowl of soup!’”
Lu Liu’s heart warmed, and his little feet brushed against Li Feng’s legs, voice softening.
“Big Feng, Big Feng, will you be my decoy? Tomorrow I’ll buy extra fish and make fish soup. Remember the sauced meat pancake from the county? The one you said was delicious. I’ll make a small batch to sell with it. What do you think?”
Li Feng lifted his legs, pinning Lu Liu’s so he couldn’t wiggle, then said, “Alright. Selling the stall the day after tomorrow? In the morning?”
Lu Liu nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, in the morning.”
Selling pancakes and fish soup in the morning would be their breakfast business.
Li Feng suggested a location. “This is near Luming Academy. We can try selling in that alley. Students there are likely from well-off families. Buying breakfast lets them sleep a bit longer, and the business should go well.”
Lu Liu’s heart fluttered. He wished he could start selling fish soup and pancakes tomorrow morning, but he hadn’t bought the ingredients yet. He thought about it all night, barely sleeping.
When Li Feng finally stopped fanning, the warmth and heaviness made him drowsy. After a little more cool from the fan, he drifted off.
The next day began.
Lu Liu made scallion pancakes with pork lard crumbles, then a vegetable-and-egg noodle soup. He also chopped three salted duck eggs into cubes, placing them in bowls.
Li Feng took a pancake, spread it with mushroom and minced meat sauce, scooped on some salted duck eggs, flattened it with chopsticks, then layered another pancake on top—two pancakes wrapped around a filling they prepared themselves. He ate heartily.
Seeing the sauce, the salted egg cubes, and Li Feng’s enjoyment, Lu Liu got an idea: tomorrow, he could prepare these two dishes for the stall too, charging extra for stuffed pancakes if people wanted them.
Li Feng had gotten up early and finished some chores at home.
In summer, water ran out quickly. The well was just outside the kitchen. Li Feng made sure to fill water barrels daily, ensuring the household’s chores were easier.
They had two dogs and three horses. Feeding the dogs was straightforward—they ate the same as humans. The horses required good hay; Li Feng chopped it carefully, removing any debris, spoiled, or damp straw. He even bought beans for the horses, giving them occasional extra meals like the dogs.
These animals needed space to exercise, so when Li Feng had free time, he took them out of the city to run, sometimes with a few brothers helping.
Lately, he had been busy at the shop, going nowhere, attending to customers or chatting with acquaintances.
His reputation was well-known—dock vendors recognized him as a crime-fighting hero. A friendly greeting always earned a smile. He also maintained connections, gathering information and keeping up with the Hong family.
Before the New Year, Hong Lao Wu had gifted silver longevity charms to his two children. This year, interactions were more formal and distant—he was treated like any other merchant.
Xiao Hong, the manager, was pleasant, often chatting and joking, and they had formed a brotherly bond.
Today, Lu Yang was also heading to the docks. He had said he wanted to expand clientele. The shop had no assistants; Li Feng wasn’t as quick-witted, so Lu Yang had to handle this part.
Seeing Li Feng take Erhuang out, Lu Yang retrieved the leash for Weimeng as well—a chubby, strong dog. If it didn’t move, it would cease being “mighty.”
He planned to teach Shun’ge some skills. Previous trips to the docks hadn’t included him, but today he would get to observe.
Xie Yan had drawn five mushroom recipe posters to display, enhancing the shop’s frontage.
The three of them met in the alley and headed to the dock shop together. Exiting the alley, Lu Yang and Li Feng bickered briefly, exchanging eye rolls, ignoring each other.
The alley was lively early in the morning. House doors opened one by one, and people of all walks of life emerged.
Some were students rushing to class. Some were wives and husbands bringing children to set up stalls. Others without craft skills did menial work—washing clothes or polishing shoes—asking if anyone needed their services.
Amid this clamor, Xie Yan, carrying a basket of dirty laundry on his back and a school bag, walked south down the alley, handing clothes to Mr. He.
He was the person Lu Yang had arranged to help. They had their own tasks during the day, leaving their mother to handle the household chores. Kitchen chores weren’t troublesome for three people, but clothing required laundering.
Summer clothes were thin and changed daily, so constant washing could exhaust people.
Lu Yang persuaded the two fathers to also hand their clothes to Mr. He for washing.
It had been difficult. Lu Yang had worked tirelessly, finally convincing them that since their mother’s clothes were washed, the father’s and their own should be too. He emphasized Mr. He’s hardships.
Life in the city was hard. Supporting a student without craft skills meant finding work. Summer made people careful with spending. Having clothes washed was not laziness or waste—it was a good deed.
The two fathers, accustomed to hard times, initially insisted on paying themselves.
They earned thirty wen per day. Over a month, that totaled nine hundred wen, roughly one to two taels of silver.
They wanted only one paycheck, but Lu Yang also persuaded Lu Liu to help.
To ensure they felt confident accepting the wages, the brothers didn’t involve them in printing work, only occasionally “inspecting” and praising them, boosting their morale.
