“Your meat buns are perfectly seasoned—each has a different flavor. It’s lucky you have such patience.”
Shu Rui sat at Yang Chunhua’s shop, smiling. “You called me here just to praise my buns?”
Yang Chunhua poured tea. Eight-year-old Song Xiangxue brought it over, a little shy.
“This afternoon, after school, I took lunch home. A few classmates were late. Even though it rained and the roads were bad, being late is normal, but normally, even in heavier rain, we never had so many late at once.”
He asked his classmates, and they said it was because the usual food stalls near their school were crowded. Unexpectedly, many students from Dongshan Academy—the school nearest to their private school—were all there.
The Academy’s cook had suddenly quit. With the dorm kitchen closed for a few days, students had to bring their own meals or eat elsewhere.
The private school’s younger students, arriving early, had to squeeze for space among the older Academy students. With the rain, several ended up late.
“My mother said Shaoge’er made food for the dock these past two days. With no ships coming, it’s idle time, so he could sell prepared food at the school gate,” Song Xiangxue said.
“There are many small stalls normally, and business might not be good, but with the Academy kitchen closed, business will be better these days,” he added, a little embarrassed.
Shu Rui was pleasantly surprised by this news.
Waiting for ships at the dock wasn’t convenient. With a day of rain, the inn lobby had puddles everywhere. While repairs could wait until he had more money, leaving water pooling inside was uncomfortable, and the wood could rot more easily.
He thought it best to find other places to sell food during idle days, even if no ships came.
And luck had delivered an opportunity.
“This is perfect! Tomorrow I’ll buy ingredients and sell at the school,” Shu Rui said.
He praised Song Xiangxue so much the boy’s face turned red and carefully asked when lunch ended at Dongshan Academy.
Song Xiangxue gave the details precisely.
“Since your school and Dongshan Academy are close, you won’t rush home for lunch tomorrow. I’ll go sell food and bring you a portion,” Shu Rui said.
“That’s unnecessary—you’re selling food.”
Yang Chunhua said, “It’s fine for him to bring it back.”
“Don’t be polite. Bringing a portion isn’t a big deal, and Ah Xing will enjoy it. Besides, without him keeping track of the Academy, I wouldn’t have this business opportunity.”
Yang Chunhua had nothing more to say and told Song Xiangxue to thank Shu Rui.
The next day, at first light, Shu Rui went to the market to buy vegetables and meat, with Lu Ling following to help carry them.
He bought several large, firm lettuces. Fresh pork was essential; lamb was too expensive—twice the price of pork—so selling it would risk a loss.
Early in the morning, some farmers were selling home-pickled radishes and long beans. Shu Rui sampled them—they were crisp and pleasantly salty, without sour or musty odors.
Lu Ling tried some but didn’t notice much.
Shu Rui picked one sour radish, a handful of long beans, and a small portion of pickled cabbage.
“This pickled cabbage will be good after work tonight—braise it with a green fish. Tangy and spicy, perfect for summer,” he said.
In summer, he would buy large jars to make more pickles, making daily cooking easier. Spring and summer offered plenty of fresh produce, unlike winter. Taking advantage of the season, he bought fresh vegetables to store—either pickled or dried—for variety in winter.
Back at the courtyard, Lu Ling helped wash rice, while Shu Rui chopped lean pork into minced meat.
The sour radish and beans were chopped finely, then stir-fried with the pork. Tangy and refreshing, it cut the richness of meat while enhancing its flavor.
The Academy students weren’t like dock workers—they studied indoors, used little physical effort, and preferred crisp, refreshing foods in the summer.
While dock workers needed oilier dishes for energy, the school students preferred lighter, crisper fare.
After preparing the meat dish, he made a bamboo shoot dish, and finally a crisp salad.
He peeled and finely shredded lettuce, salted it to draw out moisture, squeezed it dry, and dressed it with rice vinegar and sugar. A spoonful of mustard added a spicy kick, making a refreshing summer salad.
With several large dishes prepared, the sun climbed high.
Shu Rui checked the time, then, with Lu Ling, loaded the food onto a cart and headed to Dongshan Academy.
Though not as crowded as the dock, the streets outside the Academy were lively. Stalls and small eateries set up tables to serve customers.
Shu Rui took out a cloth to wipe the lids and checked the bowls and utensils to ensure they were clean.
Just then, a bell rang inside the Academy, causing a stir, and soon students began exiting the gates.
“Fresh baked shaobing, crisp and fragrant, just out of the oven~”
“Jitao, cold treats, come and eat!”
The calls echoed back and forth, spreading quickly.
Shu Rui opened his mouth to shout, but seeing the crowd and the vigor of the other sellers, he realized his own voice would sound weak, like a mosquito’s buzz.
He looked at Lu Ling standing beside him. “You’ve got a strong voice—why don’t you try shouting a few calls?”
Lu Ling cleared his throat, opened his mouth—but no sound came out. He shrugged helplessly. “Catching a few students and bringing them over is easier than shouting.”
Shu Rui couldn’t help smiling. He pulled a set of prepared dishes from under the cart. “If you can handle shouting, then the sun must rise in the west. Take these to the Wenxing private school—Xiangxue from Mrs. Yang’s place should be done with classes by now.”
Lu Ling nodded.
“Ready-to-eat meals, freshly made, come and see for yourselves!”
Seeing more students leaving school, Shu Rui lifted the lids and started calling out, joining in the crowd of voices.
“What kind of food are you selling here?”
Two students, attracted by the different calls, approached together.
Shu Rui explained, “These are pre-made meals—just take them and eat.”
The students asked, “Are the prices the same as the Academy’s dorm food?”
“One meat dish with two vegetables costs fifteen qian; one meat and one vegetable thirteen; two vegetables ten. The selection is small but tastes good, convenient for eating.”
Shu Rui added, “You two gentlemen can try. Today we have tangy minced pork with pickled beans and a crisp salad. Free cucumber soup for drinking.”
The students found the prices reasonable—similar to the dorm’s.
The main draw, however, was cleanliness. The pots, pans, and utensils at Shu Rui’s stall were spotless; unused bowls were covered with clean white cloths.
Unlike other stalls where soup or stew splashed everywhere and flies swarmed over a crusty surface, here the food looked inviting.
Students, whether wealthy or poor, valued cleanliness, neat clothing, and even perfumed themselves. They rarely bought from dirty stalls.
“These look clean. Give me a fifteen-qian meal.”
Shu Rui smiled and quickly served them. He had learned a bit about student habits back when the Bai family had a private school.
“I provide the bowls and chopsticks with a two-qian deposit, refunded upon return,” he added.
“Don’t worry, we’ll return them,” they assured him.
With no place to eat outside, the two students carried their meals back to the school.
Just as Shu Rui finished serving, ready to shout for more customers, Lu Ling returned with four or five younger students.
The oldest were eleven or twelve; the youngest about Song Xiangxue’s age. The students came running, clamoring, “I want two vegetable dishes!”
“I’ll have minced pork with pickled beans and bamboo shoots!”
These students had never seen Lu Ling before and were struck by his imposing, cold demeanor, curious about who had delivered the food.
Seeing Song Xiangxue happily yet shyly taking his meal, the students realized that someone had brought food back to the school. They crowded around, asking who Lu Ling was.
“He’s my neighbor. Today they came to Dongshan Academy to sell food and brought me a portion. I didn’t have to run back and forth.”
Song Xiangxue proudly lifted his food container to show his classmates.
“My neighbor makes really good food. I rarely get meals this tasty.”
“You probably haven’t eaten much good food,” teased a boy dressed more fashionably.
“Zhang Qiang, don’t tease Xiangxue. The smell alone is enough to convince me.”
Encouraged by a supportive classmate, Song Xiangxue invited others to try the food.
The dishes were indeed excellent—tangy, crisp, and appetizing.
Students crowded around Song Xiangxue, asking where the food came from and the prices. Learning it was nearby and affordable, many followed Lu Ling to buy food.
Wenxing private school had few students, unlike Dongshan Academy, which was larger and had no dedicated dining hall. Students had to eat at home or outside.
Finding a tasty, reasonably priced option, students who didn’t go home flocked to buy meals.
Crowds attract crowds, so soon more Dongshan Academy students came over, curious about the small stall with good food.
Shu Rui stayed busy serving, while Lu Ling helped refill dishes. This coordination kept the students from waiting too long.
Seeing Song Xiangxue, Shu Rui scooped an extra serving for him—likely, Song Xiangxue had been promoting the food among classmates and hadn’t eaten much himself.
The boy shyly accepted and said he’d bring more classmates’ bowls over soon.
Suddenly, a cheerful shout rang out, followed by several more students from Dongshan Academy.
They had seen classmates getting meals and, enticed by the smell and reasonable prices, came to buy as well.
The small food stall grew more crowded, bustling even more than nearby hot griddle stalls.
A modestly dressed but handsome young student lingered, observing the busy stall. Seeing a pause in customers, he approached with an empty bowl.
“Your stall is doing well, the food looks fresh. Will you sell dinner later?”
Shu Rui received a returned bowl and was about to refund the deposit when he heard the question. “At this hour, students leave early. By dinner time, most will be home, so I doubt there’ll be much business.”
The student replied calmly, “Dongshan Academy is renowned. Many students from other regions live in the dorms. Unless it’s a long holiday, they rarely leave. Since the dorm kitchen is closed, there’s still business at dinner time.”
“Though the evening crowd is smaller, it’s not as good for sales as lunch,” he added.
Shu Rui raised an eyebrow, sensing the student had a proposal. “If you have something to say, speak plainly.”
The student’s eyes sparkled with a faint smile. “May I have a word in private?”
Shu Rui thought: it’s broad daylight, and despite a poised, commanding presence, this young scholar seems clever—no harm in hearing him out. He said, “Very well.”
They moved quietly to a secluded elm tree nearby.
“Big brother! Big brother! I wanted bamboo shoots, not the crisp salad!”
Back at the stall, one student had just received his dish when a scoop of the crisp salad landed in his bowl, prompting an outcry.
Lu Ling turned, frowning. Students—so difficult to please!