“Though Madam Shen is of humble birth, her spirit is far stronger than mine. She spoke of Xu Xiake, who, even when his legs failed him, still held a pen to write. I have only lost one hand; I still have my legs and my left hand. How can I continue to waste away?”
“When Master Xu was still alive, he once quoted Li Bai’s poem to me, ‘Even in death, the bones of a hero are fragrant, unashamed before the world.’ He hoped I would become such a person, but I failed him.”
Xie Zhao thought of his mentor’s family’s tragic death, and his useless hand trembled again,
“Before, I thought myself powerless, unable to clear Master Xu’s name or save those two, only living in shame. But now, I understand. I must fulfill Master Xu’s wishes, live on, climb higher.”
“Only by achieving what others cannot can I reopen this case and clear Master Xu’s name. Hiding is death, avoiding is death. It’s better to live with a clear conscience, giving my all!”
The matriarch and Lady Xi were deeply moved by Xie Zhao’s words, so much so that they didn’t notice anything else.
They both praised him, helped him up, and were about to pat his shoulder in encouragement when Ninth Young Master suddenly asked blankly,
“Brother, which Madam Shen are you talking about?”
“Which Madam Shen?” The matriarch, forgetful, had already forgotten.
“Madam Shen from East Willow Lane,” Xie Zhao said innocently, pointing to the empty porcelain plate on the table,
“Mother knows, the one who runs the noodle shop. Oh, Grandmother, the cricket cakes you ate, they were made by her.”
Lady Xi also nodded, “So it’s her. Her words resonate with me. To say such things, she must be a rare, insightful person. Very good. By the way…”
Lady Xi remembered something, turned to Xie Qi, and asked,
“Speaking of her, didn’t you visit her today? Ninth Young Master, did you discuss the instant noodle workshop with Madam Shen? How did it go? Ninth Young Master? Ninth Young Master?”
But Xie Qi stood there, lost in thought, his ears red, not answering.
Then, he suddenly chuckled to himself.
He had already known.
Madam Shen was the best person in the world.
The matriarch saw this and shook her head, sighing,
“Is our Xie family’s feng shui bad? Why is it that the older one just got better, and now the younger one has gone silly?”
Lady Xi laughed, glancing at her younger son, but also secretly taking note.
“Achoo!”
***
Shen Miao, who was being thought of by the Xie family, was squatting in her courtyard, learning how to make “soap balls” with Aunt Gu.
Just as they started, her nose suddenly itched, and she sneezed.
Was someone cursing her?
Shen Miao rubbed her nose and continued watching Aunt Gu pound the pig pancreas, then followed suit, diligently mashing the already fat and sinew-free pig pancreas into a paste.
After Ninth Young Master left in the morning, she had been busy cooking and selling noodles, then had some free time.
She was about to go out to buy pig head meat when Li Tiaozi suddenly knocked on the door, saying that merchants from the outer city were spreading the news that Piyong Academy would post the results today!
He was going to the outer city to wait for the results and asked if Shen Miao’s family would send someone.
So Shen Miao quickly sent Ji Ge to follow Li Tiaozi to the outer city to check the results.
Before leaving, Shen Miao pulled him aside, bent down to look into his eyes, and said,
“Ji Ge, remember. It doesn’t matter whether you pass or not. Don’t deny yourself because of this entrance exam, understand? Life is long; don’t blame yourself. Go, check the results, and tonight, I’ll cook you something delicious.”
Ji Ge took a deep breath and nodded, “I understand, Sister.”
Shen Miao let him go.
Xiangjie had taken Youyu to walk the dog and hadn’t returned yet.
Shen Miao went out to buy pig head meat, then went to the Gu family to order a month’s supply of wine.
There, she saw Aunt Gu making soap in the courtyard.
After watching for a while, she eagerly expressed her desire to learn, so Aunt Gu immediately brought over the pig pancreas and other medicinal herbs, teaching her how to make it.
Soap balls had long been sold in specialized shops in the Song Dynasty.
There used to be a soap ball shop in East Willow Lane, but they had moved away.
Aunt Gu had seen how they made it a few times while visiting and found it quite simple.
After a few attempts, she had mastered it and now made soap balls not only for her own use but also to sell at the market.
She didn’t keep it a secret, and soon, the women of East Willow Lane had all learned how to make soap balls from her.
Today, Shen Miao became her soap ball apprentice.
“After mashing the pig pancreas, add some bean powder, lard, monkshood, soapberries, and cypress leaves…”
Aunt Gu explained as she added the ingredients, roughly grinding them in a stone mortar, mixing them together, then mashing them into a paste, shaping them into balls, and leaving them to dry in a cool place for a day before use.
It was indeed quite simple.
Shen Miao curiously held the not-yet-set soap ball in her hand, which still smelled a bit unpleasant.
“Don’t mind the smell. Making it this way is much more economical than buying it from the shop. Outside, one of these sells for thirty coins,” Aunt Gu said proudly,
“Adding soapberries, just rubbing it with water can produce a lot of foam. Use that foam to wash your face and hair, and it will leave you feeling very clean and refreshed.”
Isn’t this… handmade facial soap?
Shen Miao held it in her hand, turning it over.
If you pressed and cut it into molds, it would be almost identical to the expensive handmade soaps sold in modern times.
The cost wasn’t that high either.
So why did a bar of handmade soap cost over a hundred yuan in her previous life?
Even a thousand years ago, it was only thirty coins!
Feeling cheated, Shen Miao was indignant.
Aunt Gu arranged the soap balls on a bamboo tray, then suddenly noticed the jasmine flowers Shen Miao had placed in a vase on the corridor.
A thought struck her, and she leaned over to whisper in Shen Miao’s ear,
“Miss, tell me honestly, is there someone interested in you?”
Shen Miao was taken aback, “No.”
“Really?”
Shen Miao smiled candidly.
Even the Ninth Young Master, who visited most frequently, came strictly for business and cooperation.
There was no hint of romance.
When discussing shares with Ninth Young Master, she had almost blurted out asking for a fifty percent stake.
But then she thought, equal ownership could lead to decision-making deadlocks, where one says east and the other says west, making it hard to reach agreements.
Better to yield some profit, becoming a significant shareholder without getting too involved in management, and just enjoy the dividends.
If her words had lingered on the tip of her tongue and been swallowed back in time, she would have asked for thirty percent, but her hand had already moved too quickly to stop.
Later, under Xie Qi’s puzzled gaze, she awkwardly chuckled and slowly retracted two fingers.
Moreover, she had discussed many details with Ninth Brother, though she wasn’t sure how he had fared in his discussions with the Xie family’s matriarch.
If this matter could truly be settled, she, Ji Ge, and Xiangjie would have a stable source of savings, providing more security for their lives.
If the workshop thrived, her share of the profits would increase, and she would have the startup funds to expand her noodle shop or open new branches.
Shen Miao was lost in thought when she heard Aunt Gu, still holding a winnowing basket, chuckle:
“That’s not necessarily true! How do you know they’re not coming for your soup noodles because they fancy you?”
“I’m a divorced woman. Who would want to marry me just because they’ve had a few bowls of my soup noodles?” Shen Miao said this, but deep down, she was quite pleased, almost hoping no one would come to propose.
In fact, she felt that being divorced had spared her a lot of trouble.
Aunt Gu, however, disagreed.
She looked around, ensuring the alley was quiet and no one was passing by, then whispered to Shen Miao:
“Miss Shen, you mustn’t say that. There are so many remarried women out there. Even the Empress Dowager, the most revered woman in the palace, came from humble beginnings and was remarried.”
“Back then, when her family was struggling, her husband sold her into the palace as a maid for a few dozen strings of cash. And now, she’s the Empress Dowager!”
This was the first time Shen Miao had heard this, as the original Shen’s memories didn’t contain such shocking gossip.
She widened her eyes: “He sold his wife?? Sent her to the palace as a maid?? That Empress Dowager’s ex-husband is even worse than mine!”
“Shh! He’s now recognized as the late emperor’s sworn brother and has been enfeoffed as the Marquis of Lejiang. He’s risen to great heights. You mustn’t curse him; if someone hears, it’ll be trouble.” Aunt Gu quickly waved her hand to stop her.
Shen Miao pursed her lips: “Such a man can still be made a marquis. Truly, the world is full of diversity.”
“They had to put on a show. If they didn’t call him a brother, what would they call him? The Empress Dowager’s ex-husband? Where would that leave the late emperor’s dignity?”
“They just found a convenient excuse, gave him a purple robe and an empty title, and that silenced the world. Why not?”
Aunt Gu was quite pragmatic.
“So I say, don’t belittle yourself. What’s wrong with remarrying? Look, the most powerful remarried woman is in the palace!”
There are so many remarried women in the world, but only one became the Empress Dowager!
She’s an extraordinary person; otherwise, how could she rise from being a sold wife to the highest position?
Everyone’s life path is different, so how can we compare?
Shen Miao was both amused and touched, knowing Aunt Gu was comforting her.
As they chatted, they carried the winnowing baskets to dry the soap.
After setting them down, Shen Miao thought, why not take the day off today?
It wasn’t that she was lazy, but she had been so busy lately that she hadn’t spent much time with Xiangjiie and Ji Ge.
It was her mistake, so today she decided to have a hearty meal and take them to the night market for some fun!
She closed the shop, hung up the “Closed” sign, bid Aunt Gu farewell, went home to fetch some money, and headed to the market to pick out a plump chicken.
They often ate pork, but it had been a while since they’d had chicken.
Regardless of whether Ji Ge passed the exams or not, Shen Miao decided to make a delicious meal that evening.
She pondered for a while.
The sun wasn’t out today, and the wind had turned chilly by the afternoon.
Why not make a pot of firewood-stewed chicken?
She could also make some flatbread to go with it.
Though it would be coarse wheat bread, not cornbread, it would be crispy on one side and soft on the other, soaking up the chicken broth-it would surely be delicious.
She got to work, picked out two large chickens, and came back to prepare them.
Just as she was about to carry the chickens inside by their feet, she heard hurried footsteps from the alley entrance.
Shen Miao turned around and saw Ji Ge, his face flushed red and drenched in sweat!
The hair Shen Miao had tied for him that morning was now disheveled, flying wildly in the wind as he ran.
“Sister!”
He was gasping so hard, bending over with his hands on his knees, unable to say more than calling out to Shen Miao.
Shen Miao, surprised and delighted, stopped in her tracks, holding the freshly plucked chicken.
She quickly turned and walked toward him: “You’re back? Why did you come back alone? Where’s Uncle Li?”
“Uncle Li… Uncle Li is still behind. I… I couldn’t wait… I ran back… huff…”
Shen Miao asked, “So, has the results list been posted?”
“It’s… huff… posted….”