She often enjoyed disguising herself as an ordinary, plain-faced maid from a common household, wandering around with the more skilled Fan Yi and Fan Su.
When her heart stirred, she immediately acted.
She went up to the second floor to the room specially reserved for her, Naren and Madam Liang to rest, and changed into men’s clothing.
She didn’t bring Fan Su, mainly because she was afraid this gossipy young man might go and spill the beans.
But she was also worried about running into trouble, so she took Fan Yi, who knew how to ride a horse, and slipped out through the back door.
The inn’s business was thriving.
In February, after deducting costs and salaries, they actually earned over forty taels of silver.
She gritted her teeth… and cut off a small piece of gold from the box given by the Empress Dowager to exchange for silver, buying several acres of land to build another small building.
Given the current situation, they could start making a profit within a year.
If they added more rooms and expanded the dining area in the hall, she could comfortably “lie flat” within six months.
When they built the current small building, they had specifically designed it so that the corner stage would be surrounded by the dining area, turning it into a central stage.
When the two of them slipped out, it happened to be mealtime.
A dazzling pair… oh, a handsome young man and a young lady with her face painted like a monkey’s bottom took the stage.
As the drums and gongs sounded, one twisted the red silk around her waist, while the other waved a handkerchief, and they began to sing:
“In March, spring is here! Skipping a meal makes you hungry~”
“The magpie comes from the east, chirping away, our host is celebrating a grand birthday, oh hey~”
“With real gold and silver to give, dear guests, sit and listen as we sing into your ears~”
Fan Yi couldn’t help but chuckle.
Every time he saw his familiar companions on stage, twisting like snakes but without a hint of allure, singing in such odd tones, he couldn’t stop himself from laughing.
Fang He leaned against the back door and listened for a while, nodding with a proud smile on her face.
She had thought for a long time about what kind of performance could be lively, festive, and likable without stirring up any improper thoughts.
There were probably many in the world, but the first thing that popped into her mind was-Errenzhuan!
It’s festive, lively, and guaranteed to be entertainingly proper.
Guests from all over might not all appreciate it, but none would dislike it.
That was enough.
Errenzhuan-style storytelling, Errenzhuan-style ballad singing, Errenzhuan-style acrobatics-all were arranged with the aim of making customers laugh and willingly part with their silver.
As they left, she even suggested to Fan Yi, whose face was red from laughing, “I see you’re quite skilled, young and flexible. Why don’t you go up and take the lead…”
Fan Yi suddenly straightened his chest, “I’m not flexible! I’m tough! Really, I’m tough everywhere!”
Fang He: “……”
Was she just run over by a cheeky fourteen-year-old kid?
When Fang He returned, Madam Liang had already heard the news.
She stood behind the counter, looking at her with a half-smile, clearly ready to reprimand her.
Fang He, ever the opportunist, immediately stuck to Madam Liang’s side, trying to smooth things over with a smile.
“I just took Fan Yi out to see the scenery…”
Madam Liang sneered, “And came back with a blind man?”
The tall, sturdy young man who had been brought back, now disheveled, hunched his shoulders, not daring to look up.
Fang He waved her hand weakly, “Don’t mention it. I originally went… ahem, to see the scenery, but as soon as I entered the city, I heard people arguing…”
Could they miss out on the excitement?
Madam Liang:”….”
Lin Chen and a few idle young assistants gathered around to listen to the boss’s rambling.
Fang He continued, “I squeezed through the crowd to take a look, and wow, it turned out to be two groups of people beating up a handsome… uh, a disabled person. Could I just stand by and watch?”
Lin Chen scoffed, “When I sparred with Brother Gu, I didn’t see you holding back!”
Lin Chen was referring to the inn’s accountant, Gu Xian, who used to be a slave in the Lakshin tribe.
Because he was strong, good-looking, and had excellent handwriting, he caught the eye of a noblewoman in the tribe.
When the Taiji (a noble title) who was negotiating a marriage with the noblewoman found out, he stormed in and severed Gu Xian’s right arm.
He was about to disfigure Gu Xian’s face too, but the noblewoman’s father stopped him.
Of course, the other party only wanted to avoid being humiliated by their tribe.
Although they healed Gu Xian’s wounds, they still expelled him from the tribe.
Probably to save face, they expelled him from the tribe, allowing the Taiji from the negotiating tribe to retaliate freely.
Naren had been keeping an eye on Gu Xian and had already taken him into the woods to hide.
In terms of martial arts, Gu Xian was stronger than Lin Chen.
In terms of literacy, he was even more superior.
If Fang He hadn’t been unwilling to find a substitute for her past life’s boyfriend, she might have considered this big brother.
He was so gentle to her, so why would she hold back when it came to hitting Lin Chen?
Fang He rolled her eyes and snorted, “Are you going to listen or not?”
Lin Chen fell silent.
“I found out after asking around that this young master Qiao is actually the descendant of a royal chef!”
“Little Qiao is an excellent cook, and someone bought him back for a hefty sum. But after bringing him home, they realized he couldn’t see clearly and could only talk about cooking, not actually do it.”
Fang He glanced at Madam Liang subtly, praising her without making it obvious.
“The person who bought him went to settle accounts with the broker, but the broker insisted he had been deceived too. So, the two groups ended up beating Little Qiao together.”
“I’ve already asked Little Qiao. He can only cook in familiar places. In unfamiliar places, he can guide others to make exceptionally delicious dishes just by relying on the smell…”
Madam Liang asked expressionlessly, “Just tell me, how much silver did you spend?”
Fang He cautiously extended two fingers.
Madam Liang: “Two taels?”
Fang He shook her head.
“Twenty taels??” Madam Liang’s voice rose a bit.
That was half a month’s profit for them.
Fang He guiltily shook her head again.
Madam Liang started looking around, “Two hundred taels?!”
“Alright, alright, you’ve taken all our family savings with you, haven’t you? I married a spendthrift, and now we’re ruined—”
“I promise I’ll earn the silver back!” She hid behind Lin Chen and whispered, afraid of disturbing the guests resting upstairs and in the rooms.
Coincidentally, she had brought the silver with her when she went out, partly to purchase items for the newly built house and partly in case she encountered a destined person at the broker’s, planning to play the role of a beauty saving a hero.
She didn’t end up saving a hero but brought back a cook instead.
Still, she had no regrets.
“I knew at first glance that he could make money. Maybe my judgment in choosing a husband isn’t as good as yours, but when it comes to food and making money, no one can beat me!”
Madam Liang: “…”
Is this little rascal indirectly praising herself?
But she was just putting on a show.
Few people present had ever been short of silver, and even though they were a bit strapped now, they didn’t really mind spending two hundred taels.
After all, it was Fang He’s silver.
If she was willing to spend it, who else could begrudge her?
But Madam Liang wasn’t willing to let Fang He off so easily.
She planted her hands on her hips and glared, “Fine! Until you earn it back, you’re not allowed to have any wild ideas. Otherwise, I’ll remarry and take the child with me!”
Fang He thought to herself, I haven’t heard that this sister is pregnant?
But then she glanced at the innocent Fan Su standing nearby…
Oh right, remarrying with the child’s father isn’t much different from taking the child along.
She nodded reluctantly, “Alright, alright, I’ll listen to you, Madam. I promise I won’t spend money recklessly anymore.”
Mainly because she didn’t have any money left.
The funds for the new house weren’t even enough to buy the necessary items, so how could she even think about holding hands or kissing?
Having good food was enough.
Fortunately, Fang He had a keen sense of smell-or rather, a nose for opportunity.
From the blind young man, Qiao Xiaoyuan, she caught a whiff of a particularly familiar scent: chili peppers.
It was worth noting that chili peppers were only available in foreign lands and coastal regions at the time.
Yangzhou might have had them, but they were expensive and unpopular, rarely sold in shops.
Just for that scent alone, she felt it was worth it.
In the following days, she quickly became inseparable from the handsome Qiao Xiaoyuan.
They spent their days chatting enthusiastically, heads close together, ears nearly touching.
Madam Liang and Naren were both puzzled.
Madam Liang wondered, “Does she feel like she got a bad deal and now wants him to both cook and share her bed?”
Naren replied, “… Isn’t that just perfect? Let them slowly build their feelings. With the contract in place, there’s nothing more worry-free.”
Madam Liang had examined Qiao Xiaoyuan’s pulse and knew that his blindness wasn’t congenital.
He had lost his sight after consuming something toxic while searching for spices.
With her medical skills, combined with acupuncture and herbal remedies, she estimated that he could regain most of his vision within a year or so.
By then, Fang He’s health would also have improved.
If the two of them could come together, it would be a win-win situation, saving Fang He from her restlessness.
With that in mind, the two women stopped bringing it up, content to let things unfold naturally.
Others, especially Lin Chen and Gu Xian, who had some interest in Fang He, were initially displeased.
They occasionally went to the kitchen to make snide remarks at Qiao Xiaoyuan.
But under Fang He’s guidance, Qiao Xiaoyuan quickly got the hang of the kitchen.
After he prepared his first spicy grilled fish, no one in the inn dared to speak harshly to him again.
In fact, some even tried to push Fang He aside to get closer to Qiao Xiaoyuan.
As the saying goes, there are plenty of men (and women) in the world, but good food…
Well, family harmony is more important.
After the spicy grilled fish was ready, Fang He, taking advantage of her proximity, managed to grab a bowl.
The rest was quickly devoured by the rowdy teenagers and Lin Chen’s group.
When she turned around, she saw Madam Liang and Naren eyeing her bowl.
Reluctantly, she gave away two-thirds of it, leaving herself with just a taste.
She was so frustrated she almost cried.
But the ones who wanted to cry even more were the inn’s guests.
They were still eager to eat, driven mad by the tantalizingly spicy and fragrant aroma.
But when asked, they were told it was still in the testing phase and wouldn’t be available for a while.
Who does business like this?
Some even slapped silver on the table-it wasn’t about the money; what they lacked was the chance to taste the dishes!
Fang He was delighted when she heard this.
What a great idea!
She had Qiao Xiaoyuan prepare three dishes daily, and the highest bidder would get to taste them.
By the time Qiao Xiaoyuan had fully familiarized himself with the kitchen and even sped up his cooking due to a slight improvement in his eyesight, it was already June, and they had already earned back the money spent on him.
Fang He held Qiao Xiaoyuan’s hand and assured him, “As long as you’re willing to stay, you can buy back your own indenture.”
The eavesdroppers: “……”
She’s not even willing to spend money to win a man over, making him buy back his own freedom?
Tsk tsk~