Chapter 65: An Unreasonable Request

Shopkeeper Xu usually had suppliers for most of the ingredients used in his culinary business, but he also frequently strolled around outside. About seven or eight days ago, while wandering through the East Market, he caught sight of fairy tofu. After asking how it was consumed, he bought several blocks and had Chef Yu experiment with them.

Originally, he had intended to launch it as a new dish, but when he returned the next day, the vendor selling the fairy tofu was nowhere to be found. She did not appear for six or seven days straight. He even went to the West Market, but found no sign of the tofu stall either. Upon making inquiries, he was told that such a tofu stall had indeed existed and operated for a while, but had simply not come recently.

Shopkeeper Xu guessed it might be due to the busy farming season. Calculating that the busy season had passed, he kept watch and finally managed to catch the vendor, only to discover that besides fairy tofu, there was now another white variety called simply tofu.

That very day, he purchased ten blocks of fairy tofu, tossed them into small dishes as cold appetizers to test them out, and bought a few blocks of the regular tofu for Chef Yu to experiment with.

Today, he had originally planned to go buy some more when he happened to run into Sang Luo selling the vegetarian tripe.

Sang Luo smiled. "It can be considered my family's livelihood. I used to sell this in the West Market, but nowadays several aunts from my village are selling these in the county town. Has Shopkeeper Xu bought them before?"

Shopkeeper Xu explained the connection and said, "I was originally planning to go have a look around today. What a coincidence to run into you here, Madam Sang."

Sang Luo raised an eyebrow, roughly guessing that Shopkeeper Xu must have originally intended to visit Qin Fangniang's place to finalize a supply order. Without exposing it, she smiled and said, "It is quite the coincidence."

Turning to Chef Yu, she asked, "I wonder how Chef Yu plans to cook these dishes?"

Chef Yu listed the several methods he had pondered over. Upon hearing them, Sang Luo smiled—as expected of a restaurant head chef, this was something that truly required no teaching. Once the ingredients were in his hands, he could come up with all sorts of variations on his own.

She showered Chef Yu with praise and said to Shopkeeper Xu, "With a master chef like Chef Yu here, it was never my place to show off my clumsy skills. However, the recipe for making this tofu has been passed down in my family, and we had previously pondered several ways of eating it. Among them, I found a few quite suitable for a restaurant. Being able to bring this business to your Dongfu Restaurant today can also be considered fate. I would like to gift you a few recipes as a token of thanks for Shopkeeper Xu's future patronage."

Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper Xu was overjoyed, and Chef Yu's eyes lit up as well.

What was most crucial in running a restaurant? Maintaining a high standard of culinary skill while constantly introducing the new through the old!

Without lingering on formalities, Sang Luo readily shared the tofu preparation methods she knew, such as purse tofu, sauced tofu, steamed tofu, dual-colored tofu, and stuffed tofu. Shopkeeper Xu and Chef Yu's eyes grew brighter and brighter as they listened.

Chef Yu, who had initially been only mildly interested, now stepped forward, nudging Shopkeeper Xu aside, and began eagerly asking detailed questions about the parts he didn't understand.

The more he asked, the more engrossed he became. For a dish with a more complex shape like the purse tofu, he directly picked up the blocks of tofu Sang Luo had brought, led Sang Luo and Shopkeeper Xu into the back kitchen, and asked Sang Luo to guide him through making it on the spot.

To mention just one, that dish of purse tofu featured white tofu shaped into a golden purse, filled with seasoned stuffing, tied at the neck with green scallions like a string, and garnished with poured sauce. Simply looking at it was indescribably pleasing to the eye, prompting Shopkeeper Xu to praise it repeatedly!

"This can completely become a signature dish of our restaurant," he said with some excitement, turning to ask Sang Luo, "Madam Sang, does your family still make this tofu now?"

"Naturally we do. The various tofu stalls in the county town are also supplied by my family. However," she paused here and smiled, "if Shopkeeper Xu wishes to order tofu, you can actually place the order directly at the stall in the East Market where you originally bought it. She sets up her stall there every day, and can deliver the goods to you before the stall opens, which would be much more convenient than buying from my hands. My vegetarian tripe will also be entrusted to her to bring over for you then. As for the price for long-term orders, the profit margin on tofu is thin; what we earn is really just hard-earned money. You can discuss the specifics directly with her."

Shopkeeper Xu raised an eyebrow. Business of this sort didn't need to pass through an extra pair of hands. Presumably, having heard that he had previously bought tofu at the East Market, she had guessed his intention to place a long-term order with that tofu stall and was unwilling to cut in halfway.

She was indeed an honest and kind person.

As for the price—two copper coins per block—it was already cheap, and he wasn't one to haggle over trifles on such a matter. He therefore smiled and said, "That works too. Then I shall make another trip to the East Market later."

Sang Luo smiled slightly and turned to Chef Yu, saying, "Chef Yu can also ponder various combinations of fish and tofu cooked together. Fish head stewed with tofu, simmered until the broth turns milky white, is extremely fresh in flavor, and braising it with various types of fish is also quite good."

Chef Yu felt as though a whole new world had been opened up to him. "This tofu pairs with everything! Starting tomorrow, once we have the tofu, I must puzzle out a new dish every single day."

Sang Luo's eyes curved into smiles. If he had the ability to pull off a tofu banquet, the daily tofu orders for Dongfu Restaurant alone would not be small. Although ordered from Aunt Youtian's hands, the supply ultimately originated from her. Moreover, with Dongfu Restaurant creating various versions of these dishes, the people in the county would follow suit, bringing even better business to all the tofu stalls in the county town.

When the group emerged from the back kitchen, Shopkeeper Xu was much more enthusiastic. Back in the private dining room, he busily instructed the waiter to pour fresh tea and arrange pastries and refreshments.

Shopkeeper Xu waved his hands in refusal upon hearing this and said, "Shopkeeper Xu needn't trouble yourself. I have urgent matters to attend to and must leave right now."

Sang Luo had no intention of bringing back the thousand-plus copper coins earned today; she planned to exchange them directly for grain in the county town and haul them back using Qin Fangniang's pushcart—something she had already discussed with Qin Fangniang that morning.

Right now, she could pay attention to nothing else; securing the grain tax took absolute precedence.

At a time when grain prices were rising, it was better to buy early for peace of mind. She had originally planned to trade tofu for grain with three friendly families in the village and slowly hoard it up, but that was no longer realistic. Once this tax was levied, which family in the village would still have surplus grain to sell? The Chen, Shi, and Lu families wouldn't have surplus grain to trade for her tofu either.

Therefore, she could only buy in the county town. Furthermore, grain merchants would never raise prices to collect grain for no reason; the situation outside was probably far from good. Exactly how bad it was, Sang Luo did not know, but right now, all she could do was hoard more grain and prepare for further price hikes.

Because Sang Luo was not certain whether the grain merchants raised prices because they had advance knowledge of the imperial court's tax levy, if they didn't, this sudden imperial tax would inevitably disrupt the grain merchants' purchasing plans, and prices would likely climb even higher.

Thinking of this, she inquired of Shopkeeper Xu about the reasons behind the rising grain prices.

Seeing her ask about this, Shopkeeper Xu sighed. "You probably don't know, but this flood disaster has affected several prefectures and commanderies."

Lowering his voice, he continued, "I heard that because the imperial court provided no disaster relief, the lives of the disaster victims in those prefectures were truly too tragic to behold, including harrowing tragedies of people exchanging their children to eat. Last month, I vaguely heard that plagues had broken out in the worst-hit prefectures. Recently, have you noticed that no refugees have been coming this way anymore?"

Thinking it over carefully, Sang Luo realized that was indeed true. The original owner never left the village, but ever since Sang Luo arrived, she frequently traveled to the county town and truly had not seen any more refugees heading in this direction.

Shopkeeper Xu shook his head. "They can't cross over anymore."

Hearing this, Sang Luo felt a chill run through her entire body.

If the original owner had fled even a little bit later, what kind of scene would she have encountered upon transmigrating here?

Would she have been the one who starved to death or the one who was eaten? Coupled with a plague, this truly was hell.

Not knowing that Sang Luo was a refugee who had fled from the southern parts, Shopkeeper Xu asked, seeing her inquire about grain prices, "Are you looking to buy grain?"

Sang Luo nodded.

Shopkeeper Xu offered guidance: "Then you must act quickly. As soon as the notice announcing the advance collection of rent and taxes was issued yesterday, the price of grain in the county town shot up to eighty-two copper coins per dou by early this morning."

Sang Luo's expression shifted slightly. "It went up again?"

Shopkeeper Xu nodded. "Indeed. Many people probably don't know yet. The backers behind the grain shops seem anxious to collect grain right now and are keeping quiet about it. If we didn't constantly deal with grain shops, we wouldn't have known so quickly. But it can't be kept under wraps forever; there are always people going in to buy grain. Besides, residents in the county also need to pay their rent and taxes, so the diligent ones probably started buying today. The news that grain prices have risen can no longer be contained, and by right now, there's probably already a long queue lined up outside the grain shop."

Hearing this, Sang Luo felt her scalp tingle. Not daring to delay for even a moment, she hastily bid farewell to Shopkeeper Xu and prepared to head straight for the grain shop.

Seeing her like this, Shopkeeper Xu called out to stop her: "Madam Sang, do not be hasty. How much grain are you looking to buy? If you are buying it to pay the rent and taxes, don't go stand in line. I have some connections with the grain shop. I can have a shop assistant run over there and have them send it directly, and then I'll have an assistant push a cart to help deliver it to your home."

At a loss for words for a moment, Sang Luo thought of the several recipes she had just given away and simply laid everything out honestly: "It is indeed for paying the rent and taxes. I need four shi and four dou. To not keep it from you, I originally came from the northern parts as well, and settled down here only a few months ago. Having just built a house, I can be considered utterly destitute right now. The silver and copper coins I have on hand for buying grain amount to only a thousand coins, and I've been buying as I earn. With grain prices rising so sharply, I'm afraid they will climb even higher later. Shopkeeper Xu, Sang Luo has an unbefitting request."

Before she could finish, Shopkeeper Xu raised a hand to stop her: "I understand. How much silver do you need? Let me lend you some first so you can buy the grain you need right away. We can deduct it later from the payment for the vegetarian tripe goods."

Relieved, Sang Luo cupped her hands in a scholar's salute: "Thank you very much for your willingness to help, Shopkeeper Xu. I have no stored grain at home either. If Shopkeeper Xu can trust me..."

She quickly calculated in her mind and said, "I have one thousand coins on me today. I must trouble Shopkeeper Xu to lend me four thousand coins so I can buy six shi of grain and haul it back."

As she spoke, she took out the travel pass she carried with her and handed it to Shopkeeper Xu, saying, "This is my travel pass. Please have a look, Shopkeeper Xu; it details my family's situation and the location of my land and dwelling."

Shopkeeper Xu pushed it back. "Madam Sang needn't do this. Old Xu fancies himself somewhat capable of judging character, and I trust Madam Sang. Seeing that your tax alone amounts to four shi and four dou, I can roughly estimate your household size. Buying six shi of grain will not be enough for you to eat. Grain prices will likely continue to rise for a while longer, and there's no telling how high they might go. Madam Sang, you shouldn't feel embarrassed just because you are borrowing money from me. I'll tell you what: I will lend you six taels of silver so you can buy nine shi of grain. After paying the rent and tax, you will have four shi and six dou remaining, which should sustain you until next spring and summer. By then, the disaster will surely have passed, and the autumn harvest of new grain will come in, so prices won't remain like this."

Sang Luo rapidly calculated in her heart: nine shi of grain would cost seven thousand three hundred and eighty copper coins.

If she borrowed six taels of silver from Shopkeeper Xu, it would be equivalent to buying grain for seven thousand two hundred coins, leaving her with over eight hundred coins on hand. Added to the four hundred-plus coins at home, that would total over one thousand two hundred coins—enough to exchange for a full tael of silver, which she could promptly repay during her next visit. Combined with the subsequent earnings from tofu, vegetarian tripe, and crystal preserved meat—with tofu and vegetarian tripe alone bringing in several hundred coins a day—she wouldn't need too long to pay off this debt.

With this calculation, Sang Luo felt secure. She cupped her fists and said, "Then many thanks, Shopkeeper Xu."

Shopkeeper Xu smiled. "No need to thank me; consider it my gratitude to Madam Sang for gifting those recipes. Sit down for a moment; I'll have my assistant make a trip and buy the grain back."

Seeing Sang Luo about to offer thanks again, he quickly stopped her: "Madam Sang, no more formal courtesies."

He raised his voice to call the waiter to serve fresh tea and refreshments once more, summoned an assistant, gave a few instructions, and sent him off to buy grain at the grain shop on Sang Luo's behalf.

Having arranged everything properly and worrying that her presence here would make it difficult for Sang Luo to rest comfortably, Shopkeeper Xu smiled and told her, "I have some matters to attend to in the restaurant as well, so I'll go out to arrange them. Madam Sang, please rest at ease. The grain will be delivered directly to the back door shortly, and you needn't worry about not being able to haul it back; I'll have an assistant help you deliver it with a cart then."

After Sang Luo thanked him once more, Shopkeeper Xu smiled, offered a few remarks urging her to rest comfortably, and left the private room.

Before long, the accountant who had previously helped draft the contract arrived, holding two silver ingots—one large, one small—which he brought to the table next to Sang Luo and smiled as he said, "Madam Sang, this is the six taels of silver our manager asked me to bring to you. Please keep it safe."

This was the first time Sang Luo had laid eyes on silver since coming to this world. It was a pity it couldn't be kept warm before having to be spent, but thinking of the several shi of grain she would have left over, she felt much more at ease.

She stood up and bowed. "Thank you for the trouble, sir."

The accountant smiled. "Then please rest at your leisure, Madam Sang; I shall return to the counter first."

With a bow, he turned and walked out.

Looking at those two ingots of silver, one large and one small, Sang Luo felt a wave of emotion.

Originally, she was in urgent need of money, and coupled with the imperial court's newly levied taxes casting doubt on future tofu sales, she had intended to broaden her sales channels. Furthermore, Shopkeeper Xu was quite straightforward in character, and since her crystal preserved meat had sold well that morning—filling her money pouch to the brim—she had effortlessly acquired a favorable financial connection with Shopkeeper Xu.

Due to several combined factors, she had given away a few tofu recipes, never expecting that it would earn Shopkeeper Xu's favor, nor that the return would come so swiftly.

The twists and turns of human fate were truly unpredictable. When she left home this morning, she was still pondering how to secure the grain needed for the rent and tax within twelve days. Yet in the span of just an hour or two, not only was the grain for the tax immediately taken care of, but there would be enough left over—if she and the two children exercised some frugality—to sustain them until the autumn harvest next year.

Shopkeeper Xu's prediction that it would last until spring and summer stemmed from his assumption that her household had at least one able-bodied laborer who could eat his fill.

In reality, however, that able-bodied laborer did not exist at all. With her taking care of two little ones, if she truly managed to acquire nine shi of grain, those provisions would be more than enough to feed them all the way until next autumn's harvest after paying the rent and tax.

Though she was burdened with a debt of six taels of silver—a sum that would make anyone in Shili Village faint from shock—Sang Luo felt it was quite manageable. Compared to grain prices that kept climbing unpredictably, owing Shopkeeper Xu this money to buy the grain ahead of time was vastly preferable.

If she worked a bit harder these days and got all her businesses running simultaneously, she likely wouldn't need too long to pay off this debt.

However, thinking of the conditions in the northern prefectures mentioned by Shopkeeper Xu, Sang Luo's shoulders slumped. The Great Qian Dynasty had only been established for a few decades, hadn't it? With such relentless turmoil, judging by the current state of affairs, she probably shouldn't hold out hope of peacefully surviving until a ripe old age.