The shopkeeper, who had never encountered a customer asking such detailed questions, was intrigued and explained it carefully.
From what he said, Shen Miao learned that about 60% of Bianjing’s grain came from the south via the Bian River.
In the Song Dynasty, grain prices were much cheaper than in previous dynasties.
This was partly because rice from the Champa region was introduced from the Jiaozhi Kingdom, and this rice variety allowed for two to three harvests per year, greatly increasing the rice yield in the Song Dynasty.
Additionally, wheat cultivation was expanding beyond the areas of Jianghuai and Daming, and more regions such as Huainan and Jiangnan were producing wheat as well.
Therefore, as long as there were no disasters in the southern regions, grain prices in Bianjing typically fluctuated only by a few copper coins per ten days.
However, if there were floods, droughts, or locusts in the south, grain prices could rise sharply within a month.
“The wheat flour from the south is even cheaper than the one from Daming,” the shopkeeper smiled, “Don’t worry, our emperor is a wise ruler.
Not only is he frugal, but he also sends agricultural officials to supervise farming in various regions every year, and the dikes and riverbanks are maintained regularly. As long as the weather is favorable, we won’t go hungry.”
Indeed, the Song Dynasty was lucky, having turned a corner during the reign of Emperor Taizu.
The quality of the emperors in the Zhao family line improved significantly, unlike the previous generations that had produced incompetent rulers.
While kneading the dough, Shen Miao couldn’t help but mutter silently to herself.
Preparing 150 buns was no small task.
She worked the whole afternoon to finish, and her bamboo steamer could only fit twenty at a time, stacking them in eight layers.
After tying them up with hemp rope in bundles of four, Shen Miao adjusted the load and, in the respectful gazes of Xiang Jie and Ji Ge, took a deep breath and hoisted the shoulder pole.
After adjusting to the weight, she was ready to head out.
With the load balanced, the weight didn’t feel too heavy.
Ji Ge held Xiang Jie’s hand and helped her, and the three of them walked slowly.
They attracted the attention of many passersby, and even overheard some whispers.
“Heavens, this woman looks thin but has great strength!”
“Isn’t she the pancake seller from the morning market? Where is she going?”
“No, no, she’s the flatbread seller!”
“Close enough, it’s her!”
“Look, she made quite a lot! This woman must have some big customer waiting!”
Shen Miao was speechless.
When did she become the “flatbread seller”?
She had been mistaken for the pancake seller before, but now even “flatbread seller” wasn’t much of an improvement!
As she walked through the streets, their gossip followed her until she reached the western corner gate of the Xie family.
There, she encountered the same gatekeeper from yesterday.
Upon seeing her, he quickly jumped up to help.
“Shen Miao? Oh! Slow down! Let me carry it for you, let me take it! I’ll take you inside…”
Before Shen Miao could refuse, the gatekeeper took the pole from her shoulder, and the other servants gathered around, teasing him.
“Yan Qi, is the sun rising from the west today? Why are you so eager to help? Did you meet a fairy?”
Yan Qi turned red in the face, pushing them away with his foot, “Go away, go away, what nonsense! This is Madam’s task… Shen Miao, follow me, watch your step…”
Shen Miao just smiled without saying a word.
In those days, when women worked outside for a living, they would inevitably encounter some sharp-tongued people.
The more you paid attention to them, the more they would act up, so it was better to ignore them.
She silently nodded and led Ji Ge and Xiang Jie over the high green stone threshold of the Xie family’s gate.
The side gates of large households were usually used by servants for entering and exiting, or for transporting grain, firewood, and water.
As Shen Miao entered, she found herself in a simple courtyard.
The east and west wings had been converted into stables, and many servants were pushing carts of straw.
They passed through the courtyard, walked along a winding corridor, passed another door, went through a small garden, and finally entered the outer kitchen through a small gate.
There were servants bustling about everywhere: some were weeding, some were cleaning, others were climbing the artificial hill to scrape off the moss.
Shen Miao’s feet were getting sore, and her eyes were spinning.
She couldn’t help but think that the Xie family probably had hundreds of servants.
Ji Ge grew more nervous as they walked.
At first, he curiously looked around, but soon he stopped looking around and just focused ahead.
Xiang Jie, on the other hand, was very happy.
As they passed the small garden, with flowers and plants everywhere, she shook Shen Miao’s hand, speaking in a soft, excited voice, “Sister, look at all the flowers over there!”
Yan Qi led them into the kitchen.
The kitchen was very spacious, with four long cooking stoves already steaming with heat, and many cooks were busy working.
“This is Shen Miao, the one the madam asked to send the vegetarian snacks,” Yan Qi explained to the head cook in charge.
He then unloaded the shoulder pole and introduced Shen Miao, “This is Fang, the head cook in the outer kitchen. If you need any tools, just ask him.”
Shen Miao looked over and saw a burly man, his back broad and his body sturdy.
He seemed rather serious and was currently kneading dough, merely nodding in her direction.
She also returned the greeting.
Yan Qi said, “I’ll leave it here. I’ll come back at the second watch (around 7 p.m.) to take you out.”
Shen Miao nodded and thanked him again.
Once Yan Qi left, the head cook finally looked up and briefly pointed to two idle ovens on the side where the fire hadn’t been lit.
“You can use those two stoves. Don’t touch anything else. The firewood for the kitchen is in the next room. You can fetch it yourself.”
After that, he bent his head back down to knead the dough, his strong arms working rhythmically, making loud thumping noises.
It seemed like the man wasn’t very happy that she was there.
Shen Miao, being perceptive, noticed this, but she didn’t mind.
After all, she was getting paid for this, and she was only there to bake and leave.
It didn’t matter whether the other people liked her or not.
She led Ji Ge to fetch firewood.
On both sides of the kitchen were rooms—one for storing firewood, the other for grains, fruits, and vegetables.
It wasn’t hard to find.
After fetching the firewood, she could see the small path leading to the end of the garden.
Many neatly dressed servants were setting up a large bamboo tent with colorful ribbons.
Shen Miao tiptoed and glanced over.
The area was bustling, and she could vaguely hear chanting from afar.
It seemed like quite a grand event.
She found a small stool that was unused and placed Xiang Jie in a small corner by the kitchen door.
From this position, Shen Miao could easily see her, and there was a light breeze coming through the door, keeping it cool and free from the smoke.
Then, she pulled out a large bun from the top steamer, one that was as big as Xiang Jie’s head.
When Shen Miao was making the steamed buns earlier, she had taken the opportunity to make a red bean paste bun shaped like a longevity peach.
However, she had accidentally added too much yeast, so the bun turned out quite oversized.
But since it was already made, there was no reason to waste it.
She steamed it and brought it over.
Xiang Jie happily took it.
The child could really eat.
But children—being able to eat was a blessing.
As long as they got enough nutrition, they’d grow tall.
Shen Miao didn’t stop her from eating.
Besides, after eating, Xiang Jie ran around chasing the chickens, so she had no chance of getting fat.
With food in hand, Xiang Jie became very quiet.
Now she sat obediently on the small stool by the door, nibbling on the giant longevity peach bun.
With each bite, her face was almost covered.
This caught the attention of the head cook, who looked at her several times.
It seemed like he had never seen such a funny sight before.
Meanwhile, Ji Ge stayed by the stove, adding fuel to the fire.
As the stove’s temperature gradually increased, Shen Miao became busy with her work.
***
In a quiet courtyard of the Xie family, Xie Qi lay on a bamboo couch, his stomach growling with hunger.
Even his attendant, Yan Shu, was so weak from hunger that he had no strength.
Today, the family was holding a memorial for his grandfather’s death anniversary.
The Xie family had set up continuous bamboo shelters in the outer courtyard, inviting 150 monks to chant sutras for three days.
They also had to prepare a grand banquet for the guests, and many relatives had been coming and going these past few days.
Xie Qi had gotten up before dawn, dressed in simple clothes, and rode out with his father, uncles, and brothers to the grave outside the city to pay their respects.
Afterward, they went to the ancestral hall to offer incense before the ancestral tablets, and then he and his father, uncles, and brothers attended to the distant relatives who had arrived.
He was so busy that by the time he returned to his room to rest, it was already past the third hour (3 p.m.).
At the banquet, there would be drinking and poetry recitations, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to eat enough.
“Ninth Young Master, why don’t I go check the kitchen and find something to eat?”
Yan Shu complained, unable to endure the hunger anymore.
“There are too many people in the house today. Aunt from the third branch is helping the madam with the arrangements, and they’ve sent all the servants from the yard to assist.
Even the few attendants in our courtyard have been taken away! It’s really frustrating! We come back, and there’s not even a hot meal for us!”
Xie Qi didn’t like to argue about such matters.
His mother wasn’t the type to be at a disadvantage; she would find a way to make up for it later.
As a younger generation, it was better for him not to get involved.
So he just smiled and said, “These past few days have been busy, and there’s not much to be done. It’s not a problem.
Mother seems to have gone to the Great-Grandmother’s courtyard to talk; I should go pay my respects too and bring some refreshments. Why don’t we take a detour to the inner courtyard on the way?”
Yan Shu happily jumped up, “Great! We can grab something to eat, then take the small path through the outer kitchen; it’s closer that way.”
Xie Qi nodded and stood up, both of them heading downstairs and out of the courtyard.
The wind carried the sound of chanting sutras, and the air was filled with incense smoke, some of it choking.
Xie Qi raised his sleeve to cover his nose, and with Yan Shu, they hurried along the long corridor, passed through a door, and were met with the sight of a cheerful little girl sitting by the kitchen door.
She was holding a large longevity peach-shaped steamed bun, completely absorbed in eating it.
Where did this child come from?
Why haven’t I seen her before?
Yan Shu was about to walk over in curiosity when a pair of plain embroidered shoes stepped out from the kitchen, followed by a woman in an apricot yellow coat with a bright red skirt underneath.
Her sleeves were rolled up high, exposing her white, strong arms.
When Xie Qi looked up, he was taken aback—he recognized her face.
Her features were delicate, with small, upturned eyes and a graceful nose.
She had been working in the kitchen for a while, and the heat from the stove had caused her cheeks to turn a rosy pink, much like the peach blossoms of spring.
When she noticed Xie Qi and Yan Shu, her expression turned surprised, and she exclaimed, “Ah!”
“Shen Miao!”
Yan Shu exclaimed with delight, turning excitedly to call out to his master, “Ninth Young Master, Ninth Young Master, look! It’s the Shen Miao we met on the boat! The one who made such great soup pancakes!”
Even without Yan Shu’s shouting, Xie Qi had already seen her from the small stone path.
The woman stood on the slightly mossy steps outside the kitchen, her eyes soft and clear as she glanced up at him.
Xie Qi was initially surprised, but then remembered the steaming bowl of delicious soup pancakes they had shared on the boat and realized that this was the same Shen Miao.
He felt it was quite a coincidence and smiled lightly, cupping his hands in a respectful gesture, “Shen Miao, it’s been a long time.”
Shen Miao quickly lowered her body in a respectful greeting, momentarily not recognizing him.
But as soon as Xie Qi spoke in his gentle and polite tone, she suddenly recalled the dusty shoes she had stepped on and the handsome young man with the pained expression on his face.
So, this was Xie Qi, the one she had met before!