Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 143 The Flatbread Stall
Madam Wang chuckled and said, "It's just a matchmaking, what else could it mean? That young master Shentu is not married yet, and he's handsome. He might even become a high-ranking official in the future. It's easy for the young ladies in the neighborhood to be tempted when they see him, so naturally some people come to our door to arrange a matchmaking. However, most of them will come under a pretense. It's rare to see someone as direct as you, young lady."

Tao Ying subconsciously wanted to refute that she was different from those people, but then she thought about it again and it seemed that she was right. Besides, she had traveled all the way to Zhangye County to see them, and she was here to show off in front of her love rival. She really had no face to say anything to others.

So she swallowed back the words she was about to say and instead said reservedly, "I'm not here to see Young Master Shentu, I'm here to see his widowed sister-in-law."

"Oh, so you've come here specifically to buy these sesame cakes?" Madam Wang seemed a little skeptical, but she didn't want to offend her. She grabbed a handful of melon seeds and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Madam Shentu's sesame cakes are indeed very good. My husband and the two little ones love them. It's just that she usually sets up a stall at the small market in the suburbs, and lately you have to wait in a long line to buy them."

"That old lady was quite shrewd in business. She said that in order to take care of the neighbors, she would let those of us who lived nearby buy the cakes first, so that we wouldn't have to go all the way to the outskirts. If anyone was craving a cake, they could go to her yard in advance to place an order, pay two coins to get a slip of paper, and then come back the next morning with the slip of paper to pick up the cakes, paying the rest of the money along the way."

"Hmm, it is quite ingenious," Tao Ying reluctantly admitted.

"Speaking of Madam Shentu? Oh, she's such a kind person." Another Madam Ge chimed in, saying with great relish, "Her flatbreads are filled with mutton, and the portions are already quite generous. If a child goes to buy them, she's always willing to give them even more. Last time, my son had just recovered from a cold and was craving some flatbreads, so he went to buy some from her. She said he looked like he had lost a lot of weight, so she gave him a small piece of bread. My son was overjoyed."

Madam Wang said, "She's not a bad person, but her flatbread is more expensive than other people's."

Madam Ge said, "It's alright, it's only one copper coin more expensive than Fu Ji's mutton flatbread, but they use more ingredients."

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Madam Wang pointed to the entrance of the courtyard. "Look, do you see that person? He seems to be here to order sesame cakes, but he's actually taking this opportunity to check out Young Master Shentu."

"Huh? How did you know that?" Tao Ying looked around and saw a maid knocking on the door.

"I'm very good at judging people. I can tell who's here for the flatbread and who's here for the young master in a second," Madam Wang boasted. "If she really wanted to buy the flatbread, she should have come after Madam Shentu closed her stall at dusk. She's only here now to wait for Young Master Shentu to come back so she can have a few words with him. Besides, I've seen her come several times already. It's probably because the mistress of the house likes it very much and hasn't given up yet."

Tao Ying thought to herself, "That Madam Wang is really bored, always watching the courtyard from the doorway. But according to her, it seems that Brother Xiao Zhuo's affair with his widowed sister-in-law hasn't started yet?"

So she asked again, "Such a devoted young lady, does Young Master Shentu not even fancy her?"

This time, it was Madam Ge who picked up the conversation: "That's right. Last time I went to order sesame cakes, I happened to run into the matchmaker hired by the Jiao family, who was trying to curry favor with Madam Shentu, begging her to send a letter to Young Master Shentu to propose marriage to Young Lady Jiao. At that time, Young Master Shentu was studying his scriptures in the next room, and the matchmaker didn't dare to disturb him, so she pushed the matter onto Madam Shentu."

"And then? Did Madam Shentu go and deliver it?" Tao Ying thought bitterly, probably because she had thrown them all away. Who knows if Madam Shentu had already fallen for her uncle?

"Yes, it was handed over. There were several people who ordered the flatbread there, and they all saw it," Madam Ge said with a smile. "I thought they would wait until everyone had left before handing it over, but Madam Shentu was in a hurry to make the flatbread and called Young Master Shentu out on the spot."

"How's it going? Any response?" Madam Wang was so engrossed in listening that she forgot to eat her melon seeds. Tao Ying was also very curious. Why did she feel that her widowed sister-in-law showed no sign of jealousy? Could it be that her brother Xiao Zhuo was in a one-sided love affair?

Madam Ge said, "Alas, what kind of response could there be? Young Master Shentu only took it and glanced at it twice before respectfully returning it to the person. He also told his sister-in-law not to worry about these things and to focus on preparing for the exam. He had no time to think about these romantic matters. Only after that did things calm down a bit, and no one sent any more invitations."

"Things have calmed down on the surface, but I reckon many young ladies haven't given up yet. They just think that this kind of husband is more ambitious and reliable," said Madam Wang. "It's a pity I only have two sons. If I had a daughter, I would definitely have to buy a few more flatbreads."

"You're always thinking good things..."

After hearing this gossip, Tao Ying felt that the relationship between the uncle and sister-in-law was strange. There was an inexplicable intimacy, and also an inexplicable distance.

Thinking about it was useless, and seeing that it was still early, she decided to go to the small market in the suburbs to look for the flatbread stall.
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In the small market on the outskirts of Andu, various vendors set up stalls along the street. Unlike the orderly and well-organized markets in the city, they have their own unique lively atmosphere.

A peasant woman selling vegetables called out her fresh produce; next to her was a pottery vendor, his rough earthenware bowls and plates stacked high; further on were stalls selling cloth, not precious satins, but dull but sturdy coarse cloths swaying gently on bamboo racks. There were also vendors selling farm tools, rouge, snacks… the air was thick with the aromas of earth, spices, and food. Even a young lady from a wealthy family like Tao Ying had never properly explored such a market before.

Amid the hustle and bustle, a small food stall called "Yanzhi Hushi" stands out.

The stall wasn't big, but it was clean and tidy. A large iron pot sat on a charcoal fire, bubbling with milky white mutton soup, steaming hot and fragrant. The mutton soup was made by simmering mutton bones and spices, with golden oil floating on the surface, and occasionally a few slices of tender mutton could be seen bobbing in the soup.

On the small stove nearby, Tan Huaike was busy baking flatbread. She skillfully rolled the dough into thin sheets, sprinkled on chopped mutton and spices, rolled it up, flattened it, and baked it on a griddle until golden brown on both sides. When the flatbread came out of the oven, the outer crust was crispy, the inside soft, and the aroma of mutton mixed with the fragrance of the bread made one want to stop and linger.

It seems this is the food stall. It's really shabby, Tao Ying couldn't help but mutter to herself.

Just as Madam Wang said, a long queue formed in front of the stall, with diners eagerly eyeing the mutton soup in the pot and the flatbreads on the heated brick bed. A young maidservant deftly greeted the customers, placing the baked flatbreads on a ceramic plate and stamping the center of each flatbread with a red seal bearing the characters "焉知" (Yan Zhi) – a special mark made with flower juice, which looked unique and thoughtful.

The mutton soup is served fresh, sprinkled with scallions and pepper, and the aroma is irresistible when the hot broth is poured over it. Customers, holding their steaming flatbreads and mutton soup, eat, some squatting, some standing, sweating profusely, completely satisfied. Some customers want to buy some to take home, and the young girl will tie several flatbreads together with hemp rope and hand them over, with a small piece of red silk tied to the side, also bearing the words "Yan Zhi" (meaning "How can one know") on it.

Although the stall was simple, it stood out because of Madam Shentu's ingenuity and skill, becoming one of the most popular food stalls in the market.

Tao Ying easily recognized Shen Tu's wife and arrogantly approached her, saying, "Are you the sister-in-law who haunts his dreams?"
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Next chapter: Are they really struggling financially?