TTTQF Chapter 7

On the Eve of the Buddhist Festival

As soon as Jiang Miao has the idea of making money by setting up a stall, he gets excited and asks Aunt Liu a lot of questions on the topic, hoping to get some useful information from her.

Aunt Liu, naturally, tells him everything she knows, but most of what she says is about which Bodhisattva in which hall is the most effective, the proper posture for offering incense and kneeling, and so on. She doesn’t really know anything about setting up stalls outside.

Jiang Miao doesn’t lose heart and instead asks where he can buy incense sticks, paper money, and other such items. For a Buddhist festival, these are undoubtedly the best-selling items. Setting up a small stall at the temple entrance would surely bring in a lot of money.

“There’s a street next door where you can buy those things, but don’t go to the Chen’s shop at the very end. The incense they sell always goes out halfway through burning—how unlucky is that! It’s best to go to the Li’s shop; their stuff is plentiful and good, and the prices are fair,” Aunt Liu says.

Jiang Miao nods. “I’ll go check it out later.”

Aunt Liu is surprised. “Why go now? There are still several days until the festival. Besides, it’s fine if you don’t buy them now. Those shops will set up stalls at the temple then, selling at the same prices as in their stores. It’s convenient for us worshippers and saves us the trouble of carrying things.”

A crashing sound echoes.

Whose heart broke just now?

Jiang Miao clutches his chest, silently feeling sorrowful. Indeed, making money isn’t easy; what he thought of, others have already considered.

“What’s wrong, Little Jiang?” Aunt Liu looks at him, puzzled.

Jiang Miao quickly puts on a smile. “Nothing, just admiring how good they are at doing business.”

“Hey, that’s nothing. There will be lots of people setting up stalls then, selling all kinds of things. Ah, by the way, you can set up a stall too; you could probably make quite a bit!” Aunt Liu remembers what Jiang Miao does for a living.

Jiang Miao nods. He plans to go see the excitement and make some money on the side. Although he can’t get rich from a stall, selling some buns and earning a bit of extra money is doable. As he is pondering, he suddenly remembers something and asks, “Aunt Liu, is it forbidden to sell meat at the temple entrance?”

Aunt Liu nods and says, “Who would dare eat meat at such a pure Buddhist place? A couple of years ago, someone selling noodles used meat oil for the broth at their stall and nearly had their stand destroyed!” Mentioning this incident, Aunt Liu still feels a lingering fear. She had been standing nearby watching the commotion and was almost knocked over in the process.

“Then I won’t add shrimp skins to my radish buns during those days,” Jiang Miao muses. Without the shrimp skins, the buns will be less flavorful, but there are alternatives.

After chatting a bit more with Aunt Liu, Jiang Miao gets up to move his things back into the house. Then, he grabs a basket and heads out.

There aren’t many people on the streets, and a few vendors are tending to their stalls, occasionally stomping their feet or blowing on their hands to keep warm.

Jiang Miao is glad his business involves hot food, which allows him to stay warm behind his stall. He feels that winters here are much colder than in modern times, likely because modern cold-weather gear like down jackets, fur hats, scarves, and gloves keep people much warmer.

While walking along and looking around, Jiang Miao soon arrives at a southern goods shop. This Wu’s Southern Goods Shop has good quality items at reasonable prices, and after comparing several shops, Jiang Miao has become a loyal customer.

“Brother Jiang, business is booming, I see. What can I get you today? A fresh shipment of goods just arrived yesterday and they are all fresh!”

Alright, besides the advantages mentioned above, the shopkeeper speaks pleasantly and is very enthusiastic. He never puts on a cold face just because someone buys only a few things. He is always friendly to everyone, which is also the main reason why Jiang Miao became a loyal customer of his shop.

“Manager Wu, business is good for you too. I’ll have the usual items, one liang of each. Oh, and no shrimp skins this time,” Jiang Miao says, cupping his hands in greeting.

Manager Wu is stunned: “Really don’t want it? This stuff tastes quite good in buns.” The unique salty and savory flavor combined with its slightly grainy texture makes it quite delicious. Although Manager Wu has to stay and watch the shop, he often sends his staff to buy it.

“Hmm, isn’t the Buddhist festival in a couple of days? I’m planning to set up a stall there for a few days, and I can’t put any meat or fish in it.”

“That’s true. I’ll have my staff weigh it for you,” Manager Wu says as he prepares to call someone. However, Jiang Miao replies, “No rush. Do you have any dried shiitake mushrooms for sale in your shop?”

“Dried shiitake mushrooms? I think we’re almost out,” Manager Wu frowns, pondering for a moment. “Oh, right. Wang Er, wasn’t there a bag in the shipment that came in yesterday?”

The staff member named Wang Er responds, “Yes, there was. Quite a big bag. I unloaded it.”

“Go get some for Brother Jiang to see,” says Manager Wu.

Wang Er quickly grabs a few dried shiitake mushrooms. Jiang Miao carefully examines them. The caps are large with inward-curving edges, indicating they were picked at the perfect time. Mushrooms with flat caps are overripe. Turning them over, he sees the thick stems and the tight gills under the caps. When he brings them to his nose, he detects a unique, fragrant aroma.

“How about it? Aren’t these top-quality mushrooms?” Shopkeeper Wu asks, noticing Jiang Miao’s meticulous inspection, which indicates he is an expert. Most people judge mushrooms by their appearance alone and miss many details.

Jiang Miao nods, “Indeed, they are top-quality. I wonder what the price is?”

Shopkeeper Wu replies, “These mushrooms are transported down from the mountains, which takes a lot of effort and resources. So, the price is naturally a bit high—eleven wen per liang.”

Hearing the price, Jiang Miao quickly calculates in his head. In ancient times, one wen is roughly equivalent to fifty cents in modern currency. So, one liang would be five yuan and fifty cents. Sixteen liang per jin would be 176 wen, equivalent to eighty-eight yuan per jin.

For top-quality mushrooms, this price isn’t unreasonable. In the supermarket near Jiang Miao’s home, high-quality shiitake mushrooms cost eight and a half yuan for fifty grams, which amounts to eighty-five yuan per jin.

“Alright, I’ll take two liang,” Jiang Miao says.

“You’re a straightforward buyer, Brother Jiang. Many people accuse me of being a swindler when they hear the price, saying that one liang of mushrooms costs more than a jin of meat,” Shopkeeper Wu says, both surprised and a little depressed.

“Dried goods are expensive; it’s hard for ordinary people to accept. But while it might be too costly to use as a main ingredient, it’s fine for flavoring,” Jiang Miao says with a smile. He only intends to buy it this one time, as shrimp skins serve the same purpose and are cheaper.

“Brother Jiang, you are really clever. You can even use dried mushrooms as a seasoning.” Shopkeeper Wu thinks to himself, should I put some in each dish?

After a brief conversation, the shop has already weighed and packed all of Jiang Miao’s items. The few small packages barely fill the bottom of his basket but cost him over a hundred wen. Earning money is like pulling silk, but spending it is like pouring water.

He carries the things back to his residence and begins processing the mushrooms. He first soaks the dried mushrooms in water to rehydrate them and cleans the caps and stems. Then he slices them into thin strips and sets them out in the sun to dry. By the time the sun sets, the mushroom strips are ready. He places them in a pot and dries them over low heat, constantly stirring to prevent burning. Once the mushrooms are thoroughly dried with no moisture left, he removes them from the pot.

Jiang Miao pours the heated mushrooms into a small mortar and uses a pestle to grind them finely, turning them into mushroom powder. This process takes a long time, and even though Jiang Miao is quite patient, he can’t help but feel a bit sleepy.

Since arriving in ancient times, Jiang Miao’s daily routine has become very regular. Especially in winter when it gets dark early, sometimes as early as 5 PM. Alone in his room, the only thing he can do is sleep. Unlike modern times, ancient nights offer very few entertainment options.

Usually, after the first watch (around 8 PM), the evening drum is struck, signaling the start of the curfew and reminding everyone to return home. Being caught outside during the curfew could result in a beating. The morning bell at the fifth watch (around 4 AM) indicates the end of the curfew and people can travel freely.

The first watch around 8 PM is still considered early evening in modern times, where people might still be at work. But in ancient times, it is already quite late. The fifth watch, around 4 AM, is when Jiang Miao usually wakes up. By the time he has steamed his buns and prepared everything, the curfew has already lifted, and the morning market is bustling with people.

After finally grinding all the mushrooms into fine powder, Jiang Miao yawns, his eyes welling up with sleepy tears. He finishes all his tasks and climbs into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

…

As the day of the Buddhist festival approaches, people’s attention focuses more and more on it. Everyone is eager for such a lively event. Even during breakfast, people are discussing it.

While serving buns to his customers, Jiang Miao listens to their conversations. One story is about last year’s festival, where high-ranking officials had their servants leave the city the day before to secure a spot near the temple. As soon as the temple gates opened the next day, they rushed in to be first. There were even conflicts between two families over the prime spot in the main hall.

Someone mentions that women are also allowed to go out during the festival. The noblewomen go out with large entourages, making it impossible for him to catch a glimpse of the reputedly most beautiful woman in Liangjing.

Curious, Jiang Miao asks, “Which family is this most beautiful woman in Liangjing from?”

The man is startled, then teases, “Brother Jiang, are you so restless upon hearing about a beauty?”

Jiang Miao quickly shakes his head, “No, no. I’m just an ordinary person; I wouldn’t dare to think about noble ladies. I’m just curious.”

“Indeed, not just us commoners; even ordinary officials probably can’t get close to her. Do you know the Duke of Zhongguo’s mansion?” the man asks mysteriously.

At this point, most of the buns have been sold, and Jiang Miao is willing to listen to some gossip. He nods along in agreement.

As a newcomer, he naturally needs to understand the situation here. It is the Liang Dynasty now, with the royal family surnamed Dong. The dynasty has been established for over a hundred years, and the society is relatively stable. Apart from occasional disturbances at the borders, it could be considered a peaceful and prosperous era. There are indeed burdensome taxes and levies, but they are within the range acceptable to the common people. After paying these dues, there aren’t many issues with livelihood, and the diligent ones even have some surplus, so life isn’t too bad.

Currently, Jiang Miao is in the capital city of the Liang Dynasty, Liangjing. Liangjing is structured in the shape of a large square with the imperial palace at the center and Jiang Miao is currently at the outskirts. It is roughly equivalent to the fifth ring road in a modern capital city, with his residence very close to the city gates.

The Duke of Zhongguo’s mansion, however, is different. It is situated near the imperial palace, making it the center of power. After all, their ancestors accompanied the founding emperor in establishing the dynasty.

So, the most beautiful woman in Liangjing comes from their household? No wonder the man said even ordinary officials couldn’t get close to her. With such a family background and reputation, how many people in the world are worthy of her?

“As for the Duke of Zhongguo’s mansion, not only is it high in status and power, but it also produces beauties. The most beautiful woman in Liangjing comes from their family, and there’s also a son of the Duke of Zhongguo who ranks first among the four young masters of Liangjing! Their family…”

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