Chapter 93: Go to the City for the New Year

Chapter 93

In the prefectural city, Yu Ran Ju was at ease.

Shopkeeper Hao had a smile on his face, but politely declined, "Young Master Zheng, we local people rarely see these long green beans and don't really eat them. Even if Yu Ran Ju bought them, no one would want to eat the dishes we made, that would just be a pure waste of money."

Businessmen are shrewd, they won't do business at a loss.

Zheng Ruqian pleaded, "Shopkeeper, these beans taste extremely good, can't you give them a try?"

Shopkeeper Hao didn't want to reject his request, after all, the fresh vegetables sent from Yunshui County had improved Yu Ran Ju's business considerably.

He waved his hand, and the waiter brought out a bundle of dried beans, returning shortly with three plates.

One plate stir-fried, one plate braised in broth, and one plate steamed dry.

Other than the braised ones, which could be stomached for a couple bites, the rest were terribly bitter, like chewing on firewood.

Zheng Ruqian was incredulous. He ate a couple more bites of the braised ones, only to find they lacked the hearty aroma and chewiness he had tasted in Anyang County, and the flavor was vastly inferior.

He was dumbfounded.

Shopkeeper Hao kindly advised, "Young Master Zheng had good intentions trying to introduce new dishes, but local flavors that people are accustomed to often can't be accepted elsewhere."

That's why some people don't take well to new environments, and why people long for the "tastes of home".

Zheng Ruqian left Yu Ran Ju dejectedly, pulling the two carts of vegetables away.

On the road he asked several dried goods shops, but no one was willing to buy.

Zheng Ruqian felt a bit indignant.

Shopkeeper Hao's words made some sense, locals do prefer local tastes, but new and tasty flavors from elsewhere can still find an audience.

Like those fish, shrimp and crab, who didn't eat them everyday as a child, but when brought in from other places, who wasn't eager to try them?

Ultimately, the problem was that the taste of Anyang County couldn't be replicated.

Zheng Ruqian realized where the issue lay. Returning to Zanhua Courtyard, he began trying to restore the flavor of the big pot dishes of Anyang County.

But reproducing dishes is difficult even for seasoned chefs, let alone someone like Zheng Ruqian who had barely set foot in a kitchen.

After he burned down the kitchen door for the third time, Zhang Xianglian rushed in, "Child, just leave it to me."

Zheng Ruqian shyly dusted the ash from his clothes and murmured, "Then I'll have to trouble Auntie."

Zhang Xianglian was unmatched in culinary skills. That very day she produced a pot of braised pork ribs whose taste slightly exceeded that of Yu Ran Ju, but still wasn't as good as the local fare of Anyang County.

"Still missing something." Zheng Ruqian racked his brains, "What could it be lacking?"

No one could answer that question.

He was the only one who had tasted the original dish. The others, who hadn't even tried it, naturally had no way of knowing.

The workshop was closed for vacation, the entire Zanhua Courtyard empty, seeming to have no one but Zhang Qiquan.

Zheng Ruqian was not there either.

Jiang Sheng was dumbfounded.

Could Second Brother have already returned to Xieyang County? Had they passed each other on the road? Could they still make it back in time?

Could he still wear the new clothes she had picked out?

Fortunately, Zhang Qiquan's conversation with Xu Mo rescued Jiang Sheng from her wild thoughts.

"You're saying Second Brother took Auntie and Aunt Cui to Anyang County?" Xu Mo's brow slightly furrowed.

Zhang Qiquan sighed, "That's right, they left six, seven days ago. If all went smoothly they should be back tomorrow."

In order not to take a loss on twenty-five taels of dried beans, Zheng Ruqian had really gone all out.

Perhaps it wasn't only about twenty-five taels worth of goods.

It was his vision for future business, his aspirations toward more money, a bigger blueprint for business.

But in any case, Xu Mo felt it necessary to condemn this behavior of dragging away someone's wife on such an important holiday as New Year's.

They settled into Zanhua Courtyard.

With limited rooms, they squeezed together.

Fu characters made from boiled dough were pasted on the front gate, little lanterns hung on both sides, decorations stuck to the windows.

The customs differ beyond ten li.

In great Anyang County, different counties had different customs, different towns had different dialects. But the tradition of pasting fu characters and hanging lanterns for New Year's was kept by every household without exception.

On their way to Anyang County, everywhere was still bare.

On the return trip, the land was filled with bright red.

Zheng Ruqian thought back to the previous year's New Year spent with siblings at the dilapidated temple, and the years of relying on each other since. He couldn't help sniffling.

It wasn't that he didn't return home for New Year's over twenty-five taels of silver. He felt he had no face to see his siblings.

But this didn't mean he didn't miss them.

He wondered if they were doing alright back in Xieyang County, if they were angry, little Jiang Sheng must be puffed up like an angry toad.

Zheng Ruqian felt mournful on one hand, and stopped the donkey cart at Zanhua Courtyard's door on the other.

Helping down the two aunties who were nearly frozen stiff, he raised his hand to knock, not forgetting to think of his brothers, sister, and sisters-in-law.

Unexpectedly the door opened, revealing a familiar pretty face.

"Zheng Ruqian, you remembered to come back!"