Chapter 77

Song Junshui and Jin Qiao'er followed Wang Yuanwai's carriage. Heidan accompanied by her two younger sisters, tears in their eyes, bid farewell to their parents, their noses twitching.

Song Dingxiang, amused, asked, "Heidan, do you want to go too?"

Heidan nodded and blinked his big eyes at Song Dingxiang.

Song Dingxiang said, "Your parents went to work in the past. Look at how few characters you can recognize, what can you do in the future? You should study well, at the very least learn how to do accounting, to be able to help your parents."

Heidan wiped the tears from his eyes, sniffled, and said, "I already know many characters..." he finished and then shyly hung his head.

During the severe drought, many schools were closed, as finding food was difficult, who would still go to study?

Heidan completely let loose, although he couldn't eat enough, he could still play. After playing for such a long time, when he returned to school, he found that most of what his father and brother had taught him had been forgotten.

Suppressing a smile, Song Dingxiang patted Heidan's head, "You are the older brother, and you also have two twin sisters. Do you want your sisters to learn too? You should come back and teach them every day after studying. When you all recognize characters, you can all help your parents, right?"

Heidan looked at her two identical sisters, nodded forcefully.

Song Dingxiang's belly was getting bigger day by day, as the weather grew hotter, she, who was never used to the heat, started to suffer in the summer and developed morning sickness as well.

Fang Shi was extremely anxious, finding ways to cook for her every day. Even the two best chefs in the General's residence were called over to the courtyard, and the first thing they thought about every day was how to get Song Dingxiang to eat a few more bites.

"Madam, there's a letter from the capital." Zhenshu entered with a box, opened it to reveal the envelope inside.

Song Dingxiang, reclining on a tree shade, with a gauze canopy surrounding her daybed, not only provided some wind protection but also kept mosquitoes at bay. Mosquito repellent pouches were hung at the corners of the canopy, brought back from the capital.

Zhenshu entered the canopy, sat on a low stool next to her, and asked, "Is there news from the capital again?"

Song Dingxiang looked at the letter and smiled, "It's Zhou Ge's brother, Zhou Yulin, who is finally getting married. The date is set for the sixth of August, about three months from now."

Zhenshu smiled, "That's good news. I still remember Second Young Master being scolded by the Princess for not finding a suitable lady back then, and now, he's finally getting married. But August sixth... By then, Madam, you'll be close to giving birth, right?"

Song Dingxiang nodded, "I certainly won't be able to go. I don't know if Zhou Ge will go. It happens that I have been researching some new crochet methods recently, so I'll prepare a gift for them."

"Madam, these are the snacks you ordered, please try them and see if they suit your taste." Little maid Jin Ling stood outside the canopy with a plate of delicacies.

Zhenshu brought the plate in and placed it on the small table, looking at the contents inside and smiled, "Did you really make all of these?"

Song Dingxiang, suffering from summer heat and morning sickness, and being pregnant made her a bit gluttonous, wanting one thing one moment, and another the next. Other pregnant women might not dare to admit their cravings, fearing ridicule.

But Song Dingxiang didn't care, whatever she wanted to eat, she would make an effort to satisfy her cravings.

"These are flavored roasted beans, tiger skin peanuts, sugared peanuts, amber sesame walnuts, garlic peanuts, caramel melon seeds, and hay dried apricots." Song Dingxiang pointed out each one to Zhenshu, saying, "Try them, are they good?"

Then she asked the little maid, "Ling'er, have these been sent to my mother and grandmother's place?"

Jin Ling smiled, "Yes, they have been sent. The old lady even rewarded us with a big bunch each. Personally, I find them very delicious, but I'm not sure if they suit Madam's taste."

Song Dingxiang tasted each one, saying, "The peanuts in the tiger skin peanuts are not crispy enough, but the shell is well done. Peanuts should be crispy, sprinkled with fine salt, and allowed to cool before coating. Also, the walnuts, next time peel the skin off, it feels slightly bitter this way. The apricots are a bit too sweet, overwhelming the sour taste, which isn't appealing."

The little maid took notes carefully and went to inform the chefs.

Zhenshu chewed on an apricot and said, "I find all of them delicious. By the way Madam, when I first arrived, Second Young Master mentioned that the auction catalog has been written out and will be brought over for you to see."

Song Dingxiang nodded, feeling a bit nauseated after eating two apricots.

Zhenshu brought her a glass of water to help with the nausea, then added, "I almost forgot, the messenger also brought a few potted plants, with shiny little fruits hanging on them, looking very pretty. He said they would grow big and red in a few days, like lanterns. However, there are some dead branches and leaves on them, I asked the servants to clean them up before bringing them for you to enjoy."

"Potted plants?" Song Dingxiang sighed, "Besides planting vegetables, what else can I take care of? Even the most expensive potted plants usually end up dead in my hands..."

Zhenshu laughed, "That's because Madam is too busy and not concerned about that. There's a horsekeeper in our mansion who is excellent at growing flowers. He mentioned some time ago that the vegetables grown in the General's residence leave him with no place to showcase his skills."

Song Dingxiang laughed, "Those vegetables also flower, and they look pretty good. Besides, he takes good care of them. Plus, growing vegetables saves money. If flowers die, it would cost a lot of money, I feel heartbroken just thinking about it."

As Zhenshu was laughing, the servant Mo Yun arrived with three other servants, carrying potted plants.

Song Dingxiang casually glanced at it and her eyes widened, "Oh my?" Isn't this a tomato???

The tomato plant in the pot looked lush and sturdy, with many round droplets hanging from it, some areas even had golden-yellow flowers blooming, making it look extremely beautiful.

Mo Yun said, "Madam, these potted plants are said to be offerings from foreigners to the emperor, they have been cultivated in the imperial palace, and this year the prince received more than twenty pots. The prince thought of General and Madam specifically, so he ordered eight pots to be sent over. Fortunately, there were no damages during the journey. The pots look like lanterns, very beautiful indeed. The messenger said that these are called wolf berries."

Song Dingxiang, imagining the sour-sweet and juicy taste of tomatoes, felt her mouth watering. She exclaimed, "They are truly beautiful, please send them to Master Ma to take good care of them. They will be delicious once ripened. Unfortunately, I can't eat them now, I'll have to wait a while longer."

Tomatoes are a great ingredient, they are delicious when fried with eggs, stewed with beef, lamb, or fish. Initially, looking at the variety of vegetables and grains here, she thought they must have had tomatoes long before in the north.

Who knew this was a new introduction to the court, only appearing as potted plants.

Thinking about the delicious tomatoes, Song Dingxiang felt her appetite improving.

Later in the day, Song Huotou brought a stack of catalogs, as per Song Dingxiang's request, besides the description of the auction items, some even had detailed drawings, looking very refined.

Song Dingxiang kept one for herself, and the rest were sent over to Mr. Wang residence.

Mrs. Wang personally received Song Huotou, flipping through the catalog with a smile, "It's done so beautifully, it makes me want to go buy it. June 6th, what a good day. Tell your sister not to worry, I will make sure to handle this matter well."

Song Huotou said, "Please take care, Sister said that after this auction, she will give you a big surprise."

Mrs. Wang laughed, "Another surprise for me? She always has such novel ideas, this is already surprising enough. Tell me, what kind of surprise is it?"

Song Huotou chuckled, and after Mrs. Wang urged him a few times, he said, "Didn't Auntie take over the pastry shop in town before? Ah... I can only say up to this point, if I say more my sister might scold me, right?"

Mrs. Wang blinked, seeming to understand something, "She already gave me the recipes for the custard buns and longevity peach cakes before, could it be..."

"I don't know about that. Alright Auntie, I must hurry back, the road is not safe when it gets dark." Song Huotou bowed and left.

Mrs. Wang held a catalog, smiled and shook her head, "Song Dingxiang, if I don't show my sincerity with full effort, how can I repay your kindness to our family?"

On June 5th, the restaurant suspended its operations. The entire Song family along with the pawnshop's staff, worked tirelessly all day in the restaurant, leaving a few guards to watch over before they finally went to sleep.

On the early morning of June 6th, the restaurant opened its doors, setting off two strings of firecrackers, attracting many people with the loud popping sounds.

Song Yulan stood at the door and smiled, "Everyone, today the restaurant has been booked by the County Princess. We are not selling meals, but some miscellaneous items. If you are interested, you can go in and take a look. There is a catalog at the entrance with the exquisite items for sale today. If you are interested, you can pay the entrance fee and go upstairs to personally view."

The restaurant has two floors, with tables lined along the walls on the first floor, displaying various porcelain, calligraphy, books, and small pieces of furniture. From small fan cases to large windows and doors, it was a veritable treasure trove, more varied than a general store. The items were priced accordingly, ranging from a few silver coins to tens or even hundreds of silver coins. You can simply greet the attendant at the side and pay to get what you like.

As these were valuable items, Song Dingxiang had borrowed twenty guards from the General's Manor to maintain security in case of any suspicious activities.

The residents of the imperial city had never seen such a scene before. They stood at the door in astonishment, hesitant to enter even with the guards present. Some passing scholars, hearing of books and calligraphy being available at affordable prices, entered without hesitation.

With them leading, more people dared to enter and pick items.

To view the items listed in the catalog on the second floor, one had to pay an additional fee per person. Of course, these were mostly temporary merchants who had not received invitations.

Those who had received invitations were well-prepared, arriving by carriage and entering through a quiet side door.

As Song Dingxiang was heavily pregnant and Zhou Yinuo was in the military camp, it was Mrs. Wang who led Song Yulan and Zhenshu to handle the event.

With her position as the manager of the restaurant, Song Yulan had grown in temperament and her social skills had greatly improved. Being the County Princess' elder sister, many showed her respect, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

The invited guests were prominent families from the surrounding areas, and they were mostly acquainted with each other. They were curious about the auction organized by the rural-born County Princess, so they arrived several days early, with some even visiting the General's Manor.

Song Dingxiang, being pregnant, could only see the steward and her trusted maid Zhenshu beside Mo Yun following her orders. They were instructed not to accept valuable gifts, only food items.

The visitors sent various unique vegetables, freshly hunted game, and all kinds of snacks and fruits to the General's Manor, stacking them high.

Song Dingxiang found this group of people quite amusing. She only kept some of the food items for herself and distributed the rest among the servants.

Any excess meat was taken to the workshop to be stewed in a large pot for everyone to enjoy.

Upon learning of this, the gift-givers felt that the County Princess was truly extraordinary.

But what intrigued them more was the upcoming auction event.

Zhenshu had been trained by Song Dingxiang for two months. Now, dressed in a pink dress, she stood confidently at the auction platform, not showing any fear in front of the room full of dignitaries.

The auction was divided into morning and afternoon sessions. In the morning, items such as porcelain, calligraphy, and precious jade ornaments were auctioned, while the afternoon session featured various spices and exquisite large furniture pieces.

These were items that the county princess could not consume, and even if she took them to the pawnshop, they might not sell. The items had cost a good amount of money when initially acquired by the pawnshop, and now, at the auction, the starting price was the same as what was paid.

The second floor was arranged around the auction platform in a circular fashion, with several private rooms on either side for the rest and relaxation of esteemed guests. The front tables were occupied by dignitaries invited with cards, while the round tables at the back were for merchants who had paid to attend or for spectators.

On each table were elaborate stacked boxes, containing a variety of snacks newly developed by Song Dingxiang, ranging from sweet to savory, meat to vegetarian. The enticing aroma alone drew people to peek inside the boxes.

After all, with so many people around, it was not appropriate to just reach out and grab a snack.

But the aroma was irresistible!

When Zhenshu announced the start of the auction, someone couldn't resist and grabbed a spicy pork strip to taste. Others sneaked glances and, seeing the delight on the person's face, they too began to indulge in the snacks.

"The auspicious cloud brush mountain ornament, starting price at one hundred and twenty taels, ten taels increment per bidding round," Zhenshu's clear voice rang out.

The servant carried a tray covered with beautiful satin, upon which rested the white jade auspicious cloud brush mountain. He first showed it to the guests in the private rooms on both sides, then to the front-row distinguished guests, lastly to those at the back.

By the time it completed a round, the price had soared to two hundred and sixty taels.

"Guest number twenty-four bids three hundred. Any other bids? Going once for three hundred, twice for three hundred, thrice for three hundred!" The small wooden hammer in Zhenshu's hand fell, and she announced, "Congratulations to guest number twenty-four for acquiring this white jade auspicious cloud brush mountain!"

In front of everyone, the servants placed the white jade mountain into a brocade box and presented it to guest twenty-four. They then took the handed-over silver notes to a private room at the back.

Song Dingxiang was seated there, leisurely sipping tea and nibbling on snacks with Zhou Yinuo.

The auction was a great success; several guests fervently bid for calligraphy and paintings, raising the prices repeatedly, leaving Song Dingxiang amazed.

Zhou Yinuo exclaimed, "Just a few words on a painting, and it's worth so much."

"It may be the work of a master. Even if it were in front of me, I wouldn't be able to recognize it," Song Dingxiang marveled.

As the night fell and the lanterns were lit, the auction finally concluded, with all the items listed in the catalog sold out, leaving a pile of silver notes resembling a mountain in front of Song Dingxiang.

"I am truly grateful for this, Auntie," Song Dingxiang said as she took out five hundred taels of silver notes and tried to hand them to Mrs. Wang.

Mrs. Wang quickly refused, saying, "You have already given me so many treasures; how can I accept this as well?"

Song Dingxiang smiled and insisted, "This is for your efforts; you must take it. Besides, these recipes I believe you might be interested in, aren't you?" She pulled out a few sheets of paper from her sleeve and placed them in Mrs. Wang's hands.

Mrs. Wang unfolded the papers, her eyes widening, "This... this is too valuable!"

Written on those sheets were the recipes for the various snacks that were placed on the guests' tables during the event.

Song Dingxiang said, "Don't worry, Auntie, just take them. The snacks from my pastry shop have been selling well, especially the ones bought by the guests who just left. But these items can't be kept for long; they need to be made fresh every day and sold immediately. So, I'm not worried about your shop competing with mine. However, it would be better for you to have your servants make these items at home. Once the taste is perfected, sending them to the shop every day is the best option."

Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "No wonder Hu Tou said you would give me a surprise. This surprise is really huge!" She held the papers tightly, feeling incredibly grateful.

Song Dingxiang smiled and said, "We have a long partnership ahead of us. If you say too much, that would be improper. These can be considered your private funds for the future, making it easier for you to buy whatever you want by yourself, right?"

Mrs. Wang sighed deeply and nodded, "Indeed, everything you say is right, Dingxiang. I know your intentions, so if there is anything in the future, just tell me, and I will do my best to assist you."

After Mrs. Wang left, Song Dingxiang called in Zhenshu and Mo Yun. She handed a small jewelry box to her, saying, "Take it, save it up, and it will be your dowry in the future."

Zhenshu opened the box, dazzled by the sparkly hairpins and bracelets inside. "This... this... Madam, this is too valuable! How can I be worthy of all this?"

"I say you are worthy, and with you by my side in the future, I will naturally not neglect you," Song Dingxiang continued, then handed another box to Mo Yun, saying, "You've been working hard these days, so take these to buy yourself some drinks."

Mo Yun opened the heavy box to find numerous silver ingots, fifty in total. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he knelt down and said, "Thank you, thank you, Madam! With this silver, I could drink for a whole year."

"You can drink, but don't cause trouble. Understand?" Song Dingxiang waved them away, then turned to Zhou Yinuo.

Zhou Yinuo was surprised, "What? Do I get a reward too?"

Song Dingxiang smiled and said, "You guessed right. General Zhou, you have accompanied me all day; don't you deserve some compensation?"

Zhou Yinuo waved his hand, "Don't give me any silver or jewelry, I don't need that. Just as long as you are willing to spend the night with me..."

"Shut up!" Song Dingxiang reached out and playfully pinched Zhou Ninuo's cheek, turning him into a duck, "You, you! Even if you don't want it, you should think about your subordinates. Occasionally treating them to a meal and a drink is something a good leader should do."

Zhou Yinuo chuckled as Song Dingxiang released him, "Yes, Madam, you always think ahead. But I don't need the silver notes; there's no place in the military camp to exchange them. Instead, can you convert it into silver ingots for me to reward them later?"

Amused by Zhou Yinuo's antics, Song Dingxiang rolled her eyes and said, "Alright, let's go. We need to settle the accounts with the manager in the evening."

On that day, they auctioned off more than fifty thousand taels of silver. Removing the silver notes, the scattered silver alone filled a small chest, creating a tiny silver mountain on the kang bed.

Costs have all been accounted for in the pawnshop, and the innkeeper has documented everything clearly. Apart from the costs, there is a profit of more than thirty thousand taels.

Song Dingxiang smiled and said, "Grandmother, these scattered silver coins are for you. You can use them as New Year's money or pocket money for us."

Li shi chuckled and said, "Quickly take it away. You give me the silver, and then expect me to give you pocket money. Why do I have to worry so much?"

"Grandma, if you don't give us pocket money, who will? In the future, you can buy whatever you want without worrying about running out of money!"

Song Xingyi touched his pipe and playfully pouted, "Your Grandmother has all the wealth, but Grandpa has none."

Song Dingxiang widened her eyes and asked, "What? Grandpa, are you planning to save up some private funds?"

Song Xingyi also chuckled and playfully flicked Song Dingxiang on the head, saying, "What private funds? Let's drop it. I have no need for money anyway."

Song Dingxiang jokingly said, "Then I'll exchange your pipe bowl for a gold mouthpiece."

Song Xingyi replied, "Forget it, even if I had a gold mouthpiece, would I dare to carry it every day? If it gets stolen, I would be in big trouble. Are you worried about me? Are you trying to stir up trouble for me?"

Feigning innocence, Song Dingxiang said, "Grandma, look at Grandpa bullying me."

Li shi couldn't stop laughing and said, "Who would dare to bully you? Alright, alright, it's just pocket money, right? Let me give you ten taels first, ten taels of big ingots. Dingxiang, take it. Then give one big ingot to your elder sister, one to Hu Tou. Two for the eldest family, and two for the second family. I must say, giving out ingots as pocket money one by one feels delightful."

Li shi then handed some more silver to Dingxiang and said, "Dingxiang, I'll exchange this silver note with you to send to your third uncle."

Song Dingxiang added, "Grandma, why are you in a hurry to send silver to the third uncle? I've already arranged for someone to send him money to buy a bigger yard over there."

Li shi blinked, her eyes glistening with tears. Her eldest son and second son were present, while her most cherished youngest son remained far away in the capital city.

As a mother, she constantly worried, longing to share her good fortune with her youngest son. Surprisingly, Dingxiang had already thought of it before her.

She caressed Song Dingxiang's face and said solemnly, "If your third uncle doesn't perform well, I won't tolerate him. Dingxiang works hard to earn money to support the family, and if anyone has any disruptive ideas, they better leave early. Do you understand?"

"Grandma..." Song Dingxiang nestled affectionately in Li's arms. She truly admired this wise old lady.

*

"Dingxiang is about to give birth and may not be able to come. If she can't, Sheng'er probably won't be able to come either." The princess sighed lightly and said, "Oh well, they don't like coming to the capital anyway, so be it."

The prince comforted, "We originally planned to visit them this year, but now we can't. However, we can see our eldest grandson next year, and then stay for some more time to bond with our son and daughter-in-law."

"Do I need you to say that?" The princess teased him.

Just then, the steward interrupted, "Your Highness, the young master and young mistress of Wei County have sent a gift." His tone was slightly strange, as he never expected someone to send two kitchen hands as a gift.

"Kitchen hands?" The princess raised an eyebrow, "Could it be that there's a problem with the kitchen hands? Even if there is, Dingxiang wouldn't send them back on this occasion to embarrass me, right?" She got up and went out, asking, "What kitchen hands?"

The two kitchen maids knelt in front of the princess holding up a box. They said, "Your Highness, this is a gift from the young master and young mistress. The young mistress thought that you might not like gold and silver jewelry, so she prepared these unique items as gifts to provide a fresh experience for your distinguished guests. The young mistress mentioned that the wolf berries are edible and have a delicious taste. She even taught us how to make dishes using wolf berries, hoping that you would be pleased."

"Wild Wolf Berries? Edible?" The princess widened her eyes, "This child, why does she eat everything?! Was she starved too severely in the past?"

The plump kitchen maid smiled and said, "The wolf berries may look a bit frightening with their bright red color, but they have a sweet and tangy taste and are delicious when eaten raw. The young mistress has already saved some seeds to plant more for next year."

"Eaten raw?!?!" The princess was on the brink of fainting.

——— Author's Note:

Song Dingxiang: There are so many things you can eat. It's just that you lack the discerning eye to notice them!

The princess: This child, willing to sacrifice everything for her palate... Alas, truly a food lover.