Yao Siqing paused her chopsticks while picking up food.
She knew what she should be supporting, but the words she wanted to say got stuck in her teeth and came out as a question instead. "Do you want the Jiang family's power and status and become the Jiang family's legitimate daughter?"
Jiang Sheng shook her head vigorously like a rattle drum.
Although power and status would be nice, she was not lacking now either. She had her brothers with her and was already living a good life.
"Then you want... family love," Yao Siqing put down her chopsticks. "But Jiang Sheng, I have to tell you, the people who truly care about you will come looking for you."
You don't need to go back, you don't need to face the prominent Jiang family with your frail body, you don't need to wander around aimlessly exploring, and certainly don't need to cautiously curry favor.
The people who care about you will clear all obstacles, smooth the path for you, and welcome you back.
But has anyone in the Jiang family done that?
Old Madam Jiang couldn't do it, which is why she respects Jiang Sheng's choice.
Who else is there?
Jiang Sheng wasn't stupid. After going through all the ups and downs, her heart had long become clear as crystal. She just occasionally had midnight dreams about grabbing her mother's hand. She still wanted to be a little girl protected by her parents.
But it wasn't easy to make up for those missing times. Once a life got off track from the very beginning, it could never get back on the right path.
The little girl's round face turned a bit pale. Her lips tightened as if trying to force a smile, but it quickly turned into constrained endurance. When she finally couldn't hold it in any longer, a tear slid down the corner of her mouth.
"I understand now, Sis Yao," Jiang Sheng said softly, before breaking into a radiant smile.
It would have been better not to smile.
Yao Siqing turned around sadly and dabbed her tears away with a handkerchief before turning back with a blithe expression. "There's so much meat! Jiang Sheng, hurry up and eat. It'd be a waste not to eat it."
"Okay, I'll eat!" Jiang Sheng picked up her chopsticks and started nibbling away earnestly.
The lamb meat really did smell amazing, it was a flavor she had never tasted before.
The soft beef was even more delicious than pork elbow. It was a pity Auntie was too frugal to buy it often.
The two girls swiftly cleared half the dishes on the table between just the two of them.
They packed up the leftovers in oil paper to take home and reheat later instead of wasting anything.
When they came down from the private room, Jiang Sheng had regained her happy, chubby self. With bags of oil paper in hand and joy written all over her face, she said, "I'll let Auntie and brothers have a taste too. They haven't tried lamb or beef either."
The head manager was bowing and scraping obsequiously beside them while Yao Siqing stood by with a faint smile.
After walking out of the Yuanran Restaurant's front gate, Jiang Sheng caught sight of Jiang San and Jiang Si loitering near the hitching post for horses. She paused in surprise and took a couple more steps forward to see two snoozing youths sitting in the carriage.
Having waited too long, Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan were each resting against the carriage door frames. Only their faces remained fixed on the Yuanran Restaurant entrance the entire time.
Jiang San tiptoed over quietly and whispered, "Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master were worried seeing Young Miss come out alone, so they followed you here and have been waiting for over an hour now."
They knew their little sister wasn't happy but didn't forcibly interfere with her emotions.
But they stood guard behind her, protecting her at all times, waiting for her.
Jiang Sheng felt the urge to cry again. Why should she feel disappointed and dejected over insignificant things when she should cherish the family right in front of her?
At some point, Yao Siqing had reached over to pat Jiang Sheng on the shoulder and bid her goodbye before leaving.
Jiang Sheng handed the oil paper bags to Jiang San and tiptoed over to the carriage, wondering how to wake up her brothers.
Chang Yan's alert eyes opened. Seeing it was her, his face relaxed into an easy smile. He reached over and jabbed the still snoozing Wen Zhiyun awake.
"Little sister, little sister, what's wrong?" Dr. Wen jerked up in shock, nearly falling over. Upon seeing Jiang Sheng's silly grin, he smiled back, eyes curving into happy crescents. "That's great. Little sister is finally happy now."
Family bonds were simple after all. If you were happy, then I'd be happy too. If you were upset, then I'd be upset as well.
Now that Jiang Sheng had broken through the fog to see sunny skies again, her brothers finally felt complete relief as well.
"Ah, we've been waiting forever. I'm so hungry," Wen Zhiyun said, stretching out his stiff bones. "Auntie should have finished making dinner. Let's go home and eat."
"We should head back for dinner." Chang Yan turned to ask, "Are you hungry, little sister?"
Jiang Sheng guiltily covered her mouth, but a burp reeking of mutton gave her away.
"You actually sneaked lamb meat behind our backs!" Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan accused in unison.
"I saved some for you too!" Jiang Sheng said awkwardly. "Lots of delicious food!"
Thanks to Sis Yao's generosity, that night, the entire second courtyard tasted rare delicacies. If Jiang Sheng hadn't worried the food would spoil, she would have even saved some for Xu Mo.
It was fine though. The famous water fetcher had another idea. "When Eldest Brother comes back, let's cook lamb stew and let him have a taste too."
Zhang Xianglian nearly dropped her dishes and bowls as she was clearing the table.
The young miss truly didn't understand the value of money. Pork cost over a dozen or twenty copper coins per catty. Lamb meat was astronomically expensive in comparison. Choice rib cuts like this could even reach one or two taels of silver per catty!
To make an entire pot with at least three to five catties meant spending three to five taels of silver. To Zhang Xianglian, this was akin to burning money.
"Why is lamb so expensive?" Jiang Sheng wondered aloud. "I know beef is expensive because oxen are needed to plow fields, and laws prohibit slaughtering oxen for meat."
The Yuanran Restaurant was able to source beef because eventually oxen grew old or died from illness. Skinning them for meat at that point made sense, so beef prices fluctuated around 100 coins and were considered pricy but still affordable.
In contrast, lamb prices were outright outrageous.
"The Central Plains focus mainly on grain production with extensive farmland and little pastoral or grazing areas," Chang Yan closed his book, taking on the responsibility that should have fallen to Eldest Brother. "Only when production rises can prices fall accordingly."
Throughout history, rarity determined value time and again.
Jiang Sheng nodded thoughtfully before another new idea popped into her little head. "Lamb is so expensive. Can't we raise sheep too and earn money that way?"
Wen Zhiyun looked up from his medicine box, astonishment written all over his face. Even Zhang Xianglian who was holding dishes paused to stare.
The little miss was growing up. Not only could she adeptly handle partnerships with the Yuanran Restaurant and develop highly profitable desserts using the family name for the Jiuzhen Shop, she even thought about raising sheep and cattle now.
If Mr. Zheng Ruqian heard about this, he would surely laugh heartily with approval before picking Jiang Sheng up and spinning her around.
That is, if he could still pick her up.
Unfortunately, every idea that occurred to them had occurred to their ancestors already.
Chang Yan tapped the back of his left palm with two fingers on his right hand as he slowly explained, "Whether in the Central Plains or in Fengjing, there simply isn't enough open grassland to raise large herds of livestock."
"Even if land weren't an issue, the gamey taste of our lamb is unpalatable to most people here." He narrowed his eyes as if an idea struck him. "In terms of sweet, tender meat, only certain northern border regions can raise sheep like that."
But those were the war-torn northern border regions. Who would risk their life for the sake of meat?
Jiang Sheng instantly deflated.
Zhang Xianglian had finished cleaning up and came over to tease her. "Little Jiang Sheng, who did you sell the white water noodles to? Was it the Yuanran Restaurant or some other restaurant?"
