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.
"If only we could taste it ourselves." Zhang Xianglian sighed softly.
Zheng Ruqian's head shot up.
Counting the days, there were only eight left until New Year's.
Jiang Sheng had already prepared all the clothes and food needed for the holiday, even buying the fu characters and decorations. Yet Zheng Ruqian was stuck in the prefectural city sparring with beans.
It took five days from Xieyang County to Anyang County. If Zheng Ruqian didn't leave in three days, he definitely wouldn't make it home for New Year's.
At the courtyard, the four brothers were all there. Xu Mo was already on winter vacation, and Wen Zhiyun's clinic was officially closed. Everyone happened to be free.
Jiang Sheng's eyes lit up, "Why don't we go to the prefectural city for New Year's?"
She counted on her fingers, "Auntie is there, Uncle Zhang and Aunt Cui are there, and most importantly, Second Brother is there too. We can't gather in Xieyang County, so let's gather in the prefectural city instead."
The others were all negotiable, but Second Brother was the crux.
They had promised not to separate, and on such a joyous family holiday like New Year's, there couldn't be any absence.
Fang Heng was the first to agree, "I have no objections, the servants have all bought out their contracts and can come with us."
Wen Zhiyun pulled Chang Yan along, saying together, "We have no objections either."
All eyes fell on the tea-drinking Xu Mo. They were all worried the tutor would be reluctant to leave the people of Xieyang County.
"Cough cough," Xu Mo choked on his tea, a rare scolding laugh, "What do you take me for? The people of Xieyang County still have the county magistrate. Second Brother is more important to me."
"But since he didn't come back this time for business, he should be punished," Xu Elder Brother's words were breezy, but could smash two holes in the ground.
Jiang Sheng shrank her neck, mourning silently for her heartless Second Brother.
"Then let's go," Xu Mo said.
Fang Heng picked up his staff, Wen Zhiyun shouldered his medicine kit, Jiang Sheng and Chang Yan hugged the new clothes and food.
Jiang Yi and Jiang Er were already waiting with the carriage (donkey cart) at the door, six burly men wielding long staffs sat behind for protection. Spending all that money from the little gold chest was worth it after all.
For the first time, Jiang Sheng felt emptying the little gold chest was truly worth it.
People rode in the carriage, belongings went in the donkey cart.
They set out from Xieyang County toward Anyang County.
On the way, Jiang Sheng made sure to stop at clothing shops to buy Auntie, Uncle Zhang and Aunt Cui each a new set of clothes as New Year's gifts.
Six days later, they arrived dusty and travel-worn at Zanhua Courtyard's door, and knocked. It was Zhang Qiquan who came to open it.
Seeing the chaotic pile of children, he was first startled, then delightfully cried, "How did you get here? Are you staying in the prefectural city for New Year's Eve?"
Jiang Sheng nodded, indignantly asking, "Where's Second Brother, where's Second Brother?"
She fluttered around like a little fly, drifting from the east wing to the west wing, then out to the front yard.
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!"
