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墨書 Inktalez
Although the court had resumed the Scientific Expedition, it would not take place immediately. Several months were needed for preparations after the announcement, just as the refreshing autumn season began with the Autumn Examination. Although there were a few more mosquitoes, the warm temperatures ensured that no one would freeze uncomfortably; the county examination would not be held until February of the following year.
Scholar Guan chatted with Wen Zixia for a while before leaving with a few books in his arms. He noticed that both the Li Family and Wen Family had extensive collections, many of which he had never read. Every so often, he would borrow a few books from each family to copy. He assumed that their books were all inherited from the ancestors of the Li Family, unaware that these were gifts from Hanno to Li Yishu and the Wen Family Brothers.
After a long time digesting his excitement, Wen Zixia approached the table and picked up a brush to write down his review plan for the coming months—not only for himself but also for Li Yishu and Wen Ziyu, as both younger brothers would be participating in this examination alongside him.
Upon hearing reliable news about the resumption from his younger brother, Li Zhoule prepared an extravagant meal to celebrate with his brother and the Wen Family Brothers.
"Wow, so much delicious food!" Wen Zixue exclaimed, drooling over a chicken leg.
"I feel a bit pressured," Wen Ziyu said.
"Sister, aren't you afraid we might not pass?" Li Yishu hesitated to indulge in the feast before him. This meal represented his sister's hopes for them, and he feared disappointing her.
"If you don't pass, you can always try again later. Our family is doing well now; you don’t need to worry about money for living. Just focus on your studies," Li Zhoule replied with a smile. While she hoped for her brothers' bright futures, she did not impose any pressure on them. "This meal is a celebration—for Brother Wen."
"Oh~~~~~~" Li Yishu and Wen Ziyu laughed in unison. "Sister has complete confidence in Brother Wen!"
"Of course! My elder brother is very knowledgeable," Wen Ziyu said proudly of such an elder brother.
Wen Zixia smiled gently, her lips curling up as she spoke: "I will do my best and not let you down."
Then, casting her gaze toward Li Zhoule, she softly said, "Zhou Le, once I pass as a Scholar, please send a matchmaker to choose an auspicious date for our marriage."
Li Zhoule's face turned crimson as she shyly turned to retreat into the kitchen. Wen Ziyu and Li Yishu looked at Wen Zixia and chuckled mischievously, while Wen Zixue was puzzled but imitated her two older brothers' silly laughter. Wen Ziyu playfully ruffled Wen Zixue's hair.
The meal brought everyone great joy. Although both families' circumstances had improved, meat was still a luxury not often enjoyed. This feast included chicken, duck, meat, and fish; everyone ate heartily and savored every bite.
After dinner, several boys went inside to study while Li Zhoule washed the dishes and took some needlework out to the yard for embroidery. The April sun warmed her skin pleasantly, making her feel drowsy; she couldn't help but slowly close her eyes.
"Zhou Le, are you home?" Aunt Manchong's voice called from outside the yard. Li Zhoule immediately opened his eyes, stood up, and opened the door to welcome Aunt Manchong into the yard. He wanted to invite her inside, but Aunt Manchong declined, saying it was nice enough in the yard where she could soak up some sun.
Aunt Manchong handed over her finished embroidery to Li Zhoule. Since last month, she had stopped making handkerchiefs and had started working on larger pieces. She had embroidered a Four Gentlemen design featuring plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, double-sided and taking two months to complete. Now that it was finally finished, she brought it over.
Li Zhoule opened the embroidery and carefully checked for any loose threads or flaws—this was a gift for "Deity" Sister Han, so it absolutely had to be perfect. After inspecting everything, Li Zhoule smiled again. "Auntie, your embroidery skills are truly impressive; this piece is wonderful. Wait for me a moment while I go get your payment."
He went inside to place the embroidery down and returned with a silver ingot to hand to Aunt Manchong.
"Auntie, this is your reward."
Aunt Manchong was taken aback. "So much?!"
"Zhou Le, did you give too much?" Although Aunt Manchong was tempted by the silver, she honestly reminded Li Zhoule. After all, the piece she had embroidered could only sell for four or five hundred copper coins at the county's Embroidered Workshop, yet Li Zhoule had given her double that amount. She worried that Li Zhoule was being overly generous out of concern for them and that it might provoke the displeasure of the Embroidered Workshop's Boss.
Li Zhoule smiled as he pressed the silver into Aunt Manchong's hands. "Auntie, your embroidery is worth this price. You don't need to worry about the Boss; she's very kind and generous. We've agreed on standards and prices for every piece of embroidery. The value of your work is determined by her."
If it weren't for fearing that Aunt Manchong might be startled, Li Zhoule would have considered giving her an even higher reward. After all, Sister Han's payments could be exchanged for several hundred taels of silver at Wei An Pawnshop, enough to buy thousands of such embroideries.
Since Li Zhoule was so insistent, Aunt Manchong accepted the silver with ease. She carefully tucked it into her bosom and then pressed her chest lightly; feeling the solidity of the silver made her smile with relief.
"Zhou Le, there's one more thing I wanted to ask you about."
"What is it? Please feel free to ask," Li Zhoule said gently.
Aunt Manchong continued, "Last time you sent over some salted eggs; they tasted so good! My husband and children loved them. I wanted to ask how you make those salted eggs. Of course, if it's inconvenient, I can trade you something else for the recipe."
Li Zhoule replied, "There's no inconvenience at all; making salted eggs is quite simple. I'll tell you how to do it so you'll remember easily. First, boil a pot of water until it's nearly boiling and add half a jar of coarse salt to mix thoroughly with the water. Clean the duck eggs and chicken eggs with fresh water; make sure to dry off any moisture on the shells before placing them in a jar. Once the saltwater cools down, pour it over the eggs in the container and then add an appropriate amount of high-concentration white liquor; the higher the alcohol content, the better. Ensure that the liquid covers the top of the egg shells completely. Then seal the jar and store it in a cool place. After half a month, you'll have salted eggs ready to cook and enjoy."
Aunt Manchong listened carefully and took note of the steps. After Li Zhoule fell silent, she smiled and expressed her gratitude, saying, "I never realized making Salted Eggs could be so simple. We never thought of it before. Zhou Le, you are so clever to come up with such a method. Not only are chicken and duck eggs easier to preserve, but they are also so delicious."
Li Zhoule merely smiled; this method was not her invention but rather something Sister Han had taught her. With a few chickens and ducks at home, they had a steady supply of eggs. Worried that the eggs might spoil if left too long, Li Zhoule consulted Sister Han, who was resourceful and immediately shared this simple yet effective way to make the eggs even tastier.
Aunt Manchong left the Li Family with the method for making Salted Eggs and a couple of silver coins, feeling satisfied. Upon returning home, she promptly set about making Salted Eggs. Half a month later, Aunt Manchong's family enjoyed the delicious results. Soon, other women in the village began to learn from Li Zhoule and Aunt Manchong how to make Salted Eggs. Within a month, everyone in the village was enjoying them. Eventually, it became known that Salted Eggs could even be sold for money! The entire village prospered!
The story unfolded like this: Man Jin Uncle's son Bimu worked as a second cook at an inn in the county town. He was only a year older than Wen Zixia but had been away from home working for three or four years. Every month, he sent all his wages back home to help his family buy food and avoid starvation. Both Man Jin and Man Jin Uncle felt heartbroken for their son; during the past few years of hardship, they couldn't do much for him. Now that life had improved slightly, they had some surplus grain to prepare good meals for him. Once the Salted Eggs were ready, Man Jin packed half of them to send to his son.
The inn provided meals and lodging, but the food was not great. Besides a bowl of brown rice at each meal, the dishes were often leftovers from guests. Sometimes there were no leftovers at all, leaving them with just plain rice. At that moment, Bimu took out a Salted Egg that had been simmered over the stove, peeled off the shell, and split it in half. The golden yolk drizzled over the brown rice looked so appetizing that it made mouths water. Another cook nearby couldn't help but ask, "Bimu, what kind of egg is this? It looks so beautiful and smells amazing!"
Bimu proudly replied, "This is my mother's Salted Egg. I've had it at home before; it's really delicious."
Aguang smacked his lips in envy and asked quietly, "Can I have a taste?"
Bimu generously placed half of one into Aguang's bowl: "Here’s half for you; it should be enough for a bowl of rice."
Aguang thanked him and cautiously took a piece of Salted Egg into his mouth: "…so good! It's incredibly delicious."
"What’s so good?" The innkeeper was drawn over by Aguang's reaction and curiously inquired.
"Keeper, it's Bimu's mother's Salted Egg; it tastes absolutely amazing!" Aguang gushed like an enthusiastic fan promoting Salted Eggs.
The innkeeper's gaze fell on their bowls; the golden sheen made him swallow hard.
"Is that Salted Egg in your bowls? Let me try some."
Bimu quickly offered his chopsticks to the innkeeper, who grabbed a large piece of Salted Egg—almost half of what remained in Bimu's bowl—and popped it into his mouth.
He too was conquered by the delightful taste of the Salted Egg.
“Bimu, do you know how Salted Egg is made?” Keeper put down his chopsticks and excitedly grabbed Bimu's collar.
“…” Although Bimu was startled by Keeper's reaction, he quickly thought on his feet and replied, “I don’t know how Salted Egg is made. Should I ask my mother when I get home?”
“Forget it.” Keeper waved his hand, and Bimu's words felt like a bucket of cold water, calming him down considerably. He realized that the method for making Salted Egg must be a secret recipe, and it wouldn't be easy to get that information.
“Bimu, why don’t you go home and bring all your family’s Salted Eggs to the inn? I’ll buy them from you at five Wen Qian each.” Keeper made a decision.
One chicken egg for one Wen Qian, two duck eggs for three Wen Qian, but Keeper was offering five Wen Qian for each Salted Egg—this was ten times the usual price. If he were an ordinary farmer, he might have agreed right away. However, Bimu had traveled extensively over the years and had learned a thing or two about business practices. He immediately put on a troubled expression: “Keeper, these Salted Eggs are pickled using my mother’s secret recipe. The ingredients are much more expensive than chicken or duck eggs. Five Wen Qian each might not even cover the cost.”
Keeper felt a bit angry at Bimu’s complaint about the low price, but the lingering taste reminded him just how delicious those Salted Eggs were. If they were sold in the shop…
“One Salted Egg for ten Wen Qian, no more.”
Bimu felt overjoyed inside but maintained a simple and honest demeanor as he said, “Alright, Keeper. I’ll head back to the village after work tonight and make sure to return before the inn opens tomorrow morning.”
Keeper was satisfied: “No need to wait until after work; you can go back now. I’ll pay you for today’s work regardless.”
Bimu glanced at the setting sun and realized it wasn’t too late yet. Still, he thanked Keeper profusely, quickly finished his meal, tidied up his room, and left the inn.
Keeper looked at the clean bowl left behind by Bimu—there wasn’t even a grain of rice or a drop of oil remaining—and sighed with regret: “A cow chewing on peonies.”
Man Jin Uncle and Man Jin were puzzled and worried about Bimu going home. Bimu only had one day off each month, usually around mid-month; now it was only late April. Why had he suddenly returned? Had something happened? Or had Keeper fired him?
Bimu quickly reassured Man Jin Uncle and Man Jin, detailing Keeper's reaction after tasting the Salted Egg. When they heard the price Keeper offered, both of them widened their eyes in disbelief.
“Son, are you sure? Is it really ten Wen Qian for one Salted Egg?” Man Jin Uncle asked incredulously.
Bimu nodded, "Father, Mother, you heard it right. It's indeed ten Wen Qian for one Salted Egg."
He chuckled, "Originally, Keeper was selling one Salted Egg for five Wen Qian, but my Salted Egg was specially marinated by Mother using a lot of ingredients and secret methods. Five Wen Qian wouldn’t even cover the cost. So Keeper raised the price to ten Wen."
"You little rascal, calculating against your own Boss!" Man Jin Uncle glared at his son but then laughed, "Well done!"
Bimu laughed heartily, "I learned it all from you."
Man Jin Uncle nodded approvingly, "No doubt you are my son."
However, Man Jin did not share the same cheerful mood as the father and son. With a frown, he said, "Although this is a great opportunity to make money, the problem is we only made a dozen Salted Eggs and have already eaten some. Now we have at most eight Salted Eggs left."
Bimu's sister, Biyue, chimed in, "Eight Salted Eggs still amount to eighty Wen; that's not bad."
Man Jin Uncle thought for a moment and said, "Every family in the village is making Salted Eggs. We can go around to buy from each household at nine Wen Qian each, with an extra Wen for our running around expenses."
Bimu praised his father, "Father, that's a great idea. Not only do we earn money, but we can also help the villagers earn some too."
Man Jin slapped his thigh, "Good! But we need to remind them not to share the method of making Salted Eggs; otherwise, we won't be able to profit from it in the future."
Bimu nodded vigorously. The family immediately sprang into action and set off to visit other households in the village to purchase Salted Eggs.
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