Chapter Forty-Five: Shopkeeper Wang Pays a Visit

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By the time Wei Renshi returned to Changgu from Fuchang City, evening was already drawing near.

He walked the entire way back, drenched in sweat from the heat, and thought to himself how wonderful it would be to have a servant and a carriage—then he wouldn’t have to trudge everywhere on foot and life would be much easier.

As he raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow, he saw several women and an old matron coming out of his house. The Lady Dowager herself was seeing them off, walking with them a good distance from the door.

He quickened his pace and arrived home just as the Lady Dowager returned to the gate.

“Mother, who were those people?” Wei Renshi asked, looking up at the Lady Dowager as she reached the door.

Her face blossomed with a smile, pride and satisfaction written all over her features as she glanced at Wei Renshi and said, “They all came to propose marriage for my son!”

“What?” Wei Renshi was utterly taken aback.

“These past few days, while you’ve been away, more than ten people have come to talk about marriage,” the Lady Dowager said, positively beaming with pride. She turned and walked into the courtyard, her steps so light and buoyant she seemed almost ready to take flight.

“Mother, I’m only twelve, aren’t I?” Wei Renshi hurried after her.

“My son is precocious, what’s twelve?” she replied with a laugh. “You’re the only male in our family. Whether our family name flourishes and branches out in the future all depends on you. Besides, I wouldn’t have you married so young. If a suitable match comes along, we’ll settle the engagement first and wait until you’re sixteen to wed. Now come here, let me take your measurements. You haven’t had any new clothes made in ages.”

As she spoke, she pulled Wei Renshi into the house, took a strip of cloth from a bamboo basket, and began measuring him.

On the table were several rolls of hemp cloth that Wei Renshi didn’t recognize from their household, so he asked, “Where did these come from?”

“Your Auntie Li brought them,” the Lady Dowager replied. “That’s Changji’s mother. She said that since you’re going to be a well-known young gentleman in Fuchang, you ought to have some fine clothes. Sigh, your Auntie Li has always been a good woman, well-read and reasonable. It’s a pity Changji’s father died young, or she’d be the wife of the county magistrate now!”

“Mother, are you and Auntie Li close?” Wei Renshi asked.

“Yes,” the Lady Dowager nodded. “Of all the women in Changgu, I get along best with Li Zhengshi.”

Wei Renshi thought to himself, of course—that’s because you’re the only two among the women here who can read and write. One was the mistress of a great household, and the other was meant to be the wife of a county magistrate. Both widowed young, both families fallen on hard times. Naturally, you’d have plenty to talk about!

He reached out to touch the roll of hemp cloth, “This cloth feels quite nice.”

“Doesn’t it? It’s woven from ramie!” The Lady Dowager slapped his hand away. “Don’t get it dirty!”

“Ramie?” Wei Renshi exclaimed. “We have ramie here?”

“Of course we do, it grows by the river in the sandy soil,” she replied.

“Then I must go pick some,” Wei Renshi said. “The leaves of ramie are the best remedy for the young man in the Jiao family’s illness.”

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“My son knows so much,” the Lady Dowager said with a face full of pride.

Wei Renshi muttered inwardly: Weren’t you the one who told me not to be distracted by other things?

“So, Mother, what used to be called distraction is now called being knowledgeable?” he said, teasingly.

“Smack!” She gave him a slap on the head and glared, “Cheeky!”

But then she laughed, pushed him away playfully, and said, “All done! Go help Xi’er with dinner!”

Wei Renshi grinned and walked out.

Now this is living, he thought. My wonderful life in the Tang dynasty is finally beginning!

He was in high spirits as he headed toward the kitchen, when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Wei Renshi opened it, and when he saw who was outside, his mood brightened even further.

Standing there were Old Wang and his granddaughter, Wang Xiaohui.

Wei Renshi greeted them, “Please come in, Shopkeeper Wang.”

“Greetings, Young Master Wei. Forgive the intrusion,” Old Wang said with a bow. Upon seeing the Lady Dowager come out, he bowed again, “Greetings, madam!”

The Lady Dowager, not recognizing him, looked to Wei Renshi for an introduction.

“Mother, this is Shopkeeper Wang from the city—he’s famous for his flatbread,” Wei Renshi said.

“So it’s Shopkeeper Wang!” She had heard of his bread and invited them in at once.

“Shopkeeper Wang, Miss Wang, let’s talk in the study,” Wei Renshi said, leading them inside.

Once seated in the small study, the room felt a bit cramped.

Wei Renshi asked, “Has Shopkeeper Wang made up his mind?”

“I have! Young Master Wei, your culinary skills are truly admirable. And you’ve improved farm tools—so much so that even the county magistrate came personally to reward you. Clearly, you have real ability. Partnering with you is to my advantage. If I can learn your craft and methods, my business can only get better. In truth, it’s magnanimous of you to overlook the past and offer me a hand. I was blind not to see it sooner—I’m deeply ashamed,” Old Wang said.

“When do you wish to start?” Wei Renshi asked.

Old Wang stood and clasped his hands in respect. “For someone whom the county magistrate himself came to reward, you must be trustworthy. From now on, I’ll follow your lead. Whatever you say, I’ll do.”

Wei Renshi thought for a moment and said, “Let’s do this: I’ll teach you a few things first. If, after learning them, you’re not satisfied, that’s that. But if you think it’s promising, we’ll go to the government office, draw up a contract, and sign the agreement.”

“Good! I’ll follow your lead!” Old Wang nodded eagerly. “When shall we begin?”

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“Let’s do it every evening,” Wei Renshi said after some thought. “I have other matters during the day, and you need to tend your bakery. This time of day suits us both.”

“Excellent!” Old Wang agreed.

“Then let’s start tonight, since you’ve come all this way. I’ll teach you one thing first,” Wei Renshi said.

“Wonderful! Many thanks, Young Master Wei!” Old Wang said, nodding repeatedly.

Wei Renshi rose and the two quickly followed him outside.

At the kitchen, Wei Renshi said, “Today I’ll show you how to make pan-fried buns. They’re a bit like crescent dumplings—both have fillings inside. You can choose the filling—meat or vegetarian, it’s up to you. But the dough-making method is different, and the process is different too. There’s no steaming involved; you’ll need a flat-bottomed pan to fry them.”

He took over the hot water Xi’er had boiled, tempered it with some cool water, then mixed the flour with warm water and let it rest for a while.

Old Wang and Wang Xiaohui, being bakers themselves, were skilled at kneading dough, and now followed Wei Renshi’s instructions to start the dough.

“Plant ash water—filter it clear and keep it ready. You’ll want to prepare more of this in the future; it’s essential for making good pastries,” Wei Renshi instructed. “After the dough has risen, knead in the plant ash water. This keeps the dough from turning sour—my own secret trick.”

Old Wang and Wang Xiaohui watched Wei Renshi’s every move intently, nodding in astonishment.

Once the dough was ready and the buns filled and shaped, they placed them in the flat iron pan to fry.

“This is the most crucial step—frying is key,” Wei Renshi explained as they worked. “Arrange the buns in the pan, pour a little oil over them, cover and fry for a bit. Then, mix a little flour with water to make a thin batter and pour it in, cover again, and let it steam-fry until cooked through. Don’t rush to take them out—drizzle in a bit more oil, cover, and let them fry a bit longer. The pan shouldn’t be too hot—just about halfway to full heat. When the bottoms turn a crispy golden brown, loosen the edges with a spatula, flip the whole batch, take it off the fire, and they’re done. The bottoms should be golden, crisp and fragrant, with a rich, savory filling—perfect in color, aroma, and taste.”

As he explained, Wei Renshi demonstrated every step of making pan-fried buns for the two of them.

“This flat-bottomed iron pan was made to order by a blacksmith—you’ll need to get one, too. Today’s filling is something I threw together, so it’s not as flavorful as it could be. You can fine-tune the filling yourselves,” Wei Renshi said as he scooped the steaming buns onto a plate and handed it over. “Try them.”

Old Wang looked at the golden brown color, sniffed the enticing aroma, swallowed, and picked one up.

He took a bite—first surprised, then delighted. Ignoring the heat, he polished off the bun in a few quick bites. “Delicious! Delicious! Young Master Wei… this…”

“It’s just something simple I made with what I had on hand,” Wei Renshi smiled. “Now do you truly believe me?”

“I do! I do!” Old Wang nodded enthusiastically. “I believed you even before I came!”