Although she had a day off today and had accepted a banquet order from the Marquis of Jingyun’s mansion, it was still much more comfortable than usual.

She woke up at her usual time, but Wen Mingtang, taking a rare day off, lingered in bed for a good half hour, reading a storybook before getting up to wash and then leaving with the things she had prepared the day before.

Passing by the public kitchen courtyard, Wen Mingtang made a point of going in to take a look. Seeing Chef Tangyuan and Chef Ah Bing diligently preparing the batter and ingredients for the breakfast pancakes, she couldn’t help but smile, not wanting to disturb them as she left the Dali Temple.

Although she had “slept in” today, compared to most people, it was still early for her to leave.

The sky was overcast, and apart from those who needed to get up early for work, many people were just getting up or still in bed, playing chess with the Duke of Zhou (a figure in Chinese mythology associated with dreams).

Wen Mingtang, carrying her prepared tools, turned onto the main street leading to the Jingyun Marquis’s residence. The street was noticeably more crowded than before; Xuanlin Street was one of the busiest streets in Chang’an. Although it was barely dawn, many shops were already open, especially breakfast stalls. There were ordinary breakfast stalls, but more elaborate ones.

The prices varied depending on where you ate breakfast.

Since it was a rare occasion for Wen Mingtang to eat out outside the Dali Temple, she didn’t mind the cost. Besides, she often heard the constables in the public kitchen talk about the best food in Chang’an, and many of those dishes were found in such stalls.

Because they had come out early, there were not many customers yet at the breakfast shops that usually required people to queue. Wen Mingtang casually chose one of the breakfast stalls that the constables frequented, went inside, and ordered the shop’s “signature breakfast”—jiǔcài hézi with húlà tāng.

Sitting down at a table overlooking the street, watching the people hurrying past the window, chatting about their upcoming wages, Wen Mingtang couldn’t help but smile. For ordinary people, the most important thing in life is how much they earn each day and whether it’s enough to support their families.

She herself was one of those countless ordinary people.

Just then, the shop’s breakfast was brought over by the waiter. The jiǔcài hezi, with their delicate, frilly edges, had just been taken out of the oil. The small bubbles hadn’t yet faded, and the aroma and residual heat from the pot wafted towards her. Next to the porcelain plate with two palm-sized jiǔcài hézi was a bowl of thick, spicy soup, rich in various ingredients such as meatballs, bean curd sheets, gluten, carrots, and potato chunks.

Wen Mingtang picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of the soup, and put it in her mouth.

The broth, thickened with cornstarch, was incredibly viscous, bursting with the distinctive spiciness of pepper and chili. This rich and stimulating soup sent a shiver down one’s spine, completely whetting the appetite. The broth was rich, and the side dishes were equally impressive: the pork meatballs were savory with a slight elasticity, the bean curd sheets had the unique fragrance of soybeans, the gluten had soaked up the broth, bursting with juice with every bite, the carrots were crisp, and the potato chunks were soft and powdery… the textures and ingredients were surprisingly abundant.

After a few sips of the húlà tāng, a thin layer of sweat appeared on Wen Mingtang’s forehead, and her hands and feet warmed up.

Once her hands and feet were warm, Wen Mingtang picked up her chopsticks and reached for the jiǔcài hézi beside her. The outer layer was crispy from deep-frying, and with a “crunch,” the filling inside was revealed: vibrant green chives, bright yellow eggs, and tender white tofu mixed together, releasing a rich aroma of chives, eggs, and soybeans.

The tender chives, bursting with juice, are a perfect match for the scrambled eggs. The tender white tofu interspersed throughout adds a soybean aroma to the filling, enriching its texture.

One bite reveals a harmonious blend of ingredients, from the crispy outer shell to the filling, leaving the eater utterly satisfied.

Foods that have endured through the ages and are loved by people from both the north and south have their reasons, just like this down-to-earth jiǔcài hézi.

However, although she was extremely satisfied with the jiǔcài hézi at this breakfast stall, Wen Mingtang still felt that it would be even better if some smooth vermicelli were added inside.

Having eaten a very satisfying breakfast, Wen Mingtang let out a burp, got up, left the breakfast stall, and headed straight for the Jingyun Marquis’s residence.

Although it was her first time at the Jingyun Marquis’s residence, she arrived at the gate without needing to ask for directions. The reason was simply that the location was too good; walking in the middle of Xuanlin Street, she could see the Jingyun Marquis’s residence opposite and the Jingguo Duke’s residence across the street.

Because it was still early, the main gates of both residences were not yet open. After looking at the tall gates of the two residences for a moment, Wen Mingtang walked through the main gate, intending to go around to the side gate of the Marquis’s residence through a side alley. She had arranged to meet Master Xing at the side gate.

Just as she was about to turn towards the side gate, the gate of the Duke’s mansion, which hadn’t been open when she passed by, suddenly opened. With the sound of the gate opening and closing, Wen Mingtang instinctively glanced in the direction of the sound. She had assumed it would be the gatekeeper who opened the gate early in the morning, but instead, she saw a stern-faced old man in official robes.

An old man coming out of the Duke’s mansion so early in the morning and seeing the same solemn and composed expression on his face as Lin Fei, it was easy to guess the old man’s identity with her eyes closed.

Wen Mingtang turned and slipped into a nearby alley: she had already learned of the Duke of Jing’s dissatisfaction with Wen Xuance from Liu Yuan.

Although the matter of Wen Xuance was now settled, she was still surnamed Wen, and the Duke of Jing would naturally not treat her well. While he wouldn’t actually try to trip her up, if he saw her at the Marquis of Jingyun’s residence, trouble would likely arise.

Wen Mingtang really didn’t want to cause trouble. After all, for an ordinary person like her, making a living and earning enough money to buy a house in Chang’an was all she wanted. Today, she came to earn money, not to cause trouble for her “employer’s” family. She originally thought that by hiding like this, she could come out again after the Duke of Jing left. Judging from the Duke of Jing’s official robes, he might be going to court.

But unexpectedly, things didn’t go as planned. The Duke of Jing, who had gotten up earlier than her own gatekeeper, stood briefly in front of the mansion gate and then walked straight in her direction.

Wen Mingtang’s heart tightened, and she instinctively turned around to look. Immediately, a headache came over her: this side gate was opened by the Duke’s mansion itself, leading to a dead end, from which there was no way out. And the side gate next to it was still tightly closed. The time she had arranged to meet Master Xing hadn’t arrived yet. This… was probably going to be troublesome.

As the Duke of Jingguo drew closer, Wen Mingtang gave a wry smile. Just as she thought a quarrel she had brought upon herself for her “employer’s” family was inevitable, the tightly closed side door beside her suddenly opened, and a hand grabbed her arm, pulling her into the Marquis’s residence.

(End of Chapter)

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