Life of Country Folks in the City during the Song Dynasty

Chapter 7

Gu Zao, ambitious and determined, set his sights solely on the Imperial Academy. He was determined to find a good school for Qingwu, a renowned scholar, so he could pass the exams and achieve twice the results with half the effort. After inquiring for two more days, he learned that a private school had been established by the Jinming Pond outside the West Water Gate in the west of the city, taught by a teacher named Shi Jie. It was said that he had been a professor at the Imperial Academy during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, but scholars were always prone to infighting, especially those in official robes. He was eccentric and couldn't stand the intrigues, so he resigned in a fit of anger and went to the outskirts of the city to start a private school, becoming a teacher. In the past few years, among his students, five or six had become Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), not to mention countless Juren (successful candidates in the provincial imperial examinations) and Gongshi (successful candidates in the provincial imperial examinations). His reputation soared, and he was beginning to be known as the premier private school in the capital.

Gu Zao nodded to himself, having already decided to send Qingwu to Shi Jie. When he returned and told Qingwu, he was overjoyed, but also somewhat worried, fearing that Shi Jie would not think highly of him and would not accept him.

Gu Zao patted Qingwu on the shoulder and laughed, "My Qingwu is smart and eager to learn. If he doesn't accept a student like this, what kind of person would he accept? Besides, we'll deal with whatever comes our way. Even if he doesn't want to accept you, he must have his reasons. No matter what difficulties he raises, we'll find out and resolve them one by one. Why worry about not being able to get in?"

Although Qingwu was tall and strong, and looked like a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy at first glance, he was actually only thirteen years old. After hearing Gu Zao's words, he felt reassured and grinned happily.

The radish strips and the radish with liquor were not ready yet, but the raw pickled radish slices were ready to be taken out of the jar. That afternoon, Gu Zao called his third sister to open the jar together, and immediately smelled a sour and fragrant aroma.

Gu Zao picked up a piece and put it in her mouth to taste. It was indeed crisp, sweet and sour, with an indescribable fragrance. Third Sister also tried a piece and kept praising how delicious it was.

Gu Zao smiled. Everyone can pickle radishes, but to pickle them well and make them flavorful is a skill. The salting, the seasoning, and the pickling time are all very important. If the time is too short, they will still be raw and spicy; if the time is too long, they will lose their flavor. She had wasted a lot of food in the past trying to get the pickling time just right.

Gu Zao took the large basin from her third sister and scooped out all the radish slices from the jar. After stirring the broth, the sour aroma in the air became even stronger, and soon it attracted the wives and ladies who were at home in the neighborhood to come over. Madam Shen was also there.

The man in Madam Shen's household was a handyman, one of those large groups of people who stood on the bustling streets of Dongjing (Kaifeng) every day, waiting to be hired by their masters to do odd jobs, with wages paid daily. She herself would go to the taverns and shops in the evenings when business was at its best to work as a "sanzao" (a type of noodle dish). These "sanzao" were simply neighborhood women who wore blue-and-white cloth handkerchiefs tied around their waists and had their hair tied up in a high bun on their heads, serving soup and wine to customers to earn a little extra money.

The Fang family had just arrived, and some things were still missing. They had borrowed from Madam Shen several times in the past two days. Madam Shen was a kind-hearted woman, and sometimes she would bring things over herself without the Gu family even having to ask. Gu Zao was grateful, and seeing that Madam Shen had come over, he scooped up a large bowl of radish slices and handed it to her, saying with a smile, "These are cheap things, but it's the thought that counts. Madam Shen, try them and see if you like them. If you think they're good, just come and get some more in the future."

Madam Shen accepted the radish slices, but after only tasting one, she beamed and praised them incessantly, making the other wives and maids around her salivate. Gu Zao smiled, took a large bowl and placed it beside the jar, letting them all taste it. In no time, only praise could be heard, and the large bowl of radish slices was emptied in an instant.

Hearing the commotion, Fang had already run out. Seeing Gu Zao generously offering their food, Madam Shen was fine, but the others were somewhat unwilling. However, they didn't show it on their faces, and just smiled and said, "These pickled radish slices are for my second sister to sell at the night market. They're not very good, and I'm afraid no one will buy them." As she spoke, she took the large basin from Gu Zao's hands and walked inside on her own.

The wives and ladies were also quite fond of joining in the fun. One of the plump women said with a grin, "Aunt Gu, I need to have another slice to taste whether it's good or not. If it's delicious, I'll go to the night market to buy your pickled radishes."

Fang pretended not to hear, picked up the basin and walked even faster, which caused a burst of laughter behind her.

Seeing her mother so stingy in front of the new neighbors, the third sister felt embarrassed, and her cheeks flushed red. Gu Zao, however, couldn't help but chuckle. Although the neighbors were also poor and inevitably had their share of petty squabbles, most of them were kind and always smiling when they met, which made Gu Zao feel good too. Seeing that Fang Shi had revealed her true colors in front of everyone after only three days, Gu Zao found it amusing. She joked with everyone for a few more minutes before getting ready and going inside with her third sister.

As dusk fell, Gu Zao and her third sister, Qingwu, packed up the pickled radishes they had taken out during the day, along with their juices, and went to the night market they had visited before. Most of the spots in the night market were already taken by older vendors, so after searching for a while, they finally found an empty spot next to an old elm tree, where the three siblings set up their simple stall.

It was rather dark under the old elm tree, and the lights from the shops next to it didn't shine very brightly. After waiting for a while, no one came to buy anything. Seeing that the businesses next door were all doing well, Third Sister and Qingwu couldn't help but become a little anxious.

Gu Zao thought for a moment, then took out a small plate, picked out some radish slices, cut them into small pieces with the knife he had brought, placed a tube of small toothpicks next to it, and put them neatly on the stall before shouting at the top of his lungs: "Radish slices! Fresh and crisp pickled radishes, sour and crunchy pickled radishes! Come and try them! If you like them, you can buy more. Three coins a serving!"

Her voice was sweet and clear. When she called out like that, passersby heard that they could sample it for free, and a lot of people immediately gathered around. They took some from the small dish with toothpicks and tasted it. After eating it, they all nodded in approval.

The pickled radish slices were delicious and inexpensive, attracting a steady stream of customers. Gu Zao handed out the goods, while Third Sister and Qingwu busied themselves collecting money. In no time, the large basin of pickled radish slices they had brought was completely sold out, leaving only a puddle of juice at the bottom. Those who hadn't bought any lamented their loss. Gu Zao smiled and told them to come earlier the next day before packing up the stall with Third Sister and Qingwu and heading home.

When he got home and counted the money, it was a full 135 coins. Including the seasonings and salt, and the two jars that hadn't even been opened yet, he had already recouped his investment.

Seeing that the pickled radishes were selling so well, Fang's spirits immediately lifted. The gloom she had felt these past two days because Gu Zao couldn't find work vanished instantly. She excitedly said, "Second Sister, tomorrow I'll go buy a lot more radishes and turnips, and you can pickle them again. If you sell ten times that amount in one night, that'll be more than a string of cash. That's forty or fifty strings a month! Oh my god, even the prefect of Yangzhou probably doesn't earn that much in a month..."

Gu Zao suppressed a laugh and said, "Mother, do you think all the radish businesses in this capital city will fall into your family's hands? We're new here, let's take it slow, why are you in such a hurry?"

Fang stopped talking after being told off, and left with an embarrassed smile. That night, she lay on the floor, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep for a long time. After thinking for a long time, she finally fell asleep, but even in her dreams, the copper coins were flying around.

The next morning, Gu Zao and her third sister went to the morning market again. Besides radishes, this time they also bought some white cabbage, added some seasonings, and then returned home. However, before they even reached the door, they saw Hu Shi standing at their doorway, covering her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, glancing sideways at the several jars of pickled radishes from a few days ago with a look of disgust. Beside her was Fang Shi, whose face was clouded with gloom.

Sure enough, it couldn't hold out any longer, and after only three or four days, it came to our door today.

Gu Zao smiled inwardly, but on the surface she pretended to be pleasantly surprised and took a few steps to greet him.

Rents dropped significantly

When Madam Hu saw Gu Zao, she hurriedly waved the handkerchief in her hand and came to greet her, just smiling at Gu Zao without saying a word.

Gu Zao knew perfectly well what was going on, but she only called Hu Shi "Auntie" and had her third sister do the same. Then she turned to Fang Shi behind Hu Shi and said with a smile, "Mother, Auntie came all the way from the south of the city. Why did you let her stand at the door to talk? If people see this, they will say that we have neglected Auntie."

Fang smacked her lips, but did not respond.

Gu Zao then handed the radishes and cabbages she had just bought to her third sister, took Hu Shi's hand, and led her into the house.

“Aunt, this place is cramped and there’s not a decent place to sit. The whole family has only been here for a few days, and we haven’t even prepared tea. I’m sorry to trouble you.” Gu Zao dragged over a small round stool for eating and offered it to Hu Shi.

Madam Hu refused to sit down, instead twisting and turning to look around the room before coughing and looking at Gu Zao with a smile, "Second Sister, I was going to talk to your mother earlier, but she wouldn't listen, so I waited for you to come. A few days ago when you came to my shop to get the key to this house, didn't we agree on the rent? As soon as you left, I passed the message to the landlord. He's not in a hurry to use the money, but his wife came to the door yesterday saying that they were short of money and needed it urgently. That's why I thought of this rent. Although it's a small amount and won't be of much use, it can at least help in an emergency. I was asked to do this, and I really had no other choice, so I came to your place early this morning. You see, the rent..."

“Aunt, it would have been better if you hadn’t said anything. Now that you’ve mentioned it, it’s really reminded me.” Gu Zao suddenly interrupted her, looking troubled. “I’ve been busy looking for a suitable house these past two days, which is why I haven’t been to your shop. It’s really good that you’ve come now, saving me the trouble of walking halfway across the city to your place.”

"Looking for a house?" Mrs. Hu's eyes widened, somewhat puzzled.

“Yes, Auntie,” Gu Zao seemed quite troubled, stammering for a long time without being able to say anything. Seeing that Hu Shi’s eyes were wide with anxiety, she finally blurted out as if she had something to say urgently, “Auntie, we’re not renting this house anymore. We arranged with a broker today to go see a house together tomorrow. If it’s suitable, we’ll move out in a couple of days, and then pay the rent according to the number of days. Please ask Auntie to go back and talk to the landlord about it.”

Mrs. Hu was surprised, and seeing Mrs. Fang's face twitching like she had an epileptic seizure, she didn't bother to investigate further and hurriedly asked, "Why is this? Why did you suddenly decide not to rent it out?"

Gu Zao sighed, then looked at Madam Hu and said, "Auntie, this house is unclean and no one can live in it."

Hu jumped up, her eyes wide, and shouted, "Could it be that some gossipy woman has been spreading rumors about you? You can't listen to that! This is an auspicious house, how could it be unclean?"

Gu Zao looked around at the door before coming back and pulling Hu Shi aside. She leaned in and whispered, "Auntie, no one has ever done anything to me. I just noticed it myself."

Hu stared at her suspiciously but remained silent. Gu Zao then sighed again, wiped her eyes, and said, "Auntie, the night I moved into your house, every hair on my body stood on end, and I could hear a rustling sound in my ears. When I woke up the next day, I felt unwell all over. It's only been one night, and I was already like this. I was worried, so I went to the Wong Tai Sin Temple on the street and drew a fortune stick. Who knew that the fortune teller said that the house was unclean and filled with yin energy, and that staying there for a long time would definitely be bad. Isn't that exactly what I'm going to do? So I forgot about your house and have been busy looking for a place to live these past two days."

Madam Hu's face turned deathly pale. Her eyes darted around for a while before she spat and smiled obsequiously at Gu Zao, saying, "Even the sorcerer has his moments of incompetence. How can you believe in such things? How about I go back and discuss with the landlord about lowering the rent to one and a half strings of cash? What do you think?"

Gu Zao shook his head and said seriously, "Auntie, it's better to believe it than not. We should always listen to the immortal's words. We can't risk our lives. If this house is really unclean, I'm afraid no one will dare to rent it after my family moves out."

"One for all four!" Hu gritted her teeth and squeezed out the words.

Gu Zao thought for a moment, then shook her head vigorously: "Auntie, that shaman said there is a way to ward off disaster, as long as we go there to offer incense and oil money regularly, and sincerity will bring results. My family doesn't have much money to begin with. If the rent can be reduced to one guan, I will discuss it with my mother. The money saved will just go from the landlord's pocket to the shaman's incense offerings; my family won't benefit at all."

Madam Hu lowered her head and pondered for a long time, thinking to herself that her second sister's words were incredibly eloquent, but she didn't know if they were true or not. It was true, however, that the house had a bad reputation; it had been vacant for half a year since the soy sauce maker had run away, and no one dared to rent it anymore. She had finally seen herself getting some extra money, and if she really let this family go, wouldn't she be left empty-handed? Even if the amount was small, it was better than the house remaining vacant.

Thinking this, Madam Hu raised her head, stamped her foot, and said, "One string is fine, but it's paid quarterly. Now you have to pay for the first three months."

Gu Zao looked at Madam Hu and said with a smile, "Auntie, can you make decisions for others yourself? Why don't you go back and talk to the homeowner first, so that she won't make a fuss again?"

Hu blushed, but fortunately she had applied rouge, so no one could tell that she was acting strangely. She chuckled dryly and said, "No need, no need. She and I are brothers-in-law, so we wouldn't quarrel over such a small matter."

Gu Zao nodded: "That's good then." Then she looked at Madam Fang.

Fang was already confused by Gu Zao's words, but when she vaguely heard that she could rent it for only one string of cash, which was half a string cheaper than the neighbor Shen Niangzi's, she was already so happy that her feet were itching. Before Gu Zao could speak, she ran into the inner room like a whirlwind, pulled out her money box from the corner, took out three strings of cash, and jingled as she carried it out.

Just as Hu was about to accept it, Gu Zao stopped her, and asked Qingwu to grind ink and write a note for Hu to sign.

Mrs. Hu was somewhat displeased, thinking to herself, "Why would I get entangled with you poor country bumpkins?" But for the sake of the money, she reluctantly pressed her fingerprint, took the money, put it away, snorted, and turned to walk out.

Gu Zao thought she was leaving and was smilingly seeing her off at the door when she suddenly stopped in front of the jar of pickled radishes, turned around and smiled at Gu Zao, "Is this pickled radish? I haven't eaten this rustic stuff for several years since I came to the city. No wonder I've been missing it."

Gu Zao chuckled to himself, thinking that he had managed to get a piece of her flesh today, so it wasn't a bad deal for her to have a few radishes in return. He immediately called his third sister to bring over a small basin, opened the package himself, and filled the basin to the brim.

Hu took it, tore off a piece, put it in her mouth and chewed it a few times. Her eyes lit up, and Gu Zao quickly repeated what Fang had said last time: "This is what we're going to sell tonight. The family's livelihood depends on it now."

Hu pursed her lips, then picked up the radish skewers in one hand and the bag containing three strings of cash in the other, and turned out of the alley.

Fang then secretly spat on her back and muttered, "You sharp-tongued, long-armed woman, I'll make you choke when you get back."

Gu Zao smiled, shook her head, and called her third sister to pickle new radishes and cabbages together. They were busy until evening. After quickly eating a few bites of rice, she and her third sister Qingwu went to the old elm tree from the previous night.

Yesterday it was just the same pickled radish rolls, but this time it was small radish skewers and radishes cooked with liquor. The stall had only been set up for a short while when customers started coming in droves. Most of them were repeat customers who had bought some the night before. They said that their wives and fathers at home praised how delicious it was, but they still couldn't get enough, so they came back to buy more.

The third sister was a little hesitant last night, but this time she didn't need Gu Zao to say much. She was already doing business with ease, and even her shouts were much louder. The two large basins of radishes were sold out in less than half an hour, and the three of them went home early.

A few days passed, and Fang saw that Gu Zao's pickled goods business was doing well. Although the income wasn't much, it was enough to support the whole family, so she stopped pressuring her to find work. Fang herself was used to hard labor; she had spent her days toiling in the fields in Dongshan Village. Now that she was in Tokyo, the initial excitement had worn off, and she was thinking about finding some work to supplement the family income. That afternoon, she went to the nearest broker's office again, and this time there was work. It turned out that a wealthy family was looking for several maids to do menial tasks like sweeping and washing clothes. They would provide two meals a day and pay six hundred taels a month. The broker, seeing Fang's strength, figured the family would be satisfied and said he would take her to meet the manager the next day. Fang thanked him profusely and returned home. When she saw Gu Zao, she mentioned her job search.

Gu Zao advised, "Mother, you used to have a hard life. Now that you're in the city, I can take care of you. Why do you have to go and become someone else's maid? You don't need a few hundred coins."

Fang shook her head and refused to listen, saying that prices in Tokyo were high, and that she could save two meals a day and earn six hundred coins. All she did was wash clothes and sweep the floor, so it was pointless for her to work without any work.

Seeing that she wouldn't listen, Gu Zao knew it would be difficult to persuade her in a short time, so he decided to let her be. He figured that once he had gotten the project going, he could ask her to quit her job, and she would be willing to do so. So he casually asked, "Did the broker mention what kind of family they were?"

Fang thought for a moment and said, "They only mentioned it briefly, saying that they lived by the Bian River in Zhengmen, so they must be a wealthy family."

Gu Zao laughed and said, "The land in Zhengmen is extremely valuable. Even if you have money, you can't buy it now. The wealthy families living there must not be ordinary people. I'm afraid they have rules for sweeping and washing clothes."

Fang spat and said, "Your parents have been sweeping and washing clothes for half their lives, how come they can't do it now that they're in the city?"

Gu Zao smiled and only reminded her to be careful and cautious when she went tomorrow. Fang Shi replied impatiently, but the third sister had already cooked two dishes, and the family then gathered around to eat dinner.

The next morning, Fang dressed in her best clothes and went to the broker's place early. Gu Zao, on the other hand, took out the ingredients she had bought the day before and started making rice cakes. What she was making today was a recipe for water chestnut rolls, which she had learned from her private chef.

Mix four parts glutinous rice flour and two parts regular rice flour, add steamed, peeled and pitted red dates, chestnuts and minced meat, mix with boiling water, roll out thinly, spread a layer of peeled and chopped water chestnuts, roll it up like a spring roll, steam it, sprinkle a layer of fine powdered sugar and pine nuts on the outside, and finally tie it into several sections with a thin thread. The water chestnut roll is now ready, soft and fragrant.

Qingwu knew that his second sister had specially made this to take to someone who wanted to find out about his enrollment in school, so he just stood aside and watched. Gu Zao took out three pieces and left them for his third sister Qingwu and Fang Shi. She also told Ansheng to stay at home for a few more minutes before taking the food box and heading towards the West Water Gate.

I saw that person again.

Fearing that walking would waste time, Gu Zao hired a carriage that was reserved for women in the city. He drove straight down West Street, passed Wansheng Gate, and continued west along the Bian River until he left the city. After walking for about two miles, he finally arrived at Jinming Pond.

Jinming Pond is said to have been carved out in the first year of the Xingguo reign of Emperor Taizong, using 35,000 laborers, for the purpose of training the navy. Later, with the arrival of a peaceful and prosperous era, it gradually became a place for city dwellers to enjoy themselves. The lake surface is sparkling, the mountains along the shore are beautiful, and the willow branches are long. Gu Zao almost thought he was seeing the West Lake of later generations.

The driver knew the location of Shijie Academy. He followed the lakeside path, turned a corner, and stopped by the mountainside. He pointed to a dense grove of trees ahead and said, "We've arrived." Gu Zao saw a building in the distance. Above the door, the three characters "Shoudao Hall" were written in a flowing, elegant style. He got off the carriage, paid the fare, and walked towards the place.

As they approached, they saw a spacious and bright room inside the fence gate, which looked like a school for teaching. However, it was quiet and empty at the moment, except for a half-open door at the back, which must have been the daily residence of the Shi family.

Gu Zao stood at the gate and called out a few times, but no one answered. After hesitating for a moment, she pushed open the half-closed gate and headed towards the house inside. After taking a few steps, she saw a very elegantly dressed woman coming out excitedly, saying, "Sister-in-law Fan, today I'm going to add something for you again..."

She looked up sharply and saw that the person who came was not the Fan family's sister-in-law she had thought of. She swallowed the word "trouble" and just stood there, looking at Gu Zao suspiciously.

Gu Zao guessed that this must be the Shi family's wife, so she quickly bowed to her and said with a smile, "I am Gu Erjie, but I come from the city. I heard that your master is a great Confucian scholar and I want to send my younger brother to study here."

People love to hear compliments, and when Madam Shi heard Gu Zao praise her husband's learning, she was already somewhat pleased. Seeing that although Gu Zao's clothes were simple and her hair was adorned with only a plum blossom hairpin, her eyes were clear and bright, and her expression was poised and elegant, her joy deepened. She then said somewhat apologetically, "Young lady, you are unaware of this, but our school is already full and we are not accepting any more students."

Gu Zao was somewhat disappointed, but then he thought that Shoudaotang did not recruit students randomly in order to collect more tuition fees, so the teaching must be very strict. He would not be easily dismissed with just a few words, so he smiled and said, "Madam Shi, my younger brother is indeed honest and kind, and he is also intelligent and eager to learn. Why don't you test him yourself, sir? If he is really not satisfactory, I will not bother you again."

Lady Shi shook her head and said, "It's unfortunate today. My husband went out with an old friend."

Gu Zao smiled and said, "If Madam Shi doesn't mind me bothering you, could you allow me to wait until the Master returns and ask him about it?"

As Madam Shi was pondering, Gu Zao heard another noise behind her. Turning around, she saw a girl who looked to be about ten years old whirl in like a gust of wind. Upon seeing Madam Shi, she put on a tearful face and said, "The eldest sister-in-law of the Fan family has broken her leg and is lying there groaning in a splint. How could she possibly come over to cook?"

Shi Niangzi looked anxious and muttered to herself, "What am I going to do? Unfortunately, I don't know how to cook crab."

Gu Zao's heart stirred, and she asked with a smile, "May I ask if Madam Shi is going to make crab?"

Shi Niangzi glanced at her and sighed, "My husband's friend brought two baskets of Xinghua hairy crabs, saying that they should be cooked so that the two of them could drink together when they return at noon. But I'm from the north and I'm not used to eating river delicacies, so how would I know how to cook them? I was thinking of asking Fan Niangzi to come and cook them for me. She married into the Yanghuai region and knows how to cook them, but she said she broke her leg. What bad luck!"

Gu Zao laughed and said, "Who says it's not a coincidence? It really is a coincidence."

Shi Niangzi was puzzled and just stared blankly at Gu Zao. Gu Zao stepped forward with a smile and said, "Shi Niangzi, you don't know this, but I just moved here from Yangzhou. Although I can't cook hairy crabs as well as the master chef, I know a little bit about it. If you trust me, how about I cook it for you?"

Shi Niangzi was overjoyed. Without saying much, she pulled Gu Zao and led her to the kitchen in the inner room.

The Shi family's kitchen was large and fully equipped, presumably because they ran a school and students ate together. Gu Zao placed the rice cakes she had brought on the table and then looked at the crabs that Madam Shi had brought.

It's late autumn now, the perfect time for crabs. Gu Zao took out the crabs from the basket. Each one was large and plump, with golden hairs on its claws. You could tell at a glance that these were top-grade lake crabs from Xinghua. Without hesitation, he took four or five, washed them clean, peeled off their navels, rubbed them with a little salt, and soaked them in sweet wine. He then took a few more, cut them in half horizontally with their shells on, and split the claws open with the back of a knife. He added scallions, ginger, pepper, salt, and wine. Seeing that there was already chicken broth on the stove, he added a spoonful and put the whole thing into a clay pot to simmer in the rich broth.

At this moment, the crabs that had been soaking in the sweet wine must have drunk the wine and were somewhat weak in lifting their claws. Gu Zao picked them up and put them in the steamer, then put the fire on and steamed them.

Gu Zao told Shi Niangzi to watch the fire, and then took out a raw crab, picked out all the meat and roe, added egg white, bean flour, ginger juice, salt, wine, and vinegar, and beat it into a paste to make balls. After the steamed crab released yellow roe oil, it was taken off the heat. Then he put the crab balls into the water, added chicken broth, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and coriander, and stewed them together. In less than half an hour, the steamed crab, stewed crab, and two-colored crab meat balls were all neatly served in a bowl.