extravagante

Capítulo 8

When Lady Shi tasted a spoonful of crab meat ball soup, she was overjoyed to find it exceptionally delicious. Knowing that Gu Zao was a good cook, she asked her to cook the other side dishes as well.

Gu Zao had been wanting the Shi family woman to speak on her behalf to her husband, so she didn't refuse and used all her skills. By noon, when the sound of horses' hooves could be heard outside the door, the stir-fried lettuce, hibiscus tofu, and chicken breast with fermented rice wine were ready. She set out the rice cakes she had brought, prepared garlic vinegar, and then went outside the fence to pick a few wild chrysanthemums and a handful of leaves that she had seen blooming earlier. She brought them in, boiled them briefly in water, and poured the pale yellow broth, along with the flowers and leaves, into a shallow basin.

Shi Niangzi was somewhat puzzled, only asking what kind of soup it was for. Gu Zao smiled and said, "Eating crab makes your hands smell fishy; washing them with this chrysanthemum water will help."

Madam Shi was already overjoyed. She ordered the maid to serve a dish, along with her homemade pine pollen wine brewed in March. While the men drank and made merry, she pulled Gu Zao to sit in the kitchen. They drank together, enjoying the small dishes she had just prepared. After taking a bite of each dish, she exclaimed, "Second Sister, such a talented person is also such a good cook! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it even if you beat me to death. The crab goes without saying, but these home-style dishes are so much better than what I usually make myself. And this cake, so soft and fluffy, yet crisp and fragrant. Teach me how to make it sometime."

While elaborate dishes require skill, everyday fare is what truly tests one's ability. Gu Zao smiled and took a sip of pine flower wine. It was fragrant and sweet, and she felt more certain that she was almost certain she would be admitted to Qingwu Academy.

Shi Niangzi turned her head and saw the remaining basket of crabs, but she was a little worried, afraid that they would wilt if squeezed for too long. Gu Zao smiled and said, "There is a trick to storing these crabs. Take a jar, put a layer of field mud at the bottom, put a bamboo frame on top, and hang some soaked glutinous rice straw on it. The ends of the rice should hang down so that the crabs can eat on their backs. Then cover it with a sieve and cover it with straw. This way, they will not get thin even after a long time."

Lady Shi listened attentively, quickly wrote it down, and then urged him to drink again.

Although the pine flower wine was sweet, it had a strong aftereffect. Gu Zao was afraid of getting drunk and making things difficult, so she didn't dare to drink too much and only drank a few cups before stopping. Madam Shi didn't force her and stayed with her until the two people in front had finished enjoying themselves before pulling her husband to the back and explaining Gu Zao's purpose.

Mr. Shi, a scholar-like man around fifty years old, was usually stern and unsmiling, but his face was flushed from drinking. Hearing his wife's words, he glanced at Gu Zao, who stood silently smiling to the side, thought for a moment, and finally spoke, "It's kind of you to cook such a delicious meal. Very well, I'll make an exception and have your younger brother come tomorrow. But let me make it clear first: he'll be on a trial period for a month. If he gets a low score on the monthly exam, he'll have to leave."

Gu Zao was overjoyed and thanked her repeatedly. She then asked Madam Shi about the tuition fee before taking her leave with her food box. Madam Shi, however, snatched her food box and filled it to the brim with dried mushrooms and wood ear fungus before letting her go.

By the time we came out, most of the day had passed, and the sun was already setting in the west, casting golden light on the lake, making half of the lake surface shimmer.

There were no vehicles to take back to the lake, only a few scattered tourists. Gu Zao picked up his food box and strolled leisurely along the lakeside scenery towards the city gate, quite content. After walking for a while, the aftereffects of the alcohol kicked in; his heart pounded, his face flushed, and he quickly picked up a relatively flat-looking stone by the roadside, sat down, and supported his forehead with his hand, waiting for the effects of the alcohol to wear off.

Just then, Gu Zao heard the sound of horses' hooves coming from behind him. He ignored it, simply turned his body slightly inward, covered his face with his hand, and waited for the horse to pass.

The horse galloped past her, stirring up a gust of wind.

Gu Zao let out a breath. But before the breath had even dissipated, another gust of wind blew by her side, and the horse had already run back to her, neighing twice before stopping.

Gu Zao was a little puzzled, so she turned her face back to look, only to be taken aback.

A large, glossy black horse, and the person on it... was none other than the bearded man from the grand pleasure boat on the Bian River that day!

The man simply looked down at Gu Zao with a cold, indifferent gaze, revealing no other expression.

Gu Zao withdrew her eyes, then turned her body completely away as if she hadn't seen him, thinking to herself that he should leave now.

But after a long while, there was still no movement behind him. Gu Zao felt a chill run down his spine, stood up abruptly, and hurriedly headed towards the city gate with his head down.

Before long, the person behind her spurred his horse to catch up, but kept a few steps behind her, neither too fast nor too slow.

Gu Zao's anger flared up instantly. Fueled by the alcohol, she suddenly stopped, turned around, and glared coldly at the man.

Radish Beauty

Looking at Gu Zao's flushed cheeks and the hint of hostility in her eyes, the man suddenly recalled the day she climbed onto the wooden boat from the water, her eyes clear and bright like stars. Even after returning home, he still thought about those eyes from time to time. Thinking of this, the coldness in his eyes disappeared and gradually warmed up.

Gu Zao, however, had no interest in studying his eyes. Seeing that he was still staring at her as if nothing was wrong, sparks finally flew from her eyes.

"Sir, am I blocking your way?"

She asked coldly.

He shook his head.

"Did your family build this road?"

He shook his head again.

Gu Zao snorted coldly: "I'm not blocking your way, and this road isn't yours, so why do you keep following me? You don't seem like a frivolous person, so why do you act so absurdly?"

Hao Li's mouth, just like that day when he was soaked and barefoot but still remained calm, this little woman always exuded a kind of energy that was different from others.

I didn't notice last time, but now I see her hair in a married woman's bun with a plum blossom hairpin inserted diagonally. Is she already taken?

He suddenly felt his mood plummet, and the pine flower wine he had just drunk seemed to be bubbling and sour in his heart.

"This is the middle of nowhere, more than a mile from the city gate. And it's getting late. Does your husband really feel comfortable letting you travel here alone?"

He said it calmly.

Gu Zao turned his head to look west and noticed that the sun was indeed only halfway up the western mountains. The daytime was getting shorter, and it would probably be dark in less than a quarter of an hour.

She hesitated for a moment, then ignored him and hurried forward with her head down.

The man didn't speak again, but simply held the reins and followed her at a leisurely pace, keeping a distance of about ten steps.

Gu Zao held her breath and walked for nearly half an hour before she gradually saw some passersby, indicating that she was almost at the city gate. She couldn't help but secretly glance back and saw that the bearded man had also followed her here, which made her heart flutter slightly.

Although she found him repulsive, her actions just now were primarily for her own benefit. After entering the still-open city gate, she hesitated for a moment before finally stopping. Once the bearded man stepped forward and reined in his horse, she sighed, looked up, and said, "Thank you. It's lively enough here now; you don't need to follow me anymore."

He was taken aback, expecting another sarcastic remark, but to his surprise, although he didn't see a smile, he did receive a thank you.

After Gu finished speaking, without waiting for his reply, he walked around the tall horse and hurried on his way.

The bearded man, mounted on his horse, watched the figure quickly disappear into the night and the surging crowd, lost in thought for a moment. Finally, he shook his head, pulled on the reins, and galloped off towards Zheng Gate. Upon reaching the mansion near the Bian River, a servant at the gate saw him and hurriedly took the reins. He dismounted, glanced at the red lanterns hanging high above the gate displaying the words "Grand Commandant's Residence," entered the main gate, walked past the screen wall, through the main hall and the second hall, and then through a hanging flower gate with dougong brackets before entering the inner garden. The servants and maids he encountered along the way all knelt and addressed him as "Second Master," but he paid them little attention. He simply hurried past the covered walkway of the east hall in the north wing before arriving at a room where a maid standing at the door lifted the curtain.

The weather wasn't very cold at the time, but the room was already lit with high-quality silver charcoal. As soon as he stepped inside, he felt a warm breeze carrying the scent of cosmetics waft towards him. Looking closely, he saw that the room was already packed with seven or eight people, all of them women from the household, chatting and laughing. The room was filled with a spring-like atmosphere.

He hurried a few steps toward an elderly woman seated in the center of a black chair embroidered with gold leaf. Reaching her, he bowed and said, “Mother, these past few days I’ve been leaving early in the morning and returning after you’ve already retired for the night, so I haven’t had a chance to greet you properly. I’m so glad we met today; please don’t blame me.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a middle-aged woman standing next to the old woman laughed and said, "Second brother, what are you saying? Mother was just talking to me about your marriage. Your nephew is almost ready to get married, but you're always wandering around, rarely showing your face. If it weren't for Mother's 60th birthday next month and her repeated urging, I'm afraid you'd still be enjoying yourself somewhere!"

The woman speaking was his elder sister-in-law, Madam Jiang, the first wife of the Grand Commandant's household. She wore a gold-embroidered phoenix hairpin and a black jacket with gold-sprinkled auspicious clouds. She had fair skin and a dignified appearance, but there were a few freckles on her cheekbones, which, despite the use of powder, could not be covered up.

As soon as Madam Jiang finished speaking, a woman in her early twenties standing on the inside chuckled and covered her mouth, saying, "Madam, if you ask me, a man of Second Master's talent, who spends money so frugally every day, probably already has a mistress outside. If he does, he would have brought her back long ago, and who knows, he might settle down and stay."

The one who spoke was Luo San Niang, a concubine of the eldest son of the Yang family. She wore a light yellow blouse and a green silk skirt, dressed somewhat differently from Jiang Shi. With willow-leaf eyebrows, phoenix eyes, a delicate nose, and cherry lips, she possessed a charming and graceful air. She had always been the apple of the eldest son's eye, and had just given birth to a son before the new year. Although he was an illegitimate son, he was still quite beloved by the eldest son, so she gradually became more talkative.

Jiang ignored him, but a hint of displeasure flickered between her brows.

The old lady gave her a cold, sidelong glance. Luo San Niang realized she had misspoke, smiled awkwardly, and quietly took a half step back. Only then did the old lady look at her son and say with a smile, "Hao'er, your sister-in-law is right. It would make me happier if you settled down and started a family sooner, and had a son or daughter, than if she came to greet me ten times a day. I've already told your sister-in-law that she should take advantage of this lively occasion and keep an eye on the young ladies in the capital who are ready to marry. It doesn't have to be someone from a high-ranking family. As long as the family is decent and they catch your eye, we'll settle things for you as soon as possible. You're not allowed to make excuses again."

The old lady's hair was already streaked with silver, and she wore only a jade hairpin in her hair and a pair of small gold-threaded lilacs by her ears, which swayed slightly as she spoke.

Jiang turned her head and glanced at Luo San Niang behind her before speaking, "Mother is a kind person. She only looks at character and doesn't care about social status. If you ask me, she must be a well-bred lady from a wealthy family. Only she is reasonable and sensible. No matter how clever a girl from a small family is, she will always be petty and may make a fool of herself at any time."

Luo San Niang felt a tightness in her chest from anger. She was born out of wedlock, and although her father was a fifth-rank official, he was still like most minor officials in the capital, only able to rent a house in a slightly more respectable alleyway. She knew that Jiang Shi was targeting her, but she could only grit her teeth in secret. Seeing that everyone in the room had their eyes on her, she could only force a smile on her face.

Yang Hao was too lazy to watch the scene of his wives and concubines fighting amongst themselves. But when he heard his mother's words, the figure from earlier suddenly flashed before his eyes. He smiled slightly, chatted with his mother for a while, and then took his leave and returned to his own courtyard.

It was past midnight when Gu Zao arrived home, but the night market on the street was still bustling. She thought that her third sister and Qingwu should be closing up shop by now, but unexpectedly she saw the two of them in the alleyway, looking on expectantly.

Upon seeing Gu Zao, the third sister was so delighted that she immediately hugged her. Although Qingwu didn't show much emotion, he still grinned and smiled.

"Are the radishes selling faster than usual today?" Gu Zao asked with a smile.

“Mother is running the stall all by herself now,” the third sister replied.

Gu Zao felt a little touched. She guessed that her third sister and Qingwu were worried about her not returning so late, so they had come to the alley entrance to wait for her. Fearing that Fang Shi couldn't handle things alone, the three of them hurriedly headed towards the night market together. In the distance, they saw three layers of people gathered under the old elm tree, and Fang Shi's voice could be heard from afar, as if she had been arguing with someone.

Gu Zao hurried over and pushed through the crowd to see what was happening. Sure enough, it was Fang Shi arguing with someone. Although there were many people around, they were all there to watch the commotion. It turned out that a man selling pickled radishes had already calculated the price but then took one for himself. Fang Shi was upset about it, and the man was also very serious, which led to the argument.

Upon seeing Gu Zao arrive, the radish seller grabbed her and said, "Second Sister, when I did business with you before, you always gave me a few extra. But today, with your mother here, why won't you let me take one more?"

Gu Zao hurriedly pulled Fang Shi, who was still muttering to herself, behind her and put four or five more pieces into his bowl. Then she smiled and said, "My mother is made of iron. She's a nail in a rivet. Don't argue with her. When I get new goods tomorrow, I'll give you an extra portion to try."

Seeing Gu Zao's generosity, the man muttered something and left. A bystander laughed, "So even radishes need a beauty to sell them properly." Everyone laughed and quickly sold out the remaining radishes, one bowl for each person. From that night on, Gu Zao's nickname "Radish Beauty" spread like wildfire, and everyone called her that when they saw her. Gradually, she gained some fame.

Seeing that the radishes were sold out and the crowd had gradually dispersed, the family packed up and headed back. However, Madam Fang was still resentful about Gu Zao giving away so many radishes, constantly grumbling about how wasteful she was. Gu Zao knew she couldn't reason with her, so she asked about her day at work. Sure enough, Madam Fang immediately forgot about what had happened earlier, and as they walked, she kept praising the place, saying that this house was actually the Grand Commandant's residence, with three courtyards inside and three courtyards outside. Following the steward, she was completely bewildered before finally arriving at the kitchen, where she would be working as a kitchen helper.

"Second sister, what kind of official is this Grand Commandant?"

Qingwu was puzzled and asked a question.

Fang pursed her lips: "What else could it be? Of course, he's a high-ranking official, and he's related to the Grand Tutor by marriage."

Gu Zao chuckled, but she herself wasn't quite sure what rank the Grand Commandant was. She only knew that he was the highest military commander at present, equivalent to her former Minister of Defense. She only learned this from Gao Qiu, the Grand Commandant in the Water Margin. After thinking for a moment, she said, "The Grand Commandant should be at the level of one of the Three Dukes, which is probably slightly lower than the rank of Grand Tutor."

Third Sister and Qingwu both laughed. Fang didn't take it to heart, but still said, "Grand Tutor and Grand Commandant both have 'Grand' in their names, so what's wrong with saying they're brothers-in-law?"

Gu Zao finally couldn't help but laugh, and the three of them burst into laughter, as they had already arrived at their doorstep.

Gu Zao hired people

After entering the house and lighting the yellow oil lamp, Fang was initially happy to hear about Qingwu's enrollment in school. However, when she heard that Mr. Guang's tuition would be two strings of cash a year, not including books, paper, writing brushes, inkstones, and so on, and that because of the long journey, she would also need to pay extra for meals while staying at the teacher's place, her smile turned down, and she remained silent for a long time.

Fearing that Qingwu would be upset, Gu Zao immediately stepped in front of him and said with a smile, "Mother, that teacher is a great Confucian scholar of our time. Not only is his scholarship first to be published in books, but countless of his students have passed the imperial examinations and become successful, bringing glory to the family. I heard that one of his sons became an official, and his mother was also granted an imperial title by the government. When she returned to her hometown, she was carried in a grand sedan chair by eight bearers, and even the county magistrate personally came out of the city to welcome her..."

Gu Zao was just making things up, but it struck a chord with Fang Shi. She thought that if she ever went back to that state, the first thing she would do was to take over all of Mao Tuanzi's family's land and cultivate it herself. Immediately, she smiled and her lips curled up. She no longer felt the pain and happily took out two strings of cash from her private savings and handed it over.

"Second sister, as your mother, I should naturally pay for your tuition, but what about the books, writing materials, and so on..."

She looked longingly at Gu Zao, but said nothing.

Gu Zao was somewhat surprised to see that she had also contributed money. She then accepted the offer with a smile and said, "Mother isn't someone who keeps money for herself. It's already very kind of her to contribute this much for your tuition. As your older sister, I'll take care of the rest."

Overjoyed, Madam Fang patted Qingwu's shoulder with a smile, telling him to study diligently and strive to pass the imperial examinations in the future. Gu Zao winked at Qingwu, who responded. Madam Fang then sighed and said, "Ah, that's what your short-lived father was thinking about back then. That's why I sent you to study for two years. Now that you have such a capable teacher, I think you know what to do."

Qingwu then straightened his expression and solemnly replied to Madam Fang again, which satisfied Madam Fang.

The next day, Fang got up early again to go to work. Gu Zao also helped Qingwu pack a change of clothes, a pair of shoes that his third sister had made for him, wrapped them in a bundle, and carried bedding. She told his third sister to stay at home before accompanying Qingwu to the bookstore on the street.

Yesterday, Mr. Shi had already given me a book list to buy. It turns out that the imperial examinations at that time weren't like later examinations which only consisted of the eight-legged essay; they tested understanding of the classics, policy questions, and poetry. The classics were Confucian texts, largely the Four Books and Five Classics compiled by Zhu Xi in the Southern Song Dynasty. Since Mr. Shi only intended to prepare for the exams for a month, he didn't order the entire set, only the Analects. The teacher Qingwu had previously studied only taught him the Hundred Family Surnames and the Thousand Character Classic; after two years of intermittent study, he had only reached that basic level. He hadn't studied the Analects, so the book needed to be bought again.

Gu Zao excitedly entered the bookstore and asked the shopkeeper about the price, only to be shocked. She used to think books were expensive, but now she knew what "expensive" really meant. Books were actually priced by the page, with four coins per page. The Analects, with its twenty chapters, would cost more than a coin, equivalent to a month's rent.

Gu Zao was only slightly surprised. Fortunately, he had enough money in his bag today. He then picked out some paper, brushes, inkstones, and ink, counted out the money, paid for them, and then took the items out of the bookstore. He hailed a carriage and headed towards Jinming Pond. When he arrived at Shoudao Hall, he first had Qingwu pay his respects to Mr. Shi.

Seeing that Qingwu was honest in appearance and had bright eyes, Mr. Shi felt a sense of goodwill towards him. He asked Qingwu to write a few more words, and seeing that the ink was upright and showed great character, Mr. Shi nodded to himself and accepted three bows from him, thus temporarily enrolling him in the school.

Gu had already gone to the back room, led by Madam Shi, and made sure Qingwu's bed was ready before coming out. She wanted to give him a few more instructions, but then she saw him sitting in the classroom, listening intently to Mr. Shi's lesson. Although he was a bit young compared to the other students, he was quite well-behaved. Gu was pleased and a little moved. She stood watching him from a distance for a while before thanking Madam Shi and returning home.

The pickled radish business had gradually stabilized. The small courtyard in front of the shop was filled with jars and vats of all sizes. The variety of pickled radish had also expanded from the initial pickled radish rolls, small radish skewers, and radishes for liquor to now include pickled cabbage, pickled toon sprouts, sweet and sour garlic, pickled cucumbers and eggplants... It was almost like opening a complete pickled vegetable shop. Gu Zao herself also bought quite a few jars and vats. Perhaps because porcelain making was so advanced at the time, she discovered that these rough glazed earthenware jars were the cheapest things she had found so far. The largest one was only ten coins. No wonder the sauce maker had run away, and the remaining cracked ones hadn't been taken by Hu Shi. However, not a single good one was to be seen. It seemed that although they were cheap, she must have taken them all.

As business went smoothly, Gu Zao's reputation as the "Radish Beauty" grew louder and louder. In less than half a month, everyone on the entire night market street knew her and liked her straightforward personality. They called her "Radish Beauty" with great enthusiasm.

The saying "Man fears becoming famous, just as pigs fear growing fat" is indeed an irrefutable truth. Once her reputation spread, some lowlifes on the street, seeing her beauty and the fact that she was one of two sisters, and knowing that rumors had spread that she was a widowed concubine, began to have lewd thoughts about her. Verbal harassment was commonplace, and even physical contact was frequent when no one was around.

Gu Zao was no pushover either. After a few times, she became more cautious. When she and her third sister set up their stall, they would also bring their mother, who had finished work, along. She didn't need to sell anything; she just set up a stool for her to sit on against a tree. When she saw any ill-intentioned people, Fang Shi would act like a tiger descending from the mountain, grabbing them and giving them a good beating and scolding. After a few times, everyone on the street knew that although the Radish Beauty was pretty, her parents were a formidable woman. So, they gradually gave up their ideas.

Qingwu would return once every ten days on his days off. After three such returns, it was time for the monthly exam. He was said to have received a grade of above average. Although it wasn't top-notch, considering his young age and the fact that he had stopped studying for two years, such a result was already quite good. Mr. Shi, who was aware of this, immediately accepted him as a student.

Gu Zao was overjoyed when she heard the news. That night, she deliberately didn't go to set up her stall. She and her third sister bought ingredients and made braised pork with fermented black beans, fried eggs with shredded pork, braised sausage, gluten, and rice cakes with green vegetables. She also removed the pits from the persimmons, mixed them with cooked glutinous rice flour and honey water, steamed them, and made rock sugar amber cakes. Although they were all cheap things, they still filled the table. Everyone also ate a few cups of the mixed fruit wine they bought from Madam Shen's restaurant outside. They spent the night happily.

Gu Zao had Qingwu bring Shi Niangzi some extra rock sugar amber cakes that he had specially made. After seeing her off to school, he returned and calculated his income over the past month in Tokyo. After deducting the cost of radishes, vegetables, and seasonings, he had earned about 250 wen each night, totaling nearly 8,000 wen, which was roughly 10 guan. According to the income categories of families in Tokyo at that time, those earning less than 3,000 wen were considered poor. Although she was no longer considered poor, she was still half of the 15,000 wen or more standard for middle-class families.

Gu Zao wasn't discouraged. This income in just the first month was already beyond her expectations. And judging by its current state, it was growing bigger and bigger, and it would likely get even better in the future. Recently, even the tavern next door, where Madam Shen made pickled vegetables, had asked her to inquire about purchasing their stock. However, her yard was small and couldn't hold many jars, and the amount of pickled produce she made each day was barely enough for her own sales, so she hadn't agreed yet.

At this time, she and her third sister were busy buying, pickling, and selling, working like spinning tops every day. Fang Shi, working every day, was like a country bumpkin in a grand garden, unwilling to quit. Every day she returned home, constantly boasting about the latest gossip she'd learned about her master's household. Gu Zao thought about her future plans and began to consider finding a helper, which meant she could only turn to the broker again. However, the very next day, the broker's shop on the street brought five or six people, all young women and married women, to stand in Gu Zao's courtyard.