The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 008 Admiring Chrysanthemums
As the Double Ninth Festival approached, the weather suddenly got hot again.
The maid held a yellow paper umbrella painted with lotus leaves and supported Madam Tang out of the carriage, and the two of them entered a jewelry shop together. This jewelry shop was the ancestral property of the Tang family and was located at the east entrance of Suijin Street. After crossing the Cufang Bridge and walking more than ten meters to the west, there was a Shenyuan Lane, the name of which was taken from the poem “Deep, deep the courtyard where he is, so deep/It's veiled by smoke like willows heap on heap/By curtain on curtain and screen on screen." Just after entering the lane, there was this jewelry shop. (TN: Ouyang Xiu poem “Butterflies in Love with Flowers” about a wife who waits in vain for her philandering husband’s return while trapped within her home)
There were seven or eight jewelry shops in Shenyuan Lane, and women and girls dressed in silk could be seen walking through the lane.
Madam Tang was not here to buy jewelry. As the Double Ninth Festival approached, she came to the shop to check the account books. After reading for two hours the summer accounts and finishing calculations with several managers. It was still early noon.
The two of them went out together, the maid holding an umbrella: "Madam, let's go back."
Madam Tang nodded, and when she left the door, she looked at the crowded Suijin Street. The Double Ninth Festival was approaching, and many young girls on the street have chrysanthemums in their hair. Madam Tang suddenly wanted to go shopping and said, "I haven't been to Suijin Street for a long time. Let's take a look around."
The maid nodded in agreement.
The folk customs of the Song Dynasty were open-minded, and women's clothes were not as colorful and fancy as those of the previous dynasty, but they were still elegant and attractive. There were many girls walking in a hurry on Suijin Street. Madam Tang looked around for a while near the east entrance of Cufang Bridge, and saw a place in the distance where it was so crowded that she couldn't see clearly.
"What’s that."
The maid looked and said: "It seems to be a stall selling breakfast. It's almost noon now, so they should be closing the stall."
Madam Tang said: "There are quite a lot of people in that place. I have never seen so many people over there before."
The maid stepped forward and took a closer look. When she saw clearly, she was stunned and came back to report: "Madam, I saw the young master."
Madam Tang was surprised and said: "Young Master? Which Young Master?"
Maid: "It's Young Master Tang Shen from Zhao Family Village, and the young lady is also over there."
"They are having breakfast there?"
The maid hesitated for a moment: "They... they seem to have opened a breakfast shop!"
"Here comes the next one!" A loud and powerful shout rang out from the crowd, followed by a strong aroma of sweet sauce.
Behind the wooden cart, a tall, thin and handsome boy waved a large spoon, scooped out a spoonful of thick batter, spread it evenly on the flat iron pot, and scooped the excess batter back into the bucket with a flick of his wrist. A large iron spoon spread the multigrain batter into a huge round and flat shape, while the charcoal fire was baking it below. Soon, small round bubbles appeared. When touched by the large iron spoon, they cracked open, and the scent of fresh grain flowed out.
After spreading a spoonful of sweet bean sauce and sprinkling it with a layer of pickled vegetables, salted shepherd's purse, coriander, and chives. Tang Shen opened a small clay pot and scooped out a small spoonful of meat sauce. Aunt Yao cooked this the night before, adding soy sauce, chili oil and sesame oil. The pancakes made a sizzling grilling sound, and then the meat sauce was poured on top, and the aroma of meat and sauce immediately intertwined.
Tang Shen was quick with his hands and feet. He used a small spatula to cut all sides and rolled it into a long strip in a few strokes to make a flat pancake.
Yao San said loudly: "Here comes the next one!"
Tang Shen handed the pancake over and said with a smile: "Be careful, it's hot."
"Thank you, little boss Tang."
Tang Shen only utilized queue marketing for two days. After the multigrain pancakes became famous at the breakfast stall on Suijin Street, he stopped hiring people to queue up. But he persisted in the matter of hunger marketing. It was just that from selling only one hundred a day it became two hundred a day.
Every morning, Yao San and Aunt Yao come to sell flat pancakes in a cart. Yao San had learned the art of making flat pancakes from Tang Shen, and he made the first hundred pancakes every morning. After Tang Shen and Tang Huang woke up, he would then come to Sujin Street to do the next hundred.
Two hundred was the limit of what they could do at present, and they couldn't make more.
After two hundred pancakes were sold, Tang Shen rubbed his wrists, and Yao San and Aunt Yao began to close the stall. A figure stood in front of him. Tang Shen didn't even look up. He put away his things and said, "The stall has been closed. Please come early tomorrow."
There were so many people who came to eat multigrain pancakes every day, and two hundred pancakes were far from enough. Tang Shen thought these were diners who didn't manage to queue up.
After a while, the other said: "Excuse me... is this Tang Shen from Zhao Family Village?"
Tang Shen immediately raised his head. He saw a woman in a brocade embroidered skirt looking at him carefully. She wore a green jade bracelet on her wrist, and her earrings were also fine imperial green, practically dressed in wealth. Tang Shen didn't realize who this was at first. Only when he saw the maid next to the woman, did he pause: "Madam Tang?"
Madam Tang smiled and said, "I am your eldest aunt, just call me aunt."
Tang Shen said: "Aunt, did you come to Suijin Street for business today?"
Since delivering two boxes of things that time, the two families have never interacted with each other again. Tang Shen did not guess the purpose of Madam Tang's gift, so he did not act rashly and did not go to the Tang Manor to discuss the separation of the families. Madam Tang never appeared again either.
Tang Shen didn't think she was specifically looking for him when she appeared here today. If she really wanted to find them, she could've just gone directly to their home, there was no need to meet on this street.
Madam Tang looked at Tang Shen's thin body and frowned slightly.
Tang Shen was thirteen this year and still a child. Madam Tang had never seen Tang Shen before, but Tang Shen was too thin compared to Tang juren's son from a concubine of the same age, and seemed like he could fall over from the wind.
If Tang Shen knew what she was thinking, he would probably have to defend himself: after he came here, he improved the situation for himself and his sister, and the family had extra money now, so he never treated himself badly since. Especially when they arrived in Gusu City, the brother and sister enjoyed their fill of quite a lot of tasty food. After Tang Shen transmigrated to the ancient times and even in the remote place of Zhao Family Village, his taste buds were practically bland all the time. When he finally came to Gusu City, of course he would treat himself better.
Who would have thought that others would gain weight by eating too much, but he was the opposite, growing vertically, getting taller and taller, and suddenly jumping into a growth spurt.
Aunt Yao also said: "Little boss is really tall, your growth spurt has arrived so early."
For ancient people who were generally malnourished, development at the age of seventeen or eighteen was normal, and it might even be too early. Tang Shen started growing at the age of thirteen so naturally wasn't it too early?
As he got taller, the flesh on his body couldn't keep up with his growth, so of course he looked thinner.
Madam Tang: "Do you come to Suijin Street to run a breakfast stall every day?"
It was the first time that Tang Huang saw such an elder. She hid behind Tang Shen curiously and looked at Madam Tang quietly. Madam Tang was not a beauty, but she had a decent appearance and gentle and generous manners. It was obvious that she was a lady from a literati family. Tang Huang said: "Yes, we make pancakes every day. Brother Yao and Aunt Yao come first. My brother and I will come over to help when we wake up."
Madam Tang saw the scene of people queuing up just now: "Business is pretty good." She didn't say anything more, turned to look at Tang Shen, and said with a smile: "I remember the last time I saw you was nine years ago, when you were just this tall." Madam Tang gestured with her hand to show the height, "Now you are a young man. Have you studied?"
Tang Shen's voice was calm: "When my dad was still alive, I studied in a private school in the village."
"The Tang family has its own private school. Your two brothers study there, as well as some of your cousins and children nearby. If you are willing, you can study with your two brothers. They are used to being bored there. They heard two days ago that a younger brother has moved to Gusu City from Zhao Family Village, and since then they've been clamoring to study with you. If you come to study, the three of you can get to know each other."
The maid lowered her eyes and thought to herself: The two young masters don't even know who Tang Shen was.
Tang Shen smiled and said: "Thank you for your kindness, Aunt. I will go to the Tang Manor to find you when the time comes."
Madam Tang smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll wait for you at home."
Madam Tang and the maid left, and Tang Shen looked at them thoughtfully.
Tang Huang breathed a sigh of relief: "The eldest aunt is so kind and soft-spoken. I thought she looked down on us and didn't want to pay attention to us, just like Tang juren. Brother, the eldest aunt said she wanted you to go to the private family school. Will you go?" The little girl opened her eyes wide and looked at Tang Shen expectantly. "If you go, you can get to know Tang juren's two sons. They also want you to go."
"Want me to go?" Tang Shen almost laughed out loud.
Tang Huang: "?"
"That's just what your eldest aunt said to save us face. Alright, I have my own thoughts about studying. Let's go home."
As soon as the four of them returned home, they saw a man waiting at the door.
Tang Shen saw the other and hurried over.
The steward of Liang Manor bowed and saluted, and handed over an invitation: "Tang Gongzi, daren has returned from Jinling. This is the invitation. He invites you to visit when the time comes." After that, he left very soon.
Tang Shen opened the card and took a look.
Another piece of gilded brocade paper, with four lines of poem written in calligraphy on it. Tang Shen read it out loud: "The sky is clear, the sun and the moon are fixed, and the fragrance of fruit is blowing from the wind. After entering the room and looking up, raise the wine cup and drink to the chrysanthemums outside the window." It was actually a poem riddle?
Tang Shen frowned and thought carefully.
Lost in thought, it was already noon.
Aunt Yao brought the food out of the kitchen, and the four of them sat in the courtyard to eat. Tang Shen held the invitation in his left hand and chopsticks in his right hand. He was about to pick up something when he looked at the words on the invitation and silently put down his chopsticks. He repeated this two or three times, and then Tang Huang said, "Brother, what are you looking at? Eat first."
Tang Shen looked up at her, and his eyes landed on a small yellow flower in Tang Huang's hair.
After looking at it for a long time, the little girl's cheeks turned red with embarrassment and she picked off the chrysanthemum beside her ears: "Don't stare. I saw everyone wearing flowers in their hair, so I picked one as well. Ah, you're still staring, brother is a meanie!" Everyone had a love for beauty. Tang Huang thought that Tang Shen was making fun of her for being so narcissistic, and she became angry from embarrassment.
Tang Shen suddenly said: "Chrysanthemum? Brother Yao, is it almost the Double Ninth Festival?"
Yao San: "Yes, the Double Ninth Festival will be in three days. Don't you know, little boss?"
Tang Shen had never made sense of the ancient calendar. After coming to Gusu City, he was busy making money and didn't notice the date.
He smiled and said: "Looking forward to the Double Ninth festival/To gather again and admire the chrysanthemums." (TN: Meng Haoran's poem “Passing Through a Friend's Farmhouse”)
Three days later, the Double Ninth Festival, noon.
The steward of the Liang Manor opened the door and welcomed Tang Shen into the Liang Manor. He smiled and said, "Tang Gongzi, daren was just wondering when you were coming. Unexpectedly you came now."
After walking through two corner dates and passing through a ventilation corridor, in the corner pavilion next to the lotus pond, Liang daru sat with his back to Tang Shen, pouring himself a pot of tea, and looking at the graceful and moving scenery of the entire lotus pond. Tang Shen walked over and took a look, and saw that the lotus flowers in the pond had long since withered away, leaving only some dead branches and leaves, but Liang daru still looked at them, sipping tea and admiring the flowers.
Tang Shen bowed and said, "Sir, I'm here to see you."
He said "sir" instead of “daren". He treated this visit directly as a visit from a junior to an elder, a scholar to a great scholar in the world, rather than a commoner visiting an official.
Liang daru smiled slightly, raised his head and looked at Tang Shen. The deep and gentle eyes stayed on Tang Shen for a moment, and finally landed on the top of his head.
Liang Song said: "I haven't seen you for a few months, but you have grown a lot taller. Have a seat."
Tang Shen sat down respectfully.
Tang Shen said: "Sir, are you admiring the flowers?"
Liang Song: "Oh? But, there's no flower in this yard."
"Sir said, after entering the room and looking up, raise the wine cup and drink to the chrysanthemums outside the window. Isn't it the Double Ninth Festival, where you invite me to come and admire the chrysanthemums?"