Rumors cease with the wise.
But reality is not so. Most people are not unwise—it’s just that the allure of gossip and rumors is too powerful. People are manipulated and controlled by rumors, and they eagerly embellish them. Instead of using wisdom to resist rumors, they employ it to find "details" that align with their imagination, supplementing the rumors to "correctly" interpret them, making the rumors more believable, all while delighting in their own cleverness—See, I guessed right!
Spreading and circulating rumors has been one of the indispensable pleasures of the masses since ancient times.
And so, actual events and people’s powerful imaginative gossip intertwine, continuously adding "substantive details." The rumors grow more convincing, like a snowball rolling downhill. When the rumor has amassed into a mountain, people believe it is indeed a mountain.
The relationship between Wei Caiwei, Lu Ying, and Wang Daxia, after layers of elaboration and added details by the public, transformed from a rumor full of holes into a scandalous "secret tale" of high-ranking officials’ sons falling for the charms of a flirtatious young widow’s Pomegranate Skirt, known to all.
After all, a chaste widow is unremarkable and uninteresting to people, but the mention of a flirtatious widow immediately excites them.
Moreover, Wei Caiwei fainting during the Dragon Boat Festival, Lu Ying carrying her into the military tent, spending a fortune to buy an ice bucket, the young widow mysteriously disappearing for a month, the young widow being recommended by Lu Bing to become a Palace female physician, Lu Ying subsequently ceasing to visit the young widow, and Young Master Wang visiting the widow’s home almost daily—all these were undeniable facts.
From a "logical" perspective, the rumor seemed truer than the truth.
As for Ding Wu, relying on his sworn sister’s support to return to the capital from the bitter cold of Tieling, how could he bear to go back? He would rather abandon the dignity and face of a high-ranking official’s son to engage in the despised trade of merchants, opening a shop to earn money, becoming a permanent resident of the capital—firmly refusing to return to Tieling.
The owner of the Myriad Goods Trading Company was named Zhao Quan, who was actually the leader of the White Lotus Sect.
Hearing his subordinate recount Ding Wu’s background, Sect Leader Zhao showed contempt in his eyes. "You see, wasn’t I right? Are nobles and generals born of special stock? What high officials, what court—they’re all paper tigers, no different from us common folk. They all need to eat. Once they’ve eaten their fill, they preach to us about propriety, righteousness, integrity, and honor, loyalty, filial piety, and moral integrity to control us, to make us work like cattle and horses for them. Pah! If these court officials went hungry every day and suffered oppression from the court, would they still pledge allegiance to the Great Ming?"
The subordinate flatteringly replied, "The Sect Leader is absolutely right. The son of a former Minister of War couldn’t endure the harsh conditions in the bitter cold lands, couldn’t get enough to eat—he’s no different from us. He had to swallow his pride and engage in trade. Ding Wu even depends on a woman for his meals, and from what I’ve seen, he seems to enjoy it quite shamelessly. Those hypocrites who call us traitors to the Ming, accusing us of betraying the country and harming the people—it’s only because they’ve never gone hungry."
Sect Leader Zhao opened the gift Ding Wu had sent. The packaging was quite elegant, but inside were only common capital pastries—peach shortbread. He picked up a piece, took a bite, and it crumbled flakily, almost melting in his mouth. Sweet but not cloying, the taste was surprisingly better than what was available on the market.
The gift was quite thoughtfully chosen. Practical, not expensive, yet capable of drawing attention. Ding Wu truly was a clever businessman.
Sect Leader Zhao was very satisfied. After finishing the peach shortbread, his beard was covered in crumbs. He picked up a small ivory comb to tidy the pastry crumbs from his beard and said:"When faced with the choice between the Great Ming court's rice and Anda Khan's rice, which is pure and which is defiled? In truth, it's all the same rice. Naturally, we pledge loyalty to whoever can fill our bellies. Those foolishly loyal subjects curse us as Ming traitors, but if Anda Khan's rice were truly placed before them, they'd surely pick up their bowls and eat faster than we do. They preach benevolence and morality, yet their hearts harbor thieves and whores."
A subordinate suggested, "Why don't we recruit Ding Wu as well? If he could pledge allegiance to the Great Khan, it would be a sharp slap to the Great Ming's face, and we'd earn great merit with the Khan. The Khan would surely reward us handsomely."
The walnut cookies were simply too delicious. After smoothing his beard, Leader Zhao couldn't resist picking up another piece to eat, though this time he placed a tea towel under his chin as he nibbled and spoke:
"Don't be hasty. Let's observe first and test the waters. Ding Wu's father, Ding Rukui, was sentenced to death back then, but he hasn't been executed yet. I suspect Ding Wu hasn't completely lost faith in the Great Ming. If the Ming were to execute his father, he'd likely pledge allegiance to the Great Khan."
Sweetwater Lane.
The walnut cookies were baked by Ding Wu himself, so of course they tasted different.
Since preparing various medicinal tablets sometimes required roasting herbs, after Ding Wu came to the capital and moved in with Banxia, he built a dome-shaped oven in the yard using mud and bricks.
Back in Tieling, Ding Wu would often reminisce about all the delicious foods in the capital—after all, most people's nostalgia for home is really just longing for hometown flavors.
Ding Wu showed little aptitude for martial arts or medicine, but he was a natural in the kitchen. Tieling being a military exile settlement where many things couldn't be bought even with money, Ding Wu experimented with creating dishes himself, constantly refining recipes until his meals and pastries sometimes surpassed those made by professional chefs.
Walnut cookies were Ding Wu's specialty. His secret was being more generous with shortening and fine sugar than the pastry shops.
Since ancient times, high sugar and fat have been the shortcut to delicious food.
Moreover, Ding Wu would simmer milk over low heat to extract butter, kneading it into the dough. The resulting walnut cookies were crispy and delicate, never dry, melting in your mouth with every bite.
Ding Wu removed the charcoal from the oven, slid in the iron tray with the cookie dough, then sealed the oven mouth with mud, using the residual high heat for baking.
Wei Caiwei stood on the wall ladder, excitedly whispering: "He's here! That cousin named Duo Si really came to repay the money!"
Humans all love gossip, and the refined gentleman Ding Wu was no exception.
With only one ladder available, Ding Wu crouched by the back door, peeking through the crack to watch the commotion.
Duo Si, wearing a gold neck ring, rode a sleek black horse past the door, followed by two men carrying gifts.
Duo Si dismounted and knocked on the Wang residence's gate.
Young Master Wang had gone to the Imperial Guard Office for morning roll call and wasn't home, but Commander Wang, who had been on night patrol, was resting during the day. The steward woke him, reporting that a foreigner had come to repay a debt—a full two thousand taels!
Commander Wang hurriedly got up to receive the guest. Duo Si stated his purpose: presenting gifts and repaying the money with a stack of Three-Link Bank silver notes, "...Thank you for Young Master Wang's righteous assistance."
Having just been cheated out of four thousand taels by his ex-wife's family and witnessing life's harshness, Commander Wang now saw Duo Si repaying his fiancée's debt as proof that true kindness and love still existed in the world.Duo Si stayed for a short while before taking his leave. Though dressed in foreign attire, he was well-versed in Han customs, spoke with propriety, and expressed gratitude to Wang Commander without appearing obsequious—clearly a man of refined upbringing.
Wang Commander treated him with courtesy, personally escorting him to the gate.
Perched on the wall, Wei Caiwei remarked, "He's leaving, he's leaving. Wang Commander is seeing him off personally and even has a smile on his face. It seems the debt was truly repaid."
Ding Wu was busy preparing lunch—another Tieling specialty, iron-pot stewed goose. Occupied with chopping the goose, he had no time to peer through the door crack. "Duo Si repaid the debt, but not to you. Why are you more anxious than Wang Daxia?"
Because I want to confirm that Wang Daxia wasn’t betrayed in his past life.
Wei Caiwei finally climbed down from the ladder. "I just want to see good people rewarded and villains punished. Good people shouldn’t be wronged."
Water was boiling in the iron pot.
Ding Wu placed the chopped goose into a drum-bellied tin container, adding scallions, ginger, spices, cooking wine, soy sauce, salt, Sichuan peppercorns, and soybean paste—not a drop of water. He tightly screwed on the round lid and set the tin drum into the simmering water in the iron pot, then shoved a thick log into the stove.
The airtight tin drum functioned like a modern pressure cooker under continuous heat, tenderizing the tough goose meat effortlessly with just one log.
One goose was equivalent to two chickens. Ding Wu deliberately saved half to feed Wang Daxia in the evening, while he and Caiwei shared the other half for lunch.
After the meal, Ding Wu headed to Tiaotou Hutong to oversee the shop renovation. Before leaving, he specifically reminded Wei Caiwei, "Banxia, remember to take the walnut cookies out of the oven in half an hour. Let them cool, then wrap them in dried lotus leaves and oiled paper. Wang Daxia will deliver them to Commander Lu tomorrow."
Wei Caiwei cleared the dishes, smiling. "I’d like some of Ding-ge’s walnut cookies too."
Ding Wu said, "I made two batches. One is for you. When Wang Daxia comes tonight, don’t bring out all of them—he’ll finish everything alone. I’ve been busy lately and barely found time to bake these. They’re troublesome to make, so I don’t know when I’ll bake them again."
Ding Wu truly understood Wang Daxia well.
Wei Caiwei nodded. "I understand. I’ll savor them slowly. Be careful when you’re out."
Once Ding Wu left Tianshui Alley, he immediately adopted the demeanor of a shrewd merchant. He bought a watermelon and brought it to the shop at Tiaotou Hutong, offering it to the painters and plasterers. "Take a break, everyone! Have some watermelon!"
The paint and tools piled in the shop were unattended, but a Shandong Greyhound was tethered at the entrance to guard the place. No one dared to steal or eavesdrop.
The craftsmen went to the inner room to rest and eat watermelon—actually to report the day’s surveillance findings.
They were all undercover agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
"Today, when a cart of goods arrived at the Myriad Goods Trading Company, the greyhound became agitated, barking incessantly at the vehicle as if something was inside, though it’s unclear if it was gunpowder."
Ding Wu recorded the details, his brush moving swiftly.
Another agent added, "The soil here is soft, easy for digging tunnels, but they’re prone to collapse and require wooden reinforcements."
Ding Wu picked up a ruler to draft a diagram, calculating the volume of soil needed to tunnel into the neighbor’s underground warehouse. After complex calculations, he noted that ten cartloads of earth had been excavated in a day and a half. "At this rate, we’ll reach their basement in ten days.""Gunpowder tends to get damp easily. If such items truly exist, the walls must have been built with lime and blue bricks to block moisture. By preparing these materials in advance, we can patch up the wall immediately if we accidentally break through, preventing the other side from noticing."
A spy painting at the doorway reported, "This morning, I saw the former Top Courtesan Miss Yingying enter the trading company. She was accompanied by a foreigner with numerous small braids and a golden neck ring. Judging by his demeanor, he didn't seem like a nouveau riche. The owner of Myriad Goods Trading Company, Mr. Zhao, personally received them at the shop entrance, appearing quite familiar with both."
Ding Wu continued taking notes, saying, "The foreigner with the golden neck ring is named Duo Si, Jin Ying's fiancé. Since Jin Ying was formerly a Top Courtesan, she must have frequented Myriad Goods Trading Company as a major client, hence the owner's personal reception."
The spy added, "There was a bearded shopkeeper beside Mr. Zhao who looked familiar, as if I've seen him somewhere before."
Ding Wu recorded everything. After work ended in the afternoon, the spy escorted him to the Imperial Guard Office to deliver the notes to Lu Ying.
In the evening, Wang Dxia unsurprisingly came over for a meal. Wei Caiwei mentioned Duo Si's debt repayment. Wang Daxia calmly ate his goose, saying, "The repaid money just fills the financial hole my stepmother created earlier. I never get to see the silver anyway, so it doesn't matter to me."
After dinner, Wei Caiwei brought out walnut cookies. Initially only taking half, seeing how happily he was eating and that he still wanted more, she unconsciously gave him the other half too.
The next day, Wang Daxia gave the wrapped walnut cookies to Lu Ying. Returning that evening, he said Commander Lu liked them very much, sharing half with Lord Lu, and they finished them that same day.
Hearing this, Ding Wu relit the charcoal in the oven and stayed up until midnight baking a fresh batch of walnut cookies.
Wei Caiwei was "awakened" by the aroma in the middle of the night. Seeing Ding Wu busy in the courtyard, she thought: Didn't you say just yesterday that you've been too busy to bake recently and didn't know when you'd make them next? Why this sudden change of heart?
Could it be... A bold speculation emerged in Caiwei's mind.
Author's Note: Banxia girl has discovered those little secret thoughts~
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