The crab meat Lin Hong had picked out tasted incredibly sweet and delicious to Zhenzhen. Overjoyed, she lowered her head to savor it, no longer as reserved as before. She quickly finished the crab meat and also ate a fair amount of the other dishes on the table. Earlier, during the banquet at Shiyi Garden, she had been busy toasting the palace officials and had eaten very little herself. Only now did she realize how hungry she was. Midway through her meal, she happened to look up and noticed that Lin Hong had been watching her eat with a smile. Instantly, her face flushed red, and her movements froze. Understanding her embarrassment, Lin Hong turned his head slightly, hiding his smile from her view and no longer watching her eat.
A short while later, the shopkeeper approached and enthusiastically asked for their thoughts on the dishes. Zhenzhen replied, "The ingredients are good, and the crab is fresh. But to be honest, the other dishes are too bland—it's as if not enough salt was added. Especially the pickled seafood appetizers; because of the lack of salt, they have a slight off taste."
The shopkeeper said, "You must be from out of town, miss? You might not know this, but nowadays the price of salt has skyrocketed, so every restaurant's dishes are bland. Our shop is still relatively better—though we use slightly less salt, we ensure it's all refined salt. Unlike some places that, to cut costs, use low-grade salt mixed with sand and mud."
Zhenzhen asked curiously, "Isn't salt a government monopoly? How could the price have soared so much?"
In the dynasty, salt had to be sold exclusively by the government. Salt producers had to sell their salt to the government first, and then distributors would purchase it from the government with cash, receiving a certificate issued by the authorities for the distribution and sale of salt. This certificate was called a "salt voucher." This system was intended to prevent unscrupulous merchants from hoarding goods to drive up prices, while also allowing the court to increase revenue.
The shopkeeper sighed, "Although it's a government monopoly, how it's sold is controlled by the local salt administration officials. This year, the officials in our area, seeking profit, bought salt from producers at extremely low prices and often delayed payment, withholding money from them for long periods. Then they sold the salt to merchants at inflated prices. Naturally, the merchants, having paid high prices, could only sell it at even higher rates. If merchants couldn't afford it, the officials would mix the salt with sand and mud, slightly lower the price, and force the merchants to buy it."
"This is outrageous!" Zhenzhen frowned and asked, "What if the merchants refuse to do business and don't buy it?"
The shopkeeper replied, "If the merchants can't buy all the salt, the salt administration officials assign quotas to households, forcing the common people to buy it at high prices. This is called 'household salt.' Even the poorest families, who can barely make ends meet, aren't spared—they must buy it... What's worse, after the people have paid, the officials are in no hurry to distribute the household salt, leaving them without salt for years despite having paid. They then have no choice but to buy it from merchants at even higher prices... With all this, how could the price of salt not skyrocket?"
After hearing this, Lin Hong said, "I've often heard complaints from the people of Fujian about the salt voucher system. Not only do salt producers have their payments delayed by the salt administration, but when it's time for distribution, the officials often extort additional money from them. Many salt producers have gone bankrupt because of this, and merchants also struggle to stay in business due to the heavy exploitation. I didn't expect such abuses to exist here as well."
"Exactly," the shopkeeper sighed again. "As long as the salt voucher system remains unchanged, such things can happen anywhere. Today's dishes were indeed too bland, and I apologize to both of you. But this is a small business, and we don't want to raise our prices. If we don't control costs a little, I'm afraid we won't be able to keep running."
Zhenzhen and Lin Hong expressed their understanding. The shopkeeper thanked them repeatedly, gave them two pieces of fruit, chatted a bit more, and then withdrew.Upon hearing these words, Zhenzhen gradually lost her appetite and set down her chopsticks, no longer eating. Lin Hong, too, gazed thoughtfully at the table full of dishes, and for a moment, both fell silent. Shortly after, a ragged little girl of about eight or nine years old entered from outside. Seizing a moment when neither of them was paying attention, she timidly reached out and took a crab claw from the table—one that Lin Hong had not yet cracked open. A nearby attendant noticed and immediately shouted sternly to stop her. The little girl quickly threw the crab claw back onto the table, her eyes welling up with tears, nearly crying.
Zhenzhen hurriedly waved her hand at the attendant, indicating it was fine, and beckoned the little girl closer. She handed her the crab claw along with a few pastries. The little girl happily bowed in thanks. Seeing that the child had delicate features and polite manners, unlike the usual rough beggars, Zhenzhen asked her, "Where are you from? Do you have any family left? How did you end up on the streets?"
The little girl replied, "I'm from Shaoxing. Last year, my hometown suffered floods, and this year, a drought. There's a famine, and everyone in my family except my mother and me starved to death. So my mother had to bring me to Suzhou to beg for a living."
Zhenzhen asked, "Where is your mother now?"
The little girl said, "She's sick, lying in a temple."
Zhenzhen felt deeply distressed upon hearing this and instructed the attendant to fetch a food box. She packed all the pastries from the table for the little girl to take back. Lin Hong also took out some money and gave it to her, advising her to buy medicine for her mother's treatment. After the little girl expressed profuse thanks and left, the observing attendant remarked to Zhenzhen, "This year, thousands of refugees have come from Shaoxing. Every day, a large group of such children gathers outside our shop."
Zhenzhen asked, "In the past two years, both Zhejiang regions have suffered disasters. The Emperor has issued decrees to aid the victims, reduce taxes, and distribute money and grain for relief. Why are there still so many displaced refugees from Shaoxing?"
The attendant replied, "The Emperor did indeed issue decrees for disaster relief, but the implementation varies among local officials. Suzhou's situation is relatively good—they follow the Emperor's decrees. However, the officials in Shaoxing are very perfunctory. They conceal the true extent of the disaster from above, embezzle the court's relief funds and grain, and even demand money from local areas when inspecting and assessing the disaster situation... With relief efforts like this, how can the refugees not be displaced?"
Zhenzhen shook her head and asked, "If the situation is so severe, has no one reported the truth to the court?"
The attendant chuckled, "Young lady, you are still young and don't understand the principle of officials protecting one another. The local officials won't report it, and even if officials from neighboring areas know, most would rather avoid trouble. Who would be so talkative and casually expose others?"
Zhenzhen fell into deep thought, and the attendant soon walked away to attend to other guests. Seeing that Zhenzhen remained silent for a long time, Lin Hong picked up the remaining crab from the table, silently cracked it open, and handed it to her again.
This time, his actions caught the attention of the man who had earlier been loudly commenting on the diners. He began to spout nonsense again: "That young gentleman, though young, is quite skilled! The young lady was too shy to eat the crab in front of him, so he cracked it for her. Such thoughtfulness! If he makes any further requests, how could the young lady refuse?" After saying this, he leaned toward his companion and whispered in a voice low enough to be heard by those nearby, "I bet that gentleman will take the young lady home tonight."
Hearing this, Zhenzhen grew even angrier and was about to react when she heard the man's companion respond, "Exactly. What young lady would eat shrimp peeled or crabs cracked by an unrelated man? If she's willing to eat it, it means she already sees him as her lover."Zhenzhen was taken aback, asking herself whether she would eat the crab if it had been prepared by Han Suwen or Mo Sijin. The answer in both cases was no, leaving her disheartened and her rebuttals stuck in her throat. Yet the two men’s words were so rude that ignoring them entirely felt unbearable, especially since their remarks had drawn the attention of many diners, who were now eyeing her and Lin Hong up and down, whispering and occasionally snickering suggestively, clearly viewing her as a frivolous woman engaged in an illicit affair.
Just as she was feeling awkward, Lin Hong suddenly took her hand.
“Let’s go back,” he said calmly, as if discussing the most ordinary household matter. “The child has been asleep for a few hours and should be waking up.”
Meeting his gaze, she instantly understood his intention and followed his lead. “Yes, Second Brother should be awake. I wonder if Eldest Brother has finished his calligraphy. We should hurry back and check.”
Lin Hong left payment on the table and led Zhenzhen out of the tavern by the hand. Many patrons watched them depart with envy, sighing, “So they’re husband and wife, with two children already, yet still so affectionate.”
Once they were a good distance from the tavern, Lin Hong released Zhenzhen’s hand and apologized. But Zhenzhen immediately linked her arm with his, resting her head lightly against his shoulder, continuing to walk side by side in an intimate, couple-like manner.
The arm she held stiffened momentarily, but as Lin Hong looked down at their intertwined shadows on the ground, he gradually relaxed. Recalling the deliberate performance they had just put on for the public, he suddenly felt a trace of the mundane warmth he had secretly longed for.
It was the flavor of “home.” Lin Hong glanced down at Zhenzhen, who nestled against him with a serene smile, also gazing at their shadows. An inexplicable pang struck his heart, and he lifted his eyes to the night sky where the breeze swirled, hoping the moisture in his eyes would soon be swept away.
During the three-day holiday of the Mid-Yuan Festival, the people decorated with lanterns and streamers, worshipped their ancestors and the Earth Official, and never missed the bustling night markets. It was the liveliest time of the year. On the first day of the holiday, the streets were lined not only with stalls selling golden rhinoceros belts, colorful garments, and various fruits, flowers, and pastries, but also with performers staging operas and variety shows. As Zhenzhen and Lin Hong walked to a wider section of the road, they suddenly heard deafening gongs and drums behind them. A male performer wearing a mask and dressed as Zhong Kui somersaulted toward them from behind, forcefully separating the two. He then waved a fan and began dancing around Zhenzhen, while several Musicians gathered with their instruments, playing as if to accompany “Zhong Kui.” However, their positioning also intentionally or unintentionally blocked Lin Hong, preventing him from approaching Zhenzhen.
Thinking they were seeking a reward, Zhenzhen took out some copper coins and offered them. The performers accepted the money with bows of thanks but did not leave. They continued to dance and play around her, moving as she moved, persistently keeping Zhenzhen and Lin Hong apart.
Sensing something amiss, Lin Hong asked “Zhong Kui,” “How much did someone else pay you?”
“Zhong Kui” was surprisingly candid. “Three hundred wen.”
Lin Hong immediately took out a banknote and handed it to “Zhong Kui.” Delighted at the amount, “Zhong Kui” waved to his companions, signaling them to stop playing, and they quickly departed.
Just as Lin Hong was about to continue walking with Zhenzhen, a light chuckle sounded from behind. “These people are far too easily swayed by money.”Zhenzhen turned at the sound, frowning as she called out, "Second Great King," then immediately understood: "They were sent by you?"
Zhao Ai did not answer, smiling as he walked up to them. He said to Zhenzhen, "Head Chef Wu, as an Inner Lady, you should be even more self-possessed outside the palace and not get so close to a man."
Zhenzhen was somewhat annoyed and asked, "Have you been following me?"
"Not exactly following," Zhao Ai said. "I just asked the people at Shiyi Garden where you had gone and came to meet you."
Zhao Ai did not forget to exchange greetings with Lin Hong, then told Zhenzhen, "There is a garden nearby called Rongqiu Garden that is quite elegant and quiet. I have rented it for you. You can stay there these two days and not disturb Uncle Lin."
Zhenzhen fell silent, then retorted, "If it’s inconvenient for me to stay at Shiyi Garden, would it be any more convenient for me to stay with you at Rongqiu Garden?"
"Who said I would stay at Rongqiu Garden?" Zhao Ai laughed heartily, very naturally putting an arm around Lin Hong’s shoulder. He said to him, "Uncle, since we hit it off so well at first sight, why not share a bed tonight, talk through the night, and sleep side by side?"
OpenNovel