Shen Shaoguang brought the carpenter to the shop to take measurements, racking her brains to squeeze out the maximum value from these dozen square meters.
Originally, the dining tables were arranged like school desks. Suddenly recalling a small-space design she’d seen on a home renovation forum in her past life—using a bar counter to replace a dining table—Shen paced around the shop, gesturing and measuring, before deciding to have the carpenter make several long, continuous tables along the walls, somewhat resembling a modern bar counter, only lower.
With more seating, having stools scattered all over the floor would likely look messy. So she laid woven bamboo mats on the ground and replaced all the stools with floor cushions. Candlesticks, decorative potted plants—anything that could be mounted on the walls was hung up...
It wasn’t a major renovation, and within just a few days, everything was tidied up. White walls, long wooden tables lining two walls, with two shorter dining tables placed in the middle—arranged in staggered lengths, it didn’t feel cramped at all. Brown bamboo mats covered the floor, with pale yellow cushions. High on one wall, a shelf was installed, holding white porcelain jars planted with orchids, jasmine, and the like. Large swaths of white, varying shades of brown, and a touch of green—it actually had a rather artistic aesthetic. Maybe the other wall could hang a calligraphy scroll or painting? Or perhaps leave it blank.
Shen Shaoguang dusted off her hands and asked A Yuan smugly, “What do you think?”
A Yuan nodded. “It’d be even better if it were bigger.”
Shen gritted her teeth and gave the silly girl’s head a hard poke—her knack for hitting sore spots was getting sharper by the day!
Grumbling, she vowed to herself: One day, I’ll open the biggest restaurant in Chang’an—a grand hall spanning hundreds of square meters, dozens of private rooms, with a dedicated space in the middle for Hundred Entertainments—sword swallowing, pole climbing, fire hoop diving, the Whirling Dance of Hu, the Zhezhi Dance, the Sword Dance—not a single act missing!
“Young Lady, one basket of jade tip noodles, please!”
“Coming right up!” Shen Shaoguang answered brightly, placing the soup dumplings onto the customer’s own plate and tossing a handful of copper coins into the money basket.
Bouncing between visions of a towering grand restaurant and the modest reality of a handful of coins, Shopkeeper Shen didn’t feel the slightest bit dizzy.
At any rate, the shop now had a place where people could sit and enjoy a drink.
After placing an order at the brewery and adding simple drinking snacks like braised agate meat, Lion’s Head Meatballs, dressed okra, fried fermented fish, orchid beans, and marinated pig’s head and trotters to the menu, Shen Ji’s food stall officially began its side business of selling wine.
Customers were quite taken with Shen’s pocket-sized tavern—clean, with a rustic charm, and most importantly, they no longer had to wander around holding meatballs or agate meat while looking for a place to drink.
After trying Shen Ji’s side dishes, they thought, Hmm, this was worth it!
To be honest, Young Lady Shen’s culinary skills were truly impressive. Forget about the pancakes—what mattered was that they were fresh and clean. But the jade tip noodles and flower cakes were genuinely refined. According to those with discerning tastes, they bore some resemblance to imperial palace cuisine. The agate meat and Lion’s Head Meatballs fell into the same category—worthy of being called “exquisite delicacies.” Who would’ve thought even simple home-style dishes could be done so well?
“Shopkeeper, another plate of fermented fish!”
A Yuan strode over with her large feet, swift as the wind, to serve the dish.
“Young Lady, why is your fermented fish so fragrant?”
“This—this servant doesn’t know,” A Yuan replied with a silly grin. “If it’s delicious, sir, then eat more!” Her answer was practically cut from the same cloth as Shen Shaoguang’s usual response when asked similar questions: If you like it, just come over—why bother making it yourself? In the kitchen, Shen Shaoguang, who was wrapping jade tip noodles, smiled at the remark. There was no real secret to it—just adding fermented glutinous rice during the pickling process. It was the same batch she had prepared in the summer, so it carried a hint of that aroma. As for frying, she did it twice: first to cook, then at a higher oil temperature to crisp them up. That was all.
Personally, Shen Shaoguang preferred the fried Orchid Beans. Boiled first, then fried, they were delightfully crispy and fragrant, reminding her of the peanuts she had loved in her past life.
This was another great regret of hers, aside from chili peppers—peanuts wouldn’t be introduced to China until centuries later, during the Ming Dynasty. It was said that the great scholar Jin Shengtan, before his execution, remarked, "Chewing dried tofu with peanuts tastes like ham." The sentimental Eileen Chang enjoyed "sitting in a rattan chair in the breeze, eating salted peanuts," while Lu Xun and Lao She liked snacking on peanuts while reading.
Clearly, literati had a true love for peanuts. Shen Shaoguang’s affection for them ran deep—but that didn’t stop her from satisfying her cravings with fried Orchid Beans in their absence. She felt her behavior somewhat resembled that of a scoundrel who pines for his unattainable "white moonlight" while still dating other women.
Unexpectedly, the "deeply devoted man" who pined for his white moonlight without seeking a girlfriend—Lord Lin—showed up at her door, and the first thing he ordered was these Orchid Beans.
As Shen Shaoguang mused over their contrasting images, her gaze inadvertently fell on Lin Yan’s hand pointing at the menu—slender, delicate, and well-defined, a truly fine hand.
"Proprietress?" Lin Yan raised an eyebrow.
"This bean is named 'Orchid' because when fried, its shape resembles a budding orchid," Shen Shaoguang calmly shifted her gaze from his hand and answered with a smile.
Lin Yan nodded and added cold okra, salted duck eggs, braised pig ears, and other humble dishes to his order.
Most people have this flaw—when they see something beautiful, they can’t help but want to tarnish it a little. For instance, Shen Shaoguang found herself hoping to see this elegant gentleman do something less refined. "Would the gentleman care to try our pig’s trotters? Hot, they’re crispy and tender; cold, they’re chewy and springy—perfect with wine."
Lin Yan looked at her.
Shen Shaoguang smiled, slightly bending forward in an attentive posture.
"No need. This will suffice." Lin Yan handed the menu back to her.
Shen Shaoguang accepted it with some regret. Today, she wouldn’t get to see the deputy mayor of Chang’an gnawing on pig’s feet. No matter—there would be other chances, with chicken feet, lamb trotters, and the like...
Lin Yan recalled the menu made of floral paper, the small regular script unlike typical feminine handwriting, bearing some resemblance to the lean, vigorous style of Li Shaowen. The "Shen" character on the pancake bags and shop sign, being in seal script, was even more pronounced.
He couldn’t help but glance at the proprietress bustling behind the counter—her almond eyes slightly narrowed, lips curved in a gentle, cheerful expression, a far cry from the style of her calligraphy. Add to that her sharp wit in their previous encounters—ah, a woman of many faces, glib and artful!
Unaware of his critique, Shen Shaoguang asked, "Shall I warm the gentleman’s wine?"
She added, "We’re out of jade tip noodles. Would the gentleman like a bowl of vegetable Broad Noodles later?"
Lin Yan averted his gaze. "Very well."
Lord Lin had arrived late, and with no other customers, Shen Shaoguang could manage easily. Still, during peak dining hours, even with most dishes pre-prepared and A Yuan’s help, she was kept busy without a moment’s rest.Shen Shaoguang carried dishes while adding another item to her ideal notebook—in the future, she would assemble a team of chefs and hire eighty to a hundred servers!
Author's note: There are also claims that peanuts were discovered in China much earlier, but we'll temporarily adopt the traditional view—peanuts originated in the Americas and were introduced to China during the Ming Dynasty.
————
&Once again looking forward to Lord Lin eating his words...
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