Two young ladies, clearly mistress and maid by their attire, were a sight to behold—not only was the young mistress exquisitely beautiful, but even the maid was fresh and delicate. Yet their appearance was utterly disheveled. The young mistress wore an emerald-feathered cloak that must have once been dazzlingly bright, but now its hem was soiled beyond recognition. The maid, lacking any outer garment to shield against the snow, had her silk skirt soaked up to her calves, and the tips of her shoes peeked out as if dredged from muddy waters.
“It’s cold outside. Please come warm yourselves by the stove,” Shen Shaoguang offered, not bothering to pry into their circumstances—they clearly hadn’t ventured out in such weather for a leisurely snow-viewing stroll.
The young mistress gave Shen Shaoguang a grateful smile and murmured her thanks. The maid, more lively, also thanked her before busying herself with tidying her mistress. Their voices were melodious and pleasant, unlike the more rigid tones of Chang’an.
“Miss, you should take off your cloak. It’s warm inside, and wearing it will only be cumbersome,” the maid suggested, reaching to undo the ties.
Glancing at Lin Yan, who sat nearby enjoying his candied hawthorn, the young mistress blushed faintly and gently swatted her maid’s hand away, choosing instead to approach the stove and extend her hands to warm them.
The maid blinked in surprise before belatedly following her mistress’s gaze to Lin Yan. Realizing her young mistress was too embarrassed to reveal her even more bedraggled skirt and shoes in front of a young gentleman, she could only produce a handkerchief to wipe her mistress’s hands and then borrowed a cloth from A Yuan to dab at the mud stains on the cloak.
A Yuan grinned and asked, “This cloak is so splendid—what kind of bird’s feathers are these?” She added, “You’re still wet yourself. Come warm up first.”
The young mistress also urged her maid to warm herself by the fire.
Shen Shaoguang brought over two cups of red date and goji berry fruit drink. “Have some to warm up,” she offered.
The young mistress thanked her again, cradling the cup as she took small sips by the stove. The maid bowed gratefully to Shen Shaoguang before accepting her own cup.
A Yuan, accustomed by Shen Shaoguang to speaking her mind freely, blurted, “Miss, why are you out in such weather? And your accents—you’re not from Chang’an, are you?”
The young mistress’s cheeks flushed pink as she glanced at Shen Shaoguang and then stole a look at Lin Yan. “We’re not locals. We came to visit relatives, but our carriage broke down along the way…”
“Which relatives are you visiting? Do they live in this ward?”
“A Yuan, aren’t the meatballs inside about ready?” Shen Shaoguang quickly intervened before her maid could pry further.
“Oh! I nearly forgot, thanks for reminding me!” The ever-curious A Yuan abandoned her questions and hurried back to the kitchen.
Once she was gone, Shen Shaoguang softly apologized, “My maid lacks manners. Please don’t take offense.”
The young mistress smiled faintly. “It’s no trouble…” Her gaze drifted again toward the striking figure seated nearby, and she hesitated, as if wanting to say something but holding back.
Lin Yan, having finished his candied hawthorn, was now perusing the menu. On a day like this, hot pot would indeed be perfect. His grandmother had always enjoyed Shen Ji’s dishes but hadn’t yet tried their hot pot—perhaps he should order some to take home…
Finally, the young mistress spoke up. “Might you know if a certain Master Huan lives in this ward? He’s… my cousin.”
Shen Shaoguang mentally ran through the surnames of her regular patrons but couldn’t recall anyone named Huan. “Cousin”… in this era, the term was as ambiguously loaded as “classmate” in later times. And given that this young lady had traveled so far with only a maid in tow, one couldn’t help but read between the lines.Shen Shaoguang suddenly thought of a question—if this was an elopement, did the young lady have official travel documents? Would she be considered a fugitive? The man sitting over there was none other than the Deputy Mayor of Chang’an in charge of daily affairs. According to Tang law, undocumented individuals had to be repatriated... For a young lady, being forcibly returned by the authorities would be more than just humiliating.
"Shopkeeper—"
Shen Shaoguang responded and walked over to Lin Yan’s table, smiling as she asked, "What would you like, my lord?"
"I’ll take one hot pot with clear broth and one with milk soup. Also, a portion each of lamb, fish, and assorted meatballs, along with vegetables and tofu. Pack them in a carrying box—I’ll take them back with me."
Oh? Had this picky eater finally begun to appreciate the charm of fusion cuisine? Shen Shaoguang smirked inwardly before replying cheerfully, "Right away! I’ll have someone accompany you to help pour the broth and set up the hot pot."
As if sensing her silent teasing, Lin Yan gave her a quiet look before nodding. "Very well."
Shen Shaoguang narrowed her eyes and flashed a perfectly insincere smile.
The kitchen had already prepared most of the hot pot ingredients. A Yuan and A Chang swiftly packed two large carrying boxes and brought out two pots of milk soup and clear broth.
Lin Yan gave Shen Shaoguang a nod before heading out, with A Yuan and A Chang following behind to hitch a ride in his carriage.
Just before leaving the tavern, Lin Yan turned back to Shen Shaoguang. "Might I take two of these candied haws?"
"...Please help yourself, my lord."
Lin Yan nodded and plucked two skewers.
Once Lord Lin had left, the atmosphere in the tavern relaxed.
The young lady’s maid giggled and asked, "That lord was so imposing—could he be a member of the imperial family?"
Shen Shaoguang nearly laughed. Clearly, the saying that "in the capital, a thrown tile would hit three people wearing yellow sashes" was universally understood across time and place. But this time, the guess was wrong. "Why would a member of the imperial family come to my humble tavern in this weather?"
The young lady chided her maid lightly, "Don’t talk nonsense outside."
Shen Shaoguang apologized to the young lady again, though she still didn’t know who this "Huan" person was.
The young lady’s expression dimmed, and her maid looked at her mistress with concern.
Being a practical person, Shen Shaoguang couldn’t help but ask these two vulnerable women one more question: "Have you found lodging yet? If you’re certain the person is in this ward, it’s not a large area—you’ll find them eventually."
The young lady seemed comforted by the latter part of the statement before considering the first. "We haven’t found a place yet. We saw the tavern’s sign and the young lady standing at the door when we entered the ward, so we came in on a whim."
Shen Shaoguang frowned. "There are no inns in this ward. There are some near the West Market, but the most inns are in Chongren Ward in the eastern part of the city."
The maid said, "But we’re here to look for someone. Staying too far away might be inconvenient."
After a moment’s thought, Shen Shaoguang suggested, "There’s a nunnery in this ward called Luminous Nunnery. You could try asking there."
The young lady’s face brightened like a spring morning flower. "Thank you so much, shopkeeper."
With Chongxian Ward located and lodging arranged, the young lady relaxed. The aroma from the kitchen reminded her of her hunger.
The mistress and maid ordered jade tip noodles and a soup of greens and tofu. The maid didn’t eat immediately, first attending to her mistress.
The young lady nudged her. "Eat with me. After we finish, we’ll go find Luminous Nunnery to settle in."
The maid then sat down and joined the meal.As noon approached, customers gradually arrived at the shop. Upon noticing two beautiful young women seated inside, they couldn't help but glance curiously—quite unlike the earlier gentleman who had left without so much as a sideways look.
The young lady and her maid grew uncomfortable under the scrutiny. After finishing their jade tip noodles and taking a few sips of broth, they settled the bill, inquired about directions, thanked Shen Shaoguang once more, and stepped out into the snowy wind.
A Chang and A Yuan were out, so a customer pulled aside Yu San, who was temporarily filling in as a waiter. "Who was that pretty young lady from earlier?"
Yu San looked incredulous. "How many times have you visited our shop? Don't you recognize our owner?"
The customer rolled his eyes—so in Yu San's eyes, the only pretty young lady was his employer?
Yu San finally caught on—oh, those two from earlier. The problem was, he had been busy in the kitchen the whole time and knew only that two female customers had come in, without seeing their faces.
"No idea," Yu San replied flatly, shaking his head before heading back to the kitchen.
Shen Shaoguang came over with a pot to refill the customer's hot pot, deftly stoked the coals, and smiled. "Enjoy your meal, sir."
The customer studied the female proprietor of Shen Ji. Pretty? Certainly, but not in the same delicate, graceful way as the earlier young lady. This Shen Xiao Niangzi wore a fitted, narrow-sleeved Hu-style outfit, her brows and eyes lively and spirited—perhaps a little too spirited.
Then again, how many street vendors lasted over a decade and expanded into a proper tavern? If she were a man, she might have become a wealthy merchant dominating the local trade.
But a young lady like this—what was the point of asking about her when he was already married?
A Yuan and A Chang returned, stomping the snow off their boots before entering the kitchen.
Shen Shaoguang told them to change their shoes first. A Yuan laughed. "Who wears those dainty, impractical shoes like those two young ladies? In this snow, you need sturdy leather boots."
Shen Shaoguang glanced at A Yuan and A Chang's black pigskin boots, then at her own "just-for-looks" velvet shoes. Fine, you're right.
A Yuan reported back: "Goodness, that Lin estate is enormous! And so beautiful! There’s this corridor with latticework carved with all kinds of flowers—peonies, plum blossoms, orchids, and many others I didn’t even recognize, all different."
Shen Shaoguang narrowed her eyes in thought. Yes, she remembered that corridor, adorned with carvings of a hundred plants—though "hundred" was an understatement, as it included not just flowers but also pines, willows, and more.
As a child, "she" had often tried counting them while learning numbers, but each attempt yielded a different total. Her father would simply laugh and tell her to try again, while her mother watched with amusement. Only A Xiong acted like a proper elder brother, patiently guiding her hand to count. Yet stubborn as she was, she always insisted on doing it herself...
"The Dowager was so kind. She said it was too snowy for us to make the delivery and gave us extra rewards."
Snapping out of her reverie, Shen Shaoguang smiled. "Perfect timing—save it for the Winter Solstice festival. We’ll buy some treats while we’re out."
A Yuan grinned. "Street food is just for the fun of it. Nothing compares to what we make here."
A Chang quickly chimed in, "Absolutely! Absolutely!"
The earlier melancholy vanished. Shen Shaoguang smirked smugly. "I’ve spoiled your tastes—what are we going to do about that?"
Yu San hurried out with dishes—the kitchen was unbearable at this point.
The remaining three burst into laughter.A Yuan continued gossiping, "That Lord Lin may seem cold and indifferent outside, but he's actually very good to the old madam. When he smiles—" A Yuan tilted her head, trying to find the right words. Her vocabulary wasn't extensive, and her rhetorical skills were somewhat limited. After thinking for a long while, she still couldn't come up with anything.
Shen Shaoguang imagined Lord Lin's softened expression and gentle smile, mentally completing A Yuan's description for her—that smile was like a warm breeze passing by, or the fresh green of spring mountains.
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