“What? The Wangye Pavilion’s been surrounded?” Zhou Youcheng looked up.

“That’s right. I heard it’s because of a food stall.”

“I heard that too. It’s the food stall run by Butcher Zhou’s family. Apparently, the Wangye Pavilion couldn’t get the recipe, so they used their influence to bully the stall owner and drive him away.”

As soon as Zhou Youcheng heard the words “Butcher Zhou,” his heart skipped a beat, fearing someone might discover his connection to the Zhou family.

“I’ve actually eaten that pork belly before—my mom fought hard to get some for me. It was truly heavenly on the first bite, divine on the second, and left me craving more!”

“It’s not that exaggerated. You’re really exaggerating.”

“You haven’t tried it, so you wouldn’t know. In all my years, I’ve never tasted meat that good. I heard ‘Bazi’ means ‘good brothers’—the owner sure has a knack for naming things.”

Zhou Youcheng couldn’t concentrate on his book anymore. He’d heard from his mother that Shen Linchuan was running a small business in town with Zhou Da, but he never imagined it was doing this well. Even when business was slow, people would still come to the Wangye Pavilion to speak up for his family.

But the Wangye Pavilion had some connections to the county magistrate’s family. If Shen Linchuan offended them, he’d be finished.

A flicker of satisfaction rose in Zhou Youcheng’s heart—after all, Shen Linchuan had repeatedly embarrassed him.

Someone nudged Zhou Youcheng with an elbow. “Zhou Youcheng, I heard the Zhou butcher’s family is from Dayangshu Village. I seem to recall your family is from there, too. Do you still know that butcher?”

Zhou Youcheng’s heart skipped a beat again. “I’ve heard of him, but I don’t know him personally. I’ve been studying in town all these years—how would I know what goes on in the village?”

“He’s actually quite a figure at the market, especially his son—he’s been helping with the slaughter and meat sales since he was a kid. You don’t see many gers doing that sort of work. He doesn’t look like the typical delicate ger; I wouldn’t call him ugly, but he just doesn’t look like a typical ger. He even took in a son-in-law this year.”

In the schoolhouse, everyone chimed in with their own comments. Some talked about the butcher’s family, while others spoke with righteous indignation, saying that the Wangye Pavilion had gone too far.

Zhou Youcheng couldn’t quite hide his inner delight. By offending the Wangye Pavilion, Shen Linchuan was finished—he could forget about doing business in town from now on.

Shen Linchuan, however, acted as if nothing had happened. Since he no longer had to prepare the sliced meat, he actually had a bit more free time. The next day, he went to the market with his father as usual.

From a distance, they could see a crowd gathered around their family’s stall. Zhou Ning frowned. “Could it be that they’re coming to pick on us again?”

“It’s fine. Let’s go take a look first.”

The two pushed their handcart over. Upon closer inspection, they saw regular customers who often came to buy from them, as well as quite a few unfamiliar faces. As soon as they saw Shen Linchuan and his two companions approach, someone eagerly asked, “Do you have any pork belly today?”

“Oh, you’re here for the pork belly,” Shen Linchuan said. “Sorry, we didn’t prepare any today. I don’t know when we’ll be able to let everyone taste it again.”

After saying that, Shen Linchuan helped his father set up the meat stall.

“It’s nothing but big shop bullying others!”

“Exactly! My old man loves this braised pork the most. If he finds out it’s gone, he’ll be so heartbroken!”

Word of the Wangye Pavilion’s bullying had already spread like wildfire throughout the town, and the “Bazi” meat was now on everyone’s lips. Those who had tasted it described its aroma in vivid detail, while those who hadn’t listened with regret, wondering why they hadn’t tried it sooner!

Even the students from Old Master Wang Mei’s school came out of curiosity to take a look, standing in the crowd and grumbling.

Zhou Youcheng was there too. He hid far away at the entrance of an alley, peeking out. He rarely came to this market, afraid his uncle might call him over. If his classmates found out he had an uncle who slaughtered pigs, it would be such a disgrace.

However, no matter how good Shen Linchuan’s business had been before, he could never make it now. Zhou Youcheng felt he’d had his fun at Shen Linchuan’s expense, so after standing there for a while, he went back to the school.

Many people wanted to taste the much-praised braised pork, but since they might never get to eat it again, they turned instead to buying meat from the stalls as a consolation for the bereaved family.

Now that Shen Linchuan could no longer make his braised pork, the person even more heartbroken than the Zhou family was Old Wang, the man selling scallion pancakes next door. He stood by his stove, frowning and sighing in despair.

When Shen Linchuan’s business was booming, he benefited greatly from the spillover; many families were happy to come buy his scallion pancakes to eat alongside the meat. Now that the “Bazi” meat business is gone, his scallion pancake sales will surely not be as good as before. Alas.

A crowd had gathered in front of Zhou Da’s stall. Shen Linchuan had originally planned for the two of them to help his father sell meat for a while before heading to the livestock market to look at mules, but unexpectedly, there were so many people buying meat that the two of them were kept busy again.

Zhou Da cut and weighed the meat for customers, Zhou Ning sliced it and chopped the stuffing, and Shen Linchuan collected the coins. Half a side of pork was quickly snapped up. Zhou Da clasped his fists and kept thanking them: “Thank you all for your generosity! Thank you, thank you! I, Zhou Da, am deeply grateful!

“Oh, Zhou Da, don’t be so formal. We just said a few words at the entrance to the Wangye Pavilion—it was nothing more than a bit of talk.”

After seeing the customers off and selling out the meat at the stall, the three of them hadn’t had a moment’s rest all morning at the market and were drenched in sweat. Shen Linchuan took a handkerchief from his chest and wiped the sweat off Zhou Ning’s face. “We’ve been slicing meat for so long. Let’s go grab a good meal later.”

Zhou Ning smiled but didn’t pull away. “Sure.”

“It’s still early. Father, since we’ve sold out of meat, why don’t we go check out the mules first? We can grab a bite at a restaurant around noon before heading back.”

“Sounds good.”

Zhou Da asked Wang, the guy selling flatbreads next door, to watch his cart for him, and the three of them went off to look at the livestock together.

Shen Linchuan didn’t know how to pick out livestock. He’d originally planned to come over just to get a general idea, then have his father take a look once he’d seen enough. Since his father happened to be free today, if they came across a good animal, they might even be able to seal the deal today. Once they got home, he could ride the mule and have his older brother build a mule cart for him.

The three arrived at the livestock market, where there were sellers of horses, sheep, mules, donkeys, and even cattle—all large animals. With so many animals crammed together, the smell was naturally overwhelming.

Just moments ago, Shen Linchuan had been daydreaming about the rhythmic clop-clop of riding a mule, but now, upon catching the stench from the animal pens, his face froze for a split second. He silently repeated to himself, “It’s nothing, it’s nothing.”

Zhou Ning noticed the slight change in Shen Linchuan’s expression. Knowing he was a clean freak, she handed him a clean handkerchief and whispered, “Cover your mouth and nose.”

Shen Linchuan took it. “This might make people laugh at me.”

“It’s fine. No one would dare laugh at you.”

Shen Linchuan half-heartedly covered his nose and mouth, pretending to smell the scent on the handkerchief. His fulang’s handkerchief carried a faint scent of roses—don’t ask how it got there; he’d used it to wipe away sweat at night, and the fragrance had clung to it, impossible to wash off. Breathing in the rose scent, Shen Linchuan finally felt a little better.

He thought about the box of rose-scented ointment at home that was nearly empty. Once it ran out, he’d go buy a few more boxes—it worked quite well.

Zhou Da was in high spirits as he inspected the livestock. Whenever he spotted a suitable animal, he’d go over to pat and feel it—his son-in-law was planning to buy him some livestock.

Many people called out, “Check out the mules! Look how sturdy mine are.”

“Take a look at mine—they’re a year and a half old. You can put them to work the moment you bring them home.”

Zhou Da circled the animals, inspecting their hooves and teeth, then feeling their muscles and bones. After walking the entire market, he finally set his sights on one mule—the finest in the market, with a sturdy build and a beautiful coat, a top-quality blue-and-white-spotted mule.

Shen Linchuan asked in a low voice, “Father, have you set your sights on this one?”

“This one has excellent conformation.”

Zhou Ning also thought the mule was beautiful, with a glossy coat. His father had examined the animal’s teeth and estimated it was a little over a year old—just the right age.

“Hello, sir.”

“Ah, yes, yes, yes.”

The mule dealer was a middle-aged man with a full beard, looking about the same age as Zhou Da. He had several mules for sale in one pen—his business was quite substantial.

The two men shook hands and didn’t let go for a long while; with their hands hidden in their sleeves, it wasn’t clear what they were doing.

Shen Linchuan turned his head and whispered to his Fulang, “What’s Father doing?”

Zhou Ning also turned his head and murmured to Shen Linchuan, “Father’s haggling over the price.”

Shen Linchuan suddenly understood—so they were haggling with hand gestures. He really didn’t get it; if he’d been the one asking, he would’ve just blurted out, “How much silver for this mule?” and would’ve definitely been taken for a complete novice.

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning huddled together, whispering to each other, but they couldn’t tell how much their father had managed to negotiate—his expression hadn’t changed at all.

After waiting a moment, the two of them parted ways, and Zhou Da walked over. “Let’s go. Let’s check out the others.”

“Father, how much is he asking for?”

The three of them moved to a quiet corner to talk. “That vendor wants thirty-two taels. Who sells them for that much? An ordinary mule goes for around twenty-five taels, and an immature one is only twenty. At that price, it’s almost as much as a calf.”

“Father, is this the best mule in the whole market?” Shen Linchuan asked.

Zhou Da nodded. “This mule was driven all the way back from Qianfu. It’s in excellent condition, but the asking price is really too high. Let’s go look at the others. We’ll just buy an average one—why would we need to buy such an expensive mule?”

Zhou Ning also felt it was a pity; that blue-and-white-spotted mule was truly beautiful. Having seen it, the others just didn’t measure up.

“Father, let’s take a look at the others then.”

As Zhou Ning spoke and turned to leave, Shen Linchuan grabbed his arm. “I think that mule is really good. So what if it’s expensive? If we’re going to buy one, let’s buy the best. Buying a lesser one would just leave us with regrets. Father, why don’t we go back and negotiate? If they’ll take twenty-nine taels, we’ll buy it.”

Zhou Da was also quite fond of the animal. This mule was exceptionally handsome—a rarity in the market. He couldn’t find a better one anywhere, and every other one he looked at seemed to pale in comparison.

“Alright, I’ll cover the difference.”

“Great, Father. I won’t stand on ceremony then.”

The three of them went back to the vendor. Zhou Da and the vendor haggled again, this time for a bit longer. Finally, both men broke into smiles. Zhou Da whispered a few more words to the vendor, leaving behind all the loose silver and copper coins he had on him. The vendor wrote out a receipt, and the deal was done.

Zhou Da beamed with joy. “Let’s go. I’ll push the cart home to get the silver first. You two go browse the market and wait for me to return.”

After all the trouble caused by the Wangye Pavilion these past few days, it was a rare cause for celebration, so Zhou Da was ready to head home.

The three of them were looking at the livestock when Wu Xing came over again, only to find no one there.

Wu Xing had originally intended to use twenty taels of silver to force Shen Linchuan to hand over the recipe for this cut of meat, preventing him from doing business in town and seeing how he would make a living.

Unexpectedly, this had angered the townspeople. Today, people were once again gathered outside the Wangye Pavilion, shouting insults. Wu Xing was terrified that his boss would find out he’d botched the job—especially since Li Zhong was lurking behind him, waiting for him to fall from grace!

Wu Xing hurried to consult Shen Linchuan about the recipe. It was simply that Shen thought the twenty taels of silver offered was too little—Wu Xing could have just added a bit more to buy it outright. He never imagined that his lifelong shrewdness would nearly be undone by a mere street stall.

By the time Wu Xing arrived to find them, Shen Linchuan and his two companions had already gone to look at the mules. Wu Xing found the place empty. “Hey, you there, the scone seller—where’s the family selling pork?”

Old Wang, the scallion pancake vendor, was already heartbroken that Shen Linchuan had driven away his customers. Now the very culprit had returned, calling out “Hey, hey, hey” at him—naturally, he paid no heed to this man surnamed Wu.

“I’m talking to you, old man! Where’s that family? Why isn’t even the butcher in sight? Are you deaf or something?”

Old Man Wang was furious. “Who’s calling ‘hey, hey, hey’ around here?! I don’t know!”

Wu Xing hadn’t expected a street vendor selling scallion pancakes to dare give him the cold shoulder. He was instantly livid. He felt it would be beneath him to pick a fight with a mere pancake vendor, and he feared stirring up public outrage. At a loss with Old Man Wang, he snorted and went to ask others.

He asked several people, but none of them gave him a friendly look. By now, everyone in town knew that Wu, the manager of the Wangye Pavilion, was a bully who took advantage of his power. Finally, it was his assistant who slipped a few coins to someone to find out where the man had gone. The two of them hurried off toward the livestock market.

Old Man Wang ran out from behind his little stall and spat in the direction of Wu Xing’s retreating back. “What a piece of work!”

By the time Wu Xing tracked them down, the three were just about to leave the livestock market. Wu Xing was running up a sweat. “Mr. Shen, Mr. Shen!”

Shen Linchuan hadn’t expected the Wangye Pavilion to track them down so quickly. “Manager Wu, what’s the matter? My little stall isn’t open for business anymore. What do you want now, Manager Wu?”

“My apologies, my apologies! Come, come, come—I’d like to treat Mr. Shen and his Fulang to a cup of tea.”

“My Fulang’s surname is Zhou,” Shen Linchuan said casually.

“Yes, yes, yes—Mr. Zhou, Mr. Zhou.”

“Sorry, we don’t have time.”

Shen Linchuan grabbed Zhou Ning and started to leave, but Wu Xing blocked their path. “Mr. Shen, this is negotiable—absolutely negotiable! Just name your price, and I’ll pay it all, every last penny!”

Zhou Da snorted and shoved the man blocking their path aside. “You talk good game. You’ve ruined my business. Now that the Wangye Pavilion is being accused of bullying people with its power, you’re the one getting anxious. Get out of the way, get out of the way.”

Shen Linchuan led Zhou Ning away. Wu Xing tried to follow but was stopped by Zhou Da. Wu Xing was nothing but a bully; if this hadn’t blown up into such a big deal, he would have gotten his way, forcing Zhou Da’s business to shut down so he could buy the formula at a bargain price. How utterly vicious.

Wu Xing was seething inside, but he had no choice but to put on a smile. He was now at their mercy; if this matter couldn’t be settled amicably and his boss found out, he’d be in big trouble.

He regretted misjudging the situation—that Shen Linchuan was truly formidable!

After leaving the premises, Zhou Da went home to fetch some silver. Zhou Ning told his father where he and Shen Linchuan had hidden their secret stash. That large blue-and-white donkey cost twenty-nine taels—not only would his own savings be wiped out in an instant, but his father would have to chip in a few taels as well.

The thought of being penniless again made Zhou Ning’s heart ache for the silver they’d worked so hard to earn—after all, it was money he and Shen Linchuan had earned through their own efforts.

Zhou Ning tugged at Shen Linchuan’s sleeve. “Shen Linchuan, we’re going to be broke again.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll have money again soon—and plenty of it.”

Shen Linchuan called over a young beggar, handed him a note and a few copper coins, and asked him to run an errand for him. The young beggar, having received the coins, quickly ran off.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t selling the recipe for braised pork anymore?”

“Yeah, I’m not selling that one, but I never said I wouldn’t sell other recipes. I think someone might be interested. Oh my, that was a huge sum of money—we’ve got to make it back fast.”

Zhou Ning’s curiosity was piqued. “What kind of recipe is it?”

Zhou Ning only knew that Shen Linchuan intended to use Deputy Manager Li’s connections, but he had no idea how. If they weren’t selling the recipe for braised pork, what other recipes did his family have?

“Come on, let’s go shopping with your husband.”

Shen Linchuan took Zhou Ning along as they strolled leisurely through the market. At the dry goods stall, he bought some dried scallops—they were so expensive it made his heart ache. How pricey!

They also picked up some dried shiitake mushrooms. After leaving the dry goods shop, they bought some glutinous rice, top-quality pork belly, green peas, and carrots. Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning spent every last coin they had on their persons. Those dried scallops and shiitake mushrooms were simply too expensive—tsk.

“Shen Linchuan, what are you buying all this for?”

“To make something delicious. You’ll see in a moment.”

The two carried their purchases to a secluded little eatery. Shen Linchuan ordered a pot of tea and waited for the person he was expecting.

Shen Linchuan didn’t have to wait long before the person he was looking for arrived: Li Zhong, the second manager of the Wangye Pavilion. Li Zhong approached, dressed modestly in an unassuming long robe.

“Mr. Shen.”

“Manager Li.”

The two exchanged a knowing glance. As intelligent men, they quickly reached an understanding with just a few looks. Li Zhong smiled and said, “Wu Xing is in charge of this matter. I’m afraid I won’t be able to get involved. Even if I manage to secure this batch of meat, Wu Xing is deeply favored by the boss—I can’t touch him in the slightest.”

“Then make it impossible for your boss to refuse. From what I’ve heard, Wu Xing holds a grudge very deeply. Even if he buys out my recipe this time, he’ll inevitably seek revenge later. My father still has business to conduct in town.”

So, he’ll have to uproot the problem completely.

“I won’t hide it from you, Mr. Shen. I heard my employer offered fifty taels for the exclusive rights. Is that correct?”

“Twenty taels for the exclusive rights.”

“Hah. So Wu Xing wants to pocket some silver for himself. No wonder the Market Bureau is targeting you lot. I advise you, Mr. Shen, to sell him the formula. Otherwise, your father’s business will suffer as well.”

“That’s exactly why I came to see Manager Li today. If the terms are good enough, I doubt your master would hesitate to sacrifice one Wu Xing for the sake of profit.”

“Oh? What terms might those be?”

The young beggar handed him a note—it was an invitation from Shen Linchuan to meet and discuss business. Li Zhong keenly sensed this might be an opportunity, a chance to trip up Wu Xing.

But now that he had the recipe for Bazi meat, Shen Linchuan wouldn’t be able to make this deal. To be honest, he’d done the math: even after covering costs, Shen Linchuan could make at least ten taels a month. Even if he bought it outright for fifty taels, he’d still be losing money. Sigh, even if he made an extra thirty taels, he’d still be at a loss.

“What I’m selling isn’t the recipe for Bazi meat—it’s the recipe for Baota meat.”

“Baota Meat? What’s that?”

“I know exactly what you’re thinking, Mr. Li. No matter how you look at it, selling the recipe for ‘Bazi’ Meat would definitely put me at a loss. So I’ll offer you another recipe instead. This one uses more expensive ingredients and is even more befitting of the reputation of the Wangye Pavilion. It’s sure to make your wishes come true.”

Li Zhong’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued. “I wonder what ‘Baota Meat’ is?”

“Manager Li, you’ll have to wait a moment. My husband and I will be right back.” Shen Linchuan stood up with Zhou Ning. “Ning-ger, I’ll need your help in the kitchen.”

“Sure thing.”

Shen Linchuan gave the innkeeper some copper coins to use their kitchen. He had already prepared all the ingredients. Baota Pork was a labor-intensive, time-consuming dish—more suited to a grand restaurant like the Wangye Pavilion—and naturally, it could command a higher price.

Rinsing to remove the gamey smell, massaging in seasoning and vinegar, frying the pork—Shen Linchuan delegated the task of slicing the meat to Zhou Ning. His husband had excellent knife skills; even Shen Linchuan couldn’t guarantee the meat wouldn’t tear.

While Zhou Ning sliced the meat into strips, Shen Linchuan mixed the glutinous rice filling—diced salted pork, dried scallops, dried shiitake mushrooms, green peas, and diced carrots—seasoned it, and set it aside, ready to stuff into the meat in a moment.

He had already fashioned a mold for the pagoda-shaped meat, folding a piece of parchment paper into a makeshift form. Zhou Ning paused his knife and asked, “Shen Linchuan, is this okay?”

“It’s absolutely perfect. My Fulang really does have the best knife skills—I couldn’t slice the meat this thin and even without tearing it.”

Once the meat was sliced, they rolled it up layer by layer and stuffed it into the pagoda-shaped parchment mold, filling the gaps with glutinous rice and dried scallops, before finally placing it in the steamer.

After finishing, Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning emerged. While the two were cooking in the kitchen, Li Zhong had already caught the scent, which made his mouth water. What was this “Baota meat”? It smelled delicious.

Seeing the two emerge, he hurriedly stood up. “Is it ready?”

But they came out empty-handed. “Not ready yet?”

“This Baota Pork is time-consuming and labor-intensive to make. Please wait another half-hour, Mr. Li. We prepared it in a rush today, so I’m afraid the cooking time might not be quite right. If you think this dish is worth discussing, I’ll write down the recipe for you.”

“Agreed.”

The aroma was already wafting from the steamer, and Li Zhong was even more curious about what “Baota meat” was. He could hardly sit still, rising several times to take a whiff.

“Mr. Shen, to be honest, I’ve tried ‘Bazi’ meat before, and it really is delicious. Could this ‘Baota meat’ possibly be even better than ‘Bazi’ meat?”

“They each have their own merits. ‘Bazi’ meat is better suited for the common folk, while ‘Baota’ meat uses more expensive ingredients and is better suited for high-end consumers.”

To put it simply, the target audiences are different. If he were to sell ‘Baota’ meat at the market, very few people would be willing to spend a few hundred wen to buy a serving.

After waiting for nearly half an hour—during which they’d gone through several pots of tea—the Baota Meat was finally steamed to perfection. The aroma was so strong while it was cooking that even the shopkeeper came over to ask what they were making.

Finally, they arranged a few small side dishes in a circle around it, removed the oil-soaked paper, and the Baota Meat was ready.

Zhou Ning had never seen a dish with such an impressive presentation. “Shen Linchuan, I’m afraid only high-ranking officials and nobles could afford to eat this.”

“Come on, let’s go try it and see if you like it.”

Li Zhong had already set out the bowls and chopsticks. When Shen Linchuan emerged carrying the pagoda-shaped meat, Li Zhong’s eyes lit up—it had been worth the long wait.

“Master Li, please try some.”

The dish resembled a funnel-shaped pagoda, layered one upon another, glossy and lustrous, with a rich aroma. Even before he had taken a bite, Li Zhong felt that Wu Xing had suffered a complete defeat this time.

He never imagined that a head manager like Wuxing from the prestigious Wangye Pavilion would stumble over an obscure small-time proprietor. Li Zhong dared not underestimate Shen Linchuan; though he looked like a scholar, he was no one to be taken lightly.

Shen Linchuan had already served Zhou Ning a portion of the dish. “Have a taste.”

Li Zhong also picked up his chopsticks. To his surprise, the meat was cut into interconnected rings. “I didn’t expect Boss Shen to have such excellent knife skills.”

“That’s my husband’s handiwork—I don’t have knife skills that good.”

“Zhou Fulang has excellent skills, truly excellent.”

After offering a couple of compliments, Li Zhong couldn’t wait to pick up a piece of meat. He found the pagoda-shaped meat to be incredibly tender and soft—it broke apart at the slightest touch—and to his surprise, there was a hidden surprise inside!