After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 29

“Boss lady, give me a bowl of mutton offal soup, extra chili!”

“Young boss, two more pancakes, please!”

“Okay! Coming right away!”

“I’ve almost finished my soup, give me another half bowl!”

“Coming! Please wait a moment!”

The stall was quickly surrounded by laborers and porters drawn by the aroma, with shouts, orders, and thanks rising and falling.

Lin Sang was in charge of serving soup and seasoning, her hands moving as fast as a butterfly flitting among flowers; Wang Shi collected money, gave change, and replenished ingredients, all without a care in the world; Lin Bai controlled the heat and also took care of making pancakes; Lin Song was like a nimble little top, shuttling between customers carrying bowls and cleaning up. The family worked together seamlessly, and the small stall was bustling with activity, full of the vitality and energy of the marketplace.

After the busiest part of the morning, when the flow of people slowed down a bit, Lin Sang quickly ladled out two large bowls of mutton offal soup with plenty of ingredients and thick broth. She also took a few freshly baked, piping hot flatbreads and called to her two younger brothers, “Brother Bai, Brother Song, take these to Dad and Brother Zhou.”

“Yes!” the two boys responded, picked up their bowls, and hurried away.

After doing all this, Lin Sang and Wang Shi were finally able to find a low stool by the shed to sit down, rub their sore backs and legs, and let out a long sigh of relief.

A moment later, Lin Song came skipping back, holding an oil paper package in his hand, which he shoved straight into Lin Sang’s hand: “Sister, this is for you! He said it’s to cheer you up and sweeten your mouth, and that if you need anything, just send someone to call him, he’s nearby.”

Lin Sang took it, opened it, and saw a package of tempting candied fruits. She smiled and, without any hesitation, picked one up and put it in her mouth. The sweet and sour taste melted on her tongue, dispelling some of her fatigue.

She gave a few more to her two younger brothers who were watching eagerly, then picked up one and walked over to Wang.

“Mom, you should try some too.”

Wang turned her head away: “I won’t eat it, my tooth hurts.”

Without waiting for a reply, Lin Sang smiled and popped a candied fruit into Wang’s mouth: “Try one, it’s sweet!”

Caught off guard, Wang’s mouth was stuffed with sweet dried fruit. She wanted to spit it out but couldn’t bear to, so she could only glare at her daughter reproachfully. Lin Song and Lin Bai watched from the side, chuckling to themselves.

As the group was taking a short rest, they suddenly heard a slightly aged but strong voice ask, “Young lady, how much is your mutton soup?”

Lin Sang looked up and saw an old man. The old man was dressed simply, with two patches on his faded cotton robe, but he was upright, with a thin face and bright eyes. He had a temperament that was completely different from the dockworkers around him.

She dared not delay, immediately stood up, and replied with a smile, “Uncle, a bowl of mutton offal soup is six coins, and a flatbread is two coins.”

The old man looked around and asked, “How can we eat here? There isn’t even a table.”

Lin Sang explained with a smile, “Uncle, our little stall can’t compare to a big restaurant. Everyone here holds their bowls, squats or stands, and eats right here on the roadside for a hot and affordable meal. Why don’t you give it a try? I guarantee the taste won’t be bad.”

Upon hearing this, the old man nodded: “Alright, then give me a bowl.”

“Alright!” Lin Sang quickly ladled out a full bowl of soup, added some extra lamb offal, sprinkled it with bright green scallions and cilantro, and handed it to the old man.

The old man took the rough bowl, not bothering with formalities, and slurped up a mouthful of piping hot broth from the rim. He narrowed his eyes slightly, savoring the taste, and after a while murmured, “Hmm…yes, that’s the taste, just right.” Then he broke the flatbread into small pieces and soaked them in the broth. With the softened flatbread, he ate heartily, his forehead slightly sweating, looking very satisfied.

After finishing his meal, he wiped his mouth with lingering satisfaction and praised, “Young lady, your cooking is excellent. The broth is perfectly cooked, and the heat is just right.”

Lin Sang smiled and said, “I’m glad you like it, sir. You’re welcome to come anytime.”

The old man paid readily and casually asked, “Young lady, are you new to setting up your stall here? It was spotless here before.”

“Yes, that’s right, yesterday was the first day of business,” Lin Sang replied casually, unaware of the old man’s meaning.

“So, did you get permission from the authorities to set up a stall here at the dock?”

Lin Sang was taken aback, a blank look on his face: “Go through the right path? Old man, what does that mean? I’ve never heard of it.”

Seeing that she truly didn’t know, the old man patiently explained, “It’s about registering with the government office, getting a permit to set up a stall, which means the government approves your business here. With this ‘license,’ if anyone causes trouble or you encounter any disputes, the government can legitimately intervene and protect you. Otherwise, it’s considered setting up a private stall, and they can kick you out whenever they want. If your hard-earned equipment is smashed, you’ll have nowhere to seek redress.”

Lin Sang suddenly realized what was going on, and felt a wave of fear wash over him. He quickly said, “Thank you for reminding me, sir! I… I didn’t know there was such a rule before. I’ll go to the yamen to ask about it as soon as I’m done with my work today!”

The old man nodded and said earnestly, “Get it done as soon as possible, it’s safer that way.” After saying that, he turned around and slowly disappeared into the bustling crowd at the dock.

———

After seeing the old man off, the stall was busy again until after noon, when the dockworkers all went to work, and the Lin family’s mutton soup and flatbread were just finished.

While tidying up, Lin Sang said to Wang Shi, “Mother, I think the amount we prepared today is just right. Once we sell everything and call it a day, there won’t be anything left over. Let’s prepare this amount for now.”

Wang nodded in agreement and began calling on everyone to pack up and prepare to load the goods onto the truck to go home.

At this moment, Zhou Han hurried over, clearly having just finished his work.

Upon seeing him, Lin Sang immediately told him what the strange old man had said earlier that day: “Brother Zhou, an old man came to drink soup today and reminded us that we need to go to the government office to ‘go through the proper channels’ and get a permit to set up a stall, saying that otherwise we wouldn’t be protected. Did you know about this?”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Han’s thick, dark eyebrows immediately furrowed, and a hint of annoyance flashed across his face: “This matter… was indeed something I didn’t consider carefully. I was only thinking about finding you a place, and I thought that since you’re running a small business, you might not need it, so I didn’t think about this aspect. Now it seems that it’s better to be cautious. Today we’ve met someone who understands and has enlightened us.”

He pondered for a moment, then decisively said, “Tomorrow morning, after you’ve finished with the morning market, I’ll take you to the yamen to handle it. I know a clerk there named Wang who is in charge of registering these market vendors. It should be easier to get things done by talking to him.”

Lin Sang looked at him with some surprise: “You actually know people in the government? Brother Zhou, how many things are there that I don’t know about you?”

Looking into her bright eyes, Zhou Han felt a rare urge to tease her. He lowered his voice and said mysteriously, “Then you’ll have to pay more attention to me so you can understand me better.”

Lin Sang chuckled at his words, her eyes sparkling: “So Brother Zhou can be this mischievous at times.”

Zhou Han felt a little embarrassed by her laughter and quickly changed the subject: “How’s business today?”

“Thanks to you, they’re all sold out.” Lin Sang said cheerfully.

“That’s good,” Zhou Han nodded, watching them pack their things, and asked, “Are you getting ready to go back?”

“Yes,” Lin Sang replied, “I need to hurry and buy some ingredients for tomorrow, and then catch the oxcart back to the village, or I’ll miss it.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Han looked at the mother and daughter and the young child, his brows furrowed slightly, and a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes. But in the end, he didn’t say much, only instructing them, “Be careful on the road, pay attention to safety.”

“Okay, we’ll be going now.” Lin Sang said goodbye to him and led her family back home.

He stood at the entrance of the stall, watching the Lin family members disappear around the corner from the dock to the market, before silently turning his back.