Chapter 7: Considering Livelihood
Wen Yao almost blurted out “Dad,” but fortunately, she managed to correct herself in time.
“Father, you’re back.” She was the first to run over. Even Datou had stood up, but as if remembering something, he remained frozen in place.
Wen Xiuyi and Wen Yao both noticed his reaction. Just as Datou stood there in confusion, he suddenly found himself lifted off the ground.
“Son, did you miss me?” Wen Xiuyi grinned as he picked up his skinny little boy.
Datou seemed completely caught off guard by the sudden movement, his entire body going stiff. He didn’t even dare to move.
Seeing the mix of fear and hesitation in his eyes, Wen Xiuyi felt a pang in his heart. With one arm still holding Datou, he reached into his clothes with the other hand and pulled out a small clay figurine.
Datou’s eyes lit up.
“Do you like it? Father bought it just for you.” Wen Xiuyi handed the figurine to him.
Datou hesitated, staring at it longingly but not daring to take it, making Wen Xiuyi chuckle. Without waiting any longer, he placed the figurine directly into Datou’s hands.
Seeing the joy in the boy’s eyes, Wen Xiuyi felt relieved. He then turned and secretly mouthed to his other two children:
He’s still little. When I make more money, I’ll buy toys for you two as well.
The siblings were speechless. They weren’t actually sixteen and ten years old—why would they be jealous of a toddler’s toy?
Wen Xiuyi sat down with Datou in his arms and pointed to the things Wen Jun had just taken from him.
“I bought a pound of meat and two pounds of flour. Yao Yao, you handle the cooking.”
Hearing that they had meat, Wen Yao’s eyes lit up.
“Father, did you make money today? Did you find work?” she asked.
Wen Xiuyi smiled awkwardly. “Well… my reputation isn’t great, so most shops wouldn’t hire me. I ended up doing a day of manual labor at the docks. Not bad—I earned fifty copper coins. I spent two coins on two steamed buns for lunch, twelve on a pound of meat, six per pound on flour, and two on Datou’s figurine. That leaves twenty-two coins. Here, take it.”
He pulled out the remaining coins from his pouch and handed them to Wen Yao.
Just as he was about to pull his hand back, a small pair of hands carefully grabbed it.
Datou gently pried open Wen Xiuyi’s palm and, upon seeing the blisters from the hard labor, froze on the spot. He stared at Wen Xiuyi’s hand, then at his face, and before long, his eyes turned red.
Wen Yao and Wen Jun saw it too.
“Father!”
Wen Xiuyi smiled as he withdrew his hand and ruffled his youngest son’s hair. “That’s just how it is with heavy lifting—you get used to it. But at least I made some money. Yao Yao, hurry up and cook. I’m starving.”
Though he sounded cheerful, Wen Yao’s nose stung with emotion. She took the ingredients from Wen Jun and began preparing dinner.
“Brother, carve a piece of bamboo for me. I’ll make knife-cut noodles.”
Wen Jun immediately set to work.
With her back turned to Wen Xiuyi and the others, Wen Yao quietly wiped away the tears that had escaped her eyes.
Her father had been a professor all his life. Sure, he had done farmwork before, but modern farming was nothing like this. And now he had spent an entire day doing hard labor… The thought made her heart ache.
The pound of meat wasn’t much, a mix of fat and lean cuts. Wen Yao separated the fat and rendered it in an iron pan to make cooking oil—it wasn’t much, but at least it added some richness. She sliced the lean meat into strips, then went to the root cellar behind the house to fetch some cabbage. After washing and chopping the vegetables, she stir-fried the meat, added water, and, thanks to the achievement points she had exchanged for salt earlier, seasoned it properly. As soon as she threw in the chopped cabbage, a delicious aroma filled the small courtyard. Even Datou sniffed the air eagerly, trying to hold onto the scent.
Once that was done, Wen Yao began kneading the dough. Making noodles was simple, and by the time the water in the pot was boiling, the dough was ready.
Holding the dough in one hand and a bamboo strip in the other, she expertly shaved off thin slices into the boiling water. Datou watched in awe.
His expression went from confusion to curiosity, and by the end, his eyes were filled with admiration as he looked at Wen Yao.
Wen Xiuyi noticed his reaction but didn’t say anything. No matter how sharp Datou was for his age, he would have to get used to this family dynamic. Whether he understood it now or not, he would eventually adapt.
Before long, the knife-cut noodles were ready. Paired with the meat soup, the meal smelled heavenly.
If they had better ingredients and seasonings, Wen Yao—who had over a hundred thousand followers as a food vlogger—could have made a bowl of noodles so good it would make them want to swallow their tongues.
“Eat slowly, it’s hot.” Wen Yao served a bowl to Datou first, then dished out portions for everyone else. The four of them sat around the fire, slurping down their noodles.
There was only salt and meat for seasoning, making the flavors simple. But to them, it was the best knife-cut noodles they had ever had.
“There’s a river called Pingjiang next to Yunwu Town. A lot of merchant ships pass through, so there are plenty of dock workers. Yao Yao, use the leftover flour to make some steamed buns. I’ll bring them tomorrow so I won’t have to spend money on food,” Wen Xiuyi instructed between bites.
Wen Yao, however, asked, “Father, is the dock big? Are there a lot of people?” An idea had popped into her mind.
Wen Xiuyi nodded. “Pretty big. Lots of merchants and laborers coming and going.”
Wen Yao slowed down her eating, lost in thought.
After they finished, Wen Jun took it upon himself to wash the dishes. Datou, wide-eyed with amazement, watched his big brother scrubbing the bowls as if it were the most incredible thing he had ever seen.
Meanwhile, Wen Xiuyi learned about their discovery of Tianmendong in the mountains.
“I know about that herb. Back when I was at the—” Wen Xiuyi nearly slipped up but quickly corrected himself. “I mean, I’ve heard before that it’s valuable. What do you two plan to do with it?”
Wen Yao answered, “Father, we’ll go into town with you tomorrow. First, we need to see how much the Tianmendong is worth. Second, I want to check out the dock—I have an idea, but I need to see things firsthand.”
Wen Xiuyi raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What’s your plan?”
Wen Yao asked, “Father, did you see people selling things at the dock today?”
Wen Xiuyi nodded. “Yeah, it was lively. Lots of people selling food and supplies. Why?”
Wen Yao snapped her fingers. “That’s it! You’re thinking what I’m thinking. We should at least take a look and figure out a plan.”
Originally, she had considered finding work as a kitchen helper or following the typical route of protagonists in transmigration novels—selling a recipe for a quick fortune.
But Wen Xiuyi had shot down that idea immediately.
For one, a ten-year-old girl wouldn’t be accepted as a kitchen apprentice. Proper chefs trained for over a decade before they were allowed to cook independently. The only exceptions were kitchen maids in wealthy households, but Wen Xiuyi would never let her become a servant.
As for selling a recipe, while the idea was good, they lacked connections and financial backing. In this world, having treasure was a crime. If they weren’t careful, they would bring trouble upon themselves.
They had to take things step by step.
Since street vendors were allowed at the docks, why not set up a stall themselves? With Wen Yao’s cooking skills, they could make affordable yet delicious food. Business would be guaranteed!
