Tangli Fried Snow

Several very famous "Bo Xia Gong" restaurants, which are hot pot restaurants, have recently opened in the capital.

Before even entering the lobby, a bustling and noisy atmosphere could be heard. A pretty young woman in her twenties was skillfully greeting the guests. Although the location of this restaurant was not the best, it was spacious enough, with a high platform in the center for watching performances. Usually, people could eat and listen to operas here. At this moment, a storyteller was enthusiastically recounting the legendary story of the Song army's great victory over Duan Jingyu's southern army.

The hot pot here offers various broths, including spicy beef tallow, numbing spicy beef tallow, mushroom, and chicken bone broth. The rabbit, beef, and lamb are fresh, with plenty of side dishes. The service is good, and the prices are reasonable. The owners are also two young and beautiful women, which has become the talk of the town.

One female boss is pregnant, and another female boss has a two- or three-year-old boy. They are busy every day, collecting money, checking menus, and training employees in several stores.

These two female bosses, one named Qiu Ling and the other named Fu Ling, are both legendary women who started their businesses from scratch and made a fortune.

Fuling arrived in the capital during the warm spring and summer months. She had saved up money for more than half a year and finally had enough for the journey. She traveled for a whole month with her child to reach the capital and seek refuge with her good friend Qiuling.

The two sisters laughed and cried when they met again, overjoyed for a long time. Qiu Ling rented a small courtyard in the suburbs for the mother and son to stay in, and also bought them some living supplies. This whole ordeal left the two women with almost no money. Even a hero can be brought down by a penny, let alone two women and a young child.

After discussing it, the two of them decided to use the food recipes that Shirley had taught them to start a small business. Although the three of them hadn't lived together for long, Shirley had the foresight to write down all the snack recipes for them. The two of them kept them close to their bodies and could use them directly now.

In summer, the easiest small businesses to run are selling liangpi (cold skin noodles) and roujiamo (Chinese hamburger).

At first, I couldn't afford pork to make roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), so I prepared wheat flour and chili oil, blanched some bean sprouts, and made some dough by setting up a small stall.

Fu Ling, carrying a child, could only sell her products in the suburbs where there were large crowds and markets. She sold them very cheaply, only five coins a bowl. Her smooth, chewy, sour, and spicy cold noodles quickly gained popularity.

Whether rich or poor, the people of Song loved food above all else, and even developed a "takeout" business.

Poria cocos's delicious food is cheap and affordable, with a unique flavor. It's made fresh daily, and business is booming. Not only are more and more customers coming to eat there themselves, but there are also people who often buy cold noodles from Poria cocos's stall and run to deliver them to others.

Gradually, one person couldn't handle it all, so Qiu Ling discussed it with Qing Shan and they came over to help every day. Soon, even the two of them couldn't manage, so they simply used the money they earned to hire two servants who had signed life contracts to work together.

Who knew that they underestimated the people in the capital's love for fresh food. Imagine, in the sweltering summer, you have no appetite and can't eat, but then a plate of smooth, spicy and sour cold noodles is delivered to you. After eating it, you still want more. Wouldn't you want to eat it again tomorrow?

Their business was so good that even four or five people couldn't keep up.

Qiu Ling was still in charge, so they simply followed the "assembly line" work that Xue Li had taught them. They divided the work and hired a few more nimble women. Some of them were in charge of making the dough, some were in charge of making the chili oil and sauce, one person was in charge of cutting the dough and mixing the seasonings, and one person was in charge of collecting money. They made several thousand servings every day and worked from morning till night just to make enough to sell.

Later, they even started selling ingredients. Many merchants came to buy the recipe, but they wouldn't sell it to them. Instead, they sold the dough and seasonings to them, allowing them to buy the ingredients and transport them to slightly farther places to sell, earning a profit from the difference. Later, they even opened a small workshop specializing in steaming dough sheets, specifically for doing "wholesale" business.

The two sisters gradually expanded their business from the outskirts of the city, eventually conquering all the suburban markets, before venturing into the territory of the wealthy in the city center.

They used all their savings to rent a shop on the busiest street in the city. They also revised the recipe for liangpi (cold skin noodles) several times, making the noodles smoother and more chewy. They added imported cucumbers as a side dish, which were expensive, so the price of liangpi in the city center also increased, costing twelve coins per serving. They initially thought that doubling the price would affect their business and that they would have to slowly build a reputation. However, this uniquely flavored dish quickly became a sensation in the capital. From commoners to nobles, from ordinary people to high-ranking officials, everyone loved the taste and texture of this dish.

Paired with a fragrant and juicy roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), it's truly a heavenly treat. Their secret recipe is something no one can learn or steal, and their business is booming, making them incredibly wealthy.

They sold until late autumn when the weather cooled down, and then business stopped.

The two of them took a good rest for a few days, sleeping in until they naturally woke up every day and counting money until their hands cramped.

After resting enough, the two sisters discussed it and decided to sell liangpi (cold skin noodles) in the summer and hot pot in the winter. They acted immediately, opening three or four shops, all of which were incredibly successful and made a lot of money. Because hot pot is considered "heaty" (causing internal heat), the hot pot restaurants also served liangpi in winter, providing a refreshing alternative for customers who had eaten very hot food. Liangpi thus became a year-round staple, and the shops made a considerable amount of money just from selling it.

Once the business was on track, of course, a manager and a professional accountant were hired to handle things. They only needed to focus on quality control, finances, and the direction of development.

Finally, I can free my hands to do some things of my own.

Fuling bought herself a small, dilapidated farmhouse, but she and Huzi finally had their own home. They no longer had to wander outside, no longer had to worry about being kicked out of their homes and sold from place to place. From now on, Huzi was a resident of the capital. When he got a little older, he could go to school and take the imperial examinations. Who knows, he might even become a high-ranking official in the future!

Thinking of this, Fuling was full of energy. She bought the small courtyard and started decorating, cleaning, and furnishing her new home. Every day, she watched the small courtyard change little by little, turning into the home of her dreams. She could practically wake up smiling from her dreams.

As for Qiu Ling, what she wants is neither a house nor money, but justice!

Since returning to the capital, besides doing housework, cooking, and serving her husband, she has been searching for her family. Although only a year or two has passed, she has searched all over the capital but has not found her parents and younger brother.

Back then, her older brother went missing, her younger brother was seriously ill, and her family was so poor that they couldn't afford to eat. She sold herself to save money for her family, hoping that they could get through the crisis and that things would gradually get better. Even though she was wandering and suffering, that was always her thought.

It was this belief that enabled her to survive adversity and even find a chance to sneak away, all so that she could one day reunite with her family.

When they went back to their old house to look for their relatives, the house was empty.

It took a long time to finally meet a former neighbor. Only then did she learn that after she left, her little brother couldn't be saved and died despite medical treatment. Her father was too devastated and didn't survive the winter. Her mother disappeared and could never be found again.

Her once happy family was destroyed, and now she's all alone in the world. What good is money now?

It was Duan Jingyu's men who helped her find some information. It turned out that her younger brother's death was somewhat suspicious, and they had done some work to make her marry Qingshan.

Qiu Ling then learned that the culprit who caused her family's destruction was actually the daughter of a wealthy family in the capital!

Since she got the money, she paid people to keep an eye on Lin Pianyue and even had her family history investigated thoroughly.

The story of a child without a mother is a long one. Lin Pianyue's bizarre parents' tale could fill a book.

The man named Lin Qingquan was a dashing and famous young master from a prestigious family in his youth. He was from a good family, had good character, was handsome, and talented. He immediately captivated a young lady surnamed Xiao, and the two secretly fell in love, pledged their lives to each other, and had a daughter.

But fate had other plans. Even though they had a child, the families of the two young people did not agree to the marriage. It was probably due to some old grudges between the two families and some twists of fate. Miss Xiao and her newborn child were taken to the south by their families, and Lord Lin was forced by his family to marry Madam Song.

Madam Song gave birth to a daughter for Lord Lin, Lin Pianyue.

But Lord Lin only loved Miss Xiao and completely ignored the mother and daughter. He frequented brothels every day, and his favorite women resembled Miss Xiao. Whether they were prostitutes, married women, kitchen maids, or ordinary women selling pork or tofu, as long as they bore a resemblance to Miss Xiao, he would use money and power to have a fleeting affair with them. Lord Lin spent his days obsessively drawing portraits of Miss Xiao and reciting the sentimental poems they wrote during their courtship, driving Madam Song half to death with anger.

Madam Song was no pushover either. Coming from a prominent family, young, beautiful, and full of talent, she couldn't stand such humiliation. Soon, she became involved with a former lover, none other than Prime Minister Shen, who now held immense power in the capital. Madam Song was his mistress for over a decade, and even her only daughter, Lin Pianyue, was of uncertain parentage, whether she was Prime Minister Lin's or Shen Shibai's.

Shen Shibai was also a legendary figure. He and Madam Song were childhood sweethearts, but he came from a humble background. His father was a schoolteacher who taught at Madam Song's house. Even in his teens, Shen Shibai was handsome, talented, and learned, which greatly impressed Lord Song. Lord Song made an exception and allowed Shen Shibai to study and take the imperial examinations with his sons. He also had three daughters who "went to school" with their brothers.

Shen Shibai and Song Weilan were childhood sweethearts, inseparable since they were little. They studied together and developed feelings for each other. As they grew up, they secretly began to "date." When Lord Song found out, he was furious and decided to break them up. He locked Song Weilan up and, along with his servants, beat Shen Shibai half to death. The young couple was forcibly separated, and Shen Shibai's entire family was driven out of the Song family and left to wander the streets.

Shen Shibai was covered in injuries at the time, and his family had to pool all their savings to heal him. He then worked hard to prepare for the imperial examination that year. He was unlucky in love but successful in his career, and he successfully passed the examination and became a Juren. After several painstaking efforts, he managed to get close to Empress Jin. He rose to prominence and is now the Prime Minister of the Song Dynasty.

I wonder what Lord Song, who separated the lovers back then, would feel if he knew this in the afterlife? Now that his precious daughter is the mistress of that young lad, and the whole of Song knows about it, will he be turning in his grave?

. . . . . .

It has been snowing heavily for two days. Outside, snowflakes are falling everywhere, but inside, it is warm and cozy.

When Jin Cheng brought the famous Beijing snacks, liangpi (cold skin noodles) and roujiamo (meat sandwich), to Xue Li to eat, Xue Li couldn't help but cry as she ate.

Her two best friends came to the capital and started a business. Judging from the looks of it, the business must be very big and successful. Otherwise, why would Young Master Jin think it was delicious and bring it to her?

Jin Cheng was startled when he saw her tearful appearance. He wiped her tears while teasing her, "What's wrong? Did you cry because you ate something delicious?"

"How shameless!"

This silly boy, how could he understand Shirley's feelings? Now she was regretting not teaching the two of them the secret recipe for making mala tang. Otherwise, a hot bowl of mala tang in the dead of winter would be so comforting.

Sherry felt as if her heart was overgrown with weeds. She had never wanted to leave the palace so much, and she had never longed for freedom so much.

If she hadn't gone with Duan Jingyu, she wouldn't have ended up "imprisoned" in this palace, unable to go anywhere. If she had been Jin Cheng's kept woman, she could have just flirted with him and gone out to play, maybe even met her two sisters, or even done business with them, becoming a successful businesswoman, making a lot of money, completely free from the constraints of men, and living a free and unrestrained life.

Jin Cheng saw her eyes shining and her staring blankly like a madwoman, which startled him. He quickly spoke to her, and Xue Li came back to her senses and asked him, "Can you take me out? I want to go to the capital for some fun."

Jin Cheng didn't expect her to make such a request. It wouldn't be difficult to take her out of the palace. Palace maids also have holidays, including one family visit leave per year, which allows them to leave the palace to see their relatives.

"This matter requires careful consideration; it cannot be decided to go out on a whim."

Even as the imperial city garrison commander, he gets three days off a month. With a little manipulation, the two of them can sneak out for two days of fun.

The difficulty lies in whether she would be willing to return to her role as a palace maid after going out to have fun. Would Duan Jingyu, who is secretly watching her, allow her to swagger out of the palace for a "vacation"?

The two discussed it carefully for a long time. Shirley repeatedly promised that she would only go out for two days and would obediently come back. She even used her charm as a top courtesan to pester him for a long time. Jin Cheng reluctantly agreed to her request.

While Su He was out running errands, Xue Li and Aunt Ruyi took two days of "family visit leave." Aunt Ruyi was very surprised and asked her, "Aren't you an orphan? Why are you going out to visit relatives?"

Shirley said, "I have an uncle in the capital. It's almost Chinese New Year, and I want to go and wish him a happy new year in advance." Aunt Ruyi readily approved her leave and even gave her an advance on her monthly salary, saying with a smile, "Take more money and buy more things. It's never a bad thing to be a good person."

Sherry happily pocketed the money and left.