The sound of wheels rumbling echoed at the entrance of Seven Scholars Lane.
Early summer sunlight fell on the two-wheeled wooden cart, where two fat sheep lay tied up, bleating incessantly.
Ying Xiaoman jumped down from the cart and carried the fat sheep into her small courtyard.
On the wooden table, a plate of plump purple grapes was laid out, deliberately covered with the only gauze cover in the house.
The painting of Guanyin, usually enshrined inside the house, had also been brought out and hung on the osmanthus tree. Zhi circled around the small table.
Ying Xiaoman curiously lifted the cover to take a look.
"Mother, did you buy these grapes? No need to wait for me to come back, just give them to Zhi to eat. Look how much the little girl is drooling."
Her adoptive mother poked her head out from the main room, saying nervously, "Just leave them there for now."
Ever since Ying Xiaoman had accidentally let slip that the newly marketed Western Region crystal grapes cost one string of cash per bunch, her adoptive mother had been frightened and her heart would tremble at the sight of grapes.
"When you weren't here at noon, Seventh Young Master sent someone with grapes again. It was that young man surnamed Sui who came last time. He said it was for us to try. I didn't know grapes were so expensive before, even more expensive than the newly marketed cherries. I absolutely refused to accept them, but that young Sui fellow was quite strong and forcefully pushed the grapes into my hands before running off. After thinking it over, I might as well offer the grapes to Guanyin Bodhisattva as an offering."
"Oh, I see," Ying Xiaoman understood.
She bowed three times to the Guanyin Bodhisattva statue, silently praying, "Bodhisattva, please enjoy them slowly. I'll just take two for Zhi to eat. The Bodhisattva won't mind sharing with a little girl, right?"
While her adoptive mother wasn't paying attention, she lifted the gauze cover, plucked two purple grapes, and quietly handed them to Zhi.
Zhi ran off happily to play in the room.
Her adoptive mother, still by the stove, continued talking to her daughter:
"Seventh Young Master sent word that he's been really busy lately, only free after midnight each night. He said things are progressing with his work these past two days, so he'll try to come over earlier. He told you not to be upset. Hmph, I immediately sent a message back to Seventh Young Master, saying our family isn't upset with him. Seventh Young Master's surname is Yan, he's not even a real relative of the Ying family. Since he's paid four months' rent in advance, we'll keep the side room for him for four months, that's all."
Her adoptive mother muttered, "Xiaoman, don't be unhappy that I replied to him like this. You two weren't even distantly related to begin with. He's an outsider, a man, sending you things without explanation, and not even coming in person. What does it all mean?"
Ying Xiaoman didn't want to contradict her mother to her face, so she only replied, "He really is very busy lately. Mother, please don't blame him."
The black cloth was spread out, and the knives were arranged. Under the osmanthus tree, with a swift motion of the knife, one sheep was immediately slaughtered.
In less than half an hour, ten catties of mutton were prepared for tomorrow's meat stall. Ying Xiaoman took out the account book, calculated the recent income, and felt pleased.
She lifted the gauze cover and quietly plucked two more grapes, bowing before the Guanyin painting.
"Bodhisattva, please enjoy them slowly. I'm just taking two for myself. These grapes were sent by Seventh Young Master, so the Bodhisattva won't mind sharing with me, right?"
Her adoptive mother hadn't been feeling well all month, and had another bout of dizziness during the night.
Ying Xiaoman got up early to stew medicine, took Zhi to mind the meat stall, and instructed her adoptive mother to rest well. If she really didn't feel well, she should knock on the neighbor's door and ask next-door Shen Anu to go to the meat stall and call her back home.
Her adoptive mother repeatedly said it wasn't necessary, "The star of literature who passed the imperial examination, how can we disturb his studies? This is just my old ailment, I'll be fine after a nap."
Ying Xiaoman felt uneasy. As she was leaving with Zhi, she still knocked on the neighbor's door and asked the young man who answered if he could keep an ear out for any sounds from next door.
Although Shen Junqing had been hurt by the sudden appearance of "Seventh Young Master" at the meat stall that night, after two days, his heart had opened up again. He immediately patted his chest and agreed. Ying Xiaoman thanked him with smiling eyes.
She felt that her family's luck was really quite good, able to find good neighbors everywhere. Even Shen's Anu, after getting to know him, wasn't bad.
But worldly affairs generally have their ups and downs. It's rare for things to go smoothly, and it's easy for troubles to arise.
Since Ying family's meat stall opened, it had been going smoothly for two or three days. Today, just as they set up shop with ten catties of fresh mutton, they encountered a setback.
Usually, those who came to buy meat early in the morning were nearby housewives, or stewards specially sent to purchase for wealthy households. Today, however, the person blocking the front of the meat stall early in the morning was actually a young master in his teens, dressed in fine clothes.
Surrounded by servants front and back, he sat brazenly at the entrance of the small alley, talking and laughing loudly, paying no heed to others.
Before Ying Xiaoman and Zhi had even approached the shop, their ears were filled with his words.
"Is this the stall of that meat shop beauty? — 'Ying Family Mutton Shop', the storefront looks quite ordinary."
"The meat shop itself is ordinary, but the young miss who runs the meat shop business, heh, her looks are far from ordinary. Young Master will see for yourself."
"Interesting, this Young Master wants to see for himself. If the young miss's appearance doesn't live up to the nickname 'meat shop beauty', hehe, even if we smash up the shop, it won't be worth the effort this Young Master spent getting up early."
"Young Master, it's worth it! The young miss is as beautiful as a flower, the meat shop beauty truly lives up to her name!"
"Hehehe..."
Near the main street, the elderly couple from the meat bun shop were sighing anxiously. Seeing Ying Xiaoman approaching from afar, pushing her small cart and wearing a conical hat, the shopkeeper hurriedly ran over to stop her.
"Don't open shop today! Some young master from who knows where has shown up, acting so arrogant! I heard them talking, it seems they're here specifically for you. While they haven't noticed you yet, go back home the way you came!"
Ying Xiaoman refused to leave. Ten catties of freshly cut mutton were still on the cart. If they didn't sell it fresh today, it wouldn't look as good tomorrow.
"Didn't you say before that this shop was close to the Ministry of Justice, and no troublemakers would dare to cause problems here?" she asked, puzzled. "What about Eighth Young Master Yan, the fifth-rank official from the Ministry of Justice, who was supposed to sit in front of your shop eating meat buns every day to keep order?"
"Aiya, he's already been and gone," the shopkeeper stamped his foot and said. "Our little shop opens at 3:45 AM every day, and Official Yan comes out of the office across the street at exactly 5 AM every day, sits down in front of our shop, silently eats two meat buns, and then leaves. He doesn't say a single extra word, such a young official, looking like a ghost... It's a bit creepy! This old man doesn't dare stop him! He's long since gone back to the office."
"Well, never mind then," Ying Xiaoman glanced at the storefront at the entrance of the small alley.
Although Eighth Young Master Yan had already left, there were still several officials from the Ministry of Justice wearing blue official robes sitting outside the meat bun shop. They were all silent, raising their eyes to look at the newly pasted shop name banner of the mutton shop, with somewhat strange expressions.
The young master of unknown origin was still sitting brazenly blocking the alley entrance, talking and laughing loudly with his servants.
That young master wore a bright brocade robe embroidered with gold patterns, his features could be considered handsome, but for some reason, his face looked somewhat familiar... She couldn't remember clearly.
Ying Xiaoman continued pushing her small wheeled cart forward, going straight to the wooden chair blocking the way.
"Excuse me, I need to open shop."
The loudly talking and laughing young master suddenly fell silent. His gaze turned towards her, looking the conical hat-wearing girl up and down.
Although the wheeled cart was small, it was not light. Ten catties of fresh mutton plus Zhi sitting on the cart, added to the weight of the cart itself, amounted to about a hundred catties. Ying Xiaoman didn't let go at all, heading straight for the crowd gathered in front, and several servants in front hurriedly dodged out of the way in shock.
The wheeled cart easily crashed into the alley, and Ying Xiaoman lifted Zhi down from the cart, beginning to unload the wooden boards for the storefront, preparing to open for business.
"Interesting," the young master stood up and walked towards the meat shop front, "Young miss, why don't you take off that conical hat and let us have a look?"
"Are you buying meat or not? If you're buying, get in line. If not, step aside."
Ying Xiaoman carried the ten catties of mutton into the shop. Zhi brought over several wooden basins, and together they separated the different cuts of mutton into the basins, with the highest-priced hind leg meat hung high on iron hooks.
"I'll buy," the young master stood at the front of the meat shop, first in line, smiling as he said, "Buying five or ten catties is no problem. But before I pay, I need to see if the young miss lives up to the nickname 'meat shop beauty'." As he spoke, he actually raised his hand to remove the conical hat from the face of the girl in front of him.
Ying Xiaoman: ?
What's going on? The action looked familiar, like she'd seen it before!
She swiftly slapped away the hand in front of her, instantly recalling an old incident.
The type who likes to remove young ladies' conical hats? No wonder his face seemed familiar, they had clearly met once before.
It was that young master who had tried to harass her when buying a fan at the ghost market, whom she had pushed away with an iron claw, revealing his face. Later, angered, he had brought troops to clear out the ghost market - Third Son Mo!
Ying Xiaoman glared sharply at Third Son Mo.
He really was the notorious playboy of the capital, running into him harassing young ladies wherever she went.
She instructed Zhi to go play at the meat bun shop next door, then lifted her bamboo hat and placed it aside. She unhooked a leg of lamb from the iron hook. With a dull thud, the heavy lamb leg landed on the chopping block.
"How many pounds do you want? Be specific."
Mo Sanlang's pupils contracted slightly, his hand suspended in mid-air after being swatted away.
The beauty of the butcher shop was truly... living up to her reputation!
Bright eyes, white teeth, a gorgeous face - her anger was even captivating. A rare beauty in the capital, like the legendary Xi Shi of ancient times!
Mo Sanlang's voice became flirtatious.
"I'll... I'll buy... Young miss, I'll buy all the lamb in your shop~"
Ying Xiaoman replied coolly, "If you buy it all, what will the neighbors and regular customers buy today? I'll sell you five pounds of lamb leg, nothing more."
Mo Sanlang's face was flushed with desire as he nodded repeatedly. Before he could utter any flirtatious words, Ying Xiaoman bent down to retrieve a bone cleaver from beneath the counter. Her slender fingers pressed lightly on the middle of the lamb leg, finding the joint.
Bang! A loud noise rang out, shaking their eardrums.
The gleaming bone cleaver, moving faster than the eye could follow, cleaved the lamb leg bone in two at the joint. Half the lamb leg bounced high in the air.
Mo Sanlang was leaning forward, and the blade's gleam nearly grazed the tip of his nose. The knife's cold edge raised goosebumps all over his body. Before he could react, splinters from the split chopping block had already flown past his cheeks.
His entourage cried out in unison, hurriedly pulling their master backward.
Mo Sanlang was still in a daze, his cheeks stinging. He instinctively reached back, feeling two bloody scratches that had appeared on his face.
Angry and shocked, he burst out cursing, "How dare you! Do you know who I am—"
"The Third Son Mo from the capital," Ying Xiaoman replied nonchalantly, weighing the lamb leg. "It's slightly over five pounds for my first cut. Wait a moment."
To the astonishment of Mo Sanlang's entourage, she took out a thin willow-leaf knife, held the gleaming blade between her crimson lips, and laid the severed half of the lamb leg horizontally, examining the direction of the muscle fibers. Her slender fingertips pressed against the red meat and sinew, and the knife tip swiftly sliced and scooped.
An entire piece of lamb meat was cut off with the tendon. Ying Xiaoman weighed the lamb leg, saying with satisfaction, "Exactly five pounds."
She bent down again to retrieve a hair tie from beneath the counter, pulling back her loose bangs. Holding the willow-leaf knife, she shifted the whole lamb leg to the center of the chopping block, pressed one hand on it, and her gaze sharpened.
Thud-thud-thud, the white knife blade blurred before everyone's eyes. The knife flashed like silk, the sound of chopping meat unceasing, almost merging into one continuous noise.
A few breaths passed.
As the entourage's shock turned to horror, the entire lamb leg was skinned, meat carved out, tendons removed, and bones extracted. The lamb meat was cut into equal-sized pieces, neatly stacked. In an instant, only a bare, snow-white lamb leg bone remained on the chopping block.
"Hiss..." Everyone inhaled sharply in unison.
This young miss, beautiful as a peach blossom, handled the knife so decisively and ruthlessly!
Looking at the cleanly stripped lamb leg bone before them, everyone seemed to see their own leg bones...
Wrapping the five pounds of lamb meat in five sheets of oiled paper, Ying Xiaoman weighed each package, then held out the snow-white lamb bone, stripped clean of meat and sinew, towards Mo Sanlang. "Buy three pounds of meat, get a lamb leg bone free. Do you want to take the big bone?"
Mo Sanlang was already dumbfounded.
The young miss had known his identity all along! Knowing he was the son of Mo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, she showed no fear at all. Instead, she had stripped an entire lamb leg to the bone right in front of him.
What did this mean? It was a threat!
If such a fierce young miss were to come to his door with a knife—
He couldn't handle such a dangerous beauty!
Mo Sanlang turned pale and fled.
His entourage also turned to leave, but Ying Xiaoman wouldn't have it.
She threw the bone cleaver onto the chopping block with a loud thud, the blade sinking three inches into the wood:
"Pay up!"
*
The most expensive part of lamb, the leg meat, sold five pounds at once, and the buyer didn't even want the bone.
Ying Xiaoman was in high spirits. She stuffed a piece of malt candy into Zhi's mouth, selected a good-looking lamb rib and hung it high on the iron hook, then struggled to pull out the bone cleaver that had pierced straight into the chopping block, wiped it clean, and smiled at the onlooking neighbors and regular customers, warmly calling out:
"Fresh, top-quality lamb ribs, 110 wen per pound, honest prices for all, first come first served, while supplies last~!"
She sold half a pound of ribs to an old customer with one cut, then finely chopped three taels of minced meat for a new customer. As she was about to serve the third customer, a familiar clear voice sounded in her ear,
"Two pounds of meat."
Ying Xiaoman's knife paused, and she looked up at the sound.
Standing first in line at the butcher shop, wearing a sky-blue robe and smiling at her, was none other than Yan Seventh Young Master, whom she hadn't seen for several days!
Zhi, who had been looking around the shop, rushed over immediately. "Seventh Brother~"
Seventh Young Master bent down to hug Zhi, and the little girl gesticulated wildly, "Seventh Brother, there was a bad man earlier!"
"Indeed. I happened to be nearby, um, heard from a colleague that a troublemaker had come to disturb your business, so I came to check." Yan Seventh Young Master glanced around at the calm surroundings. "Has he left already?"
Ying Xiaoman wiped the fine sweat from her forehead. The brief surprise faded, and she stared intently at Seventh Young Master.
Seventh Young Master, assured that all was well, quickly returned her gaze. Their eyes met and instantly became entangled, reluctant to part, yet pretending not to care in public.
Ying Xiaoman lowered her head to cut the meat, speaking amidst the rhythmic chopping sounds, "That good-for-nothing Mo Sanlang couldn't possibly disturb my business. With one cut of my knife—"
"What part of him did you cut?" Seventh Young Master asked calmly. "As long as he wasn't killed on the spot, I can find a way to smooth things over for you, since he provoked you first."
Pfft, Ying Xiaoman couldn't help but laugh.
Her hand slipped, and the two pounds of meat Seventh Young Master wanted became two and a half pounds.
"Where could I cut him in broad daylight? I just carved up a lamb leg and scared him off." She simply wrapped up the two and a half pounds of lamb and handed it over. "Did you take time off work to come here? Hurry back. Don't hold up my business during the day. If you have time, come in the evening. I've been getting home late recently."
Yan Seventh Young Master took the oiled paper package, insisting on paying, hugged the reluctant Zhi, and said to Ying Xiaoman, "I'll visit soon."
Ying Xiaoman called the next customer, lowered her head to continue cutting meat, and her eyes, focused on the chopping block, unconsciously curved into crescents. "Mm."
*
By noon, all ten pounds of fresh lamb had sold out.
The old couple from the meat bun shop next door were still in their store. Ying Xiaoman grabbed half a pound of meat she had specially set aside and insisted on giving it to them, thanking them for their kindness in warning her earlier that morning.
The old couple couldn't refuse, so they brought out a steamer with four meat buns and insisted on giving them to Zhi.
Ying Xiaoman put Zhi back on the cart, donned her bamboo hat, and Zhi munched on a steaming hot meat bun as the two-wheeled cart headed home along the main street.
In the afternoon, in the hot wind that swept the long street, the young woman wearing a bamboo hat, carrying three meat buns, retraced her steps, slowly walking past the narrow alley on the west side of the Ministry of Justice, unguarded during the day.
The wisp-like figure disappeared at the mouth of the narrow alley.
The bamboo hat was removed and hidden behind a tree. On the most leafy elm tree in the alley, a grappling hook silently climbed up the branches, and the green foliage instantly concealed the figure.
As the sun moved westward, the sky darkened.
At the brightly lit entrance of the Ministry of Justice, officials continued to come and go.
Ying Xiaoman had gradually noticed in recent days that most of those entering and leaving were lower-ranking officials in green robes. Higher-ranking officials in crimson robes like Eighth Young Master Yan were rarely seen, and only the Enemy wore a purple robe when entering and exiting the ministry.
At the beginning of the hai hour (9-11 PM), two guards came out of the ministry carrying sawhorses, routinely blocking the entrance to the narrow alley on the west side.
At the hai hour proper, the person she had been waiting for appeared.
The Enemy, wearing a purple robe, walked out of the two black-lacquered gates of the Ministry of Justice under cover of night.
Accompanying the Enemy was an official wearing a red robe, tall and slender. The two walked side by side down the white marble steps, talking as they strolled.
Perhaps because the content of their conversation was confidential, the guards did not follow closely, but were scattered in front and behind, maintaining a distance of three to four zhang.
The night wind carried faint sounds of conversation, but it was too far away to make out the content clearly.
However, the voices could be heard distinctly.
One voice was deep and powerful, clearly belonging to the Enemy.
When the red-robed official walking alongside the Enemy spoke, his voice was gentle and pleasant, clear as a summer stream. When it reached Ying Xiaoman's ears, she was stunned.
In the depths of the dark, narrow alley, two hands parted the dense foliage of the tall elm tree, quietly revealing a pair of bright black eyes.
Borrowing the light from the street lanterns, she gazed towards the red-robed official leading a horse—
The familiar silhouette, the relaxed posture - she recognized him immediately by his voice.
Walking alongside the Enemy was none other than Yan Seventh Young Master, whom she had just seen earlier that day!
This was the first time Ying Xiaoman had seen Seventh Young Master in official robes.
She mused to herself: No wonder Seventh Young Master arrived so quickly this morning. So his official post is also at the Ministry of Justice?
One Seventh Young Master, one Eighth Young Master. That dog official Yan Rongshi had brought all his estranged brothers into the Ministry of Justice to work under him?!
Seventh Young Master must have it tough!
Yan Seventh Young Master led his horse a few steps forward, looked up at the moon that had already passed its zenith, then turned and pointed to a narrow alley on the west side of the Ministry of Justice, exchanging a few words with the Enemy.
The night breeze carried fragments of "urgent matters to attend to tonight" and "this shortcut will save time and effort."
The Enemy, who had already started down the main street, nodded and turned his horse around.
Seven or eight armed guards turned on the spot, rushing into the narrow alley first to scout. Moments later, they emerged leading two slender hunting dogs from the kennel to guide the way. The on-duty officers moved the barricades aside, making a gesture of "respectful invitation."
With the hunting dogs in the lead, the guards split into two groups, front and back, escorting Seventh Young Master and the Enemy into the narrow alley, taking a shortcut home.
Ying Xiaoman instinctively held her breath.
The Enemy's entourage was so grand. Even for a shortcut, they brought out hunting dogs to lead the way...
Fortunately, she had come prepared.
She glanced up at the hazy moonlight occasionally hidden by clouds, the few dim stars, the pitch-black narrow alley, Seventh Young Master walking side by side with the Enemy, then felt the meat buns in her pocket, enough to feed the two dogs at the Ministry of Justice...
Her beautiful dark eyes suddenly sparkled with excitement, her breathing gradually quickening.
Perfect timing, ideal location, everything in place.
An excellent opportunity for revenge was right before her eyes!!