Chapter 21: A Food Shop Also Sells Wine

                    

Shen Shaoguang brought a carpenter to measure the shop, determined to squeeze every bit of value from these precious dozen square meters.

The original dining tables were arranged classroom-style—functional but uninspired. A memory suddenly surfaced from her previous life: home decoration forums where bar-counter designs replaced traditional dining tables in cramped apartments. Shen Shaoguang paced the shop, measuring and calculating, then decided to have the carpenter construct several long counter-tables along the entire length of the walls. They would be somewhat similar to modern bar counters, though lower and more accessible.

With the increased seating capacity, scattered stools would only create visual chaos. Instead, she opted for reed mats covering the floor and replaced every stool with plush cushions. Candleholders would add ambiance, decorative plants would bring life, and anything that could be mounted on the walls would go up there to save precious floor space.

The project wasn't extensive—just three to five days of work. When completed, white walls complemented natural wood-colored counter-tables lining two walls, while two shorter dining tables occupied the center, creating a staggered arrangement that somehow avoided feeling cramped. Brown reed mats warmed the floor, yellow-brown cushions invited customers to sit, and one wall featured high shelves displaying white porcelain vases filled with fragrant orchids and jasmine. The generous swaths of white, varying shades of brown, and touches of green combined to create an unexpectedly artistic atmosphere. Perhaps the other wall could display a calligraphy piece? Or perhaps the elegant emptiness spoke for itself.

Shen Shaoguang dusted off her hands and turned to A'yuan with undisguised pride. "How is it?"

A'yuan nodded thoughtfully. "It would be even better if it were bigger."

Shen Shaoguang gritted her teeth and pressed down firmly on the girl's head—her talent for touching sore spots was truly remarkable!

She made a silent, bitter vow: someday, she would open Chang'an's grandest restaurant. A hundred-ping main hall, dozens of private rooms, and a dedicated performance space in the center for entertainment—sword-swallowing, pole-climbing, fire-jumping, Hu whirling dances, Zhe branch dances, and sword performances. Not a single attraction would be missing.

"Young Miss, one basket of jade-tip buns!"

"Coming!" Shen Shaoguang responded brightly, placing the steaming soup dumplings on the customer's plate and tossing the copper coins into the money basket with a satisfying clink.

Bouncing between dreams of a hundred-zhang-high restaurant and the reality of a handful of copper coins, Proprietor Shen experienced no vertigo whatsoever.

At any rate, the shop now possessed something it had desperately needed: a proper space where people could sit comfortably and enjoy a drink.

After ordering wine from the brewery and adding simple drinking accompaniments to their menu—dressed okra, fried fish paste, fried beans, braised pig's head, and braised pork trotters alongside their signature Agate Meat and Lion's Head meatballs—Shen's Food Shop officially launched its side venture into wine sales.

Customers embraced Shen Shaoguang's miniature tavern enthusiastically. The space was spotlessly clean with a charmingly rustic atmosphere, and most importantly, they no longer had to awkwardly carry meatballs and Agate Meat around town searching for places to drink.

After sampling Shen's side dishes, they found themselves returning again and again.

This Young Miss Shen's culinary skills were truly exceptional. The pancakes were fresh and immaculate, while the jade-tip buns and flower cakes possessed genuine refinement—experienced diners whispered that they bore the hallmarks of imperial cuisine. The Agate Meat and Lion's Head meatballs matched that elevated caliber, deserving the designation "rare delicacies." Most surprising was how even humble home-style dishes emerged from her kitchen perfectly executed.

"Shop owner, another plate of fish paste!"

A'yuan strode forward with her characteristically swift gait to serve the order.

"Young Miss, why is your fish paste so fragrant?"

"Well—this servant doesn't know," A'yuan replied with an apologetic smile, echoing the response Shen Shaoguang had taught her for such questions. "If you like it, sir, just eat more." The words mirrored her mistress's philosophy perfectly: "If you like it, come by; why trouble yourself?"

In the kitchen preparing jade-tip buns, Shen Shaoguang smiled at this exchange. There was no mystical secret—just a touch of fermented rice added during pickling, from that same jar she'd prepared in summer, lending an extra layer of aromatic depth. The frying technique mattered too: twice-fried, first to cook through, then at higher heat to achieve that perfect crisp exterior. That was all.

Shen Shaoguang herself particularly favored the fried orchid beans. Boiled then fried until crispy and fragrant, they reminded her powerfully of the peanuts she'd loved in her previous life.

This was another of Shen Shaoguang's profound regrets, ranking alongside the absence of chili peppers—peanuts wouldn't arrive in China for hundreds of years yet, not until the Ming Dynasty. History recorded that the great scholar Jin Shengtan, moments before his execution, had remarked with characteristic wit: "Dried tofu chewed with peanuts tastes like ham." The romantic writer Zhang Ailing enjoyed "sitting in a rattan chair in the breeze, eating salted peanuts," while literary masters Lu Xun and Lao She both favored reading while snacking on peanuts.

Literati truly adored peanuts. Shen Shaoguang's love for them ran equally deep—but this didn't prevent her from satisfying cravings with fried orchid beans in their absence. She sometimes felt her behavior resembled that of a scoundrel who pined endlessly for his true love while not hesitating to pursue others in the meantime.

Unexpectedly, the devoted Assistant Magistrate Lin, who actually did pine for his true love without pursuing others, arrived at that very moment and ordered those orchid beans first.

While Shen Shaoguang's mind wandered through these philosophical comparisons, she inadvertently noticed Lin Yan's hand pointing at the menu—long fingers, delicate yet strong, with distinct knuckles. Truly beautiful hands.

"Shop owner?" Lin Yan raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"These beans are named after orchids because when fried, they resemble blooming orchid flowers," Shen Shaoguang calmly redirected her gaze from those distracting hands, smiling as she answered Lin Yan's unspoken question.

Lin Yan nodded, then proceeded to order cold dressed okra, salted duck eggs, and braised pig ears—all humble, common folk dishes.

Perhaps everyone harbors this slightly perverse impulse: seeing something beautiful makes one want to disrupt it somehow. For instance, Shen Shaoguang found herself rather hoping to witness this elegantly mannered gentleman engage in something decidedly inelegant. "Would sir like to try our pork trotters? Served hot, they're crispy, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth; served cold, they're wonderfully chewy with satisfying texture—perfect accompaniment for drinking."

Lin Yan looked directly at Shen Shaoguang.

Shen Shaoguang smiled sweetly, bending slightly forward in an attentive, helpful pose.

"No need, just these," Lin Yan handed the menu back to Shen Shaoguang.

Shen Shaoguang accepted it with barely concealed disappointment—no opportunity to observe Chang'an's dignified assistant magistrate gnawing on pork trotters today. No matter, future chances would present themselves with chicken feet, lamb trotters, and similar delicacies.

Lin Yan studied the menu, noting its flower-patterned paper and small regular script—unlike typical feminine handwriting, it somewhat resembled Li Shaowen's lean, disciplined style from his earlier years. The "Shen" character displayed on the pancake bags and shop sign was rendered in formal seal script, making the contrast even more pronounced.

Lin Yan couldn't help but glance sideways at the busy shop owner behind the counter—almond eyes slightly narrowed in concentration, corners of her mouth naturally upturned, presenting an image of gentle cheerfulness that seemed quite at odds with her precise, masculine writing style. Recalling her quick wit during their previous encounters, he thought with mild disapproval: multiple faces, clever words, and false appearances!

Completely unaware of being mentally criticized, Shen Shaoguang asked pleasantly, "Shall I warm your wine, sir?"

Then added, "We're out of jade-tip buns for today, but shall I make you a bowl of vegetable noodles later?"

Lin Yan withdrew his critical gaze. "That would be fine."

This Assistant Magistrate Lin had the habit of arriving late when other customers had departed, so Shen Shaoguang could manage his orders comfortably. During peak mealtimes, though, even with most wine and dishes prepared in advance and A'yuan's capable assistance, they remained frantically busy.

While serving dishes and clearing tables, Shen Shaoguang mentally added another entry to her dream notebook—in the glorious future, she would command a team of skilled chefs and hire at least a hundred servers to manage everything smoothly!

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