Nothing Beats Dumplings

Lu Chen finished searching the corpses, finding only a few taels of broken silver and some miscellaneous trinkets.

The roadblock was cleared, and the group scrambled back into the carriage. Lu Chen casually tied the horses belonging to the three fake bailiffs to the back of the carriage; these were valuable beasts that could fetch a good price, and he certainly wouldn't let them go to waste. He then drove off.

After traveling for a distance, they regained some composure.

Mei Ying lifted the carriage curtain, the color already returning to her porcelain-doll-like face, her voice honey-sweet: "Senior Brother Lu, we truly owe you our thanks! You took down those villains in just a few moves!"

She blinked, her cheeks flushing slightly: "Do you live in the East City or the West City? Perhaps my sister and I can come visit you another day, would that be alright?"

Mei Dai glanced at her younger sister and said coldly: "Go if you want, I won't be joining in on this."

Mei Ying pursed her lips and smiled: "Listen to that, Senior Brother Lu, my sister isn't going, so I'll come find you myself! Tell me, where do you live?"

"South City," Lu Chen said flatly.

The bright smile and eagerness on Mei Ying's face faded in an instant.

She gave a soft "Oh," lowered the curtain, and turned back with a sweet smile, speaking gently to the three dejected young masters inside: "Does your arm still hurt, Brother Zhang? Is your leg injury serious, Brother Lei? Brother Wen, your face is all bruised... We are so lucky to have had you all with us today."

The bit of interest and gratitude Mei Ying had just shown Lu Chen was like a light breeze—gone as soon as it blew past.

Wen'an County had always been known for the saying: the West is noble, the East is wealthy, the South is poor, and the North is lowly.

The West City was home to officials, and the East City to merchants; both were respectable neighborhoods.

The South City, however, was a chaotic place where laborers and peddlers congregated.

With that single mention of "South City," Lu Chen had made his background and social standing clear.

Inside the carriage, the three young masters were nursing their injuries, and feeling deeply humiliated that the three of them combined had been bested by a dwarf, they were in low spirits.

Yet, after Mei Ying's clever, smiling reassurances, their expressions softened within moments, and they began to laugh and chat again, as if their earlier embarrassment had been nothing more than an insignificant interlude.

Mei Ying was only thirteen, yet her words and actions already carried a precocious, seductive charm.

Every glance and every smile was enough to make those young men's hearts itch and leave them restless.

The carriage sped through the wind and snow.

Finally, just as the sky was turning from dusk to dark, they returned to Wen'an County.

Young Masters Zhang and Lei lived in the East and West Cities respectively, both hailing from respectable families.

Young Master Wen was from another county, visiting Wen'an for the New Year at the invitation of Mei Dai, and was staying temporarily at an inn in the East City.

Anyone with eyes could see that Mei Dai was fond of this refined and soft-spoken Young Master Wen.

Unfortunately, the one Young Master Wen had his eyes on was her younger sister.

Mei Dai was not as pretty as her sister, her temperament was cold, and her tall stature lacked the delicate softness of a typical maiden.

By comparison, the petite, sweet, and lively Mei Ying was far more popular.

Upon returning home, the Mistress was waiting in the courtyard.

Mei Ying rushed into her mother's arms the moment she stepped out of the carriage, acting spoiled. Mei Dai stood quietly to the side.

"Why are you so much later than usual?" the Mistress asked.

Mei Dai gave a concise and clear account of the fake bailiffs, the ambush by the bandits, and Lu Chen's intervention.

The gentle smile on the Mistress's face gradually faded: "The bandits outside the city have become so rampant that they even dare to impersonate bailiffs!"

Mei Ying rubbed against her mother's chest and muttered: "It was terrifying, Mother. I don't think I dare go to the academy anymore."

The Mistress stroked her daughter's hair lovingly, then looked up at Lu Chen and said softly: "We owe you our thanks this time. It is already late; stay and have a simple meal with us."

Lu Chen shook his head: "It was my duty, I dare not impose on you, Mistress."

The Mistress raised her delicate brows, feigning mild annoyance: "If I tell you to stay, you stay. Why be so formal? Could it be that the food at my martial arts school isn't to your liking?"

Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then finally cupped his hands and replied: "Yes, thank you, Mistress."

Only then did the Mistress's expression soften. She nodded slightly, and with one arm around the still-clinging Mei Ying, she gestured for Mei Dai to follow them into the house.

Upon learning that Lu Chen would be staying for dinner, Shuan Hu immediately went to the kitchen and added two hearty dishes.

The Mistress also brought her two daughters to the table, where they wrapped a large batch of dumplings under the lamplight.

In the North, regardless of status, dumplings were considered a delicacy.

They were an indispensable longing during the reunion festival.

In the southern provinces, however, where produce was abundant, dumplings were merely a plain item on a long list of foods, far from being the centerpiece of a banquet as they were in the North.

At the dinner table, Lu Chen noticed Master Deng was absent and asked about him.

The Mistress's expression remained unchanged as she said: "The year-end is approaching; there are many people inviting him out to drink and socialize. He is busy."

Mei Ying let out a giggle and said crisply: "Father is lying again. I think Father doesn't even know where he's gone off to have his fun."

The Mistress frowned and tapped her daughter on the head: "Lu Chen is still here, stop spouting nonsense."

Ever since his marriage, Deng Yan had felt his wife was too cold, and there was little intimacy between them. When they were in bed, she would lie there stiffly without even a moan, which he found quite dull.

Coupled with his status as a matrilocal son-in-law, he already felt inferior.

With his wife constantly keeping him under her thumb, all that suppressed frustration had turned into resentment.

By the time their two daughters were born, the affection between the couple was like dying embers, retaining only a faint warmth to barely maintain a facade of decency.

Deng Yan spent his days carousing in brothels and theaters, a fact the daughters had long since known.

Only the Mistress still harbored a pitiful shred of hope for her husband; she was unwilling to speak the truth, nor would she dare to think too deeply on it.

There is a saying in the North: nothing tastes better than dumplings, and nothing is more comfortable than lying down.

The pork and cabbage dumplings the Mistress made by hand were truly hearty.

Lu Chen ate seventy or eighty of them in one go, downed a bowl of hot soup, and only then set his bowl aside.

He went home that night to rest.

Early the next morning, Jin Ming sent a servant to find Lu Chen, telling him to go to Daxing Rice Shop for an urgent matter.

When Lu Chen arrived, he saw that Jin Ming was dressed in sharp attire today, looking like a man prepared for a long journey.

According to the rules of the Jin family, sons could gradually take over the business once they turned twenty, and Jin Ming would reach that age after the New Year.

Therefore, the master of the Jin family had specifically entrusted him with the task of collecting grain from the Jiaoguo trading port before the year ended.

That place was only two or three days' journey from Wen'an County.

Jin Ming was determined to go personally on this trip.

"Brother Lu, you've come just in time!"

Jin Ming greeted him with a smile, though his eyes betrayed a sense of urgency:

"This came up suddenly; I only got word yesterday. In previous years, grain collection was always after the start of spring, but for some reason, they released a batch of top-quality aged grain in Jiaoguo before the year's end, and the price is right. Several families are eyeing it; if we go late, we won't even get a sip of the broth."

Lu Chen nodded, saying nothing.

Jin Ming continued:

"This is my first time handling this, and I don't feel at ease without a capable hand by my side. Brother Lu, I must trouble you to accompany me. We'll meet outside the East City Gate in an hour and depart immediately. The pay will be as we agreed—ten taels of silver—with extra for the hardship of the trip!"

As he spoke, he gestured, and the servant waiting nearby immediately brought over a bundle.

Jin Ming took it and handed it to Lu Chen, smiling:

"When you're out and about, your gear can't be shabby. I've prepared a set of clothes and boots for you. They aren't made of expensive fabric, but they are thick and durable, convenient for the road. Go back and pack, change into these, and we'll depart on time."

Lu Chen took the bundle, feeling its weight, and without asking further, simply said, "Fine, one hour, outside the East Gate."

He returned to Sheep Dung Alley and said to the Blind Man, "I'm going out for two or three days to collect grain in Jiaoguo."

The Blind Man's single eye flickered: "The young master of the Jin family?"

"Yes."

"Be careful."