Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 241 - 16: A Bowl of Noodle Soup with Minced Meat

Chapter 241: Chapter 16: A Bowl of Noodle Soup with Minced Meat

Leaving the inn with the rather flamboyant name, the group officially set out, entering Shuntian Prefecture.

The borders of Great Chu are roughly the same as in the early Ming period. Since the Founding Saint Martial Emperor established the boundary markers through conquests, over a hundred and fifty years and six generations of emperors have strictly guarded the territory, vigorously supporting the garrison system, not yielding an inch of land.

Although the imperial family constantly engages in power struggles, each emperor ascended the throne amidst bloodshed, but against foreign enemies, it has always been "Those who violate China, no matter how far, must be punished!" Yet it’s quite contradictory that they never "cut the grass by the roots" or "exterminate completely," for reasons unknown!

The scope of Shuntian Prefecture in Great Chu differs from that in the Ming and Qing. If Changle City in the Capital includes the Fourth Ring and fifty miles of suburbs, then outside this range is Shuntian Prefecture.

If the Capital had ten or twenty rings, then Shuntian Prefecture would be considered part of the Imperial City, just like how modern people say Langfang is the back garden of Beijing.

Just like modern highways and train tracks running through sparsely populated areas, Great Chu’s "roads" don’t necessarily bypass bustling regions or fertile farmland.

Upon leaving the Capital, it’s as if one instantly transitions from the bustling city to the tranquil mountains and fields, with the air significantly fresher.

One night was enough for Susu to adjust her mindset. The future is in her own hands. She can’t become a figure like the Founding Saint Martial Emperor or Regent Empress Ruan Shiniang, but at the very least, she must live her Days well. Otherwise, she’d be embarrassed to say she had crossed time!

This journey would take at least two months, so she needed a plan.

Write letters to the Old Madam, compose a travelogue, find artistic materials for Sixth Miss, organize the recipes she knows and write a "Su’s Private Kitchen," search for birthday gifts for the Old Madam, sew a few insoles for Hong Sheng, and see if a few couples could be matched up in the entourage...

Upon thinking this, Susu felt she’d definitely not be bored on this journey.

Moreover, they weren’t really pressed for time. Although travel in ancient times wasn’t comfortable, Susu was accustomed to comfort and aimed to transform the tedious journey into a poetic experience.

This journey would first pass through Juyong Pass, then over Badaling to Zhangjiakou, and into Shanxi, through Datong Prefecture, and into Shanxi province.

Since Great Chu and the Tartars are currently in a truce, the borders are relatively safe. They chose not to go inland but to travel westward along the border wall to Hami.

Additionally, they would pass by several garrisons, and due to Hong Sheng’s status, they could rest at the garrison inns. Large bands of bandits and robbers, being well-informed, would never target military personnel.

After all, everyone was quite poor and looking for an excuse to earn extra. Targeting the military was simply courting death, handing over wealth, and offering military merit!

Without the skill to fix broken things, an escort must not only be vigilant but also ready to risk their life if necessary. Walking an escort route often means losing a few pounds.

However, traveling with Hong Sheng and his group for just over ten days, the escorts from Yangwei Escort Agency not only didn’t lose weight but gained five to six pounds. Their sun-exposed faces were also shining with oil, and a few escorts and the guides secretly loosened their belts a few times.

Almost everyone in the group felt the same.

In the first few days, during meal times, even while camping in the wild, Susu would insist on starting a fire to cook and have hot meals. Although the escorts and soldiers thought to themselves, "women are such a hassle," and "sister-in-law is too delicate," they couldn’t complain since they weren’t eating alone and were not pressed for time.

In the mornings, they had steamed buns, shumai, and Xiaolongbao; for lighter meals, there were wontons, porridge, and tofu pudding.

For lunch, just having rice, flatbread and marinated dishes would be decent, but they even managed to prepare Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.

In the evenings, they had plenty of meat buns and even a little alcohol.

The three meals, morning, noon, and night, were different every day. Initially, the rough men found it troublesome, but after a few days, at meal times, they couldn’t help but salivate, wondering what they’d eat that day.

Just past Zhangjiakou, they had entered Shanxi, but encountered rain on the way, and despite hurrying, they couldn’t reach an inn. They were far from any village or shop, but fortunately, Hong Sheng, having taken this route before, knew of a nearby Earth God Temple. Though dilapidated, it could provide shelter from the wind and rain.

"Everyone, put in a bit more effort. There’s an Earth God Temple ahead. We’ll spend the night there."

Hong Sheng, dressed in a raincoat made by Susu, rode a horse back and forth, spreading the word.

Susu, sitting in the carriage, heard the cheers and breathed a sigh of relief.

The rain was heavy, and even with a raincoat and rain sheets, the water was chilling to the bone. On a journey, falling ill is the most feared scenario, as seeking medical treatment wastes time and hinders proper recovery.

The horses were also exhausted, but seemed to share in the human joy, speeding up without the driver even needing to crack the whip. Within less than a quarter hour, they spotted the Earth God Temple Hong Sheng mentioned.

The temple consisted of an inner and outer hall, suggesting it once thrived with worshippers. But now, even the hall doors were gone, and the inside was in disrepair.

The wooden statues of the deity had chipped paint, giving them a comically pathetic appearance. Luckily, people were superstitious enough not to dare chop the statues for firewood.

Despite being old and worn, the two halls were still relatively clean, probably because travelers often took refuge there.

After sitting in the carriage for so long, Susu had grown accustomed to the numbness in her rear and soreness in her legs upon alighting.

Hong Sheng helped Susu off the carriage, half-supporting, half-carrying her to the rear hall, instructing someone to quickly section off a corner with a thick felt, clearing a space for resting, telling Susu to rest first. After settling her in, he went out to handle other matters.

From afar, Susu’s keen ears caught Hong Sheng’s brothers teasing him with, "Choosing a girl over loyalty," "Forgetting old friends after getting a wife," "Wife’s slave."

Hong Sheng laughed and cursed, "Get lost, whoever has a wife spoils her. If you envy me, go find one too! Then it’ll be my turn to make fun of you."

Susu smiled at this.

At this moment, Fen Dai came over with a steaming bowl of red date and ginger soup, "Miss, my mother just made this. Drink it while it’s hot to ward off the chill!"

Susu took it and asked, "Is there enough for everyone?" Fen Dai smiled, "Rest assured, knowing your kind heart, my mother made two big pots. Everyone else got ginger soup, while the young master’s friends had red sugar added."

Susu sighed, "If it’s said that I have a kind heart, how could I be stingy with a bit of red sugar? Tell your mother to add more ginger and red sugar, make sure everyone gets a big bowl. If anyone falls ill, wouldn’t I have to fetch medicine? By then, even the cost of the red sugar wouldn’t be enough!"

Fen Dai shrugged, "That’s exactly what I told my mother, but she’s always so cautious, saying if I make decisions without your orders, you should slap my hands!"

Susu chuckled, "With her prudent nature, it’s no wonder nothing major has ever happened. But you’re my main maid. If you can’t even decide on such small things and are stingy, it’s my reputation on the line! Your mother and you both have your merits, I’ve found a treasure!"

After drinking the ginger soup, Susu felt warmth spread throughout her body. Fen Dai collected the bowl and said, "My mother asked what we should eat tonight? We don’t have much firewood left, but we do have some coal. There’s not much usable wood, but luckily, there’s a small kitchen next to the rear hall with some dry wood, likely left by passing travelers. We can use that and leave behind some rice or grains."

Susu had heard of such customs, originating from hunters, where caves or cabins used overnight would have supplies left behind for emergencies, becoming more of an unwritten rule, but entirely dependent on goodwill.

Fen Dai asked about food, and Susu suddenly thought of Shanxi’s famous knife-cut noodles, but without the right tools and given the number of people, it wouldn’t be timely.

"Let’s have hand-cut noodles, to make saozi noodles so we’ll have both meal and soup. However, noodles aren’t very filling, so let’s bring out some dry food. Who knows when this rain will stop, and let’s conserve the dry wood."

Fen Dai took the bowl to the back kitchen to relay the message, while Shuimo, Qi Qiao, and Linglong tidied up the small space sectioned off with the thick felt.

They lit eighteen copper gilded lotus lamps, arranged a small heated table, and even pulled out a palm-sized white jade incense burner from a box. They lit it, scattering some lily incense, and its fragrance spread as Susu took a deep breath, smoothing out the letter paper to personally start a letter to the Old Madam.

Dear Old Madam:

May this letter find you well...