Chapter 490 Pastry Shop

"Miss He, are you checking out?" The innkeeper was surprised and paused for a moment, accidentally moving his abacus beads in the wrong place. But he didn't have time to worry about his calculations, and looked outside with caution.
The shopkeeper deliberately lowered his voice. "Miss He, if I may speak candidly, although the distance between Liuxian and the capital is not far, it still takes half a day by carriage. However, the road is flanked by mountains, and it may not be safe."
"Thank you for your reminder, shopkeeper," He Nuan smiled warmly and thanked the shopkeeper. She understood the meaning behind the shopkeeper's words - the issue in Lixian has not been resolved, and if they leave now, the shopkeeper is afraid that something might happen on the way.
"Brother He is skilled in martial arts, but as the saying goes, a dragon cannot beat a local snake." If the shopkeeper didn't have some connection with Mr. Zhao, he wouldn't have said this to He Nuan. Saying it out loud is the same as offending the county magistrate Cheng.
Especially Wang and the other constables who are now at home recovering from their injuries. If they find out, the innkeeper's goal of running the inn peacefully will be difficult to achieve.
"I will inform the young lady," He Nuan thanked again, but still decided to return the three rooms. They had stayed for only ten days, but had spent thirty taels of silver. No wonder the people of Liumei County said that only the rich and powerful could afford to stay here. The average family could only save ten taels of silver in a year, and it would be gone in just ten days if one were to stay here for three years.
In the second-floor room, Zhan Feiyu had just finished revising his strategy questions from the previous day. Without looking up, he asked upon hearing the sound of the door opening, "Is everything ready?"
"My brother is checking the carriage. Miss, do you have any instructions?" He Nuan checked the room and packed all the luggage into the suitcase. With more than half an hour until departure, He Nuan decided to go out and buy some food to put on the carriage.
Liu County is close to the capital city and can be reached before dark, so He Nuan only plans to buy some food. She will probably have to eat lunch on the carriage.
It's hot and fresh vegetables and fruits can last for a few days. As for meat, Liu County is surrounded by mountains, so wherever they camp and rest, they can go to the woods to hunt for rabbits or pheasants to bring back.
"Let's go out together." Zhan Feiyu stood up and stretched his stiff shoulders from sitting at his desk. "It's been quiet these past few days, a good time to go out for a walk."
Zhan Feiyu thought that the magistrate or Zhao Lao Ye would take some action, but these past few days have been too calm, as if nothing had happened before. He didn't plan on staying in Liuxian anymore. As for whether anyone would intercept them on the way, it would depend on who had more skills.
Two quarter-hours later.
In the bustling market, He Nuan pointed to the shop across the street, "Miss, that's Zhao's pastry shop. Do you want to buy some to eat on the way?"
Zhan Feiyu continued to walk along with the crowd, "The people of Liuxian are indeed wealthier than those of other places. It's not even time for the afternoon rest, and the shops are already full of people."
If it were elsewhere, this time of day would see the busiest time for people buying groceries at the morning market. Then there would be crowds going in and out of shops selling buns and steamed bread for breakfast.
But in Liuxian, it's different. Shops on both sides of the street are bustling with customers buying and selling a variety of goods, which also indicates that the locals are not short of money.
"Please come in, two guests. We just made some fresh cold cakes today, they can help cool you down and relieve summer heat." The pastry shop's clerk warmly greeted the customers and offered them a dish of sample cold cakes on the counter. "Would you like to try some, miss?"
"No need," He Nuan refused, indicating the waiter to stop greeting her. She said, "The girl's cooling cake is made with lotus leaves and lotus seeds, it's not too sweet and has a refreshing taste. Here is mung bean cake, and next to it is water chestnut cake..."
The inn's kitchen is rudimentary, so He Nuan, although skilled at making pastries, is unable to do so. Moreover, the weather is getting hotter every day, and the pastries she made in just a few hours would spoil in less than two days. Therefore, it's more convenient to buy them from the shop.
Just as Zhan Feiyu was about to buy some pastries, there suddenly came a cry of cursing and wailing from outside the shop.
"You unscrupulous shop! You almost killed my mother! Is there no justice in Luxian? Your pastries are inedible!"
With a sudden scream, not only did Zhan Feiyu startle, but several women who were about to buy pastries also took two steps back in fright. Upon hearing that the pastries almost caused death, who would dare to come and buy them.
The server who was greeting the customers was stunned for a moment, then he angrily shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about? Our Zhao's pastry shop has passed down our skills through generations and has been open in Liumi county for decades, and not once has anyone fallen ill from our pastries!"
It's understandable that the guy got angry. This is exactly what food shops fear the most. If word spreads, who will dare to come and buy pastries from the shop in the future?
The round-faced woman on the left also spoke up in support: "Sir, have you made a mistake? My family lives in this alley, and both my mother's and mother-in-law's families have been buying pastries from this shop for years. We buy a few pounds every New Year and festival, and we've never had a piece of bad pastry."
"Thank you, Sister Liu, for speaking up for me." Zhao Ling, who hurried over from the backyard upon hearing the dispute, bowed gratefully to Liu and then strode to the doorway, speaking loudly.
“我赵氏的糕点铺子在榴县开了三代人了，不单单是榴县，相邻的几个县包括府城也都有我赵氏的糕点铺子，赵氏用来制造糕点的材料都是最好的，各位父老若是不相信的可以去前面黄记米铺问问黄老板，所有糕点用到的米、豆还有糖都是从从黄老板的铺子里买回来的。”
An old lady carrying a basket of groceries standing at the door of the shop also nodded in agreement, "As an impartial person, I can tell you that Zhao's shop never engages in dishonest practices. Near the middle and the end of every month, Mr. Zhao will sell off cakes and pastries that are about to expire at a discounted price. My family is poor, and my grandchildren rely on Zhao's sweet treats to satisfy their cravings."
In the summer, hot weather is the only issue, but during autumn and winter seasons, pastries can be kept for a month without spoiling, at worst, their texture may suffer.
Nevertheless, it has been a rule for generations at Zhao's pastry shop to sell any pastries that have lost their quality at cost price.
Many poor people are willing to buy a few pieces of pastry, since the price has become much cheaper and the taste is only slightly worse.
If they make their own pastry at home, they will eat it slowly for over a month. Poor families are not like the wealthy, who pay attention to the freshness of their food and are grateful for anything to eat.
The surrounding people who gathered around the shop also began to talk. The pastries sold by Zhao are indeed of good quality and at reasonable prices. During festivals and holidays, if you buy more, you will get a little extra. They have eaten so many pastries from Zhao's shop and have never heard of anyone getting sick from them.
The middle-aged man at the entrance of the shop was furious, and suddenly grabbed Zhao Ling's clothes as he walked up the stairs, his eyes fierce as he interrogated, "My mother is still lying in the clinic, the doctor said that thanks to the timely delivery I made, otherwise my mother would not have survived. She ate your shop's pastry this morning, and then began to vomit and have diarrhea. Isn't it the bad pastry in your shop?"
声音越说越大，汉子一想到躺在医馆里进气少、出气多的老娘，一下子红了眼眶，猛地论起拳头向着赵岭的脸上砸了过去，声歇力竭的吼声同时响起，“我老娘要是有个三长两短，老子一把火烧了你这铺子！”
"How dare you hit someone? Let go of my boss!" The young man rushed over in a panic, but unfortunately the man exerted so much force and pushed the young man away with a wave of his hand.
Zhao Ling, who had been punched, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He couldn't afford to feel the pain right now. Whether what this person was saying was true or not, he had to get control of the situation first.
Inside the shop, Zhan Feiyu walked out after warming up with He Nuan, looking at the two people facing off at the door. After observing for a while, he asked, "Ah Nuan, are they from the martial arts world?"
"His breath is heavy, his punches are without order, and his footing is unstable. He probably does heavy labor often, so he has great strength," said He Nuan, shaking her head. This guy looks like an ordinary person.
Zhan Feiyu didn't speak again.
Zhao Ling struggled to break free from the man's grip, his swollen face showing no anger but rather a sincere tone, "Big Brother, I can guarantee that all the pastries in Zhao's Bakery are fresh. But since the old lady fell ill after eating them, let's put that aside for now and go to the hospital. The most important thing is to treat the old lady. We can discuss other matters later."