Chang’an Small Restaurant

Chapter 7 Love Reality Show

Guangming Nunnery was a rather humble establishment. The front section was dedicated to Bodhisattva, while the back was where the sleeping chambers were located. The left side housed the nuns and the right was reserved for pilgrims. Shen Shaoguang occupied two main rooms, the remaining three main rooms and six side rooms were all unutilized. Unexpectedly, Jing Qing arranged for those rooms to be cleaned the very next morning.

Guangming Nunnery was in the city, making it very convenient for pilgrims to come and go. Few people stayed overnight and the back courtyard was often empty. This was why when Shen Shaoguang initially requested to stay at the nunnery, Jing Ci, the sharp-eyed receptionist nun, did not refuse, but actually took her to see the abbot.

Jing Ci was enthusiastically yelling at the junior nuns to clean up the whole yard. She even personally picked the peonies in the courtyard and put them into a vase. Noticing Shen Shaoguang’s watching gaze, she stared back in contempt, as if saying: ‘This is the treatment our nunnery gives to noble ladies.’ 

Her provocation caused Shen Shaoguang to laugh. What a childish and cute little nun...

When the Second Young Lady of Imperial Duke Lu arrived, Shen Shaoguang was preparing salt-fermented fish in the garden.

Two days ago, she had overbought small crucian carp due to its cheap price. Shen Shaoguang stewed a portion of it, but there were still plenty left over. This type of fish had many small bones, so there weren't many recipes she could apply to it. Moreover, they were all fresh fish and didn’t last very long, so Shen Shaoguang decided to dry the remaining after gutting and cleaning the insides.

Now that it was in a semi-dried state, she harvested the fish. In an earthen pot, she first placed a layer of fish, then a layer of sweet fermented rice, a layer of salt, and repeated this process until she filled up the whole clay pot. Shen Shaoguang couldn’t, in a couple of months when the weather turns cold, she’ll be able to take out these fish and stew them until the fish meat would easily fall off its bone. In addition, it’ll carry the light fragrance of sweet rice, pairing marvelously with rice porridge.

There were footsteps and voices coming from ahead, Shen Shaoguang dusted her hands covered with fermented glutinous rice, and looked up. In front of her stood a lady with a charming face, completely adorned with makeup. Her eyebrows were overfilled and drawn out, almost touching in the center; such was the lianjuan eyebrows that were ‘trending’ in the imperial palace. Even after being tormented by the strange eyebrows for a long time, Shen Shaoguang was still not used to it. The little lady had a beautiful and youthful face, only to be ruined by those thick brows.

Jing Qing introduced, "This is Miss Shen, who is here to worship Buddha. This is the Second Young Lady Pang from Imperial Duke Lu’s Residence." She very compassionately described Shen Shaoguang's ‘rental’ to ‘worshiping Buddha’, her economic problem was related to religious beliefs.

Jing Qing was really a kind person. Shen Shaoguang smiled, wiped her hands, and stepped forward to curtsy.

However, this kind of cover-up couldn't fool the discerning. Second Young Lady Pang silently glanced at Shen Shaoguang while the servant girl next to her said to Jing Qing, "Master, you’re making our lady share the same roof as this deficient girl?"

Jing Qing pursed her lips and replied with an apologetic smile, "Miss Shen is from Luoyang City’s Shen Clan."

The servant girl, who was giving a look of contempt, suddenly felt embarrassed. Rendered speechless, she glanced at her master.

Imperial Duke Lu’s Residence was established by his contribution to suppressing the An Shi Rebellion (755-763 AD) during the end of the Tianbao Era. In the eyes of the aristocratic families that had long existed since the Dingding Era (391-392 CE), those new nobles were all ‘parvenues’. Besides, the current Imperial Duke Lu was not very capable, their social status remained only because of Consort Shu being favored in the palace. With a shallow background and formally a foreign residence, whenever the aristocratic families mentioned his name, it was usually only to be used as a joke.

Although Shen Shaoguang was poor, she had a good family name; in this era of ‘family name is all that matters’, she was still considered a ‘noble’.

Shen Shaoguang smiled at Second Young Lady Pang. When the latter looked back at her, she reluctantly reciprocated her curtsy.

Jing Qing felt the awkward situation, so she started to chat with Shen Shaoguang, "What is Benefactor Shen doing?"

Shen Shaoguang smiled, "I’m pickling dried fish with sweet fermented rice."

Dried fish was a pauper's food. Hearing Shen Shaoguang’s reply, Second Young Lady Pang's complexion darkened further. Afraid of any further disputes, Jing Qing hurriedly nodded to Shen Shaoguang, and together with Jing Ci, led the Imperial Duke Lu’s visitors into a main room.

Shen Shaoguang slowly sealed the lid of the clay pot in the garden. She originally wanted to put it in the shade under the tree, but decided against this idea since she was no longer living alone. Not wanting to cause any annoyances, she moved the pot back into her room, and stuffed it under a bed.

The three mains rooms on the west side were still being tidied up. For such a ‘roommate’, Shen Shaoguang decided to adopt a diplomatic strategy of ‘reasoned, advantageous and restrained [1]’. Knowing that she was a young lady from the Imperial Duke Lu’s Residence, with a home, a status, and loving parents, she didn’t have a reason to prolong her stay at this nunnery. This meant they wouldn’t have to bear with each other for a long time.

However, Shen Shaoguang was quite skeptical about the initial claim that this lady was here to pay her tributes at the Guangming Nunnery– this Second Young Lady Pang didn't look like a devout Buddhist by any means.

However, if she wasn’t here to worship Buddha, then what was she here for? Did she take a fancy to the cakes in the nunnery? Shen Shaoguang laughed at her own speculations.

Shen Shaoguang inwardly imagined a variety of odd reasons for Second Young Lady Pang’s stay and finally felt at ease. Unspoken criticism was really a simple and convenient form of mental therapy.

Soon, Shen Shaoguang discovered Second Young Lady Pang's reason for visiting Guangming Nunnery.

Shen Shaoguang came back from shopping in the evening. Vegetables were cheaper at this time compared to buying in the morning, they were only a little more wilted, but its appearance wouldn’t hinder the taste much. Just as she reached the entrance of the nunnery, Shen Shaoguang happened to meet Second Young Lady Pang taking a stroll with two maidservants.

After Shen Shaoguang finished inwardly mocking the other, she became a virtuous lady with a generous heart, so she smiled and took the initiative to greet Second Young Lady Pang.

Looking at the rice grains and vegetables in Shen Shaoguang's hands, and recalling how the servant girl vividly described that Miss Shen was selling food at the Lane Gate, Second Young Lady Pang huffed, "I didn't expect to be neighbors with a street vendor!"

"..." The corners of Shen Shaoguang's mouth tightened as she hesitated for a moment. This impolite brat… Should I discipline her for her parents or drop to her level and wait for her to dig her own grave?

Shen Shaoguang, as a self-proclaimed benevolent person, decided to give Second Young Lady Pang’s parents a hand. "After Pang Tong was honored with the posthumous title of Marquis Jing during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), it’s natural for a young lady like you to disdain associating with people like us, who live hand to mouth. Now that I think about it, when Military Counselor Pang became one of Liu Bei’s subjects, he must have felt pretty aggrieved. After all, his master used to sell shoes and weaved mats for a living."

The former Imperial Duke Lu was born as a footsoldier. After elevating his riches and honor, he also learned to increase his credibility. He reorganized his genealogy, wanting to leave a good reputation for his unnameable ancestors. The visiting personnel in charge of compiling the family tree understood his request and immediately recognized the Pang Household as descendants of Pang Tong from the Three Kingdoms. The Imperial Duke Lu was overjoyed, and from then on he credited himself as one with the capital city’s Pang Clan.

People fabricating family trees were a dime a dozen; the Emperor of this dynasty even claimed he was a descendant of Lao Tzu[2]. This was a matter inevitably to be derided. However, most people mocked such people for being fake while Shen Shaoguang ridiculed them with her own original method. She acknowledged they were descendants of Pang Tong, but expertly went one-above and accused his master, Liu Bei, who used to sell straw sandals.

Second Young Lady Pang was not an erudite person, but because of their family’s ancestry, she was forced to read a bit about the history of the Three Kingdoms. It took a while for her to comprehend her meaning, but when she finally realized she was being mocked, Second Young Lady Pang couldn't help but flushed with anger. She stomped her feet and fumed, "You, you—"

Before she could finish her sentence, a sound of laughter sounded beside them. Shen Shaoguang and Second Young Lady Pang looked over to see two young gentlemen, one of them was wearing a sapphire blue, round collar robe. Shen Shaoguang recognized the man, he was the high-ranking official in scarlet clothes who stopped her on the day she was dismissed by the imperial palace. The one who laughed was the other man, in a white scholar's gown.

Second Young Lady Pang was horrified at their sudden presence. She stared at the man in the white robe then bowed shyly to the high-ranking official. "Greetings, Deputy Magistrate Lin."

In a blink of an eye, Shen Shaoguang realized that this man was most likely her neighbor, the capital city’s Deputy Magistrate; he seemed to also be the reason why Second Young Lady Pang came here. Tsk tsk, could it be, be it could! The Tang Dynasty’s women were really bold and unrestrained! Shen Shaoguang couldn't help but watch the live ‘love reality show’ with great interest.

The white-robed man also looked at his companion with a teasing smile.

However, Lin Yan only indifferently replied to Second Young Lady Pang, "No need to stand on ceremony Miss." His eyes then swept towards Shen Shaoguang.

Shen Shaoguang perfunctorily curtsied, at which Lin Yan responded with a nod. The latter glanced at his friend and resumed walking forward.

The white-robed scholar exchanged looks with Shen Shaoguang and the two simultaneously smiled– the unorthodox were often like-minded.

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Footnotes:

[1] reasoned, advantageous and restrained 有理、有利、有节 - The formulation Mao Zedong proposed during December 1939 when discussing the basic military strategy of the Communist Party.

[2] Lao Tzu / Laozi - A semi-legendary ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher, credited with writing the Tao Te Ching. A central figure in Chinese culture, generally considered the founder of philosophical and religious Taoism. He was claimed and revered as the ancestor of the 7th–10th century Tang dynasty and is similarly honored in modern China with the popular surname Li. (quoted from Wiki)

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Food:

salt-fermented fish