Chang’an Small Restaurant

Chapter 90.1 Honest Words of a Drunken Heart 

In the early morning, Shen Shaoguang sat up in bed, wrapped in her blanket, and lifted the bed canopy to look out the window. It was bright white, with a chill seeping through—had the snow fallen heavily?

From the veranda outside, faint voices could be heard. "Is Miss awake? The kitchen has already prepared chicken soup wontons. If Miss is up, we’ll have it cooked and brought over."

A'Yuan replied, "Let's wait a bit longer. Miss is still asleep."

From inside the room, Shen Shaoguang raised her voice, "I’m awake."

A'Yuan lifted the thick curtain and came in, bringing with her a gust of cold air, followed by Ming Nu.

As A'Yuan was helping Shen Shaoguang tidy up the half-draped bed canopy and put away the headboard screen, Ming Nu darted onto Shen Shaoguang’s blanket. Shen Shaoguang frowned in disdain, "Hey, hey, are you clean? Rolling around on my blanket like that?"

Ming Nu nudged Shen Shaoguang with his head, then licked his hand before rolling over to expose his belly.

Shen Shaoguang sighed in resignation. Weren’t you supposed to be an aloof and proud cat? Ever since you let your guard down, it’s like you’ve completely given up on maintaining your image. She petted Ming Nu's head and scratched his chin, all the while thinking, ‘If a certain someone with a name related to yours knew how to act this endearing, I would’ve surrendered long ago.’

She buried her face in the cat’s belly, inhaling deeply. No trace of dirt or dampness—completely clean. Seems like he hasn’t had the chance to roll around in the snow yet.

"He’s clever," A'Yuan remarked. "He only sat on the veranda for a bit, enjoying the view, then went back inside, jumped onto the couch, and curled up on the cinnamon cassia-scented cushion you often use."

Shen Shaoguang chuckled, picturing the cat perched solemnly at the door, gazing out at the blanket of snow with a serious expression, pondering its feline existence.

The more she thought about it, the more amusing it became. Shen Shaoguang lifted Ming Nu up, holding him face-to-face. "Professor McGonagall, is that you? How do you like the snow in Chang'an?"

A'Yuan, not knowing who Professor McGonagall was, just gently reminded her, "Miss, don't just play with the cat. Your bed’s getting cold."

Shen Shaoguang quickly dressed, slipping out of bed and into her shoes. Another maid brought warm and cold water to mix in a basin for her. After washing her face and rinsing her mouth, she was handed a bowl of ginger water.

Sipping the warm ginger water, Shen Shaoguang gradually felt the warmth returning to her body.

When the maid offered to comb her hair, Shen Shaoguang waved her off. "You all go about your work." She casually twisted her hair into the simplest Hu-style top bun, secured it with a silk ribbon, and called it done.

The maids brought in the chicken soup wontons, and everyone shared a meal together. Shen Shaoguang, not truly a daughter of an aristocratic family, didn’t adhere to strict household rules. She had always treated her servants as equals—back when they were just four individuals running the tavern, and even now, with a large residence full of servants. Of course, with so many people, it wasn’t practical to gather everyone for a meal, but the spirit remained the same.

Just by tasting the filling, Shen Shaoguang could tell it was prepared by Princess Yu San. The pork had a touch of dried shrimp powder and a bit of meat aspic, making it incredibly flavorful! These days, Princess Yu San has perfected the art of making soup dumplings, even surpassing his original teacher. Shen Shaoguang inwardly sighed and couldn’t help but feel like a master who’d had just been beaten to death by their own apprentice on the beach.

With a holiday upon them and the weather being foul, what else could they do? Shen Shaoguang decided to pass the time by leading the maids in painting a Xiao Han Diagram.

Since it was purely for amusement, they made the painting extremely detailed, with everyone contributing—even Ming Nu added a paw print.

Before they could finish, however, a message came from the gate: Princess Imperial of Fuhui had arrived.

Shen Shaoguang hurried out to greet her.

"I was thinking, with such heavy snowfall, I must find someone with refined taste to appreciate it with—and naturally, you came to mind," Princess Imperial of Fuhui said with a smile.

Shen Shaoguang nodded. "I was just thinking of Your Highness as well. On a snowy day like this, it’s the perfect occasion for something elegant, like sharing a hot pot."

Princess Imperial burst into laughter. "Don’t expose me so easily! How did you know I came here craving your hot pot?"

Shen Shaoguang grinned. "Perhaps it’s because great minds think alike?"

Princess Imperial, unfamiliar with such a folksy saying, couldn’t stop laughing.

Shen Shaoguang held the umbrella while Princess Imperial of Fuhui linked arms with her as they made their way from the front courtyard through the main hall and directly into the inner part of the residence.

Shen Shaoguang shared a humorous anecdote with Princess Imperial. "Speaking of ‘minds’, I’m reminded of a saying. There’s a Hu proverb that goes, ‘Two heads are better than one.’ A young Hu woman added her own twist to it—‘especially on a pillow.’"

Princess Imperial of Fuhui laughed so hard she patted Shen Shaoguang’s arm, exclaiming, "A kindred spirit! A kindred spirit indeed! I wish I could meet her."

But Shen Shaoguang remained serious. "The problem is, she wrote it in her schoolwork book. Her teacher was a Hu monk…"

Princess Imperial laughed even harder.

As they reached the veranda, Shen Shaoguang handed the umbrella to A'Yuan, and another maid lifted the curtain for them. They entered the hall and took their seats as host and guest. The maids soon brought out ginger tea with red dates and goji berries, along with some dried fruits and pastries.

Princess Imperial of Fuhui took a sip of her drink, glancing around the hall. "For someone as clever as you, it’s curious that you favor such simple and unadorned decor."

Shen Shaoguang furrowed her brow slightly, then smiled. "Perhaps it's to hide whatever cleverness I might have, to appear more straightforward and unassuming."

Princess Imperial laughed. "Always coming up with these odd notions!"

Shen Shaoguang began to argue her point. "It’s the simple ones who earn affection."

Acting as a love counselor, Princess Imperial of Fuhui shook her head. "No, no, it all depends on whether the person cares about you. If they do, no matter how crafty you are, they'll still see you as fragile, small, and pitiable. But if they don’t care, even if you are truly stupid, they will still suspect you are harboring unfathomable motives."

Shen Shaoguang found herself at a loss for words. Princess Imperial’s insight was spot-on!

Princess Imperial of Fuhui sighed with a touch of melancholy. "I’m someone who isn’t particularly clever, yet I’m always suspected of having unfathomable motives. What an unfortunate fate..."

Shen Shaoguang was about to offer some words of comfort, but Princess Imperial had already smiled and said, "But it doesn't bother me anymore."

Switching topics, Princess Imperial of Fuhui then asked with a smile, "So, what were you doing before I arrived?"

Shen Shaoguang grinned. "Just something fitting for the season—painting a Nine Nine Xiao Han Diagram with the maids."

She had the painting brought out, and Princess Imperial joined in, chatting as they painted together. What did they talk about? Just the usual things—discussing food, commenting on the latest trends in the capital, and letting the conversation flow naturally, not much different from how modern girlfriends might chat.

By the time they finished the diagram, it was noon. The servants set up the dining table, bringing in two pots of milky broth along with various sliced meats, fish balls, vegetables, tofu, and a jar of yellow wine.

Shen Shaoguang smiled and said, "This jar of wine is said to be aged for over a decade. I'm not much of a drinker, so please, Princess Imperial, give it a try."

Princess Imperial of Fuhui, who was indeed fond of wine, laughed and replied, "Let me be the judge, then."

Shen Shaoguang heated the wine, tossing in a few recently made honey-soaked plums. Once it was ready, she personally poured a cup for Princess Imperial of Fuhui.

"This is exquisitely smooth—certainly a fine vintage," Princess Imperial of Fuhui nodded in approval. She then added with a grin, "You've chosen well with the plums. The subtle sweetness and slight tartness make it exceptionally refreshing. I've only ever had plum wine made from green plums before; I didn’t know it could be enjoyed this way."

Shen Shaoguang smiled. "In the summer, it would be even better chilled."

Princess Imperial of Fuhui laughed, "Then I'll come back for the chilled version when Summer Solstice arrives."

The two continued their meal, sipping wine and chatting leisurely.

"I’ve heard that in the south, people brew a special wine when a daughter is born, burying it underground until her wedding day, when it's unearthed for the guests. They call it 'Daughter’s Wine,' or 'Daughter’s Red.' Every year, some of these will be offered as a ceremonial tribute, but I find none of them are as rich and mellow of this," Princess Imperial remarked.

Shen Shaoguang smiled, "I’ve also heard that if it’s a baby boy, the wine is called 'Zhuangyuan[1]Red.'"

Princess Imperial laughed, "They should call it 'Jinshi Wine'—it’s more realistic. How can there be that many Zhuangyuans?"

.

.

.

T/N: Friendly tip to check chapter 36 if you don’t recall what a Nine Nine Xiao Han Diagram is~

—

Footnote:

[1] Zhuangyuan (状元) - top scorer in the palace examination (highest rank of the Imperial examination system); followed by 2nd: bangyan (榜眼), and as we all know, 3rd: tanhua (探花).