The following morning, Li Wei awoke with a plan. Survival in this new world, as Shen Xiu, required more than just cooking for one farmer; it required capital.
She found Guo Fucheng already outside, harnessing the water buffalo for the morning's work in the fields. The early sun cast a golden light on his strong profile. He looked less like a figure of dread and more like a statue carved from the local stone dependable and solid.
"Fucheng," she called out, already changed out of the fine, useless red wedding robes and into a simpler, faded cotton tunic and trousers she'd found in the bedroom chest.
He paused, turning to face her. "Xiu'er. Did you sleep well?"
"Well enough. I need to go to the market today. I need fresh ingredients, a better measure of salt, and a large bottle of high-quality vinegar."
He frowned slightly, looking concerned. "The market is a long walk, and the money is tight. I will buy what you need after I finish the planting."
Li Wei crossed her arms a habit from her previous life that made her look formidable despite her slight frame. "No. You have farm work that cannot wait. And I need to see the market for myself. I need to understand the supply, the demand, and the prices. I cannot plan our finances by relying on your memory."
Fucheng held her gaze for a long moment, then slowly nodded. He didn't argue. "Very well. I will take you part of the way, and I will be back at the market square at the noon gong to walk you home. You must not walk alone when the sun begins to set. You have enough dried food for two coin-purchases, no more."
He fetched a small, woven basket for her and tucked two coppers— heavy, precious things deep into her apron pocket. Li Wei felt a pang of guilt for taking his hard-earned money, a feeling she hadn't anticipated.
A Scholar's Investment
The market was a riot of noise and color, a sensory feast Li Wei's culinary mind immediately processed. The air was thick with the scent of spices, livestock, fermented vegetables, and burning wood. Farmers yelled their prices, children darted between stalls, and the noise of bartering was a constant clamor.
Li Wei moved through the crowd with purpose, Shen Xiu's delicate appearance belying the sharp intelligence in her eyes. She purchased the essential seasonings she needed, then focused on her true goal: finding a niche.
Most of the cooked food stalls sold gruel, steamed buns, or simple fried dough. There was nothing special. Li Wei's extensive knowledge of ancient Daxia cuisine gave her an advantage no one here possessed. She noticed a woman selling small bundles of fresh, wild herbs.
"How much for the knotweed and the wild garlic chives?" Li Wei asked.
The herb woman eyed her fancy clothes. "Two coppers for the lot, scholarly wife. They are very potent."
Li Wei bartered her down to one copper and walked away satisfied. She had a new idea. Back at Fucheng's home, she had seen plenty of wild game traps and signs of good foraging in the nearby woods. She just needed a better tool.
She stopped at a small woodcutter's stall. "I need two very specific things," she told the artisan. "A small, sturdy cutting board made of light pine, and a very large, clean stone mortar and pestle. Do you have either?"
The artisan squinted at her. "Mortar and pestle? I have the rough ones for grinding grain. But you want one for spices, I think? I saw a good, smooth granite one being sold at the back of the square earlier. Old family piece."
Li Wei thanked him and quickly located the stall. The granite mortar was exactly what she needed heavy, clean, and perfect for grinding delicate spice mixtures. It was the last of her money, but it was an investment.
As the noon gong echoed across the square, Li Wei returned to the central gathering spot. Her basket held a few basic ingredients and the heavy, smooth mortar.
"Xiu'er." Fucheng was there, exactly as he promised, his broad figure easily visible above the crowd. He looked cleaner now, having clearly washed his face and hands before coming back.
He immediately took the heavy mortar from her, his brow furrowed. "This is heavy. And you spent all our coppers on a rock?"
Li Wei smiled, a small, genuine curve of her lips that felt strange and new on her face. "It is not a rock, Fucheng. It is the beginning of a business. I bought the essential tool for flavor."
"Flavor?" he asked, walking with long, steady strides, easily carrying the weight.
"Yes. I saw the food stalls. They are functional, but bland. We have good wild game and vegetables here. If I can create a unique, dried spice blend a rub for roasting meat, or a fragrant, oil-based dipping sauce
we can sell it to the stall owners, or perhaps even sell the roasted food ourselves."
She looked up at him, her eyes bright with the excitement of a true scholar embarking on a new project. "No one here has the knowledge of preserved Daxia spices like I do. I know the old recipes, the perfect ratios.
This mortar is the key to grinding them to the finest powder, unlocking the true aroma."
Fucheng looked down at her, not with confusion or annoyance, but with a quiet pride that warmed her to the core.
"A spice blend," he repeated thoughtfully. "You are very clever, Xiu'er. What do you need next?"
Li Wei's mind was already racing, calculating ratios of Sichuan pepper, star anise, fennel, and cassia bark. "I need small muslin bags, and I need the herbs from the hill. Tomorrow, you will take me foraging."
They walked on, leaving the market behind. The path was quiet, shaded by ancient trees. Li Wei was acutely aware of the farmer's steady presence beside her, the easy rhythm of his steps.
For the first time since transmigrating, she didn't feel alone or lost. She felt like a partner, building something from the ground up, with a man who simply trusted her intelligence without question.