Chapter Sixteen: Keeping a Low Profile

"Is Jiulang planning to dig a cellar?"

By the time everyone returned home, night had already fallen. During dinner, Old Eleven brought up Wu Ning's intention to dig a cellar, which instantly displeased Sixth Uncle.

"What use is that? It's not something a peasant family like ours should have."

"Jiulang!" Sixth Uncle felt the need to say more. "I heard from Fifth Uncle that your business has made some money, but even so, that's no way to spend it."

"It's fine to build a house, at least you'll need it when you get married, but as for digging a cellar, I think you'd best forget it."

Wu Ning was prepared for this reaction; after all, the older generation found it hard to understand things they hadn't tried themselves.

So he didn't argue, only smiled and said, "It's the slack season for farming now, so I'll just dig one to try. It won't cost much."

Having said this much, Sixth Uncle could only silently shake his head, convinced Wu Ning was just making trouble.

"You, among all the young men in the valley, are the most restless."

Wu Ning didn't respond, merely grinned sheepishly.

In truth, Wu Ning had been contemplating digging a vegetable cellar for a long time, even before opening the inn, but he'd never had the time or energy to put his plan into action.

...

Fangzhou may be located in Jinghu, but the mountainous climate and the noticeably colder weather of this era meant that winter brought a lengthy period of frost. Not only would the snow fall, but even the rivers would freeze.

This led to a scarcity of ingredients on people's tables during winter and the lean season of early spring. Apart from the core of radishes and dried taro, at best there might be some pickled bamboo shoots or lotus root, but fresh green vegetables were rarely seen.

Wu Ning's family grew vegetables in their fields, so figuring out how to sell them at a good price was something he pondered most.

He couldn't help but wonder why, when the method of storing vegetables in cellars was not complicated in later generations in the North, it wasn't seen in the Tang Dynasty.

He didn't know there were two main reasons for this.

Firstly, there weren't many types of vegetables suitable for cellar storage, and the methods weren't proper. Even in later generations, northern farmers using cellars mainly stored potatoes, radishes, and Chinese cabbage.

But in the Tang Dynasty, potatoes were still in the Americas, radishes didn't require cellars—just a cool place that wouldn't freeze, and they'd keep, though they'd be a bit tough and less juicy.

As for cabbage, which was called "Song vegetable" at the time, the Tang did have it.

But unlike later generations, the heads were much smaller—only about the size of two fists—making them difficult to store.

Secondly, the method of cellar storage wasn't widespread; to put it plainly, digging cellars to store things wasn't common in the Tang Dynasty.

The practice of deeply burying and storing at constant temperatures was only fully utilized after strong liquor became mainstream.

Cellars were first used to store liquor before being adopted more broadly.

However, Tang era liquor had very low alcohol content and was poorly refined, so its shelf life was very short and had no need for cellar storage.

In short, Wu Ning was determined to dig his vegetable cellar.

He'd been too young and insignificant before, and hadn't had the money to experiment, so five years had slipped by with nothing accomplished. Now, finally, he could be considered an adult, and it was time to do what a transmigrator ought to do.

...

After dinner, everyone went their separate ways, agreeing to gather again at dawn the next day.

Wu Li wanted to spend the night at Wu Ning's house, but Fifth Uncle wouldn't allow it, since Wu Qi needed to study at night.

Fourth Uncle sent him back to the valley to help out, but entrusted his studies to Ugly Uncle, who dared not slack off.

He spent quite a while reciting books in Ugly Uncle's room before returning to Wu Ning's place. Thanks to Wu Ning, he could share the oil lamp for a bit of light.

Perhaps Ugly Uncle had assigned homework, for when Wu Qi returned, he didn't play with Wu Ning but instead read under the lamp.

After a while, he looked up and realized Wu Ning was reading too.

"You're reading?"

"Is that not allowed?" Wu Ning replied without looking up.

He was a lazy person, but one thing could be said in his favor: if he promised something, he'd do it, no matter how reluctantly, and never cut corners.

"What are you reading? Do you need me to teach you?"

Wu Ning couldn't be bothered to answer, so he opened the cover and shoved it in Wu Qi's face. "Can you teach this?"

Wu Qi was unsettled now, staring for a long time to confirm the four big words on the cover: "Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals," then glanced at his own "Analects"...

"Seriously, why?"

"Why do I, the young master, only study the 'Analects,' but you get to read the 'Zuo's Chronicle'?"

"Sigh..."

Wu Ning let out a deep sigh, put down his book, and said earnestly, "There's nothing to be done. After all..."

"After all what? Ugly Uncle forced you?"

"After all, there are differences between people!"

"Ugh!" Wu Qi’s face turned green, feeling mocked.

"Stay humble!"

Before he could finish, Wu Ning raised his chin and made a calming gesture, as if to appease him.

"Your Ninth Brother prefers to stay humble—no applause, no screams."

"Curse you!"

Wu Qi was furious and, with a puff, blew out the oil lamp.

"Sleep!"

"I'll show you humility!"

...

——————————

The next day was much the same. Wu Ning rose before dawn to cook, and everyone gathered to eat.

Fifth Uncle, Sixth Uncle, and Third Brother continued working on the beams next door, while the younger ones tore down the house here.

Tiger woke up early this time, was the first to arrive at Wu Ning’s, and spent the day dozing by the soup stall, then bummed another meal before leaving.

...

The following days were much the same. The only thing that bothered Wu Ning was that the news of the house repairs had spread through the valley. Some uncles and brothers, if their own families weren't busy, would occasionally come to help for a day.

Everything was going well, but he couldn't understand: why hadn't Seventh Aunt shown up?

Truth be told, Wu Ning was being a bit masochistic.

That fierce woman was someone everyone tried to avoid, so why hope she'd come?

The key was, with Seventh Aunt's cleverness, how could she not realize this: if there was money to repair the house, surely there was money to repay her rent? By rights, once she thought of this, how could she not come?

Yet she hadn't, which left Wu Ning uneasy. Was she planning some big move?

...

Another ten days passed.

Everyone tore off the roof, took down the beams, and knocked out the back wall to rebuild it. Sixth Uncle’s beams were ready, just waiting for the ceremony to invite the spirits and hang the charms, and to choose an auspicious day to raise the main beam.

Early in the morning, Wu Ning prepared the food as usual; everyone arrived early, but no one took a seat or ate—they all waited until the sun was high.

Finally, two Taoists, one old and one young, entered the courtyard.

Wu Ning saw there were two; the younger one was Meng Cangsheng, who followed behind with bowed head and timid eyes, showing no hint of immortality, obediently trailing the elder.

As for the elder, Wu Ning didn’t greet him; instead, his face dropped as he addressed the old Taoist, whose mouse-like features and shifty eyes betrayed a sly appearance:

"I only invited the elder brother; why did Master Xiao come uninvited?"

"Not so, not so," the old Taoist was unfazed by Wu Ning’s rudeness, still cheerful and calm, waving his hand.

"If I don't come, and you don't go, wouldn’t you just avoid me again?"

Wu Ning rolled his eyes, thinking, "How could I not avoid him? This old Taoist is crazy!"

This sly-faced Taoist was none other than the head of the Immortal's Temple on the mountain, Meng Cangsheng's master and Wu Ning's nominal elder brother.

His common name was Xiao Fan, known as Master Xiao, styling himself "Immortal Taoist."

To be fair, Master Xiao certainly had some real skill, and Wu Ning suspected he was quite capable—otherwise, he wouldn’t have produced such an odd disciple as Meng Cangsheng.

But Wu Ning was thoroughly annoyed by the old Taoist; in short, he was the most worldly of men, even more so than Wu Ning, who was a money-minded transmigrator.

Just look at the name he gave his temple, his face, and...

And his shameless persistence, five years without giving up, determined to take Wu Ning as a disciple—one could see this man was...

Utterly, thoroughly worldly!