"The young lady here can warm a pot of good wine for you three gentlemen and prepare two side dishes. While you eat and drink, Miss Qin will sing for you. If you find her singing to your liking, you can give her a little extra. If not, just pay for the wine when you leave—it won’t cost much."
During the conversation, a savory crepe had already been eaten. The Coachman said to the vendor, "Make another one."
The vendor thanked him repeatedly, coated the pan with a brush, cracked an egg over it, and sprinkled some green onions before asking, "Do you want it crispy or with a youtiao?"
"Bring on the youtiao."
Once the crepe was rolled up, the vendor added a word of caution, "Miss Qin relies on her voice to attract business; she’s not involved in any illicit activities, so you gentlemen should watch your words."
The Coachman nodded continuously. After gobbling down another crepe, he said, "Make another one."
Li Banfeng laughed. "Didn’t you eat breakfast before you came out?"
While eating, the Coachman mumbled, "Delicious, this is just too delicious."
After eating three savory crepes, the Coachman still wanted more. Li Banfeng said to him, "We’ll go ahead to Miss Xiao Qin’s place to order some dishes. You can keep eating here at your leisure."
The Coachman nodded. "Go ahead, you guys first!"
After the two left, the crepe vendor wiped his hands with his apron and asked the Coachman, "Have you had enough to eat?"
The Coachman wiped his mouth. Looking at the crepe vendor, he said, "Your apron is pretty long; it’s dragging on the ground."
The crepe vendor lifted his apron. "It’s clean, hasn’t touched the ground."
The Coachman said, "Make me another one."
The vendor quickly scooped some batter. The Coachman lowered his voice. "Friend, this territory is mine. Once you finish making this crepe, it’s time for you to leave."
The vendor was taken aback. "I’ve been setting up my stall here for many years."
The Coachman took out a hand-rolled cigarette, tapped it twice, and put it in his mouth. "It doesn’t matter how many years you’ve been here; this territory has an owner now. I have the Contract Book here. Don’t you know the rules?"
"These rules you’re talking about, I really don’t quite understand them," said the vendor.
While the Coachman and the crepe vendor continued their talk, Ma Wu had already entered Miss Qin’s yard.
"Miss Qin, pour some wine."
Miss Qin came out from her room, wearing a purple floral cotton-padded jacket and her hair in twin braids. She might not have been a top-tier beauty, but she was certainly a pretty, girl-next-door type.
"Guest Master, how much wine do you want?"
Ma Wu said, "Start with half a jin to taste, and make two side dishes."
The young woman locked eyes with Ma Wu for a moment, then smiled sweetly and went back to the kitchen to cook.
Li Banfeng didn’t go to Miss Xiao Qin’s courtyard; he went to Hu Man Chun’s small building. Hu Man Chun greeted him at the door with a beaming smile. "Boss Li, are you here to buy coal again this time?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "I want to buy coal, and I’d also like to buy two carts of loess."
Loess referred to the special yellow clay from Loess Bridge.
"Loess is no problem; we have plenty of that. But the earth also varies in quality. Please wait while I fetch a sample for you."
Hu Man Chun went to get a soil sample while Li Banfeng readied himself for action.
In Miss Qin’s courtyard, the wine and dishes were all served, but Ma Wu didn’t touch his chopsticks, his eyes fixed on the young woman.
Blushing, Miss Qin said, "I’ll go fetch my pipa and sing a song for you, Guest Master."
Ma Wu shook his head. "No rush to sing. Keep me company and chat for a while first."
The young woman bit her lip. "Guest Master, I don’t do that kind of business."
Ma Wu smiled. "You’re a respectable young woman, I can tell. I just want someone to talk to."
The young woman looked up at Ma Wu, a bloodshot trace appearing in her eyes.
Ma Wu poured a cup of wine and brought it to her lips, "Would you drink with me?"
Everything was ready for drinking and eating on Ma Wu’s side, yet Hu Man Chun had still not brought the soil sample.
Li Banfeng didn’t wait any longer. He bypassed the screen from the parlor and went to the back hall, only to find no one there.
He went up the stairs, but the second and third floors were also empty.
Li Banfeng didn’t concern himself with Hu Man Chun’s whereabouts and immediately went to Song Shilong’s home, barging right into the house.
There was nobody home at Song Shilong’s either.
The Coachman was still talking with the crepe vendor, who had dropped all pretenses and said plainly, "Sir, with your skills, plus this cart, where can you not earn cultivation level? Why fight over this worthless piece of territory?"
The Coachman frowned. "How can you call this fighting? This place is rightfully mine; my Contract Book is buried right here."
The crepe vendor laughed. "Dig up your Contract Book, keep a piece of it in your cart. Your level won’t drop, and you can cultivate anywhere else."
The Coachman paused for a moment, then laughed. "Sure, you know all about me. I won’t lose any cultivation level, but why should I dig up the Contract Book?"
The crepe vendor neatly placed the spatula on the rack, extinguished the fire, packed up the batter, and, with the meticulousness of someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder, tidied up the stove area once more, smiling at the Coachman: