It was on the border of the western tribes.

Time flew by. Before they realized that, it had been one month since Leng Qingtang and Gu Yunxi moved from Ping Mount to the rental house on the business street.

On the day, Lu Qiange escorted them into the house and left a carriage. Then he left there and hadn't visited them for a long time.

After going through the two matters of Autumn Hunting Convention and meeting the witch, they were in a subtle relationship.

Without chatting, something could also be understood in mind.

They began to realize that the fact of moderately keeping distance and leaving an independent room for each other was of great necessity.

Now a new year was coming. On the business street, all were ornamented with lights and ribbons, being in a happy atmosphere.

Within a month, Leng Qingtang and Yunxi had visited the whole border area. The main streets, lanes, stands, and markets had all been stepped and visited by them.

Being a couple and never apart from each other, they enjoyed a sweet and happy life after the marriage at ease and comfort.

Except for the ten spicy flavors, Gu Yunxi particularly made some other delicious desserts.

For example, she peeled and mashed the steamed taro, and then mixed them with rice flour and rubbed. With flexible fingers, she rubbed and shaped them into a bowl. When the "bowl" was boiled up in the heated water, Gu Yunxi soaked it with the syrup made by melting brown sugar and yellow sugar. Then she heated some oil in the iron pot, putting minced beef, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and stripes of fried eggs into the boiled oil and stewed them. At last, she stuffed them into the taro-made bowls soaked in syrup. Then the delicious food "Sweet Pastry" was finished.

While tasting, people could add some pieces of peanuts and plums. When the pastry became cold, it could also be repeatedly steamed and then eaten.

Besides, Gu Yunxi could mix sweet orange segments, dried sour apricots, red dates, and powders of almonds together. When she watered them with honey, the food "Wonderful Fruits" was made.

And she could also clean some dried lotus seeds, soaking and softening them. After being stewed in the boiling water for a while, she put them into the cold water. When they were dried up, Gu Yunxi added some corn flour and mixed them up. Then they were put into the warm oil and fried until golden color. At last, she soaked them with syrup and strained them out, covering them with white powders of sugar. It was the "Sweet Lotus Seeds" which was both bitter and a little sweet.

Moreover, there was another food called "Yam Cream". After steaming some yams and peeling them, Gu Yunxi mashed them and added some honey and rice flour. Then she rubbed them into a ball and divided it into pieces in the shape of an egg. Each of them was stuffed with bean-paste filling and rubbed into beads. After putting them into the pastry module with blessing patterns, she shaped them into a concrete figure.

It was at the expired date. The couple of Gu Yunxi and Leng Qingtang took a carriage and got out, leaving for Dongzhou Restaurant to deliver the ten spicy flavors in another half a month's supply.

Gu Yunxi took some desserts made by herself as the new year's gifts, in order to express her appreciation to Manager Xie.

In the border areas, there was a cluster of resident people from Central Plains. However, the lifestyle, diets and accommodation were mostly influenced by the people of the western tribes.

Despite the affluent materials, a few people were being able to make some great desserts of Central Plains.

By the appointed time, Leng Qingtang and Gu Yunxi arrived at the restaurant. Then they got into the yard from the door of the kitchen.

The chief cook greeted them. After unloading the flavors, he ordered servants to make a calculation. Then he sent for Manager Jiao in person.

"Oh! Sir, madam, you are so honest! Every delivery is on time!"

After a while, Manager Jiao led some servants to greet them.

He wore a green gown embroidered with dark bats patterns, with a dark-brown and cotton-padded sleeveless over-dress as the coat. The collar and shoulders were ornamented with the thick and dark fox's fur, which looked luxurious and warm. Even the beady knots in the front of the garment were tied delicately and closely.

"Manager, how are you?"

Leng Qingtang smiled and made a fist-and-palm salute.

"All are fine, ha-ha. Respected guests, please go to the private room."

Manager Jiao gestured and led them from the rear hall into the private room in the restaurant.

While delivering the balance payment, Manager Jiao especially took the extra bank notes of five thousand taels of silver. He smiled and said, "Sir, a new year is coming! At that time, we usually serve the most numerous guests! I consider, the next time when you and Madam come here, could you directly deliver 1500 flavors? If so, we can deal with the business on those days before and after New Year's Day."

"It..."

Leng Qingtang looked a little hesitating.

It was not because he didn't like the fortune. He didn't hope for making so numerous flavors on time, because his wife would be exhausted.

Seeing Leng Qingtang doesn't reply long, Gu Yunxi smiled and slightly moved. She stepped up and took the thick bank notes from Manager Jiao.

She slightly raised her eyebrows and eyelashes, casually smiling and immediately patting her breast. Gu Yunxi said, "It is a piece of cake! Just 1500 flavors! Seven days later, we will deliver them all."

"Great! How resolute!"

As Manager Jiao's eyes brightened, he gave a thumb to Gu Yunxi. Then they went out. Before getting on the carriage, Gu Yunxi turned around and told Manager Jiao, "Manager, I have just taken four kinds of desserts made by myself. They are the new year's gifts for you. I will ask no return, in order that you and your servants can taste them as ease."

"OK. So, I thank you so much, madam."

Seeing the carriage becoming far away from here, Manager Jiao's dark eyes turned twice. He lifted his gown and quickly ran to the rear hall, ordering loudly, “Servants, be quick to present the desserts brought by Madam Hua."

Two servants ran and came here, with two food boxes held in their hands.

As they put the boxes on the table and uncovered the lids, all kinds of sweet fragrances occurred and flooded into their noses.

The four kinds of desserts were individually put on four porcelain plates. Those plates were in white, yellow, red and green color and looked bright. The collocation was adequate and the appearance was attractive.

Manager Jiao immediately kept his eyes round, as the dark-brown pupils seemed to be two copper coins.

He took one Sweet Pastry and quickly swallowed it. Still memorizing this taste, he wiped his lips and slowly asked, "Has Madam Hua told you the name of those desserts?"

One servant was desired for it. He licked his lips, in a raspberry, reaching fingers and gesturing, "Just now, what you have eaten was called 'Sweet Pastry', that white pastry was 'Yam Cream', and this is 'Sweet Lotus Seeds'. And that is called 'Wonderful Fruits'."

"Um, that madam is somewhat excellent indeed. She is not only skillful and good at doing businesses, but also understands how to go along with others..."

Manager Jiao smiled and nodded, glancing at the table and gesturing, "You two, take those plates of desserts to the front hall and retail them. You just say those are the imperial desserts from the Palace. Each plate of the two kinds of desserts can be sold at the price of 20 taels of silver. As for the Sweet Pastry and Sweet Lotus Seeds, each plate of which can be asked for 10 taels of silver."

"What?" Servants were astonished and raised their necks, "But Madam Hua has said, you can share them with us..."

Manager Jiao immediately turned to be serious, "Now that I let you do it, you just do it! Otherwise, I will reduce your salary!"

...

When Gu Yunxi finished counting a dozen of bank notes, she appeared to be so happy in the carriage.

Leng Qingtang sat on the shaft and helplessly shook his head, sighing, "Ah, my darling, you become more and more greedy for money. The bank notes have been counted by you several times! But you still count them!"

"Huh," Gu Yunxi raised her light eyebrows and proudly held her hands up, with the bank notes being shaken and splattered, "A gentleman loves money, but he takes it in a right way. Although I love money, I am not randy."

Hearing that, Leng Qingtang couldn't help laughing. He smiled and said, "Randy? Do you dare? If you dare see some other men except me, I will punish you to death!"

He said the word "death", but he would never let her die. It was just another meaning that only Leng Qingtang and Gu Yunxi could understand.

Immediately, Gu Yunxi blushed her cheeks. After putting the bank notes away and carefully stepping on the shaft, she embraced him from the back. Then she kissed his earlobes, happily and slightly saying, "My darling..."

Leng Qingtang turned around and saw a blushed face as delicate as a mature apple. He couldn't help biting it, which could be a reward for her flattery.

In contrast to the Central Plain, people in the western tribes were generally open and bold. Therefore, such behavior of expressing love to each other in public as them would never catch some strange eyes.

But at that time, a wave of coldness flooded into Leng Qingtang's back. His face suddenly became pale, and he just found something strange.

"My darling..."

He slightly pushed Gu Yunxi away, alertly looking around and observing the surroundings.

"My darling, what's wrong?"

Gu Yunxi was astonished by Leng Qingtang's frowning expression which was serious as deep as the water. Instantly, she stopped smiling and nervously asked.

In sharp eyes, Leng Qingtang looked around. Those people who passed on the side of the carriage, striding, wondering, taking buckets or shouting in the street, all behaved normally.

His serious face turned to be relaxed. Then Leng Qingtang softly smiled and patted Gu Yunxi's back of her hand, laughing and comforting, "It's all right. Now that it is cold, you just sit in the carriage. Let's go back home earlier."

"Oh, it's fine..."

Gu Yunxi pouted, going back in the carriage unhappily and slowly.

As Leng Qingtang lashed, the horse stamped hooves and ran quickly.

Along the way, the carriage shook. Leng Qingtang said nothing, being serious and quietly thinking, "How strange! Just now, the sense of coldness seemed to be real, which has not befallen me long.

It seems that I am tracked by someone, which is depressed everywhere. How is it going..."