Chapter 83: Mo Cha Fen

Chapter 83

Mo Cha Fen

Nie Shuang felt as though she had just fallen asleep, yet it was already morning.

She didn’t feel cold at all because her slender body was pressed against the firm, hot skin of someone else who was holding her close. Nie Shuang shifted her body, feeling the fatigue deep in her bones, as if they had been ground into dust. Song Qilin, her towering, strong husband, had such energy—she had no idea how she survived his intensity the previous night.

Exhausted and unable to move, Nie Shuang had to eat breakfast in bed. Xiao San hurriedly brought a tray of food, placed it on the bed, and quickly left. The Young Furen, her long hair cascading down, wore only a white undergarment, looking effortlessly alluring just sitting on the bed. Meanwhile, the culprit was all smiles as he fed her, acting as if her current state had nothing to do with him. Nie Shuang groaned as she tried to get out of bed.

"Shuang Shuang, if you need something, just tell me. Why get up when you can’t even walk?"

She glared at him.

"I need to use the bathroom. Will I be relieved if I tell you that?"

She spoke with the tone of someone exasperated, but he didn’t get upset in the least. Instead, he picked her up and carried her to the bathroom as if she weighed nothing. After she finished, he carried her back to bed. Seeing the gleeful expression on his face, Nie Shuang pinched his arm in irritation.

“Hmph! You still don’t know when to stop, do you? Are you trying to kill me?”

“Well, how can I control myself when my wife is this beautiful? Besides, you didn’t complain at the time—only now afterward.”

He teased her, making Nie Shuang blush and slap his arm.

“What did you say!? I told you then, but you didn’t listen. You just kept saying you couldn’t help it, barging in like a madman. I’m still sore.”

Song Qilin nuzzled his cheek against hers, coaxing her softly.

“I’m sorry, but you were holding me so tight, and with the way you were moaning my name, how could I possibly stop...”

He whispered into her ear, making his beautiful wife’s cheeks flush even more. The more he looked, the deeper he fell in love with her, so he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

When she glared at him, he gave her a flattering smile.

“How about tonight, I’ll follow your lead and not be so demanding...?”

There would still be tonight?! Nie Shuang gave him a sharp glare.

“I’m going to rest. You’ve been traveling so far for so long; you should take a break tonight too.”

The bathwater was brought in at just the right time. Nie Shuang soaked in the warm water, enjoying a moment of peace in the bathroom. When her tall husband peeked in, she splashed water at him and shooed him out to wait outside. After her bath, she found the children had been brought in to play. Bao Bao was riding on his father’s back, gripping his hair like reins, with Xiao Tong nearby to keep an eye on things. Bei Bei and Xiao Hua Hua crawled along, noisily complaining as if they wanted a turn to ride too. The General crawled around the room with Bao Bao laughing on his back. After completing a lap, Song Qilin turned to Bao Bao and said,

"Da Ge, let the younger ones play too. Bei Bei and Xiao Hua Hua haven’t had their turn to ride the horse yet."

Xiao Tong came to pick up Bao Bao, but Bao Bao clung tightly to his father’s hair, making a fuss.

"Bao Bao,"

Upon hearing his mother’s voice, Bao Bao immediately calmed down. He slid off his father’s back by himself and quickly crawled over to his mother.

Nie Shuang had already dressed, though her hair was still slightly damp. She sat down beside her son. Bei Bei and Xiao Hua Hua, who had been whining to ride on their father’s back, suddenly turned away from him and crawled back to their mother instead.

"Oh? Bei Bei, Xiao Hua Hua, even you two don’t want to play with father anymore?"

Song Qilin pretended to pout, prompting laughter from Nie Shuang and the maids in the room. Lately, the General had been in much better spirits, and even Xiao San and Xiao Tong were no longer afraid of him. After letting the children cuddle with her to their heart’s content, Nie Shuang moved everyone to the children’s playroom. Today, she had a meeting planned with Da Shi and Wang Dongpo to discuss the upcoming Dongzhi Festival[1], which fell on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Families usually celebrate by offering tangyuan, or sweet glutinous rice balls, as a symbol of good fortune. It was also a time when families gathered to celebrate together, making it a great opportunity to introduce new products.

Earlier, she had asked Jiang Ru to grind some green tea leaves into a powder, which she called Mo Cha Fen, or matcha powder. It could be used for drinks or as an ingredient in various treats. For the Dongzhi Festival, Nie Shuang planned to use Mo Cha Fen to make matcha-flavored tangyuan. She had tasked the chef of Xiangyun Tea House to experiment with making tangyuan by incorporating the matcha powder into the dough. Traditionally, tangyuan were either white or red, simple glutinous rice balls boiled in syrup, but Nie Shuang requested tangyuan filled with red bean paste and black sesame. She also asked for the syrup to be made with ginger. Today, Wang Dongpo brought samples for her to try.

Nie Shuang scooped up a green dumpling and took a bite. The first bowl contained red bean filling. As soon as she bit into it, the sweet and fragrant red bean flavor filled her mouth, followed by the spicy kick of ginger syrup. The green tea aroma lingered on her tongue, making the treat especially comforting in the cold weather. Seeing Song Qilin playing nearby with the children, she called him over to try it. Song Qilin had never seen tangyuan this large before, so he looked at it curiously. But since Nie Shuang was feeding him, he willingly took a bite. Expecting the dumpling to be bland and mushy, he was surprised by the harmonious blend of sweetness and spiciness. Even though he wasn’t a fan of sweets, he found it delicious.

"Green tangyuan? I’ve never seen this before, but it tastes excellent,"

Song Qilin complimented, making Nie Shuang feel satisfied. She then offered him a black sesame-filled tangyuan to try.

The General chewed happily and continued to shower his wife with praises.

"Delicious...it’s really delicious. I’m sure these will sell incredibly well."

Nie Shuang squinted her eyes and smiled at him as a reward. Just thinking about the large profit they were going to make filled her with joy. That smile made Song Qilin gaze at her dreamily; even though they saw each other every day, he still couldn’t help but fall in love all over again. But Nie Shuang paid him no attention and turned back to discuss business.

"I’ve already sent invitations to the various shops that attended our previous product launches. But upon hearing about the event, many officials have expressed interest in attending. Should I send them invitations as well, Lady Boss?"

Wang Dongpo inquired as the status of Xiangyun Tea House had shifted. It was no longer just popular among scholars and merchants—now, officials were frequenting the place, eager to be seen as learned and respectable. After all, constantly visiting taverns or brothels didn’t exactly inspire confidence.

Nie Shuang nodded and said,

"Yes, send them invitations, but seat them on the second floor. The shop owners were our first supporters. They are the reason Xiangyun Tea House has grown to its current stature, so we must welcome them in the main hall."

Wang Dongpo acknowledged her instructions, and Da Shi proceeded to report the number of goods produced and ready for sale. He also provided sales figures for the crews that transported tea to the branch stores in other cities. With the New Year approaching, the transport crews were starting to return, and most of the goods had already been sold out, despite Nie Shuang doubling the usual stock for the holiday season. She reviewed the figures with satisfaction and sincerely praised both of them.

"You both have worked hard for Xiangyun Tea House, and I’ve seen your dedication. As a token of appreciation, this year’s profits will be divided—each of you will receive one share."

Both Da Shi and Wang Dongpo were visibly shocked. They were well aware of Xiangyun’s sales and knew how substantial that share would be. They immediately shook their heads.

"I couldn’t possibly accept that. The salary you provide is already more than enough for a comfortable life, not to mention the annual red envelopes. This is more than Da Shi can repay."

"Lady Boss, you took the risk to come up with a plan to rescue Young Miss Mu and Chunmei. I haven’t even done anything to repay you for that. I, Wang Dongpo, don’t need a share of the profits."

Nie Shuang chuckled at their reactions and said,

"Da Shi, Wang Dongpo, sharing the profits with you is only fair. Without the two of you, Xiangyun Tea House wouldn’t have reached this point. I certainly couldn’t have done it alone. So take it, and think carefully about how to invest it. This way, you and your families will never have to struggle in the future."

Both men were nearly in tears. They had never encountered someone as generous as their Lady Boss. They knew how smart she was—she could spot accounting errors with just a quick glance—and she had high expectations. If their work wasn’t up to her standards, she would point out the flaws and where improvements were needed. They constantly pushed themselves to improve, not wanting to disappoint her. Though the work was exhausting at times, it was clear now that the rewards were more than worth it.

"You two have worked much harder than I have. You have to oversee so many subordinates, and managing people is no easy task, by now, you both fully understand that."

Both Da Shi and Wang Dongpo nodded in agreement. They discussed a few more details before excusing themselves. Just as they were about to leave, Da Shi seemed to remember something and spoke up.

"Lady Boss, it looks like the mansion next door has been vacated."

Nie Shuang raised her eyebrows in surprise. She had been so busy lately that she hadn’t paid attention to such things. Come to think of it, each mansion had a vast area, so it wasn’t common for neighbors to run into each other or have much time to notice such matters.

"Thanks, Da Shi. I’ll have A’Yi look into it."With that, her two trusted aides left to prepare for the upcoming product launch.

[1] The Dongzhi Festival or Winter Solstice Festival is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated during the Dongzhi solar term (winter solstice), which falls between December 21 and December 23.