Chapter 23: The Culinary Tycoon

One Step Forward

In the evening, after taking a bath, Yu Qingze had his dressings changed by Chang Le.

Every time Chang Le looked at the scars on Yu Qingze’s back, he felt a mix of sadness and gratitude. The three prominent bruises hadn’t faded yet, and they looked quite terrifying with their bluish-purple color. The cut on his left shoulder, which had seemed to heal in the morning, had reopened a bit, probably due to Yu Qingze’s trip to the mountain today.

All these wounds were endured for the sake of saving him. In his 22 years of life, apart from his family, no one had protected him like this.

During his childhood, he faced mostly disdain and mockery. Even though he couldn’t speak and seemed dull, his memory was excellent, and he noticed everything. As he grew up, although things improved somewhat, he could still sense the pity and disdain in people’s eyes, especially in the past few years when matchmakers and relatives tried to arrange marriage proposals for him. He had understood their intentions very clearly.

However, it seemed that Big Brother Yu was different from others. He knew that he couldn’t speak and saw his own ugly scars, but he never showed the slightest sign of disgust or aversion. Instead, he risked his own safety to save him. When he got injured, he didn’t care about his own wounds but immediately checked if he could speak.

Chang Le felt that in Big Brother Yu’s eyes, there was not only pity and regret but also a warm emotion that made him feel cared for, just like how his grandfather, father, and mother looked at him. It was a feeling of tender affection.

Realizing what he was thinking, Chang Le was startled and shook his head. Why did he suddenly think of the term “tender affection”? He and Big Brother Yu had no relationship at all. How could Big Brother Yu feel tender affection for him?

Perhaps it was because Big Brother Yu was just too kind. He not only taught him and his younger brother how to read, but also taught them martial arts. And now, he even shared his ways of making money with them and took them along to earn a living…

How could there be such a good person like Big Brother Yu in this world?

And these scars… they were really annoying!

Chang Le frowned and carefully wetted a towel with warm water, wiping the area around the wound. He was extremely cautious, afraid of touching the wound too forcefully. After all, his strength was much greater than an ordinary person’s.

Yu Qingze sensed Chang Le’s cautiousness and felt a sense of warmth in his heart. He said, “Brother Le, it’s alright. It doesn’t hurt much now, and besides, I have thick skin. You don’t need to exert too much pressure; I doubt that even the mud would come off.”

Chang Le pursed his lips and ignored him, continuing to wipe carefully.

You take care of your wounds, and I’ll take care of mine.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

After cleaning the area around the wound, Chang Le carefully wiped Yu Qingze’s back as well. Due to his injury, Big Brother Yu couldn’t reach his own back when bathing, and he couldn’t wet the wound either, so every day during dressing changes, Chang Le would help him wipe his back.

Yu Qingze had a helpless expression on his face but enjoyed it immensely in his heart. How could Brother Le be so considerate and gentle? It made him feel ticklish…

After changing the dressing, Chang Brother Lestured to Yu Qingze with a serious expression. After spending this period of time together, Yu Qingze could understand some of Chang Le’s simpBrother Lestures, but he still couldn’t guess the meaning behind more complex ones.

At this moment, Chang Hao had finished bathing and come over. Yu Qingze quickly called him to translate.

Chang Hao looked at the gestures and said, “My brother says your wound reopened today and wants you to rest well tomorrow. He doesn’t want you to run around anymore, especially not to go to the mountain.”

Yu Qingze nodded, understanding that Brother Le didn’t want him to go to the mountain. He said, “It’s alright, Brother Le. I feel much better. I want you to take me to pick some silver ear mushrooms tomorrow so we can dry them.”

Chang Le shook his head with a serious expression, refusing. He also had the principle of not waiting for Yu Qingze to speak again, so he turned around with the basin in his hands.

Using his back to express his refusal!

Chang Hao chuckled and said, “My brother won’t take you there, Big Brother Yu. You should stay at home tomorrow and focus on recovering.”

Yu Qingze: … Sometimes he has a bit of a temper. Cute.

After a while, Yu Qingze said to Chang Hao, “Xiao Hao, teach me sign language. It’s inconvenient when you and Grandpa are not around, and I don’t know what your brother is saying.”

Chang Hao’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. “You want to learn? Alright, alright, I’ll teach you.”

With that, Chang Hao began explaining to Yu Qingze what each gesture meant and how to express different meanings…

When Chang Le approached with the medicine and saw his younger brother teaching Yu Qingze sign language, he froze in place.

In the dim lighting, two males, one big and one small, one gesturing earnestly and the other watching intently, with occasional laughter.

Big Brother Yu was actually learning sign language from Xiao Hao? Was it so he could understand his gestures?

Chang Le’s heart warmed, feeling a sense of warmth and touched by the scene before him.

Perhaps in the future, he could communicate with Big Brother Yu without barriers? Just like with Grandpa and Xiao Hao?

He couldn’t help but smile slightly, feeling a sense of anticipation in his heart.

Chang Le didn’t know why he was so happy, but his heart felt like it was filled with honey, sweet and warm.

The next day, as expected, Chang Le didn’t take Yu Qingze to the mountain. Instead, he went alone and brought back a large amount of silver ear mushrooms.

Helpless, Yu Qingze couldn’t exert too much force with his arm or knead dough, so he simply went to the village chief’s house to see how their rice beds were doing.

The village chief’s house was busy, with four men and the village chief’s son working diligently in the old house. When Yu Qingze entered, nobody even noticed his arrival.

It wasn’t until Dajian stood up to get a tool that he noticed him.

They have already made more than thirty rice beds by now, and once they became familiar with the process, they assigned specific individuals to handle certain components, working together in a division of labor. This increased their speed significantly compared to before.

Upon inspecting their finished products, Yu Qingze was pleased with the results. Seeing how busy they were, he didn’t want to disturb them any further and quietly slipped back home.

After another two days, Yu Qingze’s injuries had improved considerably. He spent a day searching for the ingredients that were damaged during the fight and replaced them. He also bought two cans of sweet syrup, and the wooden basin and sunshade he had previously ordered had arrived as well.

Yu Qingze also went ahead and paid a month’s rent in advance to the official in charge of managing the stalls on North Street, securing their previous spot for a long-term lease. This way, even if they arrived a bit later, they wouldn’t have to worry about someone taking their place.

Their food business usually didn’t get busy until late morning, so it didn’t matter if they opened a bit later. This allowed them to prepare the jelly noodles in advance at home, saving time and preventing others from discovering their recipe.

As for the “Immortal Tofu,” they could prepare it the night before and let it soak in water. The longer the tofu soaked, the better the taste, so there was no need to worry about it.

With everything ready, they were prepared to reopen their stall.

That evening, Yu Qingze called Grandpa Chang, Chang Le, and Chang Hao to sit together at the table. He said to them, “Grandpa, Brother Le, Xiao Hao, I want to discuss something with you.”

Grandpa Chang responded, “Go ahead.”

Yu Qingze asked earnestly, “Would you like to partner with me and open a food stall together?”

“What?” All three of them stared at him in surprise.

Yu Qingze repeated, “Open a food stall with me, where we share the costs and profits equally. What do you think?”

The three of them looked at each other, thinking that Yu Qingze’s injury might not have fully healed, and he wasn’t thinking clearly.

Why would they need to partner up for such a profitable food stall? They would just be giving away half of their earnings to him for no reason.

After a moment of silence, Grandpa Chang finally spoke, “Aze, you are very capable, and the food stall is already quite profitable. With your skills, you can certainly earn even more. We stumbled upon selling pickled beans and radishes unexpectedly, and we are already content. Moreover, you pay wages to Xiao Le and Xiao Hao. That is already enough. Do you understand?”

Yu Qingze’s eyes flickered slightly. He had anticipated that Grandpa Chang and the others would refuse, but he didn’t expect their reason to be like this. He thought they might hesitate due to the high risks or capital involved, but it turned out they didn’t want to take advantage of him.

Their simplicity and sincerity made him feel ashamed.

Collecting himself, Yu Qingze said, “Grandpa, I proposed this idea after careful consideration. According to my plan, the food stall will eventually become a small restaurant. Once the restaurant earns enough money, I will open a high-class restaurant, the best in Tongshan City, and even expand to Yunchou and eventually to the capital.”

Upon hearing his plan, the three of them were dumbfounded. This was such a grand dream.

Indeed, they thought of it as a dream, something they could only dare to imagine and achieve in their dreams.

Seeing their expressions, Yu Qingze smiled and continued, “Grandpa, Brother Le, Xiao Hao, do you think it’s impossible?”

The three of them realized and shook their heads simultaneously, not daring to think about it.

Yu Qingze couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Well, now you can think about it because I hope to have your involvement in this plan.”

The three of them were stunned, their faces even more bewildered. Grandpa Chang, as the backbone of the family, could only ask hesitantly, “Why?”

Yu Qingze earnestly replied, “Just as you have thought, realizing this plan will undoubtedly be challenging. I have the skills and can do it on my own, but Grandpa Chang, Brother Le, think about it. When the snack stall becomes a small restaurant, maybe I can hire a few assistants and still manage it on my own. But when the second snack shop, the third snack shop, and finally my own restaurant open, even if I have three heads and six arms, I won’t be able to handle it alone.”

Upon hearing this, the three of them imagined the scenario and nodded, realizing that it would indeed be overwhelming.

Seeing them getting into the situation, Yu Qingze continued, “At this point, I will need people to help me manage. And in this world, the people I trust the most are the three of you.”

The three of them responded with an “Oh” to show their understanding.

Grandpa Chang said, “You can also hire people, like many shops have store managers who are employed by the owner and receive a monthly salary.”

Grandpa Chang had a lot of experience after all, and he couldn’t be easily fooled. Yu Qingze smiled and said, “But running our own family business requires more dedication, wouldn’t you agree?”

Grandpa Chang nodded, “That’s true.”

Yu Qingze continued persuading, “That’s why I hope we can become partners. And don’t worry, you don’t have to think too far ahead for now. The snack stall will definitely make money, and if you decide not to be partners later on, we can separate without any issues.”

“But isn’t that taking advantage of you?” Grandpa Chang was still hesitant.

Yu Qingze laughed and said, unconcerned, “Human resources and materials are also a kind of cost. I have the skills, but if I can’t find suitable people, I can’t expand the business either.” The matter of finding suitable people was purely a trick.

Grandpa Chang frowned, looking at Brother Le and Xiao Hao, torn inside. He simply asked the two grandchildren, “What do you think?”

Brother Le spoke first, saying, “I believe Brother Yu will definitely make money.”

The little fan believed in his idol unconditionally.

Grandpa Chang stared at him and said, “I didn’t say he couldn’t make money! I’m asking if you’re willing to partner with him!”

Chang Hao smiled and nodded, “Yes, I’m willing. I want to make money.”

Grandpa Chang then turned to Chang Le and asked, “Xiao Le, what do you think?”

Chang Le looked at his grandfather, then at Yu Qingze, and after some thought, made a few hand gestures.

Grandpa Chang looked at him, nodded, and said, “Makes sense.”

Yu Qingze: …I haven’t finished learning sign language yet, didn’t quite understand.

Grandpa Chang said, “Aze, Xiao Le says that even if we partner, the money earned shouldn’t be evenly divided. You get 80%, and we get 20%, that’s fair.”

Yu Qingze furrowed his brow, “That ratio isn’t good, yours is too low.”

Grandpa Chang replied, “Where is it too low? We are only two people and don’t know anything.”

After some negotiation between Yu Qingze and Grandpa Chang, they finally agreed on a 70-30 split.

In the end, Yu Qingze didn’t worry too much anymore. If he worked hard and managed to marry Brother Le and become a family, it didn’t matter how they split the profits.

The “Husband and Wife Stall” plan took another step forward!

Having discussed their plans, they opened the stall the next day.

As they had anticipated, the sweet and refreshing jelly and savory immortal tofu were well received by the customers. In fact, immortal tofu was a type of jelly, which was also called just jelly in many places.

The cool and refreshing texture of both sweet and savory jelly sparked a craze once again in Tongshan City, just as they had expected.

Mi Ge’er happily rushed into the Cai residence and informed Old Master Cai, “The food stall is open! They’re selling jelly!”

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thingyan (Translator-in-chief): Finally the stall is reopen with a new vengeance. Good luck trying to copy two more dishes, stupid Boss Wang *smirk *smirk *smirk