Ch 44: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER ON EMPTY STOMACH!!!

On the opening day, friends and relatives of the two bosses coincidentally sent congratulatory gifts.

As a result, the front and back of the counter, along with the display shelves in the private rooms, were filled with various decorative items.

Since the shop was opening, most of the gifts were related to attracting wealth, symbolizing good luck and fortune.

In particular, the little pi xiu holding a copper coin that Xing Yiming gifted—customers who came to pay their bills couldn’t resist giving it a couple of strokes.

Qin Xia thought it wouldn’t be long before this pi xiu would be polished to a shiny gleam from all the handling.

As for the restaurant’s operation…

Like most of its peers, Qin Family Eatery only served lunch and dinner, with the menu adjusted daily based on seasonal and freshly purchased ingredients. Although they didn’t have the license to brew their own alcohol, they still offered alcoholic beverages for sale.

However, there were some differences.

Feng Hongyang, a teacher at the Qinan County School, had just finished his morning class and strolled out, looking for something to fill his stomach.

The school did have a dining hall, where they hired women to cook, but the taste of the mass-produced meals was quite unremarkable.

Apart from the students who had no choice but to endure it, others often sought alternative options to change up their meals now and then.

Some had food sent from home, while others would venture out to find a place for a decent meal.

Unfortunately, the food stalls on Helin Street were nothing to write home about, and Feng Hongyang had nearly grown tired of the flavors from the few established eateries.

If he ventured further away, he might not make it back in time for the afternoon class.

He consoled himself that lamb soup and wontons, no matter how unappetizing, were still better than the stewed pork with hairy skin or the sandy greens served at the school.

With these thoughts, he realized he had unconsciously arrived at the entrance of a newly opened restaurant.

Looking at the brand-new signboard hanging above, the dark wooden planks brushed with a bright varnish, and the traditional triangular flag with the word “酒” (wine) embroidered on it…

“Wasn’t this a bun shop before?” Feng Hongyang muttered to himself, twitching his nose.

He couldn’t deny that a very enticing aroma of food was wafting from the restaurant’s doors and windows out onto the street.

Feng Hongyang was quite tempted, but as he glanced at the restaurant’s décor, he hesitated, wondering if a meal here might exceed his budget.

After all, a bowl of lamb soup and two pieces of fried flatbread would cost only around twenty coins, whereas a dish at a place like this might cost more than twenty coins alone.

Though someone teaching at the county school wouldn’t lack for knowledge, Feng Hongyang, who had earned the rank of juren, wasn’t short on money, but he wasn’t about to spend over a hundred coins on a single meal every day.

Just as he was thinking about waiting until his next paycheck to try it out, the waiter inside spotted him and warmly called out, “Sir, would you like to come in and try our food? We offer a set meal for one person: one meat dish, two vegetable dishes, and a staple food, all for just thirty coins. If you come in now, you’ll even get a free side of cold dish.”

This immediately made Feng Hongyang pause.

“Set meal” was a term he had never heard before. After a brief hesitation, his feet turned toward the restaurant’s entrance.

Once inside, he noticed that there were already seven or eight tables occupied by scattered diners.

Some were eating in groups, chatting and drinking as they enjoyed two or three dishes, but more were like himself, dining alone.

Their tableware wasn’t the usual bowls and plates but rather a rectangular “tray.”

From a distance, he could see that several dishes were placed on the tray, with one spot reserved for a steamed bun or a serving of white rice.

“Is that the ‘set meal’?” Feng Hongyang asked the waiter nearby.

After receiving a confirmation, he couldn’t resist the increasingly enticing aroma that filled the restaurant and decisively took a seat.

“I’ll have one of your ‘set meals.’ What dishes do you offer?”

The waiter was naturally Qiu Chuan, who had memorized the menu before starting work.

“Sir, the dishes in our set meal change daily. Today we have two options for the meat dish: spicy chicken for those who can handle spice, or stir-fried pork for those who prefer it mild. There are four vegetable dishes to choose from: braised tofu with scallions, celery with bean curd, braised winter melon, and chrysanthemum greens with garlic. For the staple food, you can choose between steamed buns or rice. If that’s not enough, for an extra five coins, you can have as much staple food as you like.”

“Does ‘as much as you like’ really mean unlimited?” Feng Hongyang asked curiously.

The waiter smiled sincerely.

“That’s right, even if you eat ten more buns, it’s still just five coins. However, it’s only for dining in, not for takeout.”

Feng Hongyang raised his eyebrows slightly.

Both the spicy chicken and stir-fried pork were clearly substantial meat dishes, and the four vegetable options didn’t seem like an afterthought either.

For thirty coins, if he could enjoy some tasty stir-fried dishes, Feng Hongyang would definitely prefer that over lamb soup or wontons.

“I’ll have the spicy chicken, braised tofu, and… let’s add the winter melon too.”

As it happened, these were all dishes he loved.

He didn’t have to wait long before the “set meal” was brought to him.

This time, it was a young girl who served him. Despite her age, she was steady as she placed the dishes on the table.

“Sir, here is your set meal.”

The wooden tray was set down in front of him, with each dish piled high. Feng Hongyang discreetly took a deep breath—this was exactly the aroma he had smelled from outside!

He pulled out a pair of chopsticks from the holder and, without even taking a sip of the tea, eagerly began to sample his lunch.

The first dish he tried was the spicy chicken.

Feng Hongyang loved spicy food, but it was rare to find truly well-made spicy dishes in the local eateries.

Since the people of Qinan County generally couldn’t handle much spice, many so-called spicy dishes only had a few chili peppers sprinkled on for show.

But as soon as he took a bite of this spicy chicken, Feng Hongyang understood why the waiter had specifically asked if he could handle the numbing spice.

The chicken was chopped into small pieces, pre-fried for a crispy texture, which made the meat firm yet free of any bone fragments.

Along with the vibrant red chilies, there were also plenty of Sichuan peppercorns, making his tongue tingle with a delightful numbness.

Saliva uncontrollably pooled in his mouth, forcing him to quickly take a big bite of rice.

After swallowing, he moved on to the braised tofu and braised winter melon.

Tofu and winter melon were inexpensive ingredients, and although Feng Hongyang didn’t like to recall it, the canteen at the county school often served them.

The tofu there would float in a broth that looked like plain water, with a few pitiful scallion leaves on top, while the winter melon would soak in soy sauce, requiring a whole pot of tea to wash down.

Compared to those, what he was eating now clearly came from the hands of a skilled cook.

Feng Hongyang scooped a spoonful of the braised winter melon sauce onto his rice and mixed it, thinking that even the juices from braised pork couldn’t taste this good. No wonder some books mentioned that braised winter melon could rival fatty meat.

By the end of the meal, he had finished every last piece of the pickled radish that came as a free side, and he even felt like composing a poem on the spot to celebrate this thirty-coin set meal.

He was so absorbed in his meal that he didn’t notice the half-empty restaurant had filled up with people.

Feng Hongyang didn’t like noisy environments, so when the sound of chatter grew louder, he quickly finished his last few bites and called the waiter over to pay.

On his way back to the county school, he was visibly in a great mood.

Now that there was a good restaurant near the school, he wouldn’t have to worry about lunch anymore. He needed to share this good news with his fellow teachers, who had also suffered through the terrible canteen meals.

There were many other customers like Feng Hongyang at lunchtime, just as Qin Xia had envisioned. Qin Family Eatery quickly became something of a “work canteen” for the teachers from the surrounding schools, including the county school.

For several consecutive days, the thirty-coin set meals sold out before lunchtime was over.

On his third visit, Feng Hongyang decisively chose a single seat by the window.

He had noticed this spot the last time he left, but by then, it had already been taken.

The long, narrow table in front of him was just the right size for one person’s tray, and it was so clean that not a trace of oil could be seen.

A small, plain-colored vase sat by the wall, holding two or three decorative silk flowers.

Few street-side eateries bothered with such details, let alone having scroll paintings hanging on the walls.

But instead of depicting flowers, birds, fish, or women, the paintings showed food.

Not prepared dishes, but various ingredients.

Fresh fish, shrimp, and crabs, vibrant green and yellow vegetables, baskets full of mushrooms of various kinds, and dew-covered fruits that looked freshly picked from the tree…

It was clear that these paintings weren’t by a master artist, but the lively content was something Feng Hongyang had never seen before, and they exuded an energetic and bustling charm.

The shop owner clearly has a unique sense of creativity rather than blindly following trends.

Feng Hongyang was so engrossed in the paintings that he nearly let his food go cold.

As he ate today’s set meal, featuring Di San Xian (stir-fried potato, eggplant, and bell pepper), he continued to admire the artwork.

The other vegetable dish he chose was Mapo Tofu, spicy and aromatic, making him feel like he might accidentally swallow his tongue along with the food.

For the first time, he spent an extra five coins to get two more bowls of rice, leaving him with a round, full belly and even burping in satisfaction.

When it came time to pay, the familiar young waiter smiled and asked if he wanted to buy a meal ticket.

“Thanks to the patronage of our valued customers, our shop has had decent business since opening. The boss has decided to give back to our guests. One meal ticket covers a set meal, and while ten tickets usually cost 300 coins, for the next seven days, you can get them for just 288 coins. Plus, you’ll receive an additional voucher that allows you to come back tomorrow and enjoy a dish worth 30 coins for free with your meal.”

Being a loyal customer of Qin Family Eatery, Feng Hongyang didn’t hesitate and immediately started pulling out small silver pieces from his purse.

With such a good deal, why wait?

He already frequented the place often, so saving even one coin was worthwhile, not to mention the bonus dish.

Not long after he handed over the silver, the meal tickets were in his hands. Feng Hongyang was somewhat surprised by the quality of the finely crafted paper.

It was clear that the shop’s boss had gone to the trouble of custom-making a larger stamp, specifying the meaning and usage of the “meal ticket,” and had neatly stamped it with red ink.

Only the date section was left blank, which was then written in ink. Afterward, it was stamped with a round seal of “Qin’s” to prevent tampering.

The paper used for the voucher, which the waiter called a “coupon,” was a ready-made card stock purchased from a paper shop. It was thicker than the meal tickets and had a faint fragrance. Even if he gifted it to someone else, it would be presentable.

Feng Hongyang carefully placed the stack of paper into his front pocket, already planning when to use the voucher.

As night fell, lanterns in front of each shop were lit one after another, including those at Qin Family Eatery.

Qiu Chuan was still too short, so Qin Xia had to come out of the kitchen, climb a ladder, and hang the lanterns himself.

Yu Jiuque watched nervously from below, occasionally glancing at the wooden ladder being steadied by the Qiu siblings on either side.

When the lantern was finally secured, Qin Xia, instead of carefully climbing down, jumped off the last two rungs of the ladder, startling Yu Jiuque.

“Be careful!”

The night breeze in February still carried a slight chill. Qin Xia accepted his husband’s concerned “scolding,” wrapped an arm around him, and gently guided him into the warm house.

As the head chef, Qin Xia could only leave the kitchen for a short while.

On his way back, he passed by the dining tables in the main hall and was recognized by a familiar face.

Peng Zheng, the manager of the distillery, still had chopsticks holding peanuts in hand, his face flushed from a few drinks.

“Boss Qin, is our pickled fish ready yet?”

Qin Xia smiled and replied, “Don’t worry, it’s simmering in the pot. I’ll go check on it right away.”

Yu Jiuque temporarily entrusted the counter to the Qiu siblings and followed Qin Xia to the backyard. The private rooms were empty at the moment, and as they turned into the kitchen, they saw three pots on three stoves, each simmering different dishes.

Sister Zheng was busy inside, and she nodded in acknowledgment when she saw them.

Yu Jiuque pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Qin Xia’s forehead.

“Business is even better than we expected. We should hire another chef for the kitchen; otherwise, relying only on you will wear you out sooner or later.”

It had been almost half a month since the restaurant opened, and nearly every day it was bustling with customers.

They usually took down the last door panel just before noon and closed up shop by halfway through the hour of Hai (between 9 and 11 PM). Compared to many other establishments that also served breakfast, Qin Family Eatery was relatively relaxed.

But even so, Qin Xia had been practically rooted in the kitchen from morning until night.

In just a few short days, he had visibly lost weight.

This wasn’t the first time Yu Jiuque had brought this up, and Qin Xia knew his husband was serious.

To be honest, it was partly his own fault for underestimating the workload of running a restaurant.

In his previous life, he had run a private dining establishment with only four tables, operating on a reservation basis, which allowed him to work leisurely on his own.

But that was under the condition that he had already accumulated a house, a car, and a seven-figure bank account, having achieved financial freedom long ago.

Now, in this life, he had to start accumulating everything from scratch.

Hiring a chef would undoubtedly involve a considerable monthly salary.

He had thought he could save on this expense for a while, but now it seemed unavoidable.

Qin Xia agreed with Yu Jiuque to post a notice outside the restaurant tomorrow to hire a chef. But until then, he would have to continue facing the large pots on his own.

The pickled fish was served shortly, along with another dish—spicy boiled meat slices.

Both dishes were spicy, and only a limited number of people could tolerate them, so tonight, only this one table had ordered these two dishes.

But once they were served, everyone’s attention was drawn to that table.

The reason was simple—the aroma was just too unique!

The man sitting opposite Peng Zheng instinctively swallowed his saliva. Before he could speak, he caught the teasing gaze of his old friend.

Let’s rewind to three-quarters of an hour earlier, when Tao Ke, along with his long-separated old friend, arrived at the entrance of Qin Family Eatery on Helin Street.

He looked around the steps, frowning.

“Old Peng, this place looks rather empty. Can it really be that good?”

The man accompanying Peng Zheng was named Tao Ke. Like Peng Zheng, he had worked as a shop assistant at the county’s distillery years ago.

Later, while Peng Zheng climbed the ranks to become a manager, Tao Ke, thanks to a stroke of fortune, moved to Chuntai County, not far from Pingnan County.

With his savings and some help from his wife’s dowry, he became the owner of a tiny liquor shop.

Now, returning to his hometown, he was addressed as “Shopkeeper Tao.”

Although he didn’t appear as impressive as Peng Zheng, who managed a large distillery, their relationship remained the same as always.

This time, Tao Ke had come to Qinan County on business. After catching up over drinks with Peng Zheng the previous night, he had planned to stroll around his old haunts today. Instead, his excited old friend had dragged him to this place, claiming it offered delicacies that couldn’t even be found in the prefectural city.

Initially, Tao Ke was full of anticipation, repeatedly asking if they were headed to Banqiao Street or Liubao Street.

In his mind, the best restaurants in the county had to be on one of those two streets.

But after wandering around, Peng Zheng brought him to Helin Street.

This was just the area near the county school, where you could hit three child scholars with a thrown stone—what decent food could be found here?

In Tao Ke’s memory, the only noteworthy thing on Helin Street was the buns from the He family’s bun shop, which were known for their thin skins and generous fillings, leaving one’s mouth full of oil.

This newly opened shop on the site of the old bun shop claimed to surpass even the restaurants in the prefectural city.

Tao Ke frowned inwardly, suspecting that his old friend had developed a habit of exaggerating during their years apart.

When they entered the newly opened restaurant and were greeted by the young owner, surnamed Qin, Tao Ke’s unease only grew.

He couldn’t help but feel that this owner was barely older than his own son. Could such a young chef really produce any decent dishes?

In his mind, a chef of this age would be relegated to chopping vegetables in the back kitchen of a proper restaurant, far from handling a wok.

Peng Zheng, who was being doubted at the time, didn’t rush to respond. Instead, he first took a bite of the restaurant’s complimentary side dish—cold tofu skin salad.

It was mixed with shredded green onions and red onions, along with fried peanuts. Peng Zheng chewed thoughtfully, showing a satisfied expression. After slowly swallowing, he finally spoke: “Last night, you tried the spicy sour noodles at my house. What did you think?”

Tao Ke raised his hand to touch his lips.

“Those noodles were indeed quite good.”

Like Peng Zheng, Tao Ke was a fan of spicy food.

Back when they were both working as assistants at the distillery, they could eat two large steamed buns with just a bowl of spicy pickled radish.

Last night, when his old friend brought out the bowl of spicy sour noodles, even before taking a bite, just the aroma alone made his mouth water, and after tasting it, he was amazed.

He had been wanting to ask last night, knowing that none of his friend’s family had ever been in the food business, where did they manage to find such a recipe?

He had heard that they could earn several coins a day just by selling that one bowl of noodles!

Peng Zheng had clearly kept him in suspense last night on purpose, only revealing today, “That spicy sour noodle dish was made by Boss Qin himself. And that bowl of noodles is just one of the many snacks offered at his food stall.”

Tao Ke was astonished.

“You mean the young boss who just showed up?”

Peng Zheng grabbed another handful of sunflower seeds. These dried fruits were also complimentary, meant to keep customers occupied while they waited for their food.

“That’s right.”

Tao Ke smacked his lips.

“If that’s true, I’m actually starting to look forward to this meal.”

However, Tao Ke soon realized that he had greatly underestimated his expectations.

Compared to the “delicacies” on this table, the spicy sour noodles were nothing more than a simple appetizer that wouldn’t make it to a formal dining table!

The first dish to be served was called Mountain House Three Crisp Delights. According to Yu Jiuque, who brought the dish to the table, it was based on a recipe from the previous dynasty.

After seeing the three ingredients, both Peng and Tao understood why Yu Jiuque had mentioned that this dish was all about seasonality—after some time, it would be impossible to find these ingredients.

“Flower fungus, spring bamboo shoots… and this one?”

Tao Ke picked up a piece with his chopsticks, trying to identify it, and suddenly realized, “It looks like goji berry leaves?”

Peng Zheng didn’t bother with further questions. Instead of trying to identify the ingredients, he chose to dive right in.

He had to admit, the flavor of this dish was incredibly distinctive, with the seasoning perfectly complementing the natural taste of the ingredients.

A seasoned foodie could immediately detect the presence of sesame oil, salt, and pepper, none of which overpowered the others.

What stood out the most was the unique freshness and crispness of these spring vegetables.

This reminded Tao Ke of a dish his family had ordered from a restaurant during the Beginning of Spring festival—a spring platter.

A spring platter is traditionally made with the first harvest of fresh spring vegetables, all finely shredded and wrapped in thin spring pancakes.

To be honest, the spring platter from that restaurant was quite disappointing. Perhaps due to the high demand, they had prepared it in advance, and by the time he opened the box at home, the spring pancakes were slightly dry and lacked the softness they had when freshly cooked.

That meal had left Tao Ke quite dissatisfied. But now, after tasting the Mountain House Three Crisp Delights from Qin Family Eatery, he felt that he had finally made up for that missed taste of spring.

“Mountain House Three Crisp Delights—what a good name.”

He took several bites, savoring the flavors.

After that, two main dishes were served together.

One green, one red—Pickled Fish and Spicy Boiled Pork Slices—and together, they were quite pleasing to the eye.

Tao Ke, being the guest, was invited by Peng Zheng to start first.

Not being overly polite with his old friend, Tao Ke reached out with his chopsticks, though he nearly let the fish slice slip away.

On the second attempt, he successfully secured the trembling fish slice with the tip of his chopsticks, and with great anticipation, he brought it to his mouth.

After being impressed by the Mountain House Three Crisp Delights, he had completely dropped any earlier “doubts” he had about this restaurant.

What he didn’t expect was that the texture of the fish slice was entirely different from what he had imagined.

He thought it would have the firm texture typical of fresh fish, but instead, the fish slice was boneless, tender like silken tofu, and practically melted in his mouth.

Quickly swallowing it, he reached for another bite of pickled vegetables, and his appetite was thoroughly whetted.

The pickled vegetables and chili complemented each other perfectly, nothing like the usual pickled vegetables that only taste sour at the first bite, with a bitter aftertaste.

In addition to this, the soup had extra ingredients they had requested—sweet potato noodles and frozen tofu.

These, combined with the tangy and spicy broth, and a bite of steaming hot rice…

Tao Ke nearly felt like moving back to Qinan County.

Seeing his old friend eating so intently, Peng Zheng couldn’t resist reminding him.

“Don’t just focus on that; try this Spicy Boiled Meat Slices before it cools down.”

When this dish was first served, it was obvious that a layer of hot oil had been poured over it, sizzling loudly—if they had eaten it immediately, it might have scalded their tongues.

So the two of them had tacitly agreed to wait until the steam had subsided a bit before digging in, but now Peng Zheng couldn’t wait any longer.

If the taste of the Pickled Fish was somewhat predictable, then the appearance of the Spicy Boiled Meat Slices was entirely unexpected.

When they first heard the dish’s name, Qin Xia’s husband, Yu Jiuque, mentioned that it was a spicy dish, and Peng Zheng almost thought he had misheard.

Brushing aside the top layer of scallions and chili peppers, the meat slices finally surfaced in the broth.

Both Tao Ke and Peng Zheng picked up a piece, along with some bean sprouts.

The first sensation was the heat.

The hot oil on the surface had sealed in the dish’s temperature, so even after a while, it retained the fresh-out-of-the-wok flavor.

Next came the numbness and spiciness, intertwining to create an even more intense aroma.

The pork slices were equally tender but had a completely different texture from the fish in the pickled fish dish.

The tongue could feel the grain of the meat—it was spicier, more aromatic, and even more intense!

No exaggeration, after just a few bites, these two men, who prided themselves on their ability to handle spice, were already sweating profusely.

Without hesitation, Peng Zheng raised his hand and called out to the passing waiter.

“Kid, bring us two more bowls of rice!”

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Sandy: what a torture it was to translate this chapter 🤤🤤🤤🤤