Ch 68: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

Qin Xia had already made up his mind to enjoy the meal mostly himself, except for the plate set aside for the Xing family.

“One order for me!”

“I’ll take one too!”

“I can’t handle spice, so just give me the braised beef brisket!”

As soon as the words left their mouths, the ten available portions were snapped up. Two other tables even called out at the same time, so Qiu Chuan had to step in and mediate, agreeing to split two smaller portions for them, each at one qian of silver, which finally settled things.

“Boss Qin, your dishes are always so limited. It’s never enough! Lucky I got here early—if I’d missed out, I’d be dreaming about the smell tonight!” one customer joked.

Qin Xia replied calmly, “I’d love to make more, but this is all the beef I could get. If I could get half a cow, I could make more dishes and maybe even treat everyone to a beef hotpot.”

“Beef hotpot? What’s that?”

“Is it like stewed beef in a clay pot?”

Qin Xia shook his head and enthusiastically explained.

“Beef hotpot requires a broth made from beef bones, without adding anything else. Once it’s served, you drink the broth first, then cook slices of beef in it. But it’s not like regular hotpot where you throw in everything at once.”

“The best cut to use is a small piece of meat from the back of the cow’s neck, called the neck tender. It’s as delicate as fresh snow, and you only need to cook it for eight seconds. After that, there’s the spinal rib and the five-flower tendon, both rare and tender cuts. The spinal rib comes from the back, with a bit of chew because of the tendons, and the five-flower tendon is a special piece from the cow’s leg, very smooth. There’s also beef belly fat—though it’s fatty, the more fat it has, the crisper it gets after cooking. Once you try it, you won’t forget it…”

Before he even finished, a customer playfully interrupted.

“Boss Qin, please stop! Any more, and I’ll be thinking about beef hotpot until the end of the year!”

The others chimed in, laughing in agreement.

It was like the ancient saying “quenching thirst by thinking of plums”—today, it was “thinking of beef, imagining hotpot.”

Yu Jiuque smiled, seeing how his husband was deliberately teasing the customers. He knew this tactic would stir up demand, and soon enough, people would be asking all over town where they could find freshly slaughtered beef, giving them a chance to feast again.

Luckily, the additional portions of beef dishes were soon served. Every table got at least one, and the delicious food on their plates quickly made everyone forget their longing for the elusive beef hotpot.

The sour beef had a refreshingly sour and spicy aroma, but unlike the usual red chili-based broth, this one was more yellow, immediately distinguishing it from Qin Ji’s signature sour fish dish.

One customer scooped up a spoonful of soup before trying the beef. In their experience, beef was always served in large, stewed chunks, so it was a surprise to see thinly sliced beef blanched in the broth.

Because the slices were so thin, they absorbed the broth easily, delivering both the tenderness of the meat and the richness of the fat in each bite.

As for the braised beef brisket with potatoes, someone took a few bites and immediately added a bowl of rice.

“Trust me, this with rice is amazing.”

They spooned two scoops of the thick, rich brown sauce over the rice, mashed the soft and fragrant potatoes into it, and mixed it all together with a few pieces of the tender beef brisket.

With each spoonful, they could enjoy the combination of flavors from both ingredients—the mashed potatoes enhanced the rice, while the brisket melted in the mouth, the meat strands so tender that it was almost hard to swallow because it was so delicious.

Seeing the person’s blissful expression, the neighboring table quickly followed suit, ordering bowls of rice and hurrying before the restaurant ran out.

With the diners all happily enjoying their meals, Qin Xia stopped worrying and focused on his own food.

When it comes to favorites, it has to be beef tripe.

“Ah Jiu, have you tried this yet?”

Yu Jiuque realized there was still one dish he hadn’t tasted and immediately took a bite.

“Is it spicy?”

Compared to Qin Xia, Yu Jiuque wasn’t as good at handling spice. Qin Xia handed over a cup of cooled water. “It’s spicier than the beef slices, but that’s what makes it tasty.”

As Yu Jiuque looked at the beef tripe, he couldn’t help but recall its raw state before cooking. The tiny bumps on the surface made him a bit hesitant, and he instinctively wanted to scratch his arm.

But Qin Xia’s recommendations had never been disappointing, whether it was the salty-smelling seafood or the strange-looking poplar tree flowers that resembled caterpillars.

“It’s so crunchy.”

After chewing for a few seconds, he couldn’t help but comment. The tiny bumps on the tripe gave it a unique texture that wasn’t exactly smooth, but the crunchy sensation was likely what made it so appealing.

It was indeed a bit spicy, so Yu Jiuque quickly swallowed and took a large bite of rice to cool down.

For the next couple of days, the rich aroma of beef continued to linger in the air of Qin Family Eatery.

The secret-recipe braised beef stew sold out quickly, and even after it was gone, many customers came looking for more. To avoid disappointing too many people, Qin Xia used the remaining broth to braise a variety of other ingredients, offering a fresh pot each day with different options of vegetables and meats, priced accordingly.

Vegetarian options included dried tofu, kelp knots, mushrooms, bean curd sticks, thousand-layer tofu, and lotus root slices. The meat options featured pork belly, chopped pig trotters, chicken legs, chicken feet, and carved eggs.

Since his association with the Song family, Qin Xia managed to establish a new supply chain through the head cook of the main household, allowing him to source all sorts of chicken and duck offcuts. He also heard that Yu Shun’s cured meat shop was still open, although it seemed like the ownership had changed, which Qin Xia suspected was tied to the recent misfortune of the second branch of the Song family.

Concubine Guo had no hope of becoming the official wife, and the second young master of the Song family had caused quite a scandal at the birthday banquet, which surely brought them trouble. However, at this point, Qin Xia had underestimated the complexity of the situation.

Regarding the shop on Que Lin Street, the broker soon returned with news. The owner had agreed to the price, and Qin Xia could sign the lease at any time. For him, the sooner, the better.

Through the broker, a meeting was arranged, and the location was set at Qin Family Eatery. But when the time came, it was Song Dongling who showed up.

“This shop was part of my mother’s dowry. It’s been vacant for a while, and I didn’t have time to deal with it. It was only when the broker came to negotiate that I learned you were interested in renting it, Boss Qin.”

With a charming smile, Song Dongling continued, “I can make the decision here, and if you’re interested, I’m willing to let the first year’s rent be just fifty taels.”

Qin Xia frowned slightly.

“Miss Song, fifty taels seems a bit too low.”

Que Lin Street was close to the county school, so fifty taels spread across the year would only come to four taels per month, which was quite a bargain for him.

In response, Song Dongling dismissed the broker and explained to Qin Xia, “You’ve helped me and my brother a great deal. Offering a small discount like this is nothing significant.”

Qin Xia got straight to the point.

“If Miss Song is referring to the recipe for Immortal Duck, the eldest young master has already paid for it.”

Song Dongling gently shook her head.

“It’s not just about the recipe for Immortal Duck, but also for the medicinal dishes you suggested, and something you once said.”

It turned out that Qin Xia’s casual remark, “medicine and food share the same origin,” had sparked a realization in Song Dongling, leading her to suspect that her brother’s long illness was connected to the food coming from the family’s main kitchen.

After returning home, she used the excuse of preparing medicinal meals for her brother to cut off all food coming from the main kitchen. To her surprise, Song Yunmu’s health showed signs of improvement.

If the kitchen couldn’t be trusted, then perhaps the family’s doctor couldn’t be either.

After learning by chance that the wife of Magistrate Liang was a skilled healer, Song Dongling arranged for her to diagnose Song Yunmu. Sure enough, this revealed the second branch’s nefarious plot.

“However, since this matter involves private family affairs, we didn’t escalate it to the courts.”

Song Dongling had dismissed the broker before speaking in such brief terms. Qin Xia understood why he hadn’t heard any rumors—if it had gone to court, it would have caused a citywide sensation. With such malicious intent from the second branch, exile would have been a likely punishment.

Qin Xia didn’t see this as a favor on his part, but since Song Dongling considered it one, he accepted her goodwill.

When signing the lease contract, Song Dongling added a clause: any future lease renewals, regardless of duration, would remain at fifty taels per year.

With the shop secured, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque quickly got to work.

They hired craftsmen, renovated the kitchen, commissioned new counters and meal boxes, and went to the broker to find suitable staff.

Since the set meal business would be moved to the new location, they needed an experienced head chef who could also manage the shop, so Qin Xia assigned Zheng Xinghua to the new store and gave both her and Zhuang Xing a raise.

Zheng Xinghua would now earn five taels a month, along with a helper for cutting vegetables. The front of the house would have three workers: two serving food and one running the floor.

Zhuang Xing took over Zheng Xinghua’s previous role, earning three taels a month, continuing to learn cooking under Qin Xia’s guidance.

Each shop also hired a woman to handle washing vegetables, cleaning tables, and washing dishes.

Qin Xia entrusted Bao Chun (the ex-military man), who had already started a delivery business, with the task of delivering meals to the county school and other academies.

Thanks to the custom meal boxes, they didn’t need to deliver meals directly to the dining halls. They could drop them off at the gates, where school staff would collect them, and later return the empty boxes.

Bao Chun’s delivery business had recruited a number of young errand boys, and this task was assigned to them. Da Kui eagerly volunteered to be the “team leader.”

Qin Xia couldn’t help but suspect Da Kui’s intentions weren’t entirely pure, but winning over Zhuang Xing would depend on his own abilities.

Once everything was in place, they chose an auspicious day in April to unveil the sign for Qin Family Dining Hall.

(T/N: I’m changing the name from Qin Family Canteen to Qin Family Dining Hall. I think it sounds better).

Whether it was regulars from the original restaurant or new customers drawn by the sound of firecrackers, the first thing that caught their eye was the unique layout of the establishment.

Unlike other eateries, all the dishes were pre-prepared and displayed on a long counter, kept warm over small clay stoves.

As customers entered, the waitstaff would guide them to one side of the long counter.

“Dear guest, you can take a tray from here and follow the path outlined by this rope. As you walk along, choose whichever dishes you like. Just like before, one meat dish and two vegetable dishes cost thirty wen, while two meat dishes and three vegetable dishes cost fifty wen. If you’d like soup or porridge, that’s an extra two wen per serving.”

“Once you’ve made your selection, head to the end, pay your bill, collect your utensils, and find an empty seat to enjoy your meal.”

At first, the diners were confused. If it weren’t for the fact that this was Qin Family, they might have already stormed out—after all, when paying for a meal, shouldn’t one sit down, place an order, and wait for the waiter to bring the food?

But after trying it once, they found this method of ordering much more convenient because it saved time.

These patrons, who came for set meals, were usually in a hurry. Walking through the line barely took a moment, and after paying, they could sit down and eat. When it was time to leave, they could simply stand up and go, without having to worry about long lines for the bill when there were many customers or when they didn’t have meal tickets.

Those academies that had been observing for a while, eager to offer their students the same meals served at the county school, rushed over to place their orders and pay as soon as the dining hall opened.

Following Yu Jiuque’s suggestion, Qin Xia had each meal box specially marked to avoid mix-ups during delivery.

He also purchased two carts, each covered to protect from dust and rain, and designated them for exclusive use in delivering meals. In the food business, cleanliness and tidiness were essential to creating a good impression, especially when serving scholars, who required extra attention to detail.

In addition, a flag with the words “Qin Ji” was attached to each cart, making them walking advertisements as they traveled through the streets.

(T/N: Ji means family. I’m going to start using it from now on for our MC’s business).

Gradually, some nearby residents began to ask if they could buy food directly from the carts.

While such customers were few, the delivery boys were happy to bring them meals, charging an extra one or two wen for the service.

…

By mid-April, the early summer had arrived.

In front of the restaurant, the lotus flowers on the water had begun to bud, and the pomegranate blossoms in the dining hall’s courtyard looked ready to bloom at any moment.

Business was booming at both of Qin Ji’s locations, and everyone who saw Qin Xia couldn’t resist offering compliments. Seeing the beautiful young man by his side, they couldn’t help but marvel at how life can be so different for different people.

Some, despite their years, had achieved nothing.

Others, young and already successful, had a beautiful partner by their side.

It was an ordinary afternoon.

Qin Xia, rarely having some free time, lay down to rest in the back room. Though he called it a nap, he merely closed his eyes—he was exhausted but couldn’t fall asleep.

Yu Jiuque had left about an hour earlier, and Qin Xia knew he was out making contact with the Eastern Palace’s secret network in the city.

The timing…

It must be that some news had arrived.

Qin Xia faintly recalled that in the story, the current Emperor of Dayong—the original male lead’s grandfather—began to experience serious health problems this summer. What followed was the well-known struggle for the throne.

After what felt like a long time, there was a soft sound at the door. Qin Xia opened his eyes to see his little husband quietly walking in.

Noticing he was awake, Yu Jiuque quickly stepped forward and threw himself into Qin Xia’s arms.

It was a tight embrace.

Qin Xia’s heart pounded as he waited for Yu Jiuque to speak.

Finally, he heard the words he had been expecting.

“News has come from Shengjing. My return date is set.”

April 20.

Qin Xia deciphered the words from Yu Jiuque’s lips, feeling that their separation was now looming over them.

Today was already April 15.

Their days together in Qinan County were down to just five.