Ch 157: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Super thankful to dearest Kofi supporters Jessie, Nakamura, Kateryna, Shenice, and Starla ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

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On the opening day of the eatery, many people came specifically for the half-price wine. As the news spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, it attracted even more customers. And once inside, drawn by the aroma of food, most of them couldn’t resist trying something—even if it was just a bun.

As the crowd grew, Shen Fu borrowed additional tables and chairs from nearby residents and set them outside. The scene truly lived up to the phrase, “Guests come like clouds.”

Meanwhile, Magistrate Lin arrived in casual attire with his attendants. Seeing the lively atmosphere, he smiled and said to his servant, “It looks like our county has gained another well-known eatery. That’s a good thing.”

The more successful businesses there were, the more people would be willing to spend money, leading to a more prosperous county. This was undoubtedly beneficial. If the eatery gained a reputation that drew people from surrounding villages, it would be an even greater success.

With this thought, Magistrate Lin entered the eatery. Wang Xinghua was momentarily stunned upon seeing him and was about to bow, but Magistrate Lin gestured for her to stay silent and not draw attention.

Since there were no available seats inside, Shen Yunxuan had Shen Fu escort Magistrate Lin to the backyard, where they set up a table with a selection of dishes—eight dishes and one soup, served in small portions to showcase the eatery’s best offerings, including a platter of marinated meats.

Having grown up in the capital, Magistrate Lin had tasted the finest foods. The dishes Shen Yunxuan had adapted from travelogues were all ones he had eaten in their most authentic forms. For example, West Lake Vinegar Fish was a famous dish, but he personally disliked its strong sourness. His household had only ever had it once before deciding never to order it again. He hadn’t expected Shen Yunxuan to make it one of her signature dishes.

However, when he took a bite, he was surprised. It was unmistakably West Lake Vinegar Fish, yet it was different. The vinegar flavor was milder and more fragrant, slightly sweet, and the thick sauce clung to the fish, creating a savory and slightly salty taste that suited northern palates. After one bite, he wanted another.

The Dongpo Pork was rich but not greasy, offering a completely different but equally delicious experience. The menu also featured braised pork, braised lion’s head meatballs, stir-fried farmhouse pork, stir-fried pork skin with soybeans, “Three Earthly Delicacies” (a dish of potatoes, eggplant, and peppers), and crispy sweet and sour pork. Each dish had its own unique qualities and was the kind of hearty, satisfying food that any ordinary family would love.

Magistrate Lin was thoroughly impressed. He turned to his attendant and instructed, “Spread the word—let people know that the owner of Yunlai Eatery was praised by the emperor himself, and that the recipes she uses come from books bestowed by the imperial court. The food is so delicious it makes you want to swallow your tongue.”

The attendant acknowledged the order and left to spread the news. Magistrate Lin himself didn’t eat much at the eatery; instead, he had the dishes packed to take home and share with his mother, using the opportunity to tell her about the eatery’s bustling success.

When he mentioned the half-price promotion and street advertising, Old Madam Lin chuckled. “That girl’s mind works differently from others—every idea is better than the last. Since she’s in your jurisdiction, you should keep an eye on her and make sure no one bullies her. After all, she’s only fourteen—a child, really.”

“Of course, Mother. Don’t worry,” Magistrate Lin reassured her. He had two sons and a daughter, who was about the same age as Shen Yunxuan. Thinking about how his own daughter was still carefree and innocent while Shen Yunxuan was already running a business, he couldn’t help but sigh.

People often said that children from poor families matured early. But usually, that just meant they learned to help with household chores. Shen Yunxuan, however, was on an entirely different level. She wasn’t just responsible—she was extraordinary. As long as he remained in office, he could offer her some protection, but once he was reassigned, who knew whether the next county magistrate would be as fair?

Thanks to Magistrate Lin’s subtle support, the local bullies who often extorted new businesses merely circled outside the eatery before leaving, deciding not to cause trouble. With that, Yunlai Eatery successfully launched, earning a surprising profit of ten taels of silver on its first day.

Shen Fu and the others triple-checked the accounts, barely able to believe it. When Shen Yunxuan had suggested the half-price strategy, they had all assumed they would suffer a major loss on the first day. Who could have predicted such a huge profit?

Shen Yunxuan explained, “I signed contracts with the ingredient suppliers based on quantity—if we buy beyond a certain amount, the price drops. The larger the quantity, the lower the cost. Take the oil-salt flower rolls, for example. Right now, the cost is only twenty percent of the selling price. Even with the half-price discount, we’re still making a thirty percent profit.”

Wang Xinghua suddenly understood. “Ah, it’s just like what you said before—‘small profits, quick turnover.’ We were busy from morning to night, and so many people came in. Everyone felt they were getting a great deal at half price, so they bought more. The pastries, marinated dishes, and wine sold out completely. Even if we only made a small profit on each item, the sheer volume added up to big earnings!”

Shen Fu nodded. “The same goes for wine. Wine is more expensive, with a production cost of forty percent, but even at half-price, we still made a ten percent profit.”

Grandma Wu sighed in amazement. “No wonder people always say merchants are cunning. I had no idea selling goods could be so profitable!”

Shen Yunxuan laughed. “It only works if you can sell everything. If we hadn’t attracted customers, we would have been left with unsold goods, and that would have been a huge loss.”

Indeed, there were many shops in town—some barely making enough to survive, others shutting down due to losses. Success depended on skill and strategy. Grandma Wu, growing more curious, asked, “Then why don’t we keep selling at lower prices every day? Wouldn’t we make even more?”

Shen Yunxuan shook her head. “That wouldn’t work—it would disrupt the market and affect other merchants. If we engaged in unfair price competition, it would cause chaos. Today’s promotion was a special event for our grand opening. Since our shop is in a less busy part of town, we needed to draw customers in. But if we kept doing it, it would be inappropriate.”

Seeing that they understood, she added, “After we return to normal pricing, we definitely won’t see this many customers every day. If we can retain even a third of them, we’ll be lucky. But don’t be discouraged—our goal is to build a reputation. Success takes time.”

“Fortunately, we also accept orders. The dock workers and several wealthy households have placed daily orders for our pastries, ensuring a stable base income. We can also introduce them to our marinated dishes and wine to increase orders. This way, our shop can continue to run steadily.”

Hearing this, the group gradually calmed down. Although they knew business wouldn’t always be as booming as it was on the first day, Shen Yunxuan’s words reassured them.

As expected, the number of customers dropped significantly in the following days. However, to their surprise, many nearby residents became regular customers. Some even stopped by to buy a dish to take home.

This area was home to well-off families who never had to worry about food. With such a fragrant and well-regarded eatery right on their street, it was hard to resist the temptation to stop by.

Especially in the mornings—grabbing a bowl of hot noodles or a few steaming buns before heading out felt like a small luxury. Shen Fu never expected that having the shop in this location would come with such a benefit.

Additionally, his efforts to promote their marinated dishes to prominent households paid off, resulting in daily bulk orders. With the shop now based in town, they saved time and effort—if they ran out of stock, they could simply return to the shop to replenish it, allowing them to sell even more than before.

The team worked efficiently. Whenever the shop was quiet, Shen Fu and the others carried baskets around town, calling out to sell their goods without interrupting their shop duties. Meanwhile, Shen Yunxuan took advantage of any free time to teach the children how to read and write. She had already begun teaching them to use calligraphy brushes on paper and had given each of them an abacus to formally start learning accounting.

Even while they helped serve dishes and wash dishes, she taught them the principles of business and customer service—how to handle different types of customers and how to adapt to various situations.

The children learned quickly, especially in such an immersive environment where they encountered different personalities and unexpected situations daily. They rapidly grew in knowledge and understanding. Every evening when they returned to the village, they excitedly shared their new lessons with their elders.

Initially, some parents had hesitated about letting their children stay. After all, for farming families, passing the imperial exam was an almost impossible dream. But when they saw that their children were learning practical skills that could secure them jobs in town—even without formal education—they immediately encouraged them to study hard. Some even sent fresh eggs and homegrown vegetables through Cui’er and Qin Shi as gifts for Shen Yunxuan.

Half a month passed like this. Then, suddenly, Shen Yunxuan noticed a surge in customers. Upon inquiring, she discovered that word had spread across the nearby villages—people were saying that “Miss Shen, the one praised by the emperor, had opened a restaurant. All the dishes were learned from the imperial palace, and the emperor himself had given her a chest of books to study.”

Rumors had a way of becoming exaggerated. By the time the story reached the masses, people were nearly convinced that she was the apprentice of an imperial chef. Shen Yunxuan found it both amusing and exasperating.

However, the effect was undeniable. Not all villages were poor; in fact, three nearby villages were known for their wealth. Upon hearing about her restaurant, the wealthier villagers naturally came to taste it for themselves.

And once they did, they realized the food was indeed better than what other eateries offered. Many dishes were completely new to them. Immediately, Yunlai Eatery gained an upscale reputation. Dining there became a status symbol in their villages, leading to even more customers.

Word spread rapidly. Soon, the name “Yunlai Eatery” became well known. People from neighboring counties even traveled specifically to try the food, and affluent families began sending their servants to purchase marinated dishes.

Every day, Shen Yunxuan had to prepare a massive quantity of marinated dishes and pastries. Sometimes, local residents who came late would find that everything was already sold out to people from other villages. Realizing that her shop’s products had become highly sought-after, they started arriving earlier to secure their purchases. Her marinated dishes even became a popular choice for entertaining guests—offering them was considered a sign of refined taste.

With such a commotion, the villagers finally realized that Shen Yunxuan was making serious money. Some who had previously withdrawn their children from her teachings now wanted to send them back. But by then, she was too busy with the shop to take on more students. The villagers deeply regretted their earlier decisions—if only they had let their children continue learning from her.

The Shen family, on the other hand, was seething with jealousy. They secretly observed the eatery for an entire afternoon, watching as Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua, now dressed in fine clothes, confidently interacted with customers. They could hardly believe their eyes.

Shen Dong was in shock. “Is that really Third Brother and his wife?”

Zhou Shi’s eyes were fixated on the two beautiful silver hairpins in Wang Xinghua’s hair. “Those are the most fashionable styles in town. They really made it big.”

Old Man Shen remained silent, his face dark. Shen Dong’s eyes darted as he said sourly, “Third Brother has really become someone now. He’s rich but doesn’t even think of honoring his parents. While Father and Mother are eating coarse grains at home, he’s here drinking and feasting.”

Before Old Man Shen could explode in anger, Shen Cai jabbed Shen Dong in the side. “Cut it out. You just said Third Brother is someone important now—do you think people like us can afford to provoke him? Have you forgotten how we ended up jailed last time?”

Liu Shi scoffed, “You can envy him all you want, but it has nothing to do with us. That’s not our Third Brother anymore—that’s Shen Fu, someone completely unrelated to us. And this shop? It belongs to Shen Yunxuan. She’s a part of the Wu family now. If you go stirring up trouble again, you might not even know how you end up dead!”

She was speaking to Shen Dong, but her sharp gaze was directed at Old Man Shen and Old Madam Shen. The first household now controlled the family, and she had no interest in indulging them. They only knew how to cause trouble and didn’t realize that their so-called “family ties” meant nothing anymore. Did they really think they could manipulate things as they had in the past?

Watching Wang Xinghua confidently hosting customers, Liu Shi felt a pang of inferiority—she didn’t even dare approach them anymore.

At this moment, they had never been more acutely aware of the difference between themselves and the third branch of the family. The third branch had become wealthy and prosperous city dwellers, while they remained frugal, struggling villagers. Worse still, due to Shen Zhong’s past troubles, their family savings had been nearly depleted, forcing them into even greater austerity—they hadn’t eaten meat in two months.

Since they were already in town, they naturally wanted to check on Shen Zhong and Shen Yunlian. When they arrived at the side entrance of the Li residence, Shen Dong stepped forward to state their purpose. The gatekeeper gave them a glance, waited a moment without receiving a bribe, and immediately lost interest. “Wait here.”

That “wait” stretched into a full hour, leaving them standing until their legs went numb. Zhou Shi grumbled, “Our mother once saved their old madam’s life! How can they be so ungrateful?”

Old Madam Shen hurriedly waved her hands. “No, no, it wasn’t that serious. I just happened to be there and helped a little. Even without me, she would’ve been fine. Besides, the Li family has already given us plenty of benefits.”

Despite her words, her face showed bitterness. Hadn’t she done a good deed? Why did she now feel as if she were the one in debt? Was it because they had demanded too many favors and feared being seen as greedy?

At that moment, Shen Zhong and Shen Yunlian finally appeared. The difference between them was striking—Shen Zhong wore the plain, dark clothing of a lowly servant, while Shen Yunlian was dressed in high-quality fabric and adorned with pearl hairpins.

The Shen family stared in shock at the contrast. Shen Cai and Liu Shi were the first to react, stepping forward in delight. “Daya! You—you look…”

They had thought she had truly become a concubine!

Shen Yunlian quickly explained, “The third young master noticed my diligence and promoted me to a first-class maid. Now, I serve him tea and enjoy a much more relaxed position. Also, Father, Mother, from now on, please do not call me ‘Daya’ anymore. I have changed my name to Yunlian. From now on, address me as ‘Yunlian.'”

The two nodded blankly, feeling that their daughter now spoke differently—more refined, like someone from a wealthy household, completely free of any rural accent. Soon, their confusion turned to joy. If the third branch of the family had become city folk, then their daughter had changed too.

Indeed, people should always strive for higher status. Look how far Daya had come in such a short time at the Li household! If she had married that peasant Yang Bin, she would have been stuck as a farmer’s wife for life, with no such fortune.

While the two of them were overjoyed, Old Man Shen and the second household looked completely dumbfounded. Old Man Shen stammered, “Jiayao… are you serving as the third young master’s study attendant?”

Could it be that the Li family was deliberately humiliating them for their past greed?

Shen Zhong, feeling ashamed, responded impatiently, “What else could it be? What do you want? If I’m not around when my master calls, I’ll be punished.”

The word “master” struck the Shen family like a heavy blow, leaving them reeling. How had someone who had studied for over a decade become so servile? Even Shen Yunlian, a maid, seemed to have more dignity than him. What had happened? Could Shen Jiayao still take the imperial exams?

Old Man Shen fixed his gaze on Shen Zhong. “Tell me, what is your name now?”

Shen Zhong sneered, “Shen Zhong—Zhong as in ‘loyal.’ Is there something wrong with that?”

Old Man Shen took a deep breath and asked again, “When will you take the imperial exams?”

Shen Zhong had long since proven to himself that he was incapable of passing. He had given up on that dream entirely, but since he had no money, he didn’t want to break ties with the family too soon. He cast a sidelong glance at Shen Yunlian, smirking. “That depends on Cousin’s ability to encourage the young master to study. If he doesn’t study, how can his study attendant?”

His words were laced with bitterness and sarcasm, but Shen Yunlian had grown used to them. Her expression didn’t change in the slightest. Seeing this, Old Man Shen instructed, “Daya, did you hear that? You must find every opportunity to encourage the third young master to study hard. You absolutely cannot allow Jiayao’s future to be delayed. Remember, a maid is still just a servant with no future. Your only hope lies in your cousin passing the exams. Do you understand?”

Liu Shi, unwilling to accept this, was about to speak when she noticed Shen Yunlian subtly pulling at her sleeve. Shen Yunlian then smiled and said, “Yes, Grandfather. I will remember.”

Old Man Shen nodded in satisfaction, though something still felt off. This granddaughter no longer resembled a rural girl, while the grandson he had placed all his hopes in looked more and more like a lowly servant. Ignoring the discomfort in his heart, he waved them off. “Go back to work.”

At that moment, Zhou Shi pulled Shen Zhong aside and said bitterly, “Son, have you received your monthly wages? Buy something nice for your mother—a hairpin, perhaps? You should have seen your third aunt flaunting her silver hairpins—the most fashionable style in town! Does she deserve that? That wretched girl got so lucky. Who would’ve thought she’d be the one to invent compressed buns?”

Shen Zhong froze. “You went to see Shen Yunxuan?”

Zhou Shi quickly waved her hands. “No, we only watched her shop from a distance! We followed your instructions. You wouldn’t believe it—her business is making a fortune. People from ten villages around here all know about her, and some even travel long distances just to eat at her place. And for what? Just a few bites of food, like they’ve never eaten in their lives! It’s all because the emperor praised her. She’s set for life now.”

She scoffed. “But so what? She’s still destined for widowhood! No son to send her off when she dies!”

Shen Yunlian frowned but remained silent. She then turned to Liu Shi and asked for details about Yunlai Eatery. Her questions were specific, and Liu Shi provided equally detailed answers. Not long after, Shen Yunlian nodded and said, “We can’t stay out too long. I have to return to work.”

Shen Zhong couldn’t stop thinking about it. After returning to the Li residence, he found an excuse to leave again and personally went to Yunlai Eatery to see it with his own eyes.

He was reborn—he alone knew that he had stolen Shen Yunxuan’s path to success, so he couldn’t help but pay attention to how she was doing. If Shen Yunxuan were living poorly, he would feel much better. But as fate would have it, he was the one struggling, while Shen Yunxuan was thriving.

Did this not mean that fate had given him an opportunity, yet he had failed to seize it?

This was the most frustrating part of his rebirth! He had so easily become Li Yaosheng’s study attendant, yet he had ended up as an unappreciated errand boy. Meanwhile, Shen Yunxuan—whom he had pushed to the brink of widowhood, forcing her entire family to live with that old widow—was now receiving the emperor’s praise and running an extremely successful business.

However, he knew exactly how well Shen Yunxuan had lived in his past life and how high her status had been. Compared to that, being a mere merchant with no power or backing was nothing—like the difference between heaven and earth. Shen Yunxuan had no idea what she had missed out on.

Thinking this way, he finally felt better. With a condescending glance at the eatery, he straightened his posture and returned to the Li residence.

Coincidentally, Li Yaosheng was in the courtyard playing kickball. Seeing Shen Zhong return, he casually asked, “Where did you go?”

Shen Zhong, still holding a grudge over how Shen Yunxuan had caused the Shen family to be jailed and embarrassed him in front of his master, decided to test the waters. “Master, my former cousin, Shen, has opened an eatery. I heard business is booming, so I went to take a look. I thought if you ever wanted to try it, I could go buy something for you.”

Li Yaosheng had just been scolded by his grandmother, pressured into taking a wife, and was in no mood to hear about women. He waved dismissively, “What can’t our family’s chefs make? Come, play cuju with me.”

“Of course!” Shen Zhong immediately put on a smile, feeling relieved. Li Yaosheng had finally lost interest in Shen Yunxuan—now he no longer had to worry about her.

So what if she had received the emperor’s praise? She was just a woman, not an official. The more high-profile she became, the easier it would be for trouble to find her. And if she ran into trouble, no one would step forward to help.

Shen Zhong hadn’t realized it, but he had been harboring resentment all along. Why should Shen Yunxuan get to live well? He had been reborn and had worked so hard—at the very least, he needed to crush her underfoot to feel at peace.

He didn’t want to do anything drastic—just cause her some trouble, disrupt her business, and, ideally, ruin her shop altogether.

With this in mind, Shen Zhong bribed a local thug and a few street beggars. The thug went to Yunlai Eatery, bought two buns, and started eating right at the entrance. As soon as he finished, he clutched his stomach and collapsed to the ground, rolling in pain.

“Ah! My stomach hurts! What did you put in these buns? Why is my stomach in so much pain?!”

The customers inside were startled. Some instinctively put down their chopsticks and craned their necks to see. At that moment, the beggar children scattered in all directions, shouting:

“Yunlai Eatery is poisoning people! Yunlai Eatery is killing people!”

Shen Fu and Bai Xinghua’s expressions changed immediately. They rushed out to help the man, but he kicked and punched at them, refusing to be touched while screaming, “Trying to silence me?! Don’t touch me!”

His face turned pale, and to make his performance more convincing, he had even eaten some raw mushrooms beforehand, making him look genuinely sick.

Shen Yunxuan quickly stepped out and patted Zhang Lishan. “Go report this to the authorities!”

Hearing the word “authorities,” the thug panicked. “Report to the authorities? What for?! You’re a big shop bullying customers—putting poison in your buns and then calling the officials to cover it up?! You must have bribed them!”

The thug jumped up, clutched his stomach, and ran off. “Just you wait—I’ll bring people to settle this!”

Shen Fu and his men chased him down the street, but he was clearly familiar with the area and vanished quickly. Wang Xinghua, still worried, asked, “What do we do? Those beggar kids were shouting all over town—by now, the whole county will have heard about it.”

It was obviously a deliberate scheme, but Shen Yunxuan remained calm. “Ignore it. Such a poor attempt at deception won’t last. We will build our reputation over time—our business will only grow stronger.”

She turned back to the customers who had hesitated to eat and smiled. “Don’t worry. The officials will definitely catch the troublemaker and find out who sent him. Our eatery has been doing well lately, which has made some people jealous. Thank you all for supporting our small business. As an apology for the disturbance, we’re offering a free plate of fried peanuts for each table—enjoy your meal!”

Hearing that it was likely just an act of jealousy, many of the customers believed her. And when they heard they were getting free food, they smiled, exchanged a few polite words, and picked up their chopsticks again.

The thug had fled, and the matter was left unresolved. Of course, the eatery suffered some minor damage. Some people who had never eaten there decided to wait and see if the shop survived before trying it. Even some regular customers hesitated, wondering if the food contained addictive ingredients—why else would everyone love it so much?

Many people lacked independent judgment. They blindly followed rumors, doubted everything, and hesitated. Shen Zhong’s crude tactic might have been easy to see through for the smart ones, but when it came to food businesses, even simple rumors could do damage. People felt it was better to be cautious than to take risks—they weren’t in a hurry to eat at Yunlai Eatery.

But the trouble didn’t end there.

Two days later, as Shen Yunxuan prepared to make marinated dishes in the evening, she discovered that someone had tampered with the ingredients—there was an unknown powder sprinkled over them.

Shen Fu fumed, “Could this be rat poison?”

Shen Yunxuan frowned. “Report it to the authorities.”

Reporting to the officials twice within three days stirred up public discussion, and even the officers felt the situation had escalated. Business competition was one thing, but resorting to such underhanded tactics was unacceptable. They specially arranged for someone to examine the powder.

The results showed that the powder was just flour mixed with some alkaline substance, completely harmless. The officer looked puzzled. “Miss Shen, could this have been flour you prepared for tomorrow’s flower rolls? Maybe it was accidentally spilled? You have a lot of children around—perhaps one of them did it.”

Shen Yunxuan immediately refuted, “Impossible. I am very strict with my ingredients. This happened because the wind picked up just as the supplies were delivered, so I went inside to grab an extra layer of clothing. When I came back, I saw the powder. It was definitely someone from outside who climbed over the wall and did this.”

The officer inspected the base of the wall carefully. After three thorough checks, he finally found a faint footprint. “If it really was an intruder, why go through all the trouble just to sprinkle some flour? To scare you?”

“Maybe,” Shen Yunxuan guessed. “If I hadn’t reported it and the rumor spread, customers would start doubting the safety of my ingredients.”

As the officers were leaving, they noticed more people than usual gathered outside the eatery. Staying alert, one of them approached the crowd and asked what they were doing. The onlookers hesitated before someone finally spoke up. “Some beggar kids were shouting that Yunlai Eatery’s ingredients had been poisoned.”

That confirmed it—it was a deliberate act. The officer’s expression darkened. He asked for the whereabouts of the beggar children and went to apprehend them, but they had disappeared completely. A search of the entire county yielded no results.

This time, the impact on the eatery was significant. Even people from the docks who knew Shen Fu well began asking, “Are the noodles still safe to eat?” Wealthy households outright canceled their orders.

The eatery had only been open for a short time—less than six months since they started selling flower rolls. Their reputation wasn’t yet solid, and not enough people fully trusted them. Most were skeptical and decided to avoid the eatery for now.

This couldn’t continue. Shen Yunxuan asked a trusted supplier to help gather information and reached out to the owners of other restaurants, teahouses, and eateries in town, implying that if there were any misunderstandings, it was best to clear them up openly.

The other shop owners quickly responded, insisting that they would never stoop to such disgraceful tactics.

Shen Yunxuan agreed. Whatever else could be said about their county, it had always had good public order. In her past life, she had never heard of such dirty competition. It seemed like petty trouble, and even if the culprit was caught, the punishment would be light—perhaps just a few days in custody. But it was undeniably effective. A food safety scandal was the deadliest blow to an eatery.

After some thought, she had Zhang Lishan and Shen Xing disguise themselves in ragged clothes, darken their faces, and go out to gather information.

One was clever and resourceful, the other lively and sharp-witted. They looked after each other as they wandered around town. On the third day, they finally encountered one of the beggar children involved in the scheme. They played dumb, pretending to admire how he got free food just by shouting a few words, and begged him to let them join in.

The beggar boy, still young, assumed they were truly pitiful children abused by a wicked stepmother. Lowering his guard, he bragged, “Follow me, then! Don’t be fooled by my size—I’m the smartest one! The man who gave us coins tried to be sneaky, but I secretly followed him and found out where he goes.”

Although that man hadn’t contacted them again, the beggar boy boasted, “If I ever go hungry, I can always find him and ask for money.”

Zhang Lishan thought to himself—this child had a cunning mind, but unfortunately, he was using it the wrong way. His eyes gleamed as he clutched his stomach. “I haven’t eaten in three days—I have no strength left. Brother, can you take us there just once? When my father returns, I’ll have him buy you meat buns!”

Shen Xing also clutched his belly and nodded eagerly. “Yes! My dad will buy you ten meat buns—no, twenty! As long as we don’t starve, my dad will definitely be willing!”

The beggar boy mulled it over. The man who paid them wouldn’t keep giving money—if he asked too often, he might get beaten instead. But if he helped these two poor kids, their father would surely repay him in a few days. As their benefactor, he could go to them for food from time to time.

The deal seemed worth it. With an air of righteousness, he said, “Alright! I’ll take you there—stay close to me!”

Zhang Lishan memorized the route carefully, afraid of getting lost. They eventually arrived at a small side entrance of the Li residence. The three of them hid by the wall, waiting patiently. Knocking on the door was out of the question—they had to wait for the man to come out.

After a long wait, Zhang Lishan realized this approach wouldn’t work. When he saw someone passing by at the street corner, he quickly ran up and asked, “Uncle, I’m lost. Is this Wang Erniu’s house?”

The passerby laughed. “What Wang Erniu? Look at how grand this residence is—there’s no way someone like Erniu lives here. This is the Li residence.”

“The Li residence?” Zhang Lishan was taken aback. Since Shen Zhong and Shen Yunlian were both in the Li family, he was immediately on high alert. He quickly asked, “Is this Li Zhong’s house?”

The passerby shook his head. “Who are you talking about? This is the estate of Master Li, one of the wealthiest men in the county. You must have gone the wrong way—head west and ask around.”

Zhang Lishan thanked him and returned to their hiding spot. The beggar boy was frightened and scolded him, “What are you doing?! Why are you asking random people? Some people hate beggars—if you run into the wrong one, they’ll kick you!”

Zhang Lishan said, “It’s nothing, I just wanted to find out who lives here. I didn’t expect it to be a wealthy official. We shouldn’t wait here any longer—if someone thinks we’re thieves, we won’t be able to explain ourselves even if we’re beaten to death.”

Shen Xing immediately caught on and, with a nervous expression, grabbed Zhang Lishan’s hand and shouted, “Brother, let’s run!”

The little beggar called out to them twice, but seeing that they had disappeared, he stomped his foot and ran away as well. “An official?” He didn’t really understand what that meant, but he guessed it must be someone powerful. Either way, it was best to stay out of trouble.

When Shen Yunxuan learned that it was the Li family targeting her, she was surprised. Wasn’t Master Li the grandfather of Li Yaosheng? In her past life, the Li family had never stooped to such disgraceful tactics. They valued their reputation and usually concealed their schemes beneath layers of civility—this kind of blatant sabotage didn’t fit their style.

Her mind quickly turned to Shen Zhong and Shen Yunlian. She didn’t know if they were involved, but there was no way she could go to the Li family to question or investigate. The Li family cared too much about appearances—if they had done this, they would never admit it.

Still, since she now had confirmation, she would act as if it was definitely their doing.

Coincidentally, in three days, it would be Old Madam Lin’s birthday. Shen Yunxuan had originally prepared some traditional Beijing snacks and special dishes to send as a gift. But now, she decided not to wait—she personally carried a box of snacks and requested an audience with Old Madam Lin.

Old Madam Lin was delighted to see her, and when she tasted the authentic Beijing snacks, she was even more surprised.

“You clever girl! How on earth did you manage to make these taste just like the ones from Beijing? This is incredible!”

Although thrilled, Old Madam Lin remained level-headed. After chatting for a while, she proactively asked, “I heard your eatery has been having trouble lately. Have you thought of a way to handle it?”

Shen Yunxuan smiled. “Nothing escapes your wise eyes, madam. That’s actually why I’m here—to ask for your help. Rumors are spreading quickly, and I’m worried that if this drags on, things could get out of hand. So, I’d like to use your birthday banquet as an opportunity to prove that my food is perfectly safe. Would you be willing to let me prepare the dishes for your guests?”

As she spoke, she handed over the proposed banquet menu to Chun Xing.

Old Madam Lin reviewed the menu and found it hard to refuse. She had tasted Shen Yunxuan’s cooking many times before, and the grand dishes listed were both elegant and delicious—sure to please her guests. She was willing to support Shen Yunxuan, but this also meant openly backing her, which could stir up some trouble. To avoid unnecessary complications, she decided to consult her son, the county magistrate.

Since Shen Yunxuan was already familiar with Magistrate Lin, Old Madam Lin called him over. Upon hearing her request, the magistrate first asked, “Has Miss Shen identified who is behind this?”

Shen Yunxuan had always been measured and never sought help without good reason. If she was coming to him now, it meant the person behind this was someone of considerable status.

Shen Yunxuan sighed bitterly. “It’s the Li family. Previously, the third young master of the Li family wanted me to be their household chef, but I declined. Then, Shen Zhong went back to the village and incited my family, falsely claiming I had a childhood engagement. Thankfully, my grandmother and I acted quickly—I married to put an end to their schemes. I thought that would be the end of it, but now, just when things were going well, a new problem has arisen.”

She didn’t spell it out explicitly, but both Magistrate Lin and Old Madam Lin immediately understood. So, Li Yaosheng had taken a liking to Shen Yunxuan and had tried to use a fabricated engagement to force her hand.

Magistrate Lin had originally heard from Master Li that his grandson was intelligent and had ambitions of purchasing an official title. He had even considered testing him personally, and if he truly had potential, he might have been willing to offer some guidance. But after hearing this, his impression of Li Yaosheng plummeted.

Shen Yunxuan continued, “I would like to use the birthday banquet to prove that my food is safe and dispel the rumors. At the same time, I’d like to ask Magistrate Lin for help in arranging a meeting where I can personally offer an apology and a toast to Master Li—asking for his understanding.”

Magistrate Lin, familiar with the Li family’s temperament, could already imagine the sour expression Master Li would have upon receiving such an apology. However, daring to pull such tricks in his jurisdiction was unacceptable, and he intended to send a clear message.

This wasn’t a major issue, and Magistrate Lin readily agreed with a nod.

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆