Author Archives: Thandar

The midsummer heat was already sweltering by the time Jiang Ji and the others returned home, drenched in sweat.

He gulped down two big cups of water, wiped himself with cold water, yet still felt unbearably hot.

In this era, clothes were the same in summer and winter—long sleeves and a tight belt wrapped snugly around the waist. It was suffocatingly warm.

Zhao Ru had gone to tend the cattle. Jiang Ji rummaged through the bottom of the wardrobe and found two old thin summer shirts, grabbed a pair of scissors, and snip snip—cut the sleeves clean off.

Jiang Yan frowned. “What are you doing?”

“Fixing my clothes. It’s too hot,” Jiang Ji replied without looking up, cutting off the other sleeve before stripping off the one he was wearing and changing into his newly made short-sleeved shirt.

Jiang Yan glanced once, then quickly looked away.

Once Jiang Ji had changed, he let out a sigh of relief. “Much cooler.”

Jiang Yan looked over—Jiang Ji’s forearms were now bare, pale on top and tanned below. He frowned. “You’re going out dressed like that?”

“Why not?” Jiang Ji raised an eyebrow.

“People might talk,” Jiang Yan said evenly.

“Let them. Better that than heatstroke.” Jiang Ji looked at him, still buttoned up and proper. “Aren’t you hot? Want me to cut yours too?”

“No need. I’m fine.”

Jiang Ji’s gaze drifted to the sweat beading on his forehead. “…Don’t pretend you’re not. You’re sweating.”

“It’s nothing.” Jiang Yan’s eyes moved to Jiang Ji’s loose, unbuttoned collar that exposed his collarbones and part of his chest. “Your collar’s open.”

Jiang Ji looked down—indeed, it wasn’t just open, he’d even tugged it wider to fan himself with the fabric.

Jiang Yan: “…”

Seeing his expression, Jiang Ji laughed. “It’s hot. If it weren’t daytime and people might drop by, I’d be wearing just a vest and shorts.”

Jiang Yan: “…”

Realizing words were useless, Jiang Yan walked over, reached out, and pulled Jiang Ji’s collar closed, tugging the hem tight to secure it.

The moment Jiang Ji’s neck had finally cooled down, it was covered again.

“…Brother,” Jiang Ji sighed helplessly, “I’m really hot. My head’s spinning.”

He had already drunk some wine at lunch, his body temperature running higher than usual—and now, bundled up like this, he felt even worse.

Jiang Yan said calmly, “You’re dizzy because you drank too much. Go lie down.”

He took Jiang Ji by the arm and guided him up. “Go rest.”

Jiang Ji truly felt lightheaded, so he lay down on the bed, eyes half-closed. “You drank too, don’t you want to rest a bit?”

“I’m not dizzy,” Jiang Yan said quietly. “You sleep. I’ll go check the fields.”

“Oh, fine,” Jiang Ji mumbled, tugging his collar open again and pulling off his belt. The neckline fell wide open, and he let out a sigh of relief.

Jiang Yan’s brow twitched—he reached out and pulled the collar back up.

Still half-asleep, Jiang Ji caught his wrist. “It’s so hot. Don’t pull it up again—I need to cool down.”

Jiang Yan glanced at his own hand but didn’t move it. “At least cover your stomach, or you’ll catch a chill.”

Jiang Ji mumbled, placing a lazy hand over his stomach, his voice growing faint. “Covered…”

A moment later, he went completely still—fast asleep.

Jiang Yan: “…”

After waiting a bit, Jiang Yan carefully withdrew his hand. Seeing the wide expanse of exposed skin at Jiang Ji’s chest, he pulled the fabric up a little, then draped the edge of a bedsheet over his stomach before quietly leaving.

Jiang Ji woke after sleeping for half an hour. When he got up, Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei were already home from school, playing with their friends at the courtyard gate.

The moment they saw their elder brother step out, they greeted him—and froze.

“Brother, where are your sleeves?” Jiang Nan asked, puzzled.

“I cut them off,” Jiang Ji replied.

Jiang Bei blinked. “Why’d you cut off the sleeves?”

“It’s hot. This way’s cooler.” Jiang Ji looked at their flushed faces and sweaty foreheads. “Aren’t you hot, running around like that?”

“Hot,” Jiang Nan admitted, wiping his sweat with his sleeve.

“Then why keep running?” Jiang Ji asked with all the gravity of a philosopher. “Have you done your homework yet?”

Jiang Nan: “…We just got back.”

“Then hurry and do it while there’s still daylight. You can play after.”

Jiang Nan muttered, “By the time we finish, it’ll be dark. How’re we supposed to play then?”

Jiang Ji raised a brow, and Jiang Bei, sensing danger, quickly grabbed his brother’s hand. “We’re going now! Jiang Nan, come on—we’ve already played for a while, that’s enough!”

Jiang Nan: “…”

From behind, Jiang Ji called, “Drink some water and wash your face first.”

“Okay, got it!” Jiang Bei replied.

Just then, Zhao Ru came back driving the ox. Seeing Jiang Ji’s short sleeves, she exclaimed, “Xiao Ji, did your clothes tear?”

“I cut them. Too hot,” Jiang Ji said, taking the rope from her hand to lead the ox back to the pen. “Mother, make me a few short-sleeved shirts, please. I want to wear short sleeves.”

Zhao Ru glanced at the uneven cut and dangling threads, laughing. “You cut off too much! Who wears clothes like that? You’ll be laughed at if you go out like this.”

“Let them laugh. Better than getting heatstroke.” Jiang Ji shut the pen. “It’s getting hotter every day. I don’t want to faint from the heat. I’ve seen the dock workers wearing sleeveless vests when they’re hauling cargo.”

“Then don’t wear it outside. At home’s fine,” Zhao Ru said, heading into the kitchen to make dinner.

In the courtyard, Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei were doing their writing. Jiang Nan overheard and shouted, “Mother, I’m hot too! I want short sleeves too!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll make you some.”

After dinner, Jiang Ji drew a design. “Make it like this, with these buttons, an open-front shirt—it’s cooler and saves fabric.”

Zhao Ru studied the sketch. “That’s easy enough, but aren’t these sleeves a bit too short?”

“I think they’re still too long,” Jiang Ji said, covering his arms to demonstrate. “Also make two sleeveless ones. And the pants—make them knee-length, just about here. Easier for fieldwork, no need to roll them up.”

Zhao Ru immediately shook her head. “No, no, those are underpants! You can’t wear those outside.”

“Aw, Mother, the immortals wear them all the time. It’s only us mortals suffering in this heat all wrapped up like dumplings. The fairies walk around in vests and shorts.”

Zhao Ru: “…”

Jiang Yan: “…”

Jiang Xia: “…”

Jiang Nan’s eyes went wide with wonder. “Brother, really?”

“Really.”

“I want shorts too!” Jiang Nan declared.

Jiang Bei whispered, “I… I want them too.”

Seeing their enthusiasm, Jiang Ji grinned—he had found allies. “Alright, I’ll let you two try some tonight.”

“How?” Jiang Nan asked curiously.

“You’ll see.”

Jiang Ji ran back to his room, opened the system’s exchange shop, and found the clothing section—specifically the sleepwear category.

He hadn’t used any modern clothes before since the weather had been cooler, but now, with no fans or electricity, he couldn’t stand the heat any longer.

He exchanged two sets of pajamas for everyone in the household—short-sleeved shirts with matching shorts, button-up style, modest enough not to shock anyone.

When he came out carrying the pile of clothes, Zhao Ru and the others were used to his “mystery items” by now, though they still looked curious.

“Here—Mother, this one’s yours; this one’s for Xia’er; these are for Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei, pick your favorite color; this one’s for Jiang Yan; and this one’s mine.”

He handed them out. “These are called pajamas—you wear them for sleeping.”

Jiang Nan picked up a blue shirt with cartoon designs and gasped, eyes wide. “Wow, there’s a picture on it!”

Jiang Bei peered at it. “What’s the picture?”

Jiang Ji glanced over—it was a cute little dinosaur. “They’re adorable little animals. You don’t recognize them?”

“Never seen them,” Jiang Nan said honestly.

Jiang Bei fiddled with a button. “Brother, how do you wear this?”

“Like this. You undo it through the little hole, see? Just like our shirts.” Jiang Ji demonstrated.

Zhao Ru touched the fabric and said, “This material’s so soft—it feels wonderful.”

Jiang Ji smiled. “Of course. Worn by immortals.”

Jiang Yan: “…”

Jiang Yan held up a pair of shorts, stretching the waistband experimentally. It expanded and snapped back. “What’s this waistband made of?”

Zhao Ru gasped, picking up her own pants and trying it. “Oh! So you don’t even need a belt with these?”

Jiang Ji chuckled. “Yeah, that’s called an elastic band. The way it’s made is actually pretty complicated—we can’t produce it right now.”

Everyone gathered around the new clothes, fascinated. Zhao Ru was studying the fabric and the elastic, trying to figure out how the patterns were woven and how the stretchy band was made.

Jiang Nan was already so excited he could hardly sit still. “Brother, I’m gonna take a bath! Can you fetch water for me?”

“I wanna wash too!” Jiang Bei shouted.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Jiang Ji fetched water for the two little rascals, and after they bathed and changed into their new pajamas, they ran excitedly into the main hall.

“Look! Our new clothes!” Jiang Nan called, striking a pose with his hands on his hips. “Do they look good?”

He wore a dark blue set, while Jiang Bei’s was light blue. Both had cute cartoon prints, and the two of them looked absolutely adorable.

At first, Zhao Ru and the others weren’t used to the sight—but after looking for a while, they admitted it did look nice.

Jiang Xia nodded. “It’s cute.”

“Come here and let me see,” Zhao Ru said.

The boys ran up to her, and she turned them around to inspect the fit. “Comfy?”

“Super comfy,” Jiang Nan grinned. “Doesn’t itch at all.”

Jiang Bei chimed in, “Feels like I’m not wearing anything!”

Jiang Nan pulled at his waistband, let it go, and it snapped back with a thwack. “And you don’t even need a belt! So convenient!”

Zhao Ru laughed. “Nice and cool, huh?”

“Very cool,” Jiang Nan nodded eagerly. “Mother, you should all go wash up and put yours on too!”

“We’ll wear them for bed,” Zhao Ru said with a smile, patting their heads. “Now go to sleep.”

Jiang Bei shook his head. “Let’s play a bit longer! I wanna see big brother’s and Brother Jiang Yan’s clothes.”

Jiang Ji came over, carrying the last basin of water. “I’ll wash later. Xia’er, you go ahead.”

“Okay.”

The boys didn’t get to see their older brothers’ new outfits; by the time Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan finished washing and changing, the two little troublemakers were fast asleep.

Jiang Ji was reading a travelogue when Jiang Yan entered, still wearing his long sleeves. “Why aren’t you changing into your pajamas?”

“They’re inside,” Jiang Yan said, closing the door.

Jiang Ji laughed quietly—so modest that he had to change in private.

Jiang Yan walked over to the bed. Jiang Ji lay sprawled out in light gray short sleeves and shorts, arms and legs stretched out comfortably.

Jiang Yan’s gaze swept briefly over the exposed limbs before he turned away, undressing silently. When he turned back, he was in a dark gray pajama set.

“How does it feel?” Jiang Ji asked, looking up. “Cooler now?”

“Yes. The fabric’s very comfortable.” Jiang Yan folded his clothes neatly and sat on the edge of the bed. “Shall I blow out the lamp?”

“Wait.”

Jiang Yan turned back to him.

Jiang Ji’s eyes flicked toward his shorts, and he tilted his chin. “Don’t you feel… kind of empty?”

Jiang Yan frowned. “What?”

Jiang Ji grinned. “Here—something good for you.”

He pulled out a few pairs of men’s underwear. “These are called briefs. Wear them—it’s hot, don’t wear two layers. This keeps your lower parts protected.”

Their usual undergarments were long and heavy—basically two layers in summer. Without pants, it’d be awkward, but with them, too stuffy.

Since Zhao Ru often made inner clothes, Jiang Yan recognized what it was—but the fabric was clearly different from anything they could make.

It stretched and contracted without any ties.

“This fabric also uses elastic?” Jiang Yan asked.

Jiang Ji shook his head. “Uh, no—it’s made from a stretchy material. We can’t make this yet.”

Jiang Yan glanced at him, nodded, then picked up a black pair. Lighting a small oil lamp, he started toward the door.

“What are you doing?” Jiang Ji asked. “Just change here! Why go out?”

Jiang Yan paused, turned back. “Then turn around.”

Jiang Ji arched an eyebrow. “What, shy?”

Jiang Yan said nothing, just stared at him quietly.

Jiang Ji sighed, turning away. “Alright, alright, I won’t look. Hurry up.”

Jiang Yan blew out the lamp and set it back on the table before changing.

The faint rustle of fabric came from behind.

“You know how to wear it, right?” Jiang Ji asked.

“Yes.”

After a while, the sounds stopped.

“Done?” Jiang Ji asked.

“Done.”

Jiang Ji turned around and sat up without looking at him. “How’s it fit? The size okay?”

“Fits.”

“Comfortable?”

Jiang Yan’s voice dropped low. “Mm. Very comfortable. Thank you.”

“Good. Remember to wash the others before wearing them.”

Jiang Ji got up and slipped on his shoes.

“Going to the latrine?” Jiang Yan asked.

“No, I’m switching with Jiang Bei.”

Jiang Yan froze, eyes tightening slightly. “Why switch?”

“It’s too hot. Two grown men sleeping together is unbearable.”

Jiang Yan stood there silently, watching as Jiang Ji walked to the other bed, carefully lifted the sleeping Jiang Bei, moved him to the far side of Jiang Yan’s bed, adjusted the pillow and blanket, then lay down in Jiang Bei’s old spot himself.

With his eyes closed, Jiang Ji murmured, “Alright, blow out the lamp.”

Jiang Yan stood still for a while, then quietly blew out the flame and lay down.

In the darkness, he stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep.

For months now, he hadn’t had trouble sleeping—until tonight.

The other side of the bed was empty. The familiar scent and sound of breathing were gone.

No one would suddenly roll over and bump into him in the middle of the night. He should have slept better.

But instead—he couldn’t sleep at all.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾

Thandar: now that’s what we call cut sleeve lol

After Jiang Yan finished writing, he set the piece on the table to let the ink dry. Jiang Ji entered the prize settings, scanned the calligraphy into the system, and then the two of them went back to the fields to pull weeds.

By four-thirty, Jiang Ji stood up, went to the irrigation ditch to wash his hands, and walked toward the rice paddies. Once he made sure no one was around, he opened the livestream to start the grand prize draw.

“Alright, everyone, it’s time for the grand prize!”

The stream was packed—twenty million more viewers than in the morning. Everyone was watching, hoping for that one life-changing moment.

【Hurry up, hurry up! I’ve already bathed, changed clothes, and lit incense!】
【Me me me! Streamer, pick me!】
【God of Creation, please make the streamer pick me!】
【Grand prize, let’s go!】

Jiang Ji opened the raffle interface, the screen flashing rapidly with the scrolling names of the viewers.

“I’m drawing now.”

He tapped the button in the center, and after three seconds, the winner appeared.

“Congratulations to ‘System System You’re the Handsomest Please Pick Me’ for winning the grand prize!” Jiang Ji looked at the name and burst out laughing. “This viewer took an unconventional path and won the system’s affection. Folks, take notes!”

【What the hell, how did I not think of that!】
【Oh right, the raffle is run by the system! Quick, change your names!】
【What’s the point of changing names now—it’s over already!】
【Next time then!】
【So the system’s actually narcissistic!】
【Confirmed, everyone—this system really loves being flattered!】
【Aaaah I won! Aaaah!】
【Stop screaming, we all know you won—don’t rub it in!】
【If I’d won, I’d probably faint right now.】
【Same here, I’d pass out from joy.】

“Congratulations to the winner! Don’t be discouraged if you didn’t win—there will be more chances later. As usual, the calligraphy will be sent tomorrow after I have it mounted and framed.”

After finishing the draw, Jiang Ji was about to close the stream and return to weeding when the screen suddenly flashed with a golden shower of reward effects and a new message appeared.

——Xiao Xuehai tipped ten rice seed gifts.
——Xiao Xuehai tipped another ten rice seed gifts.
——Xiao Xuehai tipped another ten rice seed gifts.

【Xiao Xuehai: Streamer, I remember there’s a special task where rewards can be earned through tipping. I have a very respected senior who’d like one of your calligraphy pieces—same as I did before. How much would it take?】

Huh?

Jiang Ji blinked and replied, “Mr. Xiao, yes, that special task still exists—but the requirement’s pretty steep.”

【Xiao Xuehai: That’s fine. He’s rich.】

Jiang Ji: …

【He’s rich! Aaaaahhh!】
【I’m broken again!】
【Mr. Xiao, you can’t just flex on us like this!】
【Look at him, just buying his way through life!】
【Be honest, Mr. Xiao—is that ‘friend’ actually you?】

Having someone help him complete the task was a great deal for Jiang Ji, so he happily opened the special task panel, found the relevant one, and said, “This one requires a total of fifty million yuan in tips within a single day to qualify for a prize chosen by the streamer.”

【Xiao Xuehai: Perfect. He wants a piece of calligraphy.】

Jiang Ji’s eyes curved with a smile. “Alright then—let me go ask Jiang Yan.”

Jiang Ji ran over to Jiang Yan, crouched beside him, and poked his arm. “Jiang Yan, Jiang Yan.”

The two were in the tomato field, half-hidden among the tall, leafy vines. Clusters of green, round tomatoes hung everywhere—glossy and beautiful.

Jiang Yan wore a straw hat, sweat glistening on his forehead. He looked up and asked, “What is it?”

“We need another piece of calligraphy.” Jiang Ji lowered his voice since others were working nearby.

Jiang Yan wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and raised an eyebrow. “Now?”

“Not right now—just sometime today.” Jiang Ji couldn’t hold back a grin.

“Alright. I’ll write it when we get back,” Jiang Yan said, then asked, “What should I write this time?”

“I’ll tell you when we’re home.”

Jiang Ji got up and walked toward the edge of the field. Once he reached a spot where no one could hear, he said, “Mr. Xiao, Jiang Yan agreed. What should he write? Keep it within four characters—it’ll look better.”

【Xiao Xuehai: He’s a major business figure. He said you can decide, as long as the meaning is good.】

“Oh, I see.” Jiang Ji thought for a moment, then picked up a small stone and wrote four characters on the dirt path: “厚德载物 (Virtue Supports All Things).”

He then explained the meaning to his viewers: “It’s a saying that means ‘great virtue carries all things.’ It’s similar in spirit to ‘a sea that accepts all rivers’—that one emphasizes open-mindedness and inclusivity. But ‘厚德载物’ focuses more on moral character: those with noble virtue can shoulder great responsibility. It’s like saying ‘with great power comes great responsibility.’ It’s about bearing the weight of the world with integrity and compassion—a reflection of personal cultivation and social duty.”

“Mr. Xiao, is your friend satisfied with these four characters?” Jiang Ji asked.

【Xiao Xuehai: Very satisfied—those four are perfect!】

【Wow, the streamer’s culture is so deep.】
【Those words have real meaning—the more I think about them, the more profound they feel. I like them too.】
【‘A sea that accepts all rivers,’ ‘great virtue carries all things’—just hearing them feels grand and expansive.】

Jiang Ji smiled. “Our traditional culture really is fascinating. In my previous life, my country was one of the four ancient civilizations—rich history, brilliant culture, and once a global leader in human progress. There’s immense depth and continuity in that heritage.”

【Now I kinda want to see the streamer’s old world.】
【Alright, alright, stop bragging.】
【Listen to that pride in his voice—too bad we can’t see his face right now.】
【Bet he’s grinning from ear to ear.】

And indeed, Jiang Ji’s smile was radiant. He said cheerfully, “Mr. Xiao, when will your friend start sending the tips?”

【Xiao Xuehai: Give him a moment—he’s registering an account.】

【Oh wow, so it really is a friend!】
【I thought it was Mr. Xiao himself!】
【Same here.】

Jiang Ji reminded him, “Mr. Xiao, please have your friend use the most expensive gift item. That way I can exchange it for more rice seeds. Thanks!”

【Xiao Xuehai: Got it.】

Moments later, the screen filled with shimmering golden rice seed effects.

——Mu Zhengxiong sent ten rice seed gifts.
——Mu Zhengxiong sent another ten rice seed gifts.
——Mu Zhengxiong sent another ten rice seed gifts.
…

【Ahhh! It’s Elder Mu!】
【Chairman Mu!】
【It’s really Elder Mu!】

Judging by the flood of comments, this Elder Mu was clearly a highly respected and well-known figure.

Jiang Ji blinked. “Elder Mu? Folks, can someone tell me who that is?”

【Elder Mu is the leading figure in our country’s robotics field. He and his team developed a range of intelligent robots that have made everyday life so much easier.】
【Yeah, he’s basically the godfather of the robotics industry here.】

“Wow,” Jiang Ji said, intrigued. “Robots, huh? What kinds are there? What can they do?”

【Domestic robots, like housekeepers—they do chores, clean, even cook.】
【Medical robots can diagnose most common illnesses—no more waiting forever at hospitals.】
【There are also companion robots—they’re super considerate.】

Jiang Ji looked amazed. “Oh, that sounds fascinating. Are they machine-shaped or humanlike?”

【Both—you can customize them.】
【Whatever you want.】
【I have robots doing all the housework now—it’s amazing.】
【Same! Having domestic robots makes life so much happier. My parents don’t argue about chores anymore.】

Jiang Ji sighed enviously. “That’s wonderful. I want one too.”

【Hahaha, you don’t even have electricity yet—forget it.】
【Sending lots of sympathy your way.】

Jiang Ji laughed and shook his head. On-screen, the golden rice-seed effects kept streaming nonstop. The system’s tipping limit per transaction was 100 gifts, so a total of fifty million yuan in tips was taking a while to reach.

“Elder Mu, Mr. Xiao, I’m going back to weed the field. You can keep track of the total yourselves—five million is the goal.”

He returned to weeding, chatting with Zhao Ru and Jiang Yan about delivering lettuce to the restaurant tomorrow.

“Oh right, Xiao Ji,” Zhao Ru asked, “didn’t the Lin family also plant an acre of lettuce? Have they sold theirs yet?”

Jiang Ji shook his head. “No idea. Haven’t seen any at the market.”

“Maybe they’re keeping seeds too?” she guessed.

“Possibly. Brother Qiang and the others are saving chili seeds, so everyone’s probably thinking the same thing.”

“Then do we have enough chili seeds ourselves?”

“Plenty.”

After a while, Jiang Ji checked the livestream backend again. On the tipping leaderboard, Mu Yinghao had climbed to first place with 51 million yuan—and soon it rose to 52, then 53 million.

Jiang Ji said quietly, “Elder Mu, that’s enough—you can stop tipping now.”

【Xiao Xuehai: Elder Mu says thank you for celebrating our National Day. He really likes the meaning of those four characters. Calligraphy like that is rare, and he hopes this can help you exchange for more rice seeds—to help your people achieve food security sooner.】

Jiang Ji was moved. “Thank you, Elder Mu.”

The final total of the tips stopped at sixty million.

He was weeding the row next to Jiang Yan’s, separated only by the tomato plants between them. Hearing Jiang Ji murmur those words, Jiang Yan didn’t understand what they meant, but when he turned and saw Jiang Ji smiling from ear to ear, he asked, “What are you so happy about?”

Jiang Ji pushed aside the tomato branches, stepped over to Jiang Yan’s ridge, and squatted down beside him. His grin widened as he covered his mouth and whispered, “Your calligraphy just earned us three times more rice seeds than last time.”

“Three times?” Jiang Yan stared at him in shock.

Jiang Ji nodded. It was the first time he’d seen Jiang Yan with that expression—his eyes slightly widened in disbelief, his face blank for a moment—before he quickly composed himself again.

“Want me to write a few more pieces?” Jiang Yan asked quietly.

Jiang Ji froze for a second, then chuckled. “If only! There’s no such thing as that much luck. This was a one-time chance.”

Jiang Yan sighed. “Opportunities like that don’t come often.”

“True, but it’s already a huge gain,” Jiang Ji said softly. “This time, everyone will definitely plant the new rice seeds. Your calligraphy could sell across nine or ten counties easily—and whatever profit comes from that will all go to you.”

Jiang Yan paused, then shook his head. “No need. My writing isn’t worth that much. Without you, none of it could have been exchanged for seeds anyway.”

Jiang Ji was astonished. “You don’t even want the money? It’s not a small amount, you know—it’s a lot!”

Of course, Jiang Yan understood exactly how much that meant, but he still said, “You could buy a calligraphy piece on the street for a few hundred coins. It doesn’t have to be mine.”

That was true—any random painting or calligraphy piece from their world would become a priceless antique once sent to the viewers’ world.

“Who says so? No one’s calligraphy looks as good as yours!” Jiang Ji countered. “Only yours gets such a warm response.”

Jiang Yan looked at him. The young man’s face was earnest, his eyes bright with reflected sunlight.

Jiang Yan’s gaze softened. He said quietly, “Didn’t you say we’re family? Then whoever earns it, it’s still the family’s money.”

Jiang Ji blinked, then patted his arm and laughed. “So virtuous.”

Jiang Yan: “…” What kind of word choice was that?

Jiang Ji looked at him again and sighed. “Sometimes I really wish you’d never regain your memories.”

“Then you could stay with us forever.”

Jiang Yan’s heart stirred. He looked at Jiang Ji but said nothing.

“Xiao Ji, I’m going to herd the cattle home—you all come back soon,” Zhao Ru called from not far away.

Jiang Ji came back to himself and turned his head. “Okay!” he shouted back.

Then he patted Jiang Yan’s shoulder. “I’ll save the money for you. If you ever need it, just tell me.”

Before Jiang Yan could reply, Jiang Ji stood and called to the neighbors who were helping weed the field. “Uncles, aunties, it’s about time—you can head home now. Thank you for helping.”

One of the aunties replied, “There’s just a little left; we’ll finish it for you.”

Jiang Ji glanced at the remaining patch. It was small—maybe another half hour of work. “Alright then, thank you.”

When the sun set, the last of the weeds were gone, and everyone headed home.

As Jiang Ji and the others returned, Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei were feeding the ducks. Since the rice plants were now filling out, the ducks were no longer allowed into the paddies. They’d built a temporary duck pen in the courtyard, and the once tiny ducklings had grown into full-sized ducks—over a hundred of them quacking loudly, quite the spectacle.

Jiang Ji asked, “Why aren’t you two doing your homework?”

“We’ll write after feeding them,” Jiang Nan replied, then turned to ask, “Brother, I want roast duck—can you make it tomorrow?”

“Can’t tomorrow, but I’ll bring one back for you.”

“Oh, that’s fine too.”

Jiang Yan washed his hands and went to write, while Jiang Ji helped grind the ink.

Jiang Yan set aside the previous piece of calligraphy and asked, “What should I write?”

“‘Virtue Supports All Things.’”

Jiang Yan lifted the brush and began writing. Jiang Ji stood beside him, watching.

He loved watching Jiang Yan write—the graceful hands with long fingers, the way the soft brush seemed alive in his control.

Jiang Ji had tried calligraphy before; it demanded far too much patience. He’d given up after a few attempts.

He and calligraphy were destined to remain strangers in this lifetime.

“Wow, that’s so pretty!” Jiang Bei said, leaning on the table with his chin in his hands.

Jiang Ji said dryly, “You’re looking from the side—how can you tell it’s good?”

Jiang Bei said with full confidence, “Because Brother Jiang Yan’s writing is always beautiful! I don’t even have to look to know that!”

Jiang Ji: “…” A little fanboy, clearly.

…

The next morning, Zhao Ru cooked breakfast while Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan harvested three baskets of lettuce from the fields.

After eating, Jiang Ji loaded the vegetables onto a handcart and headed for town. He first delivered the lettuce to the restaurant, then went to the county office to see Magistrate Xu and Lord Chen.

“Gentlemen, I just got word—we have enough rice seeds for another nine or ten counties.”

“What? Ten counties?!”

Both officials were stunned. Lord Chen asked excitedly, “Are you serious?”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Absolutely. Please spread the word.”

“This—this is fantastic!” Lord Chen slapped his thigh. “Old Xu, let’s decide which ten counties to add.”

“Good, good!” Magistrate Xu said with delight. “We’ll start with the ones closest to ours—it’ll be easier for distribution.”

Seeing them bent over the map in excitement, Jiang Ji quickly added, “Magistrate Xu, is the estate I asked for ready?”

“Oh, yes, yes—it’s ready. Same one as before. The Lin family’s steward will bring you the key shortly.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Alright, then our county will start tomorrow.”

“It’s already been announced,” Magistrate Xu replied.

After leaving the county office, Jiang Ji stopped by the calligraphy shop to have the two scrolls mounted, then swung by the restaurant again to pick up a roast duck before heading home.

When he arrived, the Lin family’s steward, Lin Fu, was already waiting.

“Young Master Jiang, I’m here to deliver the key to the estate—it’s been cleared out overnight. Would you like me to take you there now?”

“No need, we can find it ourselves.” Jiang Ji took the key and asked, “How’s your lettuce growing? It should be ready to eat by now, right?”

Lin Fu replied cheerfully, “It’s growing wonderfully! It’s quite easy to cultivate, and everything went smoothly following the instructions you wrote in that book. Our household has already eaten it twice—both the madam and the young mistress love it. My master said he’ll keep some seeds and the rest for our own table. We’re not planning to sell any.”

“Alright. Next year, we’ll have chili seeds and a few other new crops. I’ll save some for your household.”

Lin Fu’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Then on behalf of my master, I thank you, Young Master Jiang.”

That afternoon, Jiang Ji went to find the village chief and gathered the same men who had helped last time, asking them to come to the estate after dinner to guard overnight. He also recruited a dozen more people to help during the day.

Then he and Jiang Yan packed clothes, bedding, and toiletries, and headed for the estate.

It was the same place as before. After checking every corner, Jiang Ji took out all the seeds he had exchanged—the two warehouses, empty rooms, and even the corridors were soon filled to the brim.

The next morning, Changping County came alive as every household set out to buy seeds.

The rice grains in the fields had ripened full and heavy, promising a good harvest. When people heard that they could now plant the new second-season rice, everyone grew eager and excited.

There was no need for Jiang Ji to spread the word; every villager decided to replant all their paddies with the new seeds.

*

As Jiang Ji’s side grew busy selling, the news spread from county to county—until it finally reached Prefect Hu.

“What? Fifteen counties in total?” Prefect Hu jumped to his feet in shock. “Yesterday’s report said it was fewer than five—how did it suddenly increase so much?”

The adviser was equally baffled. “The people we sent found out that Jiang Ji himself also received the news suddenly.”

“Have they tracked down the merchant transporting the seeds?” Hu demanded.

“That’s the strange part, sir.” The adviser frowned. “Our men learned that the county yamen assigned him the same estate as before. They’ve been guarding the main and back roads near it, but no one has seen a single cartload of grain seeds being delivered.”

“No one?” Hu’s eyes widened. “Then where did Jiang Ji get all those seeds?”

The prefect and his adviser exchanged looks of disbelief.

“I don’t know,” said the adviser. “Our men said Jiang Ji went to the estate in the afternoon, and by the next day, he was already selling. The seeds just… just seemed to appear out of thin air.”

“Nonsense! How could that much seed appear out of nowhere?!” Hu paced in anger. “Are you sure those men aren’t lying to you? Maybe they were slacking off somewhere and missed it!”

The adviser wiped the sweat from his forehead. “I don’t think they’d dare, sir.”

“They’re far from the capital—of course they’d dare! Otherwise, explain to me how he got those seeds! Jiang Ji’s no immortal—he can’t conjure things from nothing!”

The adviser said nothing.

Prefect Hu was furious. Still no sign of the merchant—and now fifteen counties’ worth of seeds had already been sold!

That’s an enormous amount of silver!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, slamming his hand on the table. “Useless fools—can’t do anything right!”

All that money, straight into Jiang Ji’s pocket. The thought of it—and of how Jiang Ji had outplayed him—made Hu’s teeth grind with rage.

If he couldn’t profit from it, then that boy wouldn’t either!

“Send word to Skull Mountain,” Hu ordered coldly. “Tell them Jiang Ji is selling seed to fifteen counties. No need to explain anything else—they’ll look into it themselves.”

The adviser hesitated. “Do we want our men to stay and watch?”

“Let them do as they please. Don’t say anything unnecessary.”

“Yes, sir.”

*

Back in Changping County, the seed trading at the western estate was in full swing.

To speed things up, Magistrate Xu sent both yamen clerks and accountants from the county office, and even borrowed several from the Lin family to help with bookkeeping.

Master Lin dispatched four clerks, which made the process much faster.

The locals of Changping bought theirs first—small household quantities weighed and sold by the catty. Within a day and a half, the entire county was done.

Then delegations from other counties began to arrive, organized directly by their own county offices. They came with carts and workers, loading full sacks at a time—faster than the locals had bought. As before, each county issued promissory notes to Jiang Ji, to be repaid later in silver.

With official backing, Jiang Ji wasn’t worried about collecting payment.

After six or seven days of nonstop work, all fifteen counties’ worth of seeds were sold.

When the last county’s convoy departed, everyone finally exhaled in relief—it had been exhausting work.

Jiang Ji raised his voice. “Everyone, thank you for your hard work these past few days! It’s too late today, so go home, wash up, and rest. Tomorrow at noon, I’ll treat you all to a meal at Jiang Ji Dining Hall as thanks! Don’t you dare skip it!”

The mention of eating at Jiang Ji Dining Hall immediately lifted everyone’s spirits.

“Great, I’ve been wanting to go there for ages!”
“What a treat!”
“Thank you, Brother Jiang Ji!”

The next day, the entire second floor of Jiang Ji Restaurant was cleared out to host those who had helped with the sale.

Table after table was filled with fine food and good wine, and everyone ate to their heart’s content.

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan went from table to table, toasting and thanking the helpers before joining the county officials.

During the meal, Magistrate Xu asked, “Lord Chen, you mentioned before that the provincial inspector would be coming for an inspection. Why hasn’t he arrived yet?”

Lord Chen, cheerful and slightly flushed from drink, replied, “He meant to come earlier, but two counties in Luzhou were hit by floods. He’s been occupied there for over a month, and once he returned, new matters held him up again.”

“Oh? Something important?” Xu asked.

Chen nodded. “It seems so. I heard he’s helping the capital search for someone.”

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan exchanged glances at that.

“Someone from the capital?” Xu asked, already tipsy but curious. “Who could be important enough for the inspector himself to lead the search?”

Lord Chen said, “I’m not sure, but it must be someone very important. They say the person disappeared somewhere in our province, and the capital has already sent people down to search.”

Jiang Ji’s brow twitched. “My lord, our province is huge—do you know which area this person went missing in?”

“I don’t,” Lord Chen admitted. “Lord Fan and the people from the capital are keeping it very secret. What little I know came from a friend.”

Jiang Ji glanced at Jiang Yan, who shook his head slightly.

After the banquet, when they saw the guests off, Jiang Ji personally handed each helper a pouch of pastries—and discreetly slipped them a thank-you banknote as well.

Once everything was wrapped up, he finally felt a weight lift from his chest.

On the way home, Jiang Ji asked, “Do you think that person the inspector’s looking for could be you?”

Jiang Yan shook his head. “Probably not.”

“Why not?”

“If the provincial inspector himself is helping with the search, the missing person must be extremely important,” Jiang Yan said, looking at him. “Do I look like that kind of person to you?”

Jiang Ji nodded seriously. “You do.”

Jiang Yan: “…”

Jiang Ji scratched his head. “I wonder who the inspector sent to investigate. Should we tell Lord Chen, just in case?”

Jiang Yan glanced at him and refused flatly. “No.”

“Why not? Don’t you want to go home?”

After a moment of silence, Jiang Yan said, “Did you forget? When you found me, I was covered in injuries. What if the ones looking for me are enemies? Otherwise, why would they search in secret instead of posting notices?”

Jiang Ji froze, then nodded. “You’re right—that is suspicious.”

Now that Jiang Yan said it, the more Jiang Ji thought about it, the stranger it seemed. “Good point. We’d better wait until you remember what happened to you. If your enemies find you first, that’d be suicide.”

“Mm.” Jiang Yan turned to look at him. “Why are you so eager to help me find my family anyway?”

“I’m not,” Jiang Ji said, blinking in confusion before scratching his head. “Don’t take it the wrong way—I just thought if you found your family, maybe being around familiar people or places could help you regain your memory sooner.”

“I’m not in a hurry.” Jiang Yan paused, then added softly, “I think things are fine the way they are. Peaceful.”

Jiang Ji rubbed his nose and muttered under his breath, “But I want you to remember.”

“Hm?” Jiang Yan turned toward him. “What did you say?”

Jiang Ji stopped walking and looked at him. “I said, I want you to remember.”

Jiang Yan also stopped. His brow arched slightly. “Didn’t you say the other day you didn’t want me to remember?”

“The point that day wasn’t the first part—it was the second,” Jiang Ji replied, meeting his gaze.

Jiang Yan thought back to that conversation.

—Then you could stay at my house forever.

Jiang Yan froze for a moment.

Their eyes met, some unspoken tension rippling between them.

Both had drunk a little at lunch; whether it was the wine or the blazing afternoon sun, even the air between them seemed to grow hot and still.

Jiang Yan spoke softly. “Are you drunk?”

“Maybe.” Jiang Ji looked away, letting the emotion fade from his eyes. He took a few steps forward. “Come on. It’s too hot to stand around.”

Jiang Yan watched his back for a moment, pressed his lips together lightly, and followed after him.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾

When Jiang Ji arrived at the restaurant early that morning, it was still quiet. In the kitchen, Han Qingshan was gathering the staff for a meeting. Jiang Ji stopped at the doorway, not going in, simply listening from the side.

Han Qingshan stood before the group, his expression serious.

“…Today as we start work, I hope no one repeats yesterday’s mistakes. Also, there’s something important I need to tell everyone. We’ve only been open a few days, and business is booming. Because of that, other restaurants have already started watching us closely. This morning, someone came to find me—from Xiang Man Lou. This place used to be a restaurant, but it closed down because its chefs were poached by Xiang Man Lou.”

“They told me I could name any salary I wanted. I refused—not only because the ownership papers for me and Xiang’er are in the young master’s hands, but because the young master treats us well.”

“All of us who joined the Jiang household were once together at the labor agency. You’ve probably heard about what happened with me and Yu Yang. Word was, we’d struck our former master’s son, so no one wanted to hire us. But the young master didn’t care about our past. He not only took us in but also helped me find Xiang’er again.”

“Ask yourselves honestly—has the young master not treated us well? You’ve all seen the village yourselves. The young master’s own family still lives in thatched huts, yet he gave us two fine courtyard houses just for our use. In any other household, only the young masters and young ladies would live in such good quarters.”

“He taught us cooking himself—without holding anything back. He even takes the trouble to make sure we rest properly, giving us the bath tubs from the main courtyard for our use.”

“Would that ever happen in another household? What other master, madam, young master, or young lady could compare to ours?”

“Everyone, I’m old. I’m forty-three this year. I was sold into servitude at ten and have served in four households. Of them all, Young Master Jiang and his family are the kindest, most generous masters I’ve ever known.”

“The work we do now doesn’t involve serving anyone directly. We don’t have to flatter or fear others, and we no longer suffer slaps or scoldings for no reason. We just do our jobs well and are paid generously for it. Where else could we find such a master?”

“Xiang Man Lou—or other restaurants—will definitely send more people to approach us. But remember this: what they want is our new recipes, and everything we’ve learned was taught by the young master himself. I hope you all keep that firmly in mind.”

“If anyone comes trying to recruit you,” Han Qingshan continued, “I hope that whether it’s because of your indentures or because you remember the young master’s kindness, you’ll think carefully before making any decision that you might regret later.”

Jiang Ji listened quietly for a while longer, then turned away and left.

He had originally come to remind Han Qingshan to be careful of people trying to poach their staff. He trusted Han and Yu Yang, but not everyone else yet.
Now, he realized there was no need—Han had already said everything he would have.

After a brief word with Manager Lü, Jiang Ji headed to the county office.

When Han Qingshan finished his talk, everyone went back to work. He came out to the front and asked, “Manager Lü, has the young master been here?”

“The owner came just now—went to the back. You didn’t see him?”

Han was taken aback. “He went to the kitchen?”

“Yeah, I saw him go back there, but he didn’t stay long. Said he was going to the county office to meet with the officials.” Manager Lü added curiously, “Why, you needed him for something?”

“I wanted to talk to him about something. Did he say he’d come back later?”

“No, but I’ll let you know if he does.”

“Alright, thank you.”

Jiang Ji had gone to the county office to discuss the second rice planting season—it was time to sell the seeds again.

As he walked, he casually opened his livestream. It was only a little past eight in the morning, yet the viewer count was unusually high—over seven million already.

Surprised, Jiang Ji glanced at the scrolling comments.

【Han Qingshan is such a solid guy】
【He’s loyal—he remembers the young master’s kindness】
【That Jiang Ji kid really has some luck, earning a household’s full devotion】
【Not just luck—he’s kindhearted. If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t have helped find Xiang’er, and they wouldn’t have earned that kind of loyalty】
【He’s always been kind, even back when he took in Jiang Yan】
【Let’s just hope no one else causes trouble】
【That Xiang Man Lou owner doesn’t seem like someone who gives up easily】
【Haha, that Tian guy must be tearing his hair out—no chilies, no chef to poach, nothing】
【Just hope they don’t pull some dirty trick, like planting bugs in the food and claiming it’s contaminated】
【Restaurant rivalries always end up with that kind of nonsense—fake food poisoning, slander about hygiene, stuff like that】
【You sound way too experienced saying that】

Jiang Ji laughed and greeted the viewers. “Morning, everyone. You all seem lively today.”

【Hey, the streamer’s reading the chat!】
【Haha, I thought you were just walking in silence—turns out you were watching us type】
【We’re just discussing business warfare tactics for your restaurant. Pay attention, could be useful!】

“I see, thanks everyone.” Jiang Ji chuckled, noticing the numbers still climbing. “Why are there so many people today? Usually around this time, it’s only two or three million. Don’t you all have work?”

【We’re off today—it’s National Day】
【Holiday! Still in bed right now】
【Three-day break! Gonna watch you the whole time】

“Oh, it’s National Day? No wonder there are so many people.” Jiang Ji grinned. “But why aren’t you all sleeping in? When I had days off, I’d sleep straight until noon.”

【Still in bed】
【Eating breakfast】
【Wanted to sleep in but my mom woke me up】
【Same! Moms are relentless】
【Classic mom behavior】

Jiang Ji laughed softly. “Then let me wish you all a happy National Day! May your country prosper and its people live in peace and safety.”

【Thank you, streamer!】
【Happy National Day to you too!】
【Wishing peace and prosperity to the nation!】

The chat filled with red-colored messages, festive and bright. It reminded Jiang Ji of his previous life—how livestreams on National Day were always flooded with patriotic blessings, full of heartfelt pride.

Many viewers sent gifts—golden, plump little rice grains with tiny wings fluttering across the screen, dropping endlessly like rain. It looked adorable.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Ji said, “Alright, everyone. To celebrate your National Day, let’s do another giveaway at noon!”

【Ahhhh, giveaway time!】
【Yes! Finally another one!】
【What’s the prize this time?】
【When exactly?】

“Noon, twelve o’clock,” Jiang Ji announced. “The prizes will be twenty-five dishes from my restaurant’s menu—one dish for each of twenty-five winners. And when I get back this afternoon, I’ll have Jiang Yan write a calligraphy scroll that says ‘Peace and Prosperity to the Nation’ as a special grand prize!”

【I want that grilled fish! I’ve been drooling since the last time you showed it】
【I want the roast duck】
【Braised pork trotters for me!】
【No, I want the grand prize!】
【The calligraphy, the calligraphy!】
【You fools, that scroll’s worth millions and you’re asking for food that’ll be gone in five minutes!】
【As if winning any of it’s easy, come on!】

Jiang Ji couldn’t stop laughing at the chat. “You’re all too funny. Anyway, I’ve got to head into the county office now. Go spread the word and bring more people in!”

【Spread the word? No way—I’m not lowering my chances of winning!】
【Exactly, higher odds for us if fewer people join】
【Makes sense】
【Don’t tell anyone, I want to win!】
【Anyone who shares this is a puppy】
【Too late! It’s already trending on Weibo under a giveaway tag!】

【Ahhhhh! Who did that?! Traitor!】

【Who shared it! You’ve been single for decades and this is how you use your hand speed?!】

【Look at the viewer count—it’s shooting up!】

Jiang Ji almost burst out laughing. “No need to be like that. If you all really enjoy the food that much, I’ll hold more giveaways so you can try it again later.”

【I’m remembering this! You better keep your word!】
【Do the math yourself—it’s been forever since the last giveaway!】

Jiang Ji rubbed his nose and smiled. “It hasn’t been that long. I haven’t even been here that long myself! Anyway, I’m at the county office now. I’ll leave the hype to you guys and catch up later. Noon sharp—see you then.”

He closed the livestream and turned to the guard at the county office gate. “Brother, is Magistrate Xu in?”

The guard, now quite familiar with him, grinned. “He’s here—go on in.”

“Thanks.”

Jiang Ji walked into Magistrate Xu’s office and knocked. “Sir.”

Magistrate Xu looked up from his paperwork, eyes lighting up. “Ah, come in! I was just thinking of going to see you tomorrow.”

“You needed me for something?” Jiang Ji asked, sitting in the chair by the desk.

Magistrate Xu stood and came around from behind his desk. “The threshing machine is finished. I wanted you to take a look.”

Jiang Ji’s eyes brightened. “Both units are done?”

“Mm. They’ve been tested—work perfectly.” Magistrate Xu tilted his chin toward the courtyard. “Come on, let’s see them.”

“Alright.”

They went to a nearby courtyard where several carpenters were at work.

As soon as Jiang Ji entered, he saw two threshing machines placed under the corridor of the main hall, surrounded by carpenters inspecting them. The hall floor was covered in wood shavings, and several men were busy assembling more machines.

Magistrate Xu smiled. “They’ve already tested them. Go ahead—see if they match your design, and tell us if anything needs adjusting.”

“Sure.”

Jiang Ji walked up to one machine and examined it carefully. It had a square frame with a lid, and in the center a large rotating cylinder made of long planks embedded with curved metal loops. A foot pedal at the bottom drove a pair of gears on either side, which in turn rotated the cylinder. Comparing it with the version from his system’s blueprint, it looked identical.

He picked up a test branch from nearby, pressed it onto the platform, and stepped on the pedal. As the roller spun faster, he pushed the branch in—leaves on the side touching the roller were instantly stripped clean.

“How is it?” Magistrate Xu asked.

Jiang Ji lifted the bare branch, satisfied. “Perfect. Just like it should be.”

Harvesting rice would be so much easier now.

“Good.” Magistrate Xu pointed toward another room. “The winnowing machine’s over there.”

Inside that room, two or three winnowers had already been completed.

Jiang Ji tested one with some rice nearby—empty husks blew away, leaving only full, plump grains falling neatly into the basket below.

“Excellent. It separates cleanly. Perfect for sorting seeds after harvest.”

“Exactly.” Magistrate Xu nodded, stroking his beard. “By the way, the second-season rice seeds—are they ready?”

“That’s why I came today,” Jiang Ji said. “Sir, please send out the notice. The seeds will arrive in about two days. Just like before, find me a manor—we can start selling the day after tomorrow. The price stays the same. Our own county buys first; as for other counties, you and Magistrate Chen can decide the distribution. They can come buy here—we won’t be delivering this time.”

Magistrate Xu nodded again. “Understood. How much do you have?”

Over the past two months, Jiang Ji had built up a large reserve of points. He’d also converted many viewer gifts into rice seeds—though this time, unlike before when most came from a generous viewer named Mr. Xiao, he had to spend his own points. And it now cost ten points per jin of seed.

Fortunately, the platform’s owner had realized his value—Jiang Ji’s stream had been featured daily on the homepage, bringing in huge audiences.

It was a win-win: Jiang Ji’s popularity drew traffic, and in turn, the platform’s daily active users had surpassed even the biggest rival—it was now the undisputed leader of the streaming world.

By now, the first-season rice fields were heavy with grain, each stalk bearing nearly double the yield of ordinary rice. It was certain that every farmer would want the new seeds for their second planting.

Jiang Ji estimated, “If we supply fully, it should cover about four to five counties. I’m not completely sure how much farmland there is, so let’s call it four and a half counties’ worth.”

Magistrate Xu nodded. “Alright. I’ll inform Lord Chen and let him decide which counties get them. We’ll have the estate ready for you by tomorrow.”

“Perfect.” Jiang Ji pointed to the winnower and the threshing machine. “Sir, could you have someone deliver these to me later?”

“Of course. I’ll send men to transport them shortly.”

Jiang Ji smiled. “Thank you, sir.”

After finishing his business, he returned to the restaurant.

First thing back, he found Manager Lü. “Uncle Lü, set up a large round table in the office at the back. I’ll need it soon.”

“Alright, right away.” Manager Lü immediately called the waiters to arrange it.

Then Jiang Ji headed to the kitchen, where everyone was busy working.

When Han Qingshan saw him, he first reported the morning’s incident.

“I’ve already spoken to everyone and made it clear,” Han said seriously. “I’ll keep a close eye on things from now on.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “I heard your talk this morning,” he said earnestly. “Uncle Han, with you here, I can rest easy.”

Han Qingshan’s expression softened with emotion. “Thank you for your trust, young master. I’ll make sure to keep a close watch over the kitchen.”

“Good.” Jiang Ji waved his hand. “Come on, around noon I’ll need every dish from the menu prepared. Help me make some portions ahead of time—we’ll need them ready.”

“Yes, young master.”

Jiang Ji personally joined in cooking the dishes for the audience giveaway, while Han Qingshan handled part of the workload. After more than half an hour of busy work, everything was finally ready.

Even the large round table couldn’t hold all the dishes—they had to bring in an additional eight-immortals table to fit them all.

Jiang Ji closed the door, latched it, and told everyone not to disturb him. Then he opened the livestream.

No one came to bother him; it was the peak of lunch hour, and everyone in the restaurant was busy beyond belief.

When Jiang Ji glanced at the stream, he was stunned—
the viewer count had hit an all-time record: more than sixty million people were watching live.

“What the—why are there so many people?!”

【Alright, alright, it’s starting!】
【It’s time! It’s time!】
【Oh my god, I’m drooling just looking at that table!】
【The streamer’s too sincere—he actually cooked everything himself】
【You’re trending right now! Two or three of the top ten searches are about you, the rest are all National Day topics!】
【Everyone knows you’re doing a giveaway for National Day, so they’re here to join and try their luck】
【The winners from last time got rich—some sold their prizes for hundreds of thousands at least】
【But this time it’s food—you can’t resell that easily】
【You can auction it off though!】
【I want to eat it myself!】
【Haha, you gotta win first!】
【Chance is twenty-five out of sixty-nine million!】
【If I win today, I’m buying a lottery ticket immediately!】

Jiang Ji laughed. “Looks like everyone’s excited, so let’s not waste any time—let’s begin.”

The table wasn’t just covered with dishes; there were also large bowls of rice, and even a big steamer full of freshly cooked white rice on the side.

“Since you probably have family at home, I prepared generous portions of rice so everyone can share a bit.”

He set up the giveaway parameters, scooped a big bowl of rice, and paired it with the first dish on a tray—making one complete set.

【Even rice too!】
【You’re so thoughtful, streamer! It’s lunchtime here too, hurry up and start!】
【I’ve been waiting to eat vicariously through this stream!】
【Ahhhh pick me pick me pick me!!】

——Xiao Xuehai tipped ten rice seed gifts.
——Xiao Xuehai tipped ten more rice seed gifts.

The golden name shone brightly at the top of the chat, followed by a spectacular animation of rice seeds—the premium kind worth a thousand coins each.

【Ah, it’s Mr. Xiao!】
【The legendary Xiao himself—so dazzling!】
【Boss Xiao, mighty as ever!】

Jiang Ji was pleasantly surprised. Smiling, he said, “Mr. Xiao, hello! Happy National Day!”

【Xiao Xuehai: Same to you.】

The golden VIP message gleamed at the top of the screen—Jiang Ji spotted it immediately. “Mr. Xiao, are you joining the giveaway too?”

【Xiao Xuehai: Yes.】

“Then I wish you the best of luck.”

【Xiao Xuehai: Thank you.】

“Alright everyone, let’s start! The first dish—braised pork with preserved mustard greens!” Jiang Ji scanned the tray into the system and brought up the raffle interface. “Ready? Let’s roll!”

The livestream screen filled with flashing names spinning rapidly, too fast to read, just streaks of motion.

After three seconds, one name popped up.

“Congratulations to ‘Pick Me, Please Pick Me, Streamer!’ for winning the braised pork dish!” Jiang Ji blinked, then laughed. “This username reminds me of someone from the last giveaway—the style’s awfully similar!”

【Ahhh it’s not me!】
【What was that first winner called again—‘Pick me pick me pick me,’ right?】
【Ahhhh it’s me! I won!】
【My tears of envy are flowing straight from my mouth!】
【Next one, pick me!!】
【Clearly, having a desperate-sounding name increases luck! I’m changing mine too!】

“Since these are hot dishes, you’ll want to eat them right away, so I’ll be sending them one at a time,” Jiang Ji explained. “If you win, make sure you’re at your table—or just sit on the floor if you have to. Hope you enjoy the meal!”

He tapped the Send button, and instantly, the tray of braised pork and rice vanished—leaving only the empty tray behind.

【Whoa! It disappeared!】
【Still looks magical every time!】
【Winner, keep your bowl and tray—that’s an artifact from another world, worth a fortune!】
【Oh right, the tableware comes along with it!】
【What if people start faking the bowls later?】

“You’ll have to learn to tell the difference,” Jiang Ji said, lifting a bowl to the camera with a grin. “Our restaurant’s name is engraved on the bottom of each piece. Still, if someone’s skilled enough, they could fake it—so keep your eyes sharp.”

【I’m keeping mine as a family heirloom—never selling it!】
【First, I need to actually win one…】

“Alright, next dish—grilled fish. This one’s big, perfect for a whole family. Let’s give you a little extra rice.” Jiang Ji pressed down a heaping bowl of rice, placed it on the tray, scanned it, and started the draw.

“Congratulations to ‘Streamer, Love Me Just Once’ for winning the grilled fish!” Jiang Ji’s eye twitched slightly. “What’s with all these ridiculous usernames you people are coming up with?”

【Oh my god, so you really do need one of those ridiculous usernames to win!】

【This system is so untrustworthy—it actually favors those names!】

【Quick, everyone change your names!】

【Done. I’m now “Behaving Honestly.”】

【It’s me! It’s me! Ahhh, I won!】

【All the good usernames are taken already! You guys make it impossible to come up with a new one!】

Jiang Ji couldn’t help laughing. “Alright, moving on to the third dish. This one’s just vegetables, so I added a side of steamed ribs. May your great nation prosper and rise ever higher!”

【Thank you, streamer, and may your country also keep rising and prospering!】
【You’re so thoughtful, thank you!】

——Xiao Xuehai tipped ten rice seed gifts.
——Xiao Xuehai tipped another ten rice seed gifts.

Jiang Ji continued drawing names one by one. Just finishing all twenty-five dishes took nearly half an hour.

“Alright, that’s the last one. I hope everyone who got something enjoyed their meal. How was it?”

【So delicious! I’m literally in tears!】
【I won the grilled fish—my family and I licked the plate clean! Oh my god, it was amazing!】
【I got the roast duck! Haha, it’s incredible—crispy on the outside, juicy inside, rich but not greasy!】
【Ughhh, I’m dying of envy! All I can do is watch!】
【I saw videos of the winners eating. Their luck is unreal!】
【I won the vegetable dish, but the streamer added steamed ribs—thank you! It was so good!】
【The spicy pork was incredible, and the rice was perfect too. I finished the whole big bowl myself!】
【Dude, seriously? You ate that whole bowl by yourself?】
【Sob… I’m a girl! I was on a diet, and now I’ve undone a whole month of progress!】
【……】
【HAHAHAHAHAHA】
【Sorry, but that’s too funny!】
【Worth it, girl. Totally worth it.】

Jiang Ji was laughing too. “Miss, there’s no need to rush a diet anyway! Oh, and don’t forget—the grand prize draw is later this afternoon, around four-thirty. After I eat, I’ll head back. I’m logging off for now.”

【Oh crap, that’s right! There’s still the grand prize!】
【Jiang Yan’s calligraphy—worth tens of millions!】
【Pick me pick me pick me!!】
【The piece Mr. Xiao won last time got borrowed by a museum for display!】
【I went to see it! Majestic and powerful—I didn’t even understand the characters, but it was stunning!】
【The first guy who won one sold it at auction, quit his coding job, and used the money to start his own gaming company. Total dream come true.】
【Yeah, I saw that in the news too. So jealous!】

——Pick Me Pick Me Pick Me tipped ten rice seed gifts.
——Pick Me Pick Me Pick Me tipped another ten rice seed gifts.

【Whoa, that’s him, right? It’s gotta be him!】
【Speak of the devil, and he appears!】
【Dude, you’re watching too?】
【Pick Me Pick Me Pick Me: Thank you, streamer! I sold the calligraphy, started my own company, and just landed my first investor! You helped me make my dream come true!】

The messages were highlighted in gold—he’d tipped quite a lot over time. Jiang Ji saw it and smiled warmly.

“Congratulations, brother! Wishing you endless success and prosperity!”

【Pick Me Pick Me Pick Me: Thank you, streamer!】

【Streamer, you’re still here? Spying on chat instead of leaving?】

“I’m going, I’m going—time for lunch.”

Jiang Ji chuckled, closed the stream, picked up the steamer and tray, and left.

In the kitchen, everyone was still busy. He went next door to the staff dining room, where the servers and cooks were taking turns to eat.

In his previous life, restaurant staff usually had to eat at off-hours—around 1–2 p.m. or after 9 p.m.—once the rush had passed.

But here, with the nightly curfew, they had to close by eight. It wouldn’t be fair to make them eat dinner at four, so Jiang Ji had them rotate their mealtimes instead.

Xiao An was eating when he saw Jiang Ji come in. “Brother Jiang Ji, didn’t you just feed your friends? Weren’t you full already?”

Jiang Ji paused, filled a bowl, and sat down. “I didn’t eat with them. They took their food to go.”

“Oh.” Xiao An scratched his head. “Then I’ll go clean up afterward.”

He’d been helping carry dishes earlier.

“No need—it’s already taken care of,” Jiang Ji said quickly, steering the topic away. “By the way, who made this eggplant casserole today? It’s pretty good.”

“I heard Brother Xiaojun made it.”

“Not bad.”

After finishing his meal and about to leave, Jiang Ji suddenly remembered the twenty-five sets of bowls and plates that had disappeared with the giveaways—the kitchen needed to keep count.

He went back to tell Han Qingshan, “Uncle Han, those twenty-five sets of tableware—I sent them out with the food. Put them on my account.”

Han nodded. “Got it.”

“Oh, and the lettuce at home is ready for harvest. Starting tomorrow, I’ll send a cartload over every day—add that to the fresh vegetables menu.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Ji stopped by the main hall to tell Manager Lü about the dishes and lettuce, then headed home.

At the village entrance, he saw Zhao Ru and Jiang Yan in the fields pulling weeds from the tomato patch. Standing by the roadside, he called out, “Jiang Yan! Come here, I need you for something.”

Jiang Yan looked up, saw him, emptied his basket, and washed his hands in the irrigation ditch before walking over. “What is it?”

Jiang Ji squatted down, smiling brightly. “Write something for me.”

After drying his hands, Jiang Yan came up the path, one eyebrow raised. “Like before? A gift?”

“Mm.” Jiang Ji stood, eyes gleaming, pointing upward with a grin. “A gift for the immortals.”

Jiang Yan said, “…Alright. What am I writing this time?”

“‘Peace and Prosperity for the Nation,’” Jiang Ji replied, then remembered the winnower and the threshing machine. “Did Magistrate Xu’s men deliver the machines yet?”

“They came this morning. The winnower and one of the threshers are in the main hall; the other wouldn’t fit, so I put it in the woodshed.”

Jiang Ji looked at him. “Have you tried them out? How do they work?”

“Very well. The thresher separates the grain fast.” Jiang Yan frowned slightly. “But it’s a bit dangerous—children shouldn’t go near it. Around noon, we lost sight of Jiang Nan for a moment, and he got curious and stepped on the pedal a few times. He almost got pulled in.”

“What? Jiang Nan’s alright?” Jiang Ji asked in alarm.

“He’s fine. I grabbed him in time. Don’t worry.”

Jiang Ji frowned. “That little rascal… I’ll give him a good talking-to tonight.”

“Auntie already scolded him. He was so frightened himself that he probably won’t dare touch it again.”

As they spoke, the two reached home. Jiang Ji went straight to the woodshed. “The rollers on this machine have really strong suction. Jiang Yan, let’s remove them for now—only put them back when we need to use it.”

“Alright.”

They removed the guard panels, took out the central roller, and set it aside. They did the same for the one in the main hall, not wanting the two little troublemakers to step on it again out of curiosity.

Afterward, they washed their hands. Jiang Ji ground the ink while Jiang Yan laid out the paper and brush.

As Jiang Ji worked, he said, “The day after tomorrow, we’ll start selling rice seeds again. I told the magistrate, and he should have a manor arranged by tomorrow. This time, people from other counties can come collect them themselves. I’m not running around again.”

Jiang Yan glanced up at him with a faint smile. “Good. No need to tire yourself out.”

“Yeah, I think so too. Last time, they were just in a rush to sow before the season ended.” Jiang Ji shrugged.

Jiang Yan used the paperweights to flatten the sheet. “So this piece is a thank-you gift for the rice seeds?”

Jiang Ji thought for a moment. “Mm. One of them.”

Jiang Yan gave him a look but didn’t ask further—he still remembered the two calligraphy pieces that had left the house before and never come back. Rolling up his sleeves, he dipped the brush in ink.

“If there’s ever something I can help with, just tell me,” Jiang Yan said.

Jiang Ji paused, then smiled, eyes curving. “You’re already helping—a great deal.”

Jiang Yan lifted his gaze briefly, then lowered it again and began writing.

— Peace and Prosperity for the Nation.

Grain—the very foundation of peace and prosperity.

If his calligraphy could help Jiang Ji, if it could bring more rice and new crop seeds, then what harm was there in writing a few more pieces?

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾

When Master Tian returned to his own restaurant, Xiang Man Lou, the manager noticed his grim expression. After a moment’s hesitation, he followed him inside.

That morning, when Jiang Ji Dining Hall had opened, the manager had gone to take a look. He’d even managed to grab a bite in the crowd—and the moment he tasted it, he knew something was wrong. Xiang Man Lou had met a real rival.

Later, he’d gone again to observe from outside. The place was packed. He didn’t even need to ask how the food was—he could tell from the satisfied smiles of the customers leaving, all praising the flavor and saying they would return.

The only complaint anyone had was that the prices were a little high.

But for something unique, high prices were to be expected.

The manager poured a cup of tea for Master Tian and said worriedly, “Sir, this Jiang Ji place won’t be easy to deal with. Our lunchtime business dropped by half today.”

“You went to look?” Master Tian asked.

“I did,” the manager nodded. “And I managed to taste one of their dishes—it’s better than ours.”

Master Tian took a sip of tea. “Have you thought of any countermeasures?”

The manager had been thinking about that ever since he returned. “Their restaurant’s advantage lies in novelty. First, the chili peppers—no one here grows them yet, and they really stimulate the appetite. Second, their dishes are ones we’ve never seen before. But from what I observed, if we can get chilies, our chefs could probably recreate them. So, we need to get our hands on chilies—and we should find out who their head chef is.”

“Not bad,” Master Tian said with a nod. “Do you know whether that building was bought or rented?”

“I heard it was purchased,” replied the manager.

“Look into it.”

“Yes.” The manager glanced at him, then asked cautiously, “Sir, should I send someone to locate their head chef?”

Master Tian thought for a moment and shook his head. “No, I’ll handle that myself. For now, find a few unfamiliar faces—don’t use anyone from our restaurant—and have them line up over there separately. Order every dish on the menu, pack everything to go, and bring it all back for our master chef to taste.”

“Yes, sir,” said the manager, bowing. “I’ll arrange it right away.”

Meanwhile, over at Jiang Ji Dining Hall, business hadn’t slowed down since midday. The lunchtime crowd lasted all the way until the middle of the afternoon, and some guests who got tired of waiting simply made reservations for dinner.

Jiang Yan had taken Zhao Ru and the others home, but Jiang Ji stayed behind. He planned to help out during the first three busy days after opening.

After a short half-hour break, the kitchen crew was busy again.

Because the city curfew started at eight in the evening, dinner service began early—often as early as four or five o’clock.

Han Qingshan checked the supplies for the evening and reported, “Young master, we may not have enough ingredients for dinner. I’ll take some people to buy more.”

“Hold on, let me see.”

Jiang Ji went to the storeroom, took a look, and said, “We close by seven because of curfew. Once it’s past that, we won’t take new customers. What we have should be enough. The pork and lamb from the afternoon won’t be fresh anymore, so don’t buy more. Just get live chickens, ducks, fish, and some vegetables. Everything else we can finish with what’s left.”

“Got it,” Han Qingshan said, sending two men to the market for poultry and fish.

When dinner time came, they noticed something new—many more people were ordering takeout.

Manager Lü quietly told Jiang Ji, “Sir, I think people from other restaurants are coming to order food.”

He pointed toward a young man in gray clothes. “That one’s from Ju Fu Lou on East Street, and the one behind him’s from Fu Ji Tavern.”

Jiang Ji immediately understood. Competitors were too embarrassed to dine in openly, so they sent people to order takeout—trying to study the flavor and the chef’s techniques.

“I know. Don’t worry about them,” Jiang Ji said calmly. “They’re just helping us increase sales. But make sure our staff stays alert—don’t let anyone cause trouble.”

“Understood, sir. I’ll keep watch,” Manager Lü replied.

*

In a private room on the second floor of Xiang Man Lou, Master Tian sat with the manager, the head chef, and two other cooks.

Since the chefs had been busy working all day, they hadn’t seen Jiang Ji’s restaurant for themselves. Now, looking at the large table covered with dishes, they were all stunned.

“Sir, are these really all from Jiang Ji Dining Hall?” one of the chefs asked in disbelief.

Master Tian nodded. “Yes. These were all brought back just now. The roast duck was sold out, so we’ll have to get more tomorrow. There are a few I can’t even name—try them yourselves.”

He pointed at several dishes. “These are the ones made with chili peppers. The red ones are chili, and the green ones too.”

The three chefs exchanged glances, then each picked up chopsticks to taste.

There were twenty-five dishes from Jiang Ji Dining Hall here—everything except the roast duck. Some used chili, some didn’t, and there were also three soups and three vegetable dishes.

The three chefs sampled every single one. The more they ate, the more surprised they became; their faces grew increasingly serious.

When they had finished, Master Tian looked at them and said, “Well? What do you think?”

One chef gritted his teeth. “Sir, if we had those chilies, I’m certain we could make these dishes too.”

Master Tian pointed to a plate of sticky rice ribs. “This one doesn’t have chili. Could you have come up with it yourself?”

The chef fell silent.

Another said quickly, “Sir, we’ll start thinking up some new dishes.”

“You should come up with new dishes.” Master Tian glanced at him. “Every dish at Jiang Ji, except the greens, is completely new. Even their vegetable stir-fry is made differently from ours.”

He turned to the head chef, who had been silent all this time. “Chef Luo, what do you think?”

Chef Luo, the most skilled among them, was a man of about forty whom Master Tian had personally hired from the provincial capital. Studying the spread of unfamiliar dishes before him, he said slowly, “Their chef’s skill truly surpasses mine. I must admit, I’m not his equal.”

Master Tian paused for a moment, then smiled faintly. “No need to be too humble, Chef Luo. You have your own specialties and strengths. But right now, our main task is to study their dishes thoroughly.”

A cook beside him asked cautiously, “Sir, are we going to copy their menu? But we don’t have chili peppers.”

Master Tian shook his head. “Only Jiang Ji has chilies, and their supply isn’t steady—it won’t last forever. If we want to keep our customers, we need to create dishes that can attract them without chili and still outshine theirs.”

He tapped the table lightly but firmly. “Everyone, our restaurant is facing its greatest crisis yet. I need all of you to use your heads—study their cooking, develop new dishes. If we don’t, Xiang Man Lou will close down sooner or later.”

The manager and the three chefs all straightened with tense faces.

Chef Luo took a deep breath and stood up. “Understood, sir. I’ll study their dishes carefully and come up with new recipes.”

The other two hurriedly echoed him. “Us too.”

*

By six in the evening, Jiang Ji’s pork and lamb were completely sold out. Jiang Ji had the manager remove those items from the menu, and the waiters stopped recommending them.

In the main dining hall, a customer asked, “No more twice-cooked pork or roast duck?”

“That’s right, sir. We’ve had a lot of customers today—our pork, lamb, and roast duck are all sold out. But may I recommend the grilled fish? The flavor’s incredible. And the diced chili chicken—once you try it, you’ll definitely want more.”

“Alright, give us those two, plus a platter of marinated duck feet and tongues, and a plate of greens.”

“Very good, sir. Please have a seat—your meal will be out shortly.”

Jiang Ji watched as the staff handled things smoothly, feeling satisfied.

“Uncle Lü,” he said, “once it’s the ninth hour, stop taking new customers. Ask if anyone wants to reserve for tomorrow instead—they can book ahead.”

“Understood, sir,” Manager Lü replied.

By the ninth hour, a few customers still came hoping for takeout, but the greeter explained the situation and helped them reserve tables for the next day’s lunch.

After preparing the last table’s dishes, the kitchen began cleaning up, and the servers tidied the front hall.

Manager Lü handled the accounts while Jiang Ji checked the day’s earnings.

Once the final guests had left and everything was cleaned, curfew time was almost upon them.

Jiang Ji told everyone to head home. Han Qingshan and Xiao An stayed behind to wait for him.

When the manager finished calculating, their numbers matched.

That day’s total revenue came to just over 198 taels—even after the 20% discount. Jiang Ji estimated that business would taper off a bit after the first three days, but it would still be very profitable.

Two trusted men, Yu Yang and Ding Xiaojun—personally assigned by Han Qingshan—were to stay at the shop overnight. Jiang Ji agreed with the arrangement.

There were a lot of copper coins, so they packed them in a chest and stored it in the room where Yu Yang and Ding slept. Han Qingshan reminded them, “Stay alert tonight. Take turns bathing. If anything happens, come find us right away.”

Yu Yang nodded seriously. “Got it, Master. Don’t worry.”

When they returned to the townhouse, Guihua and the others had already heated water and were taking turns bathing.

Seeing Jiang Ji return, one of them who was about to carry water said, “Young master, you’re back. I’ll bring the water over so you can wash first.”

“You go ahead. I’ll wait,” Jiang Ji said, glancing toward those sitting by the kitchen. “How many bath tubs do we have?”

“Just one for men and one for women,” Han Qingshan replied. “Same for the main house.”

Jiang Ji frowned. “Buy a few more tomorrow. As many as can fit in the bathhouse. After working all day, everyone should wash and rest early. Bring the two tubs from the main house over here for tonight—everyone bathe and get to sleep soon. The next few days will still be tiring. After that, things should ease up.”

The workers’ hearts warmed at his thoughtfulness.

They brought over the two tubs, and the bathing went much faster.

…

The next morning, just as the sky was starting to lighten, Han Qingshan went out to the market for supplies and ran into Jiang Ji in the courtyard.

“Going to the market?” Jiang Ji said. “If you find a reliable supplier, have them deliver instead—no need to make the trip every day.”

“Mm, there are a few sellers,” Han Qingshan nodded, “but I feel more at ease picking things myself.” He looked at him and asked, “Young master, you’re up this early?”

“I’m used to getting up early at home. Come on, I’ll go with you and take a look.”

The two pulled a handcart to the market. Yu Yang was already there at the gate, sitting on the cart handle yawning. When he saw them, he straightened up immediately. “Young master, Master.”

The three began shopping together. Over the past two months, Han Qingshan and Yu Yang had often come to buy ingredients, so many of the vendors already recognized them. Han moved skillfully from stall to stall, selecting produce and haggling over prices. Chickens, ducks, and fish were picked out, marked for delivery to the restaurant for weighing and payment.

When they got to the butcher’s stall, Yu Yang suddenly whispered to them, “Young master, Master—someone’s been following us. That man in the gray clothes by Aunt Wu’s stall over there. I’ve seen him since we were picking ducks—he’s been trailing us at a steady distance, not too close, not too far, and he hasn’t bought anything.”

Both Jiang Ji and Han Qingshan glanced back—and sure enough, there was a man in gray.

“Let’s go,” Jiang Ji said calmly. “To the mutton stall up ahead.”

They moved along. Jiang Ji glanced back discreetly and saw that the man had followed again, maintaining the same careful distance, occasionally glancing their way.

Jiang Ji sighed quietly.

Han whispered, “From Xiang Man Lou?”

“Not sure,” Jiang Ji replied. “Looks like you’ll have to keep doing the buying yourselves for now—just to be safe.”

Han nodded. “Alright.”

“Buy from different stalls each day. Don’t let anyone catch onto a pattern.”

“I understand, young master. Don’t worry.”

Having deliveries made was convenient but risky—too easy for someone to tamper with things. Choosing everything personally was safer.

Jiang Ji thought for a moment. “I’ll go to the labor agency today and hire a few more workers. From now on, we’ll buy live ducks for roasting and process them ourselves.”

“Got it.”

Once they finished shopping and returned to the restaurant, the man in gray disappeared after seeing them go inside.

Later that morning, Jiang Ji did indeed go to the labor agency, found Wang Song, and selected four young servants. After completing the paperwork, he brought them straight to the restaurant and handed them over to Han Qingshan to assign duties.

In the south of the city, at the Tian estate, Master Tian met with the man he had sent out.

The servant in gray reported, “Sir, it looks like their cooks all live together in a house in the east part of the city. I followed them home last night—Jiang Ji stays there too. This morning, Jiang Ji went to the market with a man around forty, and another young man was waiting for them there. Since Jiang Ji was with them, I didn’t approach.”

“Jiang Ji went to the market himself?” Master Tian looked surprised.

“Yes. But he didn’t really do the picking—he just watched while the other two handled the shopping.”

“Alright. Keep following and wait for an opportunity. Find out who their head chef is, and be careful—don’t get spotted.”

“Yes, sir.”

After the gray-clad man left, Master Tian summoned his steward. “Go investigate the house he mentioned.”

The steward bowed and left.

For the next three days after opening, Jiang Ji and his team stayed alert, but nothing happened.

Jiang Ji Dining Hall’s reputation spread throughout the entire city, and for three days straight, they were completely full.

On the fourth day, prices returned to normal. Jiang Ji figured most of the curious customers had already tried their food; people wouldn’t dine out every day, so business would probably drop by half.

Yet, by lunchtime, the restaurant was still full—only with fewer people waiting outside.

To their pleasant surprise, quite a few traveling merchants passing through were introduced to the place.

“I used to eat at Xiang Man Lou whenever I passed through,” one trader said with a laugh, “but your food’s way better! From now on, whenever we stop here, we’re eating at your place!”

Many merchants shared that sentiment.

Jiang Ji smiled at Manager Lü. “Looks like our reputation’s really spreading. We’ve even got ‘self-flowing water’ now.”

Manager Lü blinked. “Sir, what kind of water?”

“Hm?” Jiang Ji paused, then caught himself and chuckled. “Ah, nothing—I meant people are recommending us on their own now.”

Manager Lü laughed. “Our dishes are good and our cooking excellent—it’s only natural people would recommend us.”

That afternoon, Jiang Ji finally went home, satisfied.

But as soon as he arrived, Jiang Yan told him, “These past few days, a few people have been coming to the village, asking about the new crops we’ve been growing—chili, lettuce, bitter melon—wanting to know whose fields they’re in and if they can buy from us.”

Jiang Ji raised an eyebrow. “Oh? They asked about us?”

“They did—and about others too.”

“Did anyone sell?”

Jiang Yan shook his head. “Only Uncle Tu Gen’s and the village chief’s tomatoes and peppers are growing well enough to mention, and a few others with peppers, but none are ready to harvest yet. We already told them before—if they’re not saving seeds, they’re to sell all their chilies to us. They agreed. Those buyers offered high prices, but they refused.”

Jiang Ji grinned. “Good.”

Jiang Yan asked how things were at the restaurant, and Jiang Ji told him about being followed at the market.

Jiang Yan frowned slightly. “You’ll have to be careful.”

“I know. I’ve told them to keep buying ingredients themselves and to switch vendors daily. So far, the supplies have been fine.”

Jiang Yan thought for a moment. “It’s not just the ingredients. Remember last time, another restaurant’s chef got poached by competitors for a high price. Be wary of that too.”

“Even if they poach them, it doesn’t matter,” Jiang Ji said with a faint smirk. “At worst, we’d shut down for a month or two and train new chefs.”

He lifted his head, eyes bright with confidence. “If they’ve got the skill—let them try to poach me.”

The orange-red sunset cast a golden glow over his face, his confident smile shining brilliantly. The light caught in Jiang Yan’s dark eyes like scattered stars—suddenly vivid, alive, and breathtaking.

For a moment, Jiang Yan felt his heartbeat falter. He looked at him deeply, then pressed his lips together and turned his gaze away.

…

The next day, Han Qingshan went to the market with three of his men.

As they arrived, a man in gray clothing stopped him.

“Brother, may I have a word with you?”

Han immediately recognized him as the man who had been following them these past few days. He exchanged a glance with Yu Yang and said, “You all go on ahead and start buying the groceries. I’ll catch up in a bit.”

Yu Yang nodded and led the others away.

The gray-clad man took Han aside to a quiet corner. Over the past few days, he had already figured out that Han Qingshan was the head cook and also in charge of operations.

He asked, “Brother, you’re one of the chefs at Jiang Ji Dining Hall, aren’t you?”

Han didn’t answer directly but countered, “And who are you? I don’t think I know you.”

The man smiled. “I’m just a messenger. My name doesn’t matter. Here’s the thing—my master has tasted your cooking and thinks very highly of you. He sincerely invites you to come work for him. You can name your own price.”

Han’s face didn’t change. He had already heard from Manager Lü that a previous restaurant had gone under after Xiang Man Lou poached their chefs.

“May I ask who your master is?”

The man replied with a grin, “The Tian household. If you’re from Changping County, you must have heard of them. The Tian family’s business is large—we’d certainly treat you well.”

Han understood immediately. So it was Xiang Man Lou—they were trying to use the same old trick against Jiang Ji Dining Hall.

But this time, they’d found the wrong target.

“I’m honored that your master thinks so highly of me,” Han said politely. “Please thank him for me. But I have no intention of changing employers.”

The smile on the man’s face froze. “Whatever salary you get at Jiang Ji, the Tian family will double it—triple it if needed. You can set the price.”

“This isn’t about money,” Han said evenly. “Please tell your master that I will never leave the Jiang household—and I will never betray my young master.”

The man looked startled. “You’re from the Jiang household? A servant of his?”

Han nodded. “That’s right.”

“We can buy your freedom,” the man offered.

Han shook his head. “No need. I’m not interested.”

“You wouldn’t even take your freedom?” the man said, astonished.

“I don’t need it.”

Han’s tone was firm, leaving the gray-clad man dumbfounded.

He had never met a servant who refused to be bought free.

“If you’ve got nothing else, I’ll be going,” Han said, taking a few steps away—then stopped and turned back.

The man’s eyes lit up. “Changed your mind?”

“No,” Han said. “I just wanted you to pass along a message to your master.”

“What message?”

“You’ve been looking for the wrong person,” Han said calmly.

“Huh?” The man blinked in confusion.

Han smiled faintly. “All our cooking skills were taught to us by my young master.”

With that, he walked off, leaving the gray-clad man standing there, completely stunned.

When he returned to the Tian estate, he reported everything to Master Tian.

“What did you just say?” Master Tian stood up in disbelief. “Say that again.”

The servant looked nervously at him and repeated, “He said all of their cooking was taught by their young master—meaning Jiang Ji himself.”

“Jiang Ji? He taught them?”

“Yes.”

The most skilled chef in Jiang Ji Dining Hall… was actually its owner?

They couldn’t get chili peppers, and now they couldn’t even poach the chef.

Master Tian stood frozen for a long time, then sank weakly into his chair.

What was this Jiang Ji?

So young—how could he possibly have such extraordinary culinary skill?

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾

On the day of the grand opening, it happened to be the academy’s and the yamen’s day off—exactly the date Jiang Ji had chosen.

After breakfast, the whole Jiang family changed into new clothes, dressed neatly, locked up the house, and set off.

At the gate, the village chief and his wife, several clan elders, Uncle Tu Gen’s family, and a few other close relatives and neighbors were waiting for them, all dressed in their best attire. Jiang Ji had invited them to come watch the restaurant’s opening.

“Let’s go,” Jiang Ji said with a wave, and the group headed together toward the city.

The announcement of the restaurant’s official opening at mid-morning had been posted three days earlier. Jiang Ji had also sent out invitations—mostly to villagers, a few county officials and clerks, the heads of the Lin, Sun, Zhang, and Tian families, several constables who had helped them before, and Manager Sun from the tailoring shop.

When they arrived, it was not yet mid-morning. A red carpet had been laid across the entrance, red flowers were arranged on both sides, and a red silk cloth covered the plaque above the door.

Manager Lü and all the staff were already in place. Except for him, everyone wore matching deep-blue uniforms with the words “Jiang Ji Dining Hall” embroidered at the cuffs—so that customers could easily identify the waiters at a glance.

As Jiang Ji led the group inside, Shi Xiaoshan and the waiters stood lined up on both sides, bowing slightly as they greeted,

“Welcome to Jiang Ji Dining Hall.”

The village chief and the others froze for a moment, surprised to recognize three familiar faces among the waiters—young men from their own village.

Tao’er and Dazhu spotted their older brother Xiao An. Dazhu tugged excitedly at Aunt Xiufang’s sleeve. “Mother, look, it’s big brother!”

After being hired, Xiao An and two other villagers who lived far away stayed at Jiang Ji’s city residence since it was too late to return home after their shifts.

Only now did the villagers realize that Jiang Ji’s family also owned a three-courtyard residence in the city.

“I see him—don’t distract him while he’s working,” Aunt Xiufang said, already spotting her son. Seeing his disciplined, well-trained posture, she called out as she passed, “Work hard, alright?”

Xiao An, two years younger than Jiang Ji, smiled and nodded.

Jiang Ji showed the group around the first floor, then brought them upstairs to a large private room reserved for special guests—it could hold two tables.

Waiters brought out tea, melon seeds, and pastries while everyone chatted.

After about half an hour, the invited guests began to arrive.

Manager Sun from the clothing shop came, and Jiang Ji led her to the private room where the village group was. He had Zhao Ru personally receive her.

Aunt Xiufang knew her as well, and soon the three women were sitting together, chatting lively.

Manager Sun had been personally invited by Zhao Ru. Translated on Hololo novels. When she found out that this new restaurant was run by Zhao Ru’s family—and that the widely talked-about Jiang Ji who had sold crop seeds in the county was actually Zhao Ru’s son—she was stunned.

“I was truly surprised,” Manager Sun said with a smile. “I didn’t expect it was all your family’s work. Congratulations!”

Zhao Ru smiled. “Thank you, Manager Sun.”

Manager Sun said curiously, “Now that your family’s doing well, you’re still making clothes for our shop? You really can’t stay idle.”

“I sew when I have free time,” Zhao Ru replied. “By the way, Manager Sun, how are the clothes selling in the provincial capital?”

“They sell very well. Some other shops have started making similar styles, but none match the designs you made for me,” Manager Sun said, nodding. Then she added in a lower voice, “They’re even being sold in the capital now.”

Zhao Ru and Aunt Xiufang were both amazed. Aunt Xiufang asked, “In the capital? They must be even more expensive there, right?”

Manager Sun nodded. “Of course. The ladies in the capital are very particular. They want only the finest fabrics, many of which we can’t even get here. The materials are supplied directly by the capital’s embroiderers—we can only send them the samples.”

Both women were in awe.

Downstairs, the heads of the four major families arrived one after another, bringing congratulatory gifts. Jiang Ji greeted them and led them to another private room.

Master Lin laughed heartily and congratulated him. “Brother Jiang, congratulations on your grand opening! May your business flourish!”

“Thank you! I’ll gladly take your kind words,” Jiang Ji said with a smile and a respectful bow. “Masters Sun and Zhang are already here—they’re upstairs in the private room.”

“They’ve arrived? Good, I’ll go join them,” said Master Lin, heading upstairs cheerfully.

Just then, Master Tian arrived. “Master Lin, Brother Jiang.”

Both men turned. Jiang Ji smiled. “Master Tian, welcome.”

“Congratulations, Brother Jiang—may your business prosper,” Master Tian said with a clasped salute.

“Thank you, Master Tian.” Jiang Ji returned the gesture.

Master Tian’s servant handed the congratulatory gift to Manager Lü. Glancing around the restaurant’s interior—orderly and refined—Master Tian nodded approvingly. “Not bad at all. I saw this place being renovated before and wondered who the new owner might be. Didn’t expect it to be you. You really kept this under wraps.”

Jiang Ji smiled. “You flatter me, Master Tian. It’s my first time running a shop; I didn’t know much, so Manager Lü handled most of the arrangements. I haven’t been here often.”

Master Tian gave him a long look and smiled meaningfully. Master Lin, noticing the subtle tension, laughed and said, “The heads of the Zhang and Sun families are already here. Shall we go up?”

“Yes, yes—Master Tian, Master Lin, please, this way to the private room upstairs.”

Jiang Ji led them to the room where Masters Zhang and Sun were already seated. They chatted for a while until Jiang Yan came in. “Master Chen, Master Xu, and the deputy magistrate have arrived.”

“The officials came too?” Master Lin stood up with a laugh. “Then we must greet them properly.”

“Of course,” Master Sun agreed, also rising.

Hearing this, Master Tian glanced at Jiang Ji, smiling with a tone of hidden meaning. “It’s not easy to have the county officials attend. Brother Jiang certainly has influence.”

Back when his own restaurant, Xiang Man Lou, opened, Master Tian had invited Master Xu—but Xu never came.

“Hahaha, it’s only because I purposely chose a rest day for the opening,” Jiang Ji said cheerfully. “The officials happened to be free, and this way it doesn’t violate any rules.”

Master Tian paused at that. He recalled that Xiang Man Lou had opened on a so-called “lucky day,” not an official rest day. Master Xu had sent a gift—but hadn’t shown up himself.

Master Tian: “…”

Still, he knew full well that Xu’s absence hadn’t just been about propriety. Clearly, this so-called “villager” Jiang Ji had a clever way of doing things.

Master Lin chuckled. “Come on, let’s go meet the officials.”

The group went next door to the private room where the magistrates were waiting. After exchanging greetings and chatting briefly, the auspicious time arrived.

Jiang Ji stood and said, “Honored sirs, masters, it’s time for the unveiling. Would you prefer to watch from here or come downstairs?”

Master Xu replied, “We’ll watch from here.”

“Very well. Please make yourselves comfortable; I’ll have the waiter come in and take your orders while you watch.” Jiang Ji knew their rules and didn’t press them further.

“Understood. Go handle your business,” said Master Xu.

Jiang Ji sent a waiter to introduce the menu and take their orders, then escorted the other guests downstairs for the ceremony. The officials remained upstairs, observing discreetly.

Downstairs, the sound of firecrackers burst through the air, joined by the beat of drums and gongs. Two lions—one red, one gold—leapt out from both sides of the street, bounding and twirling in front of the restaurant entrance, their movements lively and precise, drawing a crowd of onlookers.

After a while, the two lions stopped before Jiang Ji, signaling the eye-dotting ritual.

Shi Xiaoshan stepped forward, holding a dish of cinnabar and a brush. Manager Lü loudly called out auspicious phrases. Jiang Ji and the village chief each dipped the brush in red and dotted the lions’ eyes, then tucked a red envelope into each lion’s mouth.

As soon as the envelopes disappeared, the lions seemed to come alive—dancing and prancing even more vigorously than before, earning cheers and applause from the crowd.

During the performance, a table and stool had been set up at the entrance as a platform for the “plucking of the greens.”

As the drums quickened, the two lions circled and competed, leaping onto the stools, then onto the table. After a brief struggle, the red lion bit down on the hanging lettuce and red envelope—successfully completing the ritual.

“Good!”

The crowd burst into applause and cheers.

The red lion then shook its head proudly and trotted over to Jiang Ji, “spitting out” the lettuce and red packet into his arms. Smiling broadly, Jiang Ji accepted them and rewarded the lion with another red envelope.

With the lion dance complete, it was time to unveil the signboard.

“Unveiling the sign—may fortune flow endlessly!” Manager Lü proclaimed.

Jiang Ji pulled down the red cloth, revealing the plaque that read “Jiang Ji Dining Hall.”

“Jiang Ji Dining Hall—what a fine name!”

“And those characters—so bold and powerful!”

The calligraphy, written by Jiang Yan, was indeed exceptional.

Amid the applause, Jiang Ji stepped forward and addressed the crowd with a smile. “Good people of the town and honored guests—today, our Jiang Ji Dining Hall opens for business! For the first three days, everything is twenty percent off. Everyone’s welcome to come and try our food!”

The audience applauded again. Jiang Ji continued, “All our dishes are new creations, ones you’ve never tasted before! Don’t miss this chance. Let me first show you ten of them.”

Someone in the crowd murmured, “Huh, what kind of opening is this? He’s introducing dishes now?”

“Maybe he’s afraid no one will try them.”

“Well, Xiang Man Lou is just down the street. If he doesn’t do something fresh, he’ll never compete with them.”

Jiang Ji heard the whispers but paid them no mind. Smiling, he called out, “First dish—Sliced Pork in Chili Broth! Second dish—Poached Fish in Chili Broth!”

Then, a waiter brought out a tall scroll painting depicting the two dishes in vivid, mouthwatering detail, with the names written beside them. The painting—done by Jiang Yan—served both as advertising and as future wall décor once the ceremony ended.

Two other waiters carried the actual dishes, parading them around before the cheering crowd.

“Boiled sliced pork?”

“Boiled fish?”

“What’s that red stuff floating on top of the soup? I’ve never seen it before.”

“Me neither, but it smells amazing.”

Jiang Ji explained, “That red on top is chili pepper—it’s not something grown around here.”

“Not grown here?”

“Then… is it even edible?”

“It looks really appetizing though.”

The waiters placed the two dishes on the front table, while the scroll painting of them was hung behind the counter on the wall.

Jiang Ji continued introducing more dishes. “The third dish: Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish. The fourth: Roast Duck.”

The waiters brought up two more plates and another painting.

“That fish looks beautiful.”

“Roast duck? Why are there so many little dishes with it—cucumber, that looks like dough sheets, and scallions too?”

“How do you even eat this?”

“This roast duck doesn’t look dry at all—it’s still tender inside.”

“If it’s not roasted through, then how’s it made?”

“How should I know?”

The crowd murmured in fascination as they studied the unfamiliar dishes.

From upstairs, at the window, Master Lin smiled. “Brother Jiang really knows how to surprise people.”

Master Tian, however, frowned as he gazed down at the first few dishes being served.

Chili peppers?

Indeed, those didn’t exist locally. Was this the secret behind Jiang Ji’s restaurant?

But from what he’d heard, not many villagers were growing them yet—and they weren’t even ready for harvest. Where did Jiang Ji get his supply?

Had he bought them earlier from that traveling merchant?

He wondered what those chilies tasted like. If the flavor was good, Jiang Ji’s restaurant might actually steal quite a bit of business from his own.

But once Jiang Ji ran out of chilies—then what?

Hmm. No need to panic yet. Chilies might be novel, but they’re scarce. And who knows if the taste will even catch on?

No point losing composure now.

Master Tian calmly continued watching the lively scene below.

Soon, ten dishes were laid out. Jiang Ji announced, “This entire table is free for everyone to sample! The roast duck should be eaten with the sauce, wrapped in the thin dough with cucumber slices. Come try it—but no pushing!”

The moment people heard “free tasting,” those standing closest rushed forward, quick as lightning, grabbing chopsticks and reaching for the nearest dish—Sliced Pork in Chili Broth.

The first man to taste it chewed once, his face tightening at the strong flavor. But after another bite or two, his eyes suddenly lit up.

“Heavens—what is this flavor? It’s delicious!”

“Ssss—this taste! Is this that thing the shopkeeper mentioned?”

“This meat is tender and fiery—so good! Waiter! Save me a table! I’m going home to get my family!”

“Hey, don’t hog the front! Let us try too!”

“Ow! Who stepped on my foot!”

“Good lord, this roast duck—crispy skin, tender meat! How do they make it like this? It’s incredible! Waiter, how much for a roast duck?”

“Xiao Gui, quick! I’ll go grab a table inside—run home and tell Father and everyone to come here for lunch! If they miss this, they’ll regret it!”

Jiang Ji smiled as he reminded them, “Don’t push! Once you’ve tried it, let others taste too. If you didn’t get any, come inside for a full meal—everything’s twenty percent off! Only for three days!”

“Waiter! Save me a table—hurry, six people! Here’s a deposit—I’m Liu Dahu from Willow Alley, I’ll be back soon!”

“Me! Eight people! I’m Fu Dongming from East Street! Here’s a deposit too—save my table, I’ll be right back!”

“I want a private room!”

The moment people tasted the food and liked it, they didn’t even step inside before grabbing the waiters’ hands, trying to pay deposits to reserve tables.

Shi Xiaoshan quickly instructed Xiao An and the others to bring out table markers. Each guest received one. “Dear guests, no deposit needed! Just bring the table tag back within half an hour—after that, we can’t hold it.”

“Got it, got it! Won’t even take fifteen minutes—we’ll be right back!”

The entrance grew packed with people, everyone eager to taste the new dishes. But with only ten plates, they were gone in moments.

The crowd left licking their lips, clearly wanting more. Many sent their servants running home to gather friends and family, while others grabbed a table tag and sprinted home themselves.

It wasn’t even noon yet, and already more than half of the thirty-eight tables on the first floor were reserved.

From upstairs, Lord Chen watched the commotion and shook his head with a smile. “This Jiang Ji—he’s not afraid to take risks.”

Magistrate Xu stroked his beard. “He’s certainly bold.”

Master Lin chimed in, “Honored sirs, Brother Jiang’s restaurant looks packed already. Seats may run short—why don’t we share a table?”

Originally, Jiang Ji had set aside two separate private rooms for the officials so they wouldn’t be disturbed.

Lord Chen nodded. “Alright. One table will do—no need to take up two rooms.”

“Agreed.”

Master Lin went to the door and informed the upstairs waiter, who immediately nodded and went down to tell Jiang Ji.

Meanwhile, in another private room, the village chief and the others had been watching the scene below in astonishment.

“My heavens, they’re fiercer than us country folk!”

“One guy’s shoe came off while fighting for a bite—nearly killed me laughing.”

“Another one dropped food all over his clothes!”

“The food must really be that good—no one would act like that otherwise.”

“I heard from Xiao An that it really is delicious.”

“Looks like nearly every table downstairs is booked.”

“Business is booming.”

At the doorway, Xiao An and the others were cleaning up the messy tables and dishes, while Jiang Ji looked at the chaos, half laughing and half sighing.

Jiang Yan stood beside him with a smile. “Very effective.”

“Yeah.” Jiang Ji glanced at the first floor—already more than half full, and the rest of the tables were all reserved. He nodded in satisfaction. “The seating rate’s looking good.”

Manager Lü came over to report, “Sir, the second floor’s fully booked too.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Alright, Manager Lü, I’ll leave things here to you. I’m going to check the kitchen.”

“Don’t worry, sir,” said Manager Lü with a broad grin.

He truly hadn’t expected the opening to go so smoothly. He’d been anxious about drawing customers, but it turned out he’d worried for nothing. Just the first ten dishes had drawn a crowd—and there were still more than a dozen others on the menu.

Jiang Ji looked toward Jiang Yan. “Why don’t you go greet the officials?”

“Sure,” Jiang Yan agreed.

Jiang Ji headed to the kitchen. Han Qingshan was leading everyone there in a flurry of activity—washing vegetables, chopping, stir-frying—the place was bustling with energy.

There weren’t any dishes to wash yet, and two of the aunts were helping outside with cleaning vegetables. Even Xiang’er and Xiao Yi were lending a hand at the washbasin.

Han Qingshan’s team was focusing on dishes for the invited guests upstairs. Other customers had only just begun ordering—most were waiting for their families to arrive, giving the kitchen a brief moment to catch up.

Jiang Ji said, “Uncle Han, everyone—the tables are all reserved now. Guests will be coming in fast. We’ll have to work hard today!”

“Full house already?” Ding Xiaojun said in disbelief. “That fast?”

Everyone turned to look at Jiang Ji.

He laughed. “That’s right—full house. In about half an hour, they’ll all start arriving. Time to get busy.”

Han Qingshan smiled and shouted, “A full house is a good thing! Everyone, let’s keep it up!”

“Got it!” came the cheerful responses.

Seeing their enthusiasm, Jiang Ji went next door to the roasting room.

There were six duck ovens in total, each manned by someone he’d personally trained.

The ducks had been delivered already plucked that morning, and the team had prepared them early. Now the roaster just had to watch the heat, flip them as needed, and keep new ones going in.

Since they didn’t know how many would sell, Jiang Ji had prepared only thirty roast ducks for the day.

“How long have these been roasting?”

“The first batch’s been in for a quarter hour; these were just put in.”

“Alright.” Jiang Ji checked each oven carefully, reminding them, “Watch the temperature.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got the timing down.”

“Good.”

Before long, the customers began arriving. Jiang Ji stayed downstairs a bit, observing the flow.

Most of the guests were brought by others—people who hadn’t seen or tasted the dishes themselves and were skeptical of their friends’ praise.

“Third Brother, is it really as good as you said?”

“Of course! You think I’d drag you here for nothing? Didn’t you see the crowd outside? First day open and it’s packed! The waiter at the door said all seats are full—only table turnovers left. Lucky I reserved earlier, or we’d be waiting for someone else to finish eating!”

“If it’s not good, you’re dead meat, I’m telling you.”

“Relax—it’s amazing!”

That was the general tone of most conversations.

Upstairs, three of the private rooms Jiang Ji had reserved for guests—the one for the county officials, two for the villagers, and one for the constables—had already started receiving food.

Everyone stared in astonishment at the dishes being laid out.

Master Lin sighed. “I must say, I’ve never seen dishes like these in my life.”

Magistrate Xu said, “I’ve been to Jiang Ji’s house a few times and eaten with him, but even then, I’ve only seen two or three of these.”

Master Zhang looked toward Master Tian. “Seems like you’ll have some competition, Master Tian.”

All eyes turned to him. Master Tian paused, then smiled faintly. “Competition? Hardly—I love good food. The better it tastes, the happier I am. Let’s all try it, shall we? Lord Chen, please.”

Lord Chen laughed, picking up his chopsticks. “Come, everyone—let’s eat.”

Once he’d started, the others followed suit.

“This… this chili flavor—it’s incredible.”

“These dishes really do taste amazing.”

“Not bad at all.”

“This roast duck is exquisite. Try it.”

Master Tian sampled each dish one by one. With every bite, his expression tightened slightly. By the time he’d finished all twelve dishes, he could no longer smile.

He already understood—Jiang Ji Dining Hall was destined to take the city by storm.

Xiang Man Lou didn’t stand a chance.

Unless… they managed to get chili peppers too.

But even without them, Jiang Ji’s food simply tasted better than Xiang Man Lou’s.

Take the roast duck, for example. Xiang Man Lou had roast duck as well—but theirs couldn’t compare at all.

He examined a slice closely: the skin golden and glossy, the meat inside still full of juice, crisp on the outside yet tender and fragrant within.

Completely different from theirs—their skin turned charred, their meat dry and tough, never this crisp or juicy.

How had they made such perfectly roasted duck?

They’d need to find out who Jiang Ji’s head chef was, Master Tian thought grimly.

At the table, everyone else was focused on savoring the food.

Master Zhang, sitting diagonally across from Master Tian, caught the change in his expression and smiled faintly.

He had originally thought that Jiang Ji’s massive cotton purchases would first affect the Zhang family’s business. Unexpectedly, the first to take a hit would be the Tian family.

And judging by the quality of this meal, Xiang Man Lou really couldn’t compete.

He just wondered what Jiang Ji planned to do with all that cotton he’d been collecting.

Everyone at the table knew Master Tian was probably feeling quite conflicted, so no one brought it up. They simply chatted idly about other topics instead.

The truth was clear—the food really was good. Flavor couldn’t be faked.

Downstairs in the main hall, as more dishes were served, all the earlier doubts quickly vanished, replaced entirely by praise.

“This thing called chili—who’d have thought adding just a little could make food taste this amazing? Where can you even buy it?”

“You can’t. It’s not sold anywhere else—only here.”

“My heavens, these ribs smell incredible!”

“What’s this fish called again? Grilled fish? Whatever it is, it tastes amazing.”

“Er Lang, stop eating so much rice—eat more of the dishes.”

“But the food goes so well with rice! I can’t help it!”

“This roast duck is way better than Xiang Man Lou’s.”

“Every single dish here is better than Xiang Man Lou’s!”

“Third Brother, you did good bringing us here today!”

“Tomorrow we’re coming back! I want to try everything on the menu!”

“Let’s come again tonight too.”

The kitchen was in full chaos from how busy it was. After greeting the guests upstairs, Jiang Ji hurriedly grabbed a quick bite himself before rushing into the kitchen to help.

Seeing him, Han Qingshan quickly said, “Sir, let us handle it. You should go tend to the guests.”

“It’s fine. They’re still eating—they won’t need me yet. You all take turns to eat, though; we’ve still got plenty of customers waiting outside. It’s going to be a long day.”

Rolling up his sleeves, Jiang Ji jumped in and started stir-frying himself. He didn’t stop until Jiang Yan came to tell him that the officials had finished eating. Then he washed his hands and went out to see them off.

The dining hall was full, every table of customers eating happily. Outside the entrance, many more people sat waiting under the eaves for a seat to open.

On its very first day, Jiang Ji Dining Hall had become an overnight sensation.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾

That day, Magistrate Xu came to see Jiang Ji, beaming as he said, “Brother Jiang Ji, the water pumps you asked for have been finished and delivered!”

Jiang Ji was pleasantly surprised. “They’re done?”

“They are! The craftsmen first made a smaller version to test—it worked perfectly. Then they made two full-sized ones for you.” Magistrate Xu pointed to the mule carts behind him. “There, take a look.”

Jiang Ji ran to the back and indeed saw two mule carts, each carrying a wooden Archimedean screw-style water pump. The lower ends were made of iron poles to prevent the wood from rotting too quickly when left in water.

Behind them were two large stones, each with a deep, slanted hole in the middle—meant to fix the pumps securely.

Magistrate Xu asked, “These two are made according to your measurements. Do you want them installed here at your place?”

Jiang Ji asked back, “Sir, are you in a hurry to leave?”

“No, not at all.”

“Then would you like to see us install them?”

“Sure.”

“Please, you and the guards go inside and rest a bit. I’ll go fetch the village chief.” Jiang Ji turned to Jiang Yan. “Jiang Yan, keep the official company.”

Then Jiang Ji hurried off to the village chief’s house. The chief was out watering the fields, on the high patch of newly reclaimed land where they had planted sweet potatoes and corn.

“Village Chief!” Jiang Ji shouted. “Stop watering for now—come with me, I’ve got something important!”

“What’s going on?” the chief asked, walking out.

“Good news! Gather five or six able-bodied men and come to my place. The official had a water pump made for us—let’s get it installed quickly. Once it’s ready, we won’t have to carry water up from below anymore. We might even be able to flood the fields directly.”

The village chief was shocked. “Really?”

“Yes,” Jiang Ji said, glancing at the people still watering nearby. “Let’s call them too.”

The chief trusted Jiang Ji completely now. Putting down his water ladle, he shouted, “Qiangzi, Daguei, Xiao’an—everyone here, stop watering! Come with me to Jiang Ji’s place!”

Qiangzi asked, “What’s up, Uncle?”

“Something good. Just come—you’ll see when we get there.”

On the way, Jiang Ji explained the plan. Qiangzi was skeptical. “Really? That stream is more than three meters lower. Translated on Hololo novels. Even a waterwheel doesn’t work well. You think this thing can lift water that high?”

Jiang Ji said mysteriously, “You’ll see soon enough, Brother Qiang.”

When they arrived at his house and saw the coiled, wooden contraption at the gate, the men circled around it curiously.

“This is it?”

“This thing can lift water? I don’t buy it.”

“You’ll know once it’s installed,” Jiang Ji said, calling toward the house, “Sir, we’re taking the carts over now!”

“I’ll come take a look too,” said Magistrate Xu as he stepped out, Jiang Yan following behind.

Everyone was intrigued by the strange device. More villagers gathered after hearing it could raise water uphill.

“Village Chief,” Jiang Ji said, “take the big one to the reclaimed field. Someone come with me to fetch wooden stakes and rope. Qiangzi, you and your group bring hoes and shovels. Oh—and machetes, ladders, carrying poles, and thick ropes—we’ll need them to move the big stones and the pump.”

“Got it.”

The group divided tasks efficiently and soon gathered at the edge of the reclaimed field.

This field was at the base of the mountain’s far side. A small mountain stream ran below, about three meters wide with shallow water but steep banks, sitting roughly three meters below the reclaimed land. Before, they had dug a dirt path with steps down to fetch water manually—a tiring chore.

The large pump had been built to match the height of this upper field. Using the slope, it would lift water directly up to the surface, eliminating the need to carry buckets.

Once the placement was chosen, Jiang Ji and several young men carried the pump to the stream. They tied one end with rope while the men above lifted and steadied it upright.

“Alright, the height’s perfect—this is the spot. Lift it aside for now. Village Chief, clear out that patch of thorn bushes, just cut them down. Leave the grass though—it’ll help prevent landslides. Qiangzi and I will bring over the stones.”

“Got it.”

While the chief led people to clear the thorny brush, Jiang Ji and the younger men carried over the large stones for anchoring.

The stream wasn’t deep enough, so they dug a pit on the opposite bank to set the stones securely, using the slope for extra support.

They built a small water pit and hammered wooden stakes into the higher ground above to make a frame for the top of the pump.

After all the prep work was done, Jiang Ji inspected everything, then shouted, “Alright, bring the pump over!”

Working together, they carried the heavy pump over and set its lower end into the stone groove. Half of the pump sat underwater, while the top rested on the wooden frame above.

“Okay!” Jiang Ji shouted up. “Village Chief, give it a try! Turn the handle to the right—keep turning, don’t stop!”

Everyone watched intently—including Magistrate Xu and Jiang Yan.

The chief gripped the wooden handle and began rotating it.

“Can this really draw water up?”

“The trough isn’t even sealed—it doesn’t look like it’ll work.”

“Probably won’t lift much.”

Jiang Ji and Qiangzi were down below watching. As the wooden screw turned, water began to rise little by little.

Qiangzi’s eyes widened. “!”

“Wait—it’s actually coming up?” another man exclaimed.

Moments later, gasps erupted from above. They could see water suddenly gushing out from the top of the trough—and it kept flowing, steady and strong.

“My heavens, it’s bringing up water!”

“Is it really working?”

“How’s that possible? How did the water come up?!”

“How does turning that thing lift the water?”

“This is incredible!”

Magistrate Xu had already seen the small version once before, but watching this full-sized one in action still filled him with awe. “Truly unbelievable.”

Jiang Yan stared at the pump, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Down below, Jiang Ji noticed that the stone base was still wobbling a little as the village chief turned the handle. He said to Qiangzi, “Brother Qiang, we’ll need a couple more big stones to stabilize it.”

“Got it, I’ll get some.”

Qiangzi led a few men upstream and fetched two large stones, placing them beside the original one for reinforcement.

Jiang Ji saw the base stop shaking and snapped his fingers with satisfaction. “OK, done!”

Qiangzi and the others blinked in confusion. “What did you just say?”

Jiang Yan also looked over, wondering what strange words he’d used this time.

Jiang Ji laughed. “Nothing—just means it’s finished. Let’s go up.”

Above, everyone was still marveling at the “water pump,” all of them delighted.

“No more hauling water now!”

“Should we put a big jar here to collect it?”

“Better to build a trough—then we can channel the water directly.”

“Good idea, we could even dig a small basin right here.”

“Village Chief, can I try turning it?”

The chief laughed happily. “Go ahead.”

The man took over and began cranking. As he watched the water slowly rise, his eyes lit up in amazement.

Many people tried it in turn, including Jiang Ji and his team once they climbed up.

Qiangzi turned the handle excitedly. “Who came up with this? That’s some genius thinking!”

Magistrate Xu stroked his beard and smiled. “It was Jiang Ji’s idea.”

The villagers were shocked.

“Jiang Ji?”

“What? Jiang Ji, you thought of this?”

Everyone turned to stare at him. Jiang Ji blinked and said, “Not me—I heard it from a traveling merchant from the south. He said it was invented by someone named Archimedes, so this kind of pump is called an Archimedean screw water pump.”

Jiang Yan: “…”

“Archi… what?” the crowd echoed blankly.

“Archimedes,” Jiang Ji explained. “It’s probably a foreigner’s name.”

“A foreigner?”

“Must be. Only foreigners have such strange names.”

They murmured among themselves for a while before Jiang Ji said, “Doesn’t matter whether he’s a foreigner or not—what matters is that it works. Now, let’s go install the other one. The western fields are hard to water too, so I plan to put it there.”

“Alright, that spot then,” said the village chief, waving his hand. “Let’s move.”

The group picked up their tools again and went to the west side, installing the second pump.

Once it was set up, watering the fields became far easier. The whole village was overjoyed, and nearly everyone came to try it out.

Back home, Zhao Ru had already prepared the meal. Magistrate Xu stayed to eat with them.

Jiang Ji asked, “Sir, how’s the threshing machine coming along?”

“It’s more than halfway done. Should be finished in about a week,” said Magistrate Xu.

Jiang Ji’s eyes lit up. “Sir, don’t forget my two units.”

“I know, yours are first,” Magistrate Xu laughed. “We’ve brought in several carpenters, and they’ve also built the rice-drying racks. They turned out quite good, so we’ve already distributed the blueprints to all the villages. Oh, and the winnowing machine is nearly done too—we’ll deliver it to you once it’s ready.”

“Perfect,” Jiang Ji said with excitement. “As long as it’s here before the rice harvest.”

After the meal, Jiang Ji asked, “Why didn’t Lord Chen come this time?”

“He went to inspect the other counties—wanted to check their crop growth.”

“Oh, that’s a lot of traveling. Must be tiring.”

Magistrate Xu later went to check the fields again. The rice had entered the tillering stage—each seedling that once stood alone now had several lush stalks clustered together.

The little fish and ducklings had grown, swimming leisurely through the paddies. Occasionally, a bird would swoop down, only to be scared off again by the spinning scarecrows turning in the breeze.

By this point, the difference between the fields with ducks and fish and those without was becoming visible.

Jiang Ji’s paddies had almost no weeds, while the others were overgrown.

“There really are far fewer weeds here,” Magistrate Xu observed.

“Mm. Give it a little more time and the difference will be even clearer.”

“Have any of the fish been eaten by birds?” Magistrate Xu asked curiously.

Jiang Ji nodded. “Some, inevitably. Unless we put nets over the fields. Once the rice grows taller and blocks their view, it’ll be fine.”

After another look around, Magistrate Xu left.

Not long after he was gone, Uncle Tu Gen came over. He had been weeding his watermelon patch nearby and, glancing at Jiang Ji’s field, asked, “Xiao Ji, is it too late for us to release ducks now?”

“Huh?” Jiang Ji was surprised. “Uncle, didn’t you say you weren’t going to for the first rice crop?”

Uncle Tu Gen said, “That’s what I thought before—but look at your field. There’s definitely less grass, and your rice looks healthier than ours. Is it still possible to start now?”

Jiang Ji thought for a moment. “You could, but if you want to set up nets and such, it’ll take a few days. I had mine made in advance, along with the stakes and water ponds. At this point, the weeds are already quite tall, so the ducks won’t clear them as effectively—but it’ll still help fertilize the field. It’s up to you. If you do buy ducks, get slightly older ones. The little ones can’t peck through this tall grass anymore.”

Uncle Tu Gen nodded. “I’ll go back and discuss it with your aunt.”

The next day, Uncle Tu Gen came to ask Jiang Ji who had made his nets.

“You’ve decided to raise ducks?”

“Yes, we’ll try it with one field first.”

After getting his answer, Uncle Tu Gen hurried off. Later, when Jiang Ji went to the fields, he saw Aunt Xiufang and their eldest son, Xiao An, digging a pond at the edge of their paddy.

Three days later, Uncle Tu Gen’s family had fenced off a field and bought ducks to release into it.

Some villagers were puzzled. “Isn’t it too early or too late for that? Will it even work now?”

Aunt Xiufang replied, “Doesn’t matter. We’ll give it a try. Look at Jiang Ji’s field—his rice is taller than ours, and there are barely any weeds. It must be helping. We’ll just raise ducks on this one mu to start and learn from it.”

After some time, as the rice entered the late tillering stage, the differences among the fields became even clearer.

Jiang Ji’s field still had almost no weeds—just a few stubborn ones that ducks and fish didn’t like to eat, easy to pull by hand.

Most importantly, his rice plants had more tillers and grew slightly taller than everyone else’s.

Each clump looked lush and vibrant—a beautiful sight.

The field where Uncle Tu Gen had released ducks also showed results, especially in weed control. Compared to fields without ducks, the water plants were much shorter, pecked down by the ducks.

Now there were three kinds of fields for comparison: those that had ducks and fish from the start, those that added ducks later, and those without any animals at all.

When Lord Chen returned from his inspection tour, he came to record these results carefully.

Upon seeing the watermelon patch, he exclaimed in surprise, “They’re already blooming!”

“Yes, some have even started to bear fruit.” Jiang Ji squatted down and pointed at a plant. “Look, sir—this green one here is a baby watermelon.”

Lord Chen looked closely at the small green fruit, its surface patterned with darker stripes. “Oh, so that’s how they look.”

“Mm. Later, they can grow this big.” Jiang Ji demonstrated with his hands.

“That large?!” Lord Chen marveled. “These melons really grow fast.”

Then he looked up and saw Jiang Yan not far away, picking a flower and brushing it against another. “What’s Jiang Yan doing?”

“Hand pollination. Look, sir.” Jiang Ji plucked a flower beside him. “This one’s the male flower, this one’s female—you just brush them together like this.”

“Oh, every flower needs that? Aren’t there bees?” Lord Chen noticed Zhao Ru and Jiang Yan doing the same thing nearby. “Isn’t that a lot of work?”

“It ensures successful pollination. There aren’t that many bees, and they miss some flowers. This increases the yield,” Jiang Ji explained. Then he added, “But later, if too many fruits set, we’ll have to remove some.”

Lord Chen felt like he had learned something new and even tried it himself.

The two of them squatted among the melon vines, pollinating the flowers, when Chen asked, “I heard your restaurant is opening soon?”

“Almost ready—probably another half a month or so.”

Lord Chen smiled. “With all this going on, how do you manage to keep up?”

“It’s fine. I hire help for weeding, watering, and fertilizing. Otherwise, our family couldn’t handle it all.” Jiang Ji looked up at him. “When our restaurant opens, you must come support us, sir.”

“Of course. I’ll be there.”

*

The renovation of Jiang Ji’s restaurant was nearly complete, and staff training had begun.

He left the farm work to Zhao Ru and went to the city to discuss hiring with Manager Lü. Aside from the head manager and kitchen staff, they still needed to recruit everyone else.

After posting the hiring notices, Jiang Ji asked Manager Lü if he had any recommendations.

It would be best to find experienced waiters to lead the new ones. Since Manager Lü had managed this restaurant before, he likely had some contacts.

Manager Lü thought for a moment. “Would the owner mind hiring some of the old staff who used to work here?”

“I don’t mind,” Jiang Ji said. “As long as they’re capable and have good character.”

“Then I do have someone in mind,” Manager Lü said. “His name is Shi Xiaoshan. He used to be a waiter here—very clever and with an excellent memory. When the old place shut down, everyone was let go, and he went home to help his mother sell vegetables.”

“Would he be willing to come back?”

“I’ll contact him and arrange for you to meet.”

“Sounds good.”

Then Manager Lü remembered something. “By the way, quite a few people have been asking about our restaurant—when we’re opening, and who the new owner is.”

“Oh?” Jiang Ji raised an eyebrow. “Competitors?”

Manager Lü nodded. “Even someone from Xiang Man Lou came by—I know one of their waiters.”

“That’s normal. I’d ask too if I were them.” Jiang Ji thought of Master Tian from the Tian household and asked, “Did you tell them?”

“Yes. You said once hiring began, there was no need to keep it secret anymore, so I did.”

“Good. They’d find out sooner or later anyway.”

*

Across the street, the manager of Xiang Man Lou reported to Master Tian, “Sir, that new restaurant has started hiring.”

Master Tian, who was reviewing accounts, raised his brows. “Oh? That soon?”

“Yes, and they’re hiring quite a few people.”

“Tell me the details.”

“They’re taking twelve waiters, three food runners, two dishwashers, two cleaners, one greeter, and one head waiter…”

“Wait,” Master Tian interrupted, frowning. “What’s a ‘head waiter’ supposed to be?”

The manager hesitated. “Maybe… a supervisor?”

Master Tian waved his hand. “Go on.”

“Yes, and they’re also hiring someone to manage the carriages and stables.”

Master Tian frowned slightly. “With that many staff for a place that size, they’re clearly planning for a full house.”

The manager nodded. “Yes.”

“What’s their monthly pay?”

The manager replied, “Waiters get one tael of silver a month. Dishwashers, cleaners, and stable hands get eight hundred copper coins. The greeter earns nine hundred, and the head waiter earns one tael and two maces.”

Master Tian raised his eyebrows. “That high?”

“Yes, it’s a bit higher than ours.”

“They didn’t hire a head chef or kitchen assistants?”

The manager shook his head. “No.”

Master Tian thought for a moment. “That means they already have a chef and apprentices. Any way to find out who the chef is?”

“No, nothing’s been heard,” the manager said, shaking his head. Then he added, “Sir, I heard this place is owned by that Jiang Ji—the information slipped out from that Manager Lü today.”

“Him?” Master Tian’s brows furrowed immediately. “If it’s him, that complicates things.”

Seeing his expression, the manager cautiously asked, “Sir, should we try to find out more about their head chef?”

Master Tian considered, then shook his head. “No, let’s wait and see how their opening goes. If their chef isn’t good enough, the place will fail on its own. Prepare a congratulatory gift—I’ll visit in person on their opening day.”

“Yes, sir.”

*

In the village, Jiang Ji told everyone that the restaurant was hiring and explained the available positions, basic requirements, and approximate pay. Anyone interested could come to the interviews in two days.

Word spread quickly. Every household was talking about it—waiters would earn a full tael of silver per month, so anyone who fit the criteria wanted to try.

Even Aunt Xiufang was tempted. “Maybe I should try too? I could wash dishes or help clean—it’s eight hundred coins a month.”

Uncle Tu Gen gave her a sideways look. “You want to do everything.”

Aunt Xiufang slapped his arm. “Who doesn’t want to earn money?”

Uncle Tu Gen said, “That job’s all day long for just eight hundred coins. You’d be better off making a few pieces of clothing in your spare time. What’s the point?”

Aunt Xiufang thought for a bit. “That’s true. Then Xiao An should go. He could work as a waiter.”

Xiao An nodded. “I’ll go.”

On the day of the interviews, Jiang Ji dragged Jiang Yan along, saying he wasn’t good at judging people and needed Jiang Yan’s help.

When they arrived, a long line had already formed outside the restaurant.

“Whoa, so many people?” Jiang Ji said as they entered with Jiang Yan. “Looks like our place really is attractive.”

Manager Lü chuckled. “Sir, you’re paying better than most.”

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan sat behind the table. Jiang Ji smiled. “Alright, let’s get started. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go home. Manager Lü, you lead the questioning.”

Manager Lü nodded and called the first person in.

The first candidate was the one he’d recommended earlier—the waiter named Shi Xiaoshan.

As soon as he entered, Shi Xiaoshan bowed politely and introduced himself with a smile. “Good day, sir, good day, manager. I’m Shi Xiaoshan, twenty years old. I’ve worked as a waiter for three years and would like to apply for the same position.”

Jiang Ji glanced at the young man before him—slim but lively, with a cheerful expression and quick, intelligent eyes.

Introducing himself first—definitely confident and sociable.

The manager said, “Sir, this is Shi Xiaoshan. You can ask the questions.”

“Alright,” said Jiang Ji, thinking for a moment. “Did you come early today?”

Shi Xiaoshan hadn’t expected that question, but quickly smiled and answered, “Yes, sir. The manager told me yesterday the restaurant was hiring and that you didn’t mind taking on previous staff, so I came right away. I’ve got three years of experience.”

Jiang Ji asked, “What do you think is most important in being a waiter?”

Shi Xiaoshan replied, “First, you have to be friendly—always greet guests with a smile. Second, you need a good memory—remember the dishes we serve so you can introduce them to customers, and remember what each guest orders so they don’t have to repeat themselves. It helps to remember what regulars like to order, too. A sharp memory is key. Third, you need to be observant—eyes and ears open, ready to respond quickly so guests feel comfortable and want to return.”

Jiang Ji almost laughed. This really was an experienced server with genuine professionalism.

He looked at Jiang Yan, who then asked, “How many people in your household? What do they do? Any debts at home?”

Jiang Ji blinked in surprise. That sounded more like a census. If it were him being interviewed, he’d have walked out.

But Shi Xiaoshan didn’t mind at all and answered readily. “There are six of us—my grandmother, parents, my wife, our daughter, and me. My grandmother’s elderly and helps at home taking care of the child. My parents sell vegetables in the west of the city. My wife takes care of our child and grandmother at home. We don’t owe any debts.”

Jiang Yan nodded. “Alright, I’m done.”

Jiang Ji cleared his throat. “Okay, register with the manager and wait to hear back.”

Shi Xiaoshan nodded, signed his name, and left.

After he was gone, Jiang Ji turned to Jiang Yan. “Why did you ask all that about his family? That’s like a census! Isn’t that a bit much?”

Jiang Yan looked at him seriously. “If you don’t find out clearly, what if someone in his family’s a drunkard or a gambler? If they owe money, he could be easily bribed or coerced.”

Jiang Ji paused. “…That actually makes sense.”

“Alright then, we’ll ask from now on.” He scratched his head, then frowned. “But what if someone lies?”

“People who lie usually give themselves away,” Jiang Yan said. He glanced at him and added quietly, “For example, when you lie, your eyes tend to look to the right.”

Jiang Ji rubbed his nose. “Huh? Do I really do that?”

Jiang Yan watched him touch his nose, the corners of his lips curling slightly. “Yeah, that’s a pretty obvious guilty tell.”

“Oh, fine. Then you ask the questions next time.”

The two of them worked together with Manager Lü, interviewing one candidate after another. They even met quite a few young men from their own village—most applying for waiter positions.

After two full days of interviews, nearly two hundred people had been screened. They narrowed it down twice before finalizing the hires. Shi Xiaoshan and Aunt Xiufang’s son, Xiao An, both got the job.

Once everyone had been gathered, Jiang Ji had them sign employment contracts, then immediately began organizing training.

Although Jiang Ji had never personally worked in the restaurant business, he’d experienced plenty of service himself. Drawing on modern service standards and combining them with the customs of this era, he and Manager Lü established their own set of restaurant service guidelines.

They trained everyone on how to greet customers, take orders, and serve dishes, as well as kitchen cleanliness standards and procedures for handling unexpected situations.

Jiang Ji also had Han Qingshan’s team prepare every dish from the menu so the staff could taste each one, memorize the flavors and features, and be able to describe them fluently to guests.

After everyone became proficient and passed their evaluations, Shi Xiaoshan proved to be the best performer, so Jiang Ji appointed him as head waiter.

Once the restaurant’s renovation was complete—tables, chairs, kitchenware, and all supplies in place, and the staff fully trained—Jiang Ji’s restaurant was finally ready to open its doors for business.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾

On the day the academy was on break, Jiang Ji took his whole family into town to see the newly purchased shop and house—to recognize the place and also to let Han Qingshan and the others meet his family.

Zhao Ru and the rest had all specially put on new clothes, their faces full of joy and excitement.

They first went to look at the shop. It was under renovation, so they just stood at the entrance to see the storefront before heading to the new house.

At the main gate, Han Qingshan was already standing to the side with Yu Yang and the others, waiting to welcome them. A plaque hung over the gate, covered with a red silk cloth, and strings of firecrackers were set on both sides.

“Mother, this is the place,” Jiang Ji said, stopping with his family.

Zhao Ru looked at the grand gate, smiling brightly. “It’s wonderful.”

Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei both looked around curiously.

Han Qingshan came forward. “Young Master, everything is ready.”

“Good.” Jiang Ji smiled and introduced everyone, “Mother, Xia’er, Jiang Nan, Jiang Bei—this is Han Qingshan, our steward. This is his apprentice Yu Yang, and this is Guihua…”

He introduced them one by one, then turned to introduce his family to Han Qingshan’s group.

Han Qingshan led all the servants to greet their masters.

“Good day, Madam.”

“Good day, Eldest Young Master.” “Good day, Second Young Master.”

“Good day, Young Lady.”

“Good day, Third Young Master.”

“Good day, Fourth Young Master.”

Zhao Ru and the others froze for a moment. They weren’t used to being addressed like that.

Jiang Xia held onto Zhao Ru’s arm, a little embarrassed.

Jiang Nan grinned at Jiang Bei and said, “I’m the Third Young Master.”

Jiang Bei pressed his lips together in a smile. “I’m the Fourth Young Master.”

(T/N: ML is the eldest young master).

The two boys looked at each other and burst out laughing, and Jiang Ji couldn’t help laughing and shaking his head.

Han Qingshan asked, “Young Master, shall we begin?”

“Alright.” Jiang Ji nodded, then turned to Zhao Ru. “Mother, you unveil the plaque.”

“Me?” Zhao Ru waved her hands. “No, no, you and Jiang Yan should do it.”

In her understanding, such matters should be done by the men of the family.

“You must do it,” Jiang Ji said, pulling Zhao Ru forward.

Zhao Ru looked nervous. “Xiao Ji, isn’t that improper?”

“There’s nothing improper about it. You’re the elder of this family—it’s only right for you to do it.”

Still worried, Zhao Ru was led by the arm as Jiang Ji said, “Then we’ll do it together.”

Seeing how insistent he was, Zhao Ru finally nodded. “Alright.”

Mother and son each held one end of the red silk cloth and pulled gently. Translated on Hololo novels. The cloth slid down smoothly, revealing the plaque over the gate with the characters “Jiang Residence.”

The characters were written by Jiang Yan—bold, powerful, and elegant. Even the craftsman who carved the plaque had praised them repeatedly.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Firecrackers went off on both sides. Everyone turned their heads, faces glowing with wide smiles.

When the fireworks ended, Jiang Ji waved his hand. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

He linked arms with Zhao Ru as they entered the courtyard and showed everyone around.

“What do you think? Not bad, right?”

Zhao Ru nodded. “Good—very good.”

Jiang Nan was already choosing rooms. “Brother, where do I stay?”

“The main building’s two rooms are for Mother and Xia’er. You can choose whichever room you like in the east or west wing.”

“Really?”

“Really. Pick whichever you want.”

Jiang Nan cheered. “Jiang Bei, come on, let’s pick our rooms!”

The two of them ran off. Jiang Bei asked, “Should we live on the same side?”

“Do you want to live near Big Brother?” Jiang Nan countered.

Jiang Bei thought for a bit. “Then let’s stay on the same side.”

Jiang Ji overheard and couldn’t help laughing to himself. Oh, so now they dislike living near me? I didn’t want to live near you either.

After touring the whole place, they gathered in the main hall to rest.

Han Qingshan had tea and snacks brought out. Jiang Ji said, “Uncle Han, I’ll cook later. Have them wash the vegetables first and set them aside. I’ll come back to start prepping.”

By now Han Qingshan understood Jiang Ji’s personality well and simply nodded. “Yes, sir.”

After a while, Jiang Ji went to the kitchen, and Zhao Ru followed with the others.

“Oh, this kitchen is spacious—so convenient,” Zhao Ru said with a smile as she washed her hands. Used to doing housework, she rolled up her sleeves, grabbed a knife, and was about to start chopping vegetables.

Han Qingshan and the others quickly stopped her. “Madam, please rest—we’ll do it.”

Zhao Ru stared blankly as they took the knife from her hand. “Let me do it.”

Jiang Ji smiled. “Mother, just relax. They’re practicing their cooking—let them handle it.”

“Yes, yes, Madam, we’re learning to cook. Please let us do it,” Ding Xiaojun said cheerfully.

Jiang Ji pointed out a few people currently training in knife skills and told them how he wanted the vegetables cut, while Han Qingshan stood by giving instructions.

Zhao Ru and Jiang Xia looked at each other helplessly and could only stand aside to watch.

Jiang Ji didn’t cut anything himself; the prep work was done by Han Qingshan’s group under his supervision, and he took charge of the actual cooking.

Today marked a small, formal housewarming, and the dishes were plentiful—all prearranged by Jiang Ji.

He cooked ten dishes in total, symbolizing perfection in every way.

Braised lion’s head meatballs, spicy diced chicken, stir-fried lamb, duck with young ginger, braised pork trotters, diced rabbit, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, poached shrimp, glutinous rice ribs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, plus a soup of corn, carrots, and pork ribs.

He didn’t make any of the dishes Han Qingshan’s group had been learning lately. Since they’d been practicing their cooking every day and eating their own trial dishes, they were probably sick of those flavors by now.

These new dishes, Jiang Ji cooked with practiced skill while explaining his process. Han Qingshan and the others stood by watching and learning; Han Qingshan, especially, paid close attention.

Before long, Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei came in too. The kitchen was full of people, all watching Jiang Ji cook—even Jiang Yan was standing nearby. Luckily, the kitchen was large enough for everyone to fit.

“Wow, it smells so good!” Jiang Nan stood beside his mother, sniffing with his little nose, practically drooling.

Jiang Bei tugged on Jiang Nan’s arm. “We haven’t eaten those dishes before.”

Jiang Nan nodded. “We’ll try them later. Big Brother made them—they’ll definitely be good.”

“Yeah.”

Han Qingshan overheard the boys and felt curious. So these dishes were ones even the young masters hadn’t eaten before?

How did the young master come up with so many new recipes?

When the food was ready, they set up two tables—Han Qingshan’s group at one, and Jiang Ji’s family at the other.

The new dishes were all visually appealing, fragrant, and flavorful, and everyone couldn’t stop eating.

“Heavens, I’ve never eaten food this good. The diced chicken smells amazing!”

“This fish looks beautiful and tastes even better. I didn’t know a sweet-and-sour fish could be so delicious!”

“Steaming glutinous rice together with ribs—the rice soaks up the pork fat, and the ribs turn even more tender. How did the young master think of combining them like that?”

Jiang Nan shouted, “Brother, I want another lion’s head meatball! Let’s eat them again tonight—you didn’t make enough!”

“Alright. Want some shrimp? I’ll peel them for you.”

“Yes!”

Zhao Ru smiled as she looked at the full table. “Are these dishes going on the restaurant’s menu?”

“Yes, all of them,” Jiang Ji nodded. “We’ll probably need to prepare at least twenty or thirty dishes.”

Zhao Ru glanced at Han Qingshan’s group. “That many? Can they learn them all in two months?”

Jiang Ji had already planned. “If there’s not enough time, we’ll split them into two groups—start with what they’ve mastered, and add more later.”

Jiang Nan was eager. “When I grow up, I’ll learn too. Then I can eat tasty food every day.”

Jiang Ji raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say you wanted to be a shopkeeper when you grow up?”

“Can’t a shopkeeper learn cooking too?” Jiang Nan asked in confusion.

“Sure, but I’m just afraid you won’t want to learn later.”

Jiang Nan replied confidently, “No, I will. I’ll learn.”

Jiang Bei said, “Go ahead and learn, then you can cook for me.”

Jiang Nan widened his eyes. “You’re not going to learn yourself?”

“I’m going to study,” Jiang Bei reminded him seriously. “I won’t have time.”

Jiang Nan thought about it, sighed, and said, “Alright then.”

Everyone, including Zhao Ru, couldn’t help laughing.

The meal was full of laughter and chatter—everyone was in high spirits.

Jiang Ji noticed that ever since Xiang’er had been brought back, Han Qingshan and Yu Yang both seemed much more cheerful, which reassured him.

After lunch, they rested for a bit before Zhao Ru and the others prepared to return home.

Guihua asked, “Madam, aren’t you staying here?”

“No, there’s still a lot to do at home,” Zhao Ru replied. “We just came to see the place and meet everyone. We’ll go back now.”

Jiang Ji said directly, “Why don’t you come with us this afternoon to the village? Get familiar with the way—so if anything comes up later, you’ll know where to find us.”

So the group followed Jiang Ji back to the village.

When Han Qingshan and the others saw the thatched house Jiang Ji’s family lived in, they were stunned.

Ding Xiaojun asked in surprise, “Young Master, you really live here?”

“Yes, this is my home,” Jiang Ji nodded.

Everyone was dumbfounded. They themselves were living in a big house in town, while their masters were still living in a thatched hut—it didn’t feel right.

Ding Xiaojun scratched his head. “Young Master, since you’ve already bought such a large house, why don’t you move into the city?”

That was everyone’s question.

Jiang Ji smiled. “We still have to farm. There are forty mu of farmland at home that need tending.”

Everyone: “…”

Someone asked, “Young Master, do you personally farm?”

“Yes.” Jiang Ji looked around and said, “To tell you the truth, our family only recently earned enough to buy the house. Our new home’s being built now. Come, I’ll show you.”

He led everyone to the construction site of their new house, with Zhao Ru staying behind. Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei came along.

When they saw the size of the house being built, everyone felt a little relieved.

So the young master hadn’t moved to the city yet just to avoid trouble—or maybe he just preferred country life?

Jiang Ji then took them to see the family’s forty mu of fields and the chili crops.

When the villagers saw such a large group coming, one auntie stopped Jiang Nan and asked, “Jiang Nan, who are they?”

“They’re the master chefs my brother hired,” Jiang Nan said.

The auntie blinked. “What kind of master chefs?”

“The chefs for our restaurant—the ones who cook.”

The auntie was startled. “You’re opening a restaurant?”

“It’s not open yet.”

From up ahead, Jiang Bei shouted, “Jiang Nan, hurry up! Brother and the others are way ahead!”

“Coming! Bye, Auntie!” Jiang Nan called and ran off after them.

After touring the fields, when they were about to head back to town, Han Qingshan glanced at Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei and said to Jiang Ji, “Young Master, how about leaving Xiang’er here to serve the young lady or the two little masters? She can work now—serve tea, pour water, wash clothes.”

Jiang Ji refused. “No need. The house isn’t finished yet; there’s no room.”

“Then perhaps let Qiaomei or Hongxiu stay behind? They can just lay a mat on the floor for now.”

Jiang Ji glared at him. “You’re the chefs I hired for the restaurant, not personal servants. If I ever need attendants, I’ll go to the labor market to hire some.”

Han Qingshan hesitated, then replied, “…Yes, Young Master.”

On the way back to town, everyone started chatting.

“Our young master’s family is really strange. They’ve got money now—why do they still farm instead of living in the city?”

“Maybe they’re just used to it? Everyone they know is in the village.”

“The young master’s house doesn’t even have any servants.”

“Didn’t you hear what he said? They only came into money recently. Once their new house is done, they’ll probably hire some.”

Han Qingshan frowned. “Alright, enough gossiping about the masters.”

Everyone immediately fell silent.

Back home, Jiang Yan asked Jiang Ji, “Why didn’t you let anyone stay to help?”

“There’s no room yet,” Jiang Ji said, scratching his head. “Besides, this is the age when Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei are forming their characters. If they get used to being waited on now, they’ll turn out spoiled later. Once the new house is done, we can hire a couple of people to clean the yard and do chores—but Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei don’t need attendants. They should at least learn to take care of themselves. I don’t want them growing up into pampered young masters.”

He spoke from experience. He himself had been spoiled and idle as a child—never did anything on his own. After transmigrating, he couldn’t even tell scallions from wild grass, didn’t know how to cook or wash clothes, and could barely survive on his own.

He wasn’t going to let Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei become like that. What they needed to know, they would learn—there was no harm in that.

Jiang Yan glanced at him. “Didn’t think you had your own philosophy about raising children.”

“…An older brother is like a father, right? Someone’s got to do it,” Jiang Ji sighed.

Then he leaned closer, covering his mouth and whispering, “Besides, I’m definitely not going to have kids of my own, so I’ve got to raise my little brothers and sister well. They’ll be the ones carrying on the Jiang family line. I can’t let them grow crooked—or they’ll blow through everything I’ve worked for!”

Jiang Yan stared at him wordlessly for a while. Jiang Ji felt his stare and got goosebumps. “Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?”

Jiang Yan turned away. “No. You’re right—you’re thinking ahead.”

“…” Jiang Ji squinted suspiciously. “I feel like you’re mocking me.”

Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow. “Mocking you? What do you mean?”

Jiang Ji rubbed his nose. “Nothing. Anyway, the ducklings and fish are being released in a few days. I’m going to check on the ducklings.”

Jiang Yan watched him trot off toward the duck pen, his brow twitching slightly. That was clearly an escape.

…

The next day, word spread through the village that Jiang Ji’s family was opening a restaurant. The people seen yesterday were said to be the master chefs for it.

Many villagers asked him about it when they saw him.

It wasn’t something he needed to hide, so Jiang Ji explained, “It’s not open yet—will be in a while. We’ll need to hire waiters and busboys, and people to wash dishes and clean. If your family has anyone available, they can apply then.”

“Really? We can apply?”

Jiang Ji nodded. “As long as you meet the requirements. But let me warn you—I’ll be strict. I don’t hire out of favoritism. If someone doesn’t meet the standards, I won’t take them.”

“Got it. How much will the pay be?”

“Not decided yet.”

“When will you start hiring?”

“It’ll be a while—the restaurant’s still under renovation. I’ll let everyone know when recruitment starts.”

“Alright, we’ll wait for your word.”

“Where’s the restaurant?”

“On North Street.”

“Oh heavens, shops on North Street are expensive, aren’t they?”

“Not too bad.”

That day, the news spread again—when Jiang Ji’s restaurant opened, villagers could go work there. Everyone was suddenly excited.

…

The following day came the time to release the ducks and fish.

Before letting the ducklings into the rice fields, they had to be trained a bit—to swim and peck at food scattered in the water, so they’d later eat water grass and insects in the fields.

Jiang Ji built a small mud enclosure filled with water, where the ducklings practiced swimming and pecking at floating feed.

On the day of release, Lord Chen and Magistrate Xu came again to watch, along with many curious villagers.

Jiang Ji had reorganized his family’s fields—combining smaller plots into large ones. At each end of every field, he’d dug small ponds for the ducklings to play in.

They carried the ducklings to the edge of each field and released the right number according to its size. It was about a week after the rice had turned green again, and the shallow water level was perfect for the young ducks to move around.

Jiang Ji opened the cages, and the ducklings jumped one by one into the water, swimming between the rice plants. They pecked at the bran sprinkled earlier or preened their feathers, but not a single one touched the rice shoots.

Magistrate Xu was amazed. “They really don’t eat the rice seedlings.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Right. They eat water grass but don’t like the rice. However, they love mature rice grains, so once the ears start forming, we can’t let them into the fields anymore.”

“Oh.” Magistrate Xu smiled at Lord Chen. “Learned something new today.”

Lord Chen laughed and nodded, watching as Jiang Ji’s people released cage after cage of ducklings. “They’re so small—can they swim all the way across the field in a day?”

“Tomorrow we’ll release from the opposite side, or even from the middle,” Jiang Ji said. “We’ll adjust flexibly. Once they grow, their range will expand.”

“You’ll collect them back every evening?”

“Yes.”

After releasing the ducks, before long the fish fry arrived.

These were fish Jiang Ji had ordered in advance from fishermen—grass carp, common carp, and crucian carp. He examined them carefully; they were all healthy.

The fishermen brought out a porcelain bowl and a wooden basin to count the fish fry for Jiang Ji and his group.

In the rice fields, Jiang Ji had already changed out all the water the day before. He’d also installed double-layered barriers of fishing nets and bamboo slats at both the inlets and outlets to ensure the fry couldn’t swim away. On the surface of the water, he had sprinkled chopped grass and bran as feed.

He’d even set up many scarecrows in each paddy. These were designed to rotate with the wind, to scare away birds that might come to eat the little fish.

He released four to five hundred fish per mu of field. After the fishermen counted one basin, Jiang Ji poured it into the water.

The tiny fish scattered as soon as they entered the paddy. Some stayed in the small ponds, while others swam deeper into the fields, nibbling at the grass and bran floating on the water.

After about an hour of work, all the fish fry were released.

This was a pilot project, and everyone who came to watch was full of questions, eager to see whether Jiang Ji could actually raise fish successfully in the fields, and what the results would be in two or three months.

Officials Chen and Xu were particularly interested. Every seven or eight days, they would come by for an inspection, and even on their rest days they sometimes visited together.

They didn’t just look at the rice, ducks, and fish—they also checked the growth of other crops.

As the weather grew hotter, all the crops were thriving. Each time the two officials came, they marveled at how much everything had changed in just a few days.

Jiang Ji and his family were now extremely busy—transplanting vegetables, weeding, turning soil, fertilizing, watering—and every other day, Jiang Ji also went to the city to teach Han Qingshan’s group how to cook.

When the fieldwork got too heavy, they hired extra help.

Then one day, Jiang Ji told the two officials, “Sir, everyone’s sweet potato vines are ready for cutting and selling. Families who didn’t plant before can now buy seedlings. People from other counties can also come to purchase. As for the price, it’s up to you—either let the villagers set their own or have the county office fix a uniform rate. Either way works.”

Earlier, the villagers had planted sweet potato shoots, and now the leftover vines had grown long.

The two officials were delighted. After discussing it, they quickly issued a notice with a suggested price: one copper coin per cutting suitable for planting. Since one long vine could usually yield two to four cuttings, the count would be based on that.

Within the county, people could trade freely, but outsiders had to come to the county office on a set date. Villagers brought their vines there, and money and goods were exchanged on the spot.

Changping County had been the first to cultivate sweet potatoes, and almost every household had bought some, so most of the sales now were to other counties.

Soon, every household followed the notice—cutting the vines, sorting them by length, bundling twenty vines per bunch, and hauling them to town.

Officials from other counties came with silver ready, counting the vines one by one before paying. Once they met their quota, they hurried to transport them home. Some even traveled through the night, afraid that if delayed, the vines would dry out and fail to take root.

With the officials like Chen and Xu overseeing everything, no one dared to cheat. The trading went on for three or four days without a hitch.

Each vine sold for two to four copper coins, and one sweet potato could grow five or six vines. After saving a few for replanting, people still had plenty left to sell. Just from this sale, most villagers earned back all the money they had spent on the original seedlings.

It was the first time they had made money from sweet potatoes, and everyone was overjoyed.

Jiang Ji had been right—sweet potatoes were the most profitable crop: easy to plant, hardy, and every part edible.

From now on, whatever Jiang Ji said to plant, they would plant!

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan also came to sell vines, pulling a cartload.

When the village head and the clan elder saw them, they recognized him right away and pointed them out to others.

“Look, those two young men over there—the shorter one is Jiang Ji.”

“Which one?”

“Over there in line—two handsome fellows, one tall, one shorter. See them? The darker, shorter one is Jiang Ji. The taller one is Jiang Yan.”

“Oh, I see. So they’re the ones who brought us the sweet potatoes.”

“Yep, the very same—the ones who sold them to us.”

Then a young man shouted from across the crowd, “Jiang Ji!”

Jiang Ji turned toward the voice. The place was packed, so he couldn’t tell who had called him.

He raised his voice, “Who’s calling me?”

Now everyone knew which one he was.

“Ah, so that’s Jiang Ji!”

“So this is the young man himself.”

“Jiang Ji, thank you! We’ve already earned back what we spent on the sweet potatoes!”

“Young man, thank you. During this lean season, we can finally make a bit of money.”

“Yeah, the vegetables aren’t ready yet, so these sweet potato vines came just in time.”

Everyone came up to thank him, smiling sincerely with gratitude.

Jiang Ji smiled back. “You all paid for them—no need to thank me.”

Then he reminded them, “In six or seven days, remember to turn over your sweet potato fields. This time, you can dig deeper and pull out the roots of the weeds, because once the tubers start forming, you won’t be able to dig that deep anymore. After that, you can only do shallow weeding. Just follow the planting guide—it’s really easy to grow.”

“Alright, we’ll do as you say!”

Watching everyone leave contentedly with their earnings, Jiang Ji felt a warm satisfaction himself.

“Hey, Jiang Yan, why am I so happy seeing them make money?”

Jiang Yan looked at him deeply. “Because you have a soft heart.”

“…Feels like you’re teasing me again,” Jiang Ji said, waving a hand generously. “Forget it, I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll let it go.”

Jiang Yan’s lips curved slightly; he probably understood now what that phrase meant.

“I’m not teasing you,” he said.

“Huh?” Jiang Ji turned to look at him. “What did you say?”

Jiang Yan met his gaze and said earnestly, “I wasn’t teasing you—I was praising you.”

Jiang Ji looked into his dark eyes, where small points of light shimmered. In that reflection, he could see himself.

Jiang Ji looked away and blinked. “Oh. Got it. Thanks.”

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾

The next morning, Han Qingshan and the others were cleaning the courtyard while waiting for Jiang Ji to arrive.

But before he came, two craftsmen showed up, hauling a cart of bricks, sand, and lime.

Han Qingshan asked curiously, “Who are you looking for?”

One of them replied, “Are you Han Qingshan?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Oh, we were sent by Jiang Ji from Shanqian Village. He asked us to build two ovens. My surname’s Zheng—this is my apprentice. Just show us where the kitchen is; they’ll be along shortly.”

Hearing they were sent by the master, Han Qingshan led the two to the back kitchen.

By late morning, they saw Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan arrive, pushing a cart full of ducklings.

Han Qingshan came to greet them. Jiang Ji glanced at him—his beard was shaved, his hair neatly combed, and he looked completely different from the disheveled man of yesterday. Though still subdued, he clearly had regained some spirit now that he had work to do.

Jiang Ji was pleased.

Han Qingshan took hold of the cart. “Old master (t/n: a title for head of household), a craftsman named Zheng arrived with bricks. He said you sent for him. Is that right?”

“Ol- old master?”

Jiang Ji froze at the title. “What did you just call me?”

“Old master,” Han Qingshan said hesitantly. “Didn’t you say your father passed away and you’re head of the household now?”

Jiang Ji scratched his head. “Just call me ‘young master.’ Don’t call me ‘old master’—makes me sound like an old man.”

Han Qingshan: “…”

Jiang Yan: “…”

He couldn’t help laughing. Jiang Ji glared at him. “What are you laughing at? You’re older than me. If I’m an old man, so are you.”

Jiang Yan shook his head, still smiling.

Han Qingshan caught on to his meaning and corrected himself obediently. “Yes, young master.”

“That sounds much better.” Jiang Ji nodded in satisfaction. “Master Zheng is the one building my ovens at home—I asked him to come help build the roasting ovens here. Also, these ducklings—just leave them in the courtyard for now. I’m taking them back to the village later. And that sack of potatoes—move it to the kitchen.”

Han Qingshan called a few people over to move the ducklings and potatoes to the kitchen.

Jiang Ji took a look around the courtyard. Everyone was busy sweeping and organizing. Han Qingshan’s apprentice, Yu Yang, was trimming the plants, looking much more energetic than before.

“Settled in all right?” Jiang Ji asked.

“Yes,” Han Qingshan replied. “We bought everything we needed yesterday afternoon, replaced the locks, and finished cleaning the kitchen.”

“Good. Let’s go take a look.”

They headed to the kitchen.

When Zheng saw them, he asked, “Young master, where do you want the ovens built?”

“Hold on, let me take a look first.” Jiang Ji entered the kitchen.

It was spacious, with several stoves already cleaned spotless, everything neatly arranged—pots, bowls, utensils, and even seasonings all stocked and ready.

Since Jiang Ji had said he would be testing their cooking today, Han Qingshan had taken two helpers to the market early in the morning to buy plenty of ingredients, now neatly laid out on the counter.

The kitchen was roomy, but adding two more ovens would make it cramped.

Roasting ovens generated a lot of heat, so ventilation was important.

Jiang Ji looked over at the adjacent storeroom—spacious enough. “Master Zheng, how about building them here? Just like the one at my house. And can this window be changed to open outward? The current prop-up style doesn’t ventilate well.”

Zheng examined the space. “Yes, that’ll work. I’ll start here, then.”

“Perfect.”

With the spot decided, Master Zheng and his apprentice got to work.

Jiang Ji turned back to Han Qingshan. “Uncle Han, gather everyone.”

When they’d all assembled, Jiang Ji stood before them and said, “I have only three rules.”

Everyone perked up to listen.

“First,” Jiang Ji said seriously, “no breaking the law.”

“Second, no betraying me or my family. I hold grudges.”

“Third, character matters more than skill.”

He looked at them all. “Once you enter my household, you’re part of it. Do your job well, and that’s enough. But let me be clear: you can be ordinary, even mediocre—most people are—but your conduct must be upright. No matter how talented you are, if you’re greedy, disloyal, or ungrateful, I won’t tolerate it. Those are my only three rules. Remember them well.”

Han Qingshan was the first to answer. “Yes, young master.”

The rest echoed in unison, “Yes, young master.”

Jiang Yan, watching from the side, couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips.

After setting the rules, Jiang Ji asked, “Right now, the ones who can cook are Uncle Han, Yu Yang, and Sister Guihua, correct?”

Everyone nodded. Translated on Hololo novels. Then a young man in his early twenties named Ding Xiaojun raised his hand. “Young master, I’ve helped in kitchens before—I can handle knife work.”

Two other women spoke up. “We can cook too, though we’ve never trained professionally—just home cooking, nothing as good as Sister Guihua’s.”

“Good,” Jiang Ji said. “Then show me what you can do. Those who can cook, make two of your best dishes. The rest of you help with washing, cutting, or tending the fire. Let’s get busy.”

Han Qingshan quickly assigned the tasks, and everyone got to work—even Sister Guihua’s little boy, Xiao Yi, was helping wash vegetables.

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan dragged out two chairs to sit by the kitchen door, set down a pot of tea and a small plate of melon seeds, snacking as they watched and observed how each person worked.

“Don’t forget to cook rice too,” Jiang Ji reminded them. “It’ll be lunchtime soon—let’s all eat together.”

Han Qingshan answered, “Yes, young master.”

After about half an hour of busy work, Jiang Ji washed his hands and took two packets from the bag he had brought — one of dried chili peppers and one of fresh red and green peppers — along with a few potatoes, and began to cook.

Han Qingshan glanced at the packets. “Young master, what are those?”

“Chili peppers,” Jiang Ji replied. “You’ll get to taste them soon.”

He looked at the ingredients laid out on the counter, noticed a basin of fish, and quickly began preparing one. Everyone else was busy, so Jiang Ji called, “Jiang Yan, help me wash some bean sprouts and peel two potatoes.”

Jiang Yan got up and took the bean sprouts to wash, but Ding Xiaojun set down his knife. “Young master, let me do it.”

Jiang Yan said calmly, “No need. You handle your part.”

Ding Xiaojun looked between the two of them, thinking these young masters were nothing like the ones he’d served before.

What kind of young master cooked in the kitchen himself?

And from the way Jiang Ji moved, he clearly wasn’t new to it.

Han Qingshan kept glancing over too, surprised at how deftly Jiang Ji filleted the fish.

“Young master, you can cook?” Ding Xiaojun finally asked.

“Of course,” Jiang Ji said. “I’m opening a restaurant. Didn’t I tell you yesterday I’d be teaching you all? I have to know it first.”

Before long, everyone who could cook had made two dishes each and set them out. Jiang Ji finished his own two — braised chicken and spicy boiled fish.

“All right! Set the table — time to eat!” Jiang Ji called toward the door. “Master Zheng, come eat!”

Han Qingshan started directing people to carry the food to the main dining hall, but Jiang Ji waved him off. “No need for all that. Just use the side dining room here.”

Everyone hesitated. Han Qingshan frowned. “Young master, the side room is for the servants.”

“It’s fine. Bring it there,” Jiang Ji said.

Seeing that he meant it, Han Qingshan obeyed, and they carried the food to the smaller dining room next to the kitchen.

Once the dishes were on the table, Jiang Ji gestured. “Sit down, everyone, and taste what we’ve made.”

The group looked at one another uncertainly, all eyes turning to Han Qingshan. Eating at the same table as the master? That was unheard of.

But Zheng and his apprentice sat down right beside Jiang Ji without hesitation.

“Sit,” Jiang Ji said, looking around.

Han Qingshan pulled out a stool next to Jiang Yan and sat. Seeing him move, the others followed, though still a bit stiffly.

Jiang Ji sampled each person’s dishes. Han Qingshan’s experience in a wealthy household showed — his food was excellent. His apprentice Yu Yang’s skill was close behind. Sister Guihua specialized in soups — her dishes were a little simpler but homely and good. The remaining two women’s food had a plain, home-style flavor.

“This pigeon soup by Sister Guihua is great — fresh and sweet. Yu Yang’s clear broth meatballs are good too. Uncle Han, yours is the best — the fish is tender and not at all fishy. The other two ladies’ cooking is fine too — it can improve.”

After his comments, Jiang Ji added, “Everyone, try each other’s dishes — and mine too. The chili might be new for you, so I made it mild this time. You’ll get used to it.”

Seeing them all hesitant to touch his dishes, Jiang Ji smiled. “Today’s for tasting. Except for Master Zheng and his apprentice, everyone must try every dish and tell me your top three.”

At that, everyone started eating.

The two dishes Jiang Ji had made sat in the center. Han Qingshan tried the spicy boiled fish first. He had made a steamed version himself earlier and had watched Jiang Ji prepare this one, so he was curious.

He picked up a piece of fish and tasted it. The meat was tender and smooth, with no trace of fishiness. Then came a numbing, fiery heat that shot straight to his head.

“This flavor—” Han Qingshan smacked his lips and drew in a breath.

“That’s chili. The spicy taste,” Jiang Ji said. “How is it?”

Others had also tried the fish and the braised chicken, and all looked amazed.

Though Jiang Ji had used little chili, the braised chicken was rich — tender meat soaked in mushroom, potato, and pepper flavor, savory and aromatic. The mushrooms gave it depth, the potatoes were soft, and the gentle spice made it irresistible.

The spicy boiled fish was even better — the flesh melted in the mouth, and even the bean sprouts underneath became addictively flavorful.

Yu Yang’s eyes lit up. “Young master, this tastes incredible!”

Ding Xiaojun nodded eagerly. “It’s amazing! I’ve never eaten anything this good!”

Jiang Ji turned to Han Qingshan. “Uncle Han, what do you think?”

“Delicious,” Han Qingshan said, nodding. “I can’t compare.”

Jiang Ji shook his head. “These two dishes aren’t that hard. You’re just tasting chili for the first time — that’s what makes the flavor pop. You’ll pick it up quickly.”

Han Qingshan thought for a moment. “Young master, can we get chili regularly? If we’re opening a restaurant, we need something unique to stand out. I’ve heard that Xiangmanlou is the finest restaurant in town, always full of guests.”

“You’ve already asked about Xiangmanlou?” Jiang Ji looked surprised, and Jiang Yan gave Han Qingshan a glance.

Han and Yu Yang were from Huawen County; their former master had sold them here out of fear they’d take revenge.

Han Qingshan nodded. “We heard about it yesterday while shopping. Since our restaurant will also be on North Street, like Xiangmanlou, we’ll need something distinctive. Otherwise, we won’t last long against them.”

“Exactly,” Jiang Ji said approvingly. “That’s why we’ll rely on uniqueness. First, the chili — they won’t get it anytime soon. Second, I’ll create entirely new dishes that don’t exist here yet, and I’ll teach you all. Our strength will be originality.”

Hearing this, Han Qingshan relaxed slightly. “As long as young master has a plan.”

“Of course. I never go into battle unprepared.” Jiang Ji grinned, then turned to Zheng. “Master Zheng, you’ll have to keep this secret for us.”

“What are you all whispering about? We can’t hear a thing,” said Master Zheng, shaking his head. “But if you keep talking, we’ll finish all the food.”

Everyone laughed and went back to eating.

The two large bowls of dishes Jiang Ji had made were soon wiped clean—every last drop of the sauce was mixed into rice and eaten up.

After the meal, Master Zheng and his apprentice returned to building the roasting ovens. Jiang Ji rested for a while, then had Jiang Yan write down the recipes for the braised chicken and spicy boiled fish and hand them to Han Qingshan.

“The ovens will need a couple more days before we can use them,” Jiang Ji said. “In the meantime, you all should learn these two dishes. At least the five of you who can cook must know them by heart.”

Han Qingshan took the paper and nodded. “Understood.”

That afternoon, Jiang Ji had Han Qingshan practice first. Once he mastered them, he could teach the others, so Jiang Ji wouldn’t have to supervise every day.

The two dishes weren’t difficult. Han Qingshan had already watched Jiang Ji make them once and remembered some of the steps. With Jiang Ji’s pointers, he mastered both dishes after making each twice.

Jiang Ji turned to Jiang Yan with a sigh. “Having a real chef makes things so much easier.”

Jiang Yan nodded. “But they’ll need a lot of ingredients to practice.”

“That’s how it is with cooking,” Jiang Ji said. “It’s a necessary expense—an investment.”

By mid-afternoon, the two prepared to return. They loaded the ducklings back onto the cart, and Jiang Ji took Han Qingshan to the restaurant so he could familiarize himself with the place and change the locks.

The restaurant’s old manager, Lü, was still there. Jiang Ji had hired him through Wang Song and introduced the two men to each other.

“For now,” Jiang Ji said, “Manager Lü will oversee the renovation schedule. As for the kitchen area, I’ll discuss the plans with you in detail tomorrow, Uncle Han. You’ll need to see how things go and whether the layout suits you. Come here after breakfast tomorrow.”

Han Qingshan nodded. “All right.”

After giving instructions, Jiang Ji prepared to leave. Han Qingshan walked them to the door, but as they were about to go, he called out,

“Young master.”

“Hm? What is it?”

Han Qingshan hesitated for a moment, then voiced the question that had been weighing on his heart. “My apprentice and I were left at the broker’s house for over a month. No one dared to take us. Aren’t you afraid?”

Jiang Ji blinked. “Afraid of what?”

Han Qingshan lowered his gaze. “We were sold because we beat our former master’s son. The brokers always tell buyers, so anyone who knows our story won’t hire us.”

Jiang Ji asked, “Do you think you were wrong? That you hit the wrong man?”

“Of course not!” Han Qingshan lifted his head, eyes burning with fury. His fists clenched tight. “That beast deserved to die! My only regret is that I didn’t kill him.”

Seeing the anger in his eyes, he quickly dropped his gaze again, worried Jiang Ji would think ill of him.

“Yeah,” Jiang Ji said quietly. “I think you were right to hit him.”

Han Qingshan’s head shot up, disbelief written all over his face. “Young master… what did you just say?”

“I said you weren’t wrong,” Jiang Ji repeated. “If someone did that to my family, I’d have done the same.”

Han Qingshan froze. His chest felt like it had been struck—hard—and his heart thudded painfully.

“You’re… you’re not afraid?”

“Why would I be? I’m not that young master, and you haven’t done anything against me. What’s there to fear?”

Han Qingshan’s nose stung; he swallowed hard. “Thank you, young master.”

Jiang Ji patted his shoulder. “But, Uncle Han, I don’t agree with you going to kill him.”

Han Qingshan was startled.

“There are many ways to take revenge,” Jiang Ji said. “Throwing your own life away for trash like that isn’t worth it. I hope you understand that.”

Han Qingshan gave a bitter smile. “My life isn’t worth much. If I could take his with my own hands, it would be worth it.”

Jiang Ji frowned, his voice turning sharp. “I didn’t bring you here just so you could go get yourself killed.”

“I know,” Han Qingshan said. “Once I’ve repaid your kindness, then I’ll go.”

“And what about Yu Yang?” Jiang Ji said. “I heard he has no family left. You raised him yourself, didn’t you?”

Han Qingshan paused. “He’s a good boy. I’ll make arrangements for him.”

“And your daughter?” Jiang Ji pressed, frowning. “The broker said you have an eight-year-old girl. You’re just going to leave her?”

Han Qingshan froze, his voice roughening. “She was sold to someone else. I don’t even know where—maybe to Pingnan or somewhere nearby.”

“If I can help you find her, will you promise not to throw your life away?” Jiang Ji asked.

Han Qingshan’s head snapped up. He grabbed Jiang Ji’s arm, eyes wide. “Young master—you can help me find Xiang’er?”

“I can try,” Jiang Ji said. “But you have to promise me—no more talk of dying for revenge. Find another way to settle your score.”

Han Qingshan thought for a long moment, then nodded firmly. “All right. I promise. Just please, young master—help me find Xiang’er. I only need to know where she is, whether she’s safe.”

Hearing his agreement, Jiang Ji let out a small sigh of relief. “I’ll have someone look into it for you.”

“Thank you, young master. Thank you! Let me bow to you!” Han Qingshan said, about to kneel, but Jiang Ji quickly pulled him up.

“Do your best to train everyone well—that’s thanks enough.”

“I will,” Han Qingshan said earnestly. “I swear I will.”

After getting all the details about Xiang’er, Jiang Ji went straight to the brokers’ office and found Wang Song. He paid him to help investigate the matter.

Wang Song agreed immediately.

That night, after everyone had gone to bed, Han Qingshan still sat alone under the eaves, lost in thought.

Yu Yang came out and called, “Master, it’s late. You should rest.”

Han Qingshan looked at his apprentice. “In a moment. You go ahead.”

“What are you thinking about?” Yu Yang sat down beside him.

“Our new master,” Han Qingshan said.

Yu Yang thought for a while and said, “Master, I think our new master is different from others. He’s actually teaching us his cooking skills himself.”

There’s a saying: When the master teaches the apprentice everything, the master starves.
In this world, anyone with a craft guards it closely. Only after taking on a disciple will they teach anything—and even then, some masters won’t pass down their true signature skills, let alone to outsiders.

But Jiang Ji taught them all directly—and not just one or two, but an entire group.

“He really is different,” Han Qingshan said. “Today I asked him if he wasn’t afraid of me and you, since we were sold for beating our former master. Do you know what he said?”

“You actually asked him that?” Yu Yang’s eyes widened, curiosity getting the better of him. “What did he say?”

“He asked me, ‘Do you think you were wrong?’” Han Qingshan said. “I told him I wasn’t. And then he said, ‘I think you weren’t wrong either.’”

“He really said that?” Yu Yang was stunned.

Han Qingshan nodded. “Yes. He even said that if it were him, he would’ve done the same.”

Yu Yang was speechless.

Han Qingshan went on, “He also said he’d help me look for Xiang’er, and that if I wanted revenge, I should find another way—not throw my life away.”

“He can find Xiang’er?” Yu Yang asked excitedly. “Master, do you really think the young master can find her?”

“I don’t know,” Han Qingshan said softly. “But I hope he can.”

“He definitely can, master. The young master will find Xiang’er—I’m sure of it.”

“…I hope so.”

*

Every day, Jiang Ji was busy—buying ducklings, overseeing the restaurant’s renovation, adjusting the stoves, teaching Han Qingshan’s group to cook, tasting and critiquing dishes.

Master Zheng and his apprentice finished building the two ovens in two and a half days and spent another half day fixing the windows.

The larger oven still needed drying time, but the smaller one could be used after two or three days.

Jiang Ji made roast duck for Han Qingshan and the others, explaining each step as he went. When the duck came out perfectly roasted, the aroma alone left everyone speechless.

Only then did Han Qingshan realize that one of Jiang Ji’s trump cards for his restaurant was this roast duck.

“What do you think?” Jiang Ji asked.

Everyone nodded enthusiastically. “It’s amazing!”

Jiang Ji turned to Han Qingshan. He nodded too, eyes bright. “Yes! This roast duck will surely become our restaurant’s signature dish—it’ll spread across the land!”

Jiang Ji smiled, pleased.

That afternoon, Jiang Yan arrived unexpectedly—with Wang Song and a little girl in tow.

“Father!”

Han Qingshan was in the kitchen, learning how to prepare duck from Jiang Ji, when he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

He looked toward the door, froze for a moment when he saw the little girl, and then rushed forward to scoop her into his arms.

“Xiang’er!”

“Father—!”

As soon as Xiang’er saw him, she burst into tears. All the fear and worry she had bottled up spilled out as the two clung to each other, sobbing.

The girl was indeed Han Qingshan’s daughter, Xiang’er. She had been sold to a household in Pingnan County. Wang Song had tracked her down and redeemed her.

Everyone watching the reunion was moved—Sister Guihua, especially, wiped at her eyes.

After the father and daughter cried for a while, Han Qingshan brought her over to Jiang Ji, knelt, and said, “Xiang’er, kowtow to the young master. He’s the one who sent someone to bring you back.”

Xiang’er immediately obeyed and bowed deeply before Jiang Ji, so fast he didn’t even have time to stop her.

Han Qingshan’s voice trembled with emotion. “Young master, thank you. My daughter and I will serve you faithfully for the rest of our lives.”

Yu Yang also knelt. “And me as well. Thank you, young master, for bringing Xiang’er back. I’d give my life for you if needed.”

“All right, all right, I understand,” Jiang Ji said quickly, helping them up. “You’re family now—go spend time together.”

“Yes, thank you, young master.” Han Qingshan washed his hands and took Xiang’er outside, still holding her hand tightly.

Yu Yang lingered. “Young master, I…”

“Go on.”

“Ah—thank you, young master!” Yu Yang grinned and darted off after them.

Jiang Ji went out to ask Wang Song about the details. Wang Song explained, “The girl was bought to serve as a maid for a young lady. She’s quick-witted, and they were pleased with her—at first, they wouldn’t agree to release her. But when they heard you wanted her, they relented. I redeemed her for the original five taels of silver—no extra charge.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Which household in Pingnan was it?”

“The magistrate’s family,” Wang Song said.

“The magistrate’s?” Jiang Ji raised his brows. “She was sold there?”

“Yes,” Wang Song said. “Honestly, I didn’t have much hope—it’s not easy dealing with someone of that rank. But then I remembered you’d visited Pingnan before to sell the rice seeds, and the magistrate probably knows of you. So I mentioned your name, and after that, they agreed.”

“I see,” Jiang Ji said. “I’ll write a letter of thanks later. And thank you for your work on this, Wang Song.”

“No trouble at all, young master. If you ever need anything, just say the word—I’ll handle it for you.”

Jiang Ji patted his arm. “Good. I’ll be counting on you again soon. Keep an eye out for a suitable shop for me—something spacious, two floors, good location.”

“I’ve been watching for one,” Wang Song said. “Nothing ideal yet, but I’ll inform you as soon as something comes up.”

He returned the remaining money to Jiang Ji, who gave him one tael as a tip. Wang Song left beaming.

It was getting late, so Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan headed home.

On the way, Jiang Yan said, “Looks like you’ve completely won Han Qingshan over.”

“Yeah,” Jiang Ji said with a smile. “It’s good to see a family reunited.”

Jiang Yan looked at him. “Why do you sound so sentimental?”

Jiang Ji rubbed his nose. “Because I’m a kind-hearted, softhearted person, obviously. I can’t stand seeing families torn apart.”

Jiang Yan: “…”

Jiang Ji glanced at him, raising a brow. “What? You disagree with that statement?”

“…No,” Jiang Yan said, giving him a wry look. “You are softhearted. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have taken in someone who might’ve been sold for killing his enemy.”

Jiang Ji, worried that the conversation might stir up old memories, blinked and said, “Actually, the main reason I saved you is that you’re handsome.”

“I’m handsome?” Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow. “You took me in because I’m handsome?”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Yeah. If you were a little uglier, I’d have sent you to live with the physician instead.”

Jiang Yan: “…”

“Hahaha, did you actually believe that?” Jiang Ji burst out laughing and patted his shoulder. “I’m kidding. Even if you weren’t handsome, I’d still have taken you in.”

Jiang Yan arched a brow. “But sending the ugly ones to the physician’s house—that part was the truth, wasn’t it?”

“Who says so? Do I look like that kind of person? I’ve got such a soft heart.”

Jiang Yan gave him a long look, the corners of his lips lifting ever so slightly.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾

After breakfast the next morning, Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan headed to town to buy a house and some servants. Jiang Ji didn’t know how much houses in town cost, so he brought a thousand taels just in case.

They went to the brokerage office.

Four brokers stood at the doorway waiting for business. Seeing the two men dressed in simple coarse shirts, only one of them—a young broker of about twenty named Wang Song—smiled and stepped forward to greet them.

Just then, a steward from a wealthy household arrived with his attendants.

That steward was a regular customer, and at once the other three brokers brushed right past Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan, crowding around the steward and asking enthusiastically whether he wanted to buy servants or property.

The steward said he wanted to rent a warehouse temporarily to store goods, and quickly chose one of the brokers to show him around.

“That’s the steward of the Zhang family,” Wang Song said with a smile. “He’s a frequent client here.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Ah, the Zhang family’s steward—no wonder everyone ran over.”

Wang Song smiled, changing the subject. “And what about you two, young masters? Are you looking to buy servants or a house?”

“We’re looking to buy a house,” Jiang Ji replied.

The two brokers nearby turned to look, surprised. Clearly, they hadn’t expected these plainly dressed men from the countryside to be shopping for property.

Wang Song’s eyes lit up. “How large a house do you want?”

Jiang Ji thought for a moment. If they were to open a restaurant and a cloth shop later, they’d need quite a few workers. Some might even live on-site.

“The bigger, the better. At least large enough to house twenty or thirty people—three courtyards at minimum, and it must be within the city.”

A three-courtyard residence!

The two brokers who had ignored them froze, instantly regretting their judgment.

Jiang Ji added, “If there are any restaurants or shopfronts for sale, we’d like to see those too. And lastly, we’ll need a few servants.”

A shop would take time to renovate, so they needed to start preparations early.

He wanted both a shop and servants!

The two brokers silently cursed themselves. They shouldn’t have dismissed him just because he looked like a villager.

Wang Song’s smile became even warmer. “Of course, of course. Please come inside, gentlemen. I’ll show you the available estates first.”

He led them into a side hall, served tea, and then brought out four sets of blueprints for large houses to introduce.

“Gentlemen, here are four sizable estates currently for sale. This one is a three-courtyard home with an adjoining garden, located in the east of the city…”

Wang Song carefully went over the locations, layouts, and prices of all four properties.

Jiang Ji asked about the prices, and Wang Song quoted exactly what the owners had set.

“Shall I take you to see them in person? On the way, we’ll pass by a shop that’s also for sale—you can take a look at both.”

“Good,” Jiang Ji nodded, then pointed at the smallest house among the plans. “We can skip this one—it’s too small. Let’s start with the largest.”

“Very well,” Wang Song said cheerfully.

After informing the head clerk, he requested a carriage for the trip. The clerk, hearing it was a deal of this scale, approved immediately.

The largest estate was in the southern part of the city. According to Wang Song, the owners had moved their entire family to the provincial capital and were selling this residence.

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan followed him to view it. It had four courtyards, plus a garden. The buildings were well maintained, though the location was a bit remote—near the city wall, some distance from the main street.

They then went to see another one in the east of the city—a three-courtyard residence with two additional small yards. The house had been built only five years ago, in a good location just a short walk from East Main Street. The surrounding area was quite decent too.

Jiang Ji had originally wanted to bargain directly with the owner of the estate, but the steward explained that the owner was out visiting friends and wouldn’t return until evening. Jiang Ji could only let it go for now.

In the northern part of the city, there was another three-courtyard residence without an additional yard or garden, but Jiang Ji felt its location wasn’t ideal.

By the time they’d toured all the properties, it was already noon. The three of them found a tavern, ordered some food, and Jiang Ji asked for a pot of rice wine. They ate and drank leisurely.

During the meal, Wang Song learned that Jiang Ji was buying the house to accommodate servants for a future restaurant. He said, “The restaurant we’re going to see later also has a backyard—people can live there.”

“Really? How many rooms?” Jiang Ji’s eyes lit up. A proper shop should definitely have space for live-in workers.

“There are four rooms,” Wang Song replied. “I’ve seen it myself. One of them’s being used as a storeroom. It’s not far from here.”

“Then we’ll go take a look after lunch.” Jiang Ji asked, “Why is the owner selling it?”

Wang Song blinked. “Maybe he’s off to make his fortune elsewhere.”

Jiang Ji gave him a faint, knowing smile. “You mean he couldn’t keep the business running, right?”

Wang Song chuckled awkwardly. “Can’t fool you, young master.”

“That’s no surprise. If the shop were profitable, no one would be selling it.”

“Ah, you’re absolutely right,” Wang Song sighed, taking a sip of wine. After thinking for a moment, he decided that since these two were big clients, he could share a bit of insider information.

“To tell you the truth,” he said, lowering his voice, “the owner really couldn’t keep it going. You’ve heard of Xiang Man Lou, haven’t you?”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Of course. That’s the Tian family’s restaurant.”

“Exactly. Xiang Man Lou’s only been open for two years, but they brought in a master chef all the way from the provincial capital. The food there is incredible.” Wang Song leaned in. “It’s on North Street, only thirty or forty paces away from that other restaurant. Ever since it opened, most folks in town go there to eat, and business at the surrounding restaurants has dropped sharply.”

Jiang Ji thought for a moment. “But North Street connects straight to the docks. There’s constant traffic—travelers from both north and south. There should be no shortage of customers. People in a hurry wouldn’t want to wait long for seats in a big restaurant. By that logic, the smaller one shouldn’t have gone under so easily.”

“The restaurant has two floors—it’s quite large. Maybe they just didn’t have enough customers to sustain it,” Wang Song guessed. Then, lowering his voice again, he added, “I also heard their head chef got poached by Xiang Man Lou for a higher wage.”

Jiang Ji blinked. “Didn’t Xiang Man Lou already have a master chef from the capital?”

Wang Song shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe they were too busy to handle the crowd.”

Jiang Ji exchanged a look with Jiang Yan. Then he asked, “Before Xiang Man Lou opened, was this restaurant doing well?”

“Oh, it was one of the best in town,” Wang Song confirmed.

Jiang Ji understood now. He also realized the importance of training his own people.

“So the restaurant’s for sale—what about the manager and the waiters? Are they still around?”

“The manager’s still there, handling the sale. The waiters have all scattered.”

After lunch, they went to see the restaurant Wang Song had mentioned. It was already closed, with a For Sale sign hanging on the half-open door.

Wang Song knocked. “Manager Lü, I’ve brought someone to see the shop.”

Manager Lü, a man in his forties, was doing some accounting behind the counter. When he saw who it was, he quickly came out. “Please, come in.”

Wang Song led Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan inside. Manager Lü accompanied them as they toured the entire building.

The restaurant was two stories tall and quite spacious. The first floor could hold over thirty tables, and the second had five private rooms.

Jiang Ji went to inspect the back kitchen—it was roomy, with three stoves for stir-frying, five for stewing and simmering, and two large ones for rice. Four long tables were pushed together to form a wide prep counter. The courtyard had its own well and latrine, plus a warehouse on one side and three small rooms for lodging.

Jiang Ji examined it carefully. If he wanted to make roast duck, he’d have to build several roasting ovens, which meant opening up one side of the rooms.

Overall, it was a good property—especially since it was located on North Street, where the foot traffic was constant.

“How much are they asking for this place?” Jiang Ji asked.

Manager Lü hesitated, then held up a hand to show a number. “This much.”

“Three hundred taels?” Jiang Ji raised an eyebrow.

Manager Lü nodded.

Jiang Ji knew from Wang Song that small courtyards in town sold for only a dozen or twenty taels. The three-courtyard residence they’d just seen was priced at two hundred taels—already expensive for the town. His favorite three-courtyard house with two side yards had been listed at three hundred.

This shop was pricey, but given the excellent location and size, he could accept it—though a small discount would be nice.

“That’s steep,” Jiang Ji said, frowning. “How about giving me a better price?”

Wang Song blinked in surprise. Usually, wealthy buyers let the broker handle negotiations—not this straightforward approach.

Manager Lü looked uncomfortable. “Young master, that’s the price set by the owner. I don’t have the authority to change it.”

“What? Didn’t your employer tell you the bottom line? Didn’t leave you any room to negotiate? It’s just a flat price?” Jiang Ji asked rapidly.

Manager Lü hesitated, then said, “If you’re truly interested, I can offer you this price.” He gestured again—two fingers, then nine.

“Two hundred ninety?” Jiang Ji sighed. “Why can’t you people just say the number outright?”

Manager Lü nodded.

“Manager Lü, to be honest, that’s still too high. If it’s two hundred fifty, I’ll buy it on the spot,” Jiang Ji said firmly.

Manager Lü’s eyes widened. “Young master, that’s quite a drop!”

“Ah, that’s all I can afford. Discuss it with your employer. If they agree, we have a deal,” Jiang Ji said.

Manager Lü was silent for a moment, then replied, “Young master, I truly can’t decide on my own. I’ll have to ask the owner.”

“Go ahead then,” Jiang Ji said. “If it’s approved, contact Wang Song—he’ll find me.”

When they left the restaurant, Jiang Ji didn’t get back into the carriage. He turned to Wang Song and said, “That three-courtyard house with two side yards—please go find the owner and make an offer for me. Same as the restaurant: if they’ll take two hundred fifty taels, I’ll buy it.”

“Understood, I’ll ask,” Wang Song replied, nodding. “But young master, I doubt that restaurant will go for two hundred fifty. The location really is prime.”

“Just try,” Jiang Ji said with a grin. “I’m not exactly a rich man, you see my clothes? I’ve already put up everything I’ve got. I really can’t afford two hundred ninety.”

“All right, I’ll do my best to negotiate it for you.” Wang Song then asked, “Would you like to go to the brokerage now to pick out servants?”

“No, we need to buy the house first,” Jiang Ji said. “Otherwise they’ll have nowhere to stay. Oh, and if you hear of any other restaurants or shops for sale, keep an eye out for me—preferably two stories, spacious ones. In case this deal falls through, it’s good to have a backup. Thanks.”

“Got it,” Wang Song replied.

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan were heading home, but Wang Song offered to see them to the city gate. Jiang Ji declined, saying they wanted to stop by the marketplace to look at ducklings.

After they left, Wang Song went back inside to speak with Manager Lü for quite some time, then hitched a carriage and went straight to the owner of the three-courtyard, two-yard estate Jiang Ji had liked. He planned to wait there until the owner returned so they could negotiate directly.

If he could close both deals, his commission this month would be substantial. Wang Song was full of determination—he was going to make it happen.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan went to the western market.

They picked out four batches of healthy ducklings, each about seven or eight days old—perfect, since in another week they could be released into the rice fields.

Each of them carried two cages home. “A single mu of field can hold at most two broods of ducks,” Jiang Ji said. “We’ll need a lot more, so we’ll have to come check again these next few days. Tomorrow, we’ll buy slightly older ones to release first.”

“And the fish fry?” Jiang Yan asked.

“Those too—fish require more stock,” Jiang Ji said. “We’ll go early tomorrow to look. We’ll need to visit the fish ponds.”

The next morning, they hauled a cart into town. After buying several more broods of ducklings, they parked the cart in the county office courtyard and asked the constables there to keep an eye on them.

By now, the constables all knew them well and were very obliging. Magistrate Xu and Lord Chen had heard they were preparing to release the ducks into the paddies, and even came out to take a look at the ducklings themselves.

Afterward, Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan went to several fish ponds, checked the fry, negotiated with the owners, signed purchase contracts, and paid deposits.

By the time they finished, it was noon. They ate lunch, then returned to the county office to collect the ducklings and bought rice bran and unhulled rice for feed before heading home.

Zhao Ru had already fenced off a section of the yard for the ducklings to waddle and feed in.

Not long after they arrived, Wang Song came looking for them.

When he found Jiang Ji’s home, he was stunned to see the small thatched courtyard.

These two young men were buying a grand estate in town for their servants—yet they themselves still lived in this humble cottage?

He quickly hid his surprise. They’d be moving soon anyway, he thought.

But when he noticed some unfamiliar crops growing in the nearby fields, he suddenly remembered all the talk circulating around town lately—someone in the west of the city had been experimenting with new rice and sweet potato varieties, supposedly a villager from Shanqian Village.

And this… seemed to be Shanqian Village.

“Come in and have some water,” Jiang Ji said, inviting him into the main room and pouring him a cup. “So, did you manage to close the deal?”

Wang Song took a sip before replying, “I went to find the estate owner yesterday. I talked till my tongue went dry, and finally got the price down to this.”

He held up a hand, gesturing.

“Two hundred sixty, huh?” Jiang Ji sighed. “Brother, could you just say the number out loud next time? Don’t make me guess.”

Wang Song blinked, then laughed. “All right, you’re right—I’m just used to it. Never met a buyer as straightforward as you.”

Usually, property deals were handled with gestures. Some people thought talking money outright was too crass and preferred the subtle way.

Jiang Ji shook his head. “I’m just direct. Nothing shameful about talking money.”

“True enough,” Wang Song said with a grin, more relaxed now. “So what do you think, young master? If you’re satisfied, we can finalize it tomorrow and transfer the deed.”

Jiang Ji thought for a moment, then asked, “What about the restaurant? How much did you get it down to?”

“Two hundred seventy taels,” Wang Song said.

That was within Jiang Ji’s budget. He nodded immediately. “Good. I’ll come find you tomorrow.”

Wang Song’s eyes lit up—he hadn’t expected Jiang Ji to agree so readily. “Excellent! I’ll inform the owner today, and we’ll meet at the brokerage tomorrow.”

The next day, Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan returned to town. They met with the two property owners at the brokerage, paid the silver, went to the county office to register the deeds, and received the house keys.

Afterward, they followed Wang Song back to the brokerage to look at servants.

“I’ll need seven or eight,” Jiang Ji said. “If there are more suitable ones, I can take extra. They must be of good character—preferably know how to cook, or at least have interest in learning. Ages between fourteen and forty-five, men or women both fine. And they must be willing to sign death contracts.”

Hearing that, Wang Song immediately understood he was hiring for a restaurant, and went to make the arrangements.

Jiang Ji nudged Jiang Yan. “I’m no good at judging people—you help me out.”

Jiang Yan nodded.

The broker who handled human sales brought out a group of servants, about thirty in total.

Wang Song mainly dealt in property and shops; another broker specialized in people. Wang Song gestured. “Take a look, young masters. You can ask about their background.”

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan stood in front, scanning the group. Jiang Ji wasn’t sure how to choose, so he scratched his head and said, “Hello, everyone. My name is Jiang Ji. I’m looking for people who can cook—if you can, raise your hand so I can see.”

Immediately, five people raised their hands—three men and two women: one woman in her twenties, two in their thirties, one a bit over forty, and a young man around seventeen or eighteen.

Jiang Ji went down the line, asking each of the five candidates what dishes they could cook, how they prepared them, and where they had worked before.

They answered one by one.

When they were done, Jiang Ji glanced at Jiang Yan, silently asking what he thought.

Jiang Yan gave him a look, then called the nearby broker aside and asked quietly, “Where are these people from? Why were they sold? Tell me clearly.”

Jiang Ji’s eyes brightened—right, that was something important to ask.

The broker explained everything in detail.

The man in his forties was named Han Qingshan. His spirit was worn, his face unshaven and tired. He had once worked for a wealthy household and had a fifteen-year-old daughter. The young master of the house had assaulted her, and she took her own life in despair. Han Qingshan, enraged, went to take revenge on the young master, but was beaten nearly to death and then sold off as punishment.

Next to him stood a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old young man who also looked dispirited. He had been Han Qingshan’s apprentice—and was once meant to be his future son-in-law. The two had been sold together after the same incident.

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan fell silent.

Another man in his early thirties had been sold for embezzling money from his employer.

The woman in her early thirties came from a neighboring county; she had been a concubine in a rich household but was sold after being accused of harming the mistress’s child.

The last was a woman in her twenties with a boy of about seven or eight. Her previous master had gone bankrupt and sold off his estate and servants—including her and her son.

After hearing everyone’s stories, both Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan had a clearer sense of them.

Then Jiang Ji stepped forward again and said to the group, “I’m looking for people to work in a restaurant kitchen—future head chefs. If you’re interested in learning to cook, raise your hand.”

Four hands went up immediately, followed by eight more.

Jiang Ji listened to each of them describe their background, then heard the broker’s introductions again. After some discussion with Jiang Yan, they finalized their choices.

“They’re all signing death contracts, right?” Jiang Ji asked.

The broker nodded. “Yes.”

Jiang Ji chose nine people in total, including Han Qingshan and his apprentice, as well as the woman with her child. He passed on the other two and then asked the broker for the total price.

The broker hesitated. “Young master, will you be buying the woman’s child as well?”

“Of course,” Jiang Ji said matter-of-factly. “They’re mother and son—what, you expect me to split them up?”

The broker immediately called over the nine selected people.

When the woman heard her name, she grabbed her child and rushed over, kneeling abruptly before Jiang Ji and pulling her son down with her.

Startled, Jiang Ji exclaimed, “What are you doing? Get up, quickly!”

He reached out to help her, but she shrank back.

“Young master, please, I beg you—buy my child too,” she said tearfully, bowing her head to the ground. “I’ll work as hard as I can and won’t ask for much pay. Just please take him with me.” The boy followed her lead, kowtowing beside her.

Jiang Ji grew flustered. “I already said you’re together! I’m not separating you. Please, get up.”

The woman froze, then burst into tears of relief, knocking her head three more times. “Thank you, master! Thank you!”

Jiang Ji helped her up and turned to the rest. “Are you all willing to come with me?”

The other eight stood stunned—they had never met a buyer who even asked for their consent.

“Well? Speak up.”

They nodded quickly.

“Good. Go pack your things and come with me in a bit.”

Jiang Ji paid the silver, had new contracts drawn and signed, and completed all the formalities.

Then he led everyone to the estate in the eastern part of the city. There were ten of them total—seven men and three women.

He said, “You’ll all live here from now on. The men in this courtyard, the women in the one behind.”

The group stared in disbelief. None of them had expected to live in such a fine place.

“Are you really letting us live here?” one of them asked.

“Yes,” Jiang Ji said. “Among you, Uncle Han is the eldest and used to manage the kitchen in his last household. From now on, he’ll be in charge.” He turned to Han Qingshan. “Uncle Han, if this courtyard isn’t big enough, the rear storage rooms can also be converted for living. Arrange it as you see fit.”

Han Qingshan was taken aback. “Me? You want me to be in charge?”

“Yes,” Jiang Ji said with a small smile. “I’m trusting you to help me manage everyone. Can you do that?”

Something flickered in Han Qingshan’s eyes. He nodded firmly. “Yes, master.”

Jiang Ji then turned to the woman with the child. “Sister Guihua, let Xiao Yi stay with you for now. Once he’s older and more comfortable, he can move in with Uncle Han and the others.”

Guihua was already grateful just to be allowed to stay with her son. “Understood, master,” she said softly.

Once housing was settled, Jiang Ji continued, “My name is Jiang Ji, and this is Jiang Yan. We’re from Shanqian Village in the west of the city. Our family won’t be living here for the time being—it’ll mostly just be the two of us coming in and out. But I’ll need you to keep the main courtyard clean.”

Han Qingshan nodded. “I’ll make the arrangements.”

“Good.” Jiang Ji smiled. “Your monthly wages will be one tael of silver each, and two taels for Uncle Han. When the restaurant opens, if business goes well, I’ll raise your pay.”

The group’s faces lit up with joy.

This new master was generous—not only giving them such good living quarters but also letting them work in a business rather than serve as house attendants.

Jiang Ji clapped his hands. “All right, rest well today. Tomorrow, I’ll come by to taste your cooking and start teaching new dishes.”

He handed Han Qingshan a pouch of one hundred taels. “You’ll use this for food and household expenses. Do you know how to keep accounts?”

Han Qingshan nodded. “Yes.”

“Good. Then handle the arrangements. See what the house still needs and buy what’s missing.” Jiang Ji added, “Oh, and get a few new locks installed—this house and the restaurant both. Tomorrow I’ll take you to inspect the restaurant. It’ll need major renovations, and I’ll be counting on you to oversee it.”

“Yes, master,” Han Qingshan said.

“All right, then. We’ll head back for today and return tomorrow,” Jiang Ji said. After giving his final instructions, he and Jiang Yan left for home.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾

Once Jiang Ji decided to act, he got to work right away. That same afternoon, he finished drawing the design for a roasting oven. He chose the hanging-roast style—a small enclosed structure—and planned to test it out first. If it worked well, he would build another one in the new house later.

The materials and workers were readily available. Jiang Ji went to find Master Zheng and asked him to help construct the oven.

After looking over the design and confirming its purpose, Master Zheng said, “Sure, this is simple. I can finish it in two days.”

Jiang Ji was a little worried. “But there’s no cement right now. If we keep burning fire inside the top section, won’t it crack?”

“It’s about the same as our regular cooking stoves,” Master Zheng replied. “Not that big either—it’ll be fine.”

“What if I burn it all day long?” Jiang Ji pressed.

“You’re going to burn it that long?” Master Zheng thought for a moment. “If you’re worried, just give it a break every few hours. Let it cool for a couple of hours before you use it again. Or build several ovens and rotate them.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “That makes sense.”

They agreed to start construction the next day, and Jiang Ji went home.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the cement issue. Opening his livestream, he asked the viewers, “Guys, can someone check for me how cement is made?”

【Even if we told you, you couldn’t make it right now】
【Cement nowadays is industrially produced—you don’t have the machines for that】

“Then help me find out how the earliest cement was made—the primitive kind.”

【Mix lime and clay, calcine it, grind it into powder, then add a bit of gypsum】
【Yeah, the original cement was made from a mixture of limestone and clay】

Jiang Ji’s eyes lit up. “Hey, we have lime here! Master Zheng and the others already use lime mortar mixed with sticky rice water. What about clay—what does it look like? Does yellow soil count as clay?”

【What kind of yellow soil are you talking about? Not sure if we have the same thing】
【Yeah, what you call yellow soil might not be what we mean by clay】

“It’s fine,” Jiang Ji said, chuckling. “2977 automatically translates and adjusts things—it’s got a little bug you guys probably haven’t noticed yet.”

【What bug?】

“If I ask you guys about something technical, what you have might not exist here, right? But the system automatically converts it into something I do have here. I think for technical stuff, it’ll ‘translate’ it too. Why don’t we test it out?”

【…】
【You can try, but if it works, you could skip doing missions entirely. The system wouldn’t allow that kind of bug】

“It’s not the same,” Jiang Ji explained. “Even if I understand the theory from what you say, I can’t necessarily make it. But the skills from completed missions—I actually learn them. Like cooking—I’d never cooked before, but after getting the skill reward, I could cook instantly.”

【Oh, that’s true】
【Then you’ll still have to do missions】
【I looked it up—yellow soil doesn’t count as clay】

“Oh, I see. I’ve never seen clay myself, so I don’t even know what it looks like.”

【Ask the system—see if it has a related mission】

“Oh right!” Jiang Ji smacked his forehead. “2977, are there any tasks related to cement or clay?”

2977 quickly replied: 【Special Mission 199: Complete to obtain Beginner Cement-Making Skill.】

Jiang Ji opened Special Mission 199: Propose to the emperor the establishment of a women’s academy, allowing women to receive equal educational opportunities.

After reading it, Jiang Ji felt his teeth ache. The emperor? Where was he supposed to find the emperor?

The viewers asked what the mission was. Jiang Ji sighed. “Yeah, there is a mission, but I can’t complete it—it involves the emperor.”

He read out the mission details to them.

【Why are so many of your missions related to the emperor?】
【Forget it—you’ll find clay faster on your own】

“You’re right. It’s quicker if I just look for clay myself.” Jiang Ji thought for a bit, then added, “But I can tell Master Zheng about it. He’s in the trade and has seen more than I have. If I tell him, maybe he’ll try it out if he finds some.”

…

The next day, Master Zheng arrived with his crew and the materials. He also brought along an apprentice to help with construction. While they were setting up, Jiang Ji asked if he had ever seen clay before.

“You mean sticky soil?” Master Zheng said as he cleared the area for the oven. “That’s the kind used for making ceramics, isn’t it?”

“Ceramics?” Jiang Ji’s eyes brightened. “Right! Why didn’t I think of that?”

“What do you need it for?” Jiang Yan asked while moving bricks.

“It’s important!” Jiang Ji said excitedly, then turned to Master Zheng. “Master Zheng, I heard that if you mix lime and clay, then bake it in a kiln, grind what comes out into powder, and add a little gypsum and water—it can be used as mortar for building walls. It’s even better than what we use now.”

Master Zheng’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”

“Really! You should try it when you have time,” Jiang Ji said eagerly. “Wouldn’t that be great? We’re using sticky rice water right now—it works, but sticky rice is expensive and edible. If we can use clay instead, we won’t waste food.”

“True!” Master Zheng was intrigued. “Do you know the exact proportions?”

“Let me think—I heard about it before.” Jiang Ji clapped his hands. “Wait a second, I’ll be right back.”

Jiang Yan watched him wash his hands and head toward the latrine, guessing that when he came back, he’d “remember” the details.

Sure enough, a few moments later Jiang Ji returned and said to the master, “I remembered! The limestone should make up about sixty to seventy percent, clay about ten to twenty percent, then a little iron ore—maybe one to two parts per hundred—and about ten percent coal. That’s roughly it. Bake it for four or five hours, grind it into fine powder, then mix in a bit of gypsum. That should work, but it might take a few trials to get it just right.”

Jiang Yan glanced at Jiang Ji, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

Just like his mysterious cooking skills that no one could explain, Jiang Ji somehow knew things that even veteran builders had never heard of.

More and more secrets surrounded him.

How very interesting.

When Master Zheng heard the detailed explanation, his face lit up. “Master Jiang, you’ve got paper and brush, right? I need to write this down and have someone test it.”

“Of course—I’ll write it for you.” Jiang Ji turned to Jiang Yan. “Jiang Yan, help me jot this down.”

The two washed their hands, then Jiang Ji dictated while Jiang Yan wrote out the instructions for making basic cement.

Master Zheng read it carefully, as if it were a precious treasure, then folded it neatly and tucked it into his robe.

Soon after, he and his men finished building the oven. “We’ll have to wait a few days for the top to dry completely before removing the boards. Then it’ll be ready to use.”

“Got it,” Jiang Ji said, nodding. Then he took out another drawing. “Could you also build me this simpler one?”

The drawing showed a jar-shaped open-top oven—smaller, with food placed in from above.

He wanted to test which type would work better.

This smaller oven was easy to build; Master Zheng and his apprentice finished it in half a day and coated the outside with a layer of lime plaster. Once it dried for a couple of days, it would be ready.

Jiang Ji went to town, bought two ducks, some hooks and an iron rack from the blacksmith, and even a sheet of iron to use as a lid.

…

Two days later, the small oven was ready.

Jiang Ji began his first attempt at making roast duck. Zhao Ru and Jiang Yan stood nearby watching.

After slaughtering, plucking, and cleaning the ducks, Jiang Ji cut off the feet, removed the tongue, and pulled out the windpipe through the neck. Then he took a small bamboo tube and blew air into the duck.

“What are you doing?” Zhao Ru asked curiously. “Why blow air into it?”

“This makes the duck taste better. The skin separates from the meat so it roasts evenly,” Jiang Ji explained.

After blowing air, he made a small cut under the wing to remove the innards, inserted a short bamboo stick to keep the body open, cleaned the inside again, and hung the ducks up to dry.

Roast duck involved many steps—after drying the skin, it had to be scalded, brushed with sugar water, dried again, sealed at the tail, filled with boiling water, and only then roasted.

That afternoon, Jiang Ji prepared lotus-leaf pancakes and sweet bean sauce. By midafternoon, he began roasting.

He used the small oven. There was no fruitwood, so he burned pine instead. The fire blazed hotly. Above it, a cross-shaped iron rack held the ducks suspended inside the oven on long hooks.

After roasting for over half an hour, Jiang Ji poked a knife into the duck’s leg to check—it was done.

By then, Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei had just returned from school. They could smell the roast from outside, and their homework was hopeless—every few characters, they’d glance at the door.

When they saw Jiang Ji lift the iron sheet lid, Jiang Nan ran out excitedly. “Brother, is it done?”

“It’s done. We can eat soon,” Jiang Ji said, setting the roast duck in a large bowl. “Don’t touch that iron sheet—it’s hot!”

He had just finished speaking when Jiang Yan came out carrying a bucket of water.

“Jiang Nan, Jiang Bei—stand back,” Jiang Yan said. When the boys stepped away, he poured the water over the hot iron lid.

Ssssss—

A cloud of steam hissed up instantly.

“Whoa—!”

The twins gasped in amazement. As soon as Jiang Ji carried the duck back into the kitchen, they trailed right after him.

Zhao Ru had already finished the other dishes, waiting only for the duck.

Jiang Ji washed his hands and began carving.

He cut off a piece and tasted it first. Jiang Nan stared eagerly. “Brother, how is it?”

“Not bad,” Jiang Ji said. Compared to the authentic roast duck he’d once had, his version still fell a little short—but it was already quite good.

“Can I try?” Jiang Nan asked, nearly drooling.

“Not yet. It’s plain now—wait till we dip it in the sauce.”

He sliced the duck neatly, plated it, and brought it to the table.

“All right, time to eat,” Jiang Ji announced. “There are a few ways to eat this. Here’s the sweet sauce, and here’s the savory dip. Choose whichever you like. You can wrap it with cucumber or just dip and eat.”

“How do we wrap it?” Zhao Ru asked.

“Like this—follow me,” Jiang Ji said.

He placed a lotus-leaf pancake on his palm, spread a layer of sweet bean sauce, added slices of duck, cucumber strips, and green onion, then rolled it up and took a bite.

“Eat it like this. See if you like the slightly sweet flavor. If not, use the savory dip instead.”

Everyone followed his example and began eating.

“How is it?” Jiang Ji asked eagerly.

Zhao Ru chewed thoughtfully. “The duck’s delicious, the cucumber’s crisp—but it’s a bit too sweet for me.”

“Then try the salty one, Mother.”

Jiang Xia, however, seemed to enjoy it. “It’s actually pretty good! The first bite felt strange, but the second one’s really tasty.”

“Try both kinds—eat whichever you prefer,” Jiang Ji said. He was used to both flavors.

Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei, being meat lovers, skipped the pancakes entirely. They dipped slices straight into the salty sauce and devoured them.

“This skin’s amazing—it smells so good!” Jiang Nan exclaimed.

“And the meat’s great too,” Jiang Bei added.

Jiang Ji laughed at them. “You two won’t get tired of eating like that?”

Roast duck was rich and fatty; after a few bites, most people found it heavy. That was why the cucumber or radish was used—to balance the flavor with something fresh and crisp.

But Jiang Nan shook his head, his mouth glistening with oil. “It’s delicious—not greasy at all!”

Jiang Ji chuckled, then turned to Zhao Ru. “Mother, how’s the savory one?”

“The savory one’s delicious. I still prefer that flavor,” Zhao Ru said with a smile.

“As long as you like it.” Jiang Ji then looked over at Jiang Yan, noticing that he’d been eating with the sweet sauce. “You like the sweet kind?”

Jiang Yan nodded. “Mm. It tastes really good.”

“Do you think it could work as a shop dish?” Jiang Ji asked.

Jiang Yan nodded again. “Yes.”

Without looking up from his plate, Jiang Nan chimed in between bites, while Jiang Bei said loudly, “Yeah—it’s tasty! We could sell it for sure.”

“It’s so good, people would definitely line up to buy it,” Jiang Xia added eagerly. “Brother, when are we going to start selling it?”

Jiang Ji answered while eating, “It’s still too early to open a shop. The oven we have now is too small, and I can’t handle everything alone. I’d need to take on apprentices and teach them other dishes too. Once they’ve learned enough, I could make them head chefs, and I wouldn’t have to cook all the time myself.”

Jiang Xia’s eyes widened. “But if you train them, what if they leave and open their own shops later?”

Jiang Ji paused. “That’s… a good point.”

He began to think it over.

Zhao Ru offered a suggestion. “Why not just buy a few people? Your own people are more trustworthy.”

Buy servants?

Jiang Ji froze for a moment. In this era, the buying and selling of servants was indeed common—and perfectly legal. Still, it felt strange to him, clashing with the values he’d been raised with.

“What do you think?” he asked Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan nodded. “It’s reasonable. Having your own people would be more reliable. Best to buy those under death contracts—it’s more secure.”

Jiang Ji thought about it. In this world, that was simply how things worked—no need to get hung up on it.

He nodded. “All right. Let’s find a few with good character and an interest in cooking. As long as they’re willing to learn, I’ll teach them. At least that way, they’ll have a proper skill for the future. But our house can’t fit anyone right now. It’ll take at least two months before they’re trained.”

Jiang Yan said, “Then buy a house in town for them to live in. They’ll be working there anyway, so it’s better to get one now. You can modify the kitchen—build a few more stoves for them to practice on. For now, just visit every other day to teach. When choosing people, pick those with some experience—they’ll learn faster.”

Jiang Ji thought for a moment, then nodded. “All right. Come with me to town tomorrow so we can find a broker and buy a house.”

“Sure.” Jiang Yan agreed.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾