Author Archives: Thandar

Jia Xiaoren

Upon hearing that the tea house at the intersection was closing down, Yu Qingze immediately left the house.

The tea house in question was a well-known establishment, spanning two floors with a sizable storefront. It was situated at the bustling intersection of North-South Street and East-West Street, occupying a prime location. Such a great storefront needed to be seized promptly!

Shortly after, Boss Liu followed along, saying, “I’ll go with you. I know the owner, and he and his wife often come to your snack shop for desserts.”

“Oh? They come to the snack shop regularly?” Surprised, Yu Qingze asked.

Boss Liu nodded and said, “Yes, they are a friendly elderly couple.”

“That’s good to hear. Thank you, brother!” Yu Qingze expressed his gratitude.

The two hurriedly arrived at the tea house and took a quick look around. They noticed that the tea house was still open and had customers, but they didn’t see the owner or the waitstaff.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

In the main hall, there were several scattered tables where customers were enjoying tea and chatting. Most of them were leisurely elderly people, and bird cages were placed on the tables, indicating that they had just finished bird-walking and came here to sit and drink tea. Another table was occupied by three or four young men, dressed as sons of wealthy families, laughing and joking.

At that moment, a waiter came out carrying a teapot and, upon seeing the two, smiled and asked, “Would you like to have tea? Open seating or a private room?”

The two exchanged glances, and Boss Liu asked, “Is Boss Qin here?”

The waiter replied, “Are you here to see the boss too? He’s upstairs in a meeting. Would you like to wait downstairs for a while?”

Wait, what?

Yu Qingze and Boss Liu became a bit concerned. They were worried that someone might have taken the opportunity to negotiate the lease for the shop. It was said that the shop belonged to the boss himself because he was idle at home and loved tea, so he opened it to pass the time.

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “Alright, we’ll wait. Please bring us a pot of Biluochun tea.”

The waiter responded, “Sure, please have a seat. I’ll be right back.”

The two sat by the window, sipping tea and chatting. After about fifteen minutes, a plump man in his fifties and a slim, seemingly refined man in his early thirties came downstairs. The plump man had his back turned to them, while the slim, refined man faced them.

As soon as they saw the slim, refined man, they were instantly shocked.

“I didn’t expect it to be Jia Xiaoren, the owner of Xiang Man Yuan. What is he doing here? Doesn’t he already have a shop?” Boss Liu whispered to Yu Qingze.

Yu Qingze shook his head, equally puzzled. Xiang Man Yuan had only been open for half a year. It seemed unlikely that they would be opening a new branch so soon. Perhaps they were looking for a larger space? The business at Xiang Man Yuan seemed to be doing well on regular days.

Boss Liu continued, “The plump one is Boss Qin.”

Yu Qingze took a look and coincidentally, the plump boss turned his body, allowing Yu Qingze to catch a glimpse of his profile. It sparked some recognition, and he nodded, saying, “I’ve seen him a few times at the shop.”

Both of them continued to observe, and suddenly, the owner of Xiang Man Yuan, Boss Jia, glanced in their direction, making direct eye contact with Yu Qingze.

During such a sensitive time, both of them knew why they had come here.

As a gesture of politeness, Yu Qingze lifted his teacup hand slightly towards Boss Jia, and Boss Jia smiled and nodded in return, acknowledging the greeting.

Once Boss Jia left, Boss Liu immediately called out to Boss Qin. “Older Brother Qin!”

Boss Qin turned around, surprised. “Oh, it’s Old Liu. What brings you here? Hey, isn’t this Yu, the boss of Yu’s Delicious Delights?”

Yu Qingze stood up, cupped his hand in greeting, and smiled. “Boss Qin, I’ve seen you a few times at the shop, but I didn’t know you were the owner of this tea house.”

Boss Qin chuckled and replied, “Oh, forget about being an owner or not. I’m just passing the time running this place, and it won’t be open for much longer.” Then he motioned for them to sit and said, “Hey, don’t just stand there, have a seat. Xiao Cong, bring us a pot of good tea!”

“Got it!” The waiter’s voice echoed from the tea room in the back.

Yu Qingze and Boss Liu took their seats.

Then Boss Liu continued with the question based on Boss Qin’s earlier statement. “Older Brother Qin, you just mentioned that you won’t be keeping this place open anymore?”

Boss Qin nodded and sighed. “Yes, my wife’s health is not good, and I plan to spend more time with him at home.”

Upon hearing this, Boss Liu understood immediately.

Boss Qin’s only son tragically passed away when he was in his teens. It was a heart-wrenching experience for them as parents to lose their child. In the aftermath, his wife shed tears every day. To divert his wife’s attention and provide him with something to do, Boss Qin opened this tea house where they could run it together. The shop indeed brought some improvement to his wife’s well-being. However, the couple was unable to have another child after that.

Boss Qin owned two shops on this street, and they had no worries about food and drink. As they grew older, if Boss Qin’s wife’s health wasn’t good, it made sense for Boss Qin to suddenly decide to close the tea house.

“Is your wife’s health serious?” Boss Liu inquired.

Boss Qin replied, “Well, he’s just getting older, and some old ailments have resurfaced. He needs to rest properly.”

“That’s right, I need to spend more time with my wife,” Boss Liu nodded in agreement and then asked, “Older Brother Qin, until when do you plan to keep this shop open?”

Upon hearing the question, Boss Qin looked up and asked, “Why? Are you interested in taking over?”

“No, not at all. My noodle shop keeps me busy enough,” Boss Liu shook his head and gestured towards Yu Qingze with a chin lift. He said, “It’s my brother, Boss Yu, who intends to rent a shop space to open a restaurant. We heard today that you plan to close down, so we came here specifically to inquire.”

Boss Qin looked at Yu Qingze with surprise and asked, “Oh, Boss Yu, you’re opening a restaurant?”

Yu Qingze nodded and smiled, “Yes, I’m currently looking for a suitable space.”

Boss Qin further asked, “Are you interested in this place?”

Yu Qingze nodded directly and said, “Yes, your shop has a great location and two floors, which is perfect for a restaurant.”

After contemplating for a moment, Boss Qin said, “To be honest with you, two people have already approached me today. You just saw one of them, the owner of Xiang Man Yuan. He also wants to open a restaurant and expand the scale of his current shop.”

Yu Qingze and Boss Liu exchanged a glance upon hearing this, confirming their suspicion that Boss Jia was indeed here to discuss the shop.

Boss Liu asked, “Have you reached an agreement with him?”

Boss Qin shook his head and said, “The rent he offered is quite satisfactory, two taels higher than the market price. However, I still need to consult my wife at home. He doesn’t particularly like Boss Jia.”

Boss Liu whispered, “Why is that?”

Boss Qin didn’t conceal anything and replied, “Before my wife got married, he was neighbors with the wife of the owner of Wu Wei Xuan. They had a good relationship. When Wu Wei Xuan had some trouble before, my wife didn’t really appreciate Boss Jia anymore.”

Upon hearing this, both of them understood, and a sense of relief washed over them. It was quite coincidental, perhaps even destined, that this shop shouldn’t end up in the hands of Jia Xiaoren.

Quickly, Yu Qingze suggested, “Well then, Boss Qin, how about renting it to me? Whatever price Boss Jia offers, I can match it.”

Boss Qin glanced at him and said, “He’s offering twenty-five taels per month. I’ve seen his restaurant before, and the business is quite good. During lunch and dinner hours, it’s usually about seventy to eighty percent full. If you want to open a restaurant, you’ll need to have twice as many customers as him to afford the rent for this shop.”

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “Boss Qin, rest assured, I have confidence in my culinary skills.”

Boss Liu chimed in, “That’s right, Boss Qin, are you worried that his business won’t be good? Look at his snack shop, it’s always bustling with customers. You’ve tried his dim sum too, and is there any other place in Tongshan City that can compare to his flavors?”

Upon hearing this, Boss Qin paused for a moment and then asked, “Is your cooking skill as good as your dim sum-making skill?”

Yu Qingze shook his head and said, “Not the same.”

Boss Qin sighed upon hearing that. He had expected it. If he already excelled at making dim sum, how could he also be equally skilled at cooking?

Even Boss Liu was puzzled when he saw him shaking his head. Why did he shake his head?

Seeing their expressions, Yu Qingze smiled slightly and said, “You misunderstood. What I meant was that my cooking skills are better than my dim sum-making skills. Cooking is actually my specialty.”

Boss Qin looked up at him in astonishment and exclaimed, “Cooking is actually your specialty?”

Yu Qingze nodded.

Cooking was his true expertise, while making pastries and dim sum was just something he dabbled in during his spare time, learning from his master. He didn’t invest much energy into it. He would occasionally observe other pastry chefs in hotels and learn from them. Perhaps he couldn’t match the skills of professional pastry chefs in his world, but here, his culinary abilities were more than enough to captivate the palates of the people.

Boss Qin was shocked to see him nodding.

If he already excelled at making dim sum and pastries, and now he claimed to be even better at cooking?! How extraordinary must his cooking be?!

Suddenly, Boss Qin had a strong desire to taste Yu Qingze’s cooking.

Boss Qin slammed the table and exclaimed, “Alright, I’ll rent it to you! It’s all because of your skills, because of what you just said!”

The other guests at the tables in the lobby looked over in surprise upon hearing the conversation.

With excitement shining in his eyes, Yu Qingze happily exclaimed, “That’s wonderful! Thank you, Boss Qin!”

Boss Qin realized he had been a bit carried away earlier. He waved to reassure the other customers and then turned back to Yu Qingze, saying, “Both my wife and I love the dim sum from your shop. Your skills would be such a waste if you didn’t open a restaurant. I’m glad you’ve chosen my place, and you don’t need to pay as much rent. Just the same as the rent for other shops will do.”

Yu Qingze objected, “How can that be? We agreed on the rent based on the price you mentioned to Boss Jia.”

Boss Qin waved his hand and said, “We’re an old couple with only a few good years left. We don’t need that much money. As long as it’s enough for our expenses. We’ve lived for most of our lives, and now we can still enjoy such delicious dim sum and pastries. We already feel content. But now, you’re saying your cooking skills are even better. How can I not taste it? The best delicacies will be in my shop. Isn’t it wonderful, Old Liu?”

Naturally, Liu Boss agreed and said, “Yes. Before I tasted the cold noodles and liangpi made by Brother Yu, I thought my noodle-making skills were already good enough. But then he came along, and I realized that there’s always someone better out there. My skills are completely incomparable to his. And then, I tried his pastries and dim sum, and they were mind-blowing. It made me feel like I wasted the first half of my life.”

“Yes, indeed, it feels like a wasted life!”

Boss Qin and Boss Liu continued to praise each other, engaging in a back-and-forth of compliments that made Yu Qingze, the person at the center of it all, feel a bit embarrassed.

Finally, in the afternoon of that day, Yu Qingze and Boss Qin signed the lease agreement, and three days later, Boss Qin handed over the shop.

The following evening, when Jia Xiaoren learned that the teahouse had been rented to Yu Qingze at market price, he became so angry that he directly threw a large vase to the ground.

“Why do you get so angry, my dear husband? If we lost the shop, we can find another one. Don’t let it ruin your health. I care about you.” A pair of delicate, fair hands came around from behind and gently massaged Jia Xiaoren’s chest. A tender and gentle voice fluttered like a butterfly.

Jia Xiaoren extended his hand and covered those hands, pulling them down. Then, he turned around and forcefully pulled the owner of those hands towards him, embracing their waist and grabbing a handful of their ample curves, before directly pushing them onto the bed.

“My dear, if you care, then find a way to comfort your husband properly!”

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: Dammit author, why write about Boss Jia’s sexy scene. Nobody asked.

New Farming Tools, Crops, and Shops

In late June, the snack shop closed for ten days, and all the employees returned home to harvest rice and participate in the “Double Harvest.”

(T/N: Double Harvest is the term referred to a specific agricultural practice. However, the literal translation of “双抢” (shuāng qiǎng) is “double grab” or “double snatch.” It refers to completing the harvesting and threshing of crops in a shorter time than usual, thus achieving a double harvest. It implies being efficient and quick in completing agricultural tasks.)

Prior to this, the village chief’s family had made another batch of rice beds for sale. After experiencing the benefits of rice beds during last year’s harvest, people discovered their advantages, and this year’s production was also in high demand.

However, due to the simple production process, other carpentry shops also began to introduce their own rice beds before the harvest, causing a slight decrease in overall prices. The village chief’s family didn’t make as much profit as the previous year, but it was still satisfactory.

Speaking of which, there are other woodworking shops selling items like baby strollers in the market as well. These items are different from food; their structure and construction can be easily replicated at a glance. Even the baby tricycle and toothbrush made by the village chief’s family were copied by others shortly after.

Especially after the toothbrush was introduced, it gained popularity among people. However, due to its relatively high price, only affluent families could afford it.

With the introduction of the toothbrush, Yu Qingze thought there should also be toothpaste. He later approached Doctor Li from Jiren Hall and discussed the concept of toothpaste with him. However, Doctor Li has not yet developed a particularly effective one, and they are still using fine salt and tooth powder for brushing teeth.

What deserves particular recognition is that after months of effort by the woodworkers, the design and method of securing the bristles of the toothbrush have been improved significantly. It has become more advanced and scientific, at least not as prone to bristle shedding while brushing.

Thanks to being located in Tongshan City, an important inland transportation hub, these new products sell well even with several woodworking shops simultaneously producing them. Astute merchants always have a keen eye for the hidden business opportunities within various items and are willing to pay high prices to bring them to different parts of the country.

Back in the village, Yu Qingze and Brother Le seldom returned home. This time, they noticed some changes among the villagers.

Since they made a good profit during the Lunar New Year, most households in the village ordered custom-made rice beds for the harvest. These beds could be used for threshing rice during harvest time and then for drying vegetables. When autumn came and sweet potatoes were harvested, they could also be raised to dry sweet potato flour.

With a foundation in making sweet potato flour, Yu Qingze also taught them how to make rice flour. Now, many households with surplus grain have started making rice flour to sell in the market, while those without surplus grain but seeing decent profits have also purchased rice to make it.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Boss Liu’s snail noodle shop orders rice noodles from the villagers.

Once the summer vegetables started to harvest, Yu Qingze had Grandpa Chang teach the villagers how to make pickled string beans and pickled radishes.

Their snack shop no longer needed these methods to make money, so they shared them with the villagers, allowing them to have a few more avenues for earning money and increasing their income. As everyone’s living standards improved and their days became more promising, their moods became more relaxed. The quarrels over “your chicken pecked at my vegetables” or “my duck trampled your seedlings” became much less frequent.

Thanks to the blessings bestowed by Yu Qingze, his family is now highly respected and popular in the village. Even Chang Hao said that the children in the school listen to him, and his expression couldn’t be more proud.

There is also good news that after eight or nine months of research and production, Dajian has made the first foot-powered threshing machine, just in time for the summer harvest.

As soon as Yu Qingze returned, he immediately went to the village chief’s house to see it.

In the old courtyard of the village chief’s house, a brand-new foot-powered threshing machine was placed in the center of the yard. There were many reed poles and dogtail grass nearby, as well as two Artemisia plants. The seeds on top were all gone, leaving only bare stems.

Yu Qingze went up to give it a try. He placed his right foot on the pedal and slowly exerted force, causing the roller to start moving along with the gears.

The speed gradually increased, and the buzzing sound produced as the roller rotated was so delightful!

“Fantastic, Dajian!” Yu Qingze excitedly came down and patted Dajian’s shoulder forcefully, saying, “This year, we won’t have to swing our arms sorely when threshing!”

Dajian rubbed the back of his head with a grin, sporting two panda-like eyes, and said, “I didn’t expect it to work so well. I tried it with the reed poles and dogtail grass, and after the roller made two rotations, the seeds were all cleaned.”

“Hahaha, it’s indeed so useful! Why else would I insist on having you make it?” Yu Qingze laughed. With this foot-powered threshing machine, their harvesting speed would increase, and they wouldn’t have to work as hard.

Turning his head, he noticed a few gears and a roller frame still placed under the eaves and asked, “Are those discarded?”

Dajian followed his gaze, nodded, and replied, “Those gears don’t fit properly, and there are some issues with the discs on both sides of the roller. I’ll take them back to the blacksmith’s shop another day to have them fixed.”

Yu Qingze nodded and then looked at Dajian, asking, “Your eyebags are so dark, how long has it been since you slept?”

The village chief beside them laughed and said, “Ah, he has been thinking about getting it done before the harvest, so he hasn’t slept much these past few days. He has been here in this old house all along, and his meals were brought to him by his wife.”

After Dajian finished making the threshing machine, he had been feeling excited and didn’t feel tired. He had been thinking about showing it to Yu Qingze. Now that Yu Qingze had seen it, he began to feel his eyelids getting heavy. He said, “Now, I’m feeling really sleepy. It’s alright, I’ll take a nap later.”

“You should go and rest. I’ll talk to your father.”

“Alright, then I’ll go back to my room and sleep. I didn’t feel tired just now, but now that we’re talking about it, I’m getting sleepier…” With that, Dajian went back to the front room.

Afterward, Yu Qingze discussed with the village chief, and they worked out a schedule for using the threshing machine. Then, with a cheerful demeanor, Yu Qingze went home.

The next afternoon, Brother Le and the others experienced the charm of the foot-powered threshing machine for the first time.

Yu Qingze demonstrated it to them once, and when he stepped down, the two young boys couldn’t wait and eagerly grabbed a handful of rice straws to try it out. Even Brother Le’s speed lagged behind.

“Be careful and stand steady! Xiao Hao, don’t step on it so fast, you might get pulled in! Don’t put it in yet, let it slow down a bit.” Yu Qingze watched the two boys with trembling nerves.

They were stepping on the threshing machine’s pedal too quickly, causing the rolling wheel to spin rapidly. If they didn’t stand steady and put the rice straws in, they would be pulled in and fall forward.

“Oh, oh!” The two boys lifted their feet and stopped stepping. They waited until the speed of the rolling wheel slowed down a bit before slowly stepping on it again, threshing the rice straws as they went.

“So fast!” Jiabao turned the rice straws upside down two or three times in his hands. When he looked at them again, all the rice grains had been threshed. He still remembered how his arms swelled up from last year’s harvest. Now, with this threshing machine, it only took a few turns to get the job done.

Chang Hao was also excited and said, “This threshing machine is really amazing!”

Helplessly, Yu Qingze said to the two boys, “Xiao Hao, Jiabao, don’t step on it for now. Let’s thresh together when we do it later.”

The two boys stepped down, and Brother Le and Grandpa Chang took their turn.

Buzzing and swishing, they flipped the rice straws left and right a few times. In an instant, the handful of rice straws in their hands turned into bare stalks.

“Hehehe, it’s so useful!” Grandpa Chang laughed happily. Brother Le also nodded in agreement, showing his joy.

The threshing machine also attracted the villagers’ attention. Watching them thresh the rice so quickly, many villagers went up to give it a try and were amazed by the machine.

They asked Yu Qingze how much one of these machines cost.

Yu Qingze replied, “This is the first one, and the village chief hasn’t calculated the cost or set a price yet. But it won’t be cheap. It’s made of a lot of iron, so it will cost at least seven or eight taels.”

So expensive!

After hearing this, the villagers fell silent and shook their heads before returning to their rice beds to continue their work. They hoped to borrow the threshing machine once the village chief and Yu Qingze’s family were done using it.

With the foot-operated threshing machine and the village chief’s oxen available for plowing, Brother Le and the others finished the double cropping earlier than other villagers.

With the remaining time, they completed all the tasks in the fields.

Yu Qingze specifically went to the potato field to take a look. After nearly two months of growth, the potatoes had grown knee-high and were starting to bloom. The white flowers stood gracefully on the branches, swaying in the wind, quite beautiful.

Yu Qingze dug into the soil to check the roots and found that the sprouted potatoes had already started growing small potatoes. He was delighted.

Since he didn’t know how to cultivate potatoes, Yu Qingze couldn’t offer any effective suggestions and had to rely on Grandpa Chang’s planting experience.

“Grandpa, I see that the potato plants are so dense. Do you think we should trim them like we do with sweet potatoes?” Yu Qingze looked at the closely packed potato plants and asked.

Grandpa Chang frowned and replied, “This is the first time we’re planting them, so I’m not sure. Potatoes don’t vine like sweet potatoes, so it seems unnecessary. However, if they grow too close together, the potatoes might end up smaller.”

“Why don’t we give it a try then? We can trim some branches from one area and leave the other area untouched, and later we can see which one yields better results.”

“Alright, let’s give it a try.”

So they divided the potato field into two experimental zones, one with trimmed branches and the other without.

After the holiday season, when the snack shop reopened, Yu Qingze started strolling around the streets every day, looking for vacant shops.

On July 13th, Boss Liu came over and pulled Yu Qingze to the backyard, whispering, “I heard from a customer that the teahouse near the intersection might be closing down. You should go check it out!”

Yu Qingze’s face lit up, and he said, “Really? I’ll go take a look right away!”

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Xiang Man Yuan

The next day, when Brother Chang and other employees came over, they saw a corner of the stove was missing, which surprised them all. They asked one after another what happened.

Chang Le lowered his head, blushing intensely.

Naturally, this kind of question couldn’t be answered by his wife, so he had to take the blame himself. Yu Qingze touched his nose and said, “Yesterday, I saw a little mouse crawling on it, so I grabbed a wooden stick from the door and tried to hit it. Unexpectedly, I used too much force and knocked the stove.”

Chang Le gave Yu Qingze a glare. Who’s the mouse?

Yu Qingze: …

“There’s a mouse?” Brother Chang’s mother exclaimed in astonishment. He inspected the kitchen for a while and asked, “Were the vegetables bitten?”

Chang Le: …

Yu Qingze: …

Yu Qingze touched his nose and replied, “Uncle Mo, I checked, and nothing was bitten. That mouse was quick-witted and ran away immediately. I didn’t manage to hit it. After we close today, I’ll get someone to come and fix it.”

Upon hearing that the ingredients weren’t damaged, Brother Chang’s mother breathed a sigh of relief and said, “I’ll have Brother Chang go buy some rat poison later, just to be safe.”

Yu Qingze glanced at Chang Le and held back his laughter, nodding in agreement. “Alright.”

That day, something big happened at the restaurant next door—Xiang Man Yuan. It caused quite a commotion in the morning.

According to a nearby street vendor, a man in his fifties rushed into the restaurant, shouting and cursing. He even smashed many things, scaring away a lot of customers.

Yu Qingze and the others looked from outside but couldn’t quite make out what the argument was about. All they knew was that it was quite intense. It seemed like someone had been hit by a chair, resulting in a bleeding head, and a doctor had been called.

Later, they heard from customers who were eating dim sum in the restaurant that the man in his fifties was the owner and head chef of a restaurant called “Wu Wei Xuan” in the eastern part of the city. The reason he caused a scene was that his most trusted apprentice, his right-hand man, had betrayed him and switched to Xiang Man Yuan. The owner of Xiang Man Yuan offered the apprentice twice the monthly salary he was receiving at “Wu Wei Xuan” to lure him over.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

If it was just that, the owner of Wu Wei Xuan might not be so furious, only blaming himself for not recognizing people clearly and raising a wolf cub. However, not only did his eldest apprentice leave, but he also brought out Wu Wei Xuan’s several signature dishes, that the owner had taught him, at Xiang Man Yuan.

Wu Wei Xuan was able to establish itself in Tongshan City for so long precisely because of those signature dishes. Now that they were being offered at Xiang Man Yuan, Wu Wei Xuan’s business immediately suffered.

This eldest apprentice had been with the owner of Wu Wei Xuan since he was a teenager, for over a decade. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the owner was both his teacher and his father figure. Yet, he betrayed him for money and pushed him onto a dead-end path. No wonder the owner was so angry.

“Sigh, that’s why, in our line of work, it’s not easy to find an apprentice. If you don’t see them clearly, your craftsmanship can be stolen,” said Boss Liu as he sat under the osmanthus tree, chatting with Yu Qingze in the afternoon. He sighed as he talked about the situation.

“Yeah, the risks are high,” Yu Qingze poured him a cup of tea and continued, “But if we want to expand our business, we have to take in a few apprentices. Otherwise, relying solely on our family members won’t work. It’s too tiring.”

Boss Liu took a sip of tea and said, “That’s true. Take my noodle shop, for example. I can only achieve this much by relying on my family members. And you, it’s so easy for you to teach your craft to others. Not only to me and the Cai family, but also to the dim sum shop. Aren’t you afraid that one day they’ll learn it and be lured away by someone else?”

“Of course, I’m afraid. How could I not be?” Yu Qingze didn’t hide anything and said, “That’s why I choose people from the village now. Grandpa and Brother Le know them well. They’ve grown up together under Grandpa’s eyes, and Brother Le has known them since childhood. They know their personalities to some extent. Plus, they’re all from the same village. If any of them were really like the owner’s eldest apprentice, they wouldn’t have a good life in the village first. The villagers would drown them in gossip. If they were recruited from outside, I would also worry. It’s okay for them to work as servers, but as apprentices, I need to know their background and understand their character.”

This world is not like his previous life. In his previous life, the world had undergone thousands of years of cultural accumulation. Every industry had gathered a magnificent culture accumulated by countless predecessors, with plenty of experiences and methods for future generations to learn from. Take cooking, for example. There are dedicated culinary schools that teach the craft, and with the advancement of information, you can find almost any recipe online. Of course, to truly excel, one can only learn from a master, as many secret techniques are not taught in training schools. Moreover, the masters are selective when choosing apprentices, and the standards are quite strict. Overall, it is much better than this world.

Furthermore, in his previous life, being a chef had developed into a profession, and changing jobs was a normal career choice. The various signature dishes one learned served as a stepping stone in the culinary industry.

In this world, history is short, and development and accumulation in various fields are relatively slow and shallow. There are fewer means of making a living, and everyone highly values their secret techniques, keeping them tightly guarded and not sharing them.

In this context, his biggest advantage is being able to make money with any skill recipe he comes up with. But precisely because he is in this world, finding apprentices becomes even more important than in his previous life.

Boss Liu sighed and said, “You can’t see through a person’s heart just by appearances. Like that boss, he certainly didn’t expect that after a dozen years of master-apprentice relationship, it would come to this.”

“Hahaha, that’s why it falls on the boss to handle this,” Yu Qingze laughed and then asked Boss Liu, “Why do you think the apprentice left Wu Wei Xuan for Xiang Man Yuan?”

Boss Liu stared and said, “For money! Didn’t the boss say that Xiang Man Yuan offered him double the monthly salary?”

Yu Qingze shook his head and said, “Perhaps, or perhaps not. We have only heard one side of the story, not the whole picture.”

“What do you think could be the reason, then?” Boss Liu asked.

“There are several possibilities,” Yu Qingze explained one by one to Boss Liu. “First, money, as we just mentioned. Second, perhaps Xiang Man Yuan has a better environment? This environment includes various factors, such as the ambiance of the restaurant. Xiang Man Yuan is newly opened, so just from the exterior, it appears more modern than Wu Wei Xuan, right? And I heard that the kitchen in Xiang Man Yuan has been renovated, it’s spacious and clean. For a chef, having a spacious and clean kitchen can greatly improve their mood for cooking. Just imagine.”

Boss Liu pondered for a moment and nodded. “That makes sense.”

“Furthermore, apart from the restaurant environment, the overall environment also includes the relationships between people. This could be another aspect. Perhaps the owner of Xiang Man Yuan promised him other benefits, such as being the head chef and not having to consider the opinions of other chefs. Something along those lines.”

Boss Liu frowned and said, “I don’t quite agree with that. He is the apprentice of that owner, and it’s normal for a master to give guidance to their apprentice. Isn’t that allowed?”

“It’s understandable for a master to discipline an apprentice when they make mistakes, but what if the master frequently scolds the apprentice without reason? Of course, I’m not referring to that owner and his apprentice specifically; I’m just giving an example. However, that apprentice indeed didn’t handle the situation well.”

“Regardless, betraying one’s master like that is simply unacceptable.”

Yu Qingze smiled and decided not to argue with Boss Liu about this issue anymore. They came from two different worlds with different values, and it was impossible to reach a consensus. If he were to talk about equality between people, someone might think he was crazy.

Whether an employee can receive enough respect in the workplace is an important factor in their decision to leave. After all, many people quit their jobs because they can’t stand their boss or supervisor’s bad temper. Additionally, the quality of interpersonal relationships within a company is also a major factor.

Fortunately, the atmosphere in their snack shop was good. Mainly because Yu Qingze paid them a decent salary and provided breakfast and lunch. As the boss, he respected his employees and didn’t resort to constant scolding. Moreover, compared to the standard one day off per month in this world, they had four days off, which was a great benefit.

However, they still needed to establish formal systems and introduce a reward and punishment system to standardize things. As they continued working, it was inevitable that some employees would be more diligent than others, and they needed to differentiate and address that, or else grievances might arise among the staff.

After pondering for a while, Yu Qingze said, “Setting that aside, today I heard from a customer that the owner of Xiang Man Yuan not only poached chefs from Wu Wei Xuan but also a few others?”

Boss Liu nodded and replied, “I heard about that too. If you open a restaurant in the future, you need to be careful.”

“Yes, I will be cautious,” Yu Qingze assured him. Boss Liu didn’t need to say it explicitly; he had already taken it seriously. Yu Qingze nodded and added, “Brother, I’ve been thinking about opening a restaurant. If you hear any news about a vacant shop on Beida Street, please let me know. Something like a large two-story one would be great.”

“Alright, no problem,” Boss Liu readily agreed.

The incident at the neighboring Xiang Man Yuan caused a splash, but it quickly subsided.

Gossip is never lacking in life. Even in a snack shop, familiar customers gather around to eat and chat, and the subject of gossip has shifted from Xiang Man Yuan to other places.

For example, recently, people often saw the newly appointed county magistrate attending various evening banquets. They were attended by prominent families and wealthy merchants, and the magistrate would often get heavily drunk before leaving. There were also rumors that Xiang Man Yuan next door had invited the county magistrate to dine there, not just once but multiple times. It was even said that the county magistrate went to Xinghua Lane with them. Later, the county magistrate was caught in the act by Madam Luo and was dragged out.

Yu Qingze chuckled. He would stroll around the shop every day and could hear quite a bit of gossip.

In the inner courtyard of the county yamen, Madam Luo got off the carriage and went straight back to his room. Luo Mingda followed behind with an anxious expression and entered as well.

“Oh, wife, I feel dizzy…” As soon as they entered the room, Luo Mingda began pretending to feel lightheaded. He supported his head with one hand and sneakily glanced at his wife, who was sitting at the table.

Seeing that hus wife didn’t react, Luo Mingda hesitantly walked to the table, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Madam Luo, saying, “Would you like a cup of tea?”

Madam Luo turned his head away, refusing to look at him.

Seeing this, Luo Mingda became agitated. He plopped down on a chair and gulped down the glass of water. Then he grumbled, “Let me tell you, I haven’t touched any of those brothel gers. It’s just that the people who invited me were too enthusiastic. I couldn’t refuse, could I? Didn’t you say we should build good relationships with those prominent families? Please don’t go reporting this to my father, so as not to extend my return date.”

“Since I married you, whenever I go out for fun, I only go to teahouses and restaurants. I rarely visit brothels, and even if I do, it’s just for some drinks and harmless flirtation. I haven’t had a good time in ages. My reputation as a playboy in the capital has been stolen, and I’ve been mocked by others for a long time…”

Luo Mingda rambled on without realizing that Madam Luo’s face had turned pale.

“Oh? So, you want to reclaim your reputation as a playboy, go to Qin Lou Chu Guan, and have some fun with those brothel gers, right?” Madam Luo was furious and blurted out things he wouldn’t normally say.

“Why would you think that?!” Luo Mingda exclaimed, shocked. “When did I ever say that? I’ve already married you. How could I go and seek out brothel gers? It would just be a show, you know…”

Madam Luo took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and told himself not to be too hasty. He had been mixing in this world for so long, and it was impossible to change everything all at once.

“The imperial laws strictly prohibit officials from entering Qin Lou Chu Guan, and anyone found in violation will never be employed. Do you know what intentions those people had when they invited you to that place? Are you trying to ruin your future?”

Luo Mingda fell silent for a moment upon hearing this and said, “Alright, I understand. I’ll refuse from now on.” With that, he went to his study room.

Madam Luo watched his retreating figure and let out a long sigh.

The steward had confiscated all of his husband’s money. He had hoped that this incident would serve as an opportunity to restrain his husband and help him change his bad habits, to stand up and make progress. This task was indeed extremely challenging.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: I mean, it’s ok to switch jobs, but don’t reveal trade secrets. People like that cannot be trusted. If they can do that to their old job, they can do that again to their new job. Best not to hire them.

Taming the Husband with Ingenious Plans and Candlelit Dinner

Early the next morning, Madam Luo woke Luo Mingda up from his bed and had a servant attend to his morning grooming.

Madam Luo changed Luo Mingda into the official attire of the county magistrate while tidying up and said, “Today, we’ll be going to the county office in the morning, and from now on, you’ll have to go there every day to handle official duties. The historian and the registrar are also newly appointed. Only the deputy county magistrate is familiar with the situation in Tongshan City. Don’t act like a young master, ask him if you don’t understand anything during this period. Get a grasp of the situation before you can stand firm, understood?”

Luo Mingda showed little interest and lazily replied, “Understood.”

Seeing him still looking half asleep, Madam Luo pursed his lips and continued, “Yesterday afternoon, I sent Yuan Bao to inquire about it. Yu Qingze’s dim sum shop is well-known in Tongshan City, and their dim sum is delicious. If you do well at the county office today, I’ll have Yuan Bao buy some dim sum from Yu Qingze’s shop for lunch.”

Upon hearing this, Luo Mingda’s eyes lit up as he looked at his wife and asked, “Really?”

Madam Luo nodded and said, “The condition is that you must do your work diligently. I’ll have Xiao Lanzi accompany you.”

Upon hearing that someone would accompany him, especially Madam Luo’s personal servant Xiao Lanzi, Luo Mingda suddenly became hesitant. Xiao Lanzi only obeyed his wife’s orders and was not easily fooled.

After having breakfast, before heading out, Luo Mingda asked with little hope, “Wife, won’t you give me some money?”

“What do you need the money for? If there’s something you want to buy, I’ll buy it for you.”

“…When I arrive at the office, what if I need to reward my subordinates with some drinking money?”

“Oh, I’ve already prepared that. It’s with Xiao Lanzi. When you need it, ask him for it.”

“… “ Luo Mingda walked away with a sullen expression.

It’s all because of his old man!

Right before leaving, his old man searched and took away all his money, even the silver notes hidden in his shoes and hairpin. It really infuriated him! Now he is penniless, without a single silver coin! The complete financial power of the household is in the hands of his wife, and if he needs money, he has to ask his wife for it. He can’t even go out and have a drink or enjoy good food without his wife knowing!

What’s even more outrageous is that his old man explicitly warned all his friends not to lend him any money.

It’s too heartless! It’s like a tragedy in life! Is he really his own father!”

This is the most frustrating time for Luo Mingda in the past twenty years. With his status, he could easily go out on the streets and eat wherever he pleased. Many shop owners probably wouldn’t even accept his money. However, the problem is that he doesn’t have the habit of eating for free. He can’t afford to lose face like that!

In order to enjoy some delicious snacks, Luo Mingda had to gather his spirits and sit at the county yamen, listening to the deputy county magistrate’s introduction to the situation in Tongshan City all morning.

Finally, when it was time for the noon break, he returned home and sure enough, he saw some food laid out on the table.

After freshening up, he couldn’t wait and started eating. These sticky rice chicken and pan-fried dumplings, they tasted just like the dishes made by Yu Qingze, really delicious!

Suddenly, Luo Mingda felt that after spending the whole morning listening to the deputy county magistrate’s endless chatter, he didn’t feel as uncomfortable anymore.

Madam Luo saw this and turned away, pursing his lips and smiling softly.

After the lunch break, when Luo Mingda went back to the yamen, Madam Luo said, “I heard that the steamed spare ribs with fermented black bean sauce and the cold tossed wood ear mushrooms from Yu Qingze’s shop are also good.”

Luo Mingda exclaimed with delight, “Really? Then let’s buy them and have them for dinner.”

Madam Luo looked at him and said, “If you work diligently in the afternoon…”

“… “ Luo Mingda glanced at his wife and said in a soft voice, “Wife, do you think I’m the kind of person who would work diligently just for the sake of eating spare ribs?'”

Madam Luo glanced at him and calmly said, “Oh, then let’s have the cook prepare something simple for dinner.”

Luo Mingda glared at him, turned around, and walked away with big strides.

…Hmph!

After the banquet at the Cai residence, Yu Qingze thought that the county magistrate Luo would send someone to confront him. After all, he had refused him at the banquet, and according to the setting of a spoiled young master, it wouldn’t be so easy to let it go. Moreover, if the county magistrate wanted to cause trouble for the Cai residence, starting with his own snack shop, which had close ties to the Cai family, would be the simplest and easiest approach.

He had even mentally prepared himself for that possibility. However, several days passed without any incident. Instead, Madam Luo brought their child and servant to the snack shop once to have some snacks. Before leaving, he specially praised the deliciousness of the snacks at Yu Qingze’s shop and packed a whole box of them to take away.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Later, according to Brother Chang, he would come to the snack shop twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, to pack snacks. Each time, he would carry two food boxes, but he would only buy two types of snacks.

Yu Qingze raised an eyebrow. Luo Mingda, the spoiled young master accustomed to indulgence, clearly had high expectations when it came to food. Why would he only buy two types of snacks each time? Although he didn’t know the reason, he found it somewhat intriguing.

Luo Mingda had no troubles on his side, and other people generally wouldn’t come to bother the snack shop. As long as Yu Qingze and the others took care of their business, the snack shop entered a relatively peaceful period.

At Liu’s place, after the snail noodles food stall was set up on the snack cart, they started operating, right across from the spot where Yu Qingze and the others used to set up their snack stall.

At first, the strong aroma spread, permeating the entire street. The smell was unbearable for those who had never tried snail noodles before—it was like torture.

Pedestrians hurriedly covered their noses and ran past, treating it as if it were a ferocious beast they had to avoid. How could they even stop to taste it?

The nearby vendors had to endure the unpleasant smell and the pain of significantly reduced customers. It was truly unbearable. Even the businesses of the two shops behind them were affected.

Two days later, the area around the snack cart was suddenly empty! Other small vendors had all relocated elsewhere, far away from the snail noodles.

Otherwise, if things continued like this, they wouldn’t even earn back the cost of the stall!

The snack cart was managed by Eldest Liu. With that kind of smell, pedestrians didn’t have the courage to stop and eat. For the past few days, not a single customer came to the snack cart. However, Eldest Liu still insisted on going out to operate the cart every day.

The owners of the nearby shops protested to Eldest Liu, asking him to move the cart elsewhere. They questioned why he had to set up right in front of their shops and affect their businesses when he could simply set up in front of his own shop?

Eldest Liu smiled mischievously and handed a bowl of snail noodles to them, saying, “Sorry, sorry. This location has good feng shui. I’ll treat you all to some snail noodles. Here, it’s free, and it’s delicious! And by the way, please help me spread the word!”

The owners: …

This situation couldn’t go on like this, so Yu Qingze started going there every day at noon to eat a bowl of snail noodles. He also instructed Liu’s family and the staff in his own shop to take turns going there to eat, to show everyone how good it was.

When people saw others eating it, some daring and adventurous customers were willing to give it a try. Previously, they had been scared off by the smell and were afraid of potential problems with such a strong odor. However, when they saw Yu Qingze also eating it, they approached and asked. Upon learning that these snail noodles and Guilin rice noodles were taught by Yu Qingze to Liu’s family, they felt relieved. If it was taught by Boss Yu, the taste must be spot on.

As they bravely took their first bite of the noodles, their frowns disappeared, and they no longer covered their noses. This piping hot, sour, and spicy snail noodles turned out to be incredibly satisfying!

Gradually, more and more people started coming to eat, and everyone knew about the snail noodles stall on North Street that smelled bad but tasted great!

After operating the small stall for a month, Boss Liu opened a snail noodles shop on South Street, and Eldest Liu and his wife were put in charge of it.

On June 2nd, it was Grandpa Chang’s 63rd birthday, and coincidentally, Chang Le’s birthday was on June 6th. Usually, they celebrated together on June 2nd.

Initially, Yu Qingze wanted to organize a big birthday banquet for Grandpa Chang, but he was declined. Grandpa Chang said that it was enough for the family to celebrate together, and they could have a bigger celebration for a significant birthday or milestone in the future.

On the second day, Yu Qingze entrusted the snack shop to Brother Chang and prepared to celebrate Grandpa Chang and Chang Le’s birthdays in a special way.

Old Master Cai and Old Madam Cai heard about it and came over with Cai Yunwei.

At noon, Yu Qingze personally went into the kitchen and prepared a table full of birthday feast. He also made a large cake, bringing smiles and laughter to everyone’s faces.

On the sixth day, in the snack shop, Yu Qingze celebrated Chang Le’s birthday separately.

As night fell, Yu Qingze closed the doors and windows, leaving only two gentle candle lights flickering.

On the small round table in the shop, a plain tablecloth was spread, and on one side of the table, there was a small vase with nine roses carefully picked by Yu Qingze from the Cai residence. The fiery red petals were vibrant and eye-catching, with “dewdrops” sprayed on them by Yu Qingze.

On the opposite ends of the table, there were two plates of pork chops, and two sets of knives and forks were placed on the table. For this birthday celebration, Yu Qingze specially had two sets of knives and forks made at the blacksmith’s shop.

Worried that pork chops alone would not be filling enough, Yu Qingze also prepared two plates of stir-fried noodles. There was also a small bottle of osmanthus wine.

Chang Le looked curiously at the table, eagerly awaiting Yu Qingze’s appearance.

Yu Qingze changed into clean clothes and sat down. He poured two glasses of wine, smiled at Le, and said, “My dear, happy birthday! I wish you joy and prosperity every year. From now on, I will celebrate your birthday with you every year!”

Upon hearing this, a rosy blush appeared on Le’s cheeks. He picked up his glass and clinked it with Yu Qingze’s. They both drank it all in one go.

“This is called pork chop, specially made for you to taste,” Yu Qingze cut his own pork chop into small pieces and exchanged them with the one in front of Chang Le. He said, “You can just eat it with the fork.”

Chang Le watched as Yu Qingze skillfully cut the pork chop on the plate and then ate it with the fork. He also picked up his fork and started eating. In the process, he tried to imitate Yu Qingze’s cutting technique but found himself clumsy, so he gave up.

Let’s not spoil this lovely atmosphere with clattering sounds.

After finishing the candlelit dinner, the two of them spent some time in the backyard under the osmanthus tree to cool down. When they felt it was about time, Yu Qingze went to the kitchen to bring out the fruit cake.

Chang Le followed closely, embracing Yu Qingze’s waist from behind and pressing his face against his back.

Yu Qingze’s heart swayed, allowing Chang Le to hold him for a while before turning around and pulling Chang Le into his embrace, lowering his head for a deep kiss.

Both of them had a bit to drink, and the atmosphere tonight was enchanting and beautiful. They quickly got into the mood and had a passionate encounter in the kitchen.

Chang Le supported himself on the stove, gritting his teeth as he endured the pleasure given by Yu Qingze. When Yu Qingze reached climax, he became a bit too excited and applied a bit too much force, causing the protruding part of the stove edge to crack and break!

Snap—Thud—

A brick at the corner of the stove fell apart.

As his body lost balance, Chang Le also reached his peak. Yu Qingze quickly reacted, pulling Chang Le back and also going over the edge when Chang Le was startled and his body tightened.

…

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: HUH! I thought this Luo Mingda would be a small villain, but turned out he was nothing but a foolish young master. Good, no one who goes against the protagonists ends up well. You dodged a bullet, Minga eh.

Display of Power

After Luo Mingda made his statement, the atmosphere at the main table became even quieter than before. There was no sound of eating, and everyone raised their heads to look at Luo Mingda.

This request was… quite unreasonable. They couldn’t believe he actually brought it up in front of Old Master Cai and his wife.

Previously, it was one thing to ask to borrow a cook from the Cai Residence. Borrowing for a couple of days or even a week was manageable, considering it as helping him out and acknowledging a favor.

But now, Old Master Cai had already mentioned that these dishes were prepared by his grandson’s brother. Yet, Luo Mingda still proposed having him work as a cook in his own residence. Wasn’t this indirectly demeaning the Cai Residence, implying that their cook was inferior to his own?

The Cai Residence held significant influence in Tongshan City. Because of Old Master Cai’s decisive actions in protecting the city in the past, the people of Tongshan City were deeply grateful and respectful towards him. Every prominent family in the city owed some respect to the Cai family. Especially now, with the Cai family’s young master achieving the top-ranked scholar position and entering the Hanlin Academy, his future was limitless. All the prominent families would seek to foster good relations with the Cai family, not create conflicts.

Now, Luo Mingda’s attitude made them feel uncomfortable.

If the Cai Residence was regarded as just a cook for Luo Mingda’s household, then what did the other prominent families in Tongshan City amount to? And furthermore, what was the whole city of Tongshan in Luo Mingda’s eyes?

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Are they all servants of the Luo family?

Madam Zhao glanced at the head of the Zhao family, and the head of the Zhao family shook his head. Madam Zhao lowered his gaze, feeling slightly annoyed.

The origin of this Luo Mingda, many people in this hall may not know, but he knows. He is the third son of the Minister of Rites, with a prominent family background and a powerful father. It’s no wonder he doesn’t take the Cai family seriously.

However, even a powerful dragon does not suppress a local snake. Today is a festive day for the Cai family, so what is the meaning behind Master Luo’s arrival that humiliates the Cai family?

Is it his way of asserting dominance?

Madam Zhao doesn’t believe that Luo Mingda simply took an interest in Yu Qingze’s cooking skills and wanted him to be a chef. After all, Luo Mingda grew up in the center of power in the capital. Although rumors portray him as an extravagant and careless dandy, he has never caused any major trouble throughout these years, indicating that he is not foolish.

Madam Zhao raised his eyes and glanced at Yu Qingze, feeling worried about his answer. If the answer is not satisfactory, the Cai family’s reputation would truly be trampled upon by Luo Mingda.

On the other side, Yu Qingze was speechless after hearing Lord Luo’s words. Seeing his arrogant and self-important appearance, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes inwardly.

But I can’t flip!

These second-generation officials are not to be messed with by common folks, otherwise they could easily say to you at any moment, “My father is a Minister!”

That wouldn’t be fun.

After thinking for a moment, Yu Qingze smiled and said, “Thank you, Lord Luo, for your appreciation. It is truly an honor for me, Yu Qingze, to have caught the attention of Lord Luo with my cooking. However, I must apologize. I have a small restaurant to take care of, and I am extremely busy every day, unable to attend to anything else. I can only express my gratitude for Lord Luo’s kindness.”

Upon hearing this response, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. Old Master Cai and Old Master Zhao, Old Madam Cai, and Madam Zhao respectively, looked at Yu Qingze with appreciation.

Madam Luo glanced at everyone on the table and lowered his gaze.

“Oh? So, you have your own shop? What kind of shop is it?” Upon hearing Yu Qingze’s refusal, Luo Mingda put down the cloth he was wiping his hands with and his expression softened. He raised an eyebrow and asked.

Yu Qingze replied, “It’s a dim sum shop, located on Beida Street. If Lord Luo or Madam Luo have some free time, you’re welcome to come and visit.”

Luo Mingda glanced at Yu Qingze with a half-smile and said, “Sure, if I have the time, I’ll definitely go.”

At that moment, Madam Luo turned to Lord Luo and said, “Husband, if we don’t eat these dishes soon, they’ll get cold.”

Upon hearing this, Old Master Cai hurriedly added, “These dishes are best enjoyed hot. The flavor is excellent. And the roasted goose with mushroom soup is also delicious. You both should try it.”

Upon hearing these words, Luo Mingda immediately turned around and smiled, saying, “We’ve been talking so much that we forgot about the delicious food. Everyone, let’s eat quickly. The dishes are so tasty, let’s not waste them!”

Old Master Cai gave Yu Qingze a knowing look, and Yu Qingze nodded. He exchanged a few pleasantries and then returned to his own table.

Chang Le had been paying attention to that side, but with two tables between them and their voices not being loud enough, he couldn’t hear clearly. When he saw Yu Qingze returning, he asked with concern if everything was alright.

Yu Qingze held Chang Le’s hand, shook his head, and said, “It’s nothing. I’ll tell you later when we go back.”

Upon hearing that, Chang Le nodded and scooped a bowl of soup, handing it to Yu Qingze.

His instincts told him that something was up. He had been watching that side the whole time and noticed that Lord Luo’s expression had turned sour.

Take it easy. Chang Le gestured.

Yu Qingze couldn’t help but laugh and cry. He patted Chang Le on the waist and picked up the spoon to drink the soup.

For the rest of the banquet, Luo Mingda and Madam Luo continued eating and occasionally chatting with others, without causing any further trouble.

Only a few people at the main table knew about the incident just now. The others didn’t hear what they were talking about. When they saw Luo Mingda approaching Yu Qingze, they simply thought he recognized that Yu Qingze was the one who cooked the dishes and called him over to ask about it. They didn’t think much of it.

It was only the second day since the arrival of the new county magistrate, and they were lucky to have encountered him at the banquet. It was a good opportunity, and they had to make the most of it to strengthen their relationship. So, when more than half of the banquet had passed, the heads of the other tables, one after another, stood up and went to the main table to offer their toasts.

Luo Mingda truly lived up to his reputation as a connoisseur of food and drink. He accepted all the toasts from the men without hesitation and drank them all without batting an eye. It was evident that he had a high alcohol tolerance.

When it came to the dessert course, the caramelized banana dish, he ate half of it by himself.

He had a good alcohol tolerance, and it was clear that he loved bananas.

The banquet lasted for about half the evening, and after it concluded, everyone sat for a while longer before bidding their farewells and leaving.

After seeing off the guests, Old Master Cai turned to Yu Qingze and Chang Le and said, “You’ve worked hard.”

Yu Qingze shook his head and jokingly replied, “It wasn’t hard. I could see that everyone enjoyed their meal. When I open my restaurant, I should be able to attract some customers.”

Old Master Cai laughed and said, “With your culinary skills, you won’t need to attract customers. They will come just for your reputation.”

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “I hope so.”

Old Master Cai laughed for a moment and then stopped, sighed, and said to Yu Qingze and Chang Le, “If you ever encounter Master Luo and Madam Luo in the future, be cautious. Today’s incident was intentional, as you probably noticed. Their family background and influence are substantial, and we can’t afford to provoke them. Be careful, and in two or three years, it will pass quickly. I believe they won’t stay here for long either.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingze nodded solemnly and said, “We will keep that in mind. Thank you for the reminder, Old Master Cai.”

On the other side, Luo Mingda and Madam Luo returned to the county office.

After Madam Luo dismissed the servants and prepared tea for them, he personally poured a cup of sobering tea for Luo Mingda and said seriously, “Husband, you went too far today.”

Luo Mingda rubbed his forehead and paused when he heard Madam Luo’s words. He asked, “Why do you say that, wife?”

Madam Luo replied, “As the saying goes, a strong dragon doesn’t crush a snake in its own territory. The Cai family has a high reputation in Tongshan County and even in the entire Yunzhou. You know this well. We are newcomers, and by embarrassing them today, how will we live our days ahead?”

Luo Mingda sneered and said, “Who made them mock me? It’s only my second day here, and they organized a banquet to show off their status. Isn’t that a clear demonstration of their defiance? I, Luo Mingda, have never endured such humiliation in my life! They’re just a small governor, what is there to fear?”

Madam Luo furrowed his brows and said, “Have you forgotten what father instructed us before? Cai Chenxi is currently in high favor with the Emperor, and Governor Cai is connected to the Prime Minister’s faction. Do you still want to stay here?”

Luo Mingda responded indifferently, “I never wanted to come here in the first place. It’s all because of the old man. There are still many vacant positions in the capital, yet he forced me to this insignificant place. It’s so boring. It would be better to return to the capital. Don’t you want to go back?”

Madam Luo was exasperated and said, “If we’re going back, we should at least achieve something and return with glory. Otherwise, how will the people in the capital see us? Do you still want to live an idle life like before?”

Hearing this, Luo Mingda rubbed his temples irritably and frowned. He said, “Enough! Father scolds me at home, and now you’re scolding me here. Isn’t it annoying? I never wanted to be an official in the first place!”

Madam Luo looked at him, infuriated. He wondered if he had offended the heavens to be married to such a slacker.

Luo Mingda saw Madam Luo’s stern face and immediately softened, coaxing, “Okay, okay. I’ll restrain myself in the future, alright? Why get so angry over this…”

After mumbling for a while, Luo Mingda suddenly let go of his hand, his eyes shining as he looked at his wife and said, “Oh, wife, that chef’s skills are truly exceptional. The dishes he makes are even more delicious than the palace banquets!”

Madam Luo glanced at him with annoyance and said, “Can you think of something other than eating?”

Luo Mingda pouted and replied, “Aren’t you also happy with the food? Don’t think I don’t know, you ate half a bowl more than usual!”

Madam Luo:…

Luo Mingda finished his sobering tea in one gulp and continued, “Didn’t he say he opened a dim sum shop? Let’s have Yuan Bao buy some tomorrow to taste. Oh, wife, what was the name of the shop? I can’t remember. Did you remember? And what was his name? Yu something?”

Madam Luo helplessly said, “His name is Yu Qingze, but he didn’t mention the name of the shop, only that it’s located on Beida Street.”

“Ah, then let Yuan Bao go and find it tomorrow.” Luo Mingda rubbed his temples, frowned, and said, “I’ve had a bit too much to drink, and I have a headache. Wife, I’ll lie down for a while.”

Madam Luo held him back and said, “Hey, you can’t sleep. You’re going to the yamen. You haven’t formally met the officials there yet. The deputy county magistrate came this morning to consult with you and left some official matters for the county town.”

Luo Mingda waved his hand and said, “I have a headache. Let the deputy county magistrate handle the affairs himself. Didn’t he handle them before I arrived? Or, Wife, you take a look for me, and we’ll discuss it when I wake up. I’ll go to the county yamen tomorrow morning.” With that, he walked towards the bedroom.

Madam Luo watched his back in resignation, sighed helplessly, and had to summon the steward, instructing him to arrange for people to investigate the various prominent families in Tongshan City, as well as gather information about Yu Qingze and his relationship with the Cai family.

The steward acknowledged the order and left.

Madam Luo then went to his study, sat at the desk, and began reading the official documents about the affairs of Tongshan City that were presented by the deputy county magistrate.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: What a good for nothing guy.

Spend Your Monthly Allowance as You Wish

The next day, the Cai residence held a banquet. As soon as Yu Qingze, Brother Chang, and the others arrived, they immediately went to the Cai residence. Today, they not only had to prepare some dim sum but also eight tables of dishes.

Upon arriving at the Cai residence, Yu Qingze and the others went straight to the kitchen. Jiabao also helped out for a while before being taken by Mi Ge’er to freshen up and change clothes after noon.

This banquet was much grander than when Cai Chenxi was awarded as a successful candidate. Last time, they only hosted a tea gathering and invited the madams of various prestigious families. This time, it was a formal dinner banquet, inviting the heads of the prominent families and social elites in Tongshan City.

Initially, Old Madam Cai didn’t plan on having Yu Qingze cook because Yu Qingze was Jiabao’s sworn brother, not their personal chef. It had been troublesome enough for them when they hosted a small gathering at their own home. Now, with such a large banquet and multiple tables, it would be even more troublesome. Old Madam Cai intended to let Uncle Fu and the others handle it directly.

However, considering that Yu Qingze had always been taken care of by the Cai residence, he wanted to take this opportunity to show his gratitude. Moreover, with the imminent opening of his restaurant, he could also use this chance for promotion, so he took the initiative to propose the idea.

Old Madam Cai was naturally pleased when Yu Qingze offered to cook. Taking good care of the guests would bring honor to the Cai family, so he agreed.

Preparing dishes and snacks for eight tables was not a small task. Fortunately, Brother Chang could also cook some dishes now, and with the assistance of Uncle Fu and the others, who had worked with Yu Qingze multiple times and were familiar with his requirements, the cooperation went smoothly.

In the front courtyard, guests started to arrive one after another. Besides the heads of each family, most of them brought their children along. These children were mostly young boys aspiring for official positions. Their parents brought them to bask in the joyous atmosphere of the top scholar’s family, hoping that the next top scholar in Tongshan City would be from their own family.

Old Master Cai and his wife, along with Cai Yunwei and Jiabao, received the guests in the main hall.

“Oh, Nephew Hu, you’ve arrived!” Old Master Cai exclaimed with joy when he saw the servant at the door bringing in the guests.

“Congratulations, Old Master Cai and Old Madam Cai! Such great joy!” A couple with their child entered, and the head of the household congratulated as he entered.

Old Master Cai stroked his beard and laughed, “Hahaha, thank you, thank you. Nephew Hu, you’ve finally arrived. Come in and have a seat. Nephew Liao was just asking about you, saying he wants to have a good drink with you!”

“Oh? He’s here? Then I’ll go find him. He owes me a drink from last time. He holds grudges, haha…” Master Hu, chuckled.

Upon hearing this, Old Master Cai also burst into laughter, “Hahaha, then you can enjoy a good drink today. Don’t come back until you’re drunk!”

Meanwhile, Master Hu, also expressed his happiness and asked the young man beside him to fetch someone.

Old Master Cai saw the young man and smiled, “Oh, it’s been a few months, and Ming’er has grown taller again! Such a handsome young man!”

Master Hu, patted his son’s head and laughed, “He’s been eating a lot recently, and after the New Year, he suddenly shot up in height.”

“Now that he’s at the age of growing taller, you can relax. You used to worry that he wouldn’t grow taller,” Old Master Cai replied with a smile.

Master Hu, was clearly very happy and said, “Yes, indeed. He used to be shorter than children his age, so I worried a lot.”

“That’s because it’s not time yet. Ming’er will continue to grow in the future!” Old Master Cai said with a smile. Then he introduced them to the couple, saying, “Come, Wei’er, Yu’er, meet Uncle Hu and his wife. And this is Hu Ming.”

Upon hearing this, Cai Yunwei and Jiabao took a step forward, bowed, and greeted, “Hello, Uncles. Hello, little brother Ming’er.”

“Very good, Yunwei is in good health. That’s wonderful!” Master Hu, said happily. Then he looked at Jiabao standing next to Cai Yunwei and asked, “And who is this?”

Cai family didn’t publicize the fact that they had taken Jiabao as their adopted son. Only a few well-informed noble families knew that Cai family had a new adopted son. Old Master Cai had Jiabao accompany them today partly to introduce him to the people from various noble families.

Old Master Cai pulled Jiabao to his side and smiled, “This is our newly adopted son, Fu Jiayu.”

Jiabao then bowed and greeted, “Nice to meet you, Uncles.”

“Very well.” Master Hu responded and patted himself, realizing that he didn’t bring anything valuable with him. He said, “I didn’t bring anything with me today, but I’ll prepare a small gift tomorrow to make up for it.”

Jiabao smiled and replied, “Uncle Hu, there’s no need to be polite.”

Old Master Cai continued the conversation and said, “No need to be so polite. We just wanted him to get to know people and not be at a loss when addressing them in the future.”

Master Hu looked at Jiabao and exclaimed, “I see, Jiayu looks like the young accountant from Yu’s Delicious Delights?”

Old Master Cai nodded and said, “That’s him. The owner of Yu’s Delicious Delights is his adopted brother, and he’s currently learning about business from him.”

Master Hu suddenly realized and said, “I see now. That explains the resemblance.”

Meanwhile, at the entrance, the steward of the Cai family personally escorted two elegantly dressed individuals inside.

The steward approached and informed everyone, “Old Master Cai, Old Madam Cai, the County Magistrate and his wife have arrived.”

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately bowed and said, “Greetings, County Magistrate.”

Luo Mingda, with his left hand resting behind his back and a folding fan in his right hand, appeared as a charming and talented scholar. He laughed heartily and said, “Well, this is not the county government office. Today, there is no County Magistrate, only me, Luo Mingda. Please don’t be formal, enjoy the food and drinks.”

Upon hearing this, the crowd exchanged glances.

Old Master Cai chuckled and said, “Then let’s follow Young Master Luo’s lead. With the presence of Young Master Luo, our humble house shines brightly. Haha, please come in.”

Luo Mingda, upon hearing this, smiled and saluted Old Master Cai, saying, “Old Master Cai, Old Madam Cai, congratulations to both of you.” Luo Mingda timely conveyed his congratulations to the two.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Old Master Cai said, “Thank you for your kind words. Come, both of you, please enter.”

They escorted the two individuals into the main hall. The news had already spread among the people inside, and they had prepared a proper greeting. Finally, everyone took their seats.

After sitting down, Madam Luo took a sip of tea and noticed several plates of unfamiliar pastries on the coffee table. He was immediately drawn to them.

He picked up a pastry that was half golden and half white, resembling a flower, and took a bite. It was sweet but not overly so, with a refreshing aroma filling his mouth.

“These pastries taste delicious. I haven’t seen them before,” he remarked.

Old Master Cai smiled and replied, “These are sweet potato and yam cakes.”

Madam Luo heard this and took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands. Then he picked up a piece, tasted it with his hand covering his mouth, nodded lightly, and said, “The flavor is indeed excellent, comparable to the pastries in the capital.”

Upon hearing this, Old Master Cai chuckled and said, “They can’t compare to the ones in the capital, but they are still enjoyable. The other pastries have decent flavors as well. You both should give them a try.”

“What is this pastry? It seems to have meat filling and tastes quite delicious,” Madam Luo said as he took another small piece of Scholar Cake while Old Master Cai and Luo Mingda were talking.

Old Master Cai paused for a moment and then chuckled, saying, “Ah, this one is called Scholar Cake. Our family made it for celebration and fun.”

“Oh? Scholar Cake?” Luo Mingda heard this and looked at the pastry in Madam Luo’s hand, laughing, “What a fitting name! I should eat more of these! Who knows, maybe I’ll become a scholar myself? Hahaha! What do you think?” He then took a bite of the cake.

Upon hearing his words, everyone chuckled awkwardly and glanced at each other. No one was quite sure what meaning was behind Luo Mingda’s words.

Madam Luo glanced at Luo Mingda and said calmly, “Alright, your stomach isn’t great, so don’t eat too many sweets.”

Old Master Cai quickly interjected, “Why, does Master Luo have stomach troubles? Then you should eat less sweets. I’ll have a pot of stomach-soothing tea brewed for you.”

Saying that, Old Master Cai beckoned a servant and instructed them to prepare the tea.

With Luo Mingda’s arrival, the atmosphere in the hall became less lively. The members of other prominent families were cautious in opening their mouths, still trying to figure out the temperament and style of the new county magistrate. They engaged in hushed conversations with each other.

For the time being, only Old Master Cai and Old Madam Cai accompanied the two men in casual conversation with Old Master Zhao occasionally joining in with a comment or two.

It wasn’t until shortly before the banquet that some people who wanted to establish a relationship with the county magistrate took the initiative to strike up a conversation, after observing for a while.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the steward to come and announce that they could start the meal.

Old Master Cai and his wife greeted the guests to take their seats, and they invited Luo Mingda to the main table.

In the specially prepared hall, the tables and chairs were already set, and the servants had served the main dishes.

There were four cold dishes, eight hot dishes, and a hot pot, filling the table with a variety of colors, aromas, and flavors. The guests were immediately drawn in by the enticing aroma. Seeing these dishes that were different from what they usually ate, they were somewhat surprised.

Once all the guests were seated, Old Master Cai made a few opening remarks symbolically, expressing his gratitude to the various prominent families. Then, he invited Luo Mingda to say a few words.

Luo Mingda was immediately captivated by the large plate of roasted duck placed in front of him, glistening with oil and looking delicious. When he heard Old Master Cai calling him to speak, he stood up, laughed, and said, “You’ve called upon me to speak, but I don’t have much to say. I wish the young master of the Cai family continued success, and I wish Old Master Cai and his wife good health! Enjoy the feast, everyone!”

After finishing his words, when Old Master Cai announced the start of the banquet, Luo Mingda took the initiative to pick up a piece of roasted duck and began to eat.

The duck meat was soaked in rich broth, unlike the greasy feeling of other meat dishes. It had a slightly sweet and slightly sour taste, which was very appetizing.

Luo Mingda had never tasted roasted duck prepared in this way before, so he immediately asked, “Old Master, what is this dish called? I’ve never seen this method of preparation before.”

Old Master Cai replied, “This is called ‘Wu Bei Duck.’ Do you like it, young master Luo?”

Luo Mingda nodded and smiled, “It tastes great. Your household’s chefs are talented. Can I borrow them for a couple of days? I’ve just arrived, and my own cook hasn’t even found the market yet.”

Upon hearing this, Old Master Cai laughed and said, “It wasn’t prepared by the chefs in our household. It was made by my grandson’s brother.”

Luo Mingda was surprised and exclaimed, “Really? Old Master, your grandson’s brother is skilled in cooking. Could you introduce him to me?”

Old Master Cai paused for a moment and asked, “What do you mean by that, young master Luo?”

Luo Mingda smiled and said, “Since his cooking skills are impressive, I’d like to invite him to the county yamen to cook.”

Upon hearing this, Old Master Cai’s smile faded slightly, and he replied, “I’m sorry, young master Luo, but I can’t agree to that.”

The others at the table subtly glanced at each other and silently continued eating, refraining from commenting.

Luo Mingda grinned and said, “Then I’ll ask him personally. How about inviting him here?”

Old Master Cai glanced at his spouse, and Old Madam Cai nodded in agreement.

Old Master Cai stood up and walked through a few tables to where Yu Qingze and the others were seated. He leaned in and whispered to Yu Qingze, “Xiao Yu, Luo Mingda enjoyed the Wu Bei Duck and wants to invite you to be his personal cook. He has expressed his interest, but don’t agree to it later. We will handle the situation.”

Chang Le also overheard the conversation and looked at Yu Qingze with concern.

Yu Qingze raised an eyebrow, nodded, and straightened his clothes. He patted Chang Le’s shoulder to reassure him before following Old Master Cai.

“Master Luo, this is Yu Qingze, the one who prepared today’s dishes,” Old Master Cai introduced.

“Greetings, Lord Luo,” Yu Qingze greeted with a bow.

Luo Mingda, upon seeing him, put down his chopsticks, turned around, and asked, “Did you cook all these dishes?”

Yu Qingze nodded and replied, “Yes.”

Luo Mingda glanced at him, picked up a napkin to wipe his hands, and casually said, “The taste is quite good. My household currently lacks a cook. How about you come and work for me? You can name your monthly salary.”

Yu Qingze: …

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: See I told you. I knew this dude would bring trouble. Rude ass mf.

Boss Liu pulled him to the backyard, speaking anxiously, “We made Snail rice noodle soup in the shop this afternoon, and then all the customers ran away because of the smell.”

Yu Qingze: … No wonder there are hardly any customers in the shop.

He touched his nose and said, “This snail rice noodle soup, it does smell stinky, but it’s absolutely delicious when you eat it.”

Boss Liu nodded and said, “I know that. Our family made it at home before and tasted it. It does taste good. But the customers don’t know that. They run away just by smelling it. And the smell lingers for a long time. What should we do?”

Yu Qingze asked, “Don’t you want to promote it?”

Boss Liu frowned and said, “I do want to promote it. The taste is really good. Now I have to make a bowl for myself every day when I go home. If the customers try it, they will definitely like it.”

Yu Qingze thought for a moment and said, “How about promoting Guilin Rice Noodles first? Its flavor is milder compared to Snail rice noodle soup. Once the customers accept Guilin Rice Noodles, you can introduce Snail rice noodle soup later.”

“That’s one way to do it, but the flavor of Guilin Rice Noodles is also strong, and it contains pickled bamboo shoots. You see, if someone doesn’t like that kind of taste, they might not even enter the shop, and we would lose some of our existing customers. Moreover, if I only serve Guilin Rice Noodles and Snail rice noodle soup, it won’t work either.” Boss Liu said helplessly.

Yu Qingze suggested, “Then why don’t you open a separate shop specifically for Guilin Rice Noodles and Snail rice noodle soup? It doesn’t have to be a large space, just a smaller one with five or six tables. Let the eldest or second child take care of it exclusively.”

“Open another shop?” Boss Liu exclaimed, surprised by the suggestion. He hadn’t thought about that before.

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “The noodle shop is doing well now, and if you separate the businesses, you can cater to both sets of customers. You can open the other shop on South Street. The rent is not as expensive there, and there is still a decent flow of people. For specialty shops like this, once customers fall in love with the food, they will naturally seek it out.”

Boss Liu paced back and forth for a moment and then said, “This is a good idea! I’ll talk to them about it.”

Yu Qingze quickly grabbed his arm and said, “You don’t have to rush. Before opening another shop, I suggest you try setting up a small stall outside first. Let the customers get to know the food and accept the flavors. Once they are familiar with it, then you can open the shop. Otherwise, you’ll be paying several taels of silver in rent every month without any assurance.”

“You’re right! Where did you get that food cart? It looks very useful. I want to get one too,” Boss Liu said.

Yu Qingze replied, “It was made by the head of our village. If you want, I can ask him to make one for you following the same design.”

“Great! Make one for me with two stoves!” Boss Liu requested.

“Okay!” Yu Qingze nodded and said, “Do you still have enough soup for the snail noodles? After closing, I’ll bring my wife over to eat.”

“We still have some soup left, and we have the ingredients too. You can come and eat.”

“Alright, thank you, buddy.” “No need to be polite.”

After closing, everyone went home. Yu Qingze took Chang Le and headed to Liu’s place, saying he would treat him to something delicious.

Chang Le curiously asked, “What are we going to eat?”

Yu Qingze replied, “Snail noodles.”

Chang Le had known for a while that Yu Qingze had taught Boss Liu about this dish, but he had never tasted it himself. When he heard they were going to eat it, he became excited and really wanted to try it.

Yu Qingze gave him a word of caution, saying, “Brother Le, the flavor of the snail noodles is quite strong, but trust me, it tastes really good, really delicious!”

Chang Le looked at Yu Qingze with a smile, nodded, and gestured, “Okay, I won’t doubt you.”

When Chang Le arrived at Liu’s place, he stood at the door and hesitated, almost wanting to turn around and go back immediately!

It smelled so bad!

Yu Qingze looked at him holding his nose and chuckled, “Is it really that stinky?” Boss Liu was probably making the snail noodles right now, and the smell was much stronger than when Yu Qingze had last visited.

Chang Le vigorously nodded.

It was really stinky, extremely stinky, unbelievably foul! It was an unbearable stench!

Yu Qingze reached out to him and coaxed, “It may smell bad, but it tastes really delicious, I promise. Come on, let’s go inside.”

Chang Le planted his feet firmly, shaking his head and refusing to budge. How could he possibly put something that smelled so bad into his mouth?

Yu Qingze, feeling helpless, walked up to Chang Le, crouched down slightly, and then, in a princess carry, lifted Chang Le up and carried him into the house. After all, there were no customers in the shop at the moment.

Chang Le lost his balance and quickly clung tightly to his husband’s neck. But then, a tragedy occurred—his hand left his nose, and the smell directly invaded his nasal cavity, already sucked in.

He was suffocating! Chang Le quickly freed one hand to cover his mouth and nose:…

Yu Qingze placed Chang Le on a chair by a table, but Chang Le’s hand hadn’t been removed from his face yet.

When Boss Liu brought out two bowls of snail noodles and saw Chang Le in this state, he chuckled and said, “Yes, it does smell a bit, but it tastes great! If you don’t believe me, you should believe your husband. When has he ever made something that doesn’t taste delicious? Am I right?”

On this point, Chang Le used to be very certain, but now he had serious doubts. This wasn’t called a delicacy; it should be called a foul dish.

“You hold your nose, and I’ll feed you a bite?” Yu Qingze took the chopsticks and smiled, “Since we’re already here, let’s give it a try. Be good, take a bite. If you don’t like it, we can go back home and cook.”

With that, he took a spoon, picked up a noodle and a piece of sour bamboo shoots, and fed it to Chang Le’s mouth, coaxing, “Just for the sake of face, take a bite, hmm?”

Seeing him like this, Chang Le couldn’t bear to refuse him anymore. He pinched his nose, opened his mouth, and ate the noodle and bamboo shoot from the chopsticks.

As soon as he tasted it, Chang Le’s eyes widened in surprise.

Was this flavor really the same as the thing that smelled so bad?

The taste was sour, spicy, and the crunchiness of the bamboo shoot with its sourness was delicious. It was especially appetizing, comparable to their hot and sour noodles.

“How is it?” Yu Qingze asked.

Chang Le nodded with his nose pinched and gave a thumbs-up, indicating that it was delicious. However, he still didn’t put down his hand that was pinching his nose. The taste was good, but the odor was undeniably foul!

“That’s right, I told you it’s delicious. Here, take another bite and try the wood ear fungus and tofu puffs,” Yu Qingze said, feeding him another bite.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Chang Le took another bite and then refused to let him feed him anymore. He directly took the chopsticks from Yu Qingze’s hand, pinching his nose with his left hand and using the chopsticks with his right hand to eat.

However, he couldn’t keep pinching his nose the whole time while eating the noodles, or else he wouldn’t be able to breathe. After a few bites, he had to let go.

Then, after he finished eating, when he smelled the aroma again, it didn’t seem as unpleasant as before.

By the time he finished the bowl of snail noodles, having spent a long time in that aroma, Chang Le had almost gotten used to the smell.

However, when they left Liu’s Noodle House and returned to their snack shop, he still felt like he could smell the fragrance. He sniffed his own sleeve, then his hair, and even pulled Yu Qingze’s clothes over to take a whiff.

Sure enough! His whole body was filled with the scent of snail noodles!

He quickly went to the kitchen and turned on the hot water before heading to the shower room to take a bath and wash his hair.

Yu Qingze: … He was enjoying the meal just a moment ago, and now he’s already being picky again.

Sigh, my dear wife…

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: Now I’m really curious how it tastes like. Ughhhh these foods killing meeee

Stinky Snail Rice Noodle Soup Disliked by Others

In the afternoon, Yu Qingze went to Cai Mansion to discuss the matter of Scholar cake with the old master. When he arrived, he happened to run into the housekeeper who was about to go out.

Yu Qingze greeted him and casually asked, “Uncle An, are you going out?” The housekeeper of Cai Mansion was named Cai An.

Cai An, upon seeing Yu Qingze, nodded and smiled in response, “Yes, there is a banquet tomorrow. The old master asked me to deliver the invitation to the new county magistrate.”

“Oh, I see. We saw the new county magistrate this morning,” Yu Qingze remarked.

Cai An nodded and whispered, “We didn’t expect the new county magistrate to arrive today. The information we received indicated it would take another two or three days, so we planned to hold the banquet before his arrival. Who would have thought… sigh. By the way, you came to see the old master, right? He is at the pavilion near the pond. You can go there yourself.”

“Alright, thank you, Uncle An,” Yu Qingze nodded and stepped aside to let Cai An pass.

Yu Qingze found Old Master Cai at the pavilion by the pond in the backyard, who was looking at a list.

“Oh, Xiao Yu, you’re here. I was just about to find you,” Old Master Cai said when he saw Yu Qingze, putting down the list and inviting him to sit down.

Yu Qingze asked, “What can I do for you, Old Master?”

Old Master Cai sighed and said, “The new county magistrate arrived this morning, did you know?”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “Yes, we saw him entering through the North City Gate. He looked quite impressive.”

Old Master Cai chuckled mysteriously and said, “Indeed, he appears impressive, but apart from that, he doesn’t have any other abilities.”

Yu Qingze raised an eyebrow and asked, “Old Master Cai, forgive me for asking something I shouldn’t, but do you know the background of this new county magistrate?”

“There’s nothing you shouldn’t ask. Since you’re in business, it’s good to know, so you don’t accidentally offend anyone,” Old Master Cai waved his hand and then whispered, “This person, surnamed Luo, is called Luo Mingda. He’s the third son of the Minister of Rites and around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. He is notorious in the capital city as a spoiled and irresponsible playboy, proficient in all kinds of indulgences. His father is quite worried about him. He barely passed the provincial examination earlier this year and naturally failed the metropolitan examination. So, his father arranged for him to be sent here, probably hoping to temper him.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingze expressed surprise and said, “As far as I know, it’s rare for a juren to directly become a county magistrate, isn’t it?”

Old Master Cai nodded and said, “Yes, isn’t it because many positions were vacant around March? With the status of the Minister of Rites, arranging for someone is not a difficult task.”

Yu Qingze shook his head and sighed, “I see, it’s much more complicated inside than I thought.”

The officialdom is dark, and the trading of power and money for personal gain is always unavoidable. Even if you overthrow the old corrupt officials, new ones will constantly emerge. Moreover, the relationships inside are so complex that without a shrewd and astute mind, it’s truly difficult to survive in there.

That’s why someone like Jiabao, with his temperament, is really unsuitable for entering that officialdom. It’s good the way things are now. Although it may be simple and plain, living a genuine and happy life is precious.

Old Master Cai sighed and said, “Yes, actually, I don’t want Wei’er to pursue an official career anymore. He’s different from Chenxi. Chenxi has been by his father’s side since childhood, exposed to much and learned a lot, so he can handle things to some extent. Wei’er, due to his health condition, could only stay by our side since childhood, with limited exposure. He would suffer if he ventured out.”

Yu Qingze comforted him, saying, “Second Young Master is intelligent, and he surely has his own thoughts. Each generation has its own blessings. You, well, just relax and ease your mind.”

Old Master Cai helplessly said, “That’s all we can do, I guess. By the way, let me tell you, this young Lord Luo cannot eat seafood. If he eats it, his whole body turns red and itches. We need to remove the two seafood dishes we have here. Can you think of any other replacement?”

Yu Qingze raised an eyebrow and asked, “He has this condition of being unable to eat seafood?” Seafood allergy, huh?

Old Master Cai nodded and said, “Yes, I heard that he’s going to be the magistrate of Tongshan County, and Chenxi collected the information and sent it back to us. So, we can’t serve seafood. If he eats it and something goes wrong, it would be troublesome for us. Ah, now we have an ancestor to take care of.”

After a while, realizing that he had misspoken, Old Master Cai hurriedly said, “Just listen and forget about it.”

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “Of course, that’s natural. So, what does he like to eat?”

“Things he likes… let me see,” Old Master Cai took out a letter from his pocket, opened it, glanced at it, and then said, “He likes goose and beef, and he also likes bananas.”

Yu Qingze asked again, “Can he handle spicy food?”

Old Master Cai answered, “It seems like he can handle a little bit.”

“Can we get beef at the market tomorrow?”

Old Master Cai shook his head and said, “No, Uncle Fu went to inquire and said there is none available.”

Yu Qingze thought for a moment and then said, “Alright, let’s make Wu Bei Goose, and also make a stewed goose with wild mushrooms. It can be both meat and soup. Finally, let’s add a caramelized banana as a dessert after the meal.”

“Alright, you can make the decision on that.” Old Master Cai fully trusted Yu Qingze’s judgment when it came to food. Whatever he suggested, Old Master Cai would go along with it.

After discussing the food, Yu Qingze remembered the purpose of his visit. He continued, “Old Master Cai, I came to talk about a dessert. Originally, it would have been very fitting, but now if we invite the county magistrate, I’m afraid it might not be suitable anymore.”

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Old Master Cai curiously asked, “What kind of dessert?”

Yu Qingze replied, “Scholar cake.”

“Scholar Cake? There’s such a pastry? That would indeed be quite fitting.” Old Master Cai glanced at Yu Qingze and asked, “Are you worried that Lord Luo might misunderstand?”

Yu Qingze nodded, “I’m concerned that it might offend him or be seen as a show of disrespect if he misinterprets it.”

Lord Luo, the county magistrate, had recently obtained the title of a low-ranking scholar. Now that he had taken office, if he were to attend the celebration banquet of the Cai family’s eldest son, who was the top scholar in the provincial examination, he might perceive it as a provocation or a display of dominance, which would be unfavorable.

Old Master Cai pondered for a moment and said, “Our banquet was originally arranged to celebrate Xi’er’s achievement as the top scholar. It’s alright. Let’s see what Cai An says when he returns. If they say the county magistrate will come, it means they don’t mind. If they don’t come, then we won’t worry about it. Let’s proceed with the plan.”

With Old Master Cai’s agreement, Yu Qingze felt relieved. He double-checked the menu and the number of guests with Old Master Cai, exchanged a few more words, and then left.

After returning home from the Cai residence in the afternoon, Jiabao informed him that Boss Liu had an urgent matter and asked him to come over.

So, Yu Qingze hurriedly went to Liu’s Noodle House’s shop.

Just as he reached the entrance of Liu’s Noodle House’s shop, Yu Qingze caught a whiff of the distinctive aroma of Snail rice noodle soup. It was difficult to describe, with a sour and tangy scent, subtly mixed with a hint of fishiness. But as Yu Qingze smelled the fragrance, his mouth began to salivate.

Snail rice noodle soup was a dish that people who didn’t understand its deliciousness would find repulsive, while those who knew its wonderful taste would eagerly drink every drop of its broth.

Speaking of which, it’s been a long time since he had Snail rice noodle soup! He missed it so much! Yu Qingze swallowed his saliva and felt hungry.

“Huh? What’s that smell? It’s so stinky!” A boy covered his nose and quickly ran past Yu Qingze.

“It’s so stinky, let’s get out of here!”

“Ugh, where is that awful smell coming from!”

…

Yu Qingze: …

Entering the shop, Boss Liu saw him as if he had encountered a living Buddha and exclaimed, “Young man, you’re here! I’ve been looking for you!”

“What’s the matter?” Yu Qingze already had a faint suspicion.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: What? Did Boss Wang come back?

The New County Magistrate

After entering May, the snack shop introduced Dragon Boat Festival zongzi.

(T/N: Zongzi is a traditional Chinese food made of glutinous rice stuffed with various fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves. It is typically shaped like a pyramid or cone).

In this world, people don’t have the custom of eating zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival, but Yu Qingze does. Zongzi, as a special festive food in his previous country, is very popular. If he doesn’t eat zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival, he feels like something is missing.

Moreover, zongzi itself is a very delicious food, and the people here have never tasted zongzi before, so it’s a great opportunity for them to try it and increase the snack shop’s income.

So, Yu Qingze made zongzi.

On the first day, he didn’t make many, just one pot. There were jujube and chestnut, meat filling, red bean paste, and salted egg yolk flavors. There were probably fifty or sixty zongzi in total, and they were sold out in the morning.

So in the following days, they made more. Unlike the sticky rice chicken with only a salty taste, the sticky rice inside the zongzi was compact and had a fresh bamboo leaf fragrance and a hint of a woody taste. The flavors varied, with both savory and sweet options, and the customers loved them. They quickly became the best-selling snacks in the shop.

Especially the salted egg yolk flavor of the zongzi received a lot of praise from many customers.

Yu Qingze made the salted duck eggs after getting married. The method was very simple. He mixed salt and well water into yellow clay to make a paste, then coated the clean duck eggs with the paste and put them in a jar, sealing it tightly. After more than twenty days, they could be taken out and boiled to eat.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yu Qingze also introduced the salted duck eggs. They were washed clean, boiled in water, and sliced. Selling at two and a half copper coins each, they also sold well.

The snack shop was doing well, and the two apprentices were studying diligently. Yu Qingze was contemplating that once the two apprentices became skilled, he could start thinking about opening a small restaurant.

Now, Chang Le’s culinary skills had greatly improved. Jiabao was also cooking at home every evening, learning while cooking. He could now make several dishes, and in a while, he should be even better.

Then, they needed to carefully consider how to open it and in what form.

On the third day of May, in the late morning, Tongshan City was engulfed by two major events coming from the capital.

The results of the imperial examination in the capital were announced. Jiang Tianrui, the second son of the Jiang family from the southern part of the city, ranked eighth in the second class!

Cai Chenxi, the eldest grandson of the Cai family, achieved the top score in the provincial examination!

Moreover, both of them stayed in the capital and entered the Hanlin Academy!

Tongshan City suddenly gained two officials from the capital, as well as a top scholar, and everyone was filled with joy.

After all, this is the hometown of the top scholar!

Upon hearing this good news, many merchants spontaneously took action—discounts and special offers to celebrate this joyous occasion!

Yu’s Delicious Delights also followed suit and offered a three-day celebration with an 20% discount.

At this time, Jiabao’s arithmetic knowledge came in handy. With the abacus on the left and the sandalwood tray on the right, he calculated quickly. Yu Qingze took a few glances and saw that he didn’t make any mistakes, so he felt relieved and went to attend to other matters. They had to prepare gifts to send to the Cai family and Liu’s!

Because of the actions of the merchants, the city was livelier than usual these days. Everyone took advantage of the discounts and bought the things they had previously liked but couldn’t bring themselves to purchase. Chang Le and Brother Chang also went to the cloth store and brought back a batch of fabrics.

When many traveling merchants saw that the entire city was offering discounts and special offers, they became curious and inquired. They then learned that it was all to celebrate the emergence of a top scholar and another successful candidate. It was a rare opportunity, so they also bought some things they needed.

Everyone happily celebrated the “shopping festival” for a few days, and then the Dragon Boat Festival passed.

On the seventh day, early in the morning when the sun had just risen, a series of banging gongs echoed through the North Street.

“The newly appointed County Magistrate, Lord Luo, will take office today at the hour of si. Everyone is requested to line the streets and kneel in welcome!”

The person banging the gong shouted while banging it. Starting from the North City Gate, they went all the way to East Street, then from East Street to South Street, and finally reached West Street. After finishing their rounds on the main road, they went to the county government office to deliver the message.

“The new County Magistrate is here. Let’s hope they won’t be like the previous one!”

“The new County Magistrate’s surname is Luo. I wonder where they are from and how they will govern?”

“They’re asking us to line the streets and kneel in welcome. In the past, no County Magistrate was notified in this way. They would quietly go to the county government office with their own family, right?”

“Well, since we’re here on the street, we might as well get to know their faces to avoid offending them later when we don’t recognize them!”

“That’s a good point.”

“…”

Yu Qingze and the others were also at the door, listening to the discussions of the customers nearby. Yu Qingze raised an eyebrow, wondering whether the earlier event was orchestrated by the new County Magistrate or arranged by the county government. Either way, it was quite ostentatious.

After half an hour, the person banging the gong specifically went through North Street and East Street again, reminding everyone that these were the two main roads the new County Magistrate would pass through, and they should be careful not to obstruct the way.

Soon after, the people on North Street saw the Deputy Magistrate leading a group of bailiffs from the county government rushing towards the dock.

About forty-five minutes later, a procession of carriages and horses approached from the direction of the North City Gate.

At the forefront was a young man dressed in the official attire of a County Magistrate, riding a large bay horse, led by a bailiff, slowly making his way towards them. Behind him was an extraordinarily splendid carriage with its curtains pulled back, revealing an exquisitely dressed young man inside, adorned in brocade.

The young man riding the horse was indeed the newly appointed County Magistrate, while the person in the carriage was presumably the Magistrate’s spouse.

Following the carriage were two ordinary carriages, and behind them were several carts carrying luggage, supplies, and a few servants.

Wherever the procession passed, people knelt down and offered their greetings.

The new County Magistrate had a smile on his face and continuously waved and acknowledged the people on both sides.

When they reached a point just ahead of the snack shop, Yu Qingze took the opportunity while everyone was distracted and pulled Chang Le and Jiabao into the shop, heading to their room.

Chang Le looked at Yu Qingze curiously.

“Do you have something to tell us, Big Brother?” Jiabao also looked at him inquisitively, wondering why he suddenly brought them back without any apparent reason.

Yu Qingze didn’t really have anything important to discuss. He simply didn’t want his wife and younger brother to kneel down.

He cleared his throat and thought for a moment, using an excuse. “I suddenly remembered that there will be a gratitude banquet at the Cai Residence tomorrow. We can prepare some additional pastries.”

Chang Le gestured, asking what kind of pastries.

Yu Qingze replied, “Scholar cake.” At that moment, he couldn’t think of any other pastries.

“Scholar cake? Is there such a pastry? Is it a pastry that only the top scholar can eat? Or does eating it make you become a top scholar?” Jiabao asked curiously.

Yu Qingze ruffled Jiabao’s head and said, “Becoming a top scholar is not that easy. It’s just a symbol of good fortune.”

(T/N: Scholar Cake aka “Zhuangyuan Bing” (状元饼) is a traditional Chinese pastry or cake that is associated with academic success. The name “Zhuangyuan” refers to the top-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations, who achieved the highest score and was awarded the title of “Zhuangyuan.” The pastry is named after this prestigious title and is often consumed as a symbol of good luck and blessings for academic achievement.

During important academic events, such as the release of examination results or graduation ceremonies, Scholar Cake is commonly gifted or consumed to celebrate academic achievements and to wish for continued success in scholarly pursuits.)

Jiabao grinned and then said, “Let’s make sure Xiaohao and Xiaowei get to eat some!”

Yu Qingze sighed and said, “In the afternoon, I’ll go to the Cai Residence to discuss it with Old Madam Cai. If he agrees, I’ll teach Brother Le in the evening. Tomorrow, we’ll have to rely on Brother Chang to handle the accounting at the shop. We’ll all go together.”

Jiabao nodded and asked, “Big brother, what if I come back after lunch tomorrow?”

Yu Qingze shook his head and said, “No need. You are now an adopted son of the Cai family, and you are considered a host as well. Tomorrow, you don’t need to go to the kitchen with us. You should help the old master and others in receiving guests, understand?”

Jiabao smiled shyly, scratched his head, and hesitated, “But, I’m not good at welcoming guests. I’m not very articulate.”

“It’s okay. The old master has already talked to me about it. He said you can work with Yunwei. Just be yourself and don’t overthink it.” Yu Qingze reassured him. Jiabao already had good manners in dealing with people, as Yu Qingze had taught him well.

“Oh, alright.” Jiabao nodded, feeling relieved.

After they finished talking, the carriage of the new county magistrate had already passed by.

Brother Chang knocked on the door and said at the entrance, “Why did you all come inside? Did you see the new county magistrate? Jiabao, there are customers outside who want to settle their bills.”

“Oh, okay, I’m coming.” Jiabao heard that there were customers who wanted to settle their bills and quickly responded and went out.

“Let’s go outside too.” Yu Qingze stood up and pulled Brother Le up as well. As they walked, he explained to Brother Chang, “I suddenly remembered some things for tomorrow and was afraid of forgetting, so I need to talk to them.”

Brother Chang suddenly realized and said, “Oh, no wonder I didn’t see you when I turned around.”

After a while, Boss Liu came over.

He pulled Yu Qingze to the backyard and mysteriously said, “My brother-in-law’s family sent me a message. They said this new county magistrate has a strong background. They advised us to be cautious and not provoke any trouble, so we don’t give them any reason to target us.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingze curiously asked, “Did they mention any specific background?”

Boss Liu shook his head and replied, “They didn’t specify, only mentioned that he is the son of a high-ranking official in the capital city and came here to accumulate experience. It’s estimated that he will be transferred back to the capital city in a couple of years.”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “I see, I understand. Thank you, brother!”

“Don’t mention it. By the way, can I start serving the sour bamboo shoots? Can we also introduce snail noodles and Guilin rice noodles?” Boss Liu asked.

Yu Qingze nodded and replied, “Yes, let’s introduce them. Just be careful not to mix the snails and the noodles together, as it may cause stomach discomfort.”

“Okay, I’ll make a note of that.”

“…”

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: I have a feeling … this new magistrate might bring some trouble. Hope he’s not another dumb cannon fodder.

Yu Qingze had asked Uncle Fu from the Cai family to deliver the milk early in the morning two days ago, as he planned to make a birthday cake for Chang Hao.

The three of them carried the large sack of potatoes that Dahe had brought and went to the market to buy meat and vegetables. By the time they returned home, it was already dusk.

Upon entering the house, they found that Cai Yunwei and Chang Hao were in the study room of the east wing, busy writing something.

“Xiaohao! Xiaowei! We’re back!” Jiabao called out when he saw the two of them.

The two teenagers were delighted to see them return and came running out.

“You guys are back!”

“Brother Yu, Brother Chang Le, Second Brother, I’m here to disturb you. Can I stay for the night?”

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “Welcome! Why didn’t I see the others? Did you come alone?”

Cai Yunwei replied, “Mi Ge’er and a guard accompanied me here, but I asked them to go back and come pick me up tomorrow.”

“I see. Your grandfather and the others know about it, right?”

“They know.”

“That’s good. By the way, I wanted to make a new dessert today. You guys can have fun on your own for now, and we’ll taste it together tonight.”

The young boys were thrilled to hear that there was a new dessert, and they eagerly asked what it was. Yu Qingze didn’t tell them, wanting to surprise them when the time came.

Jiabao followed them into the kitchen to help, learning how to make desserts and cook. Grandpa Chang soon returned from the vegetable garden with freshly picked vegetables and was delighted to see everyone back. He joined in, helping with the vegetable washing and busying himself.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

While they were busy, there was a knock on the front door. Yu Qiangsheng, accompanied by his wife, had arrived. As soon as they entered, he called out, “Is Yu Qingze here? I heard he came back today. Is he here?”

Upon hearing the voice, Chang Hao quickly exclaimed, “Grandfather, Brother-in-law, someone is here!”

Yu Qingze and the others came out to see who it was and found that it was Dahe’s father and stepmother. Their brows furrowed, and Yu Qingze asked, “Uncle, is there something you need?”

Yu Qiangsheng, upon seeing Yu Qingze at home, quickly asked, “Did my son, Yu Dahe, come to see you? Where is he now?”

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingze frowned and replied, “He did come to see me, but I don’t know where he is staying.” Even if I knew, I couldn’t tell you.

Yu Qiangsheng didn’t believe it and said, “You had dinner together yesterday, how could you not know where he’s staying? Are you trying to deceive me?”

Yu Qingze glanced at the two of them and said, “Uncle, I really don’t know where he’s staying. Do you have something important to discuss with him?”

Yu Qiangsheng frowned angrily and said, “That little brat left his whole family behind and ran away, making us tired and exhausted. When I find him, I’ll break his legs!”

Yu Qingze: …

Seeing Yu Qingze’s frowning expression, Yu Qiangsheng’s wife quickly tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to calm down. He then spoke to Yu Qingze, “Um, Aze, he has been away from home for half a year, and we are worried about him. We don’t know how he’s been living alone. If you happen to know his whereabouts, please let us know so we can bring him back.”

After half a year without Dahe, Yu Qiangsheng and his family finally realized how important he was. It wasn’t just the loss of an income source, but also the absence of a strong labor force. During the autumn harvest, they were overwhelmed with work, and making sweet potato flour required a lot of strength to stir the starch mixture. They were exhausted. If Dahe was here, things would be much easier!

“Stop with your nonsense!” Yu Qingze rolled his eyes inwardly and shook his head, saying, “I really don’t know.”

Seeing that Yu Qingze remained silent, Yu Qiangsheng wanted to get angry and curse at him. But before the Lunar New Year, they had relied on the sweet potato flour and cured meats Yu Qingze taught them to make and earned money. Now, they didn’t dare to insult him. Otherwise, how would they find a way to earn money in the future?

Yu Qiangsheng’s face turned red with frustration. Finally, he said, “Fine, if you don’t want to say anything, I won’t force you. I’ll go to the dock tomorrow to find him! I heard he went to work on a ship!”

Upon hearing that he still wanted to find Dahe, Yu Qingze’s face immediately darkened, and he said, “Uncle, I didn’t want to interfere in your family affairs, but I just want to say a few words. Have you ever seriously considered why Dahe left home? Have you fulfilled your responsibilities as a father? Now that he has finally started anew, you’re going to disturb his peace again. I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but Uncle, you haven’t even realized your own shortcomings. Is this how a father should act? Why can’t you just let him be?”

Being criticized by a young man, Yu Qiangsheng felt humiliated and instantly became furious. He no longer cared about making money or not and shouted, “It’s none of your damn business! He is my son, and he has to listen to me! If I tell him to go east, he goes east. If I tell him to go west, he goes west! He’s not your son, so it’s none of your business to criticize me!”

Yu Qiangsheng’s wife’s face changed when he heard him speak, and he quickly pulled at his clothes, trying to stop him from saying more, but he was shrugged off.

“What are you pulling me for? It’s true! I’ll discipline my son and find my son. It’s none of anyone else’s business!”

Seeing such a person, Yu Qingze didn’t want to say anything more. He had a cold expression and said, “Indeed, it’s none of my business. So please leave. We’re busy here.”

Seeing that Yu Qingze was angry, Yu Qiangsheng’s wife quickly smiled and apologized, “Sorry, Aze. He’s always like this. You’re the bigger person, don’t stoop to his level.”

Yu Qingze let out a cold laugh and said, “I don’t have the time. Please leave. I won’t see you out.”

The two of them grumbled as they walked away.

Cai Yunwei, who had been watching, was dumbfounded. Chang Le noticed and tugged at Yu Qingze’s sleeve, gesturing for him to look.

Yu Qingze turned to Cai Yunwei and said, “Sorry, Second Young Master. Did it frighten you?”

Cai Yunwei shook his head and said, “It didn’t frighten me, but I’ve never seen someone so… rude.”

“As long as you’re not scared, that’s good. Don’t mind it. Xiaohao, accompany the Second Young Master to play. We’ll have dinner in about fifteen minutes,” Yu Qingze said.

“Alright, Brother-in-law,” Chang Hao replied, taking Cai Yunwei’s wrist and saying, “Let’s go. We haven’t finished our painting yet.”

Cai Yunwei: “Oh.”

Dinner was plentiful, and everyone ate to their heart’s content.

After studying for an hour after the meal, Yu Qingze brought out the birthday cake and placed it on the table. On top of it, he arranged apple slices to form the words: “Happy 11th Birthday, Xiaohao!”

Due to limited resources, the birthday cake was relatively simple, but in the eyes of Chang Hao and the others, it was already beautiful and tempting enough.

Yu Qingze didn’t teach them the tradition of making birthday wishes and blowing out candles. That tradition didn’t exist here, so eating longevity noodles was enough.

Everyone divided and enjoyed the cake.

The soft texture of the cake, the smoothness of the cream, and the refreshing taste of the fruit on top provided a delightful combination. The cake immediately won over the hearts of the young ones, and Chang Le also liked it very much. The sizable cream cake was shared among them and quickly devoured.

After finishing the cake, Yu Qingze and Chang Le presented the gift they had prepared for Chang Hao.

Chang Hao opened the gift box and his face lit up with joy. Inside was a bow and arrow, something he had always wanted. He had seen one before at the Cai Residence and had been longing for it ever since. He couldn’t believe that his elder brother and his brother-in-law had bought the same one for him!

“Thank you, Brother-in-law! Thank you, brother!” Chang Hao expressed his gratitude happily and then picked up one of the arrows, eager to go outside and give it a try.

“It’s too late now, be careful, don’t shoot anyone. You can play with it tomorrow!” Yu Qingze reminded him.

“Oh, okay.” Chang Hao put the arrow down, released the bowstring with an empty hand, satisfying his craving for the moment.

Days passed by in a busy blur, and they planted the sprouted potatoes in the ground.

By early May, Tongshan City had two new happy events, and they also welcomed a new county magistrate.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: Psssh that old Yu guy. Brother Yu, don’t involve his family for future business deals. You don’t want leeches like that making food for others. They probably nasty too, wouldn’t wash their hands or cover their mouths when they sneeze.