Author Archives: Thandar

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: …

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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…

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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.

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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.

Collaboration with Dahe

“Big Brother Yu, what do you have in mind?” Dahe asked.

Chang Le also looked curiously at Yu Qingze.

Yu Qingze glanced at the two of them and smiled, “Of course, I want to buy things that we don’t have here, mainly food items like vegetables, melons, and fruits. Anything that we don’t have but can be eaten will do.”

Dahe pondered for a moment and asked, “Big Brother Yu, do you want to buy them for planting or for consumption?”

Yu Qingze replied, “Both are fine. It usually takes you a long time to come back, and many things cannot be stored for that long, especially perishable food items. I reckon many things won’t last more than a month. For those that spoil easily, Dahe, when you buy them, ask if they have any seeds for sale. If they do, buy some. And if not, if any of the spoiled items have seeds inside, make sure to save the seeds. We can try planting them when we come back and see if they can grow. If there are no seeds, then there’s nothing we can do.”

Upon hearing this, Dahe nodded and agreed, “Alright, I’ll remember.”

“For things you find delicious, buy more, and for those that aren’t, buy a smaller quantity. As for other items,” Yu Qingze pondered for a moment. There were many things that Dahe might not be able to determine their usefulness, so he continued, “If you think they might be useful, you can buy them too. When I see them, I’ll figure out if they’re useful or not.”

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Okay, I got it,” said Dahe.

Yu Qingze looked at the bag of sprouting potatoes and asked Dahe, “Dahe, how much did this bag of potatoes cost? I’ll buy it from you.”

Dahe immediately waved his hand and said, “Brother Yu, there’s no need. I brought it back for you to eat, no need to pay me. Besides, you haven’t eaten any yet…”

Yu Qingze glanced at him and smiled, “Alright. But I still want to give you money, wait here.”

“Eh, Brother Yu!” Dahe didn’t understand why Yu Qingze wanted to give him money again and became a bit anxious. However, Yu Qingze had already gone into the room, so Dahe could only look at Chang Le and said, “Brother Le, what do you think about this…”

Chang Le smiled and waved his hand, indicating that he didn’t know either.

Yu Qingze came out of the room with a bag of small silver coins and handed it to Dahe, who looked at him in confusion.

“What did you think I was going to give you money for? The potatoes?” Yu Qingze smiled and said, “Didn’t I just say that I wanted you to help me buy some things? How can you buy them without money? I can’t let you pay for me, right?”

Although he didn’t know how much Dahe earned in a month working on the boat, he felt it was only right to give him money when asking him to bring things. It was necessary not to make him pay upfront.

Dahe, upon hearing this, visibly felt relieved. He took a look at the bag of money and saw that there were about ten or so taels of small silver coins inside. He exclaimed in surprise, “So much? I didn’t know if I could even bring what you mentioned back. Aren’t you afraid I might run off with the money?”

“If you can say that, then I don’t need to worry,” Yu Qingze laughed heartily and continued, “We’ll settle any excess or shortfall later. I don’t know if it’s enough, mainly because I don’t know how many fresh things there are where you’re going.”

Dahe rubbed the back of his head and said, “Based on the places I’ve been, there are clearly more things in the south than in the north. During the last trip before the New Year, I brought back a type of edible vegetable from the south, but it spoiled halfway.”

Yu Qingze’s curiosity was piqued upon hearing this, and he asked, “Oh? What kind of vegetable was it?”

Dahe replied, “They were as big as plates or as small as bowls, yellow and white in color, and formed into a bunch. The locals call it cauliflower.”

It’s cauliflower!

Yu Qingze said, “Next time if you come across such vegetables, just buy the seeds and bring them back. The climate in the south is good, and there are many things that we don’t have here. When you see them, buy them all.”

Dahe nodded and said, “There are indeed many things we don’t have there. In the two cities I visited, I saw three or four different kinds, but unfortunately, they couldn’t be preserved for long, so I couldn’t bring them back.”

The two of them continued chatting for a while.

Yu Qingze looked at Dahe, this simple and honest young man whom he genuinely liked, and it wasn’t his fault that he liked Chang Le. If anything, it was probably his own fault for interrupting their relationship, even though Chang Le never had feelings for him.

He thought for a moment and asked Dahe, “Dahe, when is your next trip on the boat?”

Dahe replied, “We don’t know yet. We’ll find out tomorrow when the boss tells us.”

Yu Qingze said, “When you bring heavy items onto the boat, will the boss complain or charge you?”

“Usually not, and we don’t have many heavy items anyway,” Dahe shook his head, thought for a moment, and added, “Are you worried that the boss will charge us more?”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “If he wants to charge, then you should pay him. Also, if you have extra money, you can try bringing back fruits or vegetables from other places that can be preserved for a long time and sell them. They should sell well, and you can earn some extra money.”

Dahe shook his head and said, “Usually, after reaching the destination, we only stay ashore for about four or five days before setting sail again. When we stop along the way, it’s mostly for loading and unloading cargo, and at most, we spend one night ashore. There’s no time to sell.”

Yu Qingze thought for a moment and said, “In that case, next time you bring them back, I’ll let you know if there’s anything that sells well. You can directly buy them for me to sell. But this means that some things may only be sold next year, as vegetables and fruits are not easy to preserve. Of course, if you’re bold enough, you can directly buy what you think is good.”

Dahe’s eyes lit up and he said, “Can I do that? Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you? After all, those things might not be fresh anymore by the time I bring them back.”

“For fruits and such, when you buy them, get them slightly unripe, not fully ripe. That way, they can last longer,” Yu Qingze explained. In his past life, bananas, for example, were picked when they were still unripe and would ripen just in time to be sold when they reached different destinations. However, back then, transportation usually took no more than seven days, much faster than the shipping in this world.

“That’s a good method. I’ll pay attention next time I go and see if there’s anything suitable for long-term preservation,” Dahe said happily.

Yu Qingze nodded in agreement.

When the employees from the village finished their work and held a meeting, they all came to the backyard to chat with Dahe.

Chang Le got up and went to the kitchen to cook, leaving Yu Qingze to ask Dahe to stay for dinner later, which Dahe agreed to.

The employees didn’t chat for long as they needed to go home, so they bid farewell and left.

In the evening, Dahe had dinner with Yu Qingze and Chang Le, and they chatted for a long time.

After dinner, Yu Qingze asked, “Do you have a place to stay tonight?”

Dahe nodded and said, “Yes, there’s a big brother on the boat who takes good care of me. His house is conveniently located in the west of the city, and he happens to have an empty room. I’ve been staying at his place when I come back.”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “That’s good then. I won’t keep you here.” If he insisted on Dahe staying, both of them would feel uncomfortable.

They agreed to have Dahe come over again when they knew the next departure date, and Dahe left.

The next day, Dahe came specially to deliver a wedding gift to Yu Qingze and Chang Le.

In the afternoon, after preparing the dim sum, Yu Qingze asked Brother Chang and Brother Chang’s mother to stay and take care of the shop for the night. Then he took Chang Le and Jiabao and went back home. It was Chang Hao’s birthday today, and they wanted to return early to celebrate with their younger brother.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: Poor Dahe. That’s what happens when you slow in love. Better luck next time, bro.

Dahe Returns

In the late afternoon, when the busiest time in the shop had passed, everyone could finally catch their breath.

At this moment, a dark-skinned man entered the snack shop, carrying a large hemp sack. The sack was almost half-filled, and no one knew what was inside, but it looked heavy.

The man placed the large sack on the ground after entering the shop and smiled when he saw Brother Chang. He called out, “Brother Chang.”

Curious, Brother Chang turned his head. No customer had ever entered and directly called him by his name. As he looked, his eyes widened in astonishment, and he exclaimed, “Dahe?!”

“Yeah,” Dahe nodded and smiled, asking, “Big Brother Yu and Brother Le here?”

“They are, they are. Let me take you to them,” Brother Chang nodded with a smile, walking and saying, “I heard from Brother Le that you went to work on a boat. How have you been during these past six months? Did you get to visit many places on the boat?”

Since last year, Dahe left home and nobody has seen him since. At this moment, upon hearing the voice of Brother Chang, the other comrades also looked over curiously, and sure enough, it was Dahe. Everyone greeted him one after another.

“Dahe! Long time no see!”

“Dahe, hey, why did you get even darker?”

“Dahe!”

“…”

Dahe picked up a sack and waved to the villagers busy over there, replying to their greetings. Then he turned to Brother Chang and said, “Not bad, I’ve been to both the north and the south, and every place is different. I’ve gained a lot of knowledge.”

Saying that, the two of them arrived at the kitchen door. Brother Le, who heard the voices outside, had already walked to the door and joyfully greeted Dahe with his flour-covered hand.

Upon seeing Brother Le, Dahe’s eyes softened, and he smiled warmly, calling out, “Brother Le, long time no see.”

Brother Le nodded with a smile.

Behind them, Brother Chang’s mother also came to the door and greeted Dahe with a smile, “Dahe, welcome back!”

Dahe nodded and called out, “Uncle Mo.”

Brother Chang’s mother responded with a nod and said, “It’s good to have you back.”

Brother Le pointed to the backyard and gestured to Brother Chang, indicating him to take Dahe to sit in the courtyard.

Brother Chang nodded and said to Dahe, “Let’s go to the backyard, there are tables and chairs there, and it’s cool.”

Dahe followed Brother Chang to the backyard.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

In the backyard, Yu Qingze was settling the accounts with somone who had come to deliver coal balls. When he saw Dahe and Brother Chang entering the backyard, he exclaimed in surprise, “Dahe? You’re back?”

Dahe walked to the osmanthus tree, set down the sack, and called out, “Brother Yu.”

Yu Qingze bid farewell to the delivery person and quickly walked over, pointing to a stone stool, saying, “Have a seat and let’s talk. When did you come back?”

“Just got off the ship. I came to see you all.” Dahe sat down and replied.

“Just got off the ship? Have you had lunch?” Upon hearing that he had just arrived, Yu Qingze turned to Brother Chang and said, “Brother Chang, please bring some dim sum and tea.”

“Sure.” Brother Chang readily agreed and then said to Dahe, “You sit here, I’ll bring some snacks for you to try.”

Dahe smiled warmly and said, “Brother Yu, Brother Chang, there’s no need to go through so much trouble.”

“It’s okay, just have some. You’ve been running around on the ship, working hard.” Yu Qingze said.

As Brother Chang turned around, Brother Le had already washed his hands and brought a tray of dim sum and tea.

“Brother Le is here. Dahe, I have to go back to work now. There are still customers ahead. I’ll talk to you later after I’m done.” Seeing that Brother Le had brought the dim sum and tea, Brother Chang greeted Dahe and went back to work. It’s still during working hours, so it’s not good to be away for too long.

“Alright. Go ahead with your work.” Dahe replied.

Brother Chang went back to the main hall to continue his tasks.

Brother Le placed the tray down and poured a cup of water for Dahe from the teapot, handing it to him.

“Thank you, Brother Le, I can handle it myself.” Dahe quickly reached out to take the teacup, accidentally brushing his fingers against Brother Le’s. He hurriedly placed the teacup on the table, lowered his head, and placed his hands under the stone table, rubbing them gently.

Yu Qingze noticed the situation and took three plates of snacks from the tray, placing them on the table. He said, “Dahe, have a taste. You probably couldn’t enjoy these on the ship.”

After finishing the snacks, Yu Qingze placed an empty bowl and a pair of chopsticks in front of Dahe. He turned to Brother Le and said, “Wife, go and bring a few plates of spare ribs and chicken feet, also bring a bottle of osmanthus wine. Get a set of bowls and chopsticks for me as well. Dahe and I will have a couple of drinks and have a good chat.”

Brother Le nodded and got up to leave.

Wife? Upon hearing Yu Qingze calling Brother Le “wife,” Dahe clenched his fist and looked up, asking, “…Brother Yu, Brother Le, are you two married?”

Brother Le nodded with a smile and then turned to the kitchen.

Seeing Dahe’s desolate expression as he watched Brother Le’s back, Yu Qingze sighed softly in his heart. He then pretended to be oblivious, smiling as he replied, “We got married exactly a month ago. If you had returned one month earlier, you could have had a celebratory drink with us.”

Upon hearing this, Dahe snapped back to reality, his eyes flickering. He forcefully pinched his thigh.

The pain in his leg brought Dahe back to his senses. He kept reminding himself that Brother Le was already married, and he had already decided to bless him and Yu Qingze, hadn’t he? He had already decided to let go, hadn’t he? Don’t stare at him, don’t show any abnormality. He mustn’t let Yu Qingze notice his feelings for Brother Le…

He forced a smile, pulling up the corners of his mouth, and said, “Congratulations to you both! Look at me, I didn’t prepare any gifts. I’ll make it up by getting something for you tomorrow.”

“No need to be so polite. Come, have a taste first,” Yu Qingze smiled and said, then changed the subject, asking, “During these past few months, which places did you visit with the ship? Did you go directly to the sea for shipping, or did you take the Grand Canal route?”

Dahe took a sip of tea, ate a meatball, and then replied, “Both. I’ve made three trips in total. Usually, it takes about two months for a round trip, and three months for longer journeys. I’ve been to both the north and the south, and I’ve gained a lot of experience. I even went back to the village during the Chinese New Year to take a quick look.”

“You’re back. Why didn’t you come find us?” Yu Qingze asked.

Dahe scratched his head and answered, “I was afraid of being seen by my father and the others, so I didn’t show up. But seeing everyone now, I feel relieved.”

“I see,” Yu Qingze understood and continued asking, “What kind of cargo do you mainly transport on the ship?”

“We transport various types of cargo, depending on the orders received from the boss. Sometimes it’s transporting silk and fabrics from the south to the north, and other times it’s transporting furs and other goods from the north to the south…” As he spoke, Dahe began to tell Yu Qingze about his experiences while working on the ship.

After spending several months running the ship, Dahe had gotten even darker in complexion, but along with the deepening of his skin tone, his knowledge and experiences had also increased. With this newfound knowledge, his personality had undergone noticeable changes, becoming more cheerful and talkative.

After bringing the snacks over, Brother Le also sat beside the stone table and listened to him. Yu Qingze’s understanding of foreign countries was limited, so he listened attentively and occasionally asked questions.

The three of them ate and chatted, continuing their conversation until closing time.

“I even saw foreigners!” Dahe exclaimed excitedly.

Brother Le widened his eyes and gestured, “What kind of foreigners?”

Yu Qingze, of course, knew about foreigners and helped Brother Le ask, “What kind of foreigners?” Are they similar to the foreigners in his previous life?

Dahe replied, “They had golden and brown hair, blue eyes, high noses, very fair skin, and tall stature. They also spoke differently from us. And there was his servant, who had large eyes, very dark skin, even darker than mine, and curly hair. He had a lot of facial hair, covering his entire chin!”

Brother Le’s mouth dropped open upon hearing this, and Yu Qingze also showed surprise, asking, “There are people like that too?”

“Yes, it was the first time I saw such people. They said they all came from across the ocean, so they are called foreigners. I heard that there are even more than just those with golden hair and dark skin. In distant places, after crossing the sea, there are many people from other countries who look different from us,” Dahe nodded, expressing his amazement.

“I see!” Yu Qingze exclaimed. Based on the description, he couldn’t tell if they were “Americans” or “Europeans” in this world.

“By the way, Big Brother Yu, Brother Le, I brought something for you,” Dahe said.

Dahe put down his chopsticks and brought over a large hemp bag that was placed by the tree. He untied the grass rope on the bag while saying, “This time I went to the northern region, and I saw a new thing among the people there that we don’t have here. They call it ‘ground eggs.’ They say it was brought by the foreigners. In the state near the capital, they have been growing it for a year, and it’s just harvested. It’s said to have a high yield, allowing many families who couldn’t eat enough during winter to have enough food for the season. I tried it, and it tasted pretty good, so I brought back a bag.”

“Oh? Ground eggs? What are they?” Yu Qingze’s interest was piqued. It sounded somewhat familiar.

“They are about the size of a child’s fist, long like sweet potatoes, with yellow skin. You’ll see them soon,” Dahe said, struggling with the tight grass rope. Unable to loosen it with his fingers, he resorted to biting it with his teeth.

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingze felt that it sounded somewhat similar to potatoes.

“I’ll go get scissors,” Yu Qingze said. Seeing that Dahe couldn’t untie the grass rope, he went to the room and fetched a pair of scissors. With a snip-snapping sound, he cut the rope.

With the rope undone, Dahe opened the mouth of the hemp bag, and Yu Qingze and Brother Le looked on curiously.

Yu Qingze: …It really is potatoes!

His eyes gleamed with excitement. This was a great find! If successful in cultivation, it could solve the problem of many impoverished families not having enough to eat.

Brother Le picked up one of the potatoes and looked at it curiously.

“Hmm, why is it sprouting?” Dahe scratched his head, looking at the potatoes in the bag that had already sprouted. He took out some more and checked their bottoms, which were also sprouting. He worriedly said, “They were fine when I bought them. I didn’t expect them to sprout within just a month. I wonder if they are still edible.”

“They’re not edible!” Yu Qingze immediately said. Sprouted potatoes are poisonous and should not be eaten.

Dahe looked puzzled. “They’re not edible? That’s a pity. I wanted to bring them back for you to try.”

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “No problem, I’ve seen these things before. We can just plant them in the ground. Did you ask the person you bought them from how to plant them?”

Yu Qingze could easily come up with a dozen or twenty ways to cook potatoes, but when it came to planting them, he was stumped.

“Just bury them in the soil, fertilize them with manure, and see if they grow naturally?” he wondered.

Dahe scratched his head and said, “I didn’t ask in detail. They just casually mentioned that you can bury these potatoes in the soil, and that’s it. No need to cut vines and replant like sweet potatoes.”

“Then let’s give it a try. Since they’ve already sprouted, it would be a waste not to plant them,” Yu Qingze suggested. However, he was unsure if they could grow in the summer, as he knew that potatoes were usually harvested in winter. He felt a bit concerned.

“Alright, let’s give it a try. If it doesn’t work out, it’s fine. I can bring some more next time,” Dahe said as he packed the potatoes back into the bag.

“Speaking of which, Dahe, you’ve seen a lot of things while traveling on the ship. I’d like to ask for your help in purchasing some items for me.”

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Thandar: I thought they already had potatoes since they already had sweet potatoes. Lol I’m a dummy when it comes to farming and stuff like that.

Recruiting Apprentices

Lord Cai was busy with government affairs and stayed in Tongshan City for a few days. Taking the opportunity, he inspected the local administration before returning to Yunzhou.

Jiabao’s name on his household registration was restored to his original name. However, everyone still preferred to call him Jiabao as it sounded more affectionate. He had grown accustomed to this name, so everyone took it as his nickname.

By acknowledging Lord Cai as his adoptive father, Jiabao gained an additional family. He now had a grandfather, Lao Mo, Yifu (adoptive father), an older brother, and a younger brother. Cai Yunwei, his younger brother, was one month younger than him.

After a period of adjustment and with the care and companionship of everyone, Jiabao’s smile gradually returned to his face. He wasn’t alone anymore; he had many people who cared for him and cherished him. He felt their support and had no reason not to regain his spirits.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

The days are not much different from before, except that Lord Cai and his wife, as well as Cai Yunwei, come to the snack shop more frequently.

“Brother, let me handle the payment for you!” Cai Yunwei just finished breakfast and bounced to the counter, enthusiastically offering to help his elder brother. “I can do math too.”

Seeing Cai Yunwei about to get an abacus, Jiabao quickly said, “Yunwei, you talk to Grandpa and Lao mo. I can handle things here.”

“No problem, they’ll take a while to finish eating. You calculate one, I’ll calculate one, and we’ll be done quickly, right?” Cai Yunwei said cheerfully, then turned to another customer behind him and said, “Sir, can I handle your payment?”

That customer was a regular and often saw Cai Yunwei at the snack shop. He smiled and said, “How can I dare to trouble Young Master Cai? I can wait for a while.”

Cai Yunwei’s health improved, and he was no longer sickly and sluggish. He had become more lively in personality. He smiled and said, “There’s no need to hesitate. By helping my elder brother, I can make sure you have your breakfast earlier. Isn’t that great?”

After considering for a moment and seeing that Cai Yunwei had no intention of causing offense, the customer replied, “Alright, then I’ll trouble Young Master Cai.”

Cai Yunwei took the bamboo token from the tray and said to the person, “Sir, you got it wrong. I’m currently the third in my family. This is my elder brother.” As he said that, he casually put his arm on Jiabao’s shoulder, showing their close relationship.

The customer was surprised and asked, “Is that so? What’s going on with you guys?” He was still trying to wrap his head around the situation.

Cai Yunwei happily replied, “My father recognized him as his adoptive son, so he’s my elder brother now.”

“Oh… I see! I underestimated it.” The customer looked at Jiabao, unable to fathom why Lord Cai would recognize this young man as his adoptive son. Wasn’t he just a little helper at the snack shop?

“Here you go, sir, a total of twenty-eight wen.” Cai Yunwei was skilled with the abacus and quickly calculated the bill while speaking.

Jiabao had been watching him calculate the whole time and felt relieved when he saw that he hadn’t made any mistakes.

“Do you think we’re getting faster like this?” Cai Yunwei smiled and asked Jiabao.

Jiabao nodded, and the two young men proceeded to settle the bill together.

Old Madam Cai looked at his increasingly lively grandson and said to Old Master Cai, “Look, even Wei’er can help people now.”

Old Master Cai nodded and said, “I agree. We can hire a tutor for him.”

Old Madam Cai gave his spouse a sideways glance and said, “He has just recovered his health, and he’s finally in good spirits. Now you’re already thinking about causing trouble!”

Old Master Cai became dissatisfied and said, “What do you mean by causing trouble? I’m thinking for Wei’er’s sake. Previously, due to his poor health, we could only hire one tutor to teach him the basics. He’s already several years behind other children from prominent families. Don’t forget, when Xi’er was his age, he was already a scholar.”

Old Madam Cai paused for a moment, feeling somewhat helpless, and said, “I don’t care. At least until Wei’er fully recovers, we can’t push him too hard. And he has to agree to it himself!”

Old Master Cai glared and said, “Aren’t you afraid that if Wei’er doesn’t achieve anything in the future, Wenyi will blame you? You weren’t so lenient with Wenyi before.”

Old Madam Cai shrugged and said, “I think it’s fine not to hold an official position. Just look at Fu Lei. If he hadn’t pursued an official career, their family would still be doing well now.”

“…,” Old Master Cai couldn’t argue with his wife anymore and sighed, “Ah, forget it, I’ll ask Wei’er about it later.”

Two days later, when Old Madam Cai and the others came over in the morning, they didn’t see Cai Yunwei. Jiabao curiously asked about it. Old Madam Cai didn’t answer, but Old Master Cai smiled and said that they had found a tutor for Cai Yunwei, so he was busy and couldn’t come.

Jiabao nodded, murmured an acknowledgment, smiled, and didn’t ask further.

Meanwhile, Yu Qingze, Chang Le, and Grandpa Chang discussed for two days and decided to select two apprentices from the helpers to learn making dim sum. They didn’t have the resources to train apprentices in cooking at the moment, so they had to postpone it.

After observing them for several months, the selected helpers had good character and were hardworking, deserving of proper training.

That day, after closing the shop, Yu Qingze discussed the matter with everyone during the meeting.

“Everyone, you’ve all worked hard in the past six months! Thanks to everyone’s joint efforts, our snack shop has been getting better and better. Now, with the increasing number of customers, I have more and more things to handle. So, in the kitchen, I plan to find two apprentices to teach them how to make pastries. In the future, Brother Chang and his mother will be in charge of the kitchen together.”

Upon hearing this, the staff became excited. It was a great opportunity! Now, the whole Tongshan City knows that Yu’s food is delicious. If they could learn the craft, they would master a valuable skill.

“Boss Yu, what kind of apprentices are you looking for? Any specific requirements?” asked Brother Qing.

“Yeah, we’re all willing to learn. But if it’s only two people, tell us what kind of requirements you have,” they said.

Yu Qingze replied, “Let me make it clear first. The work in the kitchen is extremely demanding. You have to wake up twice in the middle of the night when the rooster crows, and there are various tasks to handle. Currently, we have over thirty different types of items on our menu, including ones we have previously introduced but are not currently selling. Each one has a different recipe, and the apprentices need to learn them all. Once they have mastered everything and meet my requirements, I will promote them to the position of dim sum chef, and their wages will also increase.”

As they listened, everyone started to calculate in their minds, considering whether they could endure this hardship, especially having to wake up in the middle of the night.

Yu Qingze continued, “There are three main requirements. First, you need to have good physical stamina and strength. Many of the recipes require kneading dough. Currently, most of the dough kneading tasks are done by Brother Le because he has the strength for it. But for us, it’s important. Brother Le won’t be helping in the kitchen indefinitely, so before you sign up, you need to think carefully about whether you have the physical stamina and strength for kneading dough.”

Upon hearing this, the expressions on everyone’s faces became serious. Several individuals felt disappointed, as these conditions clearly favored men.

After observing their expressions, Yu Qingze continued, “Second, you need to be able to endure hardship and be diligent. I don’t need to explain this; I believe you all understand. Third, you need to be able to live in the shop. This can be considered a benefit because traveling back and forth is very tiring. We have two small rooms in the shop, which can accommodate four people. Both dim sum chefs will be living in the shop. That’s about it. You can think about it today, and if you’re interested, come and register with me tomorrow. The registration deadline is three days from now, and I will select two individuals to start training. Do any of you have any questions or anything you don’t understand?”

Everyone looked at each other, and after a while, Tie Zhu asked, “Boss Yu, I have the strength and the willingness to learn, and I can endure hardship. However, I have never made dim sum before, and I’m afraid I might be too clumsy and my hands might not be nimble enough to create such beautiful decorations. Can I still do it?”

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter. It was true that these dim sum had an attractive appearance, and the intricate decorations were pleasing to the eye. Skill in handiwork was indeed important.

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “Learning a few things won’t be a problem. When I first started learning to make dim sum, my dumplings didn’t look good either. But after learning some techniques and practicing more, it improved. So, don’t worry about it.”

Tie Zhu scratched the back of his head and said, “In that case, I’m fine. I want to sign up.”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “Good, I got it. Does anyone else have any questions?”

“Alright, if there are no further questions, we’ll end here for today. Everyone, tidy up and go back.”

In the evening, after Yu Qingze and Chang Le lovingly spent some time together, they lay on the bed and chatted. Sometimes they discussed their feelings about the “Harmonious Activities” and tried to improve each other, while other times they talked about various matters, both related to the shop and their home.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

While massaging his wife, Yu Qingze asked, “Darling, were you satisfied just now? How did that position feel?”

Brother Le nodded and gestured, indicating that he was satisfied but a little tired.

Yu Qingze kissed the ear beside his mouth and said, “Then we’ll try a new one tomorrow. You can pick one from the small album we brought here on our wedding night.” Yu Qingze had brought the booklet of various positions to the shop and was enthusiastic about exploring new poses.

Brother Le found it enjoyable and had become more daring, cooperating willingly. He nodded and gestured, indicating that they should return home in a few days.

“What’s wrong? Is something the matter?” Yu Qingze asked.

Brother Le nodded and gestured, saying that Xiao Hao’s birthday was on April 29th.

Yu Qingze looked up and asked, “Xiao Hao’s birthday? That’s in just five days. We should think about what gift to give him. How have you celebrated in previous years? What kind of gifts did you give him?”

Brother Le gestured, explaining that they would usually buy some meat and have a meal together. In the past, their conditions were not good, so they couldn’t afford expensive gifts.

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingze said, “Then let’s celebrate his birthday properly this year.”

The next morning, when they arrived at work, two other men in the shop, Xiaoshu and Er Niu, came to Yu Qingze to sign up.

After discussing with their families, they all felt that they shouldn’t miss this opportunity and decided to go for it.

Yu Qingze also preferred having more men on the team as the work was quite strenuous for Brother Le.

Since there were three candidates, Yu Qingze decided to conduct a simple interview, allowing each of them to introduce themselves and talk about their strengths and weaknesses.

After speaking with the three of them, Yu Qingze decided to hire Tie Zhu and Er Niu as apprentices since they had a more steady and reliable personality. Xiaoshu, who had a quick mind, would continue with his previous duties of taking orders. Yu Qingze planned to train him towards becoming a restaurant manager, as they planned to open a restaurant in the future.

With the apprenticeship settled, Yu Qingze immediately hired two more helpers and assigned them to Brother Le. Then he began teaching the apprentices how to make dim sum.

On the day before Xiao Hao’s birthday, someone unexpected returned.

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Thandar: Who is it? Who could it be?

After discussing the funeral arrangements with Lord Cai and making some arrangements with the steward, they agreed to meet in Niutou Village the next day. Jiabao and Yu Qingze then bid farewell and declined the invitation to have dinner with the Cai family.

After leaving the Cai residence, Yu Qingze took Jiabao to find someone to carve a new tombstone in a hurry. They requested it to be completed within two days. They also purchased a coffin and arranged for it to be delivered to Niutou Village the following day.

Afterward, they returned to the shop together.

By this time, it was already evening, and the snack shop had closed. Brother Chang and the other employees, concerned about Jiabao, hadn’t gone home and were waiting together in the shop.

Yu Qingze explained the situation to everyone, although not in great detail. He simply mentioned that Jiabao’s father used to be a minister of the Ministry of Revenue, who was falsely accused and imprisoned but was finally cleared of all charges, only to pass away tragically.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Upon hearing this, everyone comforted Jiabao and then they all went home together.

As they needed to organize the funeral, Yu Qingze decided to close the snack shop for a rest period of seven days.

After returning home, Jiabao held onto his father’s urn tightly. He barely touched his dinner and went straight to his room.

Seeing the concerned looks from Yu Qingze and the others, Jiabao reassured them, saying, “Big brother, I’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

“Remember to come find me if you need anything. Go on.” Yu Qingze sighed, patted his head, and let him go.

Once Jiabao had returned to his room, Yu Qingze explained the details of the situation to Grandpa Chang, Le, and Chang Hao, and asked Chang Hao to keep an eye on Jiabao during the evening and to inform them immediately if anything happened.

Chang Hao nodded, quickly finished his chores, and went back to his room to rest.

With the assistance of the Cai family, the funeral went much smoother.

Villagers came to offer their condolences upon learning that it was the funeral of Jiabao’s high-ranking father. Some dignitaries from the city also got wind of the news and sent representatives to pay their respects.

Five days later, Jiabao’s father’s ashes were buried together with his mother.

Yu Qingze and the Cai family worked together to renovate the cemetery, creating a small graveyard that deeply moved Jiabao.

After the funeral, Lord Cai, accompanied by Yu Qingze and Jiabao, returned to Niutou Village. Lord Cai looked at Jiabao and asked, “Yuer, now that your father has been proven innocent, you can go back to your original household registration. The current one can be discarded.”

These alternative household registrations were originally a temporary measure taken by Fu Lei to protect his family and were not in accordance with the law.

Jiabao nodded.

Lord Cai continued, “In the capital city, the house allocated to your family by the court was taken back, but your father still has a small private courtyard. It was initially registered as a public property, but I have already submitted a request to the court for its return to your family. I believe there will be news about it soon.”

Jiabao expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you, sir.”

Lord Cai continued, “Your father was a good friend of mine for many years. I’m older than him by a few years, and now that he’s no longer with us, Yu’er, I would like to formally adopt you as my godson. Would you be willing to accept me as your godfather?”

Jiabao looked up in surprise. He hadn’t expected Lord Cai to propose such a thing. He turned to look at Yu Qingze.

Yu Qingze was also taken aback, but he gently touched Jiabao’s head and said, “It’s up to you to decide based on what you feel in your heart.” Having one more person caring for Jiabao would be a good thing.

Jiabao thought for a moment and then said, “I… I’m willing.”

Lord Cai was pleased to hear this and said, “Very well, then tomorrow let’s have a ceremony at the Cai residence to formalize our relationship. Do you want a larger gathering with more people or a quieter and more intimate affair?”

Jiabao shook his head and said somewhat sheepishly, “There’s no need to go through the trouble of hosting a banquet just for me. It can be just us, the family.”

“Alright, that works. I’ll have the house staff prepare accordingly,” Lord Cai happily agreed.

Old Madam Cai and the others were also delighted and held Jiabao’s hand, suggesting, “Why don’t you stay at the mansion tonight? That way, you won’t have to travel again tomorrow.”

Jiabao shook his head and said, “Old Madam, tomorrow I’ll just go with Big Brother and the others.”

“Don’t call me Old Madam, call me Lao Mo,” Old Madam Cai said.

Jiabao paused for a moment and obediently called out, “Lao Mo.”

(T/N: The term “Lao” (老) means “old” or “elder” in Chinese, and “Mo” (么) is a diminutive suffix. So, “Lao Mo” can be understood as “little elder” in a friendly and endearing manner. It is often used within close relationships to show familiarity and affection.)

“Ah!” Old Madam Cai happily responded and casually took off the bracelet from his wrist and handed it to Jiabao, saying, “I don’t have anything valuable on me today, so take this for now. Tomorrow, I’ll prepare something better for you.”

Jiabao quickly refused, saying, “Lao Mo, this is too precious…”

“Just take it. If you don’t accept it, Lao Mo will get angry.”

“…” Jiabao had no choice but to accept it.

Old Master Cai didn’t want to be outdone and said, “And me, don’t forget about me.”

“…” Jiabao called out, “Grandfather.”

“Ah, good grandson!” Old Master Cai patted Jiabao’s head and also took off the jade pendant from his body and placed it into Jiabao’s hand.

“…”

Lord Cai laughed as he watched Jiabao, not saying anything, but his meaning was clear. Jiabao was already calling his parents Lao Mo and Grandfather, but they hadn’t called him Yifu (adoptive father) yet.

“…” Jiabao then said, “Yifu.”

“Ah.” Lord Cai happily responded, and then said, “I’ll give you another gift tomorrow.”

Yu Qingze and Brother Le watched, suppressing their laughter.

Lord Cai continued, “By the way, I heard from Xiao Yu that your mother has been teaching you how to read and recognize characters, and you’re smart. How about I send you to a private school? You can start learning now, and by the age of 20, you can take the imperial examination.”

Upon hearing this, Jiabao shook his head and said, “I don’t want to take the imperial examination, so I don’t need to go to school. Being able to read is enough. I want to learn business with Big Brother and make a living. My mother said she hopes I can have a peaceful life, and I feel the same way.”

Lord Cai furrowed his brow upon hearing this and asked, “You don’t want to take the imperial examination? You don’t want to attend school?”

Jiabao nodded and said, “I enjoy making dim sum and cooking with Big Brother and earning money. My mother wished for me to lead a simple life, and I share the same sentiment.”

Lord Cai fell into silence for a while, thinking about Fu Lei. He sighed and said, “Very well. Go and do what you enjoy.” After all, as long as he was in Yunzhou, he would protect him.

Jiabao nodded and said, “Thank you, Yifu.”

The next day, Yu Qingze brought the entire family to Cai’s residence.

Jiabao kowtowed to Lord Cai, served tea, and called him Yifu (adoptive father). Lord Cai accepted the tea of recognition and presented a gift to Jiabao. The ceremony of recognition was thus completed.

To celebrate this joyous occasion, Yu Qingze personally cooked a table full of delicious dishes, and both families happily enjoyed the recognition feast together.

The following day, Lord Cai personally accompanied Yu Qingze and Jiabao to the county government office to have Jiabao’s household registration transferred to Niutou Village, merging it with Yu Qingze’s household registration.

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Choice

This question is one that Jiabao is very curious about as well.

In the past, he only heard from his mother that his father was falsely accused by bad people and imprisoned, their house was ransacked, the household servants were dispersed, and he, his mother, and his younger brother were expelled from the capital, becoming homeless.

His younger brother’s health collapsed due to the overwhelming shock he experienced. However, they couldn’t dare to stay in the capital any longer, fearing that his father’s political enemies would come after them. So, they had no choice but to go to the residence his father had prepared for them. On the way, his younger brother couldn’t hold on and passed away.

Jiabao’s mother never mentioned why his father was imprisoned or who framed him. Perhaps he didn’t know either, or maybe he knew but chose not to tell him.

Jiabao held his father’s ashes in his hands, looking at Lord Cai, waiting for him to reveal the truth.

Lord Cai organized his thoughts and then said, “Fu Lei has always been upright and discontented with the corruption and tyranny of the previous dynasty. He never took the imperial examination. After the Great Rebellion, the talent pool was depleted. At that time, the current emperor ordered the imperial examination to be held to select talented individuals. It was then that Fu Lei participated in the imperial examination.”

“At that time, the war had just subsided, and the new dynasty had just been established. The common people were displaced, and production came to a halt. During the palace examination, he wrote about his ideas and strategies in response to the current situation. Fu Lei had long been concerned about the livelihood and production of the people. His ideas in this regard were very bold, and the feasibility of the measures he proposed was also very high. The current emperor was extremely impressed with his ideas and appointed him as the top scholar, specially assigning him to the Ministry of Household Affairs and instructing him to come up with even more effective plans and measures.”

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Afterwards, the series of measures he proposed regarding the settlement of refugees, household registration, land issues, and so on, were all implemented. Many of our current household registration systems and land regulations were proposed by him back then. Two years later, due to his outstanding performance, he was promoted to the position of Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Household.”

Yu Qingze and Jiabao listened attentively. The young boy was amazed to learn how capable his father had been, and he instinctively held the urn containing his father’s ashes tightly in his arms.

However, Yu Qingze couldn’t help but furrow his brow. Fu Lei was obviously a talented person, and his abilities were beneficial to both the country and the people. But someone like him was also prone to attracting various forms of jealousy and resentment within the court.

“He received the emperor’s favor in his career. That year, his eldest son was also born, and it was the happiest time for him. He named the child Jiayu, which means a bright and promising future. He believed that our future life would be as splendid as his son’s name,” said Lord Cai, pausing for a moment, a hint of a smile on his face as if recalling those times.

Then, he restrained his smile and continued, “However, after he became the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Household, his power increased significantly. This hindered the path to wealth for some people, including the two currently imprisoned. Those people tried to win him over, but he firmly rejected them with righteous words. After that, he started receiving threatening messages for a period of time.”

“Most of those people were officials who had contributed to the Emperor’s ascension but were later corrupted by power and money. Later on, the Prime Minister received a secret order from the Emperor to eradicate the worms within the court and eliminate the root causes of decay. The Prime Minister contacted Fu Lei and asked him to secretly gather evidence against those people. Fu Lei willingly agreed.”

“After a year, during a disaster relief effort, Fu Lei was accidentally discovered collecting evidence by the opposing party. Those people then schemed to falsely accuse Fu Lei of embezzling the relief funds. They had planned it meticulously, and the Prime Minister couldn’t find enough evidence to prove his innocence. Fu Lei was thrown into the prison of the Ministry of Justice. The Prime Minister’s men couldn’t save him, so they found ways to spare his family from exile, but they were only expelled from the capital city.”

“After that, the opposing party became even more cautious. It took us until now to gather enough evidence to expose them all. Unfortunately, the prison was under their control, and our people couldn’t arrange to get in. Fu Lei spent too long in the dungeon, and his body was completely ruined by the opposing party. In the end, he couldn’t hold on. After proving his innocence in the court and being released from prison, he only had time to write a letter to you, telling me about your possible whereabouts, and then he… went away.”

At this point, Lord Cai, this resolute man, was already choked with tears, wiping his eyes.

Jiabao, who had learned the truth, burst into tears again.

Yu Qingze didn’t know how to console him, so he gently patted his back.

The entire room was immersed in this atmosphere of sadness.

After a while, Lord Cai regained his composure and asked Jiabao, “Jiabao, no, Yu’er, where is your mother buried?”

(T/N: In Chinese culture, adding “er” (儿) after someone’s name is a common practice in certain regions, particularly in northern China. It is a form of endearment or affectionate nickname. The “er” (儿) suffix does not change the meaning of the name itself but rather adds a sense of familiarity or closeness. It is often used to address or refer to someone in an informal and friendly manner.)

Jiabao wiped his tears and sobbed, “At Wudao Slope outside the city to the west.”

“How do you plan to arrange your father’s ashes?”

Jiabao touched the ebony box and lowered his gaze as he answered, “Mother really missed father. He wanted them to be buried together, so they can be reunited.”

Upon hearing these words, a wave of bitterness swept through the hearts of everyone present. Lord Cai had even wetted his handkerchief with tears.

Jiabao looked at his father’s urn and then raised his head to look at Yu Qingze. He asked, “Big brother, I want to set up a new tombstone for mother. Can I borrow some money from you?”

Yu Qingze touched his head and said, “I’m your big brother, don’t treat me as a stranger. We’ll go find someone later to carve a new one.”

During the Qingming Festival previously, Yu Qingze and Jiabao went to Wudao Slope to pay their respects at the gravesite. Yu Qingze noticed that there was only a wooden sign in front of his mother’s grave, with the words “The Grave of the Yan Family” roughly carved on it. It was obvious that Jiabao had found a piece of wood and carved it himself.

At that time, he asked Jiabao if he wanted to set up a new tombstone, but Jiabao said there was no need. Now, Yu Qingze understood. Jiabao’s mother, Yuan Xin, was not from the “Yan” family, so there was no need to erect a new tombstone.

Now that Jiabao’s father’s name has been cleared, and they no longer need to live in hiding, nor will anyone be able to threaten them anymore, it is only natural to set up a new tombstone for his parents. Not only that, but they should also hold a funeral and perform the necessary rituals.

Yu Qingze added, “We should also hold a funeral for your father and perform the rituals for your mother. We can do it together. I’ll take care of the arrangements.” When Jiabao’s mother passed away, they didn’t hold a funeral and he was buried directly. But now, they had the means to do it properly, and his father deserved the same.

Jiabao shook his head and said, “Big brother, it’s not necessary. I don’t think father and mother would mind.”

“Jiabao, this is for the peace and rest of your father and mother. Trust me, okay?” Yu Qingze insisted.

Lord Cai also chimed in, “Yes, this must be done. Jiabao, listen to your big brother.”

Jiabao looked at Yu Qingze with teary eyes for a while before finally nodding.

Lord Cai also nodded and said, “I’ll have the steward assist you, and the manpower in the mansion will be at your disposal. If you need anything, assign them tasks.”

Yu Qingze expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you, sir. It couldn’t be better than this.”

Jiabao also expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you, sir.”

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