Chapter 299

The youngest Chen son was a troublemaker with a lazy, gluttonous streak. Bringing home a heavily pregnant wife, the two of them demanded to be treated like little emperors.

The workshop had all sorts of chores, and in the heat, neglecting even a little invited flies and ants. Lu Sanfeng had to manage the household, cook, and wash clothes—there was no spare time.

The eldest’s wife hadn’t married yet, so letting the youngest marry first would surely provoke tantrums. This meant the two older adults had to cater to two little “sovereigns.”

And the tofu pricing…

Old Man Chen probably realized it was Lu Yang, but hadn’t figured out when to switch the marriage, or how to get the Xie and Li families’ approval—yet the marriage had already changed.

Officers occasionally visited the shop; it wasn’t a secret. Lu Liu didn’t recognize them.

Lu Yang decided to wait a while longer. When the Chen household reached a breaking point, he would speak with Old Man Chen.

He took the blanched tofu cubes, heated oil in the pan, and prepared to make mapo tofu.

He explained to Pomegranate: “This dish isn’t about breaking everything down—the smaller the better. You haven’t been to restaurants, so you might not know. The ‘minced’ part is meat, garlic, chili, and other seasoning. The tofu stays whole. Soft tofu can’t endure much flipping, so stir as little as possible—think of it like stewing.”

The tofu was blanched and set aside. Oil went into the pan, then minced meat, garlic, and chili were sautéed with seasoning. A cup of water was added, then the tofu, to simmer. Usually, a starch thickener would be added, but starch was expensive, only used in restaurants. At home, it wasn’t necessary. Lu Yang had tried egg mixture before—it worked well, even without pouring it over.

Two blocks of tofu yielded two large dishes. Lu Yang served one bowl to the neighbor, Boss Ding.

Boss Ding smiled and took the tofu, tasting a bit first. He was generous with compliments. “Master Lu, you could open a big restaurant someday!”

Lu Yang grinned. “A good cook doesn’t make a good owner.”

Boss Ding laughed: “A good owner can be a good cook.”

Lu Yang chuckled for a while. “Old brother, stop praising me. Every compliment makes me float out the door!”

The tofu turned out delicious. The next day, Lu Yang got up early, sent Pomegranate to buy three tofu blocks, and went to the grocery for starch.

They usually used sweet potato or wheat starch—he bought sweet potato starch. Morning business done, he cooked the tofu quickly, leaving one bowl each for Pomegranate and Ginkgo. He carried a portion home for his mother and kept it for lunch.

The remainder went to the school, where Xie Yan and Wu Pingzhi shared it.

The family’s top scholar followed instructions, so he didn’t visit the shop at noon.

After a few busy days, Lu Yang still missed the company. Using mapo tofu as an excuse, he came to visit.

Xie Yan was delighted!

The gatekeeper passed a message, and he ran straight out, grabbing a food container. He even invited Lu Yang to eat inside.

Lu Yang declined.

The school scholars were proper and formal—he could visit Xie Yan, but not enter the study hall.

Xie Yan remembered a small garden with a pavilion at the school—they could eat there.

He insisted Lu Yang come. “It’s fine, it’s just a private school, not the county academy. I get along well here; no one will say anything.”

Lu Yang replied, “I brought only two sets of bowls and chopsticks; you and the God of Wealth eat.”

Xie Yan decided for Wu Pingzhi: “He has food; we eat. I’ll bring him something else tomorrow.”

His social instincts were… disastrous.

Lu Yang rubbed his forehead. “I knew you’d do this, so I brought three sets of bowls.”

Xie Yan wasn’t happy.

This made Wu Pingzhi’s presence unavoidable. Why would he come when Xie Yan was eating with Lu Yang?

Sigh.

He led Lu Yang to the garden pavilion, had the gatekeeper invite Wu Pingzhi to join.

He trusted Wu Pingzhi’s cleverness—surely he wouldn’t come.

Yet Wu Pingzhi did.

Xie Yan stared, speechless for a moment.

Lu Yang brought out the dishes, served rice.

The mapo tofu was perfectly coated in sauce, the presentation enticing.

Plenty of tofu meant plenty of accompaniments, minced meat and chili simmered into the sauce—each scoop flavorful.

At lunch, half a bowl of rice mixed with a scoop of tofu made for a hearty meal.

Lu Yang also brewed some Maojian tea for them.

Seeing Wu Pingzhi eat with gusto, Xie Yan quieted, focusing on eating.

He still wanted to talk to Lu Yang, no matter if Wu Pingzhi was present.

“Why did you think of bringing me lunch in this heat?” he asked.

Lu Yang, knowing the answer he wanted, replied sweetly: “Because I know you care, you think of me—I came to see you. Are you happy?”

Xie Yan beamed. “Yes! But you’re right, it’s too hot. Don’t come next time; I’ll eat at home tonight.”

Wu Pingzhi listened, teeth aching from sweetness, unable to eat.

He looked at Lu Yang: “Really, nothing else?”

Lu Yang truly had no other reason. He just wanted to see Xie Yan and maintain their fragile friendship.

Wu Pingzhi couldn’t finish his meal. “If I knew you were fine, I wouldn’t have come.”

Lu Yang laughed: “Why not? We moved close to the school. I suggested you come over often, yet you didn’t. You felt embarrassed, so I came.”

Wu Pingzhi smiled: “It’s not that I didn’t want to. I really had no time.”

He pointed to the dark circles under his eyes: “I wish I could stuff all my learning in these bags.”

He offered tea to Lu Yang, asking for patience.

“I can’t accompany you on the county trip. We’ll find a young scholar to go with Xie Yan. It’s common for students to have attendants. No problem.”

Lu Yang had never formally studied; Xie Yan’s personality made hiring a young attendant impossible. Wu Pingzhi’s help was ideal.

Mentioning the county and academy, Xie Yan felt a bit down.

Lu Yang added more tofu to his bowl, coaxing him: “If you want, I can go with you.”

Xie Yan’s heart said yes, but reason said no.

The journey was long and rough. After arranging his mother at home, he couldn’t drag Lu Yang along.

After the meal, Wu Pingzhi returned to the study hall to read and nap.

Xie Yan lingered with Lu Yang in the pavilion, chatting idly.

To reassure Lu Yang, he shared more than he usually would:

“A man’s ambition should be outward. Even if our goals align, there’s inside and outside. You have social duties; I have friends. We can’t be together all the time. I understand—your heart is with me, I think of you—that’s like being together daily.”

Lu Yang rested his chin in one hand, eyes on him. “I’ll find time to ease your aches. You’ve been reading and worrying too much, feeling spaced out. Don’t overthink. Sunrise to sunset, everything normal. Do what’s needed when needed. When together, enjoy it fully—studying, making broth, or chatting—I’ll accompany you. When apart, focus. Your scholarly drive? I’m happier if it’s in study. With me, speak plainly. Don’t hide behind reflection, wisdom, or sayings. Just tell me you miss me, and I’ll satisfy that.”

Xie Yan stayed cautious but attentive. He could now distinguish the meanings in context—not joking, he had to be careful. No longer could he lose himself in books alone, ignoring reality.