Yuan Zhao was still young—within a couple of days, he had mostly recovered.
But he kept thinking about the stall. Running it was exhausting, and with Madam Shi managing it alone while caring for two children, he could not put his mind at ease. Even though he was not fully recovered, he still insisted on going out with them.
Having not seen him for a few days, the regular customers all greeted him warmly. Yuan Zhao chatted with them in his hoarse voice, and the customers, feeling a bit sorry for him, ended up buying even more wraps than usual.
His hands moved swiftly, looking fully focused on work, but his thoughts had already drifted to Xiangxiang Restaurant.
He vaguely sensed that something about himself had changed. He had dreamed about Ah Xiang—so close to him in the dream. But once awake, that closeness turned into an awkward discomfort he could not quite adapt to.
The contrast made him uneasy, yet all he could do was sigh to himself.
“I told you you’re not fully recovered. I asked you to rest at home, but you wouldn’t listen,” Madam Shi said, frowning as she looked at his pale face. “Go sit over there. Once I finish this batch, we’ll head home.”
Yuan Zhao did not argue. He obediently went to sit behind the stall, feeling unwell and constantly wanting to sigh.
Yuan Yuan gently patted his head and asked softly, “Brother, are you unhappy? Are we leaving?”
Yuan Yuan had a good memory—something Yuan Zhao considered both his best and worst trait.
Things said long ago, he still remembered clearly. Which meant everything the Yuan family had done to them—he remembered that too.
Yuan Zhao had tried hard to comfort him, but what had happened could not be erased.
“No, we’re not leaving. How could we?” Yuan Zhao said gently. “Brother has already married Ah Xiang—this is our family now. We can’t leave.”
He should apologize first. After all, he was lying.
Yuan Yuan’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“…Really,” Yuan Zhao said.
When the three-year agreement ended, he would no longer be Shi Wuxiang’s husband. Leaving then would not count as breaking a promise.
But thinking about that now was too early. He had actually started worrying about something that had not even happened yet—this was not good.
As he comforted Yuan Yuan, he also comforted himself. Soon, he was energized again and went back to making wraps.
Business at the academy had been good lately. After Li Qingwei’s family suffered a major setback, those who once flattered him no longer did so, and many were willing to buy Yuan Zhao’s wraps instead. After all, if Li Qingwei himself ate them, others naturally felt it was fine too.
From what Yuan Zhao had heard, only financial irregularities had been uncovered. Since it involved taxation, the Li family had paid heavily to settle the matter, losing a large portion of their wealth.
Nothing else had been found. Yuan Zhao suspected they had dealt in “Cold Food Powder,” but as a prominent family in town, they must have hidden it well.
Some smaller merchants had been exposed. According to Cheng Du and the others, not only their academy but others as well had expelled certain students—clearly because they had been found using it.
By midday, business at the academy entrance dried up, and they began packing up.
“Please wait!”
Just as they were about to leave, someone hurried out from the academy and called after them.
Yuan Zhao’s heart tightened. Could it be they were being driven away? Told they could no longer set up their stall here? Recently, other vendors had begun copying them and setting up nearby.
Could it be the academy thought they were disturbing the students and planned to report them?
“Is… something the matter?” Yuan Zhao asked, his voice trembling.
“I’m the academy steward, in charge of the kitchen and rear courtyard,” the man explained gently. “I wanted to ask—could you sell these wraps to us? I’m not asking for your recipe, just the finished product. The students have really taken a liking to them.”
In truth, the academy dining hall had been doing poorly. If they could introduce these popular wraps, business might improve.
He had long suggested reforms—the students could not study well if they could not eat well. But the dining hall was managed by a relative of Master Cui, and as a steward, he had little say. Still, since the students treated him as responsible, he felt compelled to solve the issue.
Yuan Zhao blinked. “These wraps are best when made fresh. Even if I make them in batches for you, it’s no different from them buying here.”
No effort would be saved.
And from the conversation, he could already tell the dining hall people would be difficult. If they found out he was supplying them, they would surely make trouble.
He could not afford that.
“Then… could you sell us the batter? And the sauce? And the fillings…?” the steward asked awkwardly.
“You can’t make any of it yourselves?” Yuan Zhao exclaimed in shock. Asking for batter was one thing—but even the fillings?
The steward smiled awkwardly. “At the moment, I don’t have authority over the dining hall. I wanted to discuss it with you first. If this works out, I can push harder to convince them.”
Yuan Zhao nodded. So the dining hall held the real power.
“I appreciate your interest. I need to think about it. Why don’t you try persuading the dining hall first? I’ll be here again tomorrow—then we can talk in detail.”
“Alright! Then we’ll discuss again after you’ve consulted your fellow student Shi,” the steward said reasonably.
Yuan Zhao smiled, packed up, and left.
This was the first time someone had approached them for business like this. If it worked out, their little stall could make even more money!
So when they went to Xiangxiang Restaurant to fetch the ox cart, Yuan Zhao eagerly told Shi Wuxiang about it.
After listening, Shi Wuxiang simply said, “Negotiating with the academy may be difficult. The dining hall is contracted to Cui Qi’s relative. If he sees money going into someone else’s hands, he’ll likely make trouble.”
“Then maybe we should hold off. But if it does work—how do I even do business like this?” Yuan Zhao asked. “Do I just sell them batter?”
Wraps were not hard to make—it was just that Yuan Zhao was willing to put in the effort, and customers preferred buying rather than making them themselves.
“If they truly want to work with you, you can give them the basic recipe. But keep the sauce to yourself—sell that separately on a regular basis. They can handle the rest,” Shi Wuxiang said.
Yuan Zhao’s sauce was made from base paste he bought, then refined with his own ingredients. It used a lot of oil and seasoning—things most businesses preferred to minimize. That was where his profit lay.
Yuan Zhao nodded, then felt something odd.
“You’ve thought this through a lot, Ah Xiang.”
“Because Xiangxiang Restaurant wants to negotiate with you. I just thought ahead a bit,” Shi Wuxiang replied. “I’ll explain in detail tonight.”
Yuan Zhao nodded. “Then we’ll head back first. Do your work well.”
“Got it.” Shi Wuxiang smiled, then turned to Madam Shi. “Be careful on the way home.”
All the way back, Yuan Zhao could not stop thinking about it. He was so excited he nearly drove the ox cart into a ditch. Even after arriving home safely, he still could not calm down.
This was about making money—how could anyone stay calm?
It was all Ah Xiang’s fault! He had hinted at things but refused to explain fully, making him wait until night—leaving him restless and anxious!
So bad!
“Stop pacing. Big brother will tell you when he gets back,” Shi Qingyue said, watching him bounce around the yard like a flea.
“You don’t understand—he’s doing this on purpose!” Yuan Zhao huffed.
Shi Wuxiang had indeed held back—but not to make him anxious. He simply wanted something to talk about with him later that night.
Shi Qingyue sighed. The whole family was childish!
For the first time all summer, Yuan Zhao went to wait for Shi Wuxiang at the village entrance. As soon as he got off the ox cart, he saw him approaching with a torch.
“Ah Xiang!” Yuan Zhao waved excitedly.
Shi Wuxiang took the torch from him, and the two walked home together under the moonlight.
That night was unusual—the entire family was gathered in the main hall, waiting.
After eating, Shi Wuxiang began discussing the matter.
The owner of Xiangxiang Restaurant wanted to bring the wraps into the restaurant. But since they could not bring Yuan Zhao into the kitchen, they would have to purchase ready-made components.
The batter and pancake recipe could be sold, but as Shi Wuxiang had said, the sauce recipe would remain secret—only the finished sauce would be supplied.
And since the restaurant would resell it at a higher price, their customer base would differ, avoiding conflict with Yuan Zhao’s stall.
“The restaurant hopes we won’t supply other restaurants. They’re willing to pay more,” Shi Wuxiang said.
He personally agreed—rarity made something valuable.
Yuan Zhao simply nodded. “We’ll listen to you.”
Shi Wuxiang had already weighed all the pros and cons before bringing it up—if there were no profit in it, he would never have agreed.
“Alright. Then I’ll give them the basic recipe when the time comes. As for making the sauce, that’ll be on you,” Shi Wuxiang said.
It was a bit strange—though they had made the sauce together before, somehow Yuan Zhao’s always turned out the best. Naturally, such an important task had to fall to him.
Yuan Zhao nodded repeatedly. “Got it. Then I’ll buy more base paste from the sauce seller. When the time comes, Ranran and I will stay home to make the sauce, and Ah Yue can go out with the stall.”
“Alright.”
“That’s great! We’re going to make more money again!” Shi Qingyue cheered first.
Just a few days ago, he had been worrying about tuition for next spring. Now, hearing this good news, he no longer had to fret—if the family had money, his studies would be secure!
Ranran was just as happy. She snuggled closer to Yuan Zhao and said sweetly, “Sister-in-law, I want new hair ties~”
“I’ll get them for you in town tomorrow—several of them. You can switch them every day, okay?” Yuan Zhao pinched her cheek.
“Thank you, sister-in-law! You’re the best~” Ranran had clearly figured out who held the real authority at home. As long as it wasn’t anything outrageous, a little coaxing would always work.
Yuan Zhao smiled along, completely unaware that he had already become the little “head” of the household.
Just as Shi Wuxiang had predicted, the academy steward failed to persuade the dining hall manager. Worse, Cui Qi found out and even reprimanded him.
The steward, Ma Fu, had once been a student at the academy. Though he never pursued official exams further, he stayed behind to work there, which made him naturally wary of Cui Qi.
“I’m really sorry,” Ma Fu said apologetically. “Since the deal won’t work out, students will just have to keep buying from your stall.”
“It’s alright. This isn’t your fault,” Yuan Zhao replied understandingly. “As long as nothing unexpected happens, we’ll keep setting up here.”
Ma Fu nodded. “That’s good. The students really like your food. If my actions caused you trouble, I’d feel terrible.”
Yuan Zhao waved his hands quickly. “Please don’t say that. Whether it works out or not doesn’t matter—no need to be so polite.”
They chatted a bit more. Yuan Zhao even treated him to a wrap, taking the chance to ask about the academy—especially about Cui Qi.
After all, next year Shi Wuxiang would return to study. If Cui Qi kept making trouble for him, what then?
But the more he listened, the more alarmed he became. Though not the most capable teacher, Cui Qi was a long-standing one, even treated leniently by the headmaster. Otherwise, his relative would not have been allowed to run the dining hall.
If Shi Wuxiang returned, Cui Qi would definitely be a problem.
“There are two other academies in town,” Ma Fu added. “They’re a bit remote, but not bad options.”
Before Yuan Zhao could respond—
“You, Ma Fu! How dare you speak in favor of other academies!”
A furious shout rang out. Two men strode toward them from the academy gate.
Ma Fu’s face changed instantly. “It’s Master Cui—and his relative!”
They soon stood before the stall. Yuan Zhao could tell at a glance—Cui Qi was dressed neatly in fine clothes, but somehow looked off; the man beside him was greasy and unkempt, clearly someone from the kitchen.
Ma Fu forced a smile. “Master Cui, I only meant that if someone cannot afford our academy’s tuition, they might consider a more distant one—”
“If they can’t even afford tuition, what’s the point of studying?” Cui Qi cut in rudely, his gaze on Yuan Zhao filled with disdain. “This is an academy, not a marketplace. Who allowed you to set up a stall here?”
At that moment, Yuan Zhao felt that Shi Wuxiang was almost prophetic.
Shi Wuxiang had warned him—sooner or later, someone at the academy would take issue with his stall, and had even taught him how to respond.
“I’m not inside the academy. This road belongs to Qingshui Town,” Yuan Zhao said, lifting his chin slightly. “If you’ve bought this road, I’ll leave immediately. Otherwise, why are you chasing me off? Is this your land?”
One simple sentence left Cui Qi speechless.
He might be a respected teacher, but public land was not his to claim. He could control the academy grounds—but not the road outside.
“You’re talking nonsense!” Cui Qi snapped. “Your stall disrupts the students, yet you still argue back? Don’t try to frame me!”
Yuan Zhao frowned. “You teach your classes, I run my stall—we don’t interfere with each other. You came here to bully me, and now I can’t even speak? Is this how teachers behave?”
Shi Wuxiang had said—when you argue, aim straight for the point.
Ignore what the other side says. Stick to your own ground.
“You—this is outrageous!” Cui Qi fumed. “If you have relatives planning to enroll, let me tell you now—no matter how much you pay, I will never allow them into this academy!”
“Who cares about you?” Yuan Zhao snorted. “An academy should welcome students, not act so petty. Anyone who comes here is unlucky!”
Seeing Cui Qi nearly faint with anger, Ma Fu quickly signaled Yuan Zhao to stop—this could get serious!
But the greasy cook beside Cui Qi spoke up instead, pointing angrily at Ma Fu. “You wanted to bring this filthy food into the dining hall? I’ll report this to the headmaster—you can forget about your position!”
Ma Fu clenched his teeth but dared not respond. This job was too important—losing it would mean returning to a hard life.
Understanding his situation, Yuan Zhao spoke calmly, “I wouldn’t sell to your dining hall anyway. If the students want it, they’ll come to me. Let’s go.”
They had already been about to leave. He had no interest in talking further.
In the past, he might have been afraid—but Shi Wuxiang had told him: as long as you run an honest business, customers will support you. There is no need to bow to everyone.
Yuan Zhao packed up swiftly and left with Madam Shi and Yuan Yuan, not sparing them another glance.
Still, just because they didn’t act now didn’t mean they wouldn’t tomorrow. Setting up here again might not be easy.
If they had the ability, they could go buy the land themselves—why bully small vendors?
Back home, Yuan Zhao was still upset.
So what if they were teachers? One day, their family would produce two scholars! Let’s see who scares whom then!
Chop chop chop firewood!
Burn burn burn the fire!
Chop chop chop the meat!
“What’s wrong with sister-in-law…?” Shi Qingyue shivered a little. “Did big brother upset him?”
Yuan Yuan shook his head. “We ran into an academy teacher. He said a lot of nasty things. Brother couldn’t argue back…”
Shi Qingyue immediately grew angry. “Just wait—I’ll pass the exams and become an official! I’ll protect all of you!”
“I want to be an official too. Ah Yue, why can’t I?” Yuan Yuan asked.
Shi Qingyue did not know how to answer. The world was like this—unless someone stood up to challenge it.
Yuan Yuan did not press further. It was his own quiet frustration.
After venting, Yuan Zhao cooked a lavish dinner. Everyone ate until their mouths were greasy.
That was enough.
As long as his family could eat well and stay warm, why care about the cruel words of irrelevant people?
That night, Shi Wuxiang looked at the dishes left for him in surprise.
“Someone who didn’t know better would think you attended a banquet.”
“At village banquets, nothing is left over,” Yuan Zhao pouted. “Hurry up and eat—I want to talk.”
Shi Wuxiang sat down to eat. “You ran into Cui Qi?”
Yuan Zhao’s eyes widened. “You even know that? Are you a fortune-teller?”
“If Steward Ma couldn’t handle the dining hall, it would inevitably reach Cui Qi,” Shi Wuxiang said. “Did you use what I taught you?”
“I did! Everything you said worked!” Yuan Zhao beamed, jumping up to massage his shoulders and legs. “Ah Xiang, you’re amazing! You’ll definitely pass the provincial exam and become even better than them! Teach me more!”
His flattering manner was rather endearing. Shi Wuxiang let him fuss over him, occasionally responding.
“Put away the leftovers. Don’t waste them,” Shi Wuxiang said.
“I was about to do that! If you keep talking, I won’t do it!” Yuan Zhao punched him lightly, annoyed.
Shi Wuxiang immediately fell silent and soothed him, “My fault. I talk too much. Please, young master.”
“Hmph!” Yuan Zhao snorted proudly, carrying the dishes away.
Once everything was cleaned up, it was time for their nightly quiet talk.
Shi Wuxiang sat reading at the table, occasionally replying to Yuan Zhao. The candlelight illuminated the room, casting his shadow against the wall as he wrote.
“Ah Xiang!” Yuan Zhao called.
“Go on,” he replied.
Yuan Zhao nodded eagerly. “The more I think about it, the more I feel studying really is the best. In the future, if I have children, I’ll make them study and earn degrees—then no one will dare bully me! And Ah Yue has to pass the exams too, so no one will dare bully you all!”
Shi Wuxiang chuckled softly. “You’re thinking about things that don’t even exist yet.”
He really did not dare call Yuan Zhao a child anymore.
Yuan Zhao disagreed. “How is that something imaginary? You have to be smart to have children—but if they turn out a little slow… well, then they’ll just be slow!”
Taking it as talk about children, Shi Wuxiang replied, “If they’re slow, they must take after you.”
“Not praising me anymore, huh?” Yuan Zhao pouted. Fine—he would go find someone smart to have children with in the future!
Once he made enough money, he would go to the academy, find someone really poor, support him, and have children!
He giggled foolishly, rolling onto his stomach, propping his chin on his arms as he stared at Shi Wuxiang. He actually wanted to have children with Ah Xiang—but unfortunately, the other man did not.
Shi Wuxiang said, “Stop thinking about all that nonsense. Don’t set up your stall in front of the academy tomorrow. Cui Qi will definitely send people to block you—he might even wreck your stall.”
“Is that deal really impossible?” Yuan Zhao felt a bit regretful. “Forget it. I’ll be busy making sauce at home anyway. What about Xiangxiang Restaurant?”
“It’s already settled,” Shi Wuxiang said. “I’m writing down the recipe now. I’ll explain everything later—but I can tell you this: they’ve already paid the deposit.”
“Really?” Yuan Zhao’s eyes lit up. “No wonder you came back carrying that bundle—was it full of silver?”
“You wish—but you guessed right.” Shi Wuxiang set down his brush and blew on the ink to dry it.
He got up, opened the small bundle, and revealed the silver inside.
“The recipe itself is simple, so it didn’t fetch a high price. But they bought out our exclusivity, so they added extra.”
“There’s sixty taels in total. Ten of it is the deposit for the sauce.”
Yuan Zhao’s eyes went wide.
That was so much money—it could buy a shop!