Chapter 54

On the vast sea, the wind and waves were strong.

Beside Pei Weixuan stood several people, including Huo Ye, the leader of the Black Armor Guards.

Huo Ye looked at the endless and majestic sea, hardly believing they had set sail. Just a few months ago, they were all hiding in various places until he found Young Master, who led the Black Armor Guards to seize two official ships. They even sold the iron and coal from the ships without alerting the court or soldiers, making a large sum of money.

Young Master then took the ships to a small island near the sea.

During this time, they seized another official ship and sold the iron and coal again. This infuriated the Empress Dowager, who sent many soldiers and guards to the canal banks to suppress the bandits. They thought the two groups of water bandits had seized the ships.

Huo Ye knew about the two groups of water bandits. One group was notorious for their crimes, while the other, although they robbed, did not kill and only targeted unscrupulous merchants. This group also took care of many elderly, weak, and disabled people in their village, and their leader was a kind-hearted man with a family to support.

Young Master led them to subdue this second group of water bandits.

Because Young Master led them to seize two official ships, the Empress Dowager almost mobilized half of the soldiers guarding the southwestern border.

This group of water bandits was beaten badly and surrounded. If Young Master hadn’t led a rescue, everyone in the village would have died.

Young Master took this group of water bandits and their families to the small island and allowed them to live there temporarily. However, this group of water bandits did not know Young Master’s identity. They called him “master” and did not know he was the former fourth prince.

The Black Armor Guards were absolutely loyal and would never reveal Young Master’s identity to outsiders.

Later, Young Master led them to the island and converted several official ships into one large ship. Initially, they didn’t know how to build a ship, but during the process, Young Master just watched as they dismantled the ship and understood everything. He then taught them how to modify it.

This ship was so large that it could be called a giant ship.

Huo Ye once asked Young Master what the purpose of building this ship was.

Young Master told him, “To go to sea.”

He asked in confusion, “Young Master, what are we going to sea for?”

To them, going to sea was only for fishing. Even for fishing, using such a giant ship was overkill. The fishing boats of ordinary fishermen by the sea were much smaller, and one official ship could be equivalent to ten ordinary fishing boats.

This giant ship was even more so.

Young Master said, “To go to sea and find other countries. Those places have things we need.”

If they could find them, it would not only be a weapon against the Empress Dowager but also benefit millions of people in the Great Sheng Dynasty.

Huo Ye was stunned, “But, Young Master, isn’t the other side of the sea still the sea? How can there be other countries?”

No one knew what was on the other side of the sea. Some travel notes said that the other side of the sea was still the sea, uninhabited, with nothing but one small island after another. There might be some wild people on the islands, but how could there be a country’s population hidden on a small island?

Young Master didn’t explain how people could be hidden on overseas islands, but he told him that he would definitely go to sea on this journey.

So Huo Ye selected some people to go to sea with Young Master.

Those who went included Huo Ye and some other Black Armor Guards, as well as two people from the water bandits they had subdued earlier. The leader of the water bandits, Chen Yi, stayed on the small island to take care of his family. Those who went included a sturdy bald man named Da Tou, who was skilled in martial arts. Da Tou said that his head was big when he was a child, so his family called him Da Tou. Later, during a famine, his family died, and he almost starved to death. He was found by Chen Yi and brought back to the village.

The other person was a frail scholar from the village, who could be considered the village’s strategist, named Chen He.

Chen Yi found Chen He by the river when he was ten. Chen He didn’t know anything about his past, whether he had forgotten or didn’t want to say. Later, Chen Yi brought him back to the village and named him Chen He.

Chen He and Da Tou stood on the other side of Pei Weixuan.

The sturdy Da Tou looked at the distant sky filled with the glow of the setting sun and said in awe, “It’s gorgeous.”

Pei Weixuan stood on the deck, tall and slender, with eyebrows like ink paintings, gazing at the distant sunset.

The sea breeze rustled his clothes and blew his hair into a disheveled mess. His face was calm, showing no fear even though it was his first time at sea. They had only been at sea for two days.

After another half month, everyone started to feel a bit bored, and a group of men spent their days practicing martial arts on the deck. Besides that, everyone had lost some weight. The ship had a cook and plenty of dried flatbread.

They either ate the hard flatbread or the cook’s meals, but the cook was a temporary recruit from the Black Armor Guards, so the food was just barely edible. After eating this way for over half a month, it became unbearable.

After eating like this for over half a month, even Huo Ye couldn’t help but lick his lips, reminiscing about the delicious soy sauce pancakes and pork jerky Young Master brought when he found them in the bamboo forest of Yuanbao Town. The taste was unforgettable.

Those were made by Xu Qinyu. Young Master had said she wanted to open a restaurant and a large inn in the future. He hoped that by the time they returned, Young Lady Xu’s restaurant would be open, and he could have a hearty meal.

Every morning and evening, Pei Weixuan would come to the deck to observe the wind and weather.

One morning, Pei Weixuan observed the distant gentle waves, the wind, and the sky, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. By sunset, he observed the wind and weather again and finally said, “If we encounter a small island, we need to dock and rest for a few days.”

Huo Ye asked, “Young Master, what’s wrong?”

Pei Weixuan replied, “In three days, there will be a severe storm and heavy rain.”

Huo Ye knew how dangerous storms and heavy rain could be at sea. Fishermen living by the sea feared this weather the most. He immediately said, “Alright, we’ll dock at the next island we find.”

Even such a giant ship, in the vast and boundless sea, would be like a small boat, easily blown apart by the wind and waves.

Fortunately, after two more days of sailing, they encountered a small island. The next day, a storm arrived, and the distant sea was raging like a giant beast devouring everything.

Everyone’s faces changed at the sight. In such weather, continuing to sail would leave them with no chance of survival. It was fortunate that Young Master could read the weather; otherwise, this sea journey would have been a near-death experience.

Huo Ye couldn’t help but worry. Throughout this sea journey, Young Master hadn’t clearly stated their purpose, only mentioning that there were other countries overseas with things he wanted. What exactly those things were remained unclear. Could it be weapons capable of resisting the imperial army? But what kind of weapons could stand against an army of a hundred thousand?

A few days later, they returned to the ship and continued their voyage. No one knew what they would encounter on this journey or if they would return alive, but they were all willing to follow Pei Weixuan.

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Half a month passed, and Xu’s Food Mansion was bustling with customers for both breakfast and dinner. Some were even willing to share tables just to taste Xu Qinyu’s cooking.

The restaurant’s daily income increased by a few taels of silver, thanks to the growing number of customers ordering grilled lamb ribs.

Xu Qinyu no longer needed to grill the lamb ribs herself over the iron net and charcoal. She had someone build an “oven” for her. It was essentially a bread kiln, similar in principle to an oven, capable of baking various items.

Xu Qinyu drew up the plans and had a master stove builder construct it for her.

Once built, it was left to dry, then fired to set the kiln, making it ready for use. This kiln functioned like a modern oven, saving a lot of time. Besides grilling lamb ribs, it could roast chicken and duck and bake all kinds of bread, cakes, tarts, and dried fruits. By controlling the heat, it could also help dry various ingredients, including wild mushrooms, which Cheng Ge’er ground into powder for seasoning. It was incredibly convenient.

The lamb ribs could be grilled batch by batch, ensuring they were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Although the lamb ribs were expensive, many people loved them, and about ten servings were sold each evening. Several servings were bought by wealthy merchants who sent their servants to purchase them.

Since the lamb ribs could cause heatiness, Xu Qinyu prepared mung bean soup daily, offering it to customers who ordered the lamb ribs. Other customers could buy the soup for four wen per bowl.

Another signature dish was crab roe noodles or rice. Initially, not many people bought it, but some wealthy customers, curious about why a bowl of noodles or rice cost two hundred wen, decided to try it.

Looking at the small bowl filled with golden, glossy paste, the aroma was irresistible. When mixed with rice or noodles, the taste was simply divine. It was fresh and fragrant, with a tender and slightly sweet texture and the tang of vinegar. The flavors were distinct yet blended harmoniously in the mouth. Just one taste and it became addictive. Initially, not many people bought it, but over the past half month, the reputation of the crab roe noodles and rice spread.

However, making it was troublesome, requiring someone to remove the crab meat and roe.

Cheng Ge’er was also very busy, and there wasn’t a single idle person in the restaurant. Therefore, it took several days to make some crab roe oil, and it was usually pre-ordered before it was even made.

After just half a month of operation, Xu Qinyu was exhausted. She pinched her already slim waist and felt it had become even slimmer, likely from the hard work.

Madam Wen felt heartache seeing this but couldn’t persuade her otherwise. In the restaurant, she took on all the tasks she could handle. The task of making bags was completely handed over to Ning Jie’er, and she focused solely on helping Yuniang every day.

Fortunately, Cheng Ge’er’s sister, Tao Jie’er, often visited Ning Jie’er. Tao Jie’er was also good at needlework, and now Ning Jie’er and Tao Jie’er made buns together.

At home, there was Madam Gui, who could handle the household chores with the help of the two children.

While working, Madam Gui instructed Hei Yu to keep an eye on Feng Ge’er and Yuan Jie’er. Whenever Hei Yu saw them near the well or the main gate, it would howl to alert Madam Gui, making it a good watchdog and caretaker.

Due to exhaustion, Xu Qinyu decided to close the restaurant for a day every half-month for rest. Otherwise, her body wouldn’t be able to handle it. She earned money to live a better life, not to wear herself out.

So, during breakfast and dinner, Xu Qinyu had Madam Chen and the others inform the customers that the restaurant would be closed the next day so everyone could rest.

Although the customers were reluctant, they understood.

Since it was a rest day, even the fish balls and fish heads wouldn’t be made.

The next day, Xu Qinyu took a well-deserved break. She did no work and didn’t even cook, as Madam Wen took care of the meals.

Apart from going out for breakfast and dinner, Xu Qinyu spent the entire day lying in bed and sleeping. It was incredibly comfortable, and she felt completely refreshed.

The reputation of Xu’s Food Mansion had even reached the Wen family.

A few days ago, the Wen family separated the third branch, and Old Master Wen immediately bought six servants. They couldn’t live as they did before, with numerous servants at their beck and call. These servants were only responsible for cleaning, washing clothes, and cooking.

Too many servants would cost a lot of money, and they needed to save money. When selecting servants at the agency, the Wen family specifically requested those who could cook.

The cook they found was a man in his thirties, who had been a chef in an official’s household before being sold after the family’s property was confiscated. So, the Wen family bought him.

After bringing him back, the Wen family had him cook a meal. It was indeed better than what Concubine Bai and Madam Meng cooked, but that was because their cooking was terrible.

Compared to the chefs at Donglai Restaurant, the servant’s cooking was not even as good as the assistant cooks, let alone the head chef.

Wen Yunling had hoped this servant would be skilled, but she was ultimately disappointed. She wanted to find a renowned chef to prepare for opening a restaurant.

Without a renowned chef, even if she opened a restaurant, the food wouldn’t be as good as Donglai Restaurant, and the business would naturally lose money. She was very clear-headed about this.

But finding a renowned chef wasn’t easy. The best food she had eaten in Yuanbao Town was at Donglai Restaurant. She even tried to poach their chef, thinking that offering higher wages would entice him to join her new restaurant. However, as soon as she mentioned it, the chef turned and left with a sullen face.

This made her very angry. So, she continued to look for other renowned chefs.

It wasn’t that she was determined to open a restaurant, but food was the most important thing in life. She hadn’t been involved in other businesses and didn’t have the connections to start them. Opening a restaurant didn’t require connections; she just needed a good chef. Restaurants were also very profitable, more so than many other businesses.

When she was in the capital, she knew the daughter of the owner of the largest restaurant, Jixiang Restaurant. She knew that Jixiang Restaurant earned at least ten thousand taels of silver a month. But that was because Jixiang Restaurant was huge, with eight or nine storefronts and six floors. The business was booming, and it was always full.

That’s why she was determined to open a restaurant.

Since the servant’s cooking was mediocre, she didn’t expect him to be the head chef of her restaurant. His food was average, and Donglai Restaurant’s food was better, so Wen Yunling often went to Donglai Restaurant for breakfast and dinner. But she didn’t go every day, just every few days.

Recently, when she went to Donglai Restaurant, she often heard people talking about Xu’s Food Mansion. Today, while having breakfast, she heard the customers next to her discussing it again.