The shopkeeper immediately led her to the backyard with a smile on his face. He poured her tea attentively and left.

Xu Shaoyan looked at her and found that she was completely different from the last time he saw her.

She was very dark and thin last time, but now her skin was much whiter and she had gained a lot of weight. She was no longer skinny.

He always thought that her facial features were good, especially her eyes, which were bright and lively. Now looking at her again, she was white and more lively, as if she was shining. He didn’t expect that after only a few months of not seeing her, she had changed completely.

She had curved eyebrows, a pretty face, and a calm and composed expression.

Xu Shaoyan couldn’t stop his inner admiration: “I haven’t congratulated Madam Su on her prosperous business yet.”

“Well, how dare my small business be called prosperous by Master Young. Besides, there are several shops in this town, so we can’t be prosperous.”

“Those shops haven’t been open for long. This business in Fengting Town still belongs to Madam Su.”

“Then I’ll borrow Master Young’s good words.”

“Don’t worry, others can’t imitate your essence. I wonder if Madam Su has come to me this time to find me, but what good skills do you want to sell me?”

“How can I have so many skills to sell? Besides, I’m only good at talking, how can I compare with your master chef? It’s only been a short time, and you’ve developed so many new varieties, like fried pastries. I think your store is just short of frying and selling all the flowers seen in the world.”

Xu Shaoyan smiled: “That’s also thanks to Madam Su. She gave them ideas. Otherwise, my auspicious shop has been open for more than 20 years, and there won’t be any new products.”

Su Qingyu didn’t dare to underestimate the craftsmen of that era. They really had skills. That was to say, they were trapped in one place and lacked some experience. Once they were provided with ideas, they could imitate them immediately, and they could even surpass their predecessors.

“I came here today to discuss other business with the young master. But I didn’t know that the young master was in the store, so I didn’t bring the things, so I have to go back to get them.”

Xu Shaoyan thought for a while and said, “I’ll go back with you.”

“Okay.” It saved her from running back and forth.

As they talked, they got up.

As soon as they left the shop, they saw Lu Yuzhu and Qian Yueru going to Jixiang Shop to buy cakes together. They bumped into each other. Su Qingyu was stunned when she saw Lu Yuzhu, and when she saw that she had no intention of greeting her, she just nodded and left. And Xu Shaoyan didn’t even look to the side from beginning to end.

“Wasn’t that person your sǎozi?” Qian Yueru stared at Xu Shaoyan’s back blankly and bumped into her.

Lu Yuzhu was stunned when she saw Xu Shaoyan. He was elegant and noble. He was not inferior to the young master of Linlang Pavilion at all. He was even more handsome than him.

Without answering Qian Yueru, she saw the shopkeeper sending the two people out, and stepped forward to ask: “Shopkeeper, is that your boss?”

The shopkeeper naturally heard what they said. Was this Madam Su’s xiǎo gūzi ^[1]younger sister of your husband? Why did she look at her sǎozi like a stranger?

Turning around and smiling, he said to them: “Come into the store and take a look. We have a few new flower crisps in our store. They are beautiful and delicious. Come in and take a look…”

Su Qingyu didn’t care at all about Lu Yuzhu’s dislike.

When she arrived at her own store, she first took Xu Shaoyan around the store. Seeing that he was interested, she explained a few words. When she arrived in the backyard, she asked Grandma Zhou and Su Qingliu to take out some dried vegetables and make a few dishes.

Then she went to the cellar in person to get some dried vegetables and dried fruits and placed them in front of Xu Shaoyan.

Xu Shaoyan was a little disappointed. She wanted to sell these dried vegetables and dried mushrooms to him?

Seeing his indifferent expression, Su Qingyu didn’t rush to explain, so she asked him, “Young Master, have you ever tried to eat only meat and no vegetables for a while?”

Xu Shaoyan thought for a moment and said, “Not for too long, three to five days often. Sometimes when I’m running outside or hunting in the mountains, there are times when I can’t eat fresh fruits and vegetables.”

“At that, did you notice anything unusual about your body?”

“What unusual things?” Xu Shaoyan was puzzled.

“There may not be any obvious changes in three to five days. But if you don’t eat vegetables for a long time, your body will undergo a series of changes.”

A series of changes? So then you had to rely on these dried vegetables and fruits to solve the problem?

Su Qingyu picked up a piece of red carrot from the plate: “For example, this red carrot contains a substance that is very good for the human body. Eating more can increase a person’s adaptability in the dark, and can enhance vision and night vision. Eating less may cause night blindness.”

“Can this cure night blindness?”

Su Qingyu shook her head: “This is food, not medicine. It cannot play a therapeutic role, but it can help improve and prevent it. Food as supplements can help the human body replenish what it lacks.”

“And, this is commonly known as small ginseng, which can promote the circulation of qi and blood. For people with cold hands and feet and insufficient qi and blood, it can play a certain role in replenishing qi and blood.”

“Oh? This red carrot? My son doesn’t like it the most. He says it has a strange smell.”

Su Qingyu smiled and pushed the plate toward him. “There are two kinds on my table. One is dried vegetables, meant for cooking, and needs to be soaked before use. The other is called vegetable crisps, seasoned, deep-fried, and ready to eat. Young Master, have a taste.”

“Oh, you can eat it without cooking?”

“Yes. It’s delicious.”

Su Qing’an took the lead in picking up a piece of carrot and put it in her mouth. It made a crunchy sound, and it had a bit of saltiness, but more of the original taste of food. Su Qing’an used to put it in her bag as a snack. Whenever she went on a business trip, she would pack some to eat.

Xu Shaoyan saw her eating it and thought it tasted very good, so he followed her example and picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.

Hey, it tasted pretty good.

“Is it cooked?”

“It’s cooked, you can eat it with confidence, young master. It’s fried at high temperature and dehydrated, so it can be kept for a long time. Young Master, try this dried mushroom.”

Xu Shaoyan had some resistance on his face.

If his son hated carrots, then he hated mushrooms. The mushrooms tasted too weird.

Su Qingyu saw him turning his head away in resistance. It was the first time she saw him with such a rich expression, and she chuckled.

She took one and put it in her mouth, pretending that she didn’t know the goods: “This dried mushroom is delicious. I also made two kinds, one is the ordinary shade-dried one, which needs to be soaked before eating, and the other is fried at high temperature and dehydrated and can be eaten immediately.”

Shiitake mushrooms were high in protein and low in fat, which could improve immunity, and lower blood lipids and blood pressure. Su Qingyu liked to throw a few mushrooms into her mouth when she had nothing to do. They were crunchy when bitten, and were very good as snacks. She heard that they could also delay aging, so she liked them even more.

Xu Shaoyan heard a word he didn’t understand, and it was not easy to ask, as it could show that he was ignorant.

It was not easy to refuse, so he took one, squinted his eyes, and stuffed it into his mouth.

The unique smell of mushrooms rushed up to his nose, making him feel slightly uncomfortable.

But after chewing it in his mouth, he found that it was not too uncomfortable.

Su Qingyu smiled when she saw him like that.

The taste of shiitake mushrooms was something some people loved and others hated. It was like durian—those who loved it couldn’t forget it, while those who hated it avoided it at all costs. As for herself, she didn’t like eating durian. Everyone had their own preferences, and she couldn’t force him to share hers.

(End of this chapter)